| Editor's Note |
Poverty in Israel. It is a notion that would probably be foreign to Israel's founders, who envisioned the Jewish state as a haven for fugitives from the persecution, and often destitution, in their native lands.
But in the past few years, the number of poor in Israel has escalated, particularly among the immigrant, Arab, and ultra-Orthodox communities. As a result, the government and nonprofits are looking at measures to try to alleviate the growing predicament, in a nation whose supreme and foremost concern is and has been security.
Uri Heilman in Jerusalem examines the indigence problem, tells us who these poor are, and examines potential solutions under consideration in government and private circles.
There is an old myth that Jews don't drink. A rabbi once told me that the dictum came from warnings given to Jews in the European shtetls. The idea was that, if you got drunk and were out in public, you were more vulnerable to the rabble gangs wandering the streets, looking to inflict bodily harm.
But Jews do drink-sometimes to excess. And there are religious and cultural norms in the Jewish community that could impede directions for recovery for those suffering from substance abuse, including 12-step programs with what some see as strong Christian overtones.
Matthew Berger looks at Jewish approaches to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and examines a phenomenon known as "Kiddush Clubs," where congregants leave Sabbath services to retire to a side room and drink. Efforts are underway to end the practice out of concern that it might set the wrong example.
In June, B'nai B'rith Today Editor Rich Bindell spent 10 days in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, volunteering to help rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Rich describes what he saw and outlines the partnership between B'nai B'rith and another nonprofit that is helping rebuild homes for seniors in ravaged St. Bernard Parish.
In Prime Time, Senior Editor Jan Rathner interviews Barney Frank, the longtime openly gay Massachusetts democratic congressman, who is an outspoken advocate of fairly priced housing. Frank notes that, though he was worried early in his career that his sexual orientation would be a hindrance, he found his Judaism just as problematic.
This year, more than 200,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 27,000 will die from it. The good news is that there are new tests and treatments available to lessen the risk. Science writer Carolyn Vogel Benson takes a look.
Finally, B'nai B'rith International mourns the death of Horace A. Stern, chief justice of its BBI's International Court of Appeals, who passed away on July 21 of complications from a blood disorder. Stern, who was 85, gave almost 60 years of service to B'nai B'rith and served as a mentor to many BBI leaders and members.
We at B'nai B'rith want to wish you and yours a very happy High Holy Days season. May the new year bring success to B'nai B'rith International and you.
Hiram M. Reisner
Editorial Director
B'nai B'rith International
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