Endowed by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Beth Israel hosts Scholarsin-Residence super stars
February 12, 2016 3 Adar 1 5776 Vol. 96 | No. 22
This Week
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Rabbi Uri Regev comes to Temple Israel by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel Through the generosity of the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning, Temple Israel is pleased to announce our next scholar in residence, Rabbi Uri Regev, who will be visiting March 11 and March 12. Rabbi Uri Regev is an internationally renowned leader and advocate of religious liberty and the liberal movements of Judaism in his native Israel and around the world.
Rabbi Dembitzer (slightly left of the middle, front) with a group of Camp Simcha participants at the Kotel.
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by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Publicity Chair, Beth Israel Synagogue The first weekend in March at Beth Israel Synagogue will feature a group of nine visitors who exemplify the adage that the true importance of a person is found on the inside, not the outside. These extraordinary young men are challenged physically, but these challenges do not stop their drive, determination and zest for life. Rabbi Ari Dembitzer describes this special scholars-in-residence weekend as “a celebration of inner strength.” The paths of these young men and Rabbi Dembitzer merged through the rabbi’s work with Camp Simcha, a program of Chai Lifeline. Camp Simcha is a camp for children with cancer and other chronic illnesses. The camp provides a happy and magical environment for children so
they can confront their challenges with increased strength and willpower. Rabbi Dembitzer has worked with Camp Simcha helping to create this magic since 1997. As the years went by, he had the opportunity to get to know each of these young men. He soon saw for himself the talent that each possesses. “These are men who touch the lives of those around them,” he reports. “Their talents and the possibilities for each person can easily be overlooked due to their physical challenges. The focus should instead be on the potential each of them possesses.” Oshry Moyal will be one of the scholars-in-residence during the March 4-6 visit. Oshry has Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. During a powerful poetry presentation at Camp Simcha, Oshry described how, as a
young boy, he first experienced the changes to his body that was the beginning of his journey into a different physical reality. Today, Oshry’s motorized wheelchair provides him with mobility and he looks at each day as an opportunity. While in Omaha, he will talk about his journey and his plans for the future. Oshry and the other visitors will be part of an extraordinary Shabbat of learning and celebration. The weekend will begin with Shabbat dinner on Friday, March 4, beginning at 7 p.m. Sharon and Jeff Kirshenbaum are dinner chairs. Dinner is $18 for adults with special family pricing available. On Saturday morning, March 5, members of the group will help lead services and give the sermon. Saturday evening will Continued on page 2
Double the pleasure - twin Voices of Beth El by SHERRIE SAAG for Beth El Synagogue Naomi and Aaron are the children of Sally and Jim Zipursky. They are also twins who often share the same thoughts, opinions and feelings – about their Judaism and their synagogue, Beth El. Naomi and Aaron were contacted separately by this author; different emails on different days. In true “twin” fashion, although 1500 miles separated them, they used almost identical language, save for a single word, to describe their passion for being Jewish, “Judaism is and always will be a big part of my life.”
Naomi and Aaron Zipursky Both also acknowledged that Beth El was central to their upbringing and neither could recall many childhood memories that didn’t include the synagogue in some way. Beth El holds a special place in the hearts and minds of these college students, and this week Naomi and Aaron are the Voices of Beth El. Naomi is currently a junior at Emory University in Atlanta, majoring in linguistics with a minor in religion. A self-described people person, Naomi says she tries to learn
as much as she can about everyone she comes in contact with. “That’s part of why I chose to study linguistics and religion, because what better way to learn about people than by studying two of the most fundamental aspects of the human experience: language and religion?” Aaron is studying computer science engineering at Northwestern University. “Starting around third grade we went to services every Saturday morning,” Aaron recalls, “I always liked class with Margo Riekes because she found a way to make learning fun and engaging when the material may have been otherwise. Summers at Herzl Camp and USY were also a big part of my Jewish upbringing. I always liked interacting with Jews from other parts of the country and being surrounded by Jewish people my age.” “I think the majority of my childhood memories have something to do with the synagogue,” Naomi wrote, “I can honestly say I was the kid who looked forward to Hebrew school. I loved seeing all my friends three-four times a week and learning Continued on page 2
Rabbi Uri Regev Credit: JTA Currently, Rabbi Regev serves as the President and CEO of a new educational and advocacy IsraelDiaspora partnership, “Freedom Of Religion for Israel” and of its Israeli counterpart, “Hiddush – For Freedom of Religion and Equality”. For seven years he served as president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, a global umbrella organization of the Progressive, Reform, Liberal and Reconstructionist movements, serving more than 1,200 congregations and communities in 42 countries on six continents. As head of the World Union, Rabbi Regev worked to strengthen modern, pluralistic Jewish life and democracy in the Jewish state and throughout the world. He also guided the organization in its tikkun olam (repairing the world) initiatives through social advocacy programs on both the local level and in partnership with prominent international non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations. Prior to assuming leadership of the World Union in 2002, Rabbi Regev served as founding chair, and later as executive director and legal counsel of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the advocacy group established by the Reform movement in Israel. In that capacity he led the IRAC’s legal team to historic victories in the Israeli Supreme Court in cases involving the “Who is a Jew?” issue, equitable funding for Reform and Conservative institutions and the fight for representation in the religious councils. He has also defended the rights of Sabbath-observant Continued on page 3