• • III
t T
- COMPILED BY ELIZABETH APPLEB
v,
The End of the Jewish People?
he year is 2025, and
the last major
Jewish organization
( in the United States has
just closed its doors.
C
So begins a special "final
c issue" of The Jewish
Times, a fictional tabloid
produced by the National
cs Jewish Outreach Program
(NJOP) to bring attention
to the "perilous condition
of Jewish life in America."
Some 2,000 copies of the
four-page publication were
delivered recently to the
General Assembly of the
Council of Jewish Fed-
erations, where delegates
met to discuss long-range
L
FINAL
ISSUE
strategies to forestall the
meltdown of American
Jewish life.
"The losses we are expe-
riencing in America are
nothing less than stagger-
ing," says NJOP Director
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald.
"We have only about 10
years left to reach 3.5 mil-
lion unaffiliated American
Jews. Beyond that, they
will be irretrievable."
The NJOP is an inde-
pendent, nonprofit out-
reach organization that
offers a number of free
programs. For informa-
tion, contact the NJOP at
1-800-444-3273.
JEWISH TIMES
The Voice of American Jewry
Vol. LXXX, No. 50
FINAL
ISS UE
• • • June 30, 2025 • • •
35.00
AMERICAN JEWISH
LIFE ENDS:
DEATH OF ONCE-VIBRANT
COMMUNITY CALLED SHOCKING!
by
American Jewish history came to a tragic conclusion yesterday when the National
Jewish Congress, the last major Jewish organization in America, closed its doors.
Martin Steinberg. President of NJC, announced on Friday that as of June 30, 2025. the
organization would terminate its activities. The National Jewish Congress was formed when
the major Jewish organizations which flourished in the 20th century ceased operations and
merged into a tingle national orVanization.
TERMINAL
JUDAISM
An Analysis
b y Chrrim Chu*.
Students of American Jewish
life around the world are asking
themselves: How did it happen?
Where did American Jewish kad
erShip go wrong? How did one of
the greatest Jewish communlues
When You Wish Upon
A Barry Manilow
17, B
arry Manilow has
six. Barbra Strei-
sand has at least
one, so does Tony Curtis,
Harrison Ford and Steven
Speilberg. Naturally,
William Shatner and
Leonard Nimoy (are those
ears a babe magnet or
what?) have them.
The subject in question
is stars.
The Ingleside, Ill.-based
Leonard Nimoy: A star.
International Star Regis-
try gives ordinary human
mortals the chance to
name one of those twin-
kling little gems in the
sky. For $40 a star, buyers
receive a certificate with
the requested name, date
of registration and tele-
scopic coordinates of the
star. It's the perfect
gift, the organization's
brochure claims, for
"birthdays, weddings,
Chanukah, Mother's Day,
'a bar or bat mitzvah."
For the past seven
years, Max Factor of
Chicago has been selling
the stars via the compa-
ny's 800 number. And
don't ask, he's heard it a
million times and he's no
relation whatsoever to the
cosmetic giant. The star-
man just celebrated his
70th birthday.
New Association Promotes
Rights Of Israeli Disabled
A
You Read It
Here First
* Hotel biggie Leona
Helmsley, in prison for tax
evasion, apparently pre-
fers to keep her thoughts
to herself — that is, away
from prison personnel.
Mrs. Helmsley is said to
be speaking Yiddish with
some of her visitors. A
friend told New York mag-
azine, "She's gotten to the
point where she doesn't
trust much of anyone,
especially the other pris-
oners."
* Empire Kosher Poul-
try, Inc., has changed
management. Under un-
disclosed terms, Murray
Katz, son of Empire
founder Joseph Katz, sold
the Mifflintown, Penn.,
company to a manage-
ment group that includes
affiliates of Apollo
Advisors, L.P., and TGV
Partners.
* A free videotape on
the eating disorders
anorexia and bulimia,
which plague a large
number of Jewish women,
is available to syna-
gogues, temples, schools
and other Jewish organi-
zations. The video focuses
on a New York forum
featuring four thera-
pists. For a copy, contact
David Goldberg, (212) 806-
5581.
* Maybe seeing isn't
believing, after all. A new
survey, conducted by
researchers at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem,
found that 69 percent of
women blindfolded can
identify their sweetheart
from a group of men
though the simple touch of
the hand. Another 60 per-
cent of women and men
can pick their partners by
feeling his or her fore-
head.
new organization
has been established
to promote the
rights of persons with dis-
abilities in Israel.
The Association for the
Rights of the Disabled,
formed under the auspices
of the Association of Civil
Rights in Israel, is the
first organization in Israel
to advocate for systematic
change for persons with
disabilities. Rather than
advocate on a case-by-case
basis, the Association will
fight for broad-based
change through the
Knesset, the courts and
through public education.
The Association will
begin its work with those
regarded "developmentally
disabled," which includes
persons with mental retar-
dation, or who have
autism, cerebral palsy and
organic brain damage.
Wear To Find Friends
T
he International In-
stitute is offering T-
shirts, sweat shirts
and canvas tote bags fea-
turing the slogan "Cele-
brate Friendship" in 37
languages including
Hebrew.
Created by Cyril Miles,
folk art curator for the
International Institute,
the new design illustrates
international brotherhood
around the world. It
depicts a globe with the
continents printed in dif-
ferent colors, surrounded
by people in international
costume, hand-in-hand
and circling the globe.
International Institute
costume coordinator Mary
Jo Krueger searched
throughout metro Detroit
for ethnic Americans who
provided the word "friend-
ship" written in their
native language. She veri-
fied 37 different languages
used throughout southeast
Michigan and the world.
The International In-
stitute is a United Way-
supported agency that
provides immigration and
family counseling for the
foreign born, and cultural
enrichment programs.
For information, contact
the Institute at 871-8600.
New Campaign Will Review
Public Broadcasting Programs
T
he Corporation for Accuracy in Middle East
Public Broadcasting
Reporting in America,
(CPB) this month have charged
that
proposed steps to encour-
National Public Radio
age comment by the and the Public Broad
American people on pub-
casting System repeated-
lic-funded programming,
ly deliver anti-Israel,
The actions, final de-
pro-Palestinian reports.
tails of which will be
As
part
of the
reported to Congress by campaign, CPB has
Jan. 31, are designed to
established a toll-free
facilitate a wide-ranging
number viewers and lis
dialogue between the
teners may call to
CPB and the American express their views. The
public, which pays for
number is 1-800-356-
the broadcasting with tax
2626. Comments also
dollars,
may be sent to CPB, P.O.
A number of Jewish Box 50880, Washington,
groups, including CAM-
D.C. 20091.
ERA, the Committee for