March 19, 2012 | 11:54 am

Muslims and Jews vs. Nazis in French film

Posted by  Tom Tugend

Free Men (2011)

Anytime Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and fellow Holocaust-deniers would like to relax at a movie, we would recommend the French film “Free Men” (Les Hommes Libres).

A screening might also be useful for both Arabs and Jews, who are convinced that the two Semitic tribes are fated to fight each other forever.

Directed by Moroccan-born Ismael Ferroukhi, “Free Men” is set in Nazi-occupied Paris, where Arab immigrants from North Africa mostly eke out a living as underpaid factory workers.
One is the handsome Younes (Tahar Rahim), who figures he can make more money as a black marketeer. He is caught by the French police and “persuaded” to spy on the comings and goings at the Grand Mosque, the city’s Muslim center, to report any suspicious activities that might annoy the German overlords.

Indeed, the mosque’s rector (Michael Lonsdale) is giving fake IDs to North African Jews, certifying them as Muslims. The latter are treated relatively well by the Germans, in the hope that Arab countries will be won over to the Axis cause.

Younes strikes up a friendship with Salim, a soulful singer with a magnetic personality and the toast of Arab nightclubs. After Younes learns that Salim is actually Jewish, the black marketeer moves to protect his friend, double-crosses the police, and eventually becomes a resistance fighter.

In a trans-ethnic potpourri, Salim is portrayed by Mahmout Shalaby, an Israeli Arab, playing a Jew passing as a Muslim. Furthermore, Salim’s singing voice is dubbed by one of the great interpreters of Arab music, a Moroccan named Pinhas Cohen.

Through the film, there is an undercurrent of Nazi menace, as well as the hope by Moroccan and Algerian resistance fighters that their loyalty to a Free France will be rewarded after victory by independence for their own nations.

“Free Men” is advertised as “inspired by actual events,” and, according to research by the New York Times, that is at least partially the case.  The imam of the Grand Mosque did indeed issue false identification papers to Jews during the Nazi occupation, saving between several dozen to one hundred from deportation to the death camps.

“Free Men” opens March 23 for a one-week run at the Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles. Phone (310) 281-8223 for information.

March 14, 2012 | 5:54 pm

The Other Side of ‘Kony 2012’

Posted by Susan Freudenheim

Residents watch the premiere of "Kony 2012", a 30-minute YouTube film created by the nonprofit group Invisible Children, in Lira district located 376 km (234 miles) north of Uganda's capital Kampala on March 13. Photo by REUTERS/James Akena

I wrote a column this week about my sense that ‘Kony 2012’—which has kids all excited about getting engaged—should redirect our thoughts to programs we know are more reliable and doing work in Africa that we can become involved with beyond just Tweeting. Organizations like Jewish World Watch.

In response, a source sent me a link to a piece written by Anwar Ricky Richard, in Northern Uganda, who was abducted as a child by Joseph Kony’s Lords Resistance Army. He described in detail his own horrific kidnapping:

“I was one of the now-famous “child soldiers.” I was abducted at the age of 14 with my brother by the LRA, and remained with them for nearly two and half years. We were picked up in front of our home; our powerless family members were burned to death in our grass-thatched house while we were forced to watch and hear them cry for help. I saw brutality beyond description. I saw tortures, rapes, killing, abduction, and war. Since 1999, through Friends of Orphans, I have worked to rehabilitate countless former child soldiers and others affected by the war to reverse the massive damage the LRA has done to my community and to our youth. I know how bad the LRA are and I demand for the immediate end to this conflict. I believe for this to happen, OUR voices must be heard.”

Richard has founded Friends of Orphans, and advocates a peaceful solution to the Ugandan problems, which is why he disputes the approach of Invisible Children, the makers of the now-viral film “Kony 2012”, which already has been watched by more than 78 million people:

Invisible Children are known in Northern Uganda as an organization supporting the education of former abductees, which is much needed in the region. But they are not known as a peace building organization and I do not think they have experience with peace building and conflict resolution methods. I totally disagree with their approach of military action as a means to end this conflict.

You can read his full text, “Kony 2012: A View from Northern Uganda” here.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

March 13, 2012 | 4:44 pm

Jonah Hill hosts ‘SNL’

Posted by Six Degrees (No Bacon), JTA

Actor Jonah Hill arrives at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar party in West Hollywood on Feb. 26. Photo by REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Just a week after Lindsay Lohan’s much-anticipated “Saturday Night Live” appearance, Jonah Hill took the 30 Rock stage and brought a lot of his, umm, old self.

Hill surprised many viewers by showing up with a few extra pounds, making him look like his funny old self again. His monologue featured Tom Hanks, who teased Hill for not winning an Oscar. That was followed by a digital short that involved Hill having a succession of tennis balls shot directly at his crotch (including a special one by John McEnroe).

In another sketch, Hill revived his annoying Jewish kid at Benihana’s shtick, greatly embarrassing his dad (Bill Hader).

Some notable quotes:

To the cook: “I love your showmanship, but please be careful with those knives, you’re giving me flashbacks from my bris! I don’t know if I should clap or cover my schmeckel!”

“Based on what I read on my father’s JDate profile, his hobbies include ‘stretching the truth.’ ”

On taking his dad’s Viagra: “I was just looking for a Flintstones chewable to help me get through a tough Wednesday and I took a Schwartz pill by accident … Let’s just say it made for an interesting day at Hebrew school.”

0 Comments — Leave your comment

March 13, 2012 | 12:09 pm

Sex Education in Orthodox High Schools

Posted by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz

Recently, I sat in on a sex education course at an Orthodox high school. The class was for seniors and was the first one they had been offered on the subject; they were understandably full of questions. I realized, based upon the nature of their questions, how vital this course is.

If you search the Web for an Orthodox approach to sex education, one of the main responses goes like this: “Education teaches people how to live. If you are educated about sex, you begin to live with sex. This is not a theory. This is fact. … There is an accepted view within Jewish orthodoxy that sex education should be taught when people are ready to have sex. When adults are ready to get married, they are ready to learn about sex.” 

This is not a “fact.” Do we not teach our students about the ideas of other religions lest they come to follow those faiths? Further, this falsehood does not even have the advantage of being useful. How will students learn about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, promiscuity and sex abuse? How will they learn about their anatomy and the menstrual cycle? How will they learn to have mature, sophisticated conversations as adults if their educators censor learning about a vital life reality? The myth that sex education leads to sex must be challenged for the welfare of our children.

The Jewish perspective is that sex in the right context is necessary, good and holy. Sex education can be taught in a way that maintains and promotes the values of sexual restraint, modesty and intimacy while teaching teenagers about the responsibilities, risks and values that come with an adult sex life. These can help inform other Jewish laws related to adultery, taharat mishpachah (family purity) and hirhurim (sexual thoughts).

Orthodox high school students will have sex in marriage or beforehand. Not providing them with a comprehensive education, including sex education, that prepares them for life as observant Jews in the 21st century, is irresponsible. A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that pregnancy rates are twice as high among teenagers who watch television shows with high sexual content compared with teens who don’t. Given that most Modern Orthodox teens are exposed to an entertainment culture that normalizes sex, addressing sexuality is crucial.

Further, avoiding teaching sex education may violate lifnei iver (the prohibition against placing a stumbling block before the blind). If we do not include sex education in our Jewish education, we risk putting our students in harm’s way.

Students, if uninformed about the health, moral and emotional risks that come with sexual activity may find themselves with herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis or AIDS; unwanted pregnancy or sexual abuse; and emotional scarring and future resistance to healthy physical intimacy.

We do not want to promote sexual activity in teenagers. However, there is a way to teach this material responsibly and to empower students, as emerging adults, to construct their spiritual and moral guidelines. 

We would be naive to think that some Orthodox students were not already engaged in sexual activity. Nationwide, around 72 percent of high school seniors and 90 percent of 22-year-olds have had sexual intercourse. The numbers at Orthodox high schools are, of course, much lower, but even students not engaged in sexual activity are thinking about it. Is the classroom not a safe and sacred place to enhance these conversations? 

Judaism teaches that there is Torah in everything and that God can be found everywhere. Jewish teachings have much to offer in this realm of thought and experience. Sex education is Torah and should be taught.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the Director of Jewish Life & the Senior Jewish Educator at the UCLA Hillel and a 6th year doctoral candidate at Columbia University in Moral Psychology & Epistemology. Rav Shmuly’s book “Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century” is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

3 Comments — Leave your comment

March 11, 2012 | 10:36 pm

Peres and Perez seal Israel-Latino friendship

Posted by  Tom Tugend

Israel's President, Shimon Peres speaks in an interview during an address to the Jewish community of Los Angeles held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Mar. 8. Photo by REUTERS/Phil McCarten

Israel’s President Shimon Peres wound up a week-long visit to California Sunday morning with a wide-ranging discussion with Latino (Hispanic) leaders on American exceptionalism, global generation gaps, and the correct spelling of his last name.

The event at a Beverly Hills hotel drew some 120 invited guests, predominantly Latino community and religious leaders, their Jewish counterparts, a smattering of Hollywood personalities, and numerous politicians eager to reach out to Latino and Jewish constituencies at the same time.

Peres was introduced by John A. Perez, Speaker and legislative leader of the California Assembly, which led to some banter about the correct spelling and pronunciation of their respective last names.

An audience question about the influence of the Latino electoral vote triggered a fervent declaration by Peres on American exceptionalism, a catchword of the current Republican presidential primary campaign.

“The United States is the only country with global responsibilities and there are some things only America can do,” Peres said. “When you [Americans] vote, you vote for the future of your own children, but also for the children of other nations.”

One of the more emotional moments came during a question-and-answer period in a one-sentence statement by Pastor Carlos Ortiz, director of Hispanic outreach for Christians United For Israel (CUFI).

Following up on an earlier Peres literary allusion of “I am alone, you are alone, let’s be alone together,” Ortiz declared, “There are 80 million Christians here that say Israel is not alone.”

The 88-year old Peres showed his familiarity with Latin American literature and politics, but no sign of fatigue after a packed seven-day schedule that included visits to San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, and in Los Angeles a mass Jewish community meeting and a trip to the DreamWorks Animation studios.

Israeli deputy consul general Gil Artzyeli, a fluent Spanish speaker who organized the Sunday event, also noted that the evening before Hollywood had assembled the largest gathering of stars and studio heads to ever meet an Israeli dignitary.

During the Silicon Valley tour, Peres talked at length with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Sergei Brin, co-founder of Google, and was apparently impressed and invigorated by the encounters.

Commenting on the global impact of the social media, Peres said, “The world’s major divisions are not among nations, but between generations. Whether in the Arab world or in Russia, the young are saying to their elders, ‘Don’t impose your past on us.’”

The Sunday event was well covered by the media, especially by reporters and television crews from Univision Communications. The Spanish-language network is owned by Israeli-American mogul Haim Saban, who participated in the discussion.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

March 9, 2012 | 3:30 pm

Judaism’s Value of Happiness: Living with Gratitude and Idealism

Posted by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz

The weekly reader of the Jewish news might come to believe that Judaism opposes happiness and favors worry, guilt, and conflict. We seem to be so down and obsessed with our problems: anti-Semitism, anti-Israel propaganda, assimilation, intermarriage, scandals, and on and on. But actually, Judaism very much embraces the importance of happiness.

In recent years, much attention has been given to the biological, economical, and philosophical approach to happiness, but what about the religious approach? Can and should the great religious virtues bring us deeper life contentment? The great virtues of gratitude and idealism not only add to the lives of others, but can enrich us with a more happy and fulfilling life.

The great Chassidic Rabbi Nachman famously taught that “It is a great mitzvah to always be happy.” When we are happy, we can do everything better, so religious life necessitates that we cultivate happiness when appropriate. When things were going poorly for the Jews 2,500 years ago, the prophet reminded the people of the importance of joy: “Do not mourn or weep. Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8: 9-10).  There is a place for mourning loss but Judaism cherishes the celebration of life.

The rabbis teach that “The reward of a mitzvah is the mitzvah itself” (Avot 4:2). Rather than some metaphysical intervention, the great feeling that comes from doing right is itself the reward. Some have suggested that no act is altruistic, since one feels good afterwards. This is not the Jewish approach. What would it say about the religious personality if one did not feel positively after doing a good act? Feeling good about doing right is an important reminder that we are on the right track and is constitutive of the ethical personality. One of the greatest contributions that Judaism makes to the potential of soul actualization is “ivdu et Hashem b’simchah,” that we are to serve G-d in joy. This is what Judaism preaches: happiness must actively be cultivated if we are to thrive in this life. Pessimism and cynicism are vices in Jewish thought.

Psychologists have also found that idealism is correlated with happiness. The Israeli-born Harvard professor of positive psychology, Tal Ben-Shachar, in “Happier” wrote: “Being an idealist is being a realist in the deepest sense—it is being true to our real nature. We are so constituted that we actually need our lives to have meaning. Without a higher purpose, a calling, an ideal, we cannot attain our full potential for happiness… Being an idealist is about having a sense of purpose that encompasses our life as a whole; but for us to be happy, it is not enough to experience our life as meaningful on the general level of the big picture. We need to find meaning on the specific level of our daily existence as well.” To live Jewishly is to live inspired with the optimism that we can build a more just and holy world and with the faith that there is a promising future for all humankind.

Surely, idealism is not all happiness, as living by our ideals entails struggling. Victor Frankl, in Man’s Search for Meaning, explains: “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.” When we struggle to achieve our ideals, we live a life of meaning. To do this, one not only needs courage but also fellow human beings (family, friends, mentors, spiritual community). For example, a recent study showed that national pride is correlated with happiness.

In addition to struggling to live by our ideals of the future, psychologists teach the importance of gratitude in the present. This is made most clear by the rabbinic teaching: “Who is rich? He who appreciates (or is happy with) his portion” (Avot 4:1). To cultivate this, the rabbis teach that we should make 100 blessings a day (Menachot 42b). These are moments when we step back and reflect upon our good fortune and express gratitude.

Perhaps the most basic event that all humans can feel gratitude for is waking up each morning. There is a Jewish blessing to commemorate this daily miraculous occurrence: “I express my gratitude before You, Living and Eternal King, for You have returned my soul to me with compassion; how great is your faithfulness!” Realizing that each day is a blessing can lead to real inner joy (sipuk nefesh).

Another common time to express gratitude is before and after eating. In the Jewish blessing after meals, the words “v’achalta v’savata uveirachta” (you shall eat, be satisfied, and bless) are recited, teaching that one not only expresses gratitude on eating, but also on the feeling of being full and satisfied. Before we run to fulfill our next desire, we should pause to be full of gratitude and contentment (histapkut).

To be sure, happiness alone cannot be our end point. Toni Morrison, speaking to college graduates, said it best: “I urge you, please don’t settle for happiness. It’s not good enough. Of course, you deserve it. But if that is all you have in mind—happiness—I want to suggest to you that personal success devoid of meaningfulness, free of a steady commitment to social justice, that’s more than a barren life, it is a trivial one. It’s looking good instead of doing good.” While we should strive to live with joy, we should balance this with other life commitments and values.

When we actively cultivate gratitude and idealism, we can become happier individuals better equipped to change the world and live inspired lives committed to doing good. The Jewish people have much to be preoccupied with, but when we infuse joy into our service and commitment we can actualize to the next level and in more sustainable and meaningful ways.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the Director of Jewish Life & the Senior Jewish Educator at the UCLA Hillel and a 6th year doctoral candidate at Columbia University in Moral Psychology & Epistemology. Rav Shmuly’s book “Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century” is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

March 9, 2012 | 2:13 am

Peres winds up U.S. trip in Los Angeles

Posted by  Tom Tugend

Shimon Peres at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Ca. Mar. 8. Photo by REUTERS/Phil McCarten

In a deft performance exuding good vibes, President Shimon Peres wowed a large audience in Los Angeles, a city that knows a thing or two about celebrities and star turns.

Speaking Thursday evening to a full house in the 1,400-seat ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Peres was introduced by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as a “Prince of Peace” and “larger than life figure.”

Peres reciprocated during a one-hour interview, conducted by former CNN anchor Campbell Brown, by expressing his “highest regard for President Obama” and praising the pioneer spirit of the American West and the dedication of the American Jewish community.

Interviewer Brown tried to draw Peres into a discussion of U.S.-Israel differences on policy toward Iran, but Peres turned aside the attempt, saying “While everybody is looking for differences, the basis is common and agreed.”

He urged that sanctions be given a chance to work, but emphasized that more militant options remained on the table.

Peres’ arrival in Los Angeles came at the conclusion of a demanding week-long trip, which took him from New York City to a meeting with President Obama in Washington, and joint appearances in California with Silicon Valley royalty Sergei Brin, co-founder of Google, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Showing no sign of fatigue or jet lag, however, the 88-year old Nobel Laureate was unflaggingly optimistic in his Thursday evening appearance, frequently responding to questions with a quip.

For instance, when Brown asked if the United States and Israel were on the same page, Peres shot back, “We’re on the same globe.”

Some other Peres observations and avuncular advice:

• The People of the Book are becoming the people of the Facebook.


• The greatest Jewish contribution to civilization is our dissatisfaction. We’re never satisfied [with the status quo] and a good Jewish mother asks her schoolboy son, “Did you ask any good questions today?”


• Israel’s and the Palestinians’ older generations must not impose their pasts on the younger generations.


• In the next decade, the most exciting scientific advances will be in exploring the human brain.


• Israel’s greatest domestic challenge is to bridge the country’s social gap through education.


• “If you want to be great, serve a great cause.”

Winding up his whirlwind American trip, Peres is set Friday to visit the DreamWorks Animation studios and speak to their staff on the connection between Hollywood and education.

He will be feted at a Hollywood reception Saturday night and on Sunday morning will meet with Latino and Jewish community leaders to discuss their mutual interests.

Among the participants will be Latino actors Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia and Edward James Olmos, as well as Israeli-American mogul Haim Saban, chairman of the Spanish-language media company Univision Communications.

Peres is scheduled to return to Israel on Sunday.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

March 7, 2012 | 4:46 pm

The Challenge of Offering Moral Rebuke in the Workplace

Posted by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz

Photo by Wikipedia/AlainV

At work, we consistently offer positive reinforcement and constructive feedback to others to improve the quality of our collective efforts. From a Jewish perspective, we are not only concerned with the efficacy of our work but also the ethics of the workplace. In addition to personal accountability, all Jewish workers have a sacred duty to be a moral presence as well.

There is actually a Biblical commandment to offer rebuke (tochecha): “You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall reprove your fellow and do not bear a sin because of him” (19:17). The verse teaches that we offer reproof for two reasons: that our resentments do not lead to hate, and that wrongs are not carried out for which we too would be responsible. Rather than speaking lashon hara and rechilut (speaking negatively about another and spreading gossip) we are to confront the individual directly. We care about the moral and spiritual welfare of others; thus, it is vital that we give feedback when we see others going astray.

According to one position, this mitzvah only applies when we think the other will be receptive to hearing the reproof. If not, it is considered counterproductive. “Just as there is a mitzvah for a person to say words of rebuke that will be accepted, so too there is a mitzvah for a person not to say words of rebuke that will not be accepted” (Yevamot 65b). It’s only a mitzvah if one suspects the other has the integrity and emotional intelligence to truly see their blind spot and correct the wrong. The goal with rebuke, according to this position, is not just to express righteous indignation, but to create change and stop a wrong or abuse occurring before our eyes.

Rabbi Zeira, however, taught that one should offer rebuke whether or not one believes it will be accepted (Shabbat 55a). We simply cannot stand idle while others do wrong in our midst. Regardless of whether our voice will be heard, we cannot remain indifferent. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught: “We are a generation that has lost its capacity for outrage. We must continue to remind ourselves that in a free society all are involved in what some are doing. Some are guilty, all are responsible.” Thus, we must express outrage at wrongs. The rabbis teach: “Everyone who can protest a wrong in one’s midst and does not, is responsible for those people.  For the people of his city, one is responsible for the people of the city.  For the whole world, one is responsible for the whole world” (Shabbat 54b). If we don’t speak up our own moral integrity is in jeopardy as a bystander. The rabbis teach shtika k’hodah, when we stay silent we are considered to be in agreement. According to this position, we don’t need to correct the wrong but we cannot stand idly by. 

The obligation to give tochecha is not a simple command. The rabbis teach that no one today is on the spiritual level to engage in rebuke properly as few are self aware and humble enough to give tochecha properly and few are humble enough to properly hear and accept it (Sifra, Kedoshim). For this reason, Sefer Chassidim suggests that we can only really give rebuke to one that we feel love for. Clearly, we have to carefully check our motives before challenging another’s conduct.

Of course, any feedback should be given gently, in private, at the right time and in the appropriate environment. Most importantly, we should be sure not to shame another when challenging them. This is a very difficult skill to learn.

There is a very important place for rebuke in the workplace, to ensure we have a moral influence upon coworkers and to establish clear ethical workplace boundaries. We cannot live in a world where wrongs are ignored, nor can we work in environments where there is indifference toward the welfare of others. Abuses must be addressed. Some acts require whistle-blowing when they reach a level of harm or illegality. Other acts require rebuke or constructive feedback.

We cannot do this alone, and should create an open work culture where feedback is acceptable and encouraged when boundaries are crossed. We must learn the art and ethics of critique in order that we can build a stronger society committed to truth, human dignity, and transparency. We can start by checking our own practices, taking our own self-accounting, and inviting others to approach us if we ourselves ever cross boundaries.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the Director of Jewish Life & the Senior Jewish Educator at the UCLA Hillel and a 6th year doctoral candidate at Columbia University in Moral Psychology & Epistemology. Rav Shmuly’s book “Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century” is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

0 Comments — Leave your comment