rt, obituaries Obituaries from page 140 legalizing circumcision in the fall. But negotiations over the language of such a bill have revealed that many in the Bundestag may push for restrictions on the practice, such as forcing the use of anesthetics or requiring a doctor to be present. Such a bill would be unacceptable because it would infringe on a tradi- tion that is safe and causes no harm to infants. It would also be an intrusion into communal life by the authorities that might set an ominous precedent. Though campaigners against cir- cumcision always claim they are only seeking to protect children, their hostil- ity to Judaism and Jews is a badly kept secret. That was made clear even here in America when those seeking to put a bris ban on the ballot in San Francisco last year published an anti-Semitic comic book to promote their efforts. At the moment, German Jews are hopeful that this problem will soon blow over. But even the greatest of opti- mists cannot look around Europe and pretend that Jew-hatred isn't growing. Not even shocking crimes, such as the shooting of a teacher and three Jewish schoolchildren in Toulouse, France, in March by an Islamist gunman was enough to stifle anti-Semitism there. As Jewish groups report, anti-Semitic attacks on Jews have risen in France since the incident. There, as is the case elsewhere in Europe, hatred for Israel has become the excuse for more blatant cases of bias. The bris ban may be the thin edge of the wedge for other problems that will crop up. Anything that chips away at the religious freedom of Jews will serve as a green light for the haters to become more violent. Though there was once hope that Europe would again be a place where Jewish life could thrive, as Israel and Judaism itself become the focus of more hostility, it is hard to envision that Jews have much of a future on the continent. JNS Columnist Jonathan S. Tobin is senior online editor of Commentary magazine and chief political blogger at www.commentarymagazine.com. He can be reached via e-mail at: jtobin® commentarymagazine.com . Follow him on Twitter at https://twittercom/#1/ Fisherman From Dramatic World War II Rescue Dies ROME (JTA) – A fisherman who took part in the dramatic rescue of about 30 Jews dur- ing World War II died this week. Agostino Piazzesi, 87, was the last survi- vor of 15 fishermen who during the night of June 19-20, 1944, rescued the Jews, who were held by the Germans in a castle on Isola Maggiore in the middle of Lake Trasimeno in central Italy. Piazzesi rowed the Jews away from internment. The dramatic story of the rescue came to light only a few years ago. Using five small fishing boats, the fisher- man took the Jews, who came from nearby Perugia, to a point on the lakeshore that was in the hands of the Allies; the island and the rest of the lake were under German control. The local priest, the Rev. Ottavio Posta, organized the operation and took active part in the rescue. Last year Posta, who died in 1963, was honored as Righteous Among Nations by Yad Vashem and Piazzesi was knighted by the Italian government. Men like Piazzesi "remain embedded in our hearts from generation to generation," Riccardo Pacifici, the president of the Rome Jewish community, told JTA. Damon Rose, Jewish Agency Official For Northern Israel (JTA) — Damon Rose, the Jewish Agency for Israel's northern regional director of partnerships, has died. The British-born Rose died Aug. 29, 2012, after a 13-month battle with stomach cancer. He was 51. Rose was instrumental in establishing the Hadera-Iron Partnership with a consortium of 12 Jewish communities from the south- eastern United States, including areas in Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi. Anne Frank Radio Play Presented On Podcast The radio play Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl, written by Meyer Levin and directed by Jennifer Strome will be available via podcast on Sept. 15-18 at ww-w.theidealistonstage.cona. The Spellbound Development Company, will present Levin's long-lost original radio play in honor of its 60th anniversary. Not heard since the eve of Rosh Hashanah in 1952, when it aired nationally on CBS Radio, Levin's play was the first adaptation of Anne Frank's diary. A popular and critical success, Billboard magazine described it as "shattering to the emotions:" TobinCommentary. FUNERAL INFORMATION ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE OR TABLET tax__ 11:14 PM Verizon e" 171 - Ira Kaufman Chapel Once a funeral is planned, family and fr ie ds open need information quiddy and easily. vv wv,.; . I rakaufman corn/ Google THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Bringing Togoltor F3mily, Faith 6, Community That is why we now have a fast mobile we site version just a click away on your phone, wherever you are Benjamin Goodman IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Just visit www.irakaufman.comimobile on your phone or tablet's browser. Sunday, August 12, 2012, 11:00 AM Harold Cohen IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Easily, Simple and Fast: The Latest Technology A Click Away Sunday, August 12, 2012, I :00 PM Betty Schwartz IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Monday, August 13, 2012, 2:00 PM THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL Bringing Together I amh ;"? Community 18325 W. 9 Mile Rd Southfield, Ml 48075 - 248369.0020 - IraKaufman.com 142 September 13 • 2012 Obituaries . 4