Honorable 'Menschen'
By Howard Berger ... and YOU.
Anyone deserving of an 'Honorable Menschen,' can contact Howard Berger via

his e-mail: Howardberger9798@aol.com or by fax: 822-3670. HONORABLE MENSCHEN REACHES ITS MILESTONE 600TH COLUMN

It's been more than 11 years since Shy Kramer and his investors created the Jewish Times of South Jersey. Today's column marks a milestone anniversary, my 600th column. Our mission, which has grown stronger over this past decade and remains the same since its onset, is to chronicle the lives of members of the Jewish community. Every story I have written is important to each of the people and organizations I have spotlighted and I will continue to follow that objective. Families, friends and members of our exciting and vital Judaic community share the experiences, all positive, of those we write about. I thank Shy Kramer, editor Jerry Etter and the entire staff for giving HM the opportunity to pursue the paper's mission, something shared by each of our columnists. I thank our readers for their warm responses and I want to say I get as much pleasure writing the column as our subscribers enjoy reading it.

MUCH PRACTICE UNDERWAY FOR 300-MILE ISRAELI BIKE RIDE - JERUSALEM TO EILAT, NOV. 11TH

It takes a lot of stamina, strength and dedication to pedal a bike 300 miles across Israel's hot Negev Desert from Jerusalem to Eilat for a charitable cause, a journey starting Nov. 11 and concluding Nov. 15. Team Beth Judah will be led by its founder, Terry Steen, who previously did it, along with congregation president Doug Stanger. Steen and Stanger stated, "We feel the experience has been life changing." The other team members from Beth Judah are past presidents of BJ Barry Cohen and his wife, Ronnie and Rob Lang, David and Rachel Ludwig, Marcy Hammerschlag, Randy Hardy, son-in-law of Steen and Eric and Helen Metzman. Anita Steen, Gail Stanger and Susan Lang will travel to Israel to cheer on the cyclists. Riders can still sign up by contacting Steen (who lives in Ventnor) at his Philadelphia office 215-334-1700 Ext. 118. This grueling ride will benefit the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and Hazon. Each participant is committed to raise $3,600, which Steen said he'll match if he raises his pledged amount. The other riders are asking donors to contribute any amount from $36 (double chai to $360). "Arava's mission is working to confront the serious environmental challenges in Israel, and a second beneficiary is the American branch of Hazon," stated Steen. For further details contact Steen or Stanger, who emphasize, "our environment needs all the help it can get." Steen's concluding thought is "with your generosity and my pedaling (it will be difficult for me) we can support Israel at this important time." On Nov.14-15, the riders will hold Shabbat services in Mitzpah Ramon overlooking Israel's Grand Canyon. The team has been in training for several months.

PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND JEWRY

Passionate support for Israel and world Jewry was high on the personal agenda of President Lyndon B. Johnson, it was disclosed in tapes from Johnson's White House and reported in a recent story in the Jerusalem Post by Lenny Ben-David. During Johnson's Presidency (1963- 1969) "the United States became Israel's chief diplomatic ally and arms supplier," said the Post story. Johnson's support for Israel was never more evident than at the Hollybush Summit conference at Glassboro College three weeks after the Six Day War when Israel overwhelmed three Arab armies and LBJ refused to pressure Israel into returning the land conquered during that 1967 conflict. The refusal was made to

Soviet Premier Alexi Kosygin. I covered that story, vividly recalling that historic event when Johnson told Kosygin, "absolutely no!" Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson was there as vice president of the junior class and attests to the outcome of the conference. However, few Jews and others know about LBJ's actions to rescue hundreds of endangered Jews during the Holocaust, which gives him the title of "Righteous Gentile." His actions will be recognized in February 2009 at the Jerusalem Conference during his centennial year when he is memorialized and most likely named "Righteous Among the Nations" at Yad Vashem's Holocaust Museum, an honor conferred on non-Jews for saving Jews from Nazi extermination.

MARGATE ARTIST ILONA SOCHYNSKY'S 'ABSTRACT INTRIGUE' SET FOR NOYES MUSEUM

To be exhibited at the Noyes Museum is an honor to the artist since the museum is widely recognized as one of the east's leading facilities for the visual arts. Its founders, the late Fred and Ethel Noyes established the museum to spotlight top artists, such as Margate resident

Ilona Sochynsky, whose sparkling arts resume reflects her strong classical training. Her solo exhibition, which opens Oct. 14 and concludes Nov. 30 is entitled, "Abstract Intrigue," features 26 oil paintings on canvas "in various levels of abstraction" and is her first exhibit at Noyes. Her educational background began at the Rhode Island School of Design and concluded at Yale University School of Art. She has taught at Stockton and ACCC. An opportunity to meet her and discuss her other works occurs at a reception November 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. "I appreciate this opportunity to exhibit at Noyes and look forward to meeting with local arts lovers."