The Sydney Jewish Report - December 2020

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Fostering a closer Jewish community

VOL. 73 Friday, 11 December 2020 / 25 Kislev 5781

HAPPY CHANUKAH REFLECTIONS OF A

RETIRING

PRESIDENT P3

ECAJ ANTISEMITISM REPORT

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SADAT'S

LEADERSHIP

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020 LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

DEAR ALL I would like to thank all those who sent valuable feedback & compliments on our last issue. As you may know, we have increased our circulation to 5,000 papers, with over 3,000 copies being distributed through Coles & Woolworths in the Eastern suburbs & St Ives. We are currently in discussions with a number of retail stores & community organisations regarding the placement of additional stands. Please feel free to contact me at editor@thejewishreport.com.au or should you be interested in placing a stand at your location. Our paper’s main goal is to facilitate the sharing of news about what our community organisations and individuals are involved in. We see this as a significant role in the fostering of community engagement and pride. As such,

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COMMUNITY SANDRA MATRAI - COA To say that 2020 was a hard year would probably be the understatement of the century. Drought, fire, flood, and then plague have all hit Australia in the last 12 months. COVID restrictions on social gatherings presented special challenges to organisations like COA, Sydney’s Jewish seniors drop-in centre. But while other organisations shut down and closed their doors, COA only became busier as they innovated as to what could be done to support seniors in the new environment. With thanks to the quick thinking and hard work of both CEO Rachel Tanny and COO Sabina Kovadlo, the following new

I’d like to reach out to all organisations and community members to send us news of recent events, photos, opinions or any interesting articles or ideas that you may have come across that would be of interest to community members. These can easily be uploaded through our website at www. thejewishreport.com.au. Our next edition will be released on 16 February 2021. Lastly, I would like to thank the Kashrut Authority for the role that they have played in assisting the paper’s distribution. It has given us a boost in circulation and reinvigorated our mission of fostering greater community cohesion. Chag Chanukah Sameach, Dion

Volunteers Delivering COA Fresh COA services were established: COA Fresh delivered free fresh groceries weekly to 500 seniors in their homes to help them stay out of the shops, and the service continues for 200-250 seniors weekly as it has proven such a benefit to them. COA was recently awarded as the Greater Sydney Region Finalist for the NSW Government Get Ready Awards for their COA Fresh program, which was later successfully deployed during COVID by local councils across the state. Tech Connect loans iPads to seniors, with training provided in person by volunteers Victor Prager and Elana Bowman, and online training was written and delivered by the students of Mount Sinai College. Shalom Connect was an existing program

Your legacy is our future.

where volunteers call isolated seniors, which was widely extended to include more volunteer callers and many more people on the call lists. Club COA on Mondays is a COVIDSafe version of the pre-COVID Monday and Wednesday COA programming, with live music and dancing encouraged - at one’s seat with masks on! Nosh & Flix on Wednesdays provides nibbles and screens movies with Jewish themes: comedies, documentaries, and dramas. All of these services, as well as some much-loved smaller groups continue at the COA Centre in a COVID safe manner. COA’s Tuesday art classes have even proved so popular they are now running two sessions! COA’s special

events are also happening now in a modified COVIDSafe manner. COA Chanukah Luncheon – Monday December 14th – 2 sessions will be held to accommodate 60 people in all. There will be live music, delicious food, and of course the Chanukah raffle, one for each session! So, in a year that could have seen the closure of COA Sydney, they in fact thrived, and are determined to continue to innovate to keep COA members safe and serve the community for this year and many years to come. To book call 9389 j.ryker@coasydney.org

We shine brighter together.

Help secure our community’s future with a bequest to JCA We can’t be sure what the future needs of our community will be, but we do know that for more than 50 years, JCA has been able to respond to its changing needs. By leaving a bequest to JCA, you become a member of JCA Generations, enabling us to future-proof our community for the years to come. For more information, please contact Mark Zworestine at JCA on 0412 218 918 or email mark@jca.org.au

Stronger together. Now more than ever.

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Stronger together. Now more than ever.

www.jca.org.au | (02) 9360 2344

or

email

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

Reflections of a Retiring President STEPHEN CHIPKIN - JCA New technology caters for a JCA President retiring in the middle of a pandemic. The camera Zooms out and the screen fades to black. The easiest exit of all. Being an untitled member of the community again is no second prize, for this is a remarkable community and we should each celebrate being part of it. My six years as JCA President has served to sharpen my appreciation. COVID-19 has tested our resilience and reminded us of what we stand for and what we are capable of. Responding quickly as we did – with financial help to those facing severe economic hardship, meals to those in isolation and unable to venture out, the successful protection of our elderly in aged care and emotional support for the many suffering mental stress – was a wonderful expression of our collective strength and our Jewish values. In a recent TED talk, the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (whose recent death marks a great loss to the Jewish and wider world) celebrated the opening words of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States: “We the people…” as a clear expression of collective responsibility for a collective future and an important shift away from the politics of ‘me’ to the politics of ‘us’. Now true, the JCA Trust Deed is not as inspiring as the US Constitution, but it, too, is all about our collective responsibility for our collective future – the strong standing with the weak and meeting the needs of our community in a way that is fair, effective and inclusive. Many have commiserated with me over the years for taking on the role of JCA President – “all the community politics and

asking people for money!”, they would say. The answer to those preconceptions, lie in the answers to two simple questions: - Is your Jewish identity important to you? - Would you like to imagine that your children and grandchildren will be part of a strong, engaged and sustainable Jewish community over time? In all my time as JCA President, I have never come across a negative answer to either of those questions. The simple fact is that the core values (and concerns) that we share far outweigh any points of difference. And so, the ability to engage people in the task of helping to cherish our Jewish identity through a stronger Jewish community (by personal or financial participation) is not a very difficult ask at all. The 2020 Campaign, in this COVID affected year, and without any communal events to help galvanise us, demonstrates a remarkable collective commitment – we will not be far short of our 2019 fundraising result (itself the highest JCA Campaign result ever). That spirit of generosity has helped build our community to its current position of strength and I am deeply grateful to the thousands among us who, year in and year out, stand together with JCA to support our community. People have been kind in their expression of support for my tenure as President and I am truly grateful for the comments I have received. It has been my privilege to serve in the role. I have been fortunate in being surrounded by wonderful talented people, including many inspiring leaders of the next generation, who have joined me on the journey. JCA is a broad tent, covering the spectrum of Jewish identity, from the orthodox to the secular and it has given me the opportunity to reflect on what lies at the heart of our collective identity.

At the 2019 Campaign event I included in my remarks the framework that underscores the importance and beauty of our community: - In a time when there is a search for meaning, we carry an ancient faith so that we will have spiritual options to fill our lives with light and joy. - In a time of greed and selfishness – we are part of a very old tradition of caring for strangers - the poor and oppressed, children in need, the frail and the disabled. - In a time of forgetfulness – we are part of the oldest living chain of learning and literature in the world, inheritors of an ancient and beautiful culture. - In a time of rootlessness and alienation we connect to a 3,500-year-old history. Our story and our community are our legacy to the next generations. It is their responsibility to cherish it and I am heartened that the next generation are amongst our strongest advocates and leaders. That augurs well for all of us. I am grateful to all those I have worked with over the years – my exceptional colleagues on the JCA Executive Committee and lay leaders and professional staff across the community. Their commitment to community is what strengthens us daily. Particular thanks to Alain Hasson, JCA’s young and dynamic CEO and the team at JCA who live and breathe the task of strengthening our community so fully and effectively. My best wishes to Alain and his team for continued success, and to Ian Sandler, the incoming JCA President, I hope he derives as much satisfaction from the role as I did.

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COVID-19 has tested our resilience and reminded us of what we stand for and what we are capable of.

Warmly, Stephen

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On sale from Wednesday 2nd December until Tuesday 22nd December 2020 unless sold out earlier at Woolworths Bondi Junction, Double Bay, Eastgardens, Neutral Bay (Grosvenor Street Store), Northbridge and St Ives. Limits per customer may apply, trade not supplied. ^Products and specials may not be available in all stores. Specials are not available online or at Caltex Woolworths co-branded fuel outlets. Woolworths Supermarkets: 1 Woolworths Way, Bella Vista, NSW 2153.

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ECAJ annual Report on Antisemitism in Australia [2020] ECAJ

“It’s not just a government responsibility. Everyone stands to lose if racism continues to worsen. The responsibility falls on all of us”.

During the twelve-month period, from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020, there were 331 antisemitic incidents logged by the ECAJ, volunteer Community Security Groups (CSGs), and official Jewish state roof bodies. The total figure consists of 188 attacks and 143 threats. This represents a decrease of 10% in the overall number of reported antisemitic incidents in Australia compared to the previous year, although the number of reported incidents in 2020 remains substantially above the average recorded since 2013. “The decrease in the overall number of incidents should not disguise the marked increase in the number of the most serious categories of incidents”, said Julie Nathan, the ECAJ’s Research Director on Antisemitism, who authored the report. “There was a doubling in the number of reported incidents of physical assault; a 12% increase in direct verbal abuse, harassment and intimidation; a 229% increase in the number of reported direct threats by postal mail; and slight increases in the number of threats via telephone and posters and stickers.” “The increase in the number of more serious incidents is especially concerning in light of the fact that synagogues and other Jewish community facilities were closed for varying periods from

March onwards due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were thus fewer opportunities for antisemites to abuse, harass and intimidate Jews in the vicinity of those facilities as they have done in the past”, Ms Nathan said. “In previous years, these kinds of incidents have often occurred during the Jewish Sabbath and festivals when many Jews walk to and from synagogue. The fact that substantial increases occurred in the number of assaults and incidents of direct verbal abuse, harassment and intimidation at a time of significant reduction in the visibility of Jews on the streets may indicate a rise in the underlying level of anti-Jewish sentiment. There was also a proliferation during the year of antisemitic discourse, mostly online, blaming “the Jews” for the pandemic, a new iteration of a classical form of antisemitism that is based on unfounded conspiracy theories. “White supremacists continued to express support online for violence, armed action, revolution, terrorism and race war”, Ms Nathan said. “The reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement in the US, after the death of George Floyd in May 2020, galvanised and excited many Australian right-wing extremists, as they focused on acts of violence by some segments of BLM which they viewed as “accelerating” a coming race war, that they so fervently

hope for.” The ECAJ report notes that although Australia overall remains a stable, vibrant and tolerant democracy, where Jews face no official discrimination, and are free to observe their faith and traditions, unofficial antisemitism is becoming more serious, and there have been worrying signs that it is creeping into mainstream institutions. “Several incidents of antisemitic bullying of Jewish students in schools which had gone unreported in previous years were publicly exposed during the year in review”, Ms Nathan said. “In the wake of publicity concerning the bullying of two Jewish boys, aged 5 and 12, in Melbourne public schools during 2019, other Jewish students came forward with their own experiences of bullying and assault in yet another public school in Melbourne. These allegations became the focus of a further official inquiry in Victoria.” “We need not only strong antiincitement laws but also systematic education programs at schools and universities and responsible messaging from community and political leaders”, Ms Nathan concluded. “It’s not just a government responsibility. Everyone stands to lose if racism continues to worsen. The responsibility falls on all of us”.

Oma’s Coffee Mug ROSLYN SUGARMAN – SJM

BE A VOICE

for respect for empathy for their memory to live forever. Honouring a loved one with a plaque in the Sanctum of Remembrance ensures their memory lives on forever alongside the names of other Holocaust victims, survivors and Righteous Among the Nations. To visit the Sanctum or for details on dedicating a plaque, please contact Rita Prager on plaques@sjm.com.au or 02 9360 7999.

Last year, we received a donation of a ceramic coffee mug. Even without hearing about its unique provenance, turning it over and reading the underside inscriptions was revealing: On the base of the mug is an eagle grasping a swastika in its talons as well as the manufacturer’s mark – Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach 1939. Mettlach in Germany has been the headquarters of Villeroy & Boch for over 200 years. The mug, initially made for the German Luftwaffe (air force), belonged to Clasina Helena Cauveren, a prisoner from the Ravensbrück concentration camp. It was the only item she took with her from the camp after it was liberated by the Russians in April 1945. Clasina was born in 1890. Though not Jewish, she was married to a prominent member of the Jewish community, Sidney Samson Cauveren, who was a director of the Amsterdam Diamond Building. Both were opera singers. The couple lived in Amsterdam and shortly before war broke out, Sidney bought a house in Nieuwe Herengracht, Amsterdam where they moved in with their four children. One day a Jewish lady knocked on the door asking for help to be hidden. Sidney and Clasina took her in, and then more Jewish people joined, including the husband and son of the daughter from Sidney’s previous marriage. Despite the tremendous risk to the Cauveren family, an ingenious hiding place was created for the Jews seeking refuge, concealed by a large kitchen buffet. There were four extra mouths to be fed. To avoid suspicion, groceries could not be bought in one store. Tosca Cauveren, then aged almost 14, recalls that she and her youngest brother went to various farms to get food. In 1941 Sidney died of a heart attack. Clasina continued to hide the Jews after her husband’s death. On 4 June 1944 they were betrayed by someone who had been assured by the Nazis that his/her relatives would be released if they revealed where Jews were hiding. Tosca recalls two Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service of the SS) with revolvers forcing them out. Her mother begged them to leave her children because she had a handicapped son who needed

taking care of. Clasina was deported together with the people she had tried to save. Regarded as a collaborator, Clasina was deported to Ravensbrück in Germany. She was forced to take part in some of the inhuman medical experiments conducted in the camp. Following the raid, Tosca became an instant adult, left to look after the house and her brothers. Due to the ‘hunger winter’ (the Dutch famine of 1944-1945) she struggled to find food and ways to keep warm. “I got blocks of wood from under the tram rails to heat…I had to count the beans and calculate how long we could do with them.” After liberation, Tosca received a telegram with the words, “I’m still alive. Your mother.” Her mother returned after her incarceration ordeal on 2 August 1945, weighing 48 kg, having recovered from Tuberculosis in a hospital in Lubeck. Following the war, she was unable to speak about her experiences in the camp. Clasina died in Amsterdam in September 1972. His grandmother had shown him the mug: “Oma’s mug – I knew it had a history. It stood on the dresser with all her other ornaments. At least there is something left over from grandma’s life, something lasting from her war years”, the donor told us when he donated the object to the Museum. At the Sydney Jewish Museum, we use artefacts – like the coffee mug – to reconstruct the history and transmit the many-sided stories of the Holocaust. This ordinary object being the only tangible link to a family that risked their lives and paid the price to save Jews.

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Trump was great for Netanyahu. Biden will be better for Israel AARON DAVID MILLER In “Support Any Friend: Kennedy’s Middle East and the Making of the U.S.-Israel Alliance,” Warren Bass recounts a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and President John F. Kennedy in which Kennedy reportedly said: “I was elected by the Jews of New York. I have to do something for them. I will do something for you.” Ben Gurion, somewhat taken aback, reportedly responded: “You must do whatever is good for the free world.” As President Trump’s term winds down, he’ll cling to the image he tried to cultivate as the most pro-Israel president in history. In a speech last year, he said: “The Jewish State has never had a better friend in the White House than your president.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees, telling the president earlier this year that Trump has been “the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.” Trump was great for Netanyahu. But there’s a lesson in Ben Gurion’s reply to JFK. With admiration and respect around the world for the United States, particularly in the Middle East, Israel is stronger. And on that score, President-elect Joe Biden will be better for Israel — strengthening bipartisan American support for the Jewish state and pursuing policies abroad far more effective in enhancing Israel’s security and well-being. Trump can point to a number of pro-Israel initiatives to support his claim, especially this year’s groundbreaking Abraham Accords normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and Israel and Bahrain. Arab-Israeli progress seemed impossible.

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The president-elect can restore bipartisan consensus on Middle East policy.

That’s because of old assumptions. But Trump’s pro-Israel gestures mask a weakening of American credibility and reputation around the world, and an assault on the bipartisanship and shared values so critical to the resilience of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Trump’s approach to Iran — withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — and his faulty approach to the Israel-Palestinian peace process have degraded Israel’s security, not enhanced it. Iran is ramping up its nuclear program, while prospects for progress, let alone a resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict remain remote. In 2018, visiting the White House shortly after Trump had officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Netanyahu praised the president and placed him in the same pantheon as other historic benefactors of the Jewish people — Cyrus the Great, Lord Balfour and Harry S. Truman. On the surface, one can

DOUBLE BAY ELLIOTT PLACKS | ASHLEY BIERMAN

see why. The president’s son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, told me a year earlier that Trump would create such a close bond with Netanyahu that the prime minister would never say no if Trump wanted anything in return. Whatever Netanyahu wanted, Trump seemed to oblige him. An ‘alliance of democracies’ sounds good. It won’t solve the world’s problems. The president included Israel as a stop on his first trip abroad. Trump was the first sitting president to pray at the Western Wall. Last year, in the run-up to Israel’s elections, Trump gratuitously declared recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He announced a one-sided peace proposal opening the door to Israel’s annexation of 30 percent of the West Bank.

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UIA Australia Raises $2.4 Million on Giving Day UNITED ISRAEL APPEAL

This campaign has once again emphasised the scope and scale of UIA and tangibly demonstrated our unwavering partnership in strengthening and empowering the People of Israel.

UIA Australia is extremely proud to have raised $2.4 million on its inaugural crowdfunding Giving Day in November. Funds raised will support a new Amigour Home in Ashkelon, southern Israel, providing housing for vulnerable elderly including Holocaust Survivors and new immigrants. Remarkably, the campaign reached its initial target of $1.5 million within four hours of commencing and had the incredible support of approximately 250 volunteers around Australia. UIA’s Giving Day broke the online platform Charidy's record for raising the highest amount of money and having the highest number of donors (over 2,500) for a Jewish organisation in Australia. “The Giving Day exceeded our expectations and we are so grateful to the thousands of donors and hundreds of volunteers who were involved from across Australia - and beyond! This campaign has once again emphasised the scope and scale of UIA and tangibly demonstrated our unwavering partnership in strengthening and empowering the People of Israel. UIA will continue to find innovative and compelling ways to ensure our community stays connected to our Global Keren Hayesod-UIA Family,” UIA

CEO Yair Miller OAM said. In Keren Hayesod-UIA’s centennial year and amidst the current climate, UIA Australia is proud to have collaborated nationally on this first of its kind campaign for the organisation. Amigour is Israel’s leading operator of public and sheltered housing facilities for vulnerable elderly, a key project supported by UIA Australia in partnership with Keren Hayesod-UIA and the Israeli Government. All funds raised in Australia will be matched by the Israeli Government. Currently Amigour provides 6000

apartments in 57 homes for about 7,500 residents. But the need is constantly growing with about 27,000 elderly still lacking proper housing. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of the elderly population and urgency to provide them with safe housing. Toda raba to our donors, sponsors and volunteers - we couldn’t have achieved this without you! Follow UIA on Facebook and Instagram (@uiaaus) for updates on Amigour and upcoming campaigns and events

Dave Sharma and Rabbi Kastel Mental OAM at the Sydney Clinic for “Mental Health Month” THE SYDNEY CLINIC The Sydney Clinic “Working together for better mental health.” https:// thesydneyclinic.com.au/ is a private mental health hospital located in Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, which caters for in-patients, out-patients and weekly ZOOM Therapy sessions. Dedicated accredited psychologists, GP’s and medical specialists together with nursing staff and allied health professionals play an important role in providing a range of treatments for its patients to cope with mood related disorders, distress management, emotion regulation, alcohol & substance abuse and behaviour therapy. Mindfulness forms the basis of many of the therapy’s on offer which include ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy); DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) and CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). For over forty years, the Clinic has contributed to the provision of quality care and clinical excellence. The Sydney Clinic is dedicated to meeting patient's needs and has assisted thousands of patients with their mental health recovery and well being. In recognition of “Mental Health Month”: Dave Sharma Federal Government & Wentworth Member of Parliament, and Rabbi Kastel OAM Mental Health Commissioner toured The

Sydney Clinic: Dave Sharma quote: “We often discuss the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of physical health, but mental health is just as important. Many have been pushed to the brink of their coping, and I’m grateful that Jewish House and The Sydney Clinic are providing support in Wentworth at such a pivotal time.” The Sydney Clinic Tour commenced with a Mezzuzah placement (photo below) by Rabbi Mendel Kastel OAM

observed by David Sharma Federal Government & Wentworth Member of Parliament: Rabbi Kastel quote “It was an honour for me to put up a new Mezuzah at The Sydney Clinic with my good friend The Hon Dave Sharma MP The Sydney Clinic and Jewish house have been working together for more then 13 years to provide support to people in the community who need mental health support As part of this I have been visiting

the clinic on a regular basis to provide pastoral support.We look forward to continuing and growing this relationship into the future.” Elma Fourie General Manager of The Sydney Clinic, advised that there has been a substantial increase in demand with COVID-19 stress and isolation taking a toll on people’s mental health. “Local demand for our services has been high for quite some time now, and this has increased during the COVID pandemic” Ms Fourie said.

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MDA is protecting Israel's blood supply for the next 30 years TAMARA LOWBEER AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM

2020 has been a very challenging year, especially in Israel. Our Jewish homeland has suffered a devasting second wave of COVID-19, multiple fires ignited by terrorist arson balloons and numerous rocket attacks. But no matter what the crisis in Israel, Magen David Adorn is always there to save lives, as it has done for the last 90 years. MDA emergency teams, paramedics and volunteers perform lifesaving miracles every day. Whether responding to serious accidents, trauma incidents, terror attacks or delivering babies, they preserve the miracle of life, even at times risking their own. Critical for saving lives is security of blood supplies and to this end, Australian Friends of Magen David Adom is raising funds, this Chanukah, for the first underground and shielded blood bank in the world. The new National Blood Services Centre is the most important strategic security project in Israel today. While Australia has over 96 permanent blood donation centres across the country, Israel has only one, built in 1987 on the Tel Hashomer Hospital campus. In March 2019, two rockets launched by Islamic terrorists in Gaza landed in the Tel Aviv area, just a few kilometres from the current blood bank. A slight change in direction and Israel’s entire national blood supply would have been destroyed.

This real and serious threat is why MDA committed to build a state of the art, missile proof facility which has been designated as a strategic priority for the State of Israel. The new Centre will be a massive 51,100 square metre campus located on 2.3 hectares in Ramle, central Israel. To protect the blood supply, the three critical floors dedicated for blood storage, testing and processing will be underground, shielded and armoured to withstand the impact of a rocket or missile attack or an earthquake. A sophisticated air filtration system will safeguard the facility against chemical or biological warfare and the latest Israeli technology will protect against cyberattack. This Centre will serve Israel’s blood processing and banking requirements for the next 30 years, doubling the capacity for blood processing from 250,000 to 500,000 units per year, expanding research laboratories for transfusion medicine, and housing Israel’s Rare Blood Archive and National Cord Blood Bank. It will house a new National Human Milk Bank, National Blood Reference laboratory, a training wing, the huge main supply inventory warehouses for MDA Emergency Medical Service operations nationwide, and a Blood Vault protected by a massive reinforced concrete and steel shell that will store the national reserve blood inventory. MDA’s National Blood Services provides 100% of the blood supply needed by the IDF and 97% of the blood supply for Israel’s

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population The project’s budget is $US130 million, of which $109 million has been raised largely by AFMDA (MDA USA) together with MDA Friends Societies around the world. The government of Israel recognises the critical importance of this project and has donated the land on which the complex is being built. MDA desperately needs to raise the remaining costs to ensure this vital facility is completed on time. For further information and to support Magen David Adom, see www. magendavidadom.org.au or phone the MDA office on 9358 2521

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Chanukah Challa Bake and Meditate Our Big Kitchen Thursday, 17 December 2020, 7.30pm Light candles for Chanukah, Challa Bake & meditate at Our Big Kitchen, a Bondi charity kitchen with Dr. Orna Triguboff and guest musician. Tickets $18, to book: www.trybooking.com/BMZMV

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Many still unaware of COVID-19 support available ERIC BARLIN - JCA Many families in the Jewish community have been hit hard by the impact of COVID-19. With the recent and future expected scaling back of government support, these difficulties are set to increase in the near term. According to JCA CEO, Alain Hasson, “Our member organisations are seeing a continuing demand for support services across community care, aged-care respite and home support, mental health and wellbeing and Jewish education. The impact of COVID-19 has meant – for many families and individuals – this is the first time they’ve needed to ask for assistance.” “In talking with JCA member organisations,” said Hasson, “we have found that there are still many people in need who are unaware

of the services available to them and we want to encourage them to reach out for help.” To date, the Jewish Emergency Relief Fund – established by JCA in partnership with JewishCare – has disbursed almost $500,000 to some 120 families in need and continues to receive new applications. JewishCare has also helped families in distress with more than $17,000 in energy account payment vouchers and has arranged for financial counselling that has helped with debt management as well as negotiating over $20,000 in debt waivers. Those in need should contact JewishCare and ask about their Financial Assistance Fund. COA has also stepped up to provide increased services to the elderly and those in need. In the second quarter of this year, Kosher Meals on Wheels delivered 22,229 meals to more than 300 households, compared with 6,406 in the same period in 2019. Fresh food parcels have also been delivered to more than 500 households. For elderly community members struggling to manage at home, Montefiore has extended an offer of a complimentary twoweek respite stay. To date, more than 100 people have taken up this offer of additional support through this challenging period. Montefiore also offers its in-home care services for government-subsidised (CDC) and fee-for-service clients, with additional COVID-related services such as video and phone companionship sessions and assistance with tasks like online shopping. In addition, Friends of Montefiore\'s Volunteer and Intergenerational programs have continued remotely to maintain community

connections and resident wellbeing throughout the pandemic. As the pandemic continues to affect everyday life, financial stress and isolation have also taken a toll on community mental health and wellbeing. JewishCare is seeing increased activity from existing domestic violence clients who have become more vulnerable to conflict at home. In addition to crisis intervention, JewishCare is planning a new community-wide strategy to help counter domestic abuse. So far this year, more than 250 community members have participated in 17 training sessions for Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention. Again, this is an all-of-community initiative attended by representatives from organisations like Mum 4 Mum, Maccabi, AUJS and leaders of several youth movements. The goal is to have trained over 900 community members by the end of 2021. “The assistance we provide to those in need and the care we offer each other in difficult times is a testament to the strength of our local Jewish community,” said Hasson. “All of this is only achievable because of the significant and continued support of our donor community, the dedication of JCA’s 23 member organisations, and the contribution of thousands of volunteers among us. For this, I and JCA are extremely grateful. It’s great to be part of such a vibrant and caring community that can support each other through a pandemic or any other challenges we may face in the future.”

Ideas: Miraculous over Millennia RABBI LEVI WOLFF THE CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE

They may not have 100 million followers but their goodness, kindness and allround decency, along with their problem solving and creative thinking, may just stand the test of time in a far more powerful way.

We are nearing the end of one of the most complicated and compromised years on the Gregorian calendar in living memory. We all know: COVID-19; social distancing; travel restrictions; quarantine; lockdowns; masks - the works. And yet popular culture is so pervasive, there are young influencers on social media whose profiles continue to skyrocket. I am talking about a teenager with upwards of 100 million followers. I am talking about a global musical artist with close to 150 million followers. This is a staggering five and seven times the population of Australia, respectively. What is magnetically pulling frenzied fans in? It could be the public persona; it could be the heady mix of name and fame. Compelling? Perhaps. And yet, wasn’t it Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people”? Don’t get me wrong, I am not wholly dismissing the celebrity culture love affair of one quarter of a billion people (just for those two ‘stars’ alone). Yet having said that, if we look back over millennia, you’ll see that it has never been the Jewish way to buy into this frenetic deification of the individual. Far more frequently, we have consistently been about ideas. And insightful ideas, without doubt, pass the test of time. Underscoring this, Jewish holidays centre around ideas rather than people

– Rosh Hashanah on judgment, Yom Kippur embraces forgiveness, Pesach celebrates freedom and Chanukah the power of light over darkness. With the Festival of Lights happening this week, it has got me thinking about these eight days when light triumphed over darkness. Now, it is true, we do have heroic figures whose impact has made and continues to make a profound difference in our lives. Yet it is their distilled knowledge, thought and wisdom garnered that we share LeDor VaDor, from generation to generation. Think of Maimonides’ code of Jewish religious law, the Mishneh Torah; think of Yosef Caro’s codification of Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch. So, who is the star of the show when it comes to Chanukah? If you were to write an essay and attribute it all to Judah The Maccabee, you would not get an A+ for that paper. It is all about the menorah and the miracle of the oil. Let’s consider who exactly was responsible for that marvel occurring. Who was the Kohen, or high priest, who in a period of despair and gloom when the Temple was defiled (and Syrian-Greek soldiers were killing Jewish loyalists), had the foresight to hide a small jar of oil for future use when G-d would save His people? We don’t specifically know his name. We do know that he must have had an unshakeable faith that there would be a redemption and a need for the Temple’s rededication. Whoever he was, he is not lauded as a famous hero, he is just one of the countless men and

women whose names may not be remembered; their creative ideas have collectively ensured Jewish survival has been possible. Public heroes shine brightly and too often fade fast. Private heroes, like the priest with that little jar of oil, may be close by in your midst, they are right here within our extended Jewish family. They may not have 100 million followers but their goodness, kindness and all-round decency, along with their problem solving and creative thinking, may just stand the test of time in a far more powerful way. On Chanukah, we thank G-d for al hanisim, the miracles (plural). This year, the ‘light’ on a global scale is talk about a vaccine for COVID-19. It is close, so close. Many scientists have been working on this around the clock and an effective vaccine will be approved and rolled out very soon. Yet history will certainly remember that fact and perhaps not the names of all the scientific souls collaborating behind the scenes. In this spirit of lauding ideas, thoughts and concepts as opposed to the vacuousness sometimes so present in our modern midst, we give thanks to G-d and pause to recognise the miraculous contributions daily. To celebrate, light those candles, spin that dreidel and it just can’t hurt to have a jam doughnut or two as well.

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Sadat’s Leadership: Lessons for the Palestinians? KEN STEIN Leadership is about knowing your objectives and adjusting and implementing the tactics to accomplish them. Leadership is also about choices and consequences. It is about making political trade-offs. November 2020 marks the 43th anniversary of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem and his historic speech to the Israeli Parliament. Those were heady days in Israel. There was a genuine hope for a broad Middle East peace. However, only Egypt was ready to acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy, the rest of the Arab world remained totally unaccepting of Israel or a Jewish state in their midst. The Jerusalem visit and speech were means to ends, not ends in themselves. Sadat saw negotiations as the vehicle to regain Sinai from Israel’s control. He saw the United States as a critical partner in achieving that goal. His long term objective aimed at bettering the Egyptian economy, therefore improving the lives of average Egyptians. His most difficult task was pivoting Egypt away from failed priorities of his high-profile charismatic predecessor, Gamel Abdul Nasser. Nasser was the pan-Arab leader that chose Arab socialism to drive his economy; it did not work. Nasser had closely aligned Egypt with Moscow during the Cold War and proclaimed the liberation of Palestine to be his central cause, but that cost Egypt large sums of money and in loss of life. In leading Egypt to a crushing defeat from Israel in the June 1967 War, Nasser suffered the Sinai Peninsula’s loss as well as incurring a black mark on Egypt’s national honor. What is certain, Sadat negotiated with Israel because he needed to do so, not because he had some hidden love for Zionism. Fortunate for Sadat, he had willing Israeli leaders in Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin, and Moshe Dayan who dearly wanted to end the war with Egypt; they each sought creative ways to reach interim agreements and ultimately a peace treaty

with Israel’s most dangerous existential threat. Sadat knew from the outset that the key to Egypt’s future could be found through Washington as mediator, guarantor, and banker. He abruptly moved away from Moscow, distanced himself from his immovable Arab colleagues, and put Egypt’s national interests ahead of the Palestinian cause, giving up the destruction of Israel. By embarking on a limited war in October 1973, Sadat had a narrowly defined purpose. The previous April, he had sent his National Security Adviser to meet with Secretary of State Kissinger and found the US definitely uninterested in launching a negotiating initiative to have Sinai returned to Egyptian sovereignty. Sadat gambled that by going to war, he could get Kissinger and Nixon’s attention. He did. Through the CIA in the first week of the war, he reportedly told Kissinger of his interest in negotiations. This was reaffirmed by a member of Kissinger’s State Department team at the time, Joseph Sisco. He told me in a February 1992 interview that Sadat’s “decision to go to war was precisely to get what he wanted, a negotiation started with the Americans.” After the 1973 War, Sadat told his Chief of Staff, “Egypt was not making peace with Israel, but with the United States.” In Arabic, the Egyptian Chief of Staff told an Israeli counterpart at that time, “Halasna Filastin!”- We are finished with Palestine! Between 1973 and his assassination in 1981, Sadat made other bold moves to keep the engines of negotiations moving forward, including his trip to Jerusalem. At the time of his death, Sadat’s tally sheet showed that he had successfully focused on Egypt first. He had negotiated Israel’s withdrawal from Sinai, had Israeli settlements removed from Sinai, received large sums of American foreign aid, moved his economy slowly toward capitalism, and entered into a long-term military supply relationship with Washington. The US secured a rewarding Egyptian friendship, perhaps the most important success for Washington over Moscow in the Cold War. By embracing Israel, Sadat was assassinated in 1981. In the 1980s, Egypt was boycotted and severely

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rebuked by Arab leaders. PLO leader Abu Iyad, said in January 1991, “worst day in the life of every Palestinian was when Sadat went to Jerusalem as an Israeli flag flew over his head.” And yet in 1993 the PLO and Israel mutually recognized each other, paving the way for Jordan to do so with Israel in 1994 and the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan to follow in 2020. No Arab state rebuked the PLO when it recognized Israel. But the Palestinian leadership roundly condemned the UAE and Bahrain for doing what it did a quarter of century earlier. In November 2020 speculation is widespread about what a Biden presidency might do in the Palestinian-Israeli realm. All issues domestic and foreign will be subsumed of course by trying to successfully exit from the long pandemic tunnel that has taken enormously high tolls in our lives. Whatever time is devoted to managing the Palestinian-Israeli issue, the Palestinians must as many of their most articulate thinkers have suggested over the last month, reform their politics and political institutions. No Israeli leader regardless of political outlook will negotiate with Palestinian entities, -Hamas, the PLO, the PA – or leadership that Palestinians themselves acknowledged in a September survey remains fragmented, distrusted, and profoundly self-serving. Before the Biden administration or another entity rekindles attempts at the conflict’s mediation, the Palestinians must reform their institutions. Palestinian analysts have argued that their corrupt and crony ridden leadership must be replaced. Jump-starting mediation before that occurs would be like trying to build a house of dreams on quicksand. Steadfast commitment to reaching Egypt’s objectives required Sadat to exhibit qualities of leadership. He had to take risks, be pragmatic, discard crippling ideologies, and look over the horizon for the good of his people. He reached out to the United States. If the Palestinians sincerely seek to end the conflict with Israel, embracing and implementing these elements of Sadat’s leadership formula deserve serious consideration.

Trump was great for Netanyahu ... FROM ON PAGE 5 These moves have been received by Netanyahu as good news for Israel, and they are popular among many Israelis and some Americans. But beyond this political sugar high, Trump has pursued some policies that run counter to Israel’s long-term interests. With help from Netanyahu, who long ago cast his lot with the Republican Party and its base, Trump has damaged the bipartisanship on which the durability of the U.S.-Israel relationship depends. To secure his base, which includes evangelical Christians and right-leaning Republicans, and driving a political wedge within the American Jewish community, Trump has tried to make the GOP the go-to party for Israel while demonizing Democrats, cynically remarking last year that “if you vote for a Democrat, you are very, very disloyal to Israel and to the Jewish people.” He risks turning the U.S.-Israel relationship into a morality play, pitting “good” Republicans against “bad” Democrats. But the strength of the U.S.-Israel alliance depends on a political consensus, between America’s two main parties, that the broadest conception of the American national interest means robust support for Israel; the relationship with Israel cannot and should not depend on the desires and ambitions of a single party or politician. What’s the best way to deal with Iran? The nuclear agreement Trump ditched. Trump has weakened America’s reputation around the world, and in doing so weakened Israel. An America seen as breaking its word on international commitments, deemed feckless when it comes to fighting the coronavirus or viewed as unable to build coalitions to contain its adversaries cannot be good for America’s closest ally in the Middle East. Withdrawing from the Paris climate accords, threatening NATO relationships, announcing a drawdown of U.S. forces in Germany, suspending military exercises with South Korea and abandoning Syrian Kurds can only raise doubts in the minds of Israeli planners about America’s commitment to its allies — and in the minds of Israel’s adversaries about

the U.S. commitment to Israel. Trump’s scattered approach to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria calls U.S. reliability into question. The sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates — regarded as key to the diplomatic normalization deal with Israel — has some Israeli analysts concerned that allowing former adversaries access to sophisticated American military equipment diminishes one of Israel’s strategic advantages. Trump can tout some genuine Middle East successes, including his prosecution of the war with the Islamic State begun during the Obama administration. But when it comes to the two most pressing regional issues for Israel — addressing the threat from Iran and the Israel-Palestinian peace process, the success of Trump’s policies is in doubt. The administration’s Iran policy of maximum pressure has hurt Iran’s economy with economic sanctions. But it has done little to stop its nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency recently reported that Iran is increasing its stock of low-enriched uranium; according to the Arms Control Association, Iran has more than twice the amount of fissile material necessary for a nuclear weapon. When Trump bailed out of the Iran nuclear deal, he further alienated the United States from its European allies, and has only deepened Iran’s dependence on Russia and China. Iran has learned to live with sanctions; its regime hasn’t cracked or fallen. Within Iran, the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is increasing, meaning the continuation of an aggressive Iranian nuclear policy and push for regional influence. None of this works to Israel’s advantage. Trump thinks ‘maximum pressure’ will change Iran. History says he’s wrong. Trump’s lopsided Israel-Palestinian peace plan undermined his ability to be an effective broker. The same goes for ordering closed the Palestine Liberation Organization’s mission in Washington; withdrawing U.S. funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which provides financial assistance to Palestinians; and cutting bilateral aid to the Palestinian

Authority has hardened Palestinian negotiating positions and created obstacles to cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The chances of a two-state solution were diminishing even before Trump’s presidency. But in giving tacit approval for continued Israeli settlement activity and conceding greater West Bank control to Israel before negotiations even began on his own proposal, he has made prospects for peace an even longer shot. Along with a divided and dysfunctional Palestinian national movement, Trump has done nothing to help resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict that, if left unsolved over time, will erode Israel’s democratic and Jewish character. Biden’s election won’t magically solve issues between Israel and Iran or Israel and the Palestinians. Iran’s terms for renegotiating the nuclear deal may be exorbitant. And Palestinians bear their share of responsibility for the sad state of the peace process. In any event, Biden’s administration will not be free of tension with a Netanyahu government. But like for Bill Clinton, working with Israel has been part of Biden’s political life for decades. And like Clinton, he will tend to give Israeli counterparts the benefit of the doubt while at the same time looking for ways to deescalate tensions with Iran and to reengage with the peace process in a meaningful way. His penchant for bipartisanship, in general, will likely return the U.S.-Israel relationship to the normal balance that has characterized it for decades. For Israelis and Americans, the incoming Biden administration will help preserve and strengthen the relationship. A United States leading in the world by working in partnership, rather than dictating, and a renewed good faith effort to defuse regional tensions is overdue. Middle East stability, the national aspirations of Palestinians and security for Israel were too important to be left in the hands of Trump, who prioritized partisan political interests at the expense of American global credibility, reputation and national security.. Originally published in The Washington Post.

Trump was great for Netanyahu. But there’s a lesson in Ben Gurion’s reply to JFK. With admiration and respect around the world for the United States, particularly in the Middle East, Israel is stronger. And on that score, Presidentelect Joe Biden will be better for Israel

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Restoration of the portrait of Helene Benisch ROSLYN SUGARMAN - SJM

There was extensive soiling and dulling of the surface. It seemed a shame that its condition prohibited its potential display. It also felt disrespectful to the memory of Helene Benisch.

After the incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany in March 1938 and as World War II threatened, 23-year-old Anne Marie – the only child of Helene and Franz Conrad Benisch – was sent to England where other family members were living. When Helene and Franz were deported in 1941, a family friend gathered some of their personal belongings and sent them to their daughter in England. Among these possessions was a portrait of Anne Marie’s mother, a coloured etching in a gilt frame, produced in 1922 by the well-known Viennese artist, Oskar Stoessel. The etching is signed by the artist and numbered ‘1 Druck’ (first proof). The portrait depicts a refined and beautiful Helene Benisch, “wife of a Viennese banker”, captured in a moment of contemplation: striking blue eyes, pearls around her neck, long flowing red dress with feathers at its base; one pointy fashionable highheeled shoe showing. It took until 1950 for Anne Marie to find out what happened to her parents: they had been murdered in Auschwitz. By 1955, Anne Marie had married.

More than 900 parents have their say in education survey JCA As part of the first phase of a community-wide review of Jewish Education, JCA engaged the Nous Group, an independent Australian‐ owned management consultancy, to work with the community and our education providers to get an in‐depth understanding of what is important to parents. “This was a unique opportunity for the parents of Jewish children to have their say on education for the future,” said JCA CEO, Alain Hasson. More than 900 parents, representing over 1,200 students, completed the online survey and weighed in with their views. Respondents included parents from 6 Jewish Day Schools and 32 non-Jewish Day Schools. The

information gathering also included 73 focus group attendees and the voices of 37 community stakeholders. JCA, the Jewish Day Schools and other JCA educational providers are working collaboratively in this study towards a common goal. “We are all dedicated to ensuring our children receive the best possible Jewish education which will in turn create community success and generational success”, said Hasson. Later this month, JCA will announce the formation of a high level committee that will review the initial research findings and consult with the Jewish Day Schools and relevant industry experts to help ensure the future of Jewish education for the community. Volunteer@jems.org.au

Together with her husband Kenneth Graham-Browne, Anne Marie came to Australia, where Kenneth had secured employment. A short time after her husband's death in 1985, Anne Marie moved into a retirement village, bringing her mother's portrait with her. It was Anne Marie’s express wish that upon her death, the portrait should be offered to the Sydney Jewish Museum. The etching was donated after her death in 2002. By the time of its donation, the work was in poor condition. There was evidence of water damage with discolouration and staining. The timber backing had caused the paper to become acidic and discoloured with mould staining on the back. The frame was warped, with numerous areas of damage to the moulding - scratches and missing plaster. There was extensive soiling and dulling of the surface. It seemed a shame that its condition prohibited its potential display. It also felt disrespectful to the memory of Helene Benisch. Thanks to the generosity of someone who donated funding for the restoration of Holocaust memorabilia in memory of Vera Matteman, we have been able to have this work restored to its former glory.

Dare2care CHIDA LEVITANSKY - JEMS CHIDA LEVITANSKY This term our year 7-12 students have been very busy with school and other activities. Over 200 teens took some time to fundraise, pack and give back to the many who need it. Reddam students got together to make over 50 packs for the woman\'s shelter. Teens from 9 diffrent schools made over 1200 thank you packs for nurses and doctors. 600 packages were made for nursing home residents and hospital patients. 252 meals made in OBK for the needy. Many bags of clothing were donated and sorted with Tikvah. Jems Cteens also had on a weekly basis 60 teens helping volunteer with jems. Parent's and teens went to give out food to

the homeless. Our last project was donating and packing gifts for children hospital and Ronald McDonald house.Over 120 gifts are ready to be given out. We look forward to continuing our amazing work with your help. Volunteer@jems.org.au

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Coles kosher bakery At Bondi Westfield

Helping lower the cost of easy lunches

Serving suggestion only

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EVERY DAY LOW PRICE Coles Bakery Loaf 680g or Rolls 6 Pack Price excludes High Fibre Low GI varieties. Kosher bakeries at Coles St Ives and Bondi Westfield only.

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EVERY DAY LOW PRICE Coles Bakery Flatbread White 6 Pack $0.58 per each. From the Bakery department.

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Coles kosher bakery products available at Coles Bondi Westfield and Coles St Ives only. We stock pre-packaged bakery goods made at Coles Bondi Eastgate or off-site bakeries which are not kosher. Please ask our bakers for assistance or look for the KA logo on shelf to guide you.

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MP Thistlethwaite commends community COMMUNITY group Courage to Care in Parliament A RO UND

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“I speak with parents and tell them my story, what I went through and where I am today. I hope that in so doing I provide them with the hope they need.”

In MP Matt Thistlethwaite’s speech to federal parliament this week he thanked the volunteers from the Courage to Care organisation for their work in helping individuals to stand up to prejudice. Mr Thistlethwaite recently visited the Courage to Care NSW office which is based in his electorate of Kingsford Smith where he acknowledged the awarding of a community program grant from the Federal Government Department of Social Services. MP Thistlethwaite showed a keen appreciation of the work of Courage to Care saying that Volunteers are vital to our community and the grant means that the organisation has been able to support the teaching of additional anti-discrimination programmes in our community. “It is vital that we enable Australians to stand up against prejudice” he said. The grant is being used for volunteer training and equipment which includes microphones for survivor storytellers to better share their stories to educate, empower and inspire children and adults. Eitan Neishlos, Courage to Care’s Chair believes that the organisation

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is vital to challenging attitudes and behaviours which lead to discrimination in our society. “We have a mandate to promote acceptance across Australian society. We do this by creating awareness of the dangers of prejudice, racism and discrimination and by demonstrating that every individual can make a difference by transforming “bystander” behaviour to “upstander”. Anna Marks OAM President B’nai B’rith NSW also attended, and the MP chatted with Courage to Care volunteer Holocaust survivor Ernie

Friedlander who survived the Holocaust due to the humanity of a German soldier who looked the other way when he and his mother escaped while being transported to a concentration camp. Mr Friedlander said “I firmly believe that each person should be judged on their own merit and there is no place for prejudice or generalisation”. The MP has a long positive association with the Jewish community, and in a sweet sidenote he shared that as a tot he had attended Mt Sinai pre-school.

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New Music Video for Communal Disability

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GEOFF SIRMAI ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter ILAN KIDRON has released an irresistible new single that breaks new ground in galvanising support and awareness for people with a disability in the Jewish community. Teaming up with the Choice Foundation, Kidron and his indie dance band Glassbreakers have created and launched the inspiring new anthem “Nothing is Impossible”. The music video features a kids’ choir and heart-warming vision of people from all walks of life kicking up their heels… with joy. Now in its second year, The Choice Foundation has made great strides in funding inclusive programs and support groups for people with disabilities in the Jewish community. It has already funded 9 programs that make a real difference to people who need it most; they include training and job-matching solutions, respite care and extension camps, group homes, flex funds, learning support in schools, dance classes and more. Any JCA constituent organisation can apply for funding as well as individuals who are keen to team up with one of these organisations that apply. However, according to co-founders Taryn and Andrew Boyarsky, some of the wider community is not yet aware of its work. So… the idea for the song came about for two reasons: first, to create an inspiring and inclusive anthem to help raise awareness of people who aren’t always heard and who don't have equal choices in life. “But the song is also something that people

with a disability in our community can be proud of,” said Taryn. “It’s something that represents them, has meaning for them and speaks – yes, sings - for them!” “All of the people in the videoclip are either members of our community or are people who have been supported by the foundation,” added foundation manager Danielle Wakerman. Known for his belting vocals with Australian dance music pioneers The Potbelleez, as well as his writing for Rita Ora, Chance the Rapper, Jessica Mauboy, Ricky Martin and Tina Arena, Ilan – who is also Artistic Director of Dunera. com.au - said the whole creative drive was ‘to invoke a musical spark’ - whether from a place of extreme adversity or comfort. “When Taryn and I started talking about a project that would unite people in support of the people with a disability in the community, the song just poured - cascaded - out! “The opening line ‘You are a hero while the world sleeps’ honours the quiet achievers

burdened with heavy loads. And ‘Whether an eagle or a white dove, we share the same sky’ expresses hope that we can all feel a sense of belonging - no matter the circumstance.” Along with the kids’ chorus, Reigan Derry joins Ilan on vocals; virtuoso fiddler Ben Adler arranged and plays strings. “Hopefully, Nothing Is Impossible has the wings to make a big change," Ilan added. “The title says it all!” The video clip can be seen on YouTube and heard on Spotify. View the video clip here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=P1mqS1NFsfU&feature=youtu.be Visit the Choice Foundation website: https://thechoicefoundation.org.au Follow The Choice Foundation and Glassbreakers on social media: Instagram: @the_choice_foundation | Facebook: The Choice Foundation | @the_glassbreakers | glassbreakersmusic

“When Taryn and I started talking about a project that would unite people in support of the people with a disability in the community, the song just poured - cascaded - out!

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Orthodox Jewish Teen Saves Life During Marathon, Then Discovers Shocking Holocaust Connection ‘There was an elderly woman there, and the woman said ‘Are you Erwin? Do you know this name?’ Erwin said, ‘Yeah, that’s my grandfather.'”

SARA LEVINE It’s not everyday that a teenager saves someone’s life, let alone in the middle of a marathon. But in 2014, that’s exactly what Akiva Pudell did, who was a senior at MTA yeshiva high school at the time. From a Modern Orthodox family in Teaneck, New Jersey, Pudell was already trained as an EMT before the age of 17. “The [MTA] hockey team wanted to do a chesed and also keep everybody in shape. So we raised money for Chai Lifeline, we were going to run the Miami half marathon.” Having already run the same race in his junior year, Pudell expected his senior year experience to be more of the same. “It was a particularly humid, hot day. About three-quarters of the way through, I hear someone say that someone fell…someone probably got dehydrated. Not a problem. But something in the back of my mind said ‘you’ve gotta look.'” Pudell saw a guy laying in the street. “I turned around, ran back, and sensed that it was something a little more serious.” While there were thousands of runners, this man in his midfifties had been running closely behind Pudell. “The guy was not breathing. He didn’t have a pulse. I immediately asked for whatever medical equipment they had. Fortunately there was a defibrillator nearby.” The marathon staff provided Pudell with everything that he needed. Soon, the police came to assist as well. “We [did] a round of CPR and

automatic shock. The guy ended up coming through. The ambulance came, took him back and I finished the [13.1 mile] race.” Pudell didn’t realize he was now a hero. “A guy came up to me and said ‘By the way, you just saved that guy’s life.’ I had no idea. I just continued running. To me it was just another call, one of the thousands I’ve been on. It had no real impact at the time.” “Your mind and your training kicks in and it becomes second nature. You just go through the progression of all the things you’re taught.” Pudell was taught to always “see where you can be the helping hand.” His parents’ inspiration was at the forefront. “This is what I’m here for. I was trained in order to help. When those opportunities come about, I’m not going to shy away.” The story was written up in the New Jersey Jewish Link, and then a few months after the marathon, Pudell received a phone call from a Florida number. “A guy says to me, ‘Is this Akiva?’ The guy introduced himself as Erwin Hogeweg and said, ‘I think you’re the guy that saved my life. It’s all fuzzy. I only remember waking up in the ambulance. Can you fill in some details?'” The man was not Jewish, but had been pointed to the Jewish Link article by a friend who recognized the details of the story. Erwin sent Pudell a letter thanking him, and Pudell moved on. He spent his gap year in Israel, joined the Israeli army and made Aliyah. He is now an EMT for United Hatzalah Israel,

a student at Bar Ilan University, and is applying to medical school. Pudell was trying to think of a story to write about for his med school application essay. “This was the one I pointed to, this was it. It happened to be right before Rosh Hashana.” Pudell was in Florida at the time and reached back out to Erwin, sending him good wishes. Erwin emailed him back right away, asking to meet. “He said, I have a story to tell you.” It turned out that Erwin was from Amsterdam and had been living in the states since 2000. Six years after he came to the U.S., Erwin had attended a theatrical production that his daughter was in. During intermission, he was frantically called to come backstage. “He said, ‘there was an elderly woman there, and the woman said ‘Are you Erwin? Do you know this name?’ Erwin said, ‘Yeah, that’s my grandfather.'” During World War II, when the Nazis occupied Amsterdam, Erwin’s grandfather and his brothers took in children from a Jewish family, and each brother hid one sibling through the war. This woman explained that she was the child Erwin’s grandfather had hidden. Because of Erwin’s grandfather’s tremendous bravery and sacrifice, her life had been saved. The survivor saw Erwin’s last name in the playbill (she had a grandchild in the play) and immediately got out of her seat to search for the person who bore that name. She explained that she was about to move back to Europe permanently, and it didn’t escape either of them that the chances of two Europeans meeting at the same school play in Florida 60 years after the war was quite miniscule. After the marathon, when Erwin and his wife read about how a Jewish boy had saved Erwin’s life, his wife made the connection. She said to Erwin, “Your grandfather saved a person’s life, 70 years ago. And you were paid back. She doesn’t believe in coincidences and said that good things lead to good things.” Because Erwin’s grandfather saved a Jewish life long ago, he merited to have a Jew save his life. The outpouring of interest and encouragement from his story has been far-reaching and a light to the whole Pudell family. Now, Pudell wants to become an emergency specialist. He realizes that these fast life-saving encounters of an EMT or ER doctor aren’t just fleeting, transactional instances. “There are a few moments, things like this, that really impact and leave that mark and remind me why I want to do what I want to do full-time.” Originally published in “Jew inthe city”

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

Auschwitz survivor’s Bondi Beach flats that cost £11,000 in 1958 have $12m price guide STEPHEN NICHOLLS Auschwitz survivor Freda Feuerstein’s block of flats overlooking Bondi Beach cost £11,000 in 1958. Now they’re set to go under the hammer with a $12 million price guide. The block of four rundown Art Deco flats, currently housing Brazilian backpackers on cheap rent above what’s now Trio restaurant at 56 Campbell Parade, is listed with ­Michael Pallier and Joseph Raskin of Sotheby’s, for ­December 8 auction. And it’s a gold mine, just four doors down from where casino mogul James Packer sold his bachelor pad for $29 million in 2018. From her retirement home in Israel, where she lives close by her son, Yehuda Engelman, and his family, Mrs Feuerstein, 95, revealed she’d previously knocked back ­ offers from Packer to buy it, along with many others. “But I would say it’s not for sale,” she said. The block is just four doors down from where James Packer sold for $29m in 2018. Mark, Freda and young Yehuda Engelman in Czechoslovakia 1948 shortly before they headed to Australia. The intention had been to keep it for her family, but since they’d decided not to ­redevelop the “small building on a great site” it was time to let someone else have a go. Now it’s being offered with concept plans by top architect Brian Meyerson for a multistorey single residence even grander than Packer’s, which was snapped up by father-and-son property investors Roy and Anthony Medich. Yehuda, 73, a project management consultant in Israel, says it was a tough decision for his mother to part with the property after so many years. “That building has been her security through thick and thin,” he said. “She’s looking at it and thinking ‘are you sure you can take that security away and not drop the ball’. “While you’ve got bricks and mortar, you know you’ve got an income and can keep your head above water.” It was Yehuda who relayed the fascinating story to the Sunday Telegraph of how his parents fled post-war Europe and came to purchase the Bondi flats and retail space.

His mother, Freda, and f­ ather Mark Engelman, both miraculously survived internment in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. What a location! Bondi Icebergs is close by. Freda was taken from the Mukachevo ghetto in 1944 and spent a year in Auschwitz in Poland. Mark had been in Bergen-Belsen in Germany after “running round doing as much damage as he could to the Germans as a partisan until he got caught”. “They’d been dating before the war and when they found each other alive after the war they said ‘Let’s get married’ … there were so few survivors,” Yehuda said. Freda was 23 and Mark 25 when Yehuda was born in 1947 in the Czech region the Nazis contested that was called Sudetenland. Most of the couple’s siblings and their parents had been killed, but Freda’s bro­ther and sister and Mark’s brother also survived. Still being teenagers, they arrived in Sydney under an Australian Jewry program to provide guardians for orphans from the Holocaust. “In 1948 the communists took over in Czechoslovakia and wanted to enlist my ­father in the army,” Yehuda said. But his father

had no i­ntention of joining the communists. “When they came for him, he said ‘The guy you’re looking for is my brother, come back tomorrow when he will be back!’ ’’ The sea plane that brought the Engelmans to Rose Bay in 1948. They fled to Belgium and then to Australia where they were reunited with their f­amily. Having trained as a baker in Europe, Mark got a job at the Six Waves Bakery in Hall St, Bondi. Their introduction to the Bondi Beach flats came in 1952 via one of his customers, who, having seen the dive they’d been living in, said: “That’s no way for a family to live.” She recommended one of the rear flats at 56 Campbell Parade. After their misery in E ­urope, the family’s good fortunes were soon on the rise in Sydney. Over a period of five years, Mark went from working in the bakery to taking over the business; selling that and buying a delicatessen in Flinders St, Darlinghurst and then in Elizabeth St (his business partner was the late Sam Moss, who went on to be cofounder of Katies and whose Point Piper waterfront sold recently for $95 million). Originally published in realestate.com.au

Recent sexual controversies and upheavals ISI LIEBLER While sexual attitudes are inclined to change from generation to generation, controversies relating to sexual behavior are ageless and even occupy a prominent role in the biblical narrative. Perhaps as an octogenarian there is a generational gap between me and younger people with respect to prevailing sexual attitudes. I am no prude and when, 50 years ago, it was fashionable to demonize homosexuals, I never joined the pack. I always maintained that consensual sexual relations were a private matter, I never discriminated against gays or lesbians, and I unhesitatingly employed quite a few. And despite the strict halachic prohibitions, I maintain that if gay people wish to be observant, they should not be ostracized from communal religious participation. At the same time, I oppose gays flaunting their sexuality (for example by participating in pride parades) or promoting their lifestyle as progressive while implicitly denigrating the traditional concept of a nuclear family. They should be free to live their lives as they

deem fit and enjoy all civil rights extended to heterosexual couples. But I am not ready to concede that gay couples should be glorified, as they sometimes are on TV, for supposedly partaking in a superior alternative lifestyle. I feel that this encourages young people to experiment unnecessarily with their own sexuality. This brings me to the same-sex marriage issue, which has created such a global upheaval. The continuity of mankind depends on male-female intercourse. Marriage implies a heterosexual union and to religious people it is a sacred institution. While I fully support the legal system providing gay couples with rights identical to those of a heterosexual union, surely appropriate commitment ceremonies can be devised that do not imply bracketing such unions in the same category as traditional marriages. Jewish non-Orthodox bodies like the Conservative and Reform movements should at most be neutral on this issue, but unfortunately, they are at the forefront of calling for gay unions to be defined as traditional marriages. Meanwhile, Orthodox Jews are wrongly condemned for being homophobic when they praise the sanctity of

marriage and do not endorse gay weddings as an extension of what is religiously accepted as a sacred union between heterosexuals. The gay marriage debate has descended into bullying and vilifying anyone who dares to defend traditional beliefs. But objecting to gay marriage is neither discriminatory nor homophobic. The slandering of all who oppose gay marriage has descended into a poisonous hate fest. The just campaign to ensure equal social and civic rights for gays has succeeded beyond all expectations. But it was never intended to promote a gay lifestyle at the expense of heterosexuality and the nuclear family. I do not endorse the belief that sexuality is fluid. Nor would I condone the silencing of traditional and religious values, which consider marriage between man and wife to be uniquely sacred. Putting aside the issues of LGBT rights and gay marriage, an entirely separate and unrelated aspect of the so-called sexual revolution is how we relate to predation and abuse. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Freda and Mark in their Elizabeth Street, Sydney, delicatessen in the early 1950s.

Frank Lowy (far right) with his brother, John (far left); mother Ilona and sister Edith on Australia Day in 1952 outside their Darling Point flat.

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The world must – and will – learn from Babyn Yar, as it must learn from the Holocaust as a whole, that we must stop all manifestations of antisemitism and bigotry as soon as these hatreds appear.”

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

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Candle-Lighting Versus Shule RABBI CHAIM INGRAM OAM

We must all strive to find the right balance between “for my sake the world was created,” and “I am but dust and ashes”.

Dear Rabbi. I have a problem. My (Sydney) shule now davens at 6pm every Friday night during the summer months. We, that is my husband, four kids and I, love the Friday night services in our shule. But how do I manage with candle-lighting? I like to think I am Superwoman and can multi-task, but being in two places at once is too much even for me! J What should I do? Best wishes, Karin. Dear Karin (and Jewish women everywhere may also peek in!), Firstly, some background for the uninitiated (men too!) Shabbat commences shortly before sunset. The candle-lighting times printed in the standard luach are, as a rule, 18 minutes prior to sunset as this is the time that Jewish women in our communities traditionally light. (In an emergency, candles may be lit until two minutes prior to sunset, but no later.) May they be lit earlier? Yes they may – but within reason! The earliest time Shabbat may be inaugurated is plag ha-mincha (or plag for short) which is one-and-a-quarter seasonal hours before sunset. Candle-lighting – which normally inaugurates Shabbat for the Jewish woman – cannot take place prior to plag, nor can Maariv (the evening service) be davened before that time. What many shules do in the summer, for the convenience of young families, is to bring in Shabbat early. They time the services – which commence with Mincha and Kabalat Shabbat – in order to ensure that Mizmor Shir leYom HaShabbat, “a psalm for the Shabbat day” which introduces Maariv proper (ArtScroll Siddur page 320) will be recited as soon as possible after plag. (This coming Friday, plag will be 6:20pm in Sydney. In the height of the summer plag can be as late as 6:41pm.) Your shule will be able to daven up to the end of Lecha Dodi prior to plag. You cannot light until after plag. Hence, even if you go to shule, you will miss the most pleasant and tuneful part of the service and – depending how long

it takes for you to walk to shule – may be lucky if you catch anything of the service altogether! So this is your dilemma. What should you do? It seems to me that you have the following options:Daven at home Find another shule within walking distance that davens later - but that will make mealtime very late for your young family. If your rabbi allows or encourages you to light in the shule foyer, you may do so provided only you have your Shabbat meal there! Then you are establishing the Shule complex as a “fixed abode”. In these days of Covid-consciousness, it is unlikely that communal Friday night meals or even kiddushim are being promoted. You could, I suppose – assuming there is an eruv - bring your own wine, challa and fish and (with the permission of the shule) sit down as a family in the shule foyer, make Kiddush, wash, bensch and go home to enjoy the rest of your Shabbat food. But then other families may seek to do likewise and again you have a communal situation which your rabbi or shule board are unlikely to approve, particularly at this sensitive time. Besides it isn’t the ideal to eat your Shabbat meal in this “two-tier” fashion! My very strong recommendation to you is to daven at home! When I was growing up in the UK, women customarily did not attend Shule on Friday night. It would have been unthinkable, for both spiritual and safety reasons, for women of my mother’s generation to have lit candles, then left the sacred Shabbat lights to burn in an empty house. The practice of women attending shule on Friday night would appear to have taken root in South Africa in more recent times, and it has spread to Australia. And why not? one might say. Unless other considerations need to be weighed, such as the above. The kindling of Shabbat candles, symbolically bringing light and shalom bayit into the home, is a mitsva entrusted primarily to the Jewish woman. She it is

who is the akeret ha-bayit, the directional force of the Jewish home. (That is why a bride holds out her directional, index finger under the chupa, symbol of the new home, for her chatan to cede her this role by placing a ring thereon.) And the Jewish home is the prime domain of Jewish life, above the synagogue.. Particularly during these Covid times we have begun to appreciate this. My earnest advice is: stay home with your two young daughters and daven with them amid the glow of your Shabbat candles. Revel in your “girlsonly” or private time before the “boys” come home. (Note: this is not an excuse for your husband not to attend shule!) Affirm your role as queen of all you survey. Instil by example within your daughters’ souls your gratitude for, and your pride in, your home, fashioned in your image, your sparkling candelabrum, your beautifully-laid Shabbat table with its snow-white tablecloth, gleaming Kiddush cup, majestic challa board and embroidered challa cover. Breathe it all in, relax, unwind and enjoy intoning the beautiful Kabalat Shabbat service uninhibited and in your own sweet time. And you know what? You may decide that staying home to daven Friday night with your daughters is something you really would like to do all year round! I am aware that some are going to view this approach as sexist and backward. I reject both allegations. Judaism unashamedly does hand different roles for women and men, but one is not inferior to another. The genius of our early Sages in prescribing for women the precious mitsva of hadlakat nerot, of inaugurating Shabbat with light in the home was founded upon their conviction that a Jewish woman’s home is her palace and she should enjoy it at her leisure in all its glory at the most serene and sacred juncture of the Jewish week.. I believe this advice may actually be setting a new, forward trend within the reality of our Covid existence – and hopefully even beyond! Please note that I am not a posek and this is general advice. For individual halachic questions, consult your rabbi.

Chanukah: the spirit within RABBI MOSHE D. GUTNICK - KA With the approach of Chanukah our focus is firmly directed to the miracle of the oil. After the Assyrian Greeks captured the Temple, they placed their false G-ds within and consequently, everything inside became impure as it was all used for and dedicated to idol worship. This included all the oil amassed within except for one small hidden cruse of oil which had been sealed by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, this alone remained pure. It is intriguing to note that the difference between impure and pure oil cannot be seen. For all intents and purposes, they are identical. Yet this invisible status difference impacts the Temple

service and is ultimately the source of an extraordinary miracle. Instead of burning for one day, it burned for eight. Sidebar: A similar concept is found in the Kosher laws. Meat that is ‘shechted’ by a ritual slaughterer is kosher. Meat that is not, is not kosher. A steak from each may be identical to the eye, yet one is considered pure and may be eaten by Jews and one is considered impure and may not be eaten by Jews. So too with many aspects of Kashrut, such as kosher ingredients cooked in non-kosher utensils. This idea that a physical object contains invisible spiritual properties that affect the physical world (such as burning for eight days), is a fundamental belief of Judaism. The world is not just the totality of its physical parts and forces. It

has a G-dly dimension, indeed invisible, but infinitely more powerful than the physical world that hides it. This is the meaning of the verse read in the Haftorah of Shabbat Chanukah, “Not with strength and not with valour, but with my spirit says the L-rd of Hosts,”( Zecharia 4:6). Chanukah was also the time of an extraordinarily miraculous military victory that is also celebrated. As we say in the prayers that recount the miracles of Chanukah, “The few over the many and the weak over the strong”. But the miracle of the Lights seems to take precedence over the military victory, and is front and centre of our celebrations. This was the theological war waged during that epoch. The Ancient Greeks worshipped physical strength - hence

the Olympics. Their false G-ds were images of superhuman strength. They were prepared to allow the Jews access to Torah learning, but only as an intellectual exercise devoid completely of any notion of G-d. Overtly celebrating the military victory alone would have played right into their false narrative valuing muscle and might above all else. Instead, we focus on the miracle of the ruach or spirit, and recognise the power of forces beyond the physical and visible, the spirit and essence of Hashem that is in everything. It is He that caused the lights to burn for eight days and it is He that gave us victory. As it said in Zecharia, “… with my spirit says the L-rd of hosts”.

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

Recent sexual controversies and upheavals People who are in every other respect normal, including those who occupy important social or political roles, sometimes engage in deviant and dark sexual behavior. This is probably one of the reasons why rabbis in the Middle Ages imposed needlessly extreme divisions between the genders and

attorney failed to prosecute on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Last month, The New York Times published two investigative articles providing additional, detailed coverage of some of the horrendous sexual assaults he had allegedly inflicted on a host of actresses and employees. This triggered a reaction from dozens of women claiming that over a 20-year period, Weinstein had also sexually assaulted

obliged women to cover themselves up to avoid tempting sexual predators. Many men, including rabbis, also regrettably regarded women as sexual objects whose primary role was to give birth to children. From the Victorian era – an era of sexual debauchery – to the early 20th century, public displays or discussions of sexuality were considered taboo. It is only in the last 60 years that sex has found its way into public discourse. The early 1960s featured ugly whispers, subsequently confirmed, about the exploits of the Kennedy brothers. Since then, exposés regarding the predatory behavior of powerful men have become commonplace. But the world was shocked when, beginning in the late 1980s, a flood of cases of horrific abuse of children in schools and churches was exposed. Alas, Jewish schools and yeshivot were not immune to such abuse. These tragedies were frequently compounded by rabbis and administrators who refused to report incidents and who covered up the issue by dispatching the offender to another institution where he could resume his monstrous activity. But the final turning point was when New Yorker magazine exposed the predatory sexual behavior of one of the world’s most famous movie moguls, Harvey Weinstein – which the district

them. It also unleashed a flood of other harrowing stories of women abused or raped by others in the entertainment world. Many did not testify because they had previously received huge sums to remain silent. Once the issue came into the public domain, the media was inundated by a flow of condemnations and moral outrage. Yet many of those condemning Weinstein had been aware of this disgusting behavior and the vast majority had until now silently stood by. This is a worldwide phenomenon and certainly not restricted to Hollywood or the entertainment industry. The current U.K. Tory government is on the edge of an abyss because a number of cabinet ministers and MPs have been forced to resign after having abused their positions to extract sexual services from their underlings or employees. As a byproduct, the overnight exposure of this obscene behavior unleashed hysteria from some women with an imagination, looking for retribution after a failed tryst, or just seeking publicity, to begin accusing all and sundry of abuse. In the current climate, the media publicized every accusation. Many, if not most, of the accusations were undoubtedly valid. But when Elie Wiesel, of blessed memory, is smeared and unable to

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We must strive for a society that respects the right to privately live one’s preferred lifestyle without seeking to impose it on others – a society that respects women’s rights and harshly punishes abuse.

defend himself, this is outrageous. A person who has passed away should not be subjected to such accusations unless clear evidence is tabled. People who claim to have been abused should be encouraged to immediately report the event to the authorities, so the courts can swiftly indict or exonerate the alleged offender. And it is crucial, though sometimes difficult, to distinguish between initiating a relationship, subjecting a person to a tasteless joke or an unwanted touch (as aging wheelchair bound former President George H.W. Bush has apologized for), and actual coercion. Otherwise this me too phenomenon creates a of a Salem like witch hunt atmosphere. One thing is clear: An employer should unquestionably be prohibited from engaging in a sexual relationship with an employee unless both parties first publicly announce their intention to become involved. The shock of the recent exposures will for the time being hopefully deter employers from indulging in such behavior. It remains to be seen whether a long-term change is in the offing. In any case, if we are to return to a normal society without becoming prudes and enable men and women to coexist naturally, we must also do something drastic with the visual media. I consider the major source encouraging such disgusting behavior to be the entertainment industry, particularly television, movies and the internet. While movies in Hollywood’s earliest years were relatively libertine, from 1934 to 1968 a puritanical production code was strictly enforced. It was even prohibited for a man and woman to be filmed sitting together on a bed. Today, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme. From ridiculous prudishness, we have moved into quasi-pornography. Movies and TV shows now regularly include detailed depictions of sex with few details left to the imagination. I must confess that if I watch some of these films with my grandchildren, I feel embarrassed almost to the point where ultra-Orthodox bans on movies and the internet start to sound sensible. The shock waves triggered by Weinstein may well spur reform and create a healthier society. A shakeup is needed. The sexual depravity that surrounds us is sickening and utterly condemned by Judaism as well as Christianity. These sexual abominations reflect a decadent and corrupt society reminiscent of the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. We must strive for a society that respects the right to privately live one’s preferred lifestyle without seeking to impose it on others – a society that respects women’s rights and harshly punishes abuse. It is not too late. The vast majority of people in democratic countries are sickened by this behavior and will support politicians reforming the system. Traditional Jews should be at the forefront of a public campaign to restore our sanity. This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom

the sydney jewish report | december 2020

Obama’s Revisionist ‘Promised Land’

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DOV LIPMAN I have never criticized former U.S. President Barack Obama publicly—neither during my time in the Knesset nor anywhere else—despite my having disagreed with many of his policies. I am of the strong opinion that Israelis should not engage in or interfere with American politics, and I regularly offer a blanket thank you to all American presidents, including Obama, for their economic and military support for Israel. However, his memoir, A Promised Land, is filled with historical inaccuracies that I feel the need to address. His telling of Israel’s story (at the beginning of Chapter 25) not only exhibits a flawed understanding of the region—which clearly impacted his policies as president—but misleads readers in a way that will forever shape their negative perspective of the Jewish state. Obama relates, for example, how the British were “occupying Palestine” when they issued the Balfour Declaration calling for a Jewish state. But labeling Great Britain as an “occupier” clearly casts doubt on its legitimacy to determine anything about the future of the Holy Land, and that wasn’t the situation. While it is true that England had no legal rights in Palestine when the Balfour Declaration was issued in 1917, that changed just five years later. The League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations, gave the British legal rights over Palestine in its 1922 “Mandate for Palestine,” which specifically mentions “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” The League also said that “recognition has thereby been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country.” The former president’s noted omission of the internationally agreed-upon mandate for the British to establish a home for the Jews in Palestine misinforms the reader, who will conclude that the movement for a Jewish state in Palestine had no legitimacy or international consent. “Over the next 20 years, Zionist leaders mobilized a surge of Jewish migration to Palestine,” Obama writes, creating the image that once the British illegally began the process of forming a Jewish state in Palestine, Jews suddenly started flocking there. The truth is that Jews, who maintained a continual presence throughout the 2,000 years that most were exiled from the land, had already been moving to Palestine in large numbers way before then; considerably more than 100,000 immigrants arrived in the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. Then, in the 1920s, high numbers fleeing anti-Semitism in Europe could only find safe haven in Palestine due to the United States having instituted quotas in 1924 on the number of Jews who could enter America. The number of immigrants rose even more in the 1930s when Adolf Hitler rose to power and began his conquest of Europe while the world remained silent. Historical Context is Important Historical context is important, and once Obama chose to write about the history, he should have provided the full context and portrayed the Jews as they were: a persecuted and desperate people searching for safety, and not, as he implies, strong conquerors flooding into Palestine. His claim that the new immigrants “organized highly trained armed forces to defend their settlements” is also misleading. A more accurate way to describe it would have been: “Because the Arabs in the region mercilessly attacked the Jewish areas, the Jewish refugees had no choice but to take up arms to defend themselves.” Acknowledging that the Arabs were attacking Jews before there was even a State of Israel is important historical context for understanding the Israeli-Arab conflict. A Promised Land recounts, as well, how the United Nations passed a partition plan for Palestine in November 1947, by dividing the country into a Jewish and Arab state, which the “Zionist leaders,” as he calls them, accepted, but to which the “Arab Palestinians, as well as surrounding Arab nations that were just emerging from colonial rule, strenuously objected.” Obama’s use of “Zionist leaders” instead of “Jewish leaders” plays right into the current international climate, in which it is politically correct to be “anti-Zionist,” while unacceptable to be anti-Jewish. (In reality, Zionism is the movement for Jews to live in their biblical and historic homeland, so being against that actually is anti-Semitism, but that’s for another discussion.) The description of “Arab nations that were just emerging from colonial rule” is a clear attempt to justify the Arab refusal of the U.N. Partition Plan. Those poor “Arab nations” that have been suffering due to outsiders colonizing their “nations” simply could not accept another “colonial” entity, the Jews, entering the region. Simply False But the truth is that with the exception of Egypt, which was not colonized, none of the neighboring countries that rejected the partition plan had been established states before World War I. Yes, the post-war mandates of the League of Nations gave control in the region to the British and the French for a few decades, but this was in place of the Ottoman Empire that had controlled the region for centuries. Thus, the image of countries emerging from longstanding colonial rule as a subtle attempt to justify their objection to the Partition Plan is simply false. Obama tells the story of the establishment of the State of Israel in two sentences, which are nothing short of outright revisionist history: “As Britain withdrew, the two sides quickly fell into war. And with Jewish militias claiming victory in 1948, the state of Israel was officially born.” Wow. I don’t even know where to begin. The two sides didn’t “fall into war” when Britain withdrew; the two sides had been fighting for decades, with the Arabs—who rejected more than half-a-century of efforts to establish a Jewish state in the region—attacking the Jews, and the Jews defending themselves. When the British then left the area in May 1948, the Jews made a very difficult decision to declare their independence based on the U.N. Partition Plan, which gave the right for a Jewish state alongside an Arab state. There were no “Jewish militias claiming victory.” There was a unified Jewish army that formed the Israel Defense Forces, which knew that the surrounding Arab countries would begin an all-out assault to destroy Israel the moment its Jewish leadership declared an independent fledgling Jewish state. And that is exactly what the Arab armies did. The new State of Israel fought off that assault for months, emerging in 1949 both weakened and fragile. Obama’s perspective on the formation of the State of Israel no doubt affected his foreign policy regarding the

Jewish state. If one sees Israel as a colonial force occupying the land as a result of its armed militias, then it will be treated as an outsider that wronged others to establish itself as a state. The former president misleads others into believing this, as well. Misleading, Deceptive and Damaging The most disingenuous sentence of Obama’s history of Israel is in his description of what happened during the 30 years following Israel’s establishment: “For the next three decades, Israel would engage in a succession of conflicts with its Arab neighbors … .” What? I had to read that sentence many times because I could not believe that a president of the United States could write such misleading, deceptive and damaging words about his country’s close ally. Israel did not “engage” in any conflict with the surrounding Arab countries. The Arab armies and their terrorists attacked Israel again and again, and Israelis fought to defend themselves. A straightforward history of Middle East wars involving Israel yields this basic truth. Facts are facts, and the former president’s misrepresentation of Israel as a country that sought conflict instead of peace—one that willingly engaged in wars with the Arabs—does an injustice to peace-seeking Israel and riles up anti-Israel sentiment. Obama’s description of the 1967 Six-Day Way continues this revisionism: “A greatly outnumbered Israeli military routed the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In the process, Israel seized control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria.” Here he fails to address what led up to the war, when all those Arab armies gathered along Israel’s borders and declared their intention to wipe it off the map. He doesn’t describe Israel’s pleading with Jordan not to enter the war, nor that Jordan altogether had no legal rights to the West Bank, which it occupied in 1948 and annexed against international law in 1950. Most significantly, Obama fails to mention Israel’s willingness, immediately after the war, to withdraw from all the areas that it won in its defensive battle in exchange for peace; and by extension, he also fails to tell of the Arab League’s “Three No’s” in response to that offer: no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel. This omission serves once again to portray Israel as the aggressive occupier that seeks conflict and not peace. The former president continues with another outright falsehood, which helps give insight into his policies regarding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The “rise of the PLO (the Palestinian Liberation Organization)” was a “result” of the Six-Day War he writes. That makes it seem like the Palestinian liberation movement, including its violent and murderous attacks against Israelis, was only a result of Israel’s taking control over the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It strengthens the message that if only Israel would vacate these areas, there would be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is what spurs leaders around the world to suggest that Israeli settlements in these areas are the obstacle to peace in the region. But there is one flaw with this story and logic. It’s not true. The PLO was established in 1964—three years before Israel was in control of any of those “occupied” areas and three years before there were any settlements. “From the River to the Sea” What exactly was this Palestinian organization liberating at that time? Is there any conclusion other than the liberation of the Jewish state in its entirety? What other option could there be? This is why the “Free Palestine” movement chants, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” They are against the existence of Israel anywhere between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. They see such a state as a colonial enterprise with armed militias grabbing the land of others, just as Obama leads readers to believe when describing the formation of the state. The false description of the PLO rising after 1967 serves the narrative that the “occupation” and the settlements are the cause of the conflict, and this, no doubt, had a direct impact on Obama’s “not one brick” policy, including freezing settlement construction, in an effort to bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Obama describes the failed Camp David accords of 2000, in which former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered the Palestinians more than 90 percent of what they were asking for. “Arafat demanded more concessions, however, and talks collapsed in recrimination,” he writes. But the talks didn’t simply “collapse.” Sixty-six days later, Arafat unleashed the Second Intifada, in which 1,137 Israeli civilians were murdered and 8,341 were maimed by Yasser Arafatfunded terrorists who blew themselves up in Israeli buses and cafes. Don’t trust my word on this. Mamduh Nofal, former military commander of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of

Palestine, revealed that following Camp David, “Arafat told us, ‘Now we are going to fight so we must be ready.’” In addition, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said in September 2010 that in the summer of 2000, as soon as Arafat understood that all of his demands would not be met, he instructed Hamas, Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to begin attacking Israel. And Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, has verified that the Second Intifada was pre-planned by Arafat. Not only does Obama fail to accurately connect the Second Intifada to Arafat’s not receiving everything the Palestinians asked for at Camp David—demands that would have prevented Israel from being able to defend itself against Palestinian terrorism—but he seems to place the blame for the intifada on Israel. He describes the September 2000 visit of Israel’s opposition leader and subsequent prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as “provocative” and a “stunt” that “enraged Arabs near and far.” But Obama neglects to mention that Sharon only visited there after Israel’s Interior Ministry received assurances from the security chief of the Palestinian Authority that no uproar would arise as a result of the visit. In fact, Jibril Rajoub, head of Preventive Security in the West Bank, confirmed that Sharon could visit the sensitive area as long as he did not enter a mosque or pray publicly, rules to which Sharon adhered. Even more incredibly, Obama describes the Temple Mount as “one of Islam’s holiest sites,” making no mention that it is the holiest site in Judaism. An innocent reader who is unfamiliar with the region and its history reads this and concludes that it was simply wrong for a Jewish leader to walk onto a Muslim religious site. On the other hand, if he or she knew that it is the holiest site for Jews, then they would more likely wonder why there was anything wrong with Sharon’s having gone there—except Obama omits that part, leading anyone to conclude that Sharon was in the wrong. That omission, together with the exclusion of Arafat’s plans for the intifada right after negotiations at Camp David failed, can only lead one to conclude that Israel was responsible for the five years of bloodshed during the Second Intifada. Gaza Conflict: Zero Mention of Israeli Withdrawal Obama’s history lesson continues with the tension between Israel and Gaza. Remarkably, he makes zero mention of the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005, when Israel pulled out all of its troops from the strip while forcing 9,000 Jewish citizens to leave their homes. Anyone reading the president’s description of the wars between Israel and Hamas would never know that Israel no longer “occupies” Gaza, and that the Palestinians have been free to build a wondrous “Israeli-free” Palestinian state there for the last 15 years. That omission is glaring. Finally, Obama’s misleading words describing Israel’s response to Hamas rocket fire on its civilian population only serves to inflame and incite anti-Israel sentiment worldwide. That response, he writes, included “Israeli Apache helicopters leveling entire neighborhoods” in Gaza—Apache helicopters that he identifies as coming from the United States, a subtle or not-too-subtle questioning of whether the United States should be providing Israel with military aid if it is used in this manner. More importantly, what does he mean by “leveling entire neighborhoods,” other than to imply that Israel indiscriminately bombs Gazan neighborhoods, willfully murdering innocent people? And what human being on Earth wouldn’t be riled up to condemn Israel for such inhumane activity? The problem is that it’s false. Israel targets terrorist leaders and the rockets that they fire into Israeli cities. Tragically, Hamas leaders use innocent Palestinians as human shields by hiding behind them in civilian neighborhoods, and by launching rockets into Israel from there and from hospitals and mosques. Israel does its best not to kill innocent people, even airdropping leaflets announcing an imminent airstrike, and calls off missions to destroy rocket launchers or kill terrorist leaders when there are too many civilians in the area. Israel most certainly does not launch retaliatory attacks that aimlessly “level” entire neighborhoods. I have no problem with criticism of Israel. We can debate the issues in intellectually honest discussions, and in the end, we may have to agree to disagree about Israel’s policies. But no one should accept a book that is filled with historical inaccuracies that invariably lead innocent and unknowing readers to reach false conclusions. Such a devastating book has real-life ramifications and consequences. It is terribly disappointing. I surely would have expected truth, accuracy and fairness from Barack Obama, America’s 44th president. But the falsehoods and inaccuracies in this memoir only feed the theory that Obama was, in fact, antiIsrael. Now, through A Promised Land, he seeks to convince others to join him. Dov Lipman served as a member of the 19th Knesset.shed in the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom Originally published in JNS

Obama describes the temple mount as “one of islam’s holiest sites,” making no mention that it is the holiest site in judaism.

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

K O SH E R

KApers

Kosher KApers RAMONA FREEDMAN

KA UPDATES Here is a quick snapshot of kosher product news: Oh Boo Chocolates – Zen Matcha Drinking Chocolate (Pareve, KA-certified) SSS Foods – Hommus Natural & Hommos Coriander, Cumin + Wild Chilli (Pareve, KA-certified) Oliver’s Reserve Peanut Oil range four infused varieties - Garlic, Lime, Mild Chilli & Smoke and Peanut Oil (Pareve, KAcertified) Krio Krush Za-atar (only when bearing the code 10665, Pareve, KA-certified) Lankanto Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol Fry’s Family Food – Meat Free Curry Pies; Pepper Steak-Style Pies; Mini Sausage Rolls; Sausage Rolls & Spicy 3 Bean Pasty (only when bearing South African Beth Din logo) Baker’s Life (Aldi stores – for regions available see KA Kosher Product Directory): Extra Soft! The Best White Sandwich 700g; Extra Soft! The Best Wholemeal 700g; Viva White High Fibre Vitamins and Minerals Sandwich 700g; Viva Wholemeal High Fibre Vitamins & Minerals Sandwich 700g (all Pareve & KA-certified) Baker’s Life Bakehouse (Aldi stores – for regions available see KA Kosher Product Directory): Multigrain Extra Soft Bread Rolls – 6-pack 450g; Wholemeal Extra Soft Bread Rolls – 6 pack 450g & White Rolls – 6 Pack (all Pareve & KA-certified) Brookfarm Bloom Organic Baby Cereal – Smooth Pear 9+ Months (Pareve, certified by Kosher Australia) Product changes: Fry’s Peppermint Cream Chocolates – No longer acceptable Mexico City Foods Mulato Chilli & Agave Syrup – No longer produced Kirks Soft Drinks – the following four products are not acceptable if they contain colour 120, carmine or cochineal: Dry Ginger Ale; Drinking Dry Ginger Ale; Classics Ginger Beer & Olde Stoney Ginger Beer. E.B Foods – the following wraps are Pat Palter (bread produced in a nonJewish commercial bakery with kosher ingredients): Dark Rye Wraps; No Yeast Sorj – Lite White, Lite Wholemeal; Sorj White – No Yeast; Sorj Wholemeal – No Yeast; Superfoods Chickpeas, Quinoa & Beetroot Organic Wraps; Superfoods Oats, Amaranth & Cacao Organic Wraps.

It has been an incredibly dynamic time lately with so much quality kosher news around town. To begin, a new KA-certified kosher hotel just opened in Sydney, located at 14 Queen Street, Woollahra. Enter: Millees @ The Hughenden. This boutique charming hotel boasts a comprehensive operational café (Dairy, Chalav Yisrael) and a Europeaninspired a la carte dining restaurant (Meat). You can also frequent a Victorian lounge with a Speakeasy Bar that is fully licensed and open until late, providing a varied selection of spirits, wines and beers. With a lovely local focus, The Hughenden has been open with an enticing special from 4pm-6pm each Sunday offering a Burger and Peroni (for $20). Many kosher consumers have picked these burgers up and enjoyed fresh and hot at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which is so close by. This is a deal to keep in mind over the summer, along with so many more in store. The Hughenden also offers indoor and outdoor function spaces, in addition to guests having the treat of a kosher mini bar in every room. As an added bonus, this new kosher domain is also pet friendly. With state borders mercifully opening, this kosher hotel is now delighted to welcome guests from interstate and in time, all over the world. Sydney is loving The Bagel Co.’s Surry Hills brilliant bagel space located at 38 Reservoir Street. This famous range of bagel options, adding up to a Baker’s Dozen, includes varieties such as: sunflower, caraway, blueberry, multi seed, cinnamon & raisin and so many more. Customers can opt for sourdough and gluten free options as well. The menu is world-class and includes instant favourites such as the signature New York Bagel featuring: Pastrami-style cured salmon, roasted garlic cream cheese, mustard, pickles, rocket and cucumber with your choice of bagel. Or perhaps sample the BLT-ISH replete with vegan bacon, lettuce, tomato, vegan cream cheese, avocado on your preferred bagel. At The Bagel Co. Surry Hills, you can also enjoy the artful schmear of unique cream cheese blends and hot beverages made by an incredibly talented barista. Every Thursday and Friday you can savour the flavour of deluxe Chicken Bagels, such as the popular Curry Grilled Schnitzel (assembled off-site and sold separately to dairy products). Enjoy Monday-Friday 8am-2pm – this eatery is Dairy (not Chalav Yisrael) with many pareve options too. To help with your busy schedule, you can also order online via The Bagel Co.’s website. The new Harris Farm Rose Bay now conveniently features over 1000 KA shelf tags for kosher items, along with offering KAcertified fish, fish mince plus six varieties of Harris Farm brand hummus including: plain, plain (50% less salt), chilli, mint, basil, curry

and coriander. You can also purchase the eggplant-based favourite, Baba Ghanoush – each retails at $2.99 for 250 grams. All containers must feature the KA logo on the label. These helpful new KA shelf tags are also now at Harris Farm Coles Westfield Bondi Junction Bondi Beach and St. Ives. Earlier this month in partnership with Coles, and in response to repeated communal requests, The KA announced a dedicated inhouse KA-certified bakery at Coles Westfield Bondi Junction. This is undoubtedly an incredible addition to our kosher landscape - it is the second KA-certified bakery within a Coles supermarket in Sydney (the first opened in 2018 in St. Ives). Convenient KA shelf tags indicate the kosher status of products including flatbread, challah, sourdough, loaf varieties, baguettes, rolls, ciabatta and more (all Pat Yisrael). Customers are now also able to purchase three kosher cookie varieties: Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ultimate White Chocolate Chip Cookies & Coconut Drops (Dairy, not CY). In addition, Coles Westfield Bondi Junction now has two new flavours of BBQ chickens: BBQ Provençale and BBQ Seasonel. Kosher Sydney now has more of an opportunity to explore and absorb the culinary Sephardic delights of kosher caterer, Kosher Cuisine. Every Thursday evening, an authentic menu awaits with aromatic dishes offering perfectly balanced flavours. Prebooked reservations for Sunday lunch are also on offer and well as catering opportunities too. Enjoy tofu sambal, puri bhaji, Moroccan fish tagine, Asian rice noodles, the legendary vegetable samosas and so much more. Of course, as well as these new eateries, venues and catering options, there are new KA-certified products to sample and add to our KA Directory including the Jiva Kombucha range. This is an organic, low sugar and great tasting Kombucha with no added sugar or substitutes, preservatives, extracts or flavouring. You can enjoy six kosher flavours: Original, Ginger, Blueberry,

Pineapple, Pomegranate and Watermelon & Mint. With the Festival of Lights so close, you can find so many varieties of Chanukah donuts around town. We’ve already mentioned Kosher Cuisine’s unique Moroccan Sfinge donuts. Sweet Chick’s raspberry jam, coffee cream & caramel, Nutella & lemon curd are loved along with the eternally popular cinnamon and sugar, jam and iced donuts at Grandma Moses. Jesse’s flavourful donuts: jam, lamington, vanilla custard, icing with sprinkles and cinnamon are here daily and will also conveniently be boxed and available at several Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. Patisserie le Marais offers its signature raspberry jam, chocolate and cinnamon sugar donuts and you can also sample the decadent flavour of the dairy custard and salted caramel varieties as well. We are also fortunate to have Mendy’s offer Chalav Yisrael jam, cinnamon and chocolate donuts, all so loved! And finally, The Bagel Co. has a pareve selection with traditional jam donuts in two sizes and iced donuts in four flavours – chocolate, coffee, tropical and strawberry. You can also find fancy donuts, custard filled and last but not least – latkes! Kosher caterer will also offer donuts galore as well. It is a time of joy and a time of light and there is just no better time to dive into this incredible array of kosher fare around town. For further information about kosher products and initiatives visit: Millees @ The Hughenden: www. thehughendenhotel.com.au or contact Dena on 0418666901 or Minette on 0412446152 The Bagel Co.: www.thebagelco.com.au or call 02 9211 1653 Kosher Cuisine: www.koshercuisine.com. au or contact Shaule Ezekiel on 0412152963 For more details about kosher eateries (where you can purchase these delicious donuts) visit www.ka.com.au for a comprehensive listing.

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

HE ALT H

FITNESS

How late is too late? CHERYL FINGLESON We all love taking advantage of a late, sunny afternoon at the park or having a barbeque at home, and it’s easy to start staying up a little longer in the evenings during the warmer months. Another factor might be that your younger child goes to bed at the same time as their older sibling, which can land up stretching to 9:30pm by the time you have prepared dinner, engaged in after-school activities, done homework and bath time... It might sneak up on you - suddenly your child is going to bed too late on a regular basis! I often get asked whether kids sleeping past 8:30-9 pm is ok? For working parents, it will start affecting the amount of time you get alone, and how much sleep you get before you must get up in the morning. So, how much sleep should our kids be getting? Here is a guideline of what we should aim for in a 24-hour period:

• 1-8 months: approximately 14 to 15 hours • 8-10 months: approximately 12 to 15 hours • 10-15 months: approximately 12 to 14 hours • 15 months to 3 years: approximately 12 to 14 hours • 3-6 years: approximately 11 to 13 hours • 7-12 years: approximately 10 to 11 hours When maintaining a consistent routine of meal, sleep and wake time, having a guide is helpful for all of us to set our internal clock. Another reason for not letting your kids go late to bed, is that it can lead to them not getting enough sleep, which makes them overtired and irritable. It may also make it harder for them to fall asleep, they might start waking up more frequently during the night and wake up earlier in the morning. With holiday festivities around the corner, try and keep to a routine for your children that will work. Over excited,

&

tired children find it difficult to enjoy their daily activities and really struggle to fall asleep for day naps and nighttime. The lack of sleep very quickly becomes a problem for everyone. If you are planning to travel these holidays, have a game-plan for your child’s sleep routine. You need to have a flexible schedule that will work when on holiday, the key is to watch your child’s sleep cues and roll with the unique circumstances. Once you get home get straight back into your normal routine. Proper sleep habits promote energy, wellness, learning, good moods and sanity. Best of all, enough sleep will help keep happy, contented, thriving children. Enjoy your family time!! Cheryl The Sleep Coach Zzz For more sleep tips and advice, please visit www.cherylthesleepcoach.com. au, and like the facebook page

Cheryl Fingleson is a paediatric sleep consultant. As a mother of two, she very well knows the feelings of agony and desperation when you have a child that struggles to settle and sleep. She doesn’t believe in leaving babies or children to cry it out, nor in the practices of controlled crying. Her approach is to empower parents with the right tools and techniques to teach their babies and children to go to sleep calmly, happily and independently.

Yiddish word of the month MAYN BOBES TAM

www.cherylthesleepcoach.com.au

Mayn bobes tam: To have a taste that’s out of date, tacky or oldfashioned. The phrase literally means “My grandmother’s taste.”

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

The Story of Chanukah CHABAD.ORG

"I, my sons and my brothers are determined to remain loyal to the covenant which our G‑d made with our ancestors!"

Under Syrian Rule More than 2000 years ago there was a time when the land of Israel was part of the SyrianGreek Empire, dominated by Syrian rulers of the dynasty of the Seleucids. In order to relate the story that led up to Chanukah, we shall start with Antiochus III, the King of Syria, who reigned from 3538 to 3574 (222186 B.C.E.). He had waged war with King Ptolemy of Egypt over the possession of the Land of Israel. Antiochus III was victorious and the Land of Israel was annexed to his empire. At the beginning of his reign he was favorably disposed toward the Jews and accorded them some privileges. Later on, however, when he was beaten by the Romans and compelled to pay heavy taxes, the burden fell upon the various peoples of his empire who were forced to furnish the heavy gold that was required of him by the Romans. When Antiochus died, his son Seleucus IV took over, and further oppressed the Jews. Added to the troubles from the outside were the grave perils that threatened Judaism from within. The influence of the Hellenists (people who accepted idol-worship and the Syrian way of life) was increasing. Yochanan, the High Priest, foresaw the danger to Judaism from the penetration of Syrian-Greek influence into the Holy Land. For, in contrast to the ideal of outward beauty held by the Greeks and Syrians, Judaism emphasizes truth and moral purity, as commanded by G‑d in the holy Torah. The Jewish people could never give up their faith in G‑d and accept the idol-worship of the Syrians. Yochanan was therefore opposed to any attempt on the part of the Jewish Hellenists to introduce Greek and Syrian customs into the land. The Hellenists hated him. One of them told the King’s commissioner that in the treasury of the Temple there was a great deal of wealth. The wealth in the treasury consisted of the contributions of "half a shekel" made by all adult Jews annually. That was given for the purpose of the sacrifices on the altar, as well as for fixing and improving the Temple building. Another part of the treasury consisted of orphans’ funds which were deposited for them until they became of age. Seleucus needed money in order to pay the Romans. He sent his minister Helyodros to take the money from the treasury of the Temple. In vain did Yochanan, the High Priest, beg him not to do it. Helyodros did not listen and entered the gate of the Temple. But suddenly, he became pale with fright. The next moment he fainted and fell to the ground. After Helyodros came to, he did not dare enter again. The Madman: Antiochus A short time later, Seleucus was killed and his brother Antiochus IV began to reign over Syria (in 3586 - 174 B.C.E.). He was a tyrant of a rash and impetuous nature, contemptuous of religion and of the feelings of others. He was called "Epiphanes," meaning "the gods’ beloved." Several of the Syrian rulers received similar titles. But a historian of his time, Polebius, gave him the epithet Epimanes ("madman"), a title more suitable to the character of this harsh and cruel king. Desiring to unify his kingdom through the medium of a common religion and culture, Antiochus tried to root out the individualism of the Jews by suppressing all the Jewish Laws. He removed the righteous High Priest, Yochanan, from the Temple in Jerusalem, and in his place installed Yochanan’s brother Joshua, who loved to call himself by the Greek name of Jason. For he was a member of the Hellenist party, and he used his high office to spread more and more of the Greek customs among the priesthood. Joshua or Jason was later replaced by another man, Menelaus, who had promised the king that he would bring in more money than Jason did. When Yochanan, the former High Priest, protested against the spread of the Hellenists’ influence in the Holy Temple, the ruling High Priest hired murderers to assassinate him. Antiochus was at that time engaged in a successful war against Egypt. But messengers from Rome arrived and commanded him to stop the war, and he had to yield. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, a rumor spread that a serious accident had befallen Antiochus. Thinking that he was dead, the people rebelled against Menelaus. The treacherous High Priest fled together with his friends. The Martyrs Antiochus returned from Egypt enraged by Roman interference with his ambitions. When he heard what had taken place in Jerusalem, he ordered his army to fall upon the Jews. Thousands of Jews were killed. Antiochus then enacted a series of harsh decrees against the Jews. Jewish worship was forbidden; the scrolls of the Law

were confiscated and burned. Sabbath rest, circumcision and the dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death. Even one of the respected elders of that generation, Rabbi Eliezer, a man of 90, was ordered by the servants of Antiochus to eat pork so that others would do the same. When he refused they suggested to him that he pick up the meat to his lips to appear to be eating. But Rabbi Eliezer refused to do even that and was put to death. There were thousands of others who likewise sacrificed their lives. The famous story of Hannah and her seven children happened at that time. Antiochus’s men went from town to town and from village to village to force the inhabitants to worship pagan gods. Only one refuge area remained and that was the hills of Judea with their caves. But even there did the Syrians pursue the faithful Jews, and many a Jew died a martyr’s death. Mattityahu One day the henchmen of Antiochus arrived in the village of Modiin where Mattityahu, the old priest, lived. The Syrian officer built an altar in the marketplace of the village and demanded that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the Greek gods. Mattityahu replied, "I, my sons and my brothers are determined to remain loyal to the covenant which our G‑d made with our ancestors!" Thereupon, a Hellenistic Jew approached the altar to offer a sacrifice. Mattityahu grabbed his sword and killed him, and his sons and friends fell upon the Syrian officers and men. They killed many of them and chased the rest away. They then destroyed the altar. Mattityahu knew that Antiochus would be enraged when he heard what had happened. He would certainly send an expedition to punish him and his followers. Mattityahu, therefore, left the village of Modiin and fled together with his sons and friends to the hills of Judea. All loyal and courageous Jews joined them. They formed legions and from time to time they left their hiding places to fall upon enemy detachments and outposts, and to destroy the pagan altars that were built by order of Antiochus. The Maccabees Before his death, Mattityahu called his sons together and urged them to continue to fight in defense of G d’s Torah. He asked them to follow the counsel of their brother Shimon the Wise. In waging warfare, he said, their leader should be Judah the Strong. Judah was called "Maccabee," a word composed of the initial letters of the four Hebrew words Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim Hashem, "Who is like You, O G‑d." Antiochus sent his General Apolonius to wipe out Judah and his followers, the Maccabees. Though greater in number and equipment than their adversaries, the Syrians were defeated by the Maccabees. Antiochus sent out another expedition which also was defeated. He realized that only by sending a powerful army could he hope to defeat Judah and his brave fighting men. An army consisting of more than 40,000 men swept the land under the leadership of two commanders, Nicanor and Gorgiash. When Judah and his brothers heard of that, they exclaimed: "Let us fight unto death in defense of our souls and our Temple!" The people assembled in Mitzpah, where Samuel, the prophet of old, had offered prayers to G‑d. After a series of battles the war was won. The Dedication Now the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate it. They entered the Temple and cleared it of the idols placed there by the Syrian vandals. Judah and his followers built a new altar, which he dedicated on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev, in the year 3622 (139 B.C.E.). Since the golden Menorah had been stolen by the Syrians, the Maccabees now made one of cheaper metal. When they wanted to light it, they found only a small cruse of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. It was sufficient to light only for one day. By a miracle of G‑d, it continued to burn for eight days, till new oil was made available. That miracle proved that G‑d had again taken His people under His protection. In memory of this, our sages appointed these eight days for annual thanksgiving and for lighting candles. After Chanukah The brightness of the first Chanukah light had dwindled down. But the holy fires on the altar burnt again in the Beit Hamikdash, from morning to morning, as prescribed by the Law. The priests were again busily officiating in the old customary ways, and day in, day out they prepared the offerings. Order and peace seemed established. The Jewish farmer longed to return to his land after two years of hardship, privation and danger in the victorious Jewish army. It was high time to

break the ground and to till the soil, if the barley was to grow and ripen in time for "Omer-offering" on Passover. The Jewish farmers had left their ploughs to rally about the heroic Chashmonaim. The first victories had drawn even the hesitant into the ranks of the enthusiastic Jewish rebels, led by the sons of Mattityahu. Farmers had forsaken their land, merchants and tradesmen their stores and shops. Even Torah students had emerged from the four walls of the Bet Hamidrash to join the fight against the oppressors. But the songs of victory, which had filled the reclaimed Holy Temple with praise and gratitude for the merciful G‑d, had ceased. The goal of the battle seemed reached, and Torah again was supreme law in Israel. One man, though, realized that the time for a return to normal living had not yet come. Israel could not yet afford to relax; it would have to stand ready and prepare to carry on the fight against the overwhelming odds of the enemy. This man was Judah Maccabi. His name was upon everyone’s lips and in every Jewish heart. He was admired as a hero, as a man with the heart of a lion and the simple piety of a child; as the one whose mighty armies fought and conquered, yet who never failed to pray to G‑d, the Master of all battles, before he entered the fray. It was not the spirited warrior’s joy that made Judah Maccabi stay in camp. His heart, too, longed to return to his former peaceful life, to Modiin, the quiet town of priests, which held the grave of his adored father. Bloodshed and battle meant a hard and unwanted profession for the men of Judea, who preferred peace to strife. Yet this was no time for relenting. Not only had he to stay, but with all the persuasion of his magnetic personality he had to hold back his comradesat-arms. His own reasoning and his two wise brothers, Shimon and Yonatan, told him that only the first phase of this war of liberation had passed. Hard and desperate times were yet to come. Clever enemies merely needed an extended lull to prepare new assaults with more troops and better equipment. And there were enemies all about Judea, besides the defeated Syrians. The neighboring countries begrudged the dazzling victories of the small Jewish armies. They would much rather have seen the people of Judea oppressed and humiliated, than armed and spirited, a threat to their own lands. Whence had come the sudden source of strength, courage and fortitude? What was there in this nation that made history in proud seclusion and isolation from other nations Old hatred was revived. The descendants of Edom (the Idumeans), the Ammonites, the Philistines and Phoenicians, they all revived their ancient jealousies. Messengers arrived from Gilead. The pagan people joined forces to destroy Judea. From Galilee came the bad news of similar evil intentions and active preparations in Ptolemais, Tyre and Zidon. The messengers found Judah Maccabi already at work. Fortifications had to be thrown up around Zion. Towers, walls, battlements and moat had to be constructed opposite the fort still held by their worst enemies, the Hellenistic Jews, under the leadership of the false priest Menelaus. These hated everything Jewish, and lived in the hope of the return of the Syrian masters. Judah Maccabi prepared Jerusalem against them and against imminent assault by the troops of Antiochus. Under his supervision the Jewish people worked feverishly to refill their arsenals and turn the whole country into a stronghold. Once this most important task was accomplished, Judah Maccabi led his freshly trained troops to the aid of the regions and villages harassed by the spiteful neighbors of Judea. He drove the Idumeans from Hebron, which they had annexed, and he punished the people who had acted with hostility towards the Jewish settlers. Then he led his army across the Jordan River against the Ammonites. Their capital fell before the furious onslaught of the Jewish troops, and so did their fortress, Yaeser. Judah’s brother Shimon led an army north to aid the plagued Jews of Galilee. He defeated the enemy and cleared the Jewish land. At his urging, a great many of the Jewish settlers who had fled to Jerusalem, returned to rebuild in safety what had been destroyed during the years of weakness. Judah Maccabi and Yonatan joined forces and marched against Gilead, where they were met with the toughest resistance. By Shavuot, this campaign was successfully concluded. Judea was again free, and all parts captured by the neighboring nation had been recovered. Celebrations and festivity transformed Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, hardly half a year after the victories over the Syrian armies. The Jewish people expressed their joy and gratitude to G‑d in the form of psalms and offerings. For He had restored glory and liberty to the Jewish land. Excerpted from The Complete Story of Chanukah by Dr Nissan Mindel, published by Kehot

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

FOODI E S

CORNER It’s interesting to see the difference in style between what I call a latke (a very crispy potato cake) and the somewhat softer latkes that some of my friends with Polish origins love. Mine belong to the Litvak (LithuanianJewish) culinary tradition, which dominated in South Africa where my mother’s family lived, having migrated from Eastern Europe in the late 1880s.

Potato latkes Hayley Smorgon, Gaye Weeden Ingredients 8–10 medium–large potatoes (desiree or pontiac are good) 1 onion, grated 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tbsp plain flour 1 tsp sugar ground white pepper, to taste canola or peanut oil, for panfrying Instructions Wash the potatoes but don’t peel them. Coarsely grate the potatoes, then place in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, without destroying the texture of the potato. Place in a bowl. Using a fork, lightly mix in the onion,

eggs, flour and sugar. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Heat about 2 cm of oil in a large frying pan (an electric one is particularly good), until the oil is moderately hot, but not smoking. Using a fork and spoon, lightly lower spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil. Don’t be too neat about it "” those spiky bits make the latkes even crunchier "” and don’t shape or squash the latke batter. When golden underneath, turn the latkes once and brown the other side. Lift them out and drain on paper towels. Keep the latkes warm while you cook the remaining mixture. Discard the last of the mixture as it will be waterlogged. Serve the latkes immediately on their own, with cinnamon-sugar, apple sauce and sour cream, or as an accompaniment to a meat dish such as a slow-cooked

braise. Recipe from Cooking From The Heart: A Journey Through Food by Hayley Smorgon and Gaye Weeden, with photographs by Mark Roper. Published by Hardie Grant. Cook's notes Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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the sydney jewish report | december 2020

MOV I E

The Comeback Trail ALEX FIRST A spoof on mercenary Hollywood producers, featuring three of the biggest and oldest actors in the business, The Comeback Trail delights. Robert De Niro stars as Max Barber, whose lack of success in churning out D-grade dirges proceeds him. We are in Hollywood in 1974. Barber works in partnership with his nephew, Walter Creason (Zach Braff), although it is clear who calls the shots. As The Comeback Trail starts, the pair’s latest film, Killer Nuns – a box office disaster – is the subject of a serious picket. Financing to tune of $350,000 has come from gangster Reggie Fontaine (Morgan Freeman). Fontaine – adept at referencing classic Hollywood movies in his threats

of violence – wants back the money he invested in the picture, only Barber doesn’t have it. With a dire fate awaiting Barber, Fontaine gives him 72 hours to stump up the cash. Barber visits a younger, successful producer, James Moore (Emile Hirsch), who offers to pay big money for a dynamite script that Barber has been holding onto for years, but Barber rebuts him. Eventually he succumbs, only to change his mind again when he chances upon an insurance scam that could make his troubles disappear forever. Again soliciting Fontaine, Barber casts a fallen Hollywood star, Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) – who is way past his prime and looking to check out of this world – in a movie (any movie), the script

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for which has been collecting dust. The idea is to literally kill off the lead and collect the insurance money. Barber’s nephew, Creason is excited by the prospect of a new shoot – especially this one, as it’s a script he has always liked, although Barber hasn’t, but Creason doesn’t know about Barber’s nefarious plan. And then, of course, everything goes pear-shaped. Oh, so silly and far-fetched, The Comeback Trail is also tremendous fun. The script by George Gallo (Bad Boys for Life) and Josh Posner – based upon a 1982 film of the same name by Harry Hurwitz – is delightful, contrived nonsense, while direction by Gallo allows the talent to shine. The actors appear to be having a hell of a good time hamming it up. Although there is no shortage of

REVIEW cornball antics, there are also belly laughs to be had. De Niro leads from the front, channelling the comic sensibility that endeared him to audiences in Meet the Parents (2000). Freeman puts on indignation as the tough talking hood with appropriate menacing sidekicks. The Comeback Trail is simply good oldfashioned entertainment – lightweight levity made all the better because of the talent involved. It is the perfect tonic for these troubled times. Also, please wait for the credits to roll as you get the chance to see a tongue in cheek trailer for Killer Nuns (refer back to my earlier mention at the head of this review). Rated M, The Comeback Trail scores a 7½ out of 10.