xt737p8tf53w https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt737p8tf53w/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2008-11 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Central Kentucky Jewish Federation Inc  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, November 2008 text image Shalom, November 2008 2008 2008-11 2025 true xt737p8tf53w section xt737p8tf53w  

 

NEWSPAPER OF THE CENTRAL KENTUCKY JEWISH FEDERATION

NOVEMBER 2008

 

Jake man modern rabbinic students,

‘ V is 3?

If all goes according to plan, Alysa Stanton-Ogulnick will
be ordained as the first black female rabbi by the Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion next May. On
Sunday, November 16, she will tell the inspiring story of
her journey. The Temple Adath Israel Sisterhood in coop-
eration with the TAI Adult Education Committee invites
the entire community to share in this event.

In her presentation, Stanton-Ogulnick relates some of the
difficulties of her life’s journey in a monologue she cre-
ated last fall called ”Layers.” First performed at a confer-
ence of Reform religious-school educators last October,
the piece opens with her standing on stage with her head
in a noose, a shocking evocation of slavery. The mono-
logue deals with her journey to Judaism and other major
changes in her life.

   

Stanton-Ogulnick

 

HESHVAN-KISLEV 5769

First black female rabbi to speak at T A1 Sunday, November 16

licensed psychotherapist specializing in grief and loss
issues.

Stanton—Ogulnick has worked with trauma victims in
Colorado for the past sixteen years, at the same time
becoming more active in Denver’s Temple Emanuel. She
has served the synagogue as a para-chaplain, religious
school teacher, and cantorial soloist.

Raised by Pentacostal parents, Stanton-Ogulnick spent
her childhood and young adulthood as a spiritual seeker,
making the rounds of various Christian denominations
before finding her home in Judaism. She converted more
than 20 years ago.

We urge all of the community to attend this special pre-
sentation at TAI and hear the rest of Stanton-Ogunick’ 3
amazing story. The program is scheduled for 3: 00 p. m. .,

,. .mmmm

 

 

 

— CAMPAIGN NEWS —

CKJF Equine Division helps troubled youth

Kids make connections,
learn responsibility

through contact with horses
0 O Q

By Sue Ezrine

M. was very likely headed for
trouble. His immigrant parents were
both unemployed, his blind father
was abusive and his mother had
difficulty caring for M. and his five
siblings. He was functioning on a
second-grade level after completing

see Campaign, page 17

 

Event host Alan Leavitt, chats with Dan Liebman and Steve Caller.

 

 

ML 6 uuuad
A)! ‘uoifiugm

O I Vd
3621504 'g'n
‘610 lipid-no“

paisanliaI,I 921mg afiunq)

zosor A)| ’UOIBU!X91 - :05 ans - P903 90WD 0501
uonuapa; Ilsgmaf Itipmuax lenua)

 

CKJF’S 14th Annual
Community Winter

Dinner a don’t-miss event

This year’s festive night is at the
Masala’s restaurant on Nicholasvilie
Center Way

§§§

QUESTION: What do you get when you mix the Jewish
community, potato latkes, and a vast selection of
Indian food?

ANSWER: The 2008 Winter Dinner!

Please join us on December 14, at Masala Fine Indian
Restaurant at 3801 Nicholasville Road (next to the Acura
car dealership), formerly Lexington Hot Moon, for an
evening of great food, even better company, and a place
where being Jewish in December provides common
ground. The dinner, from 6:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m., will fea-
ture a buffet with Indian selections such as lentil soup,
naan, biryani, Chutneys, vegetarian entrees including
tikka masala and curried vegetables, and delectable des—
serts. There will be a variety of delicious foods, both mild
and spicy, to satisfy every taste. We hope to see everyone
there to kick off the week before Hanukkah.

see Winter dinner, page 10

 

 

  

IN THIS issue

Jewish music producers and racial awareness - Part 2 ....... 3
President's Message ................................. 4
Opinion: Every vote counts ........................... 5
Camp Young Judaea Midwest offering tuition grants ........ 5
Third Opinion ...................................... 7
Ask a Rabbi ....................................... 8
JFS: At Your Service ................................. 9
Memoir: That Year in Jerusalem—1968 .................. 11
History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict — Part XXXII ...... 12
Book Reviews ....... ......... R. . : ._ ......... 13
Camperships and Israel scholarships available. . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Israel 21c: Israeli seeds could solve the biofuel—food

crop dilemma .................................. 14 '
B'tayavon ........................................ 16
Tikkun Lexington plans Day of Giving ................... 18
Lexington Chapter of Hadassah ....................... 19
TAI ................ ‘ ............................. 20
Around the Community ............................. 21
OZS ............................................ 22
Community Calendar ............................... 23

 

 

SHALOM

Published ten times per year by the
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, Inc.
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 302, Lexington, KY 40502
Phone (859) 268-0672 0 Fax (859) 268-0775
email: shalom@jewishlexington.org

NOVEMBER 2008. VOLUME XV, ISSUE 8

Linda Ravvin, President
Jana LaZur, Activities Director
Paula Clancy, JFS Director
Tamara Ohayon, Staff Associate

SHALOM COMMITTEES

Editorial Board
Ruth Poley, Editor-in-Chief
Mary Heléne Rosenbaum, Editor/Administrator
Marcia Blacker
Jane Chaput
Judy Levine

Advisory Board
Elissa Brown, Gail Cohen, Angie Ornstein,
and Rose Rita Wurmser

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Vivien Bitensky, Evelyn Block, Daniel Chejfec, Sue Egrine,
Karen Kloosterman, Peggy Leep, Lisa Satin, Harold Sherman,
and Uriel H.D. Smith

Production Services by Direct Response, Inc.

Tne editofia sta“ has the right to edit all articles submitted for publication

l‘l Shalom. The appearance of any advertising in this publication does not
represent a Kasnrutb endorsement on the part of CKJF or any other agency
or organization. Shalom is partially supported by the advertisements.
appearing in the paper

© 2008 by Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

2 l November 2008 Shalom

 

 

fi'fi

 

 

 

 

WRITERS ‘b'@© O@C@© ORRQQ .RR RR©© @g@()
R Saw t/ie sate R
:1) {I
WANTED 0: of:
Sh R6 SW, Mm .2/, .2009 gc©
alom depends on the @© @5)
community for its mate- \i ' ' 5* 5
rial. ”you areinterested 9% TAI Sisterhood Fund Raiser 96
in writing an account of 90R _ (RC/R
a meeting or interview- (OK?) If you liked The Bats; (2):©
ing a person of interest a R, ou’" Iove this! ”R o
to the Jewish community, 60%; y mg
or have anything else to . {R . . . if)
share with our readers, 82)? watCh for details In (:9
please email Mary at Dl- (if: futureg issues_ @é?)
lFR@Bardstown.com \O®@ ages; @0
.s@©ross @R Res.

On leaving the Sukkah

HADAS SAH By Rabbi H.D. Uriel Smith

 

Volunteer as much or as little as ,
you can. Pick an area that fits your
interests or talents. Hadassah will

welcome you, whether you are
young or older, a new or a long-
time member.

Please contact Evalyn Block,
President, at eblock3375@wind-
streamnet, (859) 271-0127 or
Lynn Furness, Vice President,
Membership, at mamanewbs@
yahoo.com, (859) 873-0328 to
Ieam more about the opportuni-
ties in Hadassah. We’d love to

hear from you as we start our new

Hadassah year.

 

 
 
 

These leafy branches
with old withered leaves,
These posts and waferboards
bolted together as walls
_ soon to be pulled apart, ;
I sat in your wavering shade to eat my meals, '
shivering through early mornings before
driving to work,
sweltering in sultry afternoons
under a burning sun,
peering up at night
through rustling patches
at the far twinkling stars.

I am leaving you now
to eat again in my house.
Your temporary shelter
gave me a glimpse of eternity.
Thus your frail frame will now
hold together my more permanent home,
giving strength and security
when I sense that it also
is not permanent.

 

 

If you are not receiving Jewish weekly email and would like to, please

send your name and email address to ckif@iewishlexington.org

 

RRR‘FLZQR b0
CWIMflcd

CKJF President

Linda Ravvin

Executive Committee

Michael Grossman, Vice President

Pat Shraberg, Secretary
Robert Grossman, Treasurer
Ruth Poley, Member—At—Large

° Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

CKJF Board
Bruce Broudy Lowell Nigoff
Ronit Eres Linda Noffsinger

David Feinberg

Rose Garden

Evelyn Dantzic Geller
Larry Kant

Odette Kaplan

David Levine
Jennifer Miller

Angie Ornstein
Jeremy Popkin
Ricki Rosenberg
Kae Schennberg
Elissa Weinstein
David Weksteir-

 

Ska/0m Deadline

Deadline (for articles for the December/January Shalom is
. November 10. Email articles to di-ifr@bardstown.com.

 

as
”$9.339?“:5’7mw-~—-....,-__s_.

QC—

tic

Sh!
at
tec

na
sta

  

Iewish music producers and
racial awareness - Part 2

By Harold Sherman jazz clubs. Grades dropped, and his

mother brought him home.

Jewelry . Blown Glass 0 Hum
is

me

The phrase ”rhythm and blues”
became the official name of a style
of music in the middle of the 20th
century. Its origin has at least three
explanations. My piano teacher in
New York, Mike Longo (mentioned
in Part 1 as Dizzy Gillespie’s last
pianist/musical director), claimed
that it came from the two different
song forms that were popular before
and during that particular era in
American history: the twelve-bar
blues on the one hand, and songs
with "rhythm” changes—those

that followed the chord progres—
sion of George Gershwin’s ”I Got
Rhythm”—on the other. According
to Mike, there was a time when a
musician could get any job know-
ing only those two forms with their
respective harmonic structures, even
if that musician didn’t actually know
the particular songs. The second
explanation was shared by longtime
Morehead faculty member and pia-
nist Jay Flippin, who described the
”normalizing” of the songs of old—
school blues singers who tended to

. . sin in m ti-le meters

   

- . -.. ., "‘1'"— '1': ll 1.;
disciplined backup musicians who
wanted to bring a stable rhythm

to the blues. The third explanation

 

Jerry Wexler became intolerant of intolerance, promoting and
defending the equality of minority singers and musicians.

9%.,139911131 lit-and Miller

. sen

For the rest of the decade, Jerry
worked unsuccessfully at odd jobs
and finally ended up washing win-
dows for his father. In 1941, married
to young Shirley Kampf and working
as a customs officer, Jerry was draft-
ed. Instead of being sent overseas, he
was assigned to military police duty
stateside. In 1946, after his discharge,
he returned to Kansas to get his
degree, writing for the school paper.

Although an avid record collector,
Jerry officially started his career in
music only after he went to work for
BMI, a then-new licensing organi-
zation for composers and publish-
ers of recorded and broadcasted
music. Pneumonia ended that job,
but he eventually went on to write
for Billboard. This job ended in 1951,
after he was asked to ”get a dossier
on a folk group called the Weavers,”
which meant participating in Joe
McCarthy’s witch hunt—an assign-
ment he refused to accept. After a
stint with MGM's music publish-

partnered with Atlantic’s Miriam
Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun, a
Turkish-born jazz enthusiast who

 

 

  

IA
, r.

A

~..

Lexington Center
233-1774-

 

many others), he utilized his superior
jazz talents and those of his band-
members (comprising the Tympany
Five—oddly enough, usually a sep-
tet) to bring music to the people. This
was in contrast to Charlie Parker,
who, with Dizzy Gillespie and others,

_\ advanced the less accessible bebop - g

Wexler was very attentive to these
developments. Now regarded as the
”Father of Rhythm and
Blues,” Jordan was the
prototype of the style
when Wexler coined the
phrase.

 

comes from the late producer Jerry
Wexler, who claimed to have coined
the phrase while writing for Billboard
before he became one of the movers
and shakers in the music recording
business.

Growing up in Washington Heights,
Jerry gravitated toward three things:
Artie’s Pool Hall, literature, and
jazz—live and recorded. His mother
put a stop to the pool hall visits,
desperately trying to interest him

in furthering his formal educa-

tion and what she considered to be
higher cultural pursuits. Somehow
she managed, after failed attempts
at other schools, to get Jerry admit-
ted to what is now Kansas State
University to pursue studies in jour-
nalism. After getting off to a good
start, Jerry began spending time with
his girlfriend Pauline in Kansas City

had a knack for finding new mar-
kets and for looking to the future of
the music industry, particularly the
appeal of ”race music” to white audi-
ences. Jerry Wexler became intoler-
ant of intolerance, promoting and
defending the equality of minority
singers and musicians.

To understand the context in which
Wexler found himself—which was
between eras of his beloved swing
and the excitement of the emerg-

ing rock and roll—it is helpful to
examine the career of black jazz saxo-
phonist/ vocalist/ bandleader Louis
Jordan. From the late 19305 through
the 19405, Jordan dominated a pop
crossover style that bridged the gap
between big band and the R&B roots
of rock and roll. With hit after hit
(”Saturday Night Fish Fry,” ”Ain’t
Nobody Here but Us Chickens," and

Ertegun signed Ray
Charles in 1952, and the rest is his-
tory. Though not really a musician
himself, Wexler had enough of a
rhythmic feel to play tambourine on
”Ain’t That Love,” meeting Charles’s
approval, which—as veterans of
Ray’s band can testify—was no easy
task. According to Wexler, Charles
was a genius. Of course, one might
assume that this refers to his under-
standing of the roots of his music, but
it was much more. He was a schooled
musician (by ear and Braille, of
course) and knew how to arrange
and produce his own music and
recording sessions, and he had the
good judgment to hire the best jazz
musicians available who could also
get down to basics and play simple
and dirty, in the spirit of Louis
Jordan before him.

      
  

’ One of a kind gifts
for all your gift—
giving occasions

Handcrafted in America

for a calendar of events

artiquegallery.com

 

Collector
Dreidle
by
Infinity
Art

  

Lexington Green
272—8802

 

An autobiography chronicles Wexler’s

career with Atlantic and beyond, as

well as a somewhat turbulent person-

al life that included three marriages.

He—along with David Ritz—does

not appear to hold back on the sordid ,
details, preferring to give an hon-
est accounting of his behavior‘and

   

' eaten-M
. .

.1- 3.4! D

 

'. ‘t‘ "w o .
again” Bob Dylan that he was wast-
ing his time trying to convert him to
Christianity.

As Norman Granz (Part 1) did with
Ella Fitzgerald, Wexler spent his later
years concentrating on the continu-
ing career of his friend Etta James.
From the AP obituary in the August
16, 2008 Lexington Herald-Leader:
”Legendary record producer Jerry
Wexler, who helped shape R&B music
with influential recordings of Aretha
Franklin, Ray Charles and other
greats, and later made key record—
ings with the likes of Bob Dylan and
Willie Nelson, has died, said his son,
Paul. He was 91. . . Mr. Wexler was
named to the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in 1987."

Wexler, like other Jewish music pro-
ducers, helped to break down color
barriers in the music business. His
work helped change attitudes and
brought new respect for black art-
ists, not only as performers but as
producers of their own work and that
of other artists. He also participated
in projects in film and on Broadway,
rounding out a career that shaped
history. it!

November 2008 Shalom l 3

 

  

Linda Rawin

President's Message

 

The festivals of Sukkot and Simchat
Torah have just passed. We, as
Jews, have celebrated both the
harvest and the new start of the
Torah cycle. We are also approach-
ing Thanksgiving—one of the few
purely American non-religious
Observances. These holidays all
mark the giving of thanks and
appreciation for what we have been
given and what we have attained.

In the past few months, we have all
been affected by difficulties in the
economy in the United States and
throughout the world. Despite these
challenges, we have many things

to appreciate and anticipate as a
community and a country. We are
privileged to live in a wonderful,
small, close—knit community in the
heart of the most prominent country
in the world. We are part of a demo-
cratic process in which we have the
privilege, the right, and the respon—
sibility to participate fully. I hope
all of us who are 18 and older have
spoken through our ballots at the

polling stations and demonstrated
our appreciation of our rights via
voting for our selected candidates.

We in the Central Kentucky Jewish
Community support each other; we
have a rich history of helping each
other in both good times and bad.
Through support, donations, and
volunteerism, we are able to offer
incredible programs and opportuni—
ties, both locally and internation—
ally. When difficult times occur, we
realize the importance of our Jewish
Family Service.
With a dedi-
cated committee
headed by Evelyn
Geller, and a
wonderful direc-
tor, Paula Clancy,
we stand ready

to offer assistance
and referrals to any members of the
community who are confronting
such situations. We also anticipate
increased numbers of applications
for camperships, providing mon—

 

 

   
 

 

Whether a bar
or bat mitzvah.

Special occasion?
How about celebrating with a cake

332mm - 859.278.7172

   

 

 

 

 

4 l November 2008 Shalom

etary aid to families who wish to
send their children to non-profit
Jewish summer camps (including our
own Camp Shalom, of course). The
Jewish summer camping experience
is key to instilling Jewish pride and
commitment to Jewish values and
Israel that our children will carry

all the way through adulthood.

Our Community Relations
Committee, led by David Wekstein
and Michael Grossman, is hard at
work. The committee monitors issues

We in the Central Kentucky Jewish
Community support each other; we
have a rich history of helping each
other in both good times and bad.

 

that might affect the wellbeing of
our community (such as church/ state
issues and security measures). It
provides information to the larger
community about issues related to
increasing understanding of Judaism
and Israel. These include participa-
tion in forum discussions, such as
the one Rabbi Smith participated in
as part of the 25th anniversary of
the Central Kentucky Council for
Peace and Justice (of which we are a
participating group) concerning envi—
ronmental implications and guide-
lines within Judaism. Outreach also
includes our annual ”Emilie Szekely
Essay Contest on the Contemporary
Lessons of the Holocaust” and our
new essay contest on ”What Israel
Means To Me,” sponsored by Lowell
and Betty Nigoff. In addition, there
is Yom Hashoah, the community
observance of the Holocaust, which is
a cooperative effort of CKJF, Ohavay
Zion Synagogue, and Temple Adath
Israel. The tribute to Martin Luther
King Jr. is also a full community
event, as we join each year with the
Lexington population to celebrate
the vision and ideals of that for-
ward-thinking and inspiring man.

The Community Activities
Committee encompasses so many
areas of interest—Camp Shalom,
Stewart Home visits, Day of

Giving, Winter Dinner, and Yom
Ha’atzmaut—that it is sometimes dif—
ficult to recognize its far—reaching
impact in the community. Jana LaZur
is hard at work assisting incoming
committee chair Pat Shraberg and

 

outgoing chair Mimi Kaufman in set—
ting up the Winter Dinner, an annual
event that has a sell-out crowd every
December. It is an evening everyone
greatly anticipates as we gather to
celebrate Hanukkah and light our
candles. Each December, we again
gather to offer our services, as a com-
munity, to our Christian friends,
filling in for them at Christmas time
so they can enjoy their holiday with
their families. This year the timing of
the Winter Dinner is very close to the
Day of Giving. To provide the same
level of volunteerism as we have in
previous years, we need community
members to step forward and become
team leaders for each of the places
where we usually assist; it is very
difficult to coordinate without hav-
ing a team leader at each location.
Please call or email Jana or Pat and
let them know how you will help.

What can I say about Shalmh?-\Our
community newspaper has lu‘t‘Ulnt‘
a much more professional, infor-
mative expression of our commu-
nity, not only in central Kentucky
but as it connects to Jews around
the world and in Israel. Under

the chairmanship of Ruth Foley
and the editorial work of Mary
Rosenbaum, ten times a year we
receive a showcase document of
our community working, playing,
learning, and giving together.

Without our UJF/Community
Campaign none of this would

be possible. We would live in a
world of negatives: we would not
have Camp Shalom; we would be
without Jewish Family Services; we
would not have the outreach and
educational programs that we teach
and learn so much from. We would
not be able to help Jews around

the world who are in need and we
would not provide essential services
in Israel which include our special
assistance to youth in need at both
Hadassah Neurim and Ben Yakir
Youth Villages. We would not be
connected by the information sent
to us in Shalom and we would not
have the same sense of community
that is so important to all of us.

see President, page 16

  

 

 

 

  
 
 
 

Moira Street ' Lexington, KY 40507
859.253.9300

  

 

 

 

 

Opinion: Every
vote counts

By Evalyn Block

By the time you read this, our country will have elected a
new president. As the president of the Lexington Chapter
of Hadassah, I am obliged to remain nonpartisan. For me
this was difficult because I am opinionated and I have
strong views on issues. This election season was unique
when you consider that for the first time we had a woman
and an African American vying to be president. Further
affecting the election is the fact that the country is facing
its worst economic crisis in decades. Our country was
buzzing with election fever. We witnessed unprecedented
voter turnout in state primaries and an impressive num-
ber of people becoming politically active all across the
nation. Whether concerned with the economy, the war in
Iraq, soaring health care costs, or a host of other domestic
and foreign policy issues, Americans appeared more vest-
ed in this election than any other in recent memory.

vow “ 3;“; ' “ ‘

This fall we elected not only a president, but US. House ‘ I

representatives, one—third of the US. Senate, eleven state
governors, and many local officials. With so much at
stake, it was crucial that we all engaged in the demo-
cratic process. Hadassah’s VOICE, Voter Impact through
Community Education, is a nonpartisan voter education
campaign designed to insure that you, your family, and
your community made informed decisions on this year’s
key issues: U.S.-Israel relations, countering the Iranian
threat, health care reform, and energy and the environ-
ment.

Political activity is always critical to public policy gains.
Today, we are increasingly aware that women's voices do
make a difference and women’s participation in the vot-
ing process can and will have a significant impact. Brave
women and men struggled to gain this precious freedom
and our tradition teaches us that we are responsible for
speaking out and helping others in need. When you cast
your ballot, you advocated for all who seek justice.

Voting is both a cherished right and a vital obligation.
Your vote is a powerful responsibility because it makes
your voice heard

November also brings the holiday of Thanksgiving. As we
celebrate this holiday with family and friends let us take

a moment to remember how fortunate we are; fortunate

to have people in our lives who love us and care about us,
fortunate to live in a country were we enjoy more free-
doms that any other people on earth and thankful to live
in a country were we can practice our Judaism without
the fear of reprisals. xix

 

 

 

Camp Young Judaea Midwest

offering tuition grants

Hadassah-sponsored organization

combines fun with Jewish experience
§ Q +

By Lisa Satin

It’s time to start thinking about summer camp plans for
2009. Camp Young Judaea Midwest is Hadassah’s summer
camp for the Greater Midwest. Campers from all over the
Midwest come to experience a taste of Israel in Wisconsin.
The 80-acre facility sits on a crystal-Clear, spring-fed lake
where campers beat the heat with waterskiing, swim-
ming, and boating. After a session, campers bring home a
vocabulary full of Hebrew words, a deeper knowledge of
Judaism, a deep connection to Israel, and friends from all
over the United States.

This summer, CY] Midwest continues their partnership
with the Foundation for Jewish Camp and Hadassah to
offer $1,000 grants for first-time campers. This is not a
need-based program—any child who has never spent

more than two weeks at a Jewish
summer camp will receive $1,000
towards tuition. Families applying
before October 31 are eligible for
additional discounts.

CYJ Midwest staff will be in
Lexington on November 17 at 7:00
pm. at the home of Lisa and Jonathan
Satin. Please contact Lisa Satin at jlif-
satin@insightbb.com or (859) 338-3470
for more details on the event.

Check out the website, www.cyjmid.
org, for additional information about
the camp and to apply. Feel free to
contact the director, Noah Gallagher,
at director@cyjmid.org for more
information about camp or to sched-
ule a personal visit. fir

Camp Young Judaea Midwest

. . IQLQFMDQSELQH~§§§§§°£

Building Jewish Identity and a Lifelong Commitment to israel

 

7:00pm I

 

Monday, November 17th, 2008 ,

The Home of Lisa, Jonathan, lSaac & Felix Satin

Questions and to RSVP: ,_
Call 888.605.CAMP or info@cyjmid.org "

For more information, check us out at www.cyjmidorg

 

 

 

November 2008 Shalom | 5

 

  

 

Join us for tfie
Centra[ Kentueléy
Jewisfi Tederation ’s

. 14th Annual
Wmter Dmncr
Sunday, @ecemoer 14
6:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m.

at
M asa [a
Tine Indian @ining
3801 M'cfiolasvifle Center rWay

$ Tre—Hanuli/{afi Q’arty compfete wit/i [at/{es

t (Deficious vegetarian Eufi‘et, sampfing India ’s finest cuisine.

$ Childcare for 5 year o[ds and under.

fiflctivities ta6[e for cfiiflfren ages 6 to 12. (Dinner incfudes Eufi‘et
or My menu option.

$ Convenient [ocation wit/i ampfe parliing.

fifls always, we are supporting God’ s (Pantry. We ask tliat you
5ring two non-perisflaole food items or $2 for eacfi person in your
party.

(Dinner prices are:

fldu[ts, $20; C/iifdren 6—12, $8; Cfiifdren 5 and under, free.
((Price incfudes soft drinks and gratuity. Cask 6ar wi[[ 6e avai[a6[e.)

 

6 I November 2008 Shalom

 Third Opinion

Stanley Ned Rosenbaum, PhD

 

Paul Newman, righteous

Gentile?
+ + +

Otto Preminger chose Paul Newman
for the crucial role of an Israeli resis-
tance leader in the movie Exodus
(1960) because he wanted an actor
”who didn’t look Jewish.” You could
have fooled me. He looked like a lot
of Jewish guys—admittedly some-
what less handsome—that I went

to school with. I always assumed
Newman was Jewish.

True, in a Time interview published
in 1982, he described himself as

a Jew because, he said, ”It was

more of a challenge.” Than what?
Presumably what he meant was that
his father’s birth religion was more
of a challenge than his mother’s
Czechoslovakian cradle Catholicism
or the Christian Science that she
practiced.

But we can’t allow people to simply
claim Judaism on the basis of self-
assertion, can we, without opening

his bedroom blue eyes in the face of
Peter Lawford was playing an anti-
Semitic British officer in Palestine
who claimed that he could ”spot a
Jew a mile away.” Probably every
British officer in Palestine was anti—
Semitic except for Col. Orde Wingate,
who helped organize the Haganah.
(I’ll have to write about him in the
future.)

our doors to the self-styled mes-
sianic ”Jews” who are, ipso facto,
Christian?

 

These days the Reform movement
allows people to regard themselves
as Jewish if they had a Jewish

father and were raised as Jews. But
people in the Lexington community
who come from Cleveland, some

of whom went to the same high
school as the Newmans did, tell me
that there was no Judaism in the
Newman home. So why do we make

that way in his life, too. He and
Woodward lived quietly in Westport,
Connecticut, far from the madding
(not to say maddening) Hollywood
crowd and he once quipped that he’d
be remembered as a failure if, some-
how, his eyes turned brown.

The question remains: with no evi-
dence of a formal conversion and

a 50-year marriage to a Gentile
(actress Joanne
Woodward) we
nonetheless clasp
Paul Newman to
our ample Jewish
bosom; why?

But more than that, Newman was
menschlich. He established Camp
Hole-in—the-Wall for children with
life-threatening illnesses. He devel-
oped, quite by accident, a successful
line of food products (Newman’s
Own) that gives all its profits to char-
ity. At last count, the amount he’d
given had topped $250,000,000.

 

The question remains: with no evidence

of a formal conversion and a 50-year
marriage to a Gentile (actress Joanne
Woodward) we nonetheless clasp Paul
Newman to our ample Jewish bosom; why?
Well, for one
thing, most of
the characters he played were outsid-
ers. They were marginal people: a
con man, an aging bandit, a drunken
lawyer, a pool hustler. Like many
Jews in history they were alienated,
self-deprecating loners. And he was

 

such a big fuss about him? Even
before that magazine interview the
Encyclopedia Iudaica (1971) listed him
among the Jews of Hollywood (XII:
472), no doubt on the basis of the
Exodus character famously flashing

Judaism has long been a religion of
deeds rather than one requiring a
confession of faith. As I understand
Exodus 2427, the people respond

see 3rd opinion, page 13

 

 

EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY

 

 

3310 Tates Creek Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40502
859-266-2129
www.mayfairseniors.com

Come visit our
independent
and personal care
apartment homes
and discover why
our residents

|_oye it here.

 
  

 

GRA 010 US RETIREMENT
LIVING AT I TS FINEST!

Enjoy living in the apartment home
of your choice with elegant dining,
fine arts, social functions, personal
transportation for your convenience,
and much more!

CALL for your personal tour today!
859-266-2129

 

 

 

 

 

November 2008 Shalom l 7

 

 l r
r
i
i

 

Ask a Rabbi

Rabbi H. D. Uriel Smith

 

by Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 53?

 

: The original wording of the question, with
its focus on a verse important to Christianity,
makes me suspect that the questioner comes
from outside the Jewish community. However,
since every verse of the Hebrew Bible is sacred, and thus
needs to be taken seriously, this question also needs to be
answered fairly.

 

We need first to understand how Judaism has treated

the Bible. As Rabbi Mosheh ben Nahman (Nahmanides)
pointed out, we have to differentiate between halacha (leg-
islation) and aggadah (narrative). The rules of how to live,
the mitzvot, were dealt with more specifically in legisla-
tion than in the narratives. Halacha allows for fewer alter-
natives than aggadah does (just as national and state legis—
lations have to be carefully delimited today). In contrast,
narrative exegesis remained open: as long as the explana-
tion helped people to become better persons, an aggadah
was recognized as a good explanation. The book of Isaiah
is basically narrative, and so we may accept enormous
ranges in its interpretation. However, any explanation
that leads us out of Judaism, for example to idolatry, can—
not be accepted. And for Jews, making any created being,
person or planet, into a god, is idolatry, As stated in the
Torah (Numbers 23:19):

: Who is the Servant of the Eternal mentioned

 

LEXINGTON
SEAFOOD
CO.

 
  
 
 
  

867 B. High Street
Lexington, KY 40502
(859) 266-8888

EMa