THE JEWISH CITIZEN

A Jewish lad witnesses Christmas up close

By Donald H. Harrison

VENTURA, California—My brother Bill was remarried late in his life to a kind Christian woman named Donna. Although Bill remains Jewish, he lives in a Christian household. Besides his wife, there are his mother-in-law Wilba; daughters-in-law Michelle and Melissa; Michelle''s children Brittany and Joshua, and Brittany's daughter, Leila—accounting for five generations in all.

Nancy and I visited this large happy family on Christmas day, introducing our grandson Shor, who is a first grader at an Orthodox Jewish school, to the world that more and more California Jews have become

Donald H. Harrison

accustomed to—one in which relatives by marriage or by blood practice a different religion than ours.

As one who watches television and movies, Shor, 6, was no stranger to Christmas. He knew all about Frosty, Santa Claus, Rudolph and the Grinch. They have been as much a part of his boyhood as Judah Maccabee and Chanukah, or Moses and Passover, with the difference being that he celebrated the Jewish holidays, but only knew about the Christian holidays through the mass media. Or at least that was the case until today.

At Billy's and Donna's home, Shor watched his great-uncle's family gather for Christmas Day lunch. Under the tree, there were presents that the family members gave each other. Shor inspected the ornaments on the Christmas tree and the presents beneath. He proudly distributed to Bill's family members the gifts that we had purchased for the occasion.

On the table, Shor found ham, which he didn't eat, and turkey, which he learned had been prepared especially for us— Billy's family aware that we avoid the foods proscribed in the Torah. Among these were crabcakes, which held no interest for Shor. After the turkey and some side dishes, Shor had eyes only for dessert. There was a wide choice of cakes and pies.

In addition to their large family, Bill and Donna enjoyed the company of friends from Michelle''s and Melissa's workplaces, who made the occasion all the more festive. "It's just like Chanukah," Shor observed. He didn't mean that the holidays were the same, of course. Rather, he meant that when families get together for happy occasions, the feelings of goodwill and contentedness are universal.

While the religious content of Christmas was implied, it was understated throughout the day. No one preached or tried to convert us to Christianity, and what references these inlaws made to Judaism were friendly ones—Bill's family here and there having picked up some of his cultural background.

I thought back to the days when Shor's mother, Sandi, was growing up along with our other child, David. I used to cover politics for the San Diego Union, a job which then meant switching off between San Diego and Sacramento coverage with Otto Kreisher, whose children, Kurt, Kara, and Kristin were in the same age range as ours. Otto and I traded notes every weekend about the political happenings in the two cities, a process that brought our wives Nancy and Tina and our children together quite often. It got so that we routinely joined the Kreishers at their Christmas and Easter celebrations, and the Kreishers joined us at our Chanukah and Passover celebrations. Both families felt they had widened their horizons.

Being a student at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, Shor hasn't met many peers who are of different religions. The visit to Ventura gave him a taste of what his mother and uncle had experienced more than two decades ago. Besides by getting to know his great uncle and family better, I think Shor profited by the occasion.

Harrison is editor and publisher of San Diego Jewish World







THE JEWS DOWN UNDER

Jews support increased aid to Palestinians

By Garry Fabian

CANBERRA—Australia's new $45 million aid package to the Palestinian territories is likely to benefit the Middle East peace process providing it is utilised responsibly, say pundits.

Australia's parliamentary secretary for international development assistance, Bob McMullan attended the Paris conference and announced that Australia would donate $45 million over three years for the Palestinian Authority's reform and development plan.

Jeremy Jones, director of international and community affairs at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), said Australia's donation was welcome, providing the money reached its designated cause.

"This investment has be accompanied by diligence - that has never been necessary elsewhere -- to make sure that Australian funds are dedicated to nation-building and peace-building, not warmongering and destruction of civil society", Jones said.

He added that it would not be unprecedented for international observers to be called to monitor the use of the donation.

Jones said that he did not see McMullan's pledge as a radical change of policy for the new Rudd Government.

Robert Goot, president of the ECAJ, and Phillip Chester, president  of the Zionist Federation of Australia released a joint statement on the donation. They both welcomed the move as "part of a major international effort to help achieve peace in Israel".

The joint statement rejected any notion that the economic situation in Gaza and the West Bank was driven by terrorism.

"If the situation in the territories was resolved completely, there is no evidence whatsoever that there would be any significant reduction in international terrorism", it stated.

The Australian Friends of Palestine Association also welcomed the increased funding. A statement from the group said it was" an essential and important step to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state throughout the whole of the occupied territories."

In 2006-2007, prior to the most recent announcement, Australia's aid to the Palestinian territories totaled $16.2 million.

A battle over the fairness of the beth din

SYDNEY -- The Sydney Beth Din has issued Kesser Torah College (KTC) president Meir Moss with a declaration of siruv in relation to a dispute between Moss and Rebbitzen Pnina Feldman, the sister of leading Melbourne Chabad figure Joseph Gutnick.

The siruv, or contempt of court, comes after repeated requests since March 2007 by the beth din, asking that Moss nominate a borer or independent judge, so a din Torah can be convened to hear the dispute.

Moss failed to do so and repeatedly questioned the independence of the court, as well as claiming ill-health.

The Moss-Feldman dispute is based on financial matters affecting  the Kesser Torah campus in Dover Heights.

All the issues have had a significant impact on the community.

A beth din written statement stated the following:  “In refusing to attend a din Torah and in refusing to provide any halachic argument to justify his position, Mr Moss has definitively placed himself in contempt of the halachic process.””

Since his initial summons to a din Torah, Moss has made his reservations about the independence of the court known to the beth din.

This includes his concern that Feldman’s brother, Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, is one of its leading judges.

He has also questioned the independence of Rabbi Yoram Ulman, who is a known supporter of the Feldman family.

Moss said he had sought the advice of a well-respected Israeli rabbi, and that Mrs Feldman was not prepared to detail her claim properly”.

A claim of this complexity, he said, requires particularization.  Moss added that Feldman’s assumption that her claim was sufficient to warrant a din Torah was a ruling in itself”.

The beth din has indicated to Moss that it does not want to hear the case, but would like each side to choose an independent judge, who will in turn choose a third judge and convene a din Torah, in a process called a zablo.

Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, the registrar of the Sydney Beth Din, said the declaration of a siruv was rare and confirmed it would be lifted as soon as Moss complied with the beth din;s request to appoint a borer and come to a din Torah.

Fabian is chairman of B'nai B'rith in Victoria state







SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD THE WEEK IN REVIEW

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24
Donald H. Harrison in Los Angeles: Religious study in hall of African mammals
Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: A Jewish child grows up on Christmas Eve
Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem: An Israeli view of the 'settlements'


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23
Shoshana Bryen in Washington, D.C.: On Putin, Time's 'Person of the Year'
Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Jury service left editor with mixed feelings
Rabbi Baruch Lederman in San Diego: A child's possession held for safekeeping
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in San Diego: Why is Judah represented by the lion?
Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem: Want better health care? Make aliyah!

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21-22

Dov Burt Levy in Salem, Massachusetts:: Those three soldiers on my refrigerator
Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: Putting icicles on a friendship
Eileen Wingard in San Diego: Foxman warns of growing anti-Semitism

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20

SPOTLIGHT ON SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY:Students at San Diego Jewish Academy showcased as artists and as arts critics; three teachers in arts program introduced
Harry Doshay:
Across the Universe shallow, pointless
Jazz lures Collins from metal
Alexa Katz:
Music Within triggers the emotions
Arts Collective is forerunner of school-within-school
Wood teaches photography as 'painting with light'
Daniel Penner:
Neil Young en concierto
Serj Tankian—Elect the Dead
Michelle Rizzi:
Across the Universe blows 'em away
Kipperman advocates for out-of-the-box students
plus
Donald H. Harrison: SDJA Arts Collective photo essay

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