February 10, 2012

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

Spring Holocaust Film Series

February 10, 2012 17 Shevat 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 21

This Week

by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -Israel, the United States and Iran have all gone deep into mixedsignals territory. Conversations with Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, left one prominent journalist convinced that Israel will strike Iran by year’s end. Yet two weeks ago, Barak had said that any possible Israeli attack on Iran is “far off.”

“Beth El’s Got Talent” for the Annual Cantor’s Youth Scholarship Concert Page 4

Controversy grows in Israel over extension of Tal Law Page 8

Credit: Wikimedia commons

Auschwitz swimming pool. by HILLARY FLETCHER Marketing Assistant, Institute for Holocaust Education The Institute for Holocaust Education will present a Holocaust Film Series beginning with Swimming in Auschwitz on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. Swimming in Auschwitz chronicles the stories of six Jewish women from different countries and different backgrounds who found themselves deported during the Holocaust to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. According to the International Movie Database, “While subject to the same physical hardships as men, these women do

not dwell on that. Instead, they speak of camp families and faith, uplifting one another while trying to remain human. It was this path of spiritual resistance that, while not responsible for their direct survival, led to their ability to survive with healthy minds and spirits despite the constant barrage of their surroundings. Swimming in Auschwitz gives us a perspective of the camp, its surroundings and the Holocaust that we need to understand and remember, so that we never forget.” One of the six women who provide testimony in the film is Renee Firestone. Firestone, a founding lecturer for the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Education Outreach

Program in Los Angeles and the subject of Steven Spielberg’s film The Last Days, was the featured speaker of A Week of Understanding 2011, a week of testimony arranged by the IHE. Following one of her speaking engagements last year at UNO, Firestone said, “I have traveled all over for 30 years and this has been one of the most meaningful visits.” The IHE is honored to be sharing her story in this film series. In addition to Swimming in Auschwitz, the IHE will present A Film Unfinished which includes recently discovered footage of the Warsaw ghetto. Released in 2010 by Yael Hersonski, this documentary Continued on page 2

Few complaints from these Temple Israel members as life came along Holocaust Day in Southern Italy Page 16

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Month Home Improvement See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

Iranian nuclear issues

12 14 15

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Combining a sense of humor with a dash of stubbornness and “getting up everyday to start going through my routine,” are the way to face aging, according to Ann Fleishman who celebrated her 90th birthday Jan. 26. When asked how old she is, Fleishman kids, “I’m 39 and holding.” Her spunky attitude makes a difference. She “entertained three of my dearest friends to celebrate my birthday by taking them to lunch at Village Inn Pancake House.” When they protested that they didn’t want her to foot the bill, she insisted that she wouldn’t go unless she could pay. Married in 1957 to Alan J. Fleishman, who died in 1985, Ann speaks of him in adoring terms. She

Chickie Gilinsky is still enjoying life at 95. also continues to idolize her grandfather as she has “all through my life.” She credits him for helping her develop and maintain her positive attitude. On her birthday, “I was just pouring my first cup of coffee,” when Rabbi Aryeh Azriel called to wish her well. “You’ve made my day,” Ann told the rabbi who makes it a point to call members of Temple Israel when they celebrate the anniversary of a simcha in the instance of a birthday or anniversary such as a

25th, 30th, or higher. “I’m in reasonably good health” except for my eyesight, hearing, and my memory, “otherwise I’m great!” said Helen Soiref, who will turn 90 in March. Soiref is trying to decide how to celebrate her 90th. She’s considering dinner out or having a meal catered at Remington Heights where she lives. She and her husband Morton Soiref were married in 1941. “The war came along, children came along,” she reminisced. Life came along. She used to sing in the choir at Temple Israel and was active in Sisterhood. She enthusiastically sings the praises of Rabbi Azriel. “He’s charming, knowledgeable, and caring.” Morton died in 2003. “Giving up my independence is hard,” she admitted. “Growing old is not for sissies!” Chickie Gilinsky received her birthday call from Rabbi Azriel on Jan. 18, her 95th birthday. She’s been a member of Temple Israel for more than 70 years. She was married and confirmed there and fondly remembers Rabbi Frederick Cohn (at Temple from 1904-1940) and Rabbi David Wice (at Temple from 19331941) “back at the Park Avenue Temple.” Continued on page 2

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, seen here addressing a regional economic summit in Tehran in May 2011. Credit: Parmida Rahimi via Creative Commons Leon Panetta, the U.S. defense secretary, said in December that any military strike would only set Iran’s nuclear program back a couple years -- a remark that some Israelis read as conveying a sense of resignation to the idea that if Iran really wants a nuclear weapon, eventually it will be able to get one. But in a television interview broadcast Sunday, he vowed that the U.S. would take “whatever steps are necessary” to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, Iran is responding to international sanctions with a mix of threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to placate Western concerns about its nuclear program by allowing in inspectors and calling for new talks. Two questions remain the focus of considerable speculation: Will Israel strike Iran? And will the sanctions cause Iran to bend? The first question was the subject of a much-discussed Sunday New York Times Magazine cover story by Ronen Bergman, one of Israel’s best-connected security journalists. It featured rare and extensive on-the-record interviews with top Israeli officials, most prominently Barak. Recent moves by the Iranians have underscored the significance of the second question. Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran was ready to sit down for talks to discuss its nuclear program. On Sunday, a team of Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

Iranian nuclear issues

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Continued from page 1 inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, arrived in Tehran. The team, according to the Associated Press, includes two weapons experts and will visit an Iranian nuclear facility near the religious city of Qom. President Obama’s revelation in 2009 of the until-then secret underground facility helped the U.S. make the case to the world community for intensified sanctions, leading to the recent international squeeze on Iran’s economy and energy sector. The inspectors’ visit is the first since an IAEA report in November concluded that Iran was engaged in activities -particularly in the area of enhanced uranium enrichment capabilities -- that could have no other discernible purpose but weaponization. Iran continues to insist that its nuclear program has strictly civilian purposes. Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s foreign minister, was quoted by various media as saying that he was “optimistic� about the results of the inspectors’ three-day visit, and that it could be extended “if necessary.� “One shouldn’t get too carried away, but I assume they have something to offer or they would not agree to schedule this visit,� said Barbara Slavin, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who has written a book on U.S.-Iran relations titled “Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies.� But Michael Adler, an Iran expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, noted that the Iranians resisted setting a formal agenda for the inspectors’ visit, which suggested a lack of seriousness by the Iranians. “Iran has a history of offering to talk when it is under pressure, and then stalling so that the talks delay punitive measures against it,� Adler said. Iran is also sending mixed messages to the United States in the region. In addition to its threat to shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to mounting sanctions, Iran’s army chief warned a U.S. aircraft carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf. But other Iranian officials later seemed to backtrack, calling the entry of another U.S. carrier into the gulf a routine event. Also this month, Iran test-fired cruise missiles that could be used against U.S. ships. Israel’s plans, meanwhile, also have been the subject of speculation. Bergman in his New York Times Magazine article concluded that an Israeli strike before year’s end was all but inevitable. “I have come to believe that Israel will indeed strike Iran in 2012,� he wrote. “Perhaps in the small and ever-diminish-

ing window that is left, the United States will choose to intervene after all, but here, from the Israeli perspective, there is not much hope for that.� A number of Iran experts questioned his conclusions, noting that his article included a wealth of Israelis warning against such a strike -- and even referred to Barak’s Jan. 18 statement that any decision to strike was “very far off.� “It was a very odd article considering all the people he quoted who said that a strike was a bad idea,� Slavin said. In part, Bergman argues, the feeling that Israel will need to strike Iran stems from what he suggests is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s belief that the U.S. will not attack in its stead should Iran be on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. U.S. officials, including Panetta, have tried in recent weeks to emphasize their commitment to stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Panetta told the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes that the United States would take “whatever steps are necessary� to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, calling it a “red line� for both Israelis and the United States. Asked about the possibility of military action, Panetta responded that “there are no options that are off the table.� Panetta also stressed the urgency of the situation, suggesting that Iran would be able to develop a nuclear weapon in approximately a year. “The consensus is that if they decided to do it, it would probably take them about a year to be able to produce a bomb and then possibly another one to two years in order to put it on a deliverable vehicle of some sort in order to deliver that weapon,� Panetta said. In articulating the notion that Iran could be able to develop a nuclear weapon in fairly short order, Panetta seems to be on the same page as Israeli officials. In a statement after returning from the annual economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Barak again sounded a note of concern. “Over the course of the various meetings� with other leaders at the forum, Barak said, “we repeatedly emphasized our stance that we must urgently intensify and broaden the sanctions against Iran. The determination of world leaders is critical in order to prevent the Iranians from advancing their military nuclear program. “We must not waste time on this matter; the Iranians continue to advance [toward nuclear weapons], identifying every crack and squeezing through. Time is urgently running out.�

Spring Holocaust Film Series Continued from page 1 re-examines the making of an unfinished 1942 Nazi propaganda film of the Warsaw Ghetto two months before its liquidation in a Nazi operation known as the Grossaktion Warsaw. The documentary features interviews with surviving ghetto residents and a re-enactment of testimony from Willy Wist, one of the camera operators who filmed scenes for Das Ghetto. The IHE is honored to partner with Film Streams as part of their Community Development program for a third film. The Last Survivor, a multi-award winning film, fol-

lows the lives of four survivors of four different genocides and mass atrocities – The Holocaust, Rwanda, Darfur, and Congo. This film presents a unique opportunity to learn from the lessons and mistakes of our past in order to have lasting social impact on how we act collectively in the face of similar issues today. The final date will be announced soon. The first two films will be free and open to the public and will be screened at 7pm at the JCC on Feb. 23 and March 22. A short question and answer period will follow. Please visit www.ihene.org or call 402.334.6576.

Few complaints from these Temple Israel members Continued from page 1 Gilinsky, whose given name is Frances, is proud to be a member of a six-generation family of Temple Israel starting with her grandparents and branching down the family tree to 17 great and step-great grandchildren. Chickie’s two children, Susie Cooper (married to Jeff) and Larry Gilinsky (married to Deanna), live in Omaha. Chickie has two grandsons, David (married to Katherine Finnegan) and Kevin (married to Patty), who also live in Omaha, as well as three granddaughters, Lisa Theiss (married to Danny); Caryn Mandel (married to Rob), all of Kansas City; and Terri Davis (married to Bryan), living in Salt Lake City. “I like to go to holiday services� at Temple Israel, Chickie said. Recently, she watched as her triplet great-grandchildren, Lilly, Gabe, and Simon, children of Kevin and Patty, stood on the bimah during the fifth grade Shabbat. A native Omahan, Chickie attended Central High School and the University of Missouri for one year. “Mom did not work outside the home,� said Susie Cooper. Chickie was married for 62 years to Stewart Gilinsky before he died in 2000. “They had a very loving marriage,� Cooper emphasized. Chickie has lived in Swanson Towers for 29 years. “Mom has a wonderful sense of humor and is so easy going. Her love for her family is priority. That is a gift that was obvious,� Cooper added. “For a person who is 95 years old, she’s in very good health. She loves to go out with her family and

friends to movies and dinner. She would go out five days a week if she could,� Cooper remarked. “She just loves being with people.� Chickie’s son Larry agreed. “Her devotion to family was mirrored in her devotion to her friends. She was and is a really good friend to several people. Unfortunately, many of them are gone. That love and caring of family and friends have been a good influence,� he said. For her birthday, all of Chickie’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were in Omaha to celebrate with her. A few of her friends also attended. And of course, Rabbi Azriel called her. Chickie doesn’t complain about getting older. “I enjoy my family and friends, and I’m just glad I’m here,� she insisted.

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February 10, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 3

“A valiant man, and mighty in deeds.” 1 Chronicles 11:22

Leonard “Buddy” Goldstein We sadly note the passing of our friend, Leonard “Buddy” Goldstein. Buddy was truly a “pillar” of Omaha’s Jewish community and the community at large. He was generous, kind, thoughtful, wise and caring. Buddy exemplified what it means to be a philanthropist – promoting the well-being of others through charitable action. Over the years, Buddy and Shirley demonstrated their strong commitment to the Jewish community by establishing a number of funds with the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, including: Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, providing support to a wide range of Jewish and secular organizations, including a future Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment and Lion of Judah Endowment, and the support of Shirley’s extensive work advocating for Jews trying to leave the former Soviet Union and other oppressive countries; Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust, to supplement their supporting foundation in the future; Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Endowment Fund, for the acquisition of materials at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library; Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Family Endowment Fund, enabling youth to attend Jewish summer camps; Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Donor-Advised Fund, for the purpose of donating to Jewish and secular charities. Buddy served as President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha from 1976-1978. In 2011, he was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Federation. We offer our sincere condolences to Shirley, their children – Donald, Gail and Kathy – six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. While Buddy was known for being soft-spoken, he leaves a powerful and grand legacy of leadership by example. We were honored to know him. From the Board of Directors and Staff of the:

4 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

Annual Cantor’s Youth Scholarship Concert

Raisin’ the roof: A lively, fun-loving group of congregants rehearse their rousing number for Beth El’s March 4 Cantor’s Concert, “Beth El’s Got Talent.” by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator From singing and dancing to drama and juggling (and much, much more), Beth El’s talented congregants promise to dazzle during “Beth El’s Got Talent,” this year’s Cantor’s Youth Scholarship Concert, planned for Sunday, March 4, at 4 p.m. at the synagogue. This community-wide event – perfect for the whole family -- will have audience members clapping, tapping their toes and enjoying an afternoon of entertaining performances by adults and teens, plus special selections performed by Cantor Beth, and “Miss Patty” Nogg and her troupe of young friends. Alan and Carol Parsow are serving as the event’s chairmen; Shane Kotok is the Youth Scholarship chairman. “‘Beth El’s Got Talent’ is all about sharing the amazing talents found right here in our own congregation,” said Cantor Beth Schlossberg. “It is a true-blue, home-grown Cantor’s Concert. The afternoon has been designed to provide joy and laughter for everyone, and we encourage the whole family to come out and laugh and sing with us! “After the concert we will have a wonderful reception with terrific food and refreshments,” she added.

“Oftentimes with our busy lives, we miss the simple opportunities to gather together as a community and just enjoy each other’s company. ‘Beth El’s Got Talent’ will be a wonderful way to do just that!” The annual Cantor’s Concert benefits Beth El’s Youth Scholarship Program, which provides opportunities for youths to attend Jewish summer camps, visit Israel or attend Jewish youth conventions. The event’s ticket prices and categories follow: Director, $5,000 and above; Executive Producer, $2,500 – $4,999; Associate Producer, $1,000 - $2,400; Investor, $500 - $999; Patron, $350 - $499; Manager, $100 - $349; Agent, $50 $99; individual ticket, $18; children (12 and younger), $5. Cantor Schlossberg noted that donors who purchase tickets at the Agent level and above – and send in their payment by Feb. 24 -- will be listed in the show’s program. Order forms are available at www.bethel-omaha.org, or in the synagogue office. Tickets may be reserved by calling the synagogue at 402.492.8550; they will also be sold at the door. For more information, contact Cantor Schlossberg in the synagogue office, or at cantor@bethel-omaha.org. “Please join us for a special afternoon,” she said, “and support the future leaders of our Jewish community.”

Birth Carla and Chad Polikov of Atlanta, GA, announce the Jan. 24 birth of their daughter, Lyla Vivian, named for her great-grandmother, Vivian Kaplan Levingston. Grandparents are Barbara and Jeff Levingston of Cleveland, MS and Sheila and Marvin Polikov.

Great-grandparents are the late Gerry and David Antis, the late Vivian Kaplan Levingston and Alfred Levingston, the late Ethel and Seymour Goldston, and the late Bernice and Abe Polikov.

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Great motivator inspires Omaha by CASSONDRA TABER for Chabad Center It was standing room only at the Chabad Center, Wednesday evening Feb. 1, as more than 180 people gathered to hear Rabbi Shais Taub deliver a motivating lecture on “Emotional Sobriety,” the mystic art of letting go of toxic relationships. Taub, a noted expert on the twelve steps and Jewish mysticism, mesmerized the crowd for more than an hour, seamlessly weaving a tapestry of meaning and purposefulness, accountability and spirituality, with sharp intellect and warm humor. Following the event, participants were effusive with praise. “Today was filled with lots of pain,” said Nancy Nogg, Director of Marketing and Development for the Omaha Conservatory of Music. “The Rabbi helped me get centered and find things to be grateful for.” Suzi Mogil said she enjoyed the lecture immensely, and found Taub easy to understand. “He stressed the importance of having a personal relationship with G-d, about self-accountability and giving others space, which are great concepts.” The participants covered a large cross-section of the Omaha community, including people of all faiths and affiliations. “There was a feeling of togetherness,” said Rabbi Mendel Katzman, Executive Director of the Chabad Center. “Our goal is to share the universal message of authentic Jewish teachings, in a warm, contemporary manner. Rabbi Taub was the perfect messenger.” Rabbi Katzman added, “If this talk would have helped one person- dayenu! The reactions of this evening from the participants tell us how everyone in the room was impacted”. The Barry Epstein Memorial Lecture, part of an ongoing Chabad Lecture Series, was sponsored in part by the Epstein family and Drs. Dan and Yaffa Schuller. Yaffa, a psychologist, said she was inspired to hear Taub speak with a universal voice. “It was amazing to see the large and very diverse audience be touched by the wisdom of our Jewish tradition and realize the relevance of the teachings.” Many attendees are already looking forward to future Chabad lectures. “I am constantly trolling for data on how best to raise my children,” said Tippi Denenberg. “I feel like I really hit the jackpot here tonight with Rabbi Taub at Chabad.” Rabbi Taub also offered a training seminar for the Boystown staff during his brief visit to Omaha.

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February 10, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 5

It’s ultimately about the people

From Jan’s desk JAN GOLDSTEIN “As Time Goes By,” so that old song goes. And it has these past 22 wonderful years for me working for our Omaha Jewish Community. As I leave my employment here, I have much to reflect on. I will miss you, the volunteers, donors and community participants. I have enjoyed working with you to build, strengthen and ensure Jewish community life. Seeing you, each face holds a memory, an experience, a friendship and a moment of sharing the good work we do together. From the time I began my tenure as Federation Executive Director, I believed that “authentic’ Jewish community is built upon relationships, mutual respect between lay and professional leaders, and on Middot, shared Jewish values. And as I reflect back on what we’ve accomplished together, I have nothing but heartfelt gratitude and a reaffirmed belief in the power of our collective Omaha Jewish Community. Each year, through our annual Campaign, we raised about 3 million dollars- that’s nearly 66 million dollars over these 22 years! We have maintained our reputation as one of the highest giving Federations, per capita, in Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA). These dollars have been a lifeblood to our agencies, educational programs, religious and day schools and all the many things we support. I think about the multitude of programming on our campus over the years for our children, teens and adults and the top quality organization we’ve created through Jewish Social Services which gives outstanding care and dignity to our elderly and most vulnerable. This past decade our JCC hosted two national Maccabi events. We’ve had notable speakers. The collaboration with our synagogues has provided incredible growth in Jewish education through campaign scholarship support of our Center for Jewish Education and Kripke Library, our Friedel Jewish Academy, the new community Hebrew Chai School. We have watched the growth and impact of our ADL/CRC in the school systems and on our campus. We’ve seen the flourishing of the Institute for Holocaust Education. We’ve also seen the growing vibrancy of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and B’nai B’rith. Our Jewish Press is developing a whole new chapter in online and website production, while not only surviving but thriving. In 2000 we completed the fundraising for a 10 million dollar JCC campus renovation, creating a brand new Child Development Center and Fitness Center. In the spring of 2010, we dedicated our state-of-the-art nursing home facility, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home;17 million in funds were raised. At the same time, two of our congregations, Beth El and Beth Israel, built their new synagogues, and an exciting new one for Temple Israel will soon be a reality. We’ve grown our ongoing YJO (Young Jewish Omaha) and JOLT (Jewish Omaha Leadership Training) programming over the years. Without doubt, these leadership programs have resulted in many more younger people sitting on our boards, committees, and leading our organization into the 21st century. Ten years ago we installed one of the first Newcomers/ Outreach Departments in Federations our size, and created a full Human Resource structure for the many professionals on our campus. In two decades of change, we embraced the technologies of computerization and online communication. We created a new branding of our name and logo. A tremendous leadership accomplishment occurred over the years with the creaton of an active Rabbis and Presidents Committee. This cooperation is one of the things that make this community so special and an example for all communi-

ties. We’ve taken hundreds of community members to visit Israel and Eastern Europe, Kiev, Prague, Poland, and Moscow from where many of our families originally came. We’ve funded and organized Artza trips every three years for our high school students. We’ve provided summer camp experiences and established a Shaliach program and other Israel experience programs which have benefited hundreds. And in addition to this, we raised and allocated over $130,000 from our community for birthright Israel. Following two significant Operation Exodus campaigns in the 90’s we were able to raise $90,000 for Hunger Relief in the Former Soviet Union, and $240,000 for Operation Promise to help Ethiopian Jews. And for three Israel Emergency Campaigns we raised $2,340,000.00 combined to help Israeli families in times of terror and destruction. We’ve created an entire Partnership with Israel relationship, structure and hallmark program which connects Omaha directly to Israelis in the Western Galilee, as well as developing a close working relationship with 13 other U.S. Federations. Our Foundation, under the management of my colleague and Financial Resource Development partner Marty Ricks, began at 27 million dollars the year we both came to the Federation and today stands at 65 million dollars, making Omaha 4th out of 157 in North American Jewish Federation Foundations. Yes, I am in awe of the numbers this community has produced, but we know it’s ultimately about the people. These special people who show up every day to do the work of running our agency boards and committees, and the extraordinary Federation leadership we have had over the years. These individuals need and deserve our support. Our amazing organization exists because of dedicated Campaign workers, solicitors, leaders, community volunteers and, of course, our generous donors. I give thanks to all of the professionals on this campus, including ones no longer with us, with whom I’ve worked alongside and who have contributed their talents and given their time and dedication to our successes. My special thanks to our Campaign, Human Resource, and Central Services support staff; your work is appreciated by those you serve. To our talented Agency and Department Directors and our supportive Rabbinic leaders, you have my deepest gratitude for how committed you all are to working together to help bring our Jewish community together. I do want to give special mention to Julee Katzman, my Associate Director for so many years, who from the day I began as Executive Director was at my side helping me to guide our community. Thank you for all that you have given and will continue to give in the future. I’m grateful to Jody Malashock and the Federation Board for the wonderful tribute you have given me. This salute was wonderful but not mine alone because it is an honor I share with all of you. Thank you to Bob Goldberg for coordinating my wonderful celebration, and also for helping me these past years in our continual efforts to achieve even greater contact and outreach to the people we serve. Just as this community has taught me what it means to “show up for community,” I too will be doing the same as I take on new lay responsibilities and continue my professional work of enabling and encouraging Americans to visit Israel in my new position as North American Missions Director for Amiel Tours. I am passing on the solemn responsibility of leading our Federation to the very capable and dedicated Michael Silverman. I know that Michael will have the same sense of wonder, accomplishment, gratitude and joy that I have experienced all these years with this remarkable Federation. I thank you all for the opportunity and privilege to be your representative these past 22 years for our Jewish Federation of Omaha.

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6 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

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by BETH COHEN Israel, the historic Spanish-Portuguese Executive Director, Beth Israel Synagogue Synagogue of New York, and is enrolled in On Shabbat Mishpatim, Feb. 17 and 18, the rabbinical studies program at Yeshiva Beth Israel is pleased to welcome Sjimon University. Furthermore, Sjimon is involved den Hollander as a Scholar-in-Residence. with African-Jewish communities of Uganda “I am very excited for the community to and Kenya, and contributes to “Bustân almeet Sjimon,” says Rabbi `Uqûl,” a website on Judaism Jonathan Gross of Beth in the Arabic language. Israel. “His story of discoverBecause of his intense pering Judaism is incredibly sonal history and credentials, interesting.” Mr. Hollander Sjimon is considered an was Rabbi Gross’s chevruta, expert in interfaith relationlearning partner, at Yeshiva ships and has been used to University, and the two have mediate disputes between been friends since. groups of different religions Sjimon den Hollander was and different sects within a born in 1960 into a Dutch particular religion. He has Calvinist family. After being a been employed by Islamic nurse for a number of years, and Christian groups as well he went back to school and as Jewish groups in America, studied for his Master’s Europe, Uganda and Kenya. degree in Arabic and Islamic “To me, more impressive Sjimon den Hollander Studies at the University of than his personal history, his Leiden, taking Hebrew and Jewish courses credentials, or his many great accomplishsimultaneously. This triggered his interest in ments is his great moral character,” explains Torah and Judaism. Sjimon then started a Rabbi Gross. “Sjimon has been a role model Noachide movement in which he was active for me and a great inspiration – both perfor over 10 years. During this period, he also sonally and professionally. He is a unique explored Karaite, Samaritan and other person that I continually learn so much approaches, before he made his decision to from, and I can’t wait for my community in convert to Judaism. After moving to the Omaha to meet him.” United States, he became an active member Sjimon den Hollander will speak at Beth of the Sephardic community in Manhattan, Israel on Shabbat, Feb. 18, during morning with both the Spanish-Portuguese and services and at the pre-Minchah class, one Middle-Eastern Jewish communities. hour before the Minchah service, on Sjimon is currently working in real estate, Shabbat afternoon. The community is invitteaches adults at Congregation Shearith ed to both events.

Happy occasions

Bert’s eye view BERT LEWIS When I hear the word celebration or any such term, I don’t often stop to think how many events we celebrate. Maybe it’s the opening of a new bridge, or the appearance of the first robin or the first lilac blossoms. Or, maybe even more likely, it’s a personal family happy occasion. In fact, if I want to be scrupulously honest, when I hear simcha, I can tell you I don’t think about anything except family. Maybe it’s an engagement of the one last unmarried grandchild who hadn’t been able to find exactly the right mate. For this occasion we celebrate! For this, a Bubbie might be heard to say “No more shortcuts. Today we make real strudel!” Or maybe it’s the spring day when at least two generations will go to commencement exercises, to witness the graduation of the newest doctor in the family. I can tell you, the older the witnesses, the greater the joy! It is, without a doubt, the reason the Yiddish word naches was coined. I mean, now we’re talking celebration, in addition to monumental pride. In the same category is the celebration to welcome a tiny new member of the clan... a pitzel who maybe would rather not be the star at the briss, but such an incredible addition to the mishpucha! For this, are there even words? How about the big family gathering when everyone manages to get to Aunt Minnie’s Thanksgiving table? I don’t know if the younger generation notices, but some of us from the other end of those actuarial tables understand when a revered senior says “can we say a shehechayunu please?” That wonderful prayer of thanks... for being fortunate

enough to be in that place, at that time. Oh yes... isn’t that the least we can do? Appreciate this precious moment. Whether it’s a grandchild’s place on the Dean’s List at college, or on the Best Seller list with his or her newest book, as parents and grandparents we are filled with pride and the wish to celebrate such wonderful moments. I suspect there are not enough words to describe the way our people celebrate wonderful occasions. Maybe one of the most significant ways is our tradition of making charitable donations “in honor of ” somebody or something. I’ve always thought it was especially satisfying to congratulate somebody on some achievement and at the same time aid someone else in need of a boost. What a rewarding double header. No two ways about it... celebrations are special events for us all. They make us feel good, they encourage warmth and friendship between friends and neighbors and family - especially family. When a group has assembled to be present for a happy occasion like perhaps a wedding or a retirement after many, many years of service of some kind, who better to celebrate with than mishpucha? Who else understands how deeply the man or woman “of the hour” is feeling on that special day? Family, of course. So do we agree on this important question? Are we all on the same page? I think so... we’ve attended countless major events where at least some of the pleasure was in the time spent with the cousin you haven’t seen since Morris’s grandson Trevor was a Bar Mitzvah. And your cousin Rose proved that even though she’s now past 80, she can still deliver a bone crushing hug. Oh yeah... family and celebrations. A great combination. So let’s hope we all have many affairs to attend, where we can happily celebrate some major event or other. Together. Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis 39@aol.com.

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February 10, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 7

Unofficial Hanukkah run

by JANET KOHLL There was no official B’nai B’rith Hanukkah run this year, but that did not stop these runners from heading out early in the morning on Dec. 25, declaring it the 2011 Unofficial Omaha Hanukkah run. Standing in front of an inflatable Hanukkah bear are Ari Epstein, left; Jack Kohll; Sam Kohll; Leo Kohll, leaning on bear; David Kohll and Howard Gendelman. Sitting is Max Kohll with dog, Riley, who also ran.

In the news Gerald Steinacher, University of Nebraska-Lincoln assistant professor of history, has been selected as a recipient of the 2011 National Jewish Book Award for his book, Nazis on the Run: How Hitler’s Henchmen Fled Justice, published by Oxford University Press. The Jewish Book Council recently announced its award selections. Steinacher’s book was the winner in the category of “Holocaust.” The book, released in 2011, tells the story of how Nazis and Fascists escaped from justice at the end of World War II by fleeing through Italy to overseas. It explores the role the Red Cross, the Vatican and the secret services of the major powers played in smuggling the Nazis away from prosecution in Europe to a new life in North and South America, Spain and the Near East. The Jewish Book Council established the National Jewish Book Awards in 1948 to recognize notable contributions to Jewish literature. It is the longest-running program of its kind in North America.

Grants Awarded by the Newman Supporting Foundation by MARY BORT Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation The Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO) Foundation announced that the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation Board of Trustees awarded grants to eleven Omaha programs that will be held this year. “The Newman Supporting Foundation annually considers applications from Federation agencies as well as other charitable organizations whose programs are consistent with the mission of the Federation.” explained Marty Ricks, JFO Foundation Executive Director. “There are many worthwhile programs, so the board had to do a careful assessment of each program’s objectives and potential benefits to the community. The eleven programs they selected will offer important and meaningful experiences to participants.” Inclusive Communities received a grant to support the IncluCity I Leadership Institute. Sixty high school delegates from Nebraska and western Iowa will meet in a week-long residential setting this summer to confront bigotry and discrimination through workshops, panels, discussions and more. The students learn new skills and develop a plan to make positive changes at school and in the community. A grant was given to the Anti-Defamation League/ Community Relations Committee for the 26th Annual Prejudice Elimination Workshop, a one-day program in November. Approximately 400 high school juniors from over 50 schools are invited to attend. School counselors, teachers and staff will participate in educator training. Participants learn to take responsibility for fighting discrimination and prejudice, and become change agents in their schools and elsewhere. Jewish Family Service was awarded a grant to support the agency’s Tzedakah Project. The project feeds the hungry; offers celebratory food for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover; and reaches out to Jewish community members in need. Volunteers deliver gifts, visit with recipients and let them know they are remembered during the holidays. The Jewish Community Center (JCC) and the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization received a grant to support the annual Shiputznick Day, a day of service and mitzvot for Omaha Jewish teens. During the April event, teens will spend the afternoon doing service projects around Omaha, and then share a meal and stories about their day. This program promotes “Tikun Olam” and encourages volunteerism. A grant was awarded to the Heartland Holocaust Educational Fund for Holocaust and genocide education courses at five universities and colleges in Nebraska. College students gain an understanding of the lingering and serious impact of the Holocaust, learning about the past so they can change the future. The Institute for Holocaust Education received a grant to support East oast artist Jim Schantz, who will serve as an

artist-in-residence for a week in October. Schantz will work with a string quartet of musicians from the Boston Symphony, students and individuals at a number of community programs to create artwork in response to the music of composers whose fate was met at Auschwitz. Additionally, he will donate artwork he creates during one of the concerts. A grant was awarded to the Center for Jewish Education (CJE) for Artza, a four-week summer trip to Israel for Omaha teens. The goal of the trip is to enhance and enrich teens’ Jewish identity through educational, social, cultural and recreational activities. Participants will spend time with Israeli teens and with an Israeli family during Shabbat. The Jewish Press received a grant to hire a college-age journalism student, who is an active member of Omaha’s Jewish community, to serve as a summer intern. The intern will contribute to the newspaper and website while providing a voice that is representative of young people in the community. The JCC was awarded a grant for the 2012 Yom Ha’Atzmaut Community Celebration in April. Adults and children will celebrate Israel’s Independence Day with music, dancing, multi-media presentations and children’s entertainment. Funding was allocated to support the CJE’s 2012-13 Community Shaliach Program. The shaliach serves as a vital Israeli and Judaic resource, and provides programming that keeps the Omaha Jewish community actively involved with Israel. The CJE was also awarded a grant for the B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program. Teens learn about philanthropy and non-profit organizations through programs that include speakers, activities and community service. They also have the opportunity to establish donor-advised funds by donating $125, which the JFO Foundation matches with an additional $375. Each teen annually allocates a percentage of his or her fund to charities, with at least one of the organizations being a Jewish charitable organization. “The community truly benefits from the generosity of the Newman Supporting Foundation,” said Ricks. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Murray and Sharee for their commitment to support important programs that educate, enlighten and make a difference.” The Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation has provided grants to the Omaha community since 1987. Current members of the Newman Supporting Foundation Board of Trustees include Susie Noddle (President), Sharee C. Newman (Vice-President), Lisa C. Lewis (Secretary-Treasurer), Jamie Zacharia Friedland, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Jay Lerner, and Murray H. Newman. For information about establishing a supporting foundation, please contact Marty Ricks at the JFO Foundation office at 402.334.6440.

8 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

Controversy grows in Israel over extension of Tal Law by LINDA GRADSTEIN Israeli Cabinet was supposed to vote on the law this week, JERUSALEM (JTA) -- When Israel’s first prime minister, but Netanyahu said he will leave it for the Knesset to David Ben-Gurion, granted a few hundred haredi decide, insulating himself from expected haredi protests if Orthodox Jews an exemption from army service, it’s likely the law is not extended. he never dreamed that 63 years later, tens of thousands of The fight against extending the law is being spearheaded haredi Israelis would claim the exemption -- or that the by the same group of Israelis who were behind last sumissue would be among the most contentious in modern mer’s protests against the cost of living in Israel. Israel. They are working middle-class Israelis who serve in the Haredi army service took center stage again this week army and find it difficult to make ends meet. They believe when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that they are shouldering an unfair amount of the national burhe would not seek a five-year extension of the Tal Law but den both in paying taxes and in army service. They say would allow the Israeli Knesset to vote on the issue. they feel like “friars,” or suckers, something to which The law, named after retired Supreme Court justice Tzvi Israelis have an inborn aversion. Tal and enacted in 2002 under then-Prime Minister Ehud This week, a group of these Israelis formed a “sucker’s Barak, allows full-time yeshiva students to delay their encampment” to campaign against renewing the Tal Law. army service until age 23. At that time, students either can Above: Soldiers from the Israeli army’s haredi Orthodox unit called “We want the government to legislate a law that requires continue studying full time, do a shortened 16 months of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion praying. mandatory service, army or civilian, from everyone -army service (instead of three years) or a year of national Credit: Abir Sultan/Flash90/JTA Jews, Arabs, religious and secular,” activist Boaz Nol told service. Afterward, they may choose to join the workforce. Below: Young Israelis demonstrating outside the Prime Minister’s reporters. “The Tal Law has failed,” said Yehuda Ben Meir of Tel Office in Jerusalem in January 2012 in protest of the govern- The Tal Law seems likely to be extended for at least a year, Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies. “It ment’s plan to possibly extend the Tal Law, which exempts yeshiva although Barak, now defense minister, insists he will not has not been able to wean the community off the idea of students from army service. back it for more than another year. At the same time, the not serving and not working. There is now a third generaCredit: Kobi Gideon/Flash90/JTA haredi political parties have enormous power in the current tion that believes this is the way they should live.” coalition. The Sephardic Orthodox Shas Party has threatUntil the Tal Law, haredim were theoretically draftable ened to pull out of the government if the law is not extended. unless they were full-time Torah students. Opposition to It seems unlikely that the haredi community will join the joining the army meant that tens of thousands of young army in large numbers anytime soon. men were staying full time in yeshiva just to avoid army “The government didn’t correctly estimate the cultural service. Theoretically the men were subject to the draft if gap between the haredim and the mere idea of military they left the yeshiva before age 40, but practically they service,” said Zeev Lerer, a professor on gender and organcould leave the yeshiva after turning 30. ization at Tel Aviv University. “The Tal Law failed and it The Tal Law was intended to get the students out of the will continue to fail. It will take a long and deep revolution yeshivas, into the army briefly and then into the workforce, to incorporate the idea of military service.” solving a problematic cycle. Even if haredim did decide to join the army en masse, it’s It hasn’t turned out as its proponents had hoped. not clear that the army is prepared to utilize them. On one morals is to educate a menace to society.’ Torah study teachOnly a small number of haredi Israelis have joined the es morality.” hand, there is a growing manpower shortage. At the same army, though the numbers are increasing slightly. According Hurwitz said some staff and students at his yeshiva do time, the army has to make special accommodations for to Israel Defense Forces figures, 1,282 haredi men enlisted in serve in the army. His main objection to his students joining them, such as organizing all-male units and providing glatt the army in 2011, up from 898 in 2010 and 729 in 2011. the army is the difficulty in maintaining strict levels of kosher food. Most of them served in special male haredi units, where the Jewish observance, he said. “It really is more of a symbolic issue,” Lerer said. “As the kashrut standards are higher and there is no mixing with “We tell the students that there’s a lot of peer pressure not army has become more dependent on women serving, often women. to be religious and it’s very difficult to stand against that,” the in more combat roles, I don’t see how they can absorb the But the vast majority of haredi men have stayed in the rabbi said. “We don’t want them to lose something valuable haredim. It would mean a complete change in the identity of yeshiva, and their rabbis continue to discourage serving in in terms of their personal and spiritual growth.” the army.” the army. The opposition is largely ideological. Haredi leadSome analysts say that if the government decides that it is Resentment against haredi army exemptions from Israelis ers worry that the army will open up a path to lax Jewish who do serve in the army -- both secular and Modern important enough for the state, haredim evenutally could be observance. Some haredi sects are anti-Zionist, and those Orthodox -- is growing. integrated into the army. that support the state believe that Torah study is a legitimate “You would have a tremendous social crisis, and many of “Social justice begins with equally sharing the national alternative way of contributing to Israel’s security by sus- burden and army service,” opposition leader Tzipi Livni told the rabbis would tell their students to go to prison rather taining the state spiritually. reporters this week. “This is a battle for everyone who than serve in the army,” said Ben Meir. “But they don’t real“Jews are fighting this war on many fronts, and learning believes in Zionism and who wants to live in this country.” ly want to go to prison. Torah is also fighting a war,” said Rabbi Shimon Hurwitz of “It can be done, perhaps. But not with this government The Tal Law was passed initially for five years and extendthe Aish Hatorah yeshiva. “A hundred years ago Teddy ed in 2007. Now it’s up for another renewal, and many and this coalition.” Roosevelt said, ‘To educate a person in his mind and not his Israelis say the law has failed and should be canceled. The

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by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Education Tu B’Shvat (Bishvat), the 15th day of the Jewish month of Sh’vat, is a holiday on the Jewish calendar known as the “New Year for Trees.” It marks the new year for the purpose of counting the age of a tree. This is of major importance because the fruit from new trees is not to be eaten during the first three years of its life; the fourth year’s fruit is for G-d, and after that, the fruit may be eaten. In secular Israeli society, Tu B’Shvat places an emphasis on bringing back the appreciation of nature. While not quite the same as Arbor Day in the United States, the international media often refers to it as such. Ecological organizations in Israel and the Diaspora have adopted the holiday to further environmental awareness programs. On Israeli kibbutzim, Tu B’Shvat is celebrated as an agricultural holiday. To celebrate Tu B’Shvat in Omaha, the JCC and Center for Jewish Education have come together to hold a Tu B’Shvat Ecological Fair. It will take place on Sunday, Feb. 12 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium. The idea started with Na’ama Keren, Omaha’s Community Shlicha. The event will focus on the environment with a wide variety of activities for children and adults. There will be an information station

with educational materials on recycling. A book exchange will give everyone the opportunity to swap old books for new selections. There will be stations where you can learn how to reuse everyday household items, a cookie decorating station, games and a fruit tasting station. A major focus will be the creation of ecologically friendly crafts, creating beauty out of what would have been trash, and raising our awareness of being kind to the environment. Paper cartons, shoe and cereal boxes, plastic yogurt cups, colored t-shirts, beads, and plastic beverage containers will undergo a major transformation in these great activities. This event is guaranteed to be one that the entire family will enjoy. Come and experience how minor things can make a major difference in our environment. Bring the family and join the fun on Sunday, Feb. 12 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the JCC auditorium. The Tu B’Shvat Ecological Fair is a joint project of the Jewish Community Center and The Center for Jewish Education and is open to the community, free of charge. For more information, contact Esther Katz, Director of Cultural Arts, at ekatz@jccomaha.org or 402.334.6406 or Na’ama Keren, Community Shlicha, nkeren @jewishomaha.org or 402.334.2148.

JCC Taekwondo junior instructors Clockwise from left: Wyatt Janicek, Max Weiner, Julian Witkowski, and Phoenix Mavropoulos, are new inductees in the ‘Junior Instructor Training Program’ of ATA Taekwondo. This program helps students of any belt rank be more involved with what it would be like to be an Instructor. These boys have taken on responsibility of joining a leadership team that will benefit them, not only in martial arts, but help them be leaders of the future. The students will attend extra sessions that show them how to lead classes and help other students. This program will also allow them to accumulate points at tournaments to apply towards possibly becoming State Champ and someday qualifying to compete in the annual World Championship Tournament when they become Black Belts. The school here at the JCC, which is part of Omaha ATA Black Academy, has only been open since last March. These students have shown great dedication and perseverance in their quest to be Black Belts.

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10 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

Penn State, Coach Paterno, and Rabbi Elon

Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER For the past year the national religious community in Israel has been embroiled in its own type of Penn State scandal. The comparisons are compelling and instructive. It turns out, though, that the national religious have a lot to learn from the Board of Trustees of Penn State University. Rabbi Mordecai Elon (52) is among the top rabbinic figures of the national religious community in Israel. He served as principal of the prestigious Horev high school in Jerusalem and then as head of a flagship institution of religious Zionism: Yeshivat Ha-Kotel. At the end of 2007, in an unusual move, Elon left Jerusalem and relocated to Migdal, a small agricultural moshav near Tiberias. In February 2010, the reason for Elon’s move became the talk of the entire country. Takanah (“a forum created for the treatment and prevention of sexual harassment by authority figures within the religious community”) went public with its file on Elon. Takanah had over several years found that Elon had abused his position of spiritual influence by committing “very serious actions that leave no room for misinterpretation,” including “an ongoing relationship of a clearly sexual

nature over a period of time” (the forum had previously notified the attorney general, but he had then not wanted to pursue the matter). Takanah had required Elon to abide by a series of guidelines, including that he observe the rule of yihud (the prohibition against being in a closed room with a woman) also with men. But after learning that Elon was not living up to all of his obligations in the agreement, Takanah went public. Nineteen months later, on Nov. 2, 2011, the police formally charged Elon with two counts of indecent behavior. However, despite the criminal indictment and despite the well-respected 10-person Takanah panel, many in the national religious community refuse to acknowledge that Elon might be guilty. It’s interesting to turn now to the late Joe Paterno. Coach Paterno admitted that “with the benefit of hindsight I wish I had done more” (concerning the report of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse), but after the scandal broke on Nov. 4 (when Sandusky was indicted), Paterno asked that he be allowed to finish the football season. He had a record 409 victories during his 46 years as head coach at Penn State. The University’s Board of Trustees (BOT) could have granted Paterno his wish and let him retire in the spring at the grand age of 85. After all, the BOT could have reasoned, Coach Paterno was neither charged with any crimes nor was he the target of a criminal investigation. However, the BOT felt that Paterno had so egregiously violated the trust it placed in him that he had to be dismissed immediately. In contrast to the BOT, many in the national religious com-

Passover2012 Jewish Art+Artists

munity hide behind the fact that Elon has not been convicted of any crime. These people have come up with creative conspiracy theories against Takanah, and they assert that the actual crimes of which Elon is formally accused can be explained as teacherly hugs (apparently, the more serious victims of whom Takanah was apprised refused to press police charges). I believe that Takanah must have acted on very severe and clear evidence against Elon. However, even if no one wants to presume him innocent, to continue to honor Elon while he is under indictment is to minimize the crime of sexual abuse. And yet Elon continues to be so honored; incredibly, this includes his being asked to sanctify the union of man and woman at wedding ceremonies. In the Paterno case it was more important to the BOT to express its horror at the sexual abuse of minors and punish its hugely popular head football coach than to finish out its season in peace. In this the BOT set a shining example not only for its students and staff but for the whole country by expressing zero tolerance in the area of child sexual abuse. Thank God for the Board of Trustees of Penn State University for reminding us all of the inviolate dignity of the human being. Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest three, Nathan, Rebecca and Ruthie, are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Jewish Federation of Omaha’s new Israeli community Shlicha, Na’ama Keren, will introduce herself, talk about her life in the Jewish state, and take questions on Wednesday, Feb. 15, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha. org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH To know Yiddish is to become an artist with words and a master at describing the foibles, the quirks, and the strengths of human character. Yiddish is the best way to understand the soul of the Jewish people. We meet every Thursday, from 1-3 p.m., at the Rose Blumkin Home Board Room. Come join us and enjoy meeting your soul mates. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

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Distinctive Events to Celebrate Life

Arts+Entertainment The Rose will host auditions for its summer production of Seussical-The Musical at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27 and Tuesday, Feb. 28. Adults and children ages 8 and older are welcome to audition and must come to The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam Street, prepared with 16-20 bars of memorized music. An accompanist will be provided, but sheet music must be supplied. A cold reading and demonstration of dance ability will also be required. Seussical-The Musical will be presented June 1-17, 2012 on The Rose main stage. For additional audition information, please contact Jennifer Collins Hard at 402.342.5119 or jennifer@rose theater.org. Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater will present Rock of Ages, Tuesday, March 6 through Sunday, March 11. Rock of Ages is a hilarious, feel-good love story about a small-town girl and a big-city dreamer, told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake and many more. Rock of Ages features classic rock tunes, such as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “We Built this City” and “The Final Countdown.” Tickets start at $25 and are available online at www.TicketOmaha.com; by phone at 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha office in the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th and Douglas streets, Omaha, NE. For more information and show times, go to TicketOmaha.com or visit RockOfAgesOnTour.com.

B’Nai Mitzvah – Wedding Ceremonies — Receptions — Prenuptial Dinners — Showers

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February 10, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 11

Jewish celebrity roundup The Jewish fracking debate by SIX DEGREES (NO BACON) STAFF Ben Stiller’s new show Ben Stiller reportedly has signed on to work with the cable giant HBO to produce, direct and star in a new show called All Talk and written by Jonathan Safran Foer. The show revolves around a Jewish family living in Washington and is billed as “politically, religiously, culturally, intellectually and sexually irreverent.” And guess who is set to co-star? Mr. M*A*S*H himself, Alan Ben Stiller Alda. Credit: LGEPR Shooting is set to begin in by Creative Commons the fall. Fran Drescher’s close encounter Sorry all you Nanny fans, but we have some bad news: Fran Drescher is losing it. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Drescher confessed that she believes in aliens. Here’s the story: “You know, it’s funny because Peter [Marc Jacobson, Drescher’s ex-husband] and I both saw [aliens] before we knew each other, doing the same thing, driving on the road with our dads... we were both in junior high. A few years later we met, and we realized that we had the same experience. I think that somehow we were programmed to meet. We both have this scar. It’s the exact same scar on the exact same spot.” Jacobson disputes the account, saying the scar is from burning himself with hot water, not an alien invasion. But Drescher is undaunted. “That’s what the aliens programmed us to think,” she explains. “But really, that’s where the chip is.” James Franco launches TV website Good news for those who can’t get enough of James Franco. After the movies, TV shows, books, Academy Award hosting and even the James Franco 101 class at Columbia, the Francophiles can now occupy themselves with 24 hours of online Franco stuff. Franco is launching a video website that will feature his newest project, a reality show called Undergrads, which follows the lives of four University of Southern California coeds. Franco is also finally back on Twitter with his @JamesFrancoTV handle, meaning he may take back the statement he made to Politico last year: “Social media is over. Still up there. Going down. You heard it here first.” Undergrads will be released every Thursday at 8 p.m. on Franco’s website. He may even tweet about it.

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by BEN HARRIS approach to promote reduced energy dependence that also NEW YORK (JTA) As concerns mount over the environ- includes enhanced efficiency and movement toward altermental and public health consequences of hydraulic fractur- native fuels and alternative technologies,” Foltin said. “We ing, known as fracking, Jewish groups are coalescing around want to see development of these domestic resources go fora strategy that supports efforts to extract natural gas from ward -- as safely as possible, but with an emphasis on allowshale rock while seeking to mitigate its worst effects. ing it to be done.” In May, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the comSome environmental activists are deeply skeptical of both munity's main public policy umbrella group, will consider a those claims. draft resolution on fracking that in its current form The environmental safety of fracking has yet to be concluacknowledges the potensively demonstrated, they say, tial benefits of a major new and the industry has a poor track source of natural gas while record. Moreover, even if the urging greater oversight environmental concerns were and government regulaaddressed, the effects on foreign tion of the practice. oil imports are likely to be negli“Our goal is to see energy gible in the short term. independence that protects “The impact that increased natthe environment,” said ural gas production has on our Sybil Sanchez, executive consumption of foreign oil has director of the Coalition on more to do with whether or not the Environment and natural gas becomes a viable Jewish Life, or COEJL, an vehicle fuel,” said Mark initiative of the JCPA that Brownstein, an attorney with the promotes environmental Environmental Defense Fund Activists connected to Jews Against Hydrofracking demon- and a panelist at the AJC event. stewardship. Fracking refers to the strating in New Jersey on Nov. 21. “The vast majority of oil is for Credit: Jews Against Hydrofracking transportation.” process of pumping water, sand and chemicals into rock deep below the surface of the Even so, fracking is virtually certain not just to continue earth in an effort to release trapped deposits of natural gas. but to expand. Thousands of wells already have been drilled, The controversial technique, which critics allege poisons vast economic interests incentives are at play and the natugroundwater and creates significant public health problems ral gas would be a cleaner-burning replacement for coal, the near drilling sites, has grown into a major policy debate. main U.S. source of energy. In Pennsylvania, thousands of wells already have been dug to Consequently, some in the environmental world have tap gas from the Marcellus Shale Deposit, a vast subterranean adopted a harm-minimization strategy rather than pushing rock formation that is believed to hold enough natural gas to for an outright ban. supply American demand for decades. New York, which also The JCPA resolution, which was proposed by the Jewish sits atop the Marcellus, has a moratorium in place on fracking, Labor Committee, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation but Gov. Andrew Cuomo is considering lifting the ban. and the community relations councils of Pittsburgh and At least four Jewish summer camps in northern Silicon Valley in California, urges legislation that eliminates the Pennsylvania have signed leases to permit fracking on their gas industry’s exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act land, the Forward reported last summer. and requires full disclosure of the chemicals used in fracking. In the Jewish community, the fracking debate pits two “In an ideal world, it would not be happening at all,” said established communal policy objectives against one anoth- Deborah Goldberg, an attorney at Earthjustice and another er: protection of the environment vs. the desire to achieve AJC panelist. “We’re realists. We know this is going forward independence from foreign energy sources, particularly in many parts of the country and that it will go forward from the Arab Middle East. whether we like it or not. So in those areas we are working Energy independence is among the major policy objectives to get the best possible protections in place that we can.” of the American Jewish Committee, whose New York chapFor some, though, no regulatory regime will ever be suffiter will host a panel discussion on Feb. 6 with three speakers cient. who either endorse fracking or accept its inevitability. “We should not be expanding it,” said Mirele Goldsmith, Richard Foltin, AJC's director of national and legislative an organizer with Jews Against Hydrofracking who would affairs, told JTA that his organization believes that natural like to see New York ban the practice permanently. “We gas can be safely extracted from shale. should instead be looking at renewable sources of energy “We see this as a crucial part of a larger, multifaceted that don’t have the risks that hydrofracking has.”

SUNDAY 11AM to 2 PM

12 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

A very bad idea

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. Imagine: your synagogue is facing bankruptcy, you’re sitting around with the lay leadership and the clergy, and someone says: “Let’s brainstorm. What can we possibly do to save our shul. Anyone? Come on, guys. There are no bad ideas.” Except, there are. That became painfully obvious when Board members of congregation Beth Shalom in Corona, California brought up the notion of soliciting one particular celebrity. In a letter that was sent to Mel Gibson (yes, him), Beth Shalom President Bruce Williams allegedly suggested Mel come to the rescue and save the synagogue from foreclosure: “Our proposal to you, Mr. Gibson, is since you have been cited as anti-Semitic, and have denied those allegations, what better way to prove to all your fans and the nay Sayers, than to endorse and help raise funds for our cause. Today, Mr. Gibson, we offer you to be a Mensch and make a sizable contribution to our cause.” (DailyCaller.com) In case you’ve forgotten: Gibson made the news in 2006, after being pulled over for driving drunk, and treated the arresting officer to an anti-Semitic rant that was incredibly ugly. It tarnished his reputation to the point of no return. But: his demons are his to fight, and bringing them back into the public arena in the context of one synagogues financial trouble is just not a good idea. The fall out from Beth Shalom’s letter was immediate, and made for some ugly headlines: “Temple tries to shake down Mel Gibson,” TMZ reported; the usual anonymous haters came out in droves to blab online about money-grabbing Jews. Reporters at Jewish news outlets everywhere cringed while reporting on it. There are two possible reasons the Beth Shalom Board of Directors decided to take this unconventional route to fundraising. First, they may have thought this was a genuine

option: Mel, if indeed serious about not wanting to be viewed as an anti-Semite, would welcome this opportunity to publicly declare whose side he’s really on. It’s not a likely scenario, and besides: who wants to attend services, knowing the mortgage was paid for by an anti-Semite? Not me. The second, much more probable, explanation is that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Meaning, Beth Shalom knew full well Gibson would ignore them, while the gossip magazines and the more serious media would do anything but. That way, word would get out they were in dire need, and maybe someone else would step up. Publicity stunts are often a gamble. In this case, things went horribly wrong, which is unfortunate. Judging from the Beth Shalom website, one would never know there was a problem; they neither address financial troubles nor their letter to Gibson or any other celebrities. Maybe they hope this will go away, and they’re probably right. A stunt like this only generates headlines until the next silly thing shows up, and during primary season, that won’t take long. We can spend all day making fun of Beth Shalom, but we’d be missing the point. Jewish life costs money; it’s a simple fact. It takes dollars to build synagogues, it takes dollars to organize programming, educate our children and

send them to Israel. It takes dollars to support Jews elsewhere, pay our clergy, our teachers, maintain our kitchens and buy prayer books. We tend to get these dollars from our own people, behind somewhat closed doors. When we don’t find what we need within our own community, that either means the community is dwindling, or its financial health is. There is a sadness about it that goes way beyond what we feel when we see a few anti-Semitic comments online. Also, bringing Gibson and his alcohol-fueled troubles into it reeks of playing the victim, whether it was intentional or not. The real sadness is not that Beth Shalom asked the wrong person; it is that they felt they didn’t have any better options.

Haredi leaders must speak out against zealots

Focus on issues YEHUDA MESHI-ZAHAV JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The recent violence in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood has led me to speak out against the so-called “sikrikim” in the harshest possible terms, equating their actions to terrorism. Sikrikim is the name given to a fringe anti-Zionist vigilante group, loosely linked to Neturei Karta and said to have been at the head of many of the recent violent attacks against innocent Israelis. In my mind, there is a dangerous similarity in their actions and those of Islamist terrorists. And I do not use this comparison lightly -- as the founder of the ZAKA rescue and recovery organization, I understand only too well the horror of terror. These haredi Orthodox hooligans have wreaked havoc through harassment and violence for far too long. It doesn’t really matter how they justify their actions; often they are just bored and find excuses later. Whatever the reason, they cannot be allowed to go on like this at the expense of innocent bystanders, whose only crime is being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and at the expense of the haredi community, whose collective reputation and image are being tarred by their individual brush. There would be communal outcry if terrorists dressed up as haredim, attacked a bus in Mea Shearim, broke its windows and injured innocent men, women and children. However, if haredim themselves do something similar in the name of religious zealotry, it is somehow condoned by a cloak of silence spread across the haredi community. This double

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standard has to end, and I call upon haredi community leaders who deplore their actions to make their voices heard. The silence of the majority of our leaders has allowed a tiny fringe group of extremists to hijack the media into thinking they represent the entire haredi Orthodox community in Israel. This terrible generalization could not be further from the truth and is insulting to those of us who have worked for so many years to bridge the gaps of understanding with all sectors of Israeli society. As a proud 11th-generation Jerusalemite from Mea Shearim, I know the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta all too well, having been raised in their midst and spoon-fed their ideology through my formative years. I was personally arrested no less than 34 times for organizing protests against what I then saw as the evil Zionist regime. As I grew older, I realized that, unlike my traditional attire, not everything is black and white. My abhorrent view of the “Zionists” came to a sudden and drastic halt on July 6, 1989, when I witnessed the aftermath of an Islamic Jihad terrorist attack on the No. 405 bus en route to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Hearing the commotion, I ran from my yeshiva studies to witness a sobering image that would remain imprinted on my mind forever. Sixteen innocent Jews lay among the carnage, including young soldiers, elderly Jerusalemites, North American tourists and Israeli teenagers. Suddenly it became clear in my mind that if terrorists do not discriminate between Jews, then neither should I. Instinctively I ran towards the mangled bus and began to help prepare the victims for burial. Unbeknown to me at the time, these were the humble beginnings of ZAKA. I began to use my organizational skills and contacts to build a framework in which young haredi Orthodox men could volunteer and give back to society in a way that no

other government body was prepared to do. We took responsibility for collecting the remains of terror victims for burial, attending one terror attack after another. Our volunteers received professional training and worked side by side with all of the other emergency services. Suddenly people began to associate haredi Jews, once viewed as outsiders who did not serve their country, as caring individuals fulfilling a critical role in society. Today ZAKA has thousands of volunteers from all sectors in Israeli society -- Jews, Christians, Druze and Muslims. Our work has progressed into that of a U.N.-recognized international rescue-and-recovery organization with branches across the globe, ready to deploy to any mass casualty situation. Once I realized that the Jewish people were one, I began to understand our global role as a “light unto the nations.” What better light can we provide than saving lives and assisting others in their time of need, irrespective of race, color or creed? As our sages tell us, “All of mankind was created in the image of God” -- not just Jews, and certainly not just haredi Orthodox Jews. Authentic Judaism is not about highlighting differences and attacking those who do not share your worldview. It is about bringing the world closer to perfection, tikkun olam, working together for the sake of the greater good. As a haredi leader, I felt the need to publicly distance myself from these fanatics who hide behind the legitimacy of religious garb and spend their time desecrating all that is holy. Through aggression and sick media gimmicks, they seek to bully society into capitulating to their every wish and paint all of Torah Judaism as xenophobic and intolerant. Continued on page 13

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February 10, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 13

Colleges playing catch-up on Israel

Behind the headlines WAYNE L. FIRESTONE WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Just as college students were finishing their winter exams, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg selected a partnership of The Technion Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University to build a campus on Roosevelt Island that will become a global center for technological talent and entrepreneurship. Few people know that before these universities formalized collaboration on today’s most cutting-edge engineering and scientific work, the Hillels at each of the institutions collaborated through networks of entrepreneurial students to advance common interests that spanned Jewish, social and business realms. In this and many other respects, our students are ahead of us. In developing direct student-to-student ties, they have chosen the most direct way to connect with Israel via their Israeli peers. On more than 75 campuses nationwide, students are connected directly with Israel Fellows and MASA peer interns (trained by the Jewish Agency and Hillel) who encourage them to participate in scores of student Israel initiatives that speak to diverse political, cultural, educational and social interests. Today, tens of thousands of college students are now proactively defining their relationship with Israel in the most meaningful and intimate ways and not merely embracing a slogan, ideology or myth. This picture is much different than the one often presented by campus critics and commentators. As an example, Tom Friedman of The New York Times recently presented a distorted picture of students’ relationships to Israel. He claimed students at leading universities would “boycott” appearances by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The immediate reaction this produced proved him wrong: Three dozen mainstream student leaders from the University of Wisconsin responded by signing a public statement of support of the U.S.Israel relationship -- and sent it to Friedman -- and a group of Jewish student leaders invited Netanyahu to speak on campus. A similar phenomenon occurred last year when Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren was outrageously interrupted at the University of California, Irvine, by a small fringe group whose leaders were subsequently expelled,

indicted and criminally convicted. Allowed to finish his speech, Oren did actually receive a standing ovation, although it was not a focus in the media. UC Irvine was not the only campus to invite Oren; 85 student government presidents have invited the ambassador to speak on their campuses. Disruption of speakers and boycotts are real threats to democratic conversation and should not be conflated with other forms of legitimate political dissent or discourse. For the past decade -- regardless of the sitting government in Israel -- we have seen students regularly exploring Israel personally, emotionally and intellectually in deeper and more nuanced ways than prior generations, even when they are confused or have questions about their Jewish identity or specific Israeli government policies. Many spent their winter break in Israel on a Birthright trip in a year forecasting more than 40,000 participants. Whether or not students agree with a particular policy of the Israeli government is probably the wrong question to ponder. The right question is how to make space for the “next generation” and beyond to love and explore Israel in their own way. This spring semester, many students will return to the 22 North American campuses that were energized in the fall by Hillel’s public “Talk Israel” discussions, held in 20-by-20 tents in the hearts of their campuses. “Talk Israel” engaged more than 4,000 Jewish and non-Jewish students, 55 percent of whom were not affiliated with Hillel. The event demonstrated the viability and self-confidence of Jewish students to “take back” the campus from polarizing voices by providing facilitated forums for civil discourse. "Talk Israel" will launch this spring on a host of other campuses. Further, the self discovery occurring back on campus following the Israel trips is beginning to influence the larger uninvolved student cohort. According to The Israel ProjectAmerican Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (TIP-AICE) online survey of 800 college students (400 Jewish), Jewish students may know less about Israel’s history and politics than prior generations but they seem to know more about its people and are significantly more sympathetic than previously thought. In that survey, which was conducted last October and November by Neil Newhouse and Robert Blizzard, 68 percent of respondents defined themselves as “close” or

“very close” to Israel and 73 percent agreed that Jews in America and Israel share a common identity. Indeed, there are pernicious efforts to boycott Israeli speakers, goods and even academics on college campuses that will be highlighted at a forthcoming national conference on the boycott divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement to be held at the University of Pennsylvania. Despite a decade of efforts, the BDS movement has failed to make inroads on any of the campuses visited by its supporters, and this time was greeted by an immediate Penn official statement that it “...does not support sanctions or boycotts against Israel. Indeed, Penn has important and successful scholarly collaborations with Israeli institutions that touch on many areas of our academic enterprise.” Indeed, when asked about BDS activity in the TIP-AICE poll in light of the prevailing trends on campus, Jewish students overwhelmingly opposed these efforts, 70 percent to 5 percent. When I visit campuses, it is not surprising that Jewish and non-Jewish students ask how they can visit or return to Israel now that their schools have dropped restrictive study abroad measures and are expanding academic ties. This is good news. Jewish students today see Israel, warts and all, as valuable and relevant to their lives. It is encouraging to see universities building new academic bridges in an effort to catch up with their students' already connected imaginations and passions. Wayne L. Firestone is president and CEO of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.

Haredi leaders Continued from page 14 The only way to fight their hate is to increase our love and understanding. We must continue to work together as human beings, irrelevant of race, color or creed to make this world a better place for generations to come. Yehuda Meshi-Zahav is the founder and chairman of the ZAKA Rescue and Recovery Organization which has 1,650 volunteers in Israel and international rescue units around the world that have assisted at natural disasters in Japan and Haiti and terror attacks in Mumbai and Mombasa.

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Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Dr. Wayne Lainoff, Pediatrician on Pediatric Medicine since 1970 -- What has changed, What has not? The community is invited. For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Join Rabbi Levin for lunch at the Blumkin Home’s Star Deli at noon. RSVP to rabbilevin@bethel-omaha.org; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; Tot Shabbat/Say Shalom to Shabbat, 6 p.m.; dinner, 6:30 p.m. Cost: Beth El members, $5; non-members, $7.50. No charge for children six and younger. RSVP to reception@bethel-omaha.org. SATURDAY: Scout Shabbat, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.-noon, led by Eadie Tsabari and Beth El teens; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:40 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Men’s Club will sponsor Clean Machine, organizing the storage areas in the synagogue kitchen area from 10 a.m. throughout the afternoon. All volunteers are welcome; Challahbaking class, 10 a.m., led by Susan Witkowski. Cost to attend: $5. For more information, contact the synagogue office; Sunday Scholar Series, 11 a.m., featuring attorney David Herzog, who will compare and contrast Jewish law and American law. No charge to attend; Parsha & Pizza, 12:30 p.m., led by Cantor Schlossberg, at Bagel Bin. TUESDAY: YAC Playgroup, 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Caryn Scheer at carynscheer@yahoo.com. THURSDAY: Chai School Focus Group, 7 p.m. USY SHABBAT DINNER: Friday, Feb. 17, following services. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:35 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Patricia Newman in honor of Emily’s 20th birthday and is sponsored in honor of the 89th birthday of Hersz Flatowicz and the

82nd birthday of Paulette Flatowicz by their children; The Laws of Shabbat, 3:15 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 4:15 p.m.; Rabbi Gross’s Twitter Topic Class, 4:15 p.m.; Mincha, 5:15 p.m., followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 6:37 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross. Contact the office for information on how to call-in to the conference call. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.; A Guided Tour of the Guide of the Perplexed, with Dr. Guy Matalon, 8 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Mizrahi; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon will follow. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-1 p.m. Special Farbrengen to mark festive and important dates in the month of Shvat; New feature: Parsha Patrol. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. followed by breakfast at 9:30 a.m. MONDAY: JLI class, Money Matters Class, 7 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Teen Retreat at Nebraska City, youth grades 912, pre-registration required; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Nicole and Adam Wall. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Yitro. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Book Club, 11 a.m. at Sarah Friedman’s home, 1990 Ryons and will discuss The Ghost of Hannah Mendes by Naomi Ragan. RSVP to Sarah at 402.477.6050; Board of Trustees, 1 p.m.; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1-3 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Obama extends sanctions to Central Bank of Iran by JTA NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON (JTA) -- President Obama expanded Iran sanctions to include parties dealing with Iran’s Central Bank. The executive order made public February 6 and issued by the White House the day before cuts Iran’s economy off from the United States’ entirely by expanding existing sanctions to include those who deal with Iran’s Central Bank, forcing interlocutors to choose between the two countries. The intended effect is to isolate Iran from much of the world’s developed economy. A letter to Congress accompanying the order notes that it comports with the enhanced sanctions law passed by Congress in December and underscores its expansive intent, targeting entities determined “to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order.” The Obama administration had issued a warning in November that such sanctions were forthcoming. A key factor in timing the sanctions was the effort to coordinate with other nations to avoid a spike in oil prices. President Obama also said Israel and the United States will work in “lockstep” to keep Iran from obtaining a

nuclear weapon. In a pre-Super Bowl interview Sunday February 5 on NBC, Obama discounted reports that Israel was getting ready to strike Iran. “I don’t think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do,” he said. Asked if Israel would give him advance warning of a strike, Obama said he would not go into details of conversations, but added that “we have closer military and intelligence consultation between our two countries than we ever have. And my No. 1 priority continues to be the security of the United States, but also the security of Israel and we are going to make sure that we work in lockstep as we proceed to try to solve this, hopefully diplomatically.” Obama downplayed reports of an Iranian attack on U.S. soil and said a military confrontation would be destabilizing. “Obviously, any kind of additional military activity inside the Gulf is disruptive and has a big effect on us, it can have a big effect on oil prices,” he said. “We’ve still got troops in Afghanistan, which borders Iran. And so our preferred solution here is diplomatic; we’re going to keep on pushing on that front.” Obama repeated, however, that “we’re not going to take any option off the table.”

Candlelighting Friday, February 10, 5:35 p.m.

ADULT EDUCATION THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m. and Intermediate Hebrew, 7 p.m. The cost is $50 to cover course materials. For more information call the Temple office at 402.435.8004 or email stemple@neb.rr.com. Note: Please contact Rabbi Lewis if the cost for a class creates a financial hardship. Joint Purim Celebration on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. Be part of the Musical Mellerdrama, The Megillah Goes Country! We Need Players of All Ages. For more information, contact Maria Cadwallader at 402.784.0321 or MariaCadwallader @DirecTV.net.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 5:35 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to you at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel along with Sara Schondelmeyer. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah and Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer. SUNDAY: Teacher Meeting, 9 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Grade 6 Rehearsal, 10 a.m.; WRJ Book Sorting, 10 a.m.; MRJ/WRJ Hamentaschen Baking, 10 a.m.; Grade 1 & 2 Rehearsal, 11:30 a.m.; Purim Rehearsal, noon; JYG Bowling Party, 12:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-8, 6-8 p.m.; Jewish Law concerning building a Synagogue, 6:30 p.m. with Guy Matalon, Scholar-in-Residence of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. THURSDAY: Jewish Responsa, 10-11:30 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel. He will use ancient Jewish text to provide answers to questions about modern Jewish living.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Shabbat Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Study Session on Pirkei Avot, 9:30 a.m.; Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Book Club, 11 a.m. at Sarah Friedman’s home, 1990 Ryons and will discuss The Ghost of Hannah Mendes by Naomi Ragan. RSVP to Sarah at 402.477.6050; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1-3 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. LJCS led Havdalah Service on Feb. 18, 6:45 p.m. at Tifereth Israel followed by a desert oneg prepared by the seventh grade class. Joint Purim Celebration on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. Be part of the Musical Mellerdrama, The Megillah Goes Country! We Need Players of All Ages. For more information, contact Maria Cadwallader at 402.784.0321 or MariaCadwallader @DirecTV.net.

Personal Many thanks to my friends and relatives for their cards, gifts and donations for my recent surgery. A special thank you to the therapy department at the Rose Blumkin Home. Ann Kaiman

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February 10, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 15

One mankind

In memoriam LUCILLE KATELMAN

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Yitro It is certainly not the purpose of our Sidrah to demonstrate the equality of all humankind. It is, however, a clear derivative of this important part of the Mikra. Moses has fled from Egypt to Midian, and finds himself in the presence of Jethro (Yitro), who is the Priest of Heliopolis. Indeed, at Jethro’s suggestion, Moses takes Jethro’s youngest daughter as his wife. The Midrash necessarily points out that Jethro had declared himself an Israelite. He undertook to follow the Law of the Mikra. We find ourselves at Mount Sinai, a holy place. It is here that the voice of the KBH declares ten utterances, universally known as the Ten Commandments. These Commandments are not for Africans alone, or Asians alone, or the western world alone: they are meant for all mankind. They are the basis of civilized living, living decently, honorably, living as the KBH intended for human beings to live. Read this section of Torah again, and yet again. It is easy to count some of the Commandments, but difficult to identify the first few. “I am the Lord your God.” Is this a Commandment? Indeed it is! For it implies the duty of mankind to seek the presence and blessing of this one God, and to accept the duties he has imposed on mankind to raise humanity from animalism to the lofty position of serving under God. Caution: one of the hardest Commandments to maintain is on the surface one of the easiest: the Sabbath! All the other Commandments are ethical-moral. This one is ritual. Its presence among the ten indicates its importance. In our busy world it is very difficult for some of us, whose duties cover all seven days of the week, to observe this Fourth Commandment. It is important, therefore, for everyone, no matter how busy life is, to find at least some little corner of that life, and identify the Sabbath as a Holy Day.

Boteach for Congress? by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has sent a letter declaring his intent to run for Congress in New Jersey's newly formed 9th District. Boteach did so by the Jan. 31 deadline but has not decided definitively to run, the New Jersey Jewish Standard reported. He would face the winner of the Democratic primary between U.S. Reps. Steve Rothman and Bill Pascrell. Two other potential Republican candidates also have submitted letters of intent, according to the PolitickerNJ website. Boteach told the Jewish Standard that one of the factors that will go into his decision of whether to run will be how much money he can raise for the race. He said he will make up his mind in the next two months. He also said he wants to "bring Jewish values into the political discourse." Boteach is a syndicated columnist and has written several books. The Jewish Standard said that if he becomes the declared candidate, it would discontinue his column until after the race.

ANTIQUE SPECTACULAR FEBRUARY 17-19

IOWA STATE FAIRGROUNDS

Lucille Katelman passed away on Feb. 2 at the age of 99. Services were held Feb. 5 at Temple Israel. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Abe Katelman. She is survived by her daughter, Sandra Martin, and daughter and son-in-law, Franki and Ron McIntyre of Fountain Valley, CA; grandchildren: Sherryl and Jack Anderson, David and Sue Ruttenberg of Fountain Valley, CA., Jody and Kirby Nyquist, Brian and Lani Martin of Felton, CA, Angela and Paul Horner, Kevin and Yuki Martin of Portland, OR.; 15 great-grandchildren; seven great-great grandchildren; sister, Margie Schoenberg of Beverly Hills, CA. She will also be remembered by her many wonderful caregivers during the last two years of her life, including the wonderful nurses at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, and her personal caregiver and friend, Carol. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, in support of their musical programs.

FLORENCE GOLDSTEIN KRICSFELD Florence Goldstein Kricsfeld passed away on Feb. 3 at age 95. Services were held at Temple Israel on Sunday Feb. 5 with the burial at Golden Hill Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Kricsfeld; sister, Dorothy Suson and brother, Archie Goldstein. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Rabbi Martin Weiner; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Barry and Barbara Kricsfeld; grandchildren: Dr. Alan and Deborah Kricsfeld, Dr. David and Anya Kricsfeld, Michael and Megan Kricsfeld, Rabbi Daniel and Cindy Weiner, Ellen and Randy Stross, Elizabeth and Josh Engel, Jennifer Coppa and Kristin Coppa; ten great-grandchildren; brother Benjamin Goldstein, brother and sister-in-law, Martin and Eileen Goldstein, and many nieces and nephews. Florence was born in New York. She lived in Denver and then moved to Omaha when she married the late Joseph Kricsfeld. Florence was a member of the Red Hat society, a member of both Beth Israel and Temple Israel sisterhoods and Hadassah. She was an avid card and mahjong player and always loved a good time. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of the Midlands or the charity of your choice.

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Nebraska STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS PREGNANT? CONSIDERING Adoption? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. Adopt Connect, 1-866-743-9212. BANKRUPTCY: FREE initial consultation. Fast relief from creditors. Low rates. Statewide filing. No office appointment necessary. Call Steffens Law Office, 308-872-8327. steffensbankruptcylaw.com. We are a debt relief agency, which helps people file bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING works! Place your 25 word ad into thousands of Nebraska homes for $210. Contact the Jewish Press at 402-334-6449 or call 1-800-369-2850. LOOKING FOR the classic car, truck or motorcycle of your dreams? Midwest Classic Cars website is your Midwest connection to classic vehicles for sale. Need to sell a classic vehicle? For only $25, your ad with photos will run until sold! Call this newspaper today for more information or call 1-800-369-2850. ERICSON REGISTERED Angus Bull Sale. Selling 119 top 2-year-old bulls, Tuesday, Feb. 28, Ericson Livestock Market, Ericson, NE. Sandhills raised, EPDs, calving ease, easy fleshing. Top AI sires: Shear Force, Final Answer, New Frontier, Objective, Bando 1961, Packer, Thunder, 1407. Virgin bulls, volume discounts, fertility tested, guaranteed. Jim Brinkman, 308-653-2134. AFFORDABLE PRESS Release service. Send your message to 175 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800-369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details. DO YOU live in rural Nebraska and need a small business loan under $50,000? REAP can help! Call 402-656-3091 or visit www.cfra.org/reap. RED GREEN Live. Experience this hilarious one-man show. Tues., May 15, 7 p.m., Lied Center, Lincoln. For tickets call 1-800-432-3231 or purchase online at www.liedcenter.org, www.redgreen.com. IT’S NOT too late to find the keys to their heart. Enjoy special pricing on grand, digital and vertical pianos during our Valentine’s sale! 800-950-3774, Piano4u.com. SAWLE MILL Inc. New saw mill, Springview, 402-322-3600. Cedar Interior/Exterior paneling and flooring, many by-products, many items in stock, Pine, Walnut, Oak & more. GREAT OPPORTUNITY for the right person looking for long-term employment on irrigated farm north of North Platte. 308-636-2930, 308-636-8130, 308-636-2989. MANY CHILDREN need a safe family. Can you help? Christian Heritage helps you become a successful foster parent. Please don’t wait. Call Christian Heritage: 402-421-KIDS. COMPASSIONATE ABOUT helping others? Train to be a certified hypnotist by Lincoln Hypnosis Center and acquire business and technical hypnosis skills. Call 402-465-0409, lincolnhypnosis.com.

HEALTH CARE FRAUD IS BIG BUSINESS Nationally tax payers lose $80 billion to $160 billion every year to Medicare fraud and abuse. Join the Fight! Take a stand against health care fraud Become a part of our statewide volunteer network. Call Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to report suspected Medicare fraud

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AIRLINES ARE hiring. Train for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance, 888-8968006. QC SUPPLY, a leading distributor of ag products is looking for a Sales Professional at their Schuyler headquarters. Experience or knowledge of the swine and/or poultry industry is a must. Responsible for establishing & maintaining relationships with customers & vendors. Great work ethic, basic computer abilities & excellent communication skills needed. Work for a growing company, e-mail your resume to careers@qcsupply.com or mail to PO Box 581, Schuyler, NE 68661. HVAC TECHNICIAN/Installer with commercial refrigeration experience. Wages negotiable, based on experience. Benefits available. Send resume to Cozad Services, 217 E. 8th St., Cozad, NE 69130. J.D. TECHNICIANS, come join our team. Contact Steve at 402-759-1449 or 402-7593139. Experience preferred but will train the right individual.

ANIMAL LEARNING CENTER E. 33RD & E. UNIVERSITY, DES MOINES AntiqueSpectacular.com

TRAILER MECHANIC: Timpte is the industry leader in the manufacture and supply of bulk commodity semi-trailers. Timpte is currently looking for a Trailer Mechanic for its new service center located in Aurora, NE. Responsibilities include the service and repair of trailers. Previous experience with trailers is preferred. Timpte offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Send resume to: Jessica Boss at 1827 Industrial Drive, David City, NE 68632, e-mail resume to jboss@timpte.com or contact Human Resources at 402-367-3056 for an application.

51st Annual Western Farm Show

WANTED: SELF-motivated individual to work in central Nebraska water, well business. Valid CDL, welding, mechanical skills. Pre-employment drug testing. Average 50 hours week year round. Competitive wages, benefits. Serious inquiries only. Downey Well Co., Inc., PO Box 37, Merna, NE 68856, or call 308-643-2463.

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YOU GOT the drive, we have the direction. OTR Drivers, APU equipped pre-pass EZ-pass, pets/passenger policy. Newer equipment. 100% No Touch. 1-800-528-7825. WANT TO Buy: Junk vehicles & salvage iron. We clean up farms & ranches. We meet or beat all prices. 308-530-1563 or 308-530-1088. HAMILTON MANOR accepting applications for: RN/LPN, MA and CNAs. For information contact Nicole Hansen, staffing coordinator at 402-694-2128 or application at 1515 5th Street, Aurora. HIRING! CORRECTIONS Officers, $14.21/hr + benefits! Lincoln and Tecumseh. For details and to apply online, visit www.corrections.nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2654. ADA Accommodations, 402-432-5182. EOE/Vet

16 | The Jewish Press | February 10, 2012

Holocaust Day in Southern Italy by RUTH ELLEN GRUBER film about the drawings made by children AMENDOLARA, Italy (JTA) -- It was interned in the Terezin ghetto camp near International Holocaust Memorial Day, and Prague. In Oriolo, a young local woman who when I told my audience that I was a Jew, had written a novella set during the they burst into applause. I was speaking at the City Hall in this ancient seacoast town in Calabria, deep in southern Italy on the instep of the Italian boot. My audience consisted of some 100 schoolchildren aged 10-13, along with their teachers, city officials and a few parents. Italy marks Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan. 27 with an array of commemorative and educational initiatives, and schools all over the country organize special lessons, study units, projects and other programs on the Amendolara Mayor Salvatore Antonio Ciminelli, left, standing next to JTA’s Ruth Ellen Gruber, after presenting award Holocaust. This year I was invited to certificates to some of the 100 school children who attendAmendolara and Oriolo, ed a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in the town hall. another small Calabrian town The children received awards for art or writing projects perched high amid rugged about the Shoah. Credit: courtesy of Amendolara Town Hall hills, to speak to elementaryand middle-school students as part of Holocaust talked to the kids about the book. municipal events. For my turn to speak, I wasn’t quite sure In Amendolara and Oriolo, my presenta- what to say. The kids had begun to fidget as tions came at the end of a series of other the ceremony wore on, and I was concerned speeches by local officials and educators. about keeping their attention. The mayors of both towns denounced the So I decided to change gears. I wasn’t dangers of Holocaust denial. going to talk about the Holocaust per se, I “Democratic western countries must not told them. They had been studying that and forget that these democracies were built on were aware, I think, of the horror. the ashes of Auschwitz,” said Amendolara What they didn’t know anything about Mayor Antonio Ciminelli. “We must fight was Jews – Jews as living people, and not Holocaust denial; denying the Holocaust abstract Holocaust victims in striped pajacan lead to denying the legitimacy of the mas or faceless components of the 6 million. State of Israel.” So, I told them, “I’m a Jew, living and kickIn Amendolara, the program included a ing” -- and that’s when they applauded.

In a manner of speaking, my message was my very presence. We are normal people, I said. We come in all shapes and sizes; some of us are rich, some poor; some are smart, some dumb; some are religious and others, like me, are not. I recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, telling them that I thought it appropriate since I felt so moved and privileged to be able to meet with them. Then I showed them pictures of the impact of the Holocaust -- color pictures, not black and white shots or grainy film. They were pictures that illustrated the work I have done over the years documenting the synagogues, cemeteries and other remains of prewar Jewish life and also chronicling the rebirth of Jewish life in post-Communist Eastern Europe. There was no time to take questions after the event in Amendolara. But later, a woman told me that tears had come to her eyes when I said I was a Jew. And a group of girls came up to talk. You’re the first Jew we ever met,” they told me. What did they think of that? I wanted to know. “You must have lived through a lot,” one said. The kids had studied the Holocaust in class and, as part of their lessons, had created artworks and writing projects. Some of the pictures they drew were displayed on the walls: There were Stars of David and human faces penned in by barbed wire, prisoners in striped uniforms with the caption “so as not to forget,” images of death-camp barracks. One picture, I noticed, quoted the lyrics of a famous song about Auschwitz written in the 1960s by the Italian singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini. “I died when I was a child,” the song begins.

“I died with a hundred others. Passed through a chimney, and now I’m in the wind...” About 30,000 Jews live in Italy today, but none, as far as I can tell, lives in either Amendolara or Oriolo. Calabria was home to a flourishing Jewish community in the Middle Ages, but Jews were expelled from the region 500 years ago. Ironically, the largest Jewish presence in the region came during World War II, when Italy’s fascist government held more than 3,800 Jews, most of them from other countries, in the Ferramonti internment camp near Cosenza. Schoolchildren often visit Ferramonti as part of Holocaust education programs. That evening in Oriolo, the program went on longer than anticipated, but the kids were eager to stay on and ask questions afterward. “Did you lose any family in the Holocaust?” asked a girl who looked to be about 10. I explained that no, my mother’s parents both had been born in the United States and my father’s parents had emigrated from what is now Romania more than 100 years ago. My relatives in Romania were deported to a labor camp in Ukraine and, as far as I know, survived. I showed pictures of myself visiting the grave of my great-grandmother, who had died in Romania after the war. Then one boy of about 11 asked a question that I couldn’t even begin to answer. It was the question underlying the entire evening and decades of history. “What,” he asked, “did the Nazis have against Jews? What made them kill them like that?” Ruth Ellen Gruber’s books include National Geographic Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe, and Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe.