jtnews | january 24, 2014

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JTnews jewish

squeamish about the seahaWks page 22

the sephardic revolution page 15

reflections on ariel sharon page 5

the Best of everythingyour favorites of everything Jewish and beyond

see the results on page 10.

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2 JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, JaNuary 24, 2014

Capitol Hill Campus • 1601 16th Avenue, Seattle (206) 461-3240 • www.jfsseattle.org OF GREATER SEATTLE

for parents & families

Early Screen Media Use with UW I-LABSm monday, february 3

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or [email protected].

Raising a Menschm sunday, february 9

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or [email protected].

Amy Lang: Taking the Sting Out of the Birds + Beesm sunday, february 23


Be a Great Parenting Team: Skills to Nurture Your Relationshipsm tuesday, february 25


Parenting Mindfully: Cultivating Humilitym thursday, february 27


February Family Calendar

for the community

AA Meetings at JFSm tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.Contact (206) 461-3240 or [email protected].

Kosher Food Bankm Wednesday, february 5

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.Pre-register Jana Prothman, (206) 861-3174 or [email protected].

Good Grief: Jewish Traditions and Practical Preparations for End-of-Lifem thursdays, february 6, 13, 20 & 27

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.Contact Leonid Orlov, (206) 861-8784 or [email protected].

Cooking in Communitym Wednesday, february 19

4:00 – 6:00 p.m.RSVP Kristen Svoboda, (206) 726-3603 or [email protected].

DASH Young Professional Group Refugee Registry Kick-Off Eventm thursday, february 27

time tBDFor more information, contact [email protected].

for aDults age 60+

Endless OpportunitiesA community-wide program offered in partnership with Temple B’nai Torah & Temple De Hirsch Sinai. EO events are open to the public and are at 10:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

Getting the Most Out of Your Travel Experiencem thursday, february 6

Looted Art: The Story of the Dzialynska Collectionm tuesday, february 11

A Luncheon with Will Berkovitz, JFS CEO: Judaism, JFS and Jewish Views of the Messiahm thursday, february 20

11:30 a.m.

RSVP Ellen Hendin or Wendy Warman,(206) 461-3240 or [email protected].

Volunteer to make a Difference!

For information about the following volunteer opportunities and more, contact Jane Deer-Hileman (206) 861-3155 or [email protected].

Big Pals / Little PalsFriendly Visitors for SeniorsFamily Mentors in Kent

You want to continue living independently.We can help.With Aging in Place from JFS, you choose the services that will help you remain comfortably in your own home.Call us to learn more (206) 861-3193.

12th Annual Community of Caring Luncheon

Thursday, May 8, 2014Sheraton Seattle Hotel

For more information and to register, visit www.jfsseattle.org/luncheon

friday, january 24, 2014 n www.jtnews.net n jtnews

inside this issuestories you may have missed

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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

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.

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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.

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

Board of directorsPeter Horvitz, Chair*; Jerry Anches§; Lisa Brashem; Nancy Greer; Cynthia Flash Hemphill*; Ron Leibsohn; Stan Mark; Cantor David Serkin-Poole* Keith Dvorchik, CEO and President, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle Celie Brown, Federation Board Chair

*Member, JTNews Editorial Board§Ex-Officio Member

welcome, new advertisers!• The Moultray Law Group • Sam Mezistrano, CPA

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Tell them you saw them in JTNews!

Coming upfeb. 7Wedding Celebrations

RemembeR when

Every weekday at 3 p.m., JTNews sends out an email with stories from near and far about what’s happening in our Jewish world. Here are some stories you may have missed over the past week:

• Changing their waze• Lessons from Llewyn• Bending arcs, changing norms• Taking marriage on the roadWant to be in the know? Sign up for the 3 O’Clock News by visiting our website at

www.jtnews.net, scroll down, and give us your name and email address. Find all of these articles on our website.

From JTNews, January 20, 2006.Our assistant editor at the time, Josh Rosenstein, took some time off from work

to go to New Orleans to help with rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Even months after the hurricane, many basic services had yet to be restored to poorer areas, Josh noted, while some volunteers expressed frustration when asked to per-form menial, unnecessary tasks that provided questionable help for people who weren’t in such dire straits.

rabbi’s turn 5Rabbi Shmuel Brody loves a good story. He likes to let it envelop him, and to help him see the wholeness of God and the world.

the king is dead. long live the king. 5Two writers have two very different opinions about the legacy of Ariel Sharon, Israel’s former prime minister who died on January 11.

a question of ethics 6Make that many questions of ethics, as the hundreds of Jews, Christians and Muslims who descended on Seattle earlier this month had plenty to discuss.

the uw’s statement 6Last week, the University of Washington officially condemned any attempts to create academic boycotts against Israel or any other entity.

the long walk home 7After five years and nearly $5 million, the Eastside Torah Center finally made the move to its new home.

the best of everything 10Our annual reader’s choice survey was more popular than ever this year. See who won!Our local heroes 12

the sephardic revolution 15What makes Sephardic Judaism different? A Shabbaton early next month will approach that question from both the past and the present.

northwest jewish Familyabba Knows best 18What makes us Jews in the Northwest different from our brethren in New York or Florida? For one thing, we’re far too polite. Columnist Ed Harris counts the ways while he fights for a table at a Boca restaurant.

where the jobs aren’t 24The future of jobs in America isn’t as bright as we all may hope, says former labor leader Andy Stern, and he believes it’s time for us to acknowledge that fact.

mOrecommunity calendar 4crossword 8m.O.t.: On the air and on your wrist 9the arts 17what’s your jQ?: the savagery of the seahawks 22the shouk classifieds 22

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

4 CoMMuNiTy CALeNdAr JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, JaNuary 24, 2014

Celebrating 100 years of providing interest-free loans to the community

RSVP: 206-722-1936 or [email protected] www.hfla-seattle.com

Hebrew Free Loan Associationof Greater Seattle

join uSAnnual Brunch February 2, 2014 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at The Summit at First Hi l l

1200 univers i ty Street

Keynote speaker

Rabbi Bernie fox, head of Northwest Yeshiva high school

will speak on the topic of

Jewish Education

candlelighting timesJanuary 24 ...........................4:39 p.m.January 31 ...........................4:50 p.m.February 7 ............................5:01 p.m.February 14 ..........................5:12 p.m.

Friday 24 January8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. — With my own eyes: holocaust, Genocide, today

Ilana Cone Kennedy at [email protected] or 206-774-2201In commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Keynote by Dr. Robert Ericksen, author of “Complicity in the Holocaust: Churches and Universities.” Lunch and clock hours included. $20. Pre-registration required. At Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way S, Seattle.5 p.m. — shabbaton with rabbi daniel lapin

Julie Greene at [email protected] Between Mincha and Kabbalas Shabbos: “Never Have to Cross the Street: Why HaShem Prefers Equity Financing Over Debt.” At Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.

Saturday 25 Januaryshabbaton with rabbi daniel lapin

Julie Greene at [email protected] Shabbos morning sermon (around 10:20 a.m.): “With Pesach on the Horizon — Who Knows Six? I Know Six! But Do You Really?” At 4:50 p.m. after Mincha: “Hebrew Humor and Language Levity” at Sephardic Bikur Holim over seudah shlishit. At BCMH, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.

10–11:30 a.m. — Family shabbat morning Kate Speizer at [email protected] or

206-315-7429 or tdhs-nw.orgBrief prayer service (with guitar) and snack, a project or story, and free play. No membership or experience required. Free. At Temple De Hirsch Sinai, 1511 E Pike St., Seattle.1 p.m. — Jewish spiritual and neural pathways: daily practices to nurture the soul and the Brain

[email protected] Torah study about how spiritual practice can improve brain function, and how the brain assists or resists living a spiritually connected life. With Congregation Eitz Or, 6556 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.5–6 p.m. — Jewish tween extreme limo scavenger hunt

Mark Rosenberg at [email protected] or 206-388-0830 or sjcc.orgHop in a limo for a scavenger hunt around Seattle. Leave from the J and meet at Island Crust Café at the end of the night for pizza and sodas. $25. At the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.5–6:45 p.m. — sJcc Float-on-in pool party

Andrea Selix at [email protected] or 206-388-0821 or sjcc.orgThe pool will be open to families and friends. Bring your floaties or enjoy inflatable pool toys for kids of all ages. Dinner included. SJCC members $8, kids $5, guests $12. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.7:30–9 p.m. — tu B’shevat seder

Shelly Goldman at [email protected] or 425-603-9677 or templebnaitorah.orgDrink wine and eat several kinds of fruits and nuts in celebration of the connection to the land of Israel. Adults only. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah,

15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

Sunday 26 January10 a.m.–1 p.m. — connections 2014

Shayna Rosen at [email protected] or 206-774-2219 or www.jewishinseattle.orgThe Jewish Federation’s largest women’s event of the year. Emceed by Jamie Peha and honoring Patty Fleischmann, Whitney Stern, Esther Friend, and Adisa Ayaso Tassma. At the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University St., Seattle.3:30–5 p.m. — post-Biblical Jewish history lecture series

Stacy Schill at [email protected] or 206-498-1066Bob Herschkowitz will talk about the Enlightenment, the emancipation in the West, Judaism redefined, and anti-Semitism. At Congregation Kol Ami, 16530 Avondale Rd. NE, Woodinville.3–6 p.m. — challah baking workshop

Masha Shtern at [email protected] or class.seattle.gov/parks/Activities/ActivitiesAdvSearch.aspLearn the entire process: Mixing, kneading, rising, baking and several braiding techniques. Make a dip and take your own loaf home, fresh out of the oven. The community center kitchens are not kosher, but the recipe is parve and you can bring your challah home to bake. Pita-baking classes also available. $27. At Rainier Beach Community Center, 4600 38th Ave. S, Seattle.5:30–8 p.m. — reach for the stars: torah day school’s annual Gala

Torah Day School at [email protected] or 206-722-1200 or bit.ly/TDSannualdinnerTorah Day School’s annual gala, honoring Yossi and Sarah Babani. Cocktails at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30. At Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, 5217 S Brandon St., Seattle.

7–9 p.m. — in the land of rain and salmon Melissa Brooks at [email protected]

A theatrical adaptation of Jewish history in Washington State between 1880 and 1920, performed by Book-It Repertory Theatre. Free. At Bet Chaverim, 25701 14th Pl. S, Des Moines.7–9 p.m. — keller Family lecture series

Janet Rasmus at [email protected] or 206-323-8486 or tdhs-nw.orgNaomi Schaefer Riley discusses her book “‘Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America” and the impact of interfaith marriage on America today. A light dessert reception will follow. Books available for purchase. Free. At Temple De Hirsch Sinai, 1441 16th Ave, Seattle.

WedneSday 29 January7–9 p.m. — responding to difficult Behaviors of our aging parents

Leonid Orlov at [email protected] or 206-861-8784 or jfsseattle.orgMajor life changes experienced by aging parents often coincide with depression, mental illness or substance abuse. Learn how to recognize these behaviors and help your parents find the support they need. $13 in advance; $18 at door; scholarships available. At Jewish Family Service, 1601 16th Ave., Seattle.

thurSday 30 January7:30–8:30 p.m. — medical ethics

Jo Kershaw at [email protected] or 206-275-1539 or www.shevetachim.comPart 3 of 3: “Organ Donations: Halachic Perspectives,” led by Rabbi Moshe Kletenik. Free. At The Friendship Circle, 2737 77th Ave. SE, Mercer Island.

MONTHLY LUNCH & LEARNWITH THE RABBIS

3850 156th Avenue SE. Bellevue, WA 98006

X Page 16

the rabbi’s turn

opinion

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“my dad is from israel and my mom is from brooklyn, so i feel like i’m superjew.”— KirO radio reporter rachel belle. read about her in this week’s mOt on page 9.

WriTe A LeTTer To THe ediTor: We would love to hear from you! you may submit your letters to [email protected]. Please limit your letters to approximately 350 words.

The deadline for the next issue is January 28. Future deadlines may be found online.

The opinions of our columnists and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the views of JTNews or the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.

Become a storyrabbi Shmuel brody ashreichem yisrael

Every once in a while, Seat-tle gets a visit from Old Jeru-salem. An elderly fellow with a white beard, a full smile, and a strained walk, “Uncle Chaim from Yerushalayim” is how he is known. His sweetness and simplicity endears him to us all. And he likes to tell stories. Sitting in Seward Park, Uncle Chaim has transported us to places as far as Baranovitch, as cold as Lechovitch, and as intense as the inner room of his rabbi. Truthfully, Uncle Chaim has become a story. It got me think-ing about stories…

There is something exceptional to the story. Whenever it appears it invites me inside, I accept. It grabs my attention. It stills my roving mind. I am quickly lost within it and live within its reality. But, more than I enter it, it enters me. And that’s what makes it so right for convey-ing a message. Couched within the lure and authenticity of the story, I am ready to receive its teaching.

So perfect of a vehicle is it that God Himself chose it as a medium of His message. In two ways does the Torah communicate the Divine will to us, mitzvot and stories. Mitzvot instruct, stories dem-onstrate. Mitzvot tell what is to be done. Stories show how they are to be done. Mitzvot are communicated directly. Stories teach by inference.

Mitzvot tell us what we are to do. Stories tell us how we are to be.

Torah is neither a book of history nor a book of laws. It is a book of communication of the Divine will, through two mediums. We mine the mitzvot in study, to derive how they are to be done, teasing the depth out of the written word. We mine the sto-ries in study, to derive an understanding of proper character.

We are told to tell stories. Tell your children what happened in Egypt. Tell it graphically, say the sages, as if you were there. From the story your children will

know there is a God who created, who cares, who is involved, and they may extrapolate it to their lives where God may seem silent. When they are gathered around your table on that majestic night, see them forge a connection with past and imbibe it for their future.

We are told to tell what happened at Sinai not only to our children, but to our grandchildren. Describe the awesome ren-dezvous, when God united with a people and left them with a way back through a book. As they sit upon the lap of their grandparent, stories sharing, eyes absorb-ing, share with them also this.

Remember days of old, we are told. “Ask your father and he will relate it to you, your elders and they will tell you.” Tell your children stories of long and short ago — family stories, personal stories to root them in tradition, for “tradition”? No, for a living, vibrant, meaningful legacy.

There is something more to the story. We need to hear stories, for stories expand the man. Hearing about a great person do the very thing you did, but in the way a

great person does it, expands your percep-tion of that very thing. I thought I knew about prayer from reading about it. Then I met a man of prayer. I met prayer.

Rav Nachman of Breslov said the whole world tells stories to put people to sleep, I will tell stories to wake them up. The story has the power to awaken. To arouse. To spark. To ignite. To cause to blossom.

Most of all, we have to become stories. Sitting in the company of tellers who car-ried their stories, were changed by them, were alive from them, I became. When we teach, students and children understand. But when they see, they can become. Hear God’s story. Tell His story. Tell your story. Be a story. Become.

rabbi Shmuel Brody is the rabbi of

Congregation Ashreichem yisrael (The Kehilla)

in Seattle’s Seward Park neighborhood, where

he can often be heard sharing stories of

meaning. To drop in for a story telling evening,

contact the rabbi at [email protected].

or visit online at www.ashreichemyisrael.com.

ariel Sharon: a depreciationrabbi anSon laytner special to Jtnews

It has been said in many recent articles that the late Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, who died Jan. 11 after being in a coma for many years, was either loved or loathed. I, however, am clear in my feel-ings: I come not to praise Israel’s Caesar, but to bury him.

Although Sharon was a brilliant mili-tary leader, he was also known as a maver-ick, as when in the 1973 Yom Kippur war he defied his superiors’ orders, crossed the Suez Canal, and isolated the Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula. His quick thinking helped turn the tide of that war in its most challenging time.

But on two other occasions his military instincts were just plain criminal.

In 1953, Sharon was a young colonel who led “Unit 101” in retaliatory cross-border raids into Jordan. That October, his unit attacked the West Bank town of Qibya, then a part of Jordan. The attack killed 69 Palestinian villagers, many of them women and children, and destroyed 45 houses, a school, and a mosque.

In the 1982 war in Lebanon, Defense Minister Sharon exceeded Prime Minister Begin’s mandate and launched a full-scale invasion of that country, leading to the

ousting of the PLO from Beirut. During this action, the Phalangist Maronite Chris-tian militia took advantage of Israel’s pres-ence to massacre Palestinian refugees in Sabra and Shatila. Between 800 and 3,000 people were killed.

Subsequently, the Israeli Kahan Com-mission, appointed to investigate the inci-dent, found that Israeli military personnel had failed to take serious steps to stop the massacre it knew was in progress, and that Sharon bore personal responsibility “for ignoring the danger of bloodshed and revenge.” He was forced to resign.

Israeli settlers and their supporters lionized him when he built infrastructure and helped West Bank settlements sprout, often cutting legal corners to make this happen. But, following the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, Sharon not only removed settlers from Yamit in the Sinai, but also decided the settlement had to be bulldozed, thus magnifying the trauma of the with-drawal and hardening the hearts of many Israelis against future withdrawals.

More than 30 years later, Sharon shocked the nation by unilaterally withdrawing the

How ariel Sharon joined the Israeli mainstreamdan SchueFtan Jta World news service

(JTA) — Ariel Sharon turned into a statesman late in his political career. Two developments made this possible: First, Sharon learned the hard way what he needed to do to become an effective leader of the Jewish state, and second, Israeli polit-ical circumstances became favorable to the kind of leadership he could uniquely offer.

Following the 1982 Lebanon War, many Israelis viewed Sharon as an irre-sponsible radical who could not be trusted with the country’s fate. Meanwhile, in Washington, he was notorious for advo-cating provocative measures and prevent-ing other Israeli leaders from pursuing more conciliatory policies. His inflamma-tory opposition to the Oslo process in the 1990s only reinforced these perceptions.

Toward the turn of the millennium, Sharon realized he could no longer afford these liabilities if he wanted to lead Israel. He had learned from his traumatic politi-cal failure in the Lebanon War. This expe-rience demonstrated the importance of making sure his policies and conduct reflected the preferences of the Israeli mainstream. It also showed the strate-

gic imperative of establishing unshakable trust with the American administration and people.

But it was not only Sharon who changed. Sharon could not have moved from the far end of the right wing to the center of the mainstream consensus had Israelis not undergone their own dramatic political transformation on the eve of his premiership.

After the Palestinian rejection of

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miriam alster/Flash90

Israeli President Shimon Peres pays his respects at the coffin holding former Israeli Prime Minister ariel Sharon, laid outside the Knesset.

6 CoMMuNiTy NeWS JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, JaNuary 24, 2014

The scientific study of ethics and religionJaniS Siegel Jtnews correspondent

It might sound like one of those familiar jokes — a rabbi, a priest and an imam meet in heaven or are in a sinking boat, and so on, but when three religion ethics groups — one Christian, one Jewish, and one Muslim — got together in a down-town Seattle hotel for their annual conference, it was seriously academic.

In early January, hun-dreds of religion ethics and bioethics professors and professional clergy from The Society of Christian Ethics, The Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics, and The Society of Jewish Ethics shared their latest research on issues that face our multi-faith society today.

“We’re a ‘heimish’ group,” SJE’s 2012 president Jonathan Crane told JTNews. “There are fathers, pastors, professional chaplains, MDs, and lawyers who are members of the society and who are immersed in bioethics, religion, and in ethical deliberation all the time — in our lives, work and communities.”

Crane, 41, grew up in North Seattle and attended Temple Beth Am with his family, who still lives here. Today, he is the Scholar in Bioethics and Jewish Thought in the Center for Ethics at the Emory Center for Ethics in Atlanta and an assistant professor in the School of Medicine and the Department of Religion at Emory University.

Crane authored “Narra-tives and Jewish Bioethics” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and was a co-editor of “The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Ethics and Morality” (Oxford University Press, 2012).

Along with several sessions about Jewish bioethics and new ways of inter-preting old texts like the Mishnah and Jewish law, Crane is also proud of the unique and diverse topics tackled by the three groups.

“There are issues that certain com-munities or individuals might dismiss as

X Page 23

UW comes out against academic boycottsJoel magalnick Jtnews editor

In a statement released by the University of Washington’s president, Michael K. Young, and its provost, Ana Mari Cauce, the UW has joined with more than 180 universities across the U.S. in opposing any proposed boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The announcement comes on the heels of a boycott voted upon by the American Studies Association in December, and discussion of a boycott at the con-ference of the Modern Language Association earlier this month.

Young and Cauce stated they support the statement by the Association of Ameri-can Universities, which reads:

Any such boycott of academic institutions directly violates academic freedom, which is a fundamental principle of AAU universities and of American higher edu-cation in general. Academic freedom is the freedom of university faculty responsi-bly to produce and disseminate knowledge through research, teaching, and service, without undue constraint. It is a principle that should not be abridged by political considerations. American colleges and universities, as well as like institutions else-where, must stand as the first line of defense against attacks on academic freedom.“We believe such a boycott of academic institutions and their faculties has no

place in higher education institutions founded on the premise of the free exchange of ideas,” they said in their statement. “We are proud to align with the position enunciated by the AAU to oppose in any way any constriction of the free flow and exchange of ideas among the world’s scholars, teachers, scientists and intellectuals.”

Rabbi Oren Hayon, executive director of Hillel at the University of Washington, told supporters in an email that “the release of this statement brings great pride to all of us who have worked steadily against the calls for anti-Israel boycotts, divesti-ture and sanctions here at UW and throughout the larger community,” he wrote. “The constriction of academic or intellectual expression on campus will never bring about the coexistence, peace and mutual understanding that all of us work and hope for each day.”

courtesy Jonathan crane

Jonathan Crane, president of the Society of Jewish ethics, returned to his hometown of Seat t le th is month for a conference that brought in ethicists from around the world.

Fri., Feb. 76 p.m.

at Sephardic bikur Holim

Sun., Feb. 9doorS open 9:30 a.m.

Film 10-11 a.m. majestic bay Theatres

2044 nW market St. Seattle, Wa 98107

(206) 781-2229

SaT., Feb. 8at ezra bessaroth

Family dinnerfollowing Friday night servicesadults $18, Kids 6–13 $12 rSVp: [email protected] (please put Friday night dinner in subject line)

SeaTTle Film premiere“The Visionary: The life of rabbi ben Zion meir Hai uziel”introduction by aaron alhadeff, prof. Zvi Zohar and prof. naar Sponsored by marleen & Kenny alhadeff and emily & aaron alhadeff rSVp: [email protected] booK Signing WiTH proF. ZVi ZoHar To FolloW

Sermon by rabbi bouSKila“rav yitzchak nissim: The Somewhat Forgotten Sephardic Chief rabbi” following reading of parashat Tetzaveh rSVp: [email protected]

CommuniTy KidduSH lunCH sponsored by lela & Harley Franco

leCTure by proFeSSor ZVi ZoHar “The Continuity Crisis & the peW report: Creative options from Sephardic Sources”12:45-1:30 p.m. in the eb Sanctuary

SeudaH SHeliSHiT rabbi bouskila and professor Zvi Zohar “Sephardic Halakha: past, present…and Future?”4:30 p.m. after minha

a SepHardiC eduCaTional

CenTer SHabbaTon

in conjunction with ezra bessaroth, Sephardic bikur Holim and the university of Washington Sephardic Studies program

eastside Torah Center dedicates new homedikla tuchman Jtnews correspondent

On Sun., Jan. 12, the Eastside Torah Center said goodbye to its small, too-crowded space on 156th Ave. NE in Bel-levue and hello to its newly built facility at 16199 Northup Way, just a half mile up the road.

The dedication of the new East-side Torah Center had been a long time coming, following five years of planning, build-out and fundraising to the tune of $4.5 million.

At the Sunday ceremony, Rabbi Mor-

dechai Farkash described his search for the original location of Chabad’s Eastside facility in 2002.

“I was driving around with one of the senior Chabad rabbis of Seattle, Rabbi Kafka, looking for different places and somehow, as we are standing by the light at Northup and 156th, we saw a sign for rent at the corner window,” Rabbi Farkash said, indicating to the crowd of people standing around the bima. “We went upstairs and it was a small, 900-square-

foot room shared with many other offices, but was available for rent, which I thought, at that time, would feed my budget. My budget was zero.”

The ceremony continued with the removal of the synagogue’s Torahs from the old ark and a procession along Nor-thup Way to the new center. A ribbon-cutting ceremony welcomed members into the new building and the Torahs were placed into their new aron kodesh.

With more than 500 involved families,

the new center’s expanded space allows for more programming and includes an outside playground and approximately 50 parking spaces. More parking is also avail-able at the church next door.

In addition to offices and a beit midrash, a space for learning, the syna-gogue now houses the Eastside Jewish Public Library and has classrooms and a large recreation room with couches and Ping-Pong tables for the Torah Center’s CTeen Club.

friday, JaNuary 24, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews CoMMuNiTy NeWS 7

Marvin Meyers

Long-term health is not guaranteed.Long-term care can be.

206-448-6940 7525 SE 24th Street, Suite 350, Mercer Island, WA 98040

[email protected]

Russ Katz, RealtorWindermere Real Estate/Wall St. Inc.206-284-7327 (Direct)www.russellkatz.com

JDS Grad & Past Board of Trustees MemberMercer Island High School Grad

University of Washington Grad

Clockwise from top:Rabbi Mordechai Farkash places the Torah inside the ark for the first time.Boys in the eTC’s Hebrew school lead the half-mile procession to the new synagogue.Members of all ages joined in the long procession.Supporters gather inside the new space to cut the ribbon and enter the sanctuary.Rabbi Farkash prepares to leave his old synagogue space.

all photos By dikla tuchman


Solve with a Partnerby Mike Selinker

© 2014 Eltana Wood-Fired Bagel Cafe, 1538 12th Avenue, Seattle. All rights reserved. Puzzle created by Lone Shark Games, Inc. Edited by Mike Selinker and Gaby Weidling.

Answers on page 23

Ecclesiastes 4-9 notes, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Many thorny problems are easier to solve when you have a partner. This crossword, for example. The long across entries give an obliquely clued process of committing to share the challenges you might face as an individual.

ACROSS1 You plug an axe into it4 Lash8 Gentlemen12 Sound made by pygmies?13 Ice cream shop treat14 Star Trek: The Next Generation role15 Unifying statement of what someone with a

glass might say?18 It’s made up of G, A, T, and C19 With 25-Across, unifying statement of what

a good name might do?21 Ingredient in some shaving creams23 So far24 Hook up a tug25 See 19-Across30 Seahawks outing31 Pro ___32 Interjection from a sailor33 Place for a keeper35 Unifying statement of what an aggrieved

party might say?40 Word of approval41 Rejection from Putin42 Creature in The Hobbit: The Desolation of

Smaug44 Fencer’s implement47 With 54-Across, unifying statement of what

an inspiring speech might do?49 Dodge truck50 German connector53 2600, in 26 B.C.54 See 47-Across58 ___ Number Four (2011 teen sci-fi film)59 Unifying statement of what a French queen

might say?63 Fallon’s soon-to-be-predecessor64 Part-timers65 ___-mex66 “Whenever you can”67 Nose raiser68 Sense of self-importance

DOWN1 Pal, to Jean-Claude2 Treasure hunter’s prop3 Phrase said before a request for Grey

Poupon4 “___ is a Jew?” (oft-debated question)5 Corned beef offering6 Scandinavian retailer with a store in Renton7 Red Sox pitcher Jake8 Short-tailed weasel9 Its Supreme Leader is Ali Khamenei10 Hispanic blue-green Muppet11 The Big Bang Theory, for one13 Whirlpool site16 Amount of acceleration that prevents you

from shooting into space or being crushed to the earth

17 Peg made by Callaway20 Barnyard female21 Museum display22 Tells a whopper26 Private Practice actor Diggs27 Cries of surprise28 Debtors’ letters29 Making a fly, perhaps30 Creature on the Serengeti33 Detective Odafin Tutuola, on Law & Order:

SVU34 ___ bene36 CBS symbol37 Science Guy Bill38 You might get one on your first day of

college39 Stepped43 Atlanta-based public health agcy.44 Blunder45 Tapas bar dish46 People like 63-Across48 Car financing firm that, after a federal

bailout, became Ally Financial50 Words spoken before a high-five51 Highest, as a degree52 Paleo and South Beach, for two55 Active Italian stratovolcano56 Reversal of 57-Down57 Pixar fish58 Unspecific pronoun60 NYPD callout61 Frathouse purchase62 Outside: Prefix

One hundred years of interest-free loansemily k. alhadeFF associate editor, Jtnews

This is a year of milestone birthdays: The University of Washington’s Stroum Center for Jewish Studies is celebrating its 40th, JTNews its 90th, and the Caro-line Kline Galland Home its 100th. But here’s one you might not know about: The Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Seattle is also turning 100.

Since July 1914, the HFLA has been distributing interest-free loans to Jewish community members, typically for busi-ness and education purposes. Loans up to $5,000 are offered without interest, based on Exodus 22:25: “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.” They’ll be marking the occasion with a brunch on February 2.

Albert Feldman, a past board president, joined the organization in 1975.

“At the time, there were still many original immigrants around that had per-sonally benefited,” he said. “Times have changed a bit.”

The HFLA collects donations from the community and distributes the funds to approved applicants. Originally, the loans helped immigrants starting businesses, like pushcarts.

“Back then banks would not trust immigrants,” said Feldman. “Originally, it was helping mainly new immigrants to set up some little business with a few hundred dollars. Nowadays our constituency has changed considerably.”

With credit available to just about everyone, the demand for small loans — despite being interest-free — has waned. According to Feldman, the loans more fre-quently go to single parents and students paying for education.

“In that way we are helping people who in many cases do desperately need it,” Feldman said.

The first Hebrew Free Loan Society opened in New York in 1892, and spawned similar, independent organizations across the country. Remarkably, they’ve continued to operate with an extremely low default rate.

According to current board president Jeff Puterman, the HFLA gave out 12 loans last year. Loan eligibility requires appli-cants to be members of the Jewish com-munity, genuinely in need of the loan, unable to receive conventional loans, and receiving an income to repay the loan. They must also have at least one guarantor.

Puterman would like to see the orga-nization better serve the community. The HFLA is considering raising the loan amounts to a possible $7,500 or $10,000 for business and education.

“For a lot of people, [$5,000] is not very

much,” he said. “If we had special loans dedicated to that, we could raise the limits and people could avail themselves more.”

The board is all-volunteer, with the exception of one member who gets paid for handling the association’s administra-tive details. The board is currently consid-

ering angel cosigners, and allowing HFLA to be a primary loan source, rather than a last resort.

“Why shouldn’t they come to us first?” Puterman asked.

Each of these measures has to be weighed carefully, as lending money is risky business. But rarely, says Puterman, do they have to go after anyone. Some-times the money is returned years later.

“For the most part, our clients are very honest,” said Feldman. “Our losses, if any, are very minimal. Sometimes we have received a loan several years after they thought it had gone bad. We’re keeping it on a human level, let’s put it that way.”

if you gothe hebrew free loan association’s

annual fundraising brunch and cen-

tennial celebration will take place

sun., feb. 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30

p.m. at the summit at first hill, 1200

university st., seattle. rabbi bernie

fox, head of school at northwest

Yeshiva high school, will speak.

contact 206-722-1936 or

[email protected] to rsvp, or

visit www.hfla-seattle.com.

university oF WashinGton liBraries, special collections division

Jennie Friedman, founder and first president of the Hebrew Ladies Free Loan association, c. 1915. Originally a separate association started in 1913, the women’s association gave $5 and $10 loans, mostly for food and clothing around the holidays. In 1921 the two groups merged.

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Taking stories to the air and taking jewelry to Hollywooddiana brement Jtnews columnist

1Once in a while, even a reporter likes to be interviewed, confesses

KIRO radio human interest reporter Rachel Belle, whose “Ring My Belle with Rachel Belle” airs weekdays during the Ron and Don Show — for which she is also an on-air personality — and as a one-hour weekend show. (Find her at www.mynorthwest.com)

Rachel, 34, remembers playing disc jockey as a kid growing up in Pleasanton, Calif., and went to California State Uni-versity at Chico thinking she would make movies. An internship at the local news station changed her mind.

“I was able to get on the air right away,” she recalls, finding herself drawn to “snarky” news people with their “dark sense of humor.” After producing a morn-ing news show in Sacramento, which required her to get up at 1 a.m., she became a news reporter at Seattle’s KIRO radio in 2005.

Rachel took a break in 2009 to do stand-up comedy and teach English in Japan, then returned to KIRO in 2010 to her current job.

“My dad is from Israel and my mom is from Brooklyn, so I feel like I’m Super-Jew,” Rachel says of her upbringing. She’s very open about being Jewish on-air and on Facebook. This hasn’t brought any negative repercussions that she can see. In fact, listeners “get very excited about it,” she says. “People invite me to Shabbat dinner. [They] feel like they know you.”

“A big Scrabble nerd” and cat-lover, Rachel is a foodie who “reads cookbooks in bed.” She’ll frequently grab some friends and make a day trip to Vancou-ver, BC, to “eat in seven or eight restau-rants and drive home.” She’s very funny and was in a comedy improvisation group for a few years.

“To get onstage is my risk taking,” she says. Standup comedy is “the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

You can meet Rachel on Feb. 8 at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island, when she emcees “A Stage is Born,” the inaugural event of the J’s newly remodeled auditorium (see more at www.sjcc.org).

2 They didn’t walk the red carpet at this month’s Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, but for jewelry

designer Luminita Gruia, and her sales director Tamar Boden, getting a coveted spot at the Golden Globe celebrity gift Lounge was even better.

For the two days before the Holly-wood awards event, the business part-ners showed Luminita’s handcrafted bracelets and necklaces to entertain-ment industry celebrities who streamed

through the exhibit space in the L’Ermitage hotel (see celebrity photos at www. luminitajewelrybydesign.com). Plus, Cosmopoli-tan Magazine picked Lumi-nita bracelets for its Golden Globes Swag giveaway.

“Our Twitter account is [still] going crazy,” says Tamar (@LuminitaJewelry).

Luminita, who weaves each beaded piece by hand most nights in front of the television, was familiar with many of the stars and says,

“we didn’t expect them to be so nice.” A native of Romania, Luminita trained

as a chemical engineer and came to New York in 2000 as a consultant. She met and married her Romanian-Israeli husband and had two sons, which got her inter-ested in education. Returning to school for a second BA and a master’s in math, science and technology, she taught at Bay-side High School for a few years before the family came to Seattle in 2006 for a short-

term job opportunity.“We thought we’d be here for just a

little while because of the weather,” Lumi-nita recalls, “but then we just fell in love with the JDS [Jewish Day School] commu-nity...and coffee.” She has made jewelry since childhood, she says. Her mother was a macramé artist and her grandmother an expert needle worker.

Both women are parents and very active volunteers at the school and in

the community. Tamar, a Mercer Island native and UW alumna, knew Luminita casually through JDS. Their friendship developed when they ran into each other traveling home from a Hawaiian vacation about four years ago.

“We talked the whole time,” Tamar remembers.

In 2011 Luminita had put up a website gallery, but hadn’t sold much, and Tamar was looking for a new work opportunity. Last April Tamar went to Luminita’s to buy a gift and by the time she left, a part-nership was born.

Luminita’s signature line is “Candied,” rows of tiny square beads woven on eight strands of silk with an innovative magnetic clasp. Offered in shiny and matte beads, they have a pleasing smooth but textured feel. Matte beads sell better around Seattle, while the shiny styles are more popular in Southern California and the East Coast. A hamsa bracelet with black beads has sold well locally. Luminita continues to expand and a list of West Coast retailers carrying her pieces is on her website.

M.o.T.Member of the Tribe

courtesy luminita JeWelry By desiGn

Tamar Boden, left, and Luminita gruia, right, show off Luminita’s jewelry with Jim O’Heir, known as Jerry (or Larry) on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”

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OF JEWISHWASHINGTON20132013BEST

Thank you for voting Temple Beth Am Best Jewish Supplemental School andBest Adult Education Program.Congratulations to all of the staff and volunteers who have contributed to making our programs the best!

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The results are in: JTNews’ Best of everything winnersJoel magalnick editor, Jtnews

We asked, you responded. And respond you did, in record numbers! With our annual reader’s choice poll, we’ve got the skinny on the best of the best of Jewish Washington. We slimmed down and re arranged this year’s survey, and we’ll slim down our comments as well. So with-out further ado:

Dining OutBest Smoked Fish: Goldberg’s Famous Deli.

Best Challah: Grateful Bread in Seattle’s Wedg-wood neighborhood.Best Pizza: Island Crust Café on Mercer Island.Best Middle Eastern: The Garbanzo Broth-ers aren’t a restaurant. They aren’t brothers, either, but we’ll let that slide. You can order their

kosher Middle Eastern dips and sauces online at www.gogarbanzo.com, or look online for shops that sell them.Best Sunday Brunch: Portage Bay Café.Best Sushi: Musashi in Wallingford for the good but cheap experience; Nishino in Madison Valley for the less cheap but very good experience.Best Fine Dining Experience: Canlis.Best Romantic Dinner: Canlis.Best Happy Hour: Ruth’s Chris SteakhouseBest Kid-Friendly Restaurant: Island Crust Café.

Save ROOm fOR DeSSeRtBest Bakery: Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle and Capitol Hill.Best Chocolatier: Theo Chocolate.Best Ice Cream, Gelato or FroYo: Molly Moon for ice cream, Menchie’s for frozen yogurt. Both are now open in University Village, about 20 steps from each other, if you want to do a final showdown.Best Cupcakes: Cupcake Royale. A special men-tion for the new Capitol Hill cookie bakery Hello Robin, launched by local MOT Robin Wehl Martin. She doesn’t actually make cupcakes, but she got votes regardless.

Simcha time!Best Place for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah Party or Wedding Reception: Camp KalsmanBest Local Party Band or DJ: DJ Nick Barrat “was able to turn what could have been a very dull and cold event for my son since other vendors fell through, and was able to pull a miracle,” according to one of our respondents. “He saved the party and made my son the happiest person. In our eyes he is our hero.” Bucharest Drinking Team gets a nod because their name rocks.Best Place to Buy an Engagement Ring : Ben Bridge Jeweler.Best Event Photographer: Meryl Alcabes.Best Florist: Dennis Warshal.Best Caterer: Leah’s Catering.Best Wedding Cake Baker: Leah’s Catering.

OuR cOmmunityBest Local Jewish Organization, School or Agency: Like we noted above, we had a record number of responses this year. But for this all-important category we had a tie. Not a let’s-fudge-the-numbers-just-a-teensy-bit kind of tie, but a real, honest-to-goodness same number

of responses for each. So Jewish Family Service and Seattle Hebrew Academy, please stand up and take a bow. There must be something magic in the air at the top of Capitol Hill.Best Youth Organization: NCSY.Best Place to Volunteer: Jewish Family Service.Best Counseling Services: Jewish Family Service.Best Congregation: The upstart Minyan Ohr Chadash in Seward Park takes the torch from many worthy veterans.

Best Jewish Supplemental School: Temple Beth Am.Best Adult Education Pro-gram: “Wendy Marcus, music director at Temple Beth Am, went out on a limb to start a Yiddish language learning group — her own time, mate-rials, etc.,” wrote one respon-dent. “She saved my life in retirement!”

Out in the cOmmunityBest Place to Hang Out and Meet Other Fun Jews: Stroum Jewish Community Center.Best (or Worst) Political Antic was also the Most Important Political Issue of 2013: You loved it. You hated it. But Obam-acare, a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act won this, thermome-ters down.Best Local Jewish News Item of 2013: The massive turnover in organizational leadership.

cultuRe POPBest Jewish-Themed or Israeli Film of 2013: “Fill the Void,” Rama Burshtein’s heartfelt,

emotional film about an ultra-Orthodox Israeli woman whose journey toward marriage comes with a life-changing decision.Best Jewish Actor/Comedian of 2013: Jon StewartBest Jewish Band/Musician/Singer-Song-writer: Whether in Israel or at Sasquatch, we’ll claim Nissim as our own homegrown hip hop grandmaster.

X Page 13

micol Bayer

Best Ketubah Artist: Micol Bayer.

courtesy camp solomon schecter

Best Jewish Camp: Camp Solo-mon Schechter.

Best Bagel: Einstein’s Brothers (the only kosher location in the chain, at University Village, clearly pushed them over the edge). Eltana Bagels took a close second.

Joel maGalnick

Best Mobile Lunch Truck: Marination Mobile wins, but special mention to Napkin Friends, which had only been open for a week when the survey closed. But c’mon: Sandwiches made from latkes. Of course they get spe-cial mention!

dikla tuchman

friday, JaNuary 24, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews 11

12 THe BeST oF eVeryTHiNG JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, JaNuary 24, 2014

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Best Local Jewish Heroes Rather than have us write about them,

we thought we’d let our readers tell their stories:• Local educator Beth Huppin, “for her devotion to her students, young and old.”• Cantor David Serkin-Poole of Temple B’nai Torah, “champion of the disabled, fighter for civil rights, biggest heart in Seattle.”• The Union for Reform Judaism Camp Kalsman’s David Berkman “is an amazing Jewish camp direc-tor and he’s teaching Jewish values and morals to the leaders in our com-munity!”• On Rob Jacobs, executive director of the Northwest office of Israel advo-cacy organization StandWithUs, by his wife, Elizabeth Davis. “It’s tough to be the conscience of the community and to be the one person who’s out there trying to bring people together to talk,

to listen, to understand each other on a difficult — often conflict-ravaged topic. Rob Jacobs is all about fairness, listening, convening commu-nity to make it stronger, more inclusive and more tolerant. He’s not about a political or ideological agenda other than strengthening and support-ing the Jewish community.”• Hen Mazzig, who came to Seattle from Israel

as a six-month liaison for Stand-WithUs Northwest and never left: “Standing up for Israel wherever and whenever needed.”• “Dorothy Kahn. She is the youth adviser for Temple Beth Am, as well as running our very large madrich [counselor] program. Always does an excellent job, cares about all the kids in the program. Always tries to make a spot for everyone so they can be in the program.”• Local chef and caterer Eli Varon.

“Not only does he prepare fantastic food for Sephardic Bikur Holim family events, he always does special things for the children, and devotes a lot of time to make Sephardic Adventure Camp a great place for youth. When-ever possible he involves kids in pre-paring for these events…. He does not rest on his laurels. He is constantly in motion, multi-tasking to keep up with the calendar of simchas.”• On Ari Hoffman, co-director of the youth group NCSY. “I talk to him about everything and really know he has my best inter-ests in mind. He’s more than just a director for us, he’s a mentor. I really think that if I hadn’t met him or gotten involved with NCSY two years ago I would have never switched to NYHS.”• Rabbi Bernie Fox, head of school at North-west Yeshiva High School. “Despite all the finan-cial challenges that Jewish day schools face, Rabbi Fox has been able to keep the NYHS as the

best Jewish high school in the North-west. He doesn’t back down in the face of adversity…. He is a hero in my book.”• Zach Carstensen, director of gov-ernment relations and public affairs for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, for his “activism and social justice.”• Coach Jed Davis of Northwest Yeshiva High School: “The first coach to get a Jewish girls’ team to the state championship. He has also fought a

lot of anti-Semitism in high school athletics.”• Josh Gortler, former CEO of the Caroline Kline Galland Center nursing and senior living facility, and now president of the Kline Galland Founda-tion. “I can’t say enough about Kline Galland and Josh’s leadership.”• Larry Broder, who recently retired as executive director of Temple De Hirsch Sinai, “because he gave 20 years of wonderful, selfless service to

Joel maGalnick

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Joel maGalnick

Hen Mazzig

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our largest congregation.”• Ken Weinberg, who retired from Jewish Family Service last year after 35 years with the organi-zation, more than 20 of those years as its leader, “for his love and devotion to JFS.”• Rabbi Will Berkovitz, who succeeded Wein-berg as CEO at JFS, for “living his passion and values every day.”• Rabbi Oren Hayon, executive director of Hillel at the University of Washington. “He rescued me

from trouble.”• Rabbi Moshe Kletenik : “18 years of service as BCMH rabbi. World-renowned Torah scholar. Continues to serve Seattle as av beit din of the Seattle Vaad.”• Rivy Poupko Kletenik, head of school at Seat-tle Hebrew Academy and JTNews columnist: “From adult women’s Talmud classes to chil-dren’s well-rounded education, she digs deep into tradition and connects with everyone.”

• Zach Duitch, program director for the Stroum Jewish Community Center: “He’s a mensch. Always puts his community and organization first and he doesn’t get enough recognition for his efforts. The J would not do as well as they do without him.”• Community member Lea Hanan. “She donated a kidney to her father a few years ago but didn’t stop there. She is an active kidney donation advocate who helps promote kidney donation. She has been instrumental in helping many folks

decide to donate their kidneys.”• Community member Margot Kravette, who offers support to Jewish patients at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, “for her work with very ill Jews who come to town.”• Community member Patty Fleischmann “for the work she is doing at Stolen Youth.”• Community member and artist Phil Flash : “Always giving of himself, never asking for any-thing in return — a genuinely gentle soul.”

ShOP till yOu DROP. then WORk OutBest Fitness Club/Gym or Spa: Stroum JCC.Best Clothing Store : Nordstrom.Best Kids’ Shop: Gym-boree.Best Independent Shoes & Accessories Shop: The Woolly Mammoth shoe store in the University

District.Best Toy Shop: Top Ten Toys.Best Little, Local, Independent Shop: We had a tie between Island Books on Mercer Island and Nena Gifts, Gallery and Vintage in Madrona.Best Judaica: Fireworks tied with the Judaica shop at Temple De Hirsch Sinai. For you real trea-sure hunters, one respondent suggested heading over to “my dad’s house.” Best Independent Gift Shop: Fireworks.

Best Bookstore: Elliott Bay Book Co.Best Theater Com-pany: Seattle Rep goes for the big productions while Village Theater is renowned for elevat-ing community produc-tions onto a much higher plane.

the PROfeSSiOnal lifeBest Family Doctor:

Dr. William Shaul at Group Health in South Seattle.Best Dentist : Dr. Larry Adatto in Wedgwood.Best Optometrist/Opthalmologist /Optician: Dr. Shel-don Cowen, whose o p h t h a l m o l o g y practice is up on First Hill.B e s t L a w y e r : Joshua Moultray in

Bellevue.Best Accountant: Sam Mezistrano, CPA, prac-tices in Kent.Best Real Estate Agent: In the Southend, Kent Swigard’s your man; in the Northend, Rhona Feldman will help you sell your house then teach you Israeli dancing after the sale closes.Best Car Dealership: Michael’s Toyota in Bellevue.

W BeST OF eveRyTHINg Page 10Best Jewish Book of 2013 : “Like D reamers : The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusa-lem and Divided a Nation” by Yossi Klein Halevi.

Joel maGalnick

Best Clothing Store: Nordstrom.

meryl alcaBes

Jeffrey Owen, a freshman at Northwest yeshiva High School, goes for the jumpshot for his team, the NyHS 613s, which is currently at No. 3 in league standings. The photo is by Meryl alcabes, who took best event photographer honors.

Best Local Sports Team: Um, Seahawks anyone? But honorable mention to the North-west Yeshiva High School 613s.

Best Youth Organization: NCSY.

courtesy ncsy

High schoolers from NCSy celebrated at December’s enchanted Party Bus event.


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held on Mercer Island

mercer island focus

as the state’s legislative session got underway on Jan. 13, two of our Jewish legislators, Sen. David Frockt (D–46th) and new legislator Rep. Tana Senn (D–41st) began their work.

courtesy tana senn

WashinGton state leGislative support services

the legislature is back in session

gov. Jay Inslee awaits his turn to give his State of the State address on Jan. 14 while Rabbi yohanna Kinberg of Temple B’nai T o r a h g i v e s t h e convocation.

The O'Clock News

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The future of the pastemily k. alhadeFF associate editor, Jtnews

When you hear the word “Sephardic,” what comes to mind? Bourekas? A distant Mediterranean land? Swarthy Jews eating piles of rice on Passover?

Sephardic Judaism is a somewhat mys-terious concept to Jews around the United States, especially outside the communal pockets like Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and here in Seattle. A broad term comprising once-vibrant communities from Spain, North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and the Middle East, the Sephardic identity is commonly distilled to its ethnic ingredi-ents, like food, music, and ritual customs.

But the further we time travel from the immigrant story through the American Jewish experience, the more those ethnic components fade into sentimental keep-sakes from the Old Country. After all the bourekas have been eaten, the question remains: What is Sephardic Judaism?

This is at the core of “Bridging Tra-dition and Modernity,” an upcoming Shabbaton at Seattle’s two Sephardic syna-gogues, Congregation Ezra Bessaroth and Sephardic Bikur Holim.

“Sephardic Judaism is less about where you’re born and what you eat,” said Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, the director of the Sep-hardic Educational Center (SEC) in Los Angeles and Jerusalem, and “much more about rediscovering a completely different way of approaching halachah [Jewish law] and Jewish life and Jewish communal life.”

Bouskila will be joined by Professor Zvi Zohar of Bar Ilan University and the Shalom Hartman Institute at the Shabba-ton February 7-9. The two will talk about

halachah from a Sephardic perspective, the Pew Research Center’s Survey of Amer-ican Jews, and more. The weekend will conclude with a screening of “The Vision-ary: The Life of Rabbi Ben Zion Meir Hai Uziel” at the Majestic Bay Theater, which will include a discussion featuring Univer-sity of Washington Prof. Devin Naar, who directs the Sephardic Studies Program of the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies, and Neil Sheff, chair of the SEC.

According to Bouskila, Sephardic iden-tity needs to shift from ethnic to ideolog-ical. Since taking the helm of the SEC in 2010, he has created initiatives to train rabbis in socially conscious leadership and classical Sephardic sources, something most are not steeped in. “[Sephardim] were not in yeshivot, like in the Ashkenazi world,” he explained. “They were in the street, so to speak. Most of their responses deal with social issues.”

When he began to move the SEC in this new direction, Bouskila contacted Zohar because of his contributions to Sephardic and halachic scholarship.

Zohar’s books, articles, and course topics deal with the development of hal-achah, Sephardic culture, and Jewish soci-ology. He takes a hard-line stance against the trends gripping the Orthodox world, such as its move to the right and insularity.

“The model of the ideal Jew is a person well-versed both in Torah and in gen-eral knowledge,” he said. “If in order to be a Jew I have to stop being a human being, shut myself off as much as possi-ble, and basically create an in-group and out-group morality, and so on — is this worth living? Is that for what the Torah was given?”

The point of Judaism, Zohar said, is to set an example for the world. Hence “Bridging Tradition and Modernity,” the Shabbaton’s theme.

“Reconciling modernity with halachah is a classic Sephardic approach,” said David Behar, a president of Ezra Bessa-roth and one of the event’s organizers. “In our world today, it seems it’s characterized by polarization and extremes. It’s time to reintroduce and refocus on the classic Sep-hardic approach to Judaism and to life,

which is to create a balance.” It would seem, with the December suc-

cess of the first International Ladino Day and the growth of the Sephardic Studies Program at the UW, there’s something of a Sephardic renaissance going on in Seattle.

“Is it a Sephardic revival?” Behar muses. “What I think it is, is really an opportunity to assemble a group of Sep-hardic scholars and present them to the Seattle community, which is known as a center of Sephardic Judaism, and create an opportunity for people to be exposed to a unique Sephardic perspective.”

Bouskila and Zohar have stronger intentions, however.

“What I’ve been calling the Sephardic option is a Jewish option,” said Zohar. “It should be relevant for all Jews. It’s not an ethnic issue.”

Come for the bourekas, they say, and stay for the revolution.

if you go

“bridging tradition and modernity”

will take place feb. 7–9 at congre-

gation ezra bessaroth, 5217 s bran-

don st., and sephardic bikur holim,

6500 52nd ave. s, seattle. visit

bridgingtradition.wordpress.com

for schedule information. the shab-

bat dinner at sephardic bikur holim

costs $18 adults/$12 children. rsvp

to [email protected].

courtesy sephardic educational center

Professor Zvi Zohar.

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Saturday 1 February6:30–8:30 p.m. — pajama havdalah: under the stars

Leah Lemchen at [email protected] or 206-524-0075 or bethshalomseattle.org/event_details.php?id=305Celebrate Havdalah, learn about the stars in the portable planetarium from the Pacific Science Center, sing Jewish songs, create art projects, hear stories and enjoy dessert. Register online. Free. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.

Sunday 2 February9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. — hnt 2014 legacy Brunch

Rebecca Levy at [email protected] or 206-232-8555, ext. 207 or www.h-nt.orgHonoring Nadine Strauss, executive director, for 25 years of service. At Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.3:30–5 p.m. — post-Biblical Jewish history lecture series

Stacy Schill at [email protected] or 206-498-1066Bob Herschkowitz will talk about czarist oppression, Socialism and the Jews, Zionism and immigration to America. At Congregation Kol Ami, 16530 Avondale Rd. NE, Woodinville.

monday 3 February7–9 p.m. — early screen media use: toddlers and technology

Marjorie Schnyder at [email protected] or 206-861-3146Infants and toddlers are using technology more than ever. Sarah Roseberry Lytle, Ph.D., Director of Translation, Outreach and Education at UW I-LABS, will present the latest findings and discuss practical applications for parents. Advance registration recommended. Financial assistance available. $20. At Jewish Family Service, 1601 16th Ave., Seattle.

WedneSday 5 February12–1:30 p.m. — israel current events

Shelly Goldman at [email protected] or 425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.org/adult_educationLed by Nevet Basker, discuss a topic in the news pertaining to Israel current interest. To receive the topic and reading materials in advance, email [email protected]. Repeats on February 6 and March 6 at 7 p.m. $5 at the door. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

thurSday 6 February7–8:30 p.m. — Good Grief: Jewish traditions and practical preparations

Leonid Orlov at [email protected] or 206-861-8784 or goo.gl/0XC2KaA four-part series on Jewish traditions and practical preparations for end of life. Online advance registration required. $12 session, $36 for the series. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.

Friday 7 February5 p.m. — shabbaton with rabbi shaul engelsberg

Julie Greene at [email protected] Engelsberg is the rebbe at Detroit’s largest Jewish day school. At Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.

Saturday 8 February1:15–2:30 p.m. — do all Jews Believe in God?

Shelly Goldman at [email protected] or 425-603-9677 or templebnaitorah.orgExplore how you can have a Jewish journey as a non-believer. Discuss in a safe environment. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.6:30–8 p.m. — Family shabbat dinner

Diana Black at [email protected] or 206-723-3028Friday night dinner featuring Prof. Zvi Zohar on “Pure Olive Oil-Forever? A Sephardic Perspective on Continuity and Change in Halachah.” Include “Friday night dinner” in the subject line when RSVPing by email. $18 adult, $12 kids 6-13. At Sephardic Bikur Holim, 6500 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.sephardic education center shabbaton

Susan Jensen at [email protected] or 206-722-5500 or www.ezrabessaroth.netMorning sermon by Rabbi Daniel Bouskila on “Rav Yitzchak Nissim: The Somewhat Forgotten Sephardic Chief Rabbi.” At 12:45 p.m.: Lecture by Prof. Zvi Zohar on “Continuity Crisis and the Pew Report: Creative Options from Sephardic Sources.” Minha at 4:30 followed by “Sephardic Halachah: Past, Present…and Future?” Free. At Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, 5217 S Brandon St., Seattle.8:20–11 p.m. — the Q trivia night

Ari Hoffman at [email protected] or 206-295-5888 or seattlencsy.comFast-paced multimedia trivia night for adults featuring food by Dalia Amon and an open bar. Proceeds go to NCSY programs. 21-plus. Free babysitting provided on a first-come, first-served basis. $36. At Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, 5217 S Brandon St., Seattle.

Sunday 9 February9 a.m.–2 p.m. — sJcc hyak snowshoe trip

Ken Di Raimondo at [email protected] or 206-388-0826 or sjcc.orgIndividuals and families invited to hike at Hyak Sno-Park. Meet in the parking lot closest to the trail. Snowshoe rental included in the price; participants responsible for other necessary gear. Ages 10-plus. SJCC members $30, guests $45. 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. — the visionary: the life of rabbi Ben Zion meir hai uziel

Daniel Alhadeff, [email protected] screening. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., viewing at 10 a.m. with book signing featuring Prof. Zvi Zohar, Rabbi Daniel Bouskila and Devin Naar, moderated by Sephardic Educational Center chairman Neil Sheff to follow. RSVP requested. Free. At Majestic Bay Theater, 2044 NW Market St., Seattle.5–9 p.m. — mmsc lamplighter annual dinner

Sari Weiss at [email protected] Dr. David Nesenoff and honoring Devorah Gallor. At Hillel at the University of Washington, 4745 17th Ave. NE, Seattle.

monday 10 February6 p.m. — cooking for your Family: part 3

Kim Lawson at [email protected] or 206-388-0823 or www.sjcc.orgLearn tips, tricks, and recipes for fast and easy dinners. SJCC member $20, guest $25. At SJCC Seattle, 2618 NE 80th St., Seattle.

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saturday, february 8 at 8 p.m.

a stage is born

grand opening

The Stroum Jewish Community Center celebrates the grand opening of its reno-

vated auditorium with a lineup of stellar performances. See actor Chad Kimball

(“Memphis”), cellist Julian Schwartz, tango dancers Gabriela Condrea and Timothy

Shaw, swing/waltz dancers Ari Levitt and Jodi Fleischman, and a preview perfor-

mance of Book-It Repertory Theatre’s “Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay.”

The evening will be emceed by KIRO radio host Rachel Belle of “Ring My Belle” with

accompanist Ian Eisendrath of 5th Avenue Theatre.

At the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island. $36

per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.sjcc.org.

saturday, January 25 at 7 p.m.

sasson

concert

Join Minyan Ohr Chadash for an evening of music with local Klezmer-style band

Sasson. Sasson is in the midst of putting out a new album of Shabbat songs and

celebratory dance music. Fun for the whole family with food and wine, ping-pong

and pool tables, and an original puppet act on the stage.

At Minyan Ohr Chadash, 51st Ave. and Brighton St. S, Seattle. $25 per adult, $10 per

teen, kids free. For more information contact Karen Treiger at karentr@thompson-

howle.com or 206-777-5100, or visit www.minyanohrchadash.org.

monday, february 10 at 7 p.m.

mixing musics: the sacred songs of istanbul Jews

lecture-demonstration

Former University of Washington Cole Fellow and National Jewish Book Award

winner Dr. Maureen Jackson will speak about her book, “Mixing Musics: Turkish

Jewry and the Urban Landscape of a Sacred Song,” and the linked histories of Is-

tanbul, its Jewish community, and historical-musical traces of multi-religious music

making in Ottoman and Turkish society. Ethnomusicologist and oud master Dr.

Munir Beken will complement the program with a musical touch.

At the Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. NE, Seattle. Free. For more

information contact Lauren Spokane at [email protected] or 206-543-0138 or

stroumjewishstudies.org/events. Register online.

mercer island focus

monday, January 27 at 7 p.m.

sparks of glory: mirror of memory

concert

Music of Remembrance will perform a free, hour-long chamber music concert for

strings featuring the works of concentration camp prisoners, including Gideon

Klein and Hans Krása (Terezín), David Beigelman (Lodz Ghetto), and Erwin Schul-

hoff (Wülzburg). The musicians largely hail from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

MOR artistic director Mina Miller will provide commentary about the musical and

historical context of each piece.

At Hillel at the University of Washington, 4745 17th Ave. NE, Seattle. For more infor-

mation visit musicofremembrance.org. An additional concert will be performed on

Saturday, February 1, at 2 p.m. at the Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma.

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Students from all five elementary Jewish day schools visited the Seattle Hebrew academy on Jan. 16 to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the New year for the trees. Third and fourth graders visited different stations throughout the school, where they made Havdalah candles, spice sacks, ate traditional foods — dried fruit and nuts — while discussing the holiday, and, as pictured here, created bookmarks in honor of Tu B’Shevat. The program was made possible by an Ignition grant from the Jewish Federation of greater Seattle.Joel maGalnick

northwest jewish family

a jtnews special section friday, january 24, 2014

Reflections on the rat raceEd Harris JTNews Columnist

What if I never moved from New Jersey to Seattle with my wife and then-infant daughter over 20 years ago? How might life have been different if we remained in the New York area? This thought occurred over winter break on a trip to Boca Raton with my youngest son for a visit with my parents. Boca, after all, is effectively a sixth borough of New York, simply one with warmer weather and a higher concentration of Jews. Like the other five, it retains a special character that reflects the New York Jewish mentality. How does this way of life differ from the Emerald City? Let me count the ways.

Seattle is relatively uncrowded and stunningly beautiful. We are surrounded by snow-capped mountains and majestic

wilderness — an outdoor paradise. The New Jersey of my youth featured summers with oppressive humidity and swarms of mosquitos, followed by winters of freezing, miserable sleet and ice. Nature existed to be defeated, not embraced. This is even more so in Florida, where for six months of the year elderly Jews race, if that verb is appropriate for people with slow and deliberate gaits, from air-conditioned homes to air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned restaurants, and then after dinner repeat the sequence in reverse.

New York is Jewish in the same manner as Israel. You don’t need to join a synagogue to feel part of a broader community when most of your neighbors are fellow Jews. At the start of my career in Manhattan as an investment banker, Jews comprised the majority of any conference room I happened to find myself in, even more so if the meeting included lawyers.

In Seattle, I typically had one or two Jewish colleagues across an entire office. Recently, at Bed, Bath and Beyond, while attempting to find a knife set for my son-in-law, the store clerk helping me asked if I was shopping for a birthday present. I replied that the knives were indeed intended as a present, but for Hanukkah, and asked if she had ever heard of it.

“No,” she said. That kind of incident doesn’t happen in New York.Did I mention pushy yet? Jews in both Seattle and Boca go out for Chinese food on

Christmas. Here, we wait to be seated in an orderly fashion until our table is ready. In Boca, at the kosher Chinese restaurant, the assembled mass of people on line resembled a rugby scrum.

As I forced my way to the front like a salmon frantically fighting upstream, a harried woman holding the small yellow legal pad that contained the official waiting list ignored my plea to put our name down. Instead, she scurried about the dining room scouting for empty tables, while a ravenous horde of impatient diners demanded to know where their entrées were. As I stood by the cash register surrounded by a pulsating throb of hungry Jews, a matronly woman elbowed her way ahead of me, chased after the hostess and said, “We’re next; we’ve been waiting.”

Out of practice from more than two decades of sedate, well-mannered life in Seattle, I stood mutely by as she shoved her way past me. If only I had been there a month instead of a week, my long-dormant New York chutzpah would have emerged and allowed me to fight to defend my turf. At the top of my game, nobody would have cut a restaurant line on me, but life in Seattle had softened me in ways New York would never have allowed.

This pushiness could also be observed in parking lots. Darwin didn’t have to go to the Galapagos Islands and study the various types of native finches to draw conclusions about natural selection. He could have just as easily set up shop at any Boca strip mall, notebook in hand, and watched survival of the fittest reflected in the fierce competition to pounce on the closest parking space, another favored Florida pastime.

And so a week flew by, one which included, for my poor, suffering carnivorous youngest

Abba Knows Best

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friday, january 24, 2014 n www.jtnews.net n jtnews 19

VOTE

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son surrounded by a family of vegetarians, meals out every night in kosher restaurants, where he feasted on corned beef and pastrami, steak, orange beef, sweet-and-sour chicken, and, for the one meal we ate at home, prepared chicken schnitzel from the kosher supermarket. No, you cannot find a restaurant in Seattle that serves kosher New York-style corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, and perhaps the stunning beauty of Mt. Rainier is cold comfort

when one considers the sacrifice required.Which leaves only one remaining question: When can we go back to Boca for another visit?

Ed Harris, the author of “Fifty Shades of Schwarz” and several other books, was born in the Bronx and lives in Bellevue with his family. His long-suffering wife bears silent testimony to the saying that behind every successful man is a surprised woman.

W aBBa Page 18

proposals for statehood on almost all the West Bank, Gaza and Arab East Jerusalem, and after the savage war of terror launched by Yasser Arafat against Israeli civilians in the second intifada, mainstream Israeli opinion realized that this Palestinian lead-ership could not be a partner for a historic compromise with the Jewish State. Most Israelis wanted a leader who would crush Palestinian terrorism but who would also not incorporate the West Bank and Gaza into Israel, would not abandon the quest for regional alliances and accommoda-tions, and would certainly not endanger the all-important partnership with the United States.

The Israeli political system shifted from the polarized pattern of the 1980s and 1990s to one with a robust political center.

Most of the Oslo-supporting moderate left moved to the middle, and Sharon moved from the right to a position where he could speak for this mainstream.

I had the opportunity to see him change firsthand. When I met with Sharon in 1999, I predicted that if he assumed the supreme responsibility of leading Israel, he would end up building a defensive bar-rier, accepting a potential Palestinian state, and dismantling some of the settlements he had fathered. At the time, he dismissed my predictions. But within four years, he began his dramatic transformation.

When Sharon was running for prime minister, his feet were still firmly planted on the right. But his head soon turned toward different and broader horizons. Sharon explained that what one sees from the perspective of prime minister, one cannot see from any other vantage point.

After crushing Palestinian terror-ism (2002-2004) and establishing a rela-tionship of intimate trust with President Bush, Sharon carried out the 2005 uni-lateral disengagement from Gaza. When Sharon realized he no longer had the sup-port of the Likud, the party he founded in the 1970s and led to victory in 2001, he formed Kadima to reflect the new main-stream that he both represented and par-tially molded.

In disengaging from Gaza, Sharon showed that Palestinian irresponsibility and unwillingness to recognize a Jewish state would not stop him from doing what was necessary from a Zionist perspective. Although more rockets and terrorism fol-lowed withdrawal, Israel has ultimately benefited from his decision. Israeli society is much stronger without Gaza than with. And a strong Israeli society is crucial to

maintaining our security.Sharon steered Israel away from simple-

minded solutions and toward frustrating compromises, at the expense of the pursuit of a perfect “peace.” Speculation about what he might have done if not for his stroke is likely to only reflect what the specula-tor seeks to project onto a respected leader. But we can evaluate what Israel lost when Sharon went into a coma: A charismatic statesman who came to the premiership long after he had committed his worst mis-takes, who learned the appropriate lessons and who came up with a balanced response to his country’s complex challenges.

dan Schueftan is director of the National

Security Studies Center at the university of

Haifa and a Goldman visiting professor at

Georgetown university.

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W SHaRON DePReCIaTION Page 5

Israeli presence from Gaza and evicting almost 10,000 Jewish inhabitants from their homes. Once again Israelis were trauma-tized by the images of Israeli soldiers fight-ing Israeli civilians during the evacuation.

Sharon rationalized this move through his belief that Israel had no viable nego-tiating partner; however, by unilaterally withdrawing, he all but guaranteed chaos

would ensue in Gaza following Israel’s pullout. And indeed, Israelis — and Jews everywhere — were horrified as Palestin-ian mobs celebrated the Israeli pull-back by burning synagogues and farms, even when they might have been used to their own advantage. Sharon further exacer-bated prospects for future withdrawals by not keeping his promise to provide new housing for the evicted settlers in Israel proper. Is it any wonder that so many

Israelis are skeptical of attempting further endeavors along these lines?

So while many laud Sharon for his mil-itary victories, for providing housing for Jews from the former Soviet Union, for driving the PLO from Beirut, for champi-oning Jewish settlement in the West Bank or, contrariwise, for blazing a trail in terms of withdrawal from occupied territories, I can only see Sharon as the enabler of mas-sacres of Palestinians, as one of the fathers

of the wrong-headed settlement move-ment, and as the initiator of the failed uni-lateral “peace” option. Still: “May he rest in peace, and may his family be comforted among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

rabbi Anson Laytner is program manager of

the interreligious initiative at Seattle

university’s School of Theology and Ministry.

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funeral/Burial services

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1-24 2013

22 WHAT’S your Jq? JTNews n www.JTNews.NeT n friday, JaNuary 24, 2014

To tame that savage beast: The Seahawks fanrivy PouPko kletenik Jtnews columnist

Dear Rivy,I have had enough. Even if

I’m the only person in Seat-tle who was hoping we didn’t get into the Super Bowl, so be it. I refuse to get swept up by this base, pagan, vile, vac-uous and raucous endeavor. It is revolting. The violence, the drinking, people behav-ing like primitive brutes decked out like bizarre crea-tures, painted and even tat-tooed in Seahawks colors and emblems — it’s insane. It seems to be opposite of everything pious, rever-ent — or Jewish! Yet I hear synagogue attendees, Jewish communal leaders, teachers and even rabbis professing their devotion to this inane mindless amuse-ment. Please, please back me up on this — please declare football treif!

Ouch. Treif might be a bit harsh. That said, I hear you. Take comfort — surely you realize you are not the only person with these societally deemed unwelcome sentiments. You most assuredly will find like-minded detractors in cafés, museums and theaters at sacred game times. I have actually observed this exceptional phe-nomenon on occasion myself.

So first, my friend, you are not alone.

Second, far be it for me to deny that a number of the trap-pings of this football endeavor border on the, shall we say, more base of human instincts and inclinations. And yes, at first glance there seems little to justify its widespread devo-tion among those who are presumed to be spiritually dis-posed. However, there might be something here of a more complex nature, demand-ing, if you will, a bit of a close

exploratory elucidation and exegesis. Football does seem to bring out the

savage. Unlike the more delicate sport of baseball, for which my mighty fervor presents as spiritual, the poetry of players endeavoring to get “home,” rising to the personal challenge of having to “step up to the plate,” football seems decidedly mun-dane with the point being to “tackle” the opponent and score a “touchdown.” Not very uplifting, is it? Indeed, the effort to discourage, nay, eradicate the pastime is not confined to the sphere of religion nor the domain of politics.

Early in the life of football, King Edward II was so concerned by the rowdi-ness of the sport in London that on April 13, 1314 he issued a proclamation banning it: “Forasmuch as there is great noise in

the city caused by hustling over large balls from which many evils may arise which God forbid; we command and forbid, on behalf of the King, on pain of imprison-ment, such game to be used in the city in the future.”

Don’t hold your breath — I don’t see this sort of proclamation coming from our newly elected mayor anytime soon.

Indeed, thank you, Wikipedia, in 1608 the pastime of “football” was disparaged by none other than Shakespeare in the play “King Lear”: “Nor tripped neither, you base football player” (Act I, Scene 4), and in “A Comedy of Errors” (Act II, Scene 1):

Am I so round with you as you with me,That like a football you do spurn me thus?You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither:If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.Jews have also sought to explore the

benefits or drawbacks of the sports-minded. Micah Stein cites a responsa of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, in “Jewish Ideas Daily” two years ago, concerning whether a Jew may be a professional foot-ball player. “I was asked if it is permit-ted to earn a living playing sports…as there is an element of danger,” he wrote in

Igrot Moshe. “And I believe it is permit-ted, because…one may work in a field that entails some risk.” However, the danger threshold acceptable to Feinstein was only “one in a thousand.” This does not address those who in fact are not earning a living in their hours devoted to this diversion but, rather, being a spectator and who may actually be doing the opposite by wasting time and resources. Though interesting, it’s not entirely pertinent.

We might draw on strong rabbinic disapproval for participating in the the-aters, arenas and gymnasiums of foreign cultures anachronistically mentioned in our tradition, which concern our ances-tors’ assimilation in ancient Egypt and then later decried more appropriately in the time of the Hasmonean revolt against Hellenism, and later during the Roman occupation of Judea. A more enlightening — though esoteric — passage that might shed some welcome light on our conver-sation is found in Samuel II, Chapter 2. Here the opposing camps — teams — of Saul devotees and David fans come to con-tend with each other in this very disturb-ing messy scene.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out; and they met together by the pool of Gibeon, and sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other

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Rabbi Will Berkovitz, CeO of Jewish Family Service, served as keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King Day of Service, an annual v o l u n t e e r i n g e v e n t sponsored by United Way King County and the University of Washington’s Carlson Leadership and Public Service Center. “Unless we look in the eyes of those who are

suffering and not look away,” he told the audience that numbered in the hundreds, the 17 million children in the U.S. who currently go hungry will continue to do so. “We cannot afford to be indifferent.”also speaking at the event were Dr. gabriel gallardo, the UW’s associate vice president of the Office of Minority affairs and Diversity, Dr. ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of undergraduate academic affairs at the UW, Rachel vaughn, director of the Carlson Center, and Blair Taylor, chief community officer and executive vice president of Starbucks Corp. and a board member of United Way King County.

friday, JaNuary 24, 2014 n www.JTNews.NeT n JTNews WHAT’S your Jq? 23

How do i submit a Lifecycle announcement?

E-mail to: [email protected]

Phone 206-441-4553 for assistance.

Submissions for the February 7, 2014

issue are due by January 28.

Download forms or submit online at

www.jtnews.net/index.php?/lifecycle

Please submit images in jpg format,

400 KB or larger. Thank you!

Whatever the anticipated size of your estate, your planned gif t ensures that Jewish Family Service is always here to meet the needs of our community.

To learn more, contact:Lisa Golden Chief Development Officer (206) 861-3188 [email protected]

It’s About

Since 1926, The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle has strengthened the bonds of community through service.

You enable us to support organizations that lift people up — locally, in Israel and overseas.

Join us in fulfilling shared hopes for a better future.

Community

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE.THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.OF GREATER SEATTLE 206.443.5400

www.jewishinseattle.org

side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab: ‘Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.’ And Joab said: ‘Let them arise.’ Then they arose and passed over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And they caught everyone his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together…And the battle was

very sore that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David…Then Abner called to Joab, and said: ‘Shall the sword devour forever? Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end? What is this seeming sport/battle/war

scene? In what way does it inform our conversation around football? I think everything. This Biblical scene combines the language and spectacle of sport and the

language and spectacle of the battlefield. This time-honored combination is very much alive and well in our arenas, screens and newspaper sports sections.

Though our most profoundly voiced aspirations and desires are for peace and tranquility, there seems to be something of the human condition that longs for, desires, even demands a warfare and bat-tlefield of some sort. And if, my friend, that predisposition translates for most Amer-

icans into the viewing of two teams from different cities with fans battling out for dominance, so be it. If it mitigates some bit of our innate bloodthirsty, battle-hungry nature, then bring it on! Go Hawks!

rivy Poupko Kletenik is an internationally

renowned educator and Head of School at the

Seattle Hebrew Academy. if you have a question

that’s been tickling your brain, send rivy an

e-mail at [email protected].

non-issues altogether,” Crane said, “but that we are committed to wrestling with because we are academics and there is an openness to engage in a wide range of issues.”

Whether the topic was the “Distribu-tion of Healthcare,” or the ethical treat-ment of transgender and intersex patients in waiting rooms, or the question of whether the state should regulate the Jewish ritual of metzitzah b’peh, where a circumciser orally suctions away the blood from the wound of a circumcised baby boy, the SJE offered it.

Other research papers reexamined the Jewish ethic of nonviolence, a look at whether the female voice in Jewish ethi-cal literature represents “sin or pleasure,” and the “risks and benefits of Jewish sexual ethics.”

SJE scholars also investigated the polit-ical and the scientific.

“Three papers,” said Crane, “the social history of Judaism and racism, the law in the U.S. where Jews invoked race-protection laws when there was damage done to a syn-agogue, and the last paper looking at claims of Jewishness through DNA, were a fasci-nating investigation of the complicated rela-tionship between Jews, Judaism, notions of race, law, and social construction.”

The nearly 600 members from the SCE,

easily the majority at the conference, also stepped outside the lines of traditional Christian topics.

Dwight Friesen from The Seattle School of Psychology and Theology presented “The Pope Tweets: The Ethical Interplay of Our Liturgical and Digital Lives.”

“As technology sinks more and more deeply into our lives,” wrote Friesen, “Christians are finding that even the spiri-tual can be wired. Our speakers will exam-ine the ways liturgical and technological practices work — sometimes together, sometimes in opposition — to shape Christians.”

Although no SCE or SSME represen-tative responded to requests for comment from JTNews, Dr. Allen Verhey, SCE pres-ident and professor of Christian ethics at the Duke Divinity School praised the range of papers and topics his group chose to explore in his welcome message.

“I expect the papers…will prompt important conversations about different particular traditions and their contempo-rary relevance,” Verhey wrote.

Islamic scholars also explored the clas-sical subjects such as theology, law, med-ical ethics and social ethics by offering sessions such as “Tradition and Religious Imagination in Muslim Theology” and “Forging an Egalitarian Theology: Advo-cating for Minimum Age of Marriage in Light of Muhammad’s Marriage to Aisha.”

W eTHICS Page 6

JacoB christensen/uW

JEW-ISH.COME V E N T SB L O G SN E W S

R E V I E W SF O R U M S

M O R E

24 CoMMuNiTy NeWS JTNews n www.JTNews.NeTn friday, JaNuary 24, 2014

Hear Adisa Ayaso Tassma’s Inspiring Story! Speaking at Connections, Herzl and The Summit

THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE.THE POWER OF COMMUNITY.

2031 Third Avenue | Seattle, WA 98121-2412 | 206.443.5400jewishinseattle.org

OF GREATER SEATTLE

community connectionsHer story is compelling. Born in the vil-lage of Gedlia Murim in Ethiopia, Adisa was only 3 when her family set off on Operation Moses, a journey to Israel. Her mother was pregnant with her younger brother on the journey, who was born in the desert. During a grueling three-month trek across Sudan’s desert, she lost 11 siblings and other relatives along the way.

At a very young age, Adisa was confront-ed by death, starvation and cruelties no child should have to endure. Adisa over-came the suffering, and today, she is married, the mother of one child, holder of an associate’s degree in criminal justice, and a community leader working with at-risk youth in Kiryat Malachi’s Ethiopian community.

Adisa’s moving story is an inspiration to people everywhere.

Adisa Ayaso Tassma, a commu-nity leader in Kiryat Malachi, will be in the Seattle area January 24-26, 2014 to share her unparal-leled story of cour-age and survival.

Adisa will be one of four amazing Jewish women in the spotlight at Connections 2014, on Sunday, January 26, at the Fair-mont Olympic Hotel. In addition, she will speak at Herzl-Ner Tamid during Shab-bat, beginning about 6:30 pm on Friday, January 24, in the main sanctuary and again at 11:30 am on Saturday, January 25, in the social hall.

Also, Adisa will speak on Sunday, Janu-ary 26 at The Summit at First Hill, begin-ning at 7:30 pm.

Gun responsibility, protecting human services budgets, and floating holidays to accommodate religious observance will be high-priority issues for the Jew-ish community in this year’s session of the Washington State Legislature, which opened January 13.

A high-priority issue is Initiative 594. I-594 would apply criminal and public safety background checks used by licensed deal-ers to all firearms sales and transfers, with specified exceptions.

The Jewish community will work to protect human services budgets from further re-ductions, recalculate Medicaid payments to nursing homes, and to add $1 million to the Emergency Food Assistance Program.The Jewish community will advocate for legislation allowing schoolchildren to take two holidays for religious observances with-out the absences counting against them.

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Community Sets PrioritiesFor Legislative Session

Where the next jobs won’t come fromJoel magalnick editor, Jtnews

Earlier this month, Andy Stern, the former president of the Service Employees International Union, came through Seat-tle to talk about jobs and our country’s economic future. On the heels of the inau-guration of socialist city councilmember Kshama Sawant and the narrow passage of a $15 minimum wage in SeaTac, Stern believes this country is on the cusp of a major economic shift. JTNews spoke with him prior to his talk at Town Hall Seattle.

JTNews: What are the big changes you see on the horizon?Andy Stern: There are probably four things that are going to change: First, we have actually arrived at a new economy. We now have become very conscious that probably 20 years ago the wage growth began to decouple from the job produc-tivity, and now, this century, decoupled from growth.

We can now get GDP growth and pro-ductivity growth with wageless growth and jobless growth, which is what we’re experiencing. Since the recession, we’ve gotten back to the same GDP and have grown beyond it, but we have 8 to 9 mil-lion less people doing the same amount of work. We are not going back to the good

old days of the 20th century. We have a different economy and we need to act on it.

The second thing is we’re fractur-ing the employee-employer relation-ship. Whether it’s bloggers, or temporary adjuncts, freelancers, consultants, 30 to 40 percent of Americans don’t have a full-time employer. It’ll go over 50 percent by the end of the decade, so this whole world that’s built around employers and employees and jobs is all fracturing.

The third thing is we are going to have a tsunami of technology that we’ve not really seen, and a massive amount of change. You’re starting to see it now, people can sort of sense it, obviously in certain industries like newspapers or tele-communications. We’re now going to see it in healthcare and transportation and places we once thought were immune from technological advancement.

The last thing is that kids today don’t see work in the same lens that certainly I did in my generation, where work was your need, your purpose, income, and social setting. There’s so many other ways that people have social relationships now besides work, and work is not producing the level of income that it once did.

Kids today growing up are seeing their older brothers or their aunts or uncles struggling in this economy. All these things will come together in 20 years and we really have to build policies for that time and not wait for the market to solve our problems.

JT: What made you recognize there’s a problem?AS: Being around people my age who have college-graduate, 20-year-old kids, watch-ing whether they went to an Ivy League School, or they went to a four-year col-lege, or didn’t finish college, everyone is having trouble finding a job. Or if they find a job, finding a job that has any sig-nificant future.

Everywhere you go, hearing people talk about the difficulty that kids are having finding jobs. It’s listening to what’s going on in the world and saying, “Something’s off.”

JT: Looking five to 10 years into the future, how will you be able to prognos-ticate how things are going?AS: One thing that I cannot answer, that is totally, academically correct, is that in other periods where there’s been “cre-

ative destruction” like this, is that some-thing else has risen to be the job focus in the private sector of our country. I don’t see where that is. A lot of people say that it was healthcare. I know a lot about health-care. I don’t think that’s where it’s going to be happening.

I would hope the country would pro-mote a discussion of if this is happening, are we really going to pay people not to work? No, probably not. But is taking care of your children something we want to pay people to do? Maybe it is. As longev-ity goes on and on, and we can’t afford to institutionalize people in nursing homes, can we pay family members or say that if you want to get an American dividend, you have a responsibility to do certain things that in the past the government paid for?

I think there are lots of things that can solve this problem, and so it may be just redefining what work is or what we pay for in this country, but there needs to be a new generation of people who are living this new economy to begin to design the policies.

Find a longer version of this interview online

at www.jtnews.net.

jtnews | january 24, 2014

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