Los Angeles Jewish Home

Residents at Eisenberg Village and Fountainview were treated to an insider's perspective on the Middle East from Jerusalem Post chief political correspondent Gil Hoffman during a visit to the Jewish Home. The aptly titled "most optimistic man in Israel" by Israeli television provided insightful, thoughtful, and engaging overviews of the region's current events, from Israel's perspective.

Residents, curious to learn about international events, packed the Eisenberg Village multi-purpose room and Fountainview theater for two back-to-back presentations.

Touching on hot topics like Iran, Syria, Egypt, the Palestinians, and Israeli government affairs, Hoffman presented an optimistic outlook for the Jewish State — that despite the sensationalist stories we read daily, Israel's position in the region is actually extremely strong.

Hoffman described how the world was no longer quite as threatening to Israel as it once was.

From Egypt becoming so pro-Israel some of their newspapers referred to the Jewish State as their "savior" to Syria having only 10% of its military capability, the overarching message was that Israel is much safer than it was only a couple years ago.


On Iran, Hoffman explained that UN sanctions and Netanyahu's "red line" left the potentially nuclear arch-nemesis reeling, and that the world is largely on Israel's side.

As the conversation delved into the conflict with the Palestinians, Hoffman described how Hamas is being quickly marginalized across the region, and how American-led peace talks were progressing well.

The presentations concluded with Hoffman describing how, in Israel, "at the age of 65, we're finally growing up. We can look back on what we've built with pride." Now in a more stable position regionally, the current Knesset was elected mostly on economic issues, is far more moderate than in previous years, and potentially more malleable toward lasting peace terms with Israel's neighbors.

"They loved him!"said Eisenberg Village activities director Caryl Geiger. "They really raved about him."

The benefit to the residents was more than simply entertainment.

"What he did was stimulate the residents intellectually," Geiger explained. "We had such a big response, and the residents had great questions for him."

Residents continued the lively discussion about the topics covered during Hoffman's presentations following the events. "So informative" and "excellent speaker" were repeated over and over.

One new resident at Eisenberg Village thanked the Jewish Home staff for organizing such a marvelous event.

"I've been here only a week — I'm so impressed," she exclaimed. "And they tell me events like this are normal!"

The Fountainview audience was just as enthusiastic. Shelley Smilen, director of resident services, recalls, "One resident shared with me, 'He was funny, humble, and informative — when is he coming back?', and that’s quite a statement coming from this gentleman!"

Special thanks goes to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for bringing Gil Hoffman through its Israel Speakers Bureau.

Labels: Egypt, Eisenberg Village, Fountainview, Gil Hoffman, Iran, Israel, Israel Speakers Bureau, Jerusalem Post, Jewish Federation, Knesset, Middle East, Palestinians, Peace, Politics, Syria

As we celebrate Passover, it is good to ponder on what the holiday is about. Many of us remember the story: the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for many generations until Moses, directed and inspired by G-d, led them out to freedom. That coming out, that Exodus, marks the birth of the Jewish people. But the meaning of it has resonated around the world throughout time. In our own era, Martin Luther King, Jr. found inspiration in the story of Moses and the Exodus, as he led his people in their struggle for civil rights.

Passover is known as the season of our freedom. But why is freedom so important? Why are people across the Middle East and North Africa even at this moment struggling, and sometimes dying, for freedom? Watching the news of those struggles has led me to think more about what it means to be a free person, and part of a free people.

People held down by a dictatorship or foreign power cannot fully thrive. It is not just that they cannot choose what to do; something in the soul of a people is beaten down. Their imagination and inventiveness are squashed — they are a people without true dignity.

Is freedom simply about being able to do as one wants? (Can any of us really do everything we want?) In our Jewish story, leaving Egypt meant we did not have taskmasters telling us how to live every minute of our day. We were free from those restrictions, but that didn't mean we were free to live a worthwhile and dignified life.

That is why Passover — the season of our freedom — and Shavuot — the season of the giving of our Torah — are so closely connected. Torah gives us laws and ethical principles, so that we know that real freedom lies in how we interact in our community and our larger society. First and foremost, the Jewish people are obliged by Torah to love our neighbor as ourselves; we must not oppress the widow and the orphan; we are repeatedly told to be respectful of the stranger who lives in our society, remember what it was like when we were strangers in Egypt.

Torah reminds me that in a free society, I have a duty of care and consideration for my fellow men and women. The free society that Torah gives us is one in which we are bound together in relationship.

Ideally we do not celebrate Passover in solitude. We celebrate it in groups, in families, in communities. At the Seder, we read from the Haggada "let all who are needy come and celebrate Passover." It is together that we are able to taste the sweetness of this "season of freedom".

Rabbi Anthony Elman serves as Rabbi of the Jewish Home's Grancell Village Campus. His professional background is multifaceted, encompassing the fields of law, social work, and psychotherapy. Rabbi Elman has been with the Home since his ordination and graduation from the Academy for Jewish Religion-California in May 2007

Labels: Civil Rights, Community, Dignity, Egypt, Elman, For the Spirit, Freedom, holiday, Israelites, Judaism, Letter from the Rabbi, Moses, Passover, Pesach, Torah