spain’s open invitation page 8
february
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JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
March Family Calendar
Sunday, March 30 • 2:00 p.m.
Performed by those in recovery, the musical uses the story of Passover to show the long path to freedom from addiction. Presented by JFS, SJCC and a dozen community partners. For more information, visit www.bit.ly/FreedomSong.
FOR ADULTS AGE 60+
FOR THE COMMUNITY
FOR PARENTS & FAMILIES
Endless Opportunities
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community-wide program offered |
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in |
partnership with Temple B’nai Torah & |
Temple De Hirsch Sinai. EO events are open
to the public and are at 10:30 a.m. unless
otherwise noted.
Port of Seattle: An Overview
m Thursday, March 13
Washington State Ferry System:
The Largest in the US
m Tuesday, March 18
There’s an App for That!
m Thursday, March 27
RSVP Ellen Hendin or Wendy Warman, (206) 461-3240 or endlessopps@jfsseattle.org.
VOLUNTEER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Contact Jane Deer-Hileman, (206) 861-3155 or volunteer@ jfsseattle.org.
Big Pals / Little Pals Family Mentors for Refugees Friendly Visitors for Seniors
PURIM DAY OF SERVICE
Sunday, March 16 Two ways to volunteer. Make and deliver holiday baskets or volunteer at the Sha’arei Tikvah Purim celebration.
AA Meetings at JFS
m Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
Contact (206) 461-3240 or ata@jfsseattle.org.
Medicare 101
m Sunday, March 2
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Contact Leonid Orlov, (206) 861-8784 or familylife@jfsseattle.org.
Kosher Food Bank
m Wednesday, March 5
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Contact Jana Prothman, (206) 861-3174 or jprothman@jfsseattle.org.
SHA’AREI TIKVAH PURIM CELEBRATION
A joyful, inclusive and accessible celebration for all ages and abilities, with music, activities and a special Purim spiel.
m Sunday, March 16 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org for more information.
SAVE THE DATE
Passover Seder in Russian
m Sunday, April 20
4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Contact (206) 726-3619 or familylife@jfsseattle.org.
Unless otherwise noted, contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org.
Life Skills for Leaders:
An Empowering Talk for Teens + Parents
With Howard Behar and Sarina Behar Natkin
m Tuesday, March 11
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Co-sponsored with ParentMap
Positive Discipline Series
m Wednesdays, March 19 & 26 and April 2 & 9 9:30 a.m. – noon
Parenting Mindfully:
The Trait of Compassion
m Sunday, March 23 11:10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Order and Disorder in the Developing Emotional Brain
With Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D.
m Wednesday, March 26
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Co-sponsored with ParentMap
12th Annual Community of Caring Luncheon
Thursday, May 8, 2014
For more information and to register, visit www.jfsseattle.org/luncheon
Capitol Hill Campus • 1601 16th Avenue, Seattle (206) 461-3240 • www.jfsseattle.org
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.jtnews.net n jtnews
inside
stories you may have missed
inside this issue
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Every weekday at 3 p.m., JTNews sends out an email with stories from near and far about what’s happening in our Jewish world. Here are some stories you may have missed over the past two weeks: |
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scare at hillel |
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Hillel at the University of Washington was evacuated after a man police believe was a former employee threatened staffers and mixed together harmful chemicals. |
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• Good faith efforts |
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• Here’s lookin’ at you, kid |
On being a good jew |
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• Monumental efforts
• On thin ice
Rabbi Shalom Farkash explains that being a good Jew isn’t just about going to synagogue, it’s about work- ing on constantly being a better person.
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Want to be in the know? Sign up for the 3 O’Clock News by visiting our website at www.jtnews.net, scroll down, and give us your name and email address. Find all of these articles on our website. |
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new face on old bones |
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The old auditorium at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island recently reopened as a full theater that’s far more advanced and welcoming than what preceded it. |
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educating on israel |
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RemembeR when
From the Jewish Transcript, February 19, 1987. Former Soviet dissident Anatoly Sharansky — who now goes by Natan and chairs the Jewish Agency for Israel — was welcomed by crowds outside the Soviet consulate in San Francisco, where he called for the release of all Jews wishing to leave the Soviet Union.
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 di- verse 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.
2041 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121 206-441-4553 • editor@jtnews.net www.jtnews.net
JTNews (ISSN0021-678X) is published biweekly by The Seattle Jewish Transcript, a nonprofit corporation owned by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, 2041 3rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98121. Subscriptions are $56.50 for one year, $96.50 for two years. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to JTNews, 2041 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98121.
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Reach us directly at 206-441-4553 |
+ ext. |
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Publisher & Editor |
*Joel Magalnick |
233 |
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Associate Editor |
Emily K. Alhadeff |
240 |
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Online Editor |
Dikla Tuchman |
240 |
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Sales Manager |
Lynn Feldhammer |
264 |
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Account Executive Classifieds Manager |
David Stahl Rebecca Minsky |
238 |
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Art Director |
Susan Beardsley |
239 |
Board of directors
Peter Horvitz, Chair*; Jerry Anches §; Lisa Brashem; Nancy Greer; Cynthia Flash Hemphill*; Ron Leibsohn; Stan Mark; Cantor David Serkin-Poole* Keith Dvorchik, CEO and President, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle Celie Brown, Federation Board Chair
*Member, JTNews Editorial Board § Ex-Officio Member
A Proud Partner Agency of
published by j e w i s h
transcript media
A native Israeli who has made her home in the Seattle area has made a career educating about her home country.
a place to call home?
8
When the Spanish government announced it would consider giving full citizenship to Sephardic Jews, the response was met with both open arms and skepticism.
ten days, twenty-one films
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Put on your seatbelts. The 19th annual Seattle Jewish Film Festival starts March 1, and it’s going to be a wild ride. We’ve got reviews of several here.
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bar and bat mitzvah celebrations |
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spring books |
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The ’60s saw a loss of innocence in this country, and it also saw great minds emerge. We profile that era, along with new takes on Holocaust history.
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books in brief |
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northwest jewish Family |
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Fitting in and making traditions |
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From the youngest to teens, we’ve got a big selection of kids’ books that cover the passing down of family heirlooms and navigating between two family traditions.
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mOre |
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community calendar |
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crossword |
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m.O.t.: mmmm… cookies |
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what’s your jQ?: the long and winding road |
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abba Knows best: Go team? |
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the arts |
26 |
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lifecycles |
27 |
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jewish and Veggie: mmmm… veggies |
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the shouk classifieds |
26 |
4
CoMMuNiTy CaleNdar
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
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the calendar |
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to Jewish Washington |
@jewishcal |
For a complete listing of events, or to add your event to the JTNews calendar, visit calendar.jtnews.net. Calendar events must be submitted no later than 10 days before publication.
registration required. $25. At Rainier Beach Community Center, 8825 Rainier Ave. S, Seattle.
3:30–4:30 p.m. — Vagabond opera at Kline galland Marilyn Israel at marilyni@klinegalland.org or
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candlelighting times february 21 february 28 march 7 march 14 |
206-725-8800 |
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The David Israel Performing Arts Series at Kline Galland presents “Vagabond Opera,” an exciting fusion of musical genres. Open to all. Free. At Kline Galland Home, 7500 Seward Park Ave., Seattle. |
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SATuRDAy 22 FEBRuARy
7:30 p.m. — the Power of Hope scholar@shevetachim.com Lecture by Shevet Achim scholar-in-residence Rabbi Moshe Brisky, acclaimed inspirational speaker and executive director or Chabad of Conejo Valley, Calif. $10 per person, $15 family. At Congregation Shevet Achim, 5017 90th Ave. SE, Mercer Island.
SunDAy 23 FEBRuARy
3–4:30 p.m. — a conversation about i-594 Shelly Goldman at sgoldman@a.templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or templebnaitorah.org
A lively and respectful debate on gun control. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.
3–5 p.m. — Pita, Hummus and falafel Workshop Masha Shtern at 206-386-1925 or class. seattle.gov/parks
Learn how to make pita, dip, and falafel. Walk out
of this hands-on class with a tasty dinner. Advance
5–8 p.m. — BcmH annual Dinner ezellsatbcmhdinner.eventbrite. com/?aff=efbevent Kosher Ezell’s chicken, live music, and raffle. $36. At Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.
TuESDAy 25 FEBRuARy
7–9 p.m. — Book talk by joel migdal Lauren Spokane at laurenjs@uw.edu University of Washington’s Joel Migdal will talk about his forthcoming book, “Shifting Sands: The United States in the Middle East.” Reception to follow. Free. At UW Tour Auditorium, University of Washington, Seattle.
Thu RSDAy 27 F EBR u AR y
6–10 p.m. — Hillelfest 2014 Galit Ezekiel at galit@hilleluw.org or 206-527-1998 or www.hilleluw.org Hillel UW’s annual major fundraising event raises funds to support Hillel’s general operating needs
and attracts approximately 200-250 guests. $180
per guest. At Hillel at the University of Washington,
4745 17th Ave. NE, Seattle.
7–8:30 p.m. — good grief: jewish traditions and Practical Preparations Leonid Orlov at familylife@jfsseattle.org or 206-861-8784 or goo.gl/0XC2Ka A four-part series on Jewish traditions and practical preparations for end-of-life. Advance registration required at bethshalomseattle.org/goodgrief. $12 session, $36 for the series. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
SATuRDAy 1 MARch
10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Pita and Hummus Workshop Masha Shtern at 206-684-7423 or class. seattle.gov Learn how to make pita and dip. Walk out of this hands-on class with your own warm bread. Advance registration required. $25. At Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way S, Seattle.
6:30 p.m. — seattle jewish film festival 2014 Pamela Lavitt at pamelal@sjcc.org or 206-388-0832 or seattlejewishfilmfestival.org Opening night party with happy hour, “The Zigzag Kid,” and a Tom Douglas dessert reception to follow. Festival runs through March 9. See the website for all film and event information. At the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
SunDAy 2 MARch
7 p.m. — reception Honoring rabbi Ben Hassan Diana Black at sbholhim@gmail.com Dessert and cocktail reception honoring the appointment of Rabbi Ben Hassan to Sephardic Bikur Holim. At Sephardic Bikur Holim, 6500 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
TuESDAy 4 MARch
7–8 p.m. — Purim: should you get Drunk? Jo Kershaw at info@shevetachim.com or 206-275-1539 or www.shevetachim.com Purim class led by Congregation Shevet Achim’s
Rabbi Yechezkel Kornfeld. At Island Crust Café,
7525 SE 24th St., Mercer Island.
WEDnESDAy 5 MARch
12–1:30 p.m. — israel current events Shelly Goldman at sgoldman@a. templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.org/adult_education Led by Nevet Basker, discuss a topic in the news pertaining to Israel current interest. To receive the topic and reading materials in advance, email
jscarlin@gmail.com. This class repeats on March 6
at 7 p.m. $5 at the door. At Temple B’nai Torah,
15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.
FRiDAy 7 MARch
6–8 p.m. — shabbat across america Rabbi Avrohom David at info@seattlekollel.org or 206-722-8289 or seattlekollel.org Join hundreds of synagogues and thousands of Jews across the country to celebrate Shabbat. Eat, sing, celebrate, discuss, relax and enjoy. $18 adults, $9 children, $60 family. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
SATuRDAy 8 MARch
10 a.m.–5 p.m. — living a life that matters
Elizabeth Fagin at elizabeth@betalef.org or 206-527-9399 or betalef.org
A day with Zen master Bernie Glassman learning
about the practices and principles of service as spiritual action. Learn how to create sustainable service projects in the community. $75, $60 students and seniors. At Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue, 1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle.
8:30–10:30 p.m. — shomer shabbos jewish singles 40-Plus meeting Joe Reback at joereback@gmail.com or 206-377-9555 or ashreichemyisrael.org Rebbetzins Miriam Meyers and Sarah Brody talk
about how to bring greater visibility to those interested
in dating through out-of-town matchmaking services and how to support the social needs of singles through events and workshops. Open to anyone shomer Shabbos or leaning that way. Free. At Ashreichem Yisrael, 5134 S Holly St., Seattle.
SunDAy 9 MARch
9 a.m.–3 p.m. — HNt Blood Drive and Bone marrow registry Rebecca Levy at rebecca@h-nt.org or 206-232-8555, ext. 207 or hnt.wufoo.com/
forms/2014-blood-drive-bone-marrow-registry
Reserve your blood donation time slot now and sign up to join the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry. Register at h-nt.org/save-a-life. At Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
10 a.m.–2 p.m. — Purim Bake sale
Susan Jensen at office@ezrabessaroth.net or 206-722-5500 or www.ezrabessaroth.net The Ezra Bessaroth Ladies Auxiliary will sell a variety of Sephardic delicacies, including biscochos, pandericas, boulemas, borekas, yaprakes, travados, and hamentashen. Quantities are limited. Pre- ordering available. At Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, 5217 S Brandon St., Seattle.
Hillel UW evacuated after attack threat
JoEL MAgALnicK editor, jtNews
Things are back to normal now, but on Mon., Feb. 10 staff evacuated Hillel at the University of Washington after a fired employee threatened to cause an explosion in the building. Helicopters flew overhead as police shut down streets in Seattle’s Uni- versity District for about two hours. No
one was injured. Rabbi Oren Hayon, executive direc- tor of Hillel UW, would not identify the suspect, who police believe was a custo- dian, but he told JTNews that “there was a
X PAge 5
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.jtnews.net n jtnews
the rabbi’s turn
opinion
letters to the editor
Are you heading in the right direction?
RABBi BERRy FARKASh chabad of the central cascades
It was a spring evening in the mid-’60s; a group of young students from NYU came for
a private audience with the
late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. The group was mostly young boys and girls from secular homes who wanted an opportunity to converse
with the Rebbe, and ask about what was on their minds. They were granted a 20-minute meeting with the Rebbe and they came prepared with questions. The Rebbe answered their questions incisively and shared with them the Torah perspective on many issues rel- evant to their lives. The 20 minutes passed quickly. The Rebbe’s secretary knocked on the door to let them know their time was up. Suddenly, a boy in the group who was “blessed” with a bit of chutzpah turned to the Rebbe and said, “Rebbe, may I ask one final question before we leave? This will be the final question of the evening.” The Rebbe granted him permission and the boy asked: “Rebbe, are we good Jews or are we bad Jews?” The room was still and silent. The Rebbe smiled and replied: “To be Jewish is to climb a ladder. Each and every one of us is climbing that ladder. The ladder has 613 rungs with many more sub-rungs. If you are on rung 613 but you are going toward the 612th rung, you are going in the wrong direction. However, if you are on the first rung and heading up, you are going in the right direction. “Let me ask you, you American stu- dents, at this hour of the night, in New York City, choosing to take your time to visit a rabbi to discuss Jewish values and ethics,” the Rebbe concluded, “are you good Jews or bad Jews”? It’s all about direction. We are all truly
the same; we all have our own challenges and difficulties in our Jewish experience. Some have a hard time with observ- ing Shabbat, others struggle with providing their children with an authentic Jewish edu- cation, and some find it hard to give of their hard-earned money to charity. Everyone
battles something. The important thing is not to put yourself in a box. I often speak to people who claim to be “bad Jews.” They feel inadequate if they don’t look a cer- tain way or do a certain thing. So they put themselves in a box with a big label that says “High-Holiday Jew, open for High Holidays only.” Or, “non-synagogue goer, not for use in a shul.” Once in the box, we are less inclined to change and we fall into a quasi-comfort zone, which we are not entirely comfort- able in, but too complacent to get out of. It is critical to understand that con- necting to God is an infinite pursuit. To claim to have reached the apex of that journey is to go in the wrong direction. Rather than feel guilty about what point we might be in our journey, let’s look up, and continue to climb. We can’t quantify the value of the mitz- vot we do. Let’s not look at others and say, “There’s no way I can be like him.” Rather, let’s ask ourselves, “How have I improved today?” To illustrate this idea, Chassidim would recount a story of the czar’s army, which was renowned for its high level of dis- cipline. One night a group of soldiers escaped from the army base to the near- est town to get a drink at the local bar. One drink led to another and suddenly they realized it was almost dawn. They got up and started to run back to the base. So inebriated were the soldiers that they col-
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time to act |
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It’s time for the state legislature to show some nerve and to pass Initiative 594 requiring background checks on gun sales (“Injured Congresswoman, Jewish leaders speak on behalf of gun control initiative,” Feb. 7). Numerous people, like Gabby Giffords and Cheryl Stumbo, tes- tified from personal knowledge what it’s like to be shot. They gave good evidence that I-594 would reduce gun violence in Washington State and yet the legislature won’t act. They listen to counter arguments such as that by Phil Shave, who says the law will make “criminals” out of gun owners if they were on a gun range and let a friend use their gun. This is, in fact, totally false. I quote below from a portion of the law. “Reasonable Exceptions — background checks are not required for: … Loans for lawful hunting or sporting activities.” A partially correct but misleading point was made by a reader in your letters to the editor on February 7. The letter said that Hitler and Stalin restricted and then took away people’s guns. While in fact Hitler forbade Jews and Gypsies from owning guns, he did not forbid “his” people from owning guns. Stalin never created a restriction on guns, as there never had been a “right to bear arms” in Russia before him. The people who tended to own guns were the upper class and Stalin solved that problem by killing them all. I-594 will not solve our gun problems, but it will at least help. If the legislature won’t pass it, then we the people must do so in November (and vote against counter Initiative 591). ted coskey seattle |
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WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We would love to hear from you! You may submit your letters to editor@jtnews.net. Please limit your letters to approximately 350 words. The deadline for the next issue is Feb. 25. Future deadlines may be found online. |
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The opinions of our columnists and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the views of JTNews or the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. |
lapsed and fell asleep at the side of the road. A short while later, an army officer rode by, noticed the scene, and wrote down the names of the sleeping soldiers, then continued toward the base. Several hours later, the soldiers sobered up and hurried to the army base, fearing what awaited them for missing the morning line-up. Upon arrival they were sent to the officer’s tent, prepared for the worst. To their amazement, the officer greeted them all with a big smile and said: “I truly understand you, living on this base for so long without a drink must be really dif- ficult; you are forgiven for what you did, just don’t do it again.” Suddenly he turned to one of the sol- diers, his face filled with rage and anger, and said: “You, however, will receive a severe punishment.” This poor soldier, feeling like a scape- goat, demanded an explanation for this unfair verdict. The officer explained: “The
reason for your severe punishment is because when I found you on the side of the road sleeping, I observed that all the soldiers, even in their stupor, fell facing the army base, their final destination. You, on the other hand, were the only one who fell facing the direction of the bar. And for this you deserve to be punished.” This story is a good analogy: In life we will sometimes fall asleep, our daily strug- gles and challenges have a way of immo- bilizing, preventing us from reaching our fullest. But we can at least make a consci- entious decision to fall asleep facing the right direction so when we muster the strength to get up, we may continue head- ing toward that destination. Let us hold hands as we climb the ladder of Judaism together, helping and lifting one another as we stumble on our way up. Let’s strap on our climbing shoes — things are looking up.
W Hillel PAge 4
credible enough threat that…a number of our staff knew to respond quickly.” “We got emergency first responders on the scene immediately,” he added. According to Det. Renee Witt of the Seattle Police Department, an employee followed the custodian into the basement
after he received the news at approxi- mately 1:45 p.m., saw the custodian begin
to mix ammonia and bleach together, then
evacuated the building. Witt said she does not believe the threats had any anti-Semitic connota-
tions, and the suspect has an apparent his- tory of threatening suicide. “I’m not concerned about anti-Israel or anti-Semitic overtones of the threat,” Hayon said. According to the SPD blotter, the SWAT team found the suspect in Hillel’s basement and put him under arrest at 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. News video from the air showed emer- gency crews hosing down the suspect before taking him to Harborview Trauma Center for treatment of chemical inha- lation and observation for mental health issues. He was to be transported into cus-
tody upon his release. Police said he had not been charged by the time JTNews went to press. Hillel staff returned to the building later that afternoon. “Every imaginable government agency has inspected and secured the building inside and out, so I think we feel really good about our space,” Hayon said. Keith Dvorchik, CEO of the Jewish Fed- eration of Greater Seattle and a former Hillel director, told JTNews that “the Jewish Federation is shocked by [the Feb. 10] inci- dent at Hillel, but we are greatly relieved that our friends at Hillel evacuated the
building safely and there were no injuries. We are grateful for the swift and effective response by police and other emergency responders handling the situation.” Hayon said that while he’s relieved that the students and staff who were in the building are safe, he also doesn’t believe the successful evacuation was a stroke of luck. “We have thoughtful, conscientious, alert staff that want to work really hard for the growth and well-being of young adults in Seattle and, frankly, we’re all trained in emergencies,” he said. “No one’s going to be worried to come in and do our good work in the morning.”
6
CoMMuNiTy News
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
Embrace Your Mistakes
by Gaby Weidling
“People often avoid making decisions out of fear of making a mistake,” writes Rabbi Noah Weinberg in 48 Ways to Wisdom. “Actually, the failure to make decisions is one of life’s biggest mistakes.” Many great discoveries occurred by accident, with the discoverer willing to make errors. For example, Rogaine was found in the search for a blood-pressure drug. Can you learn what else was invented by mistake?
ACROSS
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Member of the Beastie Boys with Mike D and |
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Marvel character that will be played by Paul |
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Result of trying to invent a synthetic rubber |
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Like the Pyramid of the Sun |
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2001 Kevin Spacey bomb |
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Drummer for Dr. Teeth and the Electric |
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Night before |
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Perfume container |
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Result of trying to invent a battleship engine |
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Apartment type sought after by artists |
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Year, to Jaunita |
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Colored like a fire truck |
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SEA announcement |
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Grave and dignified |
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Tiny bit |
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Sax-playing Simpson |
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Plagiarized |
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Where a fox may sleep |
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Ingredient in many parmigiana dishes |
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Suffer |
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Years and years |
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DiCaprio, to friends |
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Fox posits there is one on Christmas |
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Anderson who is Mrs. Rick Salomon again |
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54 |
One may buy lots of cucumbers |
as of 1/11/2014 |
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56 |
Result of trying to invent a form of refrigerant |
51 |
It’s crocheted by one’s grandmother |
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60 |
Assassin’s contract |
52 |
Flights of fancy |
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61 |
Least wild |
53 |
Target with a pistol |
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64 |
Roberts’s co-star in Pretty Woman |
55 |
Piston’s opponent, frequently |
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65 |
Apple computer |
57 |
Sprang |
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67 |
Result of trying to invent a stain-resistant |
58 |
Yes question |
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tablecloth |
59 |
-do-well |
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69 |
It may be a baby’s first word |
62 |
Trees affected by a disease identified by |
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70 |
Muppet who likes to be tickled |
Dutch phytopathologists |
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71 |
Steam |
63 |
Food for a pig |
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72 |
Goulash, e.g. |
66 |
Crow’s call |
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73 |
Sing like Rod Stewart |
68 |
Lowest-ranked G.I. |
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74 |
It blows up in Wile E. Coyote’s face |
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Answers on page 27
© 2014 Eltana Wood-Fired Bagel Cafe, 1538 12th Avenue, Seattle. All rights reserved. Puzzle created by Lone Shark Games, Inc. Edited by Mike Selinker and Gaby Weidling.
The J’s first phase of renovation opens with a song and a dance
It took six months, $5 million, and a lot of work both in fundraising and con- struction to reach the moment on Feb. 8 that filled the new theater at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island. What was once a dark, uncomfort- able room has been opened into a light- filled space with new flooring, windows and skylights that can be blacked out for screenings and performance, and a state- of-the-art sound and projection system that will show a selection of the films at this year’s Seattle Jewish Film Festival. SJCC leaders hope to use the comple- tion of the theater renovation as a way to turn the center into an arts hub on the Eastside. Community members filled the room to capacity — which now numbers 350, about 120 more than its previous
all PHotos joel magalNicK
Stroum JCC CEO Judy Neuman hands board president and capital campaign leader Aaron Alhadeff a gift at a grand-opening ceremony prior to the performance on Feb. 8.
configuration — at an opening ceremony
on Feb. 8 to watch performances by cellist Julian Schwarz and Tony-nominated actor Chad Kimball, both of whom now live in New York but returned to their
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
CoMMuNiTy News
7
A safe space for difficult discussions
JAniS SiEgEL jtNews correspondent
Considering some of the most recent and nasty publicity surrounding the boy- cott, divestment and sanctions effort against Israel, facts are scarce and name- calling abounds. That’s why Israel educator Nevet Basker, founder of a site called Broader View (www.broaderview.org), is big on facts and sources when she leads Temple B’nai Torah’s monthly Israel current events group in Bellevue. As the founding chair of Israel advo-
cacy group StandWithUs Northwest, Basker is now a public speaker on modern Israel, its politics, government, people, and the Israel-Palestinian conflict through her organization Broader View — Beyond the Headlines: Context and Perspectives on Israel and the Middle East. Taking on heated political topics, like this February’s look at why the BDS movement is really a “delegitimization” campaign against Israel, requires well- vetted and well-rounded materials from respected experts. “My explicit goal is as much commu- nity-building as it is education or informa- tion,” Basker told JTNews. “The first thing
I do is draw a distinction between criti- cism and delegitimization.” When actress Scarlett Johansson
defended SodaStream and retained her role as the celebrity face of the Israeli com- pany in its high-profile Super Bowl XLVIII ad this year, international BDS activists, who object to the location of SodaStream’s factory in a West Bank Israeli settlement, roundly condemned her. Johansson said SodaStream fosters peace with its Israeli and Arab blended workforce, but was slammed again by fellow actress Emma Thompson, who supports BDS. This drew fire from Jewish metal rocker David Draiman, who defended Johansson and accused Thompson of sympathizing with “BDS Nazis.” Basker said BDS is a big part of the delegitimization movement, but many groups contribute to the agenda. “The model that I use comes from Natan Sharansky, the 3D model,” Basker said, referring to the former Soviet prisoner’s definition of anti-Semitism: Demonization, double standards, and delegitimization. “But I also quote the European Union’s working definition of anti-Semitism, which has the same language.” Nationally, the American Studies Asso- ciation academic boycott campaign against Israel has gained some traction in the U.S. In Washington State, contentious Israel v. Palestinian ads on the sides of buses and on billboards, and a boycott of Israeli products at the Olympia Food Coop in 2010 received heavy reaction throughout the state. Basker teaches that the BDS movement
is “simply about undermining the right of
the Jewish people to political self-determi- nation, and the right of the Jewish State to exist.”
She also said that dele- gitimization extends to other hot-button conflicts as well. “We can have a dis- cussion about the settle- ments — good, bad, and indifferent,” said Basker, “but when you call it ethnic cleansing, then we’ve gone too far. You can talk about what is an appropriate use of [mili-
roBert WilKes
Nevet Basker, founder of Broader
View.
voice their opinions — respectfully.” Neither Basker nor Goldman could recall a time when tempers or emotions disrupted the group, and they have never had problems with speech they have found to be outside the boundaries of public decorum.
“There are multiple opinions in the room and she wants to provide a forum for facts and respectful discussion,” said TBT member Laurie Litwack. “Nevet sets the tone for the discussion, requires that we distinguish between facts and opinions, and provides sources for pre-reading on her website.” Last month, Basker explored the issue of Israeli settlements with her measured and methodical survey-style presentation — laying out the issues from all sides.
“Here is what the settlements are,” explained Basker, “here’s why they’re problematic or controversial, here are the best arguments in favor of the settlements, and here are the best arguments opposed to the settlements. You can find yourself anywhere on the spectrum — all of which is acceptable.” That’s why language matters, said Basker. Whether the phrases “occupied ter- ritories” or “disputed territories” are used, it reflects the ideology of the speaker or writer. “It’s only for the West Bank,” said Basker, qualifying the right use of the occupied territory label. “Sinai’s been returned, and Gaza Strip’s been returned. Others, like Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, I would call those disputed ter- ritories because Israel has annexed them. Others don’t accept that. “What the right wing in Israel would call Judaea and Samaria, the anti-Israel or even the left wing calls Occupied Palestine,” she
X PAge 26
tary] force, but when you talk about war crimes, we’re now in dele- gitimization language.” For four years, Basker’s B’nai Torah ses- sions have attracted groups of 20 to 30 Jews, many of whom are TBT members, whom she encourages to join in the discussion. “There is so much information out there and she condenses it,” said Shelly Gold- man, TBT’s director of adult education. “She provides a safe place for people to better understand Israel where people can
tax seRvices
Hasson, Laible & Co. p.s.
206.328.2871
2825 Eastlake Ave. E. #335 Seattle, WA 98102 hassonlaible@earthlink.net
8
CoMMuNiTy News
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
This time around, will Spain be good for the Jews?
EMiLy K. ALhADEFF associate editor, jtNews
The Feb. 7 announcement by Spanish minister of justice Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon of the introduction of a bill to offer Sep- hardic Jews Spanish citizenship has caused quite a stir. On one hand, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain has been bom- barded with phone calls and email inqui- ries. On the other hand is a healthy dose of skepticism. Some say this is an opportu- nistic plot to introduce Jews, stereotypi- cally known for financial prowess, back into the tanked economy. Others make note of Spain’s support for a Palestinian state and see this as conciliation for Israel. The Spanish government maintains this is a goodwill gesture, an apology for the Inquisition 522 years in the making. “That’s an acknowledgment that’s very important,” said Simon Benzaquen, rabbi emeritus of Sephardic Bikur Holim Con- gregation in Seattle. “Many times people go all the way to get that kind of apology and they never get it. They never got it from Russia.” This is not the first time Spain has extended citizenship to the descendants of Jews persecuted and expelled in 1492 by
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The September 11, 1925 edition of the Jewish Transcript contains a copy of a Span- ish royal decree allowing some Sephardic Jews, rendered stateless by the abolition of capitularies at the breakup of the Otto- man Empire, citizenship under the con- dition that they do not return to Spain. Despite the fear of a mass Jewish immigra- tion, 1920s Spain saw an increase of “phi- losephardism” and a desire to “reclaim” Sephardic Jews for their perceived virtues. A bill introduced in 2012 invited Sep- hardic Jews to become citizens after two years of residency and upon giving up citizenship in other countries. The jus- tice ministry is processing approximately 3,000 applications. The bill on the table would ease the citizenship process by allowing dual citi- zenship without a residency requirement. Complicated bureaucratic procedures — and deciding how to define who is Sep- hardic — notwithstanding, the invitation extends to the world’s estimated 3.5 mil- lion Sephardic Jews. Portugal approved a similar bill last year, which is said to go into effect soon. What does this mean for Seattle, which
has one of the largest Sephardic popula- tions in the United States? Will anyone be taking the Spanish up on their offer? “Why not?” said Benzaquen. “That means you are European. You can go any- where in Europe…. You should have a passport and do whatever you want with it.”
That is not to say that Benzaquen, who lived in Melilla, Spanish Morocco, until he was 14 thinks this is a clean slate. “It’s very complex to define, but the truth is there is anti-Semitism,” he said. “It doesn’t go away with the extension of the passport. They are only making gestures. Good gestures. They are somehow extend- ing their hand of friendship.” Jews are also, for the first time in two millennia, political players. “Israel is giving the Jew all over the world something they never had, whether you like it or not,” Benzaquen said. “It’s not afraid of the world.” Rabbi Marc Angel, a Sephardic Seattle native and rabbi emeritus of the country’s oldest synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, is not interested in the Spanish offer. “I’m quite happy with my American
passport,” he told JTNews. “If I ever need another one, it will be Israeli. The world has moved a long way since 1492. A polit- ical gesture by modern Spain has little to do with the Sephardic Jewish realities of today.” Luis Fernando Esteban Bernáldez, honorary vice consul of Spain in Seat- tle, explained that the amended law falls under Spain’s Historical Memory Law, which has granted passports to tens of thousands of victims of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco Regime, and their descendants, all over Latin America. He insisted that inclusion of Sephardic Jews is not economically motivated, and if any- thing it should strengthen the friendship with Israel. “To have a passport is the more impor- tant thing,” he said. “The older you get, the more attached you are to your roots. And the passport represents the identity of your roots.” While the bill has generated much excitement, it still has to get approved by the Spanish government. Bernáldez said he has no idea what kinds of arguments
X PAge 27
where to worship
GREATER SEATTLE
Bet Alef (Meditative) 206/527-9399
1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle
Chabad House 206/527-1411
4541 19th Ave. NE
Congregation Kol Ami (Reform) 425/844-1604
16530 Avondale Rd. NE, Woodinville
Cong. Beis Menachem (Traditional Hassidic)
425/957-7860
Congregation Beth Shalom (Conservative)
6800 35th Ave. NE
Cong. Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath
(Orthodox)
5145 S Morgan St.
Capitol Hill Minyan-BCMH (Orthodox)
1501 17th Ave. E
Congregation Eitz Or (Jewish Renewal) Call for locations 206/467-2617
Cong. Ezra Bessaroth (Sephardic Orthodox)
5217 S Brandon St.
Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch (Orthodox/Chabad)
6250 43rd Ave. NE
Congregation Shevet Achim (Orthodox)
5017 90th Ave. SE (at NW Yeshiva HS)
206/721-0970
206/721-0970
206/524-0075
1837 156th Ave. NE, Bellevue
206/722-5500
206/527-1411
|
Mercer Island |
206/275-1539 |
|
Congregation Tikvah Chadashah (LGBTQ) |
206/355-1414 |
Emanuel Congregation (Modern Orthodox)
3412 NE 65th St. 206/525-1055
Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation (Conservative) 206/232-8555
3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island
Hillel (Multi-denominational)
4745 17th Ave. NE
206/527-1997
Kadima (Reconstructionist) 206/547-3914
12353 8th Ave. NE, Seattle
Kavana Cooperative kavanaseattle@gmail.com
Ashreichem Yisrael (Traditional)
5134 S Holly St., Seattle
www.ashreichemyisrael.com K’hal Ateres Zekainim (Orthodox) 206/722-1464
at Kline Galland Home, 7500 Seward Park Ave. S Kol HaNeshamah (Progressive Reform)
206/935-1590
Alki UCC, 6115 SW Hinds St., West Seattle Mercaz Seattle (Modern Orthodox)
5720 37th Ave. NE
rachelirosenfeld@gmail.com www.mercazseattle.org Minyan Ohr Chadash (Modern Orthodox) Brighton Building, 6701 51st Ave. S www.minyanohrchadash.org Mitriyah (Progressive, Unaffiliated)
www.mitriyah.com 206/651-5891 Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound (Humanist) www.secularjewishcircle.org 206/528-1944 Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation (Orthodox)
6500 52nd Ave. S
206/723-3028
The Summit at First Hill (Orthodox)
1200 University St.
206/652-4444
Temple Beth Am (Reform) 206/525-0915
2632 NE 80th St.
Temple B’nai Torah (Reform) 425/603-9677
15727 NE 4th St., Bellevue
Temple De Hirsch Sinai (Reform)
Seattle, 1441 16th Ave. 206/323-8486 Bellevue, 3850 156th Ave. SE Torah Learning Center (Orthodox)
206/722-8289
5121 SW Olga St., West Seattle
206-397-2671
SOuTH KiNg COuNTY
Bet Chaverim (Reform)
25701 14th Place S, Des Moines
206/577-0403
WASHINGTON STATE
AbERdEEN
Temple Beth israel
1819 Sumner at Martin
360/533-5755
bAINbRIdGE ISLANd
Congregation Kol Shalom (Reform)
SpOkANE
Chabad of Spokane County
|
9010 |
Miller Rd. NE |
206/855-0885 |
4116 |
E 37th Ave. |
509/443-0770 |
|
Chavurat Shir Hayam |
206/842-8453 |
Congregation Emanu-El (Reform) |
|||
|
bELLINGHAm |
P O Box 30234 |
509/835-5050 |
|||
Chabad Jewish Center of Whatcom County
www.spokaneemanu-el.org
|
102 Highland Dr. |
360/393-3845 |
Temple Beth Shalom (Conservative) |
|||
|
Congregation Beth israel (Reform) |
1322 |
E 30th Ave. |
509/747-3304 |
||
|
2200 |
Broadway |
360/733-8890 |
TAcOmA |
||
|
bREmERTON |
Chabad-Lubavitch of Pierce County |
||||
|
Congregation Beth Hatikvah 11th and Veneta |
360/373-9884 |
2146 |
N Mildred St |
253/565-8770 |
|
|
Temple Beth El (Reform) |
253/564-7101 |
||||
EvERETT / LyNNWOOd
Chabad Jewish Center of Snohomish County
5975 S 12th St.
TRI cITIES
|
19626 |
76th Ave. W, Lynnwood |
425/640-2811 |
Congregation Beth Sholom (Conservative) |
||
|
Temple Beth Or (Reform) |
425/259-7125 |
312 Thayer Dr., Richland |
509/375-4 740 |
||
|
3215 |
Lombard St., Everett |
vANcOuvER |
|||
|
FORT LEWIS |
Chabad-Lubavitch of Clark County |
||||
|
Jewish Chapel Liggett Avenue and 12th |
253/967-6590 |
9604 |
NE 126th Ave., Suite 2320 |
360/993-5222 |
|
|
Rabbi@ChabadClarkCounty.com |
|||||
|
ISSAquAH |
www.chabadclarkcounty.com Congregation Kol Ami www.jewishvancouverusa.org |
||||
|
Chabad of the Central Cascades |
360/574-5169 |
||||
|
24121 |
SE Black Nugget Rd. |
425/427-1654 |
|||
|
OLympIA |
vASHON ISLANd |
||||
|
Chabad Jewish Discovery Center |
Havurat Ee Shalom |
206/567-1608 |
|||
|
1611 |
Legion Way SE |
360/584-4306 |
15401 Westside Highway |
||
Congregation B’nai Torah (Conservative)
3437 Libby Rd.
Temple Beth Hatfiloh (Reconstructionist)
201 8th Ave. SE
360/943-7354
360/754-8519
pORT ANGELES ANd SEquIm
Congregation B’nai Shalom
360/452-2471
pORT TOWNSENd
Congregation Bet Shira
360/379-3042
P O Box 89, Vashon Island, WA 98070
WALLA WALLA
Congregation Beth israel
509/522-2511
WENATcHEE
greater Wenatchee Jewish Community 509/662-3333 or 206/782-1044
WHIdbEy ISLANd
Jewish Community of Whidbey island
|
puLLmAN, WA ANd mOScOW, Id |
360/331-2190 |
|
|
Jewish Community of the Palouse 509/334-7868 or 208/882-1280 |
yAkImA |
|
|
Temple Shalom (Reform) |
509/453-8988 |
|
1517 Browne Ave.
yakimatemple@gmail.com
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
M.O.T.: MEMbER OF THE TRIbE
9
A little added sweetness to Capitol Hill, and kosher Spam(alot)
DiAnA BREMEnT jtNews columnist
1 Robin Wehl Martin
couldn’t talk to me on
Friday morning last
M.o.T.
Member of
the Tribe
Robin’s counter offer was that she’d do it if it included an ice cream counter. So a yummy marriage was born. “It’s great, it’s really great,” Robin says of her business. She lives in the neighbor- hood, so work is like visiting friends, and seeing “happy people all day long.” The small cookies are priced “so you can [try] more than one flavor,” ranging from the tra- ditional to the more exotic,
including the popular and spicy habañero-orange. Robin’s three young children, 4, 6 and 8, “really like the idea of their mom owning a cookie shop,” she says, and they think they are involved in running the place, trying to go behind the counter and generally causing “a ruckus.” Growing up on Mercer Island, Robin attended Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation and Camp Solomon Schech- ter. Her kids are at, or have attended, Seattle Hebrew Academy and her family belongs to Temple De Hirsch Sinai. When she’s not baking, she likes to cook healthy foods, including “lots of vegetables.” Hello Robin has started holding
week. “Fridays are my crazy days because I make challah that day (18!!! of them),” she
wrote me in an email. She does this at Hello Robin, her bakery on the east side of Seattle’s Capitol Hill, and those loaves
fly out of the store.
“We’re a cookie bakery, but I have to make challah,” she says.
The Mercer Island native grew up baking cookies with her grandmother and has won
a number of local baking competi-
tions. (Read more at the store’s web site, www.hellorobincookies.com.) “Hello Robin is supposed to feel like you’re in my kitchen,” where customers sit
at the counter and watch the bakers work,
she says. “It’s a lot nicer than my kitchen
at home.”
The store features Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream by the pint, with the ice cream store serving by the scoop from May to August. In fact, Molly Moon Neitzel herself, and her husband Zack, suggested Robin open the bakery.
joel magalNicK
Robin Wehl Martin rolls out a batch of football- shaped cookies just prior to the Seahawks’ trip to the Super Bowl.
Monday night cooking classes, some taught by neighbor and cookbook author Leora Bloom (profiled in MOT on Aug. 16, 2013). The first three sold out quickly. Check their Facebook page for informa- tion about future classes.
2 The all-local cast of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” sings a
number in the second act informing King Arthur that he can’t produce a Broad- way show without a Jew. It got me won- dering, aside from the theater’s esteemed producing partners, Maureen and Kenny Alhadeff, could there be a Jew in the cast? The folks at the 5th rustled up Sarah Rose Davis, a member of the ensem- ble (which provided fabulous singing and dancing). Sarah grew up in Bellevue and started singing “when I was pretty young,” she says, in two different girl choirs. Each year, those choirs would put on their own mini-musicals, which sparked her dramatic interest. Sarah had most of her youth train- ing at the Village Theater Kids Stage drama school in Issaquah, and after graduating from Newport High School she studied musical theater at the Boston Conservatory. “Spamalot is my 12th show at the 5th Avenue,” she says. Later this year she returns to her roots — dramatic and cul- tural — playing Fanny Brice in the Vil- lage Theater’s production of “Funny Girl,” which will “definitely…be the biggest role I’ve ever played.”
X PAge 26
for PURIM!
Join us for Purim with a costume parade, great food & lots of zany fun!
visit our website at tdhs-nw.org.
10
WHAT’S YOuR Jq?
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
Still talkin’ ’bout a revolution
Rivy PouPKo KLETEniK jtNews columnist
Dear Rivy, I thought the Beatles Grammy Salute marking the 50-year anniversary of the British invasion was over the top. That so many friends watched and thought it was the be all and end all was beyond my understanding. When I was young, I remem- ber a rabbi and teacher tell- ing us the Beatles broke down all barriers of decency in the
world. At the time, of course, I disagreed. Now I wonder why we allow pop culture to so invade our psyches, not to mention our children’s. I think their music is somewhat subversive. What do you think about the Beatles and their music?
What’s Your Jq?
lip synching while our record player played “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in the back- ground. To us, impression- able, trusting and starry-eyed Hillel Academy kindergarten- ers, it was John Lennon. And let me tell you something — that was the best birthday party ever. It was June 1964, just months after the start of the British Invasion on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9
of that year — it was dreamy. Back then, as now, there’s something magnetic about the Beatles and so much that is still so universal about their music. Some songs offer an intense truth. Some have playful humor and lightheartedness. I admit it, barely a lyric or melody of theirs is unfamiliar to me. Their music became all- American, the soundtrack of our lives as it permeated our very existence. That said, only a fool on the hill would say their songs are 100 percent kosher. There’s the hand holding, twisting and shouting that would have rabbis frowning, not to mention of drug culture innuendos that swirled around them that make a few religious fans squirm. However, on this 50th anniversary of the British Invasion, let’s consider some of the loftier Beatles’ tracks through a Jewish lens.
The Beatles and I go way back. In fact, John Lennon made a guest appear- ance at my and my twin’s 6th birthday party. (Yes, I have a twin — more about that some other time.) There we were, in our basement on Beechwood Boulevard in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighbor- hood, cake and ice cream at the ready — and out comes John Lennon! Okay, so it was my older sister dressed in black and white, holding the balalaika my father had brought back from a recent trip to Russia,
Shall we kick it off with a song released in 1964, titled “Can’t Buy Me Love?” Say you don’t need no diamond ring and I’ll be satisfied. Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can’t buy.
I don’t care too much for money,
money can’t buy me love. This sounds awfully similar to the jolt- ing words from the Song of Songs, our own canon’s nod to romance. King Solo- mon interrupts his flowing, sensual, inti- mate love poem with a strikingly sobering cautionary message in Chapter 8:
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, he would utterly be condemned. Message clear: You cannot buy love and anyone who thinks he can is a fool. An enduring lesson — the earlier learned the better. This notion might even extend past the romantic; all the wealth in the world
cannot purchase friendship, self-esteem, or the delight of self-actualization and ful- fillment. The most precious things in life are not for sale — a solid stance we can all get behind. Up next? A 1967 song written by Lennon and McCartney for Ringo Starr. An endear- ing song whose cover by Joe Cocker brings many of us back to that nostalgic 1980s tele- vision show “The Wonder Years,” where it introduced the program each week: “With a Little Help from My Friends.” What would you think if I sang out
of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you
a song
And I’ll try not to sing out of key. Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Mm, going to try with a little help from my friends. A rock song given over to extolling the values of friendship. What could be bad about that? It croons out core ideas intrinsic to lasting companionship and rapport, values similarly emphasized in
our tradition’s Pirke Avot. At the query of his teacher Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, “What is the best trait for a person to pursue in life?” Rabbi Joshua responds, “A good friend.” ’Nuf said. We all get by with a little help from our friends. This 1968 song was written by George Harrison as a test, or perhaps an exercise, in determining the veracity of the Eastern idea of things “being meant to be” versus what he perceived as an American con- viction of coincidence. He opened a book and the first phrase he read was to become the song. What his eyes landed on was the phrase “gently weeps.”
I look at the world and I notice it’s
turning
While my guitar gently weeps.
Every mistake, we must surely be
learning
Still my guitar gently weeps. These mystical words and the musical arrangement of the song strike a chord of melancholy and a gentle inevitable pattern
X PAge 27
Monthly Lunch and Learns with Temple’s Rabbis. Join one of our Rabbis for a monthly Rabbis will present on a variety of will be distributed to the
October 3 - June 24
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
FILM FESTIvAL PREvIEW
11
Poland still grappling with ‘Aftermath’ of Holocaust
MichAEL Fox special to jtNews
Wladyslaw Pasikowski’s extraordinary “Aftermath” is a rare, delicious example of a filmmaker fearlessly exposing a griev- ous chapter in his or her country’s history. You can well imagine that everyone pre- fers that the secret, and the amoral failings of a prior generation, remain buried, but one strong soul has chosen to invite the skeletons out of the closet. The Polish director’s masterstroke is to wrap his harrowing exposé of World War II crimes and contemporary cover- ups inside the onionskin layers of a seduc- tive thriller. A slowly unfolding mystery that grows steadily darker, “Aftermath” is crackerjack entertainment capped with an unforgettable gut-punch. German filmmakers have examined the Third Reich and the Holocaust since the early ’50s, confronting every aspect of the Nazis’ undeniable guilt. Polish direc-
tors, however, have largely steered clear of the period, with the notable (and con- troversial) exceptions of Andrzej Wajda’s wrenching “Korczak” (1990) and Agnieszka Holland’s powerful “In Darkness” (2011). Their dilemma is that the Poles, to this day, largely deny the accusation that they participated with the Nazis in the murder of Jews. (Or that they
opportunistically used the invasion and the war as a cover for eliminating Jews.) “Aftermath” shines a bright light on the dark canard of Polish
courtesy sjff
Ireneusz Czop plays Jozef, who came home to Poland to an unpleasant surprise in “Aftermath.”
innocence — literally, in a middle-of-the- night climax — and the revelation could not be more shocking.
if you go
“aftermath” screens as a part of the seattle jewish film festival on Wed., march 5 at 6:10 p.m. at the siff cinema Uptown, 511 Queen anne ave. n, seattle. visit www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for tickets and information.
“It is a difficult and complex subject,” Pasikowski explained in an interview with Variety last year, “and one that runs against the Polish image of the country as being both a heroic fighter against Nazism and a victim, which is also true.” “Aftermath” begins with the return of the prodigal son to the village of his
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FILM FESTIvAL PREvIEW
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
The incredible, incredibly important story of Linor Abargil
ERin PiKE special to jtNews
“Brave Miss World” is an absolute must-see documentary about Linor Abar- gil, the winner of the 1998 Miss Israel and Miss World pageants, and her journey as
she becomes a fearless activist for victims of rape. Abargil was raped six weeks prior
to the 1998 Miss World pageant, an event
that she publicly recounted, and painstak- ingly pursued legal justice for. The film fol- lows her story as she continues to deal with the daily and long-term effects of rape, and as she begins to reach out to other victims so she can inspire and support them. Abargil introduces viewers to rape sur- vivors of a diverse range of ages, nation- alities, abilities, and gender. Yes, it is emotionally draining and horrifying to observe so many stories of injustice and violence, but the film ultimately provides hope in its revelation that simply speak- ing openly about rape is often the first step toward true healing. The documentary is brilliantly struc- tured — we see Abargil gain momentum
in her cause, we are exposed to the con- cerns and objections from her family,
we see her become overwhelmed by the weight of others’ stories, and finally, we see her find ultimate healing in her career as
a legal advocate and in religion and faith.
Director Cecilia Peck does an outstanding job of shaping the fullest possible picture
of how sexual violence inevitably alters
a person’s life forever, and demonstrates
how Abargil’s bravery is genuinely heroic. Though centered on Abargil’s life, the film is truly about the bigger subject of sexual violence. “Brave Miss World” smashes the taboo of rape as a subject of conversation and offers a rare insight into the international epidemic and its life- long effects on victims. The specific medium of film documen- tary is also to be commended as an excel- lent choice for this story. Too often, rape is simply a detail in a minute-long news excerpt, or an “unfortunate incident” in the plots of television shows or movies.
courtesy sjff
Linor Abargil, a former Miss World from Israel who was raped just months before winning her crown, has made helping women in similar situations her life’s work.
We see rape (usually) portrayed as some- thing bad, and yet we aren’t directly con- fronted by how it, tragically, never fully goes away in the life of the victim. By
if you go
“brave miss World” screens as a part of the seattle jewish film festival on thurs., march 6 at 6 p.m. at the siff cinema Uptown, 511 Queen anne ave. n, seattle. visit www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for tickets and information.
watching a feature-length documentary about one person’s experience, and her subsequent exceptional activism, we see the full, comprehensive life-long path of recovery — complete with emotional, psy- chological, physical, legal, and spiritual repercussions. It is the most honest depic- tion possible. Warning: Brave Miss World may inspire you to become an activist. Survi- vors and supporters alike, this is a docu- mentary every human should see.
Hotel Lux: Survival’s constant cabaret
ERin PiKE special to jtNews
Germany, 1933: Two performers, Sieg- fried Meyer and Hans Zeisig, star in a Hitler/Stalin comedy act. As Hitler gains power and control, Meyer joins the resis- tance and Zeisig is asked to portray increas- ingly offensive Jewish stereotypes. With conditions in Germany growing worse each day, Zeisig decides to leave for Hollywood, but due to a lack of proper paperwork, ends up in Moscow at Hotel Lux instead.
if you go
“hotel Lux” screens as a part of the seattle jewish film festival on sat., march 8 at 6 p.m. at the stroum jcc, 3801 e mercer Way, mercer island. visit www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for tickets and information.
courtesy sjff
Michael Bully Herbig and Jürgen Vogel made a few wrong turns in the
comedic “Hotel Lux.”
The film follows Zeisig into the hotel,
a Communist home for exiles, bursting
with rats and paranoia. There, he runs into Meyer’s friend, Frida von Oorten, a woman in whom Zeisig has developed a romantic interest. The two continue to cross paths as Zeisig, through mistaken identities and general hijinks, gains Com- munist rank and security by acting as Sta- lin’s astrologist. Written and directed by Leander
Haussmann, “Hotel Lux” is a pleas- ant combination of comedy, romance, and adventure, set against a dark back- drop of political and social upheaval. Because of its come- dic tone, the story’s moments of violence and tragedy hit a bit harder; the comedy provides a more real- istic gauge for such horrific events that
were commonplace during that time. The heart of the story is in the strength and subtle flexibility of Zeisig. Somehow, he finds a way to fearlessly hold on to his own identity, even as he must shift into other identities so he can survive. The film does an excellent job of making this con- stant, delicate unevenness palpable; every knock on the door could be Hitler or Stalin, the rifle could be aimed at anyone,
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Why would Jews work with Wagner? It’s complicated
MichAEL Fox special to jtNews
Art challenges us with all manner of serrated edges, not least the paradox that beautiful and beloved works can be pro- duced by loathsome — or at least deeply flawed — people. I find that it becomes easier over time to ignore the repugnant personalities and bad behavior and simply savor the music or painting or novel. A much more stren- uous mental gymnastic was required for conductor Herrmann Levi, pianist Joseph Rubinstein, and producer Angelo Neu- mann to work with Richard Wagner for as long as they did. Or so one gleans from “Wagner’s Jews,” a one-hour documentary made for Euro- pean television and screening in the Seat- tle Jewish Film Festival. Perhaps of greatest interest to amateur psychologists, as well as classical music and opera buffs, the film provides valuable background and insight for viewers who aren’t steeped in Wagner’s soaring music or his callous writings. Constructed from a prosaic mix of talk- ing-head interviews, 19th-century photo- graphs, and woodcuts, “Wagner’s Jews” attempts the daunting task of reconciling the loyalty and devotion that key Jewish collaborators felt toward Wagner with the demeaning anti-Semitism of his public writings (and, incredibly, in his direct dealings with Levi and Rubinstein). Wagner’s animus toward Jews, expressed in a lengthy 1850 essay that he revised and reprinted nearly two decades later, could hardly have been based on his personal relationships with Jews. He owed much of his success to people like Giacomo Mayerbeer, a prominent Ger-
if you go
“Wagner’s jews” screens as a part of the seattle jewish film festival on sun., march 9 at 12:30 p.m. at the stroum jewish community center, 3801 e mercer Way, mercer island. visit www.seattlejewishfilmfestival. org for tickets and information.
man-Jewish composer who supported and touted the young Wagner, and the great Polish-Jewish pianist Carl Tausig, who sold patron certificates to fund construc- tion of the opera house at Bayreuth. Jews, Wagner wrote, were a “destruc- tive foreign element” rather than a legiti- mate, organic part of German society or culture. Jewish artists were able to imitate but nothing more, he declared. How could such first-rate musicians and valuable collaborators as Levi and Rubenstein work side by side with an unabashed racist? Well, to sum up the varied perspectives of the assembled his- torians and biographers: It’s complicated. Classical music and opera were the cul- tural pinnacle of Europe in the late 1800s, and the undeniably gifted Wagner stood at the highest peak. My hunch is that Levi and Rubinstein were inspired and satisfied that they were applying their talents to the highest purpose. If they had to endure per- sonal insults, humiliation and anguish — and there is ample evidence that they did — they would.
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friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
FILM FESTIvAL PREvIEW
13
precocious bar mitzvah boy propels zigzagging family flick
MichAEL Fox special to jtNews
An unabashed crowd-pleaser in a Day- Glo package, “The Zigzag Kid” transports young-at-heart viewers on a magic carpet of charming hijinks and manic energy. Belgian director Vincent Bal has trans- posed vaunted Israeli novelist David Grossman’s beloved 1994 coming-of- age adventure fantasy from the Promised Land to a candy-cane Europe. The result is a confection of a film that dispenses laughs and life lessons en route to a poi-
gnant moral about the blood ties that bind.
A family film whose most ardent admir-
ers will be children, “The Zigzag Kid” is fueled by primal adolescent urges. Not the ones you’re thinking of, but the pressing need to comprehend the past, navigate the present, and manipulate the future. The opening credits immediately set the tone in smile-inducing style, employ- ing split-screens, a full-spectrum palette, and a pop score to evoke the spy movies (and parodies) of the 1960s and ’70s. As his 13th birthday approaches, cute- as-a-bug Nono is starting to figure out he
can’t abide the rules and conventions that most people passively accept. He’s not a
rebel — he admires his detective father to the extent that he mimics Dad’s deductive skills and wants to follow in his gumshoes
— so much as a creative thinker and fear-
less experimenter. The title comes from Nono’s icono- clasm, as well as the gold pin in the shape of a Z that the world’s greatest thief, Felix Glick, leaves behind as his signature. But I’m getting ahead of the story. After one of Nono’s bright ideas accidentally sends a cousin’s Bar Mitzvah reception up in smoke, our erstwhile hero is dispatched to boring Uncle Shmuel as punishment. But Dad’s plan is derailed within moments of Nono boarding the train, launching the lad on a mission that takes him to the south of France and back. “The Zigzag Kid” is tons of fun as it sets its inspired plot in motion, while Nono is a splendid protagonist who never devolves from endearing to tiresome. It helps that he’s aware he’s not completely self-suffi-
cient, for that dollop of humility tempers his precociousness. In fact, Nono relishes the mater- nal attention and affection of his father’s (ahem) live-in secretary, Gaby. The boy never knew his mother, who died when he was an infant, and he’d be very happy if the current domestic arrangement contin- ued ad infinitum. Suffice it to say that Nono crosses paths with the 60-something Felix Glick, who quickly presents himself as an alternate role model with his blend of resourceful- ness and suaveness. At a certain point, especially for those adults who have sussed out the relation- ships between the characters before Nono does, the pieces start to click into place, dissipating the film’s aura of cleverness. Everyone likes a happy ending, sure — although be advised a tragedy is revealed en route — but “The Zigzag Kid” trum- pets an allegiance to the primacy of the two-parent family that is downright Spiel- bergian.
if you go
“the Zigzag Kid” opens the seat- tle jewish film festival on march 1 at amc pacific place 11. visit www. seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for tick- ets and information.
courtesy sjff
Jessica Zeylmaker and Burghart Klaussner play the committed but not-too-committed couple in Vincent Bal’s “The Zigzag Kid.”
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any faucet could be bugged with a listen- ing device by the government. The fear is crippling, and yet Zeisig, forced to notice the political reality that he was initially indifferent to, continues on.
Dark setting aside, there is a quality of magic in “Hotel Lux” provided by the glamour of the era’s style, and the inter- esting nature of real-life performance in the most dire of situations. At times, the shifts between scenes — a constant push against the boundaries of what it means,
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I don’t mind admitting that “Wagner’s
Jews” demolished my ignorant assumption that the Nazis had simply embraced and promoted Wagner as an icon of superior Aryan accomplishment. In fact, the high- profile composer originated the theory that Jews were outsiders and parasites, provid- ing a template for Hitler to build his plat- form of hatred and annihilation.
This crucial fact explains the fervid opposition to the proposed performance of Wagner’s work in Israel for the first time. The 2012 controversy provides a compelling contemporary frame for “Wagner’s Jews,” and invites us to grapple with the enduring conundrum of separat- ing the creator from his or her creation. Herrmann Levi and Joseph Rubinstein had the same problem, in spades.
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childhood after many years in America. Although the surroundings and the people are familiar, Jozef (Maciej Stuhr) sees them through an outsider’s eyes. It’s a clever way of setting the scene, for we immediately identify with Jozef’s point of view. As attractive and charismatic as Jozef is, though, we’re put off by his casual, anti- Semitic putdowns of people he works with (or for) in Chicago. It’s another canny move by Pasikowski, for it limits our iden- tification and comfort level with the main character. The younger brother, Franciszek (Ire- neusz Czop), has been running the family farm since Jozef left. Jozef’s arrival is for- tuitous, however, for Franciszek’s placid, small-town routine has been disrupted by a serious yet initially indefinable threat. Actually, we’ve felt a sense of fore- boding since Jozef got off the plane. The moment he set foot on the road leading to
the farm, an unseen entity — friend or foe?
— made its presence felt. It would be wrong to reveal any more of the plot and deprive the viewer of the plea- sure of Pasikowski’s carefully thought-out structure. “Aftermath” is the kind of film where every line of dialogue and every camera movement have a purpose, even if we only realize it after the fact. Ambitious, complex, shocking and wholly satisfying (admittedly, in a dis- turbing way), “Aftermath” is a beautifully executed example of a film that draws on heavy-duty historical reality without exploiting or trivializing it. At the same time, it somehow also manages to inte- grate an otherworldly dimension into a wholly realistic story. Above all, the film takes on Poland’s World War II-era history and its ongoing silence with intelligence, style and — at the crucial juncture — unflinching cour- age. “Aftermath” is a movie to be savored, admired and celebrated.
in a metaphorical sense, to be on-stage or off — evoke Baz Luhrmann-style theat- rics. “Hotel Lux” also employs the use of Chaplin-esque depictions to highlight sit- uational absurdities of the Nazi and Com- munist regimes — effective, disturbing,
and also hilarious. “Hotel Lux” is a visual and emotional delight: It is an enjoyable tale of love, friend- ship, and how a sense of humor and a pre- disposition for rebellion and mischief may truly be the most necessary traits in life.
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bAR & bAT MITzvAH CELEbRATIONS
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
special advertising section
Bar & Bat Mitzvah Celebrations
Twelve tips for choosing the perfect venue for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah
1. Does the venue have easy access to major synagogues in the area?
2. Is there sufficient parking?
3. Do they offer full-service event management (provide all the details for catering and banquet room)?
4. Is there sufficient space for the meal, entertainment and dancing?
5. Is the staff easy to work with?
6. Can you serve alcohol?
7. Is the venue an interesting place for your party?
8. Is a location with a view important?
9. Do you need a lot of decorations or is the venue charming enough to avoid having to purchase numerous items?
10. What other amenities are available, such as an LCD projector, a plasma-screen TV, or special lighting?
11. Are there extra charges for each of the amenities?
12. Will there be multiple invoices or one banquet check?
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ACme Bowling, Billiards & events |
17 |
Greatest of Days |
17 |
Napkin Friends |
18 |
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Ben & Jerry’s |
16 |
Hebrew Free Loan Association |
19 |
Onionskin Design Studio |
15 |
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Cinema Books |
18 |
Herzl-Ner Tamid Judaica |
19 |
Radio DJ Parties |
17 |
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Crazy moe’s Hand in Wax |
20 |
Kaspars events & Catering |
19 |
Red Fish Blue Fish |
15 |
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Dani Weiss Photography |
14 |
madison Park Café Catering |
18 |
The Ruins |
16 |
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embassy Suites |
19 |
marianna Trio |
20 |
Sparkll Invitations |
15 |
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emmanuel Rug Specialists |
20 |
marriott Redmond Town Center |
19 |
Woodland Park Zoo |
16 |
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events-4Life |
17 |
matzoh momma Catering |
18 |
Woodmark Hotel |
14 |
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meryl Alcabes Photography |
20 |
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friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
bAR & bAT MITzvAH CELEbRATIONS
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special advertising section
ACME Bowling, Billiards & Events
ACME Bowling, Billiards & Events is the perfect spot for any occasion that requires fun! Their premium event services are custom tailored to ensure every detail of your event is perfectly executed, from start to finish. From B’nai Mitzvah to corporate events, from 10 to 1,000 guests, ACME Bowl delivers excitement and thrills for all ages. ACME Bowl features Seven10, their 10-lane private bowling area that offers an upscale lounge environment with custom leather couches and an exclusive 700-square-foot boardroom adjoining. Go for strikes at The Alley, with 30 state- of-the-art lanes and the latest in automatic pinsetter capabilities. To add to your experience, enjoy shooting stick on one of their seven pool tables at Q or test your skills on any of their 30 arcade games. With two additional private rooms, Ten Pin and Brooklyn, the possibilities for your events are endless. For more information call 206-340-0202 or visit acmebowl.com.
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream catering, serving Western Washington, is the ultimate way to bring a fun and exciting experience to your next party or event. Ben & Jer- ry’s has always been committed to serving nothing but the freshest and highest quality ice cream possible. Whether you are looking for a new and refreshing way to celebrate a special occasion, thank a client, or congratulate your staff on a job well done, they can accommodate your needs. From scooped ice cream to sundaes and ice cream bars, whatever you choose, their staff will deliver everything right to your event — set up, serve, and clean up! Kosher-certified ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, as well as an array of hot and dry toppings are available. For more information, to reserve a date, or receive a price quote, please visit their catering website at www.wabenjerry.com or contact them toll-free at
877-333-4799.
Cinema Books
Cinema Books is the film bookstore of the Northwest. Collections include biog- raphies of movie stars and directors, glamorous picture books of Hollywood, post- ers, stills and cards of the stars, and technical filmmaking books for the novice
or professional. They also carry criticism and reference film books to lead you to movies you may have missed. Call 206-547-7667 or visit www.cinemabooks.net.
Crazy Moe’s Hand in Wax
Have you ever attended a Bar or Bat Mitzvah party where “Crazy Moe’s Hand In Wax” was making wax hands? If you have seen the crowds of kids around this booth you instantly know this is a popular spot. Everyone wants to be in that line! Even the adults love it! Plenty of fun and anticipation. What’s the attraction? It’s undeniably cool. Those rainbow, multicolored wax hands are incredible in their detail and half the fun is deciding which hand ges- ture you’re going to make like a “peace sign,” “I love you” in sign language, “Ok,” “Hang loose,” “Rock On,” or whatever…. The guests can hardly wait their turn to dip their hand into the soothing wax. The process is as exciting as the finished product. When they walk away with their treasured memento, they can hardly wait to show it off to their friends and you can be sure that they will remember your special event. Crazy Moe’s is a must see, must do, must have! Contact 425-488-0400 or doctor89@gmail.com.
Dani Weiss Photography
Dani Weiss has traveled the world perfecting her skills as a photographer and building a portfolio of her specialty: people and places. Portraits, weddings, B’nai Mitzvah, anniversaries, and family reunions are captured by Dani in a true-to-life documentary style. Dani has been a professional photographer since 1987. In addition to family celebrations photography, she shoots portraits and works free- lance for several publications. Dani won the Best of JTNews in 2012 for the sixth year in a row and has won the Brides’ Choice Award on Wedding Wire three years in a row. She holds a degree in fashion and commercial photography as well as photojournalism. She is currently involved with the Seattle Professional Photogra- phers’ Association and the Greater Seattle Business Association. Contact her at www.daniweissphotography.com or 206-760-3336.
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" Best Ketubah artist in Wa " — jtnews 2012
Invitations English & Hebrew calligraphy Ketubot
joan lItE mIllEr
206 - 527 - 6320
www.onionskindesign.com
Our exciting and interactive Studio-on-the-Go is now a B’nai Mitzvah staple and perfectly complements your party. Now more fun with Green Screen!
scott@redfishphoto.com
redfishphoto.com
425-670-2018
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bAR & bAT MITzvAH CELEbRATIONS
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
special advertising section
W CELEBRATIONS PAge 15
Embassy Suites Bellevue
Whether it’s a wedding, birthday, anniversary, Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, Embassy Suites Bellevue can help make your special day a dream come true, fea- turing a beautiful six-story garden atrium with lush tropical plants, river and cas- cading waterfalls, elegantly appointed ballrooms, delicious food, and two-room suites for your overnight guests. Choose one of their pre-planned menu options, or their executive chef is happy to accommodate custom menu requests. With a great location just off I-90, they offer plenty of free on-site parking. Book an event and mention this ad to receive 10 dozen complimentary hors d’oeuvres (minimum 50-person dinners). Not good with other offers. Call 425-698-6681 or visit www.seattlebellevue.embassysuites.com.
Emmanuel’s Fine Rug & Upholstery Specialists
They’ve been cleaning rugs, carpets, furniture and fine Orientals for more than 107 years. You can count on them! Highest quality carpet cleaning, custom in- plant rug washing, rug repair and upholstery cleaning. They specialize in Orien- tal care, repair and mending and restoration. Emmanuel’s is the place to go for consigned new and antique Orientals, rug sales and appraisals, as well as on-site carpet cleaning and maintenance. Fifteen percent off all in-home services and 30 percent off all cash-and-carry cleaning services. Gift certificates available. For more information call 206-322-2200, fax 325-3841, or visit www.emmanuelsrug.com.
Events-4Life
Events-4Life will organize and supervise all the details so you can relax and enjoy that special moment stress-free. Regardless of the type or size of the event, Events-4Life will take care of it all. They listen to their clients and make sure the event fits their expectations within their available budget. They are committed to creating an unforgettable event according to your style, tradition and personality. The combination of skills, creativity and resources will save you money. Events-4Life works for you! In the meantime, you can focus on your busy schedule and business. They offer partial or full services to fit your wishes and needs. By outsourcing the
event to them, you save money, time and unnecessary hassle. In return, you get a perfect event, and even more important, you get the peace of mind to enjoy it! Call today for a complimentary consultation at ruti@events-4life.com or
425-737-9015.
Greatest of Days
At Greatest of Days, they say “We Coordinate, You Celebrate!” If you want your creativity and your personality to be represented throughout your Bar/Bat Mitzvah or wedding, they believe in brainstorming any idea. The most important thing for them to do is listen. If you want a day with added touches that perhaps only have special meaning to you to help you relax or give you an extra smile, they can incor- porate that into your event. If you want a Bar or Bat Mitzvah designed to match your child’s personality, style and your budget, they can introduce you to vendors who will become a hand-picked team for your special day. They treat every event with as much care as if it was their own. Wishing you the Greatest of Days! For more information, contact Janis Flagg, 27111 167th Pl. SE, Suite 105-242, or call 206-604-1908.
Hebrew Free Loan Association
Do you need to borrow money for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah? Struggling with paying all your bills, Jewish school fees, college tuition or sending your children to summer camp? Maybe you are starting a business? Do you have difficulty quali- fying for a commercial loan? Jewish residents of Washington State may qualify for an interest-free loan up to $5,000. The Hebrew Free Loan Association, a 501(c)(3) organization, has been provid- ing interest-free loans to Washington Jews since 1914 in accordance with Exodus 22:24: “If thou lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.” Loan requests are handled with discretion and complete confidentiality. Repayment terms are individualized. Call 206-722-1936 or email HFLA-Seattle@yahoo.com or visit www.hfla-seattle.com for information on getting a loan, donations, or joining their volunteer board.
TAKE YOUR EVENT OUT OF THE ORDINARY…
AND INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY!
Seattle’s beloved and award-winning community resource is the perfect setting for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, company picnics or dinners, family reunions, and other
private celebrations. For more information call 206-548-2590 or email groupsales@zoo.org
WWW.ZOO.ORG
Photos : Christopher Gendron (top left); Unknown (top right); Caroll Roll (center); Dennis Dow,WPZ (bottom)
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Catering Available for Your Next Birthday Celebration |
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www.theruins.net 206-285-7846 |
570 Roy Street Seattle, WA |
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friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
bAR & bAT MITzvAH CELEbRATIONS
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special advertising section
Herzl-Ner Tamid Judaica Shop
Herzl-Ner Tamid Judaica Shop has what you need for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah cel- ebration — from traditional to unique, artisan to boutique, come see an amazing variety of merchandise to make your Bar/Bat Mitzvah special! Herzl-Ner Tamid Juda- ica Shop has a wide selection of tallitot in many fabrics, sizes, and colors available to choose from; they also carry an array of ritual items, plus they offer a gift registry! Customized kippot orders are available in many different fabrics, colors, designs and styles. Open Wednesdays 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., some Sundays, and by appointment for your convenience. Please call the shul office at 206-232-8555 or Kari Haas at 206-719-2224 to make an appointment, or visit 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
Kaspars Special Events & Catering
You will remember your special day for the rest of your life, so choosing the right partners to help you is an important decision. The team at Kaspars Special Events and Catering, with more than 22 years of experience and a reputation for excellence, will support you through the entire planning process, including venue selection, menu creation, the ceremony, and reception planning, ensuring you are stress-free. Family owned and operated, Kaspars’ passion is to provide creative, fresh cui- sine, and superior service at a reasonable price. They cater to groups of all sizes, both within Kaspars as well as at off-site locations, including private homes. Whether you are entertaining a few or a few hundred guests, the elements for suc- cess are the same: Superb fare, impeccable service, the proper ambience, and the right caterer! Kaspars Special Events and Catering has it all. Visit www.kaspars.com, call 206-298-0123 or fax 206-298-0146.
Madison Park Café Catering
Karen Binder, formerly of the Madison Park Café. Full-service professional catering for all life passages in the Jewish community for over 35 years. Let Madison Park Café help plan your Bar or Bat Mitzvah or your special event. Providing delicious, seasonal food, professional rentals, flowers and bar service. B’nai Mitzvah, weddings, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners and
post-wedding brunches. Retail wine offered at discount prices at “Binder’s Bottles.” Contact Karen Binder at 206-324-4411 or madisonparkcafe@aol.com.
Marianna Trio
For all your special occasions, weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and all your other simchas. Jewish and world music. Traditional and contemporary. Dance and con- cert. Many years of experience in all types of music. For more information about their music trio, please call 206-715-8796 or visit www.mariannagroup.com.
Marriott Redmond Town Center
Located among the gorgeous scenery of Redmond, the Redmond Marriott Town Center has everything to celebrate the perfect Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Surround your
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206-261-0908
dj prices start at $349
call now for a $100 discount
www.radiodjparties.com
dj@aradiodj.com
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bAR & bAT MITzvAH CELEbRATIONS
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
special advertising section
Catering With a Personal touCh
Your Life CYCLe event is our speCiaLtY
Bar & Bat Mitzvah Kiddush Luncheons
206-324-6262
PiP and MiriaM Meyerson
Serving the Community for more than a quarter century
W CELEBRATIONS PAge 17
loved one and all your special guests in the welcoming warmth of its beautifully dec- orated reception areas. With more than 10,000 square feet of flexible space, you’ll have the ideal venue to host an intimate affair for your closest family and friends to a grand gathering for everyone to enjoy. Allow their Marriott-certified event profes- sionals to help you create the day, from the décor to finding the right photographer to setting the menu to your exact desires. They’ll be on hand to make sure every detail is covered and everything runs exactly as you wish. The Redmond Marriott Town Center is the perfect venue for any simcha — their expert staff will make sure you have the wedding of your dreams, too. Sit back, relax and let them set the stage for a day your loved one, and all your special guests, will treasure forever. Mazel tov! Call 425-498-4040 or visit redmondmarriott.com today.
Matzoh Momma Catering
Jewish comfort food at its most elegant. Matzoh Momma specializes in Bar and Bat Mitzvah kiddush luncheons that are fresh, bountiful and beautifully presented, with service that is uniquely personal. They will help you create the perfect event to mark the joyous occasion of your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. References available. Call Pip and Miriam Meyerson at 206-324-6262.
Meryl Alcabes Photography
Voted “Best Event Photographer” in the JTNews 2013 Best of Everything reader survey, Meryl Alcabes is an award-winning Seattle photographer known for her inspired events and her colorful, expressive portraits. Meryl’s creativity and enthusiasm are unmistakable hallmarks of her images. Her rapport with people is evident in her work. She has mastered public relations, retail store management and guinea pig ownership, but found her focus in freelance photography. Meryl looks at life through her trademark red glasses, while capturing vibrant and unique images of children and adults. Her work has been featured in Seattle Magazine, JTNews and the West Seattle Blog. One of her images was chosen for display on a Seattle bus shelter near the Seattle Design Center. She has exhibited at Photo Center Northwest, Seattle Cen- tral Community College, and at the West Seattle Art Walk. Meryl loves to hear those special words, “Wow — your camera takes really good pictures!” Contact Meryl by phone at 206-795-5567, or through her website at www. merylalcabes.com.
Napkin Friends
Bring the Napkin Friends food truck to your Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration, and enjoy the sandwich that has become an overnight Seattle sensation. Created by
renowned Chef Jonathan Silverberg, the “Latke Press Sandwich” is a gluten-free delicacy that is at once fun and traditional. Rather than bread, this panini is served up between two golden-brown potato pancakes in a variety of delicious combina- tions, including vegetarian options. Jonny takes his grandmother’s latke recipe as his inspiration, combining his childhood culinary memories, his love for his grandmother, and more than 10 years of experience as a chef. In the months since the truck’s launch, Napkin Friends has already received substantial acclaim in the food world, including men- tions in a number of “best-of” lists.
Contact them at 206-459-4936 or info@napkinfriends.com. Better yet, check out their video at Napkinfriends. com.
Onionskin Design Studio
Voted by JTNews readers as 2012’s Best Ketubah Artist in Washington State, Joan Lite Miller specializes in one- of-a-kind invitations for weddings and B’nai Mitzvah, custom ketubot, Eng- lish and Hebrew calligraphy, expressive hand lettering, original paper-cuts and logo design. For more information, call 206-527- 6320 or visit www.onionskindesign.com.
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
bAR & bAT MITzvAH CELEbRATIONS
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special advertising section
Radio DJ Parties
Radio DJ Parties is your ultimate party experience! Every Wedding and Bar/Bat Mitzvah party starts with a great MC such as MC Understanding. When you add the most entertaining motivational party dancers from America’s Best Dance Crew and top it off with the award-winning and world-famous DJ SUPERDAVE — WOW! You’ve got an amazing simcha celebration! Good Music Entertainment is just the beginning. Radio DJ Parties offers you exclusive extras that will make your party stand out, includ- ing free photo booth service. Email dj@aradiodj.com, visit www.radiodjparties.com or call 206-261-0908.
Red Fish Blue Fish Photography
Red Fish Blue Fish Photography has been photographing B’nai Mitzvah since 2004 and they love it! Their experienced team captures it all, from donning the tallit to family portraits and holding the Torah to the last lift in the hora. They’ll be there to capture it in style. Studio-on-the-Go is now a B’nai Mitzvah staple and the perfect complement to your party! You’ll love the large, professional, lights-and-backdrop studio with immediate on-site printing. With no walls to box you in, there are no limits to what you can do and who you can squeeze in. Families, couples, BFF’s — you name it, they can capture it. Just grab your favorite prop and hop in! Their photographer will help you look your best and guests will walk away with a beautiful print in a personalized folder. It’s a fun, interactive activity and great party favor! Call Jennifer and Scott at 425-670-2018 or visit www.redfishphoto.com.
The Ruins
The Ruins is a private dining club in Lower Queen Anne with catering available to the public. The founder and creator, Joe McDonnal, built a mansion inside of a warehouse with a small garden area and four beautifully appointed rooms. The rooms used collectively can accommodate up to 150 for a seated dinner or 250 for a stand-up cocktail reception. From beginning to end, their professional staff
and beautiful venue will offer you and your guests a truly unique and memorable experience. Contact The Ruins at 206-285-RUIN or visit www.theruins.net.
Sparkll Invitations
Sparkll draws their inspiration from their clients themselves. At Sparkll, your event
is singular. Their custom designs reflect the uniqueness of your event, your style and
your personalities. Tap into their creativity for your ideal invitation suite. Mention this ad and receive a 10 percent discount. Contact 206-388-8817 or info@sparkll.com.
Woodland Park Zoo
Events at the zoo are a roaring good time! Set among 92 lush and beautiful acres, the zoo is the perfect venue for private events of all kinds. With 11 unique spaces to choose from, your groups of 20 to 250 will enjoy an event on the wild side. By hosting your event at Woodland Park Zoo, you help save animals and their habitats both here in the Northwest and around the world. Celebrate local, save global! Groupsales@zoo.org or 206-548-2590.
Woodmark Hotel
Celebrate your special simcha at the Woodmark Hotel, voted the best venue for
a Bar and Bat Mitzvah by JTNews readers in 2012. At the Woodmark, they under-
stand the importance of this cherished rite of passage. Delicious and decorative cuisine created by their culinary staff complements the magnificent shoreline and yacht harbor view seen from the Marina Room and Bayshore Room — perfect fits for a variety of party sizes. The Woodmark boasts over 9,000 square feet of versatile event space, with beautiful indoor and outdoor settings for parties, Shabbat dinners, brunches, cere- monies, and celebrations for up to 200 guests. Your guests will savor delicious and unique dishes created specifically for your event, as well as kosher-style cuisine. Contact 425-827-1986 or celebrate@thewoodmark.com and talk to a Wood- mark catering manager to get started on planning your special event.
Open Wednesdays 11am–3pm & some Sundays by appointment
Call 206-232-8555 • 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island
Interest-free lending with dignity.
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SPRING bOOkS
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
Books: Pairing personal history with world history
DiAnA BREMEnT jtNews columnist
The words “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah,” automatically brings a certain
tune and song to the minds of almost all readers. Whether or not you were alive when this Allan Sherman song became
a hit, most Americans know it or have
heard it parodied — though it was already
a parody of Ponchielli’s “Dance of the
Hours.” Part of Sherman’s brilliance was pairing his decidedly mediocre voice with beautiful orchestral arrangements and backup singing. Mark Cohen’s Overweight Sensa- tion: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sher- man (Brandeis, cloth, $29.95) brings the life of expert song parodist and come- dian Allan Sherman vividly to life, and in great detail. Sherman was a poster boy for the truism that the foundation of success- ful comedy is tragedy. A neglected child, he was passed from relative to relative. It was during the short, but relatively stable time in the care of his grandparents that he learned about Jewish culture, but it was enough to be able to accurately skewer Jewish Americans of that time. Sherman carried his childhood angst into adulthood of excesses of food, work and booze. Fully integrated into the ’60s popular culture, his story reads like an episode of television’s “Mad Men.” Even when his income couldn’t justify it, whether he was writing Broadway shows in New York or television shows in Los Angeles, he insisted on living larger than life, albeit for too short a time.
Whether readers are interested only in Sherman, or in the history of that era, this book is interesting on many levels. This Sherman fan’s only complaint is that two of his later and most brilliant songs are given short shrift, probably because they never achieved the popularity of “Letter from Camp” referenced above. Those would be “You Went the Wrong Way Old King Louis” (“We’re gonna take you and the queen/down to the guillotine/ and shorten you a little bit”) and “Good Advice” (“good advice costs nothing and it’s worth the price”). Set in 1960s Kansas City, the fictional coming-of-age story, Saving Dr. Block (independent, paper, $14.95), dovetails nicely with Sherman’s biography, illus- trating the racism and anti-Semitism common to that time through the eyes of 12-year-old Howard Block. In addi- tion to preparing for his Bar Mitzvah (which includes memorizing a speech the rabbi has written for him!), Howard has decided to help save his father from a fraudulent medical malpractice suit. Modeling themselves after their newest pop culture hero James Bond, Howard and his two best friends save the day and, yes, get the girl, with some enter- taining and touching results. While there are clearly fictional ele- ments, the reader will assume that some of the author’s vivid scenes are drawn from his own childhood. A physician who served as literary editor of the Har-
T u r n i n g
Mounk,
now
vard Lampoon as an undergrad, L.M. Vincent has pub- lished fiction, non- fiction and plays, and
cloth, $26), Mounk recounts his fam- ily’s fascinating story in that country, putting it together with history and politics so it becomes much more than a memoir. “I never thought to question why my family might be so small,” says Mounk of his childhood. His grandparents, Polish Holocaust survivors, turned to the Communist movement as young adults, as did many of their peers. While it saved them from Hitler — Mounk’s grandfather worked in a munitions fac- tory in Siberia during the war — post- war Polish anti-Semitism drove them from their home country and circum- stances found them in Germany. “Since having Jewish ancestors marked me out as alien, or even infe- rior, I was all the more determined to call myself a Jew,” he writes. Perhaps one key to honing Jewish identity is a good dose of alienation. On a similar note, the poetically writ-
ten novel My Mother’s Secret (Putnam, cloth, $19.95), by J.L. Witterick, is a fiction- alized account on the story of righteous gen- tiles Franciszka Halamajowa — the mother of the title — and her daughter Helena. Resi- dents of Sokal, a small Polish town, the Hal- amajowas managed to safely hide two Jewish families and a pacifist German soldier in their tiny house. With a focus on all the mothers involved, the author tells the story in a brief but touching fashion.
divides his time between Boston and Seattle.
t o
Germany, Yascha
a
Ph.D. candidate in political thought at Harvard, tells us how even a 30-something growing up Jewish in Germany couldn’t escape that country’s long and compli- cated history and relationship with Jews. In Stranger in My Own Country (FSG,
baR & bat mitzvah celebRations
friday, february 21, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews
SPRING bOOkS
21
Books in brief
DiAnA BREMEnT jtNews columnist
Holocaust
Helga’s Diary: A Young Girl’s Account of Life in a Concentration Camp by Helga Weiss (Norton, cloth, $24.95). What makes this Holocaust memoir different than others is that the author’s diary sur- vived the Shoah. A quick-thinking 15 year old, she lied about her age when she and
her mother were deported from Terezìn to Auschwitz. She survived Auschwitz, the labor camp at Flossburg, and a forced march to Mauthausen, and was one of only 100 children alive after the war of the 15,000 sent originally from Terezìn to Auschwitz. She gave her diary — some sta- pled-together paper — to an uncle work-
ing in the offices at Terezìn and was able to reclaim and complete it after the war. The book includes reproductions of some of her illustrations she made at that time. The Boxer’s Story by Nathan Shapow (Biteback, cloth, $24.95). Shapow was a pro- fessional boxer, and a champion of his sport in Riga, Latvia, when the Nazi invasion
ended his career. He experienced a differ- ent kind of fight in the ghetto and the work camps. Miraculously, he survived and went to Palestine to help form the Jewish State and now lives in the U.S. It’s an exciting story told with the help of journalist Bob Harris.
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College Planning
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Counselors/Therapists
Jewish Family Service
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Expertise with life transitions, addiction and recovery, relationships and personal challenges —all in a cultural context. Licensed therapists; flexible day or evening appointments; sliding fee scale; most insurance plans.
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Congregation Beth Shalom Cemetery
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Hills of Eternity Cemetery Owned and operated by Temple De Hirsch Sinai ☎☎ 206-323-8486 Serving the greater Seattle Jewish com- munity. Jewish cemetery open to all pre- need and at-need services. Affordable rates • Planning assistance. Queen Anne, Seattle
Seattle Jewish Chapel ☎☎ 206-725-3067 ✉☎ seattlejewishchapel@gmail.com
Traditional burial services provided at all
area cemeteries. Burial plots available for purchase at Bikur Cholim and Machzikay Hadath cemeteries.
Hospice & Home Health
Kline Galland Hospice & Home Health ☎☎ 206-805-1930 ✉☎ pams@klinegalland.org www.klinegalland.org Kline Galland Hospice & Home Health provides individualized care to meet the physical, emotional, spiritual and practical needs of those dealing with advanced illness or the need for rehabilitation. Founded in Jewish values and traditions, our hospice and home health reflect a spirit and philosophy of caring that emphasizes comfort and dignity for our patients, no matter what stage of life they are in.
Tom Brody, agent ☎☎ 425-646-3932
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www.e-z-insurance.com
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We represent Pemco, Safeco, Hartford & Progressive
Orthodontics
425-646-8750
Rebecca Bockow, DDS, MS ☎☎ 425-939-2768
www.seattlesmiledesigns.com
A boutique orthodontic practice,
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Years of experience Rapport with people
Radman Photography Eric Radman ☎☎ 206-275-0553 www.radmanphotography.com Creative and beautiful photography at affordable prices. Bar/Bat Mitzvah, families, children, special occasions.
Senior Services
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22
SPRING bOOkS
JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, february 21, 2014
W BOOK BRIEFS PAge 21
Fiction
Savage Coast, by Muriel Rukeyser (The Feminist Press, paper, $16.95). In her long literary career, Rukeyser was much better known as a poet and a political activist, but she started working as a journalist at age 21 and at 23 she found herself in Bar- celona during the beginning of the Span- ish Civil War. She was already a published poet in the U.S., but her editor severely rejected her novel and she never wrote fic- tion again. As a novel, brought to us here only slightly edited and posthumously, “Savage Coast” doesn’t work that well, although the language has some beauti- ful, poetic components. It rates high, how- ever, in witnessing history as Rukeyser’s protagonist, the young journalist Helen, describes the war from the perspective of someone on the ground. The Canvas, by Benjamin Stein (Open Letter, paper, $16.95). This wonderfully intriguing double novel is two books in one, beginning at either end of the volume and coming together in the middle. Is it possible to lose your memory so completely that you don’t recall your own heinous
deeds of the past? Jan Weschler, an obser- vant Jew living in Munich, receives a mys- terious delivery one Shabbat that causes his life to unravel. On the other side is Amnon Zichroni, a young man from ultra-Ortho- dox Mea Shearim, who is sent away to school when his parents catch him reading “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Whether you read each section separately, or go back and forth between stories, you’ll be on the edge of your seat wondering when and how the two men’s stories will intersect.
Memoir
Now They Tell Me: 50 Life Lessons I Didn’t Learn in School, by Ed Harris (Fifty Tales, paper, $12). JTNews col- umnist Ed Harris, a former technology entrepreneur, has been busy cranking out fiction and non-fiction these past few years. In “Now They Tell Me,” Ed shares short chapters on lessons gleaned from life, and, as the title implies, not what he learned in school. Truisms are often not true, he’s discovered, while falsisms (yes, it’s a word!) might be. Whether you agree with him or not, Ed is always entertaining. The Rabbi and the Nuns, by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, MD (Mekor, cloth,
$19.99). A descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, and an Orthodox rabbi and a psy- chiatrist, Rabbi Twerski has written over 60 books, many of them on the subject of addiction and self-help. Here he turns to stories from his own life, focusing enter- tainingly on his 20 years as director of the department of psychiatry at St. Fran- cis Hospital, a Catholic hospital in Pitts- burgh. A man who walks between many worlds, Twerski brings an interesting and bemused perspective to all that he does. Survival Lessons, by Alice Hoffman (Algonquin, cloth, $13.95). This little book is a treasure of wisdom that this author of 23 adult and young adult novels gleaned from cancer treatment, and an apprecia- tion of all the survivors she has known. She helps us see that “our lives are made up of equal parts of sorrow and joy, and it is impossible to have one without the other.”
Holidays
Passover Parodies: Short Plays for the Seder Table, by Shoshana Hantman (Sidney Books, paper, $15). Only two more months till Passover, folks, but that should be enough time to get this book and start learning your parts for the play
you and your family or friends are going to perform at your seder! Here you’ll find amusing riffs on Pesach themes in the styles of Shakespeare, Harry Potter, “The Lambshank Redemption,” Broadway musical, and many more. (Try “something that’s bloody/something that’s muddy/ something for everyone/a plague for every night” to “Comedy Tonight.”)
Non-Fiction
Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism as Racism, by Gil Troy (Oxford, cloth, $29.95). On Nov. 10, 1975, the UN General Assembly passed Reso- lution 3379, declaring Zionism a form of racism. Afterward, Daniel Patrick Moyni- han, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, made a famous speech” “The United States rises to declare…it will never acquiesce in this infamous act.” Presidential historian Gil Troy examines this historic moment in great depth, calling it the start of a more confrontational, national-interest-driven foreign policy and a moment that marked a rise of neo-conservatism in American poli- tics. Moynihan lost his job, but gained a U.S. Senate seat while American Jews responded enthusiastically in support of Israel.
Kehilla | Our Community
Gary S. Cohn, Regional Director Jack J. Kadesh, Regional Director Emeritus
415-398-7117 technion.sf@ats.org www.ats.org
American Technion North Pacific Region on Facebook
@gary4technion on Twitter
Kol Haneshamah is a progressive and diverse synagogue community that is transforming Judaism for the 21st century.
6115 SW Hinds St., Seattle 98116 E-mail: info@khnseattle.org Telephone: 206-935-1590 www.khnseattle.org
The premiere Reform Jewish camping experience in the Pacific Northwest! Join us for an exciting, immersive, and memorable summer of a lifetime!
425-284-4484
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Where Judaism and Joy are One
206-447-1967
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Temple De Hirsch Sinai is the leading and oldest Reform congregation in the Pacific Northwest. With warmth and caring, we embrace all who enter through our doors. We invite you to share our past, and help shape our future. |
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206.323.8486 |
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www.tdhs-nw.org |
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1511 East Pike St. Seattle, WA 98122 3850 156 th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98006 |
Find out how you can be part of Kehilla —
Call JTNews today.
Children’s books to lighten dark days
By Rita Berman Frischer Twenty-five years ago, the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee recognized children’s author/artist Patricia Polacco for her book The Keeping Quilt, a loving tribute to her family’s past. I was one of those who voted to honor her for showing family continuity through the years, handed down in the form of a warm and comforting quilt. Now you can read not only the 25th anniversary edition of this story, updated to show how the quilt continues to be treasured, but also Polacco’s new and related book, The Blessing Cup (Simon and Shuster ). When her ancestors fled Tsarist Russia, they gave their special china tea service in gratitude to the kindly doctor who had come to their aid and made it possible for them to escape. They kept just a single “blessing cup” so they could continue the ritual of sharing blessings and sips from it on every family occasion. In her
turn, Polacco received the cup from her mother when she married. Truly blessed, even the 1989 California earthquake would not destroy this symbol of family, tradition and love. A great story to read aloud when the family gathers, as are books by the following author. All by herself, Rabbi Sandy Sasso is a lesson in theology, ethics, values, midrash, tradition and morality — her 2013 picture book Creation’s First Light (IBJ Publishing), and some of her other works, are greatly enhanced by the contribution of Joani Rothenberg’s glowing and moving paintings. In this thoughtful book, pictures and words take the light of that first day and evolve it beautifully, relating the creation of the world to the creation of our inner selves, of hope and dreams, of the soul and of love. Open discussion, often Sasso’s prescription for spiritual growth and harmony, is the central theme in The Shema in the Mezuzah: Listening to Each Other (Jewish Lights) also illustrated by Rothenberg, which won the 2012 National Jewish Book Award for Best Illus- trated Children’s Book. However, a pre-schooler doesn’t have to be Jewish to be captivated by the imaginative solution that emerges when opposing factions, fighting over how to affix mezuzot, actually pay heed to the first word of the Shema, and listen.
Ilan Stavans, recent scholar in residence at Temple Beth Am, under- stands differences well. Along with
many respected works for adults, Stavans has written Golemito (NewSouth Books), a unique illustrated book, slim and bright. It might initially appear to be for younger readers but, in its language and message, is definitely for 5th grade and up. A specialist in Latin American and Latino culture and professor at Amherst College, Stavans has produced here a blend of Jewish tradition with a love of Aztec poetry and mythology, as two boys create a miniature golem in response to bullying at their Jewish school. Simple and bold illustrations by Teresa Villegas, artist and graphic designer, underscore the message of courage and determination Sammy finds in the Aztec Warrior Song by Nezahualcoyotl — “I shall never disappear” — a message of inner strength from both his Jewish and Latino traditions.
family calendar
Saturday, february 22
10–11:30 a.m. — family Shabbat morning Kate Speizer at kspeizer@tdhs-nw.org or 206-315-7429 or tdhs-nw.org Families are invited to a brief prayer service (with guitar) and snack, a project or story, and free play. All are welcome, no membership or experience required. Free. At Temple De Hirsch Sinai, 1511 E Pike St., Seattle.
friday, february 28
11–11:30 a.m. — ravenna JewiSh Junction PJ library Story time Kate Speizer at kate@jewishjunction.net or 206-384-6020 or www.facebook.com/JewishJunction PJ Library educator Betsy Dischel leads a free community story time for tots and their caregivers the fourth Friday of the month. At Ravenna Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. NE, Seattle.
friday, march 7
11–11:30 a.m. — northgate JewiSh Junction PJ library Story time Kate Speizer at kate@jewishjunction.net or 206-384-6020 or www.facebook.com/JewishJunction Betsy Dischel leads story time the first Friday of the month at the Northgate branch of the Seattle Public Library. All are welcome to this free community event. At Northgate Library, 10548 Fifth Ave. NE, Seattle.
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And now, taking the field, those heroes of yesteryear! And maybe your hair!
By Ed Harris
It’s easy for me today, in my mid-50s, to find myself sometimes mentally caught in the past. For example, as a youth I possessed a six-inch thick helmet-shaped Jew-fro, which has left me with a permanent sense of myself as a person with a
full head of hair, so lush you could lose your hand in it. As a result, I can never get over a mild shock every time I look in the bathroom mirror and see a bald man staring back at me. I’m also rooted to my childhood sports affiliations. America
is a mobile society, and a lot of people have moved away from
the hometowns where their sports loyalties initially formed. As
a result, it’s not uncommon for many of us to feel a sense of
exile in regard to the sports teams of our youth. This is espe- cially easy in Seattle, a relatively young city that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few decades. My wife is even more removed from her sports roots, as her hometown team was Amsterdam’s Ajax football club in the European league. On Super Bowl Sunday she was as excited about the prospect of watching the Puppy Bowl, with its “barking lot” and “tail” gate parties as she was about that other big game on TV. There is a certain enchantment to the memory of nostalgic childhood athletic heroes. I recently mentioned to Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum of Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congrega- tion, in regard to the relative degree of ease or difficulty in delivering a d’var Torah, that one would prefer a lively portion filled with drama, such as Noah’s Ark or the splitting of the Red Sea, instead of a long, tedious list of “so and so begat so and so who begat so and so.” Rabbi Rosenbaum, however, replied that those seemingly “tedious” lists contain names with a certain magic to them, like hearing a 1950s Yankees lineup being announced over the PA system: Batting third and playing right field, Mickey Mantle; batting fourth and
Abba Knows Best
playing center field, Joe DiMaggio; batting fifth and catching, Yogi Berra. Everyone here in Seattle, or so it seems, is still on an emotional high from the recent Seahawks Super Bowl victory. Heading into the game the Seahawks were regarded as brash and arrogant. But what seemed overdone swagger increasingly resembled well- deserved confidence as the evening progressed and the scoreboard rang up points like a pinball machine. Seattle is a generally low-key town with a quiet, easy-going vibe, so it was impressive to see the incredible outpouring of emotion resulting from the Seahawks’ victory. The team has created a community for its fans, much in the same way our family has found a home in the local Jewish community, with both groups sharing an emotional bond in common. I am happy for my local Seattle friends and neighbors. But I remain a New York Giants
fan. Spectator sports are not a big deal in the Harris mishpacha, which is perhaps my fault, given how I’ve stressed the Giants over the years . Like most young people, my kids spend
a lot of time focused on screens, but television is usually at the bottom of the list, behind video games, Facebook, and YouTube. On occasion, I’ll challenge them to name a single
player from either the Mariners or the Seahawks. Ichiro? Sorry, he doesn’t play here anymore. Will the names Wilson, Sherman, and Harvin ever acquire the mystique of those long-ago Yankee teams? Perhaps. But one thing is for sure: You couldn’t lose the tip of your pinkie
in the seven hairs left on my head, let alone an entire hand. And I should know: There’s a
bald guy who keeps on reminding me every time I glance at a mirror.
Ed Harris, the author of “Fifty Shades of Schwarz” and several other books, was born in the Bronx and lives in Bellevue with his family. His long-suffering wife bears silent testimony to the saying that behind every successful man is a surprised woman.
camp planning
digipen’s projectFUn YoUth programs
Turn your student’s love of video games, animation, arts, and robotics into a life-long passion for learning. ProjectFUN engages students entering grades 1-12 in the arts and sciences by teaching them the tools and techniques of today’s high-tech careers. Workshops offered during the summer at their Redmond campus. Visit projectfun.digipen.edu or contact projectfunadministration@digipen.edu or 425-
629-5007.
one happY camper grants
Jewish summer camp is a proven way to strengthen your child’s Jewish identity. And, kids have the time of their lives at camp. The Jewish Federation helps families get their kids to camp, through needs-based scholarships and One Happy Camper First-Camper incentive grants. Visit www.jewishinseattle.org/camp to find out more.
seattle aUdUbon natUre camp
Seattle Audubon Nature Camp provides fun, hands-on learning for the young and curious naturalist with weekly themes for each age group. Seattle Audubon has been dedicated to providing environmental and nature-based education for the youth of Seattle for 30 years with its summer nature camps. Visit www.seattleaudubon.org or call 206-523-4483.
taproot theatre companY camp
Taproot Theatre Company’s Acting Studio offers camps for pre-K through 12th grade, with programs in comedy, musical theater, Shakespeare, puppetry, stage combat, drama and more. Devoted to the wholeness of the artist with the goal of creating a nurturing environment, they will help your student develop his or her unique gifts. Visit www.taproottheatre.org/classes or contact 206-529-3668.
Urj camp Kalsman
What does a summer at URJ Camp Kalsman look like? Sunshine, swimming, T’filah on the lake, T’filah in the woods, hiking, climbing, art, sports, Tikkun Olam, rocking song sessions, goats on walks, Shabbat shira, friendships, laughter, and a staff of inspiring Jewish role models. Join the fun for Summer 2014! For more information contact 425-284-4484 or kalsman.urjcamps.org.
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