by ben
The Jewish Veteran, Taking Action,
Public Relations
From: National Editor PNC Paul Bernstein; National Action Committee Chairman
Allan Abramson; National Public Relations Jordan Crosby
The Teleconference will begin at 8:00 PM EDT on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. Please
call in a few minutes early, telephone number
1-866-266-3378; then punch in the JWV code number
202 265 6280#.
Please speak clearly and give your name and post. The call will be recorded so
the information, programs, and experiences discussed can be distributed to
members who could not participate in the teleconference.
Each speaker will be limited to three (3) minutes at any one time to allow
others to also be creative or to respond. We are looking for new ideas that are
different and unique from those that have been suggested a number of times over
the years and have shown to not be as effective as expected. We are seeking to
hear as many opinions and approaches as will be useful to all of us.
When calling in, please give your name each time you speak; however, let those
who haven’t spoken be given the opportunity to express their thoughts,
questions, and proposals
So that all of our members can fully participate in the teleconference, please
disconnect from the teleconference if you must speak to others in your home, and
turn off your TV or radio. If you must speak with someone in your home, please
HANG UP.
Judge Sol Gothard, Commander On March 30, 2009, The Jules Lazard Post 580, New Orleans,
LA., Jewish War Veterans of America elected the following officers: Judge Sol
Gothard, Commander; Jack Sands, Sr. Vice Commander; Dr. Milton Fingerman,
Quartermaster; Micky Marsh, Officer of the Day. Other officers were appointed.
Like New Orleans itself, the Post has become re-energized and active. At the
time of this writing, in less than 2 months, 15 new members have joined the
Post, two of whom are women. They include nine younger veterans of Viet Nam,
Desert Storm, and Afghanistan (one of whom—a woman member—will be speaking at a
special dessert reception we will be holding at the JWV’s Annual National
Convention). We are having discussions with a dozen more, and we are
becoming aware of new contacts on an almost daily basis. Recently, Tulane ROTC students were accommodated for a
Pesach Seder. On April 25, a Shabbat service was held at Congregation Beth
Israel, in Metairie, La. honoring JWV members. The special speaker was Arieh
O’Sullivan, a New Orleans native who made aliya, became a Lt. in the Israel
Defense Forces and a paratrooper. During the services, all 22 of the veterans in
attendance, went before the Bimah, draped under several large talleisim, almost
like a chuppah, to receive blessings. Our members led most of the service.
Joining us were three Naval ROTC students, in full dress uniform: they were an
inspiration to everyone in the synagogue, especially the veterans. At our regular meeting on May 12, our guest speaker was
William M. “Bill” Detweiler, consultant to the president for military and
foreign affairs, National WWII Museum. On May 19, Ann Levy spoke at an American Legion Post 23
meeting, telling the story of the miraculous survival of her family during the
Holocaust and their arrival in New Orleans. As usual, she was magnificent and
inspiring. I made contact with our fellow veterans of the American Legion and
hope to have future programs with them and other veterans organizations, such as
the VFW. I also invited the members of American Legion Post 23 to the gala
dessert reception at the WWII Museum, highlighted below. On May 21, through the good offices of
Councilmember-at-large, Arnie Fielkow, a proclamation honoring JWV Post 580 was
read in New Orleans City Hall. It contained beautiful comments about our Post. The annual National Convention of JWV will be held in New
Orleans from August 16 – 23, 2009. On August 17, 2009, at 7:00 pm at the
National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine Street, our Post is hosting a gala dessert
reception as part of the program of the 114th Annual National
Convention of the Jewish War Veterans of America. National JWV will receive a
proclamation from the City of New Orleans; a Marine honor guard will present the
colors. Our new, beautiful banner will be displayed, representing the new
beginnings of our Post, and I will give a short talk on the topic, “A City, A
Synagogue and A JWV Post: From Devastation to Rebirth.” Our own Captain Carol (Yael)
Berman of Congregation Anshes Sfard will also give a short talk on the topic,
“My Path to Judaism: A Jewish Officer on Duty in a War Zone.” On Memorial Day, we said prayers and placed flags at the
graves of Jewish Veterans. In the future, we will also have a presence at all
events honoring and/or remembering veterans, and we will volunteer to work on
Christmas day in the Veterans Hospital. The Post is actively seeking veterans of
the Armed Services, National Guard, USPHS, and Reserves, from throughout
metropolitan New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and the State of Mississippi,
where there are no JWV posts, as well as Jewish personnel on active duty,
particularly those stationed in the New Orleans area. If you know of any veteran
please let me know. My phone is 504-887- 3570, and my email address is
judgesol@cox.net. I am proud of my Jewish heritage. I am proud to be an
American. But I take the most pride in having served my country as a Jewish
soldier. This is how I feel every time I proudly wear my JWV cap, which
expresses my pride to my fellow Americans, Jew and non-Jew alike.
From The Jewish Veteran Summer 2009 www.jwv.org
by ben