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January 8, 1999/ 20 Tevet 5759, Vol. 51, No. 15
Millennium Dreams
Valley residents offer up hopes and wishes as year 2000 approaches
DANE D'ANTUONO
and
MICHELLE ACKERMAN
Staff Writers
Standing at the doorway closing on one century and opening into a new millennium, which officially begins Jan. 1, 2001, one can only imagine what the world to come will hold.
Members of the local Jewish community, visitors and employees of Jewish organizations, polled in interviews at local Jewish-oriented stores and other facilties, spoke about expected scientific achievements, educational goals, spiritual guidance, world peace, building community and just plain zaniness. They offered their predictions on everything from what football team will win future Super Bowls to their almost unanimous heartfelt desire for peace.
Cookie Shifris, a Paradise Valley resident, said she wants good health for her family in addition to a more cohesive community.
"I would like all the Jewish agencies to work together," she said.
Rachel Richter, staff assocaite with the Young Leadership Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, also said she hopes for "more feeling of a community."
"While I agree that there is a community feeling, I'd like to see more of that," she said. "I'd like people to feel part of the community. Also, I'd like some kosher restaurants. I'd like to feel that people would look more toward the Jewish community for things they need. ... I think we have a lot of wonderufl agencies and organizations here in the community, and I'd like to see more people get involved in them."
Yossi Gabay of Scottsdale said he'd "like to see more Jewish activities. [Jews here] are all scattered. It would be easier for people coming here to see that there was a place where they could go where there were Jews."
Sharon Briskman, Phoenix chairwoman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said she hopes the local Jewish community continues "to coalesce as a community, and with that sense of community, that we enhance the quality of our Jewish life: culturally, Jewishly, educationally. And I believe that the continued growth in adult and children's education will continue and grow even stronger."
On a global basis, her main wish was for peace.
"I'm hoping that we can come to some kind of terms with the situaion in Israel, or between America and Iraq. That those dangers are quelled ... that those dangers no longer exist," she said.
She predicted that "technology is going to make the term 'a small world' absolutely true. And with that will come great benefits and big problems, and that what we will find is that warfare as we know it will seem primitive. ... We will no longer have any kind of privacy whatsoever. Whether we are aware of it or not, our affiliations will be logged in that great big computer, and at any time any person (will be able to) call up any information about anyone. according to any kind of criteria."
Having a strongly tied community is only part of dream for the Jewish community during the next millennium.
Art Paikowsky's, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix , also said he hopes for a strongly tied Jewish community locally, but his dream also includes "the kind of institutions that would enable the Jewish community to unite, to have a meeting ground."
"These communities in the sun belt are the communities of the future, the communities with large growth," he said. "Many Jews are coming here in large numbers and these types of programs/places are necessary."
He predicted the future is going to be a very bright one: "This Jewish community is going to be golden. In the next decade, we are going to have a stronger Jewish community evidenced by stronger institutions, dayschools and campuses. Our foot is already in the door. If we can match a quality Jewish community with the incredible growth in Jewish population, then we are going to see a lot of great things happen."
Jerry Hirshberg, 70, has lived in Phoenix his entire life and he has seen a lot of golden sunsets and good things happen. However, he confided that he would like to see the relationships between various members of the community return to more kinder, gentler days of old before the current century is out.
"My wish for the Jewish community now and after would be the same - harmony between the different Jewish denominations like Orthodox, Reform and Conservative - to see them all get along fine."
He also hopes for nice relations between Jews and gentiles.
"I remember when I was a young boy going to school, there were very few Jewish families in the community and we never saw any anti-Semitism or anything like that. So I would like to see that come back here today, like it was when I was a kid growing up."
His desires for the century to come also include peace on Earth and harmony for the country.
Hirshberg predicted, "We are going to see some tremendous developments in science, particularly in medicine, probably in the areas of cancer and extending life."
Doug Polenz, clinical director at the Mesa office of Jewish Family and Children's Service, couldn't agree more about the future for medicine in the next century.
"I predict there will be major advances in treating mental illness through biochemical means," Polenz said, explaining, "All of those advances will not in any way replace the need for continued social and personal support for people and their problems."
Although not Jewish himself, he's in tune with the overall clientele the agency serves, and he said he hopes to see more families have an intact structure for raising children.
"We see so many families that seem to be disintegrating," Polenz said. "I want to see families better supported so kids are raised in productive environments. This can be done on every level from individual action to congregations to the country as a whole. Synagogues can reach out and provide support. And the country as a whole can provide more family-friendly procedures for employers/employees to take care of their families."
Speaking only as an individual and not as a representative of JFCS, he also said he would like to see way less population growth.
"Because my personal belief is that the world is too crowded, I worry about the loss of natural resources and unsettled places."
On a lighter note, he also predicted the Green Bay Packers will win another Super Bowl.
But Brian Krisburg, 26, of Scottsdale insisted that: "The Jets will win the Super Bowl before the new millennium!"
Daniel Gottliebson, 39, of Scottsdale said he thinks that final redemption for the people of Israel is drawing near.
"We're looking at the political system around us around us deteriorate. There's a big purge (of world leaders), and this leaves a big void. Anytime there's a big void, lunatics jump in. If you look at it from (that) direction, you can get very depressed, ... but all is for the good. ... The Torah predicts that three things have to come together for the final redemption, ... and they are coming together, two have already happened. The worse it gets, the closer we get to redemption."
What about the local Jewish population?
"I'd like to see some real restaurants - Chinese, Mexican," he said.
Temple Beth Israel's Rabbi Kenneth Segel's predicted that "the rate of intermarriage will decline, contrary to the trend of the last 50 years." He said he based the prediction on his belief that "there will be a dramatic return to Jewish living."
And he also believes the Jewish birthrate is going to increase dramatically.
"The strength of the family is going to increase, and we will see a dramatic increase in the size of the Jewish family."
While shopping at the Israel Connection in Phoenix,, Adam Silver, 24, of Napa Valley, Calif., also said he foresees a reawakening of Jews - but in a more Orthodox manner. The young man said he is ba'al teshuva, a Jew who has returned to traditional Judaism, following halachah (Jewish law) and a Hassidic path.
"I see a Judaism that returns back to the Earth, where Jews are farmers again, where Jews are environmentalists and eat organic food, which is the essence of kashrut (keeping kosher)," Silver said. "It's happening now (referring to a return back to traditional Judaism). I look forward to the world awakening in the spirit of prayer."
As far as an increase in spirituality, Segel himself said he would like to see more Jews affiliate with synagogues and also affiliate with Jewish organizations.
"There are many organizations that can be enriched through greater Jewish enrollment, participation and generosity. Also, I would like to see more Jewish children go to Jewish summer camps. I think the summer camping experience is just a wonderful environment for them to experience fresh Jewish air."
At Temple Beth Israel, "I would like to see us continue our pursuit of excellence which translates into more committed Jewish living, more study and practice of Judaism," he said. And among his many desires for the community, he would like community standards raised in all areas in terms of religious participation, communal connection and greater volunteer activity and generous giving.
"All of those I think are possible and all need to be pursued," he said. Globally, he wishes greater respect of "Jew for Jew."
"I would like to see peace for everybody, not only in the Middle East, but all over the world," said Jerry Kaplan, 53, who came to Arizona from Champaign, Ill., to hike Squaw Peak with his family.
Along the same line of thought, he stated a desire for his family to have continued good health and wished the same for others.
| Jewish News would like to hear your thoughts on the coming new century, and we'll be publishing your views periodically over the coming year. Send us your comments (200 words or less) by mail to 1625 E Northern Ave., Suite 106, Phoenix, AZ 85020, Attn: Editor, or by e-mail to millennium@jewishaz.com. |
Another visitor to the Valley Rick Chavolla, 40, from New Haven, Conn., said he also would like to see more cohesion among Jews and others.
"I (would) like to see the Jewish community and the African American community become close again, to work on community, social justice issues and civil rights issues, issues that really affect people."
Chavolla comes from a family of educators; thus, he added, he hopes that in the future "we would be able to more successfully educate people (and) find some solutions to the really nagging educational problems, such as high drop out rates in inner city schools, certain populations not going into higher education, and (try) to find ways for minority students to get into college and be successful."
He joked he's stepping out on a limb by predicting that, "the Democrats will win the next election."
Segel himself stepped out on a prediction limb. "I will be appointed chief Ashkenazic rabbi of Israel. Failing that, I will be appointed the official chaplain of the Phoenix Cardinals," he said, laughing. But on a more serious note, he said he would like to become the next Arizona state superintendent of public instruction.
"It's a bad statement when nobody is opposing the top spot in education," he said referring to the recent election in which Lisa Graham Keegan ran unopposed on the ballot.
Some young people locally have less lofty personal goals.
"I'd like to see the Diamondbacks win the World Series, and I'd like to graduate well from high school," said Harry Flaster, 15, of Ahwatukee. "I'd like to see peace in the Middle East.
Josh Flaster, 13, of Awatukee predicted that "Conservative and Reform Jews might become less religious," while David Libman, 14, of Mesa predicted: "I think they will be a Jewish president and the first person on Mars will be Jewish."
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