xt744j0b0402 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt744j0b0402/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2003-10 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, October 2003 text image Shalom, October 2003 2003 2003-10 2025 true xt744j0b0402 section xt744j0b0402  
 

539mm the Central Kentucky Jewish Community Since 1962

OCTOBER 2003

  

 

 

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Newspaper of the Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation

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TlSHRI-HESHVAN 5764

Tikkun Lexington Plans Many Projects For Coming Year

Group Offers Many Ways to Volunteer in our Community

Tikkun Lexington, a program of the Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation started
developing several exciting projects for the
upcoming year at its opening meeting.

First on the agenda, is our Fall Clean-up
project. Pick up your paint brushes and
hammers and get ready to repair Lexington.
This Tikkun Repair Project is suitable for those
who enjoy doing minor home repairs, such as
raking leaves, putting in light bulbs, cleaning
gutters, or doing light painting. We will help
homebound, elderly people who cannot
perform these tasks on their own. Please join
us in this worthy activity and help us to help
our community.

Where Do We Go

. {From Here? _
Does Lexington Need A JCC?

In August, the CKJF Board of Directors met to
define where we should go, as a community,
in the coming year.

While noting that many of the goals we set for
ourselves three years ago have been, to a large
extent, accomplished, there are still some
pending issues. One of them is certainly the
issue of a Community Center, which has been
raised repeatedly over the years.

Should that Center be a traditional JCC?
Should it be a cultural center? Should it serve
as a permanent home for our Camp Shalom?
These and many other questions have been
raised. As per the Board decision, we will now
try to begin to answer them.

One of the conclusions resulting from the
see Where Do We Go, page 15

 

If you need work done, please notify us as
soon as possible and our Jewish Volunteer
Corps will schedule a visit. Don’t be shy, use
the application form on page 8. The Tikkun
Lexington committee reserves the right to
assess what jobs are possible and will let
participants know in advance if the job can be
accommodated and when it will be done.

Next, Tikkun Lexington is going back to the
Stewart Home in Frankfort, Kentucky on the
following dates: October 24, December 18,
February 13, and March 7. This facility, which
is both a school and a residence, has a
beautiful campus with many dorms, teaching
rooms, and social rooms. The Stewart Home is
nationally renowned for its ability to help and

JewLS Continues Summer
Momentum with Great
Fall Programs

Tami O’Hayon and Kim Morris enjoy an evening out at
Atomic Cafe with IewLS. See story on Page 9.

   

 

 

(entrol Kentucky Jewish Federation
l050 Chinoe Road 0 Suite 203 0 Lexington, KY 40502

(hange Servire Requested

 

Non-Profit OIg.
US. Postage

PAID

Lexington, KY
Permit # 7l9

 

 

 

house its large number of developmentally
challenged residents. There are many Jewish
residents who deeply enjoy celebrating
festivals, embracing life and making friends.
We look forward to increasing our volunteer
pool for this worthwhile event. Because we
have moved the start time to 6:30 pm we will
leave the Chinoe Shopping Center by 5:45 pm
for our caravan to Frankfort. Come join the
fun, and notice how your small gift of time
brings much joy to your heart.

It is time to start thinking about December
25th , the day formerly known as Mitzvah
Day. This year it has been renamed the "Day
of Giving." Since it is better to give than to

see Tikkun Projects, page 3

Community Aging

  
   
 
       
      
 

Jewish Family Services .of the Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation wants to be sure
that interested members of the Jewish
community take advantage of the Lexington
Elder Care Tour and Successful Aging Fair to
be held in November, 2003.

For the past two years, Lexington Family
Magazine has sponsored an Elder Care
Facilities Tour, which will again be held this
year, on November 16th, 2003 from 1:30 to
5:00 pm. For this event numerous local elder
housing facilities host free open houses so that
older adults and their families can learn about
housing options in a friendly, relaxed
environment. According to a retirement
community representative, ”The Elder Care
Tour is the premier senior living event of the
year in the Lexington area. It fosters a
positive and open relationship between family
members, seniors and staff of senior
communities and service agencies.” Just
obtain a copy of the November issue of
Lexington Family Magazine, free of charge, at
area newsstands and follow the instructions. 1'
Your tour is self-guided, which allows you to
choose the places you visit and take as much
the time as you need at each site.

see Aging Fair, page 3

 

 

 

  

Condolences to...
IN TH I ISSUE:
S ' Joe Wile on the death of his son, Joe Wile, Jr., on September 8, 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  

Hadassah Donor Phonathon .......... 3 .
Presi den t'S Message 4 0 Karen Bear on the death of her father, MOI‘I‘IS Schulman.
High Holy Days Schedule ............. 5 Mazel Tov to,"
JEWLS REtreat Coverage -------------- 5 0 Jessica Michelle Harrison, who was named to the Dean’s list in the Indiana
From the Executive Director ___________ 6 University College of Arts and Sciences for the Spring Semester in 2003, in
Y H k' . 6 recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Jessica is the daughter of
om a IpPUI‘lm ................... Dr. John & Paula Harrison.
A SUTmer m Brad """"""""" 7 0 Tom 8: Eve Stern, on the birth of their daughter, Emma Shea, on August 20,
Rabbi 3 Cor ner --------------------- 8 2003. Irvin 8: Sybil Stern are the proud grandparents. She is also the niece
JeWLS Continues Summer Momentum _ , ,9 of Doug Stern and great—niece of Charles 8: Leona Stern.
Emotional Impact of 9/ i i ........... i O 0 Chris 8: Lauren Howard, on the birth of their son, Joshua Tag, on August
Teens and Parents Take Action i O 22, 2003. Judith Wurmser, Paul Cable, and Michael Higdon are the proud
'''''''' d nts. e 8:; Rose Rita Wurmser are the mud reat- rand arents.
Hadassah makes A Difference ......... l l gran pare J “y p g g _ p
Booknotes i 2 0 Ted Friedman’s grandson, Scott Rothschild on his recent Bar M1tzvah.
Leisure Club Update llllll i 3 0 Laura and George Skekely on the marriage of their daughter, Ana, to
"""""" Natan Mandelbaum on July 16.
Sukkot ......................... l3
Lee Shai Weissbach To Speak at TN ----- l3 Refuah Shlemah [Get Well Wishes] to...
Hillel Happenings ................. l4 . Barbara Barr . Linda Gem“ . Bea Milner
Amusing and True Stories ............ l4 ' Sandy Berger ' Mark HalleCk ' Terry Wilson
Musings i 5 ° Gail Cohen
Report on Judaic Studies ............ l6
B’tay Avon ...................... l 6 Corrections
ASK JFS About... ------------------ i 7 Andy Klapper’s name was misspelled last month in our condolences on
Temple Adath lsrael News ........... l8 the death Of his mOTher-
Ohavay Zion News """""""" ’9 Harold and Kaye Frankel are the grandparents of Aaron Edward Dutton.
Community Calendar ............... 20
r-------------------1
Sb"LO"2 Sb tom 0e on e i DON’TMISSOUT' i
Published ten times annually by the A A D l 0 |
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, Inc. I G h' d l' l
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 203, Lexington, KY 40502 Deadline for articles for I e” 15 Paper 9 'de I
Phone (859) 268-0672 . Fax (859) 268-0775 the November Shalom is I F R E E I
e-mail: sha|om@jewish|exington.org .. October 10, I I
October 2003' Volume X, Issue 12 . g. ., ' 2" . . I to your home ten times annually. I
" Efifméilfimfiifis 51°; i , I Mail your name and address to: |
David Feinberg, President , ' . .V y . _ _- I I
Daniel Chejfec, ercutive Director shalem@3ewasnlexmgton.org | SilAiom /CKJF I
Fran Morris, JeWIsh Family Services . ' . - _ I 1050 Chinoe Rd Suite 203 I
Jana LaZur, Activities Director ' 'Artlclesvsubmstted I . ’ " l
in hard copy _ | Lexmgton, KY 40502 I
Editoria' Board shouid be double-spaced. I ore-Pail?! l
Gay Adelstein, Marcia Blacker, Evelyn Dantzic Geller, - I Shal°m@iew‘5hiemz‘lt°"-°rg I

 

 

Judy Levine, Ruth Foley, and Stan Saxe

e-mail us at

shalom @jewishlexington.org

Production Services by Direct Response, Inc.

The editorial staff has the right to edit all articles submitted
for publication in sbALom. The appearance of any
advertising in this publication does not represent a kashruth
endorsement on the part of CKJF or any other agency or
organization. sbALom is supported by the advertisements
appearing in the paper.

\

© 2003 by Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

 

2 . SGPCE'mBG'R 2003 sbAlom

 

 ?

Hadassah Donor Phonathon October 29, 2003

Sharon Wainsh/lbaum and Carol Kap/an, Donor CoCha/‘rs

Every fall the Lexington Chapter of Hadassah
conducts its major fundraiser, the Donor
Phonathon. This year the Phonathon is
October 29, 2003. We ask every member of
Hadassah to please make a contribution using
the pledge card enclosed in the recent letter
sent about Donor.

Why should you give? Because Hadassah
does remarkable things with the money we
give—education, health care, social services
and more in the U.S.A., Israel, and around the

 

Aging Fair (from page 1)

This year, in addition to the Elder Care Tour,
Lexington Family Magazine has added a day for
a "Successful Aging Fair.” This will be held on
November 8, 2003, from 10 am to 3 pm at the
Hilton Suites at Lexington Green. This fair is
free and open to the public. On that day, there
will be seminars by local experts in the aging
field on topics such as; Medicare, Elder Care
Housing, and Caregiver Support, to name a
few. There also will be informational booths
from local businesses, giveaways, and
entertainment. For more information, call the
Lexington Family Magazine at: (859) 223-1765 or
visit their website at www.1exingtonfamily.com.

   
 

world. We make Hadassah/s projects possible
card by card, meeting by meeting, and donor
gift by donor gift. So, when you open your
Hadassah magazine and read about a student
at Hadassah College Jerusalem whose film is
in contention for a prize, or you read about
some legislation to fund breast cancer that
passed, partly because of lobbying by
Hadassah, know that you are contributing to
all of that, and much more. When you watch
the news and see ambulances racing from the
scene of yet another terrorist attack in
Jerusalem, remember that they are headed to
Hadassah Hospital where you know that
those victims will get the best medical care in
the world. Your pledge has helped to make

that possible. You can't do these things alone,
but you can through Hadassah.

Please make a Donor
contribution this year. When
you do, you make the world a
better place.

 
  
 

 

Tikkun Projects (from page 1)

receive, we will continue to offer service to the
Meals on Wheels and Moveable Feast
programs and will work at both the east and
west locations of Saint Joseph Hospital. The
tasks entail either delivering meals, working
in the hospital’s gift shops, or delivering gifts
to those who are unfortunate enough to be in
the hospital at that time. Last year’s response
was so great we ran out of volunteer jobs at
the end, so if anyone would like to assist in
creating another opportunity at another

JeWLS does
ESPRESSO DATING

in Cincinnati

ESPRESSO DATING IS A FUN NEW WAY FOR SINGLES TO MEET!
IT’S A SPIN ON THE POPULAR ‘SPEED DATING’ IDEA.

age“ Fede’a

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Saturday, November 8, 2003

time & place TBA

call 859.269.8244 or jfs@jewishlexington.org

for more info.

location, Tikkun would welcome any help.
Please see the ad on page 8, complete the
form, and mail it to the attention of Jana
LaZur, Central Kentucky Jewish Federation,
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 203, Lexington,
Kentucky, 40502. The Jewish Community
really can make a difference. Contact Jana by
email at tikkun@jewishlexington.org or
phoneii 268-0672 at extension 411 if you have

any questions. Together, we can try to achieve
Tikkun Olam one mitzvah at a time.

 
 
 
   
 
   
       
 

1%

 
            
 

sePcemBeR 2003 sbAlom - 3

 

 

  

President's Message

 

During the last CKJF Board meeting we began
a discussion of how to increase the
involvement of Jews in our area who are not
affiliated with any of the three congregations
and do not otherwise involve themselves in
Jewish community life. The conversation
evoked many more questions than answers.
Who are these people and why have they not
affiliated? Are they interested in Jewish
education or worship? Have they somehow
been turned off or felt unwelcome? How the
organized Jewish community can best respond
to the large and growing population of
interfaith and unaffiliated families has
occupied center stage of the American Jewish
community for a long time.

It could be that significant blocks of the
unaffiliated are intermarried families without
a strong Jewish identity. Possibly they may be
uncomfortable and question how the non-
Jewish members of their family would be
welcomed to these Jewish cultural and
holiday-oriented events. Others could be
recently arrived individuals who identify
themselves as Jewish but have not been
previously involved in Jewish community

David Feinberg

affairs. They may not be ready to join a
congregation though they could be receptive
to being involved in Jewish cultural events.
Of course, we do not have definitive answers.
The Board’s consensus is that increasing
everyone’s level of community involvement is
important and that extra efforts may be
needed to draw in people who typically have
not been involved.

This led to me doing some Internet research. I
discovered that the Jewish Outreach Institute
had a terrific website (www.JOI.org) devoted
to Jewish outreach programs. I had assumed
that there was no need to re-invent the wheel
and that others had already developed some
effective programs. Literature from the
institute confirmed my assumption.

The principal objective of outreach programs
is both humanistic (with respect to the families
touched) and survivalist (with respect to the
Jewish community). Many innovative
programs already have been developed
around the country. Naturally, not all fit our
community but I was struck by the innovation
shown by some of the programs and could

 

  

   

1. Stewart Home School Visits.

2. December 25. Jewish Community
Day of Giving.

3. Welcome Baskets & Nursing Home
visits.

4. Baking/Cooking for temporarily
disabled/homebound people in need.

5. Tikkun Project Repair.

' .

 

HATS arr To Vowm'eek

Tikkun Lexington is
here to help our
community.

Please call if you know
of any needs that are

not being met.

 

Tikkun Lexington is the Volunteer Corps of the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation.
For more information please contact lana LaZur at 859-268-0672 or email
tikkun@jewishlexington.org

 

4 - $€PC€mB€R 2003 sbAlom

readily see how
similar programs
could be developed
here.

 

What kinds of

outreach initiatives are already operating? In
St. Louis, the Our Jewish Home program came
up with the exceptional idea of meeting young
families where they are—in their own homes.
It is a personalized family education program
that provides four home visits over the course
of a year to families with children ages three
to six. The program was designed to help
interfaith families, some of whom are not
affiliated, broaden their knowledge of Jewish
traditions, beliefs, and celebrations.

Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando
developed Grandparents Connect, a program
designed for grandparents to share their
Jewish identity and traditions with their
grandchildren who live in interfaith families,
This is done through interactive group
activities scheduled primarily around Jewish
holidays. Grandparents Connect also uses
support groups to help grandparents better
understand their interfaith family
relationships and the impact they have on
their roles as grandparents.

Jewish Cinema South, developed by the
institute for Southern Jewish lite in lat‘lxson,
Mississippi, is an annual film festival that
offers a multi-venue presentation of quality
films highlighting the Jewish experience.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, Congregation B’nai
Jeshrun formed the Rural and Small
Community Outreach Project to provide
public outreach to Jews in rural areas. It offers
daylong programs to Jews in rural
communities that are too small and too far-
flung to maintain their own congregations.
Participants in these rural areas often traveled
hundreds of miles to reach the events.

Do these programs work? The research data
indicates that they do. There is an increase in
their sense of Jewish identity. Significant
numbers of families affiliate with a synagogue
or temple, and there is a substantial increase of
participation in Jewish life.

The Board would need to decide what types of
programs would be best for our Jewish
community here in Central Kentucky. I am
confident that we could do a better job being
inclusive and finding new ways to help our
fellow Jews become more involved with our
wonderful community.

 szyfl Jfo/y :Ddys (Scfleofa/e

CONTACT INFORMATION: -

Ohavay Zion Synagogue (Conservative): 266-8050 0 Temple Adath Israel (Reform): 269-2979 0 The Lexington Havurah (Conservative): 335-6254
TEMPLE ADATH ISRAEL OHAVAY ZlON SYNAGOGUE SUKKOT — OHAVAY ZION SYNABOGUE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH 3 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH FRIDAY. OCTOBER 10TH
07:00 PM Erev Rosh Hashanah Service I (Child care available) 5 08:00 PM Ma’ariv Service > 06:00 PM Welcome Back Pot~Luck Sukkot Dinner

08:45 PM Erev Rosh Hashanah Service II (Child care available)

SATURCAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH
08:39 AM Rosh Hashanah Service I

07:15 PM Shabbat/Festival Evening Service
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH ; . .
09:15 AM Morning Service (“3"9'0‘” 5°“°°' 3"“)
10:00 AM Family Holiday Service (toddler—Kindergarten) SATURDAY, 0078858 11m

on-nvolnulioclnoo-to-u

08:45 PM Second KoI Nidre Service ice (Child care available) Celebration/Consecration and Aleph Ceremony

 

10:2? AM 0 Y Rilhsthashanah Service ti 10:30 AM Youth Activities (pie-registration required) 99:45 AM Shabbat/Festival Morning Service

as it: an 0:: ervice: 5-7 PM ( all for information) at 11:40 AM Junior Congregation (1st — 7th Grade)

Kaeerstein Home at conclusion of Torah Service 3:22:14 00123;; 33:?“ Service

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH 08:00 PM ”3‘3““ 39”“ '

10:30 PM Study: "The Binding of Isaac and Forgiveness" E SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH SH’MINI ATZERET/SIMHAT TORAH —-
g 09:15 AM Morning Service

5§;%$YMOCT2:§£;22fi/ice (Child care available) 5 10:00 AM Family Holiday Service (toddler—Kindergarten) OHAVAY ZION SYNAGOGUE

- ; 10:30 AM Youth Activities (pre-registration required) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH E 11140 AM Junior Congregation (151- 7th Grade) 06:00 PM Shabbat/Festival Evening Service

09:00 AM Torah Study: Ha’azinu—Deuteronomy 35:1-52 5 After Shofar Service

10:30 AM Worship : 01 :30 PM Tashlikh SATURDAY: OCTOBER 18.7” . .
; 09:45 AM Shabbat/Festlval Morning Seerce

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5TH 5 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3RD 11:30 AM Yizkor Service

12:30 PM Joint service of "Kever Avot" at : 06:00 PM Kabbalat Shabbat/Ma’ariv -

07:00 PM Early Kol Nldre Serwce (Child care available) 09:45 AM ’ Shabbat Morning Service 09:45 AM Festival Morning Service/Simhat Torah

 

MHDAY, OCTOBER 6TH 133:0an, “mafia: of "Kever Avot" at E
08:30 AM Early Yom Kippur Service (Child care available) ‘ . '
10:45 AM Second Yom Kippur Service (Child care available) 6' the Lexmgton Cemetely (WNAI) LEXINGTON HAVURAH
01:30 PM Children’s service for children under 10 0 '55 PM Kol Nidre Seerce . Location Of ALL H'gh HO'Y Day Services to be held at Main
03:00 PM Afternoon Service : MONDAY, OCTOBER 6TH Branch of Lexmgton Public Library Conf. Room A (basement)
04:30 PM Yizkor Service (Child care available) 09:15 AM Morning Service SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH
05:15 PM Concluding & Havdailah Service : 10:30 AM Youth Activities (prevregistration required) 3 10:00 AM Rosh Hashanah Service at
Sisinillut l1 Bleak ti 7 R St: . ”in. l '119 .' i‘ 3 11.30 AM J — 1h , .
salon)! acorn {mi ‘“ “ “ “i ' “i a PM as: 22:32:98” 7
_ ' . E 04:00 PM study Session (following break) ‘0500 AM “05" “35mm" 39M“ -
06.00 PM Shabat Around the Dinner Table & . , . . 5 ~
- Simchat Porah Consecration 3 05'00 PM Mlnha 59W" ' -' SUNDAY, OCTOBER 57"
; ((32:11: PAM/l yllafefiwlfig S . (t ddl K' d rt ) 07:00 PM KolNidre Service
: : am y OI ay mm 0 er— in erga en
E 07:30 PM Ma’ariv, Havdailah and Break Fast MONDAY! OCTOBER 6TH

10:00 AM Yom Kippur Service
' 06:15 PM Havdailah Service & Break-the-Fast Potluck

 

CELEBRATE THE SEASON @ LEISURE CLUB

light more than just a candle this year.

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smite! my ,kmmd‘ MU»: San/9mg

gear-redeeybo (coming up in 2003 31%

 

 

Thursday. October 16‘“. 2003 — 2pm Tea and Sukkot discussion with Rabbi Cohen
Location: CKJF office. 1050 Chinoe Road. Suite #203, Lexington —
in the Chinoe Center Office Building
Cost: FREE RSVP by October 14?“. 2003

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Thursday. November 20‘". 2003 — 12:15pm Bingo and pizza party
A Leisure Club favorite
Location: Ohavay Zion Synagogue. 2048 Edgewater Ct.. Lexington —
off Alumni Drive between Chinoe Rd. and New Circle Rd.
Cost: FREE RSVP by November 18‘“, 2003

 

Thursday. December 18'“. 2003 — 12:15pm Hanukkah Get Together
An annual Leisure Club event ‘
Location: Temple Adath Israel; 124 N. Ashland’ Ave.. Lexington —
near corner of Main and Ashland Ave.
Cost: FREE RSVP by December 16'h . 2003

(QWlCll CommUnlEy 98)! 0+ (AlVlVlé

December 25.2003

 

 

 

 

 

$€PC€mB€R 2003 sbAlom . 5

 

  

From the Executive Director

 

Daniel Chejfec

From Columbus to Gene Roddenberry

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And
on October 12th, 1492 he landed in the
Caribbean island of Boriquen initiating an
incredible chapter of struggle, war, and
discovery previously unparalleled in human
history. That is what we celebrate on that day
— not Columbus the man, but Columbus, the
dreamer who pushed the boundaries

of human experience to new limits.

Of course the new world discovered
by Columbus was far from empty.
Indigenous civilizations thrived in the
Great Lakes, the Mississippi valley, the
North American Southwest, Central
America, and the South American

reporting on the Ethiopian Jews. This was the

opening of a vast territory to the establishment

of European colonies. There was no way for
this to happen peacefully; 100,000,000
American Indians populated America when
Columbus arrived. Eighty years later, only an
estimated 10,000,000 had survived the coming

prisoners from the jails
of the Inquisition
because few believed
they were going to survive the journey.
Columbus’ ships were financed with the gold
stolen from those the Inquisition forced out of
the country. In short, the historical journey
was made possible by the

 

 

This was the opening of a vast territory to the
estabiishment of European colonies. There was no way
for this to happen peacefuliy; 100,000,000 American
Indians populated America when Columbus arrived.
Eighty years later, only an estimated 10,000,000 had
survived the coming of the Europeans and their germs.

intolerance of the Spanish
crown and its attempt to beat
the British and the Portuguese
for the control of the trade
routes to the Far East. Creed
and intolerance supported
Columbus’ trip.

 

Andes. So what do I mean by ”discovery?"

Struggle and war? Sure, just ask the
Amerindians. But discovery? Isn’t that a bit
presumptuous? My answer is ”No, it is not." I
am not referring to the geographical discovery
of the New Worldwhich was going to be
named "America" after the Italian geographer
Amerng Vespucci. '

I am talking about the discovery of new
human dimensions, a discovery process that
continues to this day. Europe’s "discovery" of
America created the first full—fledged
confrontation of civilizations in recorded
history. This was not Marco Polo visiting the
Chinese Court or Benjamin de Tudela

of the Europeans and their germs.

It took several centuries for the European
transplants to recognize the battle of discovery
initiated in 1492, the recognition of "the other"
(the Indian) as a worthwhile person, and its
civilizations as on a par in many ways with
Europe’s. '

'l'he discoyery of America by the Europeans
triggered the journey that led to the discovery
of many of the darkest aspects of the Human
nature, and the journey continues. In 1492 at
the end of Yom Kippur, Columbus sailed the
ocean blue. His crew was made up of

In the 19605 an American
dreamer named Eugene (Gene)
Roddenberry created a fantasy world where
the failings of humanity have been
acknowledged and addressed and the human
race as one, embarked on the exploration of
space to ”boldly go where no man has gone
before" —— not just in outer space, but also in
our own inner space.

In between the dream of 1492 and until we
reali/e Star l'relx's dream, we are still in a
journey already described in our own leu'ish
tradition. A journey from a place of strife and
illness and injustice, to a world in which all
people will be one and God’s name will be
one. Happy Columbus Day.

 

Yom Hakippurim

Have you ever considered that the
word ”Kippur", as in Yom Kippur, and
the word "kippa", as in yarmulke,
share a common root? . The common
root for both words‘refers to some
kind of "covering." While this clearly
connects with "kippa," you might be
now asking yourself, "What does this
have to do with Yom Kippur?"

Yom Kippur is often translated as "Day
of Atonement." Yet "atonement,"
according to Webster’s dictionary,
means "satisfaction given for
wrongdoing, injury, etc.; expiation." In
other words, it implies that on Yom
Kippur we can compensate for our
wrongdoings and leave them behind.
That is not what Yom Hakippurim —

6 . sepcemBeR 2003 sbAlom

the ancient form of Yom Kippur— is
all about.

In the same way that the "kippa"
covers our head in the presence of
God, we go through daily life covering
our mistakes. We let them slide by and
we hope they’ll be forgotten. But on
Yom Kippur we are forced to confront
our deeds. We are responsible for each
and every one of our actions in the
preceding 12 months, the good ones
and the bad ones, the ones which were
on target, as well as the ones which
were mistaken. We therefore "uncover'
our actions and take responsibility for
them. We go through the Jewish
process of repentance.

Step one in the process is to
acknowledge the mistake. If we do not
acknowledge a problem exists, we

cannot deal with it. The second step is
to acknowledge that our actions have
damaged or affected our relationships
with others or with God by asking
forgiveness of those affected by our
mistakes. Our tradition demands that
we try to ask forgiveness up to three
times, as a way to show our sincerity. ‘
If after three times our asking has not
been acknowledged, we still are
considered to have fulfilled our
obligation. Yet it is in the third step
that the key resides. We must change
our behavior so as not to repeat the
mistake. Even if we go through the
process of acknowledging the mistakes
and asking forgiveness, the process of
redemption is not complete until we
actually change our behavior.

On Yom Kippur, according to tradition,

see Yom Hakippurim, page 14

 A Summer in Israel

By Pen/na Goldstein & Becky Grossman

Traveling to Israel on the Young Judaea
Machon summer program was an experience
that caused us to think about and understand
our Judaism in ways that had never occurred
to us before. There were the obvious eye-
opening events and places: climbing Masada
to watch the sun rise, attending a seminar on
Arab-Israeli dialogue at which both a Jewish
settler in the West Bank and an Arab-Israeli
citizen spoke, and hiking to an overlook from
which we could see Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and
the Sinai Peninsula. But it was perhaps the
smaller things that made Israel such a
thought—provoking experience. Everywhere
we went, we were surrounded by Hebrew. We
heard it spoken in the streets, saw it plastered
on signs, and graffitied onto walls. The people
who passed us were often wearing kippot and
almost every building we entered had a
mezuzah in the entryway. There was no
forgetting who or

or bond with Israel great enough that they
chose to spend the majority of their summer
there. The girl who may have seemed a little
ditzy and the boy who thought he was the
new Jewish Eminem were able to spit out
more facts about Israeli history than one
would have guessed from outward
appearances. A small number of our peers

_were already anticipating making Aliyah and

joining the Israeli army. These kids helped us
reevaluate our perceptions of people and
inspired us to search for our own connection
with Eretz Yisrael.

One aspect of that connection was the spiritual
relevance of the land. The majority of the
people in our group were secular Jews. But
secular or observant, several of us could not
help feeling a strong spiritual awareness and
connection as a result of many of our
experiences. Our

 

where we were.

We came to Israel in
an attempt to build
and strengthen our
personal connection to
this homeland. But
what did it mean to be
liilll'l\l\ m HUI «m 1‘.
home? If it weren't for
our backpacks,
brightly colored
bandanas, cameras
strapped across our
chests, and beginners‘
knowledge of Hebrew
we could have easily
passed for Israelis.
After all, we were a

 

Becky and Peninu love their summer in Israel.

spiritual journey
began on our first
hike, as we followed a
path through the
Judaean Hills. Half an
hour into the hike our
madricha (counselor)
stopped us and told
us that Abraham had
seen his first glimpse
of Jerusalem from the
very spot where we
were standing. Many
of us felt a ripple of
chills run down our
spine as we made the
biblical connection.
This was only one of
many similar

 

group of Jewish teens
in the Jewish state.
But being "home" was not accompanied by the
typical home feelings. Being told a place is
your homeland and actually feeling at home
there are quite different. The culture, although
loosely based on Judaism, was foreign to us
and the people, although Semitic did not hold
the same citizenship as we did. As the trip
went on, however, we became aware of a
sense of comfort as we came to fully realize
that if we were ever in need, this country
would take us in, the people we were sharing
the streets with would become our neighbors
and fellow citizens, and the language we use
now for prayer would become our primary
means of communication.

The American teens we traveled with shared
these realizations with us, and within our
group there was a constant undertone of
Jewish identity and Zionism. It’s mind-
boggling to realize that each of the 38 kids we
shared the bus with had a personal connection

experiences
throughout the
summer. Whether it was writing notes to
wedge into the crevices of the Kotel, walking
around aging synagogues in the mystic city of
Tzfat, or watching the setting sun cast a golden
glow over Jerusalem as

violence but rather of our amazing summer
experiences. We may picture dozens of pink
flowers floating down a stream in the Galil,
riding camels in the Negev, or Israeli dancing
on the tennis courts at Sde Baker’s Ben Gurion
University. We may remember spending two
days with 600 youth from across the United
States, England, and Israel at Maccabia (a
sports tournament). Our initial thoughts are
not ones of conflict. Most people are shocked
by this and invariably, when someone hears
we went to Israel they ask if we felt safe. Most
people have an image of Israel as a war-torn
land. We can’t deny that it is currently
devastated by terrorism and political conflict,
but this does not take away from the sp