May 20, 2016
Shabbat Shalom
"Bonfires of the Vanities" 
(in theaters 1990)
Our Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer starts Wednesday evening and commemorates our fighting Jewish spirit. Bonfires all over Israel are lit to embody our spirit of resiliency as history is shared when Bar Kochba led the 2nd Jewish revolt against the Romans in 132 CE that lasted 3 years.  One of the reasons for the revolt was the Roman's decree to outlaw our  sacred  Jewish  ritual  of  circumcision .  I assume 8 day old Jewish boys weren't part of that revolt. To learn more about his holiday, check out this site: 

"Radio Days" 
(in theaters 1987)
The simple request to publicly wish greetings to Israel on Michigan Radio is still in dispute as they continue to deny our request to say "Happy Birthday Israel" while the international newswires continue to pick up the story.  It made the Israeli media as well as the Arab American News (whose perspective was a bit different than ours). I was also supported and interviewed on WJR.  If you want to see the various stories, you can google "Happy Birthday Israel" and click on News. NPR has a negative reputation concerning stories about Israel so you'd like that instead of bending over backward to find excuses not the air the benign message, they might just allowed the message to be read to prove they aren't bias. Instead, they proved the opposite.

"Liar, liar" 
(in theaters 1997)
Why does Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism exist? For centuries, Jews have tried to help make this world a better place, yet throughout our existence, people continue to hate us. Could it be the lies perpetuated and passed down through the generations.  Here is just the tip of the (Lying) Iceberg. Sadly the full list is nearly endless.

Lies against Jews and Israel
Lie:  Jews killed Jesus
Lie:  Jews kill Christian children to use their blood for Matzah.
Lie:  The holocaust never happened or was  exaggerated
Lie: Israel only exist because of Holocaust guilt
Lie:  Israel is an Apartheid State
Lie: Jews were responsible for 9/11
Lie: Israeli policies are the cause for global anti- semitism
Lie: Israel plans to change the status quo of the Temple Mount 
Lie: Israel plans to destroy the al-Aqsa mosque
Lie: Settlement construction causes violence.
Lie: Zionism = Natzism
Lie: Jews plan to control the world according to the fabricated book, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Just this week, more lies are being spewed as Iran hosts its 2nd annual International Holocaust Cartoon Contest:  http://www.timesofisrael.com/unesco-condemns-irans-holocaust-cartoon-contest/ and the new "hip" AJ+ (as in Al Jazera for the youth) has a lying video that reached 5 million young minds in just 24 hours. 
Some of these lies are so outrageous, they are actually funny. If you google, The Top Five Most Hilarious Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories in Tablet magazine, you might even get a laugh out of this obscurity.  While  Lies fly, the Truth gets stuck in the mud. To move forward, we must decimate the chain of lies used to fuel hatred in each  new generation and shine a spotlight on the Truth. 

"The Mosquito Coast" 
(in theaters 1986)
Speaking of the good work Israel does for the world, an Israeli tech genius is helping to solve the Zika problem.  Their effort is not with a vaccine but with eliminating the pecky viral host. Did you know mosquitos are responsible for millions of deaths each year elevating them to the deadliest creature on earth. An Israeli tech company is developing a non-spraying environmentally safe product that lures in the "killers" and then kills them. Of course, this product would be added to the numerous other lifesaving devices invented by Israel.

"Contagion" 
(in theaters 2011)
Another killer is Polio. Though it is nearly eliminated from our human race, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two remaining countries where it still threatens children's live. Parents in this region have resisted treatment due to political lies. Bravo to the women nurses who risk their lives to help save these children from contracting the deadly polio disease. The Television show Vice did an episode on the dilemma and of course the locals accused the nurses of being Israeli spies sent to harm their children. But progress is being made by these brave nurses who could succeed in reaching the remaining unvaccinated children by the end of this year.
And continuing with this Polio topic, last Sunday evening, 60 Minutes* spotlighted the potential treatment of the polio virus on brain cancer. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-fda-breakthrough-status-duke-university-cancer-therapy/
The treatment is so promising that the FDA is fast tracking it to patients even before the final results are compiled.  

"Monsters, Inc." 
(in theaters 2001)
How could this be...? It feels like Trump is fast tracking it to the White House.  How did he morphed from a Headline Grabbing Con Artist to a Pennsylvania Ave. Potential Resident with a void of knowledge to fulfill the job?  Not sure how he's think his presidential paycheck would be funded as he boasts about paying as little taxes as possible.  No way will we see his Tax Returne before the election. Many of his supporters are thugs as evident when the journalist who wrote about his wife in GQ (to the dismay of Melania) was bullied and harassed (with disgusting anti-semitic rants). The attacks were do violating that Julia Ioffe had to file a police report. Melania's response was that Julia provoked the attacks and Donald wouldn't condemn them either. 
We can not allow this man to violate our country. The whole crux of this election is not the concern of the next 4-8 years (though much damage could be done then too), it's about the next 20-30 years of a Supreme Court with an even split right now and the potential to continue the extremely conservative (anti-women, pro-big money controlling elections and legislators, anti-environment, anti-civil rights...) agenda.  The Bully has names several potential SCOTUS judges and each is more extreme than the next. We must get out the vote to prevent this catastrophe. 
Too important to allow Trump to fill this vacancy.

"Election" 
(in theater 1999)
Voting should not be a burden.  We need to increase our voter turnout as the US is 4th from the bottom for the worst country in percentage of voter turnout.   Bravo to Oregon, California, West Virginia and Vermont for instituting automatic voter registration once you apply for or renew your driver's license. If you or anyone you know needs to register to vote, please click here:  https://vote.usa.gov/

"The Naked Gun"  
(in theater 1988)
No doubt Ted Nugent is a fan of Bullying Trump as he too is a bully and a disgrace to our great State of Michigan. Shame on him for posting this pro-gun, anti-Hillary edited video of Bernie shooting Hillary during a debate. 
80 Americans die every day from gun violence, yet since 1996, Congress has prevented the CDC from any gun research that could save lives through the Dickey Amendment which bans any CDC funding to be used to "advocate or promote gun control".  Even Congressman Dickey who penned this Bill regrets the extent it has taken. If you'd like to learn more about this Bill and sign a petition to help end this atrocity, please click here:

"The Music Man" 
(in theater 1962)
Here's a tune to start out your musical weekend.
I love both JTs but here's the younger one (Justin, not James) with his new song "Can't Stop the Feeling".  Prepare for some toe tapping.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5RobDomh5U

Wishing you and your family a 
Sweet Shabbat Shalom 
and a Joyous (and fire safe) Lag B'Omer,
Lisa
Each week's message is now posted and backlogged here:
lisashabbatshalom.com

Additional Thoughts

Mazel tov to our niece, Paige Mark on the engagement to her love, Michael Coleman.  Wishing them Love, Laughter, Happiness, Health and a long wonderful marriage. 

Mazel tov to Rabbi Dan Horwitz and NY's Lab/Shul Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie for gracing Forward's list of most inspiring rabbis. 

Mazel tov to Goldie Michelson (113 years old) of Worcester, Massachusetts for reaching the status as oldest person living in America and oldest Jew in the world.  She earned a master's degree in sociology in 1936 and credits her longevity to walking.

Mazel tov to the docs at Mass General for successfully performing the first US "male organ" transplant.  (I'm concerned your emails would bounce if I used the anatomically correct word, system filters are sensitive these days).  This is promising news for the nearly 1,400 military vets who've been wounded during combat. The other successful transplant in South Africa resulted in the patient fathering a child.  Bravo to modern medicine! 

Mazel tov to David Zuckerman (proud parents are Betsy Appleton and Eric Zuckerman) on winning his 2nd Emmy for MLB Tonight (Sports show).

Rest in Peace, Grammy winning Texas troubadour, Guy Clark, who passed away this week at the age of 74. 

Condolences to the loved ones of the 66 victims of the EgyptAir flight that crashed into the Mediterranean. It was travelling from Paris to Cairo and experts speculate the crash wasn't due to mechanical problems.

* Rest in Peace, Morley Safer z"l (age 84), founding father and stalwart journalist of 60 Minutes.  May his family, friends and fans be comforted by the many memories he left behind. 

Bravo to our State Legislators for passing the Bill to require Holocaust and genocide education in our MIchigan schools. 
 Happy Birthday!

May 20th
Vadim Avshalom
Ashley Wainer Adelman
Nanci Rands
Brian Adelman
Nathan Upfal
 
May 21st
John Steinberg
Sally Orley
Trudi Wineman
Johnny Oram

May 22nd
Beth Liberson Brandvain
Betsy Appleton
Rochelle Upfal
Ken Korotkin
 
  May 23rd
Les Grosinger
Sue Kaufman
Michael Kurtz
 
May 24th
Robby Weinbaum
Jodie Krasnick
Sam Zwetchkenbaum
Lena Epstein
 
May 25th
Arthur Horwitz
Amanda Orley
Kevin Hrit
 
May 26th
Marcia Balonick
Larry Garon (Happy 60th)

May Birthday Oops
Missed Brian Hermelin on May 1st
Peter Remington is May 29th (not May 1st). Take back those early wishes to him and save them for next week.

Then and Now
For those born during the 60s or before. Hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane and today's comparison.

1966: Long hair
2016: Longing for hair

1966: KEG
2016: EKG

1966: Acid rock
2016: Acid reflux

1966: Moving to California because it's cool
2016: Moving to Arizona because it's warm

1966: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2016: Trying NOT  to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

1966: Seeds and stems
2016: Roughage 

1966: Hoping for a BMW
2016: Hoping for a BM 

1966: Going to a new, hip joint
2016: Receiving a new hip joint
  
1966: Rolling Stones
2016: Kidney Stones 

1966: Screw the system
2016: Upgrade the system

1966: Disco
2016: Costco 

1966: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2016: Children begging you to get their heads shaved

1966: Passing the driver's test
2016: Passing the vision test 

1966: Whatever
2016 : Depends




Democrats 
Hillary Rodham Clinton: 2,293 
Bernie Sanders: 1,533
2,383 delegates needed to win
939  delegates  up for grab

Democratic Convention
 Philadelphia, PA 
July 25th-28th, 2016 

Republican presumptive nominee
Donald Trump
 
Republican Convention
Cleveland, OH
July 18-21, 2016

Michigan State Primary Election is
Tuesday Aug. 2, 2016
If you live in Bloomfield Township, please vote for 
Brian Kepes for Treasurer
(I will update you on more ballot issues 
as soon as they are available)

Presidential General Election is 
Tuesday 
November 8, 2016



May 22nd  (Sunday)
Hillel Day School Annual Gala
Honoring: 
Beverly & Arthur Liss and Norma & Michael Dorman
(Two amazing couples)
For more info, please contact  Amy Schlussel 
aschlussel@hillelday.org

May 22nd (Sunday)
Jewish Senior Life 
8 over 80
Congregation Adat Shalom
11:30am
(248) 592-1101

248-353-7553
hbudaj@adl.org

June 8th  (Wednesday)
JCRC 2016 Activist Award
Honoring (well-deserving) Drs. Conrad and Lynda Giles
Adat Shalom Synagogue
7:00 pm
Guest Speaker: Dr. Mark M. Schlissel 
President, University of Michigan 
(248) 642-5393


June 10th (Friday)
Starfish Family Service
Great Hearts Gala
Eastern Market Shed 3, Detroit
Honoree: Mariam C. Noland and the Community Foundation for SE Michigan
(734) 728-3400

June 11th (Saturday)
American Cancer Society
Relay for LIfe
West Bloomfield High School
10:00am
Kinderfun65@aol.com
248-909-8742

June 13th (Monday)
26th Annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf Invitational
Franklin Hills Country Club
Honoring Shawn Green, Tom Gage and Dr. Michael Lutz
(248) 592-9323

June 20th (Monday)
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
7:00pm
Free Admission
Distinguished Scholar: Rabbi David Wolpe
Highly acclaimed Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles
wren@shaareyzedek.org
248-357-5544

June 23rd (Thursday)
JVS Strictly Business
MGM Grand Detroit
Keynote Speaker:  John Rakolta, Jr.
fvictor@jvsdet.org
(248) 233-4290

June 27th (Monday)
Take Back The State House
Fundraiser to help elect quality legislators in Michigan
Our House (address provided upon RSVP)
5:30 - 7:00pm
Please join us discussion with
House Dem Leader: Tim Greimel
Jewish Caucus Dems:
Jeremy Moss, Andy Schor and Robert Wittenberg
Our State Rep: Christine Greig 
For more info please contact Cortney Goddard 
cegoddar2@gmail.com or 517-243-8914
 
 
I've often been asked about my writing and Yes, I write every word of these messages myself, mistakes and all.
 Please ignore the typing errors but if I missed your birthday or got the wrong date, 
please let me know.