One Size Does Not Fit All For Openers Moppets As Peacemakers Notable Numbers Jerusalem (JTA) ookie Monster and his friends are breaking down stereotypes that Israeli and Palestinian children have of each other. That's the conclusion of a group of edu- cational media experts who met in Jerusalem this week to evaluate the first 18 months of Rechov Sumsum/Shara'a Simsim, the joint Israeli/Palestinian versions of the popular U.S. educational children's televi- sion show Sesame Street. "We believe tolerance begins at home," said Michal Arbel, director of Israel Educational Television, which produced the Israeli version. We have opened a small window of mutual respect for Palestinians and Israelis." For the Palestinians, the primary goal was emphasizing Palestinian culture. "Palestinian identity and self-respect will have to come before mutual respect," said Daoud Kuttab, the Palestinian executive producer. "The aim is not to make a sea change. e It is to make it normal for a Palestinian to see an Israeli in a different fashion, and vice versa." According to the scholars, before the show began, 61 percent of the Palestinian children surveyed had negative stereo- types of Israelis while 19 percent of Israeli Jews had negative stereotypes of Palestinians. After viewing the show, children from all test groups tended to use more positive attributes to describe the other, but Palestinians had developed additional nega- tive attitudes as well. The study also showed that in "con- flict resolution" scenarios, such as an Israeli or Palestinian child confronting someone from the other side on a swing, both had developed a greater tendency to choose a friendly solution to resolve the conflict. — Avi Machlis Palestinian Opinion C "Little or no change has taken place in the way the Palestinians view the peace process compared to our last survey one month ago." Peace Process Favor: 75 percent Attacks Against Israel Oppose: 52 percent View Of Ehud Barak Trust: 19 percent Collecting Unlicensed Weapons Support: 86 percent Source: Center for Palestine Research Studies poll of 1,316 Palestinians ages 18 years and older, conducted October 14-16, 1999. Yiddish Limericks A doctor's wife once known as Dinnick Said, "Go ahead, call me a cynic. But how's it look, Misha? The Chevra Kadisha* Is headquartered next to your clinic! * Jewish Burial Society — Martha Jo Fleischmann ... The Virtual voter Results from last week's poll (47 respondents) Should we continue to annually commemorate Kristallnacht? Certainly (85%) 0 Possibly (11%) 0 Absolutely not (4%) - What's The Real Deal With Kabbala? ! ! . A ctually, I can't tell you what kabbala is unless you're a married man who's at least 40 and a talmid chachum (student of the wise). Because of its potency, the medieval rabbis limited the study of kabbala to those who possessed these characteristics. So although Hollywood celebrities such as Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell have taken an interest in "pop kabbala" or "kabbala-lite," let's not confuse that with the real thing. Kabbala is a system of mystical beliefs that some believe penetrate the Torah's inner meaning. Toward the end of the 13th century, Moses de Leon compiled the teachings in the Zohar. Kabbalists generally speak of God as the Ein Sof, or "that which is without limit." God is inaccessible and unknowable yet shows himself through a series of 10 sfirot (manifestations of His energy). Those who become immersed in the ways of kabbala believe its power can change the course of nature and even bring about miracles. With these kinds of capabilities, the rabbis rightly saw danger in allowing just any- body to study something that has so much potential for good and evil. Therefore, as stated in Louis Jacob's The Jewish Religion: A Companion, "there are very few practical Kabbalists nowadays, but many charlatans to prey on the gullible." — Steven H. Pollak Sources: Louis Jacob's "The Jewish Religion: A Companion" and Rabbi Joseph Telushkin's "Jewish Literacy." Write: Judaism 101, The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI'48054; by fax: (248) 354-6069; by e-mail, rsklar@thejewishnews.com Check out JN Online, www.detroitjewishnews.com; click on Judaism 101 on the home- page. JARC INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES TAILOR-MADE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS • WE PROVIDE MORE THAN DAILY LIVING ASSISTANCE... WE PROVIDE A COMMUNITY. Friends to meet, activities to enjoy, cultural and religious opportunities – all that makes life full and complete. • JARC INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES • Newly expanded GRAPEJEWZ .11endel • Serving people with any level of disability M 17e.5 PERATEL9 LOOKING FOR THE ANSGJERS TO (.1 FE'S DE EPEST QUESTIONS, BUT I'M FOONI? 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