Wexler wants EU to declare
Hezbollah 'terrorist'
WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)—Congressman Robert Wexler (Democrat,
Florida), a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Chairman
of the Subcommittee on Europe, will travel to France next week and meet with
leading French officials, including Foreign Minister Kouchner and members of the
French National Assembly. Wexler also plans to meet with the leaders of the
Jewish and Muslim communities in Paris.
The purpose of Congressman Wexler’s visit will be to strengthen US-French
bilateral relations following the recent election of President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Congressman Wexler will also focus on US-French and US-EU cooperation in the
Middle East specifically as it relates to Israel, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip
and the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas. Last week, Wexler held a
hearing in the Subcommittee on Europe that brought needed attention to the
threat posed by Hezbollah to France, the EU and international community.
Congressman Wexler’s hearing shed light on Hezbollah’s vast network in Europe
and how its omission from the EU list of terrorist groups has strengthened its
operational capabilities in the Middle East and globally. At the hearing Wexler
called on President Sarkozy and EU governments to add Hezbollah to the EU’s
terrorist list.
During the visit Wexler will also focus on defense, security and
non-proliferation cooperation as it relates to thwarting Iran’s nuclear weapons
program, securing Afghanistan and bringing the Balkans fully into the
transatlantic community. Additional topics of discussion will include the
growing French role in Darfur and Chad, Turkey’s European Union’s (EU) accession
and constitutional process, Ballistic Missile Defense cooperation, and Russia.
“America, France and Europe face difficult foreign policy challenges from
Afghanistan to Lebanon and from Iran to Sudan. I look forward to deepening the
US-Franco partnership and transatlantic relations, both of which are central to
global security and stability,” Congressman Wexler said. “I believe America has
an important new partner in President Sarkozy, and I look forward to working
with his government to address common threats to the United States, France,
Europe and Israel.”
The preceding article was provided by the
office of Congressman Wexler
(Return to top)
Anti-Semitic vandalism at Ottawa
cemetery
OTTAWA, Canada (WJC)—Police in
this Canadian capital, are investigating a third incident of vandalism at a
Jewish cemetery in three months.
The ‘Ottawa Citizen’ newspaper reports that tombstones were found overturned on
Tuesday night, June 26, at the cemetery on Bank Street. In addition, some
footstones were destroyed and the irrigation system was destroyed.
In April, vandals spray-painted neo-Nazi graffiti on a wall at the cemetery. The
same month, vandals overturned a number of tombstones. "We believe these
recurring events are linked.“ a police spokesman told the newspaper.
(Return to top)
EJC President calls on
Venezuela's Chavez to curb anti-Semitism
MOSCOW (Press Release)—The newly elected
President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) Viatcheslav (Moshe) Kantor, has
called on the Government of Venezuela and President Hugo Chávez, who is
currently visiting Russia, to address the issue of escalating anti-Semitism in
Venezuela.
Kantor, who is also president of the
Russian Jewish Congress, stated that Venuezuela should make every effort to
ensure the free and safe existence of the local Jewish community, and to
counteract efficiently manifestations and acts of anti-Semitism and xenophobia
in the country.
Kantor was elected President of the
European Jewish Congress by the EJC General Assembly on Tuesday June 26.
The preceding article was provided by the
European Jewish Congress
(Return to top)
Alarmed by
teen glorification of WWII fascism,
Wiesenthal Center urges education in Croatia
LOS ANGELES (Press Release)—The Simon
Wiesenthal Center protested to the Croatian government over the open display of
WWII-era fascist symbols, banners and uniforms by fans at a recent concert in
Zagreb. The headliner act, “Thompson”, proudly promotes Croatian
ultranationalism in their music, sometimes celebrating heroes of the Ustashe--the
fascist party who sided with Hitler during WWII--and heroes of the 1991 Balkan
war, some of whom are suspected war criminals. Especially alarming to the Center
was a song expressing nostalgia for the concentration camps Jasenovac and Stara
Gradiska, where at least 90,000 Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and anti-fascist Croatians
perished at the hands of the Ustashe.
In a letter to Neven Jurica, the Croatian Ambassador to the U.S., Rabbi Abraham
Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center, expressed alarm at the concert,
saying that while the Center respects Croatia’s democracy, “…it is clear that
this kind of behavior, left unanswered, will not only mock the victims of the
past but threaten the future of democracy.”
Cooper urged the Ambassador that Croatia’s youth need to fully understand the
horrors of the past by adding significant revisions to the current exhibition at
the Jasenovac camp site to name those who ran the camp and to “directly and
fully explain that it was Ustashe’s racism, antisemitism and xenophobia that
spawned Jasenovac.”
Cooper also urged the Croatian government
to push legislation that would ban the use of Ustashe symbols, much in the same
way that Germany and Austria ban the use of the swastika. Such a bill had been
previously rejected by the Supreme Court on a technicality.
The Wiesenthal Center’s Israel Director,
Efraim Zuroff, also protested to the Croatian government. Zuroff, who heads the
Center’s efforts to bring WWII war criminals to justice, played a key role in
the arrest, deportation and conviction of Dinko Sakic, the commandant of
Jasenovac, in 1999. The Wiesenthal Center was also instrumental in the 1984
arrest of Ustashe Interior Minister Andrija Artukovic
(Return to top)
Ahmadanejad's twisted logic in Holocaust
denial
MEVASSERET
ZION, Israel—The
not-so-hidden agenda behind that recent ‘Holocaust Conference’ organized by
Iran’s President Ahmadanejad was, naturally, to deny that the Shoah ever
happened. How anyone can come up with such a preposterous idea, especially
considering the numerous eye-witnesses and copious documentation bequeathed by
the perpetrators, is difficult to grasp.
There is method in Ahmadanejad’s madness, however. If Israel exists because of
the Holocaust one needs only to deny the latter in order to delegitimise the
former. Ahmadanejad thinks that Israel should be wiped off the map, hence once
the Holocaust is dismissed from history Iran can finish the job undertaken by
the Nazis.
Israel did not come into existence as a result of the Holocaust, though it
undoubtedly helped. The fact is that numerous Jewish towns, villages,
agricultural settlements and institutions existed before 1948, when Israel
gained independence. Zionists had been settling the area for at least sixty
years beforehand. Incidentally, the internationally renowned Israel Philharmonic
Orchestra is currently celebrating its seventieth anniversary
.Israel gained its independence once the British Mandate ended. The UN
resolution of 1947 called for the partition of the area between Arabs and Jews.
At that time the Jewish population of Israel was 650,000 and already then had
all the trappings of an independent sovereign entity, including the Jewish
Agency, the Federation of Labour, and a Provisional Council of State (later the
Knesset).
I recently read a book containing the diaries written in Hebrew between 1919 and
1936 by a girl who later became a leading author of children’s literature in
Israel, Yemima Tchernovitz. The vivid accounts of the life of young people in
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in those years and the sense of mission at being present
at the creation of an independent entity long before the Holocaust occurred or
the state of Israel was established are truly inspiring. No-one who reads the
book can have any doubts about Israel’s existence long before the Final
Solution.
The
foregoing article was reprinted from the AJR Journal (Association of
Jewish Refugees) in England.
(Return to top)
Nancy Harrison of Anderson Travel
presents:
Adventures in Cruising
Watch this ad for a different cruising photo each day. The adventure can
be yours!
My thanks to Abe & Bea Goldberg and Ruth Kropveld for sharing photos of
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Call Nancy Harrison at (619) 265-0808 to help you book a cruise from San
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Aboard Holland America Ryndam
San Diego to Mexico cruising
Aircraft carrier USS Midway,
now a
museum ship, is in background as Ryndam
readies to leave on a cruise for Mexico
|
American Jewish Committee names attorney
Victoria Schonfeld assistant executive director
NEW YORK (Press Release)—
Victoria Schonfeld
has been named Assistant Executive Director for Strategic Planning for the
American Jewish Committee.
“It is a great
privilege to join the extraordinary professional staff of the American Jewish
Committee,” said Schonfeld. “I look forward to actively helping to guide this
leading global advocacy organization from strength to further strength in its
second century of making a difference for the Jewish people.”
In this new
executive position at AJC, Schonfeld will be responsible for global strategic
planning, as well as direct involvement in legal, financial and
“troubleshooting” matters.
“AJC is fortunate to
have Vicki Schonfeld, with a distinguished legal career in some of the nation’s
leading law and financial firms, on board,” said AJC Executive Director David A.
Harris. “She has a deep understanding of, and commitment, to AJC through her
involvement with our organization. Vicki is an individual of exceptional
character, accomplishment and intellect.”
Schonfeld comes to
AJC after more than 30 years as a highly regarded corporate and securities
lawyer, most recently as a partner in the
New York office of Goodwin, Procter LLP. She previously
worked at the law firms of Wilmer Cutler Hale and Arnold & Porter, and was a
senior officer at Paine Webber Inc. and Mitchell Hutchins Asset Management Inc.
Schonfeld has been
an active member of AJC’s national Board of Governors and the New York Chapter’s
Executive Committee. She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Harlan Fiske Scholar at
Columbia University School of Law. She was a Wexner Heritage Fellow and has been
active in Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York. She will start at AJC in
September.
The preceding story was provided by the American
Jewish Committee
Rep. Steve Kagen says he'll
send payraise back
WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)—Congressman
Steve Kagen (Democrat,Wisconsin) is refusing to accept the pay raise
Congress voted itself this week."I will return to the U.S. Treasury any amount
paid to me in excess of the payments I began to receive as of January 2007,”
Kagen said.
Congressmen and Senators currently earn
$165,200 per year. The House of Representatives approved an annual pay raise in
a procedural motion Wednesday night not to block an automatic cost-of-living
raise of about $4,400.
Congressman Kagen is planning to use his
pay raise to pay down the national debt. The Treasury Department has set up an
account that accepts contributions for reducing the debt. Kagen will write
a check for the difference and mail it to: Attn Dept G Bureau Of the Public
Debt, P. O. Box 2188, Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188
The preceding story was provided by the office of Congressman Kagen
Commentary
Please send your letters to
sdheritage@cox.net,
or to San Diego Jewish World, PO Box 19363, San Diego,
CA,
(USA) 92119. Please include the name of the city where you live.
|
Immigration
bill defeat disappoints HIAS chief
By Gideon Aronoff
NEW YORK (Press Release)—HIAS – the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – is extremely
disappointed in the Senate’s failure to move forward with a comprehensive
immigration bill that would have helped millions of immigrants and their
families. Giving way to partisan politics, the Senate blocked an opportunity to
change the status quo of illegality, exploitation, and human suffering. Instead
of delivering a real solution, the Senate delivered a huge blow to making
progress.
While we are deeply disappointed that so many of our elected officials chose to
oppose moving forward with legislation that would have benefited so many
hardworking immigrant families in this country and provided an orderly pathway
for others to come, we applaud those Senators who voted to keep the debate
alive, and therefore, the opportunity to improve the legislation in the House of
Representatives. We commend those Senators for choosing leadership and courage
to restore greatness to America’s tradition of being a welcoming nation.
HIAS has consistently urged Congress to adopt comprehensive immigration reform
that: offers a path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million undocumented
immigrants living in the shadows; creates wider legal channels for future
workers and worker protections; reunites families; and includes enforcement and
border security measures that are meaningful, effective, and humane. Since the
first Jewish immigrants arrived in America three hundred and fifty years ago,
the Jewish community understands well what it means to come to this country to
seek freedom and opportunity and be with family members. This generation of
immigrants must not be denied that same opportunity.
The Jewish community also knows better than many that strong enforcement and
border security policy is in our national interest and must be a priority. At
the same time, the security of the United States can only be enhanced with
comprehensive reform that combines effective and targeted enforcement policies
with future worker and legalization programs that are workable and fair.
Attempts to tighten enforcement while providing legal opportunities for the
current undocumented immigrant population and future flows of immigrant workers
will allow the best targeting of enforcement resources on those migrants who
pose the greatest danger of terrorist or criminal connections rather than
maintaining the current situation where immigration agents are forced to waste
resources chasing busboys and nannies. It is also critical that our approach to
enforcement must be one that respects the dignity of human rights and life.
HIAS will continue to make this a high priority and push for comprehensive
immigration reform that will, once and for all, repair our broken system in way
that our nation wants and deserves. Without action from our elected officials in
Congress, we are left with the status quo of migrant deaths in the desert,
sweeping raids in the workplace that separate families and displace essential
workers, prolonged waits for family reunification, and a chaotic and inhumane
immigration and enforcement policy. This is not the answer. And to be sure,
today’s status quo will not be tomorrow’s. With each day that passes without
comprehensive immigration reform, the status quo will worsen. More families will
be kept apart. More immigrants will be desperate to come to this country without
safety. More immigrants will live with fear and without the opportunity to
become a part of American society. We call on Congress and the Administration to
put aside politics and do what’s right for this country. We must continue toward
a solution that is practical and fair.
Aronoff is president and
chief executive officer of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
(Return to top)
_____________
Columnist tells responses to his anti-WJC column
By
Dov Burt Levy
BOSTON, Mass.—I
called in my June 16 column
for the World Jewish Congress to quietly close its doors and go out of business.
Here is a sample of the many responses I received.
Reader: "Scandalous that the organization has come to its current state
when you consider the noble efforts of Gerhart Riegner in WJC's earliest
days." (Professor Emeritus, Public Affairs)
DBL. Thanks for
the reminder about Dr. Riegner, the WJC representative in Geneva, who first
alerted the world to the mass murder of Jews in Germany and Poland with his now
famous telegram in August 1942 to Rabbi Stephen Wise, president of WJC, and to a
Jewish member of the British Parliament.
Reader: "Yes, I find these facts [about WJC] troublesome. But do we know
anything about the effectiveness of this organization? Have they played a key
role in any Jewish issues? Have they partnered with other organizations to
create compelling results? How are they seen by others working on Jewish issues?
Would you feel differently if the organization had a record of effectiveness?
Just questions. I have no idea who they are and what they do." (Professor
Emeritus, Public Administration)
DBL: That you
don't know who they are and what they do speaks to what they don't do. Yes, WJC
had a record of accomplishment in its earlier years, providing evidence of the
Nazi killings in 1943, blowing the whistle on former UN Secretary-General Kurt
Waldheim's hidden German military service, publicizing the dormant bank accounts
in Switzerland belonging to Holocaust victims and negotiating its disbursement
and more. But the past ten years or more have been a barren wasteland of one-man
rule of the organization, with minor accomplishment or transparency. Their $15
million annual budget in the three years, 2003-2005, raises the question, is
this enough bang for the donors' bucks?
I don't
disparage Jewish philanthropy. The tradition that 'big earners be big givers'
has served the Jewish community very well. Without them, we wouldn't have Jewish
hospitals, Brandeis University, Operation Birthright, Jewish community centers
or day schools, on and on.
I care, though,
when 80 percent of the WJC money is raised from ordinary people who respond to
solicitations in the mail. Their 2005 budget showed contributions of $10 million
(yes, they took $5 million from reserves), with about $2 million coming from
President Bronfman and a foundation; the rest from individual donors responding
to fund-raising in the mail — sending large blue envelopes, containing a pen,
asking for a signature on an anti-Semitism petition to the United Nations, and
by the way, a contribution to WJC?
I dislike that
the organization's name sounds like the UN of the Jewish world. The WJC's CEO is
called Secretary-General. Takes my breath away!
And you ask how
WJC relates to other Jewish organizations? Stephen Herbits, who resigned as WJC
Secretary-General last week following the Lauder election, had come on board as
a consultant five years ago to steady the organization as the outcry about
mismanagement and financial irregularities hit the press. When Rabbi Singer, the
Secretary-General for a quarter of a century, was fired, Herbits took the
Secretary-General title.
Here is what
Herbits said about the ADL and AJC to writer Craig Horowitz, as told in a New
York magazine story titled, "Machers in Meltdown." Herbits apparently was angry
because he thought his sister Jewish organizations were bad mouthing WJC.
Herbits told
the reporter, "As you talk to the leaders of the other Jewish organizations,
check their accomplishments against their governance. They've got perfect
governance and no f--king accomplishments."
Herbits'
statement indicates that things were not going well in the New York Jewish
organizational world. But what kind of dumb pool room language is that for a top
World Jewish Congress official to use with a journalist who was bound, no doubt
delighted, to quote him exactly?
Would I feel
differently had the WJC accomplished great things? Sure, I wouldn't have written
the column.
Reader: "Right on. Why not start a new organization and call it the New WJC?
That way you could get some of the money by mistake. (Professor Emeritus,
Psychology)"
DBL: You've said it all.
The foregoing
column also appears in the current issue of The Jewish Journal-Boston North
* * *
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Here at the San Diego Jewish World, we see things a little differently than
our esteemed friend Dov Burt Levy. Whatever mistakes may have been made in
the previous era of the World Jewish Congress, under different leadership,
the organization is today led by Ronald Lauder, a former U.S. ambassador
whose record of service to the worldwide Jewish community has been stellar.
We think on the basis of Lauder's accomplishments in the past, we should all
wish WJC a bright future. Our own publication utilizes WJC's
releases tracking
news of importance all over the
Jewish world,
and we are grateful that WJC helps keep far-flung Jewish communities in
touch with each other. At the same time, we respect writer Levy and
know that he too wants the best for the Jewish world. Recognizing that
good people sometimes disagree, we are committed to providing in this space
a forum for Jewish opinion.
* * *
Jews
in the News
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
and we'll acknowledge your tip at the end of the column.
To
see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
|
* The
procedural vote in the Senate on the
Immigration Bill,
which led to its sidelining,
divided the 13 Jewish members: 11 in favor of proceeding, and 2
voting with the majority to block the legislation. In favor of proceeding
were Democrats
Barbara Boxer
and Dianne Feinstein, both of California; Russell Feingold and
Herb Kohl, both of Wisconsin; Frank Lauterberg of New Jersey;
Charles Schumer of New York and Ron Wyden of Oregon; Republican
Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and Indendent Joseph Lieberman of
Connecticut. Voting to stop the bill's progress were Republican Senator
Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of
Vermont.
*Justice
Stephen Breyer
wrote the dissent in 5-4
Supreme Court decision that sided against the Louisville and Seattle school
districts for utilizing race as a factor in determining school assignments.
Breyer said unless race is taken into account, nothing can be done to reverse
the situation in which 2.4 million students in 2002 attended schools with less
than 1 percent white students. His opinion was concurred in by Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
An
editorial is in today's
Los Angeles Times
took issue with the majority opinion
written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. In another decision, Breyer
and
Ginsburg were part of a 5-4 majority decision written by Justice Anthony M.
Kennedy saying that Texas could not execute a severely mentally disabled man for
murder because the inmate could not understand the reasons. The
story by Henry Weinstein is in today's
Los Angeles Times.
The two Jewish justices were in the minority in another 5-4 decision in
which the court said manufacturers may set minimum prices for their products to
be sold retail. The
story by David G. Savage and Daniel Yi is in today's
Los Angeles Times.
*An
effort by U.S. Rep.
Rahm Emanuel
(Democrat, Illinois) to eliminate Vice President Dick Cheney's
budget, in response to Cheney's assertion that his office is not part of the
executive branch, died in the House of Representatives on a 217-209 vote against
the idea. The Associated Press
story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Avigdor
Feldman,
an attorney for Israel's former president
Moshe Katsav
said he believed Katsav could have been acquitted of rape charges, but would
have gone through "hell" first. It was easier to have him plead guilty to one
charge of touching a woman's leg and another of hugging a woman, both without
permission, rather than to let the case go to trial. The New York Times
News Service
story that led to the plea bargain and Katsav's resignation as president is
in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*The suggestion by Don Harrison, publisher of the San Diego Jewish
World, that the City of San Diego consider the economic impact of nominating
historic properties for tax reductions, has drawn some
negative comment from
readers of the Voice of San Diego where the interview appeared. Ron
May called Harrison's commentary "a cheap shot."
*I.
Lewis "Scooter" Libby,
former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, hasn't started his
30-month prison sentence yet, but he has been assigned a prisoner number.
It is No.
28301-016, according to an Associated Press
brief in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Britain's new Prime Minister Gordon Brown has appointed David Miiband,
described as the son of "leftist Jewish academics" as Foreign Minister.
Miliband's wife is an American. The Associated Press
story is in today's
San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Comedian
Don
Rickles says that just like his father, whom
he calls a "Jewish General Patton," he cannot tell a joke. His famous
insults are ad libs, no matter how many times he recycles them. The
story by Arthur Spiegelman of Reuters is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*The Associated Press has reported that opera star
Beverly Sills
is gravely ill with lung cancer. The story is in the
San Diego Union-Tribune.
*In
the controversy over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys,
U.S. Sen.
Arlen Specter
(Republican, Pennsylvania) suggests it would be better to compromise with the
White House and have unrecorded conversations with White House aides than to
have a court fight which lawyers could delay interminably.
Margaret Talev and
William Douglas of the MCT News Service have the
story in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Defense witness Philip DiMaio, a pathologist, said shooting victim Lana
Clarkson could more easily have shot record producer Phil Spector than
vice versa. He contended that her death was the result of suicide, not
murder. The Associated Press
story by Linda Deutsch is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*UCLA Prof. Steven L. Spiegel believes Israel should strengthen
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' hand by releasing Marwan Barghouti, whom he
describes as being in jail for "indirect engagement in the killing of Israeli
citizens." His
commentary is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
(Return to top)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(Return
to top)
Whistle Blower
News Sleuths
Watching the media
gathering and
reporting the news of Jewish interest
|
Date: June 29, 2007
Time: Noon
Place: United Nations
Briefing officer:
Michèle
Montas,
spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Source: United Nations, New York
Subject: Senator Norman Coleman & whistle blower
Question :
It’s reported that United States Senator
Norm Coleman
wrote to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday about what he called “a
whistleblower” on the whole United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
situation. He said he wrote to the Secretary-General. So, I wanted to make
sure that that letter’s been received, and to know what the Secretariat’s
response is on whether the individual named in this letter is a
whistleblower and should be afforded protection. And also, I’ve become
aware that those security guard television sets -- they’re out on First
Avenue and inside the building, which have, like, pictures of people not to
be let into the building -- now includes this individual’s photo. So I’m
wondering if we can find out how such a photo gets included, and whether
that’s consistent with being a whistleblower.
Spokesperson :
I will find out whether, first, the letter was received, and second, whether
the picture of the person is included. But I’m not sure I can find that
out. But I can try.
Question :
Also, what will the Secretary-General’s response be to this request that an
alleged or purported whistleblower should be protected? What will be done in
that regard?
Spokesperson:
I can tell you that the Secretary-General has already discussed this with
different senior advisers in this building, and this is being taken care
of. And it is a concern.
(Return to top)
BIBLE-INSPIRED
EXHIBITS—Among the Israelis who were in San Diego for the
Dead Sea Scrolls
preview parties and grand opening were
Pnina Shor,
chief conservator of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and
Duby Tal,
an aerial photographer whose arresting photographs of the Dead Sea area, are
part of the display. A television cameraman quickly learned one aspect of
a "conservator's" job when Shor stepped up behind him and told him in no
uncertain terms not to shine the camera's ultra-bright light on any of the two
thousand year old pieces of parchment.... Tal's beautifully detailed landscapes,
which not only are displayed in the exhibition but which are also
available in book form at the museum's special Dead Sea Scrolls' gift shop, told
reporters that he holds his camera by hand, rather than mounting it to the
airplane, as some photographers do. He obviously is steady handed.
Wondering how to get tickets to the Dead Sea Scrolls? Here's
a link to a story in the
San Diego Union-Tribune
that provides all the information....
The Escondido Art Association plans an exhibition of artists' works on animal
subjects July 5 through August 4. The
San Diego Union-Tribune
reports in a
story by Pat Sherman the exhibit will be called
"Noah's Art."
CONGRESSIONAL PAYRAISE—Congresswoman
Susan Davis sent out a news release explaining that though it passed, she
voted against giving members of Congress a pay raise. Said the release:
“With budgets
as tight as they are, we should not be sending the message that a pay raise for
Congress sends,”
said Davis. “Many families are struggling to make ends meet, buy a home, or put
their kids through college. This raise says we are putting our needs before
theirs.”
The raise went forward on a vote of 244-181.
MAZAL TOV—Keri
Jucha,
11,
was honored as a local hero at he Del Mar Fair. Hospitalized after a sinus
infection invaded her brain following a family visit to Israel, she began making
and selling jewelry to raise money for a large movie-style screen now in use at
Rady's Children's Hospital—a goal for which she raised $8,000.... Betty
& Rabbi Simcha Weiser
are celebrating the birth of their second grandchild today, born to their
daughter and son-in-law Malka & Baruch Harris
in
Queens, New York. He weighed in at 6 pounds 11 ounces, and, Weiser,
headmaster of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, is looking forward to the
brit milah
when the future Torah scholar will be named. The Weiser's first
grandchild,
Yael,
was born in March to Yisroel & Malka Liza Weiser of Far Rockaway, New
York. Upcoming, on July 30, the Weiser's son, Chanan, will be
married in Toronto to Goldie Michalwicz. The Weisers have four
other children, ages 18, 16, 12, and 7....
(Return to top)
BABY CHEER—Six
babies and toddlers between the ages of one and four happily played with the
residents in the Joseph and Dorothy Goldberg Healthcare Center at Seacrest
Village in Encinitas. One resident took a moment to admire three year old
Destiny’s pink dress and to help her with a puzzle. A toddling baby named Kate
charmed the crowd with her new walking antics. The residents become more
animated and involved when the little ones play. Baby Cheer visits the
healthcare center the first Wednesday of every month, and they are eagerly
welcomed by all. Pictured is a volunteer and Destiny with Seacrest residents
Shirley, Mae, Ruth and Nathan. (Seacrest Village photo)
______________________________________________________________________
Unless otherwise indicated,
source for these stories is today's edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune, to which we gratefully
provide the links below.
BASEBALL—
Jason Kinsler
salvaged a double out of 1-3 day at the plate, in which his Texas Rangers
were defeated 5-2 by the Detroit Tigers. His batting average at the
end of play Wednesday stood at .241. Teammate
Scott Feldman
pitched an inning and a third in relief, giving up two earned runs.
His earned run average is now in nose bleed country: 6.67. ...
Brad Ausmus
batted a respectable 2 for 5, bringing his average up to .264, as his
Houston Astros defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-5. All the attention
properly went to teammate Craig Biggio, who got his 3,000th career hit, then
3001, 3002—in all a five-hit day ... Pirates relief pitcher
John Grabow just needed four pitches to strike out the only batter
he faced, lowering his earned run average to 5.95. However, Pittsburgh
fell 9-7 to the Florida Marlins.
BASKETBALL—Commissioner
David Stern
is pictured with Greg Oden after the Ohio State star was chosen by the
Portland Trail Blazers as the first pick in the NBA draft. The photo,
contrasting the two men's heights, easily could have been captioned "the
long and the short of it."
TENNIS—In
Wimbledon action, the Israeli doubles team of Jonathan Erlich and
Andy Ram defeated Alex Kuznetsov of the United States and Mischa Zverev of
Germany in a hard fought contest, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Also, Israeli Harel Levy teamed up
with Rajeev Ram of the United States to defeat Slovakian teammates Dominik
Hrbaty and Michal Mertinak, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. In women's doubles, Israeli Tzip
Obziler and American Ashley Harkleroad were defeated by China's Peng Shuai and
Yan Zi, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
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