Escolar Documentos
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Joel Magalnick
Mark Eisner, whose mother and stepbrother are both in same-sex relationships, and his wife Jennifer address a group of marriage-equality supporters during the launch of the Washington United for Marriage coalition on Nov. 14. Several Jewish organizations have signed on to cosponsor legislation that would legalize civil marriage for same-sex couples in the state.
www.facebook.com/jtnews
Learning, Language & Love: Connecting the Keys to a Strong Start in Life
Presented by Gina Lebedeva, PhD, SLP of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences m Thursday, December 1 7:00 9:00 p.m. Contact Marjorie Schnyder, (206) 861-3146 or familylife@jfsseattle.org.
AA Meetings at JFS
Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Contact (206) 461-3240 or ata@jfsseattle.org
m
Endless Opportunities
A community-wide program offered in partnership with Temple Bnai Torah & Temple De Hirsch Sinai. EO events are open to the public.
JFS services and programs are made possible through generous community support of
opinion
Here are some observations on the Olympia Food Co-op boycott controversy described in the Nov. 11 issue of JTNews (Israel critics use courts to protect their speech). I attended the public meeting in Olympia before the board vote and along with others was given a chance to speak against the boycott. No decision was reached at that meeting. Some time later, the board met in closed session and emerged with the boycott in place. No appeal process was offered. Elated with being the first in the country to boycott Israeli products, the organizers moved their show to Port Townsend. They had chosen their targets well, or so they thought: Small communities, little or no organized Jewish activity, far from the resources based in Seattle, progressive populations leaning toward support of the Palestinians. I went along with fellow Israel supporter Jack Greenberg and again was allowed to speak. The board was seated at a table set up on the stage. After comments from the audience they passed the microphone around and discussed the proposal in full view and hearing of those concerned. What a concept! When the discussion ended they voted right then and there. The motion to boycott was defeated 3-2. Meanwhile, back in Olympia, a once-cohesive community was being torn apart. I was told that lifelong friends were not speaking anymore. There was the stench of betrayal in the air. I know that one of the plaintiffs now filing to overturn the Olympia boycott originally supported it, but after listening closely to the views of the other supporters she came to see that what they were after was not a return of Israel to the 1967 lines, but the complete destruction of the Jewish State. Message to the boycotters: The slogan Not in my name cuts both ways. Rob Jacobs of StandWithUs sent this information to every co-op in America, and the last time I checked not one of them has voted to boycott Israel. The movement that began in Western Washington, to our shame, has also ended here, much to our credit. There is a lesson here for community nudniks like me who fly off the handle at every insult to Israel, rush to our computers or to meetings, convinced that if we dont act now Israel is doomed. Sometimes we need to sit back and let matters take their course. Given the right information, most people are decent and intelligent and will figure things out for themselves. As for the boycotters great concern for freedom of speech, that also cuts both ways. As anyone who has dealt with the Israel bashers knows, their guiding principle is Free Speech for Me, None For Thee. Robert G. Kaufman seattle
cELEbRATE THE EDucATORs
I commend Joel Magalnick for his perceptive column Seattleites win education prize (Nov. 11) as very informative. Glad to hear that Robert Beiser, the campus/Jconnect director was recognized nationally by the Covenant Foundation and awarded a prize of $15,000 over the next three years to further his education. Also glad to hear that Gilah Kletenik was awarded the prize as well. I consider the awards were appropriately made to very able and talented individuals. I was especially delighted to meet and talk with Beiser. He is an excellent role model to the youth at Hillel and a strong advocate for Israel. His advocacy with others to promote fair trade in the sale of chocolates from organizations that monitor the exploitation of children from slave trade is commendable. I hope parents will buy chocolates from companies that engage in fair trade that enables children to be free from enslavement and go to schools. Beiser rightly says, its the ethical, responsible thing. I do wish Beiser much success with his job at Hillel. I also wish Kletenik much success with her work at Ramaz Upper School in New York. Josh basson seattle
REcOvERy
The Books, etc. edition of the JTNews (Nov. 18) has just arrived. I would prefer not to see a picture of a swastika, and a man holding a gun on the front cover. There must be a better way to go. Kate Lesser seattle
WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We would love to hear from you! Our guide to writing a letter to the editor can be found at www.jtnews.net/index.php?/letters_guidelines.html, but please limit your letters to approximately 350 words. The deadline for the next issue is November 29. Future deadlines may be found online.
The book portrays this kind of thinking as delusional and paranoid. The narrator, who ultimately crafts The Protocols, is the most hateful narrator in literature. Harcourt Publishings senior vice president, Bruce Nichols, on Umberto Ecos new book, The Prague Cemetery. See the story on page 16.
opiNioN
There are clearly ways to ratchet up the economic pressure on Iran, and these should be tried before force is ever considered. Unfortunately, more stringent sanctions that could convince Iran to halt its nuclear program are being held up by Russia, China and some other countries that fear losing the economic benefits they get through trade with Iran. Up to now, their leaders have rationalized their inertia by parroting the Iranian line that Tehrans
atomic ambitions are for peaceful use. With the IAEA report, however, they cannot say that with a straight face anymore. The nations of the world have no choice but to act jointly with purpose to deter Irans aggressive nuclear plans, and do so before its too late.
Wendy Rosen is the executive director of the Seattle chapter of the American Jewish Committee.
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inside
LADINO LEssON
by isaac azose
On Dec. 1, a four-part series from the Stroum Jewish Studies Program at the University of Washington will explore how the Jewish community should relate to global issues.
For 15 years, Itamar Marcus has kept his finger on the pulse of Palestinian media and society. The atmosphere, he says, is getting ugly.
Israels thriving LGBT community Date night: The stories of Israel through film
Every other Wednesday evening, a breakout from a UW Stroum Jewish Studies program course has become an Israeli film festival.
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Being gay in Israel can be difficult for many, but for others its a thriving, open and progressive community.
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Remember when
From The Jewish Transcript, November 25, 1970 Just in time for Thanksgiving, the papers editors recommended new special kosher turkey that came in a ready-to-roast aluminum pan and bathed in an unusual marinade of Chinese-style sauce. It was all young white meat and came in a two-ounce package.
the voice of j e w i s h washington 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 diverse viewpoints and vibrant debate on many fronts, including the news and events in Israel. We strive to contribute to the continued growth of our local Jewish community as we carry out our mission. 2041 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121 206-441-4553 editor@jtnews.net www.jtnews.net
JTNews (ISSN0021-678X) is published biweekly by The Seattle Jewish Transcript, a nonprofit corporation owned by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, 2041 3rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98121. Subscriptions are $56.50 for one year, $96.50 for two years. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to JTNews, 2041 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98121.
MORE Crossword M.O.T.: A trip to Walla Walla Community Calendar The Arts Whats Your JQ?: Miracle menorahs Lifecycles Jewish on Earth: Generations The Shouk Classifieds
6 9 13 15 17 23 24 21
staff
Reach us directly at 206-441-4553 + ext. Publisher *Karen Chachkes 267 233 Editor *Joel Magalnick Assistant Editor Emily K. Alhadeff 240 Account Executive Lynn Feldhammer 264 Account Executive David Stahl 235 Account Executive Cameron Levin 292 Account Executive Stacy Schill 269 Classifieds Manager Rebecca Minsky 238 Art Director Susan Beardsley 239
Build and decorate your tzedakah box today, and share the joy of tzedakah with your whole family this Hanukkah. Call us for an extra copy, or download extra copies of The Tzedakah Book at www.jtnews.net, and read about how you can bring tzedakah to your Hanukkah celebration.
ps: Send us pictures of you and your tzedakah box & well post them online and publish three in our first issue of December. E-mail pictures to editor@jtnews.net.
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Peter Horvitz, Chair*; Robin Boehler; Andrew Cohen; Cynthia Flash Hemphill*; Nancy Greer; Aimee Johnson; Ron Leibsohn; Stan Mark; Daniel Mayer; Cantor David Serkin-Poole*; Leland Rockoff Richard Fruchter, CEO and President, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle Shelley Bensussen, Federation Board Chair
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December 23
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Music represents an ideal world, says Jerusalem Music Centre president Murray Perahia, a world where all dissonances resolve, where all modulations, that are journeys, return home, and where surprise and stability coexist. If all this could be taught, the love of music would continually expand. Following his lead, weve created a grid on which you can learn to play an instrument. If it seems strange, dont fret. Itll strike a familiar chord soon enough.
ACROSS 9 Flags of ___ Fathers 11 Queenly 14 Some salamanders 17 In either of two connotations, a phrase that 20 23 26 29 32 34 37 38 39 40 42 43 45 47 50 54 62 63 64 13 Nowhere nearby 15 Greek H 16 Vehicle on the George Benson Waterfront 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 33 35 36 40 41 43 44 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61
describes each circled row in this grid Rang out, as church bells Give three stars, perhaps Genre that developed out of punk rock There, there, its not ___ Singer Stewart Implored According to Edwin Starr, its good for absolutely nothing Prefix with sex or cycle Insufferable racket It now includes the blogosphere Home theater room Capital of Vietnam Sultry West Vicinity The ___ people Object on whose neck youd find all the circled rows from top to bottom Living wall ___ and drabs Not none
models Screw up Suffix with northwest Narcissists trait It appears seven places in the alphabet before 8-Down 6 Tolkien tree creature 7 She sheep 8 It appears seven places in the alphabet after 5-Down 10 Northwest member of the Four Corners 12 How shocking!
2 3 4 5
Streetcar Line You going? response Chow down Silver Platters purchases It displays your name and picture Cartoon Networks Ed, ___ n Eddy Putting two and two together UWs domain suffix Curtain adornments Bizarre ___ work Need to pay back Jeremys Entourage character Not none Vitamin bottle info Record producer Brian Studio whose symbol is a lion Ottoman military officer Illicit substance the Mitchell Report was concerned with, for short Website that specializes in reviews of titles for the PS3, Wii, Xbox, and other platforms Having all necessary skills Stat for Ichiro What the archetypal duck walks into Seminal rock club in New York from 19732006 ___-Wan Kenobi Israeli diplomat Abba ___ Humans vs. Cylons TV series, to its fans Marxist Guevara Citrusy thirst quencher Didnt I tell you? Alphabetic trio Commit perjury Employ ___ Bo (workout routine) Deli option
Answers on page 23 2011 Eltana Wood-Fired Bagel Cafe, 1538 12th Avenue, Seattle. All rights reserved. Puzzle created by Lone Shark Games, Inc. Edited by Mike Selinker and Mark L. Gottlieb.
JFS is one of 10 agencies throughout the state providing these services, which began nationwide a decade ago. JFSs service area for this program is King County, and it will assist anyone in that area, though it is doing special outreach to elderly Russian speakers, elderly African-Americans Thats been an underserved population in some respects, Armstrong said the elderly gay and lesbian community based mostly near JFSs headquarters on Capitol Hill, and the Jewish community. According to the National Family Caregivers Association, an organization that provides resources and advocates for this population, approximately 65 million Americans serve in the capacity of caregiver. Since 1994, the association has actually designated the week of Thanksgiving to recognize family caregivers, and Congress and the president have issued proclamations of appreciation every year since. Just over 20 families have signed up thus far for the program, but the agency hopes to bring in many more to take advantage of these much-needed services. We look forward to people accessing this grant aggressively, said Ken Weinberg, JFSs CEO. We want people to come. Lets use this money and make a case to the government to do more.
commuNiTy News
If you go:
The stroum Jewish studies program presents Ruth messinger and prof. Dan chirot, who will present can Foreign Aid Really Help Africa? on Thurs., Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at 415 Westlake, seattle. Register at JewDub.eventbrite.com or contact npianko@uw.edu.
leyna kroW
Ruth Messinger, president of american Jewish World Service, during a visit to Hillel at the University of Washington in 2009. Messinger will kick off the Jewish Studies Programs If I am Only For Myself, What am I? Judaism Confronts Human Injustice lecture series on Dec. 1.
Notions of justice and social action are important for young adults in Seattle, Pianko said. By bringing activists and scholars together, he hopes to provide a chance to get beyond some of the headlines and think more deeply.
for the speakers to converse with the help of a moderator. The idea is to make it more of a conversation than a frontal lecture, he said. The following three lectures also bring to the proverbial table highly regarded
Jewish activists. In January, former CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice Simon Greer will interact with Professor David Domke of the UWs Department of Communications on the topic of Can America Move Toward a Just Domestic Agenda?; in February Hazon executive director Nigel Savage will present alongside political science professor Karen Lifton on Whats Religions Place in Food Politics?; and in April, Ken Weinberg, CEO of Jewish Family Service, and Professor Marcia Meyers, of the School of Social Work, the Evans School of Public Affairs and director of the West Coast Poverty Center, will discuss What Would it Take to End Poverty in Seattle? The program, true to its mission to serve its students, is going to where they are: Their social media feeds. So Pianko has posted an Africa quiz on Facebook. Other plans for the remaining lectures are in the works. He hopes the quiz will generate interest in the program and reach out to potential participants. For most folks Africas this big place, he said. With next weeks program, he hopes to make it that much smaller.
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Unique Wines
Bring this in for 25% off Gecko packages and 10% off Michael Florentino packages
offer good until december 12th
noon5pm
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Saturday, December 17 Tony Bennet at the Paramount, 8pm Klezmatics at the Neptune, 8pm
TONY
Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band at the Paramount, 7:30pm
Win a pair of tickets to see any or all of them! Heres how: (1) LIKE US on Facebook at either /jtnews or /jewishdotcom and (2) in separate posts, write TONY, KLEZMATICS, OR WOODY on our wall. Well draw winners at random and post their names December 9 on our Facebook pages.
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advising Jewish students at Whitman College also: a Bronfman fellow reflects on the experience
About two months ago my family and I visited Whitman College in Walla Walla. We arrived Friday afternoon and headed to the student union to buy challah from Challah For Hunger (which we wrote about in April) before our tour. Later, we joined about 30 students in the spiritual activities room for the Fridays at Five Shabbat gathering of the Shalom Hillel group. Sharon Kaufman-Osborn, from the colleges counseling staff, is the groups long-time faculty adviser. She and her husband, Tim Kaufman-Osborn (were known as SKO and TKO, she says), moved to Walla Walla in the late 1970s when he began teaching political theory at Whitman. They planned to stay only a few years, but gradually fell in love with the place, staying and raising their sons Jacob and Tobin there. Initially Sharon, who has an MSW from the University of Wisconsin, worked part-time at the college. There was little Jewish activity on campus and the local Congregation Beth Israel (one of the
tribe
states oldest) had a small, mostly elderly population. We really didnt do much for a while, she says. In 1992, some students approached her about starting an official Jewish group. Despite not having a strong Jewish education she says, Im a great organizerand I felt strongly there should be something there. The group was originally called Shalom, but in 2001 they affiliated with the national organization Hillel, combining names. Today there are over 120 students on the Hillel listserve. The admissions office estimates the student body at about 8 percent Jewish with Jewish student enrollment increasing. This years entering class had 35 Jewish students. Sharon says more students now come from California and areas with larger Jewish populations. Some students do become active at Beth Israel, too, where monthly services are held. Jacob Kaufman-Osborns Bar Mitzvah in 2001 was the first there in 10 years and the next one after that was his brothers three years later.
In addition to Fridays at Five, Shalom Hillel hosts a Passover seder, and the schools coordinator of religious and spiritual life hosts an annual Shabbat dinner. One of the things we do every courTeSy SHaron kaufMan-oSBorn year, Sharon Sharon Kaufman-Osborn adds, is to bring has been an adviser for a Holocaust surviJ e w i s h s t u d e n t s a t vor to Whitman. Whitman College for It is a very popumore than two decades. lar event and one that as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I am deeply committed to.
Our readers are most likely familiar with the Bronfman Foundations Birthright Israel trips for young people. The foundation also sponsors the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel, bringing 26 high school students to Israel for six weeks the summer before their senior year, all expenses paid. The fel-
lows American kids from wide ranging Jewish backgrounds, Orthodox to agnostic are joined for part of the time by 26 Israeli students. Seattleite Anya Tudisco went this year, attracted by the opportunity to explore Jewish diversity. I couldnt be a true Jewish leader or representative of the Jewish people without having ventured beyond Reform Judaism or Reform Jews, wrote the Roosevelt High School senior in a recent paper assigned by the program. Bronfmanim as they are known, continue to meet, read and reflect on their experiences during the year following the program. You have to be willing to read, write, think and talk, says Anya. In Israel, the Temple Beth Am youth group president says she had to form opinions pretty quickly regarding things she hadnt known much about, noting that she knew less than her peers about Israel, traditional Judaism and even just current events. As a public school student, Anya feels she brought a different perspective to
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Hanukkah
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HANUKKAH PARTY!
The event named The Best Kid Activity of the Decade by Seattle Magazine makes its miraculous return for one afternoon only! KEXPs Darek Mazzone will be spinning tunes to get every booty movin!
beneting uncompensated care at
TempleHappenings
HANUKKAH HUMOR STORIES
(fundraiser for Temple teens)
www.thebigspin.org
www
Program follows Sunday School in Seattle on Sunday, December 4 and in Bellevue on Sunday, December 11. Optional $5 pizza lunch. Recommended for ages 4-8. All are welcome. If you would like to purchase lunch, RSVP Toby with date and location at tharris@tdhs-nw.org
www.jtnews.net
11
C-O-N-N-E-C-T-O-R
2031 THIRD AVENUE | SEAT TLE, WA | 98121-2412 | P: 206 443-5400 | INFO@JEWISHINSEAT TLE.ORG | WWW.JEWISHINSEAT TLE.ORG
Over 70 enthusiastic volunteers gathered at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Sunday, November 13 for the annual community-wide phone-a-thon, Super Sunday. Calls were made to community members with an opportunity to support the Federation as we raise funds for Jewish organizations both locally and across the globe. This year, Super Sunday raised $120,000. This was the first year donors were able to designate their gift to a specific community impact area or priority, and the response was positive. We appreciate
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rabbis TurN
after Divine intervention. Avimelech challenges Abraham, What have you seen that you did such a thing? (Bereshit 20:10). Malbim, in his commentary, explains that Avimelech argues that the land of Plishtim is a civilized society with laws and mores. How can Abraham think they would kill him to take his wife? Abraham
responds, Only the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me because of my wife (Bereshit 20:11). Abrahams response was that Avimelech was correct his was a civilized society with a legal system. Yet, when confronted with a moral dilemma, this alone cannot be relied upon. People tend to rationalize and do what is easy or what they desire. Fear of God can help one prevail and make the right choice, although it
may be difficult. This too is no guarantee that one will do what is right. While it is clear what the Torah expects of us should we find ourselves in circumstances such as those faced by the officials at Penn State, it is not at all certain that we will make the right decision when we face complex dilemmas. So often in life we confront situations that are punctuated by a shalshelet. We are challenged by choices. We are conflicted between doing what is
appropriate albeit difficult and what is easier. We have the benefit of being guided by Torah, the eternal and immutable word of God that illuminates the way and inspires us to meet the challenges that arise throughout the vicissitudes of life. Let us hope that when tested we will have the wisdom and strength of character to make the right choice.
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N O RT H W EST Y ES H I VA H I G H S C H O O L
2012-2013
11.17.11 - eleonen
206.232.5272
the group. Most Bronfman fellows attend Jewish schools or private schools in major Jewish population centers. I sometimes stepped into discussions to bring attention to an issue or opinion that came from outside the Jewish community, she says. I felt it important to bring my experience with the secular world. Like other seniors, right now Anya is busy with college applications and preparing for a number of jazz performances she plays sax and clarinet in her schools award-winning jazz band. In December shell fly to New York for a working meeting with this years American and Israeli BYFI participants and shes of course excited to see her friends. I never would have found my way to these lifelong friends without this program. These friends are now my teachers, she says. BYFI is in every way a priceless experience.
jpsi.org
In th e he
Please come to our Open House on Wednesday, December 7 at 7 pm. Visit us at www.billingsmiddleschool.org 206-547-4614
Billings Middle School admits students of any religion, race, color, sexual orientation and national or ethnic origin.
commuNiTy caleNdar
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ongoing events
Event names, locations, and times are provided here for ongoing weekly events. Please visit calendar.jtnews.net for descriptions and contact information.
fRidays
9:3010:30 a.m. SJcc Tot Shabbat Stroum JCC 11 a.m.12 p.m. Tots Welcoming Shabbat Temple Bnai Torah 12:303:30 p.m. Bridge group Stroum JCC 12:303:30 p.m. drop-in Mah Jongg Stroum JCC
satuRdays
910:30 a.m. Temple Bnai Torah adult Torah Study Temple Bnai Torah 9:45 a.m. BcMH youth Services BCMH 10 a.m. Morning youth Program Congregation Ezra Bessaroth 1:152:15 p.m. Middot and Mitzvot Congregation Beth Shalom 5 p.m. The ramchals derech Hashem, Portal from the ari to Modernity Congregation Beth HaAri
9:3011 a.m. Pathways Through the oral Torah: an introduction to the Talmud and Midrash Temple De Hirsch Sinai 9:3011:30 a.m. reflective Parenting: disciplining from the Heart Temple Bnai Torah 1011 a.m. Hebrew class: advanced Beginner Congregation Herzl-Ner Tamid 10:15 a.m. Sunday Torah Study Congregation Beth Shalom 11 a.m. 12 p.m. Hebrew class: Beginner Congregation Herzl-Ner Tamid 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Hebrew reading class Back to Basics Congregation Beth Shalom 7:3010:30 p.m. Heari israeli dancing Danceland Ballroom (call to confirm)
7:458:45 p.m. for Women only Congregation Shaarei Tefilah Lubavitch 8:30 p.m. Talmud in Hebrew Eastside Torah Center 810 p.m. Womens israeli dance class The Seattle Kollel 8:30 p.m. Talmud, yeshiva-Style Eastside Torah Center
7:159:15 p.m. engaging israel: foundations for a new relationship Stroum JCC 7:30 p.m. Weekly round Table kabbalah class Eastside Torah Center 7:30 p.m. The Tanya Chabad of Central Cascades
tuesdays
11 a.m.12 p.m. Mommy and Me Program Chabad of the Central Cascades 12 p.m. Torah for Women Eastside Torah Center 7 p.m. alcoholics anonymous Meetings Jewish Family Service 7 p.m. Teen center BCMH 7 p.m. Hebrew (alef Bet) level 1 Congregation Beth Shalom 7 p.m. Hebrew (Biblical) level 2 Congregation Beth Shalom 7 p.m. Siddur Hebrew: amidah Congregation Beth Shalom 7 p.m. intermediate Hebrew Congregation Herzl-Ner Tamid 79 p.m. The Jewish Journey Seattle Kollel 79:15 p.m. living Judaism: The Basics Congregation Beth Shalom
Wednesdays
7 p.m. Beginning israeli dancing for adults with rhona feldman Congregation Beth Shalom 79 p.m. Teen lounge for Middle Schoolers BCMH 7:30 p.m. Parshas Hashavuah Eastside Torah Center
Mondays
10 a.m.2 p.m. Jcc Seniors group Stroum JCC 12:30 p.m. caffeine for the Soul Chabad of the Central Cascades 6:158:30 p.m. Bringing Baby Home Jewish Family Service 7 p.m. cSa Monday night classes Congregation Shevet Achim 78 p.m. crash course in Hebrew Seattle Kollel 78 p.m. ein yaakov in english Congregation Shaarei Tefilah Lubavitch
thuRsdays
10 a.m.2 p.m. Jcc Seniors group Stroum JCC 6:507:50 p.m. introduction to Hebrew Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation 7 p.m. Junior Teen center BCMH 810 p.m. Teen lounge for High Schoolers BCMH 7:30-9 p.m. Beth Shalom Beit Midrash Congregation Beth Shalom
sundays
9:1510:15 a.m. advanced Talmud for Men Congregation Beth HaAri
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How much? When it comes to gelt, choose what fits your familys budget, from coins to paper.
Dress it up.
Include stickers, glitter, markers, colored pencils, and note cards so your children can decorate their very own Tzedakah Box using the template we provided or any box or canister that you choose. Plus, they can include beautifully decorated notes with their tzedakah gelt.
of ictures Send p corated your de you and plus a ah Box itor@ Tzedak ox to ed of the b p hem all close-u l post t et. Wel e in jtnews.n d publish thre an ukkah online, r 9 Han cembe dline the De ue! Dea ings iss Greet ber 2. Decem
More Online
To download more copies of The Tzedakah Book, go to www.jtnews.net and click on The Tzedakah Book image.
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The arTs
cHarloTTe anTHony
University of Washington professor Naomi Sokoloff listens to students as they discuss the Israeli film The New Land.
Happy Hanukkah!
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ew L B 12 oc el 0t at lev h ion ue Av e N E
OPEN DAILY
albenoliel@comcast.net www.albenoliel.com
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November 30 at 7:30 p.m. Government: Whats It Good For? public debate Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, will go up against Dr. David Callahan, cofounder of Demos, to debate about the governments proper role. Should it protect individual rights and free markets? Should it promote equality? Israel-born Brook is a former finance professor who presents on news circuits and at universities on objectivism, business ethics and foreign policy. Callahan is the author of Trading Up. Doors open at 6:30. At Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle. Tickets are $5 and available through Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006 or brownpapertickets.com.
December 28 Paul Goodman Changed My Life Film One of the great Jewish intellectuals of the 20th century, Paul Goodman was a poet, philosopher and gay icon between the 1940s and his death in 1972. He was also a married family man, a founder of Gestalt therapy, and the author of Growing Up Absurd. Now hes immortalized on celluloid, and for one week his life and story are open to audiences thanks to SIFF and The Stranger. At the SIFF Film Center, 321 Mercer St., Seattle. For tickets and information visit www.siff.net/cinema.
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104 North 85th Street (across from Fred Meyer) Also at Pacific Place, Downtown Seattle www.toptentoys.com
206-782-0098
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The arTs
Come visit our Women of Reform Judaism Gift Shop and nd the p perfect gift for Hanukkah this year.
W We carry kippot, tallit, Shabbat items, Pa Passover items, a large Hanukkah selection, p prayer books, Tanachs, jewelry, mezzuzahs, yo od yods, shofars, childrens games, toys and books.
Hanukkah kk Gift Shop Hours December 2023 are by appointment only Shops closed Dec. 2531
S Seattle Sundays 10AMnoon during Religion School Wednesdays 11AM1PM Thursdays 11AM1PM (Dec. 115) Thursdays 4:15PM6PM during Hebrew School
Bellevue Sundays 10AMnoon during Religion School Mondays 11AM1PM (Dec. 519) Wednesdays 4PM6PM during Hebrew School Wednesdays 11AM1PM (Nov. 16Dec.14) Fridays 11AM 1PM
Gifts, Gelt and Hanukkah Supplies Come see our Artisan Judaica.
Adorable, unique, traditional or boutique, find it at the
Please contact CIndy Stratiner at cstratiner@aol.com or 206.323.8486 with any questions. www.tdhs-nw.org
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I salute you and I offer you the Marvelous March of Menorahs! Heres the plan: Each night you will highlight a legendary menorah from the past. First, tell its story and then draw out a lesson that it uniquely exemplifies. By using the Talking Points outline for each night, you will be able to draw out meaningful conversations from your guests. Good luck and godspeed. First Night The menorah of the Mikdash: We must start with the original prototypical menorah of menorahs. Shortly after the Exodus and the giving of the Torah, the people Israel were commanded to build a tabernacle, a portable abode to house the Divine Presence to inscribe on their consciousness that indeed the Lord dwells among the people. All the specifications are meticulously described to Moshe, among them a candlestick of pure gold, symbolizing, according to Abravanel, the seven degrees of wisdom. The middle branch represented the Torah with which all wisdoms must harmonize. Talking Points: In what way does Judaism serve as a central illuminating branch in your life? In what way do all wisdoms interface with Torah? Second Night The menorah on the Arch of Titus: I grew up hearing about the menorah on the offensive Arch of Titus, carried by Jewish captives of Zion. It is an honorific arch located in Rome, constructed in 82 CE by the Roman emperor Domitian after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Tituss victories, including the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. It is a raw, in-your-face record of our peoples national humiliation and catastrophe. Jewish tourists were known to deface the ancient arch by scratching Am Yisrael Chai, the Nation of Israel lives into its marble, and Roman Jews refused to walk under it. Talking Points: What feelings emerge for you around this image? Would you walk under it? Would you deface it? Third Night Menorahs made from paper: In Billings, Mont. on December 2, 1993, someone threw a brick through the window of a Jewish home that displayed a menorah. What happened next was truly remarkable. An editorial in the local newspaper urged residents to join together by displaying paper menorahs in the windows of their homes as a symbol of their
What do you see? And I answered, I see a menorah all of gold, with a bowl above itand by it are two olive trees What do these things mean?This is the word of the LordNot by might, nor by power, but by my spirit alone. These gripping words with the vision of the trees providing a steady stream of olive oil for the menorah teach that despite all diabolical human machinations, the enduring spirit of God will ultimately triumph. Talking Points: How do you understand the words, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit alone? Have you experienced the triumph of the spirit? Sixth Night The menorah that became a hanukkiyah: That the miracle of Hanukkah is centered specifically on the Temples menorah is significant. Other vessels adorned the Temple: The table for the
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Maimonides. Though he did not write his first novel, The Name of the Rose, until he was 48 spending the first 25-odd years of his career as a influential postmodern philosopher he delved back into history when he began writing fiction. Repeatedly, he found himself drawn to The Protocols. He said he found it fascinating that the document continued and continues to be taken seriously, despite irrefutable evidence of its falsity. Just after they were proven to be false in 1921, he said, people believed them more. Hitler even quoted them in Mein Kampf.
He added that they continue to be printed and sold in the Arab world, where they have enormous influence. It is not only the persistence of antiSemitism that intrigues, and repulses, him. It is the very persistence of conspiracy theories themselves, whomever they defile. In The Prague Cemetery, Simonini explains his first contact with another conspiracy theory, one about Freemasons being behind the French Revolution. Simonini reads about it in Alexander Dumas novel Joseph Balsamo, and the passage in Ecos novel reflects Ecos own musings on the very nature of conspiracies. I wondered whether the bard
Dumas had not discovered, in describing a single conspiracy, the Universal Form of every possible conspiracy, Eco writes. Dumas had a truly clear understanding of the human mind. What does everyone desire, and desire more fervently the more wretched and unfortunate they are? To earn money easily, to have power and to avenge every wrong ever suffered. No one, he adds, believes their misfortunes are attributable to any shortcoming of their own; that is why they must find a culprit. Eco told The Jewish Week that he spent months reading up on conspiracies. And while, in The Prague Cemetery, their eti-
ology is explained through Dumas fiction, Eco found evidence of conspiracies as far back as Homer. He learned this from Karl Popper, he said, the great 20th-century Jewish philosopher. Popper said conspiracies started with Homer, Eco said. In The Iliad, he wrote that Troy was destroyed because, the day before, the guards who were protecting the gates were plotting to let the Greeks in. Despite his acute knowledge of The Protocols, he is aware that there are still gaps in our knowledge about the documents origin. No one has, for instance, pinned down exactly who wrote the document only that its contents are undeniably false. That unsolved mystery was critical for his writing of the novel, he said, for it allowed him to create the fictitious Simonini. Thats why I could write a book like this, he said of the documents unknown origins. I could play a bit.
Temple De Hirsch Sinai is the leading and oldest Reform congregation in the Pacic Northwest. With warmth and caring, we embrace all who 206.323.8486 enter through our doors. www.tdhs-nw.org We invite you to share our past, and help 1511 East Pike St. Seattle, WA 98122 shape our future. 3850 156th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98006
The Anti-Defamation League is a leader in fighting prejudice and protecting civil rights for all. Contact us to connect your passion for social justice with your Jewish roots! Email: seattle@adl.org Phone: (206) 448-5349 Website: www.adl.org/pacific-northwest
Centennial Convention
Come With Us to Israel! October 15-18, 2012
Book before Dec. 31st for the best rate.
206-447-1967 www.campschechter.org
Kol Haneshamah is an intimate congregation, open to people of different backgrounds and traditions. We meet twice a month at Alki UCC in West Seattle. 6115 SW Hinds St., Seattle 98116 E-mail: info@khnseattle.org Telephone: 206-935-1590 www.khnseattle.org
fered throughout the school year and in the summer. Yeyni said those who attend during the school year continue with their secular studies on the Hod Hasharon campus in Israel, keeping them up to date academically upon their return to the states. Interested in finding out more about AMHSI? For more information, please contact Director of Admissions, Judy Cohen at jcohen@amhsi.org.
Seattleites
Yossi Mentz, Regional Director 5535 Balboa Blvd., Suite 114 Encino, CA 91316 Tel: 818-905-5099 Toll Free: 800-323-2371 western@afmda.org
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I think its really meaningful to have members of the community come, because they offer a different perspective than college students, said Lucas. Its a different conversation because they have different life experiences. Elizabeth Kent, a junior, said she enjoys the class because the films highlight different areas of Israeli society. The Israeli films that [Professor Sokoloff] picks are really focused on giving you a glimpse of life in Israel and its really to get to know the culture and the families that make up the culture of Israel, said
Kent. She picks films that show a historical background so you are really getting a comprehensive overview of daily life in Israel beyond the politics. This quarter, some of the featured films include Dolphin Boy, which focuses on trauma and healing in Eilat; Ushpizin, a Sukkot tale that focuses on religious and secular Jews in Israel; and Tel Aviv-Yafo, a documentary on the history of Tel Aviv. Lustig also added that although the class covers many topics in Israeli society, it is only an introduction. Its not like youre going to take this class and immediately understand all the
issues, because you wont, he said. But you can start to learn all of the dynamics that are involved and hopefully give you a better understanding of how the situation is the way it is and how that action plays out on the ground. After the movie, the class engages in a discussion of the film. I think discussions are needed to understand [films]. A lot of films have subtle nuances and to understand Israel, you have to understand Israeli culture, Israeli history, Israeli religious history so the discussions are vital for people who dont know that, Lustig said.
Golan believes the film class provides an opportunity for people who have never been to Israel to get a perspective of Israel outside mass media. I think its important to look at Israel in terms of culture versus just media portrayal, Golan said. I think especially for students, it gives young people a way to see Israel as a normal place. Israelis have a day-to-day life, and thats hard to see through the media.
Charlotte Anthony is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communications News Laboratory.
professional directory
Care Givers
HomeCare Associates A program of Jewish Family Service 206-861-3193 www.homecareassoc.org Provides personal care, assistance with daily activities, medication reminders, light housekeeping, meal preparation and companionship to older adults living at home or in assisted-living facilities.
to jewish washington
Funeral/Burial Services
Hills of Eternity Cemetery Owned and operated by Temple De Hirsch Sinai 206-323-8486 Serving the greater Seattle Jewish community. Jewish cemetery open to all preneed and at-need services. Affordable rates Planning assistance. Queen Anne, Seattle
11/25 2011
Legal Services
Efrem R. Krisher, Attorney at Law 206-622-1100 x 120 ekrisher@buckleylaw.net www.buckleyandassociates.net 675 S Lane St., Suite 300, Seattle 98104 Auto Injury claims Wrongful death Product liability No recovery, no fee
Dentists (continued)
Michael Spektor, D.D.S. 425-643-3746 info@spektordental.com www.spektordental.com Specializing in periodontics, dental implants, and cosmetic gum therapy. Bellevue
Catering
Matzoh Momma Catering Catering with a personal touch 206-324-MAMA Serving the community for over 25 years. Full service catering and event planning for all your Life Cycle events. Miriam and Pip Meyerson
Wendy Shultz Spektor, D.D.S. 425-454-1322 info@spektordental.com www.spektordental.com Emphasis: Cosmetic and Preventive Dentistry Convenient location in Bellevue
Graphic Design
Spear Studios, Graphic Design Sandra Spear 206-898-4685 sspear@spearstudios.com Newsletters Brochures Logos Letterheads Custom invitations Photo Editing for Genealogy Projects
www.jtnews.net www.jew-ish.com
Photographers
Dani Weiss Photography 206-760-3336 www.daniweissphotography.com Photographer Specializing in People. Children, Bnai Mitzvahs, Families, Parties, Promotions & Weddings. v
Financial Services
Hamrick Investment Counsel, LLC Roy A. Hamrick, CFA 206-441-9911 rahamrick@hamrickinvestment.com www.hamrickinvestment.com Professional portfolio management services for individuals, foundations and nonprofit organizations.
Insurance
Abolofia Insurance Agency Bob Abolofia, Agent 425-641-7682 F 425-988-0280 babolofia@yahoo.com Independent agent representing Pemco since 1979
Senior Services
Hyatt Home Care Services Live-in and Hourly Care 206-851-5277 www.hyatthomecare.com Providing adults with personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, errands, household chores, pet care and companionship.
Newman Dierst Hales, PLLC Nolan A. Newman, CPA 206-284-1383 nnewman@ndhaccountants.com www.ndhaccountants.com Tax Accounting Healthcare Consulting
College Placement
College Placement Consultants 425-453-1730 preiter@qwest.net www.collegeplacementconsultants.com Pauline B. Reiter, Ph.D. Expert help with undergraduate and graduate college selection, applications and essays. 40 Lake Bellevue, #100, Bellevue 98005
Jewish Family Service Individual, couple, child and family therapy 206-861-3152 contactus@jfsseattle.org www.jfsseattle.org Expertise with life transitions, addiction and recovery, relationships and personal challenges all in a cultural context. Licensed therapists; flexible day or evening appointments; sliding fee scale; most insurance plans.
Mass Mutual Financial Group Albert Israel, CFP 206-346-3327 aisrael@finsvcs.com Retirement planning for those nearing retirement Estate planning for those subject to estate taxes General investment management Life, disability, long-term care & health insurance Complimentary one hour sessions available
Dentists
Toni Calvo Waldbaum, DDS Richard Calvo, DDS 206-246-1424 Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry Designing beautiful smiles 207 SW 156th St., #4, Seattle
Solomon M. Karmel, Ph.D First Allied Securities 425-454-2285 x 1080 www.hedgingstrategist.com Retirement, stocks, bonds, college, annuities, business 401Ks.
Eastside Insurance Services Chuck Rubin, agent 425-271-3101 F 425-277-3711 4508 NE 4th, #B, Renton Tom Brody, agent 425-646-3932 F 425-646-8750 www.e-z-insurance.com 2227 112th Ave. NE, Bellevue We represent Pemco, Safeco, Hartford & Progressive
Jewish Family Service 206-461-3240 www.jfsseattle.org Comprehensive geriatric care management and support services for seniors and their families. Expertise with in-home assessments, residential placement, family dynamics and on-going case management. Jewish knowledge and sensitivity.
Linda Jacobs & Associates College Placement Services 206-323-8902 linjacobs@aol.com Successfully matching student and school. Seattle.
Warren J. Libman, D.D.S., M.S.D. 425-453-1308 www.libmandds.com Certified Specialist in Prosthodontics: Restorative Reconstructive Cosmetic Dentistry 14595 Bel Red Rd. #100, Bellevue
The Summit at First Hill 206-652-4444 www.klinegallandcenter.org The only Jewish retirement community in the state of Washington offers transition assessment and planning for individuals looking to downsize or be part of an active community of peers. Multi-disciplinary professionals with depth of experience available for consultation.
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candlelighting times november 25 .................. 4:06 p.m. december 2 .................... 4:02 p.m. december 9 ..........................4 p.m. december 16 ........................4 p.m. tuesday
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Rabbi Mordechai Farkash at eastsidechabad@gmail.com or 425-957-7860 or chabadbellevue.org Join Rabbi Mordechai Farkash at the giant menorah lighting and listen to songs from the Chabad Hebrew school childrens choir. Free. At Crossroads Shopping Center, 15600 NE Eighth St., Bellevue. 7:159 p.m. Tzafona Belly dancing
Nancy Geiger at nancy_geiger@world.oberlin.edu Tzafona (Northend) Hadassah invites everyone to learn belly dancing with master teacher Zaphara. Free. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle. 7:30 p.m. can foreign aid really Help africa?
Jennifer Cohen at jencohen@uw.edu or 206-543-0138 or jsis.washington.edu/jewish The first in a four-part series of conversations between national Jewish activists and University of Washington scholars about justice and Judaism in a global society. The first conversation, Can Foreign Aid Really Help Africa? will feature Ruth Messinger of American Jewish World Service and Professor Dan Chirot of the UW. Register at jewdub.com/ eventbrite. Free. At 415 Westlake Ave., Seattle.
sunday
4 deceMbeR
Herb Bridge and Captain Jon Bridge. Exhibits open at 12:30 p.m.; program begins at 1 p.m. At Hillel at the University of Washington, 4745 17th Ave. NE, Seattle. 23:30 p.m. Jewish Touch lecture: The Holocaust Through the lens of Hollywood
Roni Antebi at ronia@sjcc.org or 206-388-0832 or www.sjcc.org Professor Foster Hirsch of Brooklyn College will examine widely differing approaches using excerpts from films spanning six decades, including The Juggler (1953), George Stevens The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds (2009). Reservations recommended. $5 for members, $10 for non-members. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island. 4:309 p.m. SHa annual gala: dinner and auction
Sari Weiss at sweiss@sha613.org or 206-323-5750, ext. 239 or seattlehebrewacademy.org An evening to support Seattle Hebrew Academy. At the Sheraton Hotel, 1400 Sixth Ave., Seattle. 89:30 p.m. rise and Shine: Tips, Tools and Wisdom for rising above the challenges of your family, Home and life
Elisheva Hiller at info@seattlekollel.org or 206-722-8289 or seattlekollel.org A World Wide Womens evening with an inspirational video presentation by Tiferes, a project of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. For women only. At a private home, Seattle.
Monday
5 deceMbeR
thuRsday
8 deceMbeR
fRiday
10:30 a.m.12 p.m. PJ library Song and Storytime at the Seattle Jewish community School
Amy Hilzman-Paquette at amyhp@jewishinseattle.org or www.facebook.com/pjlibraryseattle Music, singing and storytelling with the PJ Library. Stay for activities and playgroup fun. Free. At Seattle Jewish Community School, 12351 Eighth Ave. NE, Seattle.
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hanukkah GREETInGS
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your payment today. Or call Becky to charge your greeting by phone: 206-774-2238. Theres no better way to greet family & friends for the holiday than with a personalized greeting in our big December 9th Hanukkah issue. Complete this simple 1-2-3 form and mail it back to JTNews with
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ages of 22 and 32). Rabbi Moshe Kletenik will lead a discussion, Talking to the Enemy: A Halachic Perspective on Trading Terrorists for Captured Soldiers. At a private home, Seward Park, Seattle.
sunday
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Carol Benedick at carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or 206-524-0075 or www.bethshalomseattle.org Congregation Beth Shaloms annual fundraiser. At Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle. 1:303 p.m. Cinderella
Natasha Ransom at NatashaR@sjcc.org or 206-232-7115, ext. 247 or www.sjcc.org The Stroum JCCs Now Playing program offers discounted performances in dance, music and theatre and backstage experiences for families. Twenty discounted tickets are available for Cinderella. $80 apiece. At the 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle.
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to Seattle in February to further share about gay life in Israel, as well as take back more information from the communities here. I think this U.S. tour strengthens the feeling that the education issue is not only an Israeli issue, its a worldwide issue, Zviely said. What I realized, because the globe is so small, theres no reason why we wouldnt do knowledge transfer. Maybe when we do round tables, the tables get bigger and bigger.
shouk @jtnews
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the
college placement
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Part-time, four mornings a week in Issaquah area. Experience with infant care. Excellent salary, references required. Need by November 30th.
Call 425-577-2746.
homecare services
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tutoring
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poems (3 max) and/or essays and fiction (under 5,000 words) on Northwest and Jewish themes from established and emerging writers for Spring 2012 issue of Drash. Include separate page with contact info and short bio. Deadline: December 15, 2011 submit by snailmail only to: Wendy Marcus, Music Director Temple Beth Am 2632 NE 80th St., Seattle 98115 206-525-0915 www.templebetham.org
425-603-1492
foR youR WinteR pRojects!
206-232-2193 or 425-443-0766
handyman
Home repairs, remodels, kitchens and baths
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nisan pollack
www.greenthumbsolutions.co Licensed, Bonded & Insured #GREENTS902QC ad deadline: november 30
Traditional Jewish funeral services provided by the Seattle Jewish Chapel. For further information, please call 206-725-3067. Burial plots are available for purchase at Bikur Cholim and Machzikay Hadath cemeteries. For further information, please call 206-721-0970.
206-527-1411
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W THE aRTS PagE 15 December 922 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat play SecondStory Repertory presents an all-ages production of this timeless musical about biblical Joseph, his family drama, the notorious jacket and his rise to power in Egypt. Told through the styles of French ballads, rock, country, disco, reggae and more, Joseph reminds audiences any dream will do. At SecondStory Repertory, 16587 NE 74th St., Redmond. Tickets are $25. The performance runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., Saturdays, Dec. 10 and 17 at 2 p.m., Sundays, Dec. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m., and TuesdayThursday, Dec. 2022 at 8 p.m. For more information and tickets visit www.secondstoryrep.org.
December 4 at 2 p.m. Annual Extravaganza concert Eastside Jazz Clubs Annual Extravaganza features local and international jazz artists, vocalist extraordinaire Jacki Ryan, and Jovino Santos Neto and his Quinteto. Run by Jewish community members Cooksie and Lionel Kramer, the jazz club recently launched its own record label and is proud to host some of the biggest names in jazz. At the Meydenbauer Center, 11100 NE Sixth St., Bellevue. Tickets are $20/$15 for students 18 and under and available through the Eastside Jazz Club or Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/191487. For more information call 425-828-9104 or visit eastsidejazzclub.com.
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there are important distinctions between that and marriage. The domestic partnerships make no attempt to confer the over 1,000 legal rights and responsibilities of marriage that one gets with a marriage license, he said. Those include Social Security, immigration rights, and portability. Very much outside of Washington State, but even inside of Washington State, people often dont know what a domestic partnership is, and we have seen problems arise during times of crisis that would not exist if gay and lesbian couples had the right to marry, because marriage is of course universally understood, Friedes said. In addition, the domestic partnership occurs at the division of corporations, which is really quite humiliating when you stop and think about it. If nothing else, the Jewish community has the numbers behind it. In a Pew Research poll from 2010, 76 percent of Jews across the country support marriage equality. In addition, Zach Carstensen, director of government affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, noted that though Jews make up less than 1 percent of the total population in
the state, 5 percent of the registered partnerships are of Jewish couples. As a Jewish organization that represents and is sensitive to a broad spectrum of Jewish opinion, that weighed heavily on us when deciding to support same-sex marriage, Carstensen said. In addition, from a financial perspective, as a philanthropic organization, we have an interest in ensuring that assets and property pass down in an orderly way, whether thats through a same-sex couple or an opposite-sex couple, he said. But when the Federation volunteers were looking at the issue, it really boiled down to a First Amendment religious liberty determination, Carstensen said. Its that lack of recognition that the Federation and ADL boards, as well as the boards of Jewish Family Service and Hillel at the University of Washington, among others, agreed was a civil-liberties issue. Both Ken Weinberg, CEO of JFS, and Julia Bacharach, Hillels board president, cited a resolution passed by the Federations board stating that the Federation supports allowing same sex couples equal access to civil marriage and reaffirms guarantees of religious freedom which protect the right of clergy members and congregations to perform marriages consistent with their own
religious practices and traditions as a primary reason for getting behind the coalition. It was very much about religious pluralism and civil marriage equality, Bacharach said. This Hillel prides itself on social justice and being at the forefront of social justice issues, and believes in this statement with our values of social justice and equality. Given the contentious nature of the marriage issue, Bacharach said her board wrestled with the decision about offending people and risking losing some large donors by standing in favor of it, but they also had to weigh that argument against offending people if they remained silent. JFSs Weinberg said that despite a possible financial risk, his organization did not want to remain silent because silence has been devastating for Jews in the past. I could just imagine a group of Germans before the war, saying, If we were to take a position of support for the Jewish community, we might really have a terribly negative reaction on the part of some people. Were better off being quiet, he said. Were not about to do unto gays what was done unto us. We see no reason, no reason whatsoever, to exclude gays. With JFS being located on Capitol Hill, which holds the largest concentration of the LGBT community in the state, the
agency serves many of that communitys individuals and families. The gay and lesbian community has found us to be open and inclusive, and we want to make sure that they continue to see us as open and inclusive, and that were here for them, Weinberg said. Dee Simon of the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center said her organization will support legislation because it promotes human rights. Its important to understand that homosexuals and the LGBT community were persecuted during the Holocaust, and today there are young students in schools throughout our state who are persecuted because of their sexual orientation, Simon said. We feel its a human rights issue and its important for us to be there. Despite the broad support from Jewish communal organizations, some parts of the community will not support a new marriage law. When the Federation board voted on its marriage-equality resolution, the Vaad HaRabbanim of Greater Seattle, the areas kashering authority and Orthodox religious court, cast a vote against. The rabbis who make up the board are not likely to change their minds, according to one of the rabbis who asked that he not be quoted on the record.
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lifecycles
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Death Notice
Birth
people you may not have expected in this case, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper-Snapple, Krafts Capri Sun and others will join you. When Israelites first appeared circa 1700 BCE, historians estimate that about 35 million people lived on earth and life expectancy was just over 30 years. Outside of The Flood, there had never been a global climate crisis. That hadnt changed by 1800, when human population reached a billion, and average lifespan was nearly 40 years. But by 1974, when human
population reached 2 billion, environmental crises were standard fare. They got worse as population hit 4 billion in 1999, and they promise to worsen as we reach 8 billion by 2025. Letting things get worse is not a promise we must keep. Weve got a more important promise to keep instead: That we wont leave our mess for the next generation to clean up.
Author and teacher Martin Westerman writes and consults on sustainable living. He can be contacted with questions at artartart@seanet.com.
Senior Prom
hanukkah GREETInGS
Calling all Seattle high school grads from the 1930s and the 1940s.
Reservations required by December 14th. Please phone or email Trudi Arshon at 206-652-4444 or trudia@summitatfirsthill.org 1200 University Street, seattle WA 98101
jpsi.org
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earth