October 2020 - Jewish Federation of Tulsa

[Pages:28]Tishri/Cheshvan 5781 October 2020

THE RISE OF ANTISEMITISM IN TURBULENT TIMES - PAGE 6

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CONTENTS

October 2020 Tishri/Cheshvan 5781 volume 91 ? number 10

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This Month's Advertisers

This publication is brought to you

each month thanks to the support

of our advertisers. Please be sure

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4 Shana Tova & Chag Sameach from our New Shlicha 5 JFT Happenings 6 75 Years after the Holocaust it is Shameful that Antisemitism is Rising Around the World by Charlotte Shuman

9 CRC Scene 10 October Community Events 12 The Early History of The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art

by Phil Goldfarb

15 The Prayer Wall of Black Wall Street by Phil Goldfarb 16 Find Your Fit at the JCC 17 Recipe Corner 19 Zarrow Pointe Butterflies 20 Congregation B'nai Emunah News 22 Temple Israel News 24 From "Heil Hitler" to Kippa and Tefillin. The Neo-Nazi Who

Became a Jew by Nancy Pettus

25 Chabad News 26 The Nation of Butterflies: Finalist at the Near Nazareth Film Festival in Israel by Michael Mudd

27 There is an Israeli Dog by Ross D. Clark, DVM

and mention that you found them in the Tulsa Jewish Review.

Don Thornton Automotive Group 918.665.3420

Fitzgerald's Funeral Home 918.585.1151

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Holland Hall 918.879.4755

J. David Jewelry 918.251.6300

Lexus of Tulsa 918.665.3987

Levinson Sullivan Dentistry 918.496.1358

Southwood Nursery 918.299.9409

The Eye Institute

918.584.4433

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Tulsa Bone and Joint

918.392.1400

Woodland West Hospital

918.299.1208

Woodland West Pet Resort 918.299.5720

3 J E W I S H T U L S A . O R G

Shana Tova and Chag Sameach from our New Shlicha

Founded in 1930 by Tulsa Section, National Council of Jewish Women

(ISSN# 2154-0209) Tulsa Jewish Review (USPS 016-928) is published monthly by

jewish federation of tulsa

2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136.Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK.

STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Drew Diamond

execdir@

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Alix Liiv Caplaan

alix@

EDITOR

Debbie O'Hearn

federation@ | 918.495.1100

The departure for our journey to Tulsa felt like the Exodus from Egypt. Our journey began more than six months ago. In it, we got the exciting news about coming here to your community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Even before we had time to celebrate and find out more about Tulsa, the coronavirus pandemic broke out, and the world as we knew it changed. From that moment on, we realized we were on a roller coaster. One moment we were happy we would arrive in Oklahoma, a moment later, we enter a pandemic closure and do not know what will happen. The next month, things got back on track, but then the US embassy closed and could not issue our visas. Only after they accepted us as an emergency case, we were finally able to get them. From that moment, we started the crazy sprint. We had to pack our house and say goodbye to our life in less than a month.

We set off together, my husband, Tal, our two and a half-year-old son, Agam, and our dog Buddha. After three flights and more than 27 hours, we finally arrived in Tulsa. As we left the terminal an exciting welcoming party awaited us, and we realized we've come to the right place. Our family's journey is just getting started, and we would love to park in Tulsa. Park in your, or actually our, `Sukkah.'

On this occasion, I would like to invite you to come to the Jewish Federation's Open Sukkah event on October 4th. We will practice social distancing, while wearing masks, but we will be connected and close in our hearts. More details to come.

May we all have a happy holiday and Shana Tova. The Shoval-Yogev family.

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Mindy Prescott

mprescott@

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Lee Hubby

leehubby@

LAYOUT

Mickel Yantz

curator@

BOARD

PRESIDENT, JEWISH FEDERATION OF TULSA

Angela Taubman

Postmaster: Send address changes to Tulsa Jewish Review, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136

Cover Photograph

The photograph used on the cover is courtesy of Credit:

Dan Porges/Getty Images

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JFT HAPPENINGS

JFT Happenings

Thank you Larry On May 27th, 2020, with the pandemic upon us, the 82nd JFT

Annual Meeting was held via Zoom. Angela Taubman, the incoming President, presents outgoing President Dr. Larry Feldman with a plaque honoring his service to the Federation for the last two years.

Rosh Chodesh ? September 10th For this month's Rosh Chodesh, women of our community

came together for a much-needed conversation about the impact of uncertainty on our mental health. We were joined by a mental health expert, Dr. Melanie Spector, who gave us guidance, advice, and answered our questions. More specifically, some takeaways include a breathing exercise to bring down one's heart rate in times of stress. To do this, you inhale deeply and push the breath through your teeth during the exhale. Secondly, Dr. Spector explained the anatomy of the brain and where we make our decisions versus our fight or flight response, which can result in stress and anger. When we find ourselves feeling more stressed and anxious, we must remind ourselves to "come back upstairs," which means bringing attention to the frontal lobe of our brain where we make decisions to have a more thoughtful response. She stressed the importance of knowing that you're not alone, and we are all in this together. We left the program with techniques and resources to guide us through stress and anxiety during times where we may not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Young Jewish Professionals' Summer Soiree - August 19th, 2020 Our Young Jewish Professionals' Summer Soiree was a great success! We had nearly

50 Young Jewish Professionals join together for a night of social distancing in Woodward Park. Everyone brought their own blankets, food, drinks, and a mask. The importance of human connection and community feels more important now than ever.

Feeding the Soul with Foolish Things High Dive - August 27th, 2020 We enjoyed a food pick-up followed by a Zoom to hear from the owner, Justin

Carpenter, and chef, Nick Corcoran about their journey in the food industry. They discussed a variety of topics, including their work environment, passion for serving quality food to Tulsans, battling working in a restaurant in times of COVID, and more.

American Jewish Committee In the Tulsa Jewish Review July issue, an article written by Nancy Pettus, Director

of Holocaust Education, described the new connection between the Tulsa Jewish community and the American Jewish Committee's Dallas chapter facilitated by Charlotte Schuman. The article did not mention that, at one time, Tulsa had a very active influential AJCommittee chapter with members like Dr. Arnold and his wife, Bess, August Goldstein, and Dr. Emanuel Lubin having a national role on the AJC's Board of Directors. In the late 1950s and 1960s, I attended many AJC meetings in Tulsa homes where the speakers were the national directors of AJC's various departments. In later years I served on the Board of the Houston chapter and later as the regional director for the Portland, OR, and St. Louis, MO chapters. I commend Charlotte for bringing AJC back to Tulsa.

- Rosalyn Borg

J E W I S H T U L S A . O R G 5

75 Years after the Holocaust it is Shameful that Antisemitism is Rising Around the World

by Charlotte Schuman

Antisemitism is still based on the same stereotypes from the Middle Ages. In addition, today, there is great resentment to the Jewish State of Israel. Add to this a new phenomenon: internet hate that offers profoundly effective ways of disseminating the venom of antisemitism in our current technological era. Recognizing that prevention is a global challenge, the United States government has commissioned a Special Envoy on Antisemitism at the State Department level. Through efforts of the Special Envoy and in cooperation with other countries, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has approved a "Universal Working Definition on Antisemitism." Twenty-six countries have adopted by legislative act or government decision this working definition. More countries are being encouraged to do the same.

Another positive action has been taken by the UN. The High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations has now been charged with more carefully monitoring incidents of antisemitism, building coalitions for better understanding among nations, and using tools for enforcing the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Education, coalition-building, legislation--these transformative actions are crucial to solving the global challenges we face.

Our Jewish Federation of Tulsa is partnering with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas, Dallas (UTD), on a four-part series entitled: The Rise of Antisemitism in Turbulent Times. It will offer historical as well as contemporary insights into the increasing incidents of hate crimes around the world and will include initiatives we may use for the fight.

All lectures will begin at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. The topics will be: ? October 15, Thursday ? "What History Can Teach Us: Patterns of Antisemitism" by Dr. David Patterson (UTD) ? October 22, Thursday ? "The Impact of Nationalism on Antisemitism: The Holocaust and Other Events" by Dr. Nils Roemer

(UTD) ? October 29, Thursday ? "Antisemitism in the Digital Age: Current Trends on Antisemitism" by Holly Huffnagle (AJC) ? November 5, Thursday ? "Israel and Antisemitism: The BDS Movement" by Rabbi Andrew Baker and Seffi Kogan (AJC)

With knowledge from this series we can better educate ourselves and others to the harm of pre-judgments. We may also come to realize the many shared values that are intrinsic to the shared history of the family of man.

Education is the answer to turning hate and fear to love and hope.

Legislation and coalition-building are the means to make it happen.

Gerda Weissmann Klein

For nearly seventy-five years, since arriving in the United States, I have basked in the freedom our nation stands for and protects. While we all are eternally grateful for this freedom, we know that the scourge of racism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry still exist. Precisely because we are blessed with protections that our Constitution and laws afford us, it is our responsibility to call out all forms of discrimination ? whether directed at ourselves or others.

I have often noted that Hitler would not have come to power without his mastery of radio ? the communication tool of the 1930s. So, it is gratifying to see that among the topics to be examined is how today's technology, which allows us to communicate in so many positive ways, can also be misused as an instrument of hate.

Young people are messengers to a time I shall not see. I am comforted to know that the message of tolerance and love for one another will be carried forward through programs such as these.

Gerda Weissmann Klein is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and author of All But My Life, her autobiographical account of the Holocaust.

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Nancy Pettus and Gerda Weissmann Klein

Dr. David Patterson

Dr. David Patterson holds the Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies at the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas. He is a commissioner on the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission, a member of the Executive Board of Academic Advisors for the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), and a member of the Executive Board of the Annual Scholars' Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches. Dr. Patterson has lectured at universities on six continents and throughout the United States. A winner of the National Jewish Book Award, the Koret Jewish Book Award, and the Holocaust Scholars' Conference Eternal Flame Award, he has published more than 35 books and more than 220 articles, essays, and book chapters on topics in literature, philosophy, the Holocaust, and Jewish studies. His most recent books are Shoah and Torah (SUNY, forthcoming), Elie Wiesel's Hasidic Legacy (SUNY, forthcoming), The Holocaust and the Non-Representable (SUNY, 2018), Anti-Semitism and Its Metaphysical Origins (Cambridge, 2015), Genocide in Jewish Thought (Cambridge, 2012), and A Genealogy of Evil: Anti-Semitism from Nazism to Islamic Jihad (Cambridge, 2010).

Dr. Nils Roemer

Dr. Nils Roemer serves as the Interim Dean of the School of the Arts and Humanities, the Director of the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, and is the Stan and Barbara Rabin Professor at The University of Texas at Dallas. He received in 1993 his MA from the University of Hamburg and in 2000, his PhD from Columbia University. Dr. Roemer published Jewish Scholarship and Culture in Nineteenth-Century Germany: Between History and Faith (2005), German City ? Jewish Memory: The Story of Worms: German (2010), numerous articles, and several co-edited volumes. He is also the co-editor of Germanic Review. His specialized fields of interest are the Holocaust and German and Jewish cultural and intellectual history.

Holly Huffnagle

A committed Christian, Holly Huffnagle first learned that Christianity had fueled centuries of antisemitism while studying abroad in Poland during college. After visiting the Nazi concentration and death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Huffnagle vowed to devote herself to stopping the spread of Jew-hatred. "I wanted to understand why [antisemitism] didn't end with the Holocaust like it should have."

She has honored that pledge. After five years at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum as a researcher, she served as the policy advisor to the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the U.S. Department of State. Her expertise in fighting antisemitism in Europe and around the world have equipped her to fight the problem here at home.

Now AJC's first U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, Huffnagle tackles multiple sources of Jew-hatred every day, including white supremacy, far-left anti-Zionism, and Islamist extremism.

Seffi Kogen

Seffi Kogen is Global Director of Young Leadership for AJC, coordinating the organization's activities for the rising generations of American Jews. He oversees AJC's LFT (Leaders for Tomorrow) program for high school students; its Campus Affairs Department; and ACCESS, AJC's young professional division. Seffi previously served as AJC's Director of Campus Affairs and as Senior Associate in AJC's Marketing and Strategic Communications Department. He received the AJC Innovation Award for his work founding the LFT program, which equips young Jews with advocacy skills and empowers them to be Jewish advocates on their college campuses. In 2018, he conceived of AJC's #ShowUpForShabbat campaign as a show of solidarity and strength in the wake of the antisemitic shooting in Pittsburgh. Seffi holds a B.A. in history from Columbia University and a B.A. in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He has written for USA Today, Ha'aretz, The Forward, and The Times of Israel. He is also the host of People of the Pod, AJC, and The Times of Israel's weekly podcast, which can be found at PeopleofthePod and on your phone's podcast app.

Rabbi Andrew Baker

As Director of International Jewish Affairs, Rabbi Andrew Baker is responsible for maintaining AJC's network of relationships with Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora and addressing their issues and concerns. He has been a prominent figure in international efforts to combat antisemitism and in addressing Holocaust-era issues in Europe. In January 2009, he was appointed Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Antisemitism and has been reappointed for each successive year. He was a member of Government Commissions in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Romania established to examine Holocaust-era history and address the claims of its victims. He is co-chair of the Lithuanian Good Will Foundation and a long-time officer of the Jewish Claims Conference. Rabbi Baker directed AJC participation in the development of the Belzec Memorial and Museum, a joint project of AJC and the Polish Government on the site of the former Nazi death camp in Southeastern Poland.

J E W I S H T U L S A . O R G 7

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