Today's Forum topic: new immigration proposal
San
Diego Jewish World
Thursday
evening-Friday, August 9-10, 2007
Vol. 1,
Number 101
Names of government officials from the
Jewish community are printed in bold face type |
San Diego Jewish World
August
9, 2007
(click on headline below to jump
to the story)
Israel and Middle East
Livni and Levey consult on anti-Iran
sanctions
Al-Salah Society designated as terrorist front group for Hamas
IDF will honor the
bravest of the brave
Yad Vashem gains NGO
observer status at the United Nations' Public Information Department
U.N. issues new appeal
for openings of Gaza crossings
Lagging IDF enlistments
worrisome to Peres
USA
ADL calls Tancredo's
rhetoric 'unAmerican'
Forum
America's Immigration
Debate—A New Proposal
Features
News Sleuths: U.S.
'cannot live with' Iran's policy calling for the destruction of
Israel—President Bush
Jewish Grapevine
Greater San Diego
ADL to students:
Schools may not pressure you
to
attend classes during the High Holidays
Sports
Clutch single increases Bet
Shemesh IBL lead to 3.5 games
Lifestyle
In performance-based
society, maybe sensitivity to rejection is logical, if unhealthy,
reaction
Arts &
Entertainment
Stand-up comic—playwright finds humor in death |
Livni and Levey consult on anti-Iran
sanctions
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—The US
Treasury's top anti-terrorism official, Stuart Levey, is visiting Israel to
discuss Iran's disputed nuclear program with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi
Livni. Levey, the US Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence, and Livni will discuss a push for more international sanctions on
Iran, according to Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev.
"Israel supports a hardening of sanctions
already imposed" on the Islamic republic, Regev said. "Diplomacy must be firm
and speak with one voice in order to succeed. The Tehran regime must understand
that business as usual cannot continue while it is pursuing its nuclear
program."
Meanwhile, the Iranian President, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, has repeated that Tehran will not negotiate with countries that
refuse it the right to nuclear energy. During a state visit to Algeria he said
"Iran cannot talk to countries which do not recognize its right to produce
nuclear energy for peaceful means".
In a hard-hitting new attack on Israel,
the Iranian leader also said that "the whole of humankind today has been bruised
by crimes perpetrated by Zionists in Palestine, in Lebanon, and in the whole
world. Our support for the Palestinian people is unconditional. As for the
Israelis, let them go find somewhere else to live".
The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress
|
|
Al-Salah Society designated as terrorist front group for Hamas
SAN DIEGO—So what image pops into your mind if someone were to say that
so-and-so works for the United States government fighting terrorists?
Would it be that of a super-suave CIA or FBI agent? A high-tech pilot
flying a stealth aircraft? An Army "black ops" guy dropped "in country" to
assassinate some enemy operative? Well, no doubt, all of these television-
and movie-style prototypes have their roles to play, but so do the unassuming,
faceless banker types who know that to run a crime syndicate or a big
international terror organization, people need money, lots of it. And that
is where the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence comes in.
Today, as the story above reports, Stuart Levey, head of the Terrorism
and Financial Intelligence operation, meets with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi
Livni to discuss further sanctions against Iran.
On Tuesday, on the advice of Levey's office, which makes a credo of the old line
from the Watergate scandal, "follow the money," the U.S. Treasury Department
designated the Al-Salah Society as a terrorist front organization for Hamas.
It also named the director of the so-called charity, Ahmad Al-Kurd, as a
supporter of terrorism.
The action was similar to those taken July 24 by the Treasury Department against
the Iran-based Martyr's Foundation, the Goodwill Charitable Organization (GCO)
in Dearborn, Mich., Qasem Aliq of Hizbollah in Lebanon and Ahmad al-Shami, who
allegedly served as a go-between for Hizbollah and the GCO.
According to the Treasury Department, here are some of the steps it takes in its
fight against terror:
"When the United States designates a terrorist supporter, U.S. entities and
persons—wherever located—must freeze the target's assets, block all
transactions, and stop conducting business with the designated entity... These
designations often make an impact beyond their legal reach, as many banks around
the world screen their customers and transactions against the U.S. list of
designated terrorists, even though they are not obligated to do so..."
The Treasury Department's information sheet adds that "through bilateral
cooperation and multilateral action by the United Nations, more than 170
countries have implemented blocking orders to freeze the assets of terrorists."
In "designating" the Al-Salah Society, the Treasury Department said the
purported charity had "supported Hamas-affiliated combatants during the first
intifada and recruited and indoctrinated youth to support Hamas' activities.
One of the most senior Gaza-based Hamas leaders and founders, Ismail Abu Shanab,
openly identified the Al-Salah Society as 'one of the three Islamic charities
that form Hamas' welfare arm.'"
According to the Treasury Department, "the Al-Salah Society has received
substantial funding from Persian Gulf countries, including hundred of thousands
of dollars from Kuwait donors." Obviously, such a pointed statement puts
Kuwait on notice that similar transactions in the future must be curbed.
The Treasury Department's news release said that Al-Kurd currently serves as
mayor of Deir Al-Balah in Gaza, and has been affiliated with Hamas for over a
decade.
"The Al-Salah Society has employed a number of Hamas military wing members," the
release went on to say. "In late 2002, an official of the Al-Salah Society in
Gaza was the principal leader of a Hamas military wing structure in the Al-Maghazi
refugee camp in Gaza. The founder and former director of the Al-Salah
Society's Al-Maghazi branch reportedly also operated as a member of the Hamas
military wing structure in Al-Maghazi, participated in weapons deals, and served
as a liaison to the rest of the Hamas structure in Al-Maghazi. At least
four other Hamas military wing members in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza
were tied to the Al-Salah Society."
Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has a thoughtful
analysis of the role that "charities" like the Al-Salah Society play.
"Recruiters use Hamas-sponsored community gatherings, such as charity
committees, mosque classes, student unions, and sports clubs, to spot
susceptible youth," he wrote. "Charity committees are Hamas's most
effective tool for building grassroots support, radicalizing and recruiting
future activists, providing logistical support for terrorist operations and day
jobs for operatives, and funding the group's various activities."
So let's hear it for those quiet number-crunchers working somewhere within the
gray walls of the Treasury Department. There's simply no accounting for
all the good they may be doing!
________________________
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more information
IDF will honor the bravest of the brave
TEL AVIV (Press Release)—The Chief of General
Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Gabi Ashkenazi, has recently accepted the
recommendations made by the General Staff Committee for Medals and Citations
following the Second Lebanon War. The Committee, headed by Major General Yishai
Be'er, conducted numerous meetings in which it examined 42 potential recipients
for the Chief of General Staff award.
After determining the criteria for receiving the awards, the Committee elected
to grant 38 Medals and Citations of the Chief of General Staff. Among those to
be awarded are a Deputy Battalion Commander who smothered an armed grenade with
his own body to save the lives of his soldiers, and a military doctor who risked
his life to conduct a medical operation under fire.
During the past 24 hours, IDF commanders visited the homes of the recipients of
the honorary awards and their families, in order to inform them of the decision.
The medal presentation ceremony will take place at 7 pm on Sunday, September
2nd, 2007 at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, and will be conducted in the
presence of the Chief of the General Staff and the members of the General Staff
Forum. In addition to these awards, an additional 104 Medals and Citations will
be granted by commanders of the different branches and units of the IDF.
Following the decision by the Committee, the Chief of General Staff stated that
"the exemplary stories that were discovered in the wake of the war bear witness
to the spirit of combat and camaraderie among IDF soldiers, and are a source of
pride for the Israel Defense Forces."
Of the awards and citations given, 6 soldiers will receive the Medal of Valor,
12 soldiers will receive the Distinguished Service Medal, 17 soldiers will
receive Citations, and 3 units will receive Citations.
The preceding story was provided by
the Israel Defense Force
For more information about Tifereth Israel please click on this ad.
___________________________
Yad Vashem gains NGO observer
status at the United Nations' Public Information Department
JERUSALEM (Press
Release)—Continuing
its relationship with the United Nations, Yad Vashem has received NGO status at
the UN’s Department of Public Information (UN/DPI). Affiliation with the
Department of Information at the United Nations will help enable Yad Vashem to
continue its efforts to disseminate accurate and comprehensive information about
the Holocaust around the world.
Over the past
several years, Yad Vashem has been working with UN/DPI on Holocaust education
and information projects, including building a website for UN centers around the
world as part of last year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day events,
done in conjunction with the USC Shoah Foundation, and the CDJC in Paris.
Electronic resources in Spanish are currently being developed in cooperation
with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
A special
forum for UN staff members from Europe and Asia is planned for October at Yad
Vashem. The forum aims to deepen UN personnel’s knowledge of the Holocaust, as
well as to provide material, ideas and information for preparing projects and
activities that will enable implementation of the UN resolution to annually
commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holocaust (on January 27). The
resolution was passed by the UN General Assembly in November 2005.
Yad Vashem has
also presented temporary exhibits at UN headquarters in New York. In January
2005, marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Yad Vashem
created a special traveling exhibit, “Auschwitz: The Depth of the Abyss”. In
2006, Yad Vashem’s “No Child’s Play” exhibit was displayed in the Visitor’s
Lobby of the UN.
The preceding story was provided by Yad Vashem
Please
click below to read more about San Diego Jewish Academy, the premier
K-12 day school in Carmel Valley
|
U.N. issues new appeal for openings of Gaza crossings
UNITED
NATIONS, N.Y (Press Release)—A senior United Nations official today
appealed to the Palestinian authorities, Israel and all other parties to
take immediate steps to re-open a major crossing between Israel and the
Gaza Strip to reverse a rapidly worsening economic, humanitarian and
political situation.
“Failure to do this will lead to disastrous consequences: an atmosphere
of hopelessness and despair in which extremism is likely to take hold,”
Filippo Grandi, Deputy Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works
Agency (UNRWA), which cares for millions of Palestinian refugees, told
news briefing in Gaza City.
“This is not in the
interests of anyone who sincerely seeks a lasting peace, in which the
Palestinian people can live in dignity,” he said.
In appealing for the
major Karni crossing to be reopened, he was reiterating recent calls
from other senior UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
since Israel imposed the closures after Hamas, which does not recognize
Israel’s right to exist, took control of the Strip in June.
Mr.
Grandi stressed that because of the closures UNRWA had been forced to
halt all its construction projects worth $93 million, as it had been
unable to import building supplies in sufficient quantities. “We
urgently need to get these into Gaza if we are to avoid a significant
worsening of the living conditions of those who have waited months, and
even years to have their own homes,” he said.
According to the latest figures from the Palestinian Association of
Businessmen, the total accumulative loss to industry in Gaza has reached
$23 million dollars since June and if the closures continue at least
120,000 workers in Gaza will lose their jobs, he noted. In the
construction sector alone, about $160 million worth of projects have
been halted.
Farmers, meanwhile,
face a terrible uncertainty with no guarantees that they will be able to
export their goods or import such essential materials as fertilizer. “If
the agricultural sector is allowed to fail, Gaza will pay a high price,”
Mr. Grandi said.
“Let
me take this opportunity to issue a grave warning: Gaza risks becoming a
virtually 100 per cent aid dependent, closed down and isolated community
within a matter of months, or even weeks, if the present regime of
closures continues. The window of opportunity in which we can address
this most urgent situation is small and fast closing,” he added.
“The
fragility and unpredictability of aid, in this highly complex and
volatile political situation, is dangerous: particularly in view of the
vulnerability of those we serve. And so I issue an appeal but also a
warning to all actors involved in the conflict: both political and
humanitarian.
“I
appeal to the Palestinian authorities, to Israel and all other parties
to take immediate steps to open up the Karni Crossing, to imports and
exports, as well as humanitarian goods, in compliance with the demands
of the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and of the Quartet.
Only this will allow the little that remains of Gaza’s economy to
survive.”
The Quartet,
comprising the UN, European Union, Russia and United States, has called
on Hamas to commit to non-violence, recognize Israel and accept
agreements already signed between Israel and the Palestinians. It is
sponsoring the so-called Road Map plan aimed at securing a two-State
solution to the Middle East conflict, with Israel and Palestine living
side by side in peace, originally slated for completion by the end of
2005.
The preceding story was provided by the United Nations
Please click on above advertisement to visit the website
|
The Peres Diary |
|
(Editor's
Note: The following is a release from July 29 that either we missed at the
time or which was posted well after the date. In either event, in the
interest of completeness and for its inherent interest, we post it here):
Lagging IDF enlistments
worrisome to Peres
TEL HASHOMER, Israel (Press
Release)—The President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, this morning (Sunday, 29
July) conducted a working tour of the absorption and selection base at Tel Hashomer, accompanied by the Head of the Human Resources Branch, Major General
Elazar Stern and the Chief Armored Corps Officer, Brigadier General Haluzi Rudoy.
The President toured the camp and met with tens of new recruits and their
families who arrived for the large summer recruitment of the armored corps and
who welcomed him with loud singing and drums.
At the outset of the tour the President received a extensive professional survey
from Major General Stern and, at its completion, he said that the data presented
to him is worrisome and that it is the duty of the leadership in Israel and the
entire society to do everything possible to change the existing situation.
From the survey that the President received from Major General Stern, the
following difficult data emerged: that during the years 1998 – 2007 there was a
general decrease of 7% in the number of recruits to the army and that in the
present year of recruitment taking place now – only 52% of 18 year olds are
enlisting into the IDF.
Likewise from the data it appears that 27% of the boys who do not enlist are
defined under the section of’ ”religious learning and belief,” 5% because of a
criminal record and low recruitment threshold, over 7% because of medical
exemption and 4% who are abroad.
Major General Stern emphasized that there is a significant decrease in the
recruitment of women to the IDF. The Major General noted that it is possible to
point at a significant shortage of women instructors, combat fighters and in
technological fields in the IDF.
In his words: “Concessions for exemption to the IDF are in the form of a true
danger. It must not be permitted to be omitted from the public agenda.” The
Major General added that the considerable rise in exemptions for women is a
result of their declaring that they are orthodox.
Nevertheless, he noted that there is no decline in the motivation of soldiers to
serve in special units and that requests exceed demand.
The President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres said during the tour that the State of
Israel exists almost 60 years and that from its first day the nation loved the
army deeply as expressed by its endless dedication, high percentage of
recruitment and the true and sincere wish of youth to take an active part in
building the defense system of the State of Israel.
“The youth who are here are filled with faith which is no less than that of
those then. They wish to serve active combat service without real reward.” The
President also added that the entire Israeli leadership and society must hug and
salute this boys and girls and enable them to be proud of their mission.
“Only a strong and loved army will give Israel the secure and humane answer
necessary to face the dangers confronting it”
“Leave the army out of the circle of cynicism and criticism and attack us
– the leaders and the politicians”
The President toured all the stations in the recruitment process, spoke with the
new recruits who stood in line to receive inoculations, to be photographed and
to receive uniforms and he warmly thanked the mothers and fathers who
unhesitatingly sent their children to the army out of a feeling of a true
mission on behalf of the country.
During the tour the President announced a new initiative: The establishment of a
technological cadet corps for youth prior to recruitment with an emphasis on
women and “hareidi” (ultra orthodox) youth who will receive professional
training in the fields of technology and robotics and will be incorporated, on
recruitment, in elite technological units in order to involve them in active and
full service in the Israel Defense Forces.
It should be noted that the President concluded this initiative with the Chief
of Staff and the Prime Minister in meetings he held with them last week.
The President will head this initiative and the recruitment of resources and the
first working meetings on the subject with Brigadier Stern and other senior and
relevant officers in the army have already been scheduled.
The President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres answered the questions of reporters on
the issue of the kidnapped soldiers and said:
“The working assumption from the point of view of the State of Israel is that
the two kidnapped soldiers are alive and that the state will not pay attention
to information disseminators, “evil traders.”
The office of Israel's President Shimon
from time to time releases accounts of his official activities. We have
been publishing them as they are made available.
(Return to top)
. .
ADL calls Tancredo's rhetoric 'unAmerican'
DENVER (Press Release) – Responding to reports that Rep. Tom Tancredo
(Republican, Colorado) repeated his 2005 threat to blow up Muslim Holy
sites in the event of a nuclear attack on America by Islamic extremists,
the Anti-Defamation League again criticized his comments, calling them
"outrageous, inflammatory and un-American."
ADL Mountain States Regional
Office issued the following statement:
"Representative Tom Tancredo's
comments threatening to blow up Muslim holy sites in the event America
suffers a nuclear attack by Muslim extremists are outrageous,
inflammatory and un-American. Although the threat of Islamist extremist
terrorism is real, Rep. Tancredo should know that extremists come in all
faiths, and do not reflect the values and beliefs of the vast majority
of the members of the religious groups to which they belong.
" The
Congressman's inflammatory comments do nothing to advance America's role
in the world as the leading voice for religious freedom and should be
soundly condemned. ADL will continue to speak out against anti-Muslim
rhetoric, which has no place in our democratic country, especially by
political leaders."
The preceding story was
provided by the Anti-Defamation League
Dear Readers,
Along with my husband Don, I co-publish
San Diego Jewish World. As a couple we have gone to many
places. Cruising ranks at the top of our list of favorite ways
to travel.
Watch this ad for a
different cruising photo each day. A similar adventure can be yours!
America's
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a price comparison.
Please call me at
(619) 265-0808 for information about booking a cruise from San
Diego or anywhere. Or email me at
sdheritage@cox.net
Thank you!
Nancy Harrison
|
Adventures in Cruising—Royal
Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas
Shore Excursion: Spray from La Bufadora creates a rainbow effect
in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Thanks to the Ford
family of Agoura, California, for sharing their photos of
their family reunion weekend cruise
|
America's Immigration Debate—A
New Proposal
SAN DIEGO—Forum Question #4: U.S. Senator Arlen Specter
(Republican, Pennsylvania) in an article for
The Washington
Post has called on Congress when it returns from recess to
reconsider the shelved omnibus immigration bill, but this time
to make the estimated 12 million undocumented workers in this
country eligible for a green card, but not for citizenship.
Here is a link to
his article.
Our question is what should be the response in the Jewish
community—a community of immigrants to this country? Here
is a link to the
response string, which starts today.
Additionally, the first three Forum Questions remain open for
your comments, each having a separate string.
Those questions were: |
#1 A protest and the letter; did NJDC help or harm?
#2 Removal of Jewish residents from Hebron
#3
Holocaust history and the Bergson group
To share your thoughts, please send an email to us at
sdheritage@cox.net.
Be sure to include at the bottom of your letter your full name
and the city and state (province) in which you reside.
___________________________
Click the ad above to go to the "I'm there for you baby" website
.
News Sleuths:
Iran
Watching the media gathering
and reporting the news
of Jewish interest
|
U.S. 'cannot live with' Iran's
policy calling for the destruction of Israel—President Bush
(Editor's Note: U.S. President George W. Bush had a news
conference at the White House today, during which there was a
discussion of Iran's foreign policy. The President
reiterated U.S. support for Israel in the face of threats from
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. An excerpt from the White
House transcript follows):
White House photo by Chris Greenberg
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to pivot off of what you
were talking about earlier, with Prime Minister Maliki's visit
to Iran. Reports out of Iran today, out of Iran, say that Prime
Minister Maliki told President Ahmadinejad that he appreciated
Iran's positive and constructive stance. The pictures from the
visit are very warm. I'm wondering, do you and your Iraqi
counterparts see eye-to-eye on Iran, and what kind of message do
those images send to your allies in the region and Americans who
are skeptical about the Prime Minister's role?
THE PRESIDENT: Jim, I haven't seen the reports.
Before I would like to comment upon how their meetings went, I
would like to get a readout from our embassy, who of course will
be in touch with the Prime Minister, and get his readout. And so
it's a -- you're asking me to be a little speculative on the
subject. I haven't seen the picture.
Look, generally the way these things work is you
try to be cordial to the person you're with, and so you don't
want the picture to be kind of, you know, ducking it out. Okay,
put up your dukes. That's an old boxing expression. (Laughter.)
Q Once more, please?
THE PRESIDENT: And so, I don't know, Jim. You've
obviously followed this a lot -- you've seen the reports. I'm
sure you're confident that what you've asked me is verifiable.
I'm not surprised that there's a picture showing people smiling.
Q However --
THE PRESIDENT: Let me finish, please. And so it's
a -- anyway, let me get the facts on what happened. Now if the
signal is that Iran is constructive, I will have to have a
heart-to-heart with my friend, the Prime Minister, because I
don't believe they are constructive. I don't think he, in his
heart of heart, thinks they're constructive, either. Now maybe
he's hopeful in trying to get them to be constructive by laying
out a positive picture. You're asking me to speculate.
Should I be concerned of a picture -- should the
American people be concerned about Iran? Yes, we ought to be
very concerned about Iran. They're a destabilizing influence.
They are a government that has -- its declared policy is very
troubling, obviously, when they announce -- when Ahmadinejad has
announced that the destruction of Israel is part of its foreign
policy.
That's something, obviously, we cannot live with.
They have expressed their desire to be able to enrich uranium,
which we believe is a step toward having a nuclear weapons
program. That, in itself, coupled with their stated foreign
policy, is very dangerous for world stability. They are funders
of Hezbollah. Hezbollah is intent upon battling forces of
moderation. It's a very troubling nation right now.
Iran can do better. The government is isolating
its people. The government has caused America and other nations,
rational nations, to say, we will work together to do everything
we can to deny you economic opportunity because of the decisions
you are making. My message to the Iranian people is, you can do
better than this current government; you don't have to be
isolated; you don't have to be in a position where you can't
realize your full economic potential. And the United States of
America will continue to work with our friends and allies in the
Security Council and elsewhere to put you in a position to deny
you your rightful place in the world, not because of our
intention, because of your government's intention.
So it is a very -- it's a difficult issue, Jim.
And the American people should be concerned about Iran. They
should be concerned about Iran's activity in Iraq, and they
ought to be concerned about Iran's activity around the world.
Q In your previous conversations with Prime
Minister Maliki, have you been confident that he shares your
view on Iraq [sic]?
THE PRESIDENT: On Iran?
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. He knows that weaponry being
smuggled into Iraq from Iran and placed in the hands of
extremists over which the government has no control, all aimed
at killing innocent life, is a destabilizing factor. He
absolutely understands that.
I don't know if you saw yesterday, there was a --
we talked to General Petraeus, or I talked to General Petraeus
and Ambassador Crocker yesterday. I noticed in the papers today
there was a description of a military operation that took place
in Sadr City. The military operation in Sadr City was going
after extremist elements, Shia extremist elements. And it was a
very robust operation. Obviously, it -- well, I shouldn't say
"obviously" -- it was done with the full understanding of the
Maliki government.
Now, I don't know whether this extremist element
had been fueled by Iran, but I do know that Maliki is committed
against extremist elements who are trying to create enough chaos
and confusion that this young government and young democracy is
not able to progress. So the first thing I looked for was
commitment against the extremists. The second thing is does he
understand with some extremist groups there is connections with
Iran, and he does. And I'm confident.
Now, is he trying to get Iran to play a more
constructive role? I presume he is. But that doesn't -- what my
question is -- well, what my message to him is, is that when we
catch you playing a non-constructive role there will be a price
to pay.
CELEBRITIES—There's some doubt
over whether Elvis Presley really had some Jewish lineage, but there's
no doubt whatsoever that U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (Democrat,
Tennessee) is Jewish.
Elvis Radio announced that the congressman will be a guest DJ on
August 18, but like Elvis himself, his appearance will not be live.
It will be a repeat of a July 1 broadcast when Cohen was on hand to
celebrate the radio station's third anniversary.
CYBER-REFERRALS— Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles points
out a story in today's JPost that tells of the Vatican scrambling to
assure the worldwide Jewish community that a private meeting between
Pope Benedict XVI and firebrand priest Tadeusz Rydzyk
"did not imply any change in the Holy
See's well-known position regarding relations between Catholics and
Jews." Here is
the link... Ed Samiljan,
the father of Camp Mountain Chai, noticed an article about the value
and financial costs of Jewish camping that appeared in the New York
Jewish Week, Here is
a link.
ADL to students:
Schools may not pressure you
to
attend classes during the High Holidays
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday,
September 12 and Erev Yom Kippur falls on Friday, September 21. In
observance of these holidays, many parents may elect to keep their
children out of school. Students should not be penalized for taking
this time out of school for religious observance.
“…penalties to scholastic records may not be imposed upon people who are
absent for religious holidays, and students should never feel pressured
to choose between school attendance and religious observance” (Church
of God vs. Amarillo Independent School District).
Please remind your teachers to plan around the High Holidays. The ADL is
committed to assisting Jewish children observe the holidays. If you need
assistance with teachers or school administrations, contact Tali
Silberstein, Assistant Director for Civil Rights at (619) 293-3770. We
also offer a variety of resources which may be of help including:
● Religion
in the Public Schools.
A comprehensive look at the law of religion in the public schools in an
easy to understand and use format.
● ABCs
of Religion in the Public Schools:
A poster-format guide to religion in the public schools.
● Religious
Issues in your Child's Public School: A Guide For Jewish Parents
Copies of these publications are available by calling the ADL office or
by visiting the ADL web site at
www.adl.org/church-state.
The preceding article was provided by
the San Diego regional office of the Anti-Defamation League
{Click the above ad for more
information
News from the
Israel Baseball League |
TODAY'S ACTION—At left, Tel Aviv
pitcher Adam Crabb hurls a pitch. At upper right, Bet Shemesh catcher
Scott Jamakowicz waits for the ball as Tel Aviv rightfielder Jeff Hastings
scores a run. Backing up the action behind the catcher is Bet Shemesh
pitcher Juan Feliciano. Bottom right: Tel Aviv first baseman Aaron
Pribble dives for a ball.
IBL photos by Yehuda Boltshauser
Clutch single increases Bet Shemesh IBL lead to 3.5 games
By Nathaniel Edelstein
KIBBUTZ GEZER, Israel (Press Release)— The Bet Shemesh Blue Sox and the Tel Aviv Lightning
were tied at one through 6.5 innings before Bet Shemesh centerfielder Sean
Slaughter hit a bases-loaded single to win the game on this kibbutz's
ballfield.
Slaughter's heroic walk-off single came after Dominican Juan
Feliciano and Australian Adam Crabb battled in a pitcher's duel that
eventually saw Feliciano come out on top. Feliciano tossed seven
innings and allowed just one run on four hits with 11 strikeouts and
two walks to improve to 7-1.
Bet Shemesh's first run came in the first inning when rightfielder
Jason Rees slugged his league-leading 16th homer of the season as the
first-place Sox pull 3.5 games ahead of the second-place Lightning.
After winning one game of a doubleheader on Wednesday, the Petach
Tikva Pioneers won for the second day in a row with a 6-5 victory over
the Ra'anana Express at Tel Aviv's Sportek.
Down 5-3 in the top of the sixth, centerfielder Ben Dashefsky of New
York knocked in two runs on his second single of the day to tie the
game at five runs apiece. Later in the inning third baseman Willis
Bumphus of San Diego who went 2-for-3, drove in his second RBI with a sacrifice
fly that scored the go-ahead run.
Express leftfielder Ben Field raised his average to .330 by going
3-for-4 with a homerun and two RBI, but it wasn't enough as Ra'anana fell 11.5 games out of first.
In the night's late game the Netanya Tigers scored four runs in the
sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and beat the Modi'in Miracle 5-1 at Yarkon
Field at the Baptist Village near Petach Tikva.
Israeli Shlomo Lipetz picked up his third win with seven innings of
work, giving up just one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a
walk.
Lipetz's only mistake came in the fourth inning when Dominican Eladio
Rodriguez launched his 15th homerun over the centerfield wall. But
the Netanya offense did enough as all but two starting position
players collected a hit and manager Ami Baran's club won for the
second consecutive game.
Summaries:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Tel Aviv 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 1
Bet Shemesh 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 0
W: Juan Feliciano (7-1); L: Adam Crabb (4-4); HR: Jason Rees (16)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Petach Tikva 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 6 9 3
Ra'anana 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 5 8 1
W: Ryan Butkowsky (1-2); L: Nat Ballenberg (1-1); SV: Alper Ulutas
(1); HR: Ben Field (5)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Modi'in 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 2
Netanya 0 0 0 1 0 4 x 5 7 0
W: Shlomo Lipetz (3-1); L: Ian Okorofsky (0-2); HR: Eladio Rodriguez (15)
Standings:
Team W L % GB
Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 26 9 .743 -
Tel Aviv Lightning 23 13 .639 3.5
Modi'in Miracle 20 15 .571 6.0
Netanya Tigers 15 20 .429 11.0
Ra'anana Express 15 21 .417 11.5
Petach Tikva Pioneers 7 28 .200 19.0
{Marc Kligman, who combines being
a sports agent with his life as an observant Jew, invites you to listen.
Click on the ad above for more information}
Doing
It Better
Natasha
Josefowitz, Ph.D
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In performance-based society, maybe sensitivity to rejection is
logical, if unhealthy, reaction
LA JOLLA, California—Do
you sometimes wonder if people really like you? Do you worry
when a friend seems curt with you? Do you fret over your not
being included in a group? Do you ruminate over a possible
slight?
Well, you’re not the only one! Our DNA
has made us prone to be sensitive to slights as a possible indication of a
potential rejection. In our dim past, when being part of a small group was
survival and ostracism meant death because being left alone to fend for
ourselves and fighting predators was certain demise.
Our anxieties about acceptance and
rejection are rising, according to New York psychologist Robert Leahy. We
have become a performance-based culture, to wit, all the TV shows that
emphasize being in the spotlight, whether singing, dancing, telling jokes,
touting inventions, winning a race, or being the last survivor in the
jungle.
Just 200 years ago, most of us lived in a stable society, living in the same
town all our lives. We now have become a mobile society, living in a variety
of neighborhoods, states, and even countries. This means we have to learn
the ways of the new strangers, looking for cues of acceptable behaviors and
weary of possible misinterpretations and thus rejection. Not only do we move
more, but our families as frequently either not intact or blended, which
leads to insecurity. Insecurity leads to uncertainty which makes us more
vulnerable to depression. And all of the above increases the chance that we
become more anxious about possible rejections.
According to Leahy, major depression
which is linked to rejection sensitivity is on the rise among all age groups
except for the elderly, for we were born before the disrupted families and
fragmented societies began to take root.
Some people are so sensitive to any
possible slight that those around them have learned to tip toe in their
presence increasing the potential of picking up negative cues where none
were meant.
The only way around getting over being
rejection sensitive is to form the kind of friendships that can withstand
the constant demand for reassurance. There is a genetic component to being
overly sensitive to perceived rejection but also an environmental one.
Overly critical, abusive, or neglectful parents or being bullied at school
can set the stage for a child and then an adult being always on the look out
for the next rebuff.
Today’s parents have been taught to
enhance their children’s self-esteem—and in their attempt to do so, they
have exaggerated the amount of praise heaped upon their children.
Generalized praise does not feel good for it is not behavior specific.
Telling a child how smart he or she is does not help as it is not clear what
it is exactly that is praise-worthy, so it makes children anxious. Instead,
being specific—you did well on your test because you studied hard for it is
a replicable behavior.
All children wear an invisible sign
around their necks that says, “Please admire me”—but it is for specific
things that they do or say—they are loved for who they are: our
children.
It is interesting to wonder what
signs, we as adults secretly. My sign says, “I’m not OK, you’re not OK, and
that’s OK!”
This column also ran in the La Jolla
Light
Stand-up comic—playwright finds humor in death
LOS ANGELES—My friend Ted Seifman invited me and 98 other people to the
99-seat Pico Playhouse to listen to a reading of a new play that he will be
producing on Broadway later this year. So hang onto this early review,
because after Broadway, can L.A. be far behind?
The play is called
Rest, In Pieces and it was written by Steve
Bluestein who, in another life, is a hilarious stand-up comedian. Which
explains why Rest, In Pieces is laugh-out-loud funny. Even though
it’s a play in which everybody dies. (Or as the old joke goes: “In a
Russian tragedy everybody dies. In a Russian comedy everybody dies. But
they die happy!”)
This play, like my favorite Broadway play from last year, Faith Healer,
tells its simple story from three different points of view. In each segment
one member of a close-knit family dies and the two survivors have to adjust
and cope with the loss. And their anger, their unspoken emotions, and all
the unfinished business. And right from the beginning, it’s a family you
care about.
In this presentation the family is Jewish. The mother and father are played
by Lainie Kazan and Stuart Pankin and their son is played by Richard
Israel. Since it was a reading, there was also a narrator, John Sala, who
provided all the stage directions.
In the first
scene, it's the father who has died and Kazan, who is otherwise the
Compleat Yenta, is rendered helpless as she tries to imagine a life
without him. He has been the total focus of her existence, and even
though she has nagged him and bossed him for decades, she reveals her
love for him in the depth of her bereavement.
In the next
segment, it is she who has died, and her grieving husband tells their
son of the women who have flocked to his side to "comfort" him.
The son is shocked, but his father explains that when a man is young he
speaks of love; at this age, however, the word is "companionship."
And finally, it
is the son who has died, and both parents bewail the culture that has
inhibited them from acknowledging the love they felt but never fully
expressed.
It’s Bluestein’s intention to have a revolving cast—different actors who
would each do the parts for a limited period of time, like the very
successful Love Letters of a few years back. And, since families are
families no matter what their ethnicity, he plans to have versions of the
play in which the protagonists are Italian, or African American, or Asian.
With a change of jokes, it would certainly work. After all, every family
has its own recognizable mishigass.
In this version, the action takes place in an apartment on New York’s Upper
East Side. And as in so many other comedies, (see any Neil Simon play) the
venue has its own quirky personality. As does Lainie Kazan, who is nothing
short of terrific. She is a drama queen, a tragic and poignant wife and
mother, and a superb comic who brings the lead character to vibrant life. I
hope Steve Bluestein and my friend Ted will keep her for the Broadway
production. The role belongs to her!
But no matter who’s in it when it gets to L.A., you’ll want to see it. It’s
very nearly a completely perfect play.
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