Barbara and Ray Alpert, Beach Hillel’s biggest supporters, alter the landscape at CSULB with a huge gift, endowing a Jewish Studies Chair at Cal State Long Beach
Brad Greenberg in the Jewish Journal writes:

Ten years after its creation, the Jewish studies program at Cal State Long Beach has received a $1 million endowment for a chaired professor.

Barbara and Ray Alpert, whose name is on the Long Beach Jewish Community Center they heavily support, donated the funds for the new faculty position, The Barbara and Ray Alpert Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies.

“The Jewish studies program is an important department for the university, one that can enhance the understanding of history, especially the Holocaust and its implications, as well as the study of language, ethics and other related areas,” Ray Alpert, whose father co-founded Alpert &Alpert Iron &Metal seven decades ago, said in a statement.

“It’s wonderful to contribute to a program that helps students understand and appreciate this great heritage, history and culture, a program that attracts students from all over the world,” Alpert added. “Our hope is that our contribution will further the growth of the program for years to come.”

University President F. King Alexander and Jewish studies faculty said the Alperts’ donation would help the program expand both in size and scholarship. The program, which offers a minor and major in Jewish studies, provides more than 20 courses annually, hosts a speakers series, invites guest lecturers and organizes campus symposia.

“This gift,” said Jeffrey Blutinger, program co-director and a professor of Jewish history, “will have a profound impact.”

For the last 5 years one of the biggest tragedies in the world has be ongoing, with over half a million people dead and more than 2 1/2 million people displaced from their homes. Because of scope of this tragedy it is imperative that we stand together and do a Mitzvah.

So I urge you to please take two hours from your busy schedule and join us for this very important event.
Sunday August 17th

On the ballots in Seattle is a tricky little bill called Initiative 97 by a group called “Seattle Divest from War and Occupation.” The initiative calls for Seattle to divest and would impose guidelines on how the city invests employee retirement funds, mandating that funds cannot be invested in companies “profiting” directly from our occupation of Iraq — and here is the rub — Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinian territory.

According to Robert Jacobs, Northwest Regional Director of StandWithUs:

With respect to I-97, it’s an initiative that proposes to divest from companies investing in Iraq – but MOST of the initiative would use the City of Seattle and Seattle City Light’s retirees’ pension funds to make an anti-Israel political statement. I-97, the “Divest from War” initiative, would have Seattle divest from companies selling products to the Israeli government. Companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, PACCAR, even Coke. Neither the title of the initiative nor the pitch from the signature gatherers tell you this.

Seattle is not a town known for hard-core pro Israel activity, but this initiative might just change that. It is not just the chance that this thing will pass that has Jews in Seattle worried, it is that it further erodes support for Israel in the city that ran My Name is Rachel Corrie for over a month to great reviews and crowds.

And as if proof was still needed that this was an anti-Israel effort - Cindy Sheehan has endorsed them!Read more from JT News and StandWithUs.

Still the saga of the Holocaust continues. Long lost family reunited. Another blow to Hitler’s plans.

JERUSALEM - Hilda Shlick thought she lost nearly all her family in the Holocaust — until her Internet-savvy grandsons located her 81-year-old brother in Canada.

“After 65 years, I have found the sister who I love,” Simon Glasberg said Monday in heavily accented English, his eyes filling with tears. “I can’t stop kissing her.”

Using the database of Holocaust victims at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, two of Shlick’s grandchildren, Benny and David, began unearthing a mystery spanning six decades and three continents.
While improved technology in recent years has made the task of tracking Holocaust survivors easier, fewer and fewer survivors remain as each year passes.

Scanning the database, the grandsons, both in their 20s, discovered an entry erroneously stating their grandmother had perished half a century earlier. That entry led them to other surviving relatives, who eventually brought about the siblings’ emotional reunion Friday.

For those concerned about the status of the newlywed (boy-boy/ girl-girl) Jews who want to honeymoon is Israel all I can say is “Gay gezunterhait und kum gezunterhait“, no that is not some rude sexy comment, but rather the Yiddish expression for have a safe trip and a come back without breaking any bones! Oy gevalt, what would your mother say!

Israeli High Court Orders Gay Marriage Recognition
Updated 11/21/2006 10:46 AM ET

JERUSALEM (AP) — In a landmark ruling, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the government Tuesday to recognize same-sex marriages performed abroad.

The lone dissenter on the seven-judge panel was an observant Jew, highlighting the controversy the decision immediately touched off among ultra-Orthodox Jews and other conservative groups in Israel.

Efforts by Israel’s gay community to win approval for same-sex marriage, a key issue in the U.S. and Europe, face a major obstacle because Israel’s religious authorities have a monopoly over marriage and divorce.

Yossi Ben-Ari and Laurent Schuman were married in Canada after that country legalized same-sex marriage in 2003. Determined after a 21-year partnership to enjoy all the privileges of a married couple in Israel, they were among five couples who petitioned the Supreme Court to have their marriage registered here, too.
Read the rest of this entry »

I know it is commonly accepted that Jews with light skin are in fact “white”. I disagree. I recognize that while we/some of us, have the ability to “pass”, all we have to do is go back to our parent’s teen years and we can hear stories of anti-Jewish quotas in University Admission policy, racist and bigoted housing Policy in Urban ares (i.e. Detroit, Chicago etc.). Back a few more years and the Holocaust looms large as the proof that even the lightest skinned among the Jewish people are not “white brothers and sisters” of Christian Europeans.
The signs “No Colored, No Jews, No dogs” reflected a firm belief in the lower nature of Jews in thoughts of our nation. No group supported the efforts of Dr. King like the Jews, no other nation but ours claims people of every color and country of origin as our own and offers a homeland. And yet…there is an amnesia about this history, and the tension between Jews and Blacks in this country have grown worse since the 60’s.
Be a part of the future discussion of race, religion and tolerance in our day, in our community.

The Anti-Defamation League
& One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism Christian Church, in partnership with
Jewish Federation Greater Long Beach and West Orange County
INVITE YOU TO TAKE PART IN
RECONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES
Join us for a film screening of
“From Swastika to Jim Crow”
African-Americans and Jewish-Americans have shared a unique relationship for many decades. During the time of Jim Crow laws, Jews joined Blacks in their struggle against hate;
Jews were among the founders of the NAACP and the Urban League. This film will describe the shared history as told by Black and Jewish professors, students, and colleagues.

An open discussion to follow the film
led by Bishop W. Todd Ervin, Church One,
and Dr. Kevin O’Grady, ADL Regional Director.

Wednesday, July 2 , 2008

Program begins at 7 PM
Light refreshments at 6:30 PM
Hosted at: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism Christian Church
700 E. 70th Street, Long Beach, CA 90805
Please RSVP to Danielle Nava, Associate Director, ADL OC/LB
by June 25 at dnava@adl.org

MOT fans of the Colbert Report got a huge boost yesterday when Stephen Colbert reported on Israel’s newly designated National Bird the long-billed hoopoe, celebrated the kosher certification of giraffe meat by dancing a combo-Irish jig/ Horah and spilling the Mani.

In his own words, or those of his very funny (Jewish?) writers, L’Giraffem to you Stephen!

Art Levine and President Alexander talk about the changes, and growth at CSULB on this special segment of ST. This segment was aired during the breaks in the on line streaming of Graduation celebrations, and was seen by family members around the world.
As demographics change, application numbers up and quality of education rises CSULB is hotter than ever! Don’t believe me, but see the interview for yourself! Straight Talk TV is available on line and on Cable stations. and

Pre-Shavout Celebration with the Beach Hillel Crew
Learn Kabbalistic secrets about the 10 commandments, Play Jewperdey, eat Tofu Cheese Cake!
The Booksteins - Call for directions
7pm Jewish time…
All welcome