San Diego Jewish World

Tuesday Evening, June 5, 2007    

Vol. 1, Number 36
 

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of San Diego, former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was the first to raise the nuclear issue. "They have 1,000 centrifuges working enriching material that can at some point make a nuclear device," he said. "The United States reserves the right to pre-empt and we may have to pre-empt that nuclear weapons program; we cannot allow them to have a nuclear device..."

Wolf Blitzer, the CNN moderator, asked Hunter if he would authorize the use of tactical nuclear weapons to do that job.

Hunter said he would "if there was no other way to pre-empt those particular centrifuges."  Then, referring to a successful attack launched by Israel against an Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1986, Hunter said, "six F-18s came over the horizon and knocked that out. They didn't need anything but conventional weapons.  Probably it is going to take a little more than that; I don't think it is going to take tactical nukes."

Giuliani said that Iran "has to know it is unacceptable to the United States that they have nuclear power. I think it can be done with conventional weapons, but you can't rule out anything. You shouldn't take any option off the table..."  And he reiterated: "Iran is a threat, a nuclear threat because they are probably the biggest state sponsor of terrorism and they can hand nuclear materials to a terrorist..."

Gilmore said one of the central problems of the Middle East "is the desire of Iran to dominate that portion of the world; that is why I believe they are seeking nuclear capacity.  That is one of the reasons why we are in Iraq, and that is why our soldiers when they fight and die there are in fact serving the interest of the United States—nobody should have any doubt about that.  (Iran) having a nuclear weapon is unacceptable and all options are on the table.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney agreed that all options should be on the table, but he said that rather than dealing with trouble spots one at a time, the United States needs to strategize "how do we move the world of Islam so that moderate Muslims can reject the extreme."  He added that "for that to happen we are going to have to have a strong military" as well as an effort combined with allies "to move Islam to modernity."

Although the candidates were questioned on a variety of issues, it was clear that the Iraq War and the Middle East were uppermost on their minds this evening.  Asked about global warming, Guiliani responded that the United States has "to address it in a way that we can also achieve energy independence, which we need as a matter of national security.  It is really frustrating and dangerous for us to see money going to our enemies because we have to buy oil from certain countries.  We need a project (for energy independence) similar to putting a man on the moon."
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'Boycott Israelis, you also boycott us'—Dershowitz, four Nobel laureates, other scholars vow in petition

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Press Release)—Alan Dershowitz, the Felix Fankfurter Professor
of Law at Harvard University, and four Nobel Prize winners—Daniel Kahneman, Eric R. Kandel, Steven Weinberg and Elie Wiesel—are leading an effort in which professors "hereby declare ourselves to be Israeli academics for purposes of any academic boycott. We will regard ourselves as Israeli academics and decline to participate in any activity from which Israeli academics are excluded."

Kahneman, based at Princeton, won the Nobel Prize for economics; Kandel, from Columbia University, won the Nobel Prize for medicine; Weinberg, at the University of Texas-Austin, won
it in physics and Wiesel, at Boston University, won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Among those joining the prestigious five leaders in signing a petition by Harrisburg-based
Scholars for Peace in the Middle East are Physics Prof. Stanley Deser of Brandeis University, Humane Letters Prof. Roald Hoffmann of Cornell University; SPME President Edward S. Beck, a psychology professor at Walden University; Psychiatry Prof. Paul Appelbaum of Columbia University;  Medicine Prof. John R. Cohn of Thomas Jefferson University; Ruth Lichtenberg-Contreras of the University of Vienna; Stanley Dubinsky, University of South Carolina associate dean;  and Management Prof. Awi Federgruen of Columbia University.

Others are Near Eastern Studies Prof. Lizabeth S.Fried of the University of Michigan; Public
Health Prof. Judith S. Jacobson of Columbia University; Medicine Prof, Richard L. Lubman of
the University of Southern California; Engineering Prof. Edward H. Kaplan of Yale University; Law Prof. Ed Morgan of the University of Toronto; Pharmacology Prof, Joel Pachter of the University of Connecticut;  Medicine Prof. Harvey A. Risch of Yale University; Psychiatry Prof. Bruce Rubenstein of New York Univrsity: Psychology Prof. Marius Usher of the University of London, and Life Science Research Associate Jeffrey Wielgus of the University of British Columbia.

Here is a link to the online petition.

Information for the foregoing article was provided by Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.

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ZOA calls on United Nations to expel Iran
for threats to 'wipe out' member state Israel

NEW YORK (Press Release) —  The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated in a speech on Sunday that last summer's Lebanon war showed "for the first time hegemony of the occupier regime (Israel) collapsed and that pushed the button counting the days until the destruction of Zionist regime."

Ahmadinejad's comments, which were broadcast to the Iranian nation in a speech marking the 18th anniversary of the death of its Islamist founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, also included this threat: "I warn the Zionist regime and its protectors, if you want to launch a new war against the Lebanese people, this time the people's ocean of anger will become stormy and will carry away your decayed roots from this region … The countdown to this regime's destruction started through the hands of Hizballah's children … We will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future thanks to the endeavors of all Palestinian and Lebanese fighters" (Sydney Morning Herald , June 4).

Ahmadinejad has previously called repeatedly for Israel to be "wiped off the map," denied the occurrence of the Holocaust and convened Holocaust denial conferences and cartoon competitions demeaning the Holocaust. His most recent comments drew criticism from Spain's Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, who called them "unacceptable … These words need a strong response" (Jerusalem Post, June 4). France's new Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, echoed Moratinos' words, saying, "I have been informed of comments, quoted by news agencies, in which the Iranian president speaks of the 'annihilation of the Israeli regime.' If these comments were indeed made, they are unacceptable. I condemn them in the strongest terms. Such statements are incompatible with the dialogue between cultures and civilizations to which we are attached and to Iran's aspiration to play a preeminent role in the region. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli-Lebanese relations cannot be used as a pretext for questioning Israel's fundamental right to exist" (Agence-France Presse, June 4).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, "Ahmadinejad is only the most vocal of Muslim leaders calling for Israel's elimination and uttering obscenities like denying the Nazi genocide of Europe's Jews. From the day in 1948, before Israel was created, when the Secretary-General of
the Arab League, Azzam Pasha declared that 'This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades,' Arab and Muslim leaders have been calling for Israel's destruction. What makes Ahmadinejad's repeated
calls for and predictions of Israel's destruction so ominous is that his regime is proceeding unhindered towards acquiring nuclear weapons, which would allow him to carry out his dream. Ahmadinejad says repeatedly that no one will stop him.  (jump to continuation)

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A Herald in Zion....           Notes from Mevasseret Zion                                             Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Vacations without children?  That's not the Israeli way!

MEVASSERET ZION, Israel—Like migrating birds, they spend every winter in Eilat. Their home is in London, but the winter climate makes their old bones ache, and besides, she’s not too keen on housework.

Hearing the unmistakable sound of native London accents in the hotel club-room during our own vacation, we fell into conversation with them. They seemed to be in their seventies and to have spent a lot of time in the sun, judging by their tans.

"Yes, we come here every year, and spend three months in this hotel. We’ve been doing it for the last sixteen years,” they told us. “The hotel staff regard us as family.”

How admirable, we thought, wishing that more British Jews would follow their lead. Little did we realise that we had fallen into a trap.

“But why do Israelis have to take their children with them everywhere?” she complained. “Why can’t we eat in the dining room without having to put up with screaming children? Why does everyone have to wear jeans all the time? Is it a religion? Why do Israelis pile so much food on their plates? Was there a famine? And why is everyone so bad mannered?”

It seemed slightly futile to try and counteract those sweeping generalizations. How does one explain that Israel is not England, that most parents wouldn’t dream of going away without their children, that Israelis enjoy good food, and that people on holiday, especially in the laid-back atmosphere of Eilat, tend to wear comfortable clothes?

After our conversation I took a good look at the other people in the hotel. I saw adorable babies and toddlers and beautiful, lively children. I tried to view those happy families through my acquaintance’s jaundiced eyes, but my imaginative faculties failed me.

Yes, once there was rationing and hardship here, but that was a long time ago. Nowadays Israelis simply want to enjoy themselves. Just like everybody else.

The foregoing article was reprinted from the AJR Journal (Association of Jewish Refugees) in England. 

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Shel Silverstein a legend in winter home, Key West

Editor’s Note: Historic Tours of America, which operates Old Town Trolley Tours  and other
attractions in Key West, San Diego, and a number of other cities around the United States,
publishes a newsletter “The Nation’s Storyteller” every other month.  Noting that April was
National Poetry Month, it published this article about one of Key West’s most celebrated
literary figures.  We reprint it here with permission.

By Joe Mather and Corey Brindisi

KEY WEST, Florida—Shel Silverstein, who had a winter home in Key West, began writing as
a young boy in Chicago. Although he would rather have been playing outside with his friends,
he could not catch or hit a ball, he was not interested in girls or girls were not interested in him
and so he gave his energies to writing. He developed his own style because he was unfamiliar
with the poetry of any great poets of his time.

His works go beyond the writing of poetry and children’s’ literature. He created cartoons for
Stars and Stripes while he was a GI in the 1950’s. He also learned to play the guitar and write
songs, including, "A Boy Named Sue" for Johnny Cash, "The Unicorn" for the Irish Rovers,
"On the Cover of the Rolling Stone" and "Sylvia's Mother" for Dr. Hook and "One on the Way"
for Loretta Lynn. He won a Grammy Award for the Best Children’s Album, “Where the Sidewalk
Ends," in 1984. He was nominated for an Oscar for his music from the film

Postcards from the Edge.Also in 1984, Shel caught up with Pat Dailey, a local hero songwriter, and began a great working
and personal relationship for over fifteen years. Pat Dailey dedicated his album “Great American
Saturday Nite” to his friend. Four of the songs were written by Shel including the title track.

"He always wore loose, casual clothes. Always the bohemian.  He didn't look like a bum, but to
the casual observer.... some people mistook him.  He once went into a bookstore in Key West and
tried to buy some books.  The clerk came back and told him his credit card was no good.  The guy
is worth millions and millions.  He couldn't figure it out, but just said OK and left.  The next day
Shel gets a call from his accountant asking him if he'd lost his wallet recently.  Shel says no.  The
guy from the book store called the credit card company saying some homeless guy was trying to
pass himself off as Shel Siverstein.”

He loved bookstores. Pat drove him to a book store and Pat stayed in the car.  While he was inside
Pat wrote a song about Shel Called "I'm a Chauffeur for a Loafer.” “He loved it."  Dailey loved
Silverstein's casual approach to being one of the best-selling authors and song writers of all time.

“He loved his friends. The time we spent in Key West was great. He laughed a lot. He ate a lot of
sushi. He did a lot of walking.  He never drove a car, so we spent a lot of time walking around
after dinner.  He loved to walk.”

Shel had two children. His first child was daughter Shoshanna (Shanna), with Susan Hastings.
Shanna died of a cerebral aneurysm in Baltimore on April 24, 1982 at the age of 11. Shel dedicated
his 1983 reprint of Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros to Meg and Curtis Marshall. (Shanna’s Aunt
and Uncle who raised her) "It was the single most devastating event of his life, and he never really
did recover from it,” says a close friend.

Shel's other child is son Matthew, born in 1984. Shel's 1996 Falling Up was dedicated to Matt.
Matthew's mother is alleged to be the "Sarah" mentioned in the other thanks for Falling Up.

Shel Silverstein died on May 10, 1999 in Key West of a heart attack. His body was found by two
housekeepers. It was reported that he could have died on either day that weekend (Saturday or
Sunday).

Shel Silverstein is known for his silliness in poems. They are actually quite humorous. So we |
are going to end by sharing one of his many poems. Hope you enjoy it.

Writer Waiting

Oh this shiny new computer ---
There just isn't nothin' cuter.
It knows everything the world ever knew.
And with this great computer
I don't need no writin' tutor,
'Cause there ain't a single thing that it can't do.
It can sort and it can spell,
It can punctuate as well.
It can find and file and underline and type.
It can edit and select,
It can copy and correct,
So I'll have a whole book written by tonight
(Just as soon as it can think of what to write).

P.S. His house is on the Old Town Trolley tour.
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Jews in the News          
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 Like you, we're pleased when members of our community are praiseworthy, and are disappointed when they are blameworthy. Whether it's good news or bad news, we'll try to keep track of what's being said in general media about our fellow Jews. Our news spotters are Dan Brin in Los Angeles, Donald H. Harrison in San Diego, and you. Wherever you are,  if you see a story of interest, please send a summary and link to us at sdheritage@cox.net.  To
see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
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*The late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was quoted in a San Diego Union-Tribune editorial today about how a state should be a "laboratory for democracy" in the newspaper's argument in behalf of permitting California to pursue its own experimental health care policies. 

*U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) and U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (Democrat, san Diego) have persuaded the Federal Aviation Administration to delay switching over the responsibility for aviation in the Palm Springs area to a San Diego facility.  The lawmakers expressed concerns that the San Diego facility, which handles both military and civilian flights, is already understaffed.  The story by Steve Schmidt is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (Democrat, San Diego) says he will post a "congressional reference" to permit Mexican citizen Francisco Rivera to sue the United States court over a used car which he says was purchased from the U.S. Customs Service but which still had a marijuana cache in it, resulting in his arrest in Ensenada.  The story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for a unanimous court, said civil rights lawyers who win a preliminary ruling, but later lose the case on the merits, cannot be considered the 'prevailing side' and thus are not entitled to fees paid by the defendant. The question arose in a case involving civil rights lawyers helping an anti-war group use their nude bodies to create a peace symbol on the beach.  The story by David G. Savage is in today's Los Angeles Times.  Another story by Savage dealt with a 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court in a death penalty case with Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer voting in the minority.

*The California Highway Patrol has recommended that reckless driving charges be brought against state Sen. Carole Migden (Democrat, San Francisco).  The Associated Press story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*Producer David Milch says the new HBO series "John from Cincinnati" about a dysfunctional surfing family will do what many previous shows about surfing haven't—be authentic. The story by Brad Melekian is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*Seth Rogen, a 26-year-old comic from Canada, seems poised to become a well-known star, as a result of his lead role in the movie Knocked Up, which opens at theatres on Friday.  The story by Terry Lawson of MCT News Service is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said a federal indictment returned in Alexandria, Virginia, against Congressman William J. Jefferson (Democrat, Louisiana) accuses him of using his congressional office to enrich himself and his family through various business deals, including some in Nigeria. The story by Richard B. Schmitt and Ann Simmons is in today's Los Angeles Times.

*Sarah Silverman as host of the MTV Movie Awards was so tasteless that she almost made people feel sorry for Paris Hilton.  Geoff Boucher's column is in the Los Angeles Times.

*The jury in the murder trial of record producer Phil Spector heard excerpts read from the diary of shooting victim Lana Clarkson that defense attorneys said were indications that she was suicidal. The story by Matt Krasnowski of Copley News Service is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

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The Jewish Grapevine                                                    
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CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler notes an article on Artuz Sheva quoting Dr. Chanan Naveh of the Israel Broadcasting Authority as saying he and other journalists intentionally slanted the news to persuade Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon...

JEWISH POPULATIONS—Quoting Sergio DellaPergola in the American Jewish Year Book of 2004, the United Jewish Communities lists on its website these estimates for the population of Jews in the following countries: Argentina: 185,000; Australia: 101,000; Austria: 9,000; Azerbaijan: 7,200; Bahamas: 300; Belarus: 22,000; Belgium: 31,300; Bolivia: 500; Bosnia-Herzegovina: 500;
Botswana: 100; Brazil: 96,800; Bulgaria: 2,200; Canada: 371,000; Chile: 20,800; China: 1,000;
Colombia: 3,300; Congo: 100; Costa Rica: 2,500; Croatia: 1,700; Cuba: 600; Czech Republic: 4,000; Denmark: 6,400;  Dominican Republic: 100: Ecuador: 900; Egypt: 100; El Salvador: 100;
Estonia: 1,700;  Ethiopia: 100; Finland: 1,100; France: 496,000; Georgia: 3,800;  Germany: 112,000;  Gibraltar: 600; Greece: 4,500; Guatemala: 900; Hungary: 50,000; India: 5,100; Iran: 10,900; Ireland: 1,200; Israel: 4,940,000; Italy: 28,800; Jamaica: 300; Japan: 1,000; Kazakhstan: 4,000; Kenya: 400; Kygryzstan: 700; Latvia: 8,900; Lithuania: 3,400; Luxembourg: 600;
Macedonia: 100; Mexico: 39,900; Moldova: 5,000; Morocco: 4,000; Namibia: 100; Netherlands: 30,000; Netherlands Antilles: 200; New Zealand: 6,800; Nigeria: 100; Norway: 1,200; Panama: 5,000; Paraguay: 900; Peru: 2,400; Philippines: 100; Poland: 3,300; Portugal: 500; Puerto Rico: 1,500; Romania: 10,500; Russia: 244,000; Serbia-Montenegro: 1,500; Singapore: 300; Slovakia: 2,700; Slovenia: 100; South Africa: 74,000; South Korea: 100; Spain: 12,000;  Suriname: 200; Sweden: 15,000; Switzerland: 18,000; Syria: 100; Thailand: 200; Tunisia: 1,200; Turkey: 17,900;
Turkmenistan: 400; Ukraine: 89,000; United Kingdom: 299,000; United States: 5,290,000; US Virgin Islands: 300; Uruguay: 19,600; Uzbekistan: 5,200; Venezuela: 15,600; Yemen: 200;
Zimbabwe: 500.

IN MEMORY—Short obituaries ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune today for Charlotte Hahn, 80, of San Diego, and Irving Hutkin, 76, of Encinitas. Here is a link to both stories. 

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At age 70, UJF of San Diego is giving itself a facelift

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—The United Jewish Federation of San Diego County (UJF) has reached a milestone; it’s turning 70 this year. But instead of resting on its laurels, UJF leaders
have decided to give the organization a facelift.

“We’re doing things quite differently,” said Michael S. Rassler, UJF Chief Executive Officer,
“We have taken a hard look at many of our operating structures and procedures, and are
streamlining our internal management and governance structures to better align ourselves with
our goals and objectives to better serve the Jewish community.”

After seven decades as one of San Diego’s leading Jewish organizations, UJF is improving the
way it is governed.  Last August, UJF formed a Governance Task Force—chaired by Murray L. Galinson of La Jolla—in an effort to create more effective, efficient and productive management practices.

The new Task Force was created to help the organization adapt to the continuously changing
needs of San Diego’s Jewish community,” said Galinson

“Most people in San Diego didn’t grow up here, so their generational ties aren’t here,” Galinson continued, “You’ll find that people’s connection to the community and levels of affiliation in San Diego are more fluid.”

In a recent demographic study of San Diego’s Jewish community, UJF confirmed that although
the community is growing—there are more than 90,000 members of the Jewish community— the affiliation rate continues to be very low.

According to the study, 54 percent of San Diego’s Jewish families are not involved in Jewish organizations; 44 percent are intermarried; and only 14 percent feel connected to the community
—a trend UJF said stems from changes in society and attitudes in the Jewish community.

“We believe community affiliation is the cornerstone of Jewish life,” Galinson said. “So we work very hard with other Jewish agencies and organizations collaboratively to improve affiliation and levels of participation.”

UJF leaders ultimately hope to attract and engage more members of the Jewish community in the activities, programs and services offered by the various Jewish community agencies, synagogues
and organizations.

Among the key governance changes which were recently approved at a special meeting of the
general membership:

A board of 24 members will replace the existing 82 member board. The new board will be
elected and take office June 19 (at UJF’s Annual Meeting), and each board member will have a specific operational portfolio or area of responsibility.  The Executive Committee will be
restructured from its current 22 members, to the 7 officers and CEO.  Additionally, UJF will
create multiple, short-term opportunities for volunteers to get involved in the organization’s fund development, advocacy, planning and governing processes.

UJF is committed to utilizing the Strategic Planning Report and Recommendations for the San
Diego Jewish community, which was completed in 2005, as a roadmap to guide the new board
and Jewish San Diegans in creating a more unified, active Jewish community.

“Most of the initiatives in the Strategic Plan are new,” said Kenneth D. Polin, UJF president.
“UJF’s role is to be the community planning umbrella and to knit together the individual projects mapped out in the Plan into a comprehensive strategy for the future.”

The preceding story was provided by the United Jewish Federation.

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‘Who Wrote the Bible?’ subject of free AJE mini-course

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Noah Hadas, community adult education director for the Agency for Jewish Education in San Diego, will tackle some knotty Torah questions when he teaches a free mini-course  on “Who Wrote the Bible?” sponsored by the Florence Melton Adult Mini School

Why do there appear to be two creation stories in Genesis? Why did Abraham ask Sarah to
pretend to be his sister two different times? How many animals of each species did Noah bring onto the ark?

Hadas said such questions “will lead us to consider the Documentary Hypothesis, the scholarly assertion that the Torah is a compilation of separate sources.  In this class, we will begin to untangle these sources and shed light on some of the Torah's most puzzling stories.”

And speaking of two’s, the class will be offered in two sessions at two locations: from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Tuesdays, June 19 and 26, at the Agency for Jewish Education offices at 4858
Mercury Street, Suite 100, or from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursdays, June 21 and 28, at the Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family Campus, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla

Information for the foregoing story was provided by the Agency for Jewish Education               

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Used Book Sale to Benefit JCC's Astor Judaica Library

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—The Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family campus, will be transformed into one of the hugest used bookstores in the county on the weekend of Friday, June 8, through Sunday, June 10.

The Seventh Annual Used Book Sale will include thousands of  books on both Judaic and non-Judaic subjects, fiction and non-fiction, and hardcover and paperback books.  Additionally, original prints from the Burston Graphic Center of the Israel Museum also will be on sale.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Samuel and Rebecca Astor Judaica Library.  For more information contact (858) 362-1174. 

The foregoing article was based on information provided by the Astor Judaica Library.