San Diego Jewish World

                                    
Monday evening—Tuesday, August 6-7, 2007    

                                                                        Vol. 1, Number 98
 

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Resolutions censuring Bush, Cheney and Gonzales
simultaneously introduced in Senate and House

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (Democrat, Wisconsin) and U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (Democrat, New York) have introduced two censure resolutions in their respective chambers condemning the president, vice president and the attorney general for misconduct regarding our military involvement in Iraq and for their repeated assaults on the rule of law at home.

Senator Tom Harkin (Democrat, Iowa) is a cosponsor of both Senate censure resolutions and Senator
Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California) is a cosponsor of the Senate censure resolution regarding Iraq. The House resolutions have 19 original cosponsors.

     San Diego Jewish World
             August 6, 2007

  (click on headline below to jump to the story)

Israel and Middle East
Livni lectures Norway's FM on danger of Hamas

Wiesenthal Center praises UN on resolution calling for release of kidnapped Israeli soldiers

Olmert denounces survivor protests against stipend

More on the Shimon Peres visit with Condoleezza Rice


Europe
Jewish-born French Cardinal Lustiger dies at 80

University of Cambridge opposes Israel academic boycott

Asia
Diplomat who denies Armenian genocide by Turks
is withdrawn as nominee for ambassadorship


Latin America
Brazil-Syria cooperation pact draws strong criticism


U.S.A
Resolutions censuring Bush, Cheney and Gonzales
simultaneously introduced in Senate and House


AJC salutes Defense report on proselytizing


Greater San Diego
D.A, Sheriff team up to offer citizen's academy

Davis tells of vote against warrantless wiretapping


Sports
Game and home run derby won by Miracle

Baseball league may help Israelis fight stress
 

“Congress cannot stay silent when the American people are demanding that this administration be held accountable for its blatant misconduct regarding Iraq and its attack on the rule of law,” Feingold said. “These censure resolutions will let future generations know that Congress stood up to the destructive policies of this administration that have weakened our national security, cost more than 3,600 American lives, and undermined the principles on which our country was founded. I applaud Congressman Hinchey for leading this charge for accountability in the House of Representatives.”

“From misleading this country into invading Iraq to establishing a warrantless domestic spy program, this White House has continuously misled and deceived the American people while disregarding the rule of law that guides our democracy,” Hinchey said.

“The Bush administration has placed an extraordinary burden on this and future generations to recover from the damage done to our Constitution and national security. While it will take time to get our country back on the right track, we in Congress can act now by passing these censure resolutions to hold the White House accountable and to let the historical record show that an equal branch of government found the actions of this administration undeniably reprehensible. I am honored to be working with Senator Feingold on these censure resolutions and look forward to gathering support in order to pass them in both chambers.”

 

 




 

The censure resolutions regarding Iraq, S.Res.302 and H.Res.625, condemn the president and vice president for:

●Misleading the nation about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein’s regime and about Saddam’s links to al Qaeda and 9/11

Inadequate planning for military action in Iraq

Overstraining the military and undermining homeland security

Misleading the nation about the strength of the insurgency

The censure resolutions regarding the rule of law, S.Res.303 and H.Res.626, condemn the president and attorney general for:

Authorizing the illegal NSA warrantless wiretapping program

Pursuing extreme policies concerning torture and the treatment of detainees

Detaining enemy combatants indefinitely without charges, access to a lawyer, or habeas rights

Unilaterally authorizing flawed military commissions that were subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court

Misleading Congress and the public about, and obstructing investigations into, the firings of U.S. Attorneys

Making misleading statements regarding civil liberties abuses under the Patriot Act

Undermining acts of Congress with signing statements based on extreme theories of executive power

Cosponsors of the House resolutions are Democratic Representatives Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin,  Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, Steve Cohen  of Tennessee, Danny Davis of Illinois, Sam Farr of California, Bob Filner of California, Raul Grijalva of Arizona, John Hall of New York, Michael Honda of California, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, Barbara Lee of California, Carolyn Maloney of New York, James Moran of Virginia, Ed Pastor of Arizona, Steve Rothman of New Jersey, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Carol Shea Porter of New Hampshire, and Diane Watson of California

Here are links to the Senate censure resolution regarding Iraq and the Senate censure resolution regarding the rule of law. The House resolutions are identical.

The preceding story was provided by the office of Sen. Russell Feingold

 

               Israel and Middle East

 
 

 
 

  Livni lectures Norway's FM on danger of Hamas

JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni met today (6 August) with the co-chairmen of the Socialist International Middle East Committee, Norwegian Foreign Minister Johas Gahr Store and Secretary General of the Italian Democrats of the Left, Piero Fassino.

Against the background of the dialogue conducted by Norway with Hamas, Foreign Minister Livni said:

"Palestinian unity means standstill and deterioration. Israelis and Palestinians need decision. Our position vis-a-vis Hamas is not punishment for the past, but a response to the fact that Hamas is preventing any chance or hope for the future.

“The Arab world must support the Palestinian government and the steps Israel is taking towards normalization by stages. The role of the donor countries and of Tony Blair is to bridge the gaps between the ideal and the reality of the Palestinians' ability to combat terror and set up governing institutions. Normalization will be implemented only where there is effective rule by a government that accepts the Quartet conditions. It is only with such a government that Israel and the world should interact.”

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

   (Return to top)

 

Wiesenthal Center praises UN on resolution calling for release of kidnapped Israeli soldiers

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LOS ANGELES—
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has commended the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council for demanding on August 3 that Hezbollah immediately and unconditionally release Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the Israeli soldiers kidnapped last summer.

The Center also praised the Council’s denouncing of Syria for continuing to smuggle weapons to the terrorist group--a violation the Council’s Resolution 1701 called for at the end of the Lebanon War.

“We commend the leadership of Secretary General Ban for dealing directly and forthrightly on Hezbollah’s failure to release the Israeli soldiers they kidnapped and for not turning a blind eye to Syria’s mocking of the international community’s will by continuing to smuggle arms into Lebanon,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of  the Wiesenthal Center.

“We hope that the leadership exhibited by the Secretary General will be matched by actions on the ground that reunite the kidnapped soldiers with their families and forestall an even greater conflagration than was experienced in last summer’s Lebanon War,” Cooper concluded.

The preceding story was provided by the Simon Wiesenthal Center
 

.
 

 Olmert denounces survivor protests against stipend

JERUSALEM (Press Release)—Israel’s prime minister Ehud Olmert has denounced protests by Holocaust survivors at the level of their Israeli pension. Olmert said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday: "Those who submit a newspaper photograph of a woman wearing pajamas and a yellow patch drag the discussion down to an unacceptable level, and such images will not dictate the government's actions on the issue."

Outside his residence, dozens of survivors and hundreds of supporters staged a protest. Carrying signs that said, “Let us live in dignity,” the demonstrators demanded that the prime minister issue a formal statement revoking a reported government decision to provide a monthly stipend next year of 83 shekels, about US$ 20, to the country’s Holocaust survivors.

Some survivors have likened their treatment in Israel to that of the Nazis and threatened to march on Jerusalem dressed in prison uniforms recalling the concentration camps of World War II. With talks between the government and survivors' representatives under way, social welfare minister Isaac Herzog said the monthly pension might be increased.

Herzog said that the protest march, “all in the name of a financial dispute with the government, is an insult to the collective memory of the Holocaust.” Herzog also denied claims that the original pension for survivors proposed by the government was only 83 shekels a month and said that the sum was actually an addition to the pensions proposed by Olmert.

The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress 
 

The Peres Diary

 More on the visit with Condoleezza Rice

JERUSALEM (Press Release) —The President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, met August 1st with the Secretary of State of the U.S.A., Ms. Condoleezza Rice and conveyed through her an Official Invitation to President Bush to come to Israel as Guest of Honor at the 60th Independence Celebrations of the State of Israel President Peres: “The entire State of Israel wishes to honor President Bush at the 60th Independence celebrations and it is a great opportunity to thank America.”

During the joint statements given by the two before they went into the meeting, the President said: “Ms. Rice brings with her freshness and hope and I believe that her latest moves can lead Israel and the Palestinians to the last stage in the peace negotiations.”

The Secretary of State replied: "With your wisdom, your faith and your courage you influenced all of us to act in order to achieve peace. You are not loved only Israel but in the entire world who regard you as a courageous warrior for peace and freedom.”

After the joint statements the two entered the President’s bureau where they held a long tête à tête working meeting on a series of security and political issues concerning our region. Later the two joined their official delegations and held a discussion on the various aspects of the Peace Valley Project.

President Peres emphasized that the best way to achieve true and comprehensive peace in this region is through a combination of political negotiations and economic cooperation between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians and that many countries and entrepreneurs wish to participate in this economic process, with Japan and Turkey at their head.

The office of Israel's President Shimon from time to time releases accounts of his official activities. We have been publishing them as they are made available.

President Peres news from other sources: "Happy Birthday, Mr President: Representatives of youth movements hold a surprise party for President Peres on his 84th birthday," Ynet News, August 5, 2007



 

              Europe


Jewish-born French Cardinal Lustiger dies at 80

PARIS (Press Release)—The French cardinal and former archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Lustiger, a Jew who converted to Roman Catholicism, has died aged 80. The son of Polish refugees, he was close to the late Pope John Paul II. His appointment as archbishop in 1981 gave him one of the highest ever positions for a convert to the French Catholic church. In 1983, he was made a cardinal.

"He had a notable role in our society and in the intellectual debates of our time," the Paris diocese said in a statement. "France loses a great figure of our country's spiritual, moral, intellectual and religious life," Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, said. Lustiger's funeral will be held on Friday at the cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris.

 Cardinal Lustiger (right) with Edgar Bronfman in 2005

Cardinal Lustiger was an early champion of interfaith relations. In 2000 he accompanied Pope John Paul to Jerusalem and a year later to Damascus, Syria, where John Paul II became the first Pope to set foot in a mosque. Earlier, Lustiger was involved in efforts to close a divide between Jews and Christians over the presence of a Carmelite convent at the site of the Auschwitz death camp, where his mother had perished during the Holocaust. Aaron Lustiger was born on 17 September 1926 in Paris. He was the first of two children of Charles and Gisèle Lustiger.

After the Nazi occupation of France in 1940, Aaron was sent with his sister, Arlette, to live with a Catholic woman in Orléans, where the children were exposed to Catholicism and where Aaron, aged 13 and against the wishes of his parents, decided to convert to Catholicism. He was baptized in August 1940, adding the name Jean-Marie to Aaron. His sister was baptized later. In September 1942, Gisèle Lustiger was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she died in 1943. The father survived the Holocaust and returned to Paris.

Lustiger always asserted that despite his conversion he remained a Jew, a claim which drew criticism from many orthodox Jewish leaders. "Christianity is the fruit of Judaism," he once said. "For me, it was never for an instant a question of denying my Jewish identity. On the contrary," he said in a book published in 1987. He was a regular guest at inter-religious conferences and the first cardinal to address a World Jewish Congress (WJC) Plenary Assembly meeting in Brussels (in 2005).

Last May, Lustiger made an emotionally charged final appearance at the Académie Française of which he was a member since 1995. Despite his diminished physical appearance, "we felt his fervor," fellow academy member Jean-Marie Rouart said later. Richard Prasquier, president of France’s Jewish umbrella group CRIF, said Lustiger “was among those who have done the most for the relations between Catholics and Jews.”

The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress

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



Porthole Table for Four—Brothers Casey and Travis
Ford (right) enjoy a meal at sea with Jodi Randolph (left) and Leah Williams.


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

  University of Cambridge opposes Israel academic boycott

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom (Press Release)—The University of Cambridge has opposed the planned boycott of Israeli academic institutions by the University and College Union, a trade union of British academics.

A meeting of the governing Council of the prestigious British university unanimously endorsed the following statement: “UCU members are free to debate the pros and cons of an institutional boycott of Israeli universities. Universities in the UK, however, would oppose any such boycott as this would be inimical to academic freedom, including the freedom of academics to collaborate with other academics, regardless of nationality or location.”

In May, at its annual congress, UCU delegates voted a motion urging lecturers to "consider the moral implications of existing and proposed links with Israeli academic institutions," to protest the treatment of the Palestinians. Other trade unions also called for a boycott of Israel.

  The preceding story was provided by the World Jewish Congress
 


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              Asia


Diplomat who denies Armenian genocide by Turks
is withdrawn as nominee for ambassadorship


WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Congressman Adam Schiff (Democrat, California) expressed his support on Friday, August 3, for the White House’s withdrawal of the nomination of Richard E. Hoagland’s to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. 

Hoagland had been nominated to replace Ambassador John Evans who was pushed to retire from his post by the Bush Administration.  Congressman Schiff and many of his Congressional colleagues believe Ambassador Evans was recalled for his comments made in February of 2005 in which he publicly recognized the Armenian Genocide. 

“The President was right to withdraw Mr. Hoagland’s nomination,” Schiff said.  “During his confirmation hearings, Mr. Hoagland continued to deny that the massacre of a million and a half Armenians between 1915 and 1923 was genocide, thereby compounding the injury done to the Armenian people and, especially, the few remaining survivors of the first genocide of the Twentieth Century.  I hope that the President will soon nominate a new ambassador who will be more forthcoming in discussing the Armenian Genocide”

On March 21, at an Appropriations hearing before the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Schiff pressed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her opposition to recognizing the Armenian Genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.  In his pointed questioning, Schiff repeatedly asked the Secretary of State if she believed that the murder of 1.5 million Armenians could be characterized as anything other than a genocide.  The Secretary did not directly respond.

The preceding story was provided by the office of Congressman Adam Schiff

              Latin America


Brazil-Syria cooperation pact draws strong criticism

The Simon Wiesenthal Center criticized leaders of Brazil's ruling party, Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) for signing a cooperation agreement with the Syrian Baath Party.

In a letter to Ricardo Berzoini (President) and Valter Pomar (Secretary for International Relations), Center officials wrote in part;

“There can be no doubt that PT authorities know very well that the Baath Party has been leading for decades an authoritarian regime that disregards human rights, that has been accused of supporting terrorism and has protected Nazi war criminals such as Alois Brunner, who was Adolf Eichmann’s deputy in the implementation of the so-called ‘Final Solution.’” said Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Wiesenthal Center.

The PT emphasized that the agreement promotes “a joint action towards an agenda which includes the work in favour of international peace, the combat against imperialism, and the fight for a more balanced international institutional life.”

“What peace agenda can promote a ruling party which supports terrorist groups such as Hizbollah and Hamas, which has violated the sovereignty of a neighbour-country such as Lebanon, and also looks down on democracy?” added Sergio Widder, the Center’s Latin American Representative.

“We call on PT to review its position, to leave the agreement without effect, and to call on Syria to  stop financing terrorism, to refrain from boycotting any Middle East peace initiative and to provide information about Nazi war criminals who found refuge in its territory. Eluding those responsibilities would seriously damage the credibility of the PT in front of the democratic world,” concludes the letter.
                ________________________

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             United States of America



AJC salutes Defense report on proselytizing

NEW YORK (Press Release) – The American Jewish Committee has commended the U.S. Department of Defense for its recent investigative report on the access given a leading evangelical organization and its direct influence on senior officers.

 

“What the Defense Department has uncovered is deeply disturbing, and we are gratified that those officers who participated while in uniform in a fundraising video for the Christian Embassy will face disciplinary action,” said Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, AJC’s U.S. director of Interreligious Affairs.

 

”The fact that certain senior officers in the military have enabled the Christian Embassy, an evangelizing organization, to long sponsor programs in the Pentagon is troubling,” said Rabbi Greenebaum. “Every effort must be made to ensure that no single faith is favored in the military.”

 

Unfortunately, proselytizing in the military is not a new issue. AJC expressed concerns about religious coercion in the U.S. military two years ago in the wake of allegations of discrimination at the U.S. Air Force Academy where some commanding officers and chaplains abused their positions to advance their own religious agendas.

  The preceding story was provided by the American Jewish Committee

 

 

The Jewish Grapevine                                                  
                 

CYBER-REFERRALS—Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles noted the following news stories in today's editions of Israeli media outlets: A Qassam rocket landed on an empty kindergarden in Sderot (Ynet); Israel, PA will expand talks on establishing Palestinian state as soon as possible (Ha'aretz).

                                                              


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             Greater San Diego Area


D.A, Sheriff team up to offer citizen's academy

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced it will hold its popular, expanded Citizens Academy starting in early September on the University of San Diego campus. The ten-week long Citizens Academy is a free course in partnership with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department that demystifies the criminal justice system and the workings of the District Attorney's Office for members of the general public.

“This is an amazing opportunity for people to meet prosecutors in the District Attorney's Office and get an insider’s look at what we do,” said DA Bonnie M. Dumanis. “The feedback from the first Citizens Academy last year has led us to expand our efforts this second time around.”

Citizens Academy classes are held once a week for three hours each evening at USD. The course lasts ten weeks and participants receive a certificate upon completion. The Academy introduces citizens to the inner-workings of the law enforcement system as it is administered by the District Attorney and Superior Court. The course includes on-site visits to the Sheriff’s Training Facility, central jail, and a superior courtroom.

A diverse group of speakers from the DA’s Office and Sheriff’s Department will discuss topics ranging from cold case homicide to prosecuting sexually violent predators. Prosecutors and deputies will also cover narcotics, gangs, crime scene investigations, ballistics/firearms, witness protection, Internet crimes against children, sex crimes and stalking, domestic violence, public integrity and the workings of the judicial system.

Praise from those who attended the DA’s first Citizens Academy has been strong. As one Academy graduate wrote, “Real…law enforcement is traditionally an arcane, obscure and sometimes frightening institution; it rarely has its curtain lifted or its interior workings broadly disclosed. If you can afford the time, don’t mind a background check and have an interest in community affairs, by all means apply to be included in this course.”

The Citizens Academy begins Thursday, September 6. Classes will be held from 6p.m. to 9p.m. at the Manchester Conference Center on the University of San Diego campus at 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110. Space is limited. Members of the public wishing to attend the academy should contact the District Attorney's Office at (619) 515-8294 to make a reservation by August 15. A required application is available online at http://www.sdcda.org/office/academy.php

The preceding story was provided by the office of District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis 


 
Davis tells of vote against warrantless wiretapping

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Susan Davis (Democrat, California) released the following statement on passage of Senate legislation (S. 1927) to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).  The Senate bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 227-183.  Davis joined a majority of her Democratic colleagues in voting against S. 1927.

“While Congress has a duty to protect the American people from attacks, we must do so in a manner consistent with the Constitution and the Fourth Amendment.  I believe that S. 1927 went too far by allowing wiretapping without a warrant and giving too much power to the Executive Branch, especially Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

“The Bush Administration has made it perfectly clear that they do not believe Congress or the Courts should play a role in overseeing national security efforts.  I firmly disagree and strongly urge the Administration to work with Congress on issues vital toward the protection of American citizens.  The people are best served when all branches work for the greater good and not toward political aims.

“The only bright spot in S. 1927 is that it expires in six months.  I am hopeful that my colleagues on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Judiciary Committee will make the matter of reforming the law a top priority upon returning in September.”


 

 
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               Sports

                     
        News from the    
  Israel Baseball League


JEWISH BASEBALL SYMBOLS—The players of the Modi'in Miracle in the Israel Baseball League wear
two familiarJewish symbols.  A menorah on their batting helmets—symbolizing the Chanukah miracle—
and the JNF pushke or tszedakah box on their right shoulders. IBL photo by Nathaniel Edelstein


Game and home run derby won by Miracle


By Nathaniel Edelstein

KIBBUTZ GEZER, Israel— It took a homerun derby here for the Modi'in Miracle to defeat the Ra'anana Express 2-1 today

Ra'anana righty Joshua Zumbrun threw a complete game and gave up just one unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks.  But Miracle left-hander Ian Okorofsky of Ontario, Canada, was almost as un-hittable, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing one run on four hits with a strikeout and two walks.

The masterful pitching from both teams led to the homerun derby in which Modi'in first baseman Aaron Levin slugged three homers to lead the Miracle to the 4-2 derby win and the overall victory.

The Bet Shemesh Blue Sox and the Netanya Tigers played the last half-inning of the protested July 1st game with the Blue Sox opening the bottom of the seventh leading 10-5.  The Tigers managed to score two runs, but it wasn't enough to come back on the Sox.

The Tigers did come back during the day's regularly scheduled game to beat the Blue Sox 5-3 at Sportek  Bet Shemesh was leading 3-1 through 5.5 innings, but the Netanya offense came alive in the bottom of the seventh to put four runs on the board.  First baseman Ty Eriksen of Vancouver, Washington, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while catcher Sam Faeder and leftfielder Dan Rootenberg also chipped in two hits apiece for the Tigers.

New York native Leon Feingold collected his third victory of the season with seven innings of work, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out two and walking four as the Tigers remain 11 games behind the first-place Sox.

The second-place Tel Aviv Lightning pulled within a game of Bet Shemesh by beating the Petach Tikva Pioneers 8-3 at the Baptist Village.

Rightfielder Jeff Hastings went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Dominican shortstop Raul Franco raised his average to .380 with two hits, an RBI, and two runs scored.  Third baseman Nate Fish also collected two hits and an RBI as the Lightning's winning streak reaches five games and the Pioneers lose their eighth straight.


Summaries:
                       1   2   3   4   5   6   7   HR   R   H   E
Ra'anana          0   0   0   0   1   0   0     2   1    4    3
Modi'in            0   0   0   0   0   1   0     4    2    3    1

                         1   2   3   4   5   6    7   R    H   E
Bet Shemesh     0   0   0   0   0   0   10  10    7    0
Netanya             0   0   3   0   1   1   2     7    9    5
W: Jeff Mor (1-0); L: Matt Comiter (0-1); SV: Scott Perlman (1); HR:
Ramon Rodriguez (1), Jason Rees (3), Mike Lyons (1)

                          1   2   3   4   5   6   7   R   H   E
Bet Shemesh      1   1   0   1   0   0   0   3    6    1
Netanya              0   0   0   1   0   4   x   5    9    0
W: Leon Feingold (3-2); L: Rafael Bergstrom (6-2); HR: None

                         1   2   3   4   5   6   7   R   H   E
Tel Aviv            0   0   2   0   5   0   1   8   11   1
Petach Tikva      0   0   0   1   2   0   0    3   4    1
W: Mike Etkin (4-0); L: Andrew Morales (1-5); HR: None

Standings:

Team                               W    L     %     GB
Bet Shemesh Blue Sox    24    9    .727     -
Tel Aviv Lightning             22    9    .710   1.0
Modi'in Miracle                19   13   .594   4.5
Ra'anana Express           13   19   .406   10.5
Netanya Tigers                12   19   .387   11.0
Petach Tikva Pioneers      5    26   .161   18.0

Tuesday the Tel Aviv Lightning and the Modi'in Miracle play a doubleheader at the Sportek in Tel Aviv with the first game starting at 2 pm and the second game at 5 pm.  At Kibbutz Gezer the Petach Tikva Pioneers take on the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox at 5 pm and at 7 pm the Netanya Tigers play the Ra'anana Express at Yarkon Field at the Baptist Village.

 
                                                     


                            

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____________________
The Jewish Citizen
                                      by Donald H. Harrison
 

Baseball league may help Israelis fight stress

SAN DIEGO—Back in 1967, Bruce Lowitt and I were both rookies in the Associated Press bureau in Los Angeles.  He was on the sports desk and I was working the news desk.  One of my jobs was to edit stories turned in by both news and sports reporters before putting it on the wire.

Bruce, whose columns occasionally appear on San Diego Jewish World, was quite gung-ho about sports, an attitude that landed him in New York City, where he became one of AP's chief football writers before eventually moving on to the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times. 

I might have been described as similarly motivated about news, but when it came to sports, I was somewhat lackadaisical. Bruce would knock out the result of some sports game and breathlessly bring it to my desk, exclaiming "this is a final!"  "Great," I'd reply, casually pushing it aside to continue reading some news analysis, or "thumb sucker" as we used to call long stories providing background on the news.

"Don, this is competitive," he'd insist. "Aw, who gives a s*** about sports," I'd respond. 

"I mean it!" he'd say.

"Oh, all right," I'd reply somewhat begrudgingly, then read his copy and give it to the telegrapher.

Truth was, even though as a kid I was a pretty good first baseman, I didn't "get" sports, and really haven't until recently. 

Editing this on-line newspaper heightens my appreciation for sports.  So much of the news in our Jewish world, necessary though it is, is angst-producing:  Iran wanting to wipe Israel off the map; neo-Nazis vandalizing cemeteries in Eastern Europe; constitutional protections for the separation of church and state forever being eroded. 

But in sports, where someone comes from, or what that person's race or religion is, simply is an incidental fact—far less important in, say, the world of baseball then whether he or she throws right handed or left handed, how high is his/her batting average, and how low is his/her ERA.  Someday, I believe, even gender will be an incidental.  Women will be permitted, even encouraged, to try out for major league baseball teams, and some will take the field.  

I was talking with Norman Manson, who writes book reviews for us.  He started out as a sportswriter some 60 years ago, and later had a full and productive career on the San Diego Union-Tribune as a copy editor.

For many people, he told me, sports is a vicarious thrill; people actually imagine themselves in the batting box or on the pitcher's mound trying to establish a record or reaching a new plateau the way Barry Bonds and Tom Glavine did recently.  Or for some, he suggested, sports is a respite from the tensions and stresses of the every day world.

I must fall within the second category of fan. I like to read sports stories because they are all about people winning respect based on their merit.  Are you a good tennis player?  Then you'll get respect no matter what your race, religion or gender.  You are judged by your performance, by how many games, sets and matches you have won, by the number of  tournaments that you've placed first.

In this online newspaper, we have been giving quite a bit of attention to the Israel Baseball League.  Why?  I'm enchanted by the idea of Israelis being afforded the same kind of relaxation from the stress of the news as we enjoy in the United States.  Oh, I know they have some darn good soccer leagues, and that they follow World Cup action avidly, but something tells me that in time, Israelis will fall in love with baseball as much for the cerebral qualities it induces as the athletic prowess it encourages.

In the meantime, reading and editing stories about the IBL relieves my stress and I hope yours... and let's us get on to the rest of the news.




{Marc Kligman, who combines being a sports agent with his life as an observant Jew, invites you to listen. Click on the ad above for more information}


 
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