xt7qnk364k41 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qnk364k41/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 1996-12 1997-01 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, December 1996/January 1997 text image Shalom, December 1996/January 1997 1996 1996-12 1997-01 2025 true xt7qnk364k41 section xt7qnk364k41

cxiﬁxar

Newspaper of the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

Shalom

cxﬁxar

December 1996/January 1997

Kislev-Shevat 5757

Jewish Family Services

by Mollye Schwab

t has been a year and
Ione-half since that
day in June, 1995
when I came to Jewish Family
Services. You know, that place
that you probably have heard
about by now but may still not be
sure what exactly a “Jewish fami—
ly service" is"?! I recently gave a
report to the CKJF’s Board of
Directors on the activities of
Jewish Family Seryices in the
past 18 months and thought it
should be shared \\ith the entire
C(llllll““ '

4..1.

Te~ n; ”‘“ a.

it were, was actually a valuable
learning experience to me in
many ways. In one sense, it pro
vided me the opportunity that
doesn’t come along very often in
a busy work schedule. i.e.. to sit
back and actually look at where
JFS has been and where it is now
I can now look back at my initial
days and weeks at JFS. in com—
parison to today. and really get a
sense of growth. Looking back
has also provided the opportunity
to see more clearly the destination
that JFS may actually have the
capacity to travel one day. It’s
like a plant that takes a while to
take root. but does, then even gets

A Progress Report

stems and leaves and oh boy!...do
I see an apple?”

Another realization
from the “report” is that even
though it is business as usual for
me on a daily basis, (providing
the “services” and making the
contacts in the community) there
is still a very large part of the
community that does not know
what Jewish Family Services is or
what kind of assistance, services,
etc. are actually provided and/or
could be provided.

, litre goes. a gu'wefrcss

ousfs'adfc ‘a cmng',spema "

invigorating,
months:

rainy, sunny

Since my initial days.
Jewish Family Services has
received over 100 referrals and
requests for services. These
referrals have included requests
for information, counseling, crisis
interyention, home visits for
assessment and case management,
emergency financial relief, advo—
cacy, outreach, support, and
more. Typically, when a referral
is received with the presenting
issue or problem, I then make
contact with the individual and/or
family (usually at their home and

CKJF
340 Romany Road
Lexington, KY 40502

Address Correction Requested

NONPROFIT ORG.
US. POSTAGE
PAID
LOUISVILLE, KY
PERMIT NO. 1735

not at the JFS ofﬁce) and assess
from that point the presenting
issue and often other issues that
JFS may be able to assist with.
One referral can often result in
the identification of other areas
where JFS support may be beneﬁ-
cial. And often one referral can
result in a long lasting relation-
ship of support, assistance with
other referrals (case manage-
ment), and regular contact either
by telephone or actual visits with
the family.

Thus far, JFS maintains
paras (lit :3 an; ,ast: hmitl.
\- _,‘uAAAL . munch“ tut»
have been more numerous. V

My day-to-day activities
also include consistent support
services with new Americans.
Presently there are 24 new
American families in Lexington,
In the past year. five new
American families. totaling 16
people, have arrived in the com-
munity. Through JFS and the
CKJF Resettlement Committee,
and the intensive resettlement and
case management services pro—
vided during the initial 90 day
resettlement period, all new
Americans are integrated in the

continued on page 6
...see JF S

CKJF...News to Use

Erev Party is December 24!

There’s a great evening of fun and food for the
entire family planned at the Italian Oven. You need
to be there!

see information on page 12

Erev Party planners (standing left to right)
Ruth Poley, Laura Rosenberg, (sitting left to
right) Donna Sullivan, Linda Gerall.

Not shown: Linda Haggin, Rina Luban & Hillary Roubein

Hanukah Party - December 8

Bring the kids to AmeriSport Gymnastics Center for
an afternoon of fun & Hanukah celebration!
See information on page 10

Hanukah Stamps
The post office is now offering stamps depicting the
Hanukah season.

Hoppq Hanukah

Light 1st Candle December 5

Tu B’shevat - January 23

COMMUNTYI "

In This Issue:

Feature Stories:

Editorial .........

TAI

Torah Portions

Growing Up Jewish in
Lexington ........ 5
The Good Old Jewish
Days ............. 7
New Health Food
Store ............. 8
Also:

Anniversaries ..... 9
Ask IFS .......... 6

Calendar. . . .18 & 19
.4

Financial Advisor .13

Hadassah ........ 14
Havurah ........ 14
025 ............ 15

President’s Spot . . .2
Rabbi Smith ...... 11
........ 16 8: 17
. . .3

MILESTONES

Mazel Tov to:

Sylvia Cerel & Jerry Suhl and
Jan & Jerry Cerel on the birth
of their daughter & granddaughter
Sara Rose Cerel Suhl,
October 30, 1996.

Sarah L. Mandel-Anthony on
becoming a National Merit
semi-ﬁnalist. Sarah is the
daughter of Elise Mandel &
Joseph Anthony.

Condolences to:

Charles & Leona Stern and
Jared & Shirley Bryan on the
death of Leona’s mother and
Shirley's grandmother,
Minnie Cherin,
November 4, 1996.

Martin & Odette Kaplan on the
death of Martin’s mother,

\ Clara _
November 7. 1996.

Sharon Wainshilbaum on the
death of her sister—in-law,
Eve Wayne.

Ralph & Elayne Crystal on the
death of Elayne’s aunt,
Mildred Paul,
November 10, 1996.

Janice, Eli, & Will Crane on the
death of their mother & grand—
mother, Martha Steinberg.

Jake Green on the death of his
brother, Harry Green.

Harriet & Leon Cooper on the
death of Marianne Kydd, sister
of their daughter-in-law
Madonna Cooper.

Allen Paritz and Helen Paritz on
the death of their father and
brother-in-law, David Paritz,
October 20, 1996.

We’re sorry, our ink wasn’t showing...

In the November issue of Shalom, pages 7 & 18 did not print
clearly in many copies. Therefore, we are re-running Michael
Adelstein’s article Ah Those Good Old Jewish-American Days in this
issue. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Shalom

Published ten times annually by the
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, Inc.

340 Romany Road, Lexington, KY 40502
(606) 268—0672 ' Fax (606) 268-0775

December 1996 / January 1997 ° Volume IV, Issue 4

Tomas Milch, H., President
Joel Eizenstat, Executive Director
Holly Barnhill, Editor & Advertising Manager
Michael Adelstein & Evelyn Dantzic Geller, Editorial Board
Mollye Schwab, Jewish Family Services
Kim Slaton, Program Director

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 Shalom is supported by the advertisements

appearing in the paper.

Coming to the end of the
secular year offers us a chance to
look back on this year and review
our activities to see where we
have done well and where we can
do better.

On the positive side, your Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation can
report:

- Under the able direction of
Committee Chair Mike
Grossman, the Community
Relations Committee has made
significant progress in dealing
with the religious holidays issue
with the Fayette County Board of
Education. In addition, we have
been able to open new relations

"With a ’number of Christian

churches in l.cung(«m.

- Committee Chair Ruth Moser
has steered our Community
Activities Committee with flair
and fun. Program Director Kim
Slaton and volunteer Annette
Milch have made the operation of
the Leisure Club for our seniors a
real pleasure. Kim is planning
additional activities as well.

° Dr. David Feinberg, long labor—
ing Chair of the Social Services
Committee, handed off the lead—
ership of the committee to Dr.
Ralph Crystal, who is looking
forward to helping our very able
Director of Jewish Family
Services Agency, Mollye

The
Iheﬁﬂbnfs

Spot

by Tomas Milch H.

Schwab, in her continuing efforts
to help those of us in need. She
has handled over 100 referrals.

° The Resettlement Committee

. . . Shalom. . . December 1996/January 1997

CKJF SCHOLARSHIPS 8: CAMPERSHIPS, 1997

Applications for camperships and scholarships for Camp Shalom,
overnight Jewish camps, and Israel study will be available

DECEMBER 16, 1996

at the CKJF office
340 Roman Road
Lexington, Y 40502

(606) 268-0672

THE DEADLINE for APPLICATIONS is APRIL 15, 1997

Chair Evelyn Dantzic Geller has the ;
headed our activities directed at muc
helping our new Americans our
adjust to life in central Kentucky. light
Mollye Schwab, Jerry and Rose watc
Rita Wurmser, Irvin and Sybil menl
Stern, and Elena Domatova con— night
tinue helping tirelessly. Ham
enha
0 All these activities have been tion
coordinated and facilitated by our exch
able Executive Director, Joel fami
Eizenstat, Without his continuing sufgr
work we could not have imple- 0m 1
mented the Israel Experience pro- song
gram and the Jewish Community Han
School program. ..
()n lllL' ncguluc \lLlC. )UUI £sz
Central Kentucky Jewish First
Federation: hon“
LlVle‘
- Must improve our efforts to com
motivate the whole Jewish com- Chris
munity to assist and support our this ‘
staff and volunteers.
any <
. fille
- Must improve our efforts to Chri
communicate with the non-Jewish Chri
community around us, including Chris
community leaders, print and ‘
electronic media. see .I
mam
Please, call me or our ml .0
. Chr1s
staff With your comments, com-
plaints, and suggestions. _Y_ou_r ‘
input will be taken seriously! store:
are c
holy
in t1
Chri
expn
Chri
Chri
right
non-L
not 11
time
be a
broat
shou]
andjt
ty oft

Hanukah that'are iifi'pd'rtant‘ to file.

TORAH

RABBI JON ADIAND

TORAH COMMENTARY

anukah! What a
wonderful time
of the year for

the Jewish people. There is so
much rejoicing and festivity in
our homes and Temples. We
light our Hanukah menorahs and
watch with smiles and content-
ment as the candles burn low each
night. We bask in the glow of the
Hanukah menorah’s light as it is
enhanced each night with an addi-
tional candle. Gifts are
exchanged between friends and
families. The smell of latkes or
sufganiot is present in so many of
our homes. The dredl is spun,
songs are sung. the joy of
Hanukah is here. Hanukah?

U." .~ u, mlprt 'l l {.

First is the fact that Hanukah is a
home celebration. All of us are
aware of the fact that we live in a
community that is predominantly
Christian. We are more aware of
this at this time of year than at
any other time of year. Stores are
filled with the sounds of
Christmas, the sights of
Christmas. the smells of
Christmas. Everywhere we go we
see the public celebration and
manifestation of a holiday that is
not our holiday, but a holiday for
Christians.

It is not only in the
stores and in public places that we
are confronted by this Christian
holy day, but our children are put
in the position of enduring
Christmas celebrations and
expressions at school as well.
Christmas is a time that
Christians want us to observe
right along with them. For our
non-Jewish friends, many see it
not in its religious sense, but as a
time of peace and joy. This may
be a meaning of the holiday in a
broader vision, though everyday
should be seen as a day of peace
and joy, but it is still Christmas.

The Christian communi-
ty often loses sight of the fact that

this holiday observes the birth of
their savior and messiah, an indi-
vidual who is not religiously or
spiritually signiﬁcant in any way
to Jews. Schools want children to
attend Christmas celebrations,
sing Christmas music, draw
Christmas pictures, even though
these pictures and songs and cele-
brations may be offensive or
exclusive to a child of a different
religion. We struggle in
Lexington, as Jews do in many
communities where Jews are a
minority, to get people to under-

stand that we do not want religion '

in the schools, that we don't want
Christmas in schools. As impor—
tant as religion is to people, the
celebration of a particular holiday
may cause a child of another reli—
gion to feel discriminated against,
ewluded from. left out of what is

.\ v y”

theless.

herefore, cele-
brating Hanukah
at home or in the

Temple/Synagogue is very impor—
tant. When we take it out in pub—
lic. such as to a shopping mall.
then we are raising a minor holi—
day up to an unintended status, as
well as offering a misperception
to the non-Jewish world of what
this holiday is to us. Personally, I
am offended at the thought of an
electric menorah displayed in a
mall. A Hanukah celebration
belongs within the confines of the
Jewish community and Jewish
family. When we observe
Hanukah within our community,
in our homes or religious institu-
tions, we maintain the appropriate
atmosphere and perspective of the
celebration, maintain the right
level of joy, and enjoy the burn-
ing of the Hanukah lights. Our
children see and learn from the
celebration and it isn’t imposed
on others in any way.

The other aspect of
Hanukah that is important to me
is the historical, both the history
from the book of Maccabees and
the history learned from Talmud.
Both stories, though different, are

with. .

imalfeasancé‘,"6ﬁt“it is done'h'é'v'er- ‘

important to our tradition and cel—
ebration. The first and second
books of Maccabees, extra-
Biblical works found in a collec-
tion of postbiblical writings called
the Apocrypha, tell us the story of
Mattathias, Judah and his broth-
ers, the Syrian-Greek king
Antiochus, and the battles that
raged for many years.

he book of
Maccabees tells
us about

Mattathias, son of Johanan, son of
Simon, a priest of the family of
Joarib. Mattathias moved away
from Jerusalem to Modin with his
five sons: Johanan called Gaddi,
Simon called Thassi, Judah called
Maccabee, Eleazar called Auaran,
and Jonathan called Apphus. The
kings officers were compelling
the people to renounce God.
. . \i.\,lwv . . . n
We to oﬂe; multistage“: god,
that wasn’t their God. The so]-
diers came to Mattathias to get
him as a leader of the people to
perform heathen acts, but
Mattathias refused despite the
offer of gold. When a Jew came
forward to accept the offer. rage
burned with Mattathias and he
slew this Jew. Recognizing the
need to flee, Mattathias shouts,
“Let everyone who is zealous for
the Law, and would maintain the
covenant, follow me."

A bloody war was car—
ried out for several years. In the
end, the enemies of the Jews were
defeated. Judah and his brothers
said, “Now that our enemies are
crushed, let us go up to purify and
dedicate the sanctuary." When
the army reached Mount Zion,
they saw the sanctuary desolated
and the altar profaned, the gates
burned up, and weeds growing in
the courts as in a forest.
Immediately, special people were
assigned to the task of cleaning
and rebuilding. Judah and his
brothers and the entire congrega-
tion of Israel decreed that the
days of the dedication of the alter
should be kept with gladness and

continued on page 6...
see Torah

T:
L

Qroveling was getting

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(\d
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remembered
her favorite color ,
was lavender.

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L_.____...______I

Mazon Awards
Grants to Local
Organizations

MAZON: A Jewish
Response to Hunger has awarded
God’s Pantry Food Bank in
Lexington $6,000 for the Frnds
for Food project and the Jen h
Community Center in Louisville
$4,000 for its kosher meals program.

Since 1986, Los
Angeles-based MAZON has
granted nearly $12 million to
organizations working to prevent
and alleviate hunger in the United
States, Israel and throughout the
world. Grants in 1996 total
$1,675,000. Over the last 11
years, MAZON has provided
$120,625 in grants to Kentucky
organizations.

Gu es

EDITORIAL

CKJF BOARD BRIEFS
October 23, 1996 Meeting

by Michael E. Adelstein

Michael Ades reported
that a renewed effort was being

made to contact major donors

who had not yet made their 1996

pledges, and Joel Eizenstat stated

that there were still about 200
other potential contributors who

needed to be reached.
Consequently, Tomas Milch H.
called a meeting of the directors
and campaign chairs to decide on
how to deal with this problem
created by the elimination of
Super Sunday telephoning.

Milch H. announced that
Arlene Cohen had regretfully

resigned from the Board.
Kimberly Slaton report-
ed on several planned activities,
and Susan Cantor announced sev-
eral Hillel meetings, trips, and the
mailings of the Hillel newsletter
to about 200 Jewish students,
including two football players.
Michael Grossman
reported on a planned CKJF
Freedom Forum, a School Board
meeting to deal with the holiday
policy, a proposal to send Fayette
teachers to the Washington
Holocaust Museum, and the pub—
lication of a directory of Jewish
contacts for the local media.
Mollye Schwab reported

on her Jewish Family Services
activities.

Evelyn Dantzic Geller
announced that CKJF had passed
its HIAS review and that the fur—
niture for resettlement was cost-
ing so much to store that it had
been decided to hold a sale and
use the receipts to purchase fumi-
ture for future new Americans.

Eizenstat stated that an
Israel Experience mailing had
gone out to about 220 families.

The S

eed

t Editorial

by Jan Pessin

he other night on the news
TI happened to see a story

about a cheerleader with
cerebral palsy in Texas. She had
been allowed to be a cheerleader
because it was her dream, but due
to the objections from the other
cheerleaders and their mothers,
her dream was denied.

In interviews with the
other cheerleaders and one of the
mothers, they simply felt they had
worked hard for their positions
and couldn’t tolerate that SHE
was getting her picture in the
paper. One of the mothers was
shown holding the school year-
book and commenting on the fact
that SHE is pictured prominately
while there is no mention of the
head cheerleader...is there no jus-
tice in the world that such a thing
could happen. Furthermore, the
mother went on to say that SHE
required extra care that the other
girls had to take care of them—
selves. Thus the girl with cere-
bral palsy no longer was able to
fulfill her dream -- the school

board voted “No."

I was watching this and
the word coming out of my mouth
was shame-shame on those girls
for being so small and uncompasv
sionate, and shame on the parents
for passing those very ideas onto
their children. The saying that
children can be cruel is true, but
children don’t learn that without
the input of their parents. That’s
where the seed of this kind of
behavior is planted. This may not
seem like a big problem, but it is
at the root of a very large prob—
lem. A society without compas-
sion, the willingness to give, and
help others starts with this kind of
behavior.

As a Jew the phrase
“Never Again!” sticks in my
mind....but not because as Jews
we will never allow ourselves to
be exterminated -- no it sticks in
my mind because genocides con—
tinue to happen. Even as I write
this article, Cambodia, Bosnia,
Africa are happening, have hap—
pened, and it would seem will
continue to happen. Just because

it’s not Jews doesn't mean it’s not
happening.

Perhaps you think I’ve
drifted from self-centered, selfish
cheerleaders and their mothers to
the Holocaust without reason. I
would suggest quite the contrary.
When you have one girl with
cerebral palsy, who is different,
and others feel threatened and
even jealous, then you indeed
have the seed of a very large
problem. World Peace a reality?
In my mind, not when parents
can’t teach their children basic
humanity.

Shame on them and
shame on you if you don’t give
your children the seed of kind-
ness, not the seed of hate. Give
them the gift that they can be
secure enough in themselves to be
a mench...a HUMAN BEING!

As far as world peace
goes, well as the song says -
maybe next year. Frankly, I’d
settle for seeing a little girl with
cerebral palsy say “I’m a cheer—
leader." It’s a start.

Jan of
Lexington, now resides in Los
Angeles. California.

Pe ssin, fo rm e rl)‘

Please send
Letters to the Editor:

CKJF
340 Romany Road
Lexington, KY 40502

All letters must be signed and
include your phone number.
Please limit letters to 200 words.
Shalom reserves the right to edit
submitted letters for content,
clarity and brevity.

n ...Sha/om.. . December 1996/January 1997

VFEATURE

Growing Up Jewish in Lexington

by Rosie Moosnick

very year at about
this time, with the
onset of the

Christmas season, the news media
makes overtures to the Jewish
community, presenting images of
Jewish families celebrating the
festival of lights, Hanukah. The
Jews, so it seems, are coping well
with the dominance of Christmas,
despite the fact that it dwarfs their
celebration. But are appearances
reality? Just what is it like to
grow up a minority in Lexington?

With the shooting of
Tony Sullivan, the existence and
the conditions of life of African
Americans in Lexington were
thrust into the public eye. But
Lexington, of course, is home to
many other small populations of
minorities: Palestinians. Chinese.
and Indians i|l\’ iw nunr- .l Yt‘\‘~.
tot e rei‘ 5 "
said that it is well past time that
we addressed the needs of minori-
ties and understood that some
among us experience Lexington
differently from what is possibly
considered the cultural norm.

ne can only hope
that the city is
today sufficient-

ly mature to try understanding the
experiences of minorities.
Knowledge of others’ perspec-
tives begins this maturation
process. I hope that, by revealing
my experiences as a Jew, I can
contribute to Lexington’s self-
knowledge and growth.

""1 v,

Santa Claus was proba-
bly the first Christian symbol to
penetrate my psyche and tell me I
stood outside the cultural norm.
From an early age I knew all
about Santa. I understood that he
was the embodiment of good and
that if you crossed this old man,
you wouldn’t proﬁt. So, from the
beginning, I tried to understand
why Santa didn’t stop at my
house on Christmas Eve. “Was I
bad, undeserving of toys?” I
wondered. “We are Jewish, we
don’t believe in Santa,” I was

told.

But Santa
was everywhere, how
could I not believe?
Steadfast in my belief,
I pondered logistical
consideration. If
Santa was flying
around up there, how did he know
not to stop at our house? Dazzled
by the holiday spirit, I supposed
that Santa and his reindeer know
to leap past our house because
bright Christmas lights appeared
miraculously on our rooftop on
Christmas Eve, spelling in gigan-
tic letters “JEWS.”

ater, when I was
certain Santa was
a fabrication, I

felt superior to my Christian
friends, because long before they
had a clue. I knew there wasn’t a
Santa.

\\!lll

Thus I managed to cope
Viiﬂs. (WHEN \\ !_ ﬂy,

7,, -. ‘ -,» -_~ we,

isolating. The Christmas gaiety at
the malls, the music and decora-
tions; all this didn’t speak to me.

And even as it seemed
that my family was increasingly
incorporating this gaiety (in par-
ticular the multitude of lights and
even silver foil) into our Hanukah
celebration, this assimilation did—
n’t alleviate the dread I experi-
enced on Christmas day. The big
day meant I was quarantined in
the house. It meant that nothing
was open, not even the malls, and
that there was no one to talk to
since my Christian friends were
busy. My family, of course,
found ways to adjust, like ﬂeeting
to Chinese restaurants with other
non-Christians.

Christmas wasn’t the
only time of year that religious
differences caught my attention. I
routinely missed school for the
Jewish High Holidays, and while
I enjoyed the reprieve this
brought, I dreaded the attention
poured on me upon my return. I
sometimes felt as ifI were a
Jewish poster child: “Describe
your holidays to the class,” the
teacher would good-naturedly
intone.

Others, however, were

not so well intentioned. I was
perhaps only eight or nine when
some neighborhood kids sang in
unison to me, “You killed Jesus,
you killed Jesus.” Horriﬁed, I ran
home crying and asked my moth-
er about this accusation. I can
still see her lighting her cigarette,
pained by my story and, what’s
more, scared. These children did-
n’t have the social grace to hold
back things that their parents or

“Don ’t act like those

or in arty way
‘stereotypical, ’ was the
bottom line.”

preachers thought but never artic-

ulated.
uch incidents
raised a litany of
questions for my

family. Didn’t Jews hear similar
accusation in another land and
time? The question always arose:
Could a holocaust happen here?
Unlike European Jews, we would
be prepared. By the age of ten,
for instance, I had already
combed our house for a hiding
place. Better than Anne Frank, I
would ﬁnd a fool-proof place for
concealment. My brother, on the
other hand, developed a Jewish
Rambo attitude to the whole
thing. “I’ll give them a good
fight, if they try to take me," he
declared. But while we had our
plan, our lives were comfortable,
so we really thought little about
this.

Yet this comfort
was sometimes dimin-
ished. Virtually the
only tale I know about
my grandfather is that
he brought his family to
Versailles in 1924, even
though he was con—
cerned aboutthe com-
fort level for Jews in Kentucky.
Rumor has it that the Ku Klux
Klan rallied the night before he
arrived, not because a Jew was
going to town, but in one of their
routine gatherings. I place a great
deal of signiﬁcance on this inci-
dent, because I think it was mean-
ingful for my family. My grand—
parents interpreted it to mean that
it would be best to be Jewish qui-
etly--not easy for my grandfather
with a thick Polish accent who
was not long off the boat.

his self—protective
attitude lingered.
ll\\\\ c\ er Don‘t

the bottom line. I remember in
high school when a New York
Jew, who confirmed all the
stereotypes, came to my class to
talk about his work. After he
spoke, a friend and fellow student
remarked, “What a Jew! You
aren’t like that guy, Rosie.” I
cringe when I think about this
incident, because I proudly agreed
with him. I had managed to avoid
acting “like a Jew.”

In many ways, however,
Ijust couldn’t be as polished as
the Southern ideal required. I just
didn’t have the right appearance.
While not all Jews, of course,
look “Jewish,” growing up I often
felt like I wore Barbra Streisand’s
nose and Art Garfunkel’s hair. I
have a nose a little bigger and hair
a little kinkier than is standard in
Lexington. While these features
today are sources of pride for me,
I once found them to be hin-
drances. I recall one junior high
school boy’s evaluation: “She
would be pretty, if she didn’t have
such a big nose.”

And how can I forget
one youth in particular from high
school who interacted with me

only by riding me about my nose?
I dreaded encountering him, for it
meant more “kidding.” He would
try to measure my nose with his
finger and thought this was funny.
He probably doesn’t remember
now, but I can still see the routine
he put on for the most popular
older kids whom we were both
trying to impress.

omehow this boy’s
banter made me
feel like Woody

Allen in Annie Hall, for while this
kid was measuring my nose, I was
suddenly transformed from a sec-
ular Jew into a religious one, so
obviously marked by my attire.
And this didn’t happen in the
secure environs of Brooklyn. I
was alone, surrounded by the
most goyish of the goyem.

Although experiences
like these are searing for children
and adolesecms. as an adult 1 real—

_| I ‘ '7'. . I. ‘

gar-eve that i‘ve‘tiés'r ‘5

feted as have African Americans,
for instance. In may ways I have
had it good in Lexington. But
reflecting upon my own experi-
ences leads me to wonder about
and fear the adversity I would
have faced in Lexington had my
class status not been so secure and
my skin not so white. Perhaps
belonging to a minority affords
one insight not available to the
majority.

In any event, the holiday
season is a propitious time to
attempt to understand the position
of others who do not celebrate
Christmas or have little means to
enjoy the material goods that
symbolize the holiday.

This article ﬁrst appeared in the
December 1994 issue of “Ace
Magazine. ”

Shalom...December 1996/January 1997... a

FEATURE

J F S. . . continued from page 1

community, are successfully
employed as applicable, and have
the appropriate resources to be
independently functioning in their
new environment. Regular con-
tact through the required docu—
mentation of services is made
with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid
Society to insure that the appro—
priate services are provided on a
consistent basis. The
Resettlement Committee with
Jewish Family Services is also
presently providing regular accul-
turation programs designed to
further the successful integration
of new Americans in the Jewish
community.

JFS operates the Wise
Jewish Dateline, the Jewish sin-
gles network where connections
for singles in the tri-state area are
initiated. Other regular activities
of JFS include ongoing program
development involving communi-
ty public relations with various
agencies and organizations, and
continuing social work education
through seminars, study, and
workshops. Administrative
duties are part of the profile of
this JFS Directorship as well. I
have developed the policy and

procedure manuals for the
Resettlement program and the
Social Work Services of JFS.
Both of which are designed to
provide professional accountabili-
ty and continuity of services.
Other duties include initiating
quality assurance studies, needs
assessments, student supervision,

and ongoing communication with .

the CKJF Board of Directors, j
Resettlement Committee, and the .

Social Services Committee.
There it is!

Jewish l

Family Services, past and present. .

Together, may we all look to a
promising future for the central
Kentucky Jewish Family Services

agency. The future is in all of our '

hands as to where we want
Jewish Family Services to go
from here. Jewish Family
Services is growing in the sense
of where it was a year and a half
ago. I have every reason to
believe that JFS will continue to
not only grow, but will continue
to have the ability to change its
destination and focus as needed
by the community as it also
grows and changes. So, stay

.tungcst. this? combsium if net .,

just worth ill

Torah. . .continued from page 3

joy at their due season, year after
year, for eight days from the 25th
of the month of Kislev. They cel-
ebrated this rededication,
HANUKAH, for eight days in the
manner of the Feast of
Tabernacles, mindful of how but
a little while before at the festival
of Tabernacles they had been
wandering about like wild beasts
in the mountains and caves.
According to the above,
the celebration of Hanukah is for
t