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JCRC Column Obituaries

Condemn b'nai mitzvah assault SUSAN FADEM

Susan Fadem, z”l, passed
BY BOB HORENSTEIN Lipstadt, the U.S. antisemitism envoy, tweeted, away on Sept. 3, 2022. Susan
Imagine the following situation taking place in “Make no mistake. Had such a hateful incident – is survived by her daughters,
an American city: The scene is a local egalitarian such incitement – happened in any other country, Kimmie (Ray) Fadem Donlon
Conservative synagogue where congregants are there’d be little hesitation in labeling it antisem- and Michelle (Josh) Kashinsky;
holding a weekday morning Shacharit service. itism.” three amazing granddaughters,
Suddenly, during the Amidah, a group of right- The following month, the family of a teenage Rosie Kashinsky, Fiona Kash-
wing extremists storm into the chapel and begin Jewish girl from Seattle, who was celebrating her insky and Cecilia Charlotte
shouting obscenities and spitting on the worship- bat mitzvah at the Kotel alongside the Women of Donlon; brother, Mark (Au-
pers, who are caught off guard and are now pan- the Wall, was harassed by a swarm of ultra-Or- drey) Sherman; sister, Wendy
icked. The hooligans grab prayer books from the thodox yeshiva students. And once again, the po- (Mike) Flotken; niece, Diane
shelves, ripping out pages and throwing them on lice, who were hired by the government-funded (Michael) Packman; nephew,
the floor. Before leaving, one of them wipes his group that manages the holy site, refused to en- Bryan Fadem; great-nieces and
nose with a torn-out page, sneering condescend- force Israel’s law prohibiting the disturbance of nephews, Amanda (Michael)
ingly, proud of his vulgar act. prayers. Back home in Seattle, the girl’s mother, Stein, Josh (Allison) Packman
Such a shocking antisemitic incident would, who said she has sometimes been vilified in the and Ben (Aviva) Packman,
of course, spark an outcry from Jewish groups U.S. for being a proud Zionist, noted ironically Cynthia (Sharon) Fadem and
around the country. The local police and FBI that in Israel her family was “attacked for being Michael Fadem.
would be counted on to open an immediate in- … Jews.” Susan was preceded in death
vestigation and find and arrest the perpetrators of For Jewish professionals like myself who work by her first husband, Rod
this hate crime. Strong statements of condemna- determinedly to build support for Israel, especially Fadem (father of Kimmie and
tion would be issued by, and offers of support re- among the younger generation of American Jews, Michelle), and second husband
ceived from, many of the local Jewish communi- what message is Israel sending when hate-filled Richard Andersen.
ty’s interfaith partners. The U.S. president would zealots are free to unleash a torrent of antisemitic The funeral will be held
likely reach out to the leadership of the targeted abuse at peaceful non-Orthodox worshippers? Sept. 9 in St. Louis, Mo. Port-
synagogue in a show of solidarity. Sadly, very few Members of Knesset con- land Shiva was Sept. 6 at Con-
What if, however, the assailants weren’t white demned the disturbances. And although the West- gregation Beth Israel.
nationalists? What if they were – Jews? And what ern Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovitch, denounced Donations in Susan’s mem-
if the incident occurred not in America but in the “the verbal and occasional physical violence” at ory can be made to the OLLI
Jewish state? Would we still call it antisemitism, the holy site, he appeared to blame “all sides” for Scholarship Fund of the Osher
or would we mute our outrage lest our condem- the problem. Lifelong Learning Institute at
nation provide fodder for the Israel bashers? Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid did speak Washington University in St.
Anyone familiar with my work and my writing out against the provocations, calling them “un- Louis.
knows that I am a committed Zionist, readily acceptable.” In a phone call to Seth Mann, Lapid BOBBY WEINSTOCK
defending Israel against unjust, false accusations declared that he was “horrified” by what had Bobby Weinstock, z”l, died
such as “apartheid” and “genocide.” But there’s occurred during Mann’s bar mitzvah ceremony, peacefully of cancer at home
something perverse and disturbing going on in and that “it doesn’t represent the country or the Aug. 31, 2022, with his beloved
Israel about which, as an American Jew, I cannot people of Israel.” wife by his side. He is survived
remain silent. Supportive statements are important, but they’re by his wife, Ann Augustine; his
Recent months have seen a significant escala- no substitute for concrete actions. At a minimum, sister, Sue Weinstock; his broth-
tion in violence directed at women and non-Or- the prime minister needs to ensure that the non-Or- er, Richard Weinstock (Susan);
thodox Jews praying at the Kotel (Western Wall). thodox section remains fully open to egalitarian his sister-in-law, Rena Fox; his
Even egalitarian ceremonies held in the southern prayer and instruct police to intervene to prevent nephews, David and Danny
section of the holy site, which is specifically any disruptions while keeping worshippers safe Adler, and Mac Weinstock; his
designated for mixed-gender prayer, have been there. niece, Karly Weinstock; and
violently disrupted by ultra-Orthodox extremists. Bottom line: Israeli leaders need to decide what a multitude of friends. Bobby
The appalling actions described above actually kind of country they want Israel to be – a Jewish was preceded in death by his
took place in the egalitarian section during three state that respects all streams of Judaism or one brothers, Michael and Billy
June b’nei mitzvah ceremonies, one of them that that, for reasons of political expediency, tolerates Weinstock.
of Seth Mann of Las Vegas. American Jews, who behavior that constitutes a desecration of God’s Bobby was born to Milton and
came to Jerusalem to celebrate a coming-of-age name. The choice couldn’t be clearer. Anne Weinstock in Philadel-
in the Jewish faith, were overrun by a mob of phia May 5, 1954. He studied
ultra-Orthodox youth and denounced as “Nazis.” Bob Horenstein is the psychology as an undergradu-
Inexplicably, the police witnessed the attack yet Director of Community ate at Clark University and as a
did nothing to stop it. Relations and Public graduate student at Emory Uni-
Writing in the Times of Israel, Seth’s father Affairs for the Jewish versity. During his 68 years, he
lamented, “I realized that not even in the State of Federation of Greater maintained close relationships
Israel, the homeland for the Jewish people, am I Portland. This article with people he knew from
allowed to pray freely and safely.” Another father was first published in the childhood, college and gradu-
noted, “This is what the Nazis would do – and Sept. 5 issue of the Jeru- ate school.
they called us Nazis.” salem Report Magazine.
Also commenting on the incident, Deborah Continued on next page
Jewish Review Sept. 7, 2022 17