Scene Around

I recently heard from the Simon Wiesenthal Center...

The Simon Wiesenthal Center denounced a political cartoon in Volkskrant, a major Dutch newspaper, for depicting Israel as a murderous bully celebrating its 70th birthday by gunning down defenseless Palestinians at the Gaza border.

"For the last month, Hamas has deployed the people of Gaza, including terrorists, at the Israeli border in what it labeled as peaceful protests but in reality, they included firebombs, kites affixed with explosives," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Simon Wiesenthal Center Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action.

"Instead of condemning Hamas for its pernicious and cynical abuse of civilians, the cartoon demonizes the Jewish state and her soldiers as blood-thirsty murderers celebrating Israel's 70th birthday.

More anti-Semitism...

I read this in the current World Jewish Congress (WJC) bulletin:

"As reported by the French news agency AFP, an 8-year-old boy wearing a kippah in Sarcelles (A Paris suburb) was knocked to the ground and beaten by 15-year-old assailants in an apparent anti-Semitic attack.

Earlier the same month, a 15-year-old Jewish girl was slashed in the face while walking home from her private Jewish school wearing its uniform, and two kosher shops were torched after being attacked by individuals who painted swastikas on their facades.

French President EMMANUEL MACRON (who recently met here with President DONALD TRUMP) condemned the incident:

"Every time a citizen is attacked because of his age, his appearance or his religion, the whole country is being attacked. And it is the whole country that stands, especially today, alongside the French Jews to fight each of these despicable acts, with them and for them."

"Violins of Hope"...

AMNON WEINSTEIN has spent the last two decades locating and restoring violins that were played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. He dedicates this important work to 400 relatives he never knew. These grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins stayed behind in Eastern Europe when Amnon's parents, Moshe and Golda, immigrated in 1938 to Palestine, where Moshe opened a violin shop. After the war, Moshe learned that his entire family-400 in all-had been murdered during the Holocaust. The pain of this discovery led to his first heart attack. Moshe never spoke of his family again. When young Amnon would ask Golda about their relatives, she would show him a book about the Holocaust. Pointing to the ghastly photos of the dead, she would say, "This is our family." She would break down in tears, unable to explain further. After growing up to become one of the most respected violinmakers in the world, Amnon became determined to reclaim his lost heritage. He started locating violins that were played by Jews in the camps and ghettos, painstakingly piecing them back together so they could be brought to life again on the concert stage. Although most of the musicians who originally played the instruments were silenced by the Holocaust, their voices and spirits live on through the violins that Amnon has lovingly restored. He calls these instruments the Violins of Hope.

(Bless you, Amnon. You gave a voice to those who didn't survive the camps. All I can say is "Never Again!")

Surprise well deserved...

DORIS PINES is one of the sweetest, kindest and caring friends anyone could be lucky enough to have. I AM THAT LUCKY! On April 29th, I attended a surprise birthday party for Doris. It was held at the Chi Pan Asian Restaurant in Baldwin Park.

It was a wonderful time with Doris's family, wonderful friends, old and new, and especially with Doris, who I've know for more than half a century. (We met when we were three!) Happy Birthday, Doris, and many, many, many, many more!

All that jazz...

On Sunday, May 27th, some marvelous musicians will be entertaining at the Altamonte Chapel, 825 SR 436, Altamonte Springs with our own talented ALAN ROCK as emcee. The music starts at 12:30 pm and continues until 2:30 pm with a jazz jam in the remaining set (so bring your axe.) Marvelous musician, TERRY MYERS is the featured performer. With him will be RON MILES on piano; CHARLIE SILVA on bass; and EDDIE METZ on drums.

(These guys are the best of the best! DON'T MISS IT!!)

The Roth JCC...

"Lunch and Learn: Pillars of the Past" will be held at the Roth Family JCC on Wednesday, May 16th from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m.

Lunch and a discussion about the earliest Jewish leaders contribution to Jewish wisdom will take place.

One for the road...

More and more women now head to the shops to get their 'excitement.' One in 12 women said they got more pleasure from finding a sales bargain than making love. In some parts of the United States, almost one third of women felt 'deeply satisfied' after a shopping trip. 

A psychologist said the buzz some people got from shopping was the same as they experienced during sex. 'A dedicated female 'shopaholic' will be in a very similar physical state to one who is kissing and enjoying foreplay-a flushed face, rapid breathing and flowing perspiration'. 

So a new excuse is born? 'Not now darling, I've been shopping.'

(Hey, whatever works!)