San Diego Jewish World

 

Wednesday Evening, June 6, 2007    

Vol. 1, Number 37

 

U.N. officials mark 6-Day War
anniversary by blaming Israel

Ban Ki-moon expresses concern for 'particularly the Palestinians'

-compiled from press releases-

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. —Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War with a reminder on Tuesday, June 5, to all sides that Palestinian statehood, security for Israelis and peace in the region cannot be achieved by force.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban said “an end to the occupation and a political solution to the conflict is the only way forward – for Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese and the wider region.

“This will only be achieved through negotiations to bring about an end to the occupation, on the basis of the principle of land for peace, as envisaged in Security Council resolutions
242 (1967) and 338 (1973).”
 

6/6/07 SDJW Report
(click on headline below to jump to the story)

International and National

*U.N. officials mark 6-Day War anniversary by blaming Israel

*Six-Day War was the result, not the cause, of Arab governments' hostility to Israel

*
Jewish groups plan demonstration June 10
in Washington D.C. to counter anti-Israel effort


*
NJDC faults 26 Republicans for opposing bill to
establish commission on Jewish WWII refugees


*
Reform Jews seek hate crimes protection for gays

*Anti-Defamation League says United Church of Christ
ignores Jewish suffering in its statement on Middle East


*
'I am my brother's keeper,' vows HIAS chairman

*As we remember 1967 war, let's also recall the wounded

Regional and Local
*Interfaith Shelter Network plans dinner, tour and Dead Sea Scrolls lecture

Daily Features
Jews in the News

Jewish Grapevine


For Your Reference
San Diego Jewish Community Calendar

San Diego Jewish Community Directory


Arts, Entertainment & Dining
*Iran seen through the eyes of a woman of steel

*Songs of a Wayfarer to highlight TICO Concert

So, who couldn't use a laugh?
*The kosher computer

May their memories be a blessing
*Sylvia Cysner

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Anderson Travel
Jewish American Chamber of Commerce
Project Sarah: Flowers Aren't Enough
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The statement stressed that the UN remains
committed to working tirelessly “for a just, lasting
and comprehensive peace in the region” in line
with those Council resolutions and international
law.

“The Secretary-General remembers the men,
women and children who have been killed or had
their lives shattered by the tragedies of conflict in
the Middle East, particularly the Palestinians who continue to live under an occupation that has
lasted 40 years.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour also issued a statement to mark the
anniversary, calling for human rights to be given
a more prominent role in the search for a solution
to the Middle East conflict.

Arbour said the Israeli occupation since 1967 was “a regime which has led to wide-ranging and serious violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people, first and foremost among them the right to self-determination.”

She said “the occupation must give way to a lasting political solution allowing both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to live in peace within secure and internationally recognized borders.”

Saying “human rights have for too long taken a back seat” in the search for a solution, Arbour
said both crises that flare up and the longer-term resolution of the conflict should be dealt with according to international human rights and humanitarian law.


“This includes the relevant obligations as reaffirmed in July 2004 in the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

The High Commissioner observed that the right to life “continues to be violated within a general climate of impunity in the region,” whether through the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) extrajudicial executions or artillery attacks, internal Palestinian violence or Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

 

 

Greater efforts should be made to counter the growing sense of disempowerment that so
many Palestinians feel in the occupied territory, she said, calling for immediate steps towards removing settlements and lifting obstacles to Palestinians’ freedom of movement.

The right of Palestinians to travel, particularly between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
“is seriously compromised and has severely curtailed Palestinians’ exercise of a wide range
of other human rights, including health, education, work and family life.”

Israel published no immediate reply to the commentary by the two high UN officials, but the
day before it issued a response to a report by Amnesty International that took a similar tack.

The Foreign Ministry statement said:

"Israel views with the utmost importance the safeguarding of human rights and invests
abundant resources in doing so, in keeping with its commitment to values and to
international law. 
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International and National

Commentary
Six-Day War was the result, not the cause,
of Arab governments' hostility to Israel


By Shoshana Bryen


 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (JINSA)—The Six Day War should be marked, among other reasons,
because 779 Israelis were killed in it and these six days are their
yartzeit - their memorial days.Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Israeli Air Force destruction of the Egyptian Air Force.Today is the 40th anniversary of fighting on three fronts. Tomorrow marks 40 years on the Gregorian calendar since the reunification of Jerusalem. But in some ways it doesn't matter which day or how many days are marked. Six days in June 1967 are six days
in a war that began before the establishment of the State of Israel and continues still.

The cause of the war is singular - and it isn't Palestinians.

The war, its predecessors and its successors, are based in the rejection by people in the Arab
and Muslim world—and their military suppliers elsewhere — of the legitimacy of Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East. The "Palestinian problem" exists only because in their unwillingness to give Israel a piece of the mandate, Arabs denied Arabs their piece as well.
They believed then and now the establishment of Israel was a mistake by the international community. By political means or by military means they want it undone.


The 40th anniversary of the Six Day War is a good time to point out that despite the long war
and the intermittent short and more intense battles, Israel has proven remarkably resilient. In
the old days, it was "Auschwitz borders," Syrian shelling of the Huleh Valley*, divided
Jerusalem and the desecration of the city's Jewish heritage. Today Israel guards Jerusalem as
an open city for all religious faiths. Its technological prowess is the envy of many and
provides opportunities for smart investors around the globe. Only the shortsighted - like the
British Association of University teachers - choose to cut themselves off from Israeli
technology and expertise.


But any day of any week of any year would be a good time to remind ourselves of those
same strengths. And any day of any week of any year would be a good time for the Arab
states and Muslim countries finally to reconcile themselves to Israel.


During the recent JINSA Flag & General Officers Trip to Israel (our 25th) we had the honor
of visiting King Abdullah of Jordan, who told us "solving the Palestinian problem" was the
most important regional issue. We politely disagree. But even taking his view, it doesn't seem
so hard to solve. The Arab states have to do now what they could not do in 1948 - accept the legitimacy and permanence of Israel. Then they can put pressure on the Palestinians to stop rocketing Israeli towns and stop teaching their children that Israel will disappear. The rest
will follow, we believe, relatively easily.


Perhaps the most important outcome of those six days is that it increased Israel's confidence
in its ability to maintain its place in the region - by diplomacy where possible, by force where necessary. Forty years is long enough for others to make the leap.


*When the IDF reached the Golan Heights and saw that how Syrian soldiers had looked nearly straight
down at Israeli houses from their positions, they erected a monument to the civilians. "From here, you
look like giants," it reads - testimony to their strength in adversity.

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Jewish groups plan demonstration June 10
in Washington D.C. to counter anti-Israel effort


WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—A coalition of pro-Israel groups is urging its
members to converge on Washington DC on June 10 for a rally to counter anti-Israel demonstrations planned the same day.

Among the organizations participating are AMCHA-The Coaliton for Jewish Concerns;
American Jewish Congress; Americans for a Safe Israel; Center for Vigilant Freedom;
Endowment for Middle East Truth; Free Republic; Stand With Us; The David Project; United American Committee; and the Unity Coalition for Israel.

A StandWith US spokesperson said efforts to bus people into the rally from as far away as
New York City are underway.

"The anti-Israel forces are certain they will have thousands of people join them in DC for
their demonstration against Israel," a StandWithUs flyer said.  "You can make sure that
Israel's side of the story is told by coming to counter their propaganda."  Information on the
rally plans may be obtained by phoning the StandWithUS New York office at (212) 398-2254, or by requesting via email.


The foregoing article was based on information provided by STandWithUs.
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NJDC faults 26 Republicans for opposing bill to
establish commission on Jewish WWII refugees


WASHINGTON (Press Release) – The U.S. Senate passed legislation offered by Senator Russ Feingold, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Senator Daniel Inouye that will create a commission to study the treatment of Jewish refugees by the U.S. government during World War II.  Twenty-six Republican Senators opposed the legislation.

“The fact that more than two dozen Republican Senators saw fit to oppose this legislation is beyond comprehension,” said Ira Forman, national director of the National Jewish Democratic Council.  “The treatment of Jewish refugees during World War II was a dark period in American history.  Senators Feingold, Lieberman, and Inouye should be commended for working to bring the truth about this issue to light.”

The legislation was offered as an amendment to the Senate’s immigration bill, because of a Republican parliamentary maneuver that blocked a standalone version of the legislation.

Several of the Senators opposing the legislation are up for re-election in 2008, including Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and John Warner (R-VA).    

“Senator Chamblis, Senator Dole, Senator Domenici, Senator McConnell, and Senator Warner will have a lot of explaining to do about this vote when they face the voters in 2008,” said Forman.   

The foregoing article was provided by the National Jewish Democratic Council.

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Reform Jews seek hate crimes protection for gays

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)—the Reform Jewish Movement, in coalition with a broad range of religious and civil rights organizations, ON Tuesday, June 5, launched an on-line petition for clergy in support of the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007.  The petition at www.clergyagainsthate.org is an opportunity for clergy of diverse faith traditions to voice their support for expanding federal hate crimes law to protect individuals targeted because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel of the Religious Action Center, commented that “Endorsement of this bill by faith leaders is especially important because opponents have all-too often implied that the legislation is hostile to religion.  The voices of a broad range of clergymen and women who preach that tolerance, acceptance, and kindness are essential religious values are needed more than ever.” 

Currently, the federal government can only lend assistance when the victim of a hate crime was targeted because of his race, religion, or national origin. Unfortunately, in many cases, including the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, local authorities do not have the needed resources to prosecute hate crimes. The Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 would expand the protected classes and provide essential resources to law enforcement prosecuting such cases.

The foregoing article was provided by the Religious Action Center.

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Anti-Defamation League says United Church of Christ
ignores Jewish suffering in its statement on Middle East

NEW YORK (Press Release)—In reaction to a statement by the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Disciples of Christ (DoC) on the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called it "unfair and one-sided" and asked, "As people of God, how can you justify ignoring that Israelis…have suffered from decades of suicide bombings?"

In letters to the church leadership, Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, said, "In focusing on Palestinian suffering, you demonstrate that you place the onus for the Arab-Israeli conflict solely on Israel. By emphasizing the effects of the conflict on the Palestinians, you devalue the loss of Israeli life and the suffering inflicted on the people of Israel as a result of years of unrelenting terror attacks."

The UCC/DoC message stated that for the last 40 years, "the Palestinian people have lived under occupation, while "the Israeli people have lived with an ongoing debate..." It discussed the suffering of generations of Palestinians, referring to checkpoints, curfews, home demolition, but in referring to any effect on Israelis said, "Generations of Israelis have experienced mandatory military service in the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights."

"As people of God, how can you justify ignoring that Israelis, young and old, women and
children, have suffered from decades of suicide bombings -- suicide bombings on public transportation as they commute to school and work, in the middle of their cities -- at shopping malls and restaurants?" Foxman asked. "How can you discount the events that led to the Six-Day War and the unsuccessful attempts by the State of Israel to negotiate a peace treaty after the war that would have meant the return of Gaza and the much of the West Bank decades ago?"
 

Foxman added that, "At a time when Israeli citizens are targeted by rockets and the elected Palestinian leadership supports the eradication of the State of Israel and the use of terrorism to this end, it is particularly unfortunate that a religious organization which says it is committed to a resolution to this conflict has abandoned the course of objective, credible advocacy for the protection of all parties, which is so essential to a constructive and lasting path to peace."

The UCC/DoC statement was signed by Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the UCC, Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, Executive Minister, Wider Church Ministries, Co-Executive, Common Global Ministries Board, and Rev. Dr. David Vargas, President, Division of Overseas Ministries, Co-Executive, Common Global Ministries Board.

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'I am my brother's keeper,' vows HIAS chairman

NEW YORK (Press Release) – The head of a Boston technology investment firm has been named chair of the board of directors of HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, at the organization’s annual meeting here June 4. With offices on five of the world’s continents and headquartered in New York City, HIAS has helped to rescue and resettle more than 4.5 million refugees since it began operations in 1881.


“I am truly honored to be taking this leadership position at HIAS,” says Michael Rukin, who serves as CEO of Concord Hill Group Trust in Boston. “This organization means so much to so many people around the world. In its 125-year history, it has resettled more than four million Jews, including my grandparents and father, to lands of safety. In this ever shrinking planet, still sadly engaged in genocide and oppression, HIAS expresses the Jewish value: I am my brother’s keeper. I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead, including the implementation of a new strategic plan that will help us move forward in these uncertain times.”

Rukin has been active in local, national and international Jewish organizations for the past
three decades, including the Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston, where he was
chairman of the board from 1996 to 1999. He led the effort of the then Council of Jewish Federations to establish Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, whose board of
directors he chaired from 1995 to 1998. He has also served on the boards and executive
committees of United Jewish Communities, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the Joint Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism.

An early activist in the Soviet Jewry movement, Rukin served on the boards of the National Conference for Soviet Jewry and the Union of Councils for Soviet Jewry. In Israel he has
chaired the board of overseers of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and served on the
board of governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel. He holds a BEE degree from the City
College of New York and an MSEE from Northeastern University. He is active in the arts
world and collects 20th Century art of Japan. He was the founder and CEO of Analytical
Systems Engineering Corporation, a pioneer in the fields of radio navigation and physical
security systems.

The foregoing article was provided by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

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A Herald in Zion....
   
      Notes from Mevasseret Zion
                                           
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

As we remember 1967 war, let's also recall the wounded

MEVASSERET ZION, Israel—I stood by the buffet contemplating the array of salads. Their colours and variety were enough to lead even the most self-restrained hotel guest astray. I knew that it was pointless to resist and that I would pay the price for my weakness. What the heck, you only live once, I told myself, as I plunged the serving spoon into the bowl of finely-chopped vegetables.

I was spending a weekend by the Dead Sea with my husband, away from our usual routine, and I intended to get the most out of it.

Someone was humming a happy tune beside me. I turned my head and was scarcely able to conceal my amazement. The middle-aged man helping himself to salads had shiny metal hooks instead of hands. It was a fascinating sight, and I had to make an effort not to stare.
He smiled and continued to grip his plate with one hook and wield the serving spoon with the other.

“Do you want any help?” I ventured.

“As you can see, I manage perfectly well,” he replied cheerfully. “If I need assistance, I
don’t hesitate to ask for it.”

As the weekend wore on, I noticed that several guests were wounded in one way or another. One man was missing one leg, and another had terrible scars on his face. In the heated swimming-pool (even at the Dead Sea it was too cold to swim outside) the man with no hands removed his hooks, apparently unaware of the effect caused by his stumps. After a while I got used to that too. At lunch he used his hooks to bring two glasses of tomato juice to the table where his wife was sitting.

My weekend away had coincided with a vacation provided by the Ministry of Defense for wounded army veterans. To my surprise, by the end of our stay I was beginning to take the situation of these terribly mutilated people as much for granted as they seemed to do.

The foregoing article was reprinted from the AJR Journal (Association of Jewish Refugees) in England.  
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Scholarship Recipient

CONGRATULATIONS—Younes Nazarian, an American businessman, congratulates Erez Inbar, one of 119 students at the University of Haifa who will receive a $1,000 scholarship from a fund created by Nazarian to honor the 119 soldiers killed in Lebanon War II.  Inbar himself was wounded in the war. At his side during the ceremony was Ira Ben Giat, mother of Ya'ar Ben Giat, one of the 119 soldiers killed during the war and in whose memory Inbar received the scholarship.
"I have chosen life and want to be a part of anything that reminds me of life. I wanted to meet Erez and am so happy he will receive the scholarship named for Ya'ar," said Ms. Ben-Giat. (University of Haifa press release)

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 News Sleuths:

Watching the media gathering and reporting the news of Jewish interest

Date: June 6, 2007
Place: U.S. State Department
The spokesman: Sean McCormack

Source: State Department transcript
Subjects: Israel, Syria, Iran

QUESTION: Can you give us a readout on the Secretary's conversations with Israeli Transport Minister Mofaz?

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah, he's -- I can give you a little flavor of the conversation. He is here as part of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Dialogue on the American side that's being led by Nick Burns, and they had some meetings, I think some preliminary meetings this morning, prior to Minister Mofaz meeting with the Secretary. They're going to continue those. I think really the bulk of them happen today and tomorrow.

They talked about all the issues you would expect that they talk about. They talked about the Israeli-Palestinian track, the importance of that. They talked about Iran. They talked a little bit about Lebanon, talked about a little bit about Syria. Those are the basic topic areas that they talked about.

QUESTION: Did he give you -- did he raise at all the possibility of a revived Israeli dialogue with the Syrians on peace?

MR. MCCORMACK: In the Secretary's conversation, it was very brief -- the discussion about Syria. And the Secretary reiterated in private what she has said in public about that. Essentially, it boils down to -- these are my words, not hers -- it essentially boils down to, look, we're not going to manage Israeli foreign policy. Those -- you will make your own decisions.

But you know, let's take a look at -- take a look at Syria's behavior over the recent past and I don't think you're going to find many indications of Syria showing the rest of the world that they are interested in playing a constructive, positive role in trying to bring about a more peaceful, secure region. And coming on to that -- coming in from the other side of the line, you know, separating itself from Iran, separating itself from behaviors that support violent -- the use of violent extremism and support those forces that continue to destabilize the region. So again, it's -- that's a decision for the Israeli Government to make.
 

QUESTION: So, I mean, it would be a fair summary to say you're not going to tell them what to do, but it's not -- you don't feel like there's much of an opportunity here?

MR. MCCORMACK: I'll leave it where I left it. You guys can -- you guys can describe it as you will.

QUESTION: One other thing on Iran. Minister Mofaz told some of us outside that, you know, he favored diplomatic efforts with Iran until the end of this year. Sort of an odd timeline, but the inference was, yes, continue with diplomacy through the end of 2007. Did that come up? Did he suggest in a conversation that the diplomatic efforts now underway for many years on a multilateral basis on Iran on its alleged nuclear -- military nuclear program should not go beyond the next --

MR. MCCORMACK: Didn't hear a timeline, but clearly Israel as well as the rest of the world is concerned about Iran's nuclear activity. Look, we believe that the diplomatic pathway is the right pathway to try to resolve this. There are existing options in the absence of doing nothing that are out there. Nobody wants to see those come about. So the Secretary and the President decided on this diplomatic pathway to see if we can use the concerted effort of the international community, the leverage of the international community, to get Iran to change its behavior. Thus far, they haven't.

But we are going to be in the coming days, weeks and months talking with friends and allies around the globe about how we can -- how we can increase the pressure on Iran. I think we're going to be talking about in the not too distant future another Security Council resolution. There are, of course, efforts that are still underway with European countries, with Japan as well as others, to see what we can do to use the financial system as a way to pressure the Iranian Government into changing their behavior. And this is -- and when I say use the financial system, that is to not allow Iran to use the international financial system for illicit purposes.

And that's -- that is an effort that has had some effect, but we think that there is more room there for action. And so you can expect that we're going to be continuing discussions on those two tracks: the Security Council track, more sanctions, and then also working bilaterally with states on how we might pressure Iran outside of the Security Council.

QUESTION: And from your point of view, there's no timeline on ending --

MR. MCCORMACK: I haven't heard -- I certainly have not heard the Secretary apply any timeline to the diplomatic efforts.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Did Mr. Mofaz give any assurance to the Secretary about the fact that Prime Minister Olmert will indeed meet with President Abbas at the end of the month?

MR. MCCORMACK: Did she --

QUESTION: Did he give any assurance?

MR. MCCORMACK: They -- he indicated that they have a very direct and continuing interest in President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert meeting and working together on issues. I'd use the term "problem solving." Move forward the Israeli-Palestinian track. Yes, so they did express a continuing interest in that. We're confident that they will meet. I understand that there was a delay in this meeting and we understand that. We think it's really up to the two parties, the Israelis and the Palestinians, to decide on the precise date as well as all the modalities that go into these meetings. We are encouraging both sides to meet, and -- but I -- in that regard, I think we're pushing on an open door. They both want to meet. And it's just a question of making sure that they make maximum use of all of those opportunities and they're going to have to make some of those calculations.

QUESTION: The Palestinians announced that they will meet in the -- well, during the next Quartet meeting which has been announced at the end of the month. Do you think it's the same -- it has the same interest for the peace process? Do you think it -- the result will be as good for the peace process if they meet with other countries or if -- do you think it would be better to meet --

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, it's not a substitute. They're -- the Israelis and Palestinians meeting with the Quartet, which is something that at the last Quartet meeting they had talked about happening in June as well as a Quartet meeting with some Arab states, is something that they announced back in Berlin. The date hasn't been set yet. But that's not a substitute for the Israelis and the Palestinians talking directly. There is no substitute for that.

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Daily Features

 


Jews in the News          
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Like you, we're pleased when members of our community are praiseworthy, and are disappointed when they are blameworthy.
Whether it's good news or bad news, we'll try to keep track of what's being said in general media about our fellow Jews. Our news spotters are Dan Brin in Los Angeles, Donald H. Harrison in San Diego, and you. Wherever you are,  if you see a story of interest, please send a summary and link to us at sdheritage@cox.net.  To see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

*Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke hinted in a speech that there is no hurry to lower interest rates, and not long afterwards the stock market declined.  The story by Jeremy W. Peters of the New York Times is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*For Carl Bernstein, writing a book about Hillary Clinton was reminiscent of the time he covered the Watergate crisis—so much resistance did he get from powerful people.  The
story by Josh Getlin is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*
Political consultant Laurie Black, who once worked as an aide to former Congresswoman Lynn Schenk, was appointed by the San Diego City Council to serve on the San Diego Port Commission—a position that Schenk also had held before her election to the House of Representatives.  The story by Maureen Magee is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*
Laurie and Larry David—she a writer about the environment and he the creator of television's "Seinfeld Show"—have announced their separation, saying that as friends they will raise their two children. The story by Robert W. Welkos is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*
State Sen. Christine Kehoe  has an
op-ed piece in today's San Diego Union-Tribune praising fellow San Diego Demcorat U.S. Rep. Susan Davis for her bill to remove a special provision from the law to permit a toll road company to build through Camp Pendleton. 

*U.S. Sen. Russell Feingold (Democrat, Wisconsin) on a 67-26 vote had the Senate add to the Immigration Bill an amendment that would establish two commissions, one to examine the U.S. response to Jews attempting to flee from the Holocaust, and the other to exa mine the treatment of Italian-Americans during World War II.  The
story by Nicole Gaouette and Maura Reynolds is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) is garnering support from law enforcement groups for a bill that would commit $1 billion nationwide for the fight against gang crime.  The
story by Naom N. Levey is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*A mass grave believed to be that of Holocaust victims has been discovered by workers laying a pipeline near Gvozdavka-1, Ukraine.  The combined wire service
story is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*
Alastair Macdonald of Reuters has a
story in the San Diego Union-Tribune marking the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War, telling about two women born back then: Israeli Esti Ilan and Palestinian Hannan Abu Lateef.

*
Unnamed Israeli settlers, whose communities on the West Bank resemble "Crusader fortresses" and who themselves "swagger" like cowboys, were the subject of a
commentary in today's San Diego Union-Tribune by Boston Globe writer H.D.S. Greenway.  Palestinians, on the other hand, are portrayed sympathetically. 

*
Jack Klugman, who immortalized the role of Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple" television series, is starring in The Value of Names at the Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles.  The story by F. Kathleen Foley is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*
The state Assembly adopted on a party line 42-34 vote a measure by Assemblyman Mark Leno (Democrat, San Francisco) to permit same-sex couples to marry.  The Associated Press
story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

* I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment following his conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice in the Valerie Plame case.  The story by Richard B. Schmitt is in today's Los Angeles Times. A story combining reports from the New York Times and The Washington Post appeared in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.  A profile of the judge who sentenced him by Washington Post writer Carol D. Leonnig is also in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*
Martin Meyerson, who became the first Jew to serve as president of an Ivy League college when he was named to the post at the University of Pennsylvania, has died at age 84. His
obituary by the Associated Press is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*
The National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado, is encouraged in its treatment of Andrew Speaker, the tuberculosis victim who re-entered the United States notwithstanding instructions to immigration officials that he be detained for treatment.  A sputum test has turned up negative for TB bacteria.  The Associated Press
story by Colleen Sleven is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*
Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputy Mark Lillienfeld showed the blood-stained gun that killed actress Lana Clarkson, in a dramatic moment during the murder trial of record producer Phil Spector. The Copley News Service
story by Dan Laidman is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*
U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (Democrat, California), chairman of the House Oversight and Governmental Affairs Committee, plans to expand the investigation into White House ties to imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.  The Associated Press
story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*
Sergio Widder, Latin American representative of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said the passport issued to Adolf Eichmann by Argentina after World War II is evidence of the network that functioned to help escaping Nazis.  He says it rightly should take its place within that country's historical memory.  The
story by Patrick J. McDonnell is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*
Los Angeles County Supervisors Zev Yaraslovsky and Yvonne Brathwaite Burke are leading an effort to have the U.S. Postal Service issue a stamp honoring the late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.  The
story is in today's Los Angeles Times.


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The Jewish Grapevine
                                                   
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CYBER-REFERRALS—The office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert notes that he has an article in today's Guardian to mark the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War and to express his hopes for peace.  Here is the link... Bruce Kesler directs us to a story on the Israel today website that expected Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is expected to take a trip to Israel in the very near future ... Hillel Mazansky passes on this link to a David Horowitz video on Islamic jihadists.

IN MEMORY—Jeanette Goldberg, 88, wife of Harry Goldberg; mother of Karen Rund, Susie Meltzer, and Gerald Goldberg, and grandmother of nine, including Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue, died Monday and was buried this afternoon at El Camino Memorial Park. A brief obituary appeared in today's San Diego Union-Tribune... Sanford Zemansky, 84, a veteran of the Coast Guard, died May 27 and will have services tomorrow at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. A brief obituary is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Regional and Local

Interfaith Shelter Network plans dinner,
tour and Dead Sea Scrolls lecture July 23
  
       

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—The Interfaith Shelter Network is planning a fund-raiser tour, dinner, and lecture in conjunction with the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum Monday, July 23.

A dinner catered by The Prado Restaurant will follow a 5 p.m. tour of the exhibit. The sit-down dinner will be served  at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor outdoor balcony of the museum. An 8 p.m.  lecture by Dr. Russell Fuller, entitled “Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?,” will follow the dinner.

Fuller, professor of Hebrew Bible in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego, has a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. Fuller is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and is serving as a consultant for the exhibit. His lecture is sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University.


Tickets to the event will cost $150 with all proceeds above the cost of the tour, lecture, and dinner designated for the Interfaith Shelter Network.

“We know this exhibit has been anticipated by the faith community and everyone with an interest in antiquities,” explained Rosemary Johnston, ISN Program Director.  For more information, phone the Network office at (619)702-5399  or via e-mail.


The foregoing article was provided by the Interfaith Shelter Network.

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Arts, Entertainment & Dining

       

Book Review
 

Iran seen through the eyes of a woman of steel

Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi with Azadeh Moaveni. Random House, 2006, 232pp., $24.95.

Reviewed by David Strom        

Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, has written a riveting story about life in Iran today.  It is the story of hope, of a revolution gone awry, and the battle of women to free themselves from the tyranny of the false messianic interpreters of Islamic law.

As a judge-who was removed by the Islamic Revolution of the late seventies, as a lawyer, writer, activist and dissident, Shirin Ebadi has been on the field of battle.  She has spoken out clearly and strongly for Iranian women and children.  Her voice is a voice of sanity in a world of chaos.

As a young judge under the Shah’s rule, she interpreted the law in a secular fashion.  Once the Islamic Revolutionaries took control of the judicial system, Shirin grounded her decisions based on the Koran.  During the early days of the Revolution, modest changes in women’s apparel began. Many women began to wear headscarves.  Then they became almost mandatory.  Men with fewer qualifications got the jobs.  Eventually she became a clerk in her former courtroom and quit her job.

Married to a man who understood and was sympathetic to the plight of women under the Islamic zealots, Shirin raised two intelligent and questioning daughters.  As they were growing up, they witnessed the imprisonment of their mother, her struggle to defend the less fortunate of Iranian society, and their mother’s rising star on the international human rights scene, and finally they witnessed their mother’s receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

Shirin Ebadi believed she could publish her memoir in the West and that it might help correct stereotypes about Muslim women.  She felt her experiences under the Revolutionary government of Iran might help make the debate of Islam and the West more understandable and reach a wider audience.  However, initially she was wrong.

“Sanctions regulations in the United States, it turned out, made it virtually impossible for me to publish in the United States.” It was understandable to her that in Iran they censored books, banned satellite television, and built Internet firewalls. But to Shirin, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, it was incomprehensible “that the U.S. government, the self-proclaimed protector of a free way of life, would seek to regulate what Americans could or could not read, a practice that is called censorship when enacted by authoritarian regimes.  What was the difference between the censorship in Iran and this censorship in the United States?”

Shirin Ebadi’s book Iran Awakening is a glimpse at Iran today through the eyes of a woman of steel, a courageous woman.  It is a book that gives readers insight into life in Iran.  Iran is not a monolithic dictatorship as the Bush administration would have us believe.  It is a country struggling to free itself from the some of the failed parts of its Islamic Revolution.  Iran is a nation in transition, and hopefully, to a more democratic way of life.

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Songs of a Wayfarer to highlight TICO Concert

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Joe Pechota, eminent San Diego baritone, will sing the lyrical and beautiful Songs of a Wayfarer by Gustav Mahler at a performance by TICO (Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra) at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 10,  at Ohr Shalom Synagogue, corner of Third and Laurel Streets in San Diego.

Pechota has been singing professionally in San Diego since making his Civic Theatre debut in 1975. He has appeared as principal artist with the San Diego Opera in several productions, most recently, in Turandot, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, and Romeo and Juliet. He recently debuted as Capulet for Opera de Tijuana.

He is a frequently returning principal artist with the Lyric Opera of San Diego, and, on the concert stage, he was baritone soloist with the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus. He has soloed with Maestros Leonard Bernstein, Andre Previn, Dennis Russell Davies, and Richard Bonynge.

TICO, formerly known as the East County Jewish Community Center Symphony, was established in 1974 and is now celebrating its 33rd year. The Orchestra is directed by David Amos who has conducted and recorded over 155 compositions on 33 critically acclaimed compact discs. He has conducted orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, and the Jerusalem Symphony.

The program will include a world premiere of the Concerto for Orchestra by George Frederick Handel (a new commission, orchestrated by Alberto Flores); Aaron Copland’s beloved Appalachian Spring, Suite from the Ballet, (subtitled "A Ballet for Martha," meaning the legendary choreographer Martha Graham); and the rhythmic and energetic Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1, by Georges Enesco.

The cost of admission to the concert is $12 for adults and $6 for seniors and students. For tickets and information regarding group rates, telephone the synagogue at (619) 231-1456.

The foregoing article was provided by the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra.
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So, who couldn't use a laugh once in a while?

Paul Thomas, a Lutheran Judeophile, receives Jewish jokes and stories from numerous friends, and just as quickly passes them on. In case you haven't already seen the one about the kosher computer, we post it here.  You know you have a kosher computer when....

●The cursor moves from  right to left. It comes with two hard drives-one for fleyshedik   (business software) and one for milchedik (games).  

●Instead of getting a "General Protection Fault"  error,  my PC now gets "Ferklempt." 
 
●The Chanukah screen saver includes  "Flying Dreidels." 
 
●The PC shuts down automatically at sundown on Friday evenings. 
 
●After my computer dies, I have to  dispose of it within 24 hours. 
 
●The "Start" button has been replaced with the "Let's go!!  I'm not getting any younger!"  button. 
 
●When disconnecting external devices from the back of my PC, I am instructed to "Remove the cable from the PC's tuchus." 
 
●The multimedia player has been renamed to "Nu, so play my music already!" 
 
●Internet  Explorer has a spinning "Star of David"  in the upper right  corner. I hear "Hava Nagila" during startup. 
 
●Microsoft Office now includes, "A little byte of this, and a little byte of that". 
 
●When running "Scan Disk" it prompts with a "You want I should fix this" message? 
 
●When my PC is working too hard, I occasionally hear a loud "Oy Gevalt!"  
 
●There is a "monitor cleaning solution" from Manischewitz that advertises it gets rid of the "schmutz und drek" on your monitor.  
 
●After 20 minutes of no activity, my PC goes "Schloffen."  
 
●Computer viruses can now be cured with some matzo ball chicken soup. 
 
"●Year 5761-5762" issues have replaced the > Y2K problem. 
 
●If you decide not to shut down the computer in the prescribed manner, the following message appears:  "You should be ashamed of yourself." 
 
●When Spellchecker finds an error it prompts, "Is this the best you can do?" 
 
●When I look at erotic images, my computer says, "If your mother knew you did this, she would die." 
 
●And best of all, if you have a kosher computer, you can't get Spam. 
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May Their Memory Be a Blessing...


Sylvia Cysner (1922-2007)

SAN DIEGO—A celebration of the life of Sylvia Cysner, who died Feb. 25 in Santa Monica at age 84, will be held at 11 a.m.,  Sunday, June 10th,  at the Bahia Hotel, 998 W. Mission Bay Drive. 

Cysner, 84, is survived by her daughters, Charlotte Myers and Pamela Cysner of Santa Monica, and Sandy Wallace of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was an involved grandmother to Tikvah and Kazi Myers and Ian and Emily Wallace and to her great granddaughter, Samalah Seldon.

Born May 28, 1922 in Bamberg, Germany to Cecilia and Max Nagler, Sylvia made her way to London, England in 1938. Establishing herself there with the help of friends, she was able to secure safe passage out of Germany for her parents and her two younger brothers and supported them through the war as a dental technician. During the difficult war years and after, Sylvia also helped countless family members and friends get back on their feet after their devastating losses.

She came to the United States in 1948 and married Cantor Joseph Cysner in San Francisco. They moved to San Diego in 1950 where her husband assumed his Cantorial position with Tifereth Israel Synagogue.  With the sudden death of her beloved husband on March 3, 1961, Sylvia was faced with the daunting task of raising her three young daughters. 

She was an amazing mother, dedicating her life to her children. She always had a thirst for learning and travel, especially to see family in England, Holland and Israel.  Her home was known for great food, wonderful music and the sharing of Jewish traditions, history and folklore. 

To support her family, Sylvia returned to work as a dental assistant for Dr. George Glenn in Ocean Beach until 1977.  Never one to sit still, a trait she passed on to all her daughters, Sylvia became the consummate volunteer spending time at the San Diego Wellness Community, working with children, the Jewish Community Center and at Temples Solel, Beth Israel, Beth Ami and Adat Ami (now Ohr Shalom).

Donations in her memory can be made to the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego, 1934 Pentucket Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104 or the Tools for Tolerance Educators Program, c/o the Museum of Tolerance, 9786 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA  90035 Attn:  Beverly LeMay.  For further information about the celebration of Sylvia’s life, please contact Debbie Suissa at Ohr Shalom, (619) 231-1456.

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Story continuations


United Nations...
(continued from above)

Amnesty's report is one-sided, immoral, and riddled with mistakes and numerous factual and legal inaccuracies, including scant mention of Palestinian terrorism which holds non-combatants hostage, using them as human shields and camouflage.

The report does not relate – in any acceptable manner – to Israel's right of self-defense or to its legitimate security needs, but mentions these needs only casually, without giving them their due consideration.  This approach finds clear expression in the chapter on recommendations, which includes a list of detailed recommendations for Israel and the international community, while the Palestinian Authority is merely required to implement measures to prevent terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens.

The lack of emphasis on the centrality of Palestinian terrorism and the IDF's responsibility to protect Israeli citizens as a direct result is not reasonable and creates a deliberate distortio

The report's total disregard of the conduct of Palestinian terrorist organizations and of the war crimes that they perpetrate daily, when they directly and indiscriminately target civilian populations while using the local population as human shields, is another outstanding example of the significant problems embodied in the report.

Moreover, the report does not contain even a vaguely factual presentation of the initiatives taken by Israeli law-enforcement authorities, including – inter alia – the Justice, Defense and Interior ministries, and the IDF, to safeguard human rights."

At the conclusion of the Amnesty International report, these recommendations were made:

To the Israeli government:


End the regime of closures in its current form, as well as other forms of restrictions on freedom of movement of people and goods, that result in collective punishment. Any restriction may only be imposed if it is necessary to respond to security threats, is non-discriminatory and proportionate in terms of its impact and duration, and is imposed on named individuals, not on whole communities.

Stop the construction of the fence/wall inside the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which results in unlawful restrictions on the right to free movement of Palestinians and the arbitrary destruction or seizure of their homes and property, and which undermines other rights, including the rights to adequate housing, to work, to an adequate standard of living and to respect for family life. Sections of the fence/wall already constructed that violate these rights should be removed. Israel only has the right to build a barrier between Israel and the West Bank.

Immediately stop construction or expansion of Israeli settlements and related infrastructure in the OPT as a first step to removing Israeli civilians living in such settlements in the OPT.

Stop immediately the destruction of houses, land, and other properties without absolute military necessity as prescribed by international humanitarian law. Anyone whose property has been unlawfully destroyed without adequate prior notification and the effective opportunity to challenge the decision before a court of law should receive reparation and be allowed, where possible, to rebuild their property in the same place.

Cancel all demolition orders of unlicensed houses in the OPT. Responsibility for planning and building policies and regulations in the OPT should be removed from the Israeli authorities and placed solely with the local Palestinian communities. All those whose properties have been destroyed in violation of international law should be granted effective redress. Israel should ensure reparation to those whose houses were unlawfully destroyed.
Ensure that Israeli forces protect Palestinian civilians and their property against violence by Israeli settlers by instructing them to arrest Israeli settlers who assault Palestinians or destroy their property, by carrying out prompt, detailed and thorough investigations of complaints of settler violence submitted to them, and by deploying patrols to protect Palestinian schoolchildren and other civilians in areas where there is a danger of settler violence.

Ensure proper investigation of alleged violations by Israeli forces, and bring to justice anyone found responsible in fair trials.
To Palestinian armed groups:

End attacks on civilians and other abuses of international humanitarian law, whether in the OPT or inside Israel.

To the Palestinian Authority:

Take effective measures to prevent attacks on Israeli civilians by Palestinian armed groups and bring to justice those responsible for such attacks.

To the international community:

Deploy an effective international human rights monitoring mechanism across Israel and the OPT to monitor the compliance of each party with its respective obligations under international law; report publicly; and recommend corrective measures to be adopted by the parties, other countries or international organizations.

Ensure accountability of both parties, in compliance with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. Investigate and, where feasible, prosecute through the exercise of universal jurisdiction those responsible for war crimes or other crimes under international law.

Ensure that any peace process includes concrete provisions that address fundamental human rights issues at the heart of the conflict, including the removal of Israeli settlements from the OPT; the dismantling of the fence/wall inside the West Bank; ending the closures; impunity for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law; and, in the longer term, a fair solution to the refugee question.

States parties to the Geneva Conventions must uphold their obligation under Article 1 of the Fourth Geneva Convention to “respect and ensure respect for” the Convention, including by prosecuting grave breaches under Article 147.

Ensure that Israel as the occupying power fulfils its obligation to provide for the protection and welfare of the Palestinian population, and refrain from imposing sanctions that negatively affect the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population. The international community and donor states providing humanitarian assistance to the PA, notably the USA and EU countries, must take immediate steps to minimize the adverse impact on human rights of their suspension of funding. They must ensure that emergency assistance essential to fulfilling fundamental human rights is never used as a bargaining tool to further political goals.

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