February 4, 2005

Vol. LXXXIV No. 22 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 84 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

25 Shevat, 5765 February 4, 2005

Judaism Today and Tomorrow: An Open Dialogue with the Leaders of American Jewry

by RACHEL BLUM JCC Program Director Beth El, Beth Israel, and Temple Israel are joining with Jewish Educational and Library Services (JELS) to cosponsor the Live from NY’s 92 Street Y satellite broadcast on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. Entitled, “Judaism Today and Tomorrow,” the broadcast will feature an open dialogue with the leaders of American Jewry, including Richard Joel, Rabbi David Ellenson, and Rabbi Ismar Schorsch.

Gary Rosenblatt, Editor and Publisher of The Jewish Week of New York, will lead a roundtable discussion on the challenges and issues facing the American Jewish community today and in the coming decades. Religious leaders for the Conservative, Modern Orthodox and Reform movements come together to offer their visions for their denominations and the Jewish communities of America, the Diaspora and Israel.

Richard M. Joel was inaugurated as Yeshiva University’s fourth president in its 117-year-history on Sept. 21, 2003. In assuming the leadership of one of the nation's top academic research universities at his investiture, he put forth a vision that embraces time-honored

Bibi Nissim, 65, working in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market Jan. 24, 2005, is one of thousands of Iraqi Jews in Israel who had the right to vote in the Jan. 30 Iraqi elections. After leaving Iraq at age 10 with his parents, the only survivors of his family, he made his way to Israel through Iran. Nissim says he would have voted if there was some way he could have gotten to Jordan to register.

Credit: Brian Hendler/JTA

Richard Joel

Rabbi David Ellenson

values in a 21st century context. That includes his desire to ennoble YU students’ deepest human needs of intellectual curiosity and discovery, and to educate and enable them to care for others and contribute to society.

The pillars of his vision are nobility of purpose, excellence in education and endeavor, community building and communal responsibility, and a visceral connection with Israel and its people. President Joel’s success in revitalizing Jewish campus life and activism defined his 14 years as president and international director of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where he greatly expanded programs, activities, and branches in the nation and around the world.

Dr. David Ellenson is President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion--the eighth President in its 125 year-long history. He holds the Gus Waterman Herrman Presidential Chair and is the I.H. and Anna Grancell Professor of Jewish Religious Thought at HUCJIR in Los Angeles. Ellenson has published and lectured extensively on diverse topics in modern Jewish history, ethics, and thought. His work describes the writings of Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist Continued on page 2

Rabbi Ismar Schorsch

Gary Rosenblatt

60 Years After the Liberation of Auschwitz At Special General Assembly Session, United Nations Remembers Holocaust

by RACHEL POMERANCE UNITED NATIONS (JTA) -- For the first time in its history, the United Nations allowed a prayer service on its premises.

But perhaps even more surprising was the prayer itself -- the Jewish hymn for martyrs--followed by the Israeli national anthem.

Sandwiched between a special U.N. General Assembly session marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the launch of an in-house exhibit commemorating that liberation, the prayer signaled the lengths to which the international body has gone this year to mark the Holocaust.

“The tragedy of the Jewish people was unique,” U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said at the special session on Monday, Jan. 24, leading a slew of speeches from diplomats and dignitaries.

“We must be on the watch for any revival of anti-Semitism and ready to act against the new forms of it that are happening today,” Annan said, warning against “all ideologies based on hatred and exclusion.”

Israeli and Jewish officials lauded the session and hoped that it would prove to be a watershed in the world body’s traditionally anti-Israel attitude.

“This is an historic day,” said Arye

Inside Opinion Page see page 8

M e k e l , Israel’s consul general in New York.

“What will happen next we will wait and see,” he said. “I hope that this is a t u r n i n g point.”

Annan took a leading role in lobbying for the Jan. 24th session, which Israel had requested. He is the first U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan, Secretary General of UN, inaugurates an exhibition entitled to place the “Auschwitz-the Depth of the Abyss” on a day of Special Session of the Holocaust in General Assembly at United Nations in New York commemorating the 60th a Jewish con- Anniversary of the Liberation of Nazi concentration camps on Jan. 24. Kofi text, said Eve Annan, left, is guided by Yehudit Shendar of “Yad Vashem Art Museum” who Epstein, vice helped organize the exhibition, behind is Ambassador Arye Mekel Consul Credit: David Karp president of General of Israel in New York and Mrs. Annan. the National Committee on American Nations, Epstein said.

The Jan. 24th session comes after the Foreign Policy.

A movement is afoot to have a perma- United Nations held its first major connent Holocaust memorial at the United ference to address growing worldwide

This Week: Teen Age Features Beth Israel’s NCSY on Page 7 Five Senses Satisfied at Friedel Tu B’Shevat Page 3

Book Review: Orthodoxy in Charleston Page 4

anti-Semitism in June.

At that time Annan addressed a crowd composed mostly of Jews and vowed to fight anti-Semitism. His resolve was bolstered by the principle that the United Nations--like Israel--was formed out of the ashes of World War II and the Holocaust.

For some in attendance, the special General Assembly session demonstrates the progress the United Nations has made since June. The session won written support from 152 of the United Nation’s 191 member states and the room was roughly half full for the session, with most countries represented.

But others wonder whether a lasting connection will be made between the anti-Semitism of the past and what many consider a present-day manifestation in the form of intense anti-Zionism.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom used his speech to connect the issues, as did an Italian representative.

“The question is will Kofi Annan take the next step” and support a resolution when the victims of anti-Semitism are Israeli, asked Anne Bayefsky, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and visiting professor at Touro and Metropolitan Colleges in New York.

Continued on page 11

Coming Feb. 18: Simchas Issue

OTYG Plans Annual Fundraising Dinner Page 6

Rabbi Drazen Named a USCJ Director Page 12

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 4, 2005

Taking the Responsibility of Tikkun Olam Seriously

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Beth El USY Winter Shabbaton in Excelsior Springs, MO Tri-Faith Dialogue, 8:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Temple Israel “Shabbat Comes to You”, 4 p.m. at Remington Heights Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Jewish Potpouri, 10 a.m. at Beth El Bible Study with Leonard Greenspoon, 11 a.m. at Beth El Hebrew Crash Course, 11 a.m. at Beth El JELS luncheon with Dr. Michael Stern, noon BESTT Chavirm, 12:30 p.m. at Beth El & Nebraska Women’s Caucus Art Reception, 3 p.m.

C L I P

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7 S JSS Senior Luncheon, 10 a.m.

A “Southern Vignettes” lecture, 7 p.m.

V TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 E Sisterhood Board Meeting & Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Lunch & Learn “The Guy and Bob Show”, noon BBYO Chapter Elections, 6 p.m.

Adult Education, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at JCC TLC “Growth Through Torah”, 7:30 p.m. at private residence

C L I P & S A V E

All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437.

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)

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by CHERYL LERNER for Chabad of Nebraska Festive food plays an important part in the celebration of Jewish holidays. To focus on this aspect of Jewish life, Shani Katzman and Chabad “Women of Worth” offers a series of cooking classes for women in the community.

The next cooking session will be on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 9-11 a.m., and will feature recipes and tips for Tu B’Shevat.

These sessions are more than just “how to.” They are set up like a Cooking Club where women get a chance to meet, eat lunch, and share recipes and ideas for holiday entertaining.

In addition to sharing of favorite recipes there will be interesting discussions of why certain foods are popular and customary for each holiday. This knowledge can help enhance the enjoyment of the holiday experience for the whole family.

Tu B’Shevat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, according to the Talmud, is Rosh Hashanah for the trees. Katzman noted, “In Deuteronomy, we are taught, “for man is like a tree in the field...” On this day we celebrate the many ways we are likened to trees,

and focus on the message of trees for ourselves and our families. The comparisons between trees and humans are countless and fascinating.”

The hostess for this month’s class will be Danielle Gordman. “It is customary to eat fruit that we have not eaten during the year so we can say the Shehechiyanu blessing.

In that blessing we thank God for keeping us alive and healthy until this day,” she explained. “In this class, we will expand on the meaning of the holiday and why we cook with nuts, dried fruits and grains. In addition, we’re going to learn to make an edible centerpiece, using fruit and other goodies.

“Who said we couldn’t play with our food?”

“Tu B’Shevat was actually celebrated last month”, noted Gordman, adding that this class had been been re-scheduled. “Although the holiday is behind us, its message is timeless.”

Suggested donation for the cooking class and brunch is $10. Babysitting is available by reservation, $3 per child. To reserve a spot or for more information, contact Carol at 330.1800.

Judaism Today and Tomorrow

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 PATTER, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Rabbis and Presidents Meeting, noon Youth Group Dinner, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

C THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10 L I COE Directors Meeting, 9 a.m.

Walk-in Drop-in, 10 a.m.

P Adult Education, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Jewish Parenting 101, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El & Rabbi Levin’s Class, noon at Beth El Yiddish Group, 1 p.m.

S TLC “Meaning of Life” Class, 1 p.m.

A Jewish Women International Sweetheart Day, 2 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home V Rabbi Gross’ Lecture Series, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel E JELS/Beth El Class, 7 p.m.

ADL Youth Leadership Mission meeting, 7:30 p.m.

Six weeks ago, we all watched in horror as news reports and photographs of the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia filled our TV screens, newspapers and the Internet. The death tolls and destruction are unimaginable, yet within a week, humanitarian and disaster relief agencies were organized and providing aid and comfort to an untold number of victims.

Not surprisingly, the worldwide Jewish community also quickly mobilized in a big way. The JDC (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) was on the scene immediately, having had a presence in the area for decades. There’s also a vibrant Chabad community in the region providing much needed relief to tsunami victims, Jew and non-Jew alike.

Which brings me to the point of this month’s President’s column. As Jews, we are commanded to care for those less fortunate, Jewish or not. In biblical times setting aside ten percent of what was harvested to feed and nourish those who could not feed themselves fulfilled this commandment. Today, there are many other ways for us to fulfill the commandment to care for the less fortunate.

When the world was formed it was incomplete and it became the task of humanity to complete the work of creation. In Hebrew this task is called tikkun olam, which translates as “repairing or mending the world.” This meant that we were to work to better the world, to relieve human suffering, to work for peace between all peoples, and to protect the earth and all it contained.

In times of crisis--natural disasters, war, famine--JDC

offers aid to non-Jews to fulfill the Jewish tenet of tikkun olam. JDC relies primarily on the generous support of American Jews who donate to Federation Campaigns, like ours in Omaha, of the United Jewish Communities (UJC). As of late January, JDC had raised more than $7.3 million in contributions from more than 25,000 individual donors and local Jewish Federation partners for South Asia tsunami relief.

Of the monies raised, a portion has been set aside for long-term infrastructure reconstruction, such as rebuilding schools, clinics and orphanages. More than $550,000 has been designated to support immediate relief efforts in the field. Significant additional allocations will be made for immediate relief within the next ten days, once needs assessments conclude.

Within a week of the tsunami, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation sent out letters to community members who have donor advised funds and the Federation set up an on-line mailbox on our website (www.jewishomaha.org) to collect donations for tsunami victims, all of which are being sent in their entirety to JDC. As of last week, the Omaha Jewish community has collected $ $16,300.

Clearly, the Jewish community across America, especially Omaha’s Jewish community, takes the responsibility of tikkun olam very seriously. We’ve proven it over and over again, in good times and bad, with the success of our Annual Campaign, with our phenomenal Terror Relief fundraising effort for Israel in 2001 and many other generous acts that go unreported everyday.

This dramatic response and sense of global responsibility is what the Jewish Federation of Omaha is all about. I urge each one of you to find a way to make a difference by making tikkun olam a way of life. Contact the Federation office at 334.8200 or visit our new and improved website at www.jewishomaha.org.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, thank you.

C L I P & S A V E

Continued from page 1 leaders in Europe, the United States, and Israel during the last two centuries and employs a sociological approach to illuminate the history and development of modern Jewish religious denominationalism. His application of this method has allowed him to emphasize the interplay between Jewish religious tradition and modern society in unique ways, and has prompted him to write and lecture on topics ranging from early Reform and Orthodoxy in 19th century Germany and conversion to Judaism at the beginning of the 1900s to the problems of medical ethics in present-day America.

Ismar Schorsch is the sixth Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary and is the Rabbi Herman Abramovitz Professor of Jewish History. Founded in 1886, JTS is a Jewish university that serves as the spiritual and academic center of Conservative Judaism.

Throughout his 18 years as Chancellor, Dr. Schorsch has worked to convey his vision of Conservative Judaism as the most authentic contemporary expression of rabbinic Judaism. In 1995, he published Sacred Cluster: The Core Values of Conservative Judaism, his highly-acclaimed monograph outlining the seven funda-

mental tenets of Conservative Judaism.

Commitment to Israel is a top priority for Chancellor Schorsch. The leading voice in the fight to expand the rights and religious identity of Conservative Jews in Israel, Dr. Schorsch continues to strengthen JTS’s Israel campus. His public statements and published writings have attracted wide attention in the secular and Jewish press, including front and editorial page coverage in the New York Times. His longtime support of the peace process was capped by an invitation from President Clinton to serve with the official presidential delegation witnessing the peace treaty signing between Jordan and Israel in October 1994. During his tenure as Chancellor, Dr. Schorsch has become increasingly recognized as one of the foremost spokesmen on a range of critical issues. He brings a unique Jewish dimension to such national issues as the environment, separation of church and state, health care and welfare reform.

The live satellite broadcast will be held in the JCC Theater and will begin promptly. Tickets to the broadcast are $5, and can be purchased in advance by calling Cindy Reed, Registration Associate, at 334.6419.

For more information, please contact me at 334.6404.

February 4, 2005

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

UN Remembers Holocaust

Five Senses Satisfied at Friedel on Tu B’Shevat

Continued from page 1 Bayefsky wondered about the session's lasting impact, given the lack of any formal declaration or resolution. Still, she noted, “It's important that in the depths of the United Nations, people remember the Holocaust.”

Jewish officials and Holocaust survivors in the audience were hopeful and inspired. “For me today, to be here at the United Nations, essentially representing my parents, who are no longer alive, and the murdered members of my family, is a tremendously emotional moment,” said Menachem Rosensaft, founding chairman of the International Network of Children of Holocaust Survivors.

“We are at a critical stage of history, because this is a moment of the transfer of memory” from one generation to the next, he added.

Documenting the Holocaust in the halls of the United Nations is a major victory against those who deny that the massacre happened, he said.

“It’s about time the U.N. will stand against evil,” said Gila Almagor, an Israeli actress and author who attended the event as a guest of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Almagor’s mother survived the Holocaust but spent her life in and out of mental institutions. Consumed with guilt that she survived while her 13 siblings all perished, Almagor’s mother constantly wrote numbers on her arms, simulating the tattoos burned into the forearms of concentration camp victims.

U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA), the only Holocaust survivor in Congress, also played a role in bringing about the special session by lobbying for Annan’s support.

After the morning session and before speaking to a B’nai B’rith-sponsored panel on the Holocaust, Lantos spoke with JTA. “I am delighted with this session because it enables countries that wanted to focus attention on this issue to have a forum,” and draws attention to discrimination against Jews and the Jewish state, said Lantos, who wrote legislation requiring the U.S. government to report incidents of anti-Semitism.

Holocaust survivor and Nobel prize laureate Elie Wiesel also addressed the session.

by JORDANA L. KURTZMAN Friedel Jewish Academy celebrated Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of Trees, on January 24th. Ruti Margalit, Friedel’s Activities Committee chairperson, organized a Tu B’Shevat party with Kathy Weiner. Their goal was to bring Friedel families together to create a family tree.

Just as the children, their parents, and their grandparents are branches of Friedel’s family, so is Friedel a branch of Omaha’s Jewish family.

Margalit and Weiner included a planting activity, in order to parallel the planting of trees in Israel by having the families plant terrariums in recycled juice and soda bottles.

Julie Phillips led the group of approximately 80 people in creating a Tu B’Shevat art project.

Students and their families created family tree collages on canvas by using scrapbook papers, fabrics cut into the shape of trees and leaves, family pictures, strands of beads, satin ribbons, and dozens of other decorative items.

Phillips not only planned and organized the artistic portion of the night’s event, but she also donated most of the supplies to the school as well. The Phillips family also donated the tree sculpture that now stands prominently in the commons area of the school. This “Tree of Life and Learning” was created by local artists, who created the sculpture out of fabric which features a nest, a bird, and thousands of hand-cut leaves.

The evening also included a slide presentation, led by Na’ama Arzi, that included images of plants, trees, flowers, and landscapes of Israel. Uri Levin played the guitar and sang Tu B’Shevat songs to the children, who sat mes-

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Top left: Ruti Margalit, left, Dolon Margalit, Grandpa Harry Richman, Shoshana Halev, Julie Phillips, Lilly Phillip, and Noam Margalit, and, in background: Rich Wiener, Jeff Spinner-Halev, and Jarred Randone enjoy Tu B’Shevat at Friedel.

Below: FJA students pose in front of their “tree,” donated by the Phillips family. merized by the enchanting melodies, as did their parents.

Teachers Anna Besser, Denise Bennett, Barb Sather, and Diana Zeman were also integral assistants to the successful event, helping in everything from guiding families with their art projects to serving food.

Elyza Halev coordinated the other interactive activities that took place to celebrate Tu B’Shevat. They touched upon all five senses. Friedel’s PTO provided refreshments, including fruit, pies, and ice cream.

Guests were able to taste some 15 kinds of fruit and nuts, including apples, oranges, bananas, olives, coconuts, almonds, and blueberries. These foods represented the three kinds of fruits one should eat on Tu B’Shevat: • fruit that are wholly edible, • fruit that are wholly edible except for the pit, • and fruit that are wholly edible except for the peel.

Guests also were able to enjoy the scent of clovestudded oranges, rounding off the theme of fulfilling our five senses on this joyous holiday.

For information about Friedel or to take a peek at the Tree of Life and Learning, please call Cookie Katskee or Mary Jane Tweedy at 334.0517.

Page 4

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 4, 2005

Orthodoxy in Charleston: Brith Sholom Beth Israel & American Jewish History

by Jeffrey S. Gurock (published by The College of Charleston Library, 2004)

B OOK REVIEW

by LEONARD J. GREENSPOON In the fall of 1975, I was just beginning my first full year as a professor of religious studies at Clemson University. My wife and I decided to visit cousins, also newly arrived South Carolinians, in Charleston, for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. We arrived for services at Brith Sholom Beth Israel, the city’s Orthodox synagogue, without knowing any members and without tickets (often a perquisite for synagogue attendance on the High Holidays). No sooner had we entered the lobby than we were warmly welcomed as newcomers (not strangers); by the end of the service, we had received offers for dinner and numerous expressions of concern to make sure we lacked nothing we might need.

As a Southerner and as a Jew, I was less surprised, but no less delighted, than my northern relatives. Almost 30 years after this incident, another Jew, also a professor, arrived from New York. This was Jeffrey S. Gurock, who teaches at Yeshiva University, this country’s preeminent Orthodox institution of higher learning. The result of Gurock’s stay, far longer than my initial visit, is this marvelous volume, Orthodoxy in Charleston: Brith Sholom Beth Israel & American Jewish History. The book, although relatively brief (the text is less than 100 pages in length), abounds in insights and information, and deserves to be read by a wide audience.

For the most part, Gurock follows a straightforward chronological approach, dividing his fascinating narrative into seven chapters that carry the story from Brith Sholom’s origins in the early 1850s through the merger of Brith Sholom and

Beth Israel in the mid 1950s, to events of 2004 and the prospects ahead.

Gurock paints vivid pictures of the leading figures, both rabbinic and lay, who guided the synagogue (at times, synagogues) through 150 years of history, a very long time for an Orthodox congregation to survive in a small city like Charleston.

Bird’s eye view of the city of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1872 Unlike so many other congregational histories, in hands less skilled and experienced than Gurock’s, this volume does not turn into a boring, and unrealistic, listing of reported successes and reputed saints. Rabbis and lay leaders are, after all, humans, with the usual accompanying strengths and weaknesses, and Gurock records it all. Although he clearly has his heroes, he seems unfailingly fair in striving to understand what motivated the men (and occasionally women) whose decisions made the congregation and, more generally, Charleston’s Orthodox Jewish community what it is.

Gurock’s most valuable contribution is

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ty has often mirrored trends and developments throughout the United States.

Again and again, Gurock shows himself a gifted chronicler and astute observer at both local and national levels. The breadth of his narrative enormously enhances its appeal.

Four dozen illustrations, carefully chosen and captioned, were taken in large part from Brith Sholom Beth Israel’s congregational records, housed in Special Collections in the College of Charleston library. The images of people and places add texture, vitality, and a vivid sense of time to the story. Pictures of letters, telegrams, pages from books of minutes, synagogue programs and other

ephemera, along with the endnotes and index, make the book especially useful to an academician like myself.

Altogether, Orthodoxy in Charleston is an exceptionally rich and handsome text.

If there is a weakness to the volume, it is that by beginning his story in 1852, Gurock passes over the first 160 years of the Jewish presence in Charleston.

Fortunately, there are other books to provide this background, including James W. Hagy, This Happy Land: The Jews of Colonial and Antebellum Charleston (published in 1993); Theodore Rosengarten and Dale Rosengarten, A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life (2002); Robert N. Rosen, The Jewish Confederates (2002); the now dated Barnett A. Elzas, The Jews of South Carolina From the Earliest Time to the Present Day (originally published in 1905 and reprinted in 1983); Charles Reznikoff and Uriah Z. Engelman, The Jews of Charleston: A History of an American Jewish Community (1950); Arthur V. Williams, Tales of Charleston, 1930s (1999); Louis D. Rubin, Jr., The Golden Weather (1961; reprinted in 1981), and My Family’s People: A Family of Southern Jews (2002); and my own modest contribution, “Judaism in South Carolina” in Religion in South Carolina (1993).

Thus, Gurock’s seeming omission, while primarily due to the need to focus on the congregation itself, may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, if it leads readers to explore the sources listed above. Congratulations to the College of Charleston Library for publishing this book and making this splendid resource available to researchers and general readers alike.

Find more books about Jews in the South in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library.

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surely the many ways in which he places Brith Sholom Beth Israel within the larger context of American Orthodox Judaism. As seen by outside observers, Orthodoxy may appear monolithic and homogenized in beliefs and practices.

This is not true, nor has it ever been.

Institutional growth, as well as strife, within Charleston’s Orthodox communi-

by JILL BELMONT lachrymose terms,” Dr. Sarna said.

Beth El Publicity Coordinator “When we think of the history of The 350th anniversary of American Jews, we think of persecution, expulJewry being celebrated this year mer- sion, tragedy, mass murder and now, its our attention and remembrance, alas, terror. Holocaust museums reinsays Dr. Jonathan Sarna, force that somber view of author and leading historiour past; so does most of an on American Jewish our liturgy; so does every history. Dr. Sarna, the incident of Middle East Joseph H. & Belle R. violence.

“American Braun Professor of Jewish history stands as American Jewish History at the exception to this great Brandeis University, was melancholy story,” he in Omaha recently, and remarked. presented to Beth El syna“Without downplaying gogue-goers a dynamic, the history of antienlightening D’var Torah Semitism in this country-during Shabbat morning and we shouldn’t downDr. Jonathan Sarna services. play it--the fact remains “This year, we Jews in that persecution, expulAmerica are commemorating an event sion, tragedy and mass murder are not that changed history and has become the central themes of American Jewish the object of zikaron (remembrance),” life, and never have been.” he said. That event was the arrival of Instead, he said, American Jewish 23 Jewish refugees in New history presents an opportunity to Amsterdam, from Recife, Brazil. examine how Jews have flourished “Small as they were in numbers, under freedom, and encourages us “to Jews played a significant part in [our explore an entirely different set of country’s] early story and have questions which emerge, unsurprisingremained a part of the story of plural- ly, from the central themes of ism and tolerance in this country ever American life: freedom, diversity, since,” he said, adding that “1654, church/state separation.” viewed in its proper perspective, is To study the history of American truly an historical milestone for Jews Judaism “is to be reminded anew of and for freedom generally.” the theme of human potential, the Remembering and celebrating Jews’ ability of American Jews, young and inclusion into American society stands old, men and women alike, to change in stark contrast to the way Jewish his- the course of history, and transform a tory is generally viewed, “in tragic or piece of the world.”

February 4, 2005

ORGANIZATIONS JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE JFS is in need of groceries (non-perishable items) and personal care items for our food pantry. Please call 330.2024 if you have questions about what to donate.

BREADBREAKERS On Wednesday, Feb. 9, noon, at the Park Inn Regency, our speaker Dr. Terry Clark, professor of political science at Creighton University, will talk on “The Reforms’ of Russian President Putin and Their Implications For America.” Like the term “military intelligence,” is “Russian democracy” an oxy-moron? Cost is $11 for a full lunch and $3 for beverage service only.

The community is invited to attend.

YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us for a one-man-band show with Derek Ventura this Monday at the JCC. Lunch will begin at noon in the auditorium. Cost is $6 per person. Bingo will begin with Eileen Remer at 10 a.m. in the auditorium; exercise in the social hall at 10:30 a.m. and the discussion group with Norm Zevitz at 11 a.m. For transportation call Dee Dee at 330.4272. Call Maggie Conti for reservations at 334.6521 for Bluffs Run Casino on Feb. 17, and Consumer Affairs for Seniors with Mike Sigmond from KETV News Watch 7 on Feb. 21.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC in the Social Hall on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.

VISIONS Join us at the Joslyn Art Museum to see the exhibit “The Old Masters: Renaissance to Rococo” on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 11:15 a.m. We will meet for lunch (on your own) in the Atrium of the Joslyn (Durham Café). An escorted tour will follow lunch. The cost is $5.50 each for admission. There is no charge for members of the Joslyn.

Go back in time to see Antiquities at UNO--“Silent Spectators of the Sacred”--on Wednesday, March 9, 11:30 a.m. We will meet at the China Road (132 and Dodge) for lunch (on your own). Following lunch, carpool to UNO and view the exhibit. Suggested donation is $2 single or $3 for couple.

Make check payable to Visions for both events. and send with reservations to: Sandy and Fred Bromley, 13419 Marinda St. Omaha, NE 68144.

Membership dues to Visions for 2005 are now due.

Please mail your check, payable to Visions, for $5 per person to: Visions, C/O Beverly Gilinsky, 1406 No. 126 St., Omaha, NE 68154.

JEWISH SENIOR SERVICES Join us for live music at its finest with The Omaha Municipal Orchestra on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m., at the JCC. There is no admission fee. Bring a friend. For reservations, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.

JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL JWI is sponsoring our annual Sweetheart Day for the residents and guests at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2 p.m., in the Tea Room.

Refreshments will be served and entertainment will be provided by Danny Pachman, son of Lou and Allison Latenser Pachman. Please call Chairman Rose Rosenberg at 393.0344, or Allison Latenser Pachman, Co-Chairman, if you wish to help.

BETH ISRAEL SISTERHOOD Are you weary of wintry weather? Wouldn’t it be nice to get out of the house, enjoy a soup and sandwich lunch, and visit with friends? Beth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood will hold an open Board Meeting and Luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 11:30 a.m. All Sisterhood members are invited to attend.

Meeting topics will include discussion about fundraising efforts, volunteering for Sisterhood projects and Committee reports. There is no charge to Sisterhood members for the luncheon. Call the synagogue office, 556.6288, to make your reservation.

BIRTH Heather and Mark Kelln announce the Dec. 10, 2004, birth of their son, Peyton Joseph.

Grandparents are Jody and Ray Goldstein of Rochester, MN, and Kathy and Don Kelln of Rome, WI.

Cartwheels for Compassion

by PAM MONSKY Federation Communication Director Two young gymnasts in our community have decided to raise money for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s (JDC) Southeast Asia Sarah Potash and Ariel Kohll Tsunami Relief Fund by doing cartwheels!

Ariel Kohll, age nine, and Sarah Potash, eight, both members of Cahoys Gymnastics Girl’s Competitive Team, invite others to join them on Sunday, Feb. 13 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center to do cartwheels to raise money for the victims of the Southeast Asia tsunami.

Participants will do as many cartwheels as they can in a 10 minute period. Each child will get friends, family and community members to sponsor them based on the number of cartwheels they do. The maximum number of cartwheels that a gymnast will do is 200. Flat fee donations are also appreciated.

All the money raised through the cartwheel-a-thon will be forwarded by the Jewish Federation of Omaha to the JDC and will provide medical and other humanitarian relief to the hundreds of thousands of tsunami victims. Donations are tax deductible in accordance with the rules and regulations of the IRS. “Cartwheels for Compassion” is open to anyone who is interested in doing cartwheels (or forward roll/summersaults) to raise money for Southeast Asia Tsunami Relief. For more information on participating, donating, or obtaining a sponsor sheet, please contact Linda Potash at 934.5908 or 934.5921.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

The Shukert family wishes to thank their friends and Jewish organizations for their kind expressions of sympathy on the death of Rose Sherman, sister, aunt, mother and grand-mother. Rose was an important person in the Omaha Jewish community and dearly loved by all.

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IN THE NEWS For the second time in less than a year, Bruce Gordon, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and cochairman of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has been appointed to a prestigious new national committee.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Human Research Protections recently announced Dr. Gordon’s appointment to the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) Subpart A Subcommittee.

In July, Dr. Gordon was named chairman of the National Cancer Institute’s newly constituted Pediatric Central Institutional Review Board (PedCRIB).

A pediatric hematologist-oncologist, Dr. Gordon joined UNMC in July 1989. He became a member of the IRB in 1992 and has served as its chairman for seven years. He is a member of the Public Policy Committee of the Applied Research Ethics National Association (the organization of IRB professionals), an editor of the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) and author of two modules for the course. He has served as clinical director of the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplation Program at UNMC. Dr. Gordon received his undergraduate and medical degrees from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

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Ginger’s Hang-up Custom Framing/Art Galleries is having a moving sale of 25-50% off at their current location at 129th and Center. Watch for their new store at 145th and Center, opening in Feb. 2005.

Theo Mercer, owner of Telepro, Incorporated, an audio visual company with offices and studios in Omaha and Lincoln has named Steve Neesman as President. Neesman whose background is in photography and marketing has worked in the field for over 30 years. Telepro is Nebraska’s complete audio and video production company. The 20 year old firm specializes in location and event productions.

Neesman’s focus will be on the corporate and social events that require professional audio/visual documentation as well as continuing to supply services for national and regional clients.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 4, 2005

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator If you like spaghetti with salad, bread, and dessert on the side, it's hard to beat Omaha Temple Youth Group's (OTYG) annual pasta pleaser starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13, at Temple Israel. Pasta, Present and Future, the 2005 edition of OTYG's largest fundraising event of the year, will honor past Temple youth group board members. At the same time, filling up your plate with pasta and participating in the day-long auction will raise money for Camp CoHoLo near Gretna and Camp Rainbow near St. Louis, Missouri. Both camps serve children who have cancer and blood disorders.

Proceeds also benefit all of Temple's youth groups including OTYG, Junior Youth Group, and Club 56.

The groups use the money for programming and for scholarships to travel to chavurot (conclaves). Current

youth group members will be working as wait staff during the dinner while seventh and eighth graders will be at the coat check.

Theme-filled baskets will be up for bid beginning at the silent auction which starts at 10 a.m. Jimmy Farber returns as the auctioneer for the live auction which begins right after dinner. OTYG reports that there are baskets for scrap bookers, gardeners, and Husker fans as well as a Shabbat dinner, a BBQ party, and a wine themed basket.

OTYG member Nate Joseph is chairing the spaghetti dinner this year.

Dinner for adults is $7; it's $4 for children from three to 12, and free for those younger. Reservations can be made by calling the Temple office at 556.6536 or by email at ljensen@templeisraelomaha.com. Everyone is welcome.

Jewish Boy Scouts Invited to Shabbat Worship Service at Temple Israel

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator “The Jewish community has historically opened its doors to Scouting,” said Rabbi Craig Marantz of Temple Israel where Scout Shabbat will be observed during morning worship services on Saturday, Feb. 12, 10:30 a.m., coinciding with the national Scout Sabbath. This will be “a nice opportunity for us to celebrate Shabbat with our Scouting community,” Rabbi Marantz said.

“For a number of our young people, Scouting has made a difference in their lives,” said Rabbi Marantz.

“Scouting not only has helped them acquire important skills, but it has also taught them about key values, quite a few of which find resonance in Jewish life.” He mentioned kindness, cheerfulness, a strong sense of community, and a connection to God as examples of standards in both Judaism and Scouting.

Aaron Passer, 16, a 10th grader at Brownell-Talbot, is a Life Scout member of Troop 552 and is the patrol leader, Troop scribe, and Troop guide. For his Eagle Scout project, Aaron raised $7000 to order bronze plaques that were placed in front of old, worn headstones on the graves of babies in the Temple Israel Cemetery. So far he has placed ten plaques and has five more to do. Additionally, he marked the graves of four unnamed babies with flat stones, cleaned up the area, participated in a book burial ceremony, and will place a bench in the area of the cemetery where he was assisted by some 30 fellow Scouts, family members, and friends. He has been working on this project since

March 2004.

Aaron, who will participate in Scout Shabbat, said he picked the cemetery project to earn his Eagle Scout Award, because the work “was a mitzvah and a favor that you can't expect to be returned.” He believes it was “a good experience” and helped him “learn to organize.”

Aaron’s parents, Dr. Jeff and Sandy Passer, have been leaders in their sons Joel and Aaron’s Scouting programs. Jeff Passer is currently Troop Committee Chairman as well as chairman of the Jewish Committee on Scouting. Sandy Passer is associate chairman. Joel, 18, is an Eagle Scout and participates in Venturing for young men and women ages 14 to 20.

There are roughly 100 Boy Scouts in the area, estimated Mid-America Council Scout Executive Lloyd Roitstein, including boys in Troop 218 and Pack 218, both affiliated with the Jewish Community Center. Bob Kahn is Scoutmaster of Troop 218, Dr. Mark Pilley is Troop chairman, and Sharon Brodkey is Troop committee member. Cubmaster is Geoff Wertheim; Jordana Kurtzman is committee chairman. Rabbi Mendel Katzman and Henry Weiner are committee members of the Pack. Dan Levitan is the Webelos leader. Allison Latenser and Lou Pachman are outgoing committee chair and Cubmaster. Maynard Tatelman is the commissioner for both the Troop and the Pack.

Scouts, including adult Scouts and leaders, from the entire community are encouraged to attend Scout Shabbat. They should wear their uniforms.

Beth El Men’s Club Invites Community To Participate in ‘World Wide Wrap’

Federation Hosts Brunch for Community’s Newcomers

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beth El’s Men’s Club invites all Jewish men and women to join the synagogue’s Sunday morning minyannaires on Sunday, Feb. 6, 9 a.m., for the fifth annual “World Wide Wrap,” to learn the ancient Jewish ritual of laying tefillin. The Beth El community will join thousands of Conservative Jews around the world taking part in the ‘Wrap,’ which is sponsored by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, according to coordinator Glen Fineman.

“The World Wide Wrap provides us with a wonderful bond with other Jews, and is important and significant in reconnecting us with our traditions,” Fineman said. “The mitzvah of wrapping tefillin is one of the most basic Jewish rituals, yet for many it is removed from their daily lives, seen somehow as a relic of the past rather than a vibrant and vital spiritual experience,” he added. “Through the ‘Wrap,’ we hope that this ritual will once again be embraced by many and become part of their Jewish lives.”

Men’s Club welcomes everyone to participate in this mitzvah, Fineman said, noting that those persons needing assistance in wrapping tefillin are asked to arrive at 8:45 a.m. for instruction. He added that sixth and seventh graders are also encouraged to take part “to further their knowledge of Jewish practices and traditions during this important pre-B’nai Mitzvah period.”

Following the morning service, Men’s Club will sponsor a breakfast for attendees and will show an informative video, “The Ties that Bind,” regarding the importance and significance of tefillin; Rabbi Levin will also make a presentation For information, please call 492.8550.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Newcomers Brunch will be Sunday, Feb. 13, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. Newcomers to the community are invited to bring their families and join the more than 100 new people who have recently made Omaha their home.

Newcomers will have the opportunity to meet long time community members and Jewish professionals from the Federation, its agencies as well as the synagogue. Activities for children will be provided. Simultaneously, “Cartwheels for Compassion,” a fundraiser for Southeast Asia Tsunami Relief organized by young gymnastic students in the Jewish community, will take place at the JCC. If you haven’t yet received your invitation and would like to attend, please contact Janie Murow, Federation Community Development Director at 334.6566, or email jmurow@jewishomaha.org.

With Pesach Around the Corner, Beth El PTA is Now Selling Barton’s Passover Candy

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator It’s not too early to start thinking about Passover, and time to order those always-loved, perfect Seder table treats, Barton’s Passover Candy and Macaroons! Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah’s PTA members will be taking orders for the sweets from now until Feb. 27, according to PTA chairwoman Rhonda Saferstein, who noted that order forms are available at the BESTT office 498.0904, at the Beth El web site, www.bethel-omaha.org, or through BESTT students. In addition, a special table will be set up to accept orders at the JCC’s Member Services area on Sundays, 1-4 p.m. through Feb. 20, she said.

Candy prices range from $2.50 to $25.

TeenAge

February 4, 2005

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

underwritten by A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION FROM AN ANONYMOUS DONOR

Editor’s note: This month’s Teen Age features the teens of the Beth Israel’s NCSY youth group. Special thanks goes to Joe Shyken for collecting the material.

Inspiration and Energy

by AVI KATZMAN This past winter break I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the NCSY (National Conference for Synagogue Youth) Senior Winter Conclave; an Orthodox youth group organization that held its annual winter convention for high school teens. It took place at Indian Lakes Resort in Illinois.

the country. I met two girls from Israel who were staying in Milwaukee for a couple months. Even the advisors that came were so inspirational and energetic that it really made the weekend. Of course, I had my old friends, with whom I spent countless hours with reminiscing about Conclaves in the past. So far, nothing could compare to this one.

Upcoming NCSY Events • Senior NCSY Latte & Learning: Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m. at Starbucks, 114th and Dodge.

• Junior NCSY Movie Night at Beth Israel: Saturday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m.

• New York Trip for Public School Students: Feb. 17-21 • Yarchei Kallah in Chicago: Feb. 18-20 • Sr. Mini Shabbaton in St. Louis: March 18-20

Please contact NCSY adviser: Joe Shyken, at 689.7247, for more information.

The Jewish rock group, Blue Fringe, highlighted the Sr. NCSY winter conclave in Wisconsin.

Credit: Ethan Berner

Hangin’ with the Rabbi

Avi Katzman, center, loves meeting up with her NCSY friends from around the Midwest Region--this time over winter break at Conclave in Wisconsin.

This was my fourth consecutive year attending the convention and it was, by far, one of the better.

It began with each city arriving at the resort late Thursday evening. Chaotic would be a good word to describe the atmosphere. I heard loud shrieks of exciting girls who hadn’t seen each other in an entire month. Everyone was glad to be there.

After everything settled down a little, I took note of my surroundings, noticing the new place. This was the first year at Indian Lakes and everyone seemed eager for a change.

The next few days brought on much fun and excitement. During Shabbat, I met so many great people from all over

There was also skiing and snowboarding, and movies, and the mall, but by far, the most exciting thing about the convention was the performance of the group, Blue Fringe. They are a famous Jewish band that performed Saturday night. Everyone was dancing and singing and it really brought people together.

If I could say one thing that really had an impact me this year as far as NCSY conventions, this would be it. Along with more than 200 people who attended this great event, we all know it was worth our while.

Avi Katzman is a junior at Westside High School and the President of Sr. NCSY.

Burn Calories at Shul!

by ADAM GENDELMAN Judaism and thanksgiving could be interMany of you will be surprised to hear related for a fun filled time. how sporting events have played a big In December, four Beth Israel mempart in the programs at bers participated in the Beth Israel this year.

Annual B’nai B'rith To start with, this Hanukkah Run. While Thanksgiving was a David Kohll, Rabbi little bit different from Gross, and my father, previous ones.

Howard Gendelman, Usually, I get to sleep gave it their all, it just in on Thanksgiving, wasn’t enough. I had the but not this year. This honor of finishing first in year was the a this year’s race.

Father/Son Beth Israel Adam Gendelman shmoozes with Also in December, football game.

Kansas City NCSY friend, Daniel Omaha’s NCSY (National My Thanksgiving Rosenblatt, at the Jr. NSCY Conference of Day started out by Shabbaton at Beth Israel last month. Synagogue Youth--Beth awakening at 6:50 Israel’s youth group for a.m. to attend morning minyan.. After fifth through 12th graders) had the privthe 7 a.m. services concluded, the ilege of watching the UNO Mavericks numerous fathers and sons (and uncles, hockey game at the Qwest center. The grandfathers, and friends) sat down to game was especially exciting for us since have a hearty Bagel Bin breakfast. Then, we were able to watch it from the Pepsi all the players stormed the field for the sky box thanks to the Shrago family and highly anticipated kickoff.

Bag ’n Save. A hockey game is so much The game was played at a very high nicer when you can sit in luxurious intensity, on both sides of the ball. Rabbi seats, view instant replay on plasma TV Jonathan Gross was a phenomenal quar- monitors, and enjoy all the Pepsi you terback and earned the most valuable can drink. player award for the game.

Who would have thought shul would Across the United States, people think be so much exercise? that Thanksgiving is about a time of Adam Gendelman is a senior at thanks. This Thanksgiving I learned Burke High and a member of Sr. something different. I learned that NCSY.

by DANIEL GROSSMAN I also meet with Rabbi Gross in a oneMost kids my age are into music and on-one learning session once a week. trade CDs, jam together, and just like to Again, even though we focus on Jewish hang out. learning, we also find time to talk about A bunch of my friends also love to music, sports, movies, and much more. paint ball. And of course nearly every- During winter break, we headed to one loves going to the movies.

Barnes & Noble and went through the My friends and I are really into IM’ing Jewish book section. Looking at the (that’s instant messaging), computer wide variety of books led us into a very games, surfing the Net and of course, tel- “interesting” discussion. It was really ranevision. dom and included UFOs, In addition to Kaballah, Truman, and a litsharing all of these tle Buddhist mysticism, and interests with my believe me, that was only friends, I also share the start. It was definitely them with my new one of the best times I have rabbi--Rabbi ever had a teacher of any Jonathan Gross. All kind! of those except TV, You might think that that is. He and his because of his age, Rabbi wife, Sara, don’t Havdalah at the Jr. Shabbaton at Gross can’t relate to older own a television! people (you know, people Beth Israel last month.

In case you like my parents!) but that haven’t met him, you should know that isn’t the case. He talks to everybody and Rabbi Gross is in his 20s (he just cele- wants to get to know everyone, too. At brated his birthday last Shabbat!). It the recent Jr. NCSY Shabbaton at Beth sounds really young for an Orthodox Israel, he made every effort to get to rabbi and I hear people making jokes know every single kid who was there. with him about it, but everyone at Beth He and Sara make everyone feel very Israel really thinks it’s great. special.

I attend Rabbi Gross’ Sunday morning If you haven’t had the chance to meet class, which is for all junior high and high Rabbi Gross, you are definitely missing school students. We cover traditional out!

Jewish subjects plus current events. On Daniel Grossman is an eighth occasion however, the absolutely random grader at Westside Middle School topics we rant about keep us on edge. and is a member of NCSY.

Fellman and Kooper Charitable Trusts Scholarship Applications Due

by Jewish Press News Service The Bruce M. Fellman Charitable Foundation Trust and the Robert H. & Dorothy G. Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust have announced the availability of scholarships for the 2005-06 academic year. the scholarships are based on financial need for Jewish students with ties to the Omaha community who are pursuing their post-secondary education.

Bruce, son of Tom and Darlynn Fellman, was a 1982 graduate of Westside High School, and was active in BBYO. He served as President, Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer of Chaim Weizmann AZA. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and was participating in the University of Pittsburgh’s Semester at Sea at the time of his death in 1984.

Trustees for the Foundation are Darlynn Fellman, Terri Schrager, and Howard Kooper.

Robert Kooper had a long history of service to the Jewish community. He was President of B’nai B’rith in 1929; Beth El in 1941; Highland Country Club in 1951; and was President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha 1958-60. He died in 1961. Mrs. Kooper was a strong supporter and worked with the Jewish Federation and Beth El Sisterhood. She passed away in May, 1995.

“Awarding a scholarship to a young Jewish person is a very appropriate way of honoring the memory of my parents and Bruce Fellman,” Howard Kooper noted.

He and his wife, Sharon, fund the Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust. Tom Fellman also serves as trustee.

Applications are available by contacting Mr. Kooper in writing at: 809 No. 96 St., Omaha, NE 68114. The application packet will be mailed out and must be returned to the office no later than April 1, 2005.

Page 8

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 4, 2005

Opinion Two Jews, Three Shuls There’s an old joke that two Jews were shipwrecked and stranded on a remote island. Years passed and the two men, wizened and stooped by now, were finally rescued by a passing ship.

The ship’s captain was mystified, however, by the buildings on the island. Why, when there were only two survivors, were there three buildings?

“That’s the shul I attend,” exclaimed on old man. “And that’s my shul,” said the other.

“And the third building?” asked the captain.

“Oh,” replied on of the Jews, “that’s the shul we’d never set foot in!”

All jokes aside, the Associated Press reported last week that one of two remaining Jews in Kabul, Afghanistan, died last week. Ishaq Levin, about 80, had lived on the opposite side of the last remaining synagogue in Kabul, while 45-year-old Zebulon Simentov lived on the other. The two hadn’t spoken in years, since the reign of the Taliban.

“He (Levin) was a very bad man,” said Simentov in the AP article. “Now, I am the Jew here; I am the boss!”

It’s tempting to laugh. But how would you like to be one of two remaining Jews in a country--and not be on speaking terms? It’s bad enough than in large Jewish communities, rabbis and congregants from different synagogues refuse to speak to one another, but when there are only two Jews in a community?

Let’s just say Simentov didn’t have much Mazal Tov. We heard another similar story about Jews not speaking to one another, from a synagogue in the South. It seems that the space in which the memorial room stood was needed for another purpose. Plans were drawn; bids let and the congregational board moved for-

(Founded in 1920)

ward to redesign the space for updated needs. The room, holding all the yahrzeit plaques, was demolished, but some time during the building project, the plaques were not removed from the walls and--you guessed it-were demolished, along with the rest of the room.

Apologies were made to the congregants, and most were understanding. After all, the plaque is not the deceased; it’s only a name on a piece of metal. Several congregants, however, are apparently so distraught they are suing the synagogue.

Oy gevalt! Are they trying to destroy a Jewish institution? Even if the judge dismisses the suit, the congregation will have spent thousands in legal fees to defend themselves in court.

Did they make a mistake? Yes. Is it irreversible? No really. If it’s that important, new plaques can be created and hung somewhere else in the building.

Volunteers mean well. They try to make decisions with the information at hand. Sometimes they’re good decisions; other times, other board members have to undo the original “good intentions.” Over time, however, most Jewish institutional decisions are not life threatening--except in the case of Kabul, Afghanistan--where a tiny Jewish community killed itself by forgetting one simple Jewish lesson: they forgot to talk to one another.

Jews are good at arguing--that is, frankly, the basis of Talmudic scholarship. But even Hillel and

Shammai, the pair of respected scholars most often quoted in this instance, were respected by their peers--and by later generations of scholars.

Disagree all you want. It’s healthy and often brings a more creative solution to a problem.

But when the vote’s over, don’t go away mad.

Don’t go away. And don’t hire an attorney to settle internecine skirmishes.

A plaque’s just a plaque--but once a fellow Jew is gone, it’s too late for apologies.

Witnesses and medical sources told the Agence France-Presse news service that what the boy had pointed at the soldiers was a toy replica of a gun he had received as a present for a Muslim holiday.

Ella Abukasis, true to her religious heritage, valued life. She could not have known that her instinctive move to preserve her brother’s life would mean the end of her own, but her first thought as danger loomed was to protect. Jewish religious law

voters’ blood,” and carry the further message: “To those of you who think you can vote and then run away, we will shadow you and catch you, and we will cut off your heads and the heads of your children.”

Now that the architect of Middle-Eastern terrorism has returned what was left of his soul to his Creator and the Palestinian public has elected a new leader, hopes have been voiced for the dawning of at least the beginning of the beginning of a Mid-East peace process.

While Mr. Abbas has disturbingly saluted his predecessor and used offensive rhetoric when addressing his people, the dream stubbornly persists that his condemnations of violence (albeit as counterproductive to Palestinian aspirations, not as immoral) reflect a more essential part of his being. And that, as a result, he will, as he has pledged, truly attempt to rein in groups like Hamas that live for death; and deal in good faith with his Israeli counterpart.

The most fundamental obstacle to peace in the Middle East, though, is not Mr. Abbas, or even Hamas and the other factions pledged to the murder of innocent men, women and children.

The most vexing impediment is something both more subtle and more formidable: a Palestinian populace that does not disapprove of its youngsters throwing rocks at soldiers and that, even amid the copious carnage of terrorism and reprisals, sees a toy gun as an appropriate holiday gift for a little boy.

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content.

The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, noon, eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.

An Unholy Heritage

FOCUS ON ISSUES

by RABBI AVI SHAFRAN Two young people were killed a day apart in Israel recently, one a Palestinian, the other an Israeli. The circumstances of their deaths are more than revealing; they go to the core of the conflict that consumed them.

At first glance the youths were just two more “innocent victims” caught in a “cycle of violence”--as the media is wont to portray such things. But platitudes are no replacement for perception.

Seventeen-year-old Ella Abukasis, a Jewish resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, was critically wounded when a Kassam rocket fired from the nearby Gaza Strip exploded near her and her siblings as they were returning home from a religious youth group meeting.

When Ella heard the siren warning of an incoming missile, she dove atop her 11-yearold brother Tamir to protect him. He was wounded but would recover; his sister would not. Six days later, she succumbed.

One day before that, Salahadin Abu Mohsen, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy, joined a group of youths who were taunting and throwing rocks at a group of Israeli soldiers patrolling Tubas, a West Bank village near Jenin. The troops did not react to the taunts and rocks, or to the crowd of adults that had gathered menacingly around.

But when they saw one boy--Salahadin-brandish what seemed to be a gun, one of the soldiers shot him in the chest. He died in the ambulance transporting him to a hospital.

...the boy had pointed at the soldiers was a toy replica of a gun he had received as a present for a Muslim holiday ...Salahadin Abu Mohsen was true to a heritage too, that of the substantial majority of Palestinians favoring violence against Israelis. is itself fiercely protective of life, permitting almost every law in the Torah to be violated to save a life.

Salahadin Abu Mohsen was true to a heritage too, that of the substantial majority of Palestinians favoring violence against Israelis.

That unholy heritage has roots in the radical Islamism that plagues so many countries in the contemporary world, to be sure, but in the wider Arab cultural milieu as well. The day this is being written, The New York Times reports that leaflets being handed out in Iraq in anticipation of elections there warn of “wash(ing) the streets of Baghdad with the

Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Jewish Press Committee Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; Jean Duitch; Penny Endelman; Kip Gordman; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Michael Siegal; Nancy Skid; and Melany Weinstine.

The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press and the Foundation are constitutional committees of the Jewish Federation.

Rabbi Shafran is Director of Dublic Affairs for Agudath Israel of America.

This article is courtesy of Am Echad Resources. Rabbi Shafran can be reached at: shafran@agudathisrael.org.

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Page 9

Report on Holocaust-era Accounts in Israel is a Small Step for Activist way affect the bank’s moral obligation to continue to assist in the identification BEHIND THE and restitution of assets belonging to Holocaust victims and to cooperate with H EADLINES those bodies designated by the Knesset

by DINA KRAFT RAMAT GAN (JTA)--Emmanuel Zusevich spreads copies of archival documents, official correspondence and black-and-white family photographs across the coffee table of his living room, evidence of a decades-long struggle to reclaim Holocaust-era assets from Israeli banks and other authorities.

Zusevich’s family is one of thousands of Jewish families in Europe that invested in Palestine by opening bank accounts and buying land here before World War II, but whose heirs never saw the money again.

“There were manipulations to ensure people did not get back their money. It’s immoral,” said Zusevich, 45, who together with a cousin has been working to reclaim the family’s investments.

A Knesset report released this month found that the Israeli government and several banks hold tens of millions of dollars in assets that belonged to 9,000 Holocaust victims or their heirs. Many of the account owners were killed by the Nazis but, as the report found, neither the government nor the banks tried to maintain the value of the money or track down heirs--who are trying now to get their due.

“It’s enough that people lost all life and property in Europe, but if you invest here you are entitled to get the money back,” Colette Avital, chairwoman of the Knesset committee that investigated the lost assets, told JTA. “We cannot ask banks abroad to do what we are ourselves are not doing.”

In 1998, Switzerland agreed to pay $1.25 billion in compensation to heirs of holders of dormant accounts that belonged to Holocaust victims or survivors after intense pressure from the United States, Israel and international Jewish groups, which accused the banks of hiding Jews’ wartime assets.

Bank Leumi, which holds the lion’s share of the banks’ responsibilities, according to the report, issued a statement saying it had no assets belonging to Holocaust victims.

Zusevich, whose family did not appear on the list of 9,000 accounts cited by the Knesset committee, is disappointed that this month’s report will not help his family recover anything.

But he hopes that an upcoming investigation into real estate assets will reveal details about property he says his family bought in prestate Israel more than 70 years ago.

Avital said she felt compelled to open the investigation, which took four years to complete, “because everyone was hiding behind somebody else. It is possible people did not know the magnitude, but now that they have the facts they cannot ignore the facts anymore and say there was nothing.”

Yehuda Barlev, one of the chief auditors in the investigation, said inaction on the part of government and banks could be attributed to bureaucracy, obtuseness and a general lack of sensitivity to the claims of survivors and heirs.

Members of Zusevich’s family were wealthy grain merchants in Bessarabia, which before the war was in Romania and later became part of Ukraine. His grandfather and great-uncles opened an account at the Anglo-Palestine Bank-which later became Bank Leumi--in the 1930s and also bought large tracts of land in Palestine. The investments were meant to pave the way for the family’s eventual immigration to Palestine, plans to which the war put an end.

Emmanuel Zusevich looks over photos and documents from his decades-long quest to reclaim money and property his family invested in Palestine in the 1930s, in his home near Tel Aviv, Jan. 24.

Credit: Dina Kraft/JTA Today the manager of a start-up company that sells medical devices, Zusevich immigrated to Israel as a teenager from Ukraine with his family in 1974. Soon afterward, he found out about the missing family bank account and property.

Documentation of family assets lost during their deportation in 1940--and subsequent requests that Bank Leumi acknowledge the account -have been met with letters that no such account exists.

However, the family name was on a list published by the Israeli state custodian in 1997 and the money was later said to amount to 650 British pounds.

But Zusevich claims that the family deposited at least 1,000 British pounds in the bank account in 1939--a large sum of money at the time, enough to buy several acres of land.

Zionist organizations encouraged Jews in Europe and elsewhere before the war to invest their money in the burgeoning Jewish community in British Mandate Palestine as a way to play an active role in the building of a Jewish national homeland, provide future financial security for their families in case they immigrated and get capital out of Europe.

In the early 1940s, such bank deposits constituted between 30 percent to 50 percent of the capital of banks in Palestine.

Once World War II began, however, the British authorities ruling Palestine seized property and accounts held by Jews living under Nazi rule as “enemy property.” Most of the assets were then transferred to England.

In 1950, following both the war and the establishment of the State of Israel, the British paid compensation of $1.4 million, which in turn was handed over to Israel’s newly established State Custodian’s Office.

A small number of the accounts were returned to their owners or heirs, but at a much reduced value. The Knesset report found the accounts were mismanaged by both the state custodian and the banks themselves, which secretly had retained some accounts all along.

In some cases, the banks reduced the interest paid to dormant accounts but continued charging fees. As a result, the value of the accounts dwindled, in some cases to nothing.

There also are stories of heirs approaching banks for information about family accounts and being turned away because they had no death certificates to prove that the relative who opened the account was killed by the Nazis. Similar responses were given at first to heirs seeking money in Swiss accounts.

Exactly how much money is owed to survivors remains unclear. The committee valued the accounts in two different ways: the initial assets, indexed to inflation since World War II, plus either 3 percent interest or 4 percent interest through Sept. 30, 2004.

With 3 percent interest, the committee found the state liable for $23 million and

Israelis draw money from Bank Leumi, Sunday, Jan. 23. Bank Leumi has been named as one of several Israeli banks holding money that belonged to 9,000 Holocaust victims or their heirs.

Credit: Brian Hendler/JTA the banks responsible for $8.5 million.

At 4 percent interest, the state’s liability is about $133 million and the banks’ liability some $73 million. That figure is much higher than the 3 percent rate both because it represents more than 60 years of compounded interest, and because the 3 percent rate is based on 1948 values.

The 4 percent figure is based on the value the money would have had in 1939.

Bank Leumi said it would cooperate with authorities regarding the report but took issues with claims that it still owes money to heirs.

“The bank argues that this retroactive reassessment has no factual, economic or legal basis. However, Bank Leumi wishes to emphasize that this specific disagreement with the commission on the principles of reassessing the value of accounts and with the findings of the advisory board on this matter will in no

to implement the commission’s report,” bank representatives said.

A lawyer for Bank Leumi was quoted in Ha’aretz on Jan. 23 saying that without a law enforcing the report’s findings, the bank did not intend to make any payments.

The Knesset committee has recommended that legislation be approved to return the assets owed to heirs at a fair value. If heirs cannot be found, it was suggested that the money go to assist Holocaust survivors or Holocaust commemoration projects.

The next phase of the committee’s work will be to investigate land holdings Holocaust victims or survivors bought before the war.

“It’s too early to say” how much such real estate could be worth, Barlev said.

“There has been lots of speculation, but none of it based on concrete facts.”

For his part, Zusevich urged other families with unpaid assets in Israel not to give up, noting that their families once helped establish the State of Israel through their investments and purchases of land. He urged them to unite to help ensure the government and banks fulfill their obligations.

“Even if you are not on the lists, do not despair. Our example shows there is a lot of material out there to research,” he said.

“It’s worth joining together in our search because going it alone is a harder road.’’

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org

Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org

Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 nebraskajudaism.com email: chabad@aol.com

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 jewishnebraska.org

Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org

The Neighborhood Minyan Torah Learning Center 1313 No. 58 St. Omaha, NE 68132 553.5397

Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethlincoln.org

If you’re looking at this space, so are others!

YOUR AD CAN GO HERE...

to reserve space, call Allan Handleman, 334-6451.

February 4, 2005

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. led by Patty Nogg.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; K’tantan (K-2), 10:45 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored

by Beth Ginsberg, in memory of family; Evening Service, 5:30 p.m.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Weekdays, 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge.

SUNDAY: Jewish Pot Pourri Class, 10 a.m. Bible Study Class, 11 a.m.; Hebrew Crash Course, 11:10 a.m.

WEDNESDAYS: PATTER (Parents & Toddlers, Torah, Exercise, Recreation) with Helen Epstein, 10:45 a.m.

JEWISH PARENTING 101: Series of eight classes for parents, will be offered at the synagogue on Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., led by Program Director Harriet Einziger, along with guest speakers providing support and expertise in different areas. Babysitting will be available upon request. To register, please contact Einziger.

THURSDAY, noon: “The Most Important People and Ideas of the Hebrew Bible,” with Rabbi Levin.

MAIMONIDES CLASS, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.: Beth El/JELS class, “To Be or Not to be: Maimonides on the Resurrection of the Dead,” taught by JELS Executive Director Guy Matalon, will meet in the synagogue library. Cost of the course (including all materials) is $18. To register, please contact Harriet Einziger in the synagogue office, or the JELS office at 334-6445.

WORLD WIDE WRAP Men’s Club invites all Jewish men and women (sixth and seventh graders are welcome, too) to join Sunday morning minyannaires on Sunday, Feb. 6, 9 a.m., for the fifth annual “World Wide Wrap,” to learn the ancient Jewish ritual of laying tefillin. For more information, please call the synagogue office.

CHAVERIM BOWLING PARTY BESTT Chaverim, a new youth group for all Jewish children in our community in grades 4 to 6, is planning a bowling and pizza party at Western Bowl, 4725 South 131st St., this Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Cost is $10 (covers bowling, shoe rental and lunch).

BARTON’S PASSOVER CANDY SALE Sponsored by BESTT’s PTA, sale runs through Feb. 27--order your Passover candy now! at the

BESTT office 498.0904 or at the Beth El web site, www.bethelomaha.org. (See complete article on page 6.)

HAZAK Meeting, 9:20 a.m. on Feb. 9.

WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. at Sibby Wolfson’s home, 912 So 131st Ave. “Roles, Responsibilities and Risks of Jewish Women” will be discussed. RSVP to Wolfson at 697.0991, or via e-mail at sibby912@aol.com.

BELLS LUNCHEON Following Shabbat services on Feb. 12, historian Carol Gendler will provide a fascinating look at the history of Jewish Omaha.

Cost is $9 for adults; $5 for children; free for children under age four. For reservations, please contact the synagogue office.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross.

FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free Babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m. for children ages five through pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah; Kiddush sponsored by Sisterhood; Mincha, 5:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:30 p.m.; Ma’ariv, 6:45 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Call the synagogue office for Mincha/Ma’ariv service time.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Call the synagogue office for Mincha/Ma’ariv service time.

MONDAY, 7:30 p.m.: Program Committee Meeting.

TUESDAY: Sisterhood Open Board Meeting and Lunch, 11:30 a.m. All Sisterhood board members are invited to attend soup and sandwich lunch at no charge.

Please make a lunch reservation with the synagogue office.

WEDNESDAY: Beth Israel Board of Commissioners Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Lecture Series with Rabbi Gross, 7 p.m., “Hail to the Chief: Encounters of Great Rabbis and US Presidents” is the first in a series of three Thursday night lectures. Plan on attending the Feb. 17 lecture, “How a Bill Becomes a Law: An Examination of the Halachic Process,” and the Feb. 24 lecture, “The Simpsons and Halacha, part I: Serious Issues Learned from a Not-So-Serious Media.”

BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: Religious School, 3-5 p.m. at the JCC.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Mamarim class, 9 a.m.; Services, 9:30 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon.

SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m.

Mishneh class, 9:30 a.m.; Aleph Champion and Little Scholars Programs. Innovative, interactive learning for kids, 10 a.m.-noon.

WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Halacha, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY: Torah for Teens, 4:15 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Kabbalah: Journey of the Soul, 7 p.m. First class of a multi-session course.

Programs are open to the community. For information or to register, call 330.1800.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Rabbi Debbie Stiel will be in Lincoln two weekends a month.

Please call her at 402.416.2321 or e-mail: dstiel@everestkc.net to set up appointments.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Barb Straus, with oneg following provided by Rich Lombardi.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. led by Robert Friedman.

SUNDAY: Hebrew School, 9 a.m.-noon; Purim Spiel Practice, 1-3 p.m.; Winter Lecture Series, 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Church, 6300 ‘A’ St. The topic is “Palestine and Israel: Homelands and Cultures” and will feature speakers who will discuss the cultural and religious history of the region from ancient times to the present.

The speaker will be Sandy Kaplan of the Department of Geosciences at UNL, who will discuss water and the ecology of the region. More information is available from the Unitarian Church, 483.2213.

ADULT EDUCATION Sunday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m., Robert Friedman will lead a class on “Post-Holocaust Jewish Thought.” The class will discuss the views of some modern Jewish theologians regarding God’s absence from, or involvement in, the Holocaust.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Jay Benton and Rabbi Maximo Shechet.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat comes to You, Rabbi Craig Marantz and members of the Temple Youth Group will lead a Shabbat Service, 4 p.m. at Remington Heights; Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. Join Rabbi Marantz and friends for songs and a story; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:30 p.m., Rabbi Marantz and Cantor Shermet will officiate. Temple Israel’s Kol Rina Choir and the St. Paul United Methodist Church Choir, conducted by Music Minister Jerry Brabec, will present

Candlelighting Friday, February 4, 5:27 p.m.

a Kabbalat Shabbat service featuring American Jewish music. The Oneg Shabbat will be sponsored by the Women of Reform Judaism-Omaha.

On Sunday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m. the choirs will sing at the church, located at 5410 Corby St. SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.

SITTER SERVICE: Available at each Friday evening service, Saturday mornings when there is a bar or bat mitzvah, as well as Sunday mornings when there is Religious School. Please make a reservation through the Temple office. Cost is $2 per family.

Sorry, there are no facilities for infants.

ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY, Feb. 6, 10:15 a.m.: Beyond the Aleph Bet. Colleen Kennealy will teach Ivrit. Class is $18, members; $25, non-members.

TUESDAY, Feb. 8, 6:30-8 p.m.: Reaching Out to Interfaith Families. This is a seven-week course facilitated by congregant John Dacey. Cost is $18 per couple.

THURSDAY, Feb 10: “Adult Study with the Clergy” with Cantor Shermet, 10-11:30 a.m.

NATIONAL SCOUT SABBATH Saturday, Feb. 12 Shabbat Morning Worship Service, 10:30 a.m. In conjunction with the National Scout Sabbath, Temple Israel will celebrate Shabbat with Omaha’s Scouting community.

Girls and boys involved in Scouting as well as adult Scouts and leaders from the entire community are encouraged to attend the Scout Shabbat in their troops' uniform. (See complete article on page 6.)

THE NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN AT TLC FRIDAY: Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:25 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; followed by Kiddush Luncheon and Mincha, 1:04 p.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan, MONDAY & THURSDAY, 9 a.m.

FRIDAY: Services, 8 p.m. and Bar Mitzvah of Donnie Earl.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. and Bar Mitzvah of Donnie Earl.

WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066.

ADULT EDUCATION MONDAYS: Introduction to Judaism with Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum, 7:30-9 p.m.

SUNDAYS: (during Hebrew School days): Jewish Law through the Ages with Rabbi Rosenbaum, 10-11:45 a.m.

PERSONAL We wishes to thank everyone who sent donations, cards, flowers, and expressions of sympathy. A special thank you to Rabbi Levin and Cantor Bogomolni.

The family of ANNE ROSENBLATT

February 4, 2005

Parashat Mishpatim (Editor’s note: with Rabbi Kripke indisposed due to the flu, the Press is reprinting his Feb. 19, 1993 column.)

If you were to read through the laws--rules--in our Sidrah, Mishpatim, could you spot the one rule that a famous philosopher singled out as the rule where civilization starts?

Some think that Hermann Cohen was the greatest philosopher of Judaism in our century. And Hertz reminds us that Cohen found the origin of civilization in one of the rules of our Sidrah. Can you spot it?

“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22.20) Israel’s experience in Egypt is not the cause of the rule. But the experience does tend to make the rule immediately understandable. It commends the principle to every Israelite. The stranger is a human being.

Very much of Israel’s legal code was different from the codes of Israel’s Near Eastern neighbors, and above them. But this one is fundamental, for it establishes the humanity of all people. The stranger is your brother.

If we have suffered pangs of conscience about what was once Yugoslavia and is now only broken parts of a state, with its peoples eager. to kill each other off, we

recognize that in fact it is the violation of this ancient Biblical rule that led to this bloodbath.

The horrible phrase is “ethnic cleansing.”

What the phrase means is “Do not let anyone not like yourself live here or even live at all.”

So much for “civilization.” So much for what the world learned from the Holocaust. Was it only because of Tito’s iron rule that Serbs and Croats and Muslims were able to live side by side for so long? Were they itching all that time to be at each other’s throats--with knives?

Against this story spectacle of our times, the prophetic demands of Israel's angry men stand out in special, vivid contrast. Amos of Tekoa reminds the people of the northern kingdom, Israel, that the Lord is concerned not only with them, but with all their neighbors as well, enemy or no enemy. The Lord, Amos declares, is the liberator not only of Israel, but of the Philistines and Arameans (Syrians) as well.

And which whole book of the Bible is read for the Minha Haphtara on Yom Kippur? The Book of Jonah! And here the book makes c]ear that God loves--and forgives for their sins--the Assyrians of Nineveh, even though they were destined to destroy the Kingdom of Israel!

Throughout the Torah and the prophetic books, there are three categories of people who have no clout and must therefore be given special attention and loving concern by society: the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.

The alien, who has no rights of citizenship, must nonetheless be recognized as the human being he is.

The concern is not civil rights. The concern is human rights. Here civilization begins.

Rosh Hodesh Quilters to Gather at Temple Israel

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Women from Israel, Canada, Australia, and across the United States are working on a quilt that, when completed, will be sent to a synagogue in Israel. Marge Bresel, a member of Temple Israel, is one of the 18 Jewish women working on the quilt, and she happens to have it right here in Omaha.

“We’re a group of ladies from all over the world who like to discuss quilting and Judaism,” Bresel explained.

“One of the Israeli ladies mentioned that her Jerusalem synagogue needs some art work,” she said. In response, the women volunteered to make quilting blocks representing women of the Bible. “I now have these blocks,” each with documentation, added Bresel who got involved in quilting in the early 1990s. The women keep in touch via the internet.

To give other women an opportunity to see the blocks, help in the quilt’s preparation, and enjoy an evening of friendship and exploration, Temple’s Women of Reform Judaism has scheduled a Rosh Hodesh event on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 7-8:30 p.m.,

DEATHS ROSE B. GROSS Rose B. Gross died Jan. 28 at the age of 91. Services were held Jan. 30 at Beth El Cemetery.

A major supporter of the arts, Gross was so involved with the Omaha Symphony that former musical director Victor Yampolsky would invite her to private dinners with him and guest artists--and arrange for her transportation. She described her love of the arts and involvement in philanthropy in a March 26, 1999, interview in the Passover edition of the Jewish Press.

In addition to her generosity to the symphony, Gross was also a major contributor to the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the National Council of Jewish Women, and Beth El Synagogue. She was honored by Hadassah for her generosity and was also an avid Rotarian.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary, from whom she insisted she acquired her “sense of philanthropy,” and brothers, Moe, Paul and Sam Steinberg.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, David and Pam Gross; grandchildren Julie, Greta and Stephanie Gross; and sister-in-law, Dr. Muriel Steinberg.

Memorials to the Omaha Symphony.

HARVEY WINE Former Omahan Harvey Wine died Jan. 29 in Scottsdale, AZ, after a long illness. He was 83. Services and interment were held at National Memorial Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife, Pauline Wine; daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Bill Johnson; son and daughter-inlaw, Loren and Pat Wine; grandchildren, Danny and Kimberley Johnson and Chelsea Wine, all of Scottsdale; and sister and brother-in-law, Bert and Leonard Lewis.

Memorials to the Jake and Mary Wine Fund.

Page 11

Be a role model;

Where Does Civilization Start?

SPARKS FROM THE WORD

by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

at Temple Israel. No sewing skills are required to attend--just an interest in the spiritual satisfaction of the fiber arts.

As the group gathers to welcome the new Hebrew month of Adar I 5765, they will discuss the possibility of starting an on-going Rosh Hodesh group. Especially for women, Rosh Hodesh is a time to explore mutual interests from a Jewish point of view.

“My job is to arrange and sew the blocks together, and then quilt, label, and document the work,” Bresel said. She will demonstrate techniques for those who wish to participate in the project. The finished quilt will be about 95 by 50 inches. She invited others to share in the creativity and the chavurah of the evening and suggested that the women might be interested in forming a fiber arts group which could include needle pointers, knitters, and cross stitchers among others.

Bresel invited those who attend to bring with them any kind of handwork they enjoy doing -- even “something to show and tell.”

There’s no fee to attend but RSVP to Temple Israel at 556.6536 or Tisrael@templeisraelomaha.com.

Tu B’Shevat and the Bracha Bee

Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Gross quizzed finalists Max Polack, left, Josh Polack, Chaim Hayward, and Daniel Grossman during a “Bracha Bee” held during the synagogue’s Tu B’Shevat celebration. The group focused on different brachot for different foods.

Photo by Lynne Saltzman

the person you want your kid to be.

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Page 12

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 4, 2005

Portrayal of Jews in Comic Strips Not Always Funny

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Millions of Americans read daily and weekly comic strips. In fact, surveys have shown that the funnies are newspapers’ most popular feature. But sometimes, the funnies deliver serious themes. “Sometimes even controversial ones,” said Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University.

By exploring some of these provocative issues, “we can see some of the most widely propagated and shared images -some are correct, some partially correct and others are in need of improvement--of Jews and Judaism in current American popular culture.”

Dr. Greenspoon will delve into the subject of American Dr. Leonard Greenspoon Jews and Judaism in the comic strips when he speaks on Sunday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m., at Temple Israel on the topic, “It's Not Always a Laughing Matter.”

“My interest in Jews and Judaism in the comics is a result of my broader interest, over the past 15 or so years, in religion in the comic strips with a special interest in the Bible in the comic strips,” Dr. Greenspoon said. “I focus on strips that appear in daily newspapers or on Sundays. I am interested in how the cartoonists portray certain aspects of religion, in our case, Jews and Judaism.”

Especially interested in how Bible translators reflect the historical, social, cultural, political, and religious environments in which they work, Dr. Greenspoon is intrigued by religion and popular culture and has pub-

lished articles on the Bible as portrayed in comic strips as well as the often humorous use of the Bible in the daily press.

“Jewish characters appear periodically in strips like ‘Zits’ and ‘Family Circus,’ and in recurrent roles in, for example, ‘Gil Thorp’ which for almost a year featured an Orthodox Jewish athletic at a Midwestern high school. Jewish themes are found fairly frequently also in New Yorker cartoons, pointed out Dr. Greenspoon.

“For the most part,” he added, “these portrayals of Jews and Judaism are non-controversial, but this is not always the case.” One infamous example is the Easter Sunday 2001 “‘B.C.’ strip that stirred many accusations of anti-Semitism or at least insensitivity on the part of the cartoonist. It so happens that this cartoonist,” noted Dr. Greenspoon, “is a Conservative Protestant.”

He indicated that “there are also several syndicated comic strips drawn by Jews that feature Jewish themes and Jewish characters whose religious practices are highlighted especially at Hanukkah and Passover.”

A Creighton faculty member since 1995, Dr. Greenspoon is professor of classical and Near Eastern studies and of theology. Interested in translations of the Bible since his graduate student days at Harvard University where he received his Ph.D. in Near Eastern languages and civilizations, Dr. Greenspoon has edited or authored a dozen books and written more than 100 articles and book chapters.

Recognized internationally as an expert on the history of Jewish Bible translations including the earliest translation to versions composed as recently as 2003, Dr. Greenspoon considers how specific Bible translations influence communities for which they were intended and how later translators and commentators make use of earlier Bible translations. He has spoken to audiences throughout the United States as well as in Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Romania, the Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, and Israel.

Dr. Greenspoon’s presentation, sponsored by the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning, is free and open to all in the community.

Those who attend will be encouraged to participate in the discussion.

United Synagogue Selects Rabbi Paul Drazen to Head Congregational Services Department

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism has announced that former Omahan Rabbi Paul Drazen has been named USCJ Director of Congregational Services and Program Director for the 2005 USCJ Biennial Convention.

Rabbi Paul Drazen Currently director of the USCJ Mid-Continent Region, Rabbi Drazen will focus primarily on his regional responsibilities until he formally assumes his new position on July 1, 2005, according to Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein, Executive Vicepresident of the United Synagogue. Among other things, the Director of Congregational Services is responsible for coordinating the IMUN program, overseeing placement of High Holy Day cantors as well as services to small congregations, and all aspects of synagogue affiliations, including the seeding of new congregations.

Rabbi Drazen, who came to the United Synagogue after serving for 20 years as spiritual leader of Beth El Synagogue in Omaha, has long been an active figure in the Conservative Movement, designing innovative congregational programming and compiling numerous publications on all aspects of synagogue life. His wife Susie, a former USCJ regional director, has also been recognized for efforts on behalf of the Movement.

“I am extremely pleased to have been offered this opportunity,” he said. “Knowing first-hand the particular challenges facing smaller, geographically dispersed congregations will help me bring to the table the unique perspective of such synagogues, which form an important and growing part of the Conservative Movement.”

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