Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on June 5, 2017

Richard Gere and Lior Ashkenazi, in Norman

Sadly, Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer is one of those films that is far more interesting in conception than execution. Since both its premise and characters possess great potential, this is doubly unfortunate.

Writer and director Joseph Cedar quite articulate in interviews aimed for Norman to be a personality study and political commentary on the toxic nature of American-Israeli relations. Regrettably, his success is only slight on both counts.

His movies title character, Norman Oppenheimer, looks on the surface like any other fairly wealthy older gent on the streets of New York City. Well-dressed in cap and camel hair overcoat, hes aged well (this is Richard Gere, after all).

Poke a little deeper, though, and Norman is a curious chap. His business card impressively describes him as founder and CEO of Oppenheimer Strategies. In actuality, however, Norman barely scrapes the extreme periphery of gatherings of the rich and powerful, attempting to make mutually beneficial connections for people. Hes a fixer, or to use the Yiddish term, a macher.

We see Norman fail more than achieve, kicked out of one businessmans home and shouted at by another whom he pesters in Central Park. But Norman hits pay dirt when he befriends Micha Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi), a charismatic rising star in Israeli politics. Norman seals their friendship when he buys Micha a luxury pair of shoes during an afternoon of schmoozing.

Three years later (and as an intertitle tells us, several small favors later), Micha is Israels prime minister. At a Washington conference, Micha gratefully bestows on Norman the informal title of special advisor for New York Jewry.

The body of the movie then concerns itself with Normans efforts to keep multiple plates spinning. Can he stay in Michas good graces while avoiding unwelcome legal scrutiny? Can he help Rabbi Blumenthal (Steve Buscemi) raise funds to preserve his synagogue? Can he secure a traditional Jewish wedding for his nephew Philip (Michael Sheen)?

Joseph Cedar who has lived in both Israel and America, benefitted from both countries educational systems, and served in the Israeli military intended for his film to be a political critique. Through the figures of Micha and Norman, Cedar strives to embody Israels financial exploitation of susceptible Americans, mostly wealthy Jewish Zionists but to a lesser degree evangelicals neck-deep in end times prophecy.

Unfortunately, the critique is too vague and low-key to carry any heft. Part of the problem is Normans pacing, which never advances beyond adagio speed. I dont mind slow movies in general; The Death of Louis XIV, a favorite from 2016, solidly falls in this category. But coupled with Normans other flaws, I was struggling to stay awake during its final 30 minutes.

For one thing, Normans dialogue seldom rises above pedestrian. Normans opening comment that hes a tireless swimmer among ocean liners is among the few lines that surmounts the level of merely serviceable.

Additionally, Richard Geres performance is extraordinarily subdued. Norman rarely shows significant emotion, with only a mild quickening of his breathing indicating excitement or fear. Even Cedars frequent close-ups on his actors faces do little to enhance the drama when such a paucity of emotion is on display.

To be certain, its nice to have Steve Buscemi doing more than his usual criminal/loser shtick, and Michael Sheen improves any movie hes in, whether excellent (The Queen) or subpar (Passengers). And Cedar exhibits some technical cleverness, most notably during the sequence of Normans apotheosis at the D.C. gathering, as the translucent faces of important people fade in and out of his awareness. But these touches are not enough to save Norman from a nearly terminal blandness.

Norman (Richard Gere), in one of his offices

This is too bad, because Norman is an intriguing figure. His business card, his attire, and his truth-stretching name-dropping give him impressive airs. However, we never observe him in an office, only making phone calls in quiet recesses of department stores or from the counters of coffee shops. Instead of stationery, he takes notes on napkins. We hear him mention family but never see evidence of them, beyond his nephew Philip. Underneath his desire to be important and needed, is anybody home?

Writer/director Joseph Cedar clearly had bigger fish to fry, in referencing recent political scandals in Israel. And appealingly, his characters are neither saints nor villains. Micha believably lives in a gray zone, all too human in his temptation to drop little guys like Norman who aided his rise to the top. If only Cedar couldve made his ideas and characters more interesting to watch.

2.5 out of 5 stars

(Parents guide: Norman is rated R for some language.)

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Richard Gere and Lior Ashkenazi, in Norman - Patheos (blog)

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Posted By richards on June 4, 2017

There is a mitzvah in the Torahindeed, in the very text of the Shema itselfto recite the Shema twice daily: And you shall speak of them . . . when you lie down and when you rise up. The sages explain that this means we are to recite the Shema every morning and evening.

Now, Shema is included in the morning and evening service. Yet the Talmud states that before one goes to sleep to sleep, he should recite the Shema, as well as Hamapil. Hamapil is both a blessing and a prayer, in which we acknowledge that Gd has made us slaves to sleep, and we pray to Him to help us have only good thoughts in our sleep and to awake in the morning. (This blessing can be found in any standard prayerbook as part of the bedtime Shema).

Now, since the Shema is also a standard component of the nighttime Maariv prayer services, what is the purpose of repeating it again?

The Talmud explains that one should recite Shema before going to sleep, so as to go to sleep with words of Torah on his lips. This is learned from the verse in Psalms, Quake and do not sin; say [this] in your heart on your bed and be forever silent.

Additionally, the recitation of the Hamapil after the bedtime Shema serves as a protection from evil thoughts and impure forces (both physical and spiritual) during the night.

Sleep is described in the Talmud as one-sixtieth of death. The absence of life creates a vacuum which draws in forces of impurity and unwanted thoughts. Shema provides us with extra spiritual vitality to overcome this.

Some congregations have the custom to hold the evening prayers early, after sunset but before nightfall (or even earlier on Fridays). While this is permissible and they have fulfilled their obligation vis-a-vis evening prayer, they did not yet fulfil their obligation to recite Shema at night, since it needs to be said after nightfall proper.

Thus, saying Shema at bedtime has an unintended dividend. Those who pray in these congregations can have in mind during the bedtime Shema to fulfill their obligation to recite the evening Shema (provided that they say all three sections of the Shema).

The Talmud relates that the sage Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, in addition to reciting the Shema, would recite Psalm 91 as protection before he went to sleep. Following this, many have the custom of reciting this psalm, as well as various other verses, together with the bedtime Shema. (These prayers can be found in most standard prayerbooks.)

Additionally, many have the custom to add formulas in which we forgive all those who may have wronged us and ask Gd to forgive us for our sins. For more on this, see Bedtime Countdown.

Finally, the way one goes to sleep is the way he or she wakes up in the morning. So if you go to sleep with the Shema, youll be able to wake up reinvigorated to start a productive, meaningful and spiritual day.

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Why Say Shema at Bedtime? - Chabad.org

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Posted By admin on June 4, 2017

Forsyth County, as big as it has grown, often boasts its community feel. Schools aim to create a sense of comradery and trust. Cumming residents have known each other for years, often their whole lives.

Residents move to the area because its not as bustling as Atlanta. That small-town community feel can still be found.

One group of people has never had a place to call their own, a place to gather their community. Jewish residents have never been able to attend a synagogue in their own county.

A mezuzah is affixed to the doorpost to sanctify the building as Jewish. - photo by Kayla Robins - photo by Kayla Robins I love Forsyth County. Its a great place to have a wife, to have kids, to have grandkids, said Scott Cooper, a neurologist at Northside Hospital-Forsyth, as he stood on the steps of what recently became the first-ever Jewish place of worship in Forsyth County. One thing that has always been lacking is a place where I can worship.

Cooper, who is on the building committee for Chabad of Forsyth and Congregation Beth Israel, which had been operating out of a small business park across from South Forsyth High School since launching in 2016 as the 13th Chabad in Georgia, said he and his wife used to have to drive out of the county to cities like Johns Creek, Roswell and Sandy Springs to find a synagogue.

Those are not their communities.

I chose to be here, Cooper said. I could never feel a connection.

Then the Coopers met Rabbi Levi Mentz.

This is just a building. Its a shell. A synagogue is only as good as the rabbi thats at the top, Cooper said.

Chabad of Forsyths new home currently has a house on the property, which Mentz and his wife, Cha-ya, will run the group also known as Lubavitch, an Orthodox Jewish, Hasidic movement that is most known for its outreach from until they are able to build an actual synagogue, a long-term plan that includes expanding into an adjacent property.

State Sen. Michael Williams was among the myriad speakers at a gathering of stakeholders, elected officials and Chabad congregants Friday at the property, saying different groups and religions need to come together instead of let everyone be torn apart.

Forsyth County is becoming increasingly known for its growing diversity, said Commission Chairman Todd Levent, yet until now there had been no Jewish synagogue.

Now the Jewish community in Forsyth County has a place where they can come together, raise their families together, he said.

Bob Meier, president of the Brannon Road Homeowners Association, said it was a historic moment.

We never take the time to step back and say, Wow, Im here, he said.

As the first act of bringing the Forsyth County Jewish community together at their new home, a mezu-zah a rolled up parchment scroll with handwritten Hebrew words of the Shema prayer was affixed to the doorpost of the house.

The tradition designates a building as Jewish and signifies a connection to God and the Jewish heritage.

The mezuzah now attached to the house on Brannon Road used to be Coopers mothers. The case that holds the scroll, made in Israel.

Its a moment of generations connected to the land of Israel, Mentz said. Today is a celebration for our future.

Other speakers included Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO James McCoy and Chabad of Georgia Chief Rabbi Yossi New. Other elected officials who attended included Commissioners Rick Swope and Cindy Jones Mills and state Rep. Todd Jones.

God teaches us that what makes great communities is individuals, Mentz said. A good community has the ability to change lives.

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Making history: First Jewish synagogue opens in Forsyth - Forsyth County News Online

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Posted By simmons on June 4, 2017

Temple Emeth Shalom synagogue was a landmark House of worship in Margate, New Jersey and part of the community for many decades.

So many local people of the Jewish faith attended services and celebrated holidays there. Their children attended Hebrew and Sunday school in preparation for their Bar and Bat mitzvahs and later were married in the temple.

Due to Margates decline in year round residence, and the continuing trend of Margate becoming a semi-retirement community, Temple Emeth Shalom merged with Shirat Haysm Synagogue located at 700 Swathmore Ave., Ventnor, NJ.

That left the property vacant, but the team of Troy Rosenzweig and Phyllis Scherr at Soleil Sothebys International Realty believed they were the right team to tackle the project. Rosenzweig was a builder in his previous career, and he has been part of hundreds of projects throughout the island.

Because of my experience, I have an idea of the outcome of the project, Rosenzweig said.

And that project seems to be big.

If you were to look at the property at 8502 Ventnor Avenue today, youd see some rubble and debris outside of the front door of the former synagogue. But in less than a year, Rosenzweig believes, youll be able to see three single family units with wrap-around porches and decks with an ocean view.

The synagogue will be replaced by three separate properties known as Parkway North with one located on Lancaster Avenue, the other at the corner of Kenyon Avenue and Ventnor Avenue and a third further down Kenyon Avenue.

The large plot of land is one of the biggest selling points for the yet-to-be-built homes. Each unit will be two stories, with 10-foot ceilings on the first floor.

The first floor will also include a master bedroom, along with a half bathroom and mudroom.

On the second floor will be vaulted ceilings, two master suites in the front of each property, and two additional bedrooms in the back of each property with a bathroom dividing each of the rooms.

Each unit will have high standards, such as granite countertops, high-end stainless steel appliance packages, tiled bathrooms and more.

The Lancaster Avenue unit will be 90 x 65 feet, and the two Kenyon Avenue units will be divide up on the other side of the lot (one being 53 x 110 feet and the other 50 x 100 feet.)

The lot size allows the team to include five bedrooms within two stories for each lot, something you dont often see with Margate homes, Rosenzweig said.

In Margate, lots are so small that you need two and a half stories, Rosenzweig said.And the third floor can only be 50 percent of the floor beneath, which kind of makes the house look funky from the street and doesnt give it good elevations. Its a much more chopped up floor plan.

Rosenzweig added that the yards for each property will be large due to the overall size of the lot.

Though floor plans may be similar between the three new properties, the design will vary from house to house.

Elevations, the look of the home and style will be different, Rosenzweig said. The properties are expected to be 30 feet out of the ground, Rosenzweig added.

Demolition of the synagogue is set to finish in July, with construction of the new properties beginning immediately after, Rosenzweig said. Rosenzweig expects the properties to be completely finished by April of 2018, but the homes are already on the market, he said.

Rosenzweig added that the team is considering leaving a third lot open for buyers who want to customize their home.

Still, if a buyer were to purchase one of the homes, the large property, roomy backyard, and second floor decks with ocean views are something to get excited about.

Rosenzweig can picture it now.

Youll have a cup of coffee, maybe a glass of merlot, and watch the tide come in, he said.

The two properties on Kenyon Avenue are listed at $1,275,000 and the property on Lancaster Avenue is listed at $1, 475,000

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Former synagogue to become three single-family units - Press of Atlantic City

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Posted By admin on June 4, 2017

Study finds that members have become increasingly reticent to pay mandatory dues following the 2008 financial crisis and prefer pay-what-you-can system

Voluntary dues may sound like an oxymoron, but the idea may soon be coming to a synagogue near you.

According to a new study by the UJA-Federation of New York, the number of non-Orthodox synagogues nationwide that have eliminated fixed annual dues has more than doubled in the past two years. Instead of charging a set membership fee, these synagogues are telling congregants to pay what they want and theyre succeeding.

The nearly 60 Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues that have stopped charging mandatory dues are just a minuscule percentage of the countrys 1,500 or so Conservative and Reform synagogues. But the number is more than twice the 26 synagogues that had voluntary dues as of 2015. On average, the synagogues reported increases in both membership and total revenue since they switched to the voluntary model. They join nearly 1,000 Chabad centers in North America that have always worked on the voluntary model.

According to the report, the synagogues adopted the new model due to a mix of financial and values-based reasons. Synagogue members appeared increasingly reticent to pay mandatory dues following the 2008 financial crisis, and a pay-what-you-can system was more appealing to families with less spare cash.

In addition, the report said mandatory dues may have alienated families who want to feel unconditionally welcomed at synagogue or who may have felt uncomfortable explaining to a board why they couldnt pay the full fee. Engaging members with voluntary dues has caused synagogues to build relationships with congregants so they feel invested in the synagogue, as opposed to feeling obligated to pay an annual bill. The model, according to the report, also drives synagogues to increase financial transparency, so members know what theyre paying for.

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The existing model is no longer really aligning with the values and culture of the synagogue, said Adina Frydman, executive director of Synergy, a division of the New York federation that advises synagogues on strategy and produced the report. The process of asking for a [dues] adjustment becomes all about the money, as opposed to you are a member of this congregation and community.

Of the 57 synagogues included in the report, more than half are Reform, while about a third are Conservative. The remainder are either Reconstructionist or unaffiliated. None are Orthodox. Most have between 100 and 500 member units families or individuals who belong.

While the synagogues dont charge a fixed fee, many do indicate a sustaining level donation the average amount the synagogue needs from each member unit to reach its goal. On average, the synagogues reported increases of 3.6% in total membership and 1.8% in dues. What that means is that more total money is coming in from more people but the average annual membership contribution has fallen.

At the Conservative Temple Israel of Sharon, Massachusetts, in suburban Boston, which adopted the voluntary model in 2008 due to the recession, revenue and membership have remained steady. But only about 45% of members pay dues at or above the sustaining level a bit above the average of 38% across the 57 synagogues.

The original goals of switching to this system, creating a model that was financially welcoming and sustainable for both the synagogue and our membership, continue to be met, Benjamin Maron, Temple Israels executive director, wrote in one of the reports case studies. In other ways, however, challenges have grown over the last few years. While our membership has grown, the overall income from our voluntary dues has not.

The 57 synagogues are still less than 5 percent of the countrys Conservative and Reform synagogues, but Frydman believes the number will continue to grow. About 100 synagogues tuned in via livestream to a recent conference on the report.

Studies suggest that millennials are less inclined to become members of old institutions. Jack Wertheimer, a history professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary, said that free Jewish programs like Birthright the 10-day trip to Israel for young adults get young Jews used to the idea of no- and low-cost Jewish services.

Were living in a time when some Jews dont want to pay anything to go to synagogue and benefit from synagogue, Wertheimer said. Were living in a time today when institutions are held suspect and also seen as rather cold and distant. This whole idea of membership dues reinforces that point.

Why arent Orthodox synagogues adopting the model?

Both Wertheimer and Frydman suggested that because Orthodox Jews view prayer as mandatory, the obligation carries over to synagogue membership. Even so, Frydmans office is embarking on a study of young Orthodox Jewish professionals on Manhattans Upper West Side, who often bounce between a few synagogues rather than sticking to one and becoming a member of it.

One large Orthodox organization that doesnt charge dues, however, is Chabad, whose centers worldwide rely entirely on voluntary donations. While that means that the emissaries who run the Hasidic movements outreach efforts spend a significant amount of time fundraising, Chabad spokesman Rabbi Motti Seligson said it also removes a barrier to participation in Jewish life and forces Chabad centers to run programs people want.

This isnt a technique or a model thats devised through a focus group, Seligson said. This is about whats at the [movements] core, which is love of Israel.

Chabad emissary couples, he added, are not living in an ivory tower. Theyre beholden to the community that theyre serving. They need to actually be serving the community.

While Frydman emphasized that UJA-Federation does not endorse any one dues model, she said that the voluntary model is appealing to some synagogues because it ensures that the synagogue has an active relationship with its congregants.

Theyre cultivating the relationship so that people feel a connection, enough to want to be a part of something bigger, she said. Its about that the synagogue should take the time to ensure that they know all the members, that they understand what people are looking for.

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More non-Orthodox Synagogues in US Are Dropping Mandatory Dues - Haaretz

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Posted By admin on June 4, 2017

Concerns regarding a new wave of anti-Semitism on college campuses were recently discussed at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center.

These concerns were raised during a panel discussion in an event presented by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy-Skylake Synagogue alliance with the auspice and collaboration of ATJC.

Last year, Skylake Synagogue in North Miami Beach urged ISGAP, a global interdisciplinary research center based in New York dedicated to the academic study of anti-Semitism, to expand its reach beyond the walls of academic institutions and into Jewish congregations throughout the United States. As a result, a joint partnership was recently launched, and Skylake Synagogue serves as headquarters for ISGAP's U.S. Synagogue outreach program as well as a bridge between the organization and academic institutions in Latin America.

Charles Asher Small, executive director for ISGAP, said the center's goals in South Florida are, "to raise awareness, to help fund our programs and research projects in universities and the United States, to fund more professors to go through our program and to create awareness of the programs in the community and at the universities."

The panel discussion followed a screening of the documentary, "Hate Spaces The Politics of Intolerance on Campus," which exposes how hatred and bigotry against Jewish and Israeli students is being made fashionable and normalized on American college campuses. Small participated in the panel along with Rabbi Jonathan Berkun of ATJC, Luis Fleischman of ISGAP and Barry University, Rabbi Ariel Yeshurun of Skylake Synagogue and Bal Harbour Mayor Gabriel Groisman. There were also remarks by Guy Gilady, deputy consul general of Israel in Miami.

Small said, "It's sad that in 2017 we have to have community events on anti-Semitism. When I was growing up I thought that was a problem of my grandparents' generation."

Small was impressed with the audience's questions.

"It's good that the community is beginning to engage in the issue and take it seriously. I think more and more people are aware there's a problem. Once you realize there's a problem and begin to understand, we can fight it and defeat it."

During the panel discussion, Small told the audience, "What we do, through education, is to map and decode temporary anti-Semitism. There is no way we can stop anti-Semitism if we don't know what it is."

Fleischman stressed the importance of education regarding the realities of the Middle East as he stated that "90 percent of the new wave of anti-Semitism is related to the Middle East."

Yeshurun stressed that it's important to spread the truth. He also stated that Jewish hatred has a long history and if we are to stop this phenomenon, we have to go to the law and ban this.

Groisman expressed his confidence to the audience that the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement will fail but also mentioned that when he attended college at the University of Michigan, there were no anti-Israel demonstrations, but they are prevalent today at his alma mater.

Berkun urged the audience that they have to do their part to make sure they are instilling their children with a strong sense of Jewish identity.

Visit isgap.org for more information on the organization.

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New wave of anti-Semitism discussed at Aventura synagogue - Sun Sentinel

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Posted By richards on June 4, 2017

RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) Sephardic Jews from more than 20 countries will gather at a biennial summit in Mexico City.

Coordinated by the Latin American Sephardic Federation, the Cumbre Erensya summit will bring together delegates from the Americas, Europe and Australia onJune 5-7. Former meetings took place in Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.

Erensya 2017 will look at the Jewish presence in Mexico during colonial times and the emergence of its institutional life until the present day. It also will allow the exchange of relevant experiences in the Sephardic world,reportedthe Enlance Judio news website.

Erensya, or heritage in Ladino, is the name of the initiative led by the Madrid-based Sefarad-Israel Center to establish a bridge between Spain and the Sephardic Diaspora.

The event includes visits to Mexicos oldest synagogues and other Jewish sites. Some mayors of Spanish cities also will attend in order to witness how their countrys language, traditions, customs and mentality have been passed on to new generations. A book is scheduled to be released during the event.

Last month, Mexican-Jewish diplomat Andres Roemer, who was fired from his ambassador position for walking out of an anti-Israel vote at UNESCO in October,receivedthe International Sephardic Leadership Award from the American Sephardic Federation.

In March, the mayor of Mexico Citylaidthe foundation stone of a Jewish community center slated to cost nearly $5.3 million. Miguel Angel Mancera said he considered the initiative a sign of trust in the countrys growth.

Mexico is home to some 50,000 Jews, Latin Americas third largest Jewish community after Argentina and Brazil.

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Sephardic Jews to convene at global summit in Mexico - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Posted By admin on June 4, 2017

by Devin E. Naar Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2016. 400 pp. $24.95

Reviewed by Stephen Schwartz Center for Islamic Pluralism

Middle East Quarterly Summer 2017

http://www.meforum.org/6736/jewish-salonica-between-ottoman-and-greece

Naar, professor of Sephardic Jewish studies at the University of Washington with a family background in Salonica, has achieved something of signal importance with this volume. He has assembled a uniquely detailed profile of a leading Sephardic community under the Ottoman Empire and the succeeding Greek national state out of archives in Russia, Greece, Israel, the United States, and Spain.

For centuries, the port of Salonica on the Aegean hosted the most influential Sephardic city in the world. Many of its Jewish residents spoke a form of Judeo-Spanish that had been brought to Ottoman territory after the expulsion of Spanish Jews in 1492. Because its waterfrontone of the great maritime assets of the Ottomansshut down completely on Saturdays, it was known as "Shabatopolis," a "Jewish republic" within the Ottoman Empire. Loyalty to its Muslim rulers extended so far that a prayer for Sultan Abdul Hamid II (r.1876-1909), delivered in 1900, praised the ruling power as a "kosher kingdom."

In the aftermath of the city's conquest by Greece in 1912, Salonica's population included as many as 90,000 Jews, who arguably comprised a majority. The community boasted an extensive network of synagogues, schools, welfare institutions, and political groups as well as, in 1929, seven daily newspapers in Judeo-Spanish.

The synagogues of Salonica reflected the origins of the refugees who established themsix were named for cities in Spain, four traced their history to Portugal, and nine were founded by Jews who had come from Italy. But even before the arrival of these Italian and Iberian refugees, Salonica had a congregation of Romaniote, or Greek-speaking Jews, whose history began with the Byzantines. At the end of the nineteenth century, thousands more Jews began arriving from Ashkenazi Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and other East European lands from which they fled the growth of anti-Semitic violence.

Throughout the book, Naar focuses mainly on the tensions between assimilation, separatism, and the Jews' desire to maintain a communal identity. Relations between the Salonican Jews and Greek authorities were clearly not as favorable as they had been with the Ottomans. For one, Greece promoted Athens and its port, Piraeus, to the detriment of Salonica and its commerce.

Nonetheless, Orthodox Christian Greece, having annexed Salonica, was compelled to continue the millet system of representation instituted by the Ottomans, in which Jews (and Christians) were granted considerable self-governance. With the end of Ottoman rule, and the assumption of Greek citizenship by the Salonicans, the Jewish community preserved a considerable degree of autonomy until the Holocaust, at which time, Jewish Salonica was effectively wiped out.

Related Topics: Jews and Judaism, Turkey and Turks | Stephen Schwartz | Summer 2017 MEQ receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free mef mailing list This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete and accurate information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.

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Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece - Middle East Forum

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Posted By simmons on June 4, 2017

The Jerusalem Post

Estonian politician vows to legalize Holocaust denial The Jerusalem Post The nationalist politician has other ideas about "the correct teaching of the history of the Third Reich." Tartu, Estonia.. (photo credit:Wikimedia Commons). An Estonian nationalist politician vowed in his election campaign to decriminalize Holocaust ...

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Estonian politician vows to legalize Holocaust denial - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By richards on June 4, 2017

The man's body was found in the same home where the remains of a lost 8-year-old boy, Leiby Kletzky, were found six years ago

The brother of a man who kidnapped and dismembered a lost 8-year-old boy has been found dead, his body bound, wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in a basement closet in the same Brooklyn home where detectives uncovered the gruesome remains of the boy nearly six years ago.

Detectives found Tzvi Aron's body after police were called there by family, a law enforcement official said.

Aron, 29, a bakery worker, had been last seen Tuesday. The death is being investigated as a homicide; Aron had been recently threatened but it wasn't clear why, the official said. The medical examiner will determine a cause of death. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Tzvi's brother, Levi Aron, pleaded guilty in the kidnapping and killing of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky in July 2011. Leiby got lost on his walk home from a religious day camp. It was the first time he was allowed to walk alone, and he was supposed to travel about seven blocks to meet his mother, but missed his turn. He ran into Levi Aron on the street, who promised to take Leiby home.

But instead, Aron brought the boy about 40 miles (64 km) upstate to Monsey, New York, where he attended a wedding before bringing him back to his home. He kept him there overnight and the following day as he went to work at a hardware store.

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Meanwhile, a massive search for the boy was underway in Borough Park section of Brooklyn, home to one of the world's largest communities of Orthodox Jews outside of Israel. Thousands of volunteers from the Hasidic community had assembled to comb the streets. Aron is Orthodox but not Hasidic. The Hasidim are ultra-Orthodox Jews.

When Aron noticed flyers plastered on lampposts with the boy's photo, he says he got spooked, went home and suffocated the boy, police said. A toxicology report found Leiby had also been drugged.

Detectives found the boy's severed feet, wrapped in plastic, in a freezer at Aron's home, about 2 miles (3 km) from the boy's home. A cutting board and three bloody carving knives were found in the refrigerator. The rest of the boy's body was discovered in bags inside a red suitcase in a trash bin about a mile from the home. His legs had been cut from his torso.

Levi Aron pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing the boy, and is serving 40 years to life in prison.

In the years since, his family remained at the home in Brooklyn, which is divided into apartments. Tzvi lived in the basement apartment; Levi had lived on the top floor. Another brother lives there. The family's mother died from cancer and a sister, Sarah, died while institutionalized with schizophrenia before Levi Aron was arrested, according Levi Aron's psychiatric report obtained by the AP.

Tzvi Aron defended his family at the time his brother was arrested, saying they were unaware of Levi's acts.

"People who know us know we're a good family," he told the Daily News of New York at the time.

Over the years they've received dozens of death threats after the horrifying killing. On Friday, police once again cordoned off the cream-colored home, in Brooklyn's Kensington neighborhood, as a crime scene.

"It was spooky," neighbor Kathleen Henderson told the Daily News of New York. "Everyone keeps an eye an on that house for obvious reasons. No one trusted them after that incident with the little boy."

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Brother of Man Who Dismembered Hasidic Boy Found Dead in Brooklyn Closet - Haaretz

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