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<H4>
<A NAME="B’nei Israel Congregation - San José, Costa"></A>B’nei Israel Congregation
- San José, Costa Rica</H4>
<I>Liberal Synagogue affiliated with <U>World Union for Progressive Judaism </U><br>
and with <U>Union of Jewish Congregations of Latin America and the Caribbean </U></I><br>
Tel. 231-5243    /    Fax 257-3308  <br>
B’nei Israel Online: <A HREF="index.html">   http://www.bnei-israel.org/ </A> <br>
B'nei Israel Congregation: <A HREF="mailto:congbnei@racsa.co.cr">
 congbnei@racsa.co.cr<br></CENTER>

<p>&nbsp;

<CENTER>
<H1>
<A NAME="KOLEINU - Our Voice"></A>
<A HREF="BOLpast.html#October">KOLEINU
- Our Voice</A></H1></CENTER>

<CENTER><H2>OCTOBER  2002</H2></CENTER>

<CENTER><H3><I>Tishrei  -  Cheshvan  5763</I></H3></CENTER>

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<UL>
<LI>
<A NAME="Message_Rabbi"></A>
<A HREF="#MESSAGE RABBI">
Message from the Rabbi</A> - <I>by Rabbi Michael Holzman</I></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="Letters_Cong"></A>
<A HREF="#LETTERS CONGREGATION">
Letters to the Congregation:</A></LI>
	<UL>
	<LI>Best regards from Rabbis Linda and Jonathan
	<LI>From Ralph Rubenstein
	<LI>From the Kass family
	<LI>From the Gumbiner family
	<LI>From Jane and Herbert Stein
	<LI>Thank you note from Marvin Sossin
	</UL>

<LI>
<A NAME="VII_Conference"></A>
<A HREF="#VII CONFERENCE">
VII Conference of the UJCL</A></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="Americans_Abroad"></A>
<A HREF="#AMERICANS ABROAD">
Address to Americans Abroad</A> - <I>Lecture delivered by Marvin Sossin</I></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="Mass_Mailings"></A>
<A HREF="#MASS MAILINGS">
Mass Mailings in our Community</A> - <I>by Jody Bonilla</I></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="Ask_the_Rabbi"></A>
<A HREF="#ASK THE RABBI">
New "Ask the Rabbi" Column</A>

<LI>
<A NAME="Special_Report"></A>
<A HREF="#SPECIAL REPORT">
WUPJnews:</A>  Special Report:</LI>
	<UL>
	<LI>WUPJ Fact-Finding Mission to Argentina and Brazil- <I>by Rabbi Joel Oseran</I></LI>
	</UL>

<LI>
<A NAME="anti-Semitism"></A>
<A HREF="#THE NEW ANTI-SEMITISM">
The new anti-Semitism</A> - <I>by Jonathan Sacks</I></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="for_Montreal"></A>
<A HREF="#FOR MONTREAL">
A Sad Day for Montreal</A> - <I>by Sara Ahronheim</I></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="House_Master_Hanson"></A>
<A HREF="#HOUSE MASTER HANSON">
A Challenge to House Master Hanson</A> - <I>by Alan M. Dershowitz</I></LI>

<LI>
<A NAME="Temple_Mount_Outrage"></A>
<A HREF="#TEMPLE MOUNT OUTRAGE">
Temple Mount Outrage</A>- <I>by Ruth Matar, "Women in Green"</I></LI>

</UL>

<P><B>Articles in Spanish without translation:   (ver:
<A HREF="BOLoctubre2002.html#KOLEINU.bmp">
KOLEINU  -  Octubre 2002)</A>

<UL>
<LI>Message from the President - <I>by Eduardo Keibel </I>
<LI>A Short Story from the Talmud:  "Abram finds God"
</UL>

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<HR width="100%">

<H3>
<A NAME="#MESSAGE RABBI">
<A HREF="#Message_Rabbi">
MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI </A></H3>
<FONT SIZE=3>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  As this holiday season passed, my thoughts shifted back and forth between the birth of our son, Avi Jonah Holzman, and the themes of the new year.   The High Holidays are about the twin themes of birth and <I>teshuvah</I> (turning).  They run through the liturgy and rituals like golden threads on a white <I>talit</I>.  On Rosh Hashanah we marvel at the birth of the world, and celebrate God as creator, as birth-giver, as parent:  <I>Aveinu</I>.  Then on Yom Kippur we admit our failings, and reach to God for <I>teshuvah</I>, for turning, for change.  God becomes our ruler, our sovereign, our King:  <I>Malkeinu</I>.  These two themes seem unrelated, two different, alternate views of God.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I write this a few days after Simchat Torah, when we hear the words of Bereishit again for the first time.  In this week’s <I>parasha</I> we read, “And God created Adam in His image, in the image of God He created him.”  When we combine this verse with the liturgy of the High Holidays that just passed, we learn that we too are creators and rulers.  We too build and we cause change.  If we are in the image of God, then we are responsible for building this world and for improving it.  Two different sides of our souls, our spirits.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  But how are they related?
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  This year, these two themes became united for Nicole and I.  As we left the hospital on Erev Rosh Hashanah, we could not help but marvel at the miracle of creation.  We held creation in our arms.  And as we approached Yom Kippur, we engaged in our own <I>teshuvah</I>, trying to turn ourselves into parents, to change and grow into our new roles.  We felt our need for <I>teshuvah</I> in the eyes of our child.  I could feel how one process flowed into the other.  Our ability to create made us responsible for change, for growth, for improvement. 
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  This is perhaps the most dramatic form of creation and <I>teshuvah</I> two people can be blessed to experience, but children are not the only products of creation.  We are all creators, in every day of our lives.  We create art, objects, businesses, writing, constructions, words, lessons, cures and meals.  We plant, write, hammer, boil, cut, harvest, sing, teach and heal.  In every act of creating we take responsibility.  We cannot leave our constructions, our art, our products behind. As we create we grow as people, constantly looking at our lives and improving our selves.  Our creations lead us to <I>teshuvah</I>, to turning.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  As we re-enter the Torah cycle with this knowledge that we are created in God’s image, we feel the challenge to see in our selves all of God’s actions.  After the spiritual highs of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we begin this year anew with our sacred power to Create and to Change, to Build and to Be Built.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We were very sorry to miss the Holidays in Costa Rica, but we look forward to many new creations and changes together in the future.  
<BR><BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Rabbi Michael G. Holzman

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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<H3>
<A NAME="#LETTERS CONGREGATION">
<A HREF="#Letters_Cong">
LETTERS TO THE CONGREGATION:</A><H3>
<FONT SIZE=3>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Best regards for a New Year of health and fulfillment to the congregation.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Shalom y saludos a nuestros amigos en San José.  As we write this, in the days just before Rosh Hashanah, our memories of our time in San José are so vivid and our emotions so deep-felt that it is hard to believe a whole year has passed.  Our experience with your congregation figures prominently in our accounts of our very special Sabbatical, and as we address our community during the High Holy Days they will surely learn more about you.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Our children continue to grow and thrive.  Rachel performed three musicals with a youth theater company this past summer, and is working on her college applications.  Shira is entering fifth grade and making the significant transition from elementary school to middle school.  Ari did beautifully at his Bar Mitzvah in June.  The occasion was enhanced by the musical invitations produced by Abraham and Magaly Waltersdorfer, and by the beautiful kippot that we obtained thanks to the efforts of Bill and Bonnie Fischer and Abraham Baum.  These, along with the attendance of some of our friends from Monteverde, lent a strong Costa Rican presence to the occasion.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Our emotions at this time run strong because as we commemorate the devastating events of last September 11, we also recall the warmth and concern with which we were welcomed into the B'nei Israel family.  You all occupy a very special place in our hearts, and we wish you a New Year of peace and prosperity, of good health and fulfillment.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Shanah Tovah!
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Rabbi Linda Motzkin, Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein, Rachel, Ari, and Shira
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<CENTER>*******************</CENTER>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  It has been a year since I visited B’nei Israel synagogue on my last visit to Costa Rica.  I enjoyed spending a Friday service with all of you and my friend and ex-partner, Marvin Sossin.  Over the years the Congregation was generous enough to send me the monthly issue of KOLEINU.  When I receive it, I feel that I am in touch with a dream that I witnessed at the genesis of your Congregation.  As I read the articles in KOLEINU, I feel your hopes and think about your concerns.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Your Congregation possesses the best of community in the modern era, the old fashion’ human kindness and daily interactions between members.  Marvin’s column, “A Concert to Remember” is just a reflection of the human bond created by caring, caring that extends outside of one’s own home and then expresses itself joyfully and with spiritual passion.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  To all, as we enter the New Year of 5763, I wish you the blessing of a human heart that cares.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Rafael (Ralph) Rubinstein
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<CENTER>*******************</CENTER>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Dear Hilda and friends,
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  It is hard to believe that we won't be spending Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with our friends at B'nei Israel and will be throwing our bread into the Long Island sound instead of the stream by the Ten Brink house for Tashlik.  But life is full of surprises and one never knows what the next day will bring.  It is, however, on balance, better that we are here because my mother really needs our help now and we could no longer manage things from far away.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We have joined the Reform Temple of Forest Hills, which is less than a block from the apartment we have purchased--but are yet to move into.  We also have not yet gone to a service at the new synagogue so Rosh Hashanah will be an adventure.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  My new job has also proved to be quite pleasant -- FDA is a very nice organization -- and there are many fun and interesting people at work -- no Costa Ricans but a Salvadorean, two Colombians, and three Dominicans.  I have had to learn a lot so it has been quite a challenge but it keeps my brain active.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Maria and Nina are going to Brazil for her niece's wedding on Sept. 21 -- I have to take a microbiology course and stay with my mother.  Jeremy is in a Masters degree program in biophysics and physiology at Georgetown University in Washington and is quite happy.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We hope all is well in Costa Rica and at B'nei Israel where we spent many happy high holidays.  Best wishes to all.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Donald, Maria, Jeremy and Nina Kass
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<CENTER>*******************</CENTER>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Hi All.  We're just finishing off the High Holidays in Israel -- or Days of Awe as they are called here -- and it's topped off on Yom Kippur -- one of the few holidays that really retain their religious oomph in secular Israel -- with the closing down of all roads in the country to vehicular traffic.  That's right, the whole country.  From sundown to sundown, only emergency vehicles are allowed.  It's quite an amazing sight and experience, the utter silence and quiet on the streets.  Of course, it has also become somewhat of an ecological and exercise holiday as well, and everyone who isn't ultra-religious is on the streets on bicycles, on-line skates, scooters, or anything else (non-motorized) that moves.  We fit right in today, taking Sofia in the stroller and Nicole on the back of our bikes and riding around on the freeway near our home!
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Anita and I also made it to Jerusalem for the last day of Rosh Hashanah, spending the end of the holiday at the Western Wall.  An amazing experience with hundreds of "revelers", dressed in all black or all white, lots of different hats depicting the sects, dancing and singing and of course the concluding lonesome wail of the shofar.  We weren't allowed to take pictures, but even if we had, pictures wouldn't have been able to do justice to that kind of experience.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We've gotten in a little more touring now that Sofia is older.  We had a magnificent trip up to the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights over Labor Day.  Stayed in some cottages with no TV or newspaper (a godsend), and spent the time exploring some of the historical, archaeological and natural wonders around.  Went up by the Lebanese border to the ancient Muslim fortress Nimrod's Castle, saw the incredible bird life of the Hula Valley, and then (my favorite) to the Golan Heights and Gamla park.  Gamla is where two gorges meet, sports the highest waterfall in Israel (not much flow this time of year), and is the nesting place of the endangered Griffen vulture, which soar with their 10-foot wingspan around the cliffs, riding thermal air drifts without needing to move their wings.  Quite a sight.  And then to top it off, there are ruins of an old Byzantine city, as well as the ruins of the famous battle of Gamla in 67 CE.  Ancient Gamla was perched on a ridge top where the two gorges meet, and as the Romans were raping and plundering their way to Jerusalem, they were unexpectedly rebuffed (temporarily) by the Jews in the walled city before they regrouped with a mass of manpower and weaponry and burst through the walls to take the city.  Several thousand chose death by hurling themselves over the wall rather than death at the hands of the Romans, so it turned into a mass suicide -- the Masada of the north.  Much of the city still stands, including the breaks in the wall where the Romans made it through.  Outstanding....
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Sofia has started crawling, and the way she pushes herself up will be no doubt walking soon.  She's a sweet, mellow kid, lots of smiles and she goes crazy with joy whenever Nicole plays with her.  Nicole is more and more the "senorita" as she approaches her 4th birthday.  All of mommy's make-up, clothes and shoes are just on loan to mom until Nicole gets a little older.  She has also turned out into a wonderfully playful, rambunctious kid.  She loves her pre-school and would go every day if she could.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Anita's doing very well, showing her great language skills and starting to pick up more Hebrew vocabulary than I'll probably learn the entire time here.  She's taking care of the 2 kids, getting some gym time in, taking decoupage classes and doing some hearty exploring.  She'll have a few high school friends from Colombia coming in soon, so she'll be off touring to Turkey with them (while I play "Mr. Mom"), and we're all hoping to make it to Petra in Jordan as well.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Well, that's a short snapshot of what's going on.  Our love to all.  Lots of hugs and kisses.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Larry, Anita, Nicole & Sofia
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<CENTER>*******************</CENTER>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I found your wonderful website!  We live in New Rochelle, New York, 25 miles from "ground zero."  We will be visiting Costa Rica next May.  We always try and find a place of Jewish interest and I just hit the jackpot through the internet.  I have printed a lot of information about B'nei Israel and hope to visit your congregation.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  With all good wishes.  L'shona tova.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Sincerely,
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Jane and Herbert Stein
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp

<CENTER>*******************</CENTER>

<P>A THANK YOU NOTE
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Just want to thank each of you who supported the B’nai Israel raffle of a ring.  The raffle took place on Sunday, August 11, with the publishing of the winner of the National Lottery.  There were a total of 18 unsold tickets which I bought.  The winning number was 80, one of the tickets I bought for Rosario.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I felt uncomfortable about it and offered to donate the ring for a silent auction to all the participants.  However, the Board decided that the tickets were paid for and in Rosario’s name and she won it - fair and square.  Really, she deserved it as she personally sold most of the tickets, with great enthusiasm and heart.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Thank you all for participating and helping.  It’s all for a good cause.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  L’Shanah Tovah.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Marvin

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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<H3>
<A NAME="#VII CONFERENCE">
<A HREF="#VII_Conference">
VII CONFERENCE OF THE UJCL </A></H3>
<FONT SIZE=3>

<P>TO ALL OUR FRIENDS IN COSTA RICA
<P>Dear Friends,

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The seventh meeting of the UJCL will be held on February 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2003 in Panama City, Republic of Panama.  It will be an unforgettable experience and an extraordinary moment in Jewish living.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Please include these dates into your planning calendars for next year.  We hope you will be able to join us.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We will be sending you the details of costs and the events as soon as the plans are completed.  In the meantime, if you have any question that I can help you with, please contact me and I will do whatever I can to help.
<BR><BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Rita Sasso, Secretary of the Convention
<BR><BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   <A HREF="mailto:rsasso@sinfo.net">rsasso@sinfo.net</A>

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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<H3>
<A NAME="#AMERICANS ABROAD">
<A HREF="#Americans_Abroad">
ADDRESS TO AMERICANS ABROAD </A></H3>
<FONT SIZE=3>
<P><I> Lecture delivered by Marvin Sossin, on Sept. 10 at the Hotel Corobici, on the subject of Israel, as part of the Americans Abroad group's observance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.</I>
<CENTER><H4><FONT COLOR=GREEN>Dedicated to Gal Eizenman, 5 years old, killed by a Palestinian terrorist attack.</FONT></H4></CENTER>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  When Susan called me and asked me to talk to you today about Israel, I hesitated before accepting.  I told her I’d call her back.  I needed to think about it.  Why me?  Where did she get the idea that I am a maven about the history and rights of Israel?  Who am I to talk to a group of Americans on a subject so incredibly fraught with opinions and emotions, and ignorance.  She said, “Marvin, it’s a subject that frankly, few of us know about; its history, its rights; we would really appreciate your explaining it to us.”
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The reason I took this on was the same John McMerty mentioned a few days later:  “Marv, this is a golden opportunity.  You can’t pass it up”.  I didn’t  look it as an opportunity - but an obligation.  I thought you could pick a better person to do it, more knowledgeable, but you picked me.  I will do the best I can to tell you the truth as I see it; the facts as I know it!
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  My homework of the last few weeks was to reinforce my personal database on the history of 4,000 years of continued presence of the Jews in Palestine.  I read and read and made notes. It was a fascinating experience.  My wife was exasperated.  I was exhilarated.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The tragedy of the Jewish experience:  the dispersals, the expulsions, the anti Semitism (which still exists), the savagery and wanton killing of the Middle Ages that culminated in the Holocaust - is powerful stuff.  That the Jews have survived to this day is more amazing to me than even the great historians like Durant and Toynbee who can’t explain it.  It refutes all their theories.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  But I got a phone call last night.  From Susan.  Again.  In the conversation I asked what specifically were the people interested in learning.  She told me that, Americans are worried and pointing fingers, and want to know why all this blood and constant fighting in Israel. 
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I suddenly realized it wasn’t the 4,000 year history of the Jews you were interested in.  It’s why is America supporting Israel?  And,  why is it going to war with Iraq which can “destabilize the whole Middle East”?
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  “Destabilize”  The Middle East?  Does anybody in his right mind believe that the Middle East is stable?  That reason can prevail?
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  It’s like a woman coming into her house and seeing her husband naked in bed with another woman.  He gets up and says: “Let’s listen to reason, dear.  Don’t jump to conclusions.  You could destabilize the situation here”.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Anyway, I closed all my reading material and stuffed my notes in the wastepaper box.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  My eyes were bleary.  My neck was stiff.  So I went across the street from where I live to <I>Fisicultura</I> and had a massage.  It helped.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  But you know the Jews have a reputation as being a stiff necked people.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  To try to compress a 4,000 years history in 20 minutes is a daunting task.  That’s how far the Jews go back.  To the time of Abraham, the first Jew. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Jacob and their wives were buried in Hebron about 20 miles South of Jerusalem.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Jews are the most tenacious people in History.  Hebron proves it.  The Jews survived.  Where are the Canaanites, the Edomites, Hellenes, Romans, Franks, Marmaluks, Ottomans, all  vanished in time.  But the Jews are still in Hebron.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  How the Jews survived through the millennia is so incredible that one would have to believe in miracles.  I’m sure I don’t have to repeat here the story of the Exodus from Egypt, the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem.  I want to deal with what I think you want to know.

<OL>
<LI>How did Israel come about?
<LI>Why this terrible conflict with the Palestinians?
<LI>Why do the Palestinians hate us so?
<LI>What now?
<LI>What’s to come?
</OL>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  All in 20 minutes.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  So I’ll skip 4,000 years and bring you to February 1947.

<OL>
<LI>The British brought an impossible problem to the United Nations.  The British had a mandate over Palestine since 1922 and was caught in an unsolvable mess which was costing lives on all sides,  including the British.
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The core of the problem was - and still is -  that the Arabs wouldn’t accept a Jewish state in Palestine.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The Zionists Jews - wouldn’t settle for anything less.

<P>Menachem Begin, in 1947 explained the Jewish position:
<OL>
<LI>Eretz Israel is the land of the Jewish people.
<LI>It includes both sides of the Jordan.
<LI>Demanded the repatriation of all Jews who wanted to come to Palestine.
<LI>Rejection of the transfer of Arabs from the country.  Enough room for all.
</OL>
<P>Arab position:
<OL>
<LI>Palestine belongs to Arabs.
<LI>Arabs never accepted the Balfour Declaration of 1917 in which Britain favored a Jewish National land in Palestine.
<LI>Jews are imperialistic invaders whose immigration must be stopped.
<LI>There must be a ban on Jews buying land in Palestine.
<LI>Palestine should get unpartitioned independence under Arab majority.
<LI>Plight of European refugees not an Arab problem.
<LI>Arabs will justly resist by force any unfavorable decision.
</OL>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  When the Partition plan came before full U.N. assembly, it was remarkable that U.S. and Soviets were on the same side.  That never happened before.  Of course Russian support was based on the desire for British to leave Palestine.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The Asian countries were solidly against partition.  Of 58 member nations, 20 were in Latin America. Latin America staunchly supported the Partition Plan.  Only Cuba, El Salvador, and Colombia opposed.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  November 29, 1947 the United Nations agreed to recommend Partition; 33-13 votes with 10 abstentions.  France, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. supported the plan.

<H4>PARTITION PLAN</H4>
<UL>
<LI>Jewish State:    5500 sq. miles
<UL>
<LI>538.000 Jews
<LI>397.000 Arabs
</UL>
<LI>Palestinian State:    4500sq. miles
<UL>
<LI>804.000 Arabs
<LI>10.000 Jews
</UL>
</UL

<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<UL TYPE="DISC">
<LI>The British wouldn’t let U.N. in until its mandate ended on March 15, 1948.
<LI>The British wouldn’t allow Jews to arm themselves until after mandate.  Ok for Arabs.
<LI>Israel declared Independence March14, 1948.  The following day,  5 armies: Egypt, Syria, Tran Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded Israel.
<LI>The U.S. and Soviet Union and most other states immediately recognized Israel and condemned the Arabs.
<LI>When Israel declared its Independence the army did not have a single cannon or tank.  Its Air Force consisted of 9 obsolete planes.  But they won.
<LI>Arab countries signed armistice agreements with Israel in 1949, starting with Egypt, then Lebanon, then Jordan and Syria.  Iraq never signed.  They withdrew their troops.
<LI>Remember that Arabs never were nationalistic.  Islam does not distinguish between religion and politics.
<LI>Actually the Arabs never were interested in an Arab state until 1967 after the Six Day War and Israel’s capture of the West Bank.  Prior they were under Jordanian rule.  Palestinians never demanded statehood.
<LI>Arab nationalism was stirred by a longing for return to Golden Age of Islam.  Muslims dominated the Middle East for more than 1,000 years (500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.)
<LI>It really was unacceptable for the Arabs to have multiple Muslim states.
<LI>In fact, opposition to Zionism was  largely attributable to opposition to a Jewish state in the midst of  an Islamic nation.
<LI>Most of the Arab lands won their independence after the WWI, but not as a single nation.  Boundaries were predetermined by the way imperial powers carved up the region in aftermath of WWI.
<LI>No independent Arab - Palestinian state ever existed in Palestine.
<LI>Palestinian Arabs never considered themselves as a separate entity.  Rather they considered themselves part of Southern Syria.
<LI>Conflict between Jews and Arabs about who could become independent in Palestine was inevitable because Arabs were convinced the land couldn’t sustain both people.  
<LI>When Jews began to immigrate to Palestine in large numbers in 1882, there were only 250.000 Arabs who lived there.
<LI>Palestine was never an exclusively Arab country.
<LI>In 1920 when the Arabs and  British claimed that Palestine couldn’t support the population, fewer than 1 million lived there.  Today there are 9 million.  Nearly 6 million immigrants have come to Israel.  But there is still capacity for growth.
</UL>

<P>So:
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<LI>Why this conflict with the Palestinian?
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  That one is simple.  The Palestinians have not and will not accept the State of  Israel.  They are pledged to destroy Israel and drive the Israelis into the sea.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<LI>Why do the Palestinian hate us so?
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Hate is a blurry world.  Sometimes you hate so much you forget why you started.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The Americans have desecrated the holy places by their presence in Saudi Arabia.  The Muslims will never accept the presence of a Jewish state in an Islamic world.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The Palestinian have 3 stories:

<UL TYPE=”a”>
<LI>Arabic:  rejects any attachment to the Jewish people and land of Israel.<BR>
It mobilized the Palestinian for a war which will bring about Israel´s collapse.
<LI>English:  occupation, colonialism, apartheid.<BR>
Irrelevant terms intended to furnish the Western world with familiar technology that classifies who are the bad guys and who are the good guys.
<LI>Hebrew:  Peace of the Brave.<BR>
Arafat saw Oslo as a Trojan horse that would enable the Palestinians to enter Israel and September 2000 as the moment of emergency from the belly of the horse.
</UL>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Today also, the object of Fatah is to bring about Israel’s disintegration from within.  They are not interested in an end to the conflict.  They want to turn Israel into a Palestinian state.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<LI>What now?
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Stay strong.  Show no weakness.  Arafat is no longer a force.  He is greatly weakened.  But you never know.  Like Judo.  Sometimes you think you are throwing your opponent and you get thrown.  You have to be careful.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Arafat is counting on Jews being pampered and spoiled.  No more taste for blood.  And the U.S. will get sick and tired of the whole matter and extract conditions from Israel which would weaken it. 
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  There is only one thing that can defeat these people.  Loss of life means nothing to them.  It’s an honour.  They become martyrs.  They have to realize - deeply - that we will not give in.  That terror and violence will not defeat us; not make us fold.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  There has never been a more important confrontation since the War of Independence!
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  As human beings we want a solution now.  But in the situation of Israel “nowism” is false “Messianism.”  Nowism is the mother of all sins.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The emphasis has to be on the path, not on the goal.  They believe time is on their side.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We have to win this confrontation.  If not, the next war is not far off.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<LI>What’s to come?
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I’m optimistic.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Israel is a power.  Only 6 million people, but it is a military, economic, cultural,  and scientific power.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  In Islam there are waves that rise and fall - sometimes toward extremism as with Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and sometimes in the direction  of moderation.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The Muslim world is not monolithic.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Over time, the region will see processes of Westernization and democratization, a joining of the Global Village.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Peace and goodwill flourish only when people have hope and a vision of the better lives for their children.  Violence and acrimony take over when people believe things can’t get worse and they have nothing to loose.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Without economic development and investment, there is no hope and no vision of better lives ahead.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I see a day when Israel will become the economic engine of the Middle East region.  It won’t happen immediately, not in one generation.  Maybe not for a century.  But it will happen.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  We need to stay the course.
</OL>

<CENTER>************</CENTER>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The core of Judaism is found in the Jewish formula for treating our neighbors fairly and respecting their property, their rights, and above all, their person.  Our Rabbis declared that the world rested on 3 foundations: justice, truth, and peace.  If we deal justly with other people, truth will triumph and peace will reign.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Jews believe in action, not just talking.  Not just working for the welfare of Jews, for working for the welfare of  the society in which we live.  We call this “tikkun olam”, the reparation of the world.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Basic to Judaism are these fundamental principles, which are also the basis to democracy:

<OL>
<LI>God recognizes no distinction on the basis of creed, color, gender, or class, all of us are equal in God’s eyes.
<LI>We are all our brothers and sisters keepers.  We bear responsibility for our neighbors.
<LI>Having been made in God’s image we have an infinite capacity for doing good.  Therefore the job of society is to be the best we can be.
<LI>Freedom is to be prized among all things.  The very first word of the Ten Commandments depict God as the Great Liberator,  “I am the Eternal, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
</OL>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  It is no accident that the words on the American Liberty Bell “Proclaim Liberty throughout the Land and to all the inhabitants thereof” stems from Hebrew scripture.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The love of liberty is woven into the fabric of Judaism.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The words on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your humble, your poor” were written by a Jewish woman.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  What America stands for and what Israel stands for is the same ideal.  We are one.  Indivisible.  You stand with us because we came from the same womb.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Our ideals stand on the same altar;  the altar of justice.  We must not be divided.  Our vision for a free and democratic global society is the same.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Winston Churchill said, when he was Secretary of the Colonies and England was a great Imperial power,  “We owe to the Jews a system of Ethics which, even if it were separated from the supernatural, would be the most precious possession of mankind,  worth the fruit of all other wisdom and learning together.”
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  America has no problem with Israel.  Israel is the American presence, the front line if you will, of America in the Middle East.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Our interests are the same.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  What have you been paying 3 billion a year for?  Compassion?  Hardly.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I know and you know that you don’t want to send your men and women to war many thousands of miles from home.  America doesn’t have a history of fighting pre-emptive wars.  Nor do we want to get involved in other people’s wars.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Remember your history in WWII.  Or even WWI.  It took an attack on an American territory before an American President pronounced it “a day of infamy” and ignited a response and united our people.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  When Americans are united there is nothing and no power or combination of powers on earth that they can’t overcome.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The Israeli struggle is your struggle.  The same principle.  Israel is not fighting “against”; it is fighting “for”.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Peace comes hard.  It doesn’t come with agreements at a conference.  Chamberlain found that out.  This will be a long struggle. No quick fixes.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Be strong of heart and purpose.  The future of humanity to come is in your hands.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  May I take the opportunity of wishing my friends in behalf of myself, my family and Jews everywhere, a sweet year.  It is our Rosh Hashanah or New Year.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  L´Shanah Tovah.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Thank you.

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  

<IMG SRC="gal.jpg" width="274" height="370" alt="Gal's picture" align="left"hspace="6">
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR=GREEN><I>
It makes no difference if Gal was Jewish, <BR>
Arab, Indian or African; <BR>
she was an innocent child who was robbed of her life <BR>
before she had a chance to experience it.  <BR>
And this is what terrorism is all about; <BR>
the targeting and murder of innocent people.
<P><ALIGN=RIGHT>-  Marvin Sossin
</I></FONT></CENTER>
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

<H3>IMPORTANT DATES OF THE CENTURY OF THE ISRAELI - PALESTINIAN CONFLICT</H3>

<UL>
<LI>1917    -    WWI
<LI>1917    -    Balfour Declaration
<LI>1932    -    Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established
<LI>1933    -    Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.
<LI>1935    -    Oil discovered in Saudi Arabia.
<LI>1939    -    Jewish immigration limited by White Paper from London.
<LI>1939    -    WWII
<LI>1947    -    U.N. proposed establishment of Arab and Jewish states in Palestine.
<LI>1948    -    May 14, End of British Mandate.<BR>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Declaration of Independence state of Israel.  Next day Arabs attack
<LI>1949    -    Armistice agreement with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
<LI>1953    -    Egyptian Republic proclaimed.  Nassar takes over from King Farouk.
<LI>1956    -    Sinai Campaign.  France, Israel and Great Britain attack.
<LI>1963    -    PLO established.
<LI>1967    -    Six Day War.  Reunites Jerusalem, U.N. Security Council adopts 242.
<LI>1972    -    Israeli athletes murdered.
<LI>1977    -    Anwar Sadat comes to Jerusalem.
<LI>1978    -    Camp David accords for comprehensive peace in Middle East.
<LI>1979    -    Israel, Egypt Peace Treaty.<BR>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Israel gives back Sinai in 3 stages.  Completes by 1982.
<LI>1981    -    Israeli air force destroyed Iraqi nuclear reactor.<BR>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Sadat assassinated.
<LI>1983    -    Suicide bomber blows up Marine barracks in Lebanon, 241 killed.
<LI>1987    -    First Intifada
<LI>1988    -    U.S. recognizes PLO.
<LI>1991    -    Persian Gulf War
<LI>1993    -    Oslo agreements.
<LI>1994    -    Implementation of Palestinian self government in Gaza and Sinai.<BR>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Peace Treaty with Jordan.<BR>
	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Rabin Peres and Arafat awarded Nobel Peace Prize.
<LI>1995    -    Rabin assassinated.
<LI>1999    -    Present intifada.
<LI>2000    -    The talks with Arafat, Barak, and Clinton.  
</UL>

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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<H3>
<A NAME="#MASS MAILINGS">
<A HREF="#Mass_Mailings">
MASS MAILINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY </A></H3>
<FONT SIZE=3>
<P><I>by Jody Bonilla</I>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I receive several hundred e-mails each week.  Upon opening my inbox each morning, I immediately scan the list of incoming messages for the addresses of my children, then my parents and the rest of my family and friends with whom I frequently communicate via the Internet.  I immediately delete all scam mail and mass advertisements.  The last messages I tend to read are the news clips.  They are too often filled with one-line reminders of terrorist attacks, war, and disasters.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  But there is another kind of e-mail message to which I would like to refer today: mass mailings to and from people we know.  I am on a few mail lists, one of which is the Outreach Fellows List from the program at Hebrew Union College in which I participated a few years ago.  Upon certification as a Fellow, we are given access to an outreach list.  I receive queries, comments, ideas on a daily basis from others who have graduated the program.  One day I received a query that I felt particularly capable of answering.  It was a direct question from one woman.  As I answered her question I thought of whether to send the answer directly to her, or to post it to the list to all the recipients.  I felt my answer was particularly clever and erudite, and so I posted it to the entire list.  Then I thought about it.  What was I trying to accomplish?  Was I trying to answer her question with what I hoped would help her concern?  Or was I trying to promote my own intelligence, show off my  ideas, brag in a sense, satisfy my ego.  Finally I decided to send it only to the woman who had posted the query.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I feel the same about many of the mass messages which we have received from congregation members.  <U>What is the purpose of the message</U>?  Often I am not in agreement with something that happens in the congregation, or have a concern over an issue.  I believe the best way to address this concern, which is a personal concern of my own, is to speak directly with the person or committee involved, either via telephone, e-mail, or in person.  For me, sending an e-mail message is particularly convenient and effective.  I can reach the person involved at a time convenient to myself (in the sending) and to the person involved (in the receiving and answering), and hopefully provoke an answer or resolution to my  query.  
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Over the years, however, the mass-mailing message has been used in another way, which brings me great concern.  That is in expressing open, blind disagreement as a statement of fact.  Issues such as synagogue seating, religious practices, members and non-members present during services, and others, have been aired in a public format, which have had the only effect of hurting the feelings and sensibilities of other members of the congregation.  How much more effective would a phone call be, or an e-mail, sent directly to the person involved.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I believe we must ask ourselves before sending a mass message, just exactly what are we hoping to achieve with our communication?  What is the purpose of our writing?  Is it to “get something off my chest”?  Is it to lash out at something with which we are in disagreement?  I doubt that the intention is to hurt another member.  I truly believe the intention is always without wanting to make another feel badly.  However, all too often, these mass messages have caused tremendous sadness to members while not resolving the queries or concerns with which they were  originally intended to deal.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  I always try to remember the story of the Rabbi, the gossip and the pillow of feathers.  Once our words are released, they can’t be taken back.  Let’s use the Internet for the good it can cause.  For the sharing of ideas.  For the expressing of concerns.  But let us first analyze what we are trying to accomplish with our messages, and decide if they should truly be a public or a private communication.

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<CENTER>
<TABLE WIDTH=80% BORDER=4>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><B>
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<A NAME="#ASK THE RABBI">
<A HREF="#Ask_the_Rabbi">
<H2>"ASK THE RABBI" </H2></A>
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Rabbi Holzman would like to begin an <font color=red>"Ask the (Student)  Rabbi"</font> column. <BR>
So, if people have any questions they can e-mail them to him, <BR>
- in English or Spanish - <BR>
and he will select one or two questions a month to answer. <BR>
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
<A HREF="mailto:MGholzman@aol.com"> MGholzman@aol.com </A>
<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>

<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
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<H3>
<A NAME="#SPECIAL REPORT">
<A HREF="#Special_Report">
SPECIAL REPORT: <BR>
WUPJ FACT-FINDING MISSION TO ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL </A></H3>
<P><I><FONT SIZE=3>By Rabbi Joel Oseran, Director of International Programs, WUPJ </FONT>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>WUPJnews - 9 September 2002 / 3 Tishrei 5763
<P>(Due to space reasons, the summary of the visit to Brazil was excluded)</FONT></I>

<H4><U> Background to the Mission </U></H4>
<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The World Union's involvement in the countries of Latin America goes back over half a century.  Due to the relative self-sufficiency of Jewish communities in that region, the WUPJ role in Latin America has been of a limited nature.  This situation was reinforced over past decades due to the increasing demands on the WUPJ to support the development of Progressive Judaism in the State of Israel and, more recently, in the former Soviet Union.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The current economic crisis in several Latin American countries, primarily in Argentina, has catapulted world attention to the social upheaval gripping that part of the world.  As the situation worsened - in particular in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina and home to over 80% of the Argentinean Jewish population of nearly 220,000 - Jewish organizations worldwide have become engaged in humanitarian and social welfare projects to address the painful consequences of this economic and social meltdown.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The World Union and its leadership believe the international Progressive Jewish movement must assume a more proactive role in confronting the growing challenge to Jewish communities in Latin America, in general, and in Buenos Aires, in particular.  As such, a mission consisting of 13 of the movement’s high level lay and professional leadership, led by Jerry Tanenbaum, Senior Vice President of the World Union, recently traveled to Argentina and Brazil to personally evaluate the situation and formulate specific recommendations for ways in which the WUPJ can play a constructive role toward assisting its local Progressive congregations and institutions.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The goals of the mission were:
<UL>
<LI>to strengthen the World Union's overall connection with Progressive movement leaders (lay and rabbinic) and institutions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo, Brazil;
<LI>to better understand the nature of the current crisis gripping Buenos Aires, in particular, and to see the programs of assistance operated by our Progressive movement and other Jewish agencies;
<LI>and to evaluate the needs facing our Jewish communities, especially in Buenos Aires, and formulate concrete programs of assistance that constituencies of our worldwide Progressive movement can implement.
</UL>
<H3>SUMMARY OF MISSION VISIT TO ARGENTINA</H3>

<H4><U>Background to the Buenos Aires Crisis</U></H4>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The political and economic situation in Argentina is in disarray.  During the past few years, many banks have closed.  Dollar savings have been converted to the local currency (which lost 75% of its value).  Unemployment has grown to over 20% of the workforce and to over 30% among those aged 20-24.  (These are government figures - unofficial estimates put unemployment as high as 54%.)  More than 50% of the population is considered to be living in poverty (with an income of less than $200 per month) and over 22% is considered "indigent poor" (with a monthly income of less than $100).  In addition, the country has defaulted on international loans and is unable to secure additional International Monetary Fund support.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Terrorist bombings (of the Israeli Embassy in 1992, and of the AMIA Jewish community building in 1994) killed over 100 people and wounded hundreds more, leaving the country’s Jewish community deeply traumatized.  (Our rabbi in Buenos Aires, Rabbi Sergio Bergman, told us that from the day of the AMIA bombing he has chosen to wear his kippa at all times as a sign of identification.)  In addition, two major Jewish-owned banks that were the primary funding agents for Jewish community activities declared bankruptcy in 1996, creating a community debt of $26 million.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   These and other factors have created a sense of hopelessness within Argentinean society.  Though new elections are scheduled for March, 2003, an indication of the country's woes is the fact that former president Carlos Menem, who was thrown out of office and arrested on charges of corruption and is now suspected of involvement in a cover-up surrounding the AMIA bombing, is the leading Peronist Party candidate for president.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Thirty thousand Jews are living below the poverty line.  Many families face eviction from their homes because they are unable to pay rent.  Registration in Jewish day schools has fallen by over 25%, and membership in Jewish community centers has fallen considerably due to insufficient money to cover tuition/membership fees.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Over 33,000 Jews are receiving community assistance.  That number is growing daily.  Our own Progressive movement Congregation NCI/Emanuel is feeding over 1,000 people each week, including over 300 school-age children, in various food programs.  The congregation operates a welfare program called "Chavura," which includes medical/pharmaceutical assistance, clothing, employment assistance and small business loans.  The congregation has initiated a Jewish taxi service to provide safe transportation, as well as employment.  It has also established a Jewish bakery.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Joint Distribution Committee welfare support for Argentinean Jewry has grown tremendously over the past two years in an effort to keep pace with needs.  The JDC estimates that this year’s welfare and relief needs will total $8.76 million.  According to Jorge Schulman, Assistant Director of JDC operations in Buenos Aires, 35 new families are turning to Jewish welfare organizations for assistance every day.

<H4><U>The Progressive Jewish Presence in Buenos Aires</U></H4>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The first Progressive Jewish congregation to be established in Buenos Aires was Congregation Emanu-El, founded in 1963.  Due to its identification with a more liberal, classical Reform Judaism, and to the rise of Conservative Judaism in Argentina (and the founding of the Rabbinical Seminary, or Seminario, in Buenos Aires) with the arrival of Rabbi Marshall Meyer in the 1960s, Emanu-El played a modest role within the Argentinean liberal Jewish community.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The current leader of our Progressive movement in Buenos Aires is a young, dynamic rabbi named Sergio Bergman.  Sergio is a case study in how the Reform and Conservative movements in Argentina are interrelated and often indistinguishable.  He grew up in Congregation Emanu-El, where he served as Youth Director and founding Mazkir (General Secretary) of Netzer Argentina.  (Netzer Olami is the International Progressive Jewish Zionist Youth Movement, with headquarters in Jerusalem.)  When he chose to pursue rabbinical studies, it was natural for him to attend the Seminario - this was the natural home for youth growing up liberally Jewish in Buenos Aires.  However, he also wanted to develop his Reform Jewish roots and successfully petitioned HUC-JIR in Jerusalem to be allowed to study in its rabbinical school.  Ultimately, he concluded his rabbinical training at both institutions and has ordination from both HUC-JIR and the Seminario.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Sergio returned to Buenos Aires in the late 1980s to assume the rabbinical position at Emanu-El.  His explicit plan ever since has been to forge interrelated cooperative ventures by like-minded Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires to strengthen the impact of liberal Judaism in the community.  He clearly states that the boundaries between Reform and Conservative Judaism in Argentina are meaningless when compared to the commonalties (in his words) and the need to unify forces.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The joining together of forces is described in Sergio's favorite word - the "net."  Short for “network,” but also recalling a fisherman's net that captures all within reach, this net is the mechanism that he and several other young rabbinical graduates and students at the Seminario are using to magnify the outreach of a liberal, Progressive community approach.  In Sergio's words, "We are seeking a Jewish civilization that can add every different Jewish expression to the whole.  We want to focus on all that we have in common (Judaism - as an essence) and not waste time enumerating things that separate us (distinguishing attributes).  We believe that all these differences make our union (net) worthy."
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Sergio brought this vision to life when, in 2000, he led the move to merge Emanu-El with the New Israelite Congregation (NCI).  NCI was founded in 1939, also by German Jews, and became associated with the Conservative movement (as did most of the liberal congregations in Buenos Aires).  Today, Rabbi Bergman and Rabbi Ariel Karob are leading NCI/Emanu-El, which uses the physical structure of NCI.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The ideological incentive to forge unions and mergers within the Buenos Aires Jewish community has also been fueled by the tremendous economic hardship brought on by the economic meltdown in Argentinean society.  Due to financial pressures, many Jewish institutions (synagogues, schools, youth movements) have been forced to "economize" efforts, merging wherever possible to keep afloat.  The "net" that Sergio is creating owes its existence as much to economic pressures as it does to religious motivation.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Today, Rabbi Bergman is not only the religious/spiritual head of NCI/Emanu-El, but also the rabbinical head of the prestigious CIRA (Congregation Israelita de la Republica Argentina), or the Libertad Synagogue, for Libertad Street, on which it is located.  CIRA was established in 1862 and is the oldest Jewish religious institution in Argentina.  Today it houses many centralized Jewish welfare programs, including the JDC-sponsored Ariel Job Center.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Every Friday evening, after Kabbalat Shabbat worship, the synagogue sponsors a Shabbat dinner for hundreds in the Jewish community who cannot afford to eat a Shabbat meal.  Our mission had the honor of participating in the "Rabbi's Shabbat Tish," as the meal is affectionately called.  Rabbi Bergman leads the meal from the opening nigun (Hassidic melody) to the closing Birkat Hamazon.  The evening we were there, nearly 300 elderly guests from neighborhood senior citizen homes (both Jewish and non-Jewish) were in attendance.  The meal began with an appetizer consisting of a small square of pizza, and continued with a lentil-based rice dish that included a few vegetables, but nothing more.  Challah, kiddush wine and juice were served.  Dessert was a modest portion of fruit salad.  Entertainment was provided by a wonderful Jewish community choir singing a variety of Hebrew and Jewish songs.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   A fascinating Jewish educational institution in Buenos Aires that is affiliated with the Progressive movement "net" is the Arlene Fern Community School, under the direction of Professor Lea Kogan de Vainer.  The school was founded in 1995, partially as a community response to the AMIA bombing in 1994, and was named to preserve the memory of Arlene Fern, daughter of the principal donor, James Shasha.  The school has grown tremendously during the past few years and totals 471 children - 235 in pre-school grades and 236 in primary school grades.  Twenty members of the student body are special needs children who have been mainstreamed.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   As a result of the economic crisis, the families of only 50% of the children can afford to pay the full monthly tuition of 450 pesos (about $135).  About 300 children receive a daily hot lunch that is sponsored by the school at a cost of 110 pesos per month.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The school curriculum highlights liberal Jewish studies (fully egalitarian), with strong emphasis on a nurturing community environment and respect for the individual.  During our visit, the entire 6th grade came to school to conduct a special program for us (the day fell during the winter school holidays).  It was one of the most creative and spirited school welcomes I have ever seen.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Before leaving the Fern school we were led on a tour of the facility and were told that one of the two buildings presently being used for classrooms is not fully paid for.  The school has a debt of approximately $350,000 and its Board is desperately looking for contributions to retire the debt.  (There is some concern that the building might even be repossessed if the debt is not covered soon.)  We all thought this would make a wonderful naming gift for a donor interested in supporting Jewish education in this part of the world.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The local Netzer youth movement is a major educational link within the Progressive "net" in Buenos Aires.  It meets weekly in the David Wolfsohn School facility - a major Jewish day school dating back to 1925.  The current facility was dedicated in 1963 and hosted a historic visit by former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion in 1969.  Due to the shrinking number of day school children, the school has contracted into a high school program only.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Netzer in Buenos Aires is an active and growing pillar of informal liberal Zionist youth education in the city.  Over 250 local youth are associated with the movement, making it one of the most active branches of youth movements throughout Latin America.  In addition to weekly activities taking place at the Wolfsohn School, Netzer operates summer and winter camps.  Netzer is supported (financially, as well as programmatically) by the Jerusalem-based Netzer Olami and is staffed by movement graduates and student rabbis Guido Cohen and Tamara Schagas.  Rabbis Bergman and Karov (of NCI/Emanuel) also serve as educational facilitators for Netzer Argentina.  Netzer youth in Buenos Aires are in urgent need of a shaliach (emissary) or rabbinical support.

<H4><U>Specific Assistance Programs in Need of Support</U></H4>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; During the course of the WUPJ mission to Buenos Aires, we saw several welfare/assistance programs in action, heard about others, and discussed ideas for new programs.  What follows is a consolidated list of assistance programs, divided by category.  The list does not reflect a specific order of importance.

<CENTER><H4>Food and Other Welfare Programs</H4></CENTER>
<OL>
<LI>Shabbat evening dinner (Tish) at the CIRA Synagogue: Approximately 250 people attend each Friday night - those who can, pay what they can.  The cost for food each month is $1,200.
<LI>School lunch at the Arlene Fern Community School: Approximately 300 children eat one meal a day, five days a week.  The cost per student per month is $33.
<LI>School lunch at the David Wolfsohn School: Approximately 70 youth eat one meal a day, five days a week.  The cost per student per month is $28.
<LI>Chavera/Cantas Lunch Program: This is an interfaith program sponsored by NCI/Emanu-El and Catholic relief organizations in Buenos Aires.  At present, only 40 people eat three times a week.  However, budget permitting, plans call for free meals for 100 people a day at a cost of $1,800 per month.
<LI>The CIRA congregation sponsors a Tzedaka lunch program through which 100 people receive a free meal each day.  The cost per month is $1,800.
<LI>Groceries for a family of four will cost $85 per week or $340 per month.
<LI>The NCI/Emanu-El Chavurah Social Welfare Project:  Operates a pharmacy with prescription medicines for needy community members suffering from a wide range of chronic conditions.  As there is no government health insurance, many individuals simply have no funds to purchase needed medications.  A contribution of $1,000 will replenish the Chavurah pharmacy for one month, and $12,000 will buy medicine for a full year.
</OL>

<CENTER><H4>Jewish Educational Support</H4></CENTER>
<OL>
<LI>Only 50% of the children attending the Arlene Fern Community School pay any tuition.  Full scholarship tuition for elementary age children is 450 pesos ($135) per month, and 250 pesos ($75) for kindergarten age children.
<LI>Netzer youth movement activities have been adversely affected by the economic crisis.   Scholarships are needed to ensure that teenagers can afford to attend summer and winter camps.  Operating funds are needed to cover rent, program materials and staff costs.  A contribution of $500 per month ($6,000 for the entire year) will help ensure the continuation of Netzer activities for the hundreds of youth who are desperately in need of this supportive Jewish environment.
</OL>

<CENTER><H4>Additional Professional Community Support</H4></CENTER>
<OL>
<LI>Due to the worsening economic situation, many congregations can no longer support the costs for full-time rabbinical leadership.  In Buenos Aires, there are three full-time rabbinical openings at congregations affiliated with the Progressive Jewish network.  Rabbi Bergman was clear in expressing his unqualified support for this need.  As explained to mission participants, the placement of liberal rabbis in these positions will advance the efforts of Progressive Judaism in Buenos Aires more than any other single programmatic step.  The cost for placing a liberal rabbi in each of these three synagogues is $1,250 per month, or $15,000 per year.  The presence of liberal rabbis in established, prestigious, traditionally-oriented synagogues will enlarge the scope and impact of Progressive Judaism in the city and serve to reinforce the establishment of a liberal Jewish community consciousness.
<LI>In addition, there are three communities outside Buenos Aires that have hundreds of Jewish families, yet no rabbinical or professional Jewish leadership.  The communities are Pilar, Tigre and Centre Rios.  Rabbi Bergman and other young rabbinical graduates from the Seminario try to serve these communities, but their efforts are not sufficient to meet the growing needs.  Rabbi Bergman is encouraging these communities to participate in the Progressive Jewish network of institutions, though without some type of professionally trained Jewish leadership, they will continue to drift and fail to meet the needs of their members.  The cost for providing a full-time para-professional Jewish community worker in each community is $700 per month, or $9,000 per year.
</OL>
<P>[Editor's note: Those who are interested in helping to support one or more of these projects or positions should contact Rabbi Oseran directly via e-mail at <A HREF="mailto:joseran@wupj.org.il">joseran@wupj.org.il</A>.]

<H4><U>CONCLUSION</U></H4>

<P ALIGN=JUSTIFY>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our WUPJ mission to Argentina and Brazil was one of the most intense and moving experiences I have had as a Jewish professional.  I know I speak for everyone in the group when I say we were proud to have made the trip, and privileged to have met so many outstanding and dedicated Jewish leaders.  We felt the unfailing spirit of our Argentinean brothers and sisters who are confronting traumatic moments with courage and a song of hope.  We witnessed a huge auditorium filled with Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers knitting 12-inch woolen squares for use in blankets and much-needed clothing for the winter months.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   We stood and recited Kaddish at the memorial sites to victims of the Israeli embassy and AMIA bombings, affirming our faith in the promise of life and a future for the Jews of Argentina.  And we shared moving experiences with our Brazilian family members - Jews whose ancestral roots are similar to many of ours - yet whose grandparents or parents found refuge in Rio or Belo Horizonte or Sao Paulo instead of New York or Galveston.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The mission reminded us that no matter where we live, no matter which language we speak, food we eat, or melody we use to sing Adon Olam, we Jews are bonded together as a People and are truly one.  We are members of a noble religious peoplehood - still carrying the powerful message of Torah, still performing acts of righteousness and tzedakah, still teaching our children the blessing for shalom.
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   And now it is your turn.  The World Union for Progressive Judaism (through its ARZA/World Travel De�