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JEWISH NEWS
THE CHICAGO
August 22 - 28, 2014/26 Av 5774
www.chicagojewishnews.com
ARTIST TO THE
One Dollar
MAX
An interview with Peter Max, the iconic Jewish artist,
on the eve of a Chicago retrospective of his work
Feeling anti-Semitism
in Europe
Sinai Congregation’s
new rabbi
Special Focus on
Education
Potok’s ‘Asher Lev’
in Chicago
2
Chicago Jewish News - August 22 - 28, 2014
THEMaven
Chicago Jewish News
MEET SINAI’S
NEW RABBI …
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Holocaust survivor Margit Meissner
leads young visitors from Chicago
on a tour of the Permanent Exhibition
during the 2011 Grandparents Trip.
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
■ Starting a job as senior
rabbi of one of the oldest and
most historic synagogues in the
United States – and starting it
less than a year after its previous
longtime rabbi resigned in scandal – might not be every young
spiritual leader’s cup of strong
tea.
But Rabbi Seth Limmer
embraces the challenge.
Limmer, 41, is the new
rabbi at Chicago Sinai Congregation on the city’s Near North
Side. He joined the synagogue
in July from Congregation
B’nai Yisrael of Armonk, N.Y.,
where he served for the last 14
years.
Chicago Sinai, founded 150
years ago by some of the city’s
most prominent business leaders, was for years considered the
last bastion of Classical Reform
Judaism in America, holding
services on Sundays long after
most Reform synagogues no
longer did so.
Last fall, Sinai’s senior
rabbi, Rabbi Michael
Sternfield, abruptly left his position, telling congregants that
he was retiring. Shortly afterwards, members learned that he
had long struggled with a gambling addiction and had been
discovered gambling in a casino
from which he had earlier, at his
own request, been banned.
Limmer said it was Sinai’s
unique history and current values that first attracted him to
the congregation.
“Sinai is a very different
kind of congregation – unique
in that it’s not just articulate
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Rabbi Seth Limmer
about its values but has held
them for over 150 years,” he
said in a recent telephone interview. “Those happen to be exactly my values and core
commitments as a Jew and as a
rabbi.”
Those hallmarks include
intellectual honesty, social justice and being open to interfaith partnerships, he said.
He said the congregation’s
willingness to evolve – such as
holding services on Saturdays,
as is usual, rather than continuing the practice of Sunday services started 100 years ago – also
drew him.
Sinai is “remarkably committed to a level of intellectual
honesty, and there are all kinds
of outgrowths that come from
that,” such as realizing that
Sunday services were no longer
working for congregants, he
said.
“They’re not afraid to
change long-held practices.
That’s my kind of Reform Judaism,” he said.
Limmer was born in
Rochester, N.Y. and raised in
Great Neck, N.Y. He graduated
from Cornell University and received ordination, as well as a
doctorate in Hebrew Literature,
from Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion.
Joining him in Chicago are
his wife Molly and two daughters, Rosey, 11, and Lily, 8.
Molly Limmer, an art and antiquities specialist, worked for 17
years as department head for antiquities for Christie’s New York
and has joined the action
house’s Chicago office as vice
president of its regional team.
Limmer said he’s very aware
S E E M AV E N
ON
PAG E 1 5
3
Wanna kill me? Take a number
By Cnaan Liphshiz
JTA
My friend Alain Azria gave
me a puzzled look when I told
him, with some indignation and
disbelief in my voice, that I had
just heard talk of killing Jews at
an unauthorized anti-Israel
demonstration last month in
Paris.
A young black man with a
Parisian accent told a dozen
friends loudly, but without shouting, “OK, guys. Let’s go hunt
some Jews.”
His friend answered, “Let’s
break their heads.” To which the
first speaker replied, “Catch
them fast, kill them slow.”
The group blended into a
mass of thousands of people who
were marching toward the Gare
du Nord train station while
shouting slogans accusing Israel
of genocide.
My shock stemmed from the
fact that while anti-Semitic violence accounts for a fair share of
my reporting here in Europe, I
have personally been insulated
from it – perhaps because I live
in Holland, where such occurrences are rarer, or maybe because I had lived most of my life
in Israel, where one receives only
a theoretical understanding of
the phenomenon.
But for Alain, a freelance
news photographer who specializes in documenting France’s
anti-Semitism problem, this was
just another day at the office.
Which is to say he didn’t really
have time for my astonished discovery of the banal.
“OK, OK, welcome to Paris.
Now let’s move it along,” he said
as he took us on a shortcut designed to reach the station before
the procession.
Over the course of the following fortnight, as Israel’s fight
against Hamas in Gaza continued to fan the already considerable flames of anti-Semitic
violence and incitement across
the continent, I would come to
better understand Alain’s apparent nonchalance at the hate fest
he was documenting.
This understanding came
through frequent visits to Paris –
including the scene of one attempted pogrom – and discussions with professed anti-Semites
there. But it also grew out of observing unprecedented phenomena gripping the area around my
own home in The Hague that
the Dutch media have dubbed
“the Sharia triangle.”
Shocked by how acceptable
anti-Semitism has become in
France, I was glad to be back
home in the Netherlands, a country where I chose to settle in part
because of its strong tradition of
tolerance. But in Schilderswijk,
my neighborhood of The Hague
where roughly half the population
is Muslim, hundreds demonstrated three times since July 7 at
rallies that featured flags of the
ISIS terrorist group and calls to
slaughter the Jews.
Central to my understanding of the banalization of antiSemitic violence in Europe were
the July 20 riots in Sarcelles, a
northern suburb of Paris with
many Muslims but with a Jewish
population large enough to earn
it the nickname of “little
Jerusalem.”
There I saw riot police fending off a predominantly Arab
mob that, unable to reach the
main local synagogue, had
smashed the windows of Jewish
and non-Jewish businesses while
chanting “death to the Jews” in
Arabic and French. The avenue
leading to the synagogue was
shrouded in a cloud of tear gas
and black smoke that rose from
several fires that crackled on the
asphalt and tram tracks. Nearby,
rioters hurled a firebomb at a
synagogue, resulting in little
damage. It was the ninth assault
on a French synagogue since July
8, when Israel’s military operation against Hamas began.
The temporary breakdown
of the rule of law may seem
Protesters at an unauthorized anti-Israel rally in front of Paris’ Gare
du Nord train station. (JTA)
strange to many Americans, but
it is normal in France, where police often opt to contain rather
than bust illegal behavior by
Arabs from the suburbs of large
cities – to “let sleeping dogs lie,”
as Sammy Ghozlan, a French former police commissioner and
founder of the National Bureau
of Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism, told me.
“We call these areas ‘the lost
territories’ because they are nogo areas for police, who fear the
escalation of a minor incident
into a repeat of the 2005 riots,”
he said. “You have such areas in
Israel, too,” he reminded me.
More than the breakdown of
public order, I was surprised by the
drilled response of local Jews.
Within minutes of the eruption of
the riots in Sarcelles, 100 of them
gathered with baseball bats and
other weapons. Surrounding the
besieged synagogue, they started
singing the French anthem. I
asked several of them when they
began relying on their own
strength for their defense. The
older ones said it has been like
this for many years. The teenagers
added, “Since forever.”
Stuck at the train station of
Sarcelles – the riots disrupted
train traffic, and taxi drivers generally avoid the area after dark –
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PAG E 6
4
Contents
Jewish News
■ A 90-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor was arrested in St.
Louis during a protest over the shooting death by police of Michael
Brown in suburban Ferguson, Mo.Hedy Epstein of St. Louis was one
of nine protesters arrested for blocking the entrance to the downtown state office building that houses Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s office. “I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager. I didn’t think I
would have to do it when I was 90,” Epstein said, as two officers
walked her to a police van. “We need to stand up today so that people won’t have to do this when they’re 90.” Epstein escaped Nazi
Germany for England in 1939 on the Kindertransport. Her parents
and other family members died in Auschwitz, according to her personal website. Epstein has been active in civil rights and human
rights causes as well as social justice, including fair housing, abortion rights and anti-war activities. She also has been active in proPalestinian causes, including demonstrating against Israel’s security
fence, Israeli settlements and the demolition of Palestinian homes.
She is a member of the Speakers Bureau of the St. Louis Holocaust
Museum and Learning Center.
■ A child from the persecuted Yazidi ethnic group of northern
Iraq received heart surgery in Israel. The 17-month-old, Wisam,
and his father arrived in Israel in June in advance of the surgery,
which was performed last week. Wisam was born with congenital
heart disease. Wisam’s family – including his mother and two
newborn twins – is among the 200,000 Yazidi families besieged
by ISIS, the militant Islamist group, on Mount Sinjar in Iraq. Dr.
Lior Sasson performed the seven-hour surgery at Wolfson Medical
Center in Holon, outside of Tel Aviv. It was funded and organized
by Save a Child’s Heart, which brings children from developing
countries to Israel for cardiac treatment.
■ An Arab man and his Jewish-born bride hired 14 security
guards for their wedding celebration in Israel in response to an
anti-intermarriage Jewish group’s call for a protest rally at the hall.
Mahmoud Mansour, who is Muslim, and Morel Malka, who recently converted to Islam, reportedly are concerned for their
safety at the event in Rishon Lezion after the group, Lehava,
posted photographs of their invitation on social media and urged
protesters to rally outside the hall with megaphones and banners.
Police said they will send personnel to the area to prevent any
disturbance. The couple is already legally married, according to
Haaretz; the reception is merely a celebration. The groom’s parents and bride’s mother reportedly support the union. Bentzi Gupstein, the chairman of Lehava, said that his group was particularly
upset about the wedding because of this summer’s escalation in
tensions between Hamas and Israel. “We are still at war and she
is marrying a member of the enemy,” he said. Mansour, of Jaffa, is
an Israeli citizen. Gupstein said he was also angry that the wedding is taking place in Rishon Lezion, one of many cities targeted
by rockets from Gaza this summer. The father of the bride told
Israel’s Channel 10 in an interview that he did not know about
the relationship until recently and that he plans to boycott the
wedding, the Times of Israel reported. “I never dreamed that my
daughter would marry an Arab,” he said. “I’m not going, period.”
■ The City of Warsaw has agreed to return and preserve 1,000
Jewish headstones that were used to construct a recreational facility inside one of the city’s parks. The headstones, which are
currently part of a pergola and stairs at a park in Warsaw’s Praga
district, will be returned in the coming months to the Brodno
Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw, according to a statement by From
the Depths, the international commemoration nonprofit that led
talks on the subject with city officials. The city allocated a budget
of $180,000 for the project, according to Jonny Daniels, From the
Depths’ U.K.-born, Israel-based founder. The pergola at Praga district is one of countless sites scattered across Poland in which Jewish tombstones were used as construction material, according to
Daniels, whose group earlier this year brought dozens of Israeli
lawmakers to a meeting with counterparts from Poland and other
countries, and a visit to the Auschwitz death camp on the 69th
anniversary of its liberation. “In the 1950s, the communists were
in full swing of building structures and monuments out of
matzevas, which they often broke into pieces,” Daniels said, using
the Hebrew word for a Jewish tombstone. From the Depths’ involvement in the subject is part of the organization’s Matzeva
Project, which aims to restore an estimated one million gravestones hidden in buildings and urban spaces. An effort to locate
headstones will begin this month with help from volunteers from
the University of Warsaw.
JTA
THE CHICAGO
JEWISH NEWS
Vol. 20 No. 46
Joseph Aaron
Editor/Publisher
6
Torah Portion
Golda Shira
Senior Editor/
Israel Correspondent
7
Arts and Entertainment
Pauline Dubkin Yearwood
Managing Editor
Joe Kus
8
High Holiday Synagogue Focus
10
Cover Story
Staff Photographer
Roberta Chanin
and Associates
Sara Belkov
Steve Goodman
Advertising Account Executives
12
Focus on Education
Denise Plessas Kus
Production Director
Kristin Hanson
16
Community Calendar
Accounting Manager/
Webmaster
Jacob Reiss
Subscriptions Manager/
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16
CJN Classified
Ann Yellon
of blessed memory
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5
Documentary reveals Jewish mother’s ‘Little White Lie’
By Rebecca Spence
JTA
When Lacey Schwartz celebrated her bat mitzvah more
than two decades ago in her
hometown of Woodstock, N.Y., a
synagogue-goer turned to her and
said, “It’s so nice to have an
Ethiopian Jew in our midst.”
Never mind that Schwartz,
a striking 37-year-old with long
black curls and a megawatt smile,
is about as American as they
come. Raised by two Ashkenazi
Jewish parents in a largely white,
upstate New York town,
Schwartz’s complexion – darker
than that of her relatives – had
long been attributed to a Sicilian
grandfather.
Despite lingering questions,
she believed the story. But when
Schwartz enrolled at Georgetown University and the Black
Student Alliance sent her a welcome letter based on a picture
she submitted, Schwartz could
no longer deny something was
amiss.
She confronted her mother,
Peggy Schwartz, only to discover
that her biological father was a
black man named Rodney with
whom she had had an affair.
The discovery of her family
secret and Schwartz’s coming to
terms with her newly complex
racial identity serves as the basis
for a moving documentary “Little White Lie.”
“I started from a place where
being Jewish equaled being
white,” Schwartz said. “So I had
to push myself to expand my idea
of what being Jewish was.”
Upon launching the project
10 years ago, Schwartz thought
she was making a film about
black Jews. At the time she was
living in what she called a “racial
closet.” Schwartz identified as
black in the broader world, but at
home she behaved as though
nothing had changed.
Many therapy sessions and a
degree from Harvard Law School
later, Schwartz decided to hone
in on her family’s story. Her biological father had passed away
just shy of her 30th birthday, and
she realized that if she didn’t investigate her own narrative, she
was skirting the issue.
“I wanted people to be having these conversations, but I
wasn’t even talking about things
in my own life,” Schwartz said. “I
felt strongly that I couldn’t talk
the talk unless I walked the
walk.”
Schwartz’s mother has been
supportive of the project since its
inception. Peggy Schwartz, 67,
said she initially had some trepidation about how others might
perceive her (“Will people think
I’m a raving lunatic?” she
quipped in a New York Jewish
accent), but that quickly faded
and she felt safe spilling her se-
crets on camera.
“I owed it to my daughter to
no longer be deceptive about
what my life was like,” Peggy
Schwartz said of her participation in the film, which is slated
to air next year on PBS. “She
needed to go on her path, and
she invited me to go on mine.
I’m very grateful for that.”
Still, it wasn’t easy. Years of
silence had built emotional walls
that were hard to break through,
and Schwartz had to push her
mother to engage in conversations about the real circumstances of her birth.
Schwartz’s father, Robert,
long divorced from her mother,
also agreed to participate, but
with markedly less enthusiasm.
During a lively Q&A session following the San Francisco screening, Schwartz said that while the
man she’d always known as
“Daddy” went along with her
process, it was not the path he
might have chosen.
In a particularly moving, if
awkward, scene in the film,
Schwartz’s father calls her
mother’s years-long affair and
Lacey’s ensuing paternity – neither of which was divulged to
him – “the ultimate betrayal.”
While Schwartz the filmmaker has embraced her black
identity, it has not been at the
expense of the strong Jewish cultural identity she developed during her formative years. Some of
the earliest stirrings of the film
came through her work with Reboot, a hand-picked collective of
Jewish creative professionals who
come together to explore meaning, community and identity.
“Reboot is a space that encourages you to ask the questions
you really want to ask about your
Jewish identity,” Schwartz said.
“It has been inspirational.”
In addition to winning
Lacey Schwart'z film "Little White Lie" tells of her discovery in adulthood that her father was black. (JTA)
grants from major Jewish funders
– the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, the Jewish
federations of New York and San
Francisco, and the Righteous
Persons Foundation, among
them – Schwartz’s film has also
received long-term support from
Be’chol Lashon, a San Franciscobased nonprofit that promotes
racial, ethnic and cultural diver-
sity in Jewish life.
Schwartz, who lives in
Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband and twin 1-year-old sons,
serves as the group’s national
outreach director and its New
York regional director. Diane
Tobin, Be’chol Lashon’s founder
and executive director, said the
organization plans to use the film
to educate teens and spark con-
versations about Jewish diversity.
Schwartz said that she hopes
the film will catalyze discussion
not only around race, but also
the consequences of keeping
family secrets.
“This is a very personal
story, but it’s also universal,” she
said. “It’s a project about family
secrets and the power of telling
the truth.”
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Wisdom of a master
Kotzker Reb can
teach moderns
to ‘see’ Torah
By Rabbi Douglas Goldhamer
Torah Columnist
Torah Portion: Re’eh
Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
Menachem Mendel (17871859) received a thorough Torah
education at an early age, mastered the entire Talmud when he
was 13, and then began to study
hasidut and later become the
Reb of Kotzk, or the Kotzker
Reb. Thousands of students
flocked to study with him,
mainly because he had a passion
for truth, which he believed
would bring us closer to G-d.
This sense of spirituality not only
impressed and inspired students
to take up texts with him, but he
also inspired thousands of students to study the esoteric meaning of our Torah, G-d’s greatest
gift to the world.
I can’t deny a bit of envy
here. If I get 10 students wishing
to study kabbalistic texts with
me, I am overjoyed. And here is
a man who, in his struggle to find
the spiritual meaning of each
Torah verse, receives hundreds
and hundreds, even thousands, of
new students.
Among the most interesting
texts the Kotzker Reb wrote is a
book called “Ohel Torah.” And
in his amazing study to this book,
he begins by analyzing the opening verse of the Torah portion of
this week, Re’eh. “Re’eh anochi
notein liphnei chem. …. See,
today I place before you (blessing
and curse).” (Deuteronomy
11:26) The Kotzker Reb writes in
his opening teachings of this
verse: “Interpreters have struggled hard to note that this verse
begins by talking to an individual (in the singular, ‘See, Re’eh’)
and then concludes in the plural
Europe
CONTINUED
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I overheard an Algerian man explaining to a Congolese woman
that it was the Jews of Sarcelles
who struck first.
“Like always, first they attack
or steal or kill, then they bring
the media to lie about it,” said the
man, who identified himself to me
as Mohammed abu-Chaich, a security guard at Charles de Gaulle
Airport. “I hate Jews, I’m not
ashamed to say it.
Rabbi Douglas Goldhamer
(‘Before you, liphnei chem.’).
But in all of their words, I still do
not hear anything new. After all,
was the Torah not given equally
to every Jew (and so plural)? But,
insight into and reflection on the
Torah is only according to the
spiritual state of each and every
individual alone. Thus, for each
individual Jew, the word ‘See’ has
a different significance, according to his spiritual state.”
A person can only know his
spiritual state when he discovers
the divinity within his “self.” We
begin to know ourselves when
our soul can look into itself and
draw from itself. When we have
a sense of self awareness, we recognize G-d within us. Because, as
the Kotzker Reb teaches again
and again, G-d is not separate
from us, but He is in every part of
us. We and G-d are one.
In order to develop spiritually, we need to work from our
current spiritual state. That’s why
we regularly practice meditative
techniques in our synagogue and
at the Hebrew Seminary. When
we take a biblical verse and study
it, not only academically, but also
spiritually, we find G-d in the
text. And we recognize that it is
G-d who writes these spiritual
truths for us.
In this first verse, He articulates that even though the Torah
was given to all of us, when we
study the verses spiritually, using
“They initiated the war in
Algeria just to kill Arabs,” abuChaich, who is in his 40s, told
me of his country’s civil war,
waged by Islamists. “Hitler killed
them for similar reasons,” he
added loudly as others around
him nodded approvingly.
Feeling sad from my conversation with abu-Chaich (I didn’t
tell him I was Jewish), I went
into a Cameroonian restaurant
for dinner. It wasn’t long before I
ended up chatting with some of
the patrons about Africa – a continent where I have worked and
which I love. Ten minutes into
the conversation, two of my in-
Lurianic meditative techniques,
each one of us receives an interpretation that is unique to his or
her commitment to the text.
Sometimes when studying a biblical text, we even have to embrace
the Holy Spirit – this takes place
through a meditative state of
dreaming, as the ancient prophet
studied and practiced. We learn
this in the first book of Samuel.
When we study texts in this
unique manner, not only embracing academic approaches to learning texts, but also embracing mystical approaches, we become more
aware of our “self.” This allows us
to understand and know our own
state of spirituality, which gives us
unique understanding to the verse
we are learning.
The Kotzker Reb attracted
many students because he
showed learning biblical texts
can be exciting, to the extent
that we can find G-d in every
verse. And when we do this, in
our classrooms, in our synagogue
or seminary, we see that this
Chasidic master can teach us
contemporaries and moderns so
much more wisdom.
In his “Ohel Torah,” this
wonderful teacher directs us to figure out exactly our current spiritual state so that we might “see”
clearly what it is that G-d has
placed before us, uniquely, as
Torah. And what makes this wonderful man’s teachings so exciting
is that the word “see” applies to
each of us differently. He challenges us not only to know our
own spiritual states, which inspires
us to understand how we see the
world today, right now, at this moment. And he really directs us to
“see” what is before us. And he
does this so profoundly by simply
using the difference between the
singular and the plural in a simple,
yet very profound, verse.
Rabbi Douglas Goldhamer is
senior rabbi of Congregation Bene
Shalom (Reform) in Skokie and
president of Hebrew Seminary of
the Deaf, Skokie.
terlocutors invited me to stay
with them during my next visit
to Yaounde.
I was feeling tipsy from the
cheap banana beer and happy to
have my new Cameroonian
friends restore my faith in
mankind when one of them
began speaking hopefully of the
bright future that lay ahead for his
country when it finally taps its
massive reserves of liquid gas.
“It will be heaven,” he said.
“I just hope the Jews don’t take it
away from us like they did in
Germany before Hitler used that
gas to kill them.”
7
Arts & Entertainment
‘Asher Lev’ alive
Beloved novel’s
characters come
to life on stage
By Pauline Dubkin Yearwood
Managing Editor
“My Name is Asher Lev,”
Chaim Potok’s iconic 1972 novel
about a gifted young artist (a
“prodigy in payos”) and his struggle to reconcile his art with his
Chasidic Jewish faith is exactly
the kind of book where you
might say, upon finishing it,
“There’s one novel that could
never be made into a play.”
It’s true that much of this
modern classic focuses on Asher’s
interior struggles, but it’s also the
story of a young man unhappily
at odds with his family, especially
his father, and his community.
That experience is almost universal and certainly not rare in
the theatrical canon.
More than 30 years after its
publication playwright and director Aaron Posner adapted
“Asher Lev” for the stage. The
play uses three actors, two of
whom play multiple roles, including Asher’s parents, art
teacher, rebbe and gallery owner.
It opened in New York in 2009,
ran 10 months off-Broadway and
received positive reviews.
Now Chicago’s Timeline
Theatre Company, a group specializing in plays that explore historical events that connect to
social and political issues of
today, is presenting the Chicago
premiere, Aug. 22-Oct. 18 at
Stage 773 on Belmont Avenue.
Kimberly Senior, one of the city’s
busiest and most esteemed directors, is at the helm.
Timeline Artistic Director
PJ Powers says deciding to mount
“Asher Lev” wasn’t a difficult
choice. “One of the things that
initially drew us is that we’ve
long been looking for plays that
deal with faith in smart, provocative ways,” Powers said in a recent phone conversation. “For
whatever reason it isn’t something that is presented a lot in
mainstream American theater,
and I think it’s a huge missed opportunity.”
“My Name is Asher Lev,” he
says, “puts forth complex ideas in
a provocative way. It’s never
preachy. And it’s refreshing to
see matters of faith onstage. It’s a
really personal story of someone
grappling with what their faith
means in an ever-changing modern world (the play is set in postWorld War II Brooklyn), trying
to stay true to their heritage but
also trying to evolve.”
Director Kimberly Senior,
who is Jewish, read the book
when she was 10 or 11 years old
and remembers crying when she
finished it. “I was a huge Jewish
literature fan growing up,” she
said in a recent phone conversation. “I was one of the few Jewish kids in my community and
reading Jewish literature was really valuable for me.”
Years later, though, she remembers that “adapting (the
book) to a play was not the first
thing that leapt to my mind,” she
says. “So much of it is in Asher’s
interior, intimate experience.”
But she found out that that was
actually one of the play’s
strengths. “Asher speaks directly
to the audience in some of his
monologues, so the audiences
gets that intimate relationship
with him.”
The play “is very faithful to
the book. There are no words in
it that are not in the book,” she
says.
Senior says she recently
reread the novel and felt that “although there are some characters
that are missing (from the play),
the adaptation captures the
essence, the struggle so beautifully. It’s amazing how distilled it
becomes in the play,” which is
short at 90 minutes with no intermission.
In fact, she says, the play by
its nature brings out some themes
that might not stand out so
clearly in the book.
“It’s amazing to see how
much Asher aspires to be like
both his parents, both people
who follow their passion and
commit so fully to what they’re
committed to” even though he
seems to be following such a different path, she says. “It’s strange
to him that his artwork is not
fully supported, because this (following your passion) is what you
do.”
Senior says she draws on
some of her own life experience
to understand the character
Asher Lev, an observant Jew who
shocks his community by, among
other actions, painting and
showing images of Jesus’ crucifixion.
“My mom was a Reform Jew
but even she was uncomfortable
in museums looking at (images
of) the crucifixion,” she says.
“Certain iconography hits us on
a subconscious level. (Asher) is
uncomfortable with it and that’s
why he paints it.”
And even though the ultraOrthodox sect to which the fictional Asher and his family
belong doesn’t put a high value
Actors, from left, Lawrence Grimm, Alex Weisman and Danica Monroe during a rehearsal of “My Name is
Asher Lev.”
on making art, “I don’t think
anyone would ever say a Jewish
life lacks art,” Senior says. Chasidic Judaism in particular “is an
extremely artistic culture, a culture of joy and creativity. There
are many ways to be Jewish. I had
a Shabbat dinner recently at
Chabad. I’ve been in a lot of Jewish communities but had only
seen this from the outside.”
The play, she says, speaks to
universal themes: “The struggle
one has with their parents, anyone can connect to this, plus
growing up inside a community
you are ready to see beyond.” She
recalls a telling scene where
Asher visits Cape Cod and wonders if he’s seeing the same sun
he sees in Brooklyn, so unfamiliar are his surroundings.
“The struggle is, how do we
take care of ourselves and those
around us?” she says. “The play
ends with (Asher) saying, I am
an observant Jew and an artist.
How do you live in peace with
that? It’s about finding your passion and voice as an artist and
how you commit to that fully.
That’s a huge part of this story.
It’s about forgiveness and love.”
Those themes are brought
out “elegantly” in the adaptation,
Senior says. “I think lovers of the
book will love the adaptation,”
she adds.
Artistic Director Powers
agrees that although the characters are Chasidic Jews, the play
will have broad appeal even outside of the Jewish community.
“It is really a play about
someone finding their life’s calling, whether it is being an artist
or something else,” he says. “So
many of us feel that tug between
following our hearts and our passion and how it might conflict
with our family, our faith, culture, heritage. A lot of people
can find a lot of different ways
into this story – someone who
questions their faith, political beliefs, sexuality, you name it, they
would all find a kindred spirit in
young Asher.”
“My Name is Asher Lev”
opens Thursday, Aug. 28 (previews Aug. 22-27) and runs
through Oct. 18 at Stage 773,
1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.
For tickets, $37-$50, $24 previews, call (773) 281-8463 or visit
timelinetheatre.com.
Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation A.G. Beth Israel presents
The 2014 Diane & Simon Zunamon Memorial
Fine Arts Concert Series
Continuing our Third Decade of Fine Music Programming
Come celebrate the 24rd season of outstanding music at
Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation A.G. Beth Israel in 2014
by becoming a subscriber.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
“Music of the Opera - Songs of Broadway”
Singing favorites from opera to Broadway with
Lisa Kristina as narrator and pianist.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Duo Sonidos, A violin & guitar duo,
featuring Adam Levin & William Knuth.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
The Chicago Harp Quartet,
featuring Marguerite Lynn Williams,
Principal Harpist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
To purchase tickets or for more information,
ccall 847.676.0491.
L
Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation A.G. Beth Israel
7
7117 N. Crawford Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60712
8
H I G H H O L I D AY
SYNAGOGUE FOCUS
Wishes for A Peaceful
NewYear 5775
from
Congregation Kol Emeth
Join us for
High Holiday
& Year-Round Services,
Programs and Classes
Congregation Kol Emeth
5130 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie IL 60077
(2 blocks west of Edens Expressway)
847/673-3370
office@kolemethskokie.org
www.kolemethskokie.org
Rabbi Barry Schechter
Part of Chicagoland’s Jewish Community
for almost 50 years
Skokie Valley
Agudath Jacob Synagogue
A cornerstone of the Skokie Jewish
community for more than 60 years, we invite
you to our warm, welcoming and inclusive
congregation for High Holiday Services.
Orthodox Services will be led by:
Rabbi Samuel Biber & Chazzan Eytan Dallal
Traditional Services will be led by:
Rabbi Dr. Gerald Teller & Chazzan Baruch Shifman
Join us year round for inspirational services and activities
that will be enriching for you and your entire family.
• Daily Minyanim
• Prominent Scholars-in-Residence & Lectures
• Adult Education Classes & Shiurim
• Youth Programming
• Chesed Projects
Introductory membership plans and
individual High Holiday seats are available.
Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue
8825 East Prairie Road
Skokie, IL 60076
847-674-3473 • www.svaj.org • membership@svaj.org
New children’s books: a tale from Spain,
easing a young girl’s pain
By Penny Schwartz
JTA
Fourteen years ago, sitting in
her synagogue during Saturday
morning services, Jacqueline
Jules was browsing some Torah
commentary when a story about
a medieval poet struck an inspirational chord.
“It was an ‘aha’ moment.
This will be my next writing
project, my next children’s
book,” recalled Jules, an awardwinning children’s writer who at
the time was also working as a
school librarian.
The historical note that captured her imagination was a reference to Samuel HaNagid, a
Jewish Talmudic scholar who in
the early 11th century served as
vizier, the highest adviser, to the
Muslim royal court in Granada.
According to the legend,
HaNagid is said to have made
friends with a man who cursed
him “by tearing out his angry
tongue and giving him a kind
one.”
“I was smitten by the story,”
said Jules, adding that she saw
the tale as a powerful metaphor
for turning a violent act into an
act of kindness.
Over the next dozen years,
Jules discovered that turning the
tale into a story for children was
challenging. The author of “What
a Way to Start a New Year!,”
about Rosh Hashanah, and “The
Hardest Word: a Yom Kippur
Story” said that she wrote as many
as 20 versions of the tale.
High Holiday Services
at NORTHWESTERN
Join friends, family, and a warm
and welcoming community as we
celebrate the start of 5775 with
engaging and uplifting Reform, Conservative,
and Orthodox services for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur.
✡ Any college student: FREE (with ID)
✡ Young Adult: $100
✡ General Adult: $225
✡ NU Faculty/ staff: $180 ✡ Child: $18
Buy your tickets today!
www.nuhillel.org
847-467-4455
In “Never Say a Mean
Word, A Tale from Medieval
Spain” (Wisdom Tales, 32 pp,
$16.95, ages 4-8), illustrated by
Durga Yael Bernhard, Jules has
reimagined the tale into one
about two young boys.
It is among several new children’s books available for the
High Holidays season.
The themes in the Jules
book of forgiveness and starting
anew resonate with those emphasized during Rosh Hashanah,
the two-day Jewish New Year
that begins this year at sundown
on Sept. 24, and Yom Kippur, the
Day of Atonement, which starts
at sundown on Oct. 3.
“Never Say a Mean Word” is
a simple yet lyrically told story
that has garnered a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly.
In the opening pages of the
book, set in medieval Spain, the
CONTINUED
O N N E X T PAG E
9
H I G H H O L I D AY
SYNAGOGUE FOCUS
CONTINUED
F RO M P R E V I O U S PAG E
young Samuel, an innocent,
head-in-the-clouds fellow who is
the son of the vizier, has one accidental encounter after another
with Hamza, the tax collector’s
quick-witted son. Hamza refuses
to accept Samuel’s apologies and
taunts him with cruel names like
“Donkey brain! and Stupid!”
Samuel’s father refuses to
punish Hamza. Instead, he gives
his son a broad directive: “Make
sure Hamza never says a mean
word to you again.”
As Samuel tries to exact a
stern lesson on Hamza, the story
takes a surprising turn and misunderstandings give way to an
emerging friendship.
Bernhard’s simple yet expressive illustrations evoke the
colors, landscape, architecture
and patterns of the era. One fullpage illustration depicts Samuel’s
imagined scheme of a monkey
perched on a stone wall while
clamping Hamza’s lips.
The book explores tough
questions, Jules says, such as
what constitutes fair punishment
and how do you get someone to
stop calling you names.
“I hope the book gives
young readers and the adults in
their lives much to think about
and discuss,” she wrote in an
email.
Here are some other new
High Holidays titles for children:
Apple Days:
A Rosh Hashanah Story
Allison Sarnoff Soffer, illustrated by Bob McMahon
Kar-Ben, 32 pp ($17.95 hardcover; $7.95 paper; $6.95
eBook); ages 2-7
trations radiate high spirit and
energy.
Shira at the Temple:
a Yom Kippur Story
Galia Sabbag, illustrated by Erin
Taylor
CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 24 pp ($9.99 paper;
$5.99 Kindle); ages 4-9
Shira is a spirited young girl
who wants to participate in Yom
Kippur, a day she learns is the
holiest of the Jewish year. But
Shira is not content to sit back
and observe the grown-ups as
they pray, mostly in Hebrew,
through the long religious service. She wants to have her
prayers count, but she worries
that she does not know how to
read Hebrew.
At the blowing of the shofar,
Shira becomes inspired to do
something, surprising the rabbi
and the congregation with her
own heartfelt prayer. Taylor’s cartoon-like illustrations are colorful and animated.
This is one of a series of
Shira books written by Sabbag,
who was born and raised in Israel
but now lives in Atlanta, where
she’s been a teacher at a Jewish
day school. The Shira character,
Sabbag writes on her website, is
a composite of many of her students over the years and reflects
her desire to convey the joy children experience in Jewish ritual
and spirituality.
from the perspective of Rochel, a
5-year-old girl from a haredi Orthodox family whose parents are
divorced. She and her younger
brother live with their mother;
their father lives in a different
house. The story traces the challenges facing Rochel as her fam-
ily celebrates Shabbat and holidays, including Sukkot.
Rochel is a believable, authentic character whose emotions, including sadness and
anxiety, are universal. She is reassured by her mother’s message
that the divorce is not her fault
and G-d, referred to as Hashem,
loves all children. Klein deserves
high marks for writing honestly
and authentically about a subject
not often dealt with in children’s
books for haredi Orthodox families.
Skokie Central Traditional Congregation
announces the creation of
The North Shore Center
for Traditional Judaism
A synagogue based upon traditional Judaism’s customs,
ceremonies and prayers in a modern atmosphere
led by Rabbi Dr. Michael Gottesman
No membership fees*
• Free Bar/Bas Mitzvah instruction
• No prior requirements for Bar/Bas Mitzvah
• Free adult education classes
• Free beginning Hebrew classes
• Meaningful services open to all
• Exciting social events
JOIN US TODAY!
You can become part of an exciting new synagogue community.
*new members only
I Live With My Mommy
Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein, illustrations by Dena Ackerman
Menucha Publishers, 32 pp
($12.99); ages 4-9
4040 Main St. , Skokie, IL 60076
847.674.4117
skokiecentral@gmail.com
www.skokiecentral.com
This sensitive story is told
Katy, an eager, bubbly young
girl, is counting down the days
until she goes apple picking with
her mother – a yearly family tradition at Rosh Hashanah. They
will peel, chop and cook the apples with cinnamon and sugar to
make applesauce for her favorite
holiday.
This year Katy is especially
excited, she tells her classmates,
because she is also expecting a
new baby cousin. She also
spreads the word to other friends,
as well as her neighbors, shopkeepers and rabbi.
But when the new baby arrives early and Katy’s mom has to
leave town, the girl’s disappointment is palpable. With the help
of her dad and a surprise from her
friends, teachers and rabbi, Katy
rises to the challenge.
Soffer’s first children’s book
is an entertaining read that will
delight young children who will
share Katy’s enthusiasm. McMahon’s colorful, cartoon-like illus-
You’re invited to…
Our New & Prospective Member
OPEN HOUSE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH
5:30 PM FOLLOWED BY
SHABBAT SERVICES AT 6:15 PM
RSVP to Kylie Zacharia at 773-435-1559 or
kylie@sholomchicago.org
To learn more, visit
sholomchicago.org
Join us for High Holy Days 5775
For a full listing of our High Holy Day
services,
serv
visit sholomchicago.org.
For tickets,
ti
contact Kylie Zacharia at
773-435-1559
773-435
or kylie@sholomchicago.org.
10
ARTIST TO THE MAX
An interview with Peter Max, the iconic Jewish artist,
on the eve of a Chicago retrospective of his work
By Pauline Dubkin Yearwood
Managing Editor
You know Peter Max.
Whether it’s his iconic
graphics that gave an image to the
counterculture of the ’60s, those
once ubiquitous “Love” posters,
the portraits of presidents, the
Statue of Liberty or the Israeli flag
or his design for the Continental
Boeing 777, Woodstock or five
different Super Bowls, Max’s
work is known by more Americans than that of any other living
artist.
What you may not have
known is that Peter Max – real
name Peter Max Finkelstein –
was born to a religious Jewish
family in Berlin. Or that he emigrated with his family to Shanghai, China to escape the Nazis
when he was one year old. Or
that his artistic talent began to
flourish in Israel, where the family later moved. That he is a supporter of animal rights and
environmental causes, a vegan, a
practitioner of yoga and a doting
husband.
Chicagoans will have a
chance to acquaint or reacquaint
themselves with Max’s work during a retrospective show and sale
at Road Show Company at
Northbrook Court, opening for
previews on Friday, Aug. 29 and
continuing through Sept. 7, with
two receptions with the artist on
Sept. 6 and 7 (see details below).
The show, titled “Peter Max
– A Retrospective 1960-2014,”
promises a number of never-before-seen works, including a new
series of portraits of Marilyn
Monroe. Also present will be
paintings and graphics from past
years, demonstrating how Max’s
style has evolved and his curious
positioning somewhere between
the counterculture and the mainstream, zigzagging from pop art to
abstract expressionism and back
in an extraordinarily long and
fruitful career.
he Northbrook retrospective is one of a number of
such shows the 76-yearold artist is putting on around
the country, Max said in a recent
rollicking, high-spirited streamof-consciousness interview from
his New York studio. He travels
to most of the retrospectives,
which are taking place at the rate
of around two a month all over
T
the United States and the world,
and puts in at least two or three
appearances at shows each weekend. Other artists might think
this a burden; he finds it a delight.
“I love it so much,” he says.
“I get to meet my fans, art lovers,
gallery owners. It’s always a nice
high to be there and meet all the
people who like my work. A guy
once told me one piece he
bought was his 87th piece of
mine! I said, that’s almost more
than I got.” He laughs heartily.
Each retrospective includes
“some done recently, some done
over time. It shows my range –
early stuff, some very old, some
very new,” he says.
It’s been a long life in art,
and it all really started when
young Max drew on the walls of
his family’s apartment in Shanghai with crayons his father had
given him – and the results were
so artistic his mother didn’t even
scold him.
“My father was fairly religious; he came from an Orthodox family in Poland,” Max says.
“When he came to Berlin he
married a very moderne woman,
my mother. When she took up
with him, she became Orthodox
too. Then suddenly, I was not
even one year old, my parents
had to leave Germany because of
what was starting to happen, and
we wound up in Shanghai” in
1938 along with some 30,000
other Jewish refugees.
“We lived in a fairly large
Jewish community – Can you
imagine, in China? Looking back
it’s hard to believe,” he says. “I
remember a few synagogues and
religious Jewish people living
where we lived. Men who wore
shtreimels. A very beautiful, nice
Jewish community in Shanghai.”
Max went to a Talmud
Torah there and remembers that
his father supported the local
synagogues and his mother volunteered with HIAS to help
newer immigrants adjust. “I
heard the word HIAS every single day,” he says.
Max traces his first artistic
impulses to this period and remembers that a Chinese girl, just
a few years older than himself,
used to come to his parents’
home and give him “art lessons,”
both of them drawing and painting together.
In 1948, after 10 years in
Shanghai, “we heard people talking about how Israel had just
The Israeli flag, by Peter Max
been made into a nation. And at
just about that time, Mao Tse
Tung took over China. The new
State of Israel sent a gigantic ship
to China to gather up as many
Jewish people as wanted to come
to Israel. It was some wealthy
Americans who (financed it),”
he says. “My father and mother
got in, and I went along, of
course. We were all excited.”
The family settled in Haifa,
where “I learned to speak the
language fairly quickly and had
all kinds of friends,” Max says.
He also became more serious
about his art during the three
and a half years the family lived
in Israel, taking private lessons
from an artist identified only as
Hurnik. “He was an amazing guy,
an Austrian painter who lived in
Israel, and I was lucky to be his
student,” he says. “I learned
about light and shade, shadow,
color combinations.”
He became fascinated with
color and with American comic
books, whose vivid, hard-edged
style would have a long-lasting
influence on his work.
Looking back, he believes
that “growing up in China, a
very artistic community, I must
have picked up a lot of artistic
knowledge there because in Israel (people) thought that I was
really good. I was delighted that
they thought so.”
The family was happy living
in Israel, Max says, and he has retained a love for the Jewish state
that often shows up in his work,
including his portraits of the Israeli flag and a series called “36
Rabins,” portraits of Israel’s slain
prime minister. In 2013 he
served as the official artist of
New York’s Celebrate Israel parade.
n the early ’50s, his parents applied for and received a visa to
come to America, where they
had relatives, German immigrants who had left Europe years
before. While waiting to travel,
the family spent nine months in
Paris, where Max took art classes
at the Louvre and discovered a
new world of artists.
“There I was with the big
boys – Picasso, Matisse, Chagall,”
he says. “They came into my
world.”
The family’s next move was
to Brooklyn, where Max took art
classes every day while in high
school, where his first friend was
the actor-to-be Paul Sorvino.
“I’ve stayed in touch with
him,” Max says. “He’s made 87
movies!”
After high school and for
the next five years, Max studied
art assiduously at the legendary
Art Students League in Manhattan.
“I studied with this amazing
teacher, Frank J. Reilly,” he says.
I
“When he was a student at the
same school, he sat next to Norman Rockwell for seven years as
a student. I started drawing and
painting and developed a unique
style that fit the ’60s.”
You could say that. By 1961
he had started a graphic design
studio in New York with two
friends and achieved almost instant success. There was hardly a
college dorm room that didn’t
boast at least one Peter Max
poster on the wall, and his colorful, semi-abstract, psychedelic
version of pop art defined the
decade graphically.
“Life magazine thought my
art was unique, and in 1969 I did
the cover with an eight-page
spread inside,” he says, recounting this accomplishment with
unselfconscious delight. “It made
me really well known, being on
the cover, and since then I’ve
been on 2000 magazine cover. I
can’t even believe it. There’s not
enough room in my studio to
hang all the covers!”
The heading for the Life
magazine article was “Peter Max:
Portrait of the artist as a very rich
man.” By that time, he had appeared on the Tonight Show and
had lent his distinctive style to
TV commercials, including the
famous “un cola” 7 Up ad, to the
movie poster for the film of
“Hair” and to countless other
events, shows and companies.
11
Max is vague on exactly
how he developed that style, implying it was more an intuitive
than an intellectual process and
encompassed what he had picked
up from living in China and from
“being a part of ’60s culture.” He
lived for a time in Woodstock,
N.Y., a town that was the epicenter of the hippie and psychedelic world.
“I started falling in love with
the art world, the history of art,”
he says, summing up his early
years. “I knew I had all that in
me. My own style developed and
I became very very famous. Over
2000 museums have my art on a
permanent basis worldwide.
There’s a book of that that’s four
inches thick,” he says, again
sounding more surprised than
boastful.
“My style is unique, creative,
cosmic, tuned in to the universe,” he continues, noting that
he always thought he would like
to become an astronomer and
revered Carl Sagan, whom he
once met in an elevator.
“I almost fainted,” he says of
the encounter. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I always watched
him on TV and was such a huge
fan – his intelligence! It turned
out he was a Peter Max fan and
we bonded so nicely.”
Back to talk about his style
and the cosmos: “I have a very
big interest in different aspects of
the universe,” he says. “We’re
like a small little pea, a little
round beautiful thing floating
around this enormous universe.
There are so many billions of
people, of species, the whole aspect of life – human beings, doggies, kitty cats, horses, elephants.
The tremendous range of animals
is mind-boggling to me. I can’t
wrap my brain around it. Every
species is highly intelligent,
highly unique, as unique as we
are. Many animals are just as
complex as us.”
When he comes to the studio
to work, he says, he doesn’t think
about how his art is evolving.
“I never think about it. I’m
just in the moment. Days, weeks,
months go by and I see it evolving and just let it happen,” he
says.
Other factors in his evolution include his embrace of yoga
long before it was fashionable – a
well-known swami he met in
Paris stayed with him for a while
in the late ’60s and started a
chain of U.S. yoga schools.
In the ’70s, Max shuttered
his graphics workshop and spent
more time painting, according to
his biography. At the same time,
he stayed busy, designing an environmental postage stamp to
commemorate the 1974 World’s
Fair in Spokane, Wash. and creating a series of Statue of Liberty
paintings that he used to raise
funds to restore the landmark.
He created a series of art
clocks for General Electric, designed four Grammy Award
posters and became the “official
artist” for numerous major-league
sporting events, shows and
awards. Today his work has been
licensed by some 70 corporations.
After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, he created 356 portrait
paintings of the firefighters who
perished and presented each one
to the surviving family members
at a ceremony at Madison Square
Garden.
o hear him tell it, meeting
his wife, Mary, 18 years
ago overshadowed all the
rest of it. (He has two grown
children from an earlier marriage.)
“I had moved on (from his
’60s psychedelic style) and then
an important thing happened in
my life,” he says, relating how he
first saw Mary crossing the street
near his studio just as he and a
friend were leaving to get some
decaf. (He never drinks coffee,
he relates.)
“Two girls ran into each
other and they stopped to talk,”
he says. “One of the girls was
Mary, and – I’ve never done this
before – I said to my friend, you
see this girl? I’m going to marry
her. When I saw her – I’m an
T
The Western Wall as seen by Peter Max.
Peter Max did this piece of art in celebration of Jerusalem’s 3,000th anniversary.
artist, I can recognize beauty – I
thought to myself, I’ve never
seen anybody so beautiful.”
The friend told Mary,
“You’ve got to call him. He is the
most famous artist” and eventually she did. After several dates
for tea and decaf, “I took her to a
studio I have in my residence on
the Upper West Side. She said
oh, I recognize this work, it’s
wonderful. That gave me a little
edge: She loved my paintings. I
took her to my studio and she
never left. She is with me today,
almost 18 years,” he says.
Mary Max is a vegan and
animal rights activist and serves
on boards of a number of national organizations. Peter Max
says he, too, “has developed a big
love and activity helping save
animals – doggies, cats, horses.”
One activity involved a famous cow named Cinci Freedom
who escaped from an Ohio
slaughterhouse. Max donated art
worth $180,000 to sponsor the
animal for life at Farm Sanctuary
in Watkins Glen, N.Y., a sanctuary for abused and neglected farm
animals.
Mary, he says, “is such a
blessing for me. I thank G-d all
the time for her. Ninety percent
of my art has a lot of her in it.
She inspires me. She has a heart
of gold, a beautiful little spirit, a
lovely unbelievable spirit.”
he Northbrook Court
show, besides containing
old and new favorites, will
include some paintings from a
2013 series on Marilyn Monroe
that Max says he is especially
pleased with.
Like many others, he has
long been fascinated with the
late star. “I knew her a little.
When I was an art student, she
used to walk by the school. She
must have been living nearby,”
he says. “I spoke to her once or
twice and she was very pleasant,
very kind. She left us when she
was 30 years old (actually 36). I
adored her. I thought she was so
amazing.”
When he was much younger,
Max says, “I had some photos of
her and made some portraits.
Years later, when some art dealers
came to my studio they said, Oh
my god you have to show these. I
did five or six, maybe as many as
10 pieces.”
Later yet, he says, Marilyn
Monroe’s estate and Joshua
Greene, son of Milton Greene,
the photographer who took
many of Monroe’s most iconic
photographs, “found out I
(painted) her a little bit” and
wanted to work with him further,
Max says. In a new series, each
painting is based on a famous
Milton Greene photo of Monroe
and signed by both Max and
Joshua Greene.
T
He is still besotted by Marilyn, he says. “When I look at
photos of her it’s hard to believe.
There is an amazing beauty in
her. It took over the whole world,
the United States, everybody was
into her – the outstanding beauty
and characteristics, her smile, her
eyes. Still today when you look at
her it’s like a fascinating beautiful
thing that comes off her.”
The Marilyn paintings may
be among his favorites, but as for
the others, “I’d have to show
you” the ones he likes best. he
says. “I wouldn’t know them by
the title. I like my cosmic ’60s
(work) which combines my love
for astronomy, my amazing love
for color and composition and
interest in evolution and Planet
Earth. Look at where we sit on
the planet – it’s a remarkable
thing. The whole thing is just
mind-boggling.”
“Peter Max –A Retrospective –
1960-2014” opens for previews from
5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 and is
open daily from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
weekdays and Saturdays and 11
a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays from Aug. 29Sept. 7 at Road Show Company at
Northbrook Court, 1202 Northbrook Court (next to Louis Vuitton).
Receptions with Peter Max take place
6-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 and 1-4
p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7. RSVP to eilene@roadshowcompany.com or call
(866) 900-6699.
12
Focus on Education
Ezra-Habonim,
The Niles Township
Jewish Congregation
Religious School
(847) 675-4141
www.ehnt.org
Ezra-Habonim, the Niles
Township Jewish Congregation
(EHNTJC) is an egalitarian
Conservative/Reconstructionist
Synagogue. At EHNTJC Religious School, our students engage in meaningful Jewish
learning and living, allowing
them to develop a strong Jewish identity, a sense of community, and the skills and knowledge to practice Judaism
through the study of Torah, tradition, Mitzvot and the study
of Hebrew. We provide a con-
cerned, caring, compassionate community that infuses
our children with spirituality
and a positive Jewish identity.
Our students are taught
by enthusiastic teachers and
learn to recite and lead
prayers, learn the weekly
Torah portion in age-appropriate readings, games or activities, and participate in a
children’s service. In our
lower grades, students benefit
from a smaller class size and
a lower teacher-to-student
ratio which allows more personal attention and individualized learning opportunities.
One of our unique characteristics is that we offer a Shabbat experience where our
students actively participate in
the main service, becoming
skilled and confident in their
davening, and their Jewish education is enhanced by shar-
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JOIN US FOR OUR OPEN HOUSE
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Learn more and enroll today at jewishfamilyexp.org
JFE is a joint program of Midwest NCSY and the Chicago Torah Network,
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It is located at the Jewett Park Community Center in Deerfield, IL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Rabbi Yehuda Polstein at
Yehuda@jewishfamilyexp.org or 773.706.6020
O N N E X T PAG E
13
Focus on Education
CONTINUED
F RO M P R E V I O U S PAG E
ences with the EHNTJC congregation. Students join in
the Kiddush with their parents and the congregation
which strengthens their sense
of community.
The EHNTJC Religious
School includes children in
Kindergarten through grade
10. Students in Kindergarten
through grade 2 come one
day a week on Saturdays,
from 9 a.m.-12:15pm. Students in grades 3-7 attend 2
days a week, Tuesdays 4:156:15 p.m. and Saturdays from
9 a.m.-12:15pm. Our
Lehrhaus Program for students in grades 8 through 10
meets on Tuesday evenings
from 7– 8:30 p.m.
The EHNTJC Religious
School is dedicated to the joy
of learning!
Francis W. Parker School
Serving Junior Kindergarten
through 12th Grade
330 W. Webster Ave.
Chicago
(773) 797-5107
fwparker.org
Parker is a school where
inspired teachers, dynamic
curriculum and a diverse
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Instilling a passion for learning and developing the capacity for independent
inquiry are central to a Parker
education.
Our discussion-based
courses encourage a love of
learning that has proven to
last a lifetime. There is no
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Register for a Group Tour
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Grand Valley State University
www.gvsu.edu/find
Grand Valley State University has established a reputation for creating unique
learning opportunities that attract top students from across
the Midwest and around the
world. Its liberal education
focus emphasizes critical
thinking, creative problem
solving, and cultural understanding. Through personalized learning enhanced by
active scholarship, we accomplish our mission of educating students to shape their
lives, their professions, and
their societies.
Academic Excellence.
With 86 undergraduate and
33 graduate degree programs, Grand Valley offers an
academic experience one
would expect from a small
private college and the programs and resources only
available from a major university. Virtually all of the
university’s areas of academic
study incorporate its liberal
education focus into the
learning process. The result is
that graduates are better prepared to meet new challenges with confidence and
professional expertise.
Great Return on Investment.
Grand Valley tuition is below
the state average for Michigan public universities, while
nearly 90 percent of its graduates are successfully employed or pursuing advanced
degrees.
First-rate Faculty/Realworld Research. Grand Valley
faculty members love to
teach and believe that research mentoring is the greatest form of teaching. Through
active, engaged scholarship
in student-directed research
projects, they inspire students’ passion for learning
and self-discovery, by incorporating academics with professional work. It’s a core
value that makes Grand Valley different – and creates a
more personal, interactive,
and meaningful learning experience for students. Plus,
all classes are taught by faculty members, not teaching
assistants, assuring first-rate
learning opportunities in
every class.
Outstanding Location. Our
amazing campuses in Allendale and Grand Rapids,
Michigan’s thriving, second
largest city, include state-ofthe-art learning, living, and
research centers and provide
unique opportunities for internships and employment in
leading-edge industries, including the life sciences,
health care, sustainability,
and engineering.
Jewish Reconstructionist
Congregation
(847) 328-7678
www.jrc-evanston.org
JRC’s education programs
serve children and teens from
ages 2 through high school.
Our Early Childhood Center
is NAEYC-accredited and
provides part and full-day
preschool providing a nurturing and enriching play-based
curriculum inspired by Jewish
tradition and a close connection to nature. Our K-12 curS E E E D U C AT I O N
ON
PAG E 1 4
Presented by the Francis W. Parker School
Saturday, September 27 • 9 am – 4 pm
Looking to the future, the Francis W. Parker School
introduces the Chicago Education Festival. Join leading
innovators in a discussion around big ideas that will
shape education and impact children of all ages. Learn
more at edfestchi.com.
How is Parker Expanding Learning
today and tomorrow?
Middle School Open House, Grades 6–8
Saturday, October 25 | 1 pm
Upper School Open House, Grades 9–12
Saturday, November 22 | 10 am
Application Deadline: Monday, December 1
More online at fwparker.org
Francis W. Parker School | 330 W. Webster Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 | 773.353.3000 | www.fwparker.org
JRC is a vibrant community committed to educating
children through experiential learning.
Our education programs serve children and teens from ages 2 through high school. Our
Early Childhood Center is NAEYC-accredited and provides part and full-day preschool
providing a nurturing and enriching play-based curriculum inspired by Jewish tradition
and a close connection to nature. Our K-12 curriculum provides children with a firm
grounding in Jewish rituals, texts, life-cycle events and observances, history and values.
Our curricula are enhanced by our commitment to tzedakah (social justice) and tikkun
olam (repairing the world).
Register now for our 2014-15 school season!
For more information, please call 847•328•7678 and ask for
Terri Bernsohn at our Religious School or Bonnie Silverman at
our NAEYC-accredited Early Childhood Center.
14
Focus on Education
Education
CONTINUED
F RO M PAG E
13
riculum provides children
with a firm grounding in Jewish rituals, texts, life-cycle
events and observances, his-
tory and values. Our curricula
are enhanced by our commitment to tzedakah (social justice) and tikkun olam
(repairing the world).
For more information, call
(847) 328-7678 and ask for
Terri Bernsohn at our Religious School or Bonnie Silver-
man at our Early Childhood
Center.
Jewish Family Experience
(773) 706-6020
www.jewishfamilyexp.org
The Jewish Family Experience is a comprehensive Jew-
EZRA HABONIM, THE NILES TOWNSHIP JEWISH CONGREGATION
EHNTJC RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Dedicated to the
joy of learning!
We transform classroom learning into a
hands-on, authentic Shabbat experience. The
EHNTJC Religious School curriculum includes
age apppropriate instruction in Hebrew, Torah,
Jewish texts, Jewish values, and holidays.
Rabbi Jeffrey Weill
Cantor Benjamin M. Warschawski
GRADES K-2
Saturdays
9:00am. – 12:00 pm.
EHNTJC
4500 Dempster Street
Skokie, IL 60076
GRADES 3-7
Tuesdays
Saturdays
4:15pm. – 6:15 pm.
9:00am. – 12:00 pm.
Contact: Religious Education Committee
Religious_Education@EHNT.org
Tel: (847) 675-4141
GRADES 8-10 (Lehrhaus)
Tuesdays
7:00pm. – 8:30 pm.
Register today! Affordable tuition!
First ten new students will receive tuition discount!
Opportunity knocks. Research,
internships, study abroad, and
service learning are built into nearly
all of Grand Valley’s 200+ areas of
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critical thinking, creative problem
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prepare you well to answer the call
of a rewarding career and life.
gvsu.edu/ﬁnd
ish learning and dynamic Hebrew language program dedicated to educating and
inspiring Jews across
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regardless of their affiliation
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School and B’nei Mitzvah
classes are available for students in K-8th grade. The
school meets on Sundays
from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at
the Jewett Park Community
Center (located 836 Jewett
Park Drive in Deerfield). There
is a weekly parents forum led
by Rabbi Moshe Katz of
Chicago Torah Network.
JFE is a joint of effort of
Midwest NCSY and Chicago
Torah Network, founded and
supported by the Associated
Talmud Torahs of Chicago.
The Jewish Family Experience
nurtures the whole family by
providing inspired learning
programs in an
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Join the growing number
of families who love Sunday
mornings at JFE!
For more information contact Rabbi Yehuda Polstein
at (773) 706-6020 or yehuda@
jewishfamilyexp.org.
Jewish Youth Connection
(847) 509-9204
www.northbrookcommunitysynagogue.org
The Jewish Youth Connection at Northbrook Community Synagogue is an exciting
new religious school that
blends experiential learning
with peer tutoring to create a
learning environment in
which kids of all ages feel engaged and want to attend.
Community is the basis of our
educational philosophy. To
that end, we are far more than
just a religious school. We deliver an educational experience for the whole family and
look forward to learning from
you as well. We inspire connections and friendships that
extend beyond the classroom.
Your children will love coming to class and will receive a
quality Jewish education
while they are here.
Our program meets twice
a week at our synagogue. We
meet Sunday mornings from
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. for
grades K-2 and from 9:30
a.m.-11:30 a.m. for grades 3+.
On Tuesday, grades 3+ meet
from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
We offer classes for grades 8
& 9 in Modern Spoken
Heberw and Current Events
from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
in one hour sessions. Students
may choose which sessions to
attend. We also offer adult
learning for parents once a
month, as a way to share what
your children are learning as
well as engage the whole family in Jewish topics. Our adult
learning also allows the families to get to know each other
and expand the sense of community. You can find our fullyear calendar at our
synagogue office, 2548 Jasper
Court, Northbrook, or on our
website www.northbrookcommunitysynagogue.org. The
Jewish Youth Connection is
led by our principal Shoshana
Axler with support and direction from Rabbi Aaron Braun.
Email office@northbrookcommunitysynagogue.org with
any questions, comments, or
to enroll now.
Spertus Institute for Jewish
Learning and Leadership
(312) 322-1700
www.spertus.edu
Spertus Institute for Jewish
Learning and Leadership offers dynamic learning opportunities, rooted in Jewish
wisdom and culture. Based on
the belief that a learning Jewish community is a vibrant
Jewish community, these opportunities are designed to enable personal growth, train
future leaders, and engage individuals in exploration of
Jewish life. Graduate programs, professional workshops, and mentorships are
offered in the Chicago area, in
select locations across North
America, and through distance learning. Spertus public
programs – including films,
speakers, seminars, concerts,
and exhibits – are offered at
the Institute’s Michigan Avenue facility, in the Chicago
suburbs, and online. Visit us
at spertus.edu.
15
Focus on Education
Maven
CONTINUED
F RO M PAG E
2
that he’s joining Sinai at what
could still be a difficult time for
some congregants.
“This temple suffered a
tragedy last year and it affected
everyone, some more than others,” he said. “I believe both our
leadership and our congregation
handled it pretty well.”
Part of his job now is “to
prove to (congregants) that I’ve
earned the right and am willing
to be their rabbi. That’s a large
part of my agenda, especially in
light of a lot of pain that people
felt this year – to earn people’s
trust, listening, learning,” he
said.
Honoring Sinai’s legacy of
Classical Reform Judaism will
be a part of that task too, he
said, noting that a previous
Sinai spiritual leader, Rabbi
Emeritus Howard Berman,
founded the Society for Classical Reform Judaism.
“He has done wonderful
things keeping alive the spirit of
prophetic Judaism he feared was
being lost,” he said of Berman.
“Classical Reform is an important part of who we are. When I
was interviewing with Sinai,
what interested me was the way
the leadership framed their own
relationship to the Classical Reform heritage. We are informed
by but not limited to that heritage. We are proud of who we
are but need to evolve,” he said.
“Sometimes labels box you
into places that are not helpful,” he said.
But his interests and those
of the congregation align when
it comes to social justice and interfaith partnerships.
“Sinai has always stood for
social justice, and that’s a huge
part of me as a person and a
rabbi,” Limmer said. “I’ve been
involved in social justice work
on a local and national level.”
Among that work was a
summer he spent in Chicago
when he was in college, building houses with Habitat for Humanity. He has also worked
with economically disadvantaged communities in rural Mississippi and is chair of the
Justice and Peace Committee of
the Central Conference of
American Rabbis, the Reform
movement’s rabbinical arm.
Sinai “not only values social justice but is so engaged in
it throughout the community,”
he said.
Another area that particu-
larly interests him is interfaith
engagement.
“We take interfaith partnerships very seriously,” he said.
“We work with churches,
mosques, people of other faiths,
even atheists. We open our
doors and our hearts to interfaith couples – that is a core
value of Sinai Congregation.
“Put all these things together and it’s remarkable –
that’s me in a nutshell,” he said.
Going forward, he said,
“despite the real difficulties of
last year, I feel the congregation
is healthy, with vibrant programming, a wonderful staff,
great people. I’m not coming in
where the roof needs to be repaired or the school is hemorrhaging families.”
His job now, he said, is “to
learn what Sinai does, get to
know who we are and make us
better at who we are, to learn
about the challenges and opportunities.”
In a conversation he had
with the synagogue’s music director, “he said, whatever style
of music we do doesn’t matter
very much, I just want whatever
music we do at Sinai to be excellent. I want us to be excellent in a fashion that honors
people and makes all people
comfortable being here, even if
I don’t yet know all the particulars,” he said.
He’s excited to be in
Chicago for many reasons, Limmer added.
“I’ve heard consistently
how great a Jewish community
it is, and I would be remiss if I
didn’t say how excited I am to
partner with the wider Jewish
community and make sure Sinai
has a proper place in partnership at the Jewish communal
table,” he said.
The synagogue’s central
near-Loop location is fortunate,
he said, but “we are only central
if we engage with our Jewish
partners as well as our non-Jewish ones.”
In addition, he said, “we’re
thrilled to be able to raise our
daughters in an urban environment. It’s very important to be
part of the wider world. The
suburbs tend to be homogenous.
Here in the city the girls will
have wonderful opportunities to
see people of every variety on a
daily basis. That’s the kind of
world we want them to inhabit
– to understand their relationship to the world in a more responsible way.”
That’s a task he has set for
himself as well, he said.
Pauline Dubkin Yearwood
Chicago Premiere at Spertus Institute!
Followed by an On-Stage Interview and Celebratory Reception
Sunday
September 7
at 2:30 pm
Tickets $25 ($18 for Spertus members)
Buy tickets online at spertus.edu or call 312.322.1773
Spertus Institute is a partner
in serving our community,
supported by the Jewish United
Fund/Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Chicago.
To advertise in the Oct. 10 issue
featuring
Focus on Education
call 847-966-0606.
THE CHICAGO
Jewish News
16
Community Calendar
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Saturday
August 23
Jewish comedian Debbie
Sue Goodman presents “An
Evening of Comedy and
Music.” 7:30-9 p.m., Glenview Grind, 989 Waukegan
Road, Glenview. (847) 7290111.
Northbrook Community
Synagogue shows film
“Sandlot” at “NorComSy
Drive-In.” 9 p.m., parking
lot, 2548 Jasper Court,
Northbrook. northbrookcommunitysynagogue.org.
Zerillo Realty
847-292-4700
Sunday
FOR SALE
BAMBOO
SUKKAH
MATS
New (Unused).
One 8’x10', $100, and
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Contact
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SERVICES OFFERED
Interfaith Marriage & Lifecycle Officiant
Funeral Director Concierge
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directline: 847-778-6736
http://www.openspaceslifecycleservices.com
To advertise your
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847-966-0606.
CEMETERY LOTS
4 Lots Available
Shalom Memorial Park
Hebron Section
$4000 each or best offer
Call Seymour Berman
(561) 394-0011
Memorial Park
Gan M’Nucha
12 Prime Lots
available together or will divide
Caroline
847 651-2636
CJE SeniorLife’s annual event, Celebrate CJE, features Grammy winner
and harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy and his group. 5:30 p.m. reception followed by 6:30 p.m. dinner and program, Wednesday, Sept.
10 at Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, 301 E. North Water St.,
Chicago. To register, cje.net/celebratecje2014 or (773) 508-1321.
Tuesday
August 26
Keturah Hadassah presents
Dr. Eileen Ladin-Panzer discussing her novel, “A Life
Less Lived,” at general
meeting. 12:30-3 p.m.,
Mayer Kaplan JCC, 5050
Church, Skokie. $3. (847)
675-5873.
Busy Jewish Office is looking for
SELL
YOUR
STUFF
Providing support and guidance with
the Significant Times of Your Life!
August 24
SPOTLIGHT
MEMORIAL PARK
CEMETERY
12 PLOTS FOR SALE
in Makom Shalom Annex Section.
Currently selling for $4,500 each,
asking $2,500 + transfer fees
Felix Dayan (847) 877-3485
dayan1050@comcast.net
Call 847-966-0606
to advertise in
CJN Classified.
Chicago Jewish Historical
Society holds South Haven
and Benton Harbor bus
tour led by Leah Axelrod. 8
a.m.- 8:30 p.m. departing
from Bernard Horwich JCC,
3003 W. Touhy, Chicago, or
8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. from Marriott Hotel, 541 N. Rush,
Chicago. Pack meal or snack
to enjoy at last tour stop,
Sinai Temple in Michigan
City, Ind. $88 CJHS members, $93 non-members.
Reservations, chicagojewishhistory.org or (847) 4327003.
Township Jewish Congregation presents “Sundays
with Rabbi Weill” featuring stories and playtime for
children to age 6 and the
young at heart, 9-10 a.m.
4500 W. Dempster, Skokie.
Reservations (847) 6754141.
Jewish Genealogical Society
of Illinois holds meeting
featuring Robin B. Seidenberg speaking on “Treasures in Print: Finding and
Using Historical Newspapers.” 2 p.m., Temple BethEl, 3610 Dundee Road,
Northbrook. Temple library
opens at 12:30 p.m. for use
of genealogical materials.
jgsi.org or (312) 666-0100.
StandWithUs presents
“ABCs of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions)
Workshop.” 7:30 p.m.,
Congregation K.I.N.S. of
West Rogers Park, 2800 W.
North Shore, Chicago. $5
advance, $10 door.
peggy@standwithus.com.
Wednesday
August 27
The Abington hosts Memory Support Group Meeting with presentation by
Dr. Kieran Nicholson, medical director, Family Home
Health and Centered Hospice. 6 p.m., 3901 Glenview
Road, Glenview. RSVP, admissions@theabington.com
or (847) 729-0000 Ext. 120.
WTTW-Channel 11,
Chicago’s local PBS station,
airs “Great Performances:
Rejoice with Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Yitzchak
Meir Helfgot.” 8 p.m.
Sunday
August 31
Chabad Community Center
of Rockford presents
“Learning from the Past;
Living the Present; Looking to the Future,” first
Midwest appearance of
Anne Frank’s childhood
friend and stepsister Eva
Schloss of London. 4-5:30
p.m., UIC College of Medicine Auditorium, 1601
Parkview Ave., Rockford.
$15 adults, $5 students.
Tickets, ChabadRockford.
com/events or (815) 9858594.
Sunday
Thursday
August 28
Consulate General of Poland
hosts evening commemorating the 70th anniversary
of the liquidation of the
Lodz Ghetto featuring
Chazan Alberto Mizrahi of
Anshe Emet Synagogue,
photo and film displays of
Lodz before the Shoah and
the Ghetto, 5:30-8 p.m.,
Union League Club,
65 W. Jackson, Chicago. Konrad.Zielinski@msz.gov.pl.
Beit Yichud hosts Maggid
Carna Rosenholtz, MA leading an experiential workshop on “Elul: Becoming
Whole Through Teshuvah.” 6:30-9:30 p.m., 6932
N. Glenwood , Chicago. $40
suggested donation. Facebook.com/BeitYichud,
info@beit-yichud.org or
(847) 910-1556.
Bernard Weinger JCC hosts
“Say It in Hebrew Live
Chat!” 7 p.m., 300 Revere
Drive, Northbrook. aaskenazi@gojcc.org or (847)
763-3627.
September 7
Township Jewish Congregation holds Recycling Sunday for metals, appliances,
computers, sports equipment and other hardware.
9 a.m.-1 p.m., 4500 W.
Dempster, Skokie. (847)
675-4141.
Township Jewish Congregation’s Men’s Club presents
musical duo Jeff & Janis at
brunch for men and
women. 10 a.m., 4500 W.
Dempster, Skokie. $12 advance, $15 door. (847) 6754141.
Beth Hillel Congregation
Bnai Emunah and Temple
Jeremiah present A Gourmet Honey Tasting with
dipping apples, children’s
activities and raffles. 11
a.m.-2 p.m., Mariano’s, Produce Dept., 1822 Willow
Road, Northfield. (847) 2563137 or (847) 441-5760.
17
By Joseph Aaron
CONTINUED
F RO M PAG E
Danziger
18
guy, considering his high profile, who would give back to the Jewish
community, who would be a role model for the Jewish community.
But none of that seems to matter to Reinsdorf, be of concern to
him. He doesn’t get involved in the Jewish community, and certainly doesn’t live by Jewish values. For all his success, he is not gracious but vindictive, caring not for Jewish values or how he, with his
very Jewish name, represents the Jewish community.
His abandonment and backstabbing of his old friend Bud sort of
encapsulates it all and explains why someone who the Chicago Jewish community should be so proud of, is instead someone we need to
be ashamed of.
And while I know Reinsdorf will whine that it’s totally unfair to
put all that on him just because he’s a Jew, he is wrong. Being a Jew matters and being a prominent Jew means you have a responsibility to be
aware that how you act reflects on all of us, that you need to be cognizant that what you do or don’t do says a lot to many about Judaism.
I’ve never been a big fan of former New York mayor Michael
Bloomberg and I am not a fan of these symbolic solidarity missions,
where, when Israel is under attack, some big machers decide to fly to
Jerusalem for two days, stay in five star hotels, meet with top government officials and head right back to America.
But even so, I do have to give Bloomberg credit for doing what
he did recently. After one missile fell about a mile from Israel’s Ben
Gurion Airport, the FAA way overreacted and for two days banned
U.S. carriers from flying into Israel, a devastating psychological and
financial blow to the Jewish state from its best friend.
To his credit, Bloomberg immediately got on an El Al plane and
flew into Ben Gurion to show that it was safe to do so, to show that
Americans had no reason to fear doing so, to show that the official ban
was nuts.
As a famous Jew, he knew his flying into Israel would be noticed,
would make a statement, would make a difference. And so he embraced that and did his Jewish duty. Good for him, good for us. I can
only hope Jerry Reinsdorf was paying attention.
We need Jewish leaders like Bloomberg doing what Bloomberg
did, especially now. Now because Jews are all too quick to feel put
upon, under siege, that nothing has changed for us, that all is as it has
always been for us.
There’s the war in Gaza and there’s been a lot of anti-Semitic acts
and words of late and if we don’t have leaders standing up and speaking up and reminding us of how good Jews living today have it, we are
all too prone to, ready to, once again feel all is bad, we have no friends,
we need to hunker down.
What Jews today need most of all is not only to continue to recognize how good overall things are for us, but also to recognize that
getting scared or depressed or distrustful is to allow our enemies to determine our mood and our agenda.
Yes, of course, we need to aware of the anti-Semitism and respond
to it, but we need to also be careful not to exaggerate it or let it define us. It’s a problem for us, something we need to deal with, but it is
not our entire reality, doesn’t mean we should put aside all the creative,
fun and meaningful things we need to do to build and strengthen Jewish life, make it attractive for young people to want to be a part of.
We need leaders to remind us that things are good for us in so
many ways, different for us in so many ways and we need not to forget that, not to let that be obscured by what’s going on at the moment.
We need to try and understand why the anti-Semitism is going on, especially in Europe and to see that a big part of the reason is the growing Muslim population in Europe and that it’s not simply another
Holocaust in the making.
One story really pointed that out to me in a very vivid and powerful way. Recently, Germany’s most widely read daily newspaper, Bild
Zeitung, published the faces of the 64 Israeli soldiers killed in the current conflict in Gaza.
Together with short biographies of a few soldiers, the images appeared in the paper under the headline “Israel’s War Against the
Hamas Terrorists: Faces of the fallen.”
The report describes the soldiers as “64 sons, friends, husbands
who will never return to their families. They died for their homeland,
fighting Hamas in Gaza.”
This is the biggest newspaper in Germany. Germany. We think
Israel is getting the short end of the stick in the Gaza war in terms of
public relations, but consider how much more significant this newspaper doing what it did is than some nut painting a swastika on
something or a rally by radical Islamists in Paris.
I’m not saying ignore the bad. I am saying also pay attention to
the incredibly good and different, to how a German newspaper, 70
years after the Holocaust, stood up for Israel in a very powerful way.
If a German newspaper recognizes its responsibility, how much
more so do we need Jewish leaders, prominent Jews, to remember who
they are, what we are all about, and to act accordingly, to show us the
way.
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18
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The Jew won. The Jew lost.
Baseball, as we all know, is the most Jewish of sports. There’s a lot
of proof for that, starting with the fact that the very first words of the
Torah are, “In the big inning.”
But seriously, folks, baseball recently elected a new commissioner to replace its long serving head, Alan “Bud” Selig. Selig is a Jew
and while he’s been involved in some controversial decisions, most
agree the game is in far better shape than it was two decades ago when
he took over.
Selig felt he had earned the right to designate his successor,
which he unofficially did. He wanted Rob Manfred, his right hand
man, to take over for him.
And all seemed set for that to happen until the whole thing became very contentious, mostly due to the efforts of one Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the White Sox, and a Jew.
Now, what bothers me about that isn’t that it was one Jew trying
to block the desires of another Jew, though that did bother me some.
But what bothered me a lot is that Reinsdorf and Selig are old, old
friends, have been for years.
And that friendship seems to have meant absolutely nothing to
Reinsdorf, who not only did something very much opposed to Selig’s
wishes, but who did it in a very determined and forceful way. He didn’t want Selig’s guy to win and he unleased everything at his disposal
to try to stop it, including bad mouthing Selig, criticizing Selig, making the case against Selig. His old friend.
I find that nauseating and yes it does matter that it was one Jew
backstabbing and undermining another Jew, and a longtime friend to
boot. What I also found nauseating is that the reason Reinsdorf so opposed Manfred is that he felt Manfred had not been tough enough on
the players’ union.
Reinsdorf has been a longtime proponent of really putting the
screws to the players’ union, has very much wanted to break the union
and really stick it to the players. Manfred, by contrast, has always had
a cordial relationship with the players’ union, has worked hard to work
with them, which is the prime reason baseball has had quiet on the
labor front for a very long time.
Reinsdorf felt Manfred was too chummy and accommodating to
the players and so didn’t want him to become commissioner. I find that
disgraceful. No, you can’t just put aside the fact that you are a Jew, can’t
just say business is business, can’t fail to make sure Jewish values inform how you operate in all aspects of your life.
Judaism is very big on treating laborers with dignity and so I found
it especially galling that Reinsdorf not only was abandoning his longtime friend, a fellow Jew, but was doing so because he wanted someone who would be mean to the players.
You know, if you think about it, Jerry Reinsdorf should be the
most beloved Jew in Chicago, should be the toast of the Jewish community, someone we look up to, someone we embrace.
Jerry Reinsdorf not only is the owner of the Bulls and so brought
us six, that’s six, world championships, but as owner of the White Sox,
he also brought a World Series title to Chicago, something that does
not happen very often.
Championships with two Chicago teams in two sports. More than
enough to make Reinsdorf the king of Chicago’s Jews. But he’s not.
Which says a lot about the kind of person he is and the kind of Jew
he is. A mensch, he is not.
Yes, every once in a blue moon, Reinsdorf involves himself to
some minor extent with a Jewish cause or two. But not much and not
often. He basically makes no effort to make himself part of the community, show leadership in the community. Beyond that, he is not a
nice guy, wanting to break the players’ union, having broken up the
amazing Bulls team a year early, having treated no less than Michael
Jordan like dirt. Jordan illustrated how petty and mean spirited Reinsdorf is when he revealed that after he signed his last contract with the
Bulls, for some $30 million a year, as he was walking out of Reinsdorf’s
office, he heard Reinsdorf say, “I hope I don’t regret this.”
Jordan has never forgiven him for his pettiness and lack of gratitude for all Jordan had given to and done for him. By saying what he
said, Reinsdorf took what should have been a happy occasion, a celebration, him appropriately recognizing all Jordan had done and
turned it into a snarky, cutting, ungrateful parting shot.
That is Reinsdorf. You’d think this would be a guy who would be
happy, considering all he’s accomplished, you’d think this would be a
SEE BY JOSEPH
AARON
ON
PAG E 1 7
19
Death Notices
Ann V. Levin, nee Kanefsky,
age 99½. Beloved wife of
the late Julius. Cherished
mother of Lee (the late
Marty) Ehrens and Linda
(Don) Leibsker.
Devoted
grandmother of Ron (Julie)
Ehrens, Jordan (Sharon)
Ehrens, Dana Ehrens-Senn
(Mark Senn), Danielle Leib-
sker and Brett Leibsker and
great-grandchildren Alex,
Bailey, Gabrielle, Emily, Benjamin, Naomi and Harrison.
Dear sister of Eudice (the
late Sam ) Green and the
late Ruth (Irving) Katz.
Arrangements by Mitzvah
Memorial Funerals.
Sandy (Sandra) Meyer, 77 of
Scottsdale, Arizona, formerly of Glencoe, Illinois,
passed away after a long
battle with Hepatitis C. She
was a graduate of Northwestern
University
in
Evanston, Illinois. Sandra
met her husband in Michigan City, Indiana and they
were married in 1956. Following graduation, they
moved to St. Louis, Missouri,
where her husband completed his education. They
then moved back to the
Chicago suburbs where her
husband began his practice
in orthopedic surgery. She
worked as an office manager for her husband for
many years with her business acumen. Sandy was an
active sportswoman and enjoyed scuba diving, skiing,
sailing, tennis and golf, and
in the later years, became an
avid bridge player. She was
an adventure traveler before the term became popular. Sandy was also actively
involved in multiple charities
including Keshet, Little City
Foundation and a long time
member of the Board of
Trustees of North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe,
Illinois. She was the gold
standard as a role model for
her children and grandchildren, and a rock of strength
for the entire family. She is
survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, Stuart, her
children Bonnie (Eric) Sloan,
Bruce (Pam) Meyer, and
Stacy (David) Rubens, 9
grandchildren,
Brian,
Matthew, Alex and Alyssa
Sloan, Katie, Nick and Victoria Meyer, and Mark and Jessica Rubens. Funeral services
were held August 17, 2014
at Mt. Sinai Cemetery in
Phoenix, Arizona. Memorial
contributions may be made
in her honor to Department
of Hepatology at Mayo
Clinic Hospital, Dr. Jorge
Rakela’s Research Fund, or
Little
City
Foundation,
Palatine, Illinois. Rest in
peace our beloved Sandy.
Arrangements by Sinai
Mortuary of Arizona.
Betty Shein, nee Helfand,
age 86. Beloved wife and
best friend of the late Seymour Shein. Loving mother
of Leigh (Betsy) Shein and
Stacy (John) Stapleton. Devoted daughter of the late
Charles and Anna Helfand.
Cherished Bubbe of Charlie
and Grace Stapleton and Miranda Shein. Dear sister to
the late Frances (survived by
Arnold) Bernstein, the late
Irving (Dorothy) Helfand,
and the late Herman
Helfand. Fond sister-in-law
of the late Dorothy (the late
Kenneth) Herman. Beloved
aunt to dozens of nieces,
nephews, great nieces and
nephews and great, great
nieces and nephews. Former member Sisterhood
Cong. B’nei Reuven, Life
Member Brandeis University
Women, Life Member and
Past President of Ketura
Hadassah. Former volunteer
Hadassah House-Oak Park,
Former Treasurer Chicago
Chapter Hadassah. Contributions in Betty’s memory to
Hadassah Chicago Chapter,
60 Revere Dr. #800, Northbrook, IL 60062 would be
appreciated. Arrangements
by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals.
Send a Condolence Gift
Plant a Tree in Israel in Memory of a Loved One
Lauren Bacall, sultry film legend
NEW YORK (JTA) – Lauren Bacall, a film legend best
known for her sultry onscreen
presence and her Hollywood romance with actor Humphrey
Bogart, has died.
Bacall, the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Poland and
Romania, died in New York. She
suffered a massive stroke in her
apartment on Manhattan’s
Upper West Side, TMZ.com reported, citing sources in Bacall’s
family. Bacall was 89.
Born Betty Joan Perske in
the Bronx, Bacall was a relative of former Israeli President
Shimon Peres (nee Szymon Perski), although they did not meet
until they were both famous
adults.
After her parents’ divorce,
when she was 6, she took the second half of her mother’s maiden
name, Bacal, later adding an “l.”
Her big break was a role, at age
19, in the film “To Have and
Lauren Bacall
Have Not,” where she played opposite Bogart. The two married
in 1945.
Bacall went on to perform in
more than 40 films, including
“The Big Sleep” and “How to
Marry a Millionaire.” She also
performed on stage, winning
Tony Awards for her starring
Mitzvah
Memorial Funerals
Lloyd Mandel
Founder, 4th generation Jewish Funeral
Director, also licensed in Florida
(no longer with Levayah Funerals)
Seymour Mandel
3rd Generation Jewish Funeral Director
www.comparemitzvah.com
Why was Mitzvah Memorial Funerals entrusted
to direct more than 700 funerals in our first
4 years in business?
We provide compassionate professional service and
significant savings – usually $2,000-$5,000 less
than Chicago Jewish funeral homes with chapels
charge for the same or similar services and casket.
If your synagogue has a discounted funeral plan
with one of our competitors you can still use us.
We guarantee a minimum 25% savings.
William Goodman
Funeral Director, Homesteaders
Insurance Agent (no longer with
Goodman Family Funerals)
Ian “Izzy” Dick
Oldest licensed Jewish Funeral Director
in the State of Illinois
Jerry Sadoff
Director of Shmira
• Graveside Services
• Synagogue Services (yours or
several that are available to
non-affiliated families)
• Cemetery Chapel Services
If you have prepaid funeral services with one of our
competitors you can switch to us. In most cases we
will refund you or your family $2,000-$5,000.
53&&
Ţ+/'03(1-"/5/08
roles in the musicals “Applause”
and “Woman of the Year.” Her
1980 autobiography, “Lauren Bacall: By Myself,” won a National
Book Award.
According to her New York
Times obituary, Bacall wrote that
she felt “totally Jewish and always would.” However, she wrote
that she and Bogart, an Episcopalian, had their two children
christened in an Episcopal
church in deference to Bogart’s
concern that “with discrimination still rampant in the world, it
would give them one less hurdle
to jump in life’s Olympics.”
The Times reported that
during her romance with Bogart,
Bacall asked him if it mattered to
him that she was Jewish. His answer, she wrote, was “Hell, no –
what mattered to him was me,
how I thought, how I felt, what
kind of person I was, not my religion, he couldn’t care less – why
did I even ask?”
• Alternative Locations & Services
We pre-arrange funerals and fund
these through Homesteaders Life.
500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350, Deerfield, IL • 8850 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL
630-MITZVAH (648-9824) • www.mitzvahfunerals.com
20
Friends
Meeting new people with similar interests.
Living at the Selfhelp Home provides opportunities to develop new relationships with people who have
similar tastes, beliefs and interests. Having someone to converse with, enjoy events and activities with
or just reminisce about times past, keeps us connected to the world and is good for our health and
well-being. There are many individuals just waiting to meet you at the Selfhelp Home, where you’ll
receive the assistance you need, right in your own Selfhelp apartment or in our skilled nursing Center.
Great care, right at home…
the Selfhelp Home.
For more information, visit our website at www.SelfhelpHome.org
or schedule a tour by calling 773.271.0300.
908 W. Argyle Street, Chicago
The Selfhelp Home is a non-profit senior living community offering independent living, assisted living, intermediate and skilled nursing care.

artist to the - Chicago Jewish News

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