San Diego Jewish World~August 3, 2007--issue 93

IDF photos by Abir Sultan and Dan Bronfeld

Israeli women accepting IDF combat roles

By Bar Ben-Ari

HEBRON, West Bank—A year has passed since the last war in Lebanon, and the stories of the combatants who crossed the border are still often mentioned. The media in Israel and worldwide broadcasted the many stories of bravery and wonder, and the trying experiences soldiers went through when deep into Lebanese territory. For the majority of them, it was the first time they had set foot on Lebanese land. It was their baptism by fire, in more ways than one, which became more and more a part of their daily routine as time passed. "No, you don't ever get accustomed to it," says Corporal May Inbar, then 19 years old, a medic during the war. "But at a certain stage you learn how to differentiate between our fire and theirs, like music. And when a bomb hits near by-as though fear ceases to exist, everything is gone. I think neither about the Katyushas, nor about the danger. I just see the wounded soldier bleeding in front of me, and at that moment I know what to do."

R', an airborne medic in the 669 Air Force elite unit noted a short while after the war ended: "If you asked me two months ago, I would not have believed that we could reach such extreme situations. In my opinion, nobody thought that girls would go in." R's team was the first to evacuate the "Yasur" helicopter which crashed on its way back to Israeli territory. "You go in, to the same area which had been struck by an anti-tank missile barely seconds ago. The feeling is crazy-you don't know if your friends were in the helicopter, but one thing is for sure-we never leave wounded soldiers behind," she concludes. "It is a terrible feeling. I cannot even imagine how something like that could happen."

The warfare in Lebanon was a defining period for both men and women, as it was the first time (since the War of Independence) that women held central positions in field units alongside men: In regular service, professional service, and in reserve duty. Among the 119 soldiers who gave their lives in the war, there was one female. She was Sergeant First Class (res.) Keren Tendler, of blessed memory, an airborne engineer in the 'Yasur" helicopter alignment, who was in charge of the team on the helicopter that crashed.

Fourteen percent of the women who were called for reserve duty were in combat positions. Most of them were medics. "We really are not different," declares R', explaining: "If a helicopter crashes, we both have to perform the same tasks, quickly and professionally, and it does not matter who is a male and who is a female. They allowed me to go in and fulfill my purpose- and that is a really great feeling." Alongside the intense fighting in Lebanon, in a different spot on the Israeli border, the female combat soldiers of the Military Police "Sahlav" unit patrol around the Jewish community in the city of Hebron. "We frequently get responses from people who are not accustomed to seeing women in Hebron. They are not used to seeing a woman with a helmet and a ceramic vest, who is carrying a weapon," says Orli bar-Levi, a combatant in the battalion. Despite the tendency of soldiers from other battalions to blink in disbelief at seeing the girls manning the post, says Bar-Levi, they showed respect and utter trust in them.

Light infantry? No, Karakal!

The most difficult times for the female combat soldiers of the Karakal infantry battalion is when they execute missions in the field, which can take up to 72 hours. In the field, they remind us, there are no showers or other amenities. Those are all replaced by difficult challenges and longings. When I ask the obvious question of why choose this over a desk job in an air-conditioned office, Lieutenant Brit Kortzki looks at me straight in the face and answers: "For the difficulty of the work, and I am proud to say it. I remember when I sat on my father's lap and listened to his stories about the coldest cold, the hottest heat, the most painful pain, and his friends- today that is part of my daily routine."

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Shoah survivors call $22 monthly increase 'disgraceful'

JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Holocaust survivors in Israel have protested against the government’s proposed top-up pension that would add 83 shekels (US$ 22) to the monthly incomes of survivors aged over 70.

The scheme, announced earlier this week, is meant to supplement an existing old-age pension and national insurance program, but survivors' advocacy groups say the new stipend was a disgrace to the 120,000 survivors who would benefit from it.

"It is saddening and insulting to discover that Israel prefers a biological solution for the plight of Holocaust survivors," Noach Flug, who heads an umbrella organization of survivors' advocacy groups, told the newspaper Ha'aretz. However, Israel’s prime minister Ehud Olmert said the scheme would go part of the way toward redressing ambivalence in Israeli society towards the survivors of the Nazi death camps and eastern European ghettos.

"Holocaust survivors living in Israel are entitled to live respectably, without reaching a situation in which it is beyond their means to enjoy a hot meal. The neglect of successive governments will not continue. It is important to see to it that Holocaust survivors receive these supplements and are able to live honorably," Olmert said.

The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress

Europe

Wiesenthal Center protests Danish decision
on award to Holocaust denier Erik Haaest

LOS ANGELES (Press Release)—The Simon Wiesenthal Center denounced today’s statement by the Danish Ministry of Culture supporting a grant for a WWII history project by Erik Haaest, a longtime Holocaust denier, as “repugnant and shameful.”

“This is an insult to the memory of every victim of the Holocaust, and to the brave members of the Resistance in Denmark and elsewhere,” said Mark Weitzman, the Director of the Center’s Task Force Against Hate, adding, “There can be no justification of state support for Holocaust deniers.”

In the past Haeest, has questioned the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz and has reportedly called Anne Frank’s diary “a swindle.” The Danish Ministry of Culture’s statement addressing the grant controversy claimed an “arms-length principle,” and allowing independent committees to award grants, a claim that Weitzman calls, “simply an unacceptable attempt to evade any responsibility.”

Weitzman also said in awarding a grant to a Holocaust denier, the Danish government is flouting its commitment as a member of the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, as well as its support of a UN Resolution calling upon all member states to ‘Condemn without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust.’”

“This is an insult to the memory of every victim of the Holocaust, and to the brave members of the Resistance in Denmark and elsewhere,” said Mark Weitzman, the Director of the Center’s Task Force Against Hate, adding, “There can be no justification of state support for Holocaust deniers.”

In the past Haeest, has questioned the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz and has reportedly called Anne Frank’s diary “a swindle.” The Danish Ministry of Culture’s statement addressing the grant controversy claimed an “arms-length principle,” and allowing independent committees to award grants, a claim that Weitzman calls, “simply an unacceptable attempt to evade any responsibility.”

Israeli sponsored exhibit on anti-Semitism opens in Berlin

BERLIN (Press Release)—A new exhibit on current anti-Semitic trends is to open at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin on Wednesday. The exhibit entitled “Anti-Semitism? Anti-Zionism? Criticism of Israel?” will be on display in the ministry’s courtyard before moving to Technical University in Berlin, and elsewhere in Germany. The exhibit, was produced by Yad Vashem and the Center for Anti-Semitism Studies at Technical University. German Foreign Office minister Gernot Erler will address Wednesday’s opening, as will Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev and the director of the Center for Anti-Semitism Studies, Wolfgang Benz.

Including some 45 panels, divided into thirteen chapters, the exhibit begins with a review of the Jews’ demography and richness of Jewish life, then has a brief history of anti-Semitism, before focusing on current examples of anti-Jewish expressions. The exhibit looks at current expressions of anti-Semitism in the European media, e.g. through caricatures and photos, as well as at violence and vandalism directed against Jews and Jewish institutions.

The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress

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Asia

Foreign ministries of Israel, Sri Lanka swap notes

JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Dr. Palitha Kohona, Secretary (Director General) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, has completed a four-day visit to Israel. Dr. Kohona was invited by Mr. Aaron Abramovich, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. During the visit Dr. Kohona met with various government agencies.

His visit was an excellent opportunity to obtain a good overview of the friendly bilateral relations between the two countries and to discuss ways to strengthen them further. Regional issues were also discussed.

In the spirit of their friendly relations, the two sides looked into issues of mutual benefit and potential areas of cooperation in fields such as high tech, agriculture and industrial development, tourism promotion, investments and exchange of students and trainees. The Israeli side conveyed its desire to cooperate in various fields of priority for Sri Lanka, through MASHAV – the Israel Foreign Ministry's Center for International Cooperation.

Both side condemned all forms of terrorism and as countries which have suffered from this menace and have a long experience with combating terrorism, they both oppose any use of terror as a political tool. The Israeli side expressed hope that the internal conflict in Sri Lanka will be solved soon through negotiations and peaceful means. Dr. Kohona conveyed his country's wish for a successful outcome of the Peace Process between Israel and the Palestinian People.

Dr. Kohona presented a formal greeting letter from the President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa, to the new President of Israel H.E. Shimon Peres. The Foreign Secretary also visited "Yad Vashem" the Holocaust Memorial as well as other sights of interest in Jerusalem.

The preceding story was provided by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Australia

The Jews 'Down Under'
By Garry Fabian

●South Australian scandal threatens its kashrut

ADELAIDE, Australia—Kosher food made in South Australia and sold nationally and overseas have been given the all clear by rabbinic authorities, despite a major breakdown in Adelaide's kashrut supervision over the past eight years.It has been revealed that at least three kosher-approved South Australian products listed in the Kosher Australia Food Bulletin 2007 (5767-8) have been made without rabbinic oversight for extended periods.

The manufacturers of Beerenberg jams, B-D Farm yoghurt, and breads baked by Baker's Delight in Freeville South Australia, stated that the kosher supervisor Rabbi Yossi Engel had not visited their plants for between three to eight years.

Kosher Australia has been aware of the problem since last April, and kosher consumers discovered the lapses after contacting producers.

The authorities' web site contains no updates or alerts about the issue.Kosher food producers in South Australia this week sought to reassure customers that their cooking practices remain kosher, despite major lapses in rabbinic supervision dating back to 1999

· ● JNF Australia backs land bill in Knesset

MELBOURNE—The Jewish National Fund (JNF) of Australia fully supports the
proposed legislation in the Israeli Parliament that would allow it to enforce a policy of only leasing land to Jews.

The bill, which recently passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset, was approved by a 64-16 margin.

Australian JNF federal CEO, Rob Schneider said the JNF owed its mandate to previous generation of Jews who made personal sacrifices to fund Jewish land.

"It's a question of exercising ownership over land that was purchased historically by Jews for the benefit of Jews", he said.

Schneider does not anticipate a donor backlash from the controversy surrounding the Knesset bill. He anticipates JNF Australia will raise between Aust $9 and Aust $15 million in 2007.

●New president for National Council of Jewish Women-Australia

SYDNEY—At the recent NCJWA (National Council of Jewish Women Australia)
meeting held in Sydney (New South Wales) Mrs, Rysia Rozen was elected as national president for a four year term. NCJWA, which has branches in all Australian states, this year celebrates its 80th anniversary having been established in 1927.

Rosen has served as president of the Victorian state branch for several years, as well as president of the National Council of Women in Victoria, and many other community organisations, both in the Jewish and general community.

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Dear Readers,

Along with my husband Don, I co-publish San Diego Jewish World. As a couple we have gone to many places. Cruising ranks at the top of our list of favorite ways to travel.

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Adventures in Cruising—Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas

Pier side at Los Angeles Port District
Tyler, Caren and Ashlee Ford get ready to cruise

Thanks to the Ford family of Agoura Hills, California, for sharing their photos of their family reunion weekend cruise

Africa

U.N. Security Council praised for decision sending
peace-keeping troops to Darfur region of the Sudan

NEW YORK (Press Release) —The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) urged world leaders to accelerate enforcement of UN Resolution 1769, approved Tuesday by the United Nations Security Council, that allows the deployment of 26,000 peacekeepers to Sudan's Darfur region.

Under Resolution 1769, a joint peacekeeping mission by the African Union and United Nations will replace the current force of 7,000 African Union troops on the ground in Darfur by December 31st. To date, more than 2 million people have been driven from their homes and over 200,000 have been killed in the ongoing conflict since 2003.

Lois Frank, JCPA chair, issued the following statement on Tuesday following action by the UN Security Council:

"The world has watched and done little as thousands of lives have been lost in the genocide in Darfur. Today's vote by the United Nations Security Council invoking Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, allowing the United Nations to authorize force, is a promising step toward ending the genocide in Darfur and bringing peace to the region. However, time is running out, and the JCPA implores world leaders to expedite Resolution 1769 to prevent any further loss of life."

* *

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the United Nations Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 1769, authorizing the deployment of a hybrid United Nations – African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:

We praise the members of the United Nations Security Council for yesterday’s unanimous passage of Resolution 1769 and hope this resolution results in the rapid deployment of a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force to Darfur. The additional 26,000 military personnel and police officers authorized in Resolution 1769 are necessary to ensure that civilians are protected and the genocidal activity in the region ceases. The people of Darfur have waited long enough for the world to offer them more than empty promises and condemnations; too many have lost their possessions, their homes, and their lives. We must make certain that this resolution results in swift action and we strongly urge world leaders to use their nation’s resources to bring peace to this troubled region. Yesterday’s resolution is a promising step, but our efforts must continue until the people of Darfur are safe and the atrocities in the region have ended."

United States of America

NCJW applauds passage of bill fighting
pay discrimination against women

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)—The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today applauded passage by the House of Representatives of the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007," designed to reverse the recent 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that made it harder to recover damages for wage discrimination. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder released the following statement:

"NCJW is extremely gratified to see the House of Representatives take a major step to undo the damage done by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear when the court limited the ability of victims of wage discrimination to obtain damages in cases where the discrimination was hidden but longstanding. Lilly Ledbetter, the plaintiff in that case, and all the other victims of discrimination over the decades, deserve to be compensated in full for the losses they have suffered in every paycheck. The House vote of 225-199 is a resounding endorsement of fundamental fairness. We urge the Senate to follow suit.

"The President has said he will veto this bill. That would be a contradiction of his stated commitment to equal rights for all. We strongly urge him to reconsider. Our government must keep faith with those who expect to be protected from unlawful discrimination. The President should lead the way."

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.

The preceding article was provided by the National Council of Jewish Women

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Education Committee names Yarmuth as 'Outstanding New Member' of the Congress

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)—The Committee for Education Funding (CEF), a nonprofit and nonpartisan coalition of over 100 organizations reflecting the broad spectrum of the education community, announced today that they will honor Congressman John Yarmuth (Democrat, Kentucky) with the “Outstanding New Member” award for 2007.

“During this 110th Congress, first year Representative John Yarmuth clearly distinguished himself as an advocate for education funding and we are proud to recognize him,” said Ed Kealy, Executive Director of the Committee for Education Funding.

Yarmuth introduced several key education measures in his first seven months, including:

●The Striving Readers Act, which the First Lady endorsed as a key way to promote teenage literacy.

●An amendment to the College Cost Reduction Act that offers $1,000 a year in loan forgiveness for public servants.

●The reauthorization and expansion of Even Start.

●The Empowering Children with Autism through Education Act to guarantee a top notch education for students affected with autism.

Yarmuth has a number of other education programs in the works and has been instrumental in the reform of No Child Left Behind.

“CEF and its member organizations do an excellent job leading the way on the education issues facing this country, and I am honored that they are pleased with my work so far,” Yarmuth said. “We’ve got a lot more ahead of us, and I look forward to continuing to do all that I can to ensure that every American child has access to a quality education.”

CEF will also honor former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush with “Charles Wilson Lee Distinguished Citizen Awards” for their commitment to education in the years since they left office.

CEF will present the awards at its annual gala, September 20 in Washington.

The preceding story was provided by the office of Congressman John Yarmuth

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Jews in the News
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Like you, we're pleased when members of our community are praiseworthy, and are disappointed when they are blameworthy. Whether it's good news or bad news, we'll try to keep track of what's being said in general media about our fellow Jews. Our news spotters are Dan Brin in Los Angeles, Donald H. Harrison in San Diego, and you. Wherever you are, if you see a story of interest, please send a summary and link to us at sdheritage@cox.net and we'll acknowledge your tip at the end of the column. Internet problems prevented us from obtaining links to SignonSanDiego, which is our normal practice.

*Lynne Elson of Rancho Bernardo, California, is back from a trip to the village of Nabagoye, Uganda, where she taught Hebrew to a group of school children belonging to the Abayudaya Jewish community. The story by Yuxing Zheng is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

*Rabbi Micha Odenheimer is founder of Tevel B'Tzedek (Earth in Justice), a program designed to take teaching about conservationism and social justice all over the world. The program has been making headway in Nepal. The story by Karin Kloosterman is on the Israel 21c website.

*Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel is ready to hand over responsibility for security on the West Bank to the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas provided sufficient assurances for Israel's security and Hamas is not permitted to become involved. Aluf Benn has the story on the Ha'aretz website.

*Gloria Penner's "Full Focus" news show has been cancelled by KPBS-TV, as has the KPBS radio program "A Way With Words." Although some people involved with the two shows now are jobless, the venerable Penner survives. Scott Lewis of Voice of San Diego has the story.

*Harry Maxwell Rady, 40, has pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to charges of purchasing $10,000 worth of weapons from an unlicensed gun dealer. A story by Will Carless is in today's Voice of San Diego. Another story by Greg Moran, reporting that he purchased the weapons after his parents, philanthropists Ernest and Evelyn Rady were tied up during a home invasion robbery, appeared in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

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News Sleuths:

Watching the media gathering
and reporting the news
of Jewish interest

Date: August 1, 2007
Place: U.S. State Department
Spokesman: Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman
Subjects: Saudi Arms Sale

QUESTION: This morning, Senator Obama has come out; he's saying that troops should be redeployed from Iraq over to Afghanistan and if need be, into Pakistan up in the northwestern territories. Is this just plain campaign rhetoric? And also, is the statement by Senator -- former Senator John Edwards applicable when he is casting doubt about the modernization of arms shipments to moderate Arab countries, what the Secretary spoke about yesterday?

MR. CASEY: Joel, I think first of all, I'll try and stay as far away from U.S. presidential politics as I can and I'm glad you've been following their comments. I honestly haven't seen either the remarks you're referring to by Senator Obama or by former Senator Edwards. What I can tell you is in terms of -- first of all, let's talk about the arms sale questions. This is something that, again, I think I want to reiterate and that the Secretary's made clear is that these sales of arms, this defensive cooperation arrangement with the Gulf states, with Egypt, as well as with Israel, are matters of long standing. Our history of support and cooperation on military issues with these countries goes back decades.

And frankly, what this initiative that's been announced does is simply, at a time when agreements with Israel and Egypt were coming to an end, reassure those countries that the U.S. remains committed to their security and their safety in an environment that is changing in the Middle East and to the Gulf countries; again, demonstrates that for those countries that are standing on the side of moderation -- that do, for example, want to see a whole unified and secure Iraq, that do want to see peace between Israelis and Palestinians based on a negotiated two-state solution -- that the United States is going to continue to be there with them, to partner with them, to ensure that their defensive security needs are met.

And I also think if you look, for example, at the comments made by the Saudi Foreign Minister today -- in which he was very positive about the initiative that the President's called for, including the idea of holding a international meeting later this fall to discuss how we can all work together to move forward on Israeli-Palestinian issues -- or the comments he also made about his desire to see Iraq be successful and the fact that Saudi Arabia is now sending a delegation to Iraq on re-establishing normal diplomatic relations between those countries and that he has also been speaking with Iraqi officials about doing more on controlling the border, it's pretty clear that, in this case, Saudi Arabia, but also the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, are working in a positive way for a positive solution to the region's problems. And we want to continue to work with them. So that's definitely what you should see this military assistance package as being part of.

In terms of Iraq and in terms of issues related to our troops there and our service there, I think you've heard from our officials on the ground there -- from General Petraeus, from General Odierno, from Ambassador Crocker -- about what we think the consequences would be of a precipitous withdrawal of American troops. And I think you've seen things recently written by those who certainly aren't in any way, shape or form associated with this administration, including the op-ed the other day by Ken Pollack and Michael O'Hanlon, who recently returned, talking about the fact that the President's strategy in the surge is, in their mind, appearing to make some real strides forward.

And so, certainly, we'll all have an opportunity to talk about and debate this issue. General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, are, of course, in the process of looking at the situation and will be presenting a report to Congress in September for their review. And I'm sure there'll be a very healthy discussion about that, not only with Senator Obama, but with all the members of the Senate and House on this and that's as it should be. This is an incredibly important issue for the United States and it's fundamental to our national security. And certainly, there are going to be a lot of different views shared. But I think the Administration right now has put forward a fairly clear course and it's one that's appearing to have some payoffs.

And I think that's a "thank you".

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. CASEY: Thank you, guys.

affecting the Jewish community and/or Israel involve Jews as direct participants, so they really don't quite fit the requirements for the "Jews in the News" column above. Yet, there obviously is a community interest in such stories, so we will endeavor to provide links to them in this space

The Jewish Grapevine


CYBER-REFERRALS—Jay Jacobson alerts us to a piece by Matthew Levitt and Jake Lipton of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on the financial ties between Iran and Hezbollah in the conduct of terror operations... Bruce Kesler noted a report on a Christian site, Gateway Pundit, that an unnamed Hezbollah officer said his group would have given up in the Lebanese War if international authorities had not intervened to force Israel into a ceasefire. Here is the link. ...

IN MEMORY—Charmaine Kaplan, 67, who along with her husband Maurice was an important financial supporter of the arts in San Diego, has died. Her obituary was in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.... The funeral for Freda Beitner will be held at 1 pm on Thursday, August 2, at Greenwood Cemetery (not at 10:30 as previously indicated).

POLITICAL WHIRL—San Diego area AIPAC chair Leslie Caspi recently was in Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress. U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (Democrat, California) sent along a photo to show that they had the chance to talk. Caspi said she thanked him for voting for the foreign aid bill, which included an appropriation for Israel, and also asked him to support measures to discourage Iran from developing nuclear weapons. ...

San Diego Jewish World—July proved to be a month of continued growth for San Diego Jewish World as the following statistics by the independent Webalizer company demonstrate. According to this chart, 25,355 different sites connected with us during the month, averaging 3,213 visits per day. The number of pages accessed was just about double the number of visitors indicating that most people enter our site on our home page then navigate to the daily news report. Our growth in visitors has been steady since the online publication's start up on May 1: We went from a daily average of 2,308 in May, to a daily average of 2,898 in June to a daily average of 3,213 in July. Our total number of visits in July was 99,606—just short of 100,000. For those of you who are thinking of purchasing advertising, that means if you had an ad that ran all through July you would have received close to 100,000 impressions. If you are with a non-profit agency, you could have purchased that exposure at $10 per day or $310 for the month. If you are with a private company, you could have purchased that at $20 per day or $620 per month. If you are trying to reach people with a deep interest in Jewish affairs, our site is the place for you to advertise! To all you readers, who keep coming back to San Diego Jewish World, we thank you for your patronage!

Summary by Month

Month Daily Avg Monthly Totals

Hits Files Pages Visits Sites KBytes Visits Pages Files Hits

Jul 2007 15614 9843 6390 3213 25355 26877941 99606 198117 305150 484050

Jun 2007 12654 8368 5562 2898 23615 21458182 86952 166889 251044 379621

May 2007 11898 8234 4457 2308 25605 21268566 71566 138168 255265 368855

             Greater San Diego area

COWLES MOUNTAIN BLAZE—No one likes a "hot time" on the dance floor better than Eric Sands, who serves
as disk jockey at a high percentage of the bar/bat mitzvahs in San Diego. But when fire threatened his home
near Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park today, Sands was glad for the fire department cooling
thngs off. He shot this photograph.

The Greene Line
                                            Norman Greene

Five years later, Marla Bennett's spirit lives on

SAN DIEGO—July 31st was an anniversary, not a joyous occasion. Five years ago to the day, Marla Bennett was murdered by Arab extremists in the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since that tragedy occurred when Marla was taken by the senseless, vicious act of a terrorist who planted a bomb aimed at killing students.

For her parents, Michael and Linda, life has gone on as they have sought to extend the memory of their youngest child. They do not want the world to forget that bright eyed Marla lived and made her mark on society even in the shortness of her 24 four years of life. In the ensuing five years’ Marla’s life glow has endured in the acts of individuals and organizations around the world.

In addition to naming a chapter of Magen David Adom after Marla, there are memorial gardens at Berkeley, at a Jewish Youth Camp in Malibu, at Hebrew University, at Shar HaNegev in Israel and a stained glass window at a Jerusalem synagogue. The San Diego Jewish Academy has established a Marla Bennett annual "kindness" award and in her name there is a life saving ambulance donated to Magen David Adom, a van for troubled street kids in Israel and a new cabin at Paul Newman’s Hole-in-the-Wall-Gang Camp for ill children in the Jordan River Village in Israel.

There are also two funds that aid youth education. One fund carries Marla’s name to assist youth traveling to Israel and another fund was established to assist with Jewish and non-Jewish charities in California and Israel.

Each year, the San Diego Jewish Film Festival has screened a movie in Marla’s memory. And this past Passover, a new Hagadah was published in her honor as well.

All these tributes honor Marla’s memory in ways that reflect her character and personality.

By any standard, Marla was special. She was gifted intellectually. She was an incurable optimist and a generous activist. She wanted to do it all. To learn, to study, to perfect her understanding of Judaism and the world around her and to do good deeds. She wanted to be a Jewish educator to pass on her heritage to future generations.

She was an ardent believer in the goodness of man, the role of Israel among the nations, the bright future for world peace. To be with Marla, was to be in the company of a sweet, slightly mischievous, charming young woman who listened and who really cared. She radiated vitality, warmth and goodness.

Amazing as it may seem, this 24 year old touched the hearts and minds of countless people throughout the world through her actions and her writing skill. Her message was of compassion and her desire was for the world to achieve the Jewish ideal of tikkun olam.....to make this world a better place.

It was in that spirit that the Marla Bennett Memorial Friends Society of Magen David Adom saluted Jane & Dr. Colin Scher, the 2007 recipients of the third annual Marla Bennett Humanitarian Award. Previously, Bettie Byrnes, and Gary Jacobs received the award.

None of these tributes can bring Marla Bennett back, but they help to reaffirm her existence and the strength and character of the resilient Jewish people.



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        News from the
Israel Baseball League

FANS—Yehuda Boltshauser trained his camera on some fans at the Modi'in-Ra'anana game on Wednesday

With help of Modi'in, Bet Shemesh widens lead over Tel Aviv

By Nathaniel Edelstein

GEZER, Israel—The Modi'in Miracle hosted the Ra'anana Express in Wednesday's doubleheader, winning both games at Kibbutz Gezer by scores of 5-0 and 8-5.

Australian lefty Matt Bennett dominated the first game with six innings of work, allowing no runs on just one hit while striking out eleven and walking three. Catcher Steve Litvack added a two-run homerun in the fourth inning, his fourth long ball of the year.

In the second game, Ra'anana was leading 3-2 through 5.5 innings, but Modi'in came back in a big way in the sixth. Jerusalem native Moish Lewis drove a line drive to center that brought in two runs and began a s

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