Out of the ashes of the Holocaust emerge
the seeds of the Israeli Army
"Video Presentation"
In Our Own Hands
The hidden story of the Jewish Brigade in World War II
Thursday, January 13, 2000 • 7:15 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Jewish Community Center/Jimmy Prentis Morris Campus
'
A BROWN BAG LUNCH BOOK REVIEW
Pikachu and Ash star in the animated adventure "Pokemon: The First Movie."
Thursday, February 17, 2000 • 12:30 p.m.
ignorance, not intimidating someone
younger than you, not exploiting your
position with a friend.
"Holding back information [about
the value] of a card is also stealing,"
Kanefsky says.
Like other parents caught off-guard
with the intensity by which their
young children have embraced
Pokemon, Dr. Helene Rosenzweig, a
Los Angeles-based dermatologist, has
made an effort to learn the names of
many of her son's favorite characters.
She tries to talk with other parents
about the aspects of fairness and trad-
ing among kids too young to know
the meaning of "market value." She
also discusses these things with her
son.
"I talked to him about what makes
something valuable, why, say, a
Charizard card is more valuable than a
Pikachu," Rosenzweig says, revealing
that a Charizard card can sell upwards
of S75.
"He said to me, 'But what if I love
Pikachu, and I want to have thou-
sands and thousands of Pikachus?'"'
"So for him, [he learned that] value
lies in the eye of the beholder," she
says.
After seeing her otherwise shy son
approach older kids, to ask if they
wanted to trade with him, Rosenzweig
concludes, "Pokemon is a great equal-
izer."
Sharon Mor, an educational direc-
tor at a supplemental educational cen-
ter in Pasadena, Calif, echoes the
same sentiment. "I credit Pokemon
with bringing people together. I
haven't seen anything like this in
years," she says.
Because of its across-the-board-
appeal, the center's team of directors
has sponsored Pokemon tournaments
for its clients. Although they make it
clear that Pokemon will never be a
substitute for their curriculum, they
believe the card game utilizes critical
thinking, reading and math skills that
can help kids in school.
"Kids come in here who hardly
know how to read, and they can
read the Pokemon names," says Mor.
"I think for some students there's a
stigma attached to math in school
— it's not fun. They don't realize
they are using the same math skills
while playing Pokemon."
The game, which is based on a
mathematical strategy, has a deep
complexity that surprises most
adults. It helps if you've seen the
daily WB animated TV series;
Pokemon The First Movie, which
opened last month: or played the
Nintendo games, but no matter,
Pokemon is a world unto itself,
inhabited by 150 Pokemon charac-
ters, which are Fiercely powerful
when incomes to doing battle.
Trainers — our kids — utilize
these powers to win the game.
Contrary to popular belief, there is
no exchange of cards during a game,
rather, a depletion of points, leaving
an opponent's Pokemon monsters
helplessly stranded on the bench,
until there are no Pokemons left.
In spite of what adults believe
about Pokemon, and no matter what
they say or do, for the time being
Pokemon remains a powerful force
in our children's lives. But our off-
spring also see it for what it is: a
popular fad that will disappear one
day like so many monsters left on
the bench at the end of a Pokemon
game.
If there's anything they know for
sure, it is this one sad fact: Pokemon
will go the way of all other fads —
Furbys, Beanie Babies, Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles -- and some-
thing new will take its place. In the
meantime, they're going to have
some fun. 111
NCJW Office
26400 Lahser Road, Suite 100, in Southfield
Rabbi Sherwin Wine of the Birmingham Temple -
will review the book
Hitler's Pope,
the Secret History of Pius XII
by John Cornwell
Bring a brown bag lunch.
Coffee and refreshMents will be served.
R.
Vice President Program and Wiembershi
Jutie Zussman
26400 Laher Rd. Suite 100 • Southfield, Nil 48034
(248) 355-3300 • FAX (248) 355-9951
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