Jewish Post and Opinion

Opinion The Jewish National Edition Post Presenting a broad spectrum of Jewish News and Opinions since 1935. & Volume 89, Number 1 • May 24, 2023 • 4 Sivan 5783 www.jewishpostopinion.com • https://go.usa.gov/xn7ay Cover photos by Michael Voskoboynik (see About the Cover, p. 2).

2 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 Cover photos by Michael Voskoboynik Michael and his wife, Irene Fox, who is an integrative medicine doctor in Indianapolis, took a guided tour of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain during the first two weeks this April of 2023. Michael took many beautiful scenic photographs.The ones on the cover are of synagogues and other places of Jewish interest. Photos (clockwise, starting bottom left): 1925 synagogue in Melilla, Spain; mural commemorating a Jewish massacre in 1506 in Lisbon; synagogue in Kadoorie Mekor Haim; courtyard in Cordoba, Spain; Jewish remnants in Seville, Spain; About the Cover j i Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso will be stepping down as senior rabbi at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck at the end of June this year after 47 years. Volumes could be written about all that he and his wife of 53 years, Rabbi Sandy Sasso, have accomplished not just for their congregation, but for all of Indianapolis and beyond. What is written below came from the Indiana History Center when the rabbinic couple were honored last summer as Indiana Living Legends. We wish them both well in all they do going forward and hope to see them around for many years to come. Rabbis Sandy and Dennis Sasso are history makers both individually and collectively, serving their community with bountiful effort, energy and passion. Sandy was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband. Sandy and Dennis are the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Dennis has been Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck since 1977. A native of the Republic of Panama, he descends from Spanish/Portuguese Sephardic families who settled in the Caribbean following the discovery of the Americas. Dennis has served on many boards, including the Indiana Board of Rabbis, the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, United Way of Central Indiana, the Immigrant Welcome Center, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School Board of Trustees, and the Lake Family Institute Advisory Board. Sandy is Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, where she served for 36 years. In 2014, she became the director of the Spirituality, Religion and the Arts Initiative, now at IUPUI Arts and Humanities. Sandy is active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities and has written and lectured on women, spirituality, and children’s religious imagination. She is also the author of nationally-acclaimed children’s books, winning National Jewish Book and Indiana Authors Awards. Sandy is cofounder of Women4Change Indiana and served as President of Gleaners Food Bank and Chair of the Spirit and Place Festival. She serves on the boards of Indiana Humanities, Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Advisory Board of IUPUI, and Environmental Resilience Initiative. Sandy and Dennis are recipients of the “Hoosier Jewish Legends”award from the Indiana Jewish Historical Society and the “Interfaith Ambassador of the Year”award from the Center for Interfaith Cooperation as well as the Sagamore of the Wabash for Rabbi D. Sasso Stepping Down Distinguished Citizen Award from the Governor of the State of Indiana. Dennis obtained his B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, an M.A. in religion from Temple University, and was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974. He holds a Doctor of Ministry in theology from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, where he is Affiliate Professor of Jewish Studies. He is the recipient of various Doctor of Divinity Honorary degrees. Sandy received her B.A. Magna Cum Laude and M.A. from Temple University. She was ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and received a Doctor of Ministry from Christian Theological Seminary. Sandy is a recipient of the Heritage Keepers, Spirit of the Prairie, and Torchbearer awards. They are the parents of David (Naomi) and Debbie (Brad) and grandparents of Darwin, Raven, Ari, and Levi. ✡ Rabbis Sandy and Dennis Sasso, on the occassion of receiving a Hoosier Living Legend Award from the Indiana Historical Society on July 28, 2022. Michael Voskoboynik by the statue of Maimonides in Cordoba, Spain. On Friday evening May 12, 2023, a Special Shabbat Service in honor of Rabbi Dennis’s retirement featured original music by the Sasso’s son, David, with special guests Jacob’s Ladder (www.jacobsladdermusic.com). Jacob’s Ladder (formerly known as Kol Kahol) is a virtuosic Jewish Bluegrass band based in Boston. Their members are from left to right in the photo below: Sophia Chiarandini, [David Sasso], Ariel Wyner, G Rockwell, and Noah Harrington. Jacob’s Ladder together with David Sasso presented David’s, “Sasson v’ Simcha: A Bluegrass Erev Shabbat.”His sister, Debbie Herold, also joined the klezmer sounding group on the bimah with her brother making for very beautiful harmonies. This music sounded exquisite and CDs of it are available in the Congregation Beth-El Zedeck (BEZ) giftshop or at the following link: davidsasso.band camp.com/album/ sasson-vsimcha begining June 9. Photos from that evening can be found on the BEZ Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profile at the following links: www.face book.com/Congregation BEZ/, twitter. com/BEZ_Indy, www.instagram.com/ bez_indy/. (see Cover, page 4)

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 3 en/newspapers/indianajpost Perhaps the reason I was able to do all those editions was because while I was working on one edition, I never assumed another one would come after it. I focused exclusively on it and did not think about a future edition. Now I hear from popular spiritual teachers that it is better not to rethink the past because it is over, nor think about the future that has not happened but focus solely on the present moment. I also wrote how grateful I am to our advertisers; subscribers; people who submitted news; our talented staff; and friends, relatives, and readers who were supportive and gave feedback on the editions. Now I want to thank Larry and Dona Cohen of Norle Investments who were very supportive for two years before and three years after my father passed away in 2007. These people are not related but the newspaper office was located next to theirs for about 14 years. A special note of appreciation goes to my two sisters Debbie and Hermine who frequently helped me improve my editorials, and my brother, Rabbi Benzion Cohen, who submitted his column religiously for 15 years. I also have great appreciation for all the artists whose creations made our covers look so beautiful! Regarding aesthetics, a very special thanks to our current graphic designer, Charlie Bunes, for the past 15 years, who has not only made our layouts look so gorgeous and well organized, but has also written great headlines and helped me keep everything as accurate as possible. In this final National edition, I want to especially thank some of the writers who toiled for more than 30 years to contribute interesting and pertinent articles with photos to help illustrate their writing. Some of these writers who are still submitting columns began doing so years before I became involved. They are Rabbi Elliot Gertel, Sybil Kaplan, Rose Kleiner, Jim Shipley, Miriam Zimmerman, Rabbi Irwin Wiener, and Rabbi Israel Zoberman. When I first started 24 years ago, we had columnists who had been contributing for decades – sadly, too many have since passed. A few of those were Arnold Ages, Moshe ben Asher, Irene Backalenick, Dr. Morton Gold, Jean Herschaft, Mary Hofmann, Yossi Klein Halevi (who at that time, 1971-1979, went by Yossi Klein), Samson Krupnick, Jacob Neusner, Rabbi Samuel Silver, and Dr. Morton I. Teicher. Also in this edition on page 6 are obituaries for three men who played a major role throughout the years of the newspaper. My brother Larry Cohen’s was mostly financial support. The contributions of the other two are listed in their obituaries. Speaking of those who recently passed away, we have a tribute to Rabbi Harold Kushner on page 7.Twenty years ago, when This edition was supposed to be on the holiday of Shavuot, but I received several articles on the Holocaust, three of which are survivor resilience stories, so it turned out to be more on Yom HaShoah and Yom HaAtzmaut. This will be our final National edition. Our final Indiana edition was published March 29, 2023. Afterward, I received very nice compliments. Below in italics is one of them. I was sad to read that the latest IN issue was the last printed one. Is there going to be an online version? Having the Post & Opinion go away is like losing an old friend. It has been my way of maintaining some connection with the community of my childhood. I always looked forward to your editorials and the various announcements of simchas and other events. I remember so many of the people and their families. You and your father have played a major role in the vibrancy of the Indianapolis Jewish community. A big shekoyach to both of you. Steve Y., Chicago I had to look up the word “shekoyach”. It’s a Yiddish word that expresses thanks, appreciation, and congratulations. In fact, one can use the phrase in any situation “yasher koach”is appropriate. To answer Steve’s question, we will not be doing an online version but eventually we hope to post some of the news and events to our website and our social media profiles. If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer to help with this, please contact us at [email protected]. We are already working on some special editions on subjects such as, “Grieving a Loss Jewishly”, “Healing and Wholeness from a Jewish Perspective”,“Encounters with Remarkable Jewish People”, and “Timeless Jewish Teachings from Northern California”. If your subscription is current, you will receive a copy of those in the mail. If it is not, and you would like to receive them, please contact us via the telephone number, email or address here on page 3 with your request. On page 4 of our final Indiana edition, I explained how I very gradually took over for my father when he was 93 and still working full time but not able to keep up with running the newspaper. This was after doing weekly issues non-stop for 71 years. You can read that edition at the following link: jewishpostopinion.com (IN_3-29-23.pdf). Looking at those editions going back more than 20 years, it is hard to even imagine how they all got published. Now those and all the editions going back to 1933 are searchable on the National Library of Israel website at this link: www.nli.org.il/ Editorial Inside this Issue 1389 W 86th St. #160 Indianapolis, IN 46260 email: [email protected] phone and fax: (317) 405-8084 website: www.jewishpostopinion.com publisher & editor: Jennie Cohen graphic designer: Charlie Bunes Post&Opinion The Jewish Jewish News and Opinion since 1935. he was promoting his book on the 23rd psalm, he spoke at the Indianapolis JCC. Rabbi D. Sasso Stepping Down...........2 About the Cover......................................2 Jennie Cohen: (Editorial).........................3 Maimonides Texts Discovered .............4 Melinda Ribner: (Kabbalah of the Month) Sivan – began on May 20th ...............5 JPO Obituaries.........................................6 Rabbi Benjamin Sendrow: A Tribute to Rabbi Harold Kushner .......7 Miriam Zimmerman: (Holocaust Educator) A Munich Passover: When to Teach the Children .............8 Posting the Past: Rabbi Harold Kushner .......................9 Holocaust Survivor Resilience: Ruth Ellen (Goldberg) Nassberg, Alexander Lande, the Klausenberger Rebbe .....................10 Rabbi David Wolpe Increase Happiness ...........................13 Jim Shipley: (Shipley Speaks) It Started With The Burning of Books ..14 Sybil Kaplan: (Seen on the Israel Scene) A Shavuot Memory.............................15 Sybil Kaplan: (My Kosher Kitchen) Salmon is Healthy..............................15 Rabbi Israel Zoberman: (Book Review) The Memory Monster...........................16 Cantor Janice Roger: (New Music Review) Remember, Revere, Rejoice...................17 Rabbi Elliot B. Gertel: (Media Watch) The Wolf of Wall Street ........................18 Matthew J. Silver: The First Night of Shavuos................20 (see Editorial, page 5) See Historical Digital Issues of The Jewish Post & Opinion since 1930 at https://go.usa.gov/xn7ay, Read recent digital issue online at: www.jewishpostopinion.com Follow us on Facebook at: Jewish Post & Opinion, newspaper Follow us on Twitter at: #JewishPostOpin

4 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 COVER (continued from page 2) synagogue entrance in Melilla, Spain; that synagogue’s interior in Melilla, Spain; and a synagogue’s commemorative plaque in Tangier, Morocco. (see more on Michael’s Facebook page) Michael is the Technology Coordinator and Teacher, and volleyball coach at the Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis. He was born and raised in Malin, Ukraine and immigrated to the United States in 1992. He was a math teacher prior to his emigration and continued his teaching career after his arrival in the US.Additionally, Michael began teaching Technology. He developed a passion for using technology to discover family history, and assigned various projects that encouraged his students to delve into their ancestors’ stories, like the Family Tree project and a Holocaust-related project known as “Virtual Trip to Eastern Europe”. ✡ Cambridge University Library press release: Friday, May 12, 2023. (www.cam.ac.uk/stories/maimonidesfragments-discovered) A Visiting Researcher to Cambridge has found previously unknown evidence of the legendary Jewish philosopher writing in a Romance dialect in manuscript fragments dating from the 12th century. A scrap of 900-year-old paper – part of Cambridge’s Cairo Genizah collection of more than chronicling life over 1,000 years in Egypt and the Middle East – has been identified as containing the handwriting of the legendary Jewish philosopher Maimonides [a.k.a: the Rambam]. The pages are a glossary of basic terms relating to herbs, basic foods and colours and were identified by José Martínez Delgado, a visiting professor to Cambridge University Library’s Genizah Research Unit, from the Department of Semitic Studies at the University of Granada. Around 60 fragments written by Maimonides have been found in the Cairo Genizah manuscripts, and most are written in Maimonides’ customary Judaeo-Arabic (Arabic language written with the Hebrew alphabet). His writings include letters, legal rulings, and early drafts of his important works. What makes this fragment unique, however, is the fact that Maimonides has added the translation in a Romance dialect below some words. It is the first evidence for Maimonides knowing Romance, an evolving dialect version of Latin that is a pre-cursor to what would eventually become modern-day Spanish dialects and language. Maimonides was born in Cordoba in 1135. His codification of Jewish law (the Mishneh Torah) is still considered a cornerstone of Jewish law and ethics. Through such works, Maimonides attempts to show that every part of Jewish law serves a rational purpose and that nothing was demanded for the sake of obedience alone. He influenced thinkers as diverse as Newton and Aquinas and set forth the philosophic foundations of Jewish belief and wider philosophy in works such as the Guide of the Perplexed. Maimonides also served as Head of the Jews in Egypt and was renowned for his medical and scientific knowledge. In addition to being one of the Jewish faith’s most important thinkers and philosophers, Maimonides was also physician to the court of the Muslim sultan Saladin. Maimonides must have written these fragments – later deposited in the Cairo Genizah from where Cambridge’s collection derives – sometime between 1168 when he arrived in Egypt and 1204, the year of his death. Martínez Delgado said: “Something about the handwriting in these Cambridge fragments seemed familiar. At last, I realised what I was looking at. I had seen this handwriting before. I quickly sent a message to my friend Amir Ashur (at Tel Aviv University). “I didn’t say what I was thinking – I just asked him to look at the fragment, too. Then came confirmation of my suspicions. Amir had seen what I had seen. We were looking at Maimonides’ handwriting, in some sort of Romance dialect.” The importance of the existence of the glossary, clearly datable to the second half of the 12th century, is that it adds early examples of evolving Romance languages at this period in history. Added Martínez Delgado: “The glossary covers four semantic categories: colours, flavours and aromas, actions, and food. Why was Maimonides collecting these words? What does it tell us about him? “The sequence of the words is interesting, as we are seeing him ‘at work’, writing a progression of words that make sense to him. The terms don’t follow alphabetical order – they are arranged logically by basic associations (bread, water), and opposites (white, black). The category of colours (white, black, blue, red, green, yellow, purple), ends in ‘light’ and ‘dark’ and then moves to flavours and aromas. The connection between these is presumably the senses, moving from sight to taste to smell. “The list of foods moves from basic foods (bread, water) to vegetables, to Handwritten (Bilingual) Maimonides Texts Discovered at Cambridge University Library edible seeds (wheat, chickpea), to seeded fruits (olive, fig), to dried fruits/nuts (acorn, pistachio), to foods from other natural products (milk, honey). The list of actions first describes the basic actions undertaken by all animals (eat, sleep), and then moves to actions, feelings and emotions that are more specific to people. Interestingly, although the words are in a Romance dialect, the plurals seem to be Italian, so it is a very mixed text. “As to why he was collecting the words? He was a physician, with students, so perhaps he was gathering the terms for a medical or educational reason, or testing himself on his vocabulary!” Dr. Melonie Schmierer-Lee, Research Associate at the Genizah Research Institute, said: “The Cairo Genizah fragments have been in Cambridge for over 120 years, but the work of cataloguing and interpreting Two pages in Maimonides’ handwriting in which he has listed words in JudaeoArabic and given Judaeo-Romance translations beneath. Dr. Solomon Schechter with the Genizah collection in the old University Library at the Old Schools, Cambridge University, 1898. (see details in end section, p. 13) Martínez Delgado (see Maimonides, page 14) j i

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 5 Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each month, is an auspicious time to attune to the spiritual opportunities available to us in the upcoming month. According to Kabbalistic teachings, each month has a unique energy and spiritual opportunity. The month of Sivan is known to be one of the most beautiful months of the year both physically and spiritually. Not only is nature blossoming this month, we also come alive in Sivan! Sivan is a time of love, intimacy, unity, and creativity more than any other month. This is a reason why more weddings take place during the month of May and June. Sivan is also considered an auspicious time for gaining clarity about one’s life purpose along with the necessary guidance and blessing needed to live it. The entire month of Sivan is all about receiving. May people know how to give, and many know how to take but fewer know how to truly receive. Sivan is a time of learning how to receive on all levels of being. To truly receive is to be open without an agenda, to be present, and to accept each moment gratefully. In the month of Sivan, it is easier to let go of thoughts, feelings and actions which do not embody our true essence. When we let go of ego-based feelings that are not rooted in truth of who we really are, we naturally become vessels for something more expanded, authentic and Divine. It is good to spend time in nature this month to embrace the beauty of life. Being in nature helps us become more loving and accepting of life as it is unfolding for us. We celebrate the holiday of Shavuos, celebrating the Giving and Receiving of the Torah from sunset on May 25th to sunset May 27th (outside of the Land of Israel). This phenomenal event could only take place during this beautiful month of Sivan. The Divine revelation that takes place on Shavuous offers a covenant, an ever-lasting partnership between the Jewish people and the Creator of the Universe. There is a deep Kabbalistic teaching that the same spiritual energy manifest when a holiday occurred in biblical times is available at that time of the month every year, making Shavuous a holiday for receiving a tremendous divine influx of blessing. If we want to be capable of receiving Divine revelation, we first have to be able to be in an open and loving heart and move more deeply into the experience of Being by letting go of the ego mind that is always thinking and trying to figure out life to feel safe. It is said that when the Jewish people received the Torah they were of one heart, so unified that they were likened to one being. In the Torah passage describing Israel’s encampment at the foot of Mount Sinai at the time of the new moon of Sivan, the word encamped is written in the singular rather than the plural form. It was unity that enabled the Israelites to receive the Torah. Take a moment to imagine yourself amidst the Jewish people, having left Egypt, traveling through the desert, and now standing on the foot of Mount Sinai, yearning to receive Divine Revelation. The month of Sivan is an auspicious time for meditation. Meditation enables us to be more fully in the present moment. When we are open to being in the present moment, we leave the boundaries of time and space that do not serve us to experience the awesomeness and holiness of eternity. In this state, we access our own souls and are able to receive what God wants to give us, which is much greater than anything we could imagine. It is we who often limit ourselves, not God. This is the month of learning how to be the proper vessel to receive Divine connection and revelation. God is not a projection of our ego mind, but a real, loving and living Presence. Even though God may be hidden, God is the INFINITE TRUE REALITY Who not only created every human being and everything in creation but Who is ever-present to all. We can raise our consciousness to a higher Divine frequency through prayer, meditation, doing mitzvot and good deeds. The name Israel means,“Yashar El”, Straight to God. As Jews we are entrusted to experience, embody and share the direct revelation of the Divine in this physical world. During this month, we gain greater clarity of our unique soul purpose for this incarnation. Everyone has the capacity to have a direct experience of their own souls and the Infinite One Awesome Being, our Creator who is loving and sustaining us at all times.You are worthy, you are loved and cherished. All you have to do is to become a vessel to receive what God wants to give you. As Reb Shlomo once said, God believes in you whether you believe in God or not. May we be blessed this month to be open, trusting, surrendering and always choosing to receive the highest Divine revelation! Sending Much Love and Blessings. Melinda Ribner L.C.S.W. is the author of Everyday Kabbalah, Kabbalah Month by Kabbalah of the Month BY MELINDA RIBNER Chodesh Sivan Began at Sunset on May 20th Month, New Age Judaism, and The Secret Legacy of Biblical Women: Revealing the Divine Feminine. Free Jewish meditation classes are offered on zoom twice a week. Sign up for a free newsletter on the Kabbalistic energies of the months, holidays, meditation, and zoom links by emailing her at: Beitmiriam @msn.com or sign up on her Facebook pro page Melinda Ribner Spiritual Guide. Website: MelindaRibner.com. ✡ EDITORIAL (continued from page 3) I covered that speech for our Nov. 26, 2003 edition and my editorial for that is on page 9. Lastly, I want to thank Brainstorm Print, who printed all the editions for the past 12 years. I could always count on them to finish on schedule even if their equipment broke down. Graphic designer Matt Hanthorn was very patient. Frequently, after I had given him my permission to go ahead and print, I would call and tell him to “hold the presses”because I found mistakes that needed to be corrected first. After all these years, the list of people who deserve a huge “thank you”could go on and on. One example is my mother, Helen Cohen, who wrote a column for 27 years while raising eight children. Hopefully I applauded these people in previous editions but if not, my apologies now for omitting them. Besides the Indiana editions, also searchable on the National Library of Israel website are my father, Gabriel Cohen’s newspapers under different names that he published before World War II from Louisville, Ky. Here are the links to those: www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/ kentuckyjc, www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/ chroniclerspokesman. On the website for Illinois Newspaper Digital Collections at the following link: idnc.library.illinois.edu/, one can search The Chicago Jewish Post & Opinion published from 1962–1981. My brother, Ted, was the editor of the Chicago edition from 1974–1979. In my editorial for our last Indiana edition, I wrote about a podcast hosted by Evey Rosenbloom about Ways to Increase Happiness where she interviewed Rabbi David Wolpe (see page 13). It has been my joy to be able to share these types of positive, uplifting messages over the years. This wraps up what my goal for the newspaper was when I first started writing. For our May 21, 2003 edition, I wrote that words matter and I wanted to publish fewer words that hurt and more words that heal. We wish all of our dear readers a happy, healthy and meaningful Shavuot 5783! Jennie Cohen, May 24, 2023 ✡ j i

6 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 JPO Obituaries Lawrence Baruch Cohen, 83, passed away April 19, 2023, in Providence, R.I., following an automobile accident. Born in Indianapolis, Ind. on June 18, 1939, to Gabriel Cohen, founder of The Jewish Post & Opinion, and Helen (Aronovitz) Cohen, Larry grew up attending Congregation Beth-El Zedeck on Ruckle Street. He graduated from Broad Ripple High School in 1957, the University of Chicago in 1961, and obtained his PhD in Zoology from Columbia University in 1966. Larry pioneered methods of exploring Neuroscience and Cell Physiology using various dyes to show changes in neurologic activity. He started his research as a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory at the University of Cambridge. For the next 55 years he made groundbreaking discoveries in his field while working in his labs at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., where he spent numerous summers, and in Seoul, Korea. From the early measurement of membrane potential using dyes in Larry’s lab, he progressed to the study of the central nervous system. He started with investigations of the ganglions of squid and barnacles and advanced to investigating the mammalian central nervous system. Larry’s technology enables exploration of neural transmission in mammalian retinas and hearts. The tantalizing metaphor popularized by Sherrington: “The enchanted loom where millions of flashing shuttles weave a dissolving pattern, always a meaningful pattern, though never an abiding one; a shifting harmony of subpatterns” drove scientists, led by Larry and his colleagues to learn more about the brain, that “great raveled knot.” The exploration of the central nervous system, much abetted by Larry’s optical dye methods, is barely in its infancy. Already many new observations have been reported, with many more to come all due to Larry’s pioneering and fruitful work. More personally Larry had a remarkable quickness of mind and analytic ability. This was often belied by his slowness of speech, which usually reflected consideration and caution. He also evinced an unusual talent for recognizing important outstanding problems in his area of interest, and in other areas as well. As a result, he was usually far in advance of his field, as had been the case with his dye indicators and encoded voltage sensors. At the following link is a 15 minute video interview with Larry from 2015 describing what, why and how he did his research: history.archives.mbl.edu/browse/videoaudio/lawrence-cohen Despite his numerous achievements and his distinction, Larry remained a thoroughly modest and unassuming man. He was also an exceptional mentor to scores of students, postdocs and collaborators, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in areas related to light and imaging. For nearly a half century he remained a welcoming, humble, and very social character – opening his home to many friends and colleagues, in New Haven as well as Woods Hole. The parties at his house brought together so many scientists from all over the world; many friendships were formed across fields, continents and generations of researchers. His jokes were legendary, as was his love of wine, cheese, popcorn, and Persian pistachios. Larry is predeceased by his first wife, Lorie (Fumel) Cohen, whom he met at the University of Chicago, and is survived by their two sons, Daniel and Avrum; grandsons Zev, Samuel and Jason; daughter Lily, by his second wife Barbara Ehrlich; brothers Teddy and Benzion, sisters Miriam, Debbie, Jennie, Hermine, and Rena, and numerous nieces and nephews and their children. For as long as he lived, he remained a father figure for his seven younger siblings, their children and grandchildren. A graveside service was held in the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery in Louisville, Ky., on April 26th where he is buried near his parents, his paternal grandparents, Isaac and Jennie Cohen, his uncle and aunt, Banis and Rose Cohen and his cousin, Dr. Burton J. Cohen. Donations in his memory may be made to Just Vision or Kentucky Natural Lands Trust. Arrangements entrusted to AaronRuben-Nelson Mortuary. A good portion of this obituary was written by his colleague and friend Brian Salzberg. Marvin J. Migdol, 84, loving father, grandfather, and brother, passed away on April 24, 2021. He was born on Jan. 11, 1937 in Rochester, N.Y., to Frank and Dorothy Migdol. After receiving his BA degree in Sociology from the University of Buffalo and MA degree in Public Relations from Boston University, Marv worked in Public Relations and fundraising for the United Way, hospitals, and United Jewish Appeal. He was also an educator and lecturer at numerous colleges and universities. An entrepreneur, Marv also authored numerous articles and was on the boards of the University of Buffalo Alumni Association, American Jewish Congress, Boy Scouts of America, and the American Hospital Association. He was active in the civil rights movement, and a facilitator for Dallas Dinner, striving to build racial understanding. An avid bridge player, he held the rank of Silver Life Master. In his spare time, he enjoyed umpiring baseball games. For more than 40 years beginning February 14, 1969, he wrote more than 130 articles that were published in The Jewish Post & Opinion. Some of those, especially the later ones, were jokes that he shared such as this one from Dec. 24, 2008: “New White House staff: So far there is Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod, Ronald Klain, Larry Summers, Paul Volcker, Tim Geithner and Peter Orszag. Maybe it’s just because I’m Jewish, but am I the only one noticing that Obama and Biden are not so much assembling staff, as gathering a minyan?” He is survived by five children, Helene, Larry, Michael, Susan, and Honi, sister, Nancy, and grandchildren Kayleigh, Will, Shawn, and Alesha. He is preceded in death by son Steve and grandson Josh. There was a private family service, but all are welcome to watch via livestream, details on www.sparkman-hillcrest.com. Donations may be made to Temple Shalom, Dallas, or the SUNY at Buffalo. Charles (Charlie) Roth, 97, was born in Manhattan on March 7, 1925 to Meir Hillel and Dina (Thaler) Roth. He passed away there on May 22, 2022. He was the youngest child of six, having two brothers and three sisters, though one sister Regina died of heart disease at age 20. He was managing editor of The Jewish Post & Opinion (JPO) from 1953–1983. Then from 1983–1990 he published The Jewish Post & Renaissance of New York. One can read more than 120 columns he wrote between 1953–1993 for JPO at the following link: https://www.nli.org.il/en/ newspapers/indianajpost In the early 1940s when Charlie was a teenagaer, his family moved from Coney Island to Crown Heights. At that time few Lubavitchers lived there and even his father was a Sadigerer Chasid, but Charlie wanted to study at the Lubavitch Yeshiva. His father accepted that and Charlie continued there until about age 21. His was a classmate of the late Jewish Renewal founder Reb Zalman SchachterShalomi, and they remained close friends until his passing July 3, 2014. In a tribute to Reb Zalman after his passing Charlie wrote this about him: “I am probably his oldest groupie and Chasid. It started in 1941 at the Lubavitcher (see Obituaries, page 7)

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 7 The Loss of a Legend: A Tribute to Rabbi Harold Kushner BY RABBI BENJAMIN SENDROW On Friday, April 28, the Jewish world suffered a terrible loss. On that day, Rabbi Harold Kushner, z”l, 88, passed away. This was not just a loss to the Jewish community, however, nor even just to America, but to people the world over. Rabbi Kushner’s books were translated into many languages and became best sellers all over the world. As a fellow Conservative rabbi, I was fortunate enough to befriend Rabbi Kushner. We had a congregant in common, a couple who spent their winters in Southwest Florida where I held a pulpit for 18 years, and their summers in Natick, Mass., where he was the Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel. Our common members were well known to him, the husband being a member of the Temple Israel Board of Directors that first hired Rabbi Kushner. When they heard I would be attending a convention of the Conservative Movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, they asked me to send their regards to Rabbi Kushner. I was both excited to do so, and quite a bit scared at the same time. He was, by that time, a world famous author. I remember approaching him feeling much like Dorothy must have felt when she first approached the Wizard of Oz. But far from being intimidating, I found him to be warm, kind, and down to earth. He was, in every way, a mentsch. We began to chat each year at RA conventions. Then a local hospice began to bring him down to our town almost annually to give a talk. It became our practice to have dinner together before he spoke. It turned out that like me, Rabbi Kushner was a very serious baseball fan, a true student of the game. He had grown up in Brooklyn, rooting for the Dodgers, and he shared with me his devastation when the Dodgers left Brooklyn for Los Angeles. Eventually, while living in Natick, he began to root for the Red Sox. One year at an RA convention, I arranged for a mutual friend of ours, Dennis Prager, to speak at the convention. I was in an automobile accident shortly before the convention and was unable to attend. At the beginning of his talk, Dennis thanked me for arraigning his talk and noted that I was unfortunately unable to be there because of my accident. A few days later, a package arrived in the mail. It was a baseball cap with “Red Sox”embroidered on it in Yiddish, a get-well gift from Rabbi Kushner. That little story speaks volumes about the kind of man he was. Although he was the author of 14 books, the one that made him world famous was When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Note the title carefully; it is When Bad Things Happen to Good People, not Why. Rabbi Kushner wrote this book, expecting it to be read by only a few people, as part of dealing with his grief after the death of his young son, Aaron. Aaron was not thriving as a young child, and his doctors were not sure why. On the day that Rabbi Kushner’s daughter was born, a pediatric expert in a major Boston hospital saw the then three year old Aaron, and informed the Kushners that their son was suffering from progeria, sometimes called rapid aging disease. Aaron Kushner died at 14, essentially from old age. Rabbi Kushner turned to the Book of Job, the biblical book that attempts to respond to the question of why good people sometimes suffer unfairly. He wrote that there were three premises in Job: 1. God is good, 2. God is omnipotent, (all-powerful), and 3. Job was a good person. Rabbi Kushner concluded that any two of these premises could be true at the same time, but only by denying the third. He decided he could not live with the idea that God is not good, and the Book of Job clearly tells us that Job was a good man, so Rabbi Kushner gave up the idea of God being omnipotent. While I don’t disagree, I prefer to put it as follows: not everything that happens in the world is the will of God. His theology was somewhat controversial and earned him some criticism, but he felt it was well worth it. I agree, because what Rabbi Kushner did was far more than create a theological construct. He comforted millions of suffering people all over the world by helping them to understand that their suffering was not some sort of divine punishment. He also brought comfort to those who believed that if they were suffering so terribly, then there must be no God. Rabbi Kushner enabled them to remain connected to God, and to draw on God as a source of strength and comfort. Harold Kushner certainly comforted more people with his book than all the rest of the rabbis in the world put together. That was only the beginning. An overview of his entire series of books is beyond the scope of this tribute, but I will mention a few. His commentary on the Book of Job is the best I have ever read. When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough is a must read. And The Lord Is My Shepherd: Healing Wisdom of the TwentyThird Psalm is the ideal companion volume to When Bad Things Happen to Good People. The former is salve for the soul; the latter is salve for the mind. I am deeply saddened by the loss of Rabbi Kushner, and I know that millions of others who never met him but were touched by his books, feel the same way. But therein lies a source of comfort for us. We will always have his wonderful books to read and reread. Harold Kushner, maybe the most comforting man of his generation, will continue to bring comfort to countless others who will read his books. We often say this when someone passes away, but rarely is it as universally true as it is in his case. His memory will truly be for a blessing. Rabbi Benjamin Sendrow, Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in Carmel, Ind. (See more regarding Rabbi Kushner in Posting the Past on page 9.) ✡ R. Kushner OBITUARIES (continued from page 6) Yeshiva where he was mentor to me and others. He was only a year older, but he was wiser and had a way of demonstrating how to make what we were learning real for us personally. The program of study had us there from 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. We would study Tanya (the classical Chasidic text written by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe) until 8:45, and then we would daven.” “Demonstrating how to make what we learned real for us personally” also describes Charlie very well. Until his last breath, he was continually thinking of new ways to keep Judaism relevant, to share what he had learned so that all people of all ages – not just Jews – could incorporate them into their own life for growth and development.Through leading workshops, teaching Chasidic tunes he learned at his father’s Shabbat table, and writing he passed on the treasures he learned for the purpose of helping others improve their lives. While Charlie was managing editor for JPO, he also worked as moderator for a New York City radio program titled, For the Record, and served as a broadcast correspondent for WABC-TV. Later in his life he worked as a real estate broker. Besides living in Israel for two years from 1951–1953, he lived most of his life in different cities in New York or Pennsylvania. Charlie is survived by two daughters, a son, three grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. One can read a longer obituary about him at the following link: https://collive.com/reb-chazkel-charlieroth-97-obm/ ✡ j i

8 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 that time, “How old were you when you first learned about the Holocaust?” Thoughtful, I watched as her face transformed from pensive to painful. “I can’t remember ever not knowing about the Holocaust,”she replied. Had I traumatized my own daughter with stories of the Holocaust while she was growing up? A perennial conundrum for Holocaust educators: how to teach the Holocaust without traumatizing students. No wonder that many of the survivor generation remained silent long after their ordeals. Some took their secrets to their graves. Could genocidal trauma be in my daughter’s genes, I wondered, feeling guilty, recalling a nearly forgotten article about the genetic effect of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder). Google quickly produced the 2015 article in The Guardian titled,“Study of Holocaust survivors finds trauma passed on to children’s genes.” The article cited research by Rachel Yehuda at New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital. She and her team studied the genes “of 32 Jewish men and women who had either been interned in a Nazi concentration camp, witnessed or experienced torture, or who had had to hide during the Second World War.” According to a report in Biological Psychiatry: A Journal of Psychiatric Neuroscience and Therapeutics, this study was “the first demonstration of an association of preconception parental trauma with epigenetic alterations [emphasis added] that is evident in both exposed parent and offspring, providing potential insight into how severe psychophysiological trauma can have intergenerational effects.” Translating the previous sentence into lay terminology: “epigenetic alterations” are not changes in DNA, but changes in the way in which the body interprets and acts on genetic messages, a “modification of genetic expression.” Trauma, thus, can leave a chemical mark on a person’s genes, which then is passed down to future generations. This research suggested that my daughter’s genes contain epigenetic markers based on her grandfather’s experiences in Nazi Germany, which were passed through me. My feelings of guilt increased. Dr. Deborah Lipstadt answered my question, when to start Holocaust education. She spoke at the Holocaust Center of Northern California in San Francisco when I began teaching the Holocaust. In March 2022, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Biden’s appointment of Dr. Lipstadt as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, with the rank of Ambassador. More recently, Jane Eisner, director of academic affairs at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and former editor-in-chief of The Forward, interviewed Dr. Lipstadt for the April/May 2023 edition of AARP Magazine. Her article, “The Oldest Hatred,” answered questions about the recent wave of antisemitism sweeping our country and what to do about it. During the Q&A after the future Ambassador’s presentation decades ago at the Holocaust Center, I asked, “At what age should Holocaust education begin?” Dr. Lipstadt cited the Jewish coming-of-age ritual of Bar/Bat Mitzvah that posits age 13 for boys, 12 for girls, as a spiritual maturity. Jewish tradition teaches that children at that age become responsible for their own actions and can lead religious services. According to this scholar of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, Holocaust education should begin after a child is called to the Torah as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. For over two decades, I answered student queries with Professor Lipstadt’s guidelines. My daughters wisely decided not to take their nine-year-old daughters to Dachau. That said, learning the Holocaust’s lessons can be discussed with much younger children; no need to wait until age 13. Themes such as bullying and how to stop it, standing up for what is right, caring for the stranger, and what it means to be a hero, are lessons even the very young can master. The word “Holocaust” does not have to be included. A growing body of children’s books drive home such lessons; ample bibliographies abound on the Internet. One that I would recommend to students was compiled by the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center based in White Plains, New York. It not only lists books by age of the children (from age four), but also by themes. Compiled by Holocaust educators, its “Book List: The Holocaust for Young Readers”can be found at the URL below. Two survivors, both of blessed memory, each authored a book that I provided for my own children. The Promise of a New Spring by Gerda Weissmann Klein and Little Eva and Miriam in the First Grade by Eva Kor graced our children’s bookshelves for years. A family friend, Eva Kor personalized and signed three copies of her book, one each for my adult children. After reading an earlier draft of this article, Leah emailed from Munich: “…Ziva learned a little about Anne Frank in her Ethics class this year. They’ve been learning about world religions. We later borrowed a kid-friendly version of the book auf Deutsch (in German) from a schoolmate…. “Of all the parenting tips I’ve gotten over the years, one that sticks with me, and I “Don’t do it. It’s not OK!” my answer to my firstborn’s question fell on receptive ears. Rebecca, the child who transformed me into a mom, took her family to Munich in April to visit her sister Leah, my youngest. It warmed this mother’s heart that the sisters planned to celebrate Passover together with their families. “A Seder in Munich”has a nice ring to it. But my daughter’s question did not ring; it clanged dissonantly. “Is it okay to take Sarah and Ziva [both 9] to Dachau?” Located about 30 minutes northwest of Munich, the Dachau concentration camp would be an easy side trip. “No! A thousand times, no!” I could not be clearer. “They are much too young!” The question is,“What should they know and when should they know it?” When I started teaching the Holocaust course at Notre Dame de Namur University over 25 years ago, I quickly discovered there were no standards of practice or expert consensus on what/ when/how to educate young children about the Holocaust. I needed answers for my students, many of whom wanted to become teachers. I conducted my own research, starting at home. I asked Rebecca, in college at BY MIRIAM L. ZIMMERMAN, ED.D. A Munich Passover: When to Teach the Children Holocaust Educator (see Zimmerman, page 9) The cousins in Munich, 2023: Clockwise from top: Sarah, Jonah, Ziva, and Maya. Picture credit: Rebecca.

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 9 to freedom.The Passover Seder never traumatizes, but ends with singing and a prayer for the return of the Jewish people to Eretz Israel. Eighty years ago, the practice of Judaism during the Third Reich was illegal. Thus, for my family to chant,“Next year in Jerusalem!”from Munich, has special meaning for this Holocaust educator. Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/ aug/21/study-of-holocaust-survivors-findstrauma-passed-on-to-childrens-genes https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/ article/S0006-3223(15)00652-6/fulltext https://hhrecny.org/book-list-the-holocaustfor-young-readers-1/ Dr. Miriam Zimmerman is professor emerita at Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) in Belmont, Calif., where she taught the Holocaust course for 25 years. She can be reached at [email protected]. The daughter of a Holocaust survivor, she was born and raised in Terre Haute, Ind. ✡ think is applicable in this case, is this: If a child can ask a question, then they are ready for the answer. Side thought: Isn’t that also what the Passover Seder teaches? Or perhaps not, since the child-unableto-ask is still provided with answers. “Anyway, this tip is generally given in reference to sex-ed, but I think it can also apply here. When Ziva came home talking about Anne Frank, I asked her about what she learned and answered her questions directly and factually, and suggested that we get some books on the matter. “I answered only what she asked and tried not to provide too much extra information.She knows that in the past,‘Germans were bad,’that there was a world war; and that Jews were in trouble. I’m not sure how much more detail she knows or has retained.”[Like her sister Rebecca, Leah is well-versed in the Holocaust]. Leah’s description of Ziva’s first encounter with Anne Frank caused me to speculate whether or not Holocaust education should be different in Germany. If so, how? Is it possible to teach the Holocaust to German schoolchildren, whose grandparents or great-grandparents were probably perpetrators (or bystanders), without being made to feel guilty? There is a plethora of information and misinformation readily available on the Internet, exacerbated by new technologies using artificial intelligence. On their own, children can be terrified and traumatized to discover the atrocities in the Ghettos or the horrors of the concentration camps, without context or counseling. Worse, in my opinion, artificial intelligence can concoct false narratives, distorting or denying the Holocaust, that are even more plausible than the falsehoods currently accessible. Children need to learn ageappropriate, accurate information about the Holocaust, presented by empathetic and expert educators and/or parents. The pictures of the Munich Seder reminded me of the connection between the Exodus story and the Holocaust experience. In both, the Jewish people move from slavery ZIMMERMAN (continued from page 8) On page NAT 8, of the Nov. 26, 2003, edition, I wrote about a lecture given by Rabbi Harold Kushner. (See tribute to him on page 7.) He was promoting his book; The Lord is My Shepherd: The Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-Third Psalm. After his lecture, there were a few questions asked before the book signing. My question to him was, “After all these years, would you change or add anything to your first book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People?” I was thinking that a person goes through many different life experiences in 22 years, and perhaps he sees things a little differently now than he did then. His answer was, “No.” He said he would not change a thing, and if he would add anything, it would be some of the heartwarming letters of gratitude he received from people who had read the book and been helped by it. In his lecture, Kushner explained that in the beginning, the author of the 23rd Psalm had an unsophisticated understanding of God. Only after going through “the valley of the shadow of death” does he mature and become more realistic. Perhaps at a relatively young age, Kushner’s understanding of God had already matured because of the tragic loss of his son at age 14 from a rare disease. He had already been through “the valley of the shadow of death”before he wrote the book. An important lesson that Kushner teaches from the psalm is that God never promises that life will be fair. God’s promise is that when a person must confront the unfairness of life, God will be with them. This is evident from the line “I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.” The 23rd Psalm of David The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in straight paths for His Name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil For Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Another lesson from the lecture is that there are many aspects of one’s life that one cannot control, but one can control how one responds to them. Examples of these “givens” are: the weather, one’s athletic abilities, how tall one is, the time and place of one’s birth. One cannot change them. One can only change how one feels about them. Kushner said the line in the psalm,“My cup runneth over”, means to take what is given and respond with gratitude. Actions speak louder than words, and Kushner has set a good example. He experienced the tragic unfairness of life and responded in a positive way. Kushner could have stopped 22 years ago, but he continues to help millions of people get “through the valley of the shadow.” I would never wish anyone to have to go through such a loss. However, I am sure I speak for all those whose suffering Kushner helped alleviate when I say I am grateful for what he has chosen to do about it. And I wonder, if this terrible loss had not taken place, would these very beneficial books have been written? Jennie Cohen, Nov. 26, 2003 ✡ j i R. Harold Kushner Posting the Past Four of my six grandchildren at Seder in Munich, 2023: (L-R): Sarah, Ziva, Maya, and Jonah. Picture credit: Leah.

10 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 Ruth Ellen (Goldberg) Nassberg As told by her daughter Michele to Jennie Cohen Born in Cologne, Germany on Feb. 14, 1929, Ruth Ellen Goldberg was the youngest of three daughters in an Orthodox Jewish family of Arieh and Leah Goldberg. The family lived on the 3rd floor above their fine furniture store, and they were well off. All three girls got piano and ballet lessons. On Friday afternoons they would set two extra places at their Shabbos table because her father would always invite guests from synagogue who were less fortunate for dinner so they could enjoy a nice meal. Before Kristallnacht, (Night of broken glass when Jewish stores and synagogues in Germany were destroyed, Nov. 9 and 10, 1938) it wasn’t looking good for the Jews in Germany, but like so many, Ruth’s father figured that he was so well respected, and had such a successful business, that nothing would happen to them. So, he waited too long. Ruth Ellen was nine at the time of Kristallnacht. Her father was downstairs, and she heard the breaking of glass. She ran to the window and looked down, but the nanny was there, and she told Ruth to get away from the window and pushed her into a closet and told her to stay there and not make a sound. Ruth heard men screaming and glass breaking and was so frightened, but she didn’t dare come out until everything was quiet. Within a few days after Kristallnacht, Ruth’s father tried to escape with his family to Switzerland. Her father told them to pack their bags and they each were allowed one suitcase. Ruth was allowed to include one little doll. At night they got into a black car along with another family in a second black car who were their neighbors.The children had to be quiet.The two cars drove together to the Swiss border. When they got to the border, the guard would not let them pass through so her father got out of the car to talk to him. At first, he was talking, then he was begging, and then he was crying. He finally came back to the car and said the guard is not allowed to let us go through. He and the father in the other car tried to figure out what to do. They had purchased tickets for a ship, the USS President Harding leaving from Le Havre, France, that was to set sail for America a few months later. They knew that Switzerland was neutral so they wanted to go there and wait it out until it was time to board the boat, but they couldn’t get through the Swiss border. The two men decided to try Holland (The Netherlands) instead because it had not yet been pulled into the war.They drove to the border of Holland and managed to get through. They were immediately registered and were allowed to go to Amsterdam. Ruth Ellen ended up going to the same Montessori school that Anne Frank attended. Even though they were in the same grade, Ruth was never in her class, but she did see Anne on the playground. Also, while in Amsterdam, they could not leave to get to France to get on the ship to America. A year later, Ruth Ellen’s family were forced to go to Westerbork Transit Camp in the northern part of Holland. It was not a death camp, but they were prisoners and could not leave. It was a holding and transfer camp. All the Jews from Holland were funneled through that camp and within a day or two were sent on to Terezin, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen. Ruth’s family was there for five years, when she was ages 10-15. The trains would go on Tuesdays and every week her family was not loaded onto the trains. Her family was among the original people when the camp was established so they had organizing positions and because her grandfather knew both German and Dutch, he was vital to the running of the camp. That is why they were allowed to stay for so long. They almost managed to stay there until the end of the war. At first, they were hungry all the time but there was farmland available nearby, so they decided to grow their own potatoes. Once they got permission to do so, they made everything out of potatoes, so they weren’t starving. For those there from the beginning and who got to stay there longer, they even established a school system in the barracks. Because of the deportations from Amsterdam and other places around Holland of all the Jews, they had professors, musicians, teachers, rabbis, and professionals who organized Jewish studies, singing, and activities to keep the children busy while their parents were running the camp. Life wasn’t as bad as in a death camp, they did not have to wear uniforms but could wear their own clothing. Still, they knew they were prisoners who could not leave. They also knew what was going on in the death camps so they were always fearful they would have to board the next train, because no one could escape. They managed to avoid getting on the train until 1944 when they were taken to the Terezin concentration camp, where they were held for nine months. The conditions and hunger were much worse than Westerbork, but the three sisters and their mother managed to stay together. At the end of October 1944, they were again herded onto cattle cars and taken to Auschwitz. The car doors were closed, and there was no air, water, or toilet. It was horrible! When they arrived at Auschwitz, the train car doors opened, and some people just fell out. SS men with dogs were there.The family was not used to this because at Westerbork the SS stayed away, they were not near the prisoners.There were no German Shepherds with loud barking. On the platform at Auschwitz the men with the dogs were screaming to the passengers, “Get out!”“Make a line!” All the women were told to go in one area and the men to another. Ruth, age 15, was together with her mother, age 49, and two older sisters, ages 20 and 22. The women stayed together, but they lost track of their father until the end of the war. They didn’t know where he was or if he was even alive. Due to these incomprehensible circumstances, Ruth, who was skinny and frail, had stunted development and was very attached to her mother. Her oldest sister, Holocaust Survivor Resilience Holocaust survivor’s lives were made up of so many miracles that made it possible for them to survive. Some of those miracles are written below. Lighting the Chanukah candles at the Westerbork Transit Camp, December 1943: On the far left, in the red circle is Michele’s, beautiful, smiling mother at age 14, Ruth Ellen Goldberg. On the right, in the blue circle, is Ruth’s older sister, Margot Goldberg-Buk. (She’s the one on the right in the photo below lighting the candles from that same moment. Image & photo from Yad Vashem.) (see Resilience, page 11)

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 11 Miriam, who was wise and had summed up their situation, said to Ruth, “If they ask you how old you are, say you are 18.” Ruth laughed because she thought that was ridiculous. She thought she didn’t even look close to her real age. Her sister slapped her, and she started pinching her cheeks to get some blood flowing so Ruth would look healthier with rosy cheeks. Then each of the four women had to take a few steps forward separately. Miriam was called first and told to go to the right, and she went. Then the middle sister, Margot, also went to the right. Their mother was sent to the left. Then Ruth was called and when asked how old she is, she says,“18,”so the SS man told her to go to the right. Ruth responds,“I want to go where my mother is going.” And he replies, “Go to the right”. She starts crying and says,“But I want to go with my mother.”Then he says, “Don’t worry, you will see your mother soon. She is going to come around and see you. Aren’t those your sisters over there? Now be a good girl and go stand with your sisters.”From there they were sent to have their heads shaved and given striped uniforms to wear. The three girls were in Auschwitz for only six days before they were sent to work in the bullet factory in Oederan, Germany. They never saw their mother again. Some years later in records they found out their mother was killed on the day they arrived in Auschwitz. Her whole life Ruth felt guilty that she had left her mother to die alone. For three months they stayed and worked in the bullet factory. Then they were sent back to Terezin. Ruth described how one day they heard what sounded like an earthquake. When they heard the rumbling, they ran out and saw tanks. Russians were talking and they didn’t understand what they were saying, but they realize it isn’t the Germans. They had brought food with them, and the prisoners were jumping on the food. The Russians were yelling to stop, because they knew that the emaciated bodies could not handle a lot of food at once. Indeed, some died, so close to being freed. The nightmare finally ended on April 14, 1945, when the camp was evacuated in the face of the advancing Soviet Army, soon followed by the surrender of the Nazis and the end of the war. They were liberated at Terezin, but they were skeletons at that point. Then they were asked where they wanted to go. Ruth Ellen’s father had told them when they got on the train leaving Westerbork, that if they survive, they should come back to Amsterdam. Then hopefully, one day they will all be together again. The girls said they wanted to go there and were taken to Amsterdam. There were kiosks in the middle of the town and every day the names of people who were arriving were plastered there. Every day they looked for their father’s name, but didn’t see it. At that point, they were pretty sure that their mother was no longer alive, but they kept looking for their father. Then one day some people came running to them and told them they saw their father’s name on the list at the kiosk. Finally, they all met up. Days later, Ruth Ellen got jaundice, as was common then, and was sent away to a sanitorium in Holland, not far from Amsterdam. In the bed next to her was a woman whose husband and almost all her family had been killed during the war. Ruth’s father would come every day with soup or fruit, and he notices that no one is bringing anything to the woman next to her, so he starts bringing food for her, too. Very quickly he fell in love with this Holocaust survivor whose daughter was saved from death by a family that hid her during the war. Even though she was about 25 years younger, they eventually got married. Thus, a stepmother and fourth daughter entered the family, establishing a Dutch branch of the family tree. That bond continues with the next generation to this day. In July 1947 Ruth Ellen, alone, boarded the ma’apilim (blockade runner) boat, the Akbel/Biria, and after a perilous voyage, arrived in Haifa, in then British Palestine. The ship was intercepted, and its passengers held in the Atlit Detainee Camp. Shortly thereafter she was released and joined the Ben-Shemen Youth Village, in central Israel, where she had her first taste of freedom, sunshine, happiness, and Israeli chavruta (kinship). There she was able to complete her basic education, interrupted by so many years of tragedy. Ben-Shemen would remain her reference for all that is good for the rest of her life. Ruth Ellen served in the Israeli navy, during 1949–1951 and was proud to help defend her new homeland. In 1952 Ruth Ellen met Jack (Yaakov) Nassberg, also a Holocaust survivor, while he was visiting in Haifa from New York.They were married in 1953 in Haifa, and shortly thereafter Ruth Ellen joined Jack in New York. They owned ladies’wear stores in Queens, New York, expanding on a business started by Jack’s brother, Max and his wife, Rae, called Macrae’s. Ruth Ellen was then destined to be known as Mrs. Macrae for all the years the business existed. Ruth Ellen was talented in outfitting customers in the latest fashions, although she could hardly speak English in her early years in the US. Her charisma, charm, and beauty substituted any necessary words. She later worked in the Saks 5th Avenue Bridal Department, where she quickly learned English and the art of sales. With her first paychecks she bought a small refrigerator for her father in Israel, the first in his neighborhood to own one. A short story about Ruth Ellen’s time in Terezin: Ruth Ellen’s daughter, Michele, grew up hearing lots of stories from her mother as opposed to some survivors who did not talk about their experiences at all. Over the years the stories her mother repeatedly told did not change, but still when Michele got to her teens and early 20s, she thought, surely her mother, who had a theatrical personality, embellished her stories. An example is when her mother talked about Terezin, which we now know was the showcase concentration camp to show the Red Cross, and the world, how well the prisoners were being treated. Ruth had told Michele that suddenly one day the prisoners were told to clean up the outside by white washing big rocks and making nice pathways. Slides and swings for children were delivered to their delight. Then in the cafeteria where they usually got a little piece of bread and a measly bowl of soup, they were told that tomorrow guests would be coming, and they would be given sardines. They were told that after they got the sardines they needed to say,“Oh Uncle Rahm, again sardines? We are already tired of sardines!” The following day these Red Cross guests arrived, the prisoners got the sardines, and they said exactly what they were told to say.Then the day after that, trucks came, the swings and slides were taken away and they went back to getting their usual piece of bread and soup. After hearing this story, Michele thought her mother was exaggerating. Then after the Holocaust Museum opened in Skokie, Illinois, Michele was visiting and saw on TVs screens that they were interviewing people.A woman about her mother’s age was talking and Michele stopped and looked. The woman was saying verbatim, “What, Uncle Rahm, again sardines…” Michele felt sorry that she had assumed her mother was embellishing her story about Terezin. Since the woman said exactly what her mother had been saying, Michele knew her mother had not been exaggerating. (see Resilience, page 12) RESILIENCE (continued from page 10)

12 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 Although the Holocaust halted her formal education in 7th grade, Ruth Ellen gained knowledge through voracious reading and learning from others. An intelligent and curious person, she mastered four languages in which she was fluent: German, English, Hebrew, and Dutch. At the time of Ruth Ellen’s passing on April 13, 2021 in Indianapolis, Ind., her husband Jack had predeceased her 13 years prior. But she is survived by their son, Barry, and daughter, Michele, and three grandchildren (below). ✡ RESILIENCE (continued from page 11) “Grammy’s Apple Pie” Ruth Ellen’s special talent was her famous apple pie, made with decadently delicious German streusel topping – her culinary masterpiece. Her grandchildren grew up eating and learning how to bake her German style apple pie. The three grandchildren are Ben-Ari, Maya Tani (the baby), and Tori (the red head, lower right photo). Michele made this poster for each grandchild, which they have hanging in their kitchens. They baked it together during Shiva for Ruth. It was perfect, she would have been proud. Alexander Lande BY PHILLIP LANDE On November 1, 1924, Alexander Lande came into this world. The third child of Laura and Fullop Lande in Transylvania, Romania. He received his formal education at the University of Cluj, and then went on to Dental School to obtain his DDS; however, Nazi Germany put an end to his studies. Alex was the only member of his family to survive the concentration camps. His parents, brother Meyer, sister Biala, her husband and their two-year-old daughter Alisha, perished in Auschwitz. Due to his age and physical ability Alex was moved from Auschwitz to a slave labor camp, and from there to Dachau. It was in Dachau where Alex had the fortune to work in a bakery making bread, a lesson that he had learned from his mother as a child. As fate would have it, a rather rotund German soldier came into the bakery and demanded some bread. Alex explained that everything was weighed and that if he gave any away, he would be killed. The German did not bat an eye, he simply demanded bread. Alex was already stealing bread and taking it back to the barracks, so he gave in and fed the soldier. The soldier made the bread stop part of his daily routine. Strange things happen over bread. The soldier began speaking to Alex as a human being as opposed to a prisoner. He related that he did not want to be there either, but he had the option of being a soldier or a prisoner. The military life was much better than that of a prisoner. Time passed and Alex was told that he was going to be traded for some German soldiers along with a number of other prisoners. He was loaded onto a truck to be moved to the trading site when who other than the soldier that he had been feeding got on the truck next to him as the guard. Once in transit the guard told Alex that the trade was off, and that all of the prisoners were going to be shot at the foot of the mountains where the truck was headed. The soldier told Alex to hit him as hard as he could when he got off of the truck, and head over the mountain where he would find an American Panzer division. [A Panzer division was one of the armored (tank) divisions in the army of Nazi Germany during World War II.] Alex related this information to one of the prisoners next to him, and he did as instructed. While running, he was shot twice, once in the hip and once in the shoulder, but he refused to stop. Once on the other side, he did in fact encounter the Americans. Bleeding and exhausted, he watched as the hatch of one of the tanks opened. A black Sargent popped out, and Alex fainted. The Sargent used smelling salts to awaken Alex, but once his eyes opened, he saw the Sargent and fainted again. A white lieutenant took the smelling salts and once again attempted to revive Alex. This time Alex gained conscience and immediately asked the lieutenant “who was there before”? The lieutenant explained that the Sargent was a black American. Alex asked if all Americans looked like that. The lieutenant laughed and told Alex there are both black and white Americans. [Alex had never heard of black people other than cannibals in Africa. He was terrified that he just left the fires of hell and was now headed for the frying pan.] Once calmed and nourished Alex became an active part of the American division helping to obtain food from the local farmers who were more than generous when they learned that he had just escaped Dachau. After the war, Alex went back to his home only to find no one left. The family had buried a few items that he dug up, and then he moved around Europe ending up in Germany once again where he met some people that befriended him. In 1949, after a long wait, Alex’s uncle was successful in bringing him to America where his grandfather had already brought a number of his children to Indianapolis. Due to Meyer’s polio prohibiting him from gaining immigration status in the US, Alex’s mother refused to leave Meyer behind and thus did not migrate to America with many of her siblings. Unable to continue his studies in dentistry, Alex decided to work in dental technology after years of working with family in the grocery business and as a dance instructor at the JCC. Alex’s dental skills were well noticed, and he eventually opened Lande Dental Lab which became very successful. Early on upon his arrival in Indianapolis, Alex met Ann Schuman. The two of them fell in love and married in 1953. Their family grew with the births of Phillip, Jerry, and Paul. There is more to this story then the simple history of one man. Alex was the sole survivor of a vibrant family. (see Resilience, page 13) Document of Alex Lande’s internment to Dachau concentration camp. Alex Lande speaks about his experiences in the Holocaust, c. 1980s.

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 13 The family has grown to include grandchildren and great grandchildren, Jeremy (Samantha) has two sons, Jack and Julian. Daniel is married to Channa. Marty (Abbie) has two children, Charley and Joey. Jennifer (Mike) has a daughter, Dylan. Alex (his grandfather’s namesake) is married to Rebecca. Evan is now engaged. And Brittany and Sarah are still single. From one man came a new growing family. What a different world we may have experienced if the six million who perished lived to populate the world. Alexander Lande, who visited schools, universities, churches, and the media to relate his experiences in the concentration camps of Dachau and Auschwitz, died September 27, 1992. He was dedicated to keeping alive the memory of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust.✡ RESILIENCE (continued from page 12) not the exception, we all make mistakes. Learn from them instead of beating yourself up. It’s not constructive to continually be upset with yourself. Allow yourself the luxury of being imperfect and realize that every human being is flawed. For those of us who wish we were different, realize it takes a lot of work, time and effort to grow. You are unique with all your flaws and your virtues. Try to see the good in the world. Sometimes people who are suffering could benefit from the companionship of a dog, cat or horse. Religious communities and support groups can help you realize that you are not alone. There are others struggling with the same issues. Also helping other people and doing acts of kindness can actually heal you. When you see how much joy and help you can bring to someone else, it reminds you of your worth in this world and how much you are needed. Know that the bad feelings will not last forever and that joyous practices like singing and dancing and pushing yourself to go to the gym or go swimming and joining your religious community can create joy. Sometimes we have to push ourselves to do the things that might be good for us and joy will follow the action. Rabbi Wolpe concluded, “Again and again Jewish people have found light in dark times. Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav said the great sin is despair. No matter how difficult the situation, you cannot be without hope. Whatever you are going through, in the course of history, human beings have gone though that, and far worse, yet have managed to emerge. Always have hope, always believe there is a possibility that tomorrow can be brighter or can be made brighter. A lot of people in this world will be able to help you.” Named The Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek, and one of The 50 Most Influential Jews in the World by The Jerusalem Post, David Wolpe will be retiring after 26 years as Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. ✡ The Klausenberger Rebbe BY ROSE KLEINER Among the greatest heroes of the 20th century one can find certain Holocaust survivors who, despite unimaginable suffering and losses, managed to rise above their despair, to rebuild not only their own lives, but to help rebuild the lives of numerous fellow survivors. One of these towering figures was the Klausenberger Rebbe (Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam), whose tireless work, selfless deeds, and profound influence, during and after the Holocaust, spanned three continents, and helped restore thousands of broken lives, hearts and souls of a devastated generation. Today, the thriving descendants of that generation, bear testimony to the monumental heritage which the Klausenberger Rebbe left behind. Born in 1905, in Poland, Halberstam was married at 17. Known as a child prodigy, and an exceptional Torah scholar, he had a genuine love for Jews of all backgrounds. By age 22 he was appointed Rabbi of a Chassidic congregation in Klausenberg, now part of Romania. The founder of the Sanz-Klausenberg Chasidic dynasty, he became the leader of thousands of followers before WWII. After his wife and 11 children were taken to Auschwitz in 1941, he refused to leave his followers in Hungary, and devoted himself to helping the refugees. In 1944, when Germany invaded Hungary, he was taken to a forced labor camp, was tortured and mocked by the Nazis, who knew of his prominent religious status, and finally taken on a death march to Dachau. Yet he remained a tower of strength to his followers. Barely emerging alive from the death march to Dachau, he vowed to build a hospital if he was to recover. Right after the war, the Klausenberger Rebbe did not lose any time before turning to the remaining survivors, and making every effort to support them; to restore their sense of self-worth and dignity. Instead of emigrating immediately after the war, he chose to stay in the Displaced Persons camps in Europe, to start rebuilding the Jewish people, to be available to those shattered persons who needed his help. When General Dwight Eisenhower visited the DP camps, and asked to meet him, the Klausenberger Rebbe was in the midst of his afternoon prayers. He insisted that Eisenhower had to wait for him to finish his prayers. The message he sent to Eisenhower was that the ‘earthly general’ had to wait while he finished praying to the General of Generals. Eisenhower called him ‘the wonder rabbi’. The Klausenberger Rebbe later married again, had seven children, settled in Brooklyn, and re-established his Chasidic dynasty in the U.S. and in Israel. In 1956 he founded the Kiryat Zanz neighborhood in the city of Netanya, Israel, and the Sanz Medical Centre/ Laniado Hospital, which is run according to Jewish law, and serves a population of half a million people. The hospital fulfilled the vow he made during the war, when he was seriously wounded and fighting for his life. The hospital is the only such health facility in Israel that never closed down, not even for a workers’ strike. The Klausenberger Rebbe said: “There is one thing I miss about the Holocaust. When we went on the death march we were all clean shaven and our hair was shaved off too. We marched side by side, and no one knew if the person next to them was a Chasid or a Litvak. No one knew I was Rebbe. We all just held our arms around each other and tried to keep our fellow Jews warm.” Respected and beloved by everyone who knew him, both secular and religious, the Klausenberger Rebbe is remembered as one of the great heroes and spiritual giants of the 20th century. He passed away June 18, 1994 in Netanya at age 89. ✡ Below is an excerpt of Jennie Cohen’s editorial for our March 29, 2023, Indiana edition about a 30-minute discussion on ways to increase happiness. Rabbi David Wolpe was interviewed by Evey Rosenbloom, host of the Choose to be Happy Podcast. Dated Dec. 8, 2022. Worrying about the future makes it impossible for you to enjoy what you have now. Spend time thinking about your blessings, what you are grateful for and what is good in your life. Notice what’s going well. When you are frustrated or angry, take a moment to pause before you react. If you mess up, you have to let things go.You are Increase Happiness R. WOLPE j i j i

14 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 BY JIM SHIPLEY It Started With The Burning of Books There seems to be a zealous increase in the United States of the banning of certain books from both school and general libraries. From what I’ve read and researched it seems that the overwhelming reason for this is that certain conservative Christian groups have decided that the material in these books are “not acceptable” for certain groups, basically young readers. This may be so…but…I do not believe many books of any kind are taken out of libraries by ten year olds. Their parents – yes. And I am sure that some of these books are indeed not advisable for children of a certain age. But that is a decision for the parents of these kids – not some blue nosed Christian groups or any other selfappointed “experts” on what is proper for kids to read. Banning books? I now read of some Christian parental groups having “parties” where said books are being BURNED. Sound familiar? If you are of a certain age, or study history – the bell should have rung. This is one of the first tactics used by the Nazis to “cleanse” libraries and bookstores of “unacceptable content”. Most of those books were written by or were about Jews and/or had “Jewish content”. Interesting. There are some chapters of the Bible that might be included as unacceptable under the same “rules” because of their sections on how mankind was able to expand. We are blessed in this country with an active and diverse media system of radio, television and of course reading material for just about everyone. Some “Opinion” shows and even some so-called “News” programs are loaded with misinformation or just plain lies. And also, there is no “System”to correct these intentional misrepresentations. It is left to the individual to decide what is and what is not true. It is when this activity takes place with regard to “tropes” about peoples, religion or history that the danger appears. Hitler thrived on published and broadcast lies about Jews, Gypsies, and any other religious or ethnic groups he despised. Opinions are one thing, facts another – and the melding of the two without differentiating is where the trouble begins. Hitler followed up with a huge and extremely effective propaganda campaign. He and his followers spewed the tropes that The Jew was also responsible for anything and everything affecting life in Germany post World War One. When Hitler’s army invaded Poland, he found much of the population ready to accept these false “facts” and becoming active allies in the deaths of millions of innocent Jews. Of course this philosophy did not limit itself to Poland. It found followers in just about every country in Europe as well as Stalin’s Russia. To this day there are Holocaust Deniers and far right groups fighting for a controlled information society. Most prevalent among those groups here in the United States are far right followers of the Southern Baptist Coalition. This dedicated group of citizens are on a “crusade” to dominate school boards and local political groups. Their mission is to rid the public’s access to certain publications that do not adhere to their far right and in many cases, Antisemitic tropes. Should young readers be exposed to certain publications with content that is intended for a more mature audience? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But – that should be left to the parents of these youngsters to make those decisions, not some arbitrary group of self-appointed dedicated right wing,“blue nosed”righteous bigots. The problem lies not with the chance that a young reader might come upon a book with content that is not “age appropriate”. But rather that decisions on what constitutes “age appropriate” are being made by these groups who have become so active in school boards and local political organizations. They are looking for scapegoats to blame for problems that affect our daily lives and have no simple, obvious reasons or solutions. Germany’s antisemitism in Post World War I was deep in the philosophy of a solid percentage of the citizenry. Eager for someone to blame for the humiliation of their defeat in the War, and the depression that followed, the Jews – for no reason whatsoever were an easy target. Hitler, a Jew Hater from his youth, seized upon this opportunity and turned it into a political campaign that resulted in his election and the eventual deaths of some six million Jews, Gypsies and other “non-acceptable”groups. Uncertain times, fear and discontent are a ripe foundation for antisemitism. It does not have to be the Jew per-se who is selected for such false and dangerous philosophy. It is that the Jew as someone different than others is ripe for attack based on our ethnicity, our religious beliefs and the simple fact that we exist that make us ripe for a target in times of discontent. People look for someone to blame. Too often in history – it is The Jew. Shipley Speaks (see Shipley, page 17) them is still ongoing. “Each discovery like this builds on our knowledge of Egypt in the Middle Ages and the lives of Jews living in Islamic lands. It’s a treasure trove for historians, but for many people it also represents a tangible link to the heritage of the Jewish community and its religious traditions. The Littman Genizah Educational Programme aims to make the manuscripts available to new audiences, from schools to adult learners, and I will never tire of seeing the excitement and emotion on peoples’ faces when they see these manuscripts in person.” The Genizah collection is one of the greatest treasures among the world-class collections at Cambridge University Library. From the 9th to the 19th century, the Jewish community of Fustat (Old Cairo) deposited more than 200,000 unwanted writings in a purpose-built storeroom in the Ben Ezra synagogue. This sacred storeroom was called the Genizah. A Genizah was a safe place to store away any old or unusable text that, because it contained the name of God, was considered too holy to simply throw out. [Though the storeroom’s existance had been known for quite some time, Dr. Solomon Schechter (see photo p. 4) – only the second Jew to be appointed a teaching position at Cambridge – upon learning of the potential importance of its contents, mounted an expedition to Cairo, for months sorted through the “battlefield of books” (as he is noted describing the storeroom), and with the Cairo’s chief rabbi’s authorization, dispatched a great deal of the contents to the Cambridge University Library. (cam.uk.com)] But when the room was opened in the late 19th century, alongside the expected Bibles, prayer books and works of Jewish law – scholars discovered the documents and detritus of everyday life: shopping lists, marriage contracts, divorce deeds, a 1,000-year-old page of child’s doodles and alphabets, Arabic fables, works of Muslim philosophy, medical books, magical amulets, business letters and accounts. Practically every kind of written text produced by the Jewish communities of the Near East throughout the Middle Ages had been preserved in that sacred storeroom. About Cambridge University Library Since its first recorded beginnings in 1416, as a small chest of manuscripts for Cambridge scholars, the library is now home to a physical collection of nearly ten million books, maps, manuscripts, photographs and priceless objects, spanning thousands of years of human thought and discovery, in more than 4,000 languages and dialects.✡ MAIMONIDES (continued from page 4)

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 15 Seen on the Israel Scene A Shavuot Memory People often have memories of Shavuot – a special ceremony, an event, blintzes, or other things. For me, personally, as I read through the original Biblical words, each passage generated a different image for me. In my autographical work, Witness to History, Ten Years as a Woman Journalist in Israel, in the 1976 chapter, I wrote a series of articles beginning with “The Bible May Be headed for Broadway.” This was by far one of the most enjoyable experiences I had, related to the pop musical based on the Book of Ruth, “Your People Are Mine.” The original musical was written in 1972, but its authors, Gladys Hedaya, z”l, and her brother, Shimon Gewirtz, z”l, noted Jewish songwriters, felt it lacked commercial possibilities. Gladys went back to work on the script, and beginning that year, it appeared regularly at the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Hilton hotels under sponsorship of the Ministry of Tourism. After seeing it twice (and wishing I could see it more), I was completely enthralled with the lively and catchy tunes and lyrics. When the audience, on one occasion, while clapping at the end of the performance stood and sang the chorus – “Your people are mine, your people are mine, I’ll go with you and I’ll stay with you, till the end of time, till the end of time”, I knew it was a winner. Ms. Hedaya was faithful in her lyrics to the events of the Biblical story, which resonate within me every time I read the Biblical story (e.g., Mother Sweet Naomi when she is left with the widowed daughters-in-law; Naomi’s decision – I’m Going Back to Bethlehem; Ruth’s reply to her mother-in-law – Don’t ask Me to Leave You; when Ruth is working with Boaz – Gleaning Song; the plan of Naomi’s for Ruth – Go To Him This Evening; Naomi’s advice to Boaz – Marry a Woman; Boaz’s discussion with a relative who must relinquish responsibility for Ruth – It’s a Simple Proposition). More than 20 years later, in the 1980s, I still remembered the lyrics and music, so I tracked down Gladys Hedaya in New York, who had just produced the show offBroadway. After seeing that video, I was motivated to raise funds to acquire world rights for the Midwest. I contacted a woman, who had extensive experience directing, and we began looking for BY SYBIL KAPLAN synagogue members who could sing. I acted as producer at my Overland Park, Kansas synagogue, Kehilath Israel. In performances at Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening, we brought out an audience of more than 1,000 people – to see a musical by an American they had never heard of which had appeared in Israel for tourists. And the words to the songs and the story, which we read on Shavuot, remain a vivid memory of “Your People are Mine.” Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist, lecturer, book reviewer, food writer and author of Witness to History: Ten Years as a Woman Journalist in Israel and contributor to or author of nine kosher cookbooks. She works as a foreign correspondent for North American Jewish publications and leads walks in English in Machaneh Yehudah, the Jewish produce market. ✡ Salmon is Healthy Besides being high in protein, iron, Vitamin D and potassium, it is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which provides more oxygen to the brain, and allows us to retain new information, while still remembering old information. Here are some special main courses to try. Broiled Salmon (6–8 servings) This recipe appeared in a Jerusalem Post weekend paper September 2015 by Simone Zarmati Diament, a Florida author and translator. 1 whole 1-1/2–2 inches thick salmon filet olive oil or vegetable oil spray 4 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. liquid smoke 2–3 minced garlic cloves Cover a large, shallow baking pan with foil and grease or spray with oil. 15–30 minutes before cooking, place fish, skin side down, on the pan. Spread soy sauce, liquid smoke and garlic evenly over fish. Set fish 4 inches from broiler and cook on high 10–12 minutes. The surface will turn a deep brown; the inside will be moist. Transfer to a platter and serve. Roasted Salmon with Olive-Mustard Butter and Orzo (8 servings) This came from an April 2001 Bon Appetit magazine. BY SYBIL KAPLAN 1/2 cup butter 12 Kalamata or other pitted, chopped olives 1 chopped shallot 1 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley 2 tsp. Dijon mustard salt and pepper olive oil 8 6–8-ounce salmon filets, 1-1/4–1-1/2 inches thick 2-1/2 cups orzo whole Kalamata olives fresh Italian parsley sprigs Mix butter, chopped olives, shallot, parsley, and mustard in processor until blended but slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush a large, rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place salmon on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 14 minutes. Cook orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm. Drain and return to pot. Add half olive mustard butter and toss. Divide orzo among 8 plates.Top each with a salmon filet. Place a small dollop of olive mustard butter atop each filet. Garnish with whole olives and parsley. Quick and Easy Baked Salmon Filets (4 servings) I found this on a package of fish fillets and made it often. 4 portions salmon fillets 2 tsp. dry Oregon 4 minced garlic cloves pepper to taste 2 thinly sliced tomatoes 2 small thinly sliced onions 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a shallow baking pan with non-stick oil. Place fish in pan and sprinkle with oregano, garlic and pepper. Layer with tomato, onion and parsley. Mix breadcrumbs with oil and sprinkle on top of fillets. Bake in preheated oven 8–10 minutes. Serve with wild rice and vegetable. ✡ j i My Kosher Kitchen

16 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 of Chasidic Jews he meets in Krakow, avoid visiting the death sites for fear of contamination in “evil places” (p.120), believing that their revered murdered rabbi by the Nazis was found alive in his grave, saving his town’s Jews. This reality flight is surely disconcerting. Despite the harsh criticism of the Israeli students, never mind that the author neglects to consider the young age and his overblown expectations, he does find some merit in them. Ironically pointing out that they would be “good soldiers,” and retain their humanity, refusing to obey defiling orders. The spokesperson of the encountered Israeli soldiers, admiringly comments,“this is our true revenge. So beautiful, smart, and accomplished” (p. 135), dwelling on the positive and blind to the negative. In the wrap-up session, one of those “great” kids utters his shocking conclusion, “I think that in order to survive we need to be a little bit Nazi, too… Sometimes there’s no choice but to hurt civilians, too. It’s hard to distinguish civilians from terrorists. A boy who’s just a boy today could become a terrorist tomorrow. This is, after all, a war of survival. It’s us or them. We won’t let this happen to us again”(p. 125). The Israeli military delegations’visits do have a commendable educational purpose and value, binding a torturous not too remote past with present able military personnel of a proud Jewish state. Not all the Israeli soldiers have family ties with the Holocaust, some are not from a European background and their ties with Polish Jewry are very tenuous. The sight of Israelis in military uniform is disturbing to some Poles in a land where antisemitism is still present albeit with a small Jewish community. I vividly recall upon visiting Poland in 2017 and stepping out of the new stateof-art Polin Museum next to the giant Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, an Israeli military group getting ready to conduct a memorial service at the moving site. I introduced myself to a handsome colonel pilot who asked me to intercede with then President Trump to advance peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The book’s protagonist likely representing the views of an author who served as an IDF officer, raises doubts on the efficacy of such exchange. Preparations for an Israeli exercise-ceremony where so many Jews were slaughtered, meets his sarcastic observation, “But now, seventy-five years too late, we were going to show them hell” (pp.131,132). Leading a day tour of Israeli adults whose goal in Poland was shopping and vacationing, not too serious Holocaust learning, provokes a questioning soul-searching response from their disappointed guide who regards his job as a REVIEWED BY RABBI ISRAEL ZOBERMAN deprecating self-loathing, to find a degree of identification with the Nazi brutality whose repugnant and efficient killing operation is hailed as a model to be practiced on another group of desired victims. We do know that biting dark humor was used by the camps’condemned inmates as a survival mechanism in a universe turned upside down. The author, however, finds these tragic, grotesque and Kafkian qualities in a so-called normal post-Holocaust reality where the unnamed book’s protagonist becomes consumed by the realization that the past is embedded in the present with “The Memory Monster” threatening to remind us that we cannot escape the past and thus we are destined to be doomed rather than redeemed. Yad Vashem’s chairman turns from his respectful position “as the official representative of memory” (p.5) to someone who enables carrying on painful memories which are bound to exact a heavy price on the living. The protagonist turning into a tormented witness, trying his best “to harness myself to the memory chariot” (p.8), not before ironically sensing that’s his best option of making a living, providing for his wife and child who in time enjoy a satisfying standard of living they wish not to abandon. His interest in history led him to a practical undertaking, ironically no better option available, and a doctorate in Holocaust Studies with a dissertation topic making him an expert on an aspect of the Nazi annihilation machine, that by its very nature is less than an appealing subject. Consequently, he becomes a sought-after tour guide in the death camps, putting to rewarding acclaim his vast and detailed research on “Unity and Distinction in German Death Camps’ Methods of actions During WWII.” To his disappointing chagrin the chosen field of scholarly inquiry on a detested but necessary theme, proves fertile ground for Israeli high schoolers he professionally guides to better understand their Polish mission which to them is no more than an opportunity to explore the Israeli obsession with “Chutz Laaretz,” anything and everything pertaining to the thrill of venturing outside geographically confining Israel, including being tempted by ubiquitous presence of Polish prostitutes that the tour guide labors to protect them from. There is a need to appreciate the aid of wrapping oneself in the Israeli flag as a means of comfort, and the Kaddish recitation is not to be cavalierly dismissed, possibly reflecting the author’s own struggles with a left-leaning persuasion contemptuously treating the kippa-wearing ones. “The Kaddish, the tears, the candles, all that feel-good nonsense”(p. 52).The group Obsession with the Inhumane Can Take Toll on One’s Own Humanity The Memory Monster by Yishai Sarid. Translated from the Hebrew by Yardene Greenspan. New York: Restless Books. 2020. Pp.169. Israeli author and lawyer Yishai Sarid was born in Tel Aviv in 1965, serving as an intelligence officer in the IDF. He studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and he earned a Public Administration Master’s Degree (MPA) from Harvard University in 1999. Sarid’s father is the late Yossi Sarid, the famous center-left Israeli politician. It becomes conspicuous from Sarid’s five novels that he shares a similar political and social orientation. His latest book, The Memory Monster, though light in size raises profound questions reflecting the searing struggle of Israelis to come to grips with the Holocaust’s enormous impact on their identity and very lives, with the Shoah’s long shadow as constant backdrop. In addition, the genocide’s implications touch on the universal human condition and its absurd dimension. As much as human memory is an honored, even revered, component in the Jewish lexicon laden with lessons, warnings, and guideposts, it carries within it, as the novel’s title attests, no less than a devouring monstrous quality turning victims into potential killers who somehow inherit the murders’ perpetrated evil of extraordinary cruelty without restraint. The arousing account is a confessional report to Yad Vashem’s chairman of the rise and collapse as well as fall from grace of a once enthusiastic recruit on a sacred national mission of accompanying Israeli high schoolers, military personnel, VIPs, and ordinary adult tourists to Poland seeking a very brief exposure to a death camp site. The heavy-laden theme is made bearable by a genuine literary talent utilizing a relieving dose of sarcasm and Book Review (see Zoberman, page 17)

May 24, 2023 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 17 REVIEWED BY CANTOR JANICE ROGER Remember, Revere, Rejoice New Music Review “Sing a new song to God” (Psalms 33:3). Of that phrase, Rabbi David Kimchi wrote,“refresh the melody. Make a beautiful nigun (melody) that calls out; try to make joyous music to God.”One can only wonder if that idea was the inspiration for Remember, Revere, Rejoice, an Extended Play Album by Essential Voices USA, (EVUSA), directed by Judith Clurman. Clurman, whose career has spanned the globe (learn more about her at www.judithclurman.com), sought to present music which embraced the “range of emotions experienced in Jewish life.” In addition to the emotional aspect of the music, there are varieties of time and style represented, from the late 19th Century to recent 21st Century compositions. Still there is a unity to the music, no doubt brought about by the quality of the ensemble and its leader, Judith Clurman. Throughout Remember, Revere, Rejoice one hears a polished vocal ensemble, elegant and thoughtful arrangements, and fresh musical ideas. The liner notes and translations help the listener better understand each selection. Also, if you lead or sing in a chorus, the music is published and available through Hal Leonard. EVUSA recorded three arrangements of previously composed songs and three original compositions. Of the former, the first is “Unter Dayne Vayse Shtern,”Avrum Brudno’s setting of a Holocaust poem which is a conversation with God that describes the poet’s agony. Clurman commissioned Bill Cutter to create a choral arrangement. The resulting music brings the text to life with fresh harmonies and a sparkling piano accompaniment that evokes images of stars (shtern). Clurman commissioned Brant Adams to create a setting for mixed voices, piano and cello of “Dodi Li,”composed in the late 1970s by Cantor Steven Sher. Although the melody is simple, Adams creates a dialogue of sorts between the male and female voices and elevates the tune with a cello obligato, which is beautifully performed by Coleman Itzkoff. The 19th Century Eastern European tune,“Siman Tov” is a song of celebration that “invokes the ancient hope for a good omen to ensure that our fate will be positive.” Bill Cutter’s imaginative setting keeps the joy of the original while dancing around it with countermelodies. Of the three original compositions, the first is “To Be Alive (Birdsong),” lyrics by an unknown child in the Terezin ghetto. Originally created for soprano and piano, composer Mark Broder was impressed that “the children often affirmed their belief in the goodness and beauty of life” despite their imprisonment. Bill Cutter created a choral arrangement of it for EVUSA in 2022.The choral version retains an element of sophisticated simplicity that reflects the youth of the author. Cantor Daniel Mutlu and his partner Nina Faia Mutlu composed a setting of Psalm 23 which employs both Hebrew and English.The two languages add to the universality of the message.The psalmist’s “tranquil waters”are reflected in both the melody and accompaniment, which is masterfully played by James Cunningham. The Song of Songs text “Rise up my love, my fair one…for lo, the winter is past” was eye-opening for composer Joseph N. Rubinstein. He saw it as a metaphor for the isolation of the pandemic years and subsequent opening of society. The only a cappella work on this recording, Rubenstein uses a fresh harmonic palette and very beautiful phrases that reflect the meaning of the text. Remember, Revere, Rejoice is a wonderful album of the choral art. Listening to the barely 18 minutes of well-performed and well-crafted choral music, this writer wishes there was more music on it! Janice Roger is the Cantor Emerita of Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, which she served from 1979 until 2017. Now retired, she serves as chaplain for Jewish Family Services and volunteers with Indiana Reading and Information Services (IRIS), The Great American Songbook Foundation, and Classical Music Indy. She is married to Brandon Roger and they have two sons, Eddie (Allie) and Miles. ✡ J. CLURMAN sacred calling without God’s participation, “What’s the point of all these recitations? If it is our duty to carry on living, why not live life in all its stupidity?”(p.146) The narrator’s scholarly dissertation was prepared in a book form for the public with the chosen cover of the photo of the Belzec SS officers in their official attire, exuding confidence, a visual image that sells. Belzec, where half a million humans, mostly Jews, were murdered, gassed upon arrival in just ten months. Belzec is the last of the six major extermination camps on Polish soil to be properly maintained. It is also the place where many of my paternal relatives from Zamosc perished, including my greatgrandparents Rabbi Yaacov and Dena Manzis Zoberman.Visiting there in 2017, I led our group of 17 American Jews in the Kaddish, well aware that I was touching my severed-sacred roots. The narrator regards violence and power to be endemic to the baffling and contradictory human condition. Evidence is found in the Israeli kindergarten where his son Ido was abused, broadly concluding,“Force is the only way to resist force, and one must be prepared to kill”(p.67). The Memory Monster is not only saddled with recalling evil manifestations in history’s human affairs, but foremostly the ever-present monster already revealed in one’s own early schooling which innocent on the surface, continues to exert itself throughout the human experience. To young Ido his nameless father who stood up for him is the heroic slayer of a dragon, as portrayed in Ido’s painting depicting a small but fearless man facing a scary beast. Rabbi Dr. Israel Bobrov Zoberman is the founder and spiritual leader of Temple Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach, Va. He is honorary senior rabbi scholar at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church there. He was born in Chu, Kazakhstan (USSR) to Polish Holocaust survivors in 1945. He grew up in Haifa and served in the IDF in the 1960’s. ✡ ZOBERMAN (continued from page 16) SHIPLEY (continued from page 14) Jim Shipley has had careers in broadcasting, distribution, advertising, and telecommunications. He began his working life in radio in Philadelphia. He has written his JP&O column for more than 20 years. He can be reached at [email protected]. (Submitted April 19, 2023) ✡ j i Chag Shavuot Sameach

dresses and drives and cavorts accordingly. Noticing Belfort’s instant success, a neighbor in his apartment building, Donny Azoff (Jonah Hill) corners him in a restaurant and informs Belfort that he wants to make money the same way, even asking to see Jordan’s pay stubs. Then and there, Azoff uses the pay phone to quit his job in a furniture store and joins with Belfort in founding a new firm which, within five years, is being investigated by the FBI. Besides the name, the film suggests that Azoff is Jewish by having Jordan narrate that Donny wore certain glasses “just to look more ‘Waspy’.” Gradually, Belfort gathers his merry men and women to steal from the poor and then from the rich in order to enrich themselves. He calls upon childhood friends from Queens, like Brad Bodnick (Jon Bernthal),“Quelude King of Bayside,” who pumps iron and wears a chai symbol on his sculpted chest. We know that Brad is Jewish because, in addition to the chai necklace, he lets it be known at one point that he would not perform certain errands because “I’m no shvartzeh.” Then there is Robbie Feinberg, who stayed back in high school, and Nicky Costruff, who attended law school. One of the early brokers is a single mother named Kimmy Belzer, who is as ostentatious in dress as she is vulgar in speech. Later, a securities attorney, Manny Riskin, joins Belfort’s payroll, just as Jordan starts to pass cash around in briefcases (“nothing on the books”) and to stash millions into Swiss banks. Belfort’s first wife does the only ethical thing of any of them (which is not saying much) when she suggests that instead of bilking working stiffs her husband and his crew consider selling their dubious valuableon-paper-only wares to “the one percent.” Jordan follows her advice, which leads to a lifestyle of excess in prostitutes, entertainment expenses, drugs, and everything. Donny Azoff gets him hooked on crack. The film depicts Belfort and Company as totally exploitative, dishonest, and ruthless. Even Belfort’s father (Rob Reiner), who is uncouth and has anger issues, observes of Belfort’s lifestyle, which emanates from the very place of business, “This is obscene.” Yet the only “moral” judgment that Dad can offer is an envious, “I was born too early.” Indeed, Belfort’s parents are depicted as stereotypes of uncouth Jewish New Yorkers. Dad’s comments on a wedding video are particularly crude. Everyone in this film speaks in a vulgar manner, punctuating most sentences with the f-bomb. This becomes the Jewish way of speaking. Toward the end of the film, Donny urinates on a subpoena and cusses out the “USA.”That was hard to watch and to hear, like much in this film. When Jordan and Donny are not snorting drugs, they are thinking of ways to exploit people: Donny’s childhood friend Steve Madden whose shoe-business-gone-public; midgets who are dehumanized at an office party and at planning sessions (“These things gossip”); Federal Securities Exchange investigators who are manipulated to work in a bugged conference room with the air conditioning turned up. Donny is not depicted sympathetically. Right off the bat, there are “jokes”about his marrying his first cousin and about what he would have done had a child been born “retarded.” He cynically tells Jordan that “No one married is happy.” And out of anger and spite he eats a goldfish because an intern has chosen to clean out the fishbowl on the day of a risky swindle. As for Jordan, he does nothing out of love for others except maybe to buy his first wife a gift and to improvise a Heimlich maneuver to save a choking Donny at the urging of his second wife.Yet he is not fully conscious while saving Donny because they are both on a drug binge. Jordan does not seem to love his trophy wife or his children, whom he endangers repeatedly. Much of the film is amoral in tone and perspective. It drinks in the excesses and plays them for laughs. It marvels at the many times that Belfort almost miraculously avoids his own severe injury or death or that of others despite his greed and drug addiction. It allows him to pontificate that his life may have been spared time and time again so that he can help others through infomercials and motivational sales seminars. The best acting is in the scenes where DiCaprio as Belfort, bursts forth with motivational rhetoric. And the only moralization, if it can be called that, is Scorsese’s focus on the cult-like response of the employees, as if to say that money-obsession (greed?) is the greatest danger for and of Wall Street. So, what else is (was) new? Rabbi Elliot Gertel has been spiritual leader of congregations in New Haven and Chicago. He is the author of two books, What Jews Know About Salvation and Over the Top Judaism: Precedents and Trends in the Depiction of Jewish Beliefs and Observances in Film and Television. He has been media critic for The National Jewish Post & Opinion for more than 40 years. ✡ Media Watch BY RABBI ELLIOT B. GERTEL The Wolf of Wall Street During all the current downs and ups of Wall Street along with the Bitcoin circuses, pundits made reference to Martin Scorsese’s much acclaimed and lengthy 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street. I found that I had written a review, but that somehow it was not published then because other columns took precedence. So I return to it here. The movie was based on the memoir of indicted, confessed Wall Street predator Jordan Belfort (played entertainingly by Leonardo DiCaprio) who describes himself as raised in a modest apartment in Bayside, Queens by “two accountants.” Belfort is Jewish, though the movie does not have him say so or have anyone else say so. This may have been an effort on the part of screenwriter Terence Winter to universalize the character to represent greedy-people-in-general. Yet at the end someone calls one of the FBI agents to say “Mazal tov, you Irishman,”as if celebrating his victory over some perverse Jews. I suppose that the writer and producers can claim in the end that the story is so based on “real-life”events that it does not single out Jews at all. This movie may well be a brazen application of an old saying, “Jews are like everybody else, only more so.” The Belfort character narrates the film, noting from the outset that he was hellbent on becoming wealthy because of his humble origins and that a $49 million annual payload rankled him because it was “three shy of a million a week.” When we first meet the young, ambitious Belfort, he is devoted to his wife and shuns drink and drugs and prostitutes – ostensibly, the legacy of Wall Street’s senior (Gentile?) operators. He starts work on Black Monday 1982, which wipes out his “Rothschild” firm that has been around for close to a century. His reaction is responsible enough: He seeks out employment ads and decides to get into a store management track. But knowing his love for the stock market, his wife shows him an ad for a penny stock operation. Belfort quickly catapults the small firm into unprecedented success by convincing working people to invest in small, questionable, unregulated stocks on which the brokers make a 50 percent commission. He starts to make a lot of money, and then 18 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023

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Smart Graphic & Marketing Solutions Š Corporate Identity Š Commercial Printing Š Digital Printing Š Banners | Signage Š Branded Apparel Š Promotional Items Š Direct Mail Services Š Design | Marketing Š Event Support 2603 E. 55th Place | Indianapolis, IN 46220 317.466.1600 | [email protected] BrainstormPrint.com 20 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT May 24, 2023 1389 W 86th St. #160 Indianapolis, IN 46260 Post&Opinion The Jewish PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID INDIANAPOLIS, IN PERMIT NO. 1321 The First Night of Shavuos BY MATTHEW J. SILVER Shavuos, May 25-27, 2023, is a two-day holiday that commemorates God giving the Torah to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai over 3,300 years ago. It celebrates the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period between Passover and Shavuos. (The word Shavuos means “weeks.”) The counting mirrors the journey of our ancestors in the desert who spent these 49 days in spiritual anticipation of the gift at Mt. Sinai. Every year on Shavuos we renew our acceptance of God’s gift, and God “re-gives”the Torah. The giving of the Torah was a far-reaching spiritual event – one that touched the essence of the Jewish soul for all times. Our sages have compared it to a wedding between God and the Jewish people. Shavuos also means “oaths,” for on this day God swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to God. In ancient times, two wheat loaves would be offered in the Holy Temple on Shavuos. Also at this time people would bring bikkurim, their first and choicest fruits, to thank God for Israel’s bounty. To recount the thousands of years history of Shavuos would require volumes, so the focus will be on one specific aspect. The first night of Shavuos, Jews remain awake learning Torah, often reading a syllabus that contains excerpts from every book of the Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah, and Kabbalah. In preparation for a momentous event the evening prior to the delivering of Torah, the people of Israel enjoyed a good meal, partook of some wine, and turned in early to get a good night’s sleep. But the next morning, when it was time for the Torah to be handed down, the place was deserted. They had slept in. Oy Vey! The Midrash depicts Moses had to wake them – causing God to later lament,“Why have I come and no one is here to receive me?” Thus, now we stay up late every first Shavuos night to affirm that our enthusiasm is not waning. In fact the tradition began years later and involves the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. The Book of Zohar (“Splendor”) is the primary text of the Kabbalah. It contains the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his disciples, who flourished in the Land of Israel in the second century. For many years, it was carefully guarded and most Jews did not even know of its existence until it was disseminated by a rabbi in the 13th century. Matthew J. Silveris a journalist, musician, and repairer of wood furnishings. Resource material: Chabad.org. ✡