Spring — 2009 Volume LV No. 2 ISRAEL AT SIXTY-ONE 2 The First Chag Ha’atzma’ut in Baghdad—May 14, 1948 • Heskel M. Haddad/Phyllis Rosenteur 4 Are Settlements Illegal? • Jerold Auerbach 7 On Balfour and His Declaration • Cecil Bloom 12 The Maccabiah’s Ripple Effect • Talia Carner SHOAH 14 The Universality of Antisemitism • George Jochnowitz 18 The Righteous Gentile • Yala Korwin 20 The Flies Also Wish to Live — An “Aliyah Bet” Memoir • David Gutmann SHOAH: ARTS & LETTERS 22 Wistrich on Germany, Austria, and the Jews • Jack Fischel 24 Tova Reich, My Holocaust • Herta Newman 26 Wajda, Samson and the Jews • Leonard Quart FICTION 29 Batya • Gloria Goldreich BIBLICAL TEXT 37 Purim Shpiel: A Literary Review of the Fabulous Megillat Esther • Curt Leviant BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY 40 The Mesha Inscription and the Bible • Philip Stern MEMOIR 43 Tales of Rav Tsair • Abigail Rosenthal POETRY 3 Shifrah and Puah • Leo Lieberman 11 Felix Mendelssohn’s Father and Moses Mendelssohn’s Son • Leo Haber 19 The Voyeurs • Charles Adés Fishman 21 Seder • Lou Barrett 36 Questions • Stefanie Ruskin 39 Tree of Life • Dina Yehuda 46 Orpah • Leo Lieberman LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 47 Laraine Fergenson, George Jochnowitz IN MEMORIAM 17 Joseph Sherman z”l • Leo Haber 28 Honor Roll of Contributors to Midstream