w w w . j t n e w s . n e t n f e b r u a r y 2 2 , 2 0 1 3 n 1 2 a d a r 5 7 7 3 n v o l u m e 8 9 , n o . 4

JEWISHthe voice ofJTnews W a s h i n g t o n

12 talking with madeleine albright page 32israel’s brain drain page 12

Living the Chai Life

The Seattle Jewish Film Festival

turns 18Previews begin on page 7

Bar and Bat Mitzvah CeleBrations • speCial seCtion Begins on page 17

@jew_ish • @jewishcal/jtnewsprofessionalwashington.comconnecting our local Jewish community

2 JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

For complete details about these and other upcoming JFS events and workshops, please visit our website: www.jfsseattle.org

March Family Calendar

1601 16th Avenue, Seattle (206) 461-3240 • www.jfsseattle.org

FOR ADULTS AGE 60+

Endless Opportunities A community-wide program offered in partnership with Temple B’nai Torah & Temple De Hirsch Sinai. EO events are open to the public.

Part Two: Hindu Culturem Thursday: March 7

10:30 a.m. – Noon

Coexistence on the Gaza Borderm Tuesday: March 12

10:30 a.m. – Noon

Marine Debris: What’s Washing Up On Our Shores?m Thursday: March 21

10:30 am – NoonRSVP Ellen Hendin, (206) 861-3183 or endlessopps@jfsseattle.org regarding all Endless Opportunities programs

VOLUNTEER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Passover Basket Makingm Sunday: March 17

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Contact Jane Deer-Hileman, (206) 861-3155 or volunteer@jfsseattle.org for this and other volunteer opportunities

IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP ARE YOU…

• Changing your behavior to avoid your partner’s mood or temper?

• Feeling isolated from family and friends? • Being put down? • Lacking access to your money?

Call Project DVORA for confidential support, (206) 461-3240

FOR PARENTS & FAMILIES

Baking with Chef EliFor Jewish single parent familiesm Sunday: March 3

2:00 – 5:00 p.m.Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org

Strengthen Your Relationship & Be a Great Parenting Team!m Tuesdays: March 5 & 19

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org

Mitzvah Think TankA special brunch for parentsm Sunday: March 10

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org

Parenting Mindfully Series: The Middah of Trustm Sunday: March 17

11:00 a.m – 12:30 p.m.Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org

OF GREATER SEATTLE

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE

11th Annual Community of Caring Luncheon

Tuesday • April 30, 201311:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Seattle Sheraton Hotel / Downtown, 6th & Pike

Event Chairs: Lela & Harley FrancoTo register, become a Table Captain or for

sponsor information, please contact Leslie Sugiura: (206) 861-3151,

Lsugiura@jfsseattle.org or visit www.jfsseattle.org

FOR THE COMMUNITY

AA Meetings at JFSm Tuesdays: 7:00 p.m. Contact (206) 461-3240 or ata@jfsseattle.org

Kosher Food Bank EventPre-registration requiredm Wednesday: March 6

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.Pre-register Jana Prothman, (206) 861-3174 or jprothman@jfsseattle.org

South King County Caregiver Classm Tuesdays: February 26 – March 19

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.Contact Don Armstrong (206) 861-3170 or darmstrong@jfsseattle.org

Passport to Passoverm Thursday: March 14

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.Contact Leonid Orlov, (206) 861-8784 or familylife@jfsseattle.org

Passover Seder in Russianm Sunday: March 31

4:00 p.m.Call (206) 726-3619 or e-mail familylife@jfsseattle.org with your name and phone number in a message.

See YouMarch 2-10At The...

letters to the editorthe rabbi’s turn

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.jtnews.net . jtnews

3opinion

“If you have no reason to ask questions, you don’t ask questions.”— Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, on her late-in-life discovery of her being Jewish. Albright talks with JTNews on page 32.

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We would love to hear from you! Our guide to writing a letter to the editor can be found at www.jtnews.net/index.php?/letters_guidelines.html, but please limit your letters to

approximately 350 words. The deadline for the next issue is February 28. Future deadlines may be found online.

I am that woman

Hen Mazzig’s account (“A sixth broken camera,” Feb. 6) of the fracas at the talk by Iyad Burnat on the documentary “5 Broken Cameras” provoked a defensive response by Eitan Isaacson and Wendy Elisheva Somerson of Jewish Voice for Peace. In his riveting report, Hen mentioned a woman who said in Hebrew to an Israeli man nearby, “Please don’t leave, I am scared but I want to ask a question.”

I am that woman. The Jewish Voice for Peace account in the JTNews was a pack of falsehoods and out-

right lies.Their portrayal of a polite, respectful gathering is a lie. Their hate-filled presentation of

disinformation was truly frightening. I’m an Israeli American and I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve seen reflexive hatred toward Israel before. I am sad to see it here in my current home, Seattle.

Isaacson and Somerson claim the violent young man that attacked Hen, the Israeli man, and me was someone they didn’t know, although some called him by name. Nevertheless, they bear responsibility because their vile propaganda inspired an intense young man to lose control and become violent. Shouts of “f---ing Zionists!” and “Get the f--k out of here!” men-aced anyone who appeared to support Israel.

When I asked my question regarding the “film clips,” the crowd started yelling and the violent man came toward me, I asked the Israeli man whom I did not know to stay. I am a middle-aged Israeli-American woman who came to this gathering out of curiosity. To be treated with such vitriol surely was not a peaceful gathering as Jewish Voice for Peace claims that it was. There is only one name for what I experienced: Jew hatred. It was the responsibility of the sponsors of this gathering to protect me and the Israeli man. Rather than protect me, I was told by several people to “get the f--k out.”

Isaacson and Somerson claim that the crowd “watched in shocked silence as IDF sol-diers brutally attacked...” This statement is a total lie. Burnat stages these “peaceful dem-onstrations” and the Israeli Army must keep the situation from spiraling out of control. He pushes small children toward the soldiers with instructions to touch their weapons, or even take them away. I did not see brutality by the IDF. I only saw mobs of men provoking, yell-ing, banging on metal cans, actually barricading themselves and endangering themselves by encasing themselves in metal drums. The IDF did what they could to free these men from this dangerous confinement as carefully as possible.

Isaacson and Somerson further claim that Hen and the other Israeli showed “blatant dis-regard for the speaker.” This is another example of the deception they portrayed in their piece. As a witness, I can dispute each and every paragraph written by them.

I am utterly ashamed that the JTNews printed these lies next to the admirable and truth-ful piece that Hen Mazzig wrote. I am proud that someone like Hen Mazzig represents Israel and all of us that respect and represent truth and true peaceful gatherings.

Clearly JVP and Mr. Burnat’s message is not one of peace, but rather of thuggery, lies, and propaganda. I feel sorry for those who have been duped into believing these falsehoods, and I am proud of Jews and non-Jews alike who understand this. I am proud of those that understand that Israel is a free, democratic nation and is inclusive of all races, religions, gen-ders, and opinions, unlike what Mr. Burnat and JVP represent.

Iris Langmanmercer Island

IgnorIng the facts

Re: your half-page, mind-numbing rationale by Eitan Isaacson and Wendy Elisheva Som-erson of the Seattle chapter of so-called Jewish Voice for Peace (“Solidarity with Palestin-ian non-violent resistance,” Feb. 8) defending never-ending Palestinian rocket, bomb, and mortar attacks against Israel:

It’s all Israel’s fault for defending itself against Palestinian attacks to drive them into the sea — and worse. Get it?

We are all very fortunate to have such a clear-cut description of what Israel should and should not do to remain alive, by this super-heroic Seattle Jewish Voice for Peace group. Never mind these brave souls safely live half a world away from danger to themselves or their families. Shucks, if they are wrong, they’re still safe here. Golly, you can’t be more

X Page 29

The challenge of darknessRabbi MaRk GlickMan Congregations Kol Ami and Kol Shalom

“Nostalgia,” Yogi Berra once quipped, “isn’t what it used to be.” His insight probably referred to the ever-shifting ways we remem-ber good experiences, but a recent development in Jewish life shows that the ways we remember tragedy can change just as much.

A team of researchers at the University of Southern Califor-nia is developing technology to create holograms of Holocaust survivors telling their stories and sharing their thoughts.

Dozens of survivors have agreed to sit before an array of cameras, recount their experiences, and respond to about 100 likely audience questions. The record-ings will be far more vivid than those of the 3D extravaganzas at today’s movie houses. Here, the images will appear not on a screen, but projected into real space, allowing the survivors to take a virtual seat at the table as they tell us their sto-ries. Afterward, the loaded Q&A memory banks will allow survivors to offer Siri-like replies to follow-up questions.

Preserving the survivors’ stories is important, of course — we dare not forget the evil they witnessed. Still, this new tech-nology begs some important questions: Why the gimmick? Will the three-dimen-sional versions of survivors’ recollections really be any more jarring or memorable than the two-dimensional ones? Will our ersatz “conversations” with the survivors succeed in conveying their stories more effectively than purely narrative accounts? Do we really think this futuristic technol-ogy can describe what happened any better than the technology we’ve already got?

Furthermore, while Holocaust sur-vivors represent a disappearing Jewish world, there are other vanishing Jewish cultures, too. Has anyone considered holographically recording memories of Jewish life in Muslim lands? Or of small-town Jewish culture in the American South? Certainly the Holocaust survivors faced evil that was far more systematic and horrific than the others, but in remember-ing our past, why is it that the memories we want to recall most vividly are precisely those that are the most horrifying?

The answer, I think — at least in part — is that even now, almost seven decades after the liberation of the Nazi death camps, we haven’t figured out how to remember the Holocaust. We live today in a golden, glittering age of Jewish culture, but a dark cloud of unanswered Holocaust questions still dims its brilliance: How? Why? Could it happen again? Are we Jews ever truly at home? Our family trees show

branches that were abruptly lopped off in the 1940s, killing not only our aunts and

uncles, but also the cousins we never had. What should be our response? Would any response be adequate? What, when it comes right down to it, does the Holocaust really mean?

We yearn for answers to these questions, but those we find are often pithy slogans rather than guiding truths. They leave us full of words,

but ultimately speechless in our quest for understanding.

Rabbi Ismar Schorsch once described the Holocaust as “a theological ‘black hole’ so dense that it fails to emit even a single ray of light.” We live in that darkness as we seek to remember, searching desperately but in vain for light and understanding.

And as our search continues, we real-ize the survivors — those who best help us remember — will soon be no more. We want to grasp their stories and never let go. And to do it, we’ll use every tool we’ve got — even high-tech cinematic wizardry.

The technology will certainly be awe-some, and it’s important to record survi-vors’ recollections, whatever the format. But there is something sad about this attempt to vivify our memory of the Holo-caust. We’re unable to grasp the magni-tude of its loss; we insist on keeping its memory alive; we think adding a third spatial dimension will help us succeed.

It won’t. Ultimately, the two-dimensional sur-

vivor-memories of page and screen are just as significant and vivid as the three-dimensional ones of modern technol-ogy. Holocaust holography is the kind of thing that happens when we undertake the daunting task of trying to remember the unfathomable. It is a high-tech stab at a profoundly spiritual monster.

Instead of focusing on whiz-bang tech-nologies, let’s simply acknowledge the darkness and the fear we encounter as we confront the Holocaust. Maybe the Holo-caust really is unfathomable. Maybe we never will fully grasp the enormity of our loss. And maybe our memory of it will fade as it recedes farther and farther into the past. Indeed, it probably will.

All we really can do is hear the sto-ries, hoping that one day some light will emerge after all. We don’t need holo-grams. All we need are compassionate hearts, open minds, and a good dose of courage to continue listening despite the overwhelming bewilderment we face.

4 JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

festival highlights

debate.films4families

Sun., March 10, 2:30PM: $9–12 The Rabbi’s Cat - age 9+

Ilyanne Cauchy Photography

Wed., Feb. 27, 7:00PM: only $25 Food, wine, beer, friends, short films

laugh.

Ilyanne Cauchy Photography

tom Douglas launch Party

cry.

Sat., March 2, 7:30PM: $18 Happy Hour Before & Cake After

oPening night film & festivities

celebrate.

Jewish soul food, music, film: Hava Nagila (The Movie) - all ages

matzoh momma sunDay Brunch Sun., March 3, 9:30AM brunch & 11am film: $16–20 Film only tickets also available

seattlejewishfilmfestival.org | ticket hotline: 206.324.9996

march 02–10

laugh.cry.debate.celebrate.

206.324.9996

SeattleJewiShFilmFeStival.org

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.jtnews.net . jtnews

inside this issue

get jtnews in your inbox!Simply visit www.jtnews.net, scroll down and fill out the short form on the left.

p u b l i s h e d b y j e w i s h t r a n s c r i p t m e d i a

JTnews

5inside

A Proud Partner Agency of

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.

The opinions of our columnists and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the views of JTNews.

Reach us directly at 206-441-4553 + ext.Editor & Acting Publisher *Joel Magalnick 233Assistant Editor Emily K. Alhadeff 240 Sales Manager Lynn Feldhammer 264Account Executive Cheryl Puterman 269 Account Executive David Stahl Classifieds Manager Rebecca Minsky 238 Art Director Susan Beardsley 239

Board of directorsPeter Horvitz, Chair*; Jerry Anches§; Sarah Boden; Cynthia Flash Hemphill*; Ron Leibsohn; Stan Mark; Leland Rockoff; Cantor David Serkin-Poole* Nancy Greer, Interim CEO and President, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle Shelley Bensussen, Federation Board Chair

*Member, JTNews Editorial Board§Ex-Officio Member

Welcome, new advertisers!• Acme Bowling • Ben & Jerry’s • Events 4 Life

• Ryther CenterTell them you saw them in JTNews!

Coming upMarch 8Passover Prep

yIDDIsH LEssON

REMEMBER WHEN

From the Jewish Transcript, February 24, 1958.Twelve Jewish families in the small city of Richland celebrated the opening of

their synagogue building, Congregation Beth Sholom. Most of the families were connected to the energy industry, working for either General Electric or the Atomic Energy Commission. The little synagogue and its membership, which are affiliated with the Conservative movement, are still going.

by Rita katz

A mentsch iz amol shtarker fun ayzn, un a mol shvakher fun a fley.Man is sometimes stronger than iron, and at other times weaker than

a flea.

Living the chai life through filmThe Seattle Jewish Film Festival is back with a diverse selection of films for this year.Seeing hearts 7A delightful French film, about a young woman seeking her father’s heart who must deal with the conse-quences when she takes too close a look, opens the festival.Romeo and Juliet…almost 8A story of star-crossed pen pals — one in Israel, the other in Gaza — takes a look into the Israeli-Palestin-ian conflict from the perspective of two teens who must also contend with their individual situations.Different family values 8Israel’s first film that looks at transgender issues is a poignant story of a woman who tries to work her way into her family’s graces without giving away that she used to be their son.Talking cats 9“The Rabbi’s Cat” is a much-loved series of graphic novels that tell the story of a rabbi and his Talmud-talking feline. The story has come to the screen.The cat’s voice 9The man who created “The Rabbi’s Cat,” Joann Sfar, gets his own documentary that shows a peek into the life of the prolific writer and cartoonist.Promises 10This documentary follows three sacred Hebrew books, and the Albanian Muslim on a quest to return them to the Jewish family who left them behind during the Holocaust.

The situation around the situation 11Israeli professor Dr. Jonathan Fine spoke to a group of Jewish leaders about threats to Israel and global Jewry.

The trade mission 12A former Knesset member and outgoing minister of industry, trade and labor in Israel visited the Northwest to speak with the region’s major technology companies. He discussed the issue of brain drain from Israel to the wider world.

Spring books: Israel’s body, heart and soul 14Three stories — two new, one reissued — feature stories that look at Israel from all different directions, warts and all.Books in brief: business, culture and women 15

Words with Albright 32Madeleine Albright — scholar, former secretary of state, born to a secretly Jewish family — comes to town this weekend to speak about her new book. She spoke with us first.

MORECrossword 6M.O.T.: For the love of politics 23What’s Your JQ?: It’s Purim. Be a leader! 24Community Calendar 25Lifecycles 31The Shouk Classifieds 27

6 commuNiTy News JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

Play With Your Brainby Mike Selinker

© 2012 Eltana Wood-Fired Bagel Cafe, 1538 12th Avenue, Seattle. All rights reserved. Puzzle created by Lone Shark Games, Inc. Edited by Mike Selinker and Mark L. Gottlieb.

Answers on page 31

The great Albert Einstein once said, “Games are the most elevated form of investigation.” Here, in this most festive of months, we encourage you to play along. The answer words represented by the bold clues are all names of games, but we haven’t clued them as such. Enjoy finding all of our playful entries.

ACROSS1 Hoodwink5 Really got into8 Doctor Who network11 Entertainer born Maria Rosario Pilar

Martinez Molina Baeza12 Spaniard’s number13 It’s hidden in the FedEx logo16 Animal of the class Chilopoda18 Wonder Woman’s given name19 Youngster20 Comeback22 Shook off this mortal coil23 Obama had four, and will have four more25 Overwhelm with bewilderment27 Angelic headgear29 Country singer Patsy31 Answer to “Will you attend?”33 Type of powder used in cooking34 Quiznos offering37 ___ and yang38 Tragic Shakespearean hero40 Mine cart contents41 Weird42 Salute with a glass in hand43 ___ Wafers45 Cilia, commonly46 What an actuary measures47 Cursing phrase50 Be53 Senator from Alderaan54 Made a revelation57 Legal grp.60 Northern Ireland city62 Military endeavor64 Online mag that launched on 67-Across65 Military endeavor66 Laurel’s foil67 Redmond-based portal68 Golfer Ernie69 Heed

DOWN 1 Citi Field predecessor2 Leonardo DiCaprio’s character’s ranch in

Django Unchained3 Museum display4 One Tree Hill actress ___ Kelly5 ABC show where famous singers seek

partners6 Word in Word’s Edit pull-down menu7 Word after party or concert8 Michael Jackson album9 The Tacoma Narrows, e.g.10 Bond portrayer Daniel11 X x V x V14 “The ___ lama, he’s a priest...” (Ogden

Nash)15 Enter the shallow end17 Each21 U.S. government security24 Many 23-Across26 Type of powder used in cooking27 Command to Silver28 Sulfuric, e.g.29 Musical featuring “One Night in Bangkok”30 Lively manner of speaking32 Sum33 Fire-roast34 Diamond in an engagement ring, perhaps35 Net addresses36 Part of a turtle’s face39 Works overly hard44 It gets a lot of mail on Apr. 1645 Artichoke sections47 Alero maker, for short48 Boot part49 Ballard’s ___ M. Chittenden Locks50 Pitchers51 Gen ___ (post-Boomer)52 Where Twin Falls is55 Sewing machine pioneer Elias56 Australia’s national gemstone58 Carcass59 “___ Old Iron” (British folk song)61 Japanese cash63 Diet soda brand

Coming up ■ Dessert reception to honor Rabbi David Twersky

Tuesday, February 26 at 7 p.m.Rabbi David Twersky will be inducted into NCSY’s Ben Zakkai Honor Society based

on his service to the NCSY and Jewish community. Rabbi Twersky will also receive the Enid and Harold Boxer Memorial Award for distinguished NCSY alumni. Rabbi Yissocher Frand will be the guest speaker at the reception, hosted by Bayla and Louis Treiger and Karen Treiger and Shlomo Goldberg.

At the home of Bayla and Louis Treiger. To attend the reception, or for more informa-tion, contact ktreiger@hotmail.com.

■ The Whole-Brain Child: Twelve Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing MindFriday, March 1, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Based on his knowledge of brain science, world-renowned neuropsychiatrist Dan Siegel coaches parents, educators, and professionals working with families and children on tech-niques to cultivate healthy intellectual and emotional development, which leads to happy, resilient kids. Siegel’s work has been featured in The New York Times and O, The Oprah Magazine, in addition to many other publications.

This is a half-day seminar with ParentMap Magazine. Parent rate is $39, childcare professional rate is $49, and the professional rate is $89.

At Seattle Children’s Theater, 201 Thomas St., Seattle. For more information visit www.parentmap.com.

■ Circumcision as a Human Rights Issuesunday, March 3 at 7 p.m.

Is circumcision a violation of the human right to body integrity? Or is it protected under the human right that guarantees freedom of religion? Is it primarily a medical or is it a cul-tural practice? Recent events have brought these issues into the news. The Stroum Jewish Studies Program brings together Robin Judd, associate professor of history at Ohio State University, Thomas Schmidt, professor of the philosophy of religion at the Johann Wolf-gang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany, Bettina Shell Duncan, professor of anthro-pology and adjunct professor of global health at the University of Washington, and Michael Rosenthal, professor and chair of the department of philosophy at the University of Wash-ington, to discuss current controversies from the perspectives of anthropology, history, and philosophy to start an informed conversation. 

At the University of Washington, Husky Union Building 332. For more information contact laurenjs@uw.edu or visit jewdub.org.

■ Shabbaton with Rabbi Asher OstrinFriday, March 8 at 6 p.m. and saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m.

Rabbi Asher Ostrin, senior global executive at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, spent 21 years as director of the organization’s former Soviet Union department. On Friday night he will speak on “They’ve Let My People Go! Now What?” It’s 1990. Commu-nism has collapsed. The doors of the Soviet Union open. Soon, a million Jews and their families leave. However, hundreds of thousands of other Jews remain behind. Who are they? What are their circumstances today? At Saturday’s talk, “The Most Memorable 30 Minutes You’ll Spend This Year,” Ostrin will share the most interesting stories of global Jewish life he’s encountered.

At Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island. For more information, contact Michael Novick at michael.novick@jdcny.org or 425-644-1000 or www.jdc.org.

On the weekend of Feb. 8–10, the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle welcomed 160 students for the Pacific Northwest 6th grade International Shabbaton. Students (and chaperones) traveled to Be l l evue f rom Br i t i sh Columbia ’s Vancouver Talmud Torah and Richmond Jewish Day School, Portland Jewish academy, and

edmonton Talmud Torah in alberta. among other activities, the students started with a scavenger hunt to orient themselves on campus and get to know the other students.

CourteSy JDS

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews film fesTival preview 7

Anything for Dad, especially his heartEMily k. alhadEff Associate editor, JtNews

If Jewish sons have mommy issues, then Jewish dads have daughter issues. This phenomenon crosses time zones and national boundaries, as proven by the Seattle Jewish Film Festival’s opening night flick, “The Day I Saw Your Heart.”

The festival has strong representa-tion from France this year. “The Day I Saw Your Heart” (“Et Soudain Tout le Monde Me Manqué — “And Suddenly I Miss Everyone” is the French title) star-

ring Mélanie Laurent (“Inglourious Basterds”) as Justine and Michel Blanc as her meddling father, stands in the middle of a family whose dysfunction, embarrass-ingly, appears to be its most Jewish trait.

One has to wonder why the adorable Justine just can’t get it together. Crashing on her sister and brother-in-law’s couch — nearly botching their adoption home study — the quirky blonde picks argu-ments with baristas and goofs off at her job in a medical clinic by taking X-rays of household objects.

We come to find that Justine’s clini-cal pastime is an expression of her artis-tic side, and when Justin Timberlake lookalike Sami (Guillaume Gouix, who

stars in the recent French-Israeli drama “Alyah”) drifts into her life, he becomes an objet d’art, too. In one of the most cre-ative romantic sequences I’ve seen in some time, Justine X-rays various parts of Sami’s body after the clinic has closed for the night. Back home with the images held up to the window, she torments herself find-ing the perfect arrangement.

Are her X-ray art projects art pour l’art, or, peut-être, art pour le inner turmoil caused by la famille, in particular, le père?

Eli Dhrey, Justine’s father, now remar-ried and getting on in age, announces his wife’s pregnancy. This does nothing for Justine, who has spent her life trying to win his love (hence many failed relationships). And when Justine discovers that her long string of ex-boyfriends are all in close con-tact with her father — he’s even leaving his business to a couple of them — and that

he’s pulling Sami into his collection, you can imagine all the more why she’s crash-ing at her sister’s place and confiscating their toaster for internal exams.

When Eli, in his meddling way, finds out that his daughter has been X-raying a boyfriend, he requests a session. But what Justine finds is not art. Holding up the image of his chest X-ray, she spots a prob-lem with his heart. Cue the irony.

Facing a life-threatening situation, Eli and his wife and daughters have to sort out their issues before it’s too late. Although only vaguely Jewish, “The Day I Saw Your Heart” is, if you’re not too uncomfortable, heartwarming.

IF yOu gO“the Day I saw Your heart” opens the festival on sat., march 2 at 7:30 p.m. at AMC Pacific Place theatres, 600 Pine st., seattle. contact 206-324-9996 or visit seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for ticket information.

Film movemeNt

Mélanie Laurent and guillaume gouix as Justine and Sami, before it all falls apart.

To Life!A C h A i y e A r o F J e w i S h F i L mAs the Seattle Jewish Film Festival celebrates its 18th year, it has a new home

under the auspices of the Stroum Jewish Community Center and a greater focus on

the arts. Plus, for some reason this year, a fascination with all things French. We’ve

got reviews of several of the films that will be screened March 2 through 10 here, but

you can visit www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org to see the full lineup. Vive le filme!

pick up your

BallardBallard Branch LibraryQFC

downtown BellevueBellevue Public LibraryBlazing BagelsNewport Way Public LibraryTop Pot DoughnutsWhole Foods Market

Capitol HillThe Bagel DeliCafé Victrola (15th Avenue E)Café Victrola (Pike Street)Central Co-opCouncil HouseHorizon HouseJewish Family ServiceMiller Community CenterSeattle Hebrew AcademySeattle Public Library,

Henry BranchThe Summit at First HillTemple De Hirsch SinaiTop Pot Doughnuts

Crossroads& overlakeCrossroads MallJewish Day SchoolTemple B’nai Torah

eastgate/FaCtoriaGoldberg’s Famous DeliQFC FactoriaTemple De Hirsch Sinai

edmondsEdmonds Bookshop

everettEverett Public Library (both branches) Temple Beth Or

FremontFremont PCCSeattle Public Library

greenlake, greenwood & nortHCouth Buzzard BooksForza Coffee CompanyGreenlake LibraryGreenwood LibraryMockingbird Books

issaquaHIssaquah Public LibraryPCC MarketQFC (Gilman Blvd.)QFC (Klahanie)Zeek’s Pizza

lake Forest park& BotHellLake Forest Park Public LibraryThird Place Books

madison park & madronaSally Goldmark LibrarySeattle Public Library,

Montlake Branch

merCer islandAlbertsonsAlpenlandCommunity Center at

MercerviewHerzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Cong. Einstein Bros BagelsFreshy’s Seafood MarketIsland BooksIsland Crust CaféMercer Island Public LibraryNW Yeshiva High SchoolQFC (north and south)Stopsky’s DelicatessenStroum JCC

suggest a loCation wHere you’d like to

see jtnews at editor@jtnews.net

jewisH news HereJTnews

montlake & nortHendBagel OasisCongregation Beth ShalomEinstein Bros Bagels, U-VillageEmanuel CongregationGrateful Bread BakeryGreat Harvest Bread Co.Metropolitan MarketNorth End JCCRavenna Third Place BooksSeattle Jewish Community SchoolSeattle Public Library, NE BranchTemple Beth AmUW ChabadUW HillelView Ridge PCCYMCAWhole Foods Market

queen anne,magnolia / interBayBamboo GardenBayview Retirement CommunityEinstein Bros Bagels Seattle Public Library,

Queen Anne BranchWhole Foods Market

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8 film fesTival preview JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Happy Purim from the Jewish Federation

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE.THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.OF GREATER SEATTLE

PJ Library Helps Young Seattle-Area Families Help Their Kids Embrace Their Jewish Identity

hope floats eternalEMily k. alhadEff Associate editor, JtNews

“A Bottle in the Gaza Sea” (Une Bouteille à la Mer) has been billed by some critics as a Palestinian-Israeli Romeo and Juliet.

Indeed, our young protagonists — Tal Levine (Agathe Bonitzer), a French teen-ager who has made aliyah with her family, and 20-year-old Gazan Naïm Al Fardjouki (Mahmud Shalaby of last year’s film festi-val feature “Free Men”) — are from rival houses. Forty-three miles apart, yet sepa-rated by walls and ideologies, they estab-lish an unrequited friendship through clandestine emails.

But the comparison ends there. “Bottle,” one of the American Jewish Committee’s Bridge Series films in the festival, is much more about the reckoning both Tal and Naïm must do with each other, as well as with their own families and values.

Withdrawn and jumpy after a nearby café bombing, Tal has her brother, a sol-dier serving near Gaza, toss a message in a bottle into the Mediterranean.

“I wonder,” she writes, “how anybody can attach explosives to his body, choose some place and watch his victims, know-ing he’s about to die.” Somewhat implau-sibly, the bottle ends up in the hands of Naïm and his friends.

“She’s nuts!” they laugh. “She wants to know how a guy blows himself up? Abu Samir, our neighbor, will show her!”

Naïm, however, secretly contacts Tal via the email address she’s left, which

begins a rocky correspondence until Tal reveals her French origins. Rather than stoke Naïm’s anger (after all, she has another homeland), this revelation endears her to him. For he is studying French, and in her he has found a language partner. Ah, oui, the French save the day.

Directed by Thierry Binisti, “A Bottle in the Gaza Sea” is based on Valérie

X Page 9

A different brand of family valuesJoEl MaGalnick editor, JtNews

What do you do when your family hates you for what you are? If you’re lucky, you get out. That’s what happens to Assaf at the start of “Melting Away,” a teenage boy who disappears after his father, upon finding women’s clothes hidden in his son’s bed-room, bolts the door to the house.

“He’ll come back,” says Shlomo to Assaf’s tearful mother, Gallia.

And she believes him. But Assaf never returns. Four years later, however, Anna does. After enlisting the assistance of a pri-vate detective, Gallia finds her son — who has since become her daughter — to let her child know that Shlomo is dying.

Acting as a care nurse by day while he convalesces, Anna appears to successfully hide her new identity from her father, whose illness has made him less of an over-bearing jerk, while trying to recreate the relationship they never really had.

If “Melting Away,” which screens at this year’s Seattle Jewish Film Festival, were an American film, it likely would have made its rounds of the indie film cir-cuit, screened at a few gay and lesbian film festivals, then been relegated to the LGBT section of the dwindling video stores in the more progressive cities around the country. But this is not an American film. This is Israel’s first examination of trans-gender issues on the screen, and director Doron Eran manages to create a sensitive yet engaging film that can come only from

his level of experience behind the camera. Which isn’t to say that the film is per-

fect. Hen Yanni is spectacular as Anna, and Ami Weinberg’s portrayal of Shlomo, the go-getter-turned-terminal-patient, is just as impressive. Limor Goldstein’s por-trayal of the weak-turned-empowered Gallia is good, if not too tearful.

But the supporting cast — a favorite

IF yOu gO IF yOu gO“melting away” screens on thurs., march 7 at 8:30 p.m. at sIff cinema Uptown, 511 Queen anne ave. n, seattle. Visit seattlejewishfilmfestival.org or call 206-324-9996 for tickets.

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“a Bottle in the gaza sea” screens sun., march 3 at 4:30 p.m. at AMC Pacific Place The-atres, 600 Pine st., seattle. contact 206-324-9996 or visit seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for ticket information.

Film movemeNt

Naïm (Mahmud Shalaby) and his friends find the bottle with Tal’s questions about life in gaza.

anna (Hen Yanni), who was born as assaf, works nights as a cabaret singer in a Tel aviv gay nightclub.

PeNNylANe ProDuCtioNS

Filmmaker sketches French-Jewish cartoonistMichaEl fox Special to JtNews

If anyone still thinks comic books — or graphic novels — are strictly child’s play, a few minutes with Parisian cartoonist Joann Sfar will erase that misconception.

San Francisco filmmaker Sam Ball’s evocative and marvelous documentary, “Joann Sfar Draws From Memory,” intro-duces us to the iconoclastic Jewish artist

and filmmaker who topped France’s best-seller list with “The Rabbi’s Cat.”

Inspired by his grandmother’s tales of life in Algeria in the 1920s, Sfar set his talking cat saga in a neighborhood where Jewish, Arab, and French traditions coex-isted and overlapped.

“There’s a line in our film from Joann: ‘I wanted to show Jewish kids that their ancestors came from North Africa,’ which is true of about half of France’s Jews, ‘and I wanted to remind Muslim kids that there were Jews in North Africa, and they more or less got along for centuries,’” said Ball. “There’s no reason to have nostalgia because it wasn’t idyllic, but there is some-thing that has been lost.”

Ball, whose numerous short docu-mentaries include a moody portrait of New York Jewish cartoonist Ben Katchor, “Pleasures of Urban Decay” (2000), and “A Bridge of Books” (2001) about the National Yiddish Book Center, was born in France and speaks fluent French. He says it’s misleading to view France as an anti-Semitic country, despite the anti-Jew-ish attacks of recent years.

“France, I think, has a complicated

IF yOu gO“Joann sfar Draws from memory” screens sun., march 3 at 2:45 p.m. at AMC Pacific Place theatres, 600 Pine st., seattle. contact 206-324-9996 or visit seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for ticket information.

Talking “rabbi’s Cat” offers animated fun, wisdomMichaEl fox Special to JtNews

Animated movies, even more than live-action films, invite us to lose ourselves in a wholly invented world.

French-Jewish filmmaker Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux’s deliciously delir-ious feature, “The Rabbi’s Cat,” is set in a real time and place — Algeria in the 1930s, where Sephardic Jews and Arabs had a long

history of co-existence — yet evokes the anything-can-happen quality of a fairy tale.

Adapted from Sfar’s best-selling graphic novel and its sequels, “The Rabbi’s Cat” marries his witty, untethered animation to a great, bouncy soundtrack. It’s a deeply pleasurable experience, not least because it doesn’t push and strain for deep meanings.

The episodic, digressive film may not build to a moral, but if there is a take-away it’s that we should aspire to tolerance rather than dogmatism.

“The Rabbi’s Cat,” which won France’s César Award for Best Animated Feature, screens in the Seattle Jewish Film Festival. A few sexual references and a couple of brief sequences of violence perhaps make the subtitled film inappropriate for chil-dren under 12.

Imbued with the surreal illogic of a dream, “The Rabbi’s Cat” is utterly unique, even if the hand-drawn visuals may remind some viewers of Marc Chagall’s child-like exuberance and vibrant palette.

A widowed, middle-aged sage enjoys a tranquil, affable life with his curvaceous teenage daughter, Zlabya, who’s more inter-ested in boys and gossip than the words of the prophets, and his cat, who accompanies him on his rounds to cafes, synagogue, etc.

Complying with the immutable laws of nature, one day the cat kills and devours Zlabya’s pet parrot. In a decidedly unnat-ural turn of events, the cat acquires the power of speech.

His first utterance is a denial that he’s responsible for the bird’s demise, a lie that provokes the rabbi into a Talmud lesson. To our amazement, the acerbic and impol-itic feline is fully capable of debating issues of faith and Jewish law.

Needless to say, the rabbi can hold his own, while generally maintaining his good humor. Overall, he’s a model of equanim-ity, which proves essential when the duo embarks on an expedition across the con-tinent.

The impetus is the arrival of a Rus-sian Jewish painter who’s searching for a lost tribe and a rumored city in Ethiopia. The helpful rabbi and curious cat enlist a wealthy entrepreneur and an Arab sheikh in the artist’s quest, and the quintet sets off on a meandering trek through the Afri-can desert.

The film unfolds in a romantic and exotic setting, but it doesn’t romanticize or exoticize human nature. Neither color-blind nor politically correct, “The Rabbi’s Cat” revels in mocking those who only see religion, race and color.

For instance, after a memorably threat-ening encounter with a Muslim hardliner, the sheikh remarks, “It’s a pity He lets so many fools speak in His name.”

Bigotry is not limited to one religion, however. The mysterious city, when they finally reach it, turns out to be populated by black Jews who can’t conceive of white co-religionists and pull out their spears. Their murderous aims come to naught, fortunately.

The droll fatalism that runs through “The Rabbi’s Cat” is just one among many delights. But it’s the most consistent indi-cator, ultimately, of the film’s Jewish source and sensibility.

“The Rabbi’s Cat” is in French with English subtitles.

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews film fesTival preview 9

March 13-16Registration opens January 15, 2013

at www.plu.edu/holocaustconference

For more information contact murraybj@plu.edu 253-535-7595

Regular updates on Facebook:Kurt-Mayer-Chair-In-Holocaust-Studies

PLU presents the

In conjunction with the Kurt Mayer Chair in

uncle whose understanding behavior toward a disaffected young nephew is far different from his aggressive behavior toward pretty young women, or the best friend who fears coming out to his mother — play too close to type.

But the actors work well together, and with what they have. Assaf/Anna is pen-sive, drawn into her career as an artist and cabaret singer, and is seemingly well adjusted despite having lived in hiding for

several years. That she can slip right back into her family’s lives so easily without immediately giving herself away pushes the boundaries of believability, as does the fact that no one in the hospital questions Anna’s nursing credentials.

But those are minor quibbles in a beau-tifully shot, conversation-inducing pic-ture. The ending turns much of what we’ve watched on its head, but everyone gets what he or she wants, even Shlomo, though it doesn’t give anything away to say that he dies. For everyone else, life goes on.

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CitizeN Film

Prolific artist Joann Sfar puts watercolors to his inked drawings.

IF yOu gO“the rabbi’s cat” screens sun., march 10 at 2:30 p.m. at sIff cinema Uptown, 511 Queen anne ave. n, seattle. contact 206-324-9996 or visit seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for ticket information.

JoANN SFAr

The rabbi and his talking cat discuss the finer points of Talmud as they make their way to find a lost Jewish tribe of ethiopia.

W MeLTINg awaY Page 8

10 film fesTival preview JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

Kehilla | Our Community

Where Judaism and Joy are One 206-447-1967 www.campschechter.org

PNW Region & Seattle Chapter Hadassah 425.467.9099seattle@hadassah.org

®

Centennial ConventionCome With Us to Israel!October 15-18, 2012

Book before Dec. 31st for the best rate.

Centennial Year 1912–2012

Join today! PNW Region425.467.9099 seattle@hadassah.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 www.kalsman.urjcamps.org

Kol Haneshamah is a progressive and diverse synagogue community that is transforming Judaism for the 21st century.

6115 SW Hinds St., Seattle 98116E-mail: info@khnseattle.orgTelephone: 206-935-1590www.khnseattle.org

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.

206.323.8486www.tdhs-nw.org1511 East Pike St. Seattle, WA 981223850 156th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98006

Gary S. Cohn, Regional DirectorJack J. Kadesh, Regional Director Emeritus

415-398-7117 technion.sf@ats.org www.ats.orgAmerican Technion North Pacific Region on Facebook

@gary4technion on Twitter

Yossi Mentz, Regional Director 6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 650

Los Angeles, CA • Tel: 323-655-4655 Toll Free: 800-323-2371

western@afmda.org

Yossi Mentz, Regional Director 6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 650

Los Angeles, CA • Tel: 323-655-4655 Toll Free: 800-323-2371

western@afmda.org

Saving Lives in Israel

Find out how you can be part of Kehilla Call 206-774-2264 or email LynnF@jtnews.net

Albanian muslims keep their promises in holocaust-era ‘Besa’MichaEl fox Special to JtNews

An important challenge for 21st-cen-tury documentary filmmakers is connect-ing the distant history of the Holocaust to today, and making it relevant for younger audiences.

More often than not, it’s the children and grandchildren of survivors, rescuers, and perpetrators who supply the neces-sary link between the past and the present.

In her riveting, revelatory, and pro-found film, “Besa: The Promise,” direc-tor Rachel Goslins depicts an Albanian man’s extraordinary efforts to fulfill the vow his late father made to the Jewish couple he hid during the war. The mar-velously crafted film, with a fine score by Philip Glass, honors the broader efforts of the entire population to protect its Jews from the Nazis.

These days, Albania is looked down upon as the most broke, backward prov-

ince in Europe, but the country deserves a better reputation. Immediately before Mussolini’s troops invaded and drove him into exile, King Zog granted citizen-ship to every Jew living in Albania.

Following their b e l o v e d k i n g ’ s lead, and in keep-ing with their highly developed code of honor, the populace assumed the respon-sibility of sheltering its Jews. Some 70 percent of the Albanians who saved Jews were Muslim, and “Besa: The Promise” is intended in part as a rebuke of the conven-

tional wisdom that Muslims and Jews are natural and eternal enemies.

Admittedly, Albania is a small coun-try and we’re not talking large numbers of

Jews, but every life and every act of con-science counts. That’s the attitude of the tireless Norman Gershman, an American who embarked a decade ago on a cam-paign to find, photograph, and extol the Albanians who aided Jews.

“Besa: The Promise” artfully weaves the historical overview and the aging Ger-shman’s solo crusade with the fascinat-ing, nearly unbelievable persistence of

IF yOu gO“Besa: the Promise” screens as part of the seattle Jewish film festival on monday, march 4 at sIff cinema Uptown, 511 Queen anne ave. n, seattle. contact 206-324-9996 or visit seattlejewishfilmfestival.org for ticket information.

X Page 11

JWm ProDuCtioNS

Rexhep Hoxha, an unassuming toy seller, works to fulfill the promise of his father to return three sacred books to a Jewish family that disappeared during the Holocaust.

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews commuNiTy News 11

March 8 Friday evening at 6:00pm: “They’ve let my people go! Now what?”

The Seattle Jewish community is cordially invited to attend two enlightening Shabbat presentations by JDC’s former Soviet Union program director of 20+ years, at Herzl-Ner Tamid Synagogue.

Herzl-Ner Tamid Synagogue3700 East Mercer Way Mercer Island, WA 98040

It’s 1990. Communism has collapsed. The doors of the Soviet Union open. A million Jews leave, but hundreds of thousands remain behind. Come and hear their remarkable stories.

Experience the hidden stories of global Jewish life you’ve never heard before.

March 9 Saturday morning at 10:00am:

“Could this be the most memorable30 minutes you’ll spend this year?”

www.JDC.org

Asher Ostrin

an unassuming toy seller named Rexhep Hoxha. Born in 1950, Hoxha grew up hear-ing his father’s story of hiding a Bulgarian Jewish couple and infant during the war.

When the Jewish family fled, they left three prayer books — treasured family items that, if they were stopped en route, would have betrayed their Jewishness — in their benefactor’s care. He prom-ised to return them after the war, but to his dismay he was never able to locate the family, and neither they nor their children ever showed up to reclaim them. After his father’s death, Rexhep Hoxha inherited the “besa,” the Albanian custom of keeping one’s word and helping in times of need. The traditional concept of besa expanded to include the Albanian Muslim protection of Jews during the war years.

What gives the film its tension is the mysterious behavior of the Jews, whose inexplicable failure to seek out and thank their rescuers after the war (of greater importance, arguably, than recovering their property) contrasts with Hoxha’s unwavering, Internet-aided persistence.

The trail eventually leads to Israel, where we watch with apprehension to see if the people of the book will be embarrass-ingly and insultingly cavalier about Hox-ha’s remarkable commitment to return their precious books, or if they will match the singular character of the Albanian (and his son) we’ve come to admire.

Lawyer-turned-filmmaker Goslins has made a rare film that lets us spend an hour and a half awed by the best qualities of human beings, inspiring us to manifest our own.

educate first, talk laterJanis siEGEl JtNews Correspondent

Israeli professor and counter-terrorism expert Dr. Jonathan Fine used his meeting at a Seattle home this month to reinforce one of his primary messages to Jewish audi-ences today: You must educate yourself to refute the smear campaign and propaganda ruining Israel’s global image today.

Fine, an adviser for the Lauder Gov-ernment School at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel and the Inter-national Program for Government, Diplo-macy, and Strategy at the Raphael Recanati International School, is also a researcher at The International Institute for Counter Terrorism. He said that Jews haven’t taken the verbal accusations and hateful rhetoric against Israel seriously enough.

“I don’t think we caught, in time, the changes that were taking place around the world concerning the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict,” Fine told nearly 75 Jewish com-munal leaders. “We neglected Europe for a very long time and we did not realize changes that were taking place here in the U.S. When we did wake up to the grim real-ity of what’s happening, on campuses and in many other places, we had to catch up with

what many enemies of Israel were doing.” The event was hosted by the Consulate

General of Israel, StandWithUs Northwest, and Larry and Sharon Finegold of Seattle.

Fine detailed how some political fac-tions in the U.S. and Europe have formed alliances with like-minded groups with one aim — to foment lies and fabrications about the Jewish people and their right to exist in Israel. Some, including Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he said, advocate the extinction of the Jewish people.

Fine his colleagues have identified three types of group, most of which pre-dominate in Europe, that collaborate on the promotion of anti-Israel information.

“On the right, we have neo-Nazis and fundamentalist radical Muslims,” he said. “The radical global jihad has 4,500 websites in Europe alone. On the radical left is the red-green alliance, which is a combination and interaction between the radical fundamental Muslims and the neo-Nazis on the right, and the radical left in Europe on the other side, who agree together only on one thing — the State of Israel, Zionism, and Judaism.”

Fine labeled a third grouping as the

“multi-dimensional hybrid terrorist orga-nization.” These groups are often lauded in the press, he said, for the humanitar-ian relief that they provide to their people such as food, shelter, and other resources, as Hamas does in the Palestinian territo-ries. However, these groups also operate more militant wings simultaneously.

“They do charity, and help their people with three meals a day,” Fine said. “They also kill other people. An Argentinian newspaper once wrote that Hamas is an all-charity organization that only provides hot meals and behaves like the Salvation Army.... People just don’t know enough.”

Campuses have also become a petri dish for what Fine called anti-Israel ideologies, another potent force in the confluence of these radical political elements throughout the world and college students.

“I’ll tell you what I see when I go onto campus and I divide them into two pro-totype groups,” Fine said. “The first pro-totype I would define as ‘True Villains,’” referencing the 2010 comment by long-time White House correspondent Helen Thomas, a woman of Lebanese descent

who said that the Jews should go back to where they belong: Poland and Germany.

“I wanted to kiss Helen Thomas’s legs for finally coming out and saying what they mean, that at the end of the day, Israel doesn’t have a right to be there,” he said. “Finally someone from the inside came out and said that the Jews have no right to be there.”

The second type of political group he sees on college campuses is radical Muslims.

“I appreciate one thing: Their sincer-ity,” said Fine. “They say what they mean and they mean what they say. You have to take these people seriously and take these things at face value.”

Fine summed up his recommendation for combatting this ever-increasing trend by instructing Jews and people who appreci-ate Israel to get educated on the facts and to challenge those who are spreading untruths.

“It’s your community and you have to confront it yourselves,” said Fine. “These groups can be dealt with, but you have to master the knowledge. When they see someone who knows what’s going on, they move back.”

W BeSa Page 10

Zenatti’s young-adult novel by the same title. “Bottle” is beautifully shot and acted and impeccably timed. Moreover, it poi-gnantly captures the day-to-day challenges

of Naïm, Tal, and their friends and fami-lies, from Tal’s growing disaffection with her parents and boyfriend to Naïm’s frus-tration with his t-shirt delivery job and the extended family that has been forced to temporarily share his apartment. And

while the gravity of the conflict is more heavily weighted toward Naïm — espe-cially when Operation Cast Lead begins — their personal grievances, family conflicts, life lessons, and moments of comic relief complement each other.

W BOTTLe Page 8

12 commuNiTy News JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

Sunday, February 24, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Free, everyone is welcome! * Ages 3-12 * at Temple B’nai Torah Come dressed as your favorite sea creature, Purim character, or

in a costume you love!Games & Prizes!

Under the Sea Purim Carnival

Costume Parade

& Snacks!

Sing songs!

Temple B’nai Torah * 15727 NE 4th St. Bellevue, WA 98008 * (425) 603 9677 * TempleBnaiTorah.org

Temple B’nai Torah * 1572 NE 4th St. Bellevue, WA 98008 * (425) 603-9677 * TempleBnaiTorah.org

Wednesday, March 6, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Film: Between Two Worlds

Between Tradi on and Change – Between Loyalty and Dissent Cost: $5 suggested dona on

Between Two Worlds is an explora�on of the community and family divisions that are redening American Jewish iden�ty and poli�cs. The lmmakers own

families are ba�legrounds over loyalty to Israel, interpreta�ons of the Holocaust, intermarriage, and a secret communist past. Time will be allo�ed to voice your

own opinions. There will be a dessert recep�on to follow.

Friday, March 15, 8:00 p.m. Roni Keidar, Bridges Over Troubled Waters

Roni will be speaking about the emo�onal and physical trauma of the rockets ying over and landing in their communi�es just north of the Gaza border. She also acknowledges that there are people across the border that have the same

type of suffering. Roni emphasizes that with tolerance, respect, and understand-ing much more can be achieved than with force and violence.

Please join us for a Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence day) sing-along celebra on on April 15, 7:00 p.m.!

Loca on for all events: Temple B’nai Torah

Israeli trade mission focuses on partnerships and ending Israel’s brain drain tiM klass JtNews Correspondent

For Shalom Simchon, Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, trade missions involve more than drumming up business for Israeli companies and boosting invest-ments by U.S. businesses in Israel.

Also on his agenda during visits to

leading businesses in the San Francisco Bay and Puget Sound areas this month were meetings with Israeli technology aces who might someday come home, Simchon said over breakfast at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle on February 7.

With his second in command, Industry, Trade and Labor Director General Sharon Kedmi as translator, Simchon said Israel has more world-class scientists, software designers, doctors, and other high-end workers than the nation’s economy can

absorb, even while outperforming much of the rest of the developed world.

“It’s very understandable that some of these brains will seek opportunities outside of Israel,” he said. “We are looking forward to see these brains returning back to Israel. There are places in academia and industry that sometimes lack these brains.”

While the recent elections cost Sim-chon the seat he held in the Knesset for nearly 17 years, as well as the ministe-rial post he received in January 2011, he spoke at length — albeit in general terms — about the emergence of brain drain as a political, social, and economic issue.

A government statistical study cited by Israeli newspaper Haaretz in December of last year found that as of 2011, more than 14 percent of Israelis holding doctorates in sci-ence or engineering had been living abroad to work and/or study for at least three years.

According to the same article, a survey of graduates who had been abroad for at least three years as of 2010 found that fewer than 7 percent returned to Israel over the following year.

The Israeli Centers of Research Excel-lence, instituted in May 2012, is an initia-tive designed to boost the return rate and attract non-Israelis with high pay, good working conditions, and emphasis on col-laboration across scientific disciplines.

As described by the Jerusalem Post, the initial five-year budget is $365 million for four centers, one each devoted to alterna-tive energy sources, the molecular basis of disease, cognitive science, and advanced computer sciences.

Haaretz reported that as of December, the program had attracted about 300 new researchers, two-thirds of them returning Israelis. Eventually, backers hope to open 26 more centers and lure back as many as 2,400 Israelis.

Simchon sidestepped a question of whether he found the initial results sat-isfactory, but said the standoff with the Palestinians, among other factors, would likely keep Israel an exporter of brain-power for years to come.

“Maybe when peace occurs, there could be an Israeli Apple,” he said.

Hosting research centers for multina-tional businesses, which then promote Israelis to bigger and better positions in the U.S. or Europe, is a lot better than what happens in many less technologically advanced countries, he said.

“Should we export…workers who will work at low wages around the world, or should we export our [surplus] brains and knowledge?” Simchon asked.

Israel “has managed to actually utilize these brains that are maybe physically out-side the State of Israel, but they are utilized for our needs even from abroad,” he said.

Born in 1956 in Kfar Saba, about 12 miles

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friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews The arTs 13

Join Temple De Hirsch Sinaifor Purim on February 24

On Stage:March 14 - April 21

(425) 392-2202www.VillageTheatre.org

simply tsfatsaturday, march 2 at 8:30 pmconcertThe Seattle Kollel welcomes back Simply Tsfat, a trio of personalities, musical talent, and spirit the whole family will enjoy. Returning to Seattle from the holy city of Tsfat, this band plays Jewish songs and prayers with a mystical bent. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle. $10 adults/$5 students and children/$40 family. Call 206-722-8289 for tickets or information, or purchase at the door.

friday–sunday, february 22–24 at various timesmarvin hamlisch tribute concertsmusicThe Seattle Symphony Orchestra honors the legacy of Pops conductor Marvin Hamlisch, who passed away in August. Conducted by Hamlisch’s friend Larry Blank, the tribute concerts include hit numbers from Hamlisch’s compositions, including “A Chorus Line” and “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Performances run Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets from $19 to $95 may be purchased at

www.seattlesymphony.org or by calling 206-215-4747, or by visiting the ticket office in Benaroya Hall. At the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle.

X Page 16

14 spriNg books JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

greet friends & family

passover GreetinGs are published march 22nd!There’s no better way to greet family & friends for the holiday than with a personalized

greeting in our big March 22nd Passover issue. Complete this simple 1-2-3 form and mail

it back to JTNews with your payment today. Or call Becky to charge your greeting by phone:

206-774-2238.

passover GreeTINGs

3 Total $Please enclose your check for the full amount, or use your VISA or MasterCard.

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5% discount by march 11thall greetings must be paid in full in advance! Final GreetinG deadline 3/14/13

2 Print all names as you want them to appear in the Greeting, like: “Bob and Lucy Goldberg” or “Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg” or “The whole Goldberg Family," etc.

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order Todaydeadline march 14

Spring books: Three faces of Israeldiana bREMEnt JtNews Columnist

If Meir Shalev’s beautiful The Loves of Judith is Israel’s soul, then Pamela Peled’s For the Love of God and Virgins is the face Israel puts forward to the world, and Shani Boianjui’s The People of Forever are not Afraid is the guts of that country — hidden, ugly even, but vital.

Peled is a South African-Israeli who in real life is annoyed by comparisons of apartheid South Africa and Israel. In For the Love of God and Virgins (Miriam’s Legacy, paper, $18) so is her protagonist, Jennifer Moran. Widowed at a young age, Jennifer has raised her daughter to adult-hood in a suburb of Jerusalem where she attempts to convey the finer points of Eng-lish grammar to Israeli high schoolers.

With the outbreak of the second Inti-fada, she becomes frustrated by the skewed English-language news reported from Israel. Turning her ire on British TV correspondent David Sanders, Jenni-fer engineers a meeting, meant to be a dia-tribe, but finds herself instead in the grip of political intrigue and danger as the rela-tionship becomes very personal.

Peled weaves actual events into her fic-tional account, although she explains in

her introduction that she changed some dates to make them work with the plot. Both author and character are united in the efforts to bring factual information about Israel to the world.

“For the Love” is the most traditional of these three novels, told in a straightfor-ward, chronological fashion. Well-writ-ten, funny and poignant, it’s so enjoyable that we can overlook a few glaring edito-rial errors. The author is a teacher and a Shakespeare expert who lectures all over Israel and the world.

Inside of all of us is a remarkable col-lection of organs. They are not pretty, and to see them involves cutting through flesh and spilling blood, but they keep us alive. Some of the more uncomfortable parts of The People of Forever are not Afraid (Hogarth, cloth, $24) are like glimpsing the awful parts that lie inside.

Shani Boianjiu is a talented young Israeli author whose work has already been published in The New Yorker. Boian-jiu went to Harvard to study writing fol-lowing her mandatory military service, the inspiration for this book.

The novel follows Avishag, Lea, and

Yael, who have grown up together in a dusty, isolated village in northern Israel. Their lives are marked by the same tedium and ennui teenagers find in small towns around the world. Graduation and army induction mark a major change for all of them.

B o i a n j i u ’ s b o o k moves back and forth in time, weaving in the waxing and waning of the girls’ friendships and the changes that come over them as they serve their country. Some sections of the book read like sep-arate short stories, but the friends come together in the end under grueling circum-stances.

Army service brings almost the same level of ennui and tedium as they had at home, only this time they are in uni-form, carrying guns, and sometimes have power over others. Service brings absur-dities that contribute a little humor to the book, but also requires them to bear wit-ness to some shattering events that bring

light to the social ills of Israel (and the rest of the world). Through her vivid writing, Boianjiu explores the

psychological effects on her characters, reminding us that Israel is a country like any other, facing harsh issues of immigra-tion, human trafficking, and sex abuse in the military.

Originally published in the 1990s, Schocken has re-released Meir Shalev’s delightful, mystical and poetic novel, The Loves of Judith (paper, $15.95). In the vein of Salman Rushdie’s “Mid-night’s Children” or Gabriel Garcia

X Page 16

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews spriNg books 15

color

Books in brief: Lessons in history, sports, and business diana bREMEnt JtNews ColumnistHolocaust

As Alyson Richman’s novel The Lost Wife (Berkeley, paper, $15) opens, an elderly man attending his grandson’s wed-ding realizes the bride’s grandmother is the woman he married in Prague right before the Nazi invasion. Losing contact, each pre-sumed the other was dead. The rest of the novel goes back and forth in perspective between Lenka and Josef and their separate survivals. Lenka became an artist in the Ter-ezín concentration camp’s drawing work-shop, where Jewish artists copied famous paintings, and Josef escapes to America with a lifetime of guilt for failing to bring Lenka along.

Richman was inspired by a number of true stories, but journalist Leslie Mait-land tells the more compelling and absorb-ing true story in Crossing the Borders of

Time: A True Story of War, Exile, and Love R e c l a i m e d (Other, cloth, $ 2 7 . 9 5 ) . I n a d r a m a t i c account worthy of a fictional epic, Maitland explores family history focus-

ing on her mother, Janine, who was sepa-rated from her fiancé in the confusion and panic surrounding the Nazi invasion of France. Compelled by her family to board the fabled ship Lipari, Janine’s escape takes her to Casablanca, Jamaica, Mexico, and internment in Cuba before she gets to New York. Through all that, and subsequent marriage and family, she clung to the hope of reuniting with her beloved, a Catho-lic Frenchman she left behind.Business advice

To appreciate The ABC of Sales: Lessons from a Superstar (Gold Star, paper, $19.95) it helps to know about the author, Daniel Milstein. The founder and CEO of Gold Star Mortgage Finan-cial was a teen when his family left post-Soviet Russia for the U.S., where he strug-gled to learn the language, floundered in school, and found refuge in work. He worked fast and furiously — compul-sively, even — which resulted in his suc-cessful mortgage and financial business. He shares how he did it with lots of prac-

tical advice from someone who really proved the American Dream.

The truth is, you’re probably going to pick up David Fishof’s Rock Your Busi-ness (BenBella, paper, $14.95) less for business advice and more for the sto-ries about all the music stars he’s worked with. Learn why Fishof, founder and CEO of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, had

a rare Yellow Sub-marine jukebox and how Aerosmith ’s Steven Tyler came to be an “American Idol” judge. Fishof tells how the camp got featured on an episode of the Simp-sons and gives out solid business advice, too. Lots of photos of

famous people accompany the text.culture

Scholar and rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut brings both scholarship and entertainment to A Kosher Christmas (Rutgers Univer-sity, paper, $22.95). The short but fact-filled examination of the role of Christmas in the lives of American Jews is part history and part sociology (it’s priced like a textbook — the hardcover will run you $68), but there is much to interest the general audience.

P laut exam-ines the differ-ent attitudes toward Christ-mas of German and Eas tern European Jews and how they played out in this country, why we eat Chi-nese food on

Christmas, and how Hanukkah has risen in popularity alongside the birth and growth of the state of Israel.

Editors Franklin Foer and Marc Tracy have assembled some first-rate writers in Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame (Twelve, cloth, $26.99). Journalism and literary luminaries such as Jeffrey Gold-berg, Deborah Lipstadt, Simon Schama, and David Remnick explore the careers of world-class, and not-so-world-class, Jewish athletes. The book opens with “The King’s Pugilist” Daniel Mendoza, an 18th-cen-tury British boxer whose notoriety mer-ited him a meeting with King George III, and concludes with Theo Epstein, presi-dent of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs. In between are Hank Greenberg and

X Page 16

When you donate to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle…

You feed the hungry,

care for the aged,

send kids to Jewish camp,

support communities in Israel,

and so much more.

Give today to one of our 4 Impact Areas:

❐ Helping Our Local Community in Need

❐ Strengthening Global Jewry

❐ Experiencing Judaism—Birth to Grade 12

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Visit www.jewishinseattle.org/donateOr call us today at 206.443.5400

16 The arTs JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

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Sandy Koufax and plenty of others prob-ably unknown to most. There’s even a pro-file of competi-tive eater Don Lerman, who holds the world record for the most but ter eaten in five minutes (3-1/2 pounds). religion

In A Light Unto My Path: A Mezuzah Anthology (Maon Noam, cloth, $15), Dr. Alexander Poltorak takes on a subject ever-present in Jewish life, but which he says has almost never been comprehensively exam-ined: The mezuzah. Poltorak, who holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics and is the CEO of General Patent Corporation, also writes on Torah and science for Chabad.org, where this book can be found in electronic format. In addition to explaining the history and sig-nificance of the mezuzah, Poltorak describes the Chassidic and mystical aspects in depth.History

You most certainly know the banana you sliced into your cereal this morning did not come from the United States. The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of Amer-

ica’s Banana King by Rich Cohen (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, cloth, $27) is the story of how that fruit became ubiqui-tous in America, and it’s the story of a penniless Rus-sian Jewish immi-grant who saw an

opportunity on the docks of New Orleans in the early part of the 20th century. Sam Zemurry started buying and quickly selling the bananas that had ripened in transport, which would spoil before hitting the markets and therefore be discarded. He eventually took over United Fruit, amassing a multi-million dollar fortune on the way. Women

Naomi Wolf t a c k l e s t h e social and sci-entific history of the defining female organ in Vagina: A New Biography (Ecco, cloth, $27.99). This is a fascinating look at biology and behavior toward the sub-ject that has, over human history, gone from object of veneration to object of derision. Wolf explores the science that reveals the complex nerve system that connects vagina to brain, and how both language and sexual assault are used not for gratification, but for subjugation. It’s a radical and enlightening book that should be read by both sexes.

W BOOkS IN BRIeF Page 15

Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Sol-itude,” this whimsical story is set in a small northern Israeli village populated by bemusing and idiosyncratic characters from the Old Country — a piece, certainly, of Israel’s soul.

Our narrator is a boy named Zayde, “grandfather,” so called by his mother Judith to confuse the Angel of Death. Zayde grows up thinking he is immune to fatalities.

He’s also a boy with three fathers, Rabi-novitch, Sheinfeld, and Globerman, and Zayde has inherited a characteristic from each.

Zayde’s whimsical view of the world and his fascination with birds enchants. Doves cooed when he was born, clever crows fas-cinate him, and on a hot summer night “the darkness of the village surrounded them with the silence of owls’ wings.”

The overriding theme of this book, full of Yiddish language, lore, and the super-stitions of Eastern European culture, is “a mensh trakht un Gott lakht” — a man plans, and God laughs. As the book takes us from the 1930s to the 1960s, and as Zayde tries to piece the story of his genesis together, plans certainly go awry. Perhaps God laughs a bit, and cries, too.

W SPRINg BOOkS Page 14

tuesday and wednesday, march 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m.oz noymusicOz Noy started his guitar career at age 13 in Israel, and by 16 he was playing with some of the country’s leading musicians. Since 1996, when he moved to New York, he’s been developing and perfecting his blend of rock, blues, pop, jazz, and funk. Guitar Player magazine named Noy “best new talent” in 2008 and awarded him “best guitar riff on a record” in 2007. Noy will appear with Anthony Jackson on bass and Dave Weckl on drums. Doors open at 5:30. Tickets cost $20.50.At Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave. S, Seattle. For more information visit www.jazzalley.com.

monday, march 4 at 7:30 p.m.stephen greenblattauthor eventSeattle Arts and Lectures’ Literary Arts Series hosts Stephen Greenblatt, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Swerve: How the World Became Modern,” and “Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare.” Greenblatt argues in “The Swerve” that Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius’ “On the Nature of Things,” which posited that the world operated without gods and that matter consisted of small particles in motion, changed the course of history and thought. SAL lectures aim to foster ideas, imagination, and a love of reading and writing. At Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle. For more information visit www.lectures.org.

northeast of Tel Aviv, Simchon is married, has two children and lives in Moshav Even Menahem, about 10 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea in the far north of Israel.

Simchon began his political career with the Labor Party and later switched to the newer Kadima party, which fared poorly in the recent Israeli elections.

Serving in the Knesset from 1996 until shortly before the trade mission arrived in San Francisco, he considers himself the principal voice for moshavim and kibbut-zim, Israel’s collectivist communities, in the central government. He was minister of agriculture and rural development in 2001–02, minister of the environment in 2005, and minister of agriculture in 2006–11.

Planning to return to civil service, Sim-chon said his agency should fare well and

gain prominence in the next ruling coalition.“It is actually the right and exact min-

istry to deal with the two biggest problems that the Israeli society has in these days,” he said. “Dealing with the middle class and decreasing the cost of living.” In addition, he said the government should focus on moving more Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews into the labor force, he said.

Meanwhile, during his final trade mission, talking up Apple, Google, and Samsung in California, and Boeing and Microsoft in Washington State for new and expanded joint ventures in research and development, as well as for investment in and partnerships with Israeli businesses, Simchon said, “We put a lot of effort in order to first locate [expatriates].”

Simchon sees them as unofficially “on reserve duty” from Israeli citizenship. He cited a senior vice president at Apple

whom he met a day before the interview.He knew instantly the man was Israeli,

“but only back in the car, on the way back, did I realize he is an Israeli Arab, a Chris-tian Arab from Haifa. He spoke of Israel with a lot of passion,” Simchon said.

“I fully understand that his heart is in his home in Israel. On the other hand, I understand that Israel is too small for him.

“I asked him, ‘When will you return home?’ He answered, ‘I don’t know,’ but he did say, ‘My heart is there.’”

The minister said that was far from unusual.

“Frankly speaking, I think that part of the Israelis that actually live here know in their hearts that they will not return, but they still think about it,” he said. “This is part of our objective in this visit...We will try first to interact with them and then see how we can make the opportunity for them.”

W TRaDe MISSION Page 12

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Celebrations

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Bar and Bat Mitzvah

18 bar/baT miTzvah celebraTioNs JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

dani

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ATHLETICS | SPA | WELLNESS | FOOD & WINE | EVENTS | MEETINGS | INN AT THE WAC | RECIPROCAL PRIVILEGES

Whatever the occasion, we make it special. Be it a wedding, Bar mitzvah or Bat mitzvah, retirement party, philanthropic event, or corporate award banquet—we make your vision come to life and your guests the center of attention. From food and flowers to A.V. and valet parking, let us help you customize an occasion to remember.

206.464.3050 www.wac.net

elebrate at the WAC. Where every event reflects your unique style.C

ACME Bowling, Billiards & EventsACME 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 Bar/Bat Mitzvahs to corporate events, from 10 to 1000 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 board-room 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’sBen & Jerry’s ice cream catering, serving West-

ern Washington, is the ultimate way to bring a fun and exciting experience to your next party or event. Ben & Jerry’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 occa-sion, 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.

Burke MuseumMake your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah the most

talked about party of the year at the Burke Museum! Your guests will enjoy dancing among dinosaurs and exploring gemstones and works of art from around the globe. Located on the beautiful University of Washington campus, their event spaces fea-ture beautiful, quirky, and fascinating treasures. Whatever your vision and budget, the Burke Museum provides a variety of options that will have your guests talking about your party for years to come.

For more information, contact them today at useburke@uw.edu or 206-221-7083, or visit their website at www.burkemuseum.org/rentals.

Cinema BooksCinema Books is the film bookstore of the Northwest. Collections include biographies

of movie stars and directors, glamorous picture books of Hollywood, posters, 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.

Dani Weiss PhotographyDani 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, anni-versaries, 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 celebra-tions photography, she shoots portraits and works freelance for several publications. Dani recently won the JTNews Best of Everything Readers’ Choice survey for the sixth year in a row and has won the Brides Choice Award on Wedding Wire two years

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews bar/baT miTzvah celebraTioNs 19

pre-moving saleAll New, Consignment & Antique Rugs on Sale!Free pickup & delivery on orders over $300 or 30% off all rug cleaning

Fine Rug & Upholstery Specialists Since 1907

1105 rainier avenue s., seattle, Wa 98144 phone: 206-322-2200 Fax: 206-325-3841

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19 West Harrison Seattle, WA 98119 206.298.0123 catering@kaspars.com

Kaspars will ensure your celebration is spectacular!Kosher-style available

Chef Kaspar offers exceptional Northwest cuisine along with a superior staff versed in weddings, rehearsal dinners, showers and b'nai mitzvahs.

Kaspars can accommodate up to 300 guests or can offer full service off-premise catering at your home

or other special location.

visit www.kaspars.com

for menus and upcoming events

Madison Park Café CateringKaren Binder (formerly of Madison Park Café)

Full service professional catering for all life passages for over 32 years.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding, rehearsal dinner and any other simcha.

Retail wine offered at discount price: “Binder’s Bottles.”

Approved caterer of Hillel.

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Celebrate your child’s

Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Israel

Hear your child’s voice join in thousands of years of prayer and history.

425-737-9015

ruti@ Events-4life.com www.Events-4life.com

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bar & bat mitzvah decorations

bima: Fruit/vegetable & Floral décor Kiddush Lunch: design & centerpieces

celebration/Party: custom design & decorations

dennis warshaL event designer, decorator & Florist…206 949-6663

dennis@denniswarshal.com www.denniswarshal.com

in a row. She holds a degree in fashion and commercial photography as well as photojour-nalism. She is currently involved with the Seattle Professional Photographers’ Association and the Greater Seattle Business Association.

Contact her at www.daniweissphotography.com or 206-760-3336.

Dennis Warshal Arts & EventsWithin the budget range you have established, Dennis

Warshal can create the mitzvah event you envision! Enrich your religious ceremony with a beautiful bimah display of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables that can be taken to a food bank. Use live plants and flowers you can plant in your garden. Beautiful flower arrangements can be repurposed for other family gatherings.

At your kiddush reception, Dennis Warshal will work with your caterer to design the layout, color scheme and cen-terpieces. If you are having a special evening party, collabo-rate with Dennis Warshal to develop the celebration party theme and décor — which reflect both the personality of your

daughter or son, and your family values! Your party décor may include props, signage, color, lighting, centerpieces, etc. using a layout and timeline that is comfortable and fun for all your guests.

Call Dennis Warshal at 206-949-6663.

Emmanuel’s Fine Rug & Upholstery SpecialistsThey’ve been cleaning rugs, carpets, furniture, and fine Orientals for more than 103

years. You can count on them! Highest quality carpet clean-ing, custom in-plant rug washing, rug repair, and blind and upholstery cleaning. They specialize in Oriental 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 mainte-nance. Fifteen percent off all in-home services and 30 per-cent off all cash-and-carry cleaning services. Gift certificates available.

For more information call 206-322-2200, fax 325-3841.Visit www.emmanuelsrug.com.

20 bar/baT miTzvah celebraTioNs JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

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Embassy Suites BellevueWhether it’s a wedding, birthday, anniver-

sary, Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, Embassy Suites Bellevue can help make your special day a dream come true, featuring a beautiful six-story garden atrium with lush tropical plants, river and cascading 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.

For more information call 425-698-6681 or visit www.seattlebellevue.embassysuites.com.

Events 4LifeCelebrating a Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Israel is an unfor-

gettable experience for the whole family! Ruti Cohenca, a certified event planner, will develop your event and coordinate every detail according to your style, budget and family tradition. She offers a distinctive and mem-orable ceremony at the Western Wall, as well as many other unique places, followed by a party or lunch. Tours, entertainment, accommodations, and all arrangements are included in their services. For local simchas or for celebrations

in Israel, contact Events 4Life for a compli-mentary consultation!

Contact Ruti at 425-737-9015 or R u t i @ e v e n t s - 4 l i f e . c o m o r v i s i t www.Events-4life.com or www.facebook.com/Events4life.

Hebrew Free LoanAssociation

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 qualifying for a com-mercial loan? Jewish residents of Washing-ton State may qualify for an interest-free loan up to $5000. 

The Hebrew Free Loan Association, a 501(c)(3) organization, has been pro-viding interest-free loans to Washing-ton 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; nei-ther shall ye lay upon him interest.”  Loan requests are handled with discretion and complete  confidentiality. Repayment terms are individualized. 

C a l l 2 0 6 - 7 2 2 - 1 9 3 6 o r e m a i l HFLA-Seattle@yahoo.com  or go to  www.hfla-seattle.com for information on getting a loan, donations, or joining their volunteer board. 

Herzl-Ner TamidJudaica Shop

Herzl-Ner Tamid Judaica Shop has

With a variety of reception sites, weddings and event venues to accomodate up to 200 guests,

our stunning lakefront views make us the perfect spot for your event.

Kosher style cuisine available.

Please contact us directly at 425-827-1986 or celebrate@thewoodmark.com

At the Woodmark Hotel…Your Celebration is Our Dedication

by jtnews readers

place for

bar/bat mitzvah

A TRADITION LIKE NO OTHER.With a gorgeous location and 10,000 sq ft of beautiful reception space, we’d be honored to host your family’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Relax and enjoy this special family day, while our event professionals see to every detail.

Call 425.498.4040 or visit redmondmarriott.com

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Come see our selection of

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�pen Wednesdays �0am-3�30 pm and �y appoint�ent� Call �0�-�3�-�555

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews bar/baT miTzvah celebraTioNs 21

4500–4th Ave. South, Seattle WA 206.749.5400www.pedersens.com

what you need for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration — from traditional to unique, artisan to boutique, come see an amazing variety of merchandise to make your Bar/Bat Mitzvah special! Herzl-Ner Tamid Judaica Shop has a wide selection of talli-tot 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 Eventsand CateringYou 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 selec-tion, menu creation, ceremony, and reception planning, ensuring you are stress-free.

Family owned and operated, Kaspars’ passion is to provide creative, fresh cuisine, 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 enter-

taining a few or a few hundred guests, the elements for success 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 or call 206-298-0123 or fax 206-298-0146.

Larkspur Landing Bellevue“We like to think of our guests as friends visiting from out of town.”Give your guests a suite experience at Larkspur Landing’s all-suite hotel in Bellevue.

Their hotel is conveniently located near local synagogues and provides an ideal place to stay for families visiting from out of town for Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, or other social events. Let your guests enjoy their comfortable FeatherBorne beds, complimentary healthy-start breakfast each morning, and full in-room kitchens. Group rates are available. Contact sales and catering coordinator Megan Frodge at 425-201-1262 or mfrodge@larkspurhotels.com.

Madison Park Café CateringBy Karen Binder, formerly of the Madison Park Café. Full-service professional cater-

ing for all life passages in the Jewish community for over 32 years. Let Madison Park Café Catering help you plan and enjoy your Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding, rehearsal dinner, spe-cial occasion or any other simcha. Providing delicious, seasonal food, professional service, rentals, flowers, and bar service. Retail wine offered at discount prices at “Binder’s Bottles.”

Contact Karen Binder at 206-324-4411 or madisonparkcafe@aol.com.

Cantor Marina Belenky and Marianna TrioFor Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and any other simchas. Experienced cantor-tutor — all levels.

Officiates all lifecycles. Experienced piano and music teacher. Jewish and world music, traditional and contemporary, dance and concert. Many years of experience in all types of  music.

Contact 206-715-8796 or cantormarina@gmail.com or visit www.cantormarina.com.

Marriott Redmond Town CenterLocated among the gorgeous scenery of Redmond, the Redmond Marriott Towncenter

has everything to celebrate the perfect Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Surround your loved one and all your special guests in the welcoming warmth of its beautifully decorated 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 professionals 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 Towncenter 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.

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22 bar/baT miTzvah celebraTioNs JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

let larkspur be an extension of your home for family and friends

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n Comfortable featherborne bedsn Complimentary breakfastn Complimentary high speed internetn fitness Center & Whirlpooln 24-hour business Centern in room dVd & Cd players n Group rates available

Contact Megan Frodge, Sales Coordinator 425.201.1262 mfrodge@larkspurhotels.com

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We specialize in Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs. Call for more information: 425.644.2500

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Pedersen’sThe Event Rental Experts.Stylish party rentals including:• Specialty linen • Glassware • Tables • China • Cutlery • Chair covers • Designer chairs • Catering equipment • Unique tabletop items4500 Fourth Ave. S, Seattle. For more information call 206-719-5400 or visit

www.pedersens.com.

PogachaPogacha of Issaquah is a casual fine-dining restaurant

nestled in Issaquah with easy access from I-90. They pride themselves on their fresh, delicious food, exceptional ser-vice, and friendly neighborhood atmosphere. Pogacha has two private dining rooms and full-service catering, and they are delighted to provide per-sonalized event planning with their friendly Pogacha touch.

They offer Northwest cuisine with an Adriatic flair. All of the food is made from scratch, using only the freshest ingredients.

For questions or information, contact event dining manager Sarah Barnes at 425-392-5550 (office), 425-269-2616 (cell) or sarah@pogacha.com. For catering contact Justin McMartin at 425-894-7441.

Sparkll InvitationsSparkll 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.

Tulalip Resort CasinoThe AAA Four Diamond Tulalip Resort Casino is among

the premier destinations in Washington State offering luxuri-ous accommodations, award-winning dining options, a rejuve-nating spa, casino excitement, and world-class shopping.

Tulalip Resort Casino offers extraordinary value with more than 30,000 square feet of flexible event space. Options range from the 15,000-square-foot Orca Ballroom to more intimate gathering spaces. Whether it’s customized catering, décor requests or state-of-the-art technology, every need is addressed by a capable and consci-entious staff.

For more information about planning a special event at Tulalip Resort Casino please contact sales@tulalipresort.com or 360-716-6570 or visit www.tulalipresort.com.

Weddings at the WACElegant. Personalized. Timeless.Plan your all-inclusive wedding at the Washington Athletic Club, a historic landmark

in the heart of downtown Seattle. Contemporary elegance and tradition define the Club.The WAC provides everything you need for a seamless day of romance, celebration and

tradition. The Crystal Ballroom can accommodate up to 200 guests, while other rooms offer more-intimate settings for smaller groups. Whether you want guests to dance all night or enjoy an elegant dinner, or both, they can turn an event into a distinctive experience.

A full-service day spa and 109-room inn offer room for all your guests. Make it a weekend and stay in one of their seven suites. Enjoy water and city views on your first night of marriage. Wedding pack-ages are available and personalized with your contract. Evening parking included for guests in the WAC garage. Make the Washington Athletic Club the choice for your spe-cial day. It would be their pleasure to assist you. For more information please contact catering@wac.net or 206-464-3050.

Woodmark HotelCelebrate your special simcha at the Woodmark Hotel, voted the best venue for a Bar

and Bat Mitzvah by JTNews readers. At the Woodmark, they understand 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 beauti-ful indoor and outdoor settings for parties, Shabbat dinners, brunches, ceremonies, 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 Woodmark catering manager to get started on planning your special event.

Marc Mayo

friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews m.o.T.: member of The Tribe 23

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WE OFFER FACILITIES FOR:

Weddings, receptions and rehearsal dinners Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Business meetings and retreats Company picnics, dinners and cocktail parties Family reunions and other private celebrations

For event planning call 206.548.2590 or email groupsales@zoo.org

Dennis Conner, WPZRic Brewer, WPZ

a passion for politicsdiana bREMEnt JtNews Columnist

1“If you have [a] pas-sion, which I do in pol-itics, then it’s not a job,

it’s wonderful,” says Sandy Kraus, the volunteer state public affairs (SPA) chair for the National Council of Jewish Women’s Seattle section.

NCJW, a national wom-en’s political advocacy organi-zation, has surprisingly deep local roots. The Seattle chapter was formed in 1900 by “Mrs. Bailey Gatzert” (Babette) with Dollie Degginger elected president. NCJW also founded the immi-grant-aid organization Settlement House, which became the now-independent Neighborhood House.

An SPA chair is the liaison between local NCJW members and the national office, which provides infor-mation about political issues. Sandy communicates with members through reg-ular emails, urging them to write to newspapers and contact state and local offi-cials about their concerns. She was appointed to that job almost 10 years ago after serving as president of the Seattle section and then as a national commissioner.

Reducing gun violence is a hot button issue for NCJW, as are women’s reproductive rights, she says. “Issues that relate to children’s welfare, domestic vio-lence, safety for families,” and welfare reform are topics that “speak to our mis-sion of helping women, children, and fam-ilies,” Sandy says.

Sandy also keeps tabs on local politics and reports to the national office. She and other NCJW members serve on politi-cal coalitions with simi-lar interests, and she sits on the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle’s govern-ment affairs committee.

With no paid staff cur-rently, volunteers handle all the work for the Seattle sec-tion, which serves the whole state.

Newly retired from a project management job at the City of Seattle, Sandy is looking forward to traveling more with her husband. In addition to her political activism, the Pittsburgh native organizes and runs the monthly birthday parties at the Caroline Kline Galland home, for which she’s always looking for entertain-ment. If you’d like to volunteer or have ideas, please contact her at 206-232-2591. There’s more NCJW information at www.ncjwseattle.org.

2The third presidential debate pushed Marc Mayo over the edge.

As an attorney, Marc had been recruited by a friend to be an election observer, but he hadn’t made a decision about it.

After watching Mitt Romney in the debate, “I decided that I can’t let this guy win.” Having been a prosecutor, Marc says, “I can tell, usually, when some-one’s lying and…he was lying

through his teeth.”Marc volunteered for the Obama cam-

paign’s Organizing for America, and after training was sent to Palm Beach and Bro-ward Counties in Florida.

There, his duties included poll watch-ing, where he witnessed the much-reported long lines of voters waiting to cast bal-lots — the result of reduced polling hours, removal of Sunday voting, and com-plicated ballot initiatives. Observers, who are required to be attorneys, and voters stood in the sun for hours. Marc wasn’t complaining about the weather, a welcome relief from winter, but many voters were elderly or infirm.

What impressed him most was “the willingness of

people to stand in line.” He expected many to give up, but most voters waited patiently in the heat. “I think there was a backlash,” against reduced voting opportunities, he said. “People said, ‘you’re not going to stop me from voting.’” Marc notes that post-election research shows that up to 50,000

people may have been dis-couraged from voting by the lines.

In addition to addressing legal issues and document-ing problems, volunteers helped “with cheerleading [and] helping people stay in line,” which sometimes involved getting chairs or water for voters.

Marc also observed ballot counting in the election commissioner’s office, where “I saw the actual ‘hang-ing chad’ room,” he says.

Because of a printing error, about 30,000 Palm Beach County ballots had to be re-marked by election workers. One employee would complete a fresh ballot and another would verify it. A Demo-crat and a Republican volunteer observed workers, “making sure they were acting in an ethical and legal manner.” Observers couldn’t talk to the workers or each other.

M.O.T.Member of the Tribe

CourteSy mArC mAyo

Marc Mayo

CourteSy SANDy KrAuS

Sandy kraus

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24 whaT’s your Jq? JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

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Learning leadership from the MegillahRivy PouPko klEtEnik JtNews Columnist

Dear Rivy,On one hand, the good news is that

everything turns out okay for us at the end of the Megillah — a fine installment of “They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat.” However, I cannot help but think that there is a lot more in that Megillah than a simple “Phew, we narrowly escaped that attempt at annihilation.” The personali-

ties of the main characters seem almost caricature-like: The beautiful queen, the evil nemesis, the bumbling king, the heroic saint. It’s clear that it makes for rich fodder for dress-up, spiels, and comic relief. But what does it all mean?

The good news is that there is no short-age of interpretations and approaches to

the central text of the holiday of Purim, the Megillah, a.k.a. the Book of Esther. There are numerous articles, com-mentaries, even complete books offering a broad range of approaches or “lenses” into this section of scripture. Some see in it a pointed Per-sian satire, others a sober object lesson in Machiavel-lian political intrigue. For still others the Megillah is a femi-nist treatise on finding one’s voice. Then there are those for whom the Book of Esther is a power-ful lesson in Providence and Jewish des-tiny. All good.

Seeing as our saga centers around some critical leadership moves, let’s get prac-tical. In this day and age of mass prolif-eration of how-to books, journals, and seminars on leadership, let’s do it: Let’s get in that Megillah and siphon out some hardcore leadership takeaways.

Think you’re not leader? Think again. Every one of us is a leader. Yes, that’s right. Once upon a time, I thought that was ridiculous. I scorned campaigns that would promote whole institutional lead-ership training. I would wonder, Who are the followers if we are all leading? Ah, then I became a Steven Covey devotee. We each lead by virtue of our actions. Picture this scenario: Walking down the street, you see litter and pick it up. Others are watch-ing. You’re a leader. So no opting out here. There is a leader in each of us.

Where to begin? Some say the true test of a leader’s mettle is crisis management. See under: Mayor Bloomberg response to 2010 Christmas blizzard, or consider CEO Tony Hayward, BP oil spill control. Crisis can either make or break you. As luck would have it, there is no shortage of crisis in our humble scroll. So on we go to our

crash course “Megillah Man-agement Manual: Learning to Lead from Mayhem and Mad-ness.”

As the Megillah dramat-ically unfurls, crisis after crisis, calamity after calam-ity presents itself to our cen-tral characters. From being summoned, to loss of power, to impending annihilation, Shushan becomes catastrophe central. How do our crisis-besot leaders behave?

The Vashti Chronicles: Let the carnival begin. Or not. Mikhail Bakhtin teaches that through the carnival and car-nivalesque, a “world upside-down” is cre-ated, and ideas and truths are endlessly tested and contested. Our opening extrav-aganza fits this genre, setting the scene for resistance to authority and the place where cultural and potentially political change can take place. This was not happening for our Vashti. In her moment of crisis, her leadership mode of choice is uncompro-mising and proves to be self-destructive. While we applaud her pithy insubordi-nation, her one step too far is her own undoing. She refuses to appear and the vanquished Vashti becomes history.

Achashverosh the Flamboyant Flim-flammer: Frank Bruni, in his recent New York Times Op-Ed, “The Land of Binge,” makes a perceptive connection between excessive indulgences and extreme polit-ical stances. He writes, “America these days is an immoderate land of fixed opin-ions and outsized fixations.” Gluttony is all-pervasive, as is extremism. Welcome to Shushan:

The king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the castle, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace; there were hangings of white, fine cotton, and blue, bor-dered with cords of fine linen and purple, upon silver rods and pillars of marble; the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pave-ment of green, and white, and shell, and onyx marble. And they gave them drink in vessels of gold — the vessels being diverse one from another — and royal wine in abun-dance, according to the bounty of the king.

This extreme excess is soon matched with extreme evil. And our king flimflams his way through the crises. The Achash-verosh leadership legacy? Buffoonery.

This leads us to Haman, the arche-typal tyrant, familiar to many and loved by none. Megalomaniacal, autocratic, power hungry, diabolical — you name it. These traits are driven by self-advancement dis-guised as idealism for the masses. These are the leaders who capitalize on racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and nationalistic insecurities solely for their own promo-tion. Who can count of all history’s lead-ers who fall into this category? Let us not

WHAT’s yOuR Jq?

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friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews commuNiTy caleNdar 25

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Candlelighting timesFebruary 22 .................... 5:25 p.m.march 1 .......................... 5:35 p.m.march 8 .......................... 5:46 p.m.march 15 ......................... 6:46 p.m.

satuRday 23 fEbRuaRy2–3:30 p.m. — madeleine Albright: Prague Winter

townhallseattle.org/splebbc-madeleine-albright-prague-winter/Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will speak about her new book, “Prague Winter,” the story of her discovery of her family’s Jewish roots and their survival through the years of war. Free. At Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle.6–9 p.m. — mitriyah’s Purim in a living room

Mitriyah at info@mitriyah.org or 206-651-5891 or mitriyah.orgMitriyah, South Seattle’s progressive Jewish community, celebrates Purim with a shpiel, hamantashen, mask making and a potluck. At a Columbia City home. Free. RSVP for address.7 p.m. — Purim Spiel

Donna Blankinship at donnablankinship@gmail.com or www.templebnaitorah.orgAn original Purim play written, directed, and

produced by Temple B’nai Torah’s own Donna Blankinship. Free and open to all. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.7–11 p.m. — erev Purim

Carol Benedick at carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or 206-524-0075 or bethshalomseattle.orgMegillah reading for all. Klez Katz. Shushan masquerade ball. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.7:10 p.m. — BCmh Purim Party

Julie Greene at julie@bcmhseattle.org or 206-721-0970Purim bash with live band, food, moon bounce and a costume contest for adults and kids with prizes. Free. At Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.

sunday 24 fEbRuaRy9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — under the Sea Purim Carnival

Rachel Nemhauser at rnemhauser@templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.orgCelebrate Purim dressed as your favorite sea creature. Songs, prizes, and a costume parade. For ages 3-12. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Purim

Carol Benedick at carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or 206-524-0075 or bethshalomseattle.orgMegillah reading. Purim katan (for families with

children ages 0-5). Purim carnival. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.11 a.m. — Purim in Africa

info@chabadissaquah.com or www.ChabadIssaquah.comDrum circle, African and jungle masquerade, brunch with tropical dessert, multimedia megillah reading, hamentaschen and groggers. $5 suggested donation. At Blakely Hall, 2550 NE Park Dr., Issaquah.12–3 p.m. — SJCC Annual Purim Carnival

Zach Duitch at ZachD@sjcc.org or 206-232-7115 or www.sjcc.orgCarnival games, prizes, dancing, and music. Purchase tickets for carnival games. Free. At the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.3–5 p.m. — Purim Celebration for People of All Abilities

Marjorie Schnyder at familylife@jfsseattle.org or 206-861-3146 or www.jfsseattle.orgA joyful, inclusive, and accessible community-wide celebration with music, activities and a special Purim spiel. All ages welcome. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.4–8 p.m. — Pirate Purim

Chanala Kornfeld at Chanakornfeld@gmail.com or 561-628-8184 or www.shevetachim.comJoin Shevet Achim for a pirate-themed Purim. Megillah reading at 4 p.m., seudah at 5 p.m. $28/adults, $15/children, $90/family. At Northwest Yeshiva High School, 5017 90th Ave. SE, Mercer Island.

tuEsday 26 fEbRuaRy7–9 p.m. — the teaching legacy of Janusz Korczak

Dena Kernish at DenaK@JewishInSeattle.org or 206-774-2279 or bit.ly/JanuszKorczakJanusz Korczak advocated for children and impacted education in ways that influence teachers today. Learn how his ideas can be applied today. JTC credit, STARS, clock hours available. Free. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.

WEdnEsday 27 fEbRuaRy7–10 p.m. — Seattle Jewish Film Festival launch Party hosted by tom Douglas

Pamela Lavitt at pamelal@sjcc.org or www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.orgSJFF’s premiere party and swanky social event. Delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts, wine and beer, music and short film series. Advance tickets only. $25; $22.50 SJCC members. At the Tom Douglas Palace Ballroom, 2100 Fifth Ave., Seattle.

thuRsday 28 fEbRuaRy10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. — hindu Beliefs

Ellen Hendin at endlessopps@jfsseattle.org or 206-861-3183 or www.jfsseattle.orgIn this two-part series, Shelly Krishnamurty explains Hinduism. Who is Brahma? What is Dharma? Bring your curiosity and an open mind. Part two on March 7 will deal with Hindu customs. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

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.

the calendarto Jewish Washington @jewishcal

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26 commuNiTy caleNdar JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

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12–1:30 p.m. — law Pertaining to the Status of lands and Communities in the West Bank and gaza Strip

Rob Jacobs at Northwest@StandWithUs.com or 206-801-0902 or www.standwithus.com/northwestProfessor of law Avi Bell will examine legal issues concerning claims in property and sovereignty law in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including the contentious issue of settlements. This is a continuing legal education workshop worth 1.5 credits, and is also open to the public. $25 includes kosher lunch and materials ($10 for materials and no lunch). At Riddel Williams, 1001 Fourth Ave., Seattle.2–3:30 p.m. — learning from the Quantum universe

Judy Kinney at info@nestseattle.org or 206-525-6378 or www.nestseattle.orgElsa Bowman, an instructor in the Dying Consciously program, explores connections between spirituality and quantum physics. Free. At Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle.

7–9 p.m. — girls Night out Charlene Polyansky at charlene@tdhs-nw.org

or 206-315-7389 or tdhs-nw.orgFood and fun at this fundraiser benefiting Temple De Hirsch Sinai. $75 per person. At Filos on Issaquah Creek, 385 NW Gilman Blvd., Issaquah.

fRiday 1 MaRch5:45 p.m. — Shabbat Across America at West Seattle tlC

Rabbi Yehuda Greer at rabbigreer@gmail.com or 732-534-2284 or seattlekollel.orgHundreds of synagogues and thousands of Jews across the country join to celebrate Shabbat. All Jews, all ages are welcome. Please RSVP. Call for West Seattle address.6:45 p.m. — Shabbat Across America

Rabbi Avrohom David at info@seattlekollel.org or 206-722-8289 or seattlekollel.orgGuest speaker Rabbi Yehuda Silver, former director of outreach for Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem, will speak on “Shabbat: A Ray of Light in a World of Darkness.” $18/adults, $9/children, $60/family. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.

7:30–9 p.m. — Back to the ’60s Purim Celebration

Elizabeth Fagin at elizabeth@betalef.org or 206-527-9399 or www.betalef.orgPurim party and Friday night Shabbat service. Dig out your tie-dyes and bell-bottoms and give tribute to the generation of love. Free. At Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue, 1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle.

satuRday 2 MaRchBCmh Scholar in residence Shabbaton

Julie Greene at julie@bcmhseattle.org or 206-721-0970Shabbat morning sermon, “The Golden Calf, Rabbi Akiva, and 9/11,” followed by lunch and “A Tale of Two Miracles.” At 5:35 p.m., “Hashem, I’m On Your Side.” Sunday morning at 10:30, “Seven Attributes of Highly Spiritual Women” for women only at the home of Linda Wegodsky. Pay and RSVP by Feb. 25. Childcare available. $15/adults, $10/children 4-11. At BCMH, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.5:30–7 p.m. — Cupcakes and Cocoa havdalah

Mark Rosenberg at MarkR@sjcc.org or 206-388-0830 or bit.ly/cupcakescocoa

The ECS and SJCC communities come together to celebrate Havdalah with cupcakes and cocoa, music and crafts. Appropriate for children of all ages. Free. At the Northend Stroum JCC, 2618 NE 80th St., Seattle.6:30 p.m. — Seattle Jewish Film Festival 2013: opening Night

Pamela Lavitt, Director at sjff@sjcc.org or 206-232-7115, ext. 269 or www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.orgHappy hour until 7:30, then opening night film, “The Day I Saw Your Heart” starring Mélanie Laurent, followed by cake from Holly Levin, The Cake Lady. At AMC Pacific Place, 600 Pine St., Seattle.

sunday 3 MaRch9:30–10:30 a.m. — What Am i Saying When i’m Praying?

Shelly Goldman at sgoldman@a.templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.orgLearn to translate the Hebrew prayers to gain a more meaningful prayer experience. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

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friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews commuNiTy caleNdar 27

9:30–11 a.m. — Seattle Jewish Film Festival 2013: matzoh momma Brunch

Pamela Lavitt, Director at sjff@sjcc.org or 206-232-7115, ext. 269 or www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.orgBrunch, klezmer, and a giant hora, followed by a screening of “Hava Nagila,” a documentary about the classic song. At AMC Pacific Place, 600 Pine St., Seattle.9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Women of the Book Art: Creating a Special Space

Shelly Goldman at sgoldman@a.templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.orgExplore and express your vision with words, colors, textures, and found items. Create a portable sanctuary to accompany and inspire you in your life’s journey. Bring a book or use one provided. $5 payable at the door. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.2–5 p.m. — Baking with Chef eli

Marjorie Schnyder at familylife@jfsseattle.org or 206-861-3146 or www.jfsseattle.orgJewish single moms, dads and their children make Sephardic filo dough treats with chef Eli Varon. Registration by Feb. 25 required. At Sephardic

Bikur Holim, 6500 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.

Monday 4 MaRch5:30–7 p.m. — healthy Snack Cooking Class

Kim Lawson at Klawson@sjcc.org or 206-388-0823 or www.sjcc.orgFareStart teaches parents how to cook healthy snacks for kids. Dinner and snack recipes will be provided. $10-15. At the Northend Stroum JCC, 2618 NE 80th St., Seattle.6:30–7:30 p.m. — Seattle Jewish Film Festival 2013: “life in Stills”

Pamela Lavitt at sjff@sjcc.org or 206-232-7115, ext. 269 or www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.orgMiriam Weissenstein and her grandson, Ben, join forces to save her late husband’s life’s work: Nearly one million negatives documenting Israel’s most defining moments. At SIFF Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave. N, Seattle.

tuEsday 5 MaRch2:30–3:30 p.m. — lunchtime learning Series Presents: robin Judd

Lauren Spokane at laurenjs@uw.edu or

206-543-0138 or stroumjewishstudies.org/events“What’s Love Got To Do With It? Jewish War Brides, Soldier Husbands, and Postwar European Jewish History” explores the complicated relationships among some liberated Jewish women and American, British, and Canadian victors. At the University of Washington Simpson Center for Humanities (Communications Building, Room 202), Seattle.

WEdnEsday 6 MaRch12–1:30 p.m. — israel Current eventsShelly Goldman at sgoldman@a.templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.orgLed by Nevet Basker, discuss a topic in the news pertaining to Israel. To find out the topic for this month or join the email list, contact Jayne Carlin at jscarlin@gmail.com. Optional pre-reading is available at www.broaderview.org/current. This session will be repeated on Thursday at 7 p.m. $5 payable at the door. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.7–9 p.m. — israel matters 2.0

Shelly Goldman at sgoldman@a.templebnaitorah.org or

www.templebnaitorah.orgThe film “Between Two Worlds” is an exploration of the community and family divisions that are redefining American Jewish identity and politics. Open to all. $5. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

fRiday 8 MaRch10:30 a.m.— PJ library Storytime at SJCS

Amy Paquette at amyhp@jewishinseattle.orgThe PJ Library welcomes Shoshana Stombaugh as guest musician and storyteller. Stay for songs and a story, activities and playgroup fun. At the Seattle Jewish Community School, 12351 Eighth Ave. NE, Seattle.6–7 p.m. — they’ve let my People go! Now What?

Michael Novick at michael.novick@jdcny.org or 425-644-1000 or www.jdc.orgRabbi Asher Ostrin speaks about the Jews who remained in the Soviet Union after its doors opened. At Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.

announcements

funeral/burial services

burial plots

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homecare services

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jtnews needs an intern

Attention budding journalists: JTNews — The Voice of Jewish

Washington is seeking an editorial intern for the fall and winter. Work on newsgathering and reporting

skills, help out with our newspaper distribution, work on our websites, and get on-the-job experience you

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Congregation Beth ShalomCBS is seeking an Executive Director with

demonstrated track record of successful organizational management, fundraising and staff supervision in a collaborative organization.

Desire experienced candidate with excellent interpersonal skills who is flexible, diplomatic, efficient and skilled at prioritizing and problem solving, and enthusiastic and highly motivated to ensure that our very dynamic congregation continues to thrive and serve the needs of our membership.

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X Page 30

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courageous than that. But, if they lived in Israel, fair enough.As a Jew and World War II Ninth Air Force combat airman with two overseas tours in Europe, I

find their self-description vile and offensive. They parrot the terrorist line of “non-violent resistance.” Resistance against what? Resistance against Israelis fighting to survive? Pushing the terrorists back from their doorsteps to avoid even worse attacks?

This, er, “Jewish Voice” group ignores when massed Arab armies advanced in 1948 on the tiny reborn Jewish nation, vowing to kill or drive them all into the sea. They just don’t care or know, or want to know, that after repeated attacks, the Israelis had to push these attacking hordes from their front steps to even survive. So this splinter group joins with Palestinians under the deceptive tag of “non-violent resistance.” Ugh!

Philip r. scheiershoreline

who Is reaLLY to BLame?

Eitan Isaacson and Wendy Elisheva Somerson’s op-ed (“Solidarity with Palestinian non-violent resistance,” Feb. 8) is interesting in its focus on Palestinian non-violent resistance. Unfortunately, Palestinians are using it against the wrong side. Instead of blaming Israel for all their misery, Pales-tinians would benefit by demonstrating weekly against their own leadership. As long as that leader-ship refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist in its ancient homeland and refuses to negotiate a two-state solution, that same leadership will continue to be the problem.

Isaacson and Somerson falsely accuse the IDF and Israel of violence and aggression. Ironically, pro-Palestinian groups like JVP and SUPER accuse Israel of abusing Palestinians’ civil rights when Palestinian media, schools, and mosques teach hatred of Jews and glorify terrorism instead of pre-paring Palestinians to live in peaceful co-existence with Israelis. That is why it’s difficult to take “5 Broken Cameras” and liberal pro-Palestinian rhetoric seriously.

Belinda timpke tacoma

no sUch thIng as non-VIoLent resIstance The authors of the JVP article (“Solidarity with Palestinian Non-Violent Resistance,” Feb. 8) pre-

tend there is a Palestinian non-violent “resistance” movement. But there is no such thing and never has been. Instead, historically, the Palestinian Arabs have seen their “cause” as a zero-sum game: Palestinian Arab “rights” can only be obtained when the country is ethnically cleansed of its Jewish population. Moreover, to achieve this end, Palestinian Arab leaders have consistently chosen vio-lence, not as the last resort, but as the first and only means for achieving their goals. Palestinian Arab leaders and organizations, starting with Haj Amin Al-Husseini, a virulently anti-Jewish cleric who led the Arabs in Palestine during the 1920s and 1930s, chose mob violence, warfare, and ter-rorism as their one and only “policy” toward Zionism and Jews, at least until 1993.

Since 1993, the time of the failed Oslo accords, the Palestinians have been divided between the Hamas camp, which continues to pursue Israel’s destruction through violent confrontation, and the Fatah camp, which claims to want peace with Israel but refuses to engage in meaningful dialogue while focusing its energy instead on an anti-Israel publicity.

The JVP article focused on a small, localized “movement” in Bi’lin as their example of “non-vio-lent resistance,” but this group, too, has a history of violence (e.g., Feb. 18, 2011, as seen on You-Tube).

The irony is that, because no broad-based, non-violent Palestinian campaign exists seeking to end the West Bank occupation, it continues out of necessity. Israel’s 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza resulted in a Hamas-led enclave committed to Israel’s destruction and still attacks Israeli civil-ians. Israel cannot afford the same thing on the West Bank.

Frankly, I wish a Gandhi-style non-violent protest movement existed. Most Israelis would sup-port it, especially the soldiers stationed in Bil’in, who would get to go home, since its goals would be met quickly.

Perhaps JVP should try urging its Arab comrades to start having serious and respectful dialogue with Israelis instead of engaging in the kind of behavior and vindictive rhetoric described by Hen Mazzig in his article.

David shayneseattle

W LeTTeRS Page 3

You can make a difference!Youth Mitzvah Fund (YMF) gives teens a head

start on lifelong philanthropy.

donate todaY!

For more information, contact Amy Paquette 206.774.2237, or amyhp@jewishinseattle.org

camps & education

Become a fan > jtnewsTweet with us > jew_ish

30 camps & educaTioN JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

Eye Level is a self-directedMath & English learning program. ENROLL NOW! Call today!Bellevue (New) 425-644-5345Federal Way 253-205-6569 • Mukilteo 425-345-2828Sammamish 425-890-0896 • University Place 253-343-4693

Or visit myeyelevel.com to find the location nearest you. Franchise opportunity available. Call 213-435-0056

Scholarships and extended care available!seattleaudubon.org or 206.523.4483

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Aspiring YouthThe Aspiring Youth Summer Program provides a supportive environment where

children and teens with learning differences, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome and other traits experience social growth. With a 4:1 ratio and great group activities, their Master’s-level counselors ensure that campers build friendships and self-esteem.

For more information visit www.aspiringyouth.net.

Camp Solomon SchechterCamp Solomon Schechter has a 60-year tradition of fun, friendship and Jewish

education in the Pacific Northwest. We create a unique, welcoming and spiritual Jewish environment based upon the ideals of the Conservative movement, offering an innovative experience for youth of all denominations entering 2nd-12th grades. At Schechter, Judaism and joy are truly one!

For more information visit www.campschechter.org.

ProjectFUN Youth ProgramsDigiPen’s ProjectFUN youth programs engage students in the arts and sciences

by teaching them the tools and techniques of today’s high-tech careers. DigiPen offers ProjectFUN courses in a range of programming, game design, fine arts, and engineering topics, from video game programming to 3D animation to robotics.

Learn more at projectfun.digipen.edu.

Seattle Audubon Nature CampSeattle 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 our summer nature camps.

Aspiring Youth Summer ProgramFun, friends and fresh air for youth with Asperger’s and ADHD

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camps & education

satuRday 9 MaRch10 a.m.–12 p.m. — the most memorable 30 minutes you’ll Spend this year

Michael Novick at michael.novick@jdcny.org or 425-644-1000 or www.jdc.orgRabbi Asher Ostrin shares his most interesting contemporary stories of global Jewish life you’ve never heard. At Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.1:15–2:30 p.m. — Jewish Spirituality experience group

Shelly Goldman at sgoldman@a.templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.orgThree-class series led by Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg providing a taste of Jewish spirituality for the curious, the dabbler, the practitioner, and the novice. Study music, prayer, poetry as well as art, chanting, meditation and movement. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

sunday 10 MaRch11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. —the evolving image of Jerusalem

Carol Benedick at carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or 206-524-0075 or bethshalomseattle.orgLearn how Jews over the ages, far away from Jerusalem, imagined the holy city. Instructor Shalom Sabar is a visiting professor at the UW’s Jewish Studies Program. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — mitzvah think tank

Marjorie Schnyder at familylife@jfsseattle.org or 206-861-3146 or jfsseattle.orgAuthor Linda Cohen will discuss her book “1,000 Mitzvahs” within the context of parenting and family life. Includes a kosher brunch and a signed book. Advance payment by Mar. 3. $30; financial assistance available. At Jewish Family Service, 1601 16th Ave., Seattle.

1–3 p.m. — ethical Wills: Writing a legacy for the Next generation

Marjie Cogan at marjiecogan@bethshalomseattle.org or 206-524-0075 or bethshalomseattle.orgInstructor Muriel Dance is a chaplain at Skirball Hospice in L.A. and a former professor of English. Register by March 4. $30. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.4:30–9 p.m. — NyhS gala Dinner and Auction

Melissa Rivkin at mrivkin@nyhs.net or 206-232-5272, ext. 515 or www.nyhsauction.comHonoring Adina and Jack Almo. Doors open at 4:30 for both silent and live auctions, dinner, and honoree program. Visit the website to RSVP and/or place a tribute. $150. At The Westin Seattle, 1900 Fifth Ave., Seattle.5:30–9:30 p.m. — Black and White Ball gala Fundraiser

Jenna Sytman at jenna@templebetham.org or 206-525-0915 or www.templebetham.orgFood, entertainment and 299 friends from TBA dressed in their best black-and-whites. Tickets start at $75 per person. At Temple Beth Am, 2632 NE 80th St., Seattle.7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. — Seattle Jewish Film Festival 2013: Closing Night

Pamela Lavitt at sjff@sjcc.org or 206-232-7115, ext. 269 or www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org“The Words,” a romantic drama, follows a young writer who finally achieves long sought-after literary success. But there’s one catch – he didn’t write it. Produced by Michael Benaroya, who will receive the Reel Difference Award. At SIFF Cinema Uptown, Queen Anne Ave. N, Seattle.

Monday 11 MaRch7 p.m. — rabbi miri gold: religious Freedom in israel

Karen Sakamoto at ksakamoto@templebnaitorah.org or 425-603-9677Rabbi Miri Gold will present “Religious Freedom in Israel: Making it a Reality, Not an Ideal.” Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

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friday, february 22, 2013 . www.JTNews.NeT . JTNews lifecycles 31

LIFECyCLEs

how do i submit a lifecycle announcement? Send lifecycle notices to: JTNews/Lifecycles, 2041 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98121E-mail to: lifecycles@jtnews.net Phone 206-441-4553 for assistance. Submissions for the March 8, 2013 issue are due by February 26.Download forms or submit online at www.jtnews.net/index.php?/lifecyclePlease submit images in jpg format, 400 KB or larger. Thank you!

Offering Summer Workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students in Video Game Programming, Fine Arts and Animation, Game Design, and Robotics and Engineering!

Attend one of our Summer Workshop Preview Days on April 13 and 20.

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Express yourself with our special “Tribute Cards” and help fund JFS programs at the same time…meeting the needs of friends, family and loved ones here at home. Call Irene at (206) 861-3150 or, on the web, click on “Donations” at www.jfsseattle.org. It’s a 2-for-1 that says it all.

2-for-1 “ Bar & Bat Mitzvah” Cards

camps & education

Ruth ArndtThe matriarch of the family, Ruth Arndt, passed away on Sunday, January 27, 2013 with

her family by her side. Ruth was born in Germany and was married to Frank for over 50 years.

Ruth was one of the most progressive women of her time.  She was always self-assured, confident and a great listener. She was health conscious before it was popular to be so.  

Ruth enjoyed spending time watching “The Young and the Restless” and “Guiding Light” — her programs, as she called them. She was an artist who crocheted, made jewelry, and did enamel work. She loved to travel and to tell her family about the places that she had been, especially about beautiful beaches. Ruth took pleasure in timing herself to see how fast she could complete a word search puzzle and enjoyed eating her grapefruit and a good piece of dark chocolate. She celebrated her 99th birthday with an oversized chocolate mint cupcake.

Ruth was more than a mother and grandmother; she was a best friend. She loved visiting with her family and looking at pictures of her two great-granddaughters.

She will always be remembered and greatly loved by her family, which was so important to her: Her daughter Beatrice, son-in-law Harvey, granddaughters Lisa and Melanie, grandsons-in-law Drew and Joel, and great granddaughters Allison and Shoshanna. 

Rachel Esther CoskeyRachel celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on February 16, 2013

at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle.Rachel is the daughter of Gail and Kevin Coskey of

Seattle and the sister of Justin. She is the granddaughter of Marion Blumberg of Seattle, Eleanor Coskey of Encino, Calif., the late Charles Blumberg and the late Richard Coskey.

Rachel is a 7th-grader at The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle. She enjoys cooking, playing volleyball and basketball, and being with friends and family. For her mitzvah project, Rachel volunteered at Mary’s Place and is collecting clothing, socks, gloves, and shoes for the center.

jew-ish.com

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Of hundreds of ballots, Marc only saw two errors. “It’s very secure” and “very tedious,” he says, and he has new respect for election workers. And he says he won’t

vote for write-in candidates again. It cre-ates “a lot of extra work.”

Marc, who has worked for the criminal division of the Seattle City Attorney’s office since 1990, says, “it was really fascinating, I’m glad I did it…I would do it again.”

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forget even those close by, on the smaller scale of leadership who embody these Haman characteristics — watch out!

Which brings us to Mordechai. He is the unyielding archetype of civil disobe-dience, the ancient model of the modern community organizer, our up-stander par excellence. He refuses to bow. He demon-strates at the gate of the palace in sackcloth and ashes. Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Natan Sharansky, Mohamed Bouazizi. They lead by passionate resistance. To be a success, John Bell in his piece “Crisis Management: The Ultimate Test of a Leader” suggests that a leader must have these five traits in place: The right values and beliefs, inher-

ent courage, preparedness, good commu-nication skills, and absolute dedication to “company” culture. Mordechai scores on all points.

Esther, the star of our story, is the acci-dental leader par excellence. She is reluctant and cautious to act, never having imag-ined herself as a leader. It takes Mordechai’s nudging to get her going. Yet she rises to the occasion, embodying the rabbinic notion “in a place where there is no leader, strive to be one.” As Emmanuel Levinas would have it, she is in the throes of responsibility prior to ever choosing to be. In this way, she is perhaps the most relatable of all the Megil-lah’s leadership models as the reluctant leader. Though we have five to pick from, there’s a reason it’s called Megillat Esther.

relationship toward ethnicity in general,” he says. “I don’t think Jews are unique in that. But there’s a great fascination in mainstream French culture with anything that has to do with former French colo-nies, and ‘The Rabbi’s Cat’ fits that crav-ing.”

Some of Sfar’s appeal — and certainly his sensitivity — stem from the fact that his father is Algerian and his mother is French, which makes him Sephardic-Ash-kenazi.

Ball served as associate director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival from 1996 to 2000, and started the New Jewish Filmmaking Project for teenagers and young adults — which he continues to produce through his company, Citi-zen Film — with the festival the following year. His list of current projects includes a film about “Pearls of Yiddish Poetry,” the column Yosl and Hannah Mlotek wrote for The Jewish Daily Forward for many years.

All of which is to say that Ball is an

expert on films about Jewish culture and Jewish artists, and resists the tried and trite.

“I think it’s refreshing to see depictions of Jews that aren’t about gefilte fish or the Holocaust or Yiddishkeit, as much as I love Yiddishkeit,” he said. “This is a movie about the creative process. That’s proba-bly the central preoccupation of the film: How do you take what you’ve been given, both in terms of what’s been handed down to you and your own lived experience? It’s through the act of creation that you grap-ple with that.”

When Ball embarked on “Joann Sfar Draws From Memory,” he discovered Sfar’s vast illustrated diaries filled with the everyday incidents in his young children’s lives.

“Joann told me that there’s something Chagall said that really resonates with him: ‘If you want to keep people safe, you put them in paintings.’ For Joann, he puts them in comic books.”

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32 commuNiTy News JTNews . www.JTNews.NeT . friday, february 22, 2013

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w w w . A f f o r d a b l e K o s h e r . c o m

a conversation with Madeleine albrightEMily k. alhadEff Associate editor, JtNews

It’s hard to believe that Madeleine Albright, who fled Prague with her parents in 1939 and lost three grandparents in the Holocaust, never had any idea her family was Jewish.

“Stunned is not even a word,” said the former secretary of state to the Clinton administration. In the process of being vetted for office in 1997, the pieces started to come together.

“At some point,” she told herself, “I have to get back and put the story together.”

That story — part love poem to her native Czechoslovakia, part play by play of the war, part family history — is finally told in “Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937–1948” (Harper Perennial). Albright will be in Seat-tle on February 23 to speak about the book at Town Hall. JTNews had the honor of speaking with her by phone before the visit.

Albright is aware of the skepticism around her ignorance of her family’s history.

“I feel, in retrospect, stupid,” she said. But, “if you have no reason to ask ques-tions, you don’t ask questions…I had a complete story of my life, I thought.”

“Prague Winter” is Albright’s in-depth study of her family’s history, which, she explains in the introduction to the book, was impossible to write without “plac-

ing my parents within the context of the times in which they lived,” particu-larly 1937–1948 Europe. The result of extensive research, including sorting through her father’s writ-ings, speeches, and record-ings stored in boxes in the garage, “Prague Winter” expresses in palpable detail the national pride and pain shared by Czechoslovaks as Hitler began grabbing chunks of the continent, closing in on their home-land.

The history, while laden with names, dates, places, details, is riveting. “Prague Winter” is an important read, especially for anyone who still fails to grasp how World War II could have possibly unfolded and led to such unthinkable cruelty.

“The notion that the summit of the human race was represented by the homely Austrian and his pear-shaped col-leagues was laughable — and people did laugh,” Albright writes at the top of chap-ter 6. Yet reading “Prague Winter” is like watching a slow-moving car you know is going to crash. You can’t help but hope the other drivers will stop him. To this end,

Albright has more than a few choice words about the British.

“The thing that I try to explain to myself: Why didn’t the British and French

do something earlier?” she pondered. The only thing she can come up with is, “They were exhausted from World War I. They couldn’t make themselves believe that Hitler was the mon-ster he was…. My sense is, from readings that I did, the people that stayed behind couldn’t begin to imagine the monstrosity that was going to happen to them.”

Albr ight ’ s maternal grandmother boarded a train to Terezín and was

never seen or accounted for again, and her paternal grandparents calmly packed, cleaned, and sent their dog to the pound once they were summoned to Terezín.

“They were telling Jews that this was a pretty nice place,” said Albright. “Why not go to this place in the country? It was sold to them that way. That’s the only thing I can imagine.”

Given the fear of the future under Hit-ler’s reign, the Jews, Albright presumes, thought it might be the safer option.

“There weren’t people to come back to tell them what was going on,” she contin-ued. “It’s a little town. They had enough people to have a symphony orchestra. It was hypocrisy at its highest.”

“Prague Winter” has three levels, Albright explained: The personal story, the war account, and the lessons for human-ity. She hopes readers will walk away less judgmental. “I kept trying to put myself in someone else’s shoes [writing the book]” she said. “I didn’t go through the horrors that some of my relatives did. I think we all need a little bit of humility.”

Rather than succumb to the darkness of winter, Albright stressed her intent to continue finding the shafts of light.

“The main lesson is about the resilience of the human spirit,” she said. “The neces-sity to stand up to evil. Trying to analyze what could happen. The unintended con-sequences. I hope people get that out of it. There are definitely lessons.”

IF yOu gOmadeleine albright speaks on sat., feb. 23 at 2 p.m. at town hall seattle, 1118 eighth ave., seattle. free entry. Visit www.townhallseattle.org for further information.