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news
the voice of jewish washington
Miriam Alster/ Flash90
Mourners gather in Jerusalem’s Zion Square on Aug. 2 to remember two young Israelis killed in a shooting at a Tel Aviv gay community center the previous evening.

Gay Israelis reeling after shooting attack Seattle City Council

Joshua Mitnick
N.Y. Jewish Week
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Amid beefed-up security outside a
gay and lesbian community center where two young Israelis
were shot and killed, the shock that greeted the attack was
replaced by sobriety — and even a sense of opportunity.
Gay Israelis said the murders on Saturday night, Aug. 1,
in which a masked gunman killed two and wounded about
a dozen others before fleeing — robbed them of a sense of
security in Tel Aviv’s otherwise gay-friendly cocoon.
It also has stoked anger at fervently Orthodox groups
in Israel accused of inciting hatred against gays.
Etai Pinkas, the founder and chairman of the commu-
nity center, said that the tragedy, which some have cited
as the worst hate crime in Israel’s history, has given Isra-
el’s gay community a “teaching moment.”
“We received some focus, unfortunately,” Pinkas said.
“And the focus is that we don’t have equal rights. Maybe
something will start because of this.”
Pinkas is planning a gay solidarity rally for Saturday
night in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square consisting of songs and
speeches. Activist groups will set up booths to distribute
information about Israel’s gay community.
A day after the shooting, hundreds of gay and lesbian
Israelis marched through central Tel Aviv. Some pointed
fingers at the Orthodox Shas Party, whose leader, Eli
Yishai, has referred to homosexuals as “sick people.”
“Years of continuous incitement by Knesset members,
rabbis and public figures have exacted a terrible price,”
said Nitzan Horowitz, an openly gay Knesset member from
the Meretz Party. “We won’t forget and we won’t forgive.”
Shas Knesset member Nissim Ze’ev, who has said that
homosexuals would be reincarnated as rabbits, said he
received death threats after the attack.
Israel’s Chief Rabbinate issued a statement condemn-
ing the shooting, as did Shas. Addressing a special Knes-
set session on the shooting, Public Safety Minister Yitzhak
Aharonovitch promised to bring the assailant to justice.
Even though many gay Israelis said they feel less
secure after the attack, public reaction has been sympa-
thetic, Pinkas said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
President Shimon Peres and others denounced the shoot-
ing. Pinkas said he hoped Netanyahu would send a mes-
sage to the planned solidarity rally.
“It’s a seminal moment,” Pinkas said. “People better
understand what the meaning of discrimination and the
price of incitement is. Israelis don’t know there is dis-
crimination.”
The shooting occurred just before 11 p.m. in the base-
ment club at the center just off of Rothschild Boulevard.
The gunman entered the club and began firing randomly
as youths dove for cover, said Ori Gil, 26, in an interview
with Israeli reporters from a hospital wheelchair.
“He didn’t shoot steadily,” Gil said of the gunman.
“That was the shock. He aimed everywhere.”
Nir Katz, 26, a counselor at the center, and Liz Tar-
boushi, 17, were killed. Eleven people were wounded, four
of them critically.
As Tel Aviv is considered unusually friendly to the gay
community, the shooting surprised many. The city has
the GLBT community center, gay representatives on the
City Council, and an annual gay pride parade that draws
tens of thousands. At the end of this year’s parade in
mid-June, Mayor Ron Huldai presided over an unofficial
sunset wedding for same-sex couples on the beach.
Israel’s chief of police has cautioned against a rush to
judgment before investigators whittle down theories on
the possible motive for the shooting. In addition to a hate
crime, investigators are checking to see if the attack may
have been because of a personal quarrel or even terror-
ism. There is a gag order in place on the investigation.
Red police tape blocked the driveway at the com-
munity center two days after the attack. Posters read-
ing “Silence Equals Death” and “Love, Not Hate,” hung
along gay pride flags and a flower wreath courtesy of
u Page 16
ballots have strong
Jewish presence
Leyna Krow
Assistant Editor, JTNews
Of the 16 candidates vying for four city council spots
this year, four of them are Jewish. Considering that Jews
make up such a tiny fraction of Seattle’s population, that’s
a strong representation.
The Jewish candidates boast diverse backgrounds
in political and career experiences. All four, however,
voiced similar opinions when asked which issues they
were most concerned about tackling should they be
elected. Transportation, education, public safety, and
the economy topped off each candidate’s list. It’s prob-
able that not all will move forward following the Aug. 18
Top Two primary.
Position 2 – David Ginsberg
When asked why he decided to
run for city council, David Gins-
berg, a 44-year-old Seattle native
and technology solutions archi-
tect, gave the same answer as the
other candidates interviewed for
this article: A frustration with City
Hall. More specifically, he said, it’s
about a desire to see the city coun-
David Ginsberg cil function in a more cooperative
and efficient manner and to see the
city move forward on issues he’s most concerned about.
Of course, Ginsberg, who has never run for political
office before, readily admits his campaign for the Position
2 seat will be an “uphill climb.”
Ginsberg is the only challenger to Richard Conlin. Conlin
is not only the incumbent, but also the council president.
u Page 20
inside

A View from the U 6

M.O.T.: Member of the Tribe 7
Community Calendar 9
Arts & Entertainment 13
National & International News 19
www.jtnews.net
new at

The Shouk Classifieds 22

Section B Page 15

a j e w i s h t r a n s c r i p t p u b l i c a t i o n n $ 1 . 5 0
 2 jtnews n friday, august 7, 2009
viewpoints

Allow incentives for donating organs

The recent New Jersey corruption scandal shines a light on black market organ sales,
and what can be done about them
Jeff Stier
JTA World News Service
NEW YORK (JTA) — The Jewish com-
munity in the New York metropolitan area,
and to a degree around the world, is grap-
pling with how to respond to last month’s
high-profile corruption arrests there.
While money-laundering and brib-
ery charges are nothing new, unfortu-
nately, the charges against Levy Izhak
Rosenbaum seemed most shocking. He
was arrested for conspiring to broker the
sale of a human kidney for transplant, a
“business” he privately claimed to be in
for many years.
The American system of organ dona-
tions, which forbids any incentives for
donation, has created a niche market for
just this type of wrongdoing.
The statistics are overwhelming. Some
102,640 patients are waiting for an organ
donation in the United States, according
to the United Network for Organ Shar-
ing. More than 7,000 people died last year
while they waited, and over 2,000 have
died this year.
These deaths are entirely preventable.
But the current system, which is based
on pseudo-moralistic concerns, actu-
ally creates incentives for black markets,
rewards only the most wealthy, and pun-
ishes the poorest.
If morality matters, what could be
more immoral than all these unneces-
sary deaths?
Take the recent case of Steve Jobs,
co-founder and CEO of Apple. He trav-
eled to Tennessee, which has a shorter
waiting list than other states, when he
needed a liver transplant this spring.
He did it legally, but t he rich have
advantages when it comes to receiv-
ing transplants because they can get
on numerous lines and jet to a waiting
organ at a moment’s notice.
For those who aren’t fortunate enough
to game the system one way or another,
options are limited. Unless you’re lucky
enough to have a relative or some other
highly motivated and altruistic donor,
there is little one can legally do to
improve their chances in the painfully
slow race against death.
The shortage of organs available for
donation from unrelated donors has led
to the macabre black market that exists
today. Gruesome underground kidney
markets are nothing new. National Geo-
graphic reported on a poor neighborhood
in India known as “kidney village” — res-
idents illegally sell their kidneys for about
$800, far less than the $160,000 Rosen-
baum allegedly charged.
Now it is emerging that Israel also
is becoming a black market hot spot. A
whole new industry — transplant tour-
ism — is meeting the needs of the wealthy
patients, creating demand.
Patients now face a choice between
two extremes: Wait for a fundamentally
broken system and risk death, or venture
into the unregulated Wild West of the
black market for organs.
There is a better and more ethical
alternative.
We don’t need to delve too deeply into
the black market to see that donated (or
purchased) organs have a high value to
potential recipients. Yet because of the ban
on incentives for donations, a familiar eco-
nomic principle comes into play: When-
ever a product’s price is held below market
demand, a shortage ensues. Despite cam-
paigns to increase altruistic donations,
organ donations are basically stagnant.
u Page 22

Come experience a Taste of Temple B’nai Torah

and welcome Shabbat as a community
Friday, August 21st
ƒ to create a better world through education ƒ “Chappy” Hour - 5:30 pm
Ruach Family Service - 6:00 pm
Voices for Humanity Community Shabbat Dinner - 6:30 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service - 8:00 pm
5th Annual Fundraiser Luncheon
Guests are welcome at no charge
Recognizing Temple Members:
Three Hidden Children from Holland $10 for Adults
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 $4 for Kids 6-12
Westin Seattle Kids 0-5 Free
11:30am to 1:30pm Please RSVP to 425.603.9677

For more information, Rabbi James Mirel 15727 Northeast Fourth

call 206.774.2201 or Cantor David Serkin-Poole Bellevue, WA 98008
visit www.wsherc.org Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg www.templebnaitorah.org
rabbi’s turn
Following the people’s lead
The Book of Jonah shows how it’s the actions of the masses that often spur leaders to follow suit
Rabbi
James L. Mirel
Temple
B’nai Torah
The Book of Jonah (read as the Haf-
tarah on Yom Kippur afternoon) is a con-
stant source of wisdom and insight. Like
every great work of literature, it can be
read over and over again, always with
new discoveries and insights.
The narrative is relatively simple. A
man named Jonah seemed to be arbi-
trarily singled out by God for a diffi-
cult task: “Go immediately to Nineveh,
that great city, and proclaim judgment
upon it; for their wickedness has come
before Me.”
Every child knows what happened
next. Jonah tried to escape the call. He
took the next ship out of town and ended
up in the belly of the beast. From the
darkness of “the big fish,” he found that
no one can escape the call of destiny.
Before long he was in Nineveh speak-
ing the message God put in his mouth:
“Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown.”
The JTNews is the Voice of Jewish
Washington. Our mission is to meet
the interests of our Jewish community
through fair and accurate coverage of local,
national and international news, opinion
and information. We seek to expose our
readers to diverse viewpoints and vibrant
debate on many fronts, including the news
and events in Israel. We strive to contribute to
the continued growth of our local Jewish
community as we carry out our mission.
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Reach us directly at 206-441-4553 + ext.
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The opinions of our columnists and advertisers do
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We would love to hear from you! Our guide to writing a letter to the editor can be found on our Web site: www.jtnews.net/index.php?/static/item/611/
The deadline for the next issue is august 11 n future deadlines may be found online
friday, august 7, 2009
But it’s what came after that never
fails to astound. The people of Nineveh
immediately got the message. They did
repent. But there is a nuance in the story
that is ever more remarkable — once the
people repented, the King of Nineveh fol-
lowed suit.
“When the news reached the king of
Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took
off his robe, pit on sackcloth, and sat in
ashes.”
Then the king sent forth a decree that
everyone in the city should fast and pray
with the hope that God’s judgment will be
overturned.
Familiar words read and re-read thou-
sands of times over the centuries. In the
midst of our own fasting and praying, do
we miss the subtle lesson imbedded in
the story? The people must repent first,
and then the leaders follow.
Whether it is the context of our com-
munity, our congregations, the State of
Israel, or the United States, the people set
the moral agenda and only then can the
leaders take up the call. As Hillel reflected
when confronted with a challenging
question of Jewish law: Pay attention to
the people, if they themselves are not
prophets they are certainly the descen-
dants of prophets.
Every community leader eventually
learns this lesson. In times of great chal-
Wedge between
peacemakers
Contrary to Naim Ateek’s assertion, the
Committee for Accuracy in Middle East
Reporting in America, (CAMERA), does
not believe that he is “worse than Hamas”
(“A prophet for peace or a wedge between
peacemakers?” July 24). Hamas has killed
hundreds; Ateek has killed no one.
CAMERA does object, however, to
Ateek’s false assertion (published in his
most recent book) that Israel has perpe-
trated a “slow and creeping genocide”
against the Palestinians, whose popula-
tion has quadrupled since Israel’s creation.
Ateek’s false allegation serves to justify
violence against Israelis and contempt
for Israel’s supporters in the U.S. It is not
peacemaking.
CAMERA also objects to Ateek’s well-
documented use of anti-Jewish polemic
from the New Testament to portray
modern Israel as an enemy of God.
Adam Gregerman, Jewish scholar in-
residence at the Institute for Christian and
Jewish Studies in Baltimore, Md., reports
that Ateek “presents the Israeli-Palestin-
ian conflict as a metaphysical struggle on
a cosmic level” and “mythologizes the
conflict as a clash between ‘the powers of
God,’ on the one hand, and the ‘destruc-
tive powers’ and ‘forces of darkness that
undermine life itself,’ on the other.”
Gregerman continues: “So that his
analogy is not misunderstood, he makes
this explicit: On one side are the Chris-
tians, who, like Jesus, boldly ‘confront
evil.’ On the other side are the Jews, who
maintain ‘evil structures,’ support the ‘evil
of racism,’ carry out the ‘evil of lies,’ and
symbolize ‘the spiritual forces of evil.’”
CAMERA also laments Ateek’s failure
to address the role Muslim theology has
played in prolonging the Arab-Israeli con-
flict. Muslim theology regarding the land
and the Jewish people plays a significant,
if not dominant, role in fomenting violence
against Israel in the Middle East, but Ateek
n jtnews
lenge, attune your ear to what the people
are saying and your eyes to what the
people are doing.
The wisdom of the king of Nineveh was
found in his ability to take the people’s
example and follow it, but also to artic-
ulate it in a thoughtful and organized
response with a clear goal in mind.
In Judaism, wisdom resides with the
people, not with the leaders.
does not address these subjects in a mean-
ingful way.
Ateek’s silence on this issue is odd
given that he routinely invokes the teach-
ings of the Hebrew prophets to critique
what he regards as primitive Jewish
understandings of God. For peace to
come, Ateek asserts, extremist Jews must
abandon this primitive theology in favor
of justice. By way of comparison, Ateek
has very little to say to Muslim extrem-
ists in the Middle East about their theo-
logical beliefs.
Why the silence?
Dexter Van Zile
Christian Media Analyst
CAMERA
Boston, Mass.
The question mark
The fact that your lead story in the
July 24 issue, headlined, “A prophet for
peace or a wedge between peacemak-
ers?” ends with a question mark is not
the only question mark on this overlong
two-and-a-half-column agonizing on the
guest speaker’s true intentions toward
Israel. The fact that the Anglican canon,
identified as Naim Ateek, was described
as “an activist for Palestinian indepen-
dence,” eliminated the need for any
question mark in the headline. What this
extensive report did was to provide the
obviously anti-Israel speaker with the
JTNews platform.
Since the sponsor of the talk was the
Kadima Reconstructionist Community,
that certainly, to this reader, made a mock-
ery of the question mark.
Kadima, while claiming to be so very,
very sincere in its lengthy efforts for a Mid-
east peace, down through the years has
yet to show understanding of the facts, or
even understand, or comprehend a basic
fact of Israeli survival. Somehow it seems
to bemoan (kvetch) that Israel insists on
defending itself against killers sworn to
eradicate the Jewish State. If not against
page
viewpoints
3
The leaders show their mettle by their
ability to embrace the collective moral
insights of the community and to find the
means to elevate and inspire. The turning
point in the Book of Jonah is not found in
the midst of the great fish, but when the
king of Nineveh rises from his throne and
joins the people in their cathartic act of
repentance.
Letters
Israel, then against each other. Nowhere
does Kadima ever come up with balanced
facts of ongoing rocket barrages or sui-
cide bombing attacks against Israelis. It’s
always Israel’s fault.
And in a strange outburst of being fac-
tual, the Kadima program director report-
edly said, “We’re not in the business of
trying to defend him.” Gee, thanks. Hence
the puzzlement of the huge amount of
space and page 1 placement on this noth-
ing story.
When will this wide-eyed group stop
swallowing the traditional Islamic art
of taqiyya? This is the deceptive art of
saying one thing in Arabic and another
thing in English or French, the old wink-
and-nod technique perfected by Arafat.
Thus the Arab average spokesperson
speaks in English of a longing for peace,
if only, if only Israel would allow the
sworn killers just another chance of
making good on their pledges. Want a
guess what he would say in Arabic to his
grinning listeners?
Philip R. Scheier
Shoreline
Racism is not a problem
I strongly disagree with Gila Orkin’s
one-sided column (“Jews should confront
racism in Israel,” July 24).
Orkin’s depiction of Avigdor Lieber-
man as an ultra-right-wing nationalist is
incorrect. Was it wrong for him to get
the 20 percent Palestinian Arab minority
that enjoy Israeli citizenship to swear alle-
giance to the “State of Israel as a Jewish,
Zionist and democratic state?”
As citizens of the U.S. we have to swear
allegiance to our country.
Clearly Orkin dislikes Lieberman and
his party. Lieberman is no racist. His stand
against Israel’s enemies is intended to
ensure her safety from both internal and
external threats.
u Page 5
 4 jtnews n friday, august 7, 2009
community news

Tools of love and forgiveness

In anticipation of the High Holidays, a synagogue and a relationship
institute combine forces to help heal hurting relationships
Janis Siegel
JTNews Correspondent
“Love means never having to say
you’re sorry,” said Ali MacGraw to Ryan
O’Neal in the 1970 film Love Story. The
line became one of the most famous cli-
chés of the decade. In reality, however,
saying you’re sorry and asking for forgive-
ness can go a long way toward healing all
sorts of broken relationships.
This year, before the start of the High
Holidays, on the evenings of Aug. 25 and
Sept. 12, two therapists trained at the
world-renowned relationship education
center in Seattle, the Gottman Institute,
and Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Con-
gregation’s Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum will not
only advocate apologies, but offer help in
seeking forgiveness.
The t wo organizations are team-
ing up to teach tools for relationship-
mendi ng t hat a lso include ma k i ng
behavioral changes that can really lead
to emotional healing.
“Jewish people today are looking for
things within their tradition to bring
meaning to their personal lives,” Rosen-
baum told JTNews. “One of the things about
Gottman’s approach is that it dovetails
nicely with Jewish teaching and focuses on
very small, concrete things you can do to
improve relationships, especially commu-
nication. We will integrate Jewish text into
a session on healing relationships.”
Selichot is the 10 days of daily peniten-
tial prayers that lead into Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur. It is a time when Jews ask
God’s forgiveness for those they’ve hurt, as
well as the person they’ve offended.
In the seminal Selichot prayer, the “Al-
Chet,” Rosenbaum noticed that all of the
requests for forgiveness deal with repair-
ing human relationships. That’s when
he had an “a-ha” moment to connect the
two — Gottman techniques and religious
practice.
According to Rosenbaum, it’s an
opportunity to get in some good com-
munication practice with experts in a
Jewish context. The sessions are co-spon-
sored by Herzl-Ner Tamid and the Gott-
man Institute, and are free and open to
the public.
Much of the hard work in fixing rela-
tionships really takes place in the Jewish
concept of making teshuvah, which lit-
erally means to return or repent, said
Rosenbaum. The idea is to restore or
return a broken relationship to health.
“There isn’t as much guidance about
this as you would think,” Rosenbaum
added. “It’s not just a question of saying
you’re sorry to someone, but also if you
can do something more specific and
change something small about yourself.”
Dr. Dave Penner, a psychologist and
certified Gottman therapist who has
been practicing for 25 years, will co-teach
with Rosenbaum the first workshop titled
“Reflection, Renewal and Repair: Improv-
ing Our Relationships for the New Year.”
“I think people are interested in work-
ing out their relationships from within
their world view, and that includes their
meaning system, their value system, and
their faith system, if they have one, and
their spiritual viewpoints,” Penner told
JTNews. “Gottman’s research is consistent
with the biblical view of relationships.”
The duo will use biblical couples, like
Jacob and Rachel, and Torah texts as
examples of how to deescalate arguments
between couples.
According to the research, said Penner,
the first three minutes of any argument
between couples determines the outcome
of the conflict. Disagreeing partners can
approach a conflict with what is called
a “softened” startup or a “hardened” or
“harsh” startup, Penner said, but only 4
percent of couples achieve successful con-
flict resolution from a harsh startup.
“If you can get a couple to calm down
and suspend trying to persuade each
other…and approach each other more as
allies than enemies, they can work out
a compromise,” Penner added. “The cli-
mate has to be one of emotional safety.”
Penner holds a Ph.D. in clinical psy-
chology from Western Seminary.
Co-founded by Dr. John Gottman and
his wife, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, the
institute’s counseling approach is based
on 35 years of research with more than
3,000 couples. Although their work seeks
to educate them on how to communicate,
the Gottmans also train therapists to use
their techniques in their practices with
individuals, children, and families.
For the second session, Dr. Trudi
Sackey, a licensed marriage and family
therapist since 1994 and a certified Gott-
man therapist since 2001, will co-teach
a session with Rosenbaum called “Turn-
ing Toward Each Other.” Sackey will talk
about “scenario thinking,” a strategy that
encourages each person to see the other’s
point of view.
“My purpose in working with cou-
ples is to help them have the conversa-
tions they need to have with one another,
thereby, clarifying the meanings of issues
that keep couples ‘stuck,’” wrote Sackey,
describing her work on her Web site.
Rosenbaum has completed two out
of three levels of professional train-
ing offered at the Gottman Institute,
although he is not a therapist. He real-
ized that much of Jewish wisdom deals
with righting a single wrong toward our
friends, family, or neighbors. But there
isn’t as much written about the estab-
lished and chronic patterns of fighting.
“You want to get underneath the argu-
ment and figure out what’s really bothering
the other person, not what’s going to trigger
a defensive reaction” said Rosenbaum. “In
the case of Jacob and Rachel, she was infer-
tile, and she said to him, ‘Give me kids,
and if not I’m going to die.’ His reaction
was, ‘What do you want from me? I’m not
God.’ I think they could have used a good
marriage counselor. Maybe if they had
someone who was trained in the Gottman
technique it could have helped them.”

QFC Partners with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s

Quest for the Cure
By Kristin Maas, QFC Public Affairs Director

The pain of losing someone to leukemia

hit home for QFC in 1998, when our vice
president of operations, Chuck Griffin,
passed away after a brave battle against
the disease. Since then we have partnered
with our local chapter of The Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society and the Quest for the
Cure, supporting blood cancer research
and patient services.
It is estimated that nearly 140,000
people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with
leukemia or lymphoma this year alone
and that more than 900,000 people are
currently living with the disease or are in
remission. Leukemia causes more deaths 1. Hand the checker a $1, $5, or $10
of children and adults under the age of 20 donation scan card at time of checkout
than any other form of cancer. (available at the checkstands). Thank you to everyone who has
supported local nonprofit organizations
Beginning on August 2nd and running 2. Donate your change in the coin boxes
through our Checkstand Charity of the
through August 29th, The Leukemia & at the checkstands.
Month Program. Together, in just the first
Lymphoma Society will be our Checkstand
3. Designate your 3¢ shopping bag reuse 6 months of this year, we have donated
Charity of the Month. I hope you will
credit for donation to The Leukemia more than $100,000 through this donation
consider supporting our local chapter of
& Lymphoma Society every time you program and our customers have reused
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by
reuse a paper, plastic, or reusable more than 1 million bags!
making a donation at any QFC. There are
shopping bag while grocery shopping
3 easy ways you can help:
at QFC.

* Information and statistics provided by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Kristin Maas is the Director of Public Affairs for QFC. She can be reached at kristin.maas@qfci.com or 425-990-6182.

Courtesy WSJHS
Several of the restored dolls that will be on display at
the Washington State Jewish Historical Society’s Dolls
for Democracy and Diversity exhibit.
Dolls for Democracy
and Diversity
On Aug. 18, an opening reception will be held by
the Washington State Jewish Historical Society
for an exhibit on hand-made portrait dolls of his-
torical figures originally commissioned by B’nai B’rith
Women (now Jewish Women International). These 38
dolls of well-known humanitarians were handmade
between the 1940s and 1970s by portrait doll artist
Cecil Bullard Weeks. Local women used the dolls to
teach diversity in area schools. The exhibit will be
on display through Nov. 18 but RSVP deadline for the
opening event is Aug. 10. At the Rosalie Whyel Museum
of Doll Art, 1116 108th Ave. NE, Bellevue. Contact 206-
774-2277 or reservations@wsjhs.org for information.
friday, august 7, 2009
Barbecue potlucks
at Temple Beth Am
Temple Beth Am will host two summer Shab-
bat barbecues in August. Chicken, hot dogs, and
veggie dogs will be provided (with all the fix-
ings). Participants are asked to bring either a side dish
(last name A-M) or dessert (N-Z). Cost is $9 for adults,
$4 for kids 12 and under. To RSVP, contact Alysa Rosen
at 206-525-0915 or rsvp@templebetham.org. Fri., Aug.
14 at 6:15 p.m. and Fri., Aug. 21 at 7:15 p.m. At Temple
Beth Am, 2632 NE 80th St., Seattle.
Etz Hayim-er Park
Clean Up
The Tribe, Temple De Hirsch Sinai’s young adult
group, hosts a day of volunteer service to clean
up part of Warren G. Magnuson Park. Partici-
pants should wear closed-toe shoes and bring a bag
lunch. A brief Torah discussion will take place during
the lunch break. RSVP to Blakely Lord at 661-492-5383
or blord@mindspring.com. Sun., Aug. 9 at 10 a.m. At
Magnuson Park, 6505 NE 65th St., Seattle.
Seattle Jewish Young Adult
Volleyball Challenge
Herzl-Ner Tamid’s young adult group, NextGen, and
the Jewish Social Experience Association (JewSEA)
are sponsoring the first-ever Seattle Jewish Young
Adult Volleyball Challenge. Entry fee is $30 per team,
with the net proceeds going to the winning team’s char-
ity of choice. Teams should be made up of 5-6 play-
ers. To sign up, visit www.h-nt.org/nextgen/events.php.
Sun., Aug. 16 at 11 a.m. at the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
BCMH Summer Barbecue Bash
Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath hosts a summer
party with food, a vendor fair and games, including
their “First Annual Jewish Olympiad.” The entire
community is invited to attend. For more information,
contact Julie Greene at 206-721-0970, ext. 6. Sun., Aug.
n jtnews 5
community news
16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At Bikur Cholim-Machzikay
Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.
Free computer classes
A trained instructor of the King County Library
System will teach three sessions on Microsoft
Word and online photo sharing with Flickr. Stu-
dents must attend all three classes. Contact Roni Antebi
at 206-232-7115, ext. 269 to register. Classes will be held
Aug. 18 and 25 and Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. at the Stroum JCC,
3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
Letters t Page 3
He may not be politically correct, but he speaks the
truth as he sees it, unlike Palestinian Arab leaders who
engage in double speak.
Their goal remains the elimination of Israel by making
unacceptable demands on Israel. There is a lot more
racism in Arab countries that should concern us. Why
make racism a problem in Israel when it does not exist?
Racism is not a problem in Israel.
Josh Basson
Seattle
Firsts
A main reason why President Obama nominated Judge
Sotomayor for the Supreme Court is that he believed she
would be “the first Hispanic appointment to the high
court.” In fact, the first Supreme Court justice of Hispanic
background was Benjamin Cardozo, appointed by Presi-
dent Hoover in 1932. Like his ancestors, who had settled
in America before the Revolution, Cardozo belonged to
the Spanish-Portuguese Jewish community of New York.
Since he was universally recognized as the greatest Ameri-
can interpreter of the common law, he had no need to toot
his own horn regarding his “ethnicity.”
Edward Alexander
Seattle
 6 jtnews n friday, august 7, 2009
a view from the u

A learning experience
The Stroum Lectures of 2009
Jewish Studies is no longer the Jewish
Starship Enterprise, “going boldly where
no Jew has gone before.” At the University
of Washington, as in many other places,
Jewish Studies has won its victory in the
Academy, and is now recognized as an
Martin Jaffee integral field of study routinely consulted
JTNews across the various social scientific and
Columnist humanistic disciplines.
One result of this success is that the
With the possible exception of the primary audience for Jewish Studies is no
Seattle Jewish Film Festival, the Samuel longer the Jewish community, but aca-
and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish demics in various fields hoping to illumine
Studies are the most high-profile “Jewish” their own research questions with insights
event in Seattle’s cultural calendar. drawn from the study of the Jews.
But I fear that, after a run of 34 years, But this victory in capturing the aca-
they may be in trouble. The problem is demic audience has come at the expense
neither a lack of qualified lecturers nor of another — the audience of the Jewish
a lack of interest on the part of the com- community, whose local support and
munity. No, the problem, really, is the sponsorship over many decades has
growing abyss between the reality of enabled academic Jewish Studies to
Jewish Studies and the expectations of command the international academic
the Jewish communities that support platform it currently enjoys. Jewish com-
its work. munities invest in events such as the
Stroum Lectures for a basic return: Intel-
lectual stimulation, new perspectives
into Jewish thought and history, and per-
haps, above all, some insights into the
evolving relationship of Jews to the world
in which they must plan their personal
and communal futures.
Too often, it seems, they leave disap-
pointed.
This gap between reality and expec-
tation resurfaced this past May in the
Stroum Lectures offered by Prof. Yael
Zerubavel, a prominent pioneer of “Israeli
Cultural-Historical Studies,” who cur-
rently teaches at Rutgers. Her announced
title, “Encounters with the Past: Remem-
bering the ‘Bygone’ in Israeli culture,”
drew an opening night crowd that packed
Kane 220 to the rafters.
That evening’s lecture, “Bridges to
Antiquity,” explored the ways pre-1948
Zionist settlers and post-1948 Israelis of
the state’s first generation mined ancient
Jewish history for values and cultural
models to support the Zionist revolu-
tion that created and sustained the new
Jewish State.
Ever wonder why Israelis are tradition-
ally crazy about archeology? Well, Prof.
Zerubavel had some surprising and pro-
vocative answers rooted in Israel’s need, as
a “nation in formation,” for a “usable past.”
Despite her lecture’s excellence as
an exposition of its topic, it was by most
accounts a popular flop. Judging from
comments offered to several facult y
members, the problem was not what Prof.
Zerubavel had to say.
The problem appears to have been her
delivery — reading out a prepared text
dotted with a few too many unexplained
technical terms. This would have been a
perfectly acceptable presentation at, say, an
Association of Jewish Studies conference.
But in the Stroum context, it came off to
many as “boring” and “pitched too high.”
Naturally, the packed house of the
first lecture dwindled, on the evening of
the second, to a fraction of its former size.
And the third lecture, victimized as well
by an enormous traffic snafu that tied
up the commute from Bellevue, drew an
even smaller collection of witnesses.
Too bad! For Prof. Zerubavel’s second
and third lectures were everything the
first was not.
In rounds t wo a nd t hree, Prof.
Zerubavel came out of her corner right at
the bell. With her text firmly planted on the
podium, she proceeded to charm the piti-

a m i l y ,
fully small crowds with witty, insightful,

F a m i l y t o F and mostly extemporaneous reflections

Fr o m
on how the collective memory of contem-

a t i o n
porary Israeli society is built up of layered,

o n t o G e n e r nostalgia-tinged images of the distant past

Gene r a t i
of the Jewish people in exile, and of the
early decades of Israeli statehood.
The overall message? The important
history we carry around in us is not nec-
essarily what really happened; rather, it
Join in on this distinctive Northwest
is the way we remember what happened.
Jewish tradition by sending a New Year’s
More importantly: The way Israelis
Greeting to friends and family inside the
remember their past today have enor-
pages of JTNews, our one and only
mous consequences for the future of all
Jewish community newspaper.
of klal Yisrael!
Prof. Zerubavel’s tours through the
New to the tradition? Save 50%
cultural memory of contemporary Israel
included stops rarely available to Amer-

r o s H H a s H a N a H G r e e t i NG s
ican Jewish tourists. We are familiar,
of course, with such stunning sites as
Masada and the settlement at Qumran.
New Year PublicatioN Date is sePtember 11, 2009 But who knew, for example, of the plans

order today & Don’t miss your chance to send the community a to create an “authentic shtetl” theme park
Check 1 artwork selection New Year Greeting! There’s no better way to greet in, of all places, Rishon Letzion, where
1
save
and 1 message. family & friends for the New Year than with a personalized families can “return to the past to re-
greeting in our Rosh Hashanah issue. And believe it or not, experience the intimate folk culture of
1 2 3
Rosh Hashanah is right around the corner! Order your Rosh
the Pale of Settlement?”
Hashanah greeting by August 31st and get a 5% discount.
Complete this simple 1-2-3 form and mail it back to
What? Israeli popular culture is so
JTNews with your payment today. Or call Becky to charge over romantic Zionism that the shtetl is
Print all names as you want them looking good? The professor didn’t dis-
your greeting by phone: 206-774-2238.
4
____ L’Shanah Tova
2 to appear in the Greeting, like:
“Bob and Lucy Goldberg” or “Mr.
Payment Details
close who’d play the role of the pogrom-
chiks, but one can guess!
3
and Mrs. Goldberg” or “The whole
____ A Good & Sweet Year! Goldberg Family”, etc.… In short, those hardy souls who made
____ New Year’s Greetings! it to lectures two and three were offered a
____ Happy New Year! wrenching entry into the contemporary
____ L’Shanah Tova (in Hebrew)
Total $
5 Israeli heart and soul often ignored by
____ SAME AS LAST YEAR Please enclose your check for the full amount, friends and foes alike, whose interest in
or use your VISA or MasterCard.
Israel is confined to her instrumental role
Card # in American foreign policy or shaped by
Exp. / formulas regarding Israel’s responsibility
( Same as last year) Signature for peace-making in the Middle East.
2” box
$
39 So the real tragedy of this year’s lec-
3” box tures is that a remarkable contribution
All greetings must be paid in full in advance!
Check the $
59 8” box Give us your
5% Discount Deadline August 31
by a fine scholar will be lost to communal
size greeting $
150 E-mail address for memory. When Prof. Zerubavel’s book-
you want. a $5 discount FINAL GREETING DEADLINE 9/04/09
4” box $
76 length version of the lectures comes out,
ar! it will be designed for the attention of
Ask about the St
E-mail CLIP AND RETURN THIS AD ALONG WITH YOUR CHECK OR
$ 90 5” box $
96 quarter page
Name CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO: jTNEWS, 2041 THIRD AVENUE,
scholars. But the Seattle Jewish commu-
nity will not have benefited as all of us
304
$
Address SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98121-2418.
6” box believe it should have.
City/State/zip Call Becky for assistance or to charge your greeting to
$
114 Things are hardly too far gone to be
Day Phone VISA or MasterCard: 206-774-2238. Fax: 206-441-2736.
turned around. But neither can they be
Email:beckym@jtnews.net
neglected! My faculty colleagues and I

Newcomers Save 50%

promise to hold up our end, by stressing
to our Stroum lecturers the importance
of speaking to a popular audience; but we
Welcome! If you’d like to send a Rosh Hashanah greeting to our community for the first time this
need all of you, the Jewish community of
year, we’d like to say thank you (and welcome) by giving you 50% off any price listed here. Simply Seattle and beyond, to hold up yours, by
mail this form or call Becky at 206-441-2238 and she’ll walk you through the simple steps. favoring our guest scholars with every bit
of your attention!
 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 7
m.o.t.: member of the tribe

Recognized for finding defects

Medical researcher wins award for excellence • Also: Retrofitting homes for energy efficiency
Diana
Brement
JTNews
Columnist
Northwest Yeshiva High School grad-
uate Matthew Feldhammer is now doing
graduate research in biochemistry at the
University of Montreal. Recently he was
awarded a first place Prix d’Excellence
(Prize of Excellence) in all categories by
Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center
at the University of Montreal for a pre-
sentation on his work identifying pro-
tein misfolding as the underlying defect
in patients with Sanfilippo Syndrome
Type C.
Around the same time, he and his
research group published an article in
the Journal of Human Mutation for their
work identifying new mutations in this
rare genetic metabolic disorder, known
scientifically as Mucopolysaccharidosis
type IIIC. (Similar, but not related to Tay
Sachs disease, it appears in Dutch, Ash-
kenazi Jewish and French Canadian pop-
Mat t hew actually spent his f irst
decade of life in Montreal, moving to
Issaquah with his family in 1995, says his
mom, Lynn (who works at this paper). She
says he didn’t show a strong penchant
for science as a teen, but was inspired
by a teacher at the yeshiva. He studied
Gemara in Israel after high school before
returning to Montreal.
“I miss looking out my window and
seeing Mt. Rainier,” he says, but plans to
stay put for now.
•••
To begin with, Steve Gelb must have
had one of the fastest job turnarounds
in this lousy economy. Three weeks after
a layoff from a local furniture manufac-
turer, he had a job as interim executive
director of a new non-profit, Sustaina-
bleWorks, which helps people retrofit
— or modify — their homes and small
businesses to be more energy efficient.
SustainableWorks is part of Sound Alli-
ance, a coalition of Puget Sound-area
Education is the Road to Peace
religious and educational institutions,
trade unions and non-profits dedicated
to “organizing for the common good”
(www.soundorganizing.org).
Temple Beth Am in North Seattle is a
member of Sound Alliance and it’s there
— as a member of the social action com-
mittee — that Steve learned about that
coalition.
“I was interested in getting more
involved in environmental work,” he
says, “specifically things to combat global
climate change.”
When he started to attend Sound Alli-
ance meetings, he learned about Sustain-
ableWorks — and his job.
According to its mission statement,
SustainableWorks, “in conjunction with
a wide range of city, county, utility, and
other organizational partners will retrofit
up to 4,800 homes and small businesses
in neighborhoods with high concentra-
tions of moderate income residents in
Spokane, Pierce, King, Snohomish, Thur-
ston, Kitsap and Clark counties over the
next two years.”
A community organizing approach is
used, Steve explains (think Saul Alinsky,
Barack Obama), by recruiting neighbor-
hood volunteers to host in-home meet-
ings where the retrofitting process is
explained.
“Those people in the neighborhood
become core organizers,” Steve says, and
SustainableWorks becomes the general
contractor, loan officer, and government
rebate processor.
Right now, Steve is one of two Sus-
tainableWorks employees at Sound Alli-
ance’s office. He’s finalizing a business
plan while they wait to hear if they will
get some of Washington State’s $14.5
million of federal stimulus money ear-
marked for community-based residen-
tial energ y efficiency programs and
related jobs.
u Page 18

Save the Date

ulations that share a history of a high rate
of intermarriage generations ago.)
“[It] gives me a sense of accomplish-
ment,” says Matthew of the award, and it’s
also a nice accolade for “maybe a year’s
worth of work. A lot of research ends up
not going anywhere, so it’s good that this
was published and may be able to help

StandWithUs Northwest
some people.”

Second Annual Luncheon

with a keynote speech by
Professor Kenneth Stein
of Emory University

Friday, October 16, 2009

12 noon to 1:30 p.m. sharp!

Courtesy Matthew Feldhammer Sheraton Seattle Hotel

Matthew Feldhammer, in his lab, recently
won the Sainte-Justine University Hospital
Grand Ballroom
Center’s Prix d’Excellence for his work on
finding misfolding proteins in Sanfilippo
Professor Stein is President of the Center for Israel
Syndrome patients.
Education and the Director of the Institute for the
Study of Modern Israel. The former Executive
He hopes both prize and publication
will help secure funding for work he does Director of the Carter Center, he resigned from
later in his scientific career. the Carter Center to protest President Carter’s
In the short term, he plans on pursu- misrepresentations of Israel, stating, “A former
ing a doctorate in cancer research, then
president of the United States doesn’t have special
hopes to secure a professorship at a uni-
versity where he could have his own lab. privilege or prerogative to write history and perhaps
In addition to school, Matthew and invent it.”
his former roommate have a small cater-
ing business called Leftys Catering. You
might look for a relationship between
biochemistry and cooking, but in truth For more information, please contact StandWithUs Northwest at
the roommate went to culinary school 206.204.0676 or by email at RSVP.Seattle@StandWithUs.com
and “we were always the ones who ended
up working the grill and cooking for
everyone” when friends and family gath- Dr. Stein is an independent scholar; his participation in public functions does not imply any support directly or
ered, Matthew says. “So we figured, why indirectly for any organization that is represented where he is speaking unless he otherwise so states himself.
not turn this semi-professional?”
They stick to occasional small jobs and
he says it’s “a nice balance.”
Building Positive Honest Relationships to Israel Across Generations
 8 jtnews n friday, august 7, 2009
Generations

Olympic sadness
Finding the balance between the games’ political byproducts and the immense effort of the athletes who participate

Masada Siegel and
Stefanie Zweig
JTNews Columnists
Generations is an across-the-world e-mail
conversation between 30-something
writer Masada Siegel and 70-something
author Stefanie Zweig.
From: Stefanie Zweig
Wed, Aug. 13, 2008, 11:46 p.m.
To: Masada Siegel
Subject: Olympics
Dear Masada,
W hy do I watch Oly mpia w it h a
touch of sadness? Reason one: Because
all the folks march into China and are
most keen to forget what China does
to t hose who are not on t heir line.
The same thing happened in 1936. All
nations f locked to Berlin — includ-
ing the Americans and the Jews — and
raised their arms and said “Heil Hitler”
— and the concentration camps were
already in use, and the benches with
signs “not for Jews” had been cleaned
— for the duration of the Olympics.
Reason two: As I have no homeland to
be proud of, I really don’t care who wins
a gold medal. In times like this, I am
more aware than ever what Hitler did to
us. That, too, applies to my grandpar-
ents. My one grandfather was murdered
by an SS man on a street in Russia; my
one g randmot her was murdered in
Auschwitz. The other two had the luck
of dying before 1933.
Yesterday was a grand day — the little
boy, my grand-nephew, crawled faster
than ever and, could he say a word, he
would tell the world that birthdays are
wonderful. This morning I am deserting
my book and going to a street market in
town.
I love buying fruit and vegetables and
all things to eat — a leftover of hungry
times when we came from Kenya and
Frankfurt was all in ruins and the only
hope to fill your stomach was an Ameri-
can boyfriend. I was only 14 then and very
strictly guarded by a loving, loveable and
jealous father.
Love,
Stefanie
From: Masada Siegel
Thurs., Aug. 14, 2008, 8:33 a.m.
To: Stefanie Zweig
Subject: Olympics
Hi Stefanie!
Y i kes, t hat ma kes t he Oly mpics
and human nature sound quite awful.
I like  focusing on the positive. China
after all did allow a lot of Jews in during
World War II, or so I understand. Plus,
I also think the Olympics should be
a time to concentrate on people who
have dedicated their lives to their sport
and being the best. I swam about 2,500
meters yesterday at practice, and as my
leg was cramping up, I kept thinking,
“What would Michael Phelps do?” so
I kept on swimming! It’s silly — but it
inspired me.
Also with modern technology today,
I was looking on Facebook, and became
fans of Michael Phelps and Dara Torres,
I also asked them to be my friends....
Can you imagine? Today I got an e-mail
from Dara Torres and she became my
friend online. She won a silver medal
at the Olympics the other day, and at 41
years old, she is competing with women
half her age. Modern technology in some
ways is making the world a place where
we know what is happening right away,
and in some cases can hopefully make a
difference.
I think maybe if  athletes  can  com-
pete with one another and work out and
go to practices together, maybe world
leaders should see it’s about people, not
politics!
I can’t  dispute your point about
what happened in Germany. You are
right, but I guess I would prefer to see
the Olympics as a place where posi-
tive  changes can be made. We have
talked in the past how you don’t feel you
have a homeland, and  it still bums me
out that you feel that way. I am so proud
to be an American... and what’s really
funny is that if World War II never hap-
pened, I most likely would have been
German!
Hugs,
Masada
From: Stefanie Zweig
Thurs, Aug. 14, 2008, 11:49 p.m.
To: Masada Siegel
Subject: Olympics
Dear Masada,
Happy you w ith a homeland and
Dara Torres for an online friend. I have,
as you know, neither, and I must con-
fess, I am not interested in sports. After
eight years in a British boarding school
and compulsor y sports and hockey
counting more than the ability to read
or write, you get sick of the subject.
And as for water: I nearly drowned in
a well at the age of six. It happened on
a farm where my father was applying
for a job as a manager, and I was sent
out to play with the kids of the boss, all
mighty big boys with strong arms and
no brains who thought it wonderful to
tease a little girl — at least one of them
pulled me out of the well and I ran bawl-
ing to my parents. Do you think that
they comforted me? No, they were very
anxious that I had spoiled my father’s
chance of getting the job. I had not, but
ever after that I hated water. Give my
best regards to you parents and take a
hug, water lady, from Stefanie.

Friday, August 21 5–9 PM

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o o k m a r k it!
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 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 9
community calendar

august 9 – 25, 2009

The JTNews calendar presents a selection of ongoing events in
the Jewish community. For a complete listing of events, or to
add your event to the JTNews calendar, visit www.jtnews.net.
Calendar events must be submitted no later than 10 days
before publication.
Ongoing
Friday
■■9:30-10:30 a.m. – SJCC Tot Shabbat
Dana Weiner at 206-232-7115, ext. 237
Parents with children ages infant-3 celebrate Shabbat with
challah, live music, singing, and dancing in the JCC’s foyer.
Free. At the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
■■11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Tots Welcoming Shabbat
425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.org
This Temple B’nai Torah program for kids ages infant-5 includes
songs, stories, candle lighting, challah, and open play. Free.
At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE 4th St., Bellevue.
■■12:30-3:30 p.m. – Drop-in Mah Jongg
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
A friendly game of Mah Jongg. Free for members, $2 for guests.
At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■12:30-3:30 p.m. – Bridge Group
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Bridge playing experience necessary. Coffee and tea provided.
Bring a brown bag lunch. Free for members, $2 for non-members.
At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■ 7:30 p.m. – Meditative Shabbat Services with Rabbi Falcon
Bet Alef Office at 206-527-9399 or info@betalef.org
On the first and third Fridays of each month, Rabbi Ted Falcon
takes a meditative approach to the central prayers of the
Shabbat worship service and provides meditations and spiritual
teachings based on the weekly Torah reading. At Unity of
Bellevue, 16330 NE 4th St., Bellevue.
Saturday
■■9-10:30 a.m. – Temple B’nai Torah Adult Torah Study
425-603-9677
A discussion of each week’s parshah. No experience needed.
Temple B’nai Torah youth room, 15727 NE 4th St., Bellevue.
■■9:45 a.m. – BCMH Youth Services
Julie Greene at 206-721-0970 or julie@bcmhseattle.org
Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath Congregation has something
for all ages: Teen minyan, Yavneh program, Junior minyan,
Torah Tots, Mommy and Me, and Navi class. Starting times
vary. At Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath, 5145
S Morgan St., Seattle.
■■10 a.m. – Morning Youth Program
206-722-5500 or www.ezrabessaroth.net
Congregation Ezra Bessaroth’s full-service Shabbat morning
youth program focuses on tefillah, the weekly parshah and
the congregation’s unique customs in a creative and fun
environment. For infant to 5th grade. At Congregation Ezra
Bessaroth, 5217 S Brandon St., Seattle.
■■10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. – Herzl Mishpacha Minyan
206-232-8555 or www.herzl-ner-tamid.org
A Shabbat morning service at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative
Congregation that meets twice a month and features songs,
stories and treats for 2- to 5-year-olds and their families.
Meets first and third Shabbat of the month. At Herzl-Ner
Tamid Conservative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way,
Mercer Island.
■■5 p.m. – The Ramchal’s Derech Hashem, Portal from the
Ari to Modernity
Rabbi Harry Zeitlin at 206-524-9740
or hlzeitlin@comcast.net
This is the earliest systematic and reliable explanation of
Kabbalah, which is grounded in tradition and comprehen-
sible to contemporary, educated Jews. At Congregation Beth
Ha’Ari Beit Midrash, 5508 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
Sunday
■■9 a.m. – Shabbat in Practice
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
An ongoing course taught by Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus on
the Abridged Book of Jewish Law, known as the Kitzur
Shulchan Aruch. Free. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd
Ave. S, Seattle.
■■10 a.m. – Mitzvot: The Fabric of Jewish Living
206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
Ongoing course about the philosophical underpinnings and
practical implications of the 613 mitzvot. Free. Part of the
Seattle Kollel’s “Breakfast Club,” offering bagels , lox,
Starbucks coffee and donuts. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305
52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■10:15 a.m. – Sunday Torah Study
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075
Weekly study group. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800
35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■1 – 4 p.m. – Shalom Bayit Warehouse
Volunteer Work Party
Rachel at 425-558-1894 or shalombayit@ncjwseattle.org
Help organize donated items for survivors of domestic
violence and their children. Location provided upon
RSVP.
■■7 p.m. – Chanting in the Jewish Tradition
Claire Petersky at 425-641-9389
Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue’s chanting group meets on
the first Sunday of every month. Lorne Mallin, a Jewish
chant leader who studied under Shefa Gold, leads.
Requested donation of $5. Percussionists may bring a drum.
At Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue, 12351 Lake City Way
NE #201, Seattle.
■■7:30-10:30 p.m. – He’Ari Israeli Dancing
Ellie at 206-232-3560 or tiaellie1@yahoo.com or
israelidanceseattle.com
Seattle’s oldest Israeli dance session. Couples and singles
welcome. Call for schedule changes. Cost is $6. At Danceland
Ballroom, 327 NE 91st St., Seattle.
Monday
■■10 a.m.–2 p.m. – JCC Seniors Group
Roni 206-232-7115, ext. 269
The Stroum JCC’s Seniors Group meets on Mondays and
Thursdays for activities and celebrations. At the Stroum JCC,
3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■10 a.m. – Jewish Mommy and Me
Giti Fredman at 206-935-4035 or info@seattlekollel.org
Giti Fredman leads a weekly playgroup for Jewish moms
and young children. Sponsored by the Seattle Kollel. At
the Hiawatha Community Center, 2700 California Ave.
SW, Seattle.
■■4:30–6:30 p.m. – Modern Conversational Hebrew
Sharron Lerner at 206-547-3914, ext. 3 or
slerner@kadima.org or www.kadima.org
Kadima Reconstructionist Community offers conversational
Hebrew classes for students in the 3rd–7th grades.
Open to non-members. At Kadima, 12353 8th Ave. NE,
Seattle.
■■6:30 p.m. -- Hebrew Reading Crash Course
Dovid Fredman at 206-251-4063
or rabbifredman@seattlekollel.org
Read Hebrew in six classes with the nationally acclaimed
Hebrew program developed by NJOP, National Jewish
Outreach Program. Free. Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S,
Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – CSA Monday Night Classes
info@shevetachim.com
Weekly class taught by Rabbi Yechezkel Kornfeld on topics
in practical halachah. At Congregation Shevet Achim, 5017
90th Ave. SE, Mercer Island.
■■7-8 p.m. – Ein Yaakov in English
Joseph N. Trachtman at 206-412-5985
or tracht@accommotrac.com
Ein Yaakov has been studied since its 1516 publication by
those desiring an intro to Talmud through its stories. Free. At
Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch, 6250 43rd Ave. NE,
Seattle.
■■7:30 p.m. – Torah Scroll Class for Men
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
Shemer Berkowitz, a professional Ba’al Koreh, will teach
students to read Torah by learning the cantillation marks
and the secret of Torah reading. Eastside Torah Center, 1837
156th Ave. NE #303, Bellevue.
■■7:45-8:45 p.m. – For Women Only
206-527-1411
Rabbi Levitin offers classic commentaries on the weekly
parshah, Rashi, Rambam and Or HaChaim. At Congregation
Shaarei Tefilah, 6250 43rd Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■8-10 p.m. – Women’s Israeli Dance Class
Ruth Fast at 206-725-0930
Learn Israeli dance steps in an all-female environment. At the
Lakewood/Seward Park Community Club, corner of 50th Ave.
S and Angeline St., Seattle.
u Page 12

Cynthia Williams
Buying or Selling a Home? Tell your Real Estate Agent
Call 206-769-7140
you saw them in the JTNews
Associate Broker, EcoBroker
Quorum—Laurelhurst, Inc.
cwilliams@quorumseattle.com
www.seattlehomesforsale.net Ken Shiovitz 206-718-2140
Office 206-522-7003 Associate Broker
E-mail: ken@shiovitz.com

Serving the community for over 25 years

Brian J. Calvo
Mortgage Banker/Broker
Direct 425.893.5729
Cell 206.769.4432 206-526-5544
bcalvo@golfsavingsbank.com http://home.sprynet.com/~shiovitz

10230 NE Points Dr., Suite 530
Russ Katz, Realtor
Windermere Real Estate/Wall St. Inc.
206-284-7327 (Direct)
www.russellkatz.com
Member
FDIC® Can You Sell Your Home for
Kirkland, WA 98033
It’s Tax-Assessed Value?
If you answered NO, you are paying too much in property taxes.
Government has a disincentive to lower property
tax assessments. Homeowners have the right to
appeal unfair property tax assessments.

1-877-829-2770
www.fairtaxassessment.com
JDS Grad & Past Board of Trustees Member
Fair Tax Assessment, Inc. provides property owners with the information and
Mercer Island High School Grad resources to appeal unfair property tax assessments.
University of Washington Grad
CONNECTOR 2 0 3 1 T h i r d Av e n u e | S e a t t l e , WA | 9 8 1 2 1 - 2 4 1 2 | p : 2 0 6 4 4 3 - 5 4 0 0 | I n f o @ J e w i s h I n S e a t t l e . o r g | w w w. J e w i s h I n S e a t t l e . o r g

Jewish Federation Offers Diverse Ways to Build Community

Join us as we bring people from all walks of Jewish life together. More at www.JewishInSeattle.org/Get-Connected.

Community Celebration Takes

A Humorous Turn
“If you like The Producers, Woody Allen and Jerry Seinfeld, you’ll love World of
Jewtopia,” explained Sam Wolfson, one of the co-creators of Jewtopia. He puts
his personal guarantee on the upcoming performance at the Jewish Federation
of Greater Seattle’s annual community celebration and campaign kick-off event
on September 16 at Benaroya Hall.

The show, based largely on the

Jewish families and divergent
up-bringings of its creators
Wolfson and Bryan Fogel, covers
the full range of laughably (and
unmistakably) Jewish happenings.
The need to change tables five
times at a restaurant before sitting
Comedians Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson of Jewtopia with their moms before a taping of The View. down to eat? Check. The freezer
so packed with old food it still contains a slice of your grandparents’ wedding cake? Check. Controlling Jewish
mothers? Check. They even appeared on The View, with their mothers in tow.

Introduced by a non-Jewish friend–who had never known any Jews except Bryan and Sam–the pair immediately bonded
over their “crazy” Jewish families and their struggling comedic aspirations (as well as their mothers’ complaining about
said struggling comedic aspirations), and set out to write a show. The resulting hit ran in L.A. for a year and a half before
transferring to New York, where it enjoyed the longest run ever of an Off-Broadway comedy. The two have expanded the show into a full multimedia
experience, World of Jewtopia. Think stand-up comedy with visual aids. This fast-paced, side-splitting show of jokes by Jews, for Jews, about Jews (though the
pair swears their best reception was by a Mormon audience in New York) is great for teens on up.

As you might have guessed, the Jewish Federation has traded its standard format of dinner and speeches this year for an evening of laughter and a dessert
reception (and fewer speeches) in what promises to be the most dynamic (and affordable) kick-off yet. Don’t miss this chance to be part of this Jewish community
celebration and see Bryan and Sam in World of Jewtopia–standing proof that not everyone who goes into the arts disappoints their mothers!

Gear Up for Hebrew High Out and About with Jewish Women
The Jewish Federation’s mission “working to ensure a vibrant Jewish community that When Women’s Philanthropy Director
is connected locally, in Israel and worldwide” comes alive in the halls of the Stroum Anna Frankfort and Chair Shelley Bensussen
Jewish Community Center on Wednesday nights during Hebrew High, or the wanted to come up with new ways to connect
Community High of Jewish Studies, active in our community for over 37 local Jewish women, they called volunteers
years. More than 110 Jewish teens attend weekly, and the number one Julie Ellenhorn and Sarah Carr.
reason for their attendance is…friends and community!
The four women had some core principles:
Of course, Hebrew High does more than provide a venue for teens to share an create opportunities for women to come
Oreo cookie and pretzels; its hallmark is the dedicated, energetic and diverse staff. together around common interests, without
Rabbis, Jewish educators and passionate adults guide our students from 9th grade a large amount of time or financial
through graduation. Hebrew High is the only school welcoming and representing commitment, in non-intimidating settings.
teens from every youth group, synagogue and affiliation (and non) and partners with
local youth movements and organizations to truly reflect our community. Women’s special interest groups were born.
Athletic? Try out Bike & Brunch. Artistic
We wouldn’t be complete without the connection to our Jewish homeland. or crafty? Drop in to the monthly knitting
Our students travel to Israel and receive Hebrew High credit for their participation group at a local yarn store, Tricoter, or meet
in semester abroad programs. Many of our classes focus on Israel and we provide up with women at a neighborhood art walk.
educational opportunities for our students to be Israel advocates when they leave our Interested in Jewish learning? Explore teaching
halls and enter college or the greater community. with Seattle’s female Jewish educators.
These, along with tikkun olam and women’s
How can we ensure that there is a strong Jewish community and Jewish Federation health, are the six special interest groups
in the future? Easy. Make it a priority to engage teens in this truly community school, in action. True to their goal, there is no bar for entry. There is something for everyone.
Hebrew High.

e n H o use Check out the list of events at www.JewishInSeattle.org.

Op ember 2 Contact AnnaF@JewishInSeattle.org or 206 774-2226.
Sept

Classe
s
Septsetart
mber Where will you be
9
Register online today at www.JewishInSeattle.org/HebrewHigh May 23-June 1, 2010?
Or call Amy Hilzman-Paquette at 206 774-2237.
 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 11
focus on mercer island

JCC hires new CEO

The Stroum Jewish Community Center has hired local businesswoman and phi-
lanthropist Judy Neuman as its new CEO.
The JCC board conducted a nationwide search and considered 40 candidates
before narrowing down to Neuman, who currently works as a managing partner for
CenterStone Executive Search. She previously worked for the venture capital firm
Maveron, which manages more than $800 million in funding.
Neuman sat on the board of directors of Jewish Family Service of Greater Seattle
for 15 years and led the first phase of that agency’s $30-plus million “Family Matters”
strategic and capital campaign. She also sat on the board of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Seattle and led that organization’s community campaign early in the
decade.
Neuman will officially begin her position the week of the JCC’s annual meeting,
which takes place Sept. 10.
Stroum JCC board president Lindsey Schwartz said he was enthusiastic about
Neuman’s ability to take the agency in a new direction in the Jewish community.
“We’re thrilled that she threw her hat in the ring, we’re thrilled that she’s agreed
to take the job, and we’re very optimistic about the future of the ‘J,’” he said.
A full story on Neuman’s hiring will run in the Aug. 21 issue of JTNews.
— Joel Magalnick

Courtesy NYHS
Rabbi Bernie Fox, third from left, Northwest Yeshiva High School’s head of school,
focus on mercer island
holds the shovel with Michael O’Hara, class of 2005, and NYHS business manager
Pat Young to break ground on Northwest Yeshiva High School’s new outdoor
sport court. To the left are administrator Michelle Haston and board member Dog Daycare • Grooming Salon
Maureen O’Hara, with Melissa Rivkin on the right. Construction began July 15 for
a multi-sport court that will include six basketball hoops, volleyball marks, and
space for other sports and outdoor functions. The court is expected to be We welcome Pet Stylist 7605 SE 27th Street
completed in time for the start of the 2009-10 school year, with a dedication to Lori Winthal Suite 154,
take place on Sept. 13. to our grooming salon Mercer Island, WA 98040

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Fluent in Spanish
9311 SE 36th Street, #105, Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 232-1080 • Fax (206) 232-0715 • Email: michael@benzikry.com First class service — First class results

A wonderful way to celebrate the start the new school year A great new opportunity for preschoolers
Please join us for a special morning on
Sunday August 30

Come Bloom
A Blessing on beginning school
with Us!
For all children entering kindergarten
(children do not need to be enrolled in the Frankel Religious School):

10:00–10:45 am: Ceremony of Blessing, craft activity, and Enroll your 4 and 5 year olds in Nitzanim (buds)
sweet treats A Sunday morning preschool class
10:45–11:30 am: “How to Heal A Broken Wing” At the Frankel Religious School, Herzl-Ner Tamid
A family learning session on compassion Hebrew Language Enrichment
featuring a special live guest from Wolftown. Focus on “Living Green and Jewish”
This is the first in an ongoing series of Connect to other HNT families
programs about “Hands-On Spirituality” for Enrichment Programs for parents
pre-K through 2nd grade families.
11:30 am–12:30 pm: Frankel Religious School Open House Classes begin September 13, 2009
for all new students and their parents, Open to all Jewish families
as well as anyone interested in learning more (HNT members receive discount on tuition)
about our school.
Limited spaces ~ Enroll now!
12:30–1:00 pm: Brown Bag picnic lunch
Contact Education Director Melanie Berman for more
Please register for all or for any part of the program with information and for registration forms.
Education Director Melanie Berman, Melanieb@h-nt.org. melanieb@h-nt.org or 206-232-8555 ext. 220.
 focus on mercer island 12 jtnews n friday,
community calendar
Friday August 14th
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Mercerdale Park, 77th Ave SE & SE 32nd St.
Dávid Karcsai, right, of Budapest, Hungary stands with Jessica Wilkinson, director of
les!
Inflatab
Sports Camp at the Stroum Jewish Community Center in the JCC gym. For the third
year, five Jewish teens from Hungary came to work as counselors at the JCC camp
Slides! while staying with host families in the region. The teens also meet weekly for discus-
rs!
Bounce !
sions with Rabbi Josh Hearshen of Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation.
re
and mo Ongoing t Page 9
■■8:30 p.m. – Talmud in Hebrew
Ride Tickets, Game Tickets & Concessions rabbifarkash@earthlink.net
An in-depth Talmud class in Hebrew for
Available for Purchase at the Park. men taught by Rabbi Mordechai Farkash.
Questions? miparks.net / 206.275.7609 At the Eastside Torah Center, 1837 156th
Ave. NE, Suite 303, Bellevue.
■■8:30 p.m. – Talmud, Yeshiva-Style
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
ACTING, This class tackles sections of ritual, civil and
criminal law. Be prepared for lively discus-
sion, debate and analysis. Students must be
able to read Hebrew and should have had
SINGING, some experience with in-text Torah study.
At the Eastside Torah Center, 1837 156th
Ave. NE #303, Bellevue.
DANCING, Tuesday
■■11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Mommy and Me
IMPROVISATION, offers Nechama Farkash at 425-427-1654
STAGE COMBAT, Fall Classes A chance for parents and kids to explore the
child’s world through story, song, cooking,
for ages 3 - 18 crafts and circle time. At a private address.
SKETCH COMEDY Call for location.
■■12 p.m. – Torah for Women
AND MUCH MORE. Rochie Farkash at 206-383-8441
or eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
Rochie Farkash leads a group of Eastside
REGISTER TODAY! women in a discussion of the weekly Torah
portion. At Starbucks (backroom), Bellevue
206-232-4145 ext. 100
Galleria, Bellevue.
Visit www.youththeatre.org ■■6:30 p.m. – Hebrew Reading Crash
for class descriptions.
Course
Dovid Fredman at 206-251-4063
or rabbifredman@seattlekollel.org
Learn to read Hebrew in six classes with the
SPECIAL 25% DISCOUNT
nationally acclaimed Hebrew program
developed by the National Jewish Outreach
FOR FIRST TIME STUDENTS! Program. Free. At Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd
REGISTER TODAY! Call 206-232-4145 ext. 100 Ave. S, Seattle.
ear
Visit www.youththeatre.org for class descriptions.
■■7:45 p.m. – Mystical Understanding of
wY the Hebrew Alphabet
Dovid Fredman at 206-251-4063
or rabbifredman@seattlekollel.org
Discover the mystifying depth and beauty
of the Hebrew letters. Free. At Seattle Kollel,
5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Alcoholics Anonymous
Eve M. Ruff at 206-461-3240
or emruff@jfsseattle.org
Meeting for anyone who has stopped or
would like to stop drinking. At Jewish Family
Service, 1601 16th Ave., Seattle.
■■7 - 8:30 p.m. – Intermediate Conversa-
tional Hebrew
Janine Rosenbaum at 206-760 -7812
A course for students with some Hebrew
background interested in expanding their
conversational skills and understanding
Hebrew grammar. $65 plus materials. At
Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation,
3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■7:30 p.m. – Weekly Round Table
Kabbalah Class
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
Men and women join together to explore
the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. At
a private home.
■■8:30 p.m. – Jewish Business Ethics
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289
or info@seattlekollel.org
The Island’s favorite gathering place for the past 36 years. An exploration of employee/employer rela-
We look forward to serving you. tionships, fiduciary responsibilities, ethical
business and marketing practices. $25. Seattle
206-232-4780 2707 78th Ave SE, Mercer Island Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
lindagadola@comcast.net Mon: 9–3 Tues-Fri: 9–6 Sat: 9–4 Sun: Closed
august 7, 2009
Courtesy Len Kashner
■■9:30 p.m. – Talking to God, Pt. II
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289
or info@seattlekollel.org
Shirley Edelstone shares stories to transform
personal prayer experience into a divine
communiqué. $25. At the Seattle Kollel,
5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
Wednesday
■■11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Torah with a Twist
206-938-4852
Women learn Torah with Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz of the Seattle Kollel. Mercer Island
location. Call for directions.
■■11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – Downtown
Maimonides Class
Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus at 206-722-8289
A weekly discussion based on Maimonides’s
Thirteen Fundamental Principles of the
Jewish Faith by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan.
Sponsored by the Seattle Kollel. At Tully’s
Westlake Center, 400 Pine St., Seattle.
■■1:30 p.m. – Stroum JCC Book Club
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Book discussions the first Wednesday of
every month. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E
Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■3 p.m. – The Mother’s Circle
Marjorie Schnyder 206-461-3240,
ext. 3146
A program for moms from other backgrounds
raising Jewish kids to get support, learn about
Jewish rituals, practices and values, and get
connected to the Jewish community.
Sponsored by Jewish Family Service. Every
other Wednesday. At Whole Foods Market,
1026 NE 64th St., Seattle.
■■7–9 p.m. – Teen Lounge for Middle
Schoolers
Ari at 206-295-5888
Foosball, ping-pong, pool, basketball,
arcade games and optional classes. At the
Yavneh building at Congregation Bikur
Cholim-Machzikay Hadath, 5145 S Morgan
St., Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Beginning Israeli Dancing for
Adults with Rhona Feldman
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075
Older teens and all experience levels are
welcome. $40 for a five-session punch card.
Discount for members. At Congregation
Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Wisdom for Women 14+
Rabbi Bresler at 206-331-8767
or info@seattlekollel.org
Jewish Women ages 14 and up are invited
to take part in an afternoon of thought-
provoking learning, wisdom, and ideas from
the Torah. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd
Ave. S, Seattle.
■■7-10 p.m. – Parsha and Poker
info@h-nt.org
A look at the Torah portion of the week
followed by a friendly game of poker with
proceeds going to tzedakah. Led by Rabbi
Josh Hearshen. At Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700
E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■7:15 p.m. – The Jewish Journey
206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
This two-year comprehensive program guides
students through the historical, philosophical
and mystical wonders of Judaism’s 3,500-year
heritage. $360 plus a $36 registration fee.
Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
u Page 14
 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 13
arts & entertainment

Now-August 11
The Jerusalem Post
Bad Poetry Contest
www.myjewishlearning.com/hot_topics/ht/bad_poetry.shtml Crossword Puzzle
MyJewishLearning.com is hosting a bad Jewish poetry contest.
Poems on any topic pertaining to Judaism or Jewish life are
acceptable. To enter, submit bad poetry to badpoetry@
myjewishlearning.com by Aug. 11. Winners will be
announced Aug. 18 and rewarded with an iPod Shuffle, free
By Matt Gaffney
music and a rubber chicken.

the arts aug. 11 – 22

Thursday, August 13, 7 p.m.
The Garden
Movie and ice cream
www.blackvalleyfilms.com

Jconnect hosts an outing to see The Garden, a documentary about a 14-acre community
garden in South Central Los Angeles that allows neighbors in one of L.A.’s most impoverished
communities to grow their own food. The movie will be followed by a trip to Pretty Kitty Ice
Cream for a free scoop, courtesy of Jconnect. RSVP to Robert at robert@hilleluw.org. At the
Grand Illusion Cinema, 1403 NE 50th St., Seattle.

Thursday, August 20, 7:30 p.m.

Encounter Point Across Down
Film 1 First Jew to perform at the Opry 1 Eilat feature
Encounter Point is an 85-minute feature documentary 6 Ernesto Nathan was once its 2 Not-so-Jewish-friendly ruler
film that follows two Israelis and two Palestinians mayor Chavez
who risk their lives and public standing to promote 10 Israeli writer Oz 3 It’s counted
a nonviolent end to the conflict. The movie will be 14 Mountain cats 4 Rave partner
followed by a discussion. Hosted by Kavana. Free.
15 Greek letters 5 Purim honoree
RSVP to info@kavana.org for location.
16 Made a sheytl 6 Recites Megillah
17 Ari Gold, e.g. 7 “The Diary of Anne Frank”
18 Big name in shaving character
19 From the top 8 ___ Brothers
20 Noted synagogue organization 9 He sold his birthright
23 Koch and others 10 Be expecting
24 Slugger Mel 11 Jew or Muslim
25 Bit of lashon hara 12 Place for kugel
29 Ending for pluto 13 Use a Singer
32 Common contraction 21 Neil Simon title word
35 Fashionable “squad” members 22 “___ I can help it!”
36 Book of Ruth name 25 Prod
37 Greenpeace prefix 26 “City Slickers” extra, so to speak
38 Refuseniks 27 Some “New York Times” pieces
42 More than -er 28 Dolt
43 Winds, sometimes 29 “Dream Lover” singer
44 Fallen capital of WWII 30 David Schwimmer’s “Friends”
45 “The Joys of Yiddish” author character
Rosten 31 Latin I word
46 Tons 33 School, to Wiesel
47 “Kristallnacht” criminal 34 Federation supporter
49 Beastie Boys’ genre 36 Bright light
Saturday, August 22, 7 p.m. 51 Late Night with ___ Stewart 39 Get-up-and-go
“Schmovie Night!”
Dinner and a movie 52 Mickey’s boss, 1984-2005 40 Stern’s org.
59 He was in charge of many pairs 41 Bronx feature
A potluck picnic dinner followed by an outdoor screening of the film Iron Man at the Seattle
60 Negev rarity 47 Louis Quatorze, e.g.
Center with the Tribe, Temple De Hirsch Sinai’s young adult group. The movie is free, but
61 He sang “Do You Love Me?” 48 Foot part
space is limited. Potluck begins at 7 p.m., movie at 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring
lawn chairs and picnic blankets. RSVP to Nick Barrat at Nickb543@aol.com. At the Seattle 63 “Glamour” rival 50 Pays for a workout
Center Mural Amphitheater, 305 Harrison St., Seattle. 64 Marty Feldman role 51 Hebrews
65 Banderas vehicle 52 Kind of spy
66 Thomas Hardy heroine 53 Rechovot is there
Order Your Baker’s Box 67 Israel’s is world-famous 54 MIT major, for short
Today! 68 Can’t sit still 55 Impend
Home owners club ®
56 Sky sight
1202 harrison seattle 98109
Sold in 12-packs.
57 Uris novel, usually
Have you ever worried about which CALL 206-441-4553. 58 Way to learn Mishnah
electrician to call for help? Which painter
or carpenter or appliance repairman? 59 Court barrier
For over 50 years the Home owners club 62 Part of many Southwest place
has assisted thousands of local homeowners in
securing quality and guaranteed home names
services! To join or for more information call…
(206) 622-3500 Answers on page 18
www.homeownersclub.org
 14 jtnews n friday,
community calendar
Calendar t Page 12
■■7:30 p.m. – Parshas Hashavuah
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
This class provides an overview of the week’s
Torah portion accompanied by Midrashic
commentaries, philosophical insight, and
practical lessons. Eastside Torah Center, 1837
156th Ave. NE #303, Bellevue.
Thursday
■■9:30-10:30 a.m. – Women’s Talmud
Sasha Mail at 206-323-7933, ext. 301
Talmud from women’s perspectives, presented
by Rivy Poupko Kletenik. Free. Seattle Hebrew
Academy, 1617 Interlaken Dr. E, Seattle.
■■ 12 p.m.–Women’s Ramban on Chumash
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289
Discussion of foundational Jewish concepts
through the eyes of Nachmanides on Chumash
in the Book of Genesis, and an analysis of key
Rashis. Must be able to recognize Hebrew letters
and want to learn Hebrew grammar. Women
only. $25. Sponsored by the Seattle Kollel. At
a private home, Mercer Island.
■■6:50 p.m. – Introduction to Hebrew
Candle Lighting Times
8/7/09 8:18 p.m.
8/14/09 8:07 p.m.
8/21/09 7:54 p.m.
8/28/09 7:41 p.m.
August
Sunday 9
■■10 a.m. – Women’s Bike & Brunch
Anna Frankfort at 206-774-2226
or AnnaF@jewishinseattle.org
Women’s Philanthropy Group bike ride
— easy, flat routes, approx. 20 miles with
a brunch stop midway. Pace will accom-
modate the group, but will generally be in
the 10-13 mph range. Location provided
upon RSVP.
■■10 a.m. – Etz Hayim-er Park Clean-up
Blakely Lord at 661-492-5383
or blord@mindspring.com
The Tribe of Temple De Hirsch Sinai hosts a
day of volunteer service to clean up part of
Warren G. Magnuson Park.
■■4:30 - 7:30 p.m. – Summer Barbecue
206-905-4633
Family barbecue hosted by the Friendship
Circle. View Ridge Park, 4408 NE 70th St.,
Seattle.
■■8 - 10 p.m. – Jews ‘n’ Brews: Eastside
Bryan at Blevi44@aol.com
Drinks, free appetizers, and an opportunity
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Janine Rosenbaum at 206-760 -7812
Helps students build fluency and comprehen-
sion of the prayers of the Friday evening
service. $50. At Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700 E
Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■7 p.m. – Beginners Bridge Class
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115 ext. 269
or ronia@sjcc.org
An eight-week class to familiarize students
with the basic principles of bridge. $60/JCC
members, $70/non-members. At the Stroum
JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■ 7:30 p.m. – Judaism: The Ultimate Journey
info@h-nt.org
Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum leads a course called
“From Slavery to Freedom: Political Activism
and Personal Ethics in the Bible and the Age
of Democracy.” At Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700 E
Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■8:30–10 p.m. – Teen Lounge for High
Schoolers
Ari at 206-295-5888
Foosball, ping-pong, pool, basketball, arcade
games and snacks. At the Yavneh building at
Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay
Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.
to meet other Jewish young adults. Sponsored
by Jconnect. At Wilde Rover Pub, 111 Central
Way, Kirkland.
Monday 10
■■1 - 2 p.m. – Current Events Discussion
Group
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Al Ziontz leads a discussion called “What’s
Wrong With Our Politicians?” At the Stroum
JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
Wednesday 12
■■11:30 a.m. – Daytimers Summer Film
Series
Leslie Reibman, 206-232-8555, ext. 207
or leslie@h-nt.org
A homemade lunch and a screening of the
film The Band’s Visit. At Herzl-Ner Tamid,
3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■6:30 p.m. – Class of 2013 Family Dinner
Melissa Rivkin at 206-232-5272, ext. 515
or mrivkin@nyhs.net
Welcoming dinner for the incoming Northwest
Yeshiva High School freshman class and their
families. At Don and Deanne Etsekson’s home,
address provided upon RSVP.
Thursday 13
■■10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. – Active Seniors
Club Annual Picnic
Fred Jaffe at 425-746-3814
BYOP (bring your own picnic) and chairs. Soft
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8th St., Bellevue.
Friday 14
■■6:15 p.m. – Shabbat Barbecue
rsvp@templebetham.org
Barbecue and potluck. At Temple Beth Am,
2632 NE 80th St., Seattle.
Saturday 15
■■6:30 p.m. – Poker and Pizza at Hillel
Avi at mizrahia@comcast.net
Jconnect hosts a night of cards, pizza and soda.
At UW Hillel, 4745 17th Ave. NE, Seattle.
Sunday 16
■■ 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. – Hike to Rattlesnake Ridge
Michael at mavzaradel@pcrg.com
A moderate hike with beautiful viewpoints
along the way. Meet at UW Hillel, 4745 17th
Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■11 a.m. – Seattle Jewish Young Adult Vol-
leyball Challenge
www.h-nt.org/nextgen/events.php
Volleyball tournament hosted by NextGen
and JewSEA. Entry fee is $30 per team, with
net proceeds going to the winning team’s
charity of choice. Teams should be made up
of 5-6 players.
■■11 a.m. – BCMH Summer Barbecue Bash
Julie Greene at 206-721-0970, ext. 6
BCMH Summer barbecue with games and a
vendors’ fair. At Bikur Cholim-Machzikay
Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.
Monday 17
■■1 - 2 p.m. – Al Ziontz’s Memoir
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Al Ziontz shares from his personal memoirs a
story titled, “My Partner Robert Pirtle.” Stroum
JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
Tuesday 18
■■10 a.m. – Free Computer Class
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Computer class taught by a trained instructor
of the King County Library System. At the
Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer
Island.
■■5:30 – 8:30 p.m. — Dolls for Democracy
and Diversity
206-774-2277 or reservations@wsjhs.org
Opening reception for an exhibit on hand-made
portrait dolls of historical figures commissioned
by B’nai B’rith Women. Exhibit will be on
display through Nov. 18. Sponsored by the
Washington State Jewish Historical Society.
RSVP by Aug. 10. At Rosalie Whyel Museum
of Doll Art, 1116 108th Ave. NE, Bellevue.
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Wednesday 19
■■12 p.m. – Health Talk
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Naturopathic Physician Dr. Adam Rinde gives
a talk on understanding irritable bowel
syndrome. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
■■6:30 p.m. – SHA Alumni Dinner
Sasha Mail at 206-323-7933, ext. 301
The Seattle Hebrew Academy invites alumni,
old and new, to a casual summer dinner with
Asian flavor. $15 per person. At SHA, 1617
Interlaken Dr. E, Seattle.
Thursday 20
■■6 - 8 p.m. – Nimble Finger Knitting
Anna Frankfort at 206-774-2226
or annaf@jewishinseattle.org
Group for beginning and advanced women
knitters sponsored by Women’s Philanthropy
in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of
Greater Seattle. Location upon RSVP, Seattle.
Friday 21
■■7:15 p.m. – Summer Barbecue
rsvp@templebetham.org
Shabbat barbecue and potluck dinner followed
by Ultimate Frisbee. At Temple Beth Am, 2632
NE 80th St., Seattle.
Saturday 22
■■10 a.m. - 1 p.m. – Walk/Jog/Rollerblade
Around Green Lake with Jconnect
Jared Brown at orbs@rogers.com
A jaunt around the lake followed by lunch.
Meet at the Greenlake Starbucks, 7100 E
Green Lake Dr. N, Seattle.
Sunday 23
■■10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. – Zoo Day
estherbogo@msn.com
A trip to the zoo with the Friendship Circle.
Kids should bring a bag lunch. At Woodland
Park Zoo, 5500 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle.
Monday 24
■■6:30 p.m. – Class of 2012 Family Dinner
Melissa Rivkin at 206-232-5272, ext. 515
Welcome party for incoming sophomores at
Northwest Yeshiva High School and their
families. At Robert and Leah Gladstein’s home,
location provided upon RSVP.
Tuesday 25
■■7 p.m. – NYHS Orientation
Michelle Haston at 206-232-5272, ext. 12
or admin@nyhs.net
Meeting for parents of new students at
Northwest Yeshiva High School. At NYHS,
5017 90th St. SE, Mercer Island.
senior living
 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 15
arts & entertainment

The Wagner question

Whether one should embrace the undeniable talent of Richard Wagner
in light of his overt anti-Semitism is a complicated question
If you go:
Richard Wagner’s The Ring will be
performed at the Seattle Opera from
Aug. 9–30 at Marion Oliver McCaw
Hall, 321 Mercer St., Seattle. Tickets
available by contacting 206-389-7676
or tickets@seattleopera.org, or by
visiting www.seattleopera.org.
threads of German thought that eventu-
ally made the Holocaust possible.
Wagner’s anti-Semitism first came
to light in the 1850 essay “Judaism in
Music.” Several more such essays fol-
lowed over the next three decades. Wag-
Gary Smith/Seattle Opera
ner’s letters and private conversations
Wotan (Greer Grimsley) and Fricka (Stephanie Blythe) admire their new castle, (recorded in his wife Cosima’s diaries) are
Valhalla, in the 2005 Seattle Opera rendition of Wagner’s The Ring. peppered with anti-Semitic remarks.
Wagner objected to the Jew’s “disagree-
Peter A. Klein heroes has a long tradition here. The Ring ably foreign” appearance and manner-
Special to JTNews is also at the center of the controversy isms. He decried Jewish prominence in
about Wagner. Why does the issue persist, commerce, finance and the press. Jewish
Woody Allen once quipped that every 126 years after Wagner’s death, and 64 speech was “a creaking, squeaking, buzz-
time he listened to the music of Wagner, years after the fall of the Third Reich? ing snuffle.” Even talented Jews could
he got the urge to invade Poland. Woody The problem is that Richard Wagner create only shallow artifice, not great art,
isn’t alone. Many people can’t hear Wag- (1813-1883) was both a great composer Wagner claimed, because they had no real
ner’s music without thinking of Nazism and a notorious anti-Semite. A half-cen- connection with European peoples and
and Hitler. Some Jews can’t bear to listen tury after his death, his music and writ- their languages, and were thus incapa-
to it at all. ings became part of the cultural and ble of genuinely expressive song, music,
Seattle Opera is presenting three intellectual foundations of Nazi Ger- or poetry. He saw Jewish conspiracies
complete cycles of Wagner’s The Ring of many. And in between, a number of Wag- against himself and his music, Jews as a
the Nibelung on August 9-30. The mam- ner’s prominent followers and family force of decay, and Judaism itself as “the
moth four-opera saga of Nordic gods and members contributed to the malignant evil conscience of our civilization.”
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Many Germans of Wagner’s time
shared his views. But Wagner’s status as a
great composer gave those views greater
weight and longevity.
Wagner’s anti-Semitism was both reli-
gious and cultural. He argued for total
Jewish assimilation and conversion to
Christianity, through which all Jewish
characteristics would, he hoped, dis-
appear. Then late in life, he befriended
Count Arthur de Gobineau, who pio-
neered the concept of a superior Aryan
race polluted by miscegenation. Wagner
argued with Gobineau over the latter’s
racial theories. But in his 1881 essay
“Know Thyself,” Wagner crossed the line
into racism himself. And when told of a
fire in a Vienna theater which killed 900
people, half of them Jews, he remarked:
“All Jews should be burned at a perfor-
mance of Nathan the Wise” (a play advo-
cating religious tolerance).
Despite all this, Wagner could be
friendly with individual Jews. He genu-
inely liked and admired conductor Her-
mann Levi, the son of a rabbi. Yet he
suggested that Levi be baptized before
conducting the premiere of Wagner’s
mystical Christian opera Parsifal. Levi
refused, still conducted the opera, and
the friendship endured.
By the time of Wagner’s death, Wag-
ner-worship had become something of
a cult. The Bavarian town of Bayreuth,
u Page 16
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arts & entertainment
The Wagner question t Page 15
home to the composer’s family and to
summer festivals of his operas, became
a place of pilgrimage for the faithful.
Loving the music was only part of it.
Many of Wagner’s admirers adopted — or
already shared — viewpoints that Wagner
expressed in his prolific writings.
This included anti-Semitism. Under
Cosima’s guidance, Bayreuth became
a magnet for Jew-haters and extreme
German nationalists. One was the Brit-
ish-born Houston Stewart Chamber-
lain, who married Wagner’s daughter
Eva, and called Hitler “God’s gift to
Germany.” Chamberlain’s racism-laced
history The Foundations of the Nine-
teenth Century had great influence on
Nazi ideology.
Adolf Hitler adored Wagner’s operas.
There is much evidence that he saw
the world through a lens shaped by the
g randiose my t h-telling of Wag ner’s
Ring cycle, the revolutionary heroics of
Rienzi, and the ritual of Parsifal. Begin-
ning in 1923, Hitler regularly visited
Bayreuth. He found a great friend and
supporter in Winifred Wagner, wife of
the composer’s son Siegfried, who took
over the Bayreuth Festival after Sieg-
fried’s death in 1930. Hitler subsidized
the festival after coming to power, was a
frequent guest of the Wagner family, and
became “Uncle Wolf” to the composer’s
grandchildren.
Hitler used his friendship with the
Wagner family to link his image to the
composer’s. Wagner’s music is heard in
Leni Riefenstahl’s propaganda film Tri-
umph of Will. Nazi mass rallies were
staged w ith Wagnerian spectacle in
mind, and began, by Hitler’s order, with
Wagnerian overtures. Historian Wil-
liam L. Shirer wrote in his Berlin Dia-
ries: “Wagner’s influence on Nazism, on
Hitler, has never been grasped abroad.”
Hitler himself declared, “To under-
stand National Socialism, you must first
understand Wagner.”
The Nazis used the music of other
Romantic composers, particularly Bruck-
ner (another Hitler favorite), Liszt, and
Beethoven. But only Wagner had been a
public anti-Semite. Yes, the Nazis appro-
priated Wagner, but he fit too easily and
too well.
Which leads us to the fundamen-
tal question: Can we separate Wag-
ner’s music from its creator’s odious
views? It’s complicated. Wagner’s anti-
Semitism is a fact. The link between
Wagner and Hitler is real. To deny or
minimize these inconvenient truths, as
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some Wagner apol-
ogists do, is simply
d i shonest . But to
hea r on ly Na zism
and anti-Semitism
in t he music is to
miss out on some
very beautiful, pow-
erful and important
music.
Musical associ-
ations are a funny
thing. Play Rossini’s
“William Tell Over-
ture” to anyone my
age or older, and we Siegfried (Alan Woodrow) meets Fafner the Dragon.
i ne v it a bl y t h i n k ,
“The Lone Ranger.”
That’s not what Rossini had in mind, but
years of hearing the overture as a radio
and television theme have cemented the
connection.
So it is with Wagner. Those who lived power — that lead to the destruction of
during the Nazi period heard Wagner’s
music as the soundtrack behind Jewish
descent into non-personhood and the
death camps, and Europe’s descent into
flames. Is it any wonder that many of
them found that music too horrible or
painful to bear, and conveyed these feel-
ings to their children?
I myself came face to face with this
when I reviewed Seattle Opera’s 1985
production of Die Walküre, the second
of the Ring operas. Act III opens with
the famous “Ride of the Valkyries.” The
st ring tremolos began. The curtain
rose. The Valkyries flew on wired car-
ousel horses above a stage filled with
backlit mist. It was a perfect theatrical
moment. I felt that ecstatic sensation
one gets in the theater when everything
is just so right. Then the brass began
to play the “Ride” melody, and I began
to cry.
I felt soiled, unclean. I was actually was, but it was obv ious that it was
enjoying the theme song of those who
murdered millions. How could I? I have
not had this reaction since, but I’ll never
forget it.
W hy did I react so strongly? Two
of my family members were gassed at
Auschwitz. My mother believed that
Wagner inspired the people who did it.
Whenever Wagner was played on the
radio in my boyhood home, she switched
it off. Even after I spent years learn-
ing to appreciate Wagner for the great
musician he was, those old associations
remained.
The Ring and its mythology figured
prominently in Hitler’s vision of German
glory. And on the surface, the operas seem “You have to go thousands of miles to
to glorify some pretty deplorable values
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that the Nazis certainly shared. But it is
precisely these “Nazi” values — undy-
ing hatred, revenge, brute force, absence
of conscience and the lust for absolute
Valhalla and the world. And a recurring
theme in Wagner’s operas, including the
Ring, is redemption through love — not
something Hitler had in mind.
Much has been written about pos-
sible racist and proto-Nazi messages
coded into Wagner’s music, and of anti-
Gay Israelis Reeling t Page 1
the Tel Aviv municipality. A trickle of
mourners lit memorial candles on the
sidewalk entrance to the building’s
courtyard.
A f ter k neeling to light a candle,
Yarden, a 22-year-old army medic, said
his mother called him Saturday night to
see if he was at the club.
“I used to come here when I was
younger. I’m shocked,” he said. “People
say that they don’t know what the reason
homophobia. This is the first time some-
thing like this has happened in Israel.”
Pinni Altman, an Israeli American vis-
iting from San Francisco, came with his
life partner and 9-year-old son. Altman
said he raised money for the center back
in the 1990s.
It wasn’t so long ago that the gay com-
munity huddled into one club not much
bigger than a car and feared harassment
by police and roughnecks in public areas,
he said. Now, Altman said, he points to
Tel Aviv’s embrace of gays to counter anti-
Israel rhetoric from the American left.
“I always thought Tel Aviv was the
San Francisco of Israel,”  Altman said.
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Semitic stereotypes in several of his
characters. I don’t find the former con-
vincing, and the latter only occasionally
rings true. Today, much depends on how
the operas are presented and the charac-
ters portrayed.
Despite his bigotry, Wagner is simply
too great and important a composer
to dismiss. His unifying of music and
drama in long composed works is a mon-
umental achievement. He took chro-
matic harmony to its limits, and paved
the way for 20th-century music. His
orchestrations show a tonal imagination
second to none. At his best, Wagner can
stir the senses and emotions like no one
except Mahler.
Consider this: Theodor Herzl was a
great admirer of Wagner’s music, and
first conceived of creating a Jewish state
during a performance of Tannhäuser.
On the other hand, a Web search for the
terms “anti-Semitism” and “Wagner”
brings up a disturbing number of white
supremacist and neo-Nazi sites. Wagner
is quoted in the online book by James
von Brunn, who murdered a guard when
he opened fire at the U.S. Holocaust
Museum in June.
As I said, it’s complicated.
I don’t know if it changes the reality,
but it changes the picture in my head. It
smashes the bubble.”
Israel has repealed anti-sodomy laws
and gays and lesbians are open about
their sexual identity in the nation’s mili-
tary. Same-sex marriages are not legally
recognized and couples are not always
eligible to receive certain social benefits.
Mike Prashker, the founder of Mer-
chavim, a group that promotes pluralism
among Israeli youth, said that regard-
less of the shooter’s motive, the attack has
highlighted the difficulty of promoting
tolerance among Israel’s diverse groups.
“We need to do a better job at helping
Israelis of all backgrounds feel comfort-
able with their fellow citizens,” he said.
“Ignorant attitudes toward diversity must
be delegitimized, whether it’s homopho-
bia or xenophobia.”
Avner Berenheimer, who co-wrote
Yossi & Jagger, a film about a gay couple in
the Israeli military, said the Israeli public
has undergone a dramatic change in its
attitudes over the past decade.
“If it’s a hate crime, then it’s the first
major hate crime in Israel since the foun-
dation of the country,” Berenheimer said.
“Suddenly we’ve joined all these coun-
tries with violence and bigotry against
gay people.”
education education
 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 17
arts & entertainment

Music for a higher power If you go:

Former rocker finds solace and inspiration in Judaism’s rich teachings
Leyna Krow
Assistant Editor, JTNews
Musician Dan Reed may not be Jewish,
but that didn’t stop him from spending
nine months studying at a yeshiva while
living in an ultra-Orthodox neighbor-
hood outside of Jerusalem.
“I met some of the rabbis in the neigh-
borhood, and they invited me down to
check out the yeshiva. So I went. And then
I kept going back,” he said. “It was this
experience that felt like a great honor, to
be invited in.”
It was there, in Jerusalem, submerged
in a faith with which he’d had little previ-
ous contact, that Reed composed the bulk
of his upcoming album, Coming Up for Air.
The result, according to Reed, is a col-
lection of songs that delve into his personal
exploration of faith and selfhood — a radi-
cal departure from the music of his youth.
“It’s mostly been a realization that
music can be more than just something to
satisfy me as an artist — it can be a mode
of communication between me and audi-
ence. And music can release some of the
negative energy of the day,” he said. “I
find I’m writing songs more about soul
searching, not just libido or lost love.”
Reed will be performing a solo acous-
tic show on Aug. 16 at the Triple Door in
Seattle.
Reed has been w riting and play-
ing music on and off for more than two
decades. He began his career in the 1980s
education education
with the Dan Reed Network, a funk/rock
ensemble based out of Portland, Ore. The
band broke up in 1993 and since then,
Reed has worked as a writer, filmmaker
and nightclub owner. But after so many
years in the spotlight (or behind the spot-
light), Reed felt he needed a break. About
five years ago, he decided to take some
time off and travel in hopes of re-center-
ing himself spiritually and creatively.
In 2005, Reed began what would
become a four-year journey by traveling to
Dharamsala, India, where he befriended a
pair of Buddhist monks who invited him
to stay in the guesthouse of their monas-
tery. While there, he studied daily Buddhist
prayers, throat singing and meditation,
and taught the monks about rock ’n’ roll
(one of them, it turns out, was a huge Queen
fan). It was also while he was in India that
Reed became fascinated with Israel.
“[In India], I met a lot of Israelis — a lot
of former soldiers. I had read a lot about
the conflict, but the more I learned from
talking to people, the less I felt like I knew. I
wanted to go an see it for myself,” he said.
After a year in India, Reed got the
motivation he needed to visit the Holy
Land. While traveling through Delhi, he
befriended a fashion designer from Haifa.
The woman asked Reed if he would visit
her in Israel. He agreed.
“Once I saw Jerusalem, I had no choice
but to stay,” Reed recalled. He remained
in Israel for three years.
Although he was raised in a Christian
education
Sofia Lindberg
Dan Reed
household, Reed said he has long been
fascinated by a variety of religious tradi-
tions, as well as the people who peruse
them. More than anything else, it was the
energy of Jerusalem that attracted him to
the place.
“I just really enjoyed living in a city
where 90 percent of people are searching
for a connection with God,” he said. “You
can feel that in the air. It’s very different
from the United States.”
The place inspired him not only to
study with local rabbis, however. He was
also moved to write music. In fact, he
relocated his recording studio from Port-
land to Jerusalem and started work on
some new songs with a new sound.
It wasn’t just Reed’s musical career that
got a jump-start while he was in Israel. His
interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
education education
Dan Reed will perform with Manda
Mosher Sun., Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at
the Triple Door, 216 Union St., Seattle.
Visit www.tripledoor.net for ticket
information.
was also piqued, and upon returning to
U.S. he decided he wanted to play a role in
the peace process.
Today, Reed is a vice chairman of the
board for the Middle East Peace Civic
Forum, a Washington D.C.-based organi-
zation that promotes a two-state solution
for Israel. According to Reed, the group’s
primary goal is to get people working
toward a resolution, be they activists,
diplomats, or legislators, together to try
and find common ground.
“We’re just trying to get people to see
eye to eye,” he explained. “We don’t lobby
or try to get bills passed.”
Now he’s back in the States, living in
New York, and devoting himself to music
full-time for the first time in more than
20 years. In April, he began a solo tour
through northern Europe and the U.S.
His Seattle show will be one of the last
stops on that tour.
Reed said that although both the
message and presentation of his music
have changed dramatically since he first
started the Dan Reed Network, a number
of his fans have stuck with him through
the transition.
“Of course, I do get some e-mails
saying, ‘How come you don’t rock any-
more? You’re making us think too much,
stop it,’” he said.
education education

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Graduate Certificates When’s the last time you paid for your subscription to, ahem, JTNews (this very paper you’re reading)?
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Call today or visit our website. Find out if Antioch is the right choice for you. have actually been paying just so you wouldn’t miss out on a minute of news
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 18 jtnews n friday, august 7, 2009
arts & entertainment

Love, the hard way

‘Adam’ writer-director crafts lovely outsider romance

Michael Fox
Special to JTNews If you go:

Finding himself with a free hour in
Washington, D.C. not too long ago, Max
Mayer visited the U.S. Holocaust Memo-
rial Museum. He boarded the elevator
with the crowd to go to the permanent
exhibit, when something unexpected
happened.
“The last thing, just before they close
the doors, they ask, ‘Who here has lost
family in the Holocaust?’” Mayer recalls.
“I raised my hand. And I realized that
I was the only one. I had this sense of
shame, and a sense of pride, and a sense
of otherness, which I hadn’t felt for a long
time.”
As a red diaper baby growing up on
the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Mayer
hardly felt like an anomaly. Looking back,
the veteran theater and television direc-
tor thinks being an only child had a larger
effect. But there was something else that
made him feel separate from the great
swath of Americans.
“For my generation, the identification
with the Holocaust made you understand
that you were outside, in some way,” he
says.
The experience of being an outsider
deeply informs the central characters
in Adam, Mayer’s altogether lovely and
touching film about an unusual New
York romance between two 20-some-
t h i ng s. Je w i s h element a r y s c hool
teacher Beth Buchwald (Rose Byrne)
i s rebou nd i ng f rom a d i sappoi nt-
ing break-up, while Adam Raki (Hugh
Dancy) has Asperger’s Sy ndrome, a
type of high-functioning autism dis-
tinguished by extreme intelligence and
extreme difficulty reaching beyond the
internal world.
Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy in the Max Mayer film Adam.
Despite her attorney father’s oppo-
sition to a relationship with a high-
maintenance partner, Beth pursues her
attraction to Adam. The film doesn’t
emphasize her Jewishness, but it’s there if
you look for it, and it was fully present for
Mayer when he wrote the screenplay.
“I think that the sense of not being at
the exact center of the society, for all of us
[Jews], hopefully encourages a lot of us to
be curious about others,” Mayer says in
an interview in a downtown hotel the day
before a packed screening of Adam in the
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. “And
have maybe a little bit more compassion
or empathy for a sense of outsiderness, a
sense of outsideness.”
Beth’s parents, played by Amy Irving
(who’s Jewish) and Peter Gallagher (who’s
played numerous Jewish characters,
notably in “The O.C.” and Robert Altman’s
The Player), are clearly Jewish, but you
Julia Griner
won’t see a menorah or any such bric-a-
brac in their house. A key subplot involves
a complaint brought against Beth’s father,
and Mayer confides that — long before
Bernie Madoff — he consciously avoided
feeding into negative stereotypes.
“Honestly, I knew that Beth was Jewish
and her family is Jewish, in terms of the out-
line, in terms of making up the story, long
before there was a legal issue in the story,”
Mayer explains. “I guess once there was a
legal issue in the story, I didn’t really want
to bring those things too close together.”
A slightly shy fellow in his mid-50s
who picks his words carefully, Mayer
allows that he may have inherited his
artistic inclinations from his mother, an
actress with the USO who entertained
the troops in Italy and Germany during
World War II.
“I got very ambivalent signals from her
about that,” Mayer says. “She said that
If you go: Adam opens Aug. 14 at the
Harvard Exit theater, 807 E Roy, Seattle.
Call 206-781-5755 or visit www.
landmarktheatres.com. Check listings
for showtimes.
theater was a dog’s life and I should stay
away from it, and also that it was the only
thing worth doing. So I was confused,
essentially, until I went to college and got
involved.”
Mayer confides that his mother, whose
maiden name was Helen Waren, worked
undercover for the Hagana, first while
she was still in the USO and after the war
when her cover was as a correspondent
for the New York Star. She took a boat-
load of mostly illegal Jews from Genoa to
Haifa, and was eventually arrested and
held by the British. When she returned in
the U.S., she wrote The Buried Are Scream-
ing (1948), with the purpose of raising
money for the state of Israel.
“She wrote about her experiences in
Europe but she couldn’t write about any-
thing that was secret, so it’s less interest-
ing than it could be,” Mayer says. Waren
also wrote Out of the Dust (1952), a novel
about a kibbutz in the desert.
Mayer has his own connection with
Israel, forged when he was 13. At the
Wailing Wall with his parents, he met a
Chassidic boy who was horrified to learn
that Max hadn’t become a Bar Mitzvah.
“He wrapped me up [in tefillin] and
very seriously had me go over the prayers
after him, correcting me at essentially
every word,” Mayer recalls. “So in some
spiritual sense I was Bar Mitzvahed at the
Wailing Wall.”

Crossword answers M.O.T. t Page 7

(from page 6)
Working his first non-retail or manu-
facturing job in almost 30 years (although
he’s done plenty of business develop-
Dennis B. Goldstein ment), Steve says, “ I was in the right place
& Associates at the right time with the right knowl-
edge,” to get this job, calling it “a path to
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 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 19
national & international news

u world news updates, daily at www.jtnews.net

Now iN this issue!

Engel raps White House on Robinson

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A Jew ish
Democratic congressman is criticizing
President Obama’s choice of Mary Robin-
son for a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“It think it’s a mistake given Mary Rob-
inson’s bias and statements and actions,”
said Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday eve-
ning in an interview with JTA. “She per-
sonif ies ever y t hing w rong w it h t he
United Nations.”
Engel, the first Democratic congress-
man to publicly criticize the administra-
tion’s selection, said he didn’t think the
White House would withdraw the award
because “they don’t want to look like they
buckled under to pressure.”
Death announcements
But, he added, “I hope that they would.
It’s a poor choice.”
Engel joined AIPAC, the Anti-Defa-
mation League, the Zionist Organization
of America and the Republican Jewish
Coalition in criticizing the selection of
Robinson, the former U.N. high com-
missioner for human rights, as one of 16
recipients for the highest civilian honor
in the United States.
As high commissioner, Robinson pre-
sided over the 2001 Durban conference
against racism. Jewish groups and sup-
porters of Israel have said that Robinson
did not do enough to deter or prevent the
anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hostility that
occurred at the conference. They also
have accused her of being a one-sided
critic of Israel both during her 1997-2002
tenure at the United Nations and since.
Engel did not think the selection of
Robinson, the first female president of
Ireland, was meant to send any kind of
message about the president’s Middle
East policy, but was likely just a “screw-
up” by the White House.
The congressman cautioned, however,
that he didn’t want to “blow it out of pro-
portion,” noting that there are “a lot more
important things” going on in addition to
the Robinson controversy.
the all new
— JTA World News Service
Guide to
Jewish washington

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Jewish community

W h E R E To Wo R S h i p
GREATER SEATTLE K’hal Ateres Zekainim (Orthodox) 206/722-1464 bREmERTon TAcomA
Chabad House (Traditional) 206/527-1411 at Kline Galland Home, 7500 Seward Park Ave. S Congregation Beth Hatikvah 360/373-9884 Chabad-Lubavitch of Pierce County
4541 19th Ave. NE Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation (Orthodox) 11th and Veneta 1889 N Hawthorne Dr. 253/565-8770
Bet Alef (Meditative Reform) 206/527-9399 6500 52nd Ave. S 206/723-3028 EVERETT / EdmondS Temple Beth El (Reform) 253/564-7101
16330 NE 4th St., Bellevue (in Unity Church) The Summit at First Hill (Orthodox) Chabad Jewish Center of Snohomish County 5975 S. 12th St.
Congregation Kol Ami (Reform) 425/844-1604 1200 University St. 206/652-4444 2225 100th Ave. W, Edmonds 425/967-3036 TRi ciTiES
16530 Avondale Rd. NE, Woodinville Temple Beth Am (Reform) 206/525-0915 Temple Beth Or (Reform) 425/259-7125 Congregation Beth Sholom (Conservative)
Cong. Beis Menachem (Traditional Hassidic) 2632 NE 80th St. 3215 Lombard St., Everett 312 Thayer Drive, Richland 509/375-4740
1837 156th Ave. NE, Bellevue 425/957-7860 Temple B’nai Torah (Reform) 425/603-9677 FoRT LEWiS VAncouVER
Congregation Beth Shalom (Conservative) 15727 NE 4th, Bellevue Jewish Chapel 253/967-6590 Chabad-Lubavitch of Clark County
6800 35th Ave. NE 206/524-0075 Temple De Hirsch Sinai (Reform) Liggett Avenue & 12th 9604 NE 126th Ave., Suite 2320 360/993-5222
Cong. Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath Seattle, 1441 16th Ave. 206/323-8486 iSSAquAh E-mail: Rabbi@ChabadClarkCounty.com
(Orthodox) Bellevue, 3850 156th Ave. SE 425/454-5085 Chabad of the Central Cascades (Hassidic Traditional) www.chabadclarkcounty.com
5145 S Morgan 206/721-0970 SOuTH KING COuNTy 24121 SE Black Nugget Rd. 425/427-1654 Congregation Kol Ami 360/574-5169
Capitol Hill Minyan-BCMH (Orthodox) Bet Chaverim (Reform) 206/577-0403 oLympiA Service times and location can be found at
1501 17th Ave. E 206/721-0970 25701 14th Place S, Des Moines Chabad Jewish Discovery Center www.jewishvancouverusa.org
Congregation Eitz Or (Jewish Renewal) WEST SEATTLE 1611 Legion Way SE 360/584-4306 VAShon iSLAnd
6556 35th Ave. NE 206/467-2617 Kol HaNeshamah (Reform) 206/935-1590 Congregation B’nai Torah (Conservative) Havurat Ee Shalom 206/567-1608
Cong. Ezra Bessaroth (Sephardic Orthodox) Alki UCC, 6115 SW Hinds St. 3437 Libby Rd. 360/943-7354 15401 Westside Highway
5217 S. Brandon Street 206/722-5500 Torah Learning Center (Orthodox) Temple Beth Hatfiloh (Reconstructionist) P O Box 89, Vashon Island, WA 98070
Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch 5121 SW Olga St. 206/938-4852 201 8th Ave. SE 360/754-8519 WALLA WALLA
(Orthodox/Hassidic) poRT AnGELES And SEquim Congregation Beth Israel 509/522-2511
6250 43rd Ave. NE 206/527-1411 WAShinGTon STATE Congregation B’nai Shalom 360/452-2471 E-mail: nsleavitt@hotmail.com
Congregation Shevet Achim (Orthodox) AbERdEEn poRT ToWnSEnd WEnATchEE
5017 90th Ave. SE (at NW Yeshiva HS) Temple Beth Israel 360/533-5755 Congregation Bet Shira 360/379-3042 Greater Wenatchee Jewish Community
Mercer Island 206/275-1539 1819 Sumner at Martin puLLmAn, WA And moScoW, id 509/662-3333 or 206/782-1044
Congregation Tikvah Chadashah AnAcoRTES Jewish Community of the Palouse WhidbEy iSLAnd
(Gay/Lesbian) 206/355-1414 Anacortes Jewish Community 360/293-4123 509/334-7868 or 208/882-1280 Jewish Community of Whidbey Island
Emanuel Congregation (Modern Orthodox) bAinbRidGE iSLAnd SpokAnE 360/331-2190
3412 NE 65th Street 206/525-1055 Congregation Kol Shalom (Reform) Congregation Emanu-El (Reform) yAkimA
Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation 9010 Miller Road NE 206/855-0885 P O Box 30234, Spokane 99223 509/835-5050 Temple Shalom (Reform) 509/453-8988
(Conservative) 206/232-8555 Chavurat Shir Hayam 206/842-8453 www.spokaneemanu-el.org 1517 Browne Ave.
3700 E. Mercer Way, Mercer Island bELLinGhAm Temple Beth Shalom (Conservative)
Hillel (Multi-denominational) Chabad Jewish Center of Whatcom County 1322 E. 30th Ave. 509/747-3304
4745 17th Ave. NE 206/527-1997 717 High St. 360/933-4818
Kadima (Reconstructionist) 206/547-3914 Congregation Beth Israel (Reform)
12353 NE 8th, Seattle 2200 Broadway 360/733-8890
Kavana Cooperative kavanaseattle@gmail.com
 20 jtnews n friday, august 7, 2009
community news

City Council t Page 1 ness nearby, you know there will be a cer- Of course, She said that she chose to take on
tain amount of foot traffic there, which getting elected to Licata for Position 6 because “it’s time for
Ginsberg noted he’s already had encourages economic development in political office in a new approach and new energy.”
some success, at the very least, in forcing those places. Areas that are considered Seattle requires Kaplan was a little more direct in his
Conlin to address issues that he might walkable are not suffering as much [from more than just criticism of the incumbent, however.
otherwise have avoided. the recession] as those that aren’t.” having an influ- “After 12 years, Nick really hasn’t pro-
“I have managed to shift the terms of Without a résumé of previous politi- ential bubbie. vided a lot of leadership on the council.
the debate and what my opponent is talk- cal experience, aside from serving as the K a pl a n h a s In fact, he obstructed a lot of important
ing about,” he said. “So for a first-time 34th Legislative District Captain during been running his things,” Kaplan said.
Marty Kaplan
challenger, that’s a good sign.” the 2008 presidential election, Ginsberg own architecture He cited Licata’s opposition to both the
Ginsberg sees the major challenges is hoping practical ideas like this will firm for 30 years. In addition, he has served plan to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct
currently facing Seattle as intercon- be what it takes to swing the vote in his on the Seattle Planning Commission, with a tunnel and the Mercer Corridor
nected. For example, he suggests that favor. neighborhood councils, the INTIMAN project as examples as points of disagree-
coupling affordable housing with effec- Ginsberg lives in West Seattle with his Theatre board of directors, and the Social ment between the two candidates.
tive transportation solutions can help to partner, Mike, and their 7-year-old twins, Action Committee at Temple Beth Am. Licata has criticized the tunnel as
stimulate the local economy by encour- Anthony and Anya. They are members of Although Israel is only 35 years old being far too costly and the Mercer Corri-
aging people to shop where they live. Kol HaNeshamah. (meaning she was just a kindergartener dor as unnecessary.
“We should aim to build urban vil- when Kaplan started his business), she Kaplan, however, described both as
lages that can be connected with transit, Position 6 – Jessie Israel too has amassed an impressive résumé “very important infrastructure invest-
the backbone of which should be rail,” he and Marty Kaplan of involvement in community planning ments,” and sees Licata’s anti-growth
explained. “When you build a rail station, Jessie Israel’s and finance. She works for King County tendencies as out of synch with Seat-
you know it will be there for an indefinite family has been Parks and Recreation, a position she says tle’s needs, particularly when it comes to
period of time. And if you open a busi- a part of Seat- prepares her for the realities of a city in a transportation.
t le’s Sephardic recession. Israel voiced similar concerns about
community for a “With the parks, we lost 80 percent finding transportation solutions that are
long time — four of our budget almost overnight,” Israel both financially viable and could be put
SJCC Coed generations to be said. “I was on the team that had to figure to use sooner rather than later.
exact. out how to keep programs strong with so “We have a huge amount of growth
Softball League “M y g r a nd- much less money, and we did it. Unfor- coming into this region — an estimated
Standings as of August 3 parents still go Jessie Israel tunately, that skill set is very much in million and half people in the next 20
to Ezra Bessa- demand right now.” years,” she said. “Light rail is great and
A League W L T Pts Prior to joining King County, Israel man- it’s going to help. But it has taken 40 years
rot h,” she said. “They’ve been ver y
Bitewings 9 5 1 19 involved throughout their lives.” aged the Center for Women & Democracy at to get light rail. We don’t have that kind of
Eastside Connexion 8 5 2 18 Mart y Kaplan also claims a long the University of Washington. Before that, time for every project.”
Elite Fitness Training 9 6 0 18 family history in Seattle, going back more she worked as a consultant to help estab-
Emerald Commercial 6 9 0 12 than 100 years. lish neighborhood plans for the Central Position 8 – Robert Rosencrantz
The Deadly Catch 6 9 0 12 It’s a connection both candidates Area, Eastlake, Denny Triangle, and Wall- Rober t Rosen-
Rainier Moving 5 9 1 11 draw on, and hope will help them in their ingford areas. On the international front, crantz is no stranger
efforts to unseat three-time incumbent Israel spent two years as a volunteer with to life on the local
B League W L T Pts Nick Licata. the Peace Corps in West Africa. campaig n t rail.
Metropolitan Appliance 11 4 0 22 This is t he t hird
Temple De Hirsch 11 4 0 22 time he has run for
Bad News Jews 9 6 0 18 city council. He ran
Truth Commission 9 6 0 18 for the first time in
CBS 7 8 0 14 Vicki Robbins, CTC 2003, then again in
Who’s On First 6 9 0 12
sound and silence 2005. He’s calling
Robbins Travel A unique approach to music lessons Robert Rosencrantz
Empty Pitchers 4 11 0 8 this run his “Third
at Lake City Time’s a Charm Campaign.”
Yuppie Pawn 3 12 0 6 Ages 3 to adult
Leschi/Mt. Baker What makes him so optimistic about
C League W L T Pts Voted Best Travel Agent 2006 this race?
Roanoke Inn 12 2 1 25 —JTNews readers Jay Hamilton “Timing is everything,” Rosencrantz
Bar Hitzvah’s 11 4 0 22
We are your experts for Israel—
www.soundand.com said. “The council is losing a significant
Letter Perfect Logos 10 4 1 21 206-328-7694 amount of business experience this year.
our specialty!
Carpentry by the Book 9 5 2 20 On top of that, this is the most challeng-
TBT—Tsuris 8 5 2 18 UW special contract fares ing economy we’ve had in a long time.”
The Sox 7 5 3 17 El Al wholesaler Rosencrantz claims 25 years of expe-
Hebrew National 6 8 1 13 rience working in the realms of afford-
Multi-lingual
able housing, finance, real estate, and
Happy Hour 6 9 0 12
Great prices on Hawaii packages, asset management. He and his wife Terry
Jay Berry’s 5 10 0 10 cruises, international tickets also own four apartment complexes in
Advil Addicts 3 12 0 6 and tours. Seattle.
Hava Tequila 1 14 0 2 “We stick to the basics and get things
Your key to the world.
D League W L T Pts done,” he said of his and Terry’s building
12316 Lake City Way NE • Seattle, WA 98125
Mighty Ducks 15 1 0 30 Tel: (206) 526-5010 • (206) 364-0100
management style.
Rosencrantz describes himself as a
Yalla Shawarma 9 6 0 18 Toll free: 1-800-621-2662
robbins@lakecitytravel.com “big-picture vision guy.” And indeed, his
Eastside Insurance 8 7 0 16
aspirations for bringing the city out of its
Toronto Jew Jays 7 8 0 14
economic slump are ambitious.
Jewish Family Service 6 9 0 12
“We are going to see a fundamen-
Tekiah 5 10 0 10 tal change over next few years in our
Yabba Dabba Jews 3 12 0 6 relationship with energy,” he said. “The
ability for a city to bring in those jobs is
Sponsored by
proportional to the vision of leaders will-

Jay agoado ingness to take it on.”

In Rosencrantz’s vision, this means,
Your Real Estate Agent for Life
“transforming the industrial land base
into new industry.”
Who will redevelop Seattle’s existing
industrial spaces and how those projects
Top 3% will be funded, he isn’t quite sure, how-
ever.
“I see that picture pretty clearly; I just
don’t know how we’re going to get there
yet,” he said.
Rosencrantz’s other pet project, which
he’ll make a priority if elected, is to “return
425-260-0715 power to the neighborhoods,” by way of
jay@jayagoado.net ordinances that would allow neighbor-
www.jayagoado.net hoods decision-making authority over
Committed to providing communication
long after the transaction has closed
certain issues such as what to do with the
funds generated from parking meters.
 August 7, 2009

Networking Our Local Jewish Community

Care Givers College Placement Dentists (continued) Graphic Design Photographers

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Rivka Park, RN offers private geriatric
nursing care coupled with unique domes-
tic skills in support of seniors seeking to
maintain quality of life at home. Extensive
references.
Catering
Goldberg’s Famous Delicatessen
☎☎ 425-641-6622
✉☎ matt@goldbergsdeli.com
 www.goldbergsdeli.com
Catering for weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Birthdays, business events & all your
Special occasions • Contact Khled/James
Leah’s Catering, Inc.
Seattle’s Premier Kosher Caterer
☎☎ 206-985-2647
✉☎ leah@leahscatering.com
Full Service, Glatt Kosher,
Delivery or Pickup
All your catering needs.
Va’ad supervised.
Madison Park Cafe
Simmering in Seattle for over 30 years
☎☎ 206-324-2626
Full service catering for all your Jewish
life passages: Bar/Bat Mitzvahs • Weddings
• Brit Milah • Special Occasions.
Karen Binder
Matzoh Momma Catering
Catering with a personal touch
☎☎ 206-324-MaMa
Serving the community for over 25 years.
Full service catering and event planning
for all your Life Cycle events.
Miriam and Pip Meyerson
Rachel’s Sephardic Delicacies
☎☎ 425-793-1945
✉☎ ralmeleh2@q.com
 www.sephardicdelicacies.com
Mediterranean Cuisine • Holiday Specials
Gift baskets made to order! Wide selection
for special occasions. Phone for price list
and orders.
Certified Public
Accountants
Dennis B. Goldstein & Assoc., CPAs, PS
☎☎ 425-455-0430
F 425-455-0459
✉☎ dennis@dbgoldsteincpa.com
12715 Bel-Red Rd., Suite 120
Bellevue 98005
Newman Dierst Hales, PLLC
Nolan A. Newman, CPA
☎☎ 206-284-1383
✉☎ nnewman@ndhaccountants.com
 www.ndhaccountants.com
Tax • accounting • Healthcare Consulting
College Placement Consultants
☎☎ 425-453-1730
✉☎ preiter@qwest.net
 www.collegeplacementconsultants.com
Pauline B. Reiter, Ph.D.
Expert help with college selection,
applications and essays.
40 Lake Bellevue, #100, Bellevue 98005
Linda Jacobs & Associates
College Placement Services
☎☎ 206-323-8902
✉☎ linjacobs@aol.com
Successfully matching student and
school. Seattle.
Counselors/Therapists
Jewish Family Service
Individual, couple, child and family therapy
☎☎ 206-861-3195
 www.jfsseattle.org
Expertise with life transitions, relationships
and personal challenges. Jewish knowledge
and sensitivity. Offices in Seattle and
Bellevue. Day and evening hours.
Subsidized fee scale available.
Frances M. Pomerantz, MS
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
☎☎ 425-451-1655
✉☎ fpomerantz@earthlink.net
Specializing in couples and individuals.
Facilitating better communication, more
satisfying relationships, increased self-
awareness and personal growth. Day &
early eve hours available.
1621 114th Ave. SE, #224, Bellevue 98004
Dentists
Galina Borodyansky, DDS
☎☎ 425-644-8787
UW School of Dentistry faculty
• Implant, Cosmetic, Family Dentistry
• Personalized care in a friendly environment
• Preferred provider for most insurances
14535 Bel-Red Rd. #101B, Bellevue
B. Robert Cohanim, D.D.S., M.S.
Orthodontics for Adults and Children
☎☎ 206-322-7223
 www.smile-works.com
Invisalign Premier Provider. On First Hill
across from Swedish Hospital.
Warren J. Libman, D.D.S., M.S.D.
☎☎ 425-453-1308
 www.libmandds.com
Certified Specialist in Prosthodontics:
• Restorative • Reconstructive
• Cosmetic Dentistry
14595 Bel Red Rd. #100, Bellevue
Arnold S. Reich, D.M.D.
☎☎ 425-228-6444
 www.drareich.com
Just off 405 in N. Renton • Gentle Care
• Family • Preventive • Cosmetic Dentistry
Now in print
Your Business
Category
Your Company Name
Your Name or Company
☎☎ Your Phone Number
✉☎ Your E-mail address
 Your Web site
A few lines of copy about your business.
Your business address
Michael Spektor, D.D.S.
☎☎ 425-643-3746
✉☎ info@spektordental.com
 www.spektordental.com
Specializing in periodontics, dental
implants, and cosmetic gum therapy.
Bellevue
Wendy Shultz Spektor, D.D.S.
☎☎ 425-454-1322
✉☎ info@spektordental.com
 www.spektordental.com
Emphasis: Cosmetic and Preventive
Dentistry • Convenient location in Bellevue.
Financial Services
Hamrick Investment Counsel, LLC
Roy a. Hamrick, CFa
☎☎ 206-441-9911
✉☎ rahamrick@hamrickinvestment.com
Professional portfolio management
services for individuals, foundations and
nonprofit organizations.
Mass Mutual Financial Group
Albert Israel, CFP
☎☎ 206-346-3327
✉☎ aisrael@finsvcs.com
Jamison Russ
☎☎ 206-346-3266
✉☎ jruss@finsvcs.com
Retirement planning for those nearing
retirement • Estate planning for those
subject to estate taxes • General investment
management • Life, disability, long-term
care & health insurance • Complimentary
one hour sessions available
Solomon M. Karmel, Ph.D
First Allied Securities
☎☎ 425-454-2285 x 1080
 www.hedgingstrategist.com
Retirement, stocks, bonds, college,
annuities, business 401Ks.
Funeral/Burial
Services
Congregation Beth Shalom Cemetery
☎☎ 206-524-0075
✉☎ info@bethshalomseattle.org
This beautiful new cemetery is available
to the Jewish community and is located
just north of Seattle.
Hills of Eternity Cemetery
Owned and operated by Temple De Hirsch Sinai
☎☎ 206-323-8486
Serving the greater Seattle Jewish
community. Jewish cemetery open to all
pre-need and at-need services. Affordable
rates • Planning assistance.
Queen Anne, Seattle
PlACE YouR
SERvICE oNlINE
SEE YouR SERvICE
IN PRINT
Our Professional Services Directory has changed! Now you can
promote your business online as well as in the pages of JTNews.
and online!
Post your own listing on our Web site and choose even more options, including your
logo, up to five photographs, and detailed text you can update any time you like.
If your business is on the Eastside or South Sound, call Lynn at 206-774-2264;
Northend or West Seattle, call Stacy at 206-774-2292; Urban Seattle, call David
at 206-774-2235
Call 206-441-4553 for more information, or log on to www.jtnews.net and click
on the Professional Directory logo to get started.
Spear Studios, Graphic Design
Sandra Spear
☎☎ 206-621-0240
✉☎ sspear@spearstudios.com
• Newsletters • Brochures • Logos
• Letterheads • Custom invitations
• Photo Editing for Genealogy Projects
Insurance
Abolofia Insurance Agency
Bob Abolofia, Agent
☎☎ 425-641-7682
F 425-988-0280
✉☎ babolofia@yahoo.com
Independent agent representing
Pemco since 1979
Eastside Insurance Services
Chuck Rubin, agent
☎☎ 425-271-3101
F 425-277-3711
4508 NE 4th, #B, Renton
Tom Brody, agent
☎☎ 425-646-3932
F 425-646-8750
2227 112th Ave. NE, Bellevue
We represent Pemco, Safeco, Hartford &
Progressive
 www.e-z-insurance.com
Norwest Insurance Agency
Sigrid Benezra, Owner/Agent
☎☎ 206-965-8140
✉☎ admin@norwestagency.com
 www.norwestagency.com
Representing Safeco, Progressive,
MetLife auto and Home
United Insurance Brokers, Inc.
Linda Kosin
☎☎ 425-454-9373
✉☎ lkosin@uib.com
F 425-453-5313
Your insurance source since 1968
Business, group and personal insurance
50 116th Ave SE #201, Bellevue 98004
Invitations
Occasionally Yours
Adrian Lustig, owner
☎☎ 425-644-8551
✉☎ Lustigmail@comcast.net
Specializing in Jewish Wedding and
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Invitations
20% Discount • Hebrew type
Mohelim
Rabbi Simon Benzaquen
☎☎ 206-721-2275 • 206-723-3028
Fastest Mohel in the West
Certified Mohel
Rabbi Salomon Cohen-Scali
☎☎ 206-722-5500 • 206-947-7791
Certified Orthodox Mohel
All About Graphics
Joel Dames Photography
☎☎ 206-367-1276
 www.joeldamesphotography.com
Events, Commercial, Portraits, Graphics,
albums • all Your Photographic Needs
Dani Weiss Photography
☎☎ 206-760-3336
 www.daniweissphotography.com
Photographer Specializing in People.
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, parties, promotions &
weddings. Reasonable rates
Digital or film
PM Photobooth
An interactive photo booth
☎☎ 206-200-7253
 www.pmphotobooth.com
Exciting, unique, great entertainment for
B’nai Mitzvahs, weddings and special
events. Traditional photography, portraits,
family and graduations also available.
ThE DIRECToRY
IS oNlINE
www.jtnews.net
www.jew-ish.com
Real Estate
Helene Rubens
Residential & Investment Specialist
Greater Eastside/King County areas
☎☎ 206-817-1300 (cell)
✉☎ helener@johnlscott.com
 www.johnlscott.com/helener
I have knowledge and skills to assure an
easy and stress free real estate transaction.
I will turn your dreams into reality and walk
you through the process with ease!
Senior Services
Jewish Family Service
☎☎ 206-461-3240
 www.jfsseattle.org
Comprehensive geriatric care management
and support services for seniors and
their families. Expertise with in-home
assessments, residential placement, family
dynamics and on-going case management.
Jewish knowledge and sensitivity.
Travel Services
Travel the World with Quest
☎☎ 206 327 1274
✉☎ peta@questtravel.ca
 www.questtravel.ca
Great airfares to Israel, South Africa and
the rest of the world! Your Journey
Awaits: packages and tours to experience
the cultures of people all around the
world. Cruises: You are just one click
away from searching the world’s leading
cruise lines.

Please call Becky at 774-2238 to update your print listing You come highly
and receive an online listing free for a limited time!
recommended.
 22 jtnews
viewpoints
Incentives for organ donation t Page 2
This failed status quo is no more eth-
ical than exploring new approaches,
which actually could save lives, even if
we cannot foresee all the possible down-
sides. Many innovative plans could help
shorten the line for an organ, and they
do a better job than the current system of
taking incentives into account.
As Dr. Sally Satel argues in her book
When Altruism Isn’t Enough: The Case for
Compensating Kidney Donors, a practical
and ethical government-regulated donor
compensation system would put the likes
of Rosenbaum out of business.
the shouk
help wanted
part-time music
teacher wanted
Jennifer rosen Meade preschool is looking
for a part-time music teacher, Fridays,
2–3 hours/week. Needs to play piano or
guitar and have a good understanding
of secular and Jewish songs and music.
Knowledge of Hebrew is a plus.
please contact laurel abrams at
laurel@tdhs-nw.org
resource
development
coordinator
p/t at temple Beth el, tacoma.
Resource Development Coordinator
supports fund development, membership
outreach, integration and retention. Ensures
Temple Beth El’s financial and membership
goals. Works closely with board of trustees,
membership committee, synagogue staff,
volunteers and fundraising.
Must have excellent verbal, written and
organizational skills, be tech savvy and
competent in MS Office, especially Publisher.
Candidate will be trained in Joomla CMS in
order to update and maintain temple Web site.
Qualified applicants, send résumé and
cover letter to:
personnel@templebethel18.org
announcements
Kidney donor needed
Member of Bet alef Synagogue
is in urgent need of
a kidney donor.
for more information,
please call david at
360-915-6279
WE NEED CARS!
• Free Pick-up • No DOL filing
• No smog certif. • Running or not
donate your used car to chabad &
receive a tremendous tax write-off.
• Any vehicle okay
• Plus RVs, boats, real estate, lots, etc.
206-527-1411
n friday, august 7, 2009
The level of communal guilt voiced — for compensation? That it is a good deed to save a life, even
by Jews not involved in the scandal — has Clearly the incentive to save a life isn’t for compensation, is a Jewish value we
reached new levels. The news broke at the enough, or synagogues would be sponsor- should embrace in response to the chilul
start of the Nine Days, a period seemingly ing kidney drives alongside their blood Hashem, desecration of God’s name, of
reserved for bad news for Jews. drives. It would help to know that accord- this crisis.
This, however, is a time not for self- ing to the halachic authority Rabbi Shlomo Even the most tightly regulated system
flagellation but for self-reflection. Perhaps Zalman Auerbach, selling a kidney is not that creates incentives for donors would
instead of crying about the misdeeds of only permissible, it is a mitzvah. save lives, reduce the shortages that pro-
others, it is a time to look inward and con- Auerbach w rote that “even if the mote the black market and level the play-
sider how we personally would behave. person selling his kidney is poor (and ing field by helping all potential recipients,
If your life depended on getting a kidney needs the money for himself) or to pay not just those who can afford a trip to Ten-
that wasn’t otherwise available, would you off his debts, since he obtains this money nessee, Kidney Village or Brooklyn.
conduct business with Mr. Rosenbaum? by saving the life of another Jew, he will
Would you prevent one of the 13 deaths certainly be doing a mitzvah. This is true Jeff Stier is the associate director of the
today among those in line for a kidney by even if he would not have donated his American Council on Science and Health
donating one of yours? Would you do so kidney only to save life.” in New York.
@ jtnews august 7, 2009
catering career/retirement printing
Janee Hahn
rachel's
sephardic delicacies • InvItatIons
for all occasions
meDIterranean cUIsIne • Hebrew type
Phone for price list and orders
• Discounts on
total order
425-793-1945 p: 206.784.6350
ralmeleh2@q.com f: 206.782.8108
www.sephardicdelicacies.com janee@cateredprinting.com
real estate
college placement
call loraine
a college eDUcatIon behling-krainess, gri
certified residential specialist
Is a maJor
InVestment need real
estate help?
Sensitive professional
assistance to ensure
a succesful match caregiving
call 425-
between student
and school
746-6733
caregiver companion/cna,
linda Jacobs & associates nursing care
college Placement services
• Private care
206/323-8902 • Single woman, companion, excellent cook
vacation rental
linjacobs@aol.com • Special training in Alzheimers, dementia, diabetes
• Transportation to appts., shopping, outings, etc. palm springs getaway
insurance services if not satisfied with your nursing care, 2 bdrm, 2 bath condo. Patio and
please give me a call: 425-941-6323 rooftop deck with mountain view.
excellent references
For insurance and Walk to shops, restaurants and movies.
Financial services
tiM J. caShMan
check out www.casaweinberg.com
agent — lUtcf funeral/burial services and book now!
206-232-1024
state Farm
Insurance
tim@timcashman.com
quiring
company 7435 SE 27th Street, Mercer Is., WA 98040
cleaning services
ketubot
monuments domestic angels
Serving the Jewish Community clean your house and office
Reasonable rates • Licensed/Bonded
for over 80 years
Ketubot
Responsible • References • Free estimate
Seattle/Eastside
by an Israeli artist
www. Nurita .com
hbxnt Preserving memories since 1925
9608 Aurora Avenue N,
call Yolimar perez or Maria absalon
206-356-2245 or 206-391-9792
ylmrprz@aol.com
looking for experienced cleaning help?—
Reliable, honest and a price you can afford. Excellent
Seattle, WA 98103 references. Call Elaine at 425-868-5091/206-491-7435.
www.elainegordonevans.com
Tel: 360.400.7233 206-522-8400
www.monuments.com
home services
cemetery gan shalom
A Jewish cemetery that meets the needs of The
next issue: the greater Seattle Jewish community.
Zero interest payments available. Handy Man
august 21 For information, call temple Beth am at
206-525-0915.
ad deadline: carpentry/Power Washing
Deck, Dock & Fence repair
august 14 Traditional Jewish funeral services provided by the
Painting/Drywall/trim/misc.
Seattle Jewish Chapel. For further information, please
call 206-725-3067. references/Insured/Bonded
call becky:
206-774-2238 Burial plots are available for purchase at Bikur Cholim Eldon F. Slife
Free es
and Machzikay Hadath cemeteries. For further at 206-275-0141
information, please call 206-721-0970. Estim Email: epslife@comcast.net
 friday, august 7, 2009 n jtnews 23
arts & entertainment

Break down these walls If you go:

New Idan Raichel Project album excites, but it also disappoints.
Joel Magalnick
Editor, JTNews
When the Idan Raichel Project came
to Hillel at the UW four years ago, I was
blown away — and I wasn’t alone. I hadn’t
seen so many Israelis since being stuck in
a traffic jam in Tel Aviv. Seeing the Project
again, this time in their home country of
Israel, in 2007 was no less exciting. Their
blend of rock with traditional Arabic and
North African music had me — and much
of Israel — at hello.
Raichel, a dred-locked musician
whose real talent lies in bringing out the
best in the musicians that climb over
each other to surround him — nearly 70
in all on his earlier efforts — is probably
the closest thing Israel has to a musical
superstar these days.
The Idan Raichel Project plays three
shows at the Triple Door on Aug. 10 and 11.
Songs from the Project’s releases,
beginning with its self-titled 2002 album
(released here in 2006), to 2005’s Israeli
release Out of the Depths, wowed me
and they’ve created a musical genre that
has found fans who might otherwise not
be fans of anything Israeli. The wail-
ing horns, the bass grooves, the soulful
voices from all corners of the world — I’m
breathless just thinking about it.
Which is why the Idan Raichel Proj-
ect’s latest album, Within My Walls, is
something of a letdown. Don’t get me
wrong: It’s good. But it’s not great. It feels,
Nitzan Treystman
more than anything, like Raichel is trying
to be more like Pink Martini, cram-
ming three, four, five languages onto the
album. Not that he can faulted for that.
He’s been hailed as a world musician, and
when he’s producing tracks beyond his
native language, the results are stellar.
Kicking off the album with “Todas
Las Palabras,” which you Spanish speak-
ers can translate as “All the Words,”
renow ned Colombian singer Mar tá
Gomez shows off the chops that have
made her famous in her own coun-
try (she’s got four critically acclaimed
albums of her own).
Also in Spanish, and also sung by
Gomez, is “Cada Dia,” “Every Day,” which
strips down the instrumental to piano,
clarinet and a light percussion, and lets
her voice really shine through, to remark-
able effect. It’s obvious Raichel has done
his homework in finding his artists for
this album, because Gomez, more than
any of the other vocalists, sets the tone for
Within My Walls.
The piano sets a tone as well, partic-
ularly for one of the other two female
vocalists to grace this recording. Cuban-
born singer Maya Andrade, who grew up
off the coast of Africa on the isle of Cape
Verde, was surrounded by music in her
youth and recorded “Ôdjus Fitxadu” —
“With My Eyes Shut” — in her island’s
native Portugese.
Thankfully the liner notes have all
been translated into English for us dumb
Americans, because I would have been
happy to enjoy the music and Andrade’s
lovely voice and never realize how sad
a song this is: “When I looked at the sky
today/ All I could see were stars/ Telling
me that you are gone/ Forever my love….
Bearing the sword and the power of long-
ing and pain/ With my soul free in time/
I vow to live with my eyes shut/ And thus
keep you with me/ With me….”
“Maisha,” sung in Swahili African
by jazz musician Somi (though she was
actually born in Illinois) was probably
what most made me compare this album
to just about anything by Pink Martini:
Powerful vocals backed up by what could
be called a chamber orchestra, though
it lacks the brass that got me so excited
about the Portland band’s early stuff.
My favorite track, however, is the one
sung in Arabic, by Moroccan Shimon
The Idan Raichel Project plays the
Triple Door, 216 Union St., on Aug.
10 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 11 at 7 and 10
p.m. Visit www.tripledoor.net for
tickets and information.
Buskila: “Min Nhar Li Mshiti,” or “From
the Day You Left.” The song would sound
like any Arabic dirge you might hear
blaring from a radio above some Middle
Eastern shouk, were it not for Idan’s
excellent production behind Buskila’s
wailing voice. The song builds to a cre-
scendo before letting itself go, but it is
exactly the type of collaboration that
got me excited about the Idan Raichel
Project in the first place. The liner notes,
incidentally, are printed in the original
Arabic as well.
W hich is why it’s so disappoint-
ing that virtually everything else (with
the exception of “Nin’al Be’Mabato,”
Hebrew for “Locked in His Gaze,”)
sounds like something rejected by an
’80s glam band. It’s almost as if Raichel,
when writing in Hebrew, felt like he had
to play to the lowest common denomi-
nator of Israeli Top 40 radio. It’s over-
produced, over-electric, and just not
that interesting. Perhaps in a live set-
ting, which is where the Idan Raichel
Project shines, they can do something
that better showcases what Raichel is
trying to do, but instead it comes off as
an unfortunate counterpoint to what
otherwise could have been the Project’s
strongest album yet.

Meanwhile,
Team SHA pauses
to read a little
community news
during the annual
Swedish SummeRun.

Please help support local Jewish journalism An annual tradition, Team SHA participated in the
SummeRun, an event dedicated to raising money
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