Fred (Efraim) Hoffman, a Holocaust survivor, passed away June 15, 2008, in Denver. Rabbi Bruce Dollin officiated at the June 18 graveside service at Mt. Nebo Cemetery. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Mr. Hoffman frequently spoke about his Holocaust experiences in the schools in order to raise awareness and remind people of the devastating consequences of hate.
He loved his family, his customers, his many friends, and his faith, the family said.
WASHINGTON Dogged by political scandal at home, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert headed here last week in search of a friendly crowd at the annual AIPAC policy conference.
While his tough talk on Iran drew strong applause from the pro-Israel audience, his calls for peace talks with Syria and the Palestinians fell flat.
Speaking to some 7,000 people June 3 at the annual conference of AIPAC, Olmert was interrupted by applause several times as he delivered a hawkish message against the Islamic Republic.
JERUSALEM In 1988, reporting on a visit by then-prime minister Yitzhak Shamir to the US, then Jerusalem Post Washington correspondent Wolf Blitzer noted: “Shamir was joined at the UN and throughout his four-day visit to New York by Ehud Olmert, the savvy Likud MK who came to the US to help the prime minister raise funds for the upcoming election campaign.
“Olmert, a frequent guest on American television programs, is clearly a political asset… Shamir himself does not ask for money for the partys coffers. ‘He never discusses it,’ insisted the now prime minister, implying that such a request would demean the prime ministers dignity.”
So, presumably, would accepting envelopes of cash whose origins are vague and whose destination is unrecorded from American-Jewish businessmen perhaps looking for favors.
By Hillary Leila Krieger, JTA
JERUSALEM — Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama did not rule out Palestinian sovereignty over parts of Jerusalem when he called for Israels capital to remain undivided, his campaign told the Jerusalem Post last week.
Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided, Obama declared June 4, to rousing applause from the 7,000-plus attendees at the AIPAC policy conference.
But a campaign adviser clarified on June 5 that Obama believes Jerusalem is a final status issue, which means it has to be negotiated between the two parties as part of an agreement that they both can live with.
Two principles should apply to any outcome, which the adviser gave as: Jerusalem remains Israels capital and its not going to be divided by barbed wire and checkpoints as it was in 1948-1967.
He refused, however, to rule out other configurations, such as the city also serving as the capital of a Palestinian state or Palestinian sovereignty over Arab neighborhoods.
Beyond those principles, all other aspects are for the two parties to agree at final status negotiations, the Obama adviser said.
Many on the right of the political spectrum among Americas Jews welcomed Obamas remarks at AIPAC, but the clarification of his position left several cold.
The Orthodox Union is extremely disappointed in this revision of Senator Obamas important statement about Jerusalem, said Nathan Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations.
He had sent out a release June 4 applauding Obamas Jerusalem remarks in front of AIPAC.
In the current context, everyone understands that saying Jerusalem . . . must remain undivided means that the holy city must remain unified under Israeli rule, as it has been since 1967, Diament explained.
If Senator Obama intended his remarks at AIPAC to be understood in this way, he said nothing that would reasonably lead to such a different interpretation.
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America and another Jewish activist who had originally lauded Obamas statement, now called the candidates words troubling.
It means he used the term inappropriately, possibly to mislead strong supporters of Israel that he supports something he doesnt really believe, Klein charged.
But congressman Robert Wexler, a Democrat from Florida with ties to the Jewish community and a long-time supporter of Obama, rejected the idea that the Illinois senator had been misleading with his comments.
Everyone knows that Jerusalem is a final status issue. That is not a secret to anyone. Senator Obama says emphatically that should the Israelis and the Palestinians negotiate [an agreement], he will respect their conclusions and that he will not dictate a particular resolution.
And some groups were pleased by the clarification on Jerusalem provided by the campaign.
There was reaction from some of our base who were taken aback by it and thought he was undermining the peace process, said Americans for Peace Now spokesman Ori Nir, who described his organization as gratified by the clarified position which seems to follow APNs policy that sovereignty of Jerusalem could be shared in a final peace settlement.
Obama has faced questions about his support for Israel from hawkish quarters of the Jewish community, and his campaign said the speech before AIPAC, following a town hall meeting at a Florida synagogue last month, were key elements in shoring up the Jewish vote, which generally goes to the Democrats.
We think weve gotten a good reaction to the speech and were pleased that weve gotten a good reaction, said the campaign adviser of the candidates AIPAC address, which received multiple sustained standing ovations.
Palestinian factions were particularly troubled by the original speechs original language on an undivided Jerusalem.
This statement is totally rejected, said PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, whom a top aide described as disappointed.
The whole world knows that holy Jerusalem was occupied in 1967 and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, Abbas said.
The Obama campaign adviser said that whatever the international reaction, it was important for the Illinois senator to make his positions clear. Our main audience is American voters at the moment. Other people want to know where he stands and its important that they do know where he stands, he said.
Speaking generally about the speech, which also stressed the importance of a secure Israel and the need to isolate Hamas, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: Obamas comments have confirmed that there will be no change in the US administrations foreign policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, however, called Obamas address moving, adding that he was also impressed by the speeches delivered at the same conference by Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.
Olmert spoke to all three candidates by phone June 5 as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Washington.
NEW YORK — Jacqueline Lankry doesnt know how she’s going to fill her orders. Owner of her own kosher catering firm in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Lankry orders a box a week of meat and poultry from Agriprocessors, which runs the nations largest kosher slaughterhouse, where production has slowed to a crawl since a federal immigration raid last month at the Postville, Iowa plant.
Lankry learned on June 4 that last weeks box isn’t coming. “They told me they have no merchandise,” she told JTA. “I’m closed for business today. I’m going from store to store, looking for meat to fill my orders.”
Instead of buying wholesale chopped meat for $2.19/lb., shes dishing out $6.99 to buy it retail. That’s going to hurt her bottom line in a big way. But shes stuck, she says. There are no other kosher meat suppliers in town everything comes from Agriprocessors, which she and other caterers refer to as Rubashkin’s, after the family that owns it.
She doesn’t know about the raid, she said. She doesn’t know about problems with the workers, or PETAs allegations of inhumane slaughter methods. She just knows that if Agriprocessors shuts down, she and a lot of other people will be out of business.
”We don’t have a choice,” she explains.
The 400 undocumented workers arrested in the May 12 raid, and their families, are living in limbo, out of work and facing deportation. But now the fall-out is beginning to extend beyond those most directly impacted.
Last week, the production slow-down at the Postville plant finally hit the nation’s kosher markets and, by extension, kosher consumers. Retailers from coast to coast report trouble getting orders filled, and many report price hikes, although theyre generally vague about whether those increases are coming from Agriprocessors or competing suppliers.
Bottom line is, there is less kosher meat, and it’s costing more.
Mordechai Yitzhaky, owner of Kosher Mart in Rockville, Md., says his meat supply is down 80%. He hasn’t seen any price hike yet, but he expects it if production doesn’t get back to normal soon. He won’t pass on the increase to his customers, however.
“Kosher meat is already more expensive,” he says. ”We don’t want people to stop keeping kosher.”
Albert Zadeh, owner of Pico Glatt in Los Angeles, buys all his meat and poultry from Agriprocessors, which sells its products under various labels that include Aarons Best, Rubashkins, Shor Habor, Iowa’s Best Beef and Supreme Kosher. He’s seen a sharp decline in supply.
”If you order ten boxes of beef shank, you only get four,” he says.
“There’s also less poultry, and it arrives more haphazardly. They used to send chicken legs, cut up. Now they give you whole chickens, all sizes, whatever they have,” he says.
His customers understand the situation, he says, and are making due with less. Prices have gone up a few cents, he says, but for now, he’s absorbing the difference and charging his customers the same.
Dov Bauman, owner of Glatt Mart in Brooklyn, says his fresh poultry supply from Agriprocessors is down, and he, too, is getting whole chickens instead of ready-to-sell parts.
“I don’t have the manpower to break it down,” he says. “Prices have gone up from three to 15%,” he says, depending on the item.”
But Bauman, like other kosher retailers, doesn’t blame it all on Agriprocessors. Fuel hikes, which increase shipping costs, are affecting meat prices as well, he says. “In a way, the tighter supply means more people are eager to stock up on kosher meat and poultry now, in case things get worse. I’m getting more business,” he admits.
Agriprocessors has taken several steps in an effort to boost its image and reassure customers, starting with the removal of the manager of the Postville plant, Sholom Rubashkin, son of the companys owner and founder.
The company also issued a statement June 5 announcing that it had retained Jim Martin, a former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, to serve as its outside corporate compliance officer.
Martin will begin his efforts immediately. Martin was quoted as saying that the company would be able to meet the needs of consumers.
”Agriprocessors 800 jobs are important to Postville and northern Iowa, along with the observant Jewish community across the country that relies on them for their kosher meat and poultry,” he said.
“Agriprocessors can meet the needs of those who depend on the company and operate in compliance with all laws, and I intend to see that happen.”
Marketing consultant Menachem Lubinsky, who represents Agriprocessors, admits there are shortages in many markets, particularly outside New York.
”Last week there was enough inventory, but it became depleted and people are buying more than usual, he says. Prices have gone up sporadically,” he reports. “And other kosher suppliers, like Empire Kosher, have stepped up production to try to fill the supply gap.”
Part of the problem, he says, is that Agriprocessors dominates the market so heavily, supplying 60% of the countrys kosher meat and 40% of its chicken. “Any slowdown in its production affects the entire system, and this comes at a time when demand for kosher meat is up,” Lubinsky adds. ”They tell me the’yre stepping up production, but from what I see, it hasnt happened yet.”
More than 1,000 kosher consumers, including several leading rabbis, have signed a petition being circulated by Uri L’Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice group in New York.
The petition calls upon Agriprocessors to treat its workers fairly and abide by all laws pertaining to workers rights and safety.
The petition also asks the company to create a transparent monitoring system, open to third-party inspection, so consumers can have faith that the meat is coming to them in an ethical manner, says Ari Hart, a rabbinical student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and one of the four founders of Uri L’Tzedek.
The petition states that if these conditions are not met by June 15, those who signed the petition will no longer patronize the company.
Hart says that the petition is not aimed at challenging the kosher system, or hurting any particular supplier.
”We have no interest in hurting the Rubashkin company or in promoting any other company,” he says. ”We are simply consumers of this meat, and our interest is in having an available supply of kosher meat we are comfortable purchasing.”
Search the IJN using the term Agriprocessors, and find all of our stories tracking this landmark case in the kosher meat industry.
William (Bill) Rodman, a Denver resident for over 50 years, passed away May 14, 2008, in Denver. Rabbi Steven Foster officiated at the May 16 graveside service at Mt. Nebo Cemetery. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Mr. Rodman was born May 27, 1921, in St. Louis, Mo.
He was raised in El Paso, Texas, and joined the Navy during WW II.
Mr. Rodman was in the furniture business in Denver and later worked for Capitol Life Insurance Co.
He is survived by his wife Evelyn Himelgrin Rodman; daughters Kathy Pollack and Judy (Gary) Saltzman and son Randy (Nancy) Rodman; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
By Ben Gilliland
It all started in the fall of 2003, when the leadership at Temple Har Shalom in Park City, Utah, decided to give the members of their community a new and permanent home. Now, almost five years later, Rabbi Josh Aaronson dedicate the new building on Friday evening, June 27.
The Jewish community of Park City has now established its own holy dwelling place in which to flourish and grow for many years to come, says Rabbi Aaronson.
One of our design goals was to create something that sat appropriately in the surroundings, yet did not look like a ski lodge.
Another design goal was to create a place that invited people to spend time in. Our design has achieved both of those goals.
Approaching the temple, it is clear how thoughtfully the designer, Alfred Jacoby, considered the environment, says Aaronson.
The roof of the sanctuary nicely parallels the arch of Quarry Mountain. The colors of the brick and the use of wood complement the colors of the seasons here in Park City. Through the seasons, youll notice that the building itself seems to change color, says Rabbi Aaronson.
Inside the new building there are administrative offices, eight classrooms, a board room-library on the second floor, a café, the sanctuary and a social hall.
Much of the activity on the main level takes place in the café. It features a double-sided fireplace, public Internet connection and also serves as the setting for Shabbat every week.
Without exception, everyone comments on the stunning interior. There are magnificent views from every public room, says Rabbi Aaronson.
The sanctuary, which holds 220 people, is the only space with no windows. Instead, the designers had artistic glass installed by artist Jun Kaneko.
This was a deliberate decision in order to allow worshippers to focus on the events going on inside the sanctuary without the distraction of the outside world, says Rabbi Aaronson.
Our own, permanent home brings a degree of comfort to our community. When you enter, I hope you feel an audible sigh 0of Im home. I think that lots of folks feel that way, says Rabbi Aaronson.
My dad has always been a larger-than-life type of guy and for most of my childhood, appeared to be the dominant force in our family even though Mom often manipulated the outcome from behind the curtains like the Wizard of Oz.
When a tired and grumpy Dad came home from work, my brother and I knew better than to disturb him until dinner. We would tip-toe past the den, where Dad had retreated in solitude to open the mail or take a power nap in his leather recliner, the newspaper tented over his face.
Are New Yorkers nice? Of course, you cant generalize about eight million people. But New York has always had that tough reputation for people being short tempered, indifferent or downright rude.
I remember my first visit to NYC on my own. I was 19. Having been raised in the shelterd Orthodox Jewish communities of Jerusalem and Denver, I was prepared by many with lots of speeches before departing on my own to the Big Apple. Hold your purse close to you. Always look ahead like you know where you are going. Dont make eye contact etc.
Say that George Bush has not advanced the cause of peace in Israel, if you like, but dont say that Bush is responsible for Israels diminished safety. It is not true. The historical record does not bear it out.
A review of recent Israeli history reveals a picture quite different from the supposed lack of American “engagement” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The reasons for Israels diminished safety are twofold: excessive American involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and incompetence at the top in Israel.
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