Meeting tries to soothe anger over flier, class
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

John Bravos, 81, is at the center of controversy after he circulated a flier to spark interest in a session of a religion class he taught at the Goebel Senior Center in Thousand Oaks.

"Writing that flier was a serious error in judgment on my part," he said in an interview.

The flier, put out under the Conejo Recreation and Park District letterhead, promoted part four of a comparative religion class taught by Bravos, who serves on the Senior Commission at the senior center.

It read, "Come join us in continuing the nonreligious forum discussion about current and historical beliefs. The Holocaust: Did it happen? Who did it? How was it done? Was it anti-religion, ethnic cleansing or mass murder? Does anyone know the real numbers? What were the moral dilemmas? How did the Allies contribute?"

The flier and Bravos' June 19 class addressing the Holocaust met with a firestorm of contention from many members of the community.

Some had lost their entire family to the Holocaust and reacted with anger and disgust to the flier's "Did it happen?" question.

Bravos said he phrased it that way to get more people to attend the classes that he taught as a volunteer. Previous discussions in the series focused on Islam and Christianity.

"Of course the Holocaust happened. I saw it. I was there," he said. "The Nazis were terrible; they did terrible things."

Bravos and Conejo Recreation and Park District General Manager Jim Friedl issued apologies for the flier and the controversial class. Many area residents had complained to the district.

Instead of another installment scheduled in the class series, the CRPD held a meeting Tuesday at the Senior Center to investigate what occurred at last month's class. About 150 people attended Tuesday's meeting.

Some came to testify that Bravos is not anti-Semitic. Others wanted to say they recalled statements he made at the class and felt they could be interpreted otherwise.

"Clearly this rhetorical question should not have been used," Friedl said.

Friedl went on to say that "even presenting the question engenders understandable moral outrage in many people."

At the CRPD meeting and in writing he personally apologized and promised the district will be more careful and sensitive to such issues in the future.

Bravos released a statement explaining that he's not an antiSemite and isn't among those who deny the Holocaust occurred.

He has had two heart procedures recently and couldn't attend the meeting for medical reasons, CRPD officials said.

Rabbi Ted Riter of Temple Adat Elohim of Thousand Oaks served as moderator, explaining that he had come in an effort to bring the community together.

Someone from the crowd called out, "We're not ready to come together."

Before the meeting began, Riter said that the Holocaust is a raw issue for the Jewish community and questioning it is hurtful and causes mourning, he said.

Riter allowed those who had actually attended the class to speak first, and was shouted at by others who disagreed with the restriction.

Those who did attend the class and shared their experiences expressed differing recollections and opinions about what they'd heard.

Cyril Shane recalled Bravos using the words "socalled Holocaust" and questioning whether the 6 million deaths of Jews was too high a number.

"How could this man, so ignorant on the Holocaust, be allowed to give a lecture to people?" Shane asked.

A letter written by Honey Bencomo was read at the meeting. Bencomo, who also attended the class, backed Shane up.

"This is a tempest in a teapot. What I heard was a teacher not properly prepared, who didn't know the facts," said Dr. Joel Berger, a retired dentist and Holocaust researcher who was present at the class.

"To have such inflammatory material presented as fact and to have the Goebel Center staff approve it is unforgivable," Westlake Village resident Dina Adler said.

Some of the attendees loudly demanded to be heard. Most calmed down when CRPD recreation administrator Lizzie Benton spoke at the end of the meeting.

She apologized without including any excuses and promised that the district had learned a lesson and nothing similar would happen again.

Bravos said, "I will not teach another class on religion. Being called anti-Semitic and a bigot is very painful for me; it is punishing and it is unjust."

"We can't sweep darkness out with a broom- you've got to light a candle," said Rabbi Chaim Bryski of Chabad of Thousand Oaks.

Bryski suggested that a Holocaust survivor be invited to present a future lecture at the senior center.