Spirit, food of Israel savored

Karen Zekan

Monday, April 20, 1998 | 10:06 a.m.

Mazel tov, Israel!

Bidding a long-distance congratulatory wish, thousands of Las Vegas Jews and several tourists united Sunday in a spirited celebration for the Middle Eastern nation of their religious roots as it enters its 50th year as a state.

Israeli folk music warmed the room inside the Sands Expo and Convention Center as families toured tables displaying hand-crafted treasures in the Judaic tradition, such as menorahs, and cups to fill with wine and accompany the empty seat at the table for Elijah during the seder for Passover.

The artwork of students from public and religious schools filled an entire wall, each entry a birthday card to Israel handmade with construction paper and a variety of crayon and ink colorings. Some children personalized their greetings by including photos of themselves; one boy included a photo of his dog.

A steady pace of hungry souls kept local caterer Galia Bar-zvi busy, her menu of scrumptuous Mediterranean treats including tabouli, the eggplant favorite baba ganouch, hummus, honey cake, baclava, cauliflower quiche, and a 10-vegetable salad.

"It's beautiful," Bar-zvi proclaimed, smiling as she looked about the room at children and their mothers dancing to the band and families passing by. Her white chef's hat she festooned with a "Happy Birthday Israel" greeting, hand written in Israeli blue ink.

More than 60,000 Jews live in Las Vegas -- a mere fraction of those celebrating Israel's 50th jubilee.

The U.S. and Israel have direct ties politically and diplomatically. President Truman recognized the state of Israel 10 minutes after British rulers cleared out on May 14, 1948.

Ever since, Israel has remained a Jewish homeland. Yet the Palestinian peace process has had its turbulent moments, and Israel remains a complex country -- a nation of hope contrasted with political dilemma.

No one on Sunday, however, had complaints or spoke of politics.

"It makes me proud that Israel is a state, and that Israelis will have a place they can always live," said Rachel Wolfson, a fifth-grader at the Hebrew Academy in Summerlin, while helping visitors at a "cyber cafe" featuring donated computers visitors used to access web sites for her school and Israel.

"This is an important celebration because Israel is a homeland for Jews," said Laura Sussman, executive director of the Jewish Community Center, which hosted the event along with the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas.

"There was a time in history when there was no place for Jews to go. Now, there will always be a safe haven."

The Jewish celebration lasted the entire day, capped with a $65 a plate dinner at the New-York New-York hotel-casino's grand ballroom. Guest speaker Natan Sharansky, Israel's minister of industry and trade, had to cancel at the last minute and instead spoke to attendees via tape.

World-renown Israeli recording artist Noa also performed at the Madhattan theater, with seats going for $20-$50.

The community celebration at the Sands was free.

Judy Radford, president of the local fund-raising chapter of the National Gaucher Foundation, saw Sunday's gathering as a chance to educate those around her about a horrendously painful and debilitating disease, which one in 60,000 people, many of them Jewish, suffer from.

"This is the largest community-wide celebration for Jewish people to come together," said Janet Wellish. "It's wonderful to see that everyone wants to be together."

And especially for the children, who were treated to an array of activities designed around intriguing the creativity of young minds.

Wellish was among those helping little ones at "My Jewish Discovery Place," an exhibit rented from a Jewish children's museum in Los Angeles. The unique set-up had several "booths," of sorts, the first that of a mock plane where kids had the chance to don a pilot's uniform and fly to Israel while seated in front of a control panel.

Another table featured blocks to build a miniature wall around Jerusalem. A nearby bulletin board allowed children to tack up customary prayers as if they were at the real Jerusalem site.

The display also included a chance to play with wooden animals as if at a kibutz, "swim" off the coast of Tel-Aviv by looking into a box diarama of undersea life complete with a plastic swimming turtle, fish and kelp.

And there was a chance to dress up as Dr. Noah the veterinarian, Hannah at the falafel stand or Joshua, a man who works at the Knesset where the president's office is -- all imaginary characters in a marketplace display.

"I don't want my children to lose touch," said Anita Shebah, a son and daughter at her side. "It's nice to see so many Jewish people coming together."

The Shebahs had read about the event in the newspaper and saved the afternoon to head out together.

"Their father is Israeli, so for them it's like coming home -- the food, the music. It was a good event."

Rabbi Abraham Kelman also left the event pleased.

Kelman teaches a class in Jewish spirituality at the Kabbalah Center, which attracts people of all faiths. Pleased by the turnout at Sunday's event, he said it brings to mind a craving that many in Las Vegas share.

"There is a thirst here for spirituality, and not just among Jewish people," Kelman said. "People are trying to find their identity, and it has created a thirst for general spirituality that they can not seem to find anywhere else."