Jewish Advocate

'Enough is enough!'

01/02/2009

Israel pounded Hamas targets in Gaza this week, part of a counter-offensive after the terrorist group violated an expired truce and launched more than 100 rockets into neighboring Israeli towns. "Enough is enough," declared Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Israel's kibbutzim head for the States

By Cara Hogan Advocate Staff — 01/02/2009

Many Jews move to Israel in order to live and work on traditional kibbutzim, but three American families have come together to form a new concept: a kibbutz on U.S. soil. Rebecca Redstone, cofounder of the Kibbutz Project, signed onto the idea with her family hoping to give her 2- year-old daughter a unique upbringing.

Russians buying choice U.S. homes

By Vladimir Shvorin Advocate Staff — 01/02/2009

Problems getting a mortgage? Try cash. Though their pace has been slowed by the weak U.S. economy, wealthy Russian investors are still buying up some of the most expensive properties available in the U.S. And their typically allcash investments - as much as $95 million - are a realtor's dream.

Local rabbi has ties to Valkyrie plot

By Vladimir Shvorin Advocate Staff — 01/02/2009

Hollywood's depiction of the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, as seen in the recently released movie "Valkyrie," portrays the integral personnel involved in the botched scheme. But the story leaves out others involved in the plot, including the great-uncles of local Conservative Rabbi Sara Paasche-Orlow.

Iran: We are readying for war with Israel

01/02/2009

On Monday, three days after Israel launched its counter-offensive in Gaza, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said the nation would begin preparing for military operations against the Jewish state, according to a DEBKAfile report.

Hispanic Jews go glam

01/02/2009

Hispanic Jews looking for new digs have another choice: Jewtina and Jewtino. Adriana Lopez, a Southern California mom, worked with her daughter to design clothing and accessories geared to this often-overlooked Jewish demographic. Born to Colombian and Mexican immigrants, Lopez's line of clothing offers Jews of Spanish or Latin-American descent a look that reaffirms their multi-ethnic heritage.

JewGlue.com offers all-Jewish networking

By Cara Hogan Advocate Staff — 01/02/2009

Twenty-three-year-old Brian Miller envisioned a virtual version of the entire Jewish community. So last summer he created Jew- Glue.com, a Web site complete with social and business networking, a dating service, advertising for events and charities and even blogs written by rabbis.

Brookline gets a 'better batch' of cookies

By Cara Hogan Advocate Staff — 01/02/2009

Bakers have scanned edible images onto cookies and cakes for years, but local Jewish baker Jennifer Shapiro of better batch bakers takes personalized designs to a new level. "Edible ink has been around at the supermarket level for a long time on cakes," said Shapiro. "But we're really positioning ourselves as cookie designers.

Mass. cops train for terror in Israel

01/02/2009

JERUSALEM — A delegation of 15 senior law enforcement officials from the Northeast, including five from Massachusetts, recently returned from a trip to Israel where they had a firsthand look at Israel's counter-terrorism strategies and tactics.

National Jewish News

01/02/2009

Poor, poor Bernie Madoff After confessing to swindling $50 billion from investors using a Ponzi scheme, Bernard Madoff recently received a bit of his own medicine. A copper five-foot statue of two young lifeguards worth $10,000 was stolen from the investor's estate.

Not your typical Yiddish humor

By Daniel M. Kimmel Movie Maven — 01/02/2009

Chanukah's over. Winter's here. What better to brighten up a cold evening than a 1940 musical comedy starring Leo Fuchs, a man dubbed "the Yiddish Fred Astaire?" The DVD release of "American Matchmaker" is a light, sometimes goofy example of Yiddish cinema marred only by subtitles that sometimes let dialogue go by untranslated.

Books received

01/02/2009

Triumph Over Tyranny: The Heroic Campaign that Saved 2,000,000 Soviet Jews Phillip Spiegel, Devora Publishing Phillip Spiegel presents a history of Jewish resistance in Russia and the government-backed anti-Semitism that attempted to shun a cohesive Jewish identity.

Tracking the wandering Jews

@ Home in Israel By Gayle Danis Rinot — 01/02/2009

I realized last week that in the almost 22 years I've been in Israel, I had never been to the Tel Aviv University campus.

SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES

01/02/2009

BOSTON 4:05 PM

Four years of terror, and now a protest?

01/02/2009

Seriously, it�s time to put the signs down, catch up on the news and think rationally. Four years have passed since Israel withdrew from Gaza in an effort to reassure Palestinians of the Jewish state�s willingness to exchange land for peace. Since that time, Hamas and Palestinian militants in the Strip have launched more than 6,000 rockets and mortars at innocent Israelis.

The real question is, do we understand Hamas?

Zalli Jaffe — 01/02/2009

In every conflict, be it military or political, a family quarrel or a hostile takeover of a company, a basic principle is to understand the enemy, the disputant, the other side. This understanding has two parts: How does side A understands side B, and what does side A know of side B�s understanding of side A?

Foreign Affairs

Charles A. Radin — 01/02/2009

The last thing the world needs as it struggles with severe recession, deepening climate crisis and assorted ethnic conflicts scattered across Africa, the Middle East and South Asia is a major war that could go nuclear. Fortunately, the nations most at risk of engaging in such a conflagration have taken a step back from the brink. Iran and Israel are relatively quiet.

Ask The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin KORFF — 01/02/2009

Dear Rebbetzin, Is there any Jewish prohibition against ringing in the [Christian} New Year with friends? We've always done so with our Christian neighbors and thought nothing of it, but maybe we should.

Immigrant courage inspires hope

Shulamit Reinharz — 01/02/2009

A few years ago, I made a New Year's resolution that by now has become a personal habit: I try to end every meeting or conversation on an "up" note. So, here is an upbeat column for the end of 2008 - and the start of 2009. As we all remember, in the 1970s and 1980s, Jews began to demand the right to leave the Soviet Union.

The strange life of Adam Pearlman

Tom Mountain — 01/02/2009

"Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." So reads Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution. No American since 1952 has been convicted of treason. In fact, no American has even been charged with treason in over a half-century.

New film based on Davidson book

01/02/2009

Premiering at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, "The Holocaust: Memory and Legacy," a new documentary film based on Susie Davidson's book "I Refused to Die," is narrated by WBZ's Jordan Rich and features Holocaust survivors Israel Arbeiter, Samuel Bak, Edgar Krasa, Stephan Ross,

Young Israel to host health insurance seminar

01/02/2009

BROOKLINE — On Sunday Jan. 11, Young Israel will host Universal Health Insurance: Current Realities and Future Possibilities. Young Israel is at 62 Green St., near Coolidge Corner. Target audience: those concerned with their health insurance and those interested in state and national health reform, and Jewish perspectives on universal health insurance.

JCDS exuding that Chanukah spirit

01/02/2009

WATERTOWN — The glow and rapture of Chanukah came to light at JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School, as extended families joined together with staff for our annual Family Chanukah Celebration.

Lavie at women's prayer workshop in Brookline

01/02/2009

BROOKLINE — On Monday night, Jan. 5, at 8 p.m., Ma'ayan: Torah Studies Initiative for Women will host a women-only workshop on Jewish women's prayers with Aliza Lavie, Ph.D., editor of "Tefilat Nashim: A Jewish Woman's Prayer Book.

CALENDAR

01/02/2009

FRIDAY, JAN. 2 Shabbat MALDEN — Temple Tifereth Israel will have shabbat services at 6:45 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner and service, snack and study on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 9 a.m. Information: 781-322-2794. MONDAY, JAN.

The dating experiment

Tamar Caspi — 01/02/2009

When I first enrolled on JDate, my dating life became very busy very quickly. So much so that I decided to start an experiment that I called "Dating Like a Guy." There wasn't anything scientific and no man-imals were harmed during this experiment. I simply decided to accept all the dates I was being asked out on at the same time.

Social Calendar

01/02/2009

FRIDAY, JAN. 9 Shabbat BROOKLINE — Join the Chai Center for a 20s and 30s young adult Shabbat dinner at 6:15 p.m. A full course traditional dinner with amazing challah, homemade gefilte fish, chicken soup and matzo balls will be served. Come meet new people while Rabbi Mayshe does some meaningful stand-up between courses, followed by a "Stump the Rabbi" session. R.

Gerta Bagriansky, Holocaust survivor

01/02/2009

Holocaust Survivor Gerta Bagriansky died peacefully in her sleep. She was more than 100 years old. Born on August 8, 1908, in Germany, she lived in Lithuania, Denmark, France, Austria and Italy before settling into her Newton home in 1951. During World War II, she was interned in the Kovno and Vilno Ghetto, escaping both and surviving in hiding.

Dr. Oscar Kogan, 93

01/02/2009

Dr. Oscar Kogan died in Rockville, Md., December 16, 2008, at the age of 93. Born in Latvia/Lithuania, he moved to Argentina as a teenager and then to the U.S. in 1969. Dr. Kogan practiced dentistry and lived in Boston, Holyoke, New York (Queens) and Rockville. He loved his family, traveling and healing.

Paul A. Curtis

01/02/2009

Paul A. Curtis of Roslindale, formerly of West Roxbury and a retired Captain in the U.S. Army, died on Friday, December 26, 2008. He was the beloved husband of the late Frances (Kisloff). He was the devoted father of Gerald B. and Mary Curtis of Lilburn, Ga.; Dr. Richard L. and Marcy Curtis of Weston; Ellyn R. and Mark Harmon of Newton; Robert A.

Marion T. Breitstein

01/02/2009

Marion T. (Tucker) Breitstein of New Jersey, formerly of Brookline, died on Saturday, December 27, 2008. She was the beloved wife of the late Herbert Breitstein and the loving mother of Leonard Breitstein and his wife Edith of Montgomery Village, Md, and Toby Kaufman and her husband Ted of South Orange, N.J.

Parshah Vayigash

GRAND RABBI Y.A. KORFF ZVHIL - MEZBUZ REBBE — 01/02/2009

When reciting Kiddush over wine, whether at the evening Shabbos or Holyday meal or during the day - and for that matter when reciting Havdalah at the conclusion of these holy days - after the introductory verses and immediately before the central brochoh over the wine itself, we say the words "Savrei Maranan V'Rabanan V'Rabosei,

ORGANIZATION

01/02/2009

Action for Post-Soviet Jewry 24 Crescent St., Suite 306, Waltham, MA 02453 (781)893-2331 ActionPSJ@aol.com www.ActionPSJ.org AIPAC - The American Israel Public Affairs Committee Boston, MA 617-399-2562 nereg@aipac.

SYNAGOGUES

01/02/2009

ACTON Cong. Beth Elohim (I) 133 Prospect Street POB 2218 978-263-3061 www.bethelohim.org ANDOVER Cong. Beth Israel (C) 501 South Main Street 978-474-0540 www.BethIsraelMV.org office@BethIsraelMV.

The best Jewish theater of '08

By Jules Becker — 01/02/2009

The recent Tony Award-winning musical "Spamalot" bears a striking number with the pointed title "You Won't Find Success on Broadway (If You Haven't Any Jews)." This insightful song could be describing much of the best Boston-area theater in 2008. Many of the strongest plays and musicals of the year featured Jewish themes, key Jewish characters or creators or all three.

Planning ahead for hotel safety

By Peter L. Rothholz — 01/02/2009

Be prepared" is the official motto of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, but its message is equally important for travelers as well.

A frugal, simple and tasty meal

BY DENISE PHILLIPS — 01/02/2009

With so much press coverage about food price increases and the "credit crunch" hitting each and every one of us, I thought I would look at how to cook with store cupboard ingredients and a few fridge leftovers.

A belated apology

Eileen Pollack — 01/02/2009

Just before the election this past November, I stopped to eat at Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn, Mich., not far from where live.