Once nationalized Cecil Hotel
returned to Jewish family then resold to Egyptian government
ALEXANDRIA,
Egypt (Press Release)—A luxury hotel in Alexandria that had belonged to Jews
until it was nationalized by Egypt in 1952 has been returned. Founded in 1929 by
a French Jewish immigrant, the hotel was seized from the Metzger family in 1952
during Gamal Abdel Nasser’s nationalist revolution.
Five years later the Metzgers were expelled from Egypt. Now an 86-room,
four-star hotel run by the French company Accor, the Cecil Hotel was returned
recently to the Metzger family, then resold to Egypt for an undisclosed amount,
according to the ‘Agence France Presse’ news agency .
In its heyday, the Cecil
hosted such figures as Winston Churchill and Al Capone. A 1996 Egyptian court
ruling returned the hotel to its Jewish owners, but the ruling was never
implemented for fear that it would establish a precedent for the restitution of
nationalized Jewish property in Egypt.
The preceding story was provided
by the World Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
Israeli eye doctors will go to Kenya to help Sudanese
refugees at request of UN agency
JERUSALEM—In light
of the situation in Darfur, the Israel Foreign Ministry's Center for
International Cooperation (MASHAV) has agreed to a request by the UN High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to extend aid to Sudanese refugees. MASHAV, the
department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of carrying out Israel's
foreign aid policy, will set up a special eye clinic similar to those it has run
for many years in various parts of Africa.
Two Israeli eye
doctors will be sent by MASHAV on July 2 to the Kakuma camp in Kenya, where
dozens of patients will be operated on over a two-week period. The patients will
stay at the camp for a short while before and after the operations. The doctors
will also provide consultation services and assistance to local doctors. The
required equipment was purchased by MASHAV and has already been sent to Kenya.
The Kakuma camp,
near the town of Kakuma, is located in Kenya on the road to Sudan, west of Lake
Turkana and about 50 kilometers from the Sudanese border. The camp, which has
been in existence for 15 years, holds about 75,000 people, mostly Sudanese
refugees.
Dr. Yosef Baratz,
MASHAV project coordinator in Africa residing in Nairobi, will coordinate the
project vis-à-vis the UNHCR and MASHAV headquarters in Israel.
The preceding story was provided by Israel's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
(Return to
Top)
_____________________
Israel and Kazakhstan announce
direct flights
JERUSALEM (Press Release)—The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli embassy in Kazakhstan proudly
announce the inauguration of the direct Almaty – Tel Aviv airline route.
Flight W7353, the inaugural flight of
Sayakhat Airlines
on this route, will land at Ben Gurion
airport tomorrow (Thursday, 28 June) at precisely 12:10 P.M.
The decision to establish a regular airline
connection between the two cities was reached after years of discussions between
the governments of Israel and Kazakhstan, and was enabled due to the close
collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the
Ministry of Tourism and the Israel-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce. Israeli
ambassador to Kazakhstan, Ran Ichay, tirelessly committed himself to
negotiations on this issue with the Kazakh authorities throughout his term of
duty.
Ambassador Ichay, the chairman of the Kazakh civil
aviation committee and senior managers of Sayakhat Airlines will all arrive on
the inaugural flight. They will be met at Ben Gurion Airport by representatives
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of
Transport as well as by representatives of the Kazakh embassy in Israel.
With the intention of transmitting a message of
religious tolerance and comradeship, the airline has invited both the deputy
Mufti of Kazakhstan and the deputy Metropolit of the Pravoslavic Church of
Kazakhstan as special guests on the inaugural flight. They will be met at the
airport by the Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan, who is currently visiting Israel.
The direct flights between Tel Aviv and Almaty
will help improve economic and commercial relations between the two countries.
Initially, there will be one scheduled flight a week. The frequency will
increase to two flights a week at a later stage.
The preceding story was provided
by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
_______________
RJC urges Democrats to dump Carter as
overseas spokesman given his Hamas comments
WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)— The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today sent
a letter signed by six former U.S. ambassadors to Democratic National Committee
Chairman Howard Dean, asking him to remove former President Jimmy Carter from
his position as Honorary Chairman of Democrats Abroad, an arm of the DNC.
The letter
comes in response to statements by Carter which call into doubt his suitability
as a representative of the United States abroad. Recently, he criticized the
U.S. government for withholding direct aid to Hamas, describing this policy as
"criminal."
The letter
states:
As you
probably know, in public comments made on June 19 after receiving a donation for
his foundation from a group in Dublin, Ireland, the former President castigated
our government and the governments of Israel and the European Union for
withholding direct aid to Hamas leaders in the Palestinian Authority. Carter
described this policy as "criminal."
It has been
nearly a decade since the State Department under President Clinton designated
Hamas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. As you know, it is illegal for
individuals in our country - much less the federal government itself - to
knowingly provide material support or resources to an organization that has been
so designated.
In light of
these considerations, it is the course of action Carter is advocating -
provision of direct aid to Hamas by the U.S. government - that would be
"criminal." In light of Hamas' long record of murderous attacks on civilians in
Israel and within the Palestinian territories, it would also be grossly immoral.
... You may
recall that last November, a Hamas subsidiary issued a communiqué calling on
sympathizers to attack American targets "all over the globe." It is difficult
for us to understand how Carter can be deemed fit to serve as Honorary Chairman
of Democrats Abroad after having urged support for Hamas.
When a
prominent American such as a former U.S. President makes statements abroad so at
odds with American policy and with good sense, they raise diplomatic and public
diplomacy difficulties for our government and our official spokesmen abroad.
When Jimmy Carter published an
anti-Israel book, the DNC issued a statement saying that "on this issue
President Carter speaks for himself, the opinions in his book are his own, they
are not the views or position of the Democratic Party." Given Carter's most
recent statements, the former ambassadors call upon Chairman Dean to match
action to words by removing Jimmy Carter from his official position with
Democrats Abroad.
The retired ambassadors who signed the letter and the countries where they
represented the United States were Stuart A.
Bernstein (Denmark); Joseph B. Gildenhorn (Switzerland; Earle I. Mack
(Finland); John Price (Mauritius); Mel Sembler (Italy / Australia) and Ron
Weiser (Slovakia).
The preceding story was provided by
the Republican Jewish Coalition
(Return to top)
_____________________
ADL, AJC praise
Israel turnaround by United Church of Christ
NEW YORK (Staff Report)—The Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish
Committee both hailed a decision by the United Church of Christ to take a more
balanced position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A resolution adopted in Hartford, Connecticut, by the General Synod on June 24
"calls for the group to undertake and in-depth and balanced study of the Middle
East conflict, and to factor in previously ignored key issues such as the
teaching of hate and violence in schools and through the media, Israel's
disengagement from Gaza, and the rising internecine violence between Hamas and
Fatah," abn aDL summary reported.
"We are heartened that members of the United Church of Christ have come to
recognize that Israel deserves a fair hearing and that some of their policy
declarations in the past were based on unfair and biased assumptions, ADL
National Director Abraham Foxman said.
Rabbi Gary Greenebaum of the American Jewish Committee said "the UCC has taken
an encouraging step forward from its resolutions two years that singularly
placed blame on Israel.... It is unfortunate that it took the costly loss of
lives due to the fighting between Hamas and Fatah to spur a broadening of
perspective in the UCC, but often out of tragedy hope is born."
In 2005, noted the ADL, had adopted one resolution called on Israel to "tear
down the wall" without evaluating why the security fence was erected.
Another resolution of that year had urged church members to divest from
companies that do business in Israel."
The preceding story was based on materials provided
by the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee.
Commentary
Please send your letters to
sdheritage@cox.net,
or to San Diego Jewish World, PO Box 19363, San Diego,
CA,
(USA) 92119. Please include the name of the city where you live.
|
WJC leaders in
Brussels decry European anti-
Semitism,
Iranian threats of Israeli genocide
Editor’s Note: Following is a statement made on Tuesday, June 26, by Ronald
S. Lauder and Matthew Bronfman, respectively the new president and board
chairman of the World Jewish Congress, in their first official visit to the
European Jewish Congress since their election to their positions earlier
this month.
By Ronald S. Lauder and Matthew
Bronfman
BRUSSELS, Belgium—We
are in Brussels for the General Assembly of the European Jewish Congress.
The European Jewish Congress is a strong and vibrant constituent of the
World Jewish Congress and we are delighted to work together in unity with
its leadership and with all its member communities.
It is no coincidence that our first trip is to Brussels. We are here
because, for us Jews, Europe is an important place. And we are concerned
about what is happening in Europe at present. Jews around the world, and
particularly in Europe, feel threatened. This is nothing new. We have
experienced this for centuries. We have experienced the Holocaust.
Yet today, we witness that our safety and well-being – even on the continent
where the Holocaust happened – is still something we cannot take for
granted.In many countries Jews continue to be victims of anti-Semitism. The
World Jewish Congress was established to fight for the safety and well-being
of Jews around the world, especially in places where Jewish communities are
small, threatened or isolated.
Education is our primary line of defense against the ignorance that breeds
anti-Semitism.
More than ever, our mission is to demand that governments and individuals
around the world treat Jews as equals, and offer them the protection they
deserve. We are focused on preserving and defending the rights and lives of
Jews in nearly 100 countries across the globe. Yesterday, we met with
representatives of the European institutions and of Europe’s Jewish
communities to discuss some of the threats that we currently face. We asked
our European friends to take measures to ensure:
● the protection of Europe's Jewish communities;
●the clear denunciation
and punishment of all manifestations of anti-
Semitism;
●the preservation of
the memory of the Holocaust; and
●some measure of
justice for Holocaust victims, and their heirs.
Our first and foremost
task is to fight the resurgence of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has many
facets. Sometimes, it comes in disguise, for example the proposed boycott in
the UK of Israeli academics. A boycott being called, supposedly, in protest
against Israel's policies.Of course it is legitimate to criticize the
policies of the Israeli government. We do it all the time. Israelis do it
all the time. Israel is a democracy. Criticism is part of democracy.
But this proposed boycott is not legitimate protest. Do not be fooled. This
is singling out Israel. This is singling out Jews. This is anti-Semitism.
Pure and simple.
This is not an isolated case. Anti-Semitism, masked as 'anti-Zionism', is a
growing phenomenon. That is very worrying.
The European Union, and European governments, must take action to ensure
that this form of anti-Semitism, and all other manifestations, are not
tolerated.
We were relieved to hear from European Commissioner Frattini yesterday, that
he "attaches the greatest importance to the issue of anti-Semitism". We are
looking forward to working with him, and the European Commission,
cooperating in the monitoring of anti-Semitism, and finding ways to ensure
the proper enforcement of current legislation.
We are also extremely concerned by the
words and actions of the current Iranian regime.We know that President
Ahmadinejad does not speak for all Iranians. But that does not diminish the
real threat that he poses, to Israel, to Jews and to the wider world.
Last week, the US Congress adopted a
resolution recommending that Ahmadinejad be tried for inciting genocide. The
European Union must also realize the dangers of Ahmadinejad, and seek ways
to marginalize him, and ensure that his hateful threats, which regrettably
are not empty, are not allowed to reach fruition. The future of the state of
Israel and the security of the Jewish people throughout the world depend on
it.
The preceding statement was provided
by the World Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
___________
Bush, rededicating Islamic Center, wins applause
as he calls for Palestine and Israel side-by-side
______________
President says that Muslims around world
victimized by radicals
_____________
Editor's Note: The
following speech, in which President Bush made several references to the
Jewish community during his rededication of the Islamic Center in
Washington, was provided by the White House.
By President George W. Bush
WASHINGTON, DC—Imam, thank you very much. Thank you for inviting me. I
bring my personal respect to you, sir. And I appreciate your friendship. I
do want to thank the governors of the Islamic Center. I welcome the
Ambassadors. Thank you all for coming. I appreciate other distinguished
guests who are here. It is an honor to join you at this rededication
ceremony.
As the Imam mentioned, half a century
has passed since one of our great leaders welcomed the Islamic Center into
our nation's family of faith. Dedicating this site, President Dwight D.
Eisenhower offered America's hand in friendship to Muslims around the world.
He asked that together we commit ourselves "to peaceful progress of all men
under one God."
Today we gather, with friendship and
respect, to reaffirm that pledge -- and to renew our determination to stand
together in the pursuit of freedom and peace. We come to express our
appreciation for a faith that has enriched civilization for centuries. We
come in celebration of America's diversity of faith and our unity as free
people. And we hold in our hearts the ancient wisdom of the great Muslim
poet, Rumi: "The lamps are different, but the light is the same."
Moments like this dedication help
clarify who Americans are as a people, and what we wish for the world. We
live in a time when there are questions about America and her intentions.
For those who seek a true understanding of our country, they need to look no
farther than here. This Muslim center sits quietly down the road from a
synagogue, a Lutheran church, a Catholic parish, a Greek Orthodox chapel, a
Buddhist temple -- each with faithful followers who practice their deeply
held beliefs and live side by side in peace.
This is what freedom offers: societies
where people can live and worship as they choose without intimidation,
without suspicion, without a knock on the door from the secret police. The
freedom of religion is the very first protection offered in America's Bill
of Rights. It is a precious freedom. It is a basic compact under which
people of faith agree not to impose their spiritual vision on others, and in
return to practice their own beliefs as they see fit. This is the promise of
our Constitution, and the calling of our conscience, and a source of our
strength.
The freedom to worship is so central
to America's character that we tend to take it personally when that freedom
is denied to others. Our country was a leading voice on behalf of the Jewish
refusniks in the Soviet Union. Americans joined in common cause with
Catholics and Protestants who prayed in secret behind an Iron Curtain.
America has stood with Muslims seeking to freely practice their beliefs in
places such as Burma and China. (Jump to
continuation)
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
and we'll acknowledge your tip at the end of the column.
To
see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
*"We're back in the game," an exultant Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff commented after the U.S. Senate voted 64-35 on a
procedural motion to permit the previously stalled Immigration Compromise
Bill to resume its journey through the Congress. The
story by Susan Milligan of the Boston Globe is in today's San
Diego Union-Tribune.
*Aaron
Feldman, owner of Sunroad Enterprises, has agreed to tear down the top
two stories of the 180-foot high Centrum building near Montgomery Field,
presumably putting to an end the controversy that Sunroad attorney Dennis
Cravello said has become "a lightning rod for divisiveness." Evan McLaughlin
has the
story in today's Voice of San Diego. The team of
David Hasemyer, Jeff McDonald and Matthew T. Hall
also covered the
story in today's San Diego Union-Tribune. That newspaper also had
an
editorial on the issue.
*A United Nations report indicates that Syria is smuggling weapons to
Lebanon to rearm Hezbollah, which fought Israel's forces last year.
The New York Times News Service
brief is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Who are Jonathan Liebowitz and Robert Zimmerman? Today's San
Diego Union-Tribune has a
story listing the real names of some celebrities, including respectively
Jon Stewart and Bob Dylan.
*Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni likes the idea of Tony
Blair being appointed Mideast Envoy by the Quartet, explaining he is "a very
well-appreciated figure in Israel."
Fahmi
al-Zaarer of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement also was
positive in his comments. The Associated Press
story by Laurie Copans is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Ben Silverman, the new entertainment chief, bought rights to a
Colombian television show while he was at Reveille and turned that show into
Ugly Betty, has purchased rights to another show from the Latin
American country. This one's title translates as "Without Breasts There's No
Paradise," a story about a girl who so badly wants to have larger breasts
she becomes a prostitute to pay for the operation. The
story by Meg James is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Pathologist Vincent DiMaio of San Antonio, an expert witness for the
defense, testified in the Phil Spector murder trial that shooting
victim Lana Clarkson shot herself. The Copley News Service
story by Dan Laidman and Matt Krasnowski is in today's San Diego
Union-Tribune.
*Marian Turski, president of the Association of the Jewish
Historical Institute in Poland, was joined by Poland's President
Lech Kaczynski
and
other dignitaries for a groundbreaking ceremony for a Museum of the History
of Polish Jews, located in what was once the Warsaw Ghetto. The
Associated Press
story by Vanessa Gera is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Attention was riveted to Columba Avena at the Los Angeles County Board
of Supervisors. It was her sister who died at King Harbor High School after
writhing in pain, ignored, in the admitting area. Avena told the
supervisors the community needed a hospital, but one which takes better care
of people. County Supervisor Zev Yaraslovsky responded that he
circumstances of Edith Rodriguez' death has motivated everyone. The
story by Jack Leonard and Charles Ornstein is in today's Los Angeles
Times.
(Return
to top)
Israel
and Palestine
News Sleuths
Watching the media
gathering and
reporting the news of Jewish interest
|
Date: June 27, 2007
Time: Noon
Place: United Nations
Briefing officer:
Michèle
Montas,
spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Source: United Nations, New York
Subject:
Israel/ Palestinians
Question:
I was wondering if there was an update on the 1701 report on Lebanon, and also
whether the Secretary-General has any reaction to the new round of Israeli
attacks in Gaza today, in which 13 people were killed?
Spokesperson:
I don’t have any reaction on today’s events. On the 1701 report, as I said
earlier, that report is being worked on. It is not ready yet.
Question:
Is it expected today?
Spokesperson:
No. I don’t believe so.
>>
Question:
Is there any Secretary-General reaction to these 10 Palestinians killed by the
Israelis today in Gaza?
Spokesperson:
No. I just answered that. We do not have a reaction on the recent events. I
just answered that.
Question:
Do you know if Michael Williams, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the
Middle East, was disappointed that the Security Council did not express its
support for [Palestinian President] Abbas and the new emergency Government? Do
they have a statement on that?
Spokesperson:
No they don’t. They don’t have a statement on that and a I haven’t spoken to
Michael Williams, so I don’t know whether there is a reaction.
Question:
Do you think that it would be helpful to have that for the Secretary-General?
Spokesperson:
Well, I’ll ask for you.
Question:
The location of Mr. Blair’s office in Jerusalem -- has this been discussed with
the United Nations before establishing that, because this is a disputed area?
It’s still disputed…
Spokesperson:
What I read to you was a joint statement by the Quartet members. The UN is a
part of the Quartet.
Question:
But did Mr. Ban Ki-moon raise the issue that this is disputed land and that it
is probably very sensitive to be based in Jerusalem?
Spokesperson:
I don’t know whether he has raised the issue or not. I said this is a
consensus statement.
(Return
to top)
AROUND THE TOWN—San Diego
Port Commissioner Stephen P. Cushman has been reelected to the board of
the San Diego/ Imperial Counties chapter of the American Red Cross
... San Diego
Jewish World publisher Don Harrison, a member of the City of San
Diego's Historical Resources Board,
has questioned whether the City of San
Diego can afford to recommend tax breaks for all the properties in various
historical districts at a time when it is in fiscal crisis. The
story by Kelly Bennett is in today's Voice of San Diego... Blues singer
Candye Kane is off on a 26-city tour to promote her latest CD,
Guitar'd and Feathered/
RUF records...One of our San Diego Jewish World book reviewers, Fred
Reiss, has published a new book of his own,
Ancient Secrets of Creation:
Sepher Yetzira, The Book That
Started Kabbalah, Revealed.
Here's
a link to the book information.
COMMUNITY
ROUNDUP—Rabbi Jeffrey Lipschultz of Temple Beth Sholom is off to Israel;
Charlene Seidle of the Jewish Community Foundation has just come back.
The United Jewish Federation offices at 4950 Murphy Canyon Road are undergoing
some serious remodeling. The front lobby area is being revamped to create
a special area for the Israel Center behind the reception desk. The
upstairs which used to be leased out is becoming the home of the UJF marketing
and the accounting
departments. Soon Alan Rusonik, Noah Hadas, Marcia Wollner,
Mickie Targum and the other staff members of the Agency for Jewish Education
are expected to move from the AJE headquarters on Mercury Street to the second
floor of the UJF building That will put the AJE, UJF and the Jewish Community
Foundation all under one roof.
IN MEMORY—Philanthropist Maurice Kaplan,
a former attorney who worked
for the Securities and Exchange Commission and who became a supporter of various
charitable causes in San Diego, has died at 94. His
obituary by Michael Kinsman is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune....
Franklin Passin, 77, who had worked in real estate sales, died June 23.
A brief
obituary is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
LETTER WRITERS—David Duitz and Joseph Abrahamson both had
letters to the editor printed in today's San Diego Union-Tribune on
the Israel/ Palestinian conflict. Both were pro-Israel.
Physical
and spiritual side of birthing focus
of 'Shalom
Baby' class for expectant parents
By Sandy Golden
SAN DIEGO—The second night of a six-session class
on “birthing,” part of the Shalom Baby program at the Lawrence Family JCC, took
place on Tuesday night June 26, in the Youth J Team room. Three couples, each
expecting their first child, were present to listen to Vivienne Jakobs, a
Clinical Nurse Specialist, who was also there with her husband. Like the others,
Jakobs too, is expecting. In fact, she is expecting twins!
Jakobs, who had taught the La Maze method of
childbirth for 25 years in her native Mexico, came to San Diego two years ago.
After becoming acquainted with Rabbi Menashe East, spiritual leader of Kehillat
Ahavat Yisrael in Carmel Valley, and Judy Nemzer, “Shalom Baby” Coordinator at
the JCC, a “birthing” program was developed, similar to La Maze and other
methods, but different, because this particular one is intended to have a Jewish
slant.
SHALOM BABY BIRTH CLASS
PARTICIPANTS—Teacher Vivianne Jakobs, second from right, and Ron
Jacobs other expectant parents at Shalom Baby birthing class. From left
they are Craig & Lulu Radnovich,
and Lori and Artie Baran. Not in the photo were class members Gillian
Argoff-Treseder and Mark Treseder
Sandy Golden photo
Within that framework, the rabbi teaches about Jewish customs and traditions
relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and raising children Jewishly. Jakobs
provides basic information regarding anatomical changes in the body during
pregnancy, the value of a healthy diet and nutrition during pregnancy and
afterwards, and shows the mom-to-be, ways to move, which will be safer and more
comfortable for her and the baby, as the baby gets larger.
Jakobs, in referring to the previous group of
expectant moms, noted that an added benefit of the class, is that the new
mothers who first became acquainted during the class, can continue to get
together on a regular basis with one another and with their new babies, and can
also share in each other’s Jewish rituals and events.
Return to top
Shira Kline,
a.k.a ShirLaLa, in kids' concert Aug. 5
SAN DIEGO – The 8th Annual San Diego Jewish Music Festival, sponsored by the
Private Bank of Bank of America and presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish
Culture presents “Toon Tunes” by ShirLaLa on Sunday, August 5, at 1:30 p.m. and
3:00 p.m., with a half hour of fun activities involving silly string, snacks,
and games to precede each performance. The “Toon Tunes” concert is presented
in collaboration with Nierman Preschool and Camp Jaycee, and is sponsored by
Geppetto’s.
Shira
Kline, aka “ShirLaLa,” is a Jewish musician, educator, and performer delivering
“outrageously hip Jewish music for kids.” She offers an innovative program and
music that are deeply rooted in tradition while attentive to contemporary Jewish
thought. With music, dance, stories, prayer, and art, young audiences are
invited to celebrate God, Jewish life, and the beautiful world around them.
“My
passion and work is to further enrich, nurture, and inspire our Jewish lives,
identity, celebrations and rituals,” said Kline.
ShirLaLa
and her talented band, including percussionist Tomer Tzur and guitarist Dan
Nadel, lead a high energy and fully participatory 45-minute performance. With
her background as a nursery school teacher and music educator, Klein combines
teaching, storytelling, and performing to create a fulfilling and rich musical
experience for children and adults alike.
At the age
of fourteen, Kline began teaching sacred music and Hebrew in Monroe, Louisiana
at Temple B’nai Israel with her father, Rabbi David Kline. She attended Sarah
Lawrence College where she continued to teach music at Koi Ami in White Plains,
New York, while developing her approach to Jewish learning through music, dance,
prayer, tradition, and Torah. Kline works with a diverse array of Jewish
communities throughout the country, including national organizations,
synagogues, museums, Jewish Community Centers, schools, and theatre companies.
People
of the Books |
Symphony book tunes into discordant and melodic
San Diego Symphony, from Overture to Encore
by Melvin G. Goldzband,
San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association, 2007, $24.95
Review by Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO—This is a must read for anyone interested in symphonic music and the
struggles of keeping an American symphony orchestra alive. Seven chapters of
this book coincide with my own professional musical history, spanning the 37
years when I played in the violin section of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra
under conductors Zoltan Rozsnyai, Peter Eros, David Atherton, Yoav Talmi and
Jung-Ho Pak. Therefore, I found this book particularly engaging.
Mel Goldzband, retired psychiatrist and current archivist of the orchestra,
researched his subject thoroughly, transforming the facts into a remarkable narrative. Despite his position as a former board member, he recounts the events
from both the musicians’ and management’s points of view with honesty and
fairness. He not only used the symphony archives as source material, he also
conducted extensive interviews with the SDSO’s past and present conductors,
orchestra musicians, administrators, and board members.
It is a fascinating "Upstairs, Downstairs" tome. Most of all, Goldzband tells
the saga, the two steps forward, one step backwards history, with dramatic
insight. Even the chapter titles bear the emotional impact of the struggles,
e.g. "Chapter XIV. The Talmi Era: From the ‘Golden Age’ to Shattering Silence."
I will never forget the last concert under Yoav Talmi when my colleagues were in
tears, many of us sobbing openly as we filed off the stage and entered the
famine years of bankruptcy: two and a half years without symphony employment.
Goldzband revealed some board attitudes that hurt the orchestra, such as the
refusal of government grants for fear of socialism. On the other hand, there was
board member Abe Ratner who gave the musicians day jobs in his clothing business
so they could afford to remain in San Diego.
Even in the beginning chapters, when Goldzband was not yet personally involved
with the orchestra, he describes personalities, such as the flamboyant Nino
Marcelli, high school teacher, composer and the "real father" of the SDSO, with
the descriptive details of a discerning writer.
I recall hearing about Marcelli from Joe Kirshbaum when the JCC Music Committee
of the 54th Street center honored Kirshbaum at its yearly banquet. Kirshbaum had
played under Marcelli in the San Diego High School Orchestra and later became
principal second violin under Marcelli’s directorship of the SDSO. After
graduating from Yale, Kirshbaum moved to Tyler, Texas, where he conducted the
orchestra and taught at the college. He fathered one of the great cello
virtuosos of our time, a frequent soloist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra,
Ralph Kirshbaum. Both Kirshbaums are mentioned in the book.
In his introduction, Goldzband writes, "The travails of the San Diego Symphony
were brought on in great part by ignorance of the people who were entrusted with
its governance… Most of our managers were of little help in straightening us
out. God bless the near-starving musicians who stuck with us, often while
understandably hating us. "
He relates, in the chapter on David Atherton, an incident which deeply disturbed
me because of its anti-Semitic overtones, but illustrates the depth to which the
hatred descended. In the San Diego Newsline, a musician, writing under
the nom de plum Floria Duncan, stated, "The Association responds by canceling
three weeks of the winter season –Herb Solomon’s Yom Kippur gift to the
orchestra?"
I knew Herb Solomon not only as president of the SDSO Association, but as a
leader in the Jewish Community, and I felt he was sincere in his efforts to save
the symphony. I recall expressing my objections to the Jewish lawyer whom the
Musicians Union had employed and urged that an apology was in order. I don’t
remember if any was ever rendered.
(Jump to continuation)
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Ryan will never forget this game, but Schoeneweis would like
to
Unless otherwise indicated,
source for these stories is The San Diego Union-Tribune, to which we gratefully
provide the links below
BASEBALL—Mets
Pitcher
Scott Schoeneweis only pitched two-thirds of an inning, but it was
enough to be tagged for the loss in the 5-3 Mets defeat by the St. Louis
Cardinals. One of his 11th inning pitches yielded the first career home
run by Brendan Ryan, which ended the game. His teammate
Shawn Green hit 0-4 although a base on balls later developed into one of
the Mets runs...In major league
baseball on Tuesday,
Brad Ausmus had a bases-empty home run but his Houston Astros were
defeated 11-5 by the Milwaukee Brewers. Ausmus played catcher and later
rotated to first base in the game. ...
A .335 batting average has moved
Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox into the fifth position for top
American League hitting honors. Magglio Ordonez of the Detroit Tigers
leads the field with a .377 average. In yesterday's game against the
Seattle Mariners,
Youkilis collected three RBIs, bringing his season total to 41. However the
Mariners prevailed, 8-7.
TENNIS—Tzipi
Obziler of Israel was in the process of coming from behind in her
Wimbledon match against Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands when darkness
fell on Monday. Krajicek had won the first set 6-2, and Obziler was ahead 7-6
when the game was called. On Tuesday, however, the rest obviously did Krajiek
lots of good. She dispatched Obziler 6-1.
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Bush-Islamic Center...
(Continued from above)
To underscore America's respect for the
Muslim faith here at home, I came to this Center six days after the 9/11 attacks
to denounce incidents of prejudice against Muslim Americans. (Applause.) Today I
am announcing a new initiative that will improve mutual understanding and
cooperation between America and people in predominately Muslim countries.
I will appoint a special envoy to the
Organization of the Islamic Conference. This is the first time a President has
made such an appointment to the OIC. (Applause.) Our special envoy will listen
to and learn from representatives from Muslim states and will share with them
America's views and values. This is an opportunity for Americans to demonstrate
to Muslim communities our interest in respectful dialogue and continued
friendship.
We have seen that friendship reflected in
the outpouring of support Americans have extended to Muslim communities across
the globe during times of war and natural disaster. Americans came to the aid of
the victims of devastating earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran, and responded with
urgency and compassion to the wreckage of the tsunami in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Our country defended Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo after the breakup of
Yugoslavia. (Applause.) Today we are rallying the world to confront genocide in
Sudan. Americans of all beliefs have undertaken these efforts out of compassion,
conviction, and conscience.
The greatest challenge facing people of
conscience is to help the forces of moderation win the great struggle against
extremism that is now playing out across the broader Middle East. We've seen the
expansion of the concept of religious freedom and individual rights in every
region of the world -- except one. In the Middle East, we have seen instead the
rise of a group of extremists who seek to use religion as a path to power and a
means of domination.
These self-appointed vanguard -- this
self-appointed vanguard presumes to speak for Muslims. They do not. They call
all Muslims who do not believe in their harsh and hateful ideology "infidels"
and "betrayers" of the true Muslim faith. This enemy falsely claims that America
is at war with Muslims and the Muslim faith, when in fact it is these radicals
who are Islam's true enemy. (Applause.)
They have staged spectacular attacks on
Muslim holy sites to divide Muslims and make them fight one another. The
majority of the victims of their acts of terror are Muslims. In Afghanistan,
they have targeted teachers for beatings and murder. In Iraq, they killed a
young boy, and then booby-trapped his body so it would explode when his family
came to retrieve him. They put children in the backseat of a car so they could
pass a security checkpoint, and then blew up the car with the children still
inside. These enemies bombed a wedding reception in Amman, Jordan, a housing
complex in Saudi Arabia, a hotel in Jakarta. They claim to undertake these acts
of butchery and mayhem in the name of Allah. Yet this enemy is not the true face
of Islam, this enemy is the face of hatred.
Men and women of conscience have a duty to
speak out and condemn this murderous movement before it finds its path to power.
We must help millions of Muslims as they rescue a proud and historic religion
from murderers and beheaders who seek to soil the name of Islam. And in this
effort, moderate Muslim leaders have the most powerful and influential voice. We
admire and thank those Muslims who have denounced what the Secretary General of
the OIC called "radical fringe elements who pretend that they act in the name of
Islam." We must encourage more Muslim leaders to add their voices, to speak out
against radical extremists who infiltrate mosques, to denounce organizations
that use the veneer of Islamic belief to support and fund acts of violence, and
to reach out to young Muslims -- even in our country and elsewhere in the free
world -- who believe suicide bombing may some day be justified.
We need to rally the voices of Muslims who
can speak most directly to millions in the Arab world left behind in the global
movement toward prosperity and freedom. For decades the free world abandoned
Muslims in the Middle East to tyrants, and terrorists, and hopelessness. This
was done in the interests of stability and peace, but instead the approach
brought neither. The Middle East became an incubator for terrorism and despair,
and the result was an increase in Muslims' hostility to the West. I have
invested the heart of my presidency in helping Muslims fight terrorism, and
claim their liberty, and find their own unique paths to prosperity and peace.
The efforts underway in Afghanistan and
Iraq are central in this struggle, but that struggle is not going to end the
threats; it's not going to end there. We believe the ultimate success of Afghans
and Iraqis will inspire others who want to live in freedom, as well. We will
work toward a day when a democratic Palestine lives side by side with Israel in
peace. (Applause.) We have already seen stirrings of a democratic future in
other parts of the Middle East, though it will take time for liberty to flower.
A democratic future is not a plan imposed by Western nations, it is a future
that the people of the region will seize for themselves. A future of freedom is
the dream and the desire of every loving heart.
We know this because of the 8 million
people who braved threats and intimidation to vote in Afghanistan. We know this
because of the nearly 12 million people who cast ballots in free elections in
Iraq. And we know this because the world watched as the citizens of Lebanon
raised the banner of the Cedar Revolution, drove out their Syrian occupiers, and
chose new leaders under free elections. Even now the hope for freedom is felt in
some dark corners in the Middle East -- whispering in living rooms, and coffee
houses, and in classrooms. Millions seek a path to the future where they can say
what they think, travel where they wish, and worship as they choose. They plead
in silence for their liberty -- and they hope someone, somewhere will answer.
So today, in this place of free worship,
in the heart of a free nation, we say to those who yearn for freedom from
Damascus to Tehran: You are not bound forever by your misery. You plead in
silence no longer. The free world hears you. You are not alone. America offers
you its hand in friendship. We work for the day when we can welcome you into the
family of free nations. We pray that you and your children may one day know
freedom in all things, including the freedom to love and to worship the Almighty
God.
May God bless you.
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San Diego Symphony...
(Continued from above)
Other members of the Jewish Community who are
mentioned in the book are Simon Reznikoff, professor of business law at San
Diego State University who was the first Jewish president of the board from
1970-71. Following Attorney Herb Solomon as board president, 1986-88, was Dr.
Warren Kessler, 1989-93, a prominent physician and music maven who most recently
headed the conductor search committee. Another attorney, Craig Schloss, headed
the board from 2004-5.
The longest continuous member of the board, now an honorary director, is 96 year
old Anne Ratner.
Of course it was a Jewish couple who were the ultimate saviors of the symphony.
Without the $120 million gift of Joan and Irwin Jacobs, the largest gift ever given to an
orchestra, the SDSO might still be a tenuous institution. But now, in large
measure thanks to the security offered by the Jacobs gift, the orchestra, under
current conductor Jahja Ling, and with Executive Director Edward B. Gill, seems
to be flourishing.
Goldzband dedicated his book: "to Joan and Irwin Jacobs whose incredible and
incomparable generosity provides the highest degree of support and encouragement
to the performance of great music in our community."
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