One of slain Israeli "Munich 11" athletes was Tulane graduate

While the debate over a moment of silence in memory of 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics continues to cloud today’s Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 London Games, one of the 11 is memorialized in New Orleans.

David Mark Berger, one of the 11 athletes killed 40 years ago, was a weightlifter at Tulane University, where he won the NCAA weightlifting championship in the 148-pound class. He graduated from Tulane in 1966.

In 2002, New Orleans renamed Avenger Field in Audubon Park “David Berger — Avenger Field.”

Berger was a native of Cleveland, Ohio. After Tulane, he earned a master’s degree from Columbia University and competed in the 1969 Maccabiah Games, winning a gold.

He emigrated to Israel, with the goal of opening a law office and continuing to compete. He won a silver at the 1971 Asian Weightlifting Championships, but was eliminated from Olympic competition in an early round on Sept. 2, 1972.

Around 4 a.m. on Sept. 5, 1972, a group from Black September, a faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization, entered the Olympic Village disguised as athletes. They took six Israelis hostage in one apartment, killing wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg as one wrestler escaped due to Weinberg’s distraction.

The other team members were brought back to the first apartment after being awakened in their rooms. Yossef Romano, a weightlifter, attacked the intruders and was killed; his body remained in the room with the other nine hostages all day. During that fight, Berger was wounded in the shoulder.

At one point during their captivity, Berger told his teammates they ought to jump the terrorists because “we have nothing to lose.”

After a day of negotiations, the hostages and eight terrorists were taken to Furstenfeldbruck air base as part of a deal to fly them to an Arab nation. Instead, a German ambush ensued, with a two-hour firefight. Finally, one of the terrorists sprayed the helicopters where the Israelis were held with gunfire. Berger is believed to have survived that, but the attacker then destroyed the helicopter with a hand grenade.

At first, reports were that the terrorists were killed and the hostages were freed, but the botched nature of the rescue operation soon trickled out.

Around 3 a.m. on Sept. 6, NBC broadcaster Jim McKay uttered the immortal quote “Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They’ve now said that there were eleven hostages. Two were killed in their rooms yesterday morning. Nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone."

Five of the terrorists were killed and received funerals in Libya with full military honors. The other three were held for trial but released after terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa flight less than two months later.

A memorial service was held on Sept. 6 at the Olympic Stadium, a cousin of Weinberg died of a heart attack during the service. The games continued, a decision endorsed by the Israeli government, though some athletes and delegations decided to leave.

The Olympic and national flags were lowered to half-staff, though 10 Arab nations objected and their flags were returned to the top of their poles.

While the other 10 Israelis were buried in Israel, Berger was buried in Ohio, his body brought back on an Air Force jet at the order of President Richard Nixon.

For the last couple of months, there has been a worldwide movement to have a moment of silence at the 2012 Olympics’ opening ceremony, marking the 40th anniversary of the terror attacks. The International Olympic Committee has refused, stating the celebration of the opening ceremonies is not a time for memorials.

At a press conference this week, family members of the slain Israelis said the rationale for not allowing a remembrance keeps changing. In Montreal in 1976, it was the fear that Arab delegations would leave. In Barcelona in 1992, it was to avoid politics. In Atlanta in 1996, protocol was cited. In Athens, the timing was inappropriate.

Bob Costas announced recently that he would do his own moment of silence while broadcasting the opening ceremony tonight on NBC.

The Cleveland Jewish News quotes Berger’s father, Ben, as saying the IOC president Jacques Rogge “is afraid of antagonizing anybody.” Now 95, he figures he may not see the fruits of his 40-year effort to have a moment of silence, but others have agreed to keep up the fight.

On Monday, there was a moment of silence in a brief ceremony at the Olympic Village, the first such ceremony. But the CJN quoted Ben Berger’s daughter Barbara as saying ““It’s one thing to do it in front of the Israelis. The problem is (Rogge) is fearful there will be an Arab boycott or a walkout. He found the safest place to (recognize the Munich 11) and did it. It doesn’t even come close to what we would like to see the IOC do.”

In 1975, a memorial sculpture was dedicated in Cleveland in front of the Jewish Community Center, consisting of broken black steel rings. It is now in front of the Mandel JCC and is classified as a National Memorial.

Earlier this month, the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame announced Berger would be inducted into the 2013 class on April 21, 2013.

On Sept. 2, David Berger AZA in Cleveland will hold a commemoration on Sept. 2, one of several events planned in Ohio.

Tomorrow night, as Tisha B’Av observances begin, the Chabad Center in Metairie will hold a New Orleans community memorial service for the Olympic athletes, starting at 9 p.m.

World War II Museum Debuts "Deadly Medicine" Exhibit on Nazi Experiments

Starting today, the Tulane School of Medicine is teaming up with the National World War II Museum to present an exhibit about eugenics and the “science of race” in the Nazi regime.

“Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race” is a traveling exhibition of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It will be in New Orleans until Oct. 15.

Dr. Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, the museum’s president and CEO, said “The Nazis' perversion of medicine to support their twisted racial theories was a nefarious, yet little known aspect of their Final Solution. ‘Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race’ illuminates this dark chapter in history and provides insights that can help fight any future attempts to change the practice of medicine from a healing art to a racist one.”

Eugenics began in the early 20th century and was adopted by the Nazis.

Starting in 1933, the Nazis attempted to weed out those viewed as biological threats to the German master race. Physicians, medically trained geneticists, psychiatrists and anthropologists were enlisted in the plan, which started with mass sterilization of “hereditarily diseased” people and culminated in the mass extermination of most of European Jewry.

“Eugenics was a false science,” Mueller said. “If groups of people could be labeled 'sub-human,' they could then be exterminated or experimented upon without guilt. The corruption of medical ethics in Germany during WWII, as documented in this exhibit, should horrify everyone. But it must be recalled and remembered.”

“Deadly Medicine explores the Holocaust’s roots in then-contemporary scientific and pseudo-scientific thought,” explained exhibition curator Susan Bachrach. “At the same time, it touches on complex ethical issues we face today, such as how societies acquire and use scientific knowledge and how they balance the rights of the individual with the needs of the larger community.”

There will be several special presentations in conjunction with the exhibit. On Aug. 27, Arthur Caplan will speak on “Justifying the Unthinkable: The ‘ethics’ of Nazi medical experimentation.” Many of those who were involved in the Holocaust were competent physicians and sciences with strong moral convictions. Caplan will explore why they felt their actions were morally right.

Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and head of the Division of Bioethics at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City. Among his 24 books is the 1992 work “When Medicine Went Mad: Bioethics And The Holocaust.” His presentation will be at 5 p.m. at the Tulane School of Medicine auditorium.

On Sept. 6, Holocaust survivor Eva Kor will speak at the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion on “Ethics in Medicine and Research: Lessons from Dr. Mengele’s Lab.” She and her twin sister had been subject to human experimentation by Mengele in Auschwitz.

There will be a 5 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. program and book signing to follow. Reservations can be made by calling (504) 528-1944, ext. 229.

Is it ever appropriate to use data collected by the Nazis in current research? Baruch Cohen, Los Angeles civil trial attorney, will explore that question from the standpoint of Jewish ethics in a Sept. 13 presentation.

On Sept. 20, Laurie Zoloth, director of the Brady Program in Ethics and Public Life at Northwestern University, will present “The Thief of the Future: The Holocaust, Women, Reproductive Science, Eugenics and the State.”

The special events conclude on Oct. 11 with a panel discussion on how modern bodies of law and regulation of research are developed in response to the Nazi atrocities.

One of "America's Most Influential Rabbis" to speak at Selma congregation

Rabbi Peter Rubinstein of the Central Synagogue in New York will be visiting Selma next month for an interactive discussion with the Jewish and general communities.

He will be at Mishkan Israel on Aug. 19 at 3:30 p.m., speaking in the back social hall. While the sanctuary of the 113-year-old historic building is not air conditioned, the social hall is, though seating is more limited.

Rubinstein's topics will include religion in America, clergy reactions and actions after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, among others. In addition to being senior rabbi at the 2,000-family Central Synagogue, Rubinstein is a founder and chair of the Rabbinic Council of the World Union of Progressive Judaism, and co-chair of the Partnership of Faith in New York City.

A member of the Newsweek list, "America's 50 Most Influential Rabbis" since it began, Rubinstein was ranked third on last year's list.

Rabbi Eliot Stevens and his wife, from Temple Beth Or in Montgomery, will be in attendance. Ronnie Leet said he anticipates the majority of those at the program will be "our Christian community friends, including local clergy."

Selma's Jewish community peaked at 325 in the 1930s, but is now only a handful of families. The congregation has High Holy Day and occasional other services, and recently work has been done on the building's roof. The congregation is working to raise funds for further restoration work, with the idea that the building would become a museum after the congregation is no longer viable.

ISJL partners with Jewish Outreach group to serve Southern communities

The Jewish Outreach Institute and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life announced a new partnership yesterday, to enhance the ISJL’s work with small Southern Jewish communities.

Thanks to a grant from the Goldring/Woldenberg Foundation, ISJL Education Fellows will be provided with new tools to engage intermarried families, Jews by choice, LGBT Jews, and Jews of color.

Programs include JOI’s The Mother’s Circle, which is for women of other religious backgrounds who are raising Jewish children, and The Grandparents Circle, for Jewish grandparents of grandchildren being raised in interfaith homes. According to ISJL, this will help reach those who may wish to enter the tent of the Jewish community, but have not yet had access.

Traditional forms of those programs will be available to smaller communities in several different models to accommodate the often spread-out Southern Jewish community. These models include a “salon model” in which participants gather in peer-led groups for guided discussion; a self-guide to assist with individual learning; and JOI-led webinars for those who are interested in participating as individuals or as a small group on-line.

The Jackson-based ISJL has numerous Education Fellows who visit small communities across its 12-state region on a regular basis.

The Jewish Outreach Institute is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization reaching out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helping the organized Jewish community better welcome them.

Baton Rouge mentioned in Bulgaria anti-Israel terror attack

The man assumed to have carried out a suicide terror attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria yesterday was carrying an identification that had a Baton Rouge address.

Five Israeli tourists, a Bulgarian bus driver and the bomber were killed in the attack at the airport in the resort town of Burgas. ABC News obtained a photo of a fake Michigan driver license he carried, which listed him as Jacque Felipe Martin of Baton Rouge.

The Baton Rouge address is 103 France Street, which is the location of the Belle of Baton Rouge casino, and Michigan DMV officials told the Bulgarian government that they have no record of anyone with that name in their system, nor do they issue licenses to anyone from outside the state.

Early reports were that the bomber was an Algerian who had been released from Guantanamo Bay, but those were later shot down by Bulgarian authorities.

Louisiana state police are looking into whether there really was a legitimate connection to the state.

Little is known for certain about the bomber, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserts that Iranian-backed Hezbollah was behind the attack.

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Knesseth Israel puts building on market

Five years after moving into its new facility on Overton Road, Knesseth Israel Congregation has been forced to put its property on the market.

The building was put on the market earlier this month, with a $5.5 million price tag. For over a year, the congregation had been working with the bank on the over $3 million that is still owed. There were hopes that perhaps another Jewish institution in town would buy the building and allow the congregation to use part of it, or that a business might use part of it.

In a letter to the congregation the leadership noted that the first preference is to raise the funds needed to allow the 100-family congregation to remain in the building, or to sell it in such a way that they could continue to use the building.

If they receive a fair offer, they would sell it to pay off the debt and relocate in the immediate area.

Part of the original plan was that proceeds from the previous location on Montevallo Road, prime space across from the Birmingham Country Club’s golf course, would help pay for the new building. But after Knesseth Israel moved into the new building in 2007, the real estate market collapsed, and the property sold earlier this year for much less than originally envisioned.

According to the congregational letter, “about $8 million” has been invested in the Overton Road facility.

Knesseth Israel was founded in 1892, Birmingham’s first Orthodox congregation. A splitoff group formed Beth-El in 1907, which was also Orthodox but allowed mixed seating. Beth-El became Conservative in the 1950s.

Knesseth Israel was the last of the community’s synagogues to leave the Northside, building on Montevallo Road in the 1950s.

The congregation began the process toward a new building a decade ago with the idea of knocking down its Montevallo Road building and rebuilding there. A monument in the middle of the field in front of the building had been intended as the cornerstone of a more permanent structure that had never been built.

Drainage issues on the property and a lack of affordable housing nearby caused them to look elsewhere, leading to the move to Overton Road.

Of course, for an Orthodox congregation, more than just the building has to move – those who walk on Shabbat also have to move close to the new site.

Recently, an eruv was constructed in a wide area around Knesseth Israel and the nearby Bais Ariel Chabad Center, and a kosher restaurant, Sababa, opened nearby — though this month the restaurant has been “temporarily closed.”

Through the discussions, Knesseth Israel Rabbi Eytan Yammer has reiterated that even if Knesseth Israel has to leave its building and be housed elsewhere, a congregation is about the people and forming relationships with God, not about a building.

Fiddler Series at Gates of Prayer

Gates of Prayer and Beth Israel in Metairie will hold a three-part series in conjunction with Tulane Summer Lyric Theater’s presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

The series will start on July 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Gates of Prayer with the famous Marc Chagall image of “Fiddler,” an exploration of his art and a presentation by Sergio Diaz, senior consultant at Martin Lawrence Gallery on Royal Street. He is one of the leading representatives of the Chagall estate.

On July 25 at 7:30 p.m., Gates of Prayer Rabbi Robert Loewy will use clips from the film version of “Fiddler” to explore the historical, literary and religious perspectives on the story from late 19th century Czarist Russia.

A block of tickets has been reserved for the Aug. 2 opening night performance of “Fiddler” at Tulane. They can be purchased from the Gates of Prayer office for $30.

The show will run through Aug. 5.

Orthodox, Reform camps unite for Independence Day in Mississippi

As Camp Darom’s buses departed the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica late Wednesday night, Rabbi Avichai Pepper, director of Camp Darom, said the day “was the coolest thing Camp Darom has ever done, and maybe the highlight of this summer.”

The Independence Day Americafest brought together Mississippi’s two Jewish summer camps for the first time — the Reform Jacobs Camp and the Orthodox Camp Darom, for a day of celebration.

“If you were an outside observer, you would not have been able to tell who was a Jacobs camper and who was a Darom camper,” said Jacobs Camp Director, Jonathan “J.C.” Cohen.

Michael Danziger, Rosh T’fillah of Jacobs Camp, said “American history was made on July 4, 1776, but American Jewish history was made on July 4, 2012 with Reform Jacobs Camp and Orthodox Camp Darom spending the holiday together as a model of unity for others to emulate.”

The Darom campers arrived mid-afternoon after a three-hour trek from their Grenada home base. The 60 visiting campers were immediately whisked into an Independence Day parade with the Jacobs campers, led by singer Dan Nichols.

Nichols, who spent a week last fall touring smaller and mid-sized Jewish communities in the South, said he has never experienced anything like that day at camp. “It’s very brave to do this — long overdue — and it displays exceptional vision and leadership between both communities to design, commit and do this,” Nichols said. “It’s one thing to talk about it, and it’s another thing to walk a path; and both communities walked a path to each other.”

During the evening concert, Nichols was accompanied by Memphis native and Jacobs songleader Cara Greenstein, and staffer Charlie Cox of Mandeville on percussion. Toward the end of the concert, fireworks were shot off behind the stage into the Mississippi sky.

A sno-cone truck, with special-ordered kosher syrup, was brought in for a post-concert snack and sendoff to the Darom guests.

The afternoon saw a carnival and swim time at the newly-redone lakefront. There was also an inter-camp basketball game, which Jacobs won, 54-34. Cohen noted that Jacobs had been rotating in around 30 players while Darom had around 10, but noted that two of the Darom players were quite talented.

At halftime, the Darom campers held a “Party Rock” flash-mob at mid-court, while the Jacobs campers cheered them on.

The basketball game was the only time you could really tell who was from which camp, Cohen noted, and that was because they were in game uniforms. “Occasionally, you could catch a glimpse of a kippah or tzitzit. But, beyond those glimpses, they all looked the same — like kids having a great time at camp.”

Some concessions had to be made due to different levels of observance. With Orthodox restrictions on mixed swimming, separate swim times were set up. Darom brought their own food, which Jacobs Camp heated. Still, Cohen noted, the campers dined together in the dining hall as patriotic songs played.

Camp Darom is a project of Baron Hirsch Congregation in Memphis, and has been housed at several sites since it was established in 1976. Cohen said an important part of the Jewish camp experience is for Jewish kids to go from being a minority at home to being surrounded by others just like them, in large numbers. He was pleased that Jacobs Camp was able to give the smaller Darom enrollment that experience.

The novelty of an Orthodox camp and a Reform camp getting together meant the event made national and international news in the Jewish press. The day was made possible with support from the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

(With coverage by Cara Greenstein)

Jewish Cinema Mississippi, Miss. Museum of Art team for film screening

Jewish Cinema Mississippi, the Crossroads Film Society and the Mississippi Museum of Art are teaming up for a screening of “As Seen Through These Eyes,” July 17 at the museum.

“As Seen Through These Eyes” explores the role that art played in the lives of Jewish artists and prisoners during the Holocaust. The screening was inspired by the museum’s current exhibition, “Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey,” which tells the story of the illustrators’ miraculous war-time escape and survival.

The Reys had escaped Nazi Germany on bicycles, carrying the original drawings and manuscripts that would become the Curious George phenomenon.

Rabbi Valerie Cohen of Beth Israel in Jackson said the film “is a compelling example of how a group of courageous concentration camp survivors used art to survive and to document the life and death in the camps.”

Museum Director Betsy Bradley said, “The moving stories of these individuals validate the strength of the human spirit and our collective ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable conditions. For millennia, artists have used their creative energy to sustain and embolden themselves as well as those who look to their work for inspiration.”

Narrated by Maya Angelou, the film features interviews with Holocaust survivors, rare footage from the period, and a multitude of individual stories told by the people who rebelled against and resisted Nazi occupation, risking life and limb merely through the act of creating art.

Michael Steiner, co-chair of Jewish Cinema Mississippi, stated that “as the number of survivors who can testify as to what happened during the Holocaust decreases, the legacy of the artists profiled in the film and the art that they produced will forever live and will help us to never forget the Holocaust.”

The film will be screened at 7 p.m. in the Yates Community Room. A cash bar will be available at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge for the film.

The Curious George exhibit will be open that day until 9 p.m. Admission to the exhibition is $12 adults, $10 seniors, $6 students, and free for Museum members. The exhibition closes July 22.

Jewish Cinema Mississippi is a collaboration between Beth Israel and the Jewish Culture Organization at Millsaps College. This year’s festival will be in January at the Malco Grandview Theatre in Madison.

"Christian Identity" group holding whites-only conference

Starting today, there is a fourth annual Christian Pastor’s conference in Lamar County, in west Alabama. This one is making news because it is advertised as being for “White Christians,” and ends on Friday evening with a “Sacred Christian Cross Lighting Ceremony.”

Flyers were recently posted in Winfield, in a neighboring county, during the night. The flyer is by the “Church of God’s Chosen, Christian Identity Ministries.”

Vernon is the county seat of Lamar County, which has a population of just over 14,000 and is 86 percent white, 12 percent black. The conference itself will be in Beaverton.

Christian Identity movements believe that white Anglo-Saxons are the true Chosen People, descendants of the ancient Israelites, and that the Jews of today are either imposters or descendants of Satan.

According to an FBI report, Christian Identity churches promote the view that there will be a “cleansing process” before the Second Coming, during which “Jews and their allies will attempt to destroy the white race using any means available” and that after God’s kingdom is established, whites will be recognized as the true Israel.

Adherents of Christian Identity formed groups like the Posse Comitatus and Aryan Nations, and Birmingham abortion clinic bomber Eric Rudolph was influenced by Christian Identity leaders.

While most people think of “cross burnings” as a hallmark of the Ku Klux Klan, which also uses Christian Identity ideology, they prefer the term used in the flyer, “cross lighting.”

Wayne Silas, the mayor of Winfield, was quoted as saying “The city is upset. The city of Winfield does not condone this.” Churches in the area are promoting Independence Day activities that are open to everyone.

Rev. William Collier, an event organizer, told Fox 6 (WBRC-TV) that the conference was only for whites because “We don't have the facilities to accommodate other people. We haven't got any invitations to black, Muslim events. Of course we are not invited to Jewish events and stuff.”

In Lamar County, there is one Jewish family, in the northern part of the county. The nearest synagogues are a far piece, in Columbus and Tupelo, Miss., and Tuscaloosa. The Columbus congregation is closest, 30 miles from Vernon.

Rev. Calvin Woods of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said the event sounds like racism. “Everyone has the right to peaceful assembly, but to just point out you only want white Christians, that doesn't sound Christian. To me at all, sounds like something Satan would want."

HGTV's "House Hunters" to feature New Orleans Jewish newcomers tomorrow

Tomorrow night, Alexis and Brian Caughey will have a viewing party for friends at their new home, so they can all see the couple buy that home.

The newcomers to New Orleans’ Jewish community will be featured on HGTV’s “House Hunters,” airing at 9 p.m. (Central) and re-airing at midnight. The show follows a couple as they tour three prospective houses and have to select one of them as their future residence.

The Caugheys moved to New Orleans from the Dallas area, where Brian was born and raised, after he was transferred into a new position with 3M. His new position covers Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

They attended the University of Texas, where Alexis was in a sorority with Rachael Kansas. When Brian found out he was being transferred to Louisiana, they discovered that not only was Kansas in New Orleans, but she is also a Realtor, with Re/Max.

Kansas had recently learned from a high school friend that House Hunters was casting, and that friend was friends with the casting producer.

“One thing led to another and I was suddenly on the phone with this producer in Los Angeles,” Kansas said. She noted that they prefer to have agents “pitch” couples they are already working with, and who have a story line to work with.

Kansas told the Caugheys about the opportunity to be on the show, then the producers spoke with Alexis. All three filled out lengthy applications and were ultimately approved for the show.

While most reality shows have strict secrecy on what happens until the show airs, it’s difficult to hide where you live. “We know the outcome,” Brian said, “but they wouldn’t let us view it until it’s on TV.”

According to HGTV, the story line is that Brian was looking for a large house like those in the Dallas suburbs, while Alexis preferred smaller, vintage homes in historic parts of the city.

Kansas said the producers will be featuring New Orleans, including historic homes, Magazine Street, City Park, Harrison Avenue and other areas.

For the 22-minute show, filming took five days. Brian said it was “more filming than we thought, but it was a good experience.” They have no idea what parts of the experience will make the cut.

Two months ago, they moved into the house they picked on the show. Since then they have started to get acclimated into the community, attending the Jewish Newcomers events coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and visiting Touro Synagogue.