 |
Archives |
San
Diego Jewish World
Tuesday,
May 1, 2007
Vol. 1, Number 1
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
San
Diego Jewish World |
SAN DIEGO—The California Democratic Party held its first ever state convention in San Diego this past weekend. For parts of Saturday the hall was packed because of the two rock stars seeking the presidential nomination: Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. Both came across as class acts, but showed they are very different candidates with different constituencies. I had a chance to see them from the comfort of the back row of the section immediately in front of the speaker’s platform; it was the premium for being a San Diego delegate at a San Diego convention. |
||||||
|
5/1/07
SDJW Report International and National *'Battle of the Stars' highlighted Democratic convention in SD *ZOA issues summary of Winograd Commission Report on leadership failure in Lebanon War *When Israel's news depresses, Talmud enlightens *Rep. Tom Lantos needs to recall history *DNC celebrates Jewish American heritage month *Filner backs Holocaust education grants Regional and Local *Welcome to our San Diego Jewish World Daily Features Jews in the News Jewish Grapevine Arts & Entertainment * For Your Reference San Diego Jewish Community Calendar San Diego Jewish Community Directory Advertisements *Keruv talk on Jewish-Catholic intermarriage
|
I arrived at the convention the previous day and saw enthusiasts for
both candidates at work recruiting supporters. The Clinton backers
were more visible, holding a training session and directing
delegates
to a pre-convention meeting for the next
day. The Obama
people, predominantly younger than those supporting Clinton,
aggressively approached me several times to invite me to their
organizing meeting.
The Clintonites met early Saturday and instructed delegates and
other supporters (each campaign had a limited number of floor passes
for their non-delegate supporters) to go to different parts of the
hall to make it appear their candidate had support from all over the
convention. About 45 minutes before the convention was due to
convene, the minions marched out of their meeting room in lock step. They provided an enthusiastic welcome when their
candidate was introduced. |
|
||||
|
campaign. Two days earlier she had participated, along
with the other Democratic candidates, in the South Carolina
presidential debate. She carried something of South Carolina with
her to the convention, dropping the "ing" in her participles.
Working became "work’n" and "going" became "go’n" as this Yale Law
School graduate, intentionally or not, tried to sound far too
folksy. Hillary has long maintained that she is the best-known
person you don’t know.
I had not known that her mother came from a broken home and at a young age was sent to live with relatives. Her mother later worked as a mother’s helper for another family so that she could finish high school. She had a hard scrabble young life and never went beyond high school. Hillary described how she, who grew up in a middle class household in the middle of the country (and, unfortunately she said, in the middle of the last century), became an advocate for the poor. She said she had been active in her church. Migrant laborers followed the crops north into Illinois and Hillary and her church group went to the labor camps to take care of the younger children so the older children could work with their parents in the fields. She saw how the young children ran to their parents and older siblings when they came back, and she said she saw no difference between them and her peers. She concluded with a story from her friend, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, who had gone to the Czech republic in 1995 for an event and saw American flags flying - except these were 48-star flags. She asked about this and was told that they had been given by GI’s after the liberation from the Nazis. The families had held onto them through more than 40 years of Soviet occupation. The American flags became heirlooms and symbols of freedom and hope. There were tears in the eyes of the delegates. Hillary had finally moved them. The unstated theme of the Obama presentation, which took place Saturday afternoon, was energy and youth. Just like the Hillary supporters, Obama’s people carried signs and marched through the hall. But they were younger than the Clintonites, and their enthusiasm did not seem manufactured. Hillary had done the traditional thing, coming out from behind the curtain at the speaker’s platform to address the crowd. Obama, instead, marched in with his supporters and up to the podium. Obama also gave a biography, but it was not the focus of his talk. Rather, he first talked about overcoming the cynicism about politics. It gave him the chance to launch the first of his three jabs at Hillary without mentioning her name; that those have been in Washington for a long time are part of the problem. He used this as a springboard to a discussion on his major issues, which he in turn employed to obliquely hit at Clinton. One issue was universal health care, an issue which unites Democrats. Hillary had attempted to pass it during her husband’s administration and joked that she had the scars to show it. She promised to achieve it by the end of her second term. Obama also came out for universal health care - to be enacted in his first four years. But the largest issue at the convention was the war in Iraq. All the candidates opposed it, but only Obama had been against the war from the beginning. Obama pointed to this initial opposition, to the roar and approval of the audience. Both John Edwards and Hillary had been in the Senate in 2002 and voted to authorize the use of military force. Edwards has apologized and said it was a mistake, while Hillary pointedly has not. Obama had nothing to apologize for and made the most of it. Obama, in the short time he has been in the race, has not had the chance to develop his proposals in depth and it has come out in other appearances. His challenge is to appear more substantive. He already has the delivery down pat. Two other candidates spoke Saturday. Senator Chris Dodd came across as a knowledgeable insider who looks like central casting’s idea of a former president, and Dennis Kucinich's speech was a parody of a Democratic candidate. Both Obama and Hillary look to be set for a battle over the next ten months, by which time we will probably know the identity of the Democratic nominee and the next president. Wayne represented San Diego for three terms as a member of the Legislature.
(back to top) Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd.
New York
(Publicity Release)—The Winograd Commission, appointed by the Israeli
government in the wake of last year's war with the terrorist group Hizballah
in Lebanon, has published a damning interim report which blasts the conduct
of The interim report has resulted in a
wave of political and public pressure for Prime Minister Olmert to resign.
Israeli Minister-without-Portfolio Eitan Cabel (Labor) resigned from the
government stating "I cannot sit in a government headed by Ehud Olmert" (Washington
Post, May 1). Another
Labor MK, Ophir Pines-Paz has called for mass demonstrations to demand that
Olmert and Peretz step down. Israel's Channel 10 TV quoted Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni (Kadima) as telling aides MK Marina Solodkin (Kadima) has publicly
called on Olmert to step down and A poll by Israel TV Channel 2 revealed
Olmert having 0% public support to remain Faced by the massive wave of pressure to resign, Olmert has now moved away from his initial statement that he had no intention of resigning, saying "I am not convinced that I will succeed in getting through this," also adding that if he had to go, there would be no coalition left to any of his successors. Livni is now saying she believes that Olmert should resign. Earlier today, lawyer Yossi Fuchs petitioned the High Court of Justice to force Olmert to quit in the wake of the war report. Fuchs said that "the Winograd report finds Olmert personally responsible for the failures of the war which caused the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and civilians. Therefore, it is the duty of the one who is found responsible for such a serious failure to resign from his position." A massive demonstration calling on Olmert to resign is being organized for Tel Aviv and demonstrations in other cities are expected ( Jerusalem Post, May 1). Excerpts from the summary of the
Winograd Commission Interim Report: *The
Prime Minister made up his mind hastily, despite the fact that no detailed
military plan was submitted to him and without asking for one. Also, his
decision
*The
primary responsibility for these serious failings rests with the Prime
Minister, the Minister of Defense and the (outgoing) Chief of Staff. We
single out these three because it is likely that had any of them acted
better – the decisions in the relevant period and the ways they were made,
as well as the outcome of the war, would have been significantly better."
(11) * "The Minister of Defense did not have knowledge or experience in military, political or governmental matters. He also did not have good knowledge of the basic principles of using military force to achieve political goals." ( 13.a) *D espite these serious gaps, he made his decisions during this period without systemic consultations with experienced political and professional experts, including outside the security establishment. In addition, he did not give adequate weight to reservations expressed in the meetings he attended." ( 13.b) *The Minister of Defense [Amir Peretz] did not act within a strategic conception of the systems he oversaw. He did not ask for the IDF's operational plans and did not examine them; he did not check the preparedness and fitness of IDF; and did not examine the fit between the goals set and the modes of action presented and authorized for achieving them. His influence on the decisions made was mainly pointillist and operational. He did not put on the table – and did not demand presentation - of serious strategic options for discussion with the Prime Minister and the IDF ." (13.c)*
"The Minister of Defense did not develop an independent assessment of the
implications of the complexity of the front for Israel's proper response,
the goals of the campaign, and the relations between military and diplomatic
moves within it. His lack of experience and knowledge prevented him from
challenging in a competent way both the IDF, over which he was in charge,
and the Prime Minister ." (13.d) * "The army and the COS [Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz] were not prepared for the event of the abduction despite recurring alerts. When the abduction happened, he responded impulsively. He did not alert the political leaders to the complexity of the situation, and did not present information, assessments and plans that were available in the IDF at various levels of planning and approval and which would have enabled a better response to the challenges." ( 14.a) * "Among other things, the COS did not alert the political echelon to the serious shortcomings in the preparedness and the fitness of the armed forces for an extensive ground operation, if that became necessary. In addition, he did not clarify that the military assessments and analyses of the arena were that a military strike against Hizbullah will with a high probability make such a move necessary ." (14.b) * "The COS's responsibility is aggravated by the fact that he knew well that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense lacked adequate knowledge and experience in these matters, and by the fact that he had led them to believe that the IDF was ready and prepared and had operational plans fitting the situation." ( 14.c) *The COS did not provide adequate responses to serious reservations about his recommendations raised by ministers and others during the first days of the campaign, and he did not present to the political leaders the internal debates within the IDF concerning the fit between the stated goals and the authorized modes of actions." ( 14.d)
*
"In
all these the Chief of Staff failed in his duties as commander in chief of
the army and as a critical part of the political-military leadership, and
exhibited flaws in professionalism, responsibility and judgment. ( 14.e) incentive to accelerate learning processes in the relevant systems … However, learning processes have been limited. In some ways an opposite, and worrying, process emerged – a process of 'waiting' for the Commission's Report before energetic and determined action is taken to redress failures which have been revealed." (5) Results of the Incompetence The decision to respond with an immediate, intensive military strike was not based on a detailed, comprehensive and authorized military plan, based on careful study of the complex characteristics of the Lebanon arena. A meticulous examination of these characteristics would have revealed the following: the ability to achieve military gains having significant political-international weight was limited; an Israeli military strike would inevitably lead to missiles fired at the Israeli civilian north; there was not other effective military response to such missile attacks than an extensive and prolonged ground operation to capture the areas from which the missiles were fired" ( 10.a) * "The support in the cabinet for this move was gained in part through ambiguity in the presentation of goals and modes of operation" ( 10.c) * "The IDF did not exhibit creativity in proposing alternative action possibilities, did not alert the political decision-makers to the discrepancy between its own scenarios and the authorized modes of action, and did not demand – as was necessary under its own plans – early mobilization of the reserves so they could be equipped and trained in case a ground operation would be required" ( 10.e) *
Even after these facts became known to the political leaders, they failed to
adapt the military way of operation and its goals to the reality on the
ground. On the contrary, declared goals were too ambitious, and it was
publicly stated that fighting will continue till they are achieved. But the
authorized military operations did not enable their achievement." (10.f) *The ability of Hizbullah to sit 'on the border', its ability to dictate the moment of escalation, and the growth of its military abilities and missile arsenal increased significantly as a result of Israel's unilateral withdrawal in May 2000. " (15.b)
* "… the lack of preparedness was also caused by the failure to update and fully articulate Israel's security strategy doctrine, in the fullest sense of that term, so that it could not serve as a basis for coping comprehensively with all the challenges facing Israel. Responsibility for this lack of an updated national security strategy lies with Israel's governments over the years. This omission made it difficult to devise an immediate proper response to the abduction." (15.d) ( Jerusalem Post, April 30).
Commentary from the Zionist Organization of America The foregoing analysis was provided by the Zionist Organization of America
(back to top)
JERUSALEM—This is an ugly week for politics. Prime Minister Olmert's
head is on the block (figuratively), and Defense Minister Peretz is next
in line. Both are accused of failure in Lebanon II. The airwaves are
filled with speculation and planning for mass demonstrations.
It is a good time for classical music and other things.
My routine on Shabbat at 11 AM, for an hour or so, is to study Talmud
with a religious friend. I get ready for it in mid-week, going through
material first in English, and then the text's mixture of Aramaic and
Hebrew. I have been doing it
for several years, somewhat to the concern of friends and relatives. "Why is a nice Jewish boy doing that? Are you becoming religious?"
They can relax. The Talmud does not drive me to the rituals of a
synagogue.
It does give me a sense of participating in arguments that have gone on for more than 2000 years.
The Talmud presents its text in the center of each page, and around the
edges are commentaries about its cryptic discussions. The commentaries
are by revered sages of the early Middle Ages, and by rabbis who are
still working. My teacher explains other things, which he learned from
his teachers. They learned from their teachers, and backward for
generations.
The beauty of the Talmud is its concern for the detailed application of
law. The commandments found in the Torah are important, but no less so
are what they mean in practice. When the Torah commands Jews to pray
"when you lie down and when you rise" (Deuteronomy 6), what does that
mean? When, exactly, are the appropriate times? How to define precisely
liability for harm caused by the sources of damage mentioned in the
Torah.
Some disputes seem both endless and trivial, as rabbis debate various
points concerning how close one can pray to a latrine, or to a place on
the ground where someone has relieved himself. The dangers of oxen are
considerable, and each variety imaginable has provoked argument. It is
easy to understand the statement of Paul, "Doth God care for oxen?" (I
Corinthians 9:9)
The Talmud documents the evolution of Jewish law on points of modern
relevance. It includes arguments recalled from long before the Talmud
itself came into being, when the rabbis decided that "an eye for an eye"
meant monetary compensation for damages, and defined numerous ways of
evading the death penalties indicated in the Torah.
Discussions also show roots of law dealing with traffic accidents. There
are principles of sharing liability when several parties have
participated in the damage, and an assumption that the damaged parties
have some responsibility for avoiding trouble,
Here and there I wonder if the rabbis were having fun at the expense of
their students, and their students' students over the generations.
One item deals with Chanan the wicked. He stood before a court for
striking a man on his ear. His fine was equivalent to a certain coin.
His only coin had a face value twice as much as the penalty. His coin
was faulty, and no one would give him two smaller coins in exchange.
What to do? Chanan the wicked was not about to pay a greater fine than
necessary. He struck his victim on the other ear and surrendered
his coin (Bava Kamma, Chapter 4, page 37a).
In another argument, a rabbi raises the question, "What if a man falls
from a roof, and penetrates (sexually) a woman on the ground?" Is such a
man liable for compensations for the full range of items applicable to
ancient (and modern) claims: pain, healing, loss of employment, and
humiliation? Not for humiliation, because (according to the rabbis) he
did not intend to inflict the injury (Bava Kamma, Chapter 2, page 27a).
This week's political commentary is no more enlightening.
Commentary
By Bruce Kesler
ENCINITAS, Calif—Tom Lantos, Democrat Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, only allows emails to him from those who live in his district. Therefore, this open letter to him:
Dear Congressman Lantos: What if your freedom depended upon emailing a U.S. Congressman who refused to accept emails from anyone outside his electoral district? That’s how your email page excludes appeals for freedom. What if your freedom depended upon returning to your home village, surviving, and then reaching the U.S. consulate in Berlin (if there’d been one) or London? Well, that’s what the United States is now
doing to Montagnards who’ve managed to escape cruel oppression
in Vietnam by getting into Cambodia.
Only you, Congressman Lantos, can quickly hold a hearing and pressure the State Department to reverse this despicable change in policy. The details are here. Please remember what it feels like to be at
the mercy of murderous thugs, and finding someone who cares
enough to save your life.
“Today marks the start of the second annual Jewish American
Heritage Month. “For more than 350 years Jewish Americans have been an integral part of helping the United States grow and flourish. Throughout the years Jewish Americans have contributed to numerous social and political causes. They have served proudly in our nation’s military, taken an active role in the civil rights movement and made numerous other contributions that reflect the great diversity and inclusion which is a hallmark of this country. “We join all Americans in celebrating the accomplishments of Jewish Americans this month and throughout the rest of the year.” For more information on the heritage of American Jewry and
celebratory events throughout the country visit the Jewish American Heritage
Month website at www.jewishheritage.us "On April 16th, we commemorated the 48th annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, and teaching about this tragic historical event is more important than ever," said Congressman Filner. "As the generations who survived the Holocaust die, we need to make sure that new generations know the horrors of that terrible time and that those who would deny the existence of the Holocaust do not have the ability to rewrite history."
Filner has co-sponsored H.R. 1092, the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act, legislation that has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. It is named after the honored Holocaust survivor who spent his life devoted to seeking justice for the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis. The grants will come from the U.S. Department of Education, and educational materials and teacher training will be available to schools, seminars, conferences, and Holocaust educational organizations.
"I am a proud sponsor of this bill. It is vital that we teach the dangers of conflict and the importance of tolerance in our society," concluded Filner.
The foregoing was provided
by Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego)
SAN DIEGO (Publicity Release) – 6th@Penn Theatre’s Resilience of the Spirit: Human Rights Festival 2007 continues with Lemkin’s House, which plays May 24-June 17 in repertory with a double bill of The Last Class and A Hundred Birds, running May 25–June 18. Lemkin’s House, a play by Catherine Filloux, explores the afterlife of Raphael Lemkin, a man haunted by victims of society’s most barbaric crime: genocide. Lemkin, a Polish Jewish lawyer whose parents died in the Holocaust, coined the term "genocide" in 1944. During his lifetime he fervently pressed the international community to outlaw the practice. Now deceased, he finds that his peace is disrupted by people bursting into his home with complaints of more recent genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, and his fighting spirit returns when he meets those who follow in his footsteps in an attempt to stop genocide around the world. Lemkin’s House is directed by Henia Belalia. Catherine Filloux is a French-Algerian-American playwright who has received awards from the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays, the O’Neill, the Rockefeller MAP Fund, and the Asian Cultural Council. During 2003 she was a Fulbright Senior Specialist in playwriting in Cambodia.
Filloux’s
plays have confronted the issue of genocide in many nations. She states “For a
while these crimes were the “best kept secrets,’ but they’re not even secrets.
They happen all the time and nobody cares. And that’s the problem on some level
with doing this kind of theater. There’s just a little wall that’s been built
up against these things, and to write theater about them is part of the
challenge.” For more information or to purchase
tickets call (619) 688-9210. |
||||||
CONGREGATIONAL
CURRENTS—The dust as land is being cleared for Temple Emanu-El's new
sanctuary is no problem for Rabbi Martin Lawson and about 35 congregants.
They have been traveling in Eastern Europe. The combination sanctuary/ social
hall is not expected to be completed for another year, and in the meantime the
Reform congregation has 