The Observer Vol. 77 No. 8 – April 20, 2012

bserver

VOL.77 NO. 8April 20, 201228 Nissan 5772

theJewish

inside:Levine helps Christians see Jesus through a Jewish lens 2

The Temple announces new cantor 3

Vandy students experienceIsrael in weeklong iFest 7

SectionsLifecycles 9

A Publication of

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Additional proposals of concernunder consideration are support for anembargo of goods made in settlementsand an endorsement of the controver-sial Kairos Palestine document.

The Presbyterian Church (USA)will vote on similar divestment resolu-tions when it meets two months later.The PCUSA will also consider a resolu-tion labeling Israel as an apartheid state.

“A letter signed by so many rab-bis demonstrates the breadth anddepth of the American rabbinate’scommitment to finding a peaceful res-olution to the Israeli-Palestinian con-flict; something which cannot beachieved through divestment,” saidRabbi Steve Gutow, executive direc-tor of the Jewish Council for PublicAffairs. “I am privileged to join mycolleagues from all 50 states, leadersfrom the Conservative,Reconstructionist, Reform andOrthodox movements, rabbinic

groups and seminaries, and some ofthe most influential Jewish thinkersand theologians of our time. There isa clear rabbinic consensus - divest-ment efforts will tear the fabric of ourinterfaith relationships and under-mine ongoing efforts for peace.”

The rabbinic letter spells out theprofound concern of the signatoriesabout the one-sided nature of thedivestment proposals, which “shame-fully” paint Israel as a pariah nation.

“For Jews, the use of economicleverages against the Jewish state isfraught with inescapable associa-tions,” the letter states. “They res-onate in the Jewish consciousnesswith historic boycotts against Jewishcompanies and the State ofIsrael…policies that knowingly tapinto the deepest fears and pain ofanother is, in our tradition, a seriousfailure of relationship.”

Continued on page 9

More than 1,200American rabbisfrom all denomi-nations havesigned a letter thatwas sent to United

Methodist Church delegates. The let-ter opposes an anti-Israel divestmentresolution being considered at theMethodist Church’s quadrennialGeneral Conference which takesplace this month in Tampa, Fla.

Among the rabbis who signed theletter were five from Nashville: RabbiShana Mackler of The Temple, RabbiFlip Rice of Congregation Micah,Rabbi Kliel Rose of West EndSynagogue, Rabbi Mark Schiftan ofThe Temple and Rabbi Saul Strosbergof Congregation Sherith Israel.

Delegates at the conference areexpected to debate a resolution call-ing for divestment from three compa-nies for their sales to Israel.

American rabbis to Methodist Church: Don'tdivest from companies doing business in Israel

Yom HaShoah was com-memorated on April 15with a moving perform-ance of “Life in a Jar,”which honors the memo-ry of Irena Sendler, a

Righteous Gentile, who helped Jewishchildren escape from the WarsawGhetto. She placed them with Polishfamilies, but kept their real names onlists she buried in jars in her backyard.After the war, Sendler sought out thechildren and gave the back their iden-tities. Many of their parents had per-ished in the Holocaust.

Prior to the performance, survivorsand their families lit Nashville’sHolocaust menorah at the community-wide program at The Temple. The eventwas sponsored by the Jewish Federation,the Gordon Jewish Community Center,the Board of Rabbis and all five Jewishcongregations. c

Yom HaShoah features ‘Life in a Jar’

Survivors and family members light the Yom HaShoah menorah at the beginning of thecommunity commemoration of the Holocaust on April 15. Photo: Rick Malkin

After the presentation of “Life in a Jar,” Lottie Strupp, right,who as a child was sent from Germany to England when WorldWar II began, speaks with the actress who portrayed IrenaSendler. Photo: Judy Saks

Members of the community, including middle and high schoolstudents from the congregational religious schools filled theseats at The Temple for the community-wide Yom HaShoahcommemoration. Photo: Rick Malkin

Israelfest bringscultural fun for

the whole family

The Gordon Jewish CommunityCenter (GJCC) and the JewishFederation of Nashville andMiddle Tennessee will host theirannual Israel Independence DayCelebration, Israelfest, on Sun.,

April 29, on the GJCC Campus. This year’s celebration will include fun for

every member of the family while providing cul-tural education about the country and its people.There will be Israeli food available for purchaseas well as Israeli jewelry. Israelfest also includesIsraeli music, dancing and a Krav Maga demon-stration and instruction.

Soccer fans will enjoy cheering on a soc-cer match between the U.S. and Israel on theGJCC campus.

For the little ones, Israelfest will have lotsto offer including a petting zoo and bouncyhouse.

The fun lasts from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.; foodsales are available until 3:30. The soccermatch will be held from 3:30 – 4:30.

For more information, contact ClaireBernstein at [email protected] or byphone at 615/356-7170. c

2 April 20, 2012 The Observer

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By Kathy Carlson

Tammi Rossman-Benjaminhas taught Hebrew to col-lege students for 15 years.

“Most (of my) stu-dents are Jewish and mostare very connected to

Israel,” she said. “A lot of campus anti-Semitism has to do with Israel. … “Itcreates a very hostile, intimidatingatmosphere for Jewish students. It’s hardfor someone who feels harassed andintimidated to defend themselves.”

Rossman-Benjamin will talk aboutcampus anti-Semitism – and the largerJewish community’s role in fighting it –in an event set for Mon., April 30, from7-9 p.m. at the Gordon JewishCommunity Center. The NationalConference on Jewish Affairs (NCJA)Nashville is presenting the program.B’nai B’rith Maimonides Lodge #46,Congregation Sherith Israel, ChabadStudent Center at Vanderbilt University,Chabad of Nashville and the NashvilleChapter of Hadassah are co-sponsors.

Rossman-Benjamin will present ashort film and then discuss the natureand scope of campus anti-Semitism – itssources, what it looks like and its pri-mary effects. Her goal is to examine“what do we learn about efforts we havemade, so we can come up with strategiesthat can work.”

She has spent most of her academiccareer on college campuses in California,currently at the University of CaliforniaSanta Cruz. Campus anti-Semitism“happens all over,” she noted, and itlooks pretty much the same from campusto campus nationwide.

“In general, the new anti-Semitismfocuses on the Jewish state and thosewho support it,” she said. She described

an academic conference held at her uni-versity and titled “Alternative HistoriesWithin and Beyond Zionism.”

“Every one of the speakers was say-ing how awful Zionism is,” she said.“…You hear five professors saying Israelis a Nazi state, an apartheid (state thathas) no right to exist. Nobody talksabout murdering Jews, but about elimi-nating” the state of Israel.

The conference speakers weren’tsimply criticizing Israeli governmentpolicies or speaking out against Jewishsettlements, Rossman-Benjamin pointedout. She recognizes room for critiques

and criticism of Israel, but said that“when somebody wants to destroy theJewish state, that’s an anti-Semiticimpulse. … I never talk about people asanti-Semitic,” she added. “I judge people(by) what they say and what they do.”

She said she follows the U.S. StateDepartment’s definition of anti-Semitism. On a web page titledDefining Anti-Semitism, the StateDepartment lists possible examples of“anti-Semitism relative to Israel,”including “drawing comparisons of con-temporary Israeli policy to that of theNazis” and “denying the Jewish peopletheir right to self-determination, anddenying Israel the right to exist.”

Statements like those made at thealternative histories conference create ahostile environment for Jewish students,she said. In response, she and two otherprofessors co-founded the InvestigativeTaskforce on Campus Anti-Semitism.She also filed a complaint in 2009 withthe U.S. Department of Education’sOffice of Civil Rights, in which shealleged a hostile environment for Jewishstudents on her campus.

The federal government opened itsinvestigation of her allegations just over ayear ago and the case remains underinvestigation. If the government findsthat the university violated its rulesagainst hostile environments, it will

probably work with the school to comeinto compliance, she said, adding thatthe government may withdraw funding asa last resort if a violation isn’t corrected.

She believes that the larger Jewishcommunity can take a role in addressingcampus anti-Semitism. “Communitymembers need to make sure there areprotections for Jewish students,” she said.Community members can speak to legis-lators if there are concerns about anti-Semitism at state universities. They canalso build coalitions with others, writeletters and withhold donations to col-leges as an incentive to address anti-Semitism, she added.

Students and community memberscan report to the Investigative Taskforceon Campus Anti-Semitism any incidentsthey believe to be anti-Semitic, she said.The organization works collaborativelywith legal and educational organizationsdedicated to addressing the problem ofcampus anti-Semitism, the ITCA website states.

Community members need to stepup for students, Rossman-Benjamin said.“…It’s very difficult for students who areon campus to actually fight some of thisstuff. … Most pro-Israel and Jewish stu-dents aren’t nearly as motivated to beout there and aggressive (as the) peopleon campus who are causing (a) problem-atic situation for them.” c

Rossman-Benjamin to address campus anti-Semitism at April 30 event

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin

Last month, VanderbiltUniversity Professor Amy-JillLevine spoke to Nashville-area Christian clergy andeducators on “UnderstandingJesus Means Understanding

Judaism: Tips for Preaching andTeaching.” The breakfast seminar washeld at Vanderbilt Divinity School andwas co-sponsored by the Divinity Schooland the Jewish Federation of Nashville’Community Relations Committee.Levine teaches about the New Testamentin both the Divinity School and Collegeof Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt. Sheanswered via email a few questions fromObserver writer Kathy Carlson on herpresentation.

Q: Have you given this seminar, orone like it, in the past?

A: I have done similar seminarsacross the country (this past month inSanta Ana, Calif., and Detroit) as well asin the United Kingdom. … My goal is toreach anyone interested in the NewTestament, and especially anyone whoteaches it or preaches it.

Q: What were the main points youmade?

A: I have read thousands of ser-mons, articles, and books on the NewTestament, have taught New Testamentstudies for over 30 years, and have donehundreds of programs in churches acrossthe English-speaking world. These expe-riences make me well aware of the majornegative stereotypes of Jews and Judaismthat surface in various Christian circles.In the seminars, I name the stereotypes,give examples of them, explain why theyare erroneous, and provide alternative,historically accurate and religiously sen-sitive ways of understanding theChristian texts.

Q: What sort of questions and reac-

tions did you get from the attendees?A: The typical reaction is, “Thank

you.” Often I am asked, “Where can Ifind more information?” Now available isthe Jewish Annotated New Testament(Oxford University Press, 2011), which Ico-edited with Marc Z. Brettler ofBrandeis University. The volume pro-vides commentary, informed by Jewishhistory and theology, on all the books ofthe New Testament, 30 short essays onthe such topics as Jewish movements ofthe first century (Pharisees, Sadducees,etc.), Jewish family life, includingwomen’s roles, the Jerusalem Temple andlocal synagogues, Jewish views of heavenand hell, messianic speculation, and lifein the Roman Empire. The volume alertsreaders to where misunderstandings ofJudaism surface in Christian teachingand provides corrective information.

Q: Why is it important to havethese talks with Christian clergy andeducators?

A: Several years ago, I petitionedthe Association of Theological Schools,the accrediting organization for mostU.S. divinity schools and seminaries, torecommend for their “best practices”that candidates for Christian ministryreceive three hours of instruction onhow to avoid anti-Jewish preaching andteaching. The ATS rejected the request.Therefore, in my “spare time” I speak todivinity school and seminary students,clergy groups, and gatherings of religiouseducators, and I do so for travel expensesonly. If the stereotypes are not namedand countered, and if good historicalinformation is not presented, well-mean-ing teachers and preachers will contin-ue—not out of prejudice but out of igno-rance—either to inculcate or reinforceanti-Jewish ideas.

Q: Will this be a regular presen-tation?

A: Vanderbilt Divinity School hasasked me to do this presentation for theentering class in the fall of this year. c

Levine helps Christians see Jesus through a Jewish lens

Amy-Jill Levine

The Observer April 20, 2012 3

National Conference on Jewish Affairs-Nashville

The National Conference on Jewish Affairs is dedicated to

supporting the rights and safety of the Jewish people in America,

in Israel and around the world under the Rule of Law by providing

strong Jewish leadership, advocacy and education to respond to

and counter the growing, orchestrated demonizing of Israel, Jewry,

and America.

join us by sending your name and email [email protected]

http://nationalconferenceonjewishaffairs.org/http://www.ncjanashville.org/

Chazak Achsav!-Strength Now!

The Federation’s Commun-ity Relations Committee isco-sponsoring a panel dis-cussion on “Environmen-tal Stewardship – AnEthical Approach to the

Environment,” on Tues., May 1, from5:30-7 p.m. at the Gordon JewishCommunity Center.

The interfaith panel includes RabbiShana Mackler of The Temple; StewartClifton, attorney and registered lobbyist;and Dr. Saleh Sbenaty, Department ofEngineering Technology at MiddleTennessee State University. It will bemoderated by Dr. Daniel Schafer, profes-

sor of history at Belmont University.The panel will explain how Judaism,

Christianity and Islam view concern forthe environment.

Light refreshments will be servedfrom 5-5:30 p.m.

The main sponsor for the event isthe Society of Universal Dialogue. Otherco-sponsors are the Istanbul Center andthe Turkish American Chamber ofCommerce – Southeast.

The program is open to theNashville community.

For information, contact Judy Saks,CRC director, at [email protected]. c

CRC co-sponsors seminar on‘Environmental Stewardship’ at GJCC

Congregation Micah’sSupporting our Seniors(SOS) program is joiningforces with the GordonJewish CommunityCenter’s TGIT (Thank

Goodness It’s Thursday) program to pres-ent “Aging Well,” on Thurs., May 17,from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Micah.

The lunch and learn seminar will fea-ture Laurence Solberg, M.D., assistantprofessor of medicine in the Departmentof Internal Medicine and Public Health atVanderbilt University School ofMedicine, with a focus on geriatric medi-cine. He is a graduate of the JagiellonianUniversity School of Medicine in Krakow,

Poland, and completed his specialty train-ing in internal medicine and sub-specialtytraining in geriatric medicine at YaleUniversity School of Medicine.

Solberg’s talk will address aging welland avoiding common hazards. Seniors,family members and caregivers areencouraged to attend.

RSVP to Congregation Micah at377-9799 or [email protected] by May 4.

For additional information, callMicah at 377-9799 or Meryl Kraft at 356-7170.

Thanks to generous funding fromthe Jewish Federation, the lunch andseminar are free of charge.c

Micah hosts ‘Aging Well’ seminar andluncheon with GJCC TGIT program

Cindee Gold, center, playing the role of a mortgage banker, informs a “family” of theirimpending eviction. She was taking part in a Poverty Simulation put on in March for theTennessee Conference of Social Workers by the Jewish Federation’s Community RelationsCommittee in cooperation with Catholic Charities of Tennessee and Metro NashvilleSocial Services. The objective of the simulation is to give participants a deeper under-standing of the everyday challenges facing those living in poverty. Photo: Judy Saks

President Randy Goldstein ofThe Temple – CongregationOhabai Sholom hasannounced the appointmentof Tracy L. Fishbein as itsnew cantor.

The appointment was confirmed ata special congregational meeting held onApril 11 where the board of trustees andcongregation unanimously approved heremployment.

Fishbein, a native of St. Louis, Mo.,is currently a fifth-year cantorial studentin the Debbie Friedman School ofSacred Music of the Hebrew UnionCollege-Jewish Institute of Religion inNew York City. She graduated cum laudefrom the University of Missouri,Columbia, with a bachelor’s degree in K-12 vocal music education.

Fishbein will assume her duties ascantor of The Temple on July 1. BernardGutcheon, who has served as cantor ofThe Temple for the past 29 years, willbecome cantor emeritus of the congre-gation, continuing to work with b’naimitzvah students, and available for life-cycle events.

“The Cantor Search Committee wascaptivated by Tracy’s intelligence,warmth and passion,” said Goldstein. “Weare confident that her cantorial skills willengage the entire Temple community.” c

The Temple announces appointment of new cantor

Tracy L. Fishbein

The Art of Marriage, aprovocative new series ofclasses on the secrets ofsuccessful marriage willbegin on Wed., May 9, atthe new Chabad Center

on Bellevue Rd. Regardless of maritalstatus, all are invited to attend the six-session course, presented by Nashville’sJewish Learning Institute (JLI) andtaught by Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel.

The Art of Marriage will go farbeyond platitudes, to cover topics atthe heart of modern marriage. Doesmarriage still serve any purpose atall? How far should one go to make amarriage work? When is divorce thebest option?

Included as well are Jewish bed-room secrets, from ancient texts, onhow to increase intimacy in maritalrelationships.

“Beautiful, inspiring, but most of allpractical,” says Dr. Patricia Love, authorof How to Improve Your Marriage WithoutTalking About It, one of Amazon’s toptwo marriage books. “Whether your mar-

riage is magical or miserable, this vitalcourse is designed for you.”

Judaism views a loving marriage as aspiritual as well as a human ideal. TheArt of Marriage shows students how toattain that for themselves and for theirspouses, with timeless lessons from bothmodern and ancient Jewish texts such asthe Talmud and Zohar.

“The course is not only about pro-viding techniques for success in mar-riage, it's about changing your attitudetoward your spouse and toward marriagein general,” Tiechtel explained.

The course is designed to appeal tostudents at all levels of Jewish knowl-edge, including those without any priorexperience or background in Jewishlearning. All JLI courses are open to thepublic, and attendees need not be affili-ated with a particular synagogue or otherhouse of worship.

For information, call 615/646-5750or visit www.myJLI.com for registrationand other course-related information. JLIcourses are presented in Nashville in con-junction with Chabad of Nashville. c

Ancient marriage secrets revealed inJewish Learning Institute (JLI) course

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After a successful run ofShabbat Outreachevents in 2011, theGJCC and the Templehave planned Outreachevents for 2012.

Thanks to a generous grant from theJewish Federation of Nashville andMiddle Tennessee, the two organizationswill host music, food and an abbreviatedservice in neighboring communities.

Shabbat Outreach forHendersonville will be held at TheHyatt Place, 300 East Main St., on Fri.,May 11. Jewish individuals and familiesof the Hendersonville community and

surrounding areas are invited to join TheTemple and the GJCC beginning at 6p.m. RSVP to Nancy Richardson at TheTemple at [email protected] orvia phone at 615/352-7620.

The goal of both agencies is to givepeople in these areas, outside ofNashville’s congregational range, a pointof reference, an opportunity to gather forShabbat and a chance to meet fellowJews in their neighborhoods.

Everyone is welcome, regardless ofaffiliation. If you have questions, needmore information, or wish to be added tothe mailing list for these events, contactKara Meyer at [email protected]. c

GJCC and Temple host HendersonvilleShabbat Outreach at May event

By Meredith Mandell

JERUSALEM (JTA) — She’syoung, smart and aims to help treat life-threatening diseases. Naama Geva-Zatorsky, 34, is among a growing group ofIsraeli women scientists who are gainingrecognition for their contributions to sci-entific research.

The Weizmann Institute biologistwas in Paris last month to accept theInternational UNESCO L’Oreal Prize forWomen in Science. Dubbed “Europe’stop young researcher” by the prize com-mittee, she received a two-year, $40,000fellowship for her postdoctoral work atHarvard University.

The selection committee cited the“excellence and the originality of her work.”

Geva-Zatorsky’s research focuses onprobiotics, which are commonly knownas “good bacteria” and have the potentialto treat a variety of diseases.

Geva-Zatorsky, who holds a master’sdegree and a doctorate in systems biology,believes there is room for more researchon the potential benefits of probiotics.

Her lab work has focused on the“good” microbes that live in the humanintestines and protect our bodies by stim-ulating the immune system. Geva-Zatorsky will use her award to continueinvestigating what leads the bacterialmolecule, known as polysaccharide A(PSA), to react this way.

“There are 10 times more bacteriathan human cells in the body, and I’mlearning how do we interact with themand what the impact is on our health,”she said in a phone interview fromBrookline, Mass., where she has beenliving since September with her hus-band, Amnon Zatorsky, and their twosons, Yonatan, 5, and Uri, 2.

Despite the growing popularity ofprobiotics in an array of products —think Kefir, a dairy product made of goat’smilk and fermented grains, or the trendytea-based drink Kombucha — both theU.S. Food and Drug Administration andthe European Food Safety Authority saythat most claims made about probioticproducts are unproven.

“There’s really a lot more that can bestudied,” she said, noting that researchersalready know that probiotics can be usedto treat inflammatory bowel disease andnow are investigating whether microbac-teria can inoculate multiple sclerosis, achronic autoimmune disease that affectsthe central nervous system.

Additionally, Geva-Zatorsky said,certain bacteria can make humans devel-op more fat cells. Someday, she said,researchers may be able to create a pill tohelp obese people lose weight.

The same bacteria affect emotions,she said, and eventually may be used totreat depression.

Once her postdoctoral work is com-pleted, Naama Geva-Zatorsky plans toreturn to Israel to set up her ownresearch team to probe how these bacte-ria can treat a myriad of diseases.

Weizmann biophysics professor ZviKam believes Geva-Zatorsky’s determi-nation will carry her far.

Noting that experiments aretedious and often fail, Kam said in anemail that the young scientist “nevercomplained, never was let down, andnever gave up! Her optimistic spirit andjoy of doing science was never brokenby the tough reality.”

Geva-Zatorsky’s success is unusual inIsrael given the dearth of women workingin the fields of science and engineering.

Despite Israel’s emphasis on researchand development, a 2008 report by theEuropean Commission on GenderEquality pointed out Israel’s low propor-tion of female researchers in higher edu-cation — 25 percent — compared to the35 percent average found among EUmember countries.

Those numbers combined with ahighly publicized incident recentlyinvolving Channa Maayan, a Hebrew

University professor who received anaward but was told by Israel’s actinghealth minister, who is haredi Orthodox,that a male would have to accept it forher. The incident outraged and re-ener-gized women in the scientific communi-ty to speak out about their importantrole as researchers.

There are glimmers of light, howev-er, for female scientific researchers.Geva-Zatorsky was among 10 womenlast year who received a WeizmannInstitute of Science Women in ScienceAward. And she sees momentum atIsraeli universities to increase the num-bers of women in the field.

She hopes that she can pave the wayfor others.

“I encourage women to be brave andask questions,” Geva-Zatorsky said.

Geva-Zatorsky also said that genderbias alone is not the only reason thatwomen are less inclined to do scientificresearch.

In Israel, many believe that thosewho want to pursue academic careersshould do research abroad, she said,where they can gain skills that willenable them to be better scientists athome. Geva-Zatorsky said that’s moredifficult for women, who are still expect-ed to be the primary child rearers.

The women who complete theirdoctorates are typically older than inother countries, she said, having firstcompleted their military service andthen started families.

“This is why fellowships and awardsthat encourage women scientists tomove are important and also it helps if,mentally, people believe in us and thatpeople would like us to go abroad and getnew skills,” she said.

Geva-Zatorsky, who grew up inMoshav Ometz, a small cooperative vil-lage in central Israel, said her parents“nourished her curiosity and passion.”

At 22, she arrived at Tel AvivUniversity and decided to study chem-istry and biology.

For her doctorate, she studiedhow cancer cells respond to drugs andtherapies.

With a longtime passion for the arts— she had studied ballet until she was 18— Geva-Zatorsky also helped to organizean exhibition at Weizmann called “TheBeauty of Science.”

She praises her family as well as herhusband’s for their strong support.

“They believed in me and pushedme forward,” she said. “There have beenmoments of self doubt, but they give meencouragement.” c

By Matt DeFaveri

(Cleveland Jewish News) — MichaelBelkin knows plenty about the musicindustry; he was born and raised in it.

More than 40 years ago, his father,Mike, and his uncle Jules founded BelkinProductions, which helped launch thecareers of such artists as Johnny Carson,Tiny Tim, Janis Joplin, Wild Cherry, JoeWalsh, Maureen McGovern, and TheMichael Stanley Band.

Belkin, senior vice president of LiveNation, was looking forward to the 27thannual Rock and Roll Hall of Fameinductions ceremony at Public Hall indowntown Cleveland on April 14.

This year’s Rock and Roll Hall ofFame inductee class includes eightJewish musicians and artists, many ofwhom set the stage for future bands intheir respective genres, said Belkin.

In the performer category, Jack Ironsand the late Hillel Slovak, two foundingmembers of the Red Hot Chili Peppers;the late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro;former Guns N’ Roses drummer andCleveland native Steven Adler; and theBeastie Boys’ Michael Diamond, AdamHorovitz and Adam Yauch round out2012’s Jewish inductees.

Also being inducted is producer andexecutive Don Kirshner as a “non-per-former.” He managed songwriters likeCarole King, Barry Mann and NeilDiamond.

King, herself a 1990 Hall of Famer,along with Bette Midler, both Jewishperformers, were presenters this year.

“I think it’s clear to say that whenyou rise to the top of your profession,you’re going to influence future genera-tions,” said Belkin. “Red Hot ChiliPeppers, Guns N’ Roses … as evi-denced by their induction into the Hallof Fame, are at the top of the foodchain and have been for 25 years.That’s pretty significant.”

Belkin said he’s worked withalmost all of this year’s inductees andhas met most of them. He said he wasconsistently impressed by the workethic of those groups, specifically theChili Peppers.

“The one thing I always admiredabout the Chili Peppers is their commit-ment to their craft,” said Belkin. “Theywere always really, really serious abouttheir performance, how they were pre-sented to their fans, how they performed.… I really respected them for that.”

In terms of being at the top ofthe pack, Belkin said the BeastieBoys also have to be included in thatconversation.

“You look at the musical landscaperight now, and you see and hear what(the Beastie Boys) did 20-plus years ago.You think how far ahead of the curvethese guys were,” he said. “Aside fromtheir live performance, which hasalways been extraordinary musically,they started something and society fol-lowed. They’re as big as they’ve everbeen. How many groups can say thatafter 25 years?”

Despite the religious link amongthis year’s Hall of Famers, Belkin said thefocus is more on quality and less on reli-gion, race or ethnicity.

“The fact that there are a numberof qualified and talented Jewish musi-cians in this particular instance is cer-tainly special, but I think what shouldbe noted is wherever they came from,whatever their background, these guyshave risen to the top of their particularprofession,” he said. “That’s a really,really special thing. The fact thatthey’re Jewish, fantastic. If they’re any-thing else, still fantastic.” c

Israeli female scientist Naama Geva-Zatorsky named Europe’s top young researcher

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2012 has a Jewish tune


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By Kathy Carlson

For a full week, VanderbiltUniversity students tastedIsraeli music, food, cultureand politics during iFest 2012,presented by Hillel.

“The main goal was tobring to everybody something aboutIsrael,” said Lital Swissa, Israel Fellow at

Hillel. It was the first time Hillel held anIsrael-themed festival for a week insteadof for one day, she said.

“Each event was really different,” shesaid. Each appealed to different studentinterests. Student groups within Hillelcoordinated each event. Activitiesincluded a Sunday night study break withcoffee from Israel, a discussion on whyIsrael matters, a lunch and learn session

on the state of Israel, a concert at anElliston Place venue by the Israeli groupAcollective, a shuk and food events, IDFtraining and the Israeli self-defense disci-pline of krav maga. The week culminat-ed in Shabbat services and dinner.

A program on current events inIsrael – “a serious presentation withoutfood,” as Swissa described it – drew 30students, both Jewish and non-Jewish.

The shuk and food events were like afair, she continued, and a lot of peoplestopped by. “I felt it was a really, reallygood event. We opened a window toknow Israel in a different way, not justfrom the media.

“…I felt that the Hillel studentleaders did a really good job and put alltheir energies together” to make theiFest a success. c

Vandy students experience Israel in weeklong iFestStudents pose with members of the Tel Aviv indie band Acollective outside The End on Elliston Place. Students and faculty sample falafel, pita and more at lunch on Rand Terrace.

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The inaugural meeting of the Council of Past Presidents of the Jewish Federation ofNashville and Middle Tennessee was held recently at the home of Cynthia Morin. Inattendance were, standing from left: Bob Eisenstein, Herman Kaplan, Pete Weiss, cur-rent Federation President Ted Mayden, Frank Boehm, Fred Zimmerman and CarolynLevine. Seated from left: Alvin Stillman, Steve Riven and Federation immediate PastPresident Cynthia Morin. Past presidents unable to attend the meeting who also serveon the council include Ernest Freudenthal, Lois Fox, Moshe Werthan, Sandy Averbuch,David Steine Jr., Nedda Pollack, Gary Pinsly, Sandy Cohen, Rabbi Peter Haas, FloydShechter and Ellen Levitt.

Congregation Micah willhost the Nashville Jewishcommunity in markingYom Hazikaron, IsraeliMemorial Day, on Wed.,April 25, at 5:30 p.m.

The event is sponsored by CongregationMicah, Congregation Sherith Israel, TheTemple and West End Synagogue. YomHazikaron precedes Yom Ha’atzmaut,Israel’s independence day.

“Yom Hazikaron is a day of collectiveand personal anguish mingled with aweand honor for the fallen,” the IsraelMinistry of Foreign Affairs website states.“It is a day on which the living rededicatethemselves to the State of Israel, so thatthey may be worthy of the sacrifice ofthose who died for its survival.”

In Israel, Yom Hazikaron begins

with the sound of sirens proclaiming twominutes of silence and a halt to all activ-ity and traffic. Flags are flown at half-mast and memorial ceremonies are heldall over the country. Ending at sundown,the somber, reflective mood of YomHazikaron gives way to the celebrationof Yom Ha’atzmaut, a transition whichemphasizes the lasting tie between thesacrifice of the country’s fallen and thecontinued existence of a vibrant anddynamic State of Israel, the website says.

The commemorative ceremony andprogram at Micah is designed to helpconnect participants spiritually to ourbrothers and sisters in Israel, to the sacri-fices so many have made in building aJewish homeland, and to Yisrael shelma’alah, a Micah announcement states.

For information, call 377-9799. c

Community Yom Hazikaron program set at Congregation Micah


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By Kathy Carlson

Vicki Fleming lived a quietlife in Murfreesboro nur-tured by a family of herown choosing: a smallgroup of good friends, theRutherford Haverah, and

an old schnauzer named Avram. When she died in April at age 56,

the Middle Tennessee Jewish communityjoined with friends and others, in theabsence of any relatives, to bury her in aplot she had purchased years earlier atCongregation Micah, where she firststudied and joined the Jewish people.

“I met her in the schmooze group (atMicah),” said Judy Baer. “She was con-verting at that time. She just read every-thing that she could on Judaism.

“She was very individualistic,” Baersaid. Fleming had served in the military

and had to leave on disability after aninjury. Fleming was “extremely proud tobe an American and very proud that shefought for our country. … She feltstrongly about animal rights, the rightsof the poor and veterans. … She wasvery proud of her Judaism.

“She had so many interests. If shefound something interesting she wouldgo all out” to learn about it, Baer said.Fleming “craved knowledge and shewould read anything she could. She wasan incredible person.”

April 12 offered all the best of aMiddle Tennessee spring day: brightclear blue sky, lush green grass and newleaves reaching for the sun, mild breezes.Vicki Fleming’s friends – and some whohadn’t known her – gathered at hergrave to pray and remember. Rabbi KlielRose conducted the service.

The Jewish community in Nashville

Community, others come together in funeral service for Rutherford womanlearned of Fleming’s passing through herconnection with the RutherfordHaverah. A call to the JewishFederation of Nashville helped set plansin motion for the services.

“There was really no next of kin,”said Todd Evans, Congregation Micah’sexecutive director. Fleming wasn’t closewith a sibling in another state, and anout-of-state elderly relative was too frailfor a long trip to Nashville.

“Marshall Donnelly Combs (funeralhome) really has stepped up, and RabbiRose and Rabbi Saul (Strossberg) andRabbi (Phil) Lieberman,” Evans said.Micah Rabbis Flip and Laurie Rice wereon vacation and could not participate.Others – Hunt Memorial and gravesiteworker Andy Parnell – also helped pro-vide services, he said.

“It was nice to see how everyonestepped up,” Evans said. “The rabbis,

vendors, and individuals and familiescame together to provide a nice servicefor the lady and a nice way for her to belaid to rest.”

“She was an interesting friend andI’m very sad that she’s gone,” Baer said.Baer’s family got to know Fleming overthe years. At the graveside service,Baer’s daughter, Barbara, wore a kippahthat Fleming had crocheted for her.

Afterward, Judy Baer recalledFleming’s quirky sense of humor and loveof animals. Fleming often would endemails with a saying about animals; onewas, “Ask not for whom the dog barks: Itbarks for thee.” Her email address was“barkmenot.”

“That was Vicki,” Baer said. “Shewas a neat person. It’s sad for us. Shenever questioned that God existed. Shefelt very close (to God); she never ques-tioned what happened to her.” c

Current and future Akiva students, spent an hour of their Sunday afternoon, April 1, sell-ing lemonade with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Jewish Federation's AnnualCampaign. In that time they were able to raise over $52. Their sale was part of the MitzvahMadness program launched by the Jewish Federation’s NowGen group that organizedways in which community members could perform mitzvahs. One of the suggestions wasrunning a lemonade stand. The sellers were, clockwise from left: Shayna Leibowitz, ItzikSedek, Ilanit Sedek, Beny Leibowitz, Gabriella Roseman and Daniel Leibowitz.

Undergraduate collegestudents from the sevenstates served by theJewish Children’sRegional Service haveuntil May 31 to apply

for need-based financial assistance forthe 2012-2013 academic year. Studentswho apply after that date will receive alower priority on their application.

Each academic year, between 90 and130 students are funded from the region.Approximately 85 percent of the fundsare distributed as grants and 15 percentas no-interest loans. Currently, averageawards are approximately $2,000 a year.

The application process is online,and the program is explained in detail onthe agency website: www.jcrs.org.

The JCRS is a unique agency thatfunds Jewish youth from the states ofAlabama, Arkansas, Louisiana,Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee andTexas. Children and youths are fund-ed for special needs, overnight campand undergraduate college aid. Allmust qualify on a documented finan-cial needs basis. Additional services,such as The PJ Library and supportgroups, are provided regardless offinancial need.

The JCRS is the only regionalJewish child welfare organization in theUnited States and is one of the oldestJewish welfare organizations in exis-tence, having begun in 1855 as anorphanage serving orphans and widows.

Primary support for the annualbudget comes from personal contribu-tions and the income derived when afamily establishes a permanent, namedscholarship fund. More than 1400 Jewishyouths were served in 2011.

To contact the JCRS, call 800/729-5277 or go to www.jcrs.org for informa-tion about the agency’s services. c

May 31 deadline for college aid from JCRS

On Sun., May 6, West EndSynagogue will host itssecond concert of theyear starring the dynamicand popular Rick Recht.Recht is known to teens

around the country for his interactive per-formances at such places as Camp Ramah,BBYO and USY InternationalConventions and NFTY NationalConvention. He is also a regular headlin-er at Jewish festivals around the country.

The concert is at 6 p.m. at theGordon Jewish Community Center.

Due to tremendous underwritingand patron support, West EndSynagogue is able to offer special pricingfor this concert. All those under 18 areadmitted free with parent(s), howeverreservations are required. For ticketprices and to reserve box dinners inadvance, contact Marcia Stewart at615/269-4592, or [email protected]. c

Rick Recht to perform for WESconcert and cultural series


lifecyclesBirth

Ellen and Howard Robackannounce the March 21 birth of theirgranddaughter, Hannah CatherineRoback. She is the daughter of Sarahand Harry (“HB”) Roback of McLean,Va., and the sister of two-year ElizabethLeah. Sarah and Harry are both attor-neys in Washington D.C.

B’nai MitzvahRyan Slosky will be called to the

Torah as a Bar Mitzvahat The Temple on May3. He was born on Dec.25, 1997 to Anne andDavid Slosky. His grand-parents are MiriamSlosky of Denver, Colo.,and the late Ben Sloskyand Irene McNamara ofBloomingburg, N.Y., and the lateLeo McNamara.

A seventh grader at Currey IngramAcademy, Ryan’s special interestsinclude archery, video games, tennis andhanging out with friends.

For his mitzvah project, Ryan workedas a volunteer and is collecting donationsfor Saddle Up, a therapeutic riding stablefor children with special needs.

Morgan Anne Evans will be called tothe Torah as a BatMitzvah on Sat., May 5,at 10:30 a.m. atCongregation Micah.She is the daughter ofChristina and ToddEvans, and the big sisterof Jackson and Ansley.She is the granddaughterof Anne and LawrenceEvans of Nashville, and ElizabethDiGiovanni of Atlanta, Ga., and the lateLeonard DiGiovanni of Hilton Head, S.C..

An Akiva School graduate, Morganis a seventh grade honor student atGrassland Middle School. She competeson the cross-country team and is anactive member of the drama program.Morgan is an avid dancer and has dancedand performed for the past several yearswith the Nashville School of Ballet. Inher free time, she loves reading, cookingand spending time with her friends andlooks forward to her summers at CampBarney Medintz.

For her Mitzvah project, Morgan haschosen to raise money for the Leukemiafoundation to help support finding a curefor this disease.

Keri Lin Friedman will be called tothe Torah on Sat., May5, at 11 a.m. at TheTemple. She was bornon May 10, 1999 to RayFriedman and Jen-JenLin. Her grandparentsare Chiang Hui-ChinLin of Taipei, Taiwan,and the late Chin-yaoLin and the late Sam and Brena Friedman.

A seventh grader at Saint BernardAcademy, Keri’s special interests includeguitar, soccer, performing Chinese LionDance, reading and talking with friends.

For her mitzvah project, Keri is vol-unteering at Saint Bernard Academy’saftercare program and gathering supplies

for Noah’s Ark Society, a group that is ashelter for lost animals.

Morgan David Haymer will becalled to the Torah as aBar Mitzvah on Sat.,May 12, at 10:30 a.m. atCongregation Micah.He is the son of Donnaand James Haymer andyounger brother ofJonathan and Daniel.His grandparents areOlive and David Smollett of Glenrothes,Scotland, and the late Helyn and JohnnyHaymer of Los Angeles, Calif.

A seventh grader at HeritageMiddle School in Thompson’s Station,Morgan’s main interests are computergraphics, visual effects, and video edit-ing. He is proud to have several YouTubefans watching his videos. He loves soccerand playing golf with his Dad, and itwon’t be long until he beats him on thecourse. He also loves animals especiallyhis rescued cat, Josie. Morgan’s will bethe third and final Bar Mitzvah in thisgeneration of Haymers.

Professional notesRabbi Mark Schiftan will be award-

ed a Doctor of Divinity degree, honoriscausa, at the May 14 graduation of theHebrew Union College in Los Angeles.He is being honored for his 25 years in therabbinate. The Temple will honor him atShabbat services on Fri., June 1, at 6 p.m.

Sympathy. . . to the family of Freda Epstein,

96, who died on March 29 in Dallas,Texas. She born Sept. 12, 1915, inBrooklyn N.Y., to David and SadieWaldman. She had a playful and keensense of humor, acerbic wit, and wasfiercely independent. Preceded in deathby husband, Harold and son, Gary (Bette)Epstein. Survived by daughter, Sally Ann(David) Lubin and son, Dannie (Janet)Epstein; grandchildren, David Epstein,Lorre (Ram) Degani, Eliza Epstein, Cassie(Robert) Whitmire, Marc (Tammy)Lubin, Michael (Cara) Lubin, Brian (Liz)Lubin, Ruthie Epstein and JohnnyEpstein; great grandchildren, Ben, Jesseand Sophie Degani, Hunter and TannerLubin, and Asher and Kitty Ann Lubin.

. . . to the family of Irving Figlarz,who died April 12. He was surroundedby his entire family who had assembledto celebrate his 90th birthday. While hepassed away in Las Vegas, his home since2003, in Poland his birthplace, it wasalready April 13 and so he achieved themagnificent age of 90 after all. He waslaid to rest next to his wife of 62 years,Goldie. Irving Figlarz led a number oflives. He was born in Czestochowa,Poland and enjoyed a happy childhoodas the only son of four children of Felaand Mordka Figlarz. He had a beautifulvoice and sang in the synagogue on aregular basis. On April 9, 1941, after twoyears of occupation, the German mayorestablished a Jewish ghetto and on Sept.22, 1941, the ghetto was liquidatedexcept for able-bodied young men. TheJewish residents, including his entirefamily, were transported to Treblinkadeath camp and murdered. Irving was aslave laborer in six brutal camps and lib-erated on a death march in a field nearShvreen, Germany, after news came thatHitler had killed himself. In time, Irvingmade his way to the Bergen BelsenDisplaced Persons Camp where he fell in

love with Genia Aranowicz. They mar-ried in the camp and eventually came toAmerica with their daughter, Felicia.Irving and Goldie began new lives inToledo, Ohio, including the birth of twomore daughters, Susan and Marilyn.Goldie was a housewife and Irving was inthe plastics business. With daughtersgrown and married, Irving and Goldiemoved to North Miami Beach Fla.,where they were reunited with childhoodfriends and friends from Bergen Belsen.They led a busy social life and their“naches” grew as grandchildren began toarrive; four granddaughters in all.Eventually with declining health, theymoved to Las Vegas to be near a daugh-ter. Irving and Goldie had a wonderfullife in Las Vegas until Oct. 4, 2008, whenGoldie passed away. During their mar-riage, they were always at each other’sside. He is survived by three daughters:Felicia Anchor (Dr. Kenneth), SusanSchall (Alan), Marilyn Etcoff (Dr.Lewis); four granddaughters, JessicaSamuels (David), Stephanie Milford(Andrew), Jennifer Etcoff, Allison Etcoffand three great-grandchildren: RebeccaSamuels, Eric Samuels, Zachary Milford.

Donations may be made to theNashville Holocaust Memorial c/o ofNashville Jewish Federation or theTennessee Holocaust Commission.

. . . to the family of Eli H. Jacobs,who was born Dec. 5, 1924, and diedApril 2. He was a man of great character,honesty and integrity. Mr. Jacobs is sur-vived by his wife, Adrian Jacobs, anddaughter, Marilee Jacobs. Donations maybe made to a charity of choice.

. . . to the family of DorothyFreedman Stone, 91, of Brentwood,Tenn., and Southampton, N.Y., whodiedon April 6. She was born May 13,1920, in New York, N.Y., and was theonly daughter of Alan and MarieFreedman. An accomplished singer andpianist, Dorothy abandoned the opportu-nity for a Hollywood career, choosinginstead to pursue her passion for science.She obtained a BS in biology and an MSin chemistry from Adelphi University,

and Ed.D from Teachers College ofColumbia University, where she wasinducted into Kappa Delta Pi, the inter-national honor society for those in edu-cation. Dottie worked for HazeltineLaboratories during the war where, rumorhas it she was part of a team that devel-oped, but did not think to commercialize,Silly Putty as a by-product of theirresearch. Following the war, she returnedto the classroom, this time as a dedicatedhigh school biology and chemistryteacher at private schools on Long Islandand in New York City. Seeking new chal-lenges, she returned to school andobtained her BSN from CornellUniversity School of Nursing, which sheimmediately put to use as an RN in theneonatal intensive care unit at CornellMedical Center. Among her other careeraccomplishments, she was a certifiedcyto-technologist, participated in numer-ous research projects related to maternaland child health, and co-authored anumber of research papers. Growing upthe sister to three brothers taught Dottieto face life head-on. She became alicensed pilot in 1940, and loved fishing,boating and gardening. Never forgettingher early talents, she was also a lifelongpatron of opera, theater, music and thearts. A long time resident of New YorkCity and Southampton, she moved toBrentwood in 2005 and was one of thefirst residents of the Heritage atBrentwood retirement community, whereshe made many new friends who becameenamored with her “feistiness.” Dorothyis survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Buck and Pat Freedman of Atlanta,Ga., and Mick and Allene Freedman ofLos Angeles, Calif.; her son and daugh-ter-in-law, Bob and Ariel Stone ofBrentwood; grandchildren, Jeremy Stoneof Franklin, Tenn., Jessica Stone Woodsof Charleston, S.C., Shannon StoneGlover of Franklin, and Julian Agnew ofAtlanta, Ga. She was the adoring great-grandmother of five, aunt to 10 niecesand nephews, grand-aunt to 15 and greatgrand-aunt to 11. Donations may bemade either to the Adelphi CollegeAlumnae Association or the HumaneSociety of the United States.

Ryan Slosky

Morgan AnneEvans

Keri LinFriedman

Morgan DavidHaymer

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Continued from page 1The letter also spells out a commit-

ment to a negotiated two-state solution,which includes Palestinian state buildingand economic development, programs ofreconciliation, understanding of multi-ple narratives, humanitarian aid andother areas where collective action isneeded to help foster peace.

Divestment, the note explains, runs inopposition to these goals and “is more likelyto encourage those with extreme aims” - and

is so contentious that it “drowns out the realconversation about how to end the conflict.”

“At a time when politics in generalhave become so divisive, here and abroad,our efforts should be aimed toward recon-ciliation,” the letter continues. “Togetherand independently, Christians, Jews andMuslims must give the parties to the con-flict the confidence they need to movetoward peace.”

To view the letter and all signatures,please visit www.LetterInHope.org. c

American rabbis to Methodist Church


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Jewish graduate and professionalstudents at Vanderbilt are gettingto know one another andNashville, with an assist from theuniversity’s branch of Hillel.

Currently, the Jewish LawStudents Association, JewishBusiness Association, Peabody

Jewish Association and Maimonides, theJewish Society for the Medical School,are active. The groups are separate from

Hillel but partner with it on events, saidJoel Abramson, the Jewish Federation ofNashville’s community engagementassociate. Each group plans its own pro-grams and joins in additional events withother graduate student groups.

JLSA, for example, offers “an outletfor Jewish students in the law school toget together,” said its president, JasonColeman. The group held a Sukkotevent last fall in Blackacre, a shadedcourtyard within the law school, and thelaw students shared a pre-Yom Kippur

meal with medical students. It’s nice tosocialize with students in otherVanderbilt professional and graduateprograms, he said, and the organizationsallow Jewish students to feel connected.

Abramson wears a lot of hats as thegrad school coordinator for Hillel,Coleman said. “He helped organize a din-ner where we brought in several Jewishlawyers in Nashville.” Hillel catered thedinner and the law students learned whatit’s like to practice law in Nashville.Hillel also hosted a graduate studentseder for Passover, Coleman added.

Over at the medical school,Maimonides members marked TuB’Shevat by helping with spring plantingat the medical school student-run com-munity garden, said Jordan Cohen, one

of the leaders of Maimonides this year.“We have also had a few ‘lunch andlearn’ sessions throughout the year withtopics such as Judaism and end-of-lifecare,” he said. The medical students alsoplan a 10-year reunion Bar Mitzvah partyat the end of the school year, wherethey’ll relive their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs“with ’90s music and cheap neon sun-glasses,” Cohen said.

The newest Jewish graduate studentgroup is Peabody Jewish Association.“We’re only in our first year, but havehad several successful events including aShabbat dinner and the grad studentSeder,” said Heidi Amster, the group’spresident. “PJA is glad to be workingwith Hillel to join the Maimonides, JBAand JLSA Jewish grad student groups.” c

Hillel helps VU’s Jewish grad students create community

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National Conference on Jewish Affairs-Nashville presents a special program:

“Campus Anti-Semitism: Protecting Our Students”Co-SponsorsB’nai B’rith Maimonides Lodge #46Congregation Sherith IsraelChabad Student Center at Vanderbilt UniversityChabad of NashvilleNashville Chapter of Hadassah

At universities across the country, our children face hostile demonstrations against Israel as well as anti-semitic verbal, written, and even physical attacks. Please join NCJA as we explore this important topic so your children and grandchildren can be prepared and informed.

Tammi Rossman-BenjaminPROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF

CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ

Monday April 30 2012Gordon JCC7-9PMAdmission Free and Open to The Public

The opinions and views expressed in this program donot represent the views of the Gordon JCC

[email protected]

ncjanashville.org

http://www.facebook.com/NashvilleNCJA

Featured speaker: Tammi Rossman-Benjamin•Lecturer in Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University of

California Santa Cruz

•Filed the 2009 complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Education’s

O�ce of Civil Rights, alleging a hostile environment for

Jewish students on her campus. This federal complaint is

currently under investigation.

•Co-Founder of the Investigative Taskforce on Campus

Anti-Semitism- CampusAntisemitism.org

•Founded the Amcha (means “your people” in Hebrew)

Initiative -amchainitiative.org

The Observer Vol. 77 No. 8 – April 20, 2012

Documents

Transcript of The Observer Vol. 77 No. 8 – April 20, 2012