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Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

From darkness to light

January 10, 2014 24 Tevet 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 17

This Week

For more information, see the Campaign ad on the back page

The Superman of the Jewish holidays Page 6

by LIZ FELDSTERN Institute for Holocaust Education Film has been called “the greatest teacher” and is noted for its ability to go “deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.” The Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) will harness the power of this unique medium in an upcoming film series. The three-part series offers films that bring lesserknown heroes to our attention, and true stories of darkness to light. The first two films will be shown in the JCC theater, free of charge and open to the entire community. The third film will be shown in collaboration with Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater. The IHE Film Series begins on Jan. 16, with Süskind. This gripping narrative film reveals the true story of Walter Suskind. Suskind joins the Jewish Council in Amsterdam in 1942 in the hope of protecting his family. As he quickly learns the shocking truths of the extent of Nazi cruelty, he enters into a twisted friendship-turned-catand-mouse-game with an SS officer. This game saves nearly 1,000 Jewish children from deportation, but not without consequences for Suskind and his family. The film will be screened at 7 p.m. in the JCC theater, in Dutch, German, and Yiddish with

To be a Hebrew teacher Page 7

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The IHE is delighted to partner with Film Streams to bring our final film, No Place on Earth, to Omaha on Feb. 18. The film has been touted as “an insightful tribute to the power and spirit of family” (forward.com). The story is brought to light by a spelunking New Yorker, as interviews with the few remaining survivors and dramatic reenactments reveal the true story of five Jewish families in Ukraine who slid down a cold, muddy hole in the ground seeking refuge from WWII above. The cave protected them for 511 days. Sixty-seven years later, four of the

survivors return to Ukraine to thank the cave. A question and answer session will take place after the screening. No Place on Earth will be shown at 7 p.m. in Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater and will run for 83 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at www.filmstreams.org. The IHE Film Series is made possible by the Special Donor Advised Fund and the Ruth Frisch and Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. For questions or more information visit www.ihene.org or call Liz Feldstern at 402.334.6575.

January Mainstreeters Your Campaign activities dollars at work by OZZIE NOGG No, it’s not baseball season, but Mainstreeters offers a winning January double-header. Get your game on and put both these all-star programs on your new 2014 calendar.

Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

English subtitles. Süskind runs 118 minutes and includes some nudity. Hiding and Seeking is a documentary that provides more questions than answers as it explores the limits of forgiveness and the dangers of religious insularity as a self-defense mechanism. On Jan. 30, the film will depict how a humanist father takes his two ultra-Orthodox sons on a journey from Israel to Poland to find the righteous gentiles who saved their grandfather by hiding him for more than two years. Hiding and Seeking will air at 7 p.m. in the JCC theater and will run for 90 minutes.

Humorist Cathie Fife will be the featured attraction at the Mainstreeters luncheon on Monday, Jan. 20. A Funny Thing Happened... with Cathie Fife, Humorist. Monday, Jan. 20, 12:30 p.m. Lunch in the Rose

Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium. Cathie has had a diverse and interesting career as a former radio personality, public speaker and newspaper columnist from the Midwest. She’ll make you laugh and (perhaps) cry with her personal stories. Don’t miss this afternoon of fun and food. The luncheon entree is a bowl of hearty vegetable barley soup and 1/2 a corned beef or tuna sandwich, along with beverage and cookies. Cost: $10 per plate... a drop in price! Make checks payable to Jewish Social Services and send full payment to: Mainstreeters c/o Maggie Conti, 323 So. 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. Reservations are appreciated by Monday, Jan. 13. For information call Maggie at 402.334.6521. Join Us at the Movies: Lee Daniels’ The Butler. Friday, Jan. 31, 1 p.m. in the JCC Theater. No charge for the film or for unlimited bags of warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations necessary. Invite a friend. The Butler features Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack and Jane Fonda. The film tells the story of a butler who served eight American presidents in the White House over three decades. The plot traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time -- from the Civil Rights movement to the Vietnam War and beyond -- and shows how these changes affected one man’s life and family. Have lunch on your own before the movie at the Continued on page 2

by LISABETH LOBENTHAL JAFI, Director of Israel and Global Philanthropy Over the past four years, 15 young adults from Omaha spent between 5 and 10 months in Israel. Their experiences were possible because your generosity allows The Jewish Agency for Israel to run some 200 programs via Masa Israel Journey. This program is partially funded by unrestricted funds from your campaign dollars, which help support this program. Studies show that a trip to Israel is life-changing. If you have been to the Jewish homeland, you know this from your own experience. After a first trip, like Birthright, a second, longerterm trip is even more impactful. Masa Israel Journey has almost tripled the number of young Jews who visit Israel each year. Masa serves as an umbrella for more than 200 gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. It provides significant scholarships to participants, performs high-impact outreach, informs program development, and operates a growing number of activities for over 65,000 alumni. Here is an example of how Masa

changes lives: there is a 79% increase in synagogue attendance; 72% of Masa graduates actively volunteer in Jewish organizations, and 57% increased their donations to

Jewish causes. These connected, vibrant young people return to their communities ready to carry the torch of Jewish leadership into the future. Omaha’s own Sophie Cemaj returned from Israel recently. She reflects on her experience as follows: Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | January 10, 2014

Chabad’s Bat Mitzvah Club update

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by JILL SIMON There are many different ways Jewish girls make it to, and through, their Bat Mitzvahs. However, not everybody has one, and for those who do, Jewish learning sometimes takes a backseat once the ceremony is over. Because teenagers have busy lives, synagogue staff everywhere work hard to offer various programming for girls, designed to keep them engaged, informed, and help them grow -- beyond the Bat Mitzvah. Chabad’s Bat Mitzvah Club is one such program, and it’s gaining traction. “We’re trying to offer a whole experience,” says teacher Rochi Katzman, “from preparing kosher meals and keeping Shabbat to studying Torah. Right now, we are focusing on the Jewish Holidays, and everything that accompanies celebrating them.” For instance: leading up to Hanukkah, members of the Bat Mitzvah Club discussed Jewish pride, and built a Hanukkiah for the annual Menorah Parade. “It allowed the girls to prepare for the holiday of Hanukkah in a special way, and watching their Menorah on top of the car, driving around Omaha, was a great experience,” Rochi said. “At the same time, the lessons learned during -- and related to -- the various holidays can be applied in daily life, which is something the participants discuss together on a monthly basis. For Passover, that means we’ll be studying the concept of freedom. How do we break loose from our own restrictions?” On Jan. 17, there will be a special Shabbat dinner dedicated to the Bat Mitzvah Club. Participants will light candles and share a Shabbat meal, together with their families. The Bat Mitzvah Club meets once a month on Sunday

afternoon, and is open to all girls age 12 and up. For more information, please contact Rochi Katzman at rochi@ochabad.org or call 402.330.1800.

Your Campaign dollars at work Continued from page 1 Israel was synonymous with celebration, pride, hope and accomplishment when I was younger. I grew up in Mexico and the U.S., and was a part of two contrasting Jewish communities. As different as each culture was, Israel acted as a glue between them. Loving Israel was never a feeling, it was introduced to me as a fact. It was not until last year that I started to question the validity of this fact. After graduating high school, I participated in a gap year program through Masa. This program allowed me to live as an Israeli for a year. I worked in a kibbutz, volunteered as a paramedic, experienced life as a soldier, hiked the national trail, was hired as a cafe’s chef in central Tel Aviv, and, most importantly, discovered what Israel meant to me. The real lessons of my gap year were learned in the spaces between the structure of an itinerary. The most powerful lessons were revealed through the authentic ownership of my experiences in moments of revelation. Finding my meaning for Israel came through asking many questions. While living there, I noticed that Israel was involved in constant conflict. This was shown by the walls that snaked through the Jerusalem hills and the alarms that would sound when Israel was being attacked by missiles. Israel wasn’t just divided by its borders; it was divided internally. Israel is a concentrated diversity of Jews. Externally, Israel acts as a glue to unite the Jewish people; but within the country, it seemed as if all Jews were fighting for their personal vision of what Israel should be. My vision of Israel is the peaceful country that was introduced to me as a child. It is a country without conflict, the country that came into existence against all odds and was later maintained by strong will. Although this was not the Israel I saw, I realized that I could be a contributing factor in reshaping what Israel is and what it means to me. Israel provides the Jewish people with a global voice and a concrete home. I believe that it is a necessity and a right to have a Jewish state and therefore consider myself a Zionist. But I also believe that Israel, as the sole representative of the Jewish people, also has the capability to grow and become a more unified country. I find this growth to be just as necessary as its existence and therefore am not just an advocate of Israel now, but an advocate of the Israel that could be. I am extremely grateful for the experiences I received from participating in a gap year program through Masa. My pro-

gram allowed me to not just form a connection with Israel, but to experience it for what it truly is and to notice ways in which it could improve and become a more perfect state and a better unifier and representation of the Jewish people. I learned to love and appreciate Israel through my experiences and my growing relationship with it instead of accepting these feelings as a mere fact. You changed Sophie’s Jewish future. The Omaha Jewish Federation has a decades old relationship with The Jewish Agency for Israel. In addition to Israel Experiences, you also help Holocaust survivors in Israel, Jews in need, Aliyah, and youth at risk, to name just a few. Together, The Jewish Federation of Omaha and The Jewish Agency for Israel “Secure the Jewish Future for Generations.”

Mainstreeters Continued from page 1 Star Deli at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. The Deli opens for business at 11:30 a.m. Call Maggie Conti, RBJH Director of Activities and Outreach Programs at 402.334.6521 with questions or to reserve a table. “As you noticed, the Mainstreeters luncheon went down in price from $11.50 to $10.00,” Conti said. “The cost of lunch was going to go up 20% like everything else, so the committee decided to serve a lighter lunch instead of a full meal. We’re now offering combinations of 1/2 sandwich and soup; soup and salad; or sandwich and salad. We know participants will appreciate the lower cost.” Mainstreeters welcomes all Jewish residents of the Omaha area age 60 plus. “Tell your friends and join us for all our programs,” Conti said. “Monthly luncheons, live theater, all kinds of classes, movies, the summer picnic and annual Mystery Trip are just a few of our diverse activities. And to make sure you receive all the Mainstreeters publicity, please send your email address to Jim Wax at zehde@cox.net. We don’t want you to miss a thing.” Mainstreeters programs are supported in part by a grant from the United Way of the Midlands and the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

January 10, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

“Switch day” at the Home

CJL presents The Cosmic Marriage by MARK KIRCHHOFF Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Life The latest offering in the Center for Jewish Life’s Friday Learning Series will be presented by Shani Katzman on Jan. 17 and 31. The twopart series, titled The Cosmic Marriage, will meet from 11am-noon in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. By way of introduction to these two classes, Katzman related that “Kabbalah teaches that when man and woman unite in marriage, their personal union draws its power from the cosmic marriage that underlies the whole of existence. In the class we will explore what this “cosmic marriage” is and how it can inform and enhance our experience here on earth.” As Director of Education at Chabad of Nebraska, Katzman oversees a wide variety of activities and programs. Her breadth and depth of knowledge of Jewish teachings and experience in education are sure to result in interesting, informative classes that raise questions and generate discussions. The class fee is $18, reduced to $15 for contributors to the Annual Campaign of the

by LISA LIEB for Beth El Members of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s staff were able to celebrate Christmas at home with their loved ones, thanks to a group of Beth El members who stepped in to lend a hand during “Switch Day.” We thank the following Beth El members for assisting the staff: Wendy Berenson, Dawn Harvey, Randy Hockfeld, Jerry Katskee, Sindie Katskee, Debbie Kronick, Larry Kronick, Sam Lieb, Joan Marshall, Anna Mosenkis, Igor Mosenkis, Ken Munzesheimer, Sam Munzesheimer, Carol Nathan, Ira Nathan, Amy Reynolds, Caryn Scheer, Ben Shapiro, Alice Weiss, Audrey Wiener, Elissa Wiener, Richard Wiener.

Pictured from top: Jerry and Sindie Katskee help residents mark their Bingo cards. Middle: Wendy Berenson, Debbie Kronick and Rabbi Yaacov Weiss share a laugh during the afternoon Bingo game. Bottom: Caryn Scheer, with the assistance of her daughter, Cadee, (partially hidden), Naama Weiss, and Liora Shapiro, calls Bingo numbers.

Jewish Federation of Omaha. To register, contact Mark at 402.334.6463 or email mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org. The Friday Learning Series continues in

February when Liz Feldstern, Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education, teaches a three-week class entitled Return to Life: A Look at the Displaced Persons Camps. Classes will meet Feb. 7, 14, and 21 from 11am-noon. Watch for more details in an upcoming issue. The Friday Learning Series is presented as part of the mission of the Center for Jewish Life to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

Prison sentence for defacing Torah scroll by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- A former hotel security guard was sentenced to four years in prison for defacing a Memphis Jewish school’s Torah scroll and prayer books. Justin Shawn Baker, 25, was sentenced Tuesday in Madison County Circuit Court, according to the Jackson Sun. Baker pleaded guilty earlier this month, admitting in court to violating the civil rights of students of the Margolin Hebrew Academy’s Cooper Yeshiva High School of

Memphis. He also pleaded guilty to federal charges of damage to religious property and obstruction of religious belief. He will be sentenced on those charges in March. Baker was arrested in January after the school’s students and faculty showed up for a worship service in a conference room of the DoubleTree Hotel in Jackson and discovered the Torah scroll and prayer books damaged and covered with graffiti, including “Gentiles win, Jews lose” and “Submit to Satan.”

David Herzog, President of Herzog & Herzog, P.C. is pleased to announce that Julianne Dunn Herzog has rejoined the firm effective January 1, 2014. She will concentrate her practice in criminal law, family law, juvenile law and elderlaw, including guardianships and conservatorships. The firm is located at at 209 South 19th Street, #336, Omaha, NE 68102, telephone 402-341-5311, telefax 402-315-4430, herzogfirm@aol.com. Coming in January

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How culpable were Dutch Jews in the slave trade? by CNAAN LIPHSHIZ and IRIS TZUR THE HAGUE, Netherlands (JTA) -- On a busy street near the Dutch Parliament, three white musicians in blackface regale passersby with holiday tunes about the Dutch Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, and his slave, Black Pete. Many native Dutchmen view dressing up as Black Pete in December as a venerable tradition, but others consider it a racist affront to victims of slavery. With Holland marking the 150th anniversary of abolition this year, the controversy over Black Pete has reached new heights. Rabbi Lody van de Kamp Hundreds demonstrated against the custom in Amsterdam last month, and more than 2 million signed a petition supporting it. Through it all, Dutch Jews -- some of whom celebrate their own version of the Black Pete custom, called “Hanukklaas” -- have largely remained silent. But that changed in October, when Lody van de Kamp, an unconventional Orthodox rabbi, wrote a scathing critique about it on Republiek Allochtonie, a Dutch news-and-opinion website. “The portrayal of ‘Peter the slave’ dates back to a period when we as citizens did not meet the social criteria that bind us today,” Van de Kamp wrote. Speaking out against Black Pete is part of what van de Kamp calls his social mission, an effort that extends to reminding Dutch Jews of their ancestors’ deep involvement in the slave trade. In April, he is set to publish a book about Dutch Jewish complicity in the slave trade, an effort he hopes will sensitize Jews to slavery in general and to the Black Pete issue in particular. “I wrote the book and I got involved in the Black Pete debate because of what I learned from my Dutch predecessors on what it means to be a rabbi -- namely, to speak about social issues, not only give instructions on how to cook on Shabbat,” van de Kamp told JTA. “Money was earned by Jewish communities in South America, partly through slavery, and went to Holland, where Jewish bankers handled it,” he said. “Non-Jews were also complicit, but so were we. I feel partly complicit.” Though he holds no official position in the Dutch Jewish community, van de Kamp, 65, is among the best-known

Orthodox rabbis in the Netherlands, a status earned through his several books on Dutch Jewry and frequent media appearances. His forthcoming book, a historical novel entitled The Jewish Slave, follows an 18th-century Jewish merchant and his black slave as they investigate Dutch-owned plantations north of Brazil in the hope of persuading Jews to divest from the slave trade. In researching the book, van de Kamp discovered data that shocked him. In one area of what used to be Dutch Guyana, 40 Jewishowned plantations were home to a total population of at least 5,000 slaves, he says. Known as the Jodensavanne, or Jewish Savannah, the area had a Jewish community of several hundred before its destruction in a slave uprising in 1832. Nearly all of them immigrated to Holland, bringing their accumulated wealth with them. Some of that wealth was on display last year in the cellar of Amsterdam’s Portuguese Synagogue, part of an exhibition celebrating the riches of the synagogue's immigrant founders. Van de Kamp says the exhibition sparked his interest in the Dutch Jewish role in slavery, which was robust. On the Caribbean island of Curacao, Dutch Jews may have accounted for the resale of at least 15,000 slaves landed by Dutch transatlantic traders, according to Seymour Drescher, a historian at the University of Pittsburgh. At one point, Jews controlled about 17 percent of the Caribbean trade in Dutch colonies, Drescher said. Jews were so influential in those colonies that slave auctions scheduled to take place on Jewish holidays often were postponed, according to Marc Lee Raphael, a professor of Judaic studies at the College of William & Mary.

In the United States, the Jewish role in the slave trade has been a matter of scholarly debate for nearly two decades, prompted in part by efforts to refute the Nation of Islam's claim that Jews dominated the Atlantic slave trade. But in Holland, the issue of Jewish complicity is rarely discussed. “This is because we in the Netherlands only profited from slavery but have not seen it in our own eyes,” van de Kamp said. “The American experience is different.” The slavery issue is not van de Kamp’s first foray into controversial territory. In Jewish circles, he has a reputation as a contrarian with a penchant for voicing anti-establishment views. That image was reinforced last year when he spoke out against a compromise the Dutch Jewish community had reached with the government over kosher slaughter. Designed to avert a total ban, the compromise placed some restrictions on kosher slaughter that Holland’s chief rabbis said did not violate Jewish law. Van de Kamp denounced the deal as an unacceptable infringement on religious freedom. More recently, he angered Dutch activists by suggesting that vilifying Dutch Muslims helped generate antiSemitism. He also advocated dialogue with professed Muslim anti-Semites at a time when Jewish groups were calling for their prosecution. But his reputation as a maverick rabbi in a consensus–oriented community has also endeared van de Kamp to some supporters. “He is in a league of his own,” says Bart Wallet, an Amsterdam University historian and expert on Jewish history. “From the sideline, he is free to criticize and does not have to conform to anything.”

Bye Bye Birdie Auditions Fresh off a very successfull Fiddler on the Roof Jr. performance, the JCC Musical Theater Community Acting Group is gearing up for the next show. Auditions for Bye Bye Birdie will be held Sunday, Jan. 19. Cost for JCC members is $133; for non-members it is $166 (code: 16-201) Auditions for adults ages 18 and over are scheduled for 3-4 p.m.; children ages 8-18 should come from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

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The song that should be prepared for the audition can be found on the Jewish Community Center’s website, together with the audition form. Rehearsals start on Sunday, Feb. 2, 3-5 p.m. For more information, contact Jessica Reed at jreed@jccomaha. org or 402.334.6402, or Esther Katz at ekatz@jccomaha.org or 402.334.6406.

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January 10, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5

Presenting the Ted M. Seldin Commons by NOFEL MOLAI Assistant Vice-President of Marketing, Seldin Company A name long associated with real estate development in Omaha now will be permanently affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Business Administration (CBA). Today, CBA dedicated the Ted M. Seldin Commons in Mammel Hall, the college’s home. The area is prominently located on the main level and frequently used by students as a place to study and gather. The naming recognizes Seldin’s generous support of the UNO’s Real Estate and Asset Management Program, including a recent gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation and a future gift planned through his estate. “Ted Seldin’s generosity is assisting us in elevating an already strong real estate program,” said Louis Pol, dean of the UNO College of Business Administration. “Our students are the beneficiaries here. The additional classroom and non-classroom opportunities funded by Mr. Seldin’s gift will extend their knowledge and experience and will place them in a most advantageous position for professional success and growth upon graduation. We also appreciate Ted’s encouragement of CBA alumni and others to also support the real estate program. Their support, coupled with Ted’s, will have a lasting influence on the program’s success.” Seldin currently serves as chairman of the Omaha-based Seldin Company, the firm his father started in the 1920s.

Following Ted Seldin’s graduation from the University of Iowa with degrees in economics and law, he joined the company in 1957 — the same year the company began developing 1,000 acres of farmland along West Center Road, from 114th to 135th Streets, into the Westwood Communities. Seldin has been active in many civic and housing-related activities on both a local and national level. He is a past member of the boards of the Greater Omaha Housing Community Development Corporation, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Omaha Community Foundation. Seldin also is past president of the Metropolitan Omaha Builders Association and a life member of its board of directors as well as the National Association of Home Builders. In addition, Seldin has received numerous awards recognizing his business accomplishments and service. Earlier this year, the University of Iowa honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award which acknowledges outstanding achievements and service of its alumni and friends. Previously, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce inducted Seldin into its Business Hall of Fame in 2010. That same year he also was inducted into the Abraham Lincoln High School Hall of Fame. “My wife Sarah and all our family are pleased to add our support to the UNO College of Business Administration’s efforts in providing excellent educational opportunities for the future business leaders of our community,” Seldin said.

Taking a Bagel Bin break

B’nai Israel speaker series

by LISA LIEB for Beth El Back for winter break, a group of Beth El college kids joined Eadie Tsabari at Bagel Bin to re-connect and catch up on the latest about each other’s lives. Enjoying the gettogether are, clockwise from front left, Ezra Potash, Brad Kutler, Samantha Wiener, Eadie Tsabari, Naomi Zipursky, Alyssa Kirshenbaum, Maddison Skolkin, Aaron Zipursky, and Adeev Potash.

Snow was in the forecast, but Joan Cooper, Foster Care Advocate warmed the hearts of those who attended the Speaker Series at B’nai Israel Synagogue on Dec. 13. Joan’s talk was entitled A Jewish Journey to Foster Care. She told the stories of successes that children have by joining families that care about them. She and her husband Justin adopted two of the children. Unfortunately, there is only one current Jewish foster care family -- the Coopers. It was clear that foster families can make a positive difference in the lives of the children they care for. Larry Blass stood-in to conduct services. There will not be a speaker in January. Instead, there will be a chili luncheon on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. Bring your favorite chili to share and call Sandra at 712.323.8885 to let her know you will attend. The next Speaker Series Service will be on Feb. 14. Richard Fellman, retired lawyer and Adjunct Professor at UNO, will discuss the topic Jews in Cuba. Services begin at 7:30 p.m. and are followed by an Oneg.

In the news Cindy Kohll has entered the race for Westside School Board of Education. Kohll, an Omaha native and a 1983 Westside graduate, moved back from New York City last year where she and her husband, Joshua Persky, had been raising their 2 elementary-aged children, Isabella and Isaac, who now attend Oakdale elementary school. Kohll received her B.A. in Communications from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts in 1987.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, Jan. 15, noon, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3.For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnai brith@jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH The Lomir Redn Yiddush group will be on hiatus from Dec. 20 through April 2. For information, please call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

Deteriorating Sharon in critical condition by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The life of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon “is definitely in danger,” according to the medical director at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. Sharon’s condition has been classified as critical, Zeev Rotstein confirmed to reporters on Thursday. The Israeli media were reporting that Sharon, 85, who has been in a coma-like state since he had a major stroke in January 2006, has only days to live. He was suffering from the failure of multiple organs. Rotstein said Sharon’s condition has been deteriorating for some time and that now “He has taken a turn for the worse.” The ex-prime minister’s family reportedly has been with him. Sharon reportedly has been in renal failure for several days and is not receiving dialysis due to his age and condition. He has been in a state classified as “minimal consciousness” since his massive stroke. Tests conducted one year ago at the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba showed that Sharon has significant brain activity, despite being presumed to be in a vegetative state.

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The Superman of the Jewish holidays: Rabbi Rocketpower

Temple Israel teens visit Israel

Cantor Wendy Shermet recently chaperoned Temple Israel juniors and seniors on a visit to Israel. Top: Mallory Rogers, left, Max Gendler, Hannah Budwig, Justin Norton, Jacob Arnold, Rachel Stoneking and Malka Eisenberg. Bottom: Temple Israel students and their Israeli peers visited sick and injured children at Nahariya Hospital in Western Galilee. A full article, will appear in the Jan. 17 Jewish Press.

by MATT ROBINSON (JNS.org) Superman was created by two Jews (writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster), and the latest buzz about the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie concerns the selection of Israeli actress Gal Gadot to play Wonder Woman. But today’s Jewish children have a more religiously relevant caped crusader to look up to. Rabbi Susan Abramson, one of the first 50 women to ever be ordained as a rabbi and currently the longestserving female rabbi in the state of Massachusetts, is the creator of a line of children’s books featuring the heroine named Rabbi Rocketpower. Sporting a motto that points out how “one good deed leads to another” -- a phrase that comes from “Pirkei Avot” (Ethics of the Fathers) -- and shouting “Oy vey! Up, up and away!” whenever she takes off, Rabbi Rocketpower promotes patience, perseverance, and dedication to one’s cause and one’s fellow men and women. Faster than a speeding matzah ball and more powerful than your bubbe’s chicken soup, Rabbi Rocketpower brings peace wherever she goes and educates, especially when it comes to the Jewish holidays. “There are no bad guys in Rabbi Rocketpower,” Abramson tells JNS.org. “Just misguided aliens who innocently disrupt the Jewish holiday without understanding what it’s about.” The children’s book series includes Rabbi Rocketpower and

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the Half-Baked Matzah Mystery – A Particularly Peculiar Passover; Rabbi Rocketpower in the Mystery of the Missing Menorahs – A Hanukkah Humdinger; Rabbi Rocketpower in a Tooty Fruity Tale for Tu Bishvat – A Juicy Mystery; and Rabbi Rocketpower in Who Hogged the Hallah? A Shabbat Shabang. The next book, coming out in the spring of 2014, will be Torah With A Twist - A Challachic Guide, which is based on Who Hogged the Hallah and will provide a synopsis and analysis of each weekly Torah portion. A portion of proceeds from Rabbi Rocketpower book sales goes to supporting the fulfilling of mitzvot around the world. Abramson -- the pulpit rabbi at Temple Shalom Emeth of Burlington, Mass., since 1984 -- was inspired to create Rabbi Rocketpower when she surveyed the contemporary comic and kid literature world. “It would always bother me that there is so much death and sadness in children’s literature in general,” Abramson says. “Nothing sad happens in my books.” “We all have the power to try to figure out why people act the way they do, to have compassion and patience, and try to teach them so they will be better informed in the future,” she adds. Growing up in the Boston suburb of Newton, Mass., Abramson recalls coming to these life lessons with the help of her own childhood rabbis, and she was inspired to become a rabbi herself. Other than Judaism and the rabbinate, her passion was writing. As an undergraduate student at Brandeis University, Abramson was president of the campus’s Hillel branch, and she went on to earn her rabbinical ordination from the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College. When her son, Aaron, was in the first grade in 2001, Abramson began looking for age-appropriate Jewish stories to share. “I was looking for interesting and funny books to teach him about the holidays. But I couldn’t find any,” she recalls. Her solution was to create her own books. “I wanted to write stories that kids would find humorous and slightly irreverent... [that would] be reflective of a modern Jewish family,” says Abramson, who based the “Rabbi Rocketpower” characters on her own family members (including their cat), and also relied on her synagogue community to help put out the series. Her publisher, art director, and editor are all members of her congregation. In addition to being amusing and engaging, Abramson wanted her books to be religiously enriching. “It was most important that the stories revolve around the Jewish holidays, since those are a natural expression of the American Jewish identity. I wanted them to be a teaching tool, so that kids and families could learn about the holiday by reading the story,” she says. By including educational glossaries in each book as well as recipes related to Jewish holidays being “saved,” Abramson hoped that her series would appeal to parents and kids alike, bringing families together like many comic books have over time. She says she has been able to entice many of her congregants and friends to explore their own Judaism through the literary lens of Rabbi Rocketpower. “It is a fun and engaging way to teach about the Jewish holidays,” Abramson says, “and to find a way to connect both children and adults with Jewish tradition, a modern Jewish lifestyle, and [to] do my small part to perpetuate the Jewish people.”

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January 10, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

To be a Hebrew teacher by SHEVI KATZMAN been doing this for four years. Why do I still need to do it?” for Chabad House Sure, I gave them a break sometimes, but then I got them I started teaching my 22 students at Silverstein Hebrew back in the zone. Academy in Great Neck, Long Island the day after Labor I was so proud that I took videos of them and showed it to Day. My first goal was to teach them how to pray. my family when I came to Omaha for Sukkot. I would sing I wanted them to love the service, to love to pray to G-d, and to understand what they were doing and why. Before school started, I went to Home Goods and bought a big glass jar and labeled it “Tefilah (prayer).” I bought kidney beans, lima beans, split green peas and black beans at the grocery store. On the first day of school, even before I learned their names, I told the students that they would Daven well. I assured them they would have a personal relationship with Hashem and they would build it through prayer. To begin, I would put a bean on the desk of each child who was Davening well. When we would finish the service, the bean collector would walk around to all the desks to collect the beans, and when the jar was full, the whole class would celebrate with a party. They caught on immediately. As a child, I had never been in a classroom like this. My amazing and dedicated parents, Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman, had homeschooled me until they sent me to Beth Rivkah Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY. And I had never taught at a Jewish eleTop: Some of the girls in my class davening, above left: My student, Ariel Hajibai, davening mentary school before, so I last week, above right: Sharon Comissar-Langdon and Shevi Katzman. didn’t know what to expect. I was naive. I had extremely high expectations for my stu- the songs of the prayers all day because they were etched in dents. I assumed it was normal for a class of 10 active boys my head. and 12 busy girls to leave their recess games, take out a sidMy sister, Rochi, connected me with Sharon Comissardur and read perfectly, pointing to every word. Langdon, who became one of my most powerful and supWe got there. Davening soon became my favorite part of portive teaching mentors. She taught me about being calm, the day. about planning, how to cover a packed Judaic curriculum in I was close to tears. I wanted to shout to the world, to tell a few short hours each day, how to make mistakes and how everyone I know, to make them come inside my classroom to keep working. She told me about the challenges, solutions and just watch. Just see these eight and nine year olds, these and rewards of teaching. And she armed me with phenomJewish children from all different levels of Jewish observance, enal strategies I was quick to implement. these children who have never seen G-d, and watch them pray. She drilled in me the importance of routine in class which Look at their devotion. Look at their energy. Look at their led me to create daily assignments for self-study before focus. Look at their resolve. Look at their kavannah. beginning to Daven every day. Yes, I did get, “But we’re going too slow!” “They’re saying They’ve learned. I’ve learned. But I have a long way to go it too fast!” “It’s too hard!” “Can I Daven to myself?” “I’ve in my own relationship with G-d and in prayer.

Shabbat Shira at Temple Israel by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer The Shabbat that falls on or before Tu B’shvat is known as Shabbat Shira, named for a song in that week’s Torah portion, B’shalach. The song, Shirat HaYam, was sung by the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea and escaping the Pharaoh’s men. It is a song of thanksgiving and praise and on Friday, Jan. 10, Temple Israel will celebrate Shabbat Shira with a musical service led by Tami Field, with special guest Susanna Perry Gilmore, Omaha Symphony concertmaster. “Mi Chamocha is sung every day and has the won- Susanna Perry Gilmore derful role of being a ‘marker’ prayer,” Cantor Wendy Shermet said. “We sing Mi Chamocha with melodies appropriate to both the time of day, morning or evening, and holidays. Therefore, during Hanukkah, we sing it to the melody of Maoz Tzur. During Pesach it is sung to Adir Hu. During the High Holidays, it has the theme we hear for those 10 days, and so on. “During Temple days, Shirat HaYam was sung every Shabbat afternoon during the Mincha service,” Cantor Shermet said. “After the destruction of the Second Temple, it was incorporated into the daily morning service following the six basic psalms.” Shirat HaYam also stands out by being written in a distinctive pattern. “It has been described as looking like the waves of the sea that the Israelites cross,” Cantor Shermet said. “And, alternatively, like the bricks that they had to place as slaves.” Over the years, Mi Chamocha has become a favorite text for composers of all styles to set to music for nonholiday Shabbat services, which is why on Shabbat Shira, the service will be “full of different melodies that illustrate the joyous intent” of the song, Cantor Shermet said. Susanna Perry Gilmore will play on her violin during the special Shabbat Shira service. She joined the Omaha Symphony in 2011 as concertmaster, a position she previously held for fifteen years with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral role, Gilmore enjoys a multifaceted career as a solo artist and chamber musician in performances across the nation. In addition to the Shabbat Shira service, Temple Israel will also be hosting a special Tu B’shevat seder on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The adult education class, as well as students in grades 7 - 12, will learn about Tu B’shevat and experience the Seven Species of food that are considered special products of Israel: wheat and barley, figs, dates, grapes, pomegranates and olives. The entire Omaha Jewish community is invited to attend the seder, which will begin at 6 p.m.

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8 | The Jewish Press | January 10, 2014

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

2014

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press With a brand new calendar year stretching out before us, it’s time to get excited about what’s coming our way. Here at the Press we are busy preparing for our Passover issue, which will publish this year on April 11. The Jewish Community Center has many exciting programs planned, such as youth basketball, art classes and preschool sports. And, after a little rest from Fiddler on the Roof jr., the Musical Theater Community Acting Group is holding auditions for its next musical: Bye Bye Birdie. The JCC Dance Department’s spring semester begins Sunday Jan. 12, and students at Friedel Jewish Academy are gearing up for the annual science fair in February. BBYO night continues to take place every Tuesday at 6 p.m., and B’nai B’rith Bread Breakers every Wednesday at noon. Don’t miss the Institute for Holocaust Education’s Film series, which begins on Jan. 16 (see our front page) and, if you’re fast, you can still make it to the Center for Jewish Life PJ Library event at Pump it Up on Jan. 11. Of course, the first few months of the calendar year, we also keep working hard on the Annual Campaign. None of the above programs or opportunities would be available without your help, so please, if you haven’t yet, fill out your pledge cards soon. We’re all in this together. Call Chief Development Officer Marty Ricks (402.334.6440), Campaign Director Sharon Kirshenbaum (402.334.6485), or Development Associate Justin Spooner (402.334.6431) for additional information. In case you missed it (considering how much time, for instance, CNN spent reporting that it’s cold, while virtually

ignoring the Middle East), Egypt’s government recently declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. What that means for the future of the country remains to be seen; we’ve definitely seen some massive changes since the Arab Spring. Relations cooled off in July, when the military deposed President Mohamed Morsi, who is a former leader of the movement. During the protests that followed, hundreds of Brotherhood supporters were killed; most of the leadership is in prison. The Muslim brotherhood has been around for roughly 80 years, which makes one think they may not step aside that easily. The violent suppression of such a movement by the government usually results in making people more determined. Speaking of Egypt, the country may be in for another leadership change. At least, according to Egyptian author Amr Ammar. Here’s what happened: when Jon Stewart appeared on Bassam Youssef ’s satirical Egyptian news show, Al Bernameg, he was on hiatus from his Daily

Show. Asked how he was spending his time, Stewart quipped: “I’m just wandering--as you know, my people like to wander the desert, so that’s what I’m doing now, wandering the desert. It’s been two weeks, I’ve got 39 years and 50 weeks left.” Ammar didn’t get the joke. He went on Egyptian television and said Stewart had declared Egypt his “homeland.” From there, Ammar concluded, it was obvious Stewart was plotting to take over the country. Jon Stwewart plotting to become Egypt’s next ruler? Makes total sense. If it were a segment on his TV show, that is. But sometimes real life (especially when conspiracy theories are involved) is stranger than fiction. One more thing: Israel’s soccer association suspended its ban on wearing kippot for its minor leagues. The reason this is an issue: FIFA, the interational body that oversees soccer regulations has decided no headgear of any kind is allowed. Not even a kippah, which is why Israel has temporarily put a band-aid on this, until the end of the current season. Israel’s minister for pensioner’s affairs, Uri Orbach, probably said it best: “The regulation against wearing head coverings is stupid.”

take off two days. When I returned, my co-teacher asked if I had enjoyed my day off at the “Jewish celebration.” Noting a snippiness, I responded that I’d rather not discuss my religion. She retorted that “I was making things difficult” and she was “just making conversation.” Near Christmastime, I saw for the first time blackface Santa’s helpers; St. Nicholas’ helpers were “Moors.” At the same time was a British-only celebration at school that I satirized in an article for The Huffington Post. Although I went to the Orthodox church in Geneva to volunteer, I was still called anti-Christian by my supervisor. As a half-Jew who had lived previously as a “nothing” (read to most: Christian), I never had experienced actual exclusion or discrimination. I was shocked. The article and my other “outbursts” landed me in the principal’s office, where I was informed there were other complaints about me. Separation of church and state is just an American thing, I soon learned. By Christmas, I already was afraid of what would happen when I saw the baby Jesus manger set up in the parking lot. When I was in the fifth grade, I had asked a teacher where were the other decorations besides the “Christian” ones? She asked, “Are you Jewish?” I said, “My dad is and my friends are,” and she immediately put up Kwanzaa and Hanukkah decorations. But in Switzerland, this attitude only attracted sneers and mocking remarks. I felt like I should resign. I put my mezuzah inside my door. At a wedding in Israel -- only a four-hour flight -- I felt at home among my people, the Jews. My suspicions about Switzerland were valid: I was being discriminated against. By living in Japan, New York, Paris and India, all American and pro-Israel or Jewish friendly (I lived in the Marais district in Paris), I had not realized that anti-Semitism actually existed, and had never heard a discriminatory word spoken. At a staff meeting I raised my hand and said, “Exclusion is a form of bullying, so please note that not all the students are

Christian, so please say ‘Happy Holidays’ to all the students instead of ‘Merry Christmas.’ ” An American supervisor smiled and said “Happy Holidays.” I was thrilled. My coteacher made every student line up to say it to me with spite. An Irishwoman who referred to me as “the Jewish girl” said, “Switzerland is a Christian country, it has tradition, and Israel might be the same.” I told her maybe, but we were in an International school and that in India, an extremely diverse country, they would never celebrate the wrong holiday or wish a Happy Ramadan to a Hindu. Majority rules, she said, simply. “Christians are the majority in the U.S., too,” I said. I realized what a very special place America is. My comments resulted in the silent treatment in the staff room. I wasn’t invited to showers and parties. My New York friend said I was behaving like a college freshman. In fact, in college I had been a radical feminist activist -- but then it was a good thing, not something to be penalized for. My boss, a Scot, went out of his way to buy me a Hanukkah present and encouraged me to resign to preserve my teaching record and, more importantly, my belief that global citizenry, not nationalism, would help bridge the international world. So I gave up the job. My rights in Switzerland were not those of an American. I’ve been all over the world, but only back home was I able to be a dissident, doing my patriotic duty by speaking up. Now, back in Brooklyn, controversial artists are a dime a dozen, and I’m probably the least neurotic person in the room. I lost a nice income, but at least I know I’m free to be who I am. It’s good to be home. A. Pinsker is working on a memoir called "Girl Gone Global," on living on three continents in a search for love and a spiritual home. She has been published in New York Magazine, the Fix, New York Press, Time Out New York, New York Post, BUST Magazine, the Forward, The Jerusalem Post, Interfaith Magazine and more.

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The anti-Jewish bias

Focus on issues A. PINSKER NEW YORK (JTA) -- During the height of the recession, I moved to Switzerland. I had already lived in France, Japan, India and Israel, and traveled much of the rest of the world. I’d gone global for work, love, spirituality and cultural infatuation, but this last time was for cash: As a teacher in the recession during a hiring freeze, like thousands of other Americans, I became an economic expat. In the land of chocolate, cheese, bankers and income, my fellow New York native teachers and I were able to afford taxi rides, apartments on our own and meals out, living the American Dream -- only abroad. We were paid a six-figure salary to teach Muslim princes, Hindu billionaires and Jewish corporate kids at an international middle school of students aged 11 to 14 in Zug, where the infamously pardoned Marc Rich brought Glencore, making the small former farm town fabulously wealthy. The students were “third culture kids,” gone global from living in one oil-rich nation to another. They reminded me a lot of myself -- not in financial terms but cultural: I am a half-Jewish, half-Ukrainian pan spiritual writer, teacher and yoga instructor who identifies as Jewish. Having lived around the world, I felt for them. At one of our first staff meetings, one of the British teachers was discussing a problem student. “He has Russian boy syndrome,” she said. My mouth dropped. “They’re obsessed with weapons and violence!” she said to a room full of nods. Then my Indian-English co-teacher joked: “I thought this was a global school!” Everyone in the room laughed. My Park Slope liberal skin chafed. I was the only teacher in a school of thousands that celebrated Rosh Hashanah. I had to ask for special permission to

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January 10, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

Time to give day school parents a break

Focus on issues JOSHUA LOOKSTEIN MAMARONECK, N.Y. (JTA) -- This fall, the school that I head brought dozens of its students to join 5,000 others at a rally in our county in support of smart legislation to boost education in New York State. But this is no local story: If successful, our effort will have far-reaching consequences for the future of Jewish life across America. In my first months as head of Westchester Day School and in my career as a rabbi, educator and community professional, I often have heard from parents who struggle to pay their kids’ day school tuition even while they contribute toward scholarships that support others’ children. These are parents whose salaries otherwise would entitle them to a comfortable financial cushion. Instead, they effectively live paycheck to paycheck. Parents with this kind of dedication to the Jewish future merit a higher priority in our community. A handful of states already have tax incentive programs that help parents afford day school education by giving tax credits to people or institutions that donate toward tuition scholarship funds. In these states, the programs, which have been a lifeline for Jewish parents and Jewish schools, also have benefited Catholic and independent schools. In New York, Catholic, Jewish and independent voices are banding together to advance this legislation. But we need the support of the Jewish community nationwide. Donations to scholarship funds already are subsidized

through federal and state tax deductions. What makes tax credit programs so valuable is that they increase the savings -- and incentives -- to donors from a tax deduction, which might amount to 40 percent savings, to a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. Under the proposed bill in New York, known as the Education Investment Tax Credit Act, instead of paying $10,000 in state taxes, for example, you can settle the debt by donating $5,000 to a nonprofit scholarship fund and paying $5,000 to the state. If scholarship donations don’t seem worthy of a tax credit, consider that New York State already offers tax credits for locally brewed beer and film and television production. Educating our children seems no less legitimate. The program would help boost donations to art and music programs in public schools and support scholarship funds for students to attend non-public K-8 schools like ours. This would strengthen education for all and fortify our schools for years to come. And it means more scholarship relief to families already sacrificing so much. Our shared Jewish future is at stake. Without additional funding from public or private sources, Jewish day school education in America will hit a wall as growing numbers of dual-income families find they cannot afford it. What happens in New York, where roughly half of all the Jewish day school students in America reside, will help set the tone for the entire country. If the day school model cannot be made sustainable here, then this core identity-building tool and pipeline for future Jewish leaders will grow out of reach for more and more families. As a Jewish community, we have an obligation to pursue every avenue for tuition affordability. This means reducing

Israel must develop Negev for benefit of all

Behind the headlines THEODORE BIKEL (JTA) -- This past May, I made a YouTube video with the Israeli NGO Rabbis for Human Rights that drew a parallel between my role as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, in which the Jews in Sholem Aleichem's tale faced expulsion from the Russian shtetl of Anatevka, and a Knesset proposal to forcibly displace up to 40,000 Bedouin-Arab citizens. The video included anguishing footage of the July 2010 demolition of the unrecognized Bedouin village of El-Araqib. The proposal, known as the Prawer-Begin plan, has reportedly been withdrawn, but this is not certain. A Knesset committee debated the bill even after the supposed withdrawal. There are also indications within the governing coalition that force may yet be used to expel thousands from their desert homes with a law shaped to be more punitive than Prawer-Begin. The Bedouin have been living in the territory of the Negev Desert for many generations. After Israel’s War of Independence, during which some Bedouin actually fought for the emerging state, much of the population was uprooted and concentrated in a siyag, or enclosure, in a barren part of the Negev’s northeast. Subsequently, the government maintained a policy of ambiguity. Villages that became home to roughly half of Israel’s Bedouin were not officially recognized and were denied state services, such as utilities and roads. But the government largely left these villages alone. During the 1970s, the government allowed the villagers to file legal claims for their land. These were contested over many years, with twothirds eventually denied. Six years ago, the government organized a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and a former state comptroller, Eliezer Goldberg, to prepare recommendations regarding Bedouin property rights and unregistered villages. In 2008, the commission proposed that the homes and villages be legalized, pursuant to a regional plan, and land claims resolved. The implementation of these recommendations, however, was outside its purview. The following year, the government organized a committee headed by the former deputy chair of the National Security Council, Ehud Prawer, to draft an implementation program. The committee included no Bedouin and prepared its work without consulting the affected communities.

The resulting plan called for expropriation of at least half the claimed land, at minimal cash compensation, and the forced relocation and destruction of at least 25 villages where 35,000 to 40,000 people reside. Even this proposal was too generous for one committee member, who called for the expropriation of all claimed land. Benny Begin, recently retired from the Knesset and a former cabinet minister, was tasked with further shaping the Prawer Plan into legislation. He supplemented it with programs for urban development to address the historical neglect of Bedouin residing in seven poverty-stricken and crime-ridden urban townships. But with the details of relocation left vague and uncertain, most Bedouin in the 35 unrecognized villages understandably viewed Prawer-Begin as a scheme that threatened them with dispossession and forced urbanization. Those previously pushed into towns generally found inadequate employment opportunities and poor social conditions. Understandably, most Bedouin distrusted this kind of deal. In addition, some Bedouin prefer agrarian lifestyles for cultural reasons and were deeply disturbed by the prospect of being forced out of their homes and lands. Jewish groups both inside and outside Israel also spoke out against the proposal. In the Knesset, a mix of left- and right-wing legislators opposed the government bill. Those on the left objected to the prospect of forced relocation, while the right opposed Begin’s proposed package of inducements and compensation for the Bedouin. Israel and its Bedouin citizens are at a crossroads. They could return to a hostile policy that destroys homes and fields and condemns thousands of Bedouin to displacement from their unrecognized villages and neglect in the townships. Or the government could implement provisions of the Goldberg Commission, resolving land claims and legalizing villages as part of a regional plan developed in consultation with the affected population. Bimkom, an Israeli planning group, has suggested an alternative master plan, to guide the integration of these villages into a broader regional framework. Working in this way, Israel can move forward to restore trust between the state and its Bedouin citizens, and to establish a constructive program of developing the Negev for all. Theodore Bikel is an internationally acclaimed singer and actor who serves as board chair of Partners for Progressive Israel.

costs for the services we purchase and provide; tapping every possible resource to increase donations and foundation support; and calling on our government to give families more of a break when they donate toward -- or benefit from -- tuition assistance. Many Jews have legitimate concerns about accepting public support for our private schools. It is important to keep in mind that most tax credit programs, including the proposed legislation in New York, help the public system as well. Under the proposed law in our state, half the tax credits available would be designated for support for public education and teacher-designated projects. And none of the credits directed to scholarship entities would come out of the more than $22 billion that our state spends each year on public schools. The public school system benefits indirectly, too. For every parent who can no longer afford tuition and moves a child out of a private or parochial school to public school, taxpayers must now pick up the entire cost. Here in Westchester County, that’s well above the statewide average of $19,000 per student, not including capital costs. By helping students stay in their existing Catholic or Jewish schools rather than transferring them into district or charter schools, such tax incentives will save the state and local school districts billions of dollars each year. I agreed to allow students from my school to skip class to attend this rally to show them that what happens in government affects real people. Anyone who cares about a meaningful Jewish future in America should help make tuition scholarship tax credit programs a reality. Rabbi Joshua Lookstein is head of Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Brooklyn Torah Animal World seeks a savior by TALIA LAVIN (JTA)--Brooklyn Torah Animal World, an idiosyncratic collection of stuffed animals the New York Post has called “NYC’s weirdest museum,” is set to close due to financial hardship. The museum aims to lay out, for the viewer’s pleasure and edification, an array of animals depicted in the Hebrew Bible, including ibexes, emus, peacocks and buffalo.

“My real goal was to create a zoo in Brooklyn,” Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch, 47, told the New York Times. “But we didn’t want any wild lions getting loose in Borough Park, so we did the next best thing and used taxidermy.” For many schoolchildren in Borough Park, the appointment-only museum offers a rare opportunity to gaze on the wonders of the natural world, though the Biblical focus limits the museum’s scope. Still, the motley collection, much of which was donated, include such curios as a $40,000 elephant head and a stuffed orex. Animals that appear in prayers, including Psalms, have their own display, along with an exhibit of all the varieties of kosher birds. But despite the Bible’s endurance, most other things must end — including Torah Animal World’s long stay in Borough Park. Deutsch told the New York Post that if a suitable sponsor appeared, he would not sell, but saving the museum would require at least $1 million. The modest, teal-walled rowhouse that is the museum’s current domain is on the market for a hefty $995,000, not including the animals. Those are set to relocate to another museum owned by Deutsch in the Catskills. One can imagine the strange journey up the New York State Thruway, ibexes and antelopes crammed glassy-eyed in the trunk, a strange ark making its way to a resting place — like Noah’s — in the green mountains.

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10 | The Jewish Press | January 10, 2014

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885. SUNDAY, Jan. 12: There will be a Chili Cook-off at 1 p.m. instead of a speaker. Those planning to attend are asked to call Sandra at 712.323.8885. FRIDAY, Feb. 14: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by an oneg with guest speaker, Richard Fellman, Retired Lawyer and Adjunct Professor at UNO on Jews in Cuba. The community is invited. Miles Remer will officiate at all of the Speaker Series Services.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 4:49 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit (Barchu), 9 a.m.; Good Shabbos Nebraska is on mid-season hiatus; Mincha, 4:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:54 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Daf Yomi: Week in Review with Rabbi Gross, 7:45 a.m. TUESDAY: Women’s Study Group, 6:30 p.m. at the home of Kathy Weiner. WEDNESDAY: Coffee and Your Jewish News, 7:45 a.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Sacred Grounds, 9:30 a.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

CHABAD HOUSE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Family Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Dinner follows at 6:45 p.m. Reservations are required for dinner: $10 for adults (members); $12.50 (non-members). Children 7-12 are $5 (members); $7.50 (non-members). All children 6 and under are free. Register and pay online. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m.; Shabbat’s Cool/Shabbat Shira, 10 a.m. A Shabbat for BESTT students; lunch will be served; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 5 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Torah Tots, 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m., our class will celebrate Tu B’Shevat with planting activities, and fun lessons about Israel, trees and the seven species; MultiCongregational Day at the Food Bank, Beth El members and members of other Jewish congregations to pack and sort food at the Food Bank. Shifts are scheduled for 1-2:30 p.m., and 2:30-4 p.m.; volunteers may also work during the entire afternoon. Sign up online at www.bethel-omaha.org; for more information, contact Cheryl Lerner at cldancer@ aol.com. MONDAY: Tai Chi, Better Balance for everyone, second in six-week class at the synagogue, 6–6:45 p.m., led by certified Tai Chi instructor, Beth Staenberg. Cost, $30. Register online at Beth El’s website. TUESDAY: Wrestling with the Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. weekly adult-education class led by Rabbi Abraham. No charge to attend; everyone is welcome. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew High Classes, 6:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m. Have a cup of coffee wth God, Shabbat, Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m. Hazzan Krausman leads this interactive learner’s service. Enjoy a cup of coffee and a “nosh” while learning about the Shabbat morning service. Scholar-in-Residence, Friday, Jan. 31–Sunday, Feb. 2. Rabbi Naomi Levy, bestselling author of To Begin Again, Talking to God, and Hope Will Find You, will offer various sessions beginning with Kabbalat Shabbat, Jan. 31. See the Beth El website for complete details and to register for Friday evening dinner. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch. SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.; Breakfast Bonanza, 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office. WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 10 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak. THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Vicki Edwards and Jen Lewis. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Beshallach. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; New board member orientation, 12:15 p.m.; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1 p.m.; Board of Trustees, 1 p.m.; Shabbat Shirah Concert, 3 p.m. featuring Kurt Knecht and accompanied by cellist Justin Lepard at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 6:30 p.m. Intro to Judaism led by Rabbi Lewis. THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 17, 7 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Keynote speaker is Dr. Marilyn Johnson-Farr, professor at Doane College. For more information, call Nancy Knapp at 402.472.1663. To attend please RSVP to the Temple office.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross.

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

Bat Mitzvah Gabby Witkowski, daughter of Susan and Isaac Witkowski, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Beth El. Abby is a seventh-grade student at Alfonza Davis Middle School. Her interests include painting, art, swimming and anything Harry Potter. She has a brother, Julian. Grandparents are Thelma and Ruben Witkowski of Scranton, PA, and Beverly and Richard Fellman.

Candlelighting Friday, January 10, 4:56 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by 39 Forever Members. SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9 a.m. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel; Shabbat Shira, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel, Rabbi Brown and Cantor Shermet. Sermon-in-Violin by Susanna Perry Gilmore. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Torah Reader: Sarah Schondelmeyer. SUNDAY: Second Sundays and Prayer Assembly, 9:30 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Grade 3 Oh God Family Learning Experiences, 10 a.m.; Temple TED Talk: Ronny Edry -- Israel and Iran: A Love Story?, 11 a.m. led by Silvia Roffman and Susan Rothholz; Social Justice Conversation, noon; Food Bank Volunteer day with Omaha Jewish Community, 1 p.m. TUESDAY: Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Azriel. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Community Tu B’Sheat Seder, 6 p.m. THURSDAY: Hiddur Mitzvah: The Art of Beautifying Judaism, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Brown. Celebrate with Leora Azriel and Matt Werner, Friday Jan. 17, after Shabbat Services. Please join us for a special toast to Leora Azriel and Matt Werner on the eve of their wedding day for an oneg sponsored by Mary and Tom Bernstein, Judy and Jim Farber, Nancy and Don Greenberg, Cookie and Jerry Hoberman, Joanie and Marty Lehr, Sharee and Murray Newman, Nancy Noddle, Judy and Allen Ross, Suzanne Singer and Andi Willensky. Super Bown XLVIII Party, Sunday, Feb. 2, 4:30 p.m. at Temple Israel. Activities for kids and sitter service are provided. We will also provide all you can eat appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks. BYOB. Suggested donation $5/person or $10/family. Please RSVP by Thursday, Jan. 30. Sponsored by the Men of Reform Judaism.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kidduch Lunch. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Shabbat Shirah Concert, 3 p.m. featuring Kurt Knecht and accompanied by cellist Justin Lepard at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 17, 7 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Keynote speaker is Dr. Marilyn Johnson-Farr, professor at Doane College.

Aaron Liberman’s kippah makes hoops history by ADAM SOCLOF On Jan. 5, Aaron Liberman of Northwestern checked in for the final minute of action against Michigan in the Wildcats’ 74-51 men’s basketball loss in Ann Arbor. In the process, the redshirt freshman made history twice: According to the Big Ten News Network, Liberman was the first player to wear a yarmulke in Big Ten Conference history. Also, Michigan became the first NCAA Division I basketball program to host two kippah-wearing players on its court. On Dec. 27, 2000, the last night of Hanukkah, Tamir Goodman of Towson University recorded 9 points, 5

assists and 4 rebounds in 34 minutes in the Tigers’ 73-71 loss to the Wolverines. (Aside: I attended the game featuring the “Jewish Jordan” with my hometown rabbi.) In his first season of college ball, Liberman’s stat line reads 2 rebounds in 4 games. But the yarmulke angle has made his celebrity star shine brighter. As Yahoo News reports: Liberman was invited to speak after a home game last month about what it’s like for him to be an Orthodox Jew playing major college hoops. The school handed approximately 200 purple yarmulkes with an N printed on them to people who attended.

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

January 10, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

Envisioned horizons

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Beshallah Our Sidrah recounts the actual Exodus from Egypt, the miracle at the Sea of Reeds, and Israel’s resolute plunging into the wilderness to seek a way to the Promised Land. The Midrash offers an extremely interesting interpretation of one of the verses in our Sidrah. After the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, we are told that Moses led the Children of Israel into the wilderness of Shur. But the Hebrew word “vayasa,” here translated as “led,” the Midrash points out, is in an intensive, causative structure, the Hiphil. What this means is that Moses “caused the Children of Israel to journey on.” He forced them, the verb implies, even against their will. The Midrash sees here a practical appraisal of the situation by the people, which Moses obliges them to disregard.

They noticed that all the military power of Egypt was now dissipated, and a good deal of the gold and silver trappings of horse and chariot and rider was theirs for the taking. Behind you, the wealth of Egypt. In front of you, the trackless desert and an uncertain future. Which will you choose? You will do what I command you, Moses said, since this is what the Lord wants of you. This is why He brought you out. There will be no return. A modern commentator added another thought: Moses had to oblige them to journey on because of their sudden enchantment with the place. Here, above all places, is God to be worshiped, for here is the manifestation of His power, here His glory, here His clearly indicated love for us. The shores of the Sea of Reeds will be our homeland. Here we will never forget. But Moses recognized how shortsighted this was. God is not to be worshiped and loved because of miracles. God is to be worshiped because he is God. Your destiny is not to lavish attention on the site of a miracle. Your destiny is to ferret out the meaning of life under God, and the meaning of God to life. You are to push on. Before you is Sinai. Before you is Torah. Before you is the Land of Israel. Your destiny is to be a pioneer of the spirit and a teacher of mankind.

In memoriam RONNA DIENSTFREY Ronna Dienstfrey, formerly of Omaha, passed away Jan 1 at the age of 84. Sevices were held in Croton-on-Hudson in New York. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Marvin Dienstfrey and brothers, Albert and Robert. She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Marcia and Mandell Greene of Sacramento, and Sherri DienstfreySwanson and Merwin Swanson of Pocatello, ID; grandchildren: Heather and Duff Greene of Portland, OR, and Rabbi James and Jennifer Greene of San Jose, CA; great-grandchildren: Talyah, Kol, Kevin and Meredith. She was born the daughter of Harry and Esther Rimmerman, in Omaha on Dec. 29, 1930, where her parents settled after emigrating from Poland and Russia. They lived in Omaha most of their lives, then in New York, where Marvin owned a business. Ronna was a retired teacher from the Mount Vernon NY City Schools. She taught Religious School and Hebrew School at Congregation B’nai Israel in Sacramento, and then at Temple Or Rishon in Orangevale. Memorials may be made to the Music Fund or the Special Needs Fund at Beth El Synagogue.

LAWRENCE GROSSMAN Lawrence Grossman, formerly of Omaha, passed away on Jan. 2 at the age of 67 in Tucson, AZ. He was preceded in death by his parents Art and Anne Grossman. He is survived by his loving wife Linda; brother Ron; and sisters, Roberta and Arlene. In a 23 year career with the State Department, Larry served in Vietnam, Argentina, Washington D.C., Iceland, Belgium, El Salvador, Denmark and New York. After retiring, he worked for the United Nations in Angola, El Salvador and Mexico. In Tucson, Larry volunteered for the International Friends program for students of the University of Arizona. Larry was a man of curiosity, kindness, and integrity who made lasting friendships wherever he went. Memorials may be made to the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

MAX KIRSHENBAUM Max Kirshenbaum passed away on Jan. 5 at the age of 92. Services were held at Beth El Synagogue on Jan. 7. He was preceded in death by loving wife, Shirley Kirshenbaum. He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Jayne and Altan Ruback, and Debi and David Kutler; sons and daughters-in-law, Scott and Barb Kirshenbaum, and Corey Kirshenbaum and Marcy Noodell; grandchildren: Andy and Teresa Ruback, Michael and Teasley Ruback, Adam and Abby Kutler, Matt and Cally Kutler, Bradley Kutler, Kevin, Rachel, Alex, Jacob Kirshenbaum, Ryan, Kylie Kirshenbaum; eight great-grandchildren; sister, Rose Cohen; brothers and sisters-in-law, Kevee and Joan Kirshenbaum, and Joe and Maxine Kirshenbaum. Memorials may be made to Methodist Hospital Foundation or Visiting Nurses Association.

BETTY (ROSENBERG) POLSKY Betty (Rosenberg) Polsky passed away on Dec. 28, 2013 in Cleveland at the age of 90. Services were held on Jan. 5 at Settlers Lane in Pepper Pike, OH.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Hyman Polsky, and her parents, Irene and Jerry Rosenberg. She is survived by her son, Alan Polsky and daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Dale Bass; grandchildren: Ben Polsky, Joshua, Mitchell, Jeremy and Marla Bass; great-grandchildren, Nathan and Lilah Bass; and sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Bart Rochman. Born in Iowa but a longtime resident of Lincoln, Betty attended the University of Nebraska. She was a member of Sigma Delta Tau and remained an advisor for many years. Betty was president of the local chapters of Hadassah, the Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood, and its Board of Directors. She was chairperson of the local Jewish Federation chapter and active in the community organization “Law Wives.” Betty contributed to the lives of many. Memorials may be made to Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 3219 Sheridan Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68502.

CHARLIE I. SCUDDER, JR. Charlie I. Scudder, Jr. passed away on Jan. 2 at age 82. Services were held on Jan. 4 at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara. He is survived by his son, Michael of Rhinebeck, NY; sons and daughthers-in-law, Steven and Donna of Concord, NH and Kevin and Anna of Seattle, WA; daughters, Aimee of Lincoln, and Ellen of Hampton Falls, NH; daughter and son-in-law. Melissa and Gary of Ashland, OR; and eleven grandchildren; and sisters, Rose, Pat, Sharon. Born to Grace and Charlie Scudder Sr. in Juniata, NE. Charles graduated from UNO and the Creighton University School of Law. He worked as a Legal Aid attorney, as a sole practitioner, and as a Hearing Examiner for the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission. Memorials may be made to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, 1434 316th Lane, Missouri Valley, IA 51555 or Legal Aid of Nebraska 402.348.1069. L

DR. MELVIN TATELMAN Dr. Melvin Tatelman passed away on Dec. 30, 2013 in Omaha at the age of 89. Services were held Jan. 2 in the Schrager Memorial Chapel at Temple Israel Cemetery He was preceded in death by his Russian immigrant parents, Anna Pertzen and Meyer Tatelman; sisters, Sadie Janger of Omaha and Etta Barenblat of San Antonio, TX. He is survived by his loving wife, Baylamae (Grodinsky) “Billie” Tatelman; sister, Dorothy Schatz of Des Moines, IA; daughter and son-in-law, Amy and RL Lemke of Dallas; son, Mark M. Tatelman; grandchildren: William Scott Lemke and Alexander Scott Lemke. Dr. Tatelman was a graduate of Omaha South High School and the Creighton University School of Dentistry. He practiced dentistry in Benson. He retired as a Captain in the U.S. Army, having served in occupied Italy and Fort Knox. Dr. Tatelman enjoyed watching Cornhusker football and was a season ticket holder for many decades. He was a soloist in the choir at Beth El. His hobby was playing bridge, and he was awarded a Life Master Certificate in 1992 from The American Contract Bridge League. Memorials may be made to the Nebraska Humane Society.

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