Ron Kampeas writes in The Chronicle (May 8, Page 18 or www.jta.org) of “support from leading Jewish groups” for J Street. Was Rabbi Schonfeld speaking her own opinions or expressing a vote of the entire assembly? Kampeas goes on to describe the tent as “big enough to … continue to have dialogue,” but I submit that my own tent is too small for such conversation.
On April 29, I attended the program on Jewish genetic diseases at the Jewish Community Campus. The opening was heart-wrenching as we watched a short documentary about a child who died at age 4 of Tay Sachs. The mother of that child spoke to us in person about her son’s all-too-short life. She has turned her devastation into a mission — to speak out about the need for genetic testing in an effort to reduce the incidence of these diseases that are prevalent among Jews. Her story was compelling and her passion contagious. I now understand how critical it is to spread the word. Check out www.jscreen.org and www.JewishGeneticDiseases.org, and pass the information on to someone you care about.
I have been attending the yearly Yom HaShoah Holocaust Memorial Service since its inception, and was most moved by the program this year. The April 13 attacks on our community underscore once again that not only do we as Jews need to remember the Shoah, but we are obligated to share its lessons with each other, and with the general community. How better to connect with the world that was taken from our people than to be moved by the images of Hungarian Jews arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and by the voices of our children singing Yiddish songs. How better to appreciate the strength of our survivors and our traditions than to witness the contributions of three generations of the Klausner family. And how better to demonstrate the power of the Holocaust to teach than to invite students in the community-at-large to research and write about it, and to hear excerpts of several of the most outstanding essays.
I am most grateful to Mirra Klausner, to the organizations responsible for the program, and to the many participants.
The attacker unwittingly demonstrated that attacks against Jews, or against any people deemed different or undesirable, are attacks against all people. Sitting in the audience surrounded by survivors and other members of my family, as well as a number of non-Jews, I was reminded once again of the need to remember. “Al teesh-kach.”
Arthur B. Federman
The writer is a past president of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education and the child of one of its founders
I attended the Yom HaShoah Holocaust Memorial Service Sunday at the Jewish Community Campus with my mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Nussbaum. I was impressed by the organizational talent demonstrated by the people that orchestrated the event. Certainly viewing the Auschwitz Album was gut wrenching and very difficult to watch. I am positive that it dredged up horrible memories in my mother’s mind. Those who decided to display those scenes definitely created a very charged emotional atmosphere which was very moving and stirring. At such an occasion this is appropriate and sets the stage for a message to be heard and internalized by the audience. Additionally, the singing by the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy choir was beautifully done and the Yiddish songs added to the tone and mood of the service.
However, the significance of the moment I feel was lost. As we all are aware of, the Nazi regime was focused on destroying all remnants of the Jewish religion. This does not need any clarification as this is very well known and documented. The theme of the service was clearly universal and spoke to the importance of having tolerance for others and exhibiting kindness for all people.
Although those thoughts are important and essential in human relationships and vital for maintaining a healthy and viable society, they do not address the scope of the destruction of European Jewry that this service is dedicated to commemorate. When I heard mentioned repeatedly the need for education to abolish bigotry and hatred such as was demonstrated by the shooting that took place recently in Overland Park, I was stunned. Can we truly believe that lack of education caused this murderous outburst of a white supremacist?
However, I digress from the topic of this letter. The Nussbaum/Weiss families lost numerous members of our family due to the Nazi machine’s intent to murder all Jews. They were murdered because they were Jews, not because of some universally adopted doctrine of bigotry and hatred. They were specifically targeted because they were Jews. I truly believe that discussing universal problems such as you did is sacrilegious in this venue and tremendously underplays the ultimate sacrifice that my grandparents, uncles, aunts and many others suffered at the hands of the Nazi murderers.
Even the survivors, such as my father A”H and my mother, she should continue to enjoy the best of heath and live to see ongoing nachas from our family, should be offended by this display of ignoring what their torment and affliction meant.
If you honestly want to attend to this issue, then you need to formulate ideas that will strengthen Judaism in our community. Can we memorialize those holy martyrs when the bulk of our children are educated in public schools throughout the city unaware of their heritage? Based upon a rough estimate I would say that only 3 percent of the Jewish community attended this event. Where are they? Why isn’t there an outcry by the leaders of our community? Three thousand people can march when three innocent people are slain by a madman. How many people should be marching when 6 million were barbarically murdered by a madman, his name should be blotted forever, and his evil henchmen. Obviously I could list many concerns that should be at the top of the list for intensification in our community, but the question truly is why isn’t the community at large involved in the true meaning of the 6 million martyrs that we honor and remember at this time?
David Nussbaum
Denver, Colo.
Marlene Kahn and I went this past Saturday afternoon to see “Walking With The Enemy” and we both were very moved (sometimes to tears) by this story, which relates the part of the Holocaust that took place in Hungary during 1944 and 1945. It is a good movie and the story is based on a book. According to the Internet, this week it is only showing in the Kansas City metro area at the AMC 30 in Olathe and Standees in Prairie Village. Neither theater is offering many showings. It is our opinion that this movie should be made more widely available to the public. Marlene and I both are also of the opinion that this is a “must see” movie and not just for the Jewish community.
As a side note, after the conclusion of the movie as we watched the credits and reflected our feelings, I felt a strong desire to speak loudly “NEVER AGAIN,” but refrained from doing so, as there were no more than 10 others attending at this 5 p.m. showing.
Herb Spiegel
Prairie Village, Kan.
Marlene Kahn
Olathe, Kan.
Kansas has been on the front pages of the international news, but this time it is not for its tornadoes, red shoes or dogs named Toto. Whatever fantasy the Wizard of Oz brought to the big screen does not compare to the recent real life murders of three innocent citizens.
I grew up in Overland Park and in the early ’70s there was a spate of anti-Semitism in downtown Overland Park, which was more like a small suburb at that time. One particular store, owned by a Jewish family, was targeted with hate messages on its windows. If memory serves, it was called Litwin’s. I don’t know if I needed a coat that winter, but I wanted to support the store against the face of anti-Semitism so bought a coat there.
The Jewish community in Kansas City is an old one. According to Wikipedia, there are some 19,000 Jews living in the greater Kansas City area. While it is not huge compared to other cities, it has always been strong. It is strong enough to be diverse and to open its doors to the general public — to invite all local Kansas City residents to join in its activities, without regard to their religious affiliation.
I am proud of the Jewish Community Campus in Overland Park for its efforts in bringing people together from every background and walk of life. Despite this tragedy, I believe the love it pours out on local residents will overcome the hate of one man.
Gayla Goodman
Mevasseret Zion, Israel
Thanks to the articles about Sagi Rudnick and George Lebovitz in the most recent Jewish Life magazine that discussed Bar/Bat Mitzvah twinning ceremonies at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, a family in Israel knows of these ceremonies and is very interested in learning more about it and even making this tour experience a family Bar/Bat Mitzvah tradition.
This Israeli family now will get the word out in Israel too!
What an amazing ripple effect has been created in our one intertwined universe, in which we all share — Kansas — Jerusalem — and on and on — from the Rudnick family’s precious vision coming to life in the article.
Mayaan Linett
Modi’in, Israel
For 23 travelers who recently spent 10 days in Israel eating and drinking, climbing and floating, learning and connecting, a new community has emerged. It is a microcosm of the Kansas City Jewish community and of the wider North American Jewish community and worldwide Jewish community — it’s a group of people who care deeply about one another, who share in joy and sadness and who come together around the common thread of a shared history, faith and peoplehood.
This group of 23 emerging leaders will gather tonight for the first time since returning to share stories, photos and reflections of a travel experience that was much more than just a sightseeing trip to Israel. For some members of the group, this was their first visit to the Jewish homeland; others had not been since they were teens some 20 years ago. A few have more recently led trips of students or adults, but have done so without the companionship of friends or spouses.
“It was such a great experience for me to be able to go on a trip like this as a participant,” says Jay Lewis, executive director of KU Hillel. “I knew I was going to have a lot of new experiences because of the group of people I was going with.”
This journey allowed the group to experience Israel together — examining the past that unites them, experiencing the bustling and complicated present, and looking at the possibility of a pluralistic, multicultural, peaceful future.
Salute to a new flagYou are all very well aware of the tragic shootings in Overland Park at the JCC and Village Shalom on Sunday April 13, so I won’t repeat what you know. What you may not know is that within minutes of the shootings and the apprehension of the “person” purportedly responsible, our Post sponsored another event at 3 p.m. at nearby Congregation Ohev Sholom.
In spite of the very dicey weather (we already had calls asking to postpone), and then frantic calls on cell phones about the shootings that just occurred, we decided “Let’s Roll.” Twenty minutes before the 3 p.m. scheduled start, the rain suddenly stopped. Ten minutes before the start, the sun came out and stayed out until 15 minutes after we finished.
We (eight of us in uniform), three Boy Scouts, the President of Ohev Sholom and two Scout Leaders (observed by a Prairie Village police officer) did something that decent, law-abiding citizens do in the face of hatred, violence and terrorism ... we retired an old, tattered U.S. flag and raised a new U.S. flag on the flagpole, saluted, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem.
I was very proud that we did this, especially to show the Boy Scouts something that they will surely long-remember and appreciate.
Sheldon Turetsky, Commander
Jewish War Veterans MO-KAN Post 605
By David T. Rudman, M.D.
Guest Columnist
Each of us feels our own relationship with the tragic shootings that occurred last week on our Jewish Community Campus. Some of us were actually there when it happened. Some of us had just left the Campus, or were on our way there. Many of us easily could have been there. Some of us knew the victims. And as we hear what loving people they were, and are inspired by the grace and faith of their survivors, we all probably wish we had known them.
This is my story: I had just returned from a trip to Germany as part of the Konrad Adenaur Foundation/American Jewish Committee Exchange, which annually brings 10 American Jewish leaders to Germany for a week of high access meetings with government officials, diplomats, journalists, professors and religious leaders. We were there to foster American-German, and German-Israeli relations and discuss anti-Semitism, right-wing extremism and the state of Judaism in Germany. It was enlightening, depressing and uplifting at the same time. And it was timely; just hours after my return, a hate crime was committed in my own backyard.
By Yahav Barnea
Guest Columnist
Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss Parashat Vaykrah at Congregation Beth Torah. This particular Torah portion talks about the Temple and the custom of sacrifices. The priests are trying to educate the people to not just make sacrifices for G-d out of obligation, but to make these sacrifices with good intention and a pure heart.
The idea of giving and donating has been a common idea in Judaism for many years and is still relevant. We are asked to give to our congregation, our local community and our global Jewish community in which Israel is a major part. But how can we give with intention and pure heart when we don’t have that clear connection? How can we give when we don’t know or don’t have a personal relationship with the receiving side?
I think it would suffice to say that we’re all in a state of shock over the recent hate crime that rocked the entire fabric of our community, in fact that of the entire world. Right now we share a lot of deep sadness with those families directly affected, holding them in our thoughts and prayers. Events as such leave us grieving, feeling insecure and questioning in utter disbelief why/how this all could have happened. But, you can’t expect to be able to reason/rationalize with an irrational person. Crazy just “is.” Indeed, it’s all so incomprehensible! Quite the contrary, however, it was Albert Einstein who was once quoted to say, “The eternal mystery of the world IS its comprehensibility.”
The perpetrator of this despicable hate crime is obviously a delusional individual that embraces a hate so intense, so consuming that he could justify to himself such heinous actions. As Jews, we believe that creation is based upon the practice of kindness, compassion and forgiveness toward everything — inside and outside ourselves — in everything we do: words, thoughts and actions. Forgiveness is not about excusing the misdeeds of others, but about letting go the negative emotion (i.e., anger) that we burden upon ourselves. The Talmud says that good deeds are their own reward and misdeeds are their own punishment. Our passion need be guided not by anger but by a desire for good; to extrapolate the good from within (evil) and let go of any negative emotions tied therewith.
As Jews, we practice kavanah — a continual awareness of the implications of everything we do; attuning our thoughts/words/actions toward a spiritual focus/awareness, an interconnectedness to all things rather than a materialistic/separateness. As such, we continue with our Seder, evermore reminded of our real connection to the events of our ancestors.
Dr.John Fasbinder
Lenexa, Kan.
We have all remarked countless times how ubiquitous are Jews in the fields of business and finance, cultural arts and social services and charitable pursuits, and “what would this country do without us.”
More significant, however, is how many of these Jewish names are in the synagogue on even the High Holy Days or if there is any Jewish observation in their homes? Are they raising their children as Jews?
What is the future of Jews in America? Will we prosper or even survive for a generation or two at the current rates of assimilation and intermarriage?
David Ben-Gurion had a vision for the Negev to be the future for the Jewish state’s growth and prosperity. A pioneer, he trusted in the Jewish people to transform a seemingly uninhabitable desert into a hub of creativity and innovation.
The Negev region covers more than 60 percent of Israel. Its heart, the critical organ that pumps life into the Negev’s acres of arid land, is Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). Through BGU, Ben-Gurion’s dream is being realized.
On March 7, I returned from a week-long mission to BGU, selected to join a handful of science and health writers to report firsthand on the newsworthy research, innovation and collaborations occurring at the university. The BGU research in areas of neurological science, the environment and high-technology has provided me with many stories, expert sources and insight into how Israel is exporting its technology from the desert to the world.
We met with BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi, the first woman president of an Israeli university. Before taking on her role, Carmi’s research included the identification of 12 new genes and the delineation of three new syndromes, one of which is known as the Carmi Syndrome.
“We are stationed in a unique way in Israel in that we have both academic and clinical staff working together intimately,” Carmi explained, noting that the BGU model of research for the sake of community improvement is one that has been recognized and adopted by leading universities around the world. She said she sees the school’s role not only as pivotal in the development of southern Israel, but in the progression and continued vitality of the entire State.
We met with Prof. Alon Friedman, who has made a dramatic discovery about the blood-brain barrier and its connection to the onset of epilepsy following brain trauma. We watched a demonstration by representatives of a BGU spin-off, ElMindA. The company’s Brain Network Activation takes cognitive-electrophysiology to a new frontier, unparalleled by any other test.
Two billion people suffer from brain-related disorders, including developmental problems (autism and ADHD, for example), neurological disorders (brain injuries, epilepsy), mental problems, and neurodegenerative disorders. ElMindA can assist in therapeutic interventions for nearly all of these problems.
We talked with two researchers who believe they have reliably identified new ways to improve diagnosis of autistic children based on biological and neurological testing and markers.
Dr. Ilan Dinstein, a member of the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, said his latest research indicates that even 20 or 30 percent of autistic patients can be identified based on MRI scans and/or EEG exams at the age of one, which he believes will revolutionize the field. Idan Menashe, a senior lecturer at BGU’s Department of Public Health, has collected data from more than 200 studies purporting 5,000 copy number variations that might be associated with the disease and managed to reduce that number to seven. A copy number variation is the number of copies of a particular gene in the genome of an individual. Evidence shows that such copy number variations can lead to patients with autism.
“Our study helped prioritize these regions, so doctors know where to look for these CNVs that might be associated with autism. … Now, we can use genetic diagnostic tools in addition to the typical psychiatric diagnosis, which increases the reliability of the diagnosis,” Menashe said.
I am very fortunate to have visited Israel nine times, and to have lived there for almost six years. But in all those experiences, I rarely took notice of the Negev or BGU — until now.
The area has biblical relevance: Both Yitzchak and Yaakov lived in the Negev (Genesis 24:62; 37:1), it was to the Negev to which the 12 spies were sent to scout out the land of Israel (Numbers 13:22), among other references.
And BGU is Israel’s most dynamic university, a catalyst for growth and an engine of innovation to propel Israel further to the scientific forefront.
David Ben-Gurion believed that “those who searched for wisdom should go south.” Next time you are in Israel, head down to the Negev.
Maayan Jaffe is director of philanthropy at the Jewish Community Center and a regular freelance writer for Jewish News Service. Her work related to the BGU media mission can be read on JNS.org, in Autism Parenting and B’nai B’rith magazines, among other places.
