Todah rabbah
On behalf of The J, I want to thank the collectors whose Hanukkah menorahs were on display at the Jewish Community Campus this month. Virtually every visitor left the show expressing gratitude for the “stunning” quality and “surprising” variety. More than one person said simply, “I’m blown away.”
Last week, the people of Alabama spoke loud and clear when they voted against Roy Moore in his bid for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Much of that can be credited to the #MeToo movement.
A great mentor
It was a well written article by Ellen Portnoy about my friend and mentor, Dr. Kurt Metzl. Unfortunately, there was not enough room to share some other aspects of Dr. Metzl’s career.
Naked aggression as described by The Chronicle
The front page of the Dec. 7 edition of The Chronicle carries a large rebuke of recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. It vigorously supports warnings from the Islamic nations.
The story of Hanukkah recounts the actions of stalwart Maccabee leaders and the revolt that saved the Jewish people. The Book of Judith, which is also intertwined with the victories of Hanukkah, chronicles the daring feats of a woman who was merely a member of a Jewish community. Yet she too, saved her people. Judith’s story deserves attention as it instructs us to contemplate our own obligations to defend rights and liberties.
Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel” by Francine Klagsbrun
(Schocken, hardcover, Oct. 10, 2017)
Whenever a special revealing work is published, the publishers often use the word, “unexpurgated — complete and containing original material.” The publishers of “Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel” did not choose that word but instead called it “the definitive biography on Golda Meir … a beautiful portrait of the iron-willed leader, chain-smoking political operative, and tea-and-cake serving grandmother who became the fourth prime minister of Israel and one of the most notable women of our time.
NEW YORK — This past Veterans Day, as I reflected on the bravery of those who served our country, I also thought about the number of charities that purport to help our heroes. Did you know that there are more than 40,000 separate charities that help veterans? While the vast majority of charities out there are doing important work, periodically one reads in the news about scams where people with good intentions make gifts to poorly run or fraudulent organizations. As we enter the busy year-end giving season, it’s important to know how to research and evaluate charitable organizations.
