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Kitty’s story
February 14, 2014 14 Adar I 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 22
This Week
by DONNA WALTER Education Coordinator, Institute for Holocaust Education On Oct. 23, 2013 the Iowa Holocaust Memorial was dedicated on the grounds of the Iowa State Capitol. The memorial is located midway between the Iowa Capitol Building and the State Historical Society building – a prime location for school groups and other tourists. The Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines commissioned Iowa State University students to participate in a design contest for the new memorial. The memorial features four aluminum panels which are etched with quotes from survivors along with information and photos about the Holocaust. The memorial area, once a parking lot, is now a park-like setting. Kitty Williams, Institute for Holocaust Education friend and a Holocaust survivor from Council Bluffs, attended the dedication ceremony. Kitty was moved by the state’s memorial. “It’s so important because I want the people to always remember about the Holocaust, that it can happen again. And can happen to anybody who’s different, different color skin or
Community Gallery Page 6
The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama Page 7
Iowa Holocaust Memorial different origin and this is, to me, the only way you can prevent it if we keep it alive by memorials such as this and by educating people,” said Williams. Kitty was one of two Iowa survivors in attendance. Both survivors were interned in Auschwitz. A special dedication ceremony was held at the State Historical Society Building. The dedication included remarks from many state dignitaries:
General Timothy Orr, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, Governor Terry Brandstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds. The keynote speaker was Ann Millin from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Millin’s father was born in Dubuque, Iowa and was a member of liberating forces listed on the memorial. Over 200 people attended the
dedication ceremonies and luncheon. Kitty, Katalin Ehrenfeld, was born in Sáránd, Hungary in 1924. She was the second youngest of eight siblings. Her father, Mor, was a decorated WWI combat veteran. He was a wise and respected man in the community, despite having only a third grade education.They were the only Jewish family in the town. Despite feeling anti-Semitism from the community, Kitty describes her childhood with her close-knit family as happy. Happiness was replaced by sadness when Kitty’s mother died when she was seven. Kitty’s older sister, Magda, became her surrogate mother. By 1939 Kitty’s siblings had started lives of their own. At age 15 only Kitty and her father remained at home. Kitty attended high school in nearby Debrecen. “I was a young girl but I couldn’t get out except maybe for a couple hours a day. You couldn’t travel, you were forbidden to do anything.” One evening as she was returning from attending a movie at the invitation of a friend, she put her coat on covering her yellow Star of David. Someone reported her and Continued on page 2
CJL announces Klutnzick Rabbi Jonathan Gross Learning Series receives TOYO award No lost sleep over boycott threat Page 12
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
8 10 11
This Month Non-profit Organizations See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Program Coordinator, The Center for Jewish Life The Center for Jewish Life is excited to announce a new program – the Klutznick Learning Series. With generous financial support from the fund of the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, this will be an annual program, providing the opportunity for adults in our community to expand their level of Jewish literacy. The program is open to the community, at no cost. The first series will be entitled What Is It About the Ten Commandments? The six-session course will provide a dual look at the Ten Commandments, examining each from both a religious side in addition to a “real life” view. The first week will
begin with an introduction by Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, the Klutznick Chair for Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, followed by presentations on one commandment. The following four weeks will
have a discussion of two commandments per night. The sixth week will discuss the final commandment plus a wrap-up by Marty Shukert. The series will include both clergy and community members for the presentations. Each commandment will first be reviewed by a clergy member followed by a look from a “real-world” perspective by a community member. An example of this will be Rabbi Josh Brown covering “Thou shalt not commit adultery” followed by Glen Fineman, a mental health practitioner, talking about the implications to families when this commandment is broken. Dr. Greenspoon suggested the focus for the learning series. Continued on page 2
Rabbi Jonathan Gross accepts his TOYO award by JEANNIE NICKELS young professional organization in Beth Israel Synagogue Omaha, building strong commuIn December, the Omaha Jaycees nity leaders since 1921. For 81 announced the recipients of the years, the Omaha Jaycees have been 2013 Ten Outstanding Young Om- honoring individuals between the ahans (TOYO). For the first time in ages of 21 and 40 who show exemthe 81-year history of the TOYO plary commitment to improving awards, a rabbi has been named as the community through selfless a recipient. Rabbi Jonathan Gross acts of kindness while excelling in of Beth Israel Synagogue accepted their professional careers. The 81st his award at a dinner on Wednes- Annual Ten Outstanding Young day, Jan. 29. Omahans was presented on The Omaha Jaycees is the oldest Continued on page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | February 14, 2014
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Continued from page 1 The barracks housed 20 to a room and was a one mile walk the next day she was arrested. She was jailed in another town from the munitions factory where the women worked 12 despite the pleas of her father. Eventually, a neighbor walked hour shifts seven days a week. They handled toxic chemicals the eight kilometers to secure her release. Kitty believes her with no protection. Kitty chiseled powder out of unexplodfather gave the neighbor money to bribe officials. ed bombs and grenades. The chemicals made the workers’ When the Germans reached hair turn purple and their skin yellow. her town, it was a mob of The women were frequently punished by the Germans and Hungarians guards for minor things. One German woman who went around breaking did befriend Kitty. She allowed her some rest time windows and threatening and gave her extra food which Kitty shared with people. They came to Kitty’s her fellow workers. In late March of 1945, the house and demanded that she camp commander announced that the war was come with them. Kitty’s father over and they were free. The twenty roommates – spoke German and convinced who had become like sisters – stayed together. the hoodlums that she was “We decided to stick together. We went one direcnot there. From that point on, tion. We had no idea really. We ate anything we Kitty slept at the home of the could find — grass, vegetables in the fields, eggs Ehrenfelds’ Christian neighin hen houses. We feared knocking on the doors bor, widower Mihaly Toath. of German houses. We were afraid of the recepIowa Governor Terry Brandstad and Kitty Kitty slept under his bed with tion we would get. Once in a while, some of us, Williams. a pillow and a blanket. When probably not me, was brave enough to knock. Kitty returned after the war to find him, she learned he had There was hostility from some, generosity from others.” On died. He wanted to live to see Kitty return. In the event that April 1, 1945 – her father’s birthday – the women encounhe should die before that, he asked to be buried wrapped in tered American troops who treated them with special care. Kitty’s blanket with her pillow under his head. Eventually, the G.I.s took the women to Fritzlar, a former Kitty’s brothers were taken to forced labor camps. One was Luftwaffe base. Kitty worked there for two years as a waitress sent to the front lines of Russia and died. Kitty and two of and after quickly learning English, as a telephone operator. her sisters were taken to Auschwitz. A third sister was taken Kitty did not want to return to her home – too many from her home in Budapest and forced to march with thou- painful memories. She met an American pilot and chose to sands of others. A Hungarian guard offered to hide her sis- make a new start in the U.S. After much difficulty in getting ter and a friend in his home. Her sister accepted the offer here, she met him in New York and they took a train to Iowa. and lived even though it meant being a slave to the On the train ride he told her not to tell his family she was Hungarian. Her friend declined and did not survive the war. Jewish. He explained that they would not accept her. Though The train ride to Auschwitz was terrible. They were difficult to do, she kept her heritage a secret. After twelve crammed into a box car with a bucket for a toilet. At first years of marriage and three children, her husband’s drinking they would hold up a sheet when someone needed to use the led to a divorce. Kitty, now a single mother, worked as a bank “toilet”. But soon their modesty gave way to dehumanization. teller and trainer. The long hours of work took their toll on Kitty’s father had a special pair of shoes made with a com- her family. She relied on her eldest son, Mike, to be the head partment in the soles for money. He was forced to give up of the household as she focused on the other two children. that money. However, he became a hero when their box car At 19 he committed suicide – Kitty’s Holocaust here. Her received many loaves of bread – probably as a result of the remaining children earned degrees from Yale and Grinnell, money he gave up. Upon arrival at Auschwitz, Kitty was sep- and Kitty became a bank vice president. She met Bill who arated from her father – never to see him again. She remem- became her husband and “the best thing that ever happened bers a parting hug. A friend was sorting through the cloth- to me.” Today Kitty shares her testimony with students and ing left by those killed in the gas chamber. She found a wed- civic groups. She has returned to Europe several times. The ding picture of Kitty’s sister in a coat pocket. The coat first trip back was an invitation to Allendorf for a reunion of belonged to Mor, Kitty’s father. That is how they knew he camp mates – all expenses paid. 333 of the 1000 women had been murdered. from the camp attended. After four months at Auschwitz, workers were needed at Kitty was moved by the “kindness and sympathy and Allendorf, Germany, a work camp. 1000 women were sent to regret” of the Germans. It changed her image of them. do work designed for men. Conditions were better there.
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Continued from page 1 “The booming voice of God and Charleton Heston holding the tablets is the image many people equate to ‘The Ten Commandments’,” commented Dr. Greenspoon. “As the basis of the 613 mitzvot, the commandments have a much greater depth than those Hollywood images. The goal of this learning series is to provide a fresher image, combining the scholarship of our clergy members with the practical, real life presentations of those ‘in the trenches.’” Beth Cohen, Executive Director for the Center for Jewish Life, agreed adding “We learn early in life that the Ten Commandments are basic rules about how to behave. As time goes on we learn more, and often things may not seem
as straightforward. This will be a great chance to learn about the commandments from a unique perspective.” Sessions will be held on Monday evenings, Feb. 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 7-8:30 p.m. in the Social Hall at the JCC. Each presenter will have a 15-minute time slot and a short break will be included during the session. Full details on each session will be provided in next week’s issue. While there is no cost, registrations are appreciated for planning purposes. Make reservations by calling 402.334.6463 or mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org. The series is presented by the Center for Jewish Life whose mission it is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.
Rabbi Jonathan Gross receives TOYO award Continued from page 1 at the CenturyLink Center. The evening included drinks, dinner, and networking. Omaha News channel WOWT anchor Malorie Maddox emceed the evening events. Rabbi Jonathan Gross has been the Rabbi at Beth Israel Synagogue since 2004. Rabbi Gross has served as the synagogue’s spiritual leader during a period of transition into the Pacific Street building and led a period of renewal with many young families joining the synagogue. The Omaha Jaycees recognize the amazing impact Rabbi Gross has on his own congregation and the Jewish community, and also recognize that a strong Jewish community is important to the strength of Omaha. Beth Israel congregants and the Omaha Jewish community benefit greatly from Rabbi Gross’s varied activities. Since his arrival in Omaha,
he has sat on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the JCC, Friedel Jewish Academy, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, and the Center for Jewish Education (now the Center for Jewish Life). He actively works with the Food Bank for the Heartland, the American Friends of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva and the Orthodox Union and has served on the executive committee of the Rabbinic Council of America. Rabbi Gross has served as a visiting professor of Jewish studies at the University of Nebraska where he was recognized for his contribution to students by the Parents Association and Teaching Council. In addition, he founded the Spence Chess Club, the only venue in Omaha providing weekly USCF rated chess events. Rabbi Gross holds a BA in Math from Yeshiva College, and Rabbinic Ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at YU.
February 14, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3
Foundation Funds support Vocational Education Scholarships by MARY BORT Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation When people hear the phrase “scholarship,” a scholarship to attend a four-year college or university often comes to mind. However, students don’t always decide to attend a four-year college. Some have talents and interests that lead them to consider vocational education instead. These students are encouraged to apply for vocational scholarships that are available to Jewish students from the Omaha Jewish community. For example, the late Brandon Thomas chose to enroll in the culinary arts program at Metropolitan Community College. When Robert and Ellen Gordman decided to create a scholarship fund in their grandson’s memory, they worked with the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation (JFO Foundation) and the Center for Jewish Life to establish the Brandon Thomas Vocational Scholarship Fund. This fund provides annual scholarships for one or more Jewish high school graduates who wish to pursue a career in a vocational trade and have indicated an interest in the trade by working and/or volunteering in the field prior to beginning their formal training. “Vocational trade” means skilled work typically requiring formal technical training specific to a particular job or career, as distinguished from unskilled work or from what might generally be described as a profession or business. The Brandon Thomas Vocational Scholarship can be used for tuition, books and other related expenses for a student living at home and enrolled in a vocational program in Omaha. Housing expenses can also be covered for a student enrolled in a vocational program outside of Omaha. “We wanted to do something for the Jewish community and memorialize Brandon, so we decided to create this scholarship,” explained Elly Gordman. “This fills an important need since not all high school graduates go on to college. And we wanted to do something that reflected Brandon’s interests and abilities. Brandon had this drive to become a chef and we became increasingly aware that some kids don’t want to go to college. They want to do something else.” Students enrolled in any vocational program may apply for a Brandon Thomas Vocational Scholarship. A culinary arts program is just one example of the type of vocational
Bob Gordman, left, Brandon Thomas and Elly Gordman program for which the scholarships may be granted. Scholarships for vocational studies are also available from the Milton S. and Corinne N. Livingston Fund, a donoradvised fund of the JFO Foundation. The Livingston Fund provides scholarships for any post-secondary program, including vocational studies. The decision to include vocational education scholarships was made by the Livingston Fund committee in order to be inclusive of all career paths that students select.
A charming visitor at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Last week, performing artist Dulce Mueller, also known as “La Dulce,” was invited to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home for an afternoon of animal entertainment. Dulce and her cobra, “Blondie,” thrilled the crowd of RBJH residents as well as visiting students from Friedel Jewish Academy with old fashioned snake charming and belly dancing. Blondie was very friendly, and both residents and students were able to get close enough to touch. At right: Blumkin resident Jane Cohen has a personal encounter with the snake, who, according to Jane, felt “very soft.” For more photos of snake Blondie, please see page 6 in this issue.
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“The Livingston Fund committee recognized the importance of providing support not only for college-bound students, but also for students interested in pursuing careers in various trades, such as electricians, plumbers, HVAC mechanics, masons and so on,” noted JFO Foundation Executive Director Howard Epstein. “There are educational programs in Omaha and elsewhere that offer students the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge needed to be successful in their chosen trades. The Livingston Fund committee wanted to include these types of post-secondary scholarships.” Educational scholarships from the Brandon Thomas Vocational Scholarship Fund and the Milton S. and Corinne N. Livingston Fund are administered by the CJL, an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Application information is available in the CJL’s 2014 Guide to Scholarship and Grant Opportunities. Scholarships awards are determined by the Financial Aid Committee of the CJL. Applications are found on the CJL’s scholarship page at www.jewishomaha.org. For further information, call 402.334.6445. If you are interested in establishing a vocational scholarship fund to memorialize a loved one or to support a particular area of study, contact JFO Foundation Executive Director Howard Epstein at 402.334.6466 or hepstein@ jewishomaha.org.
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4 | The Jewish Press | February 14, 2014
Experiencing Shabbat at Temple Israel brings families together by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Religious School students and their parents got a chance to sleep in on Sunday, January 26, because their classes that week were held the day before, on Saturday afternoon, as part of Temple Israel’s “Experience Shabbat” programming. The afternoon began at 4 p.m., with Religious School students in grades 1-6 attending their regular classes, while their parents were invited to During Experience Shabbat, while their children were in class, parents participated in sit with the clergy and discuss a discussion with the clergy about Shabbat. Cantor Shermet is standing, Rabbi Brown Students participated in a Shabbat-themed craft fair during the “Experience Shabbat” Experience Shabbat; shown here making their own Kiddush cups. is sitting to her left. theme of that session. The next Experience Shabbat is scheduled for Saturday, The afternoon concluded with a Havdalah service led by Over wine and cheese, Rabbis Aryeh Azriel, Josh Brown March 29, from 4-6 p.m. and Cantor Wendy Shermet discussed with parents the Cantor Shermet. importance of Shabbat and how families can celebrate the weekly holiday both at services and at home. After about 45 minutes, the students came upstairs to the social hall, where they were joined by their parents to sing songs before tackling the various arts and crafts projects designed for them by the Religious School faculty and Director of Lifelong Learning Debbie Massarano. by JILL BELMONT tivities, Epstein recalled last year’s ‘Mexican and “Experience Shabbat is designed to bring our community Beth El Publicity Margaritas’ event saying, “It together to celebrate Shabbat,” Massarano said. “It provides was a really fun night. We Beth El’s Young Adult an opportunity to learn, play and pray together as a comlearned some salsa moves, Committee invites all young munity in a different kind of setting. Parents and grandparlaughed at ourselves and had a Jewish adults in their 20s and ents and aunts and uncles and special friends are all invited really good, different kind of 30s --single and married -- to to come Experience Shabbat with us!” evening with friends.” come to the synagogue for Silvia Roffman attended Experience Shabbat to spend Shapiro added, “Matt and I are “Mexican and Margaritas time with her grandson Eitan. looking forward to having a Night” on Saturday, March 1, “It’s great that I can see my grandsons at Temple where we great night at this event. Salsa 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. Hosted by can share dinners and joint activities and then go to our own dancing isn’t something we Laurie Epstein and Melissa special classes,” Roffman said. “Eitan and the other students Shapiro, the fun-filled evening usually do... maybe we can even had a lot of fun with each other and made something at each will feature a Mexican-themed improve our dance skills! This of the Shabbat craft tables. It was very cool to see.” dinner, margaritas, and salsa will also be a great opportunity Rabbi Brown was particularly impressed by the children dancing (including a lesson to meet new members of the staying on-task the whole afternoon. from a professional dance synagogue.” “Because there were so many activities for the kids going teacher). Cost to attend is $10 per peron at once, they stayed engaged the whole time,” he said. son. To RSVP, send a check – Parents are welcome to bring “We didn’t have any discipline issues, because the kids’ made out to Beth El – to the their children for their own attention was focused on their craft projects and showing synagogue, in care of “Mexican separate party and movie, their parents what they had made.” All young Jewish adults are invited to Beth El’s upcom& Margaritas Night.” Be sure to supervised by babysitters. Cost Craft projects at this Experience Shabbat session included ing “Mexican and Margaritas Night” at the synagogue, note if babysitting services are is $5 per child (includes dinmaking spice boxes out of fruit and spices, coloring and gluco-hosted by Laurie Epstein, left, and Melissa Shapiro. needed. For more information, ner), and reservations are ing together small, Torah-shaped boxes, baking mini chalcontact the synagogue office, or visit www.bethelrequired. lahs and designing and coloring challah covers for Shabbat Encouraging everyone to take part in the upcoming fes- omaha.org. dinners.
Beth El’s upcoming “Mexican & Margaritas Night” promises fun for young adults
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February 14, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5
Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest returns for 12th Year by SHERRIE SAAG The Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) and the Plains States Region of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will administer the 12th annual Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest for Nebraska high school students. Entries must be postmarked by Feb. 26, 2014. First place winners receive a cash award of $750.00. The Essay Contest requires students in grades 9-12 to write a 7501000 word essay about an individual or group that illustrates moral courage. Students use the Holocaust as a lens to analyze moral behavior and the essays must identify and explain the courageous act, connect it to the Holocaust and demonstrate a personal connection. “Each year, submissions show how students delve deep into the true meaning of moral courage and discover how the topic impacts him/her on a very personal level. I am sure this year’s participants will do the same,” said Liz Feldstern, Executive Director of the IHE. “Our objective is for students to appreciate the historical significance of the Holocaust and its impact on communities and conflicts around the world. Each student can work to make a positive change in the world,” she added. This fall marks the 70th anniversary of the rescue of the Jews of Denmark. The Danish people organized a national effort to send 7,200 Jews by fishing boats to neutral
Sweden. This effort resulted in the highest Jewish survival rate of any European country during World War II. The Danish citizens provided a unique example of courage and concern; jeopardizing their own lives to spare those of their fellow countrymen. The Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest was co-founded by the Danish Immigrant
Museum (Elk Horn, IA) and is named for these courageous acts. The Essay Contest is an excellent way for educators to integrate a multi-disciplinary assignment into their curriculum and also provides students an opportunity to participate in a nationwide contest, with the chance to win a cash prize and be honored for their accomplishments. The contest is offered to students in two categories – 9th and 10th grades and 11th and 12th grades with cash prizes ranging from $75 to $750 in each category. Educators are eligible to win prizes as well. On average, the Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest receives well over 500 entries from all local school districts and states as far away as North Carolina and New York. Information including contest overview, rules, awards and submission instructions can be found at www.ihene.org. The essay contest is generously funded by the Carl Frohm Foundation.
Musical Fun at Friedel Representing the Omaha Chamber Music Society, clarinetist Carmelo Galante and pianist Christi Zuniga offer a session of music enrichment at Friedel Jewish Academy. This Sunday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m., Galante and Zuniga will join four other professional Omaha musicians at the JCC Theater to present “Inspired.” The concert is free and open to the public, thanks to underwriting by the Sokolof Javitch Music Fund. Its varied program features beautiful, expressive
chamber works by renowned non-Jewish composers who were influenced by Jewish musical traditions.
Organizations LOMIR REDN YIDDISH The Lomir Redn Yiddush group will be on hiatus from Dec. 20 through April 2. For information, please call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638. B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Dr. Harris Frankel, will speak on the
ramifications of The Affordable Health Care Act on Wednesday, Feb. 19, noon, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnai brith@jewishomaha.org.
In the news The Omaha Public Library will host its Author Fair on Saturday, Feb. 22, 1-4 p.m. at W. Dale Clark Main Library, 215 S. 15th St., 4th floor. The event is free to the public. Participants will hear from a panel of publishers and literary experts at 2 p.m. The discussion will include advice for writers who want to be discovered. Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to meet authors, buy books and have them signed. Amoung the authors participating include Leo Biga, Brian Bogdanoff, Steve Fischer, Milt Kleinberg and Dick Lerner. Visit omahalibrary.org for information
about additional programs offered at Omaha Public Library’s 12 metro locations.
Birth Aly and Alex Bollinger of Grand Rapids, MI announce the Dec. 16, 2013 birth of their son, Brody James. Grandparents are Lucy and Kirk Bowers of Lincoln, and Cathy and Dwight Bollinger of Omaha. Great-grandparents are Sally Arenson of Lincoln, and Eleanor Bollinger of Bismark, ND.
6 | The Jewish Press | February 14, 2014
Community G A L L E R Y
Friedel Jewish Academy held its annual Science Fair on Thursday, Feb. 6. Clockwise, from left: Sidney Zacharia, Mark, Heather and Peyton Kelln; Sarah Howard and daughter Aurora; Mendel Wright, Peyton Kelln and Julian Witkowski; Brandon and Julia Raffel; Harry Berman and Rabbi Steven Abraham.
future to the Listen
Omaha Area Youth Orchestra Upcoming Concerts and Events February 2014 2/15 Play-A-Thon 4:00-6:00 PM Westroads Mall 2/17 Chamber Music Concert 7:00 PM Presbyterian Church of the Cross March 2014 3/2 Spring Concert 6:30 PM Joslyn Art Museum Witherspoon Concert Hall For more information on concerts or auditions: visit www.oayo.org or call 402.238.2044
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On Wednesday, Feb. 5, B’nai B’rith’s weekly luncheon welcomed speaker Amy Richardson, executive director of the Women’s Center for Advancement (the WCA). Her talk about her work helping abused women and their families brought out an unprecedented number of women guests, flanked here by Marty Ricks and Rabbi Josh Brown.
(See also page 3) Friedel students meet Blondie the cobra up close. At left: Noah Blair and Sophia Mavropoulos.
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Children’s Museum wows kids and adults during Beth El’s PJ Havdalah by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity The Omaha Children’s Museum’s own ‘Mad Scientist’ wowed an audience of 90 adults and children with entertaining and crazy science experiments during Beth El’s PJ Havdalah program last weekend. The evening began with a family dinner and a warm Havdalah service in the chapel; then, following the science show, children were treated to a pre-bedtime snack of milk and cookies.
February 14, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7
The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama by LARRY KUBERT LINCOLN, NE. -- The imprint that Jewish culture has made on the world and the drama of suffering, resilience and rebirth that has gone with it is explored in a new five-hour documentary series, The Story of
pletely different. So the history of the Jews is everyone’s history too and what I hope people will take away from the series is that sense of connection: a weave of cultural strands over the millennia, some brilliant, some dark, but resolving into a fabric of
the leader of the Zionist movement, Chaim Weizmann. Schama talks about the turning points of the drama with living witnesses like Aviva Rahamim, who, as a 14-year-old, walked across the Sudanese desert to try and reach Israel; Yakub Odeh, a Palestinian whose village was destroyed in the war of 1948; and Levana Shamir, whose family members were imprisoned in Egypt at the same time. He debates the meaning of new archaeological discoveries of the Biblical period with Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University; the Dead Sea Scrolls with their chief curator Pnina Shor; the character of the Talmud with Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of the New Republic; the photographic record of Israel’s history with Micha Bar Am; German cultural treasures from
Enlightenment Germany and the music of Felix Mendelssohn with the critic Norman Lebrecht. The series was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC in fall 2013 and was acclaimed in the British press as “an astonishing achievement, a TV landmark, idiosyncratic, accessible but always authoritative.” It includes new archaeological research that is transforming our understanding of the earliest world of the Jews, and highlights evidence from the visual arts -- synagogue mosaics, spectacularly illustrated Bibles, the brilliantly colorful decoration of synagogues (contrary to impressions of a monochrome religion), as well as the glorious music that carried Jewish traditions through the centuries. For a complete program schedule, visit netNebraska.org.
Help an outstanding Jewish teacher receive a $10,000 Sokolof award Simon Schama in The Story of the Jews. Credit: BBC/Oxford Film and Television/Tim Kirby the Jews with Simon Schama, airing on consecutive Tuesdays, March 25 and April 1, at 7 p.m. CT on NET1. Schama -- an Emmy Award-winner and prize-winning author -- brings to life Jewish history and experience, traveling from Russia and the Ukraine to Egypt, Israel and Spain. “If you were to remove from our collective history,” said Schama, “the contribution Jews have made to human culture, our world would be almost unrecognizable. There would be no monotheism, no written Bible, and our sense of modernity would be com-
thrilling, sometimes tragic, often exalted creativity.” The Story of the Jews draws on primary sources that include the Elephantine papyri, a collection of 5th-century BC manuscripts illuminating the life of a town of Jewish soldiers and their families in ancient Egypt; the astonishing trove of documents -- the Cairo Geniza -- recording the world of the medieval Jews of the Mediterranean and Near East; the records of disputations between Christians and Jews in Spain; correspondence between the leader of the Arab revolt during World War I, Emir Feisal, and
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by SUZANNE SINGER for the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Janis Fischer, Gail Kenkel, Naama Arzi, Margo Riekes, Beth Spizman, Eadie Tsabari, Marina Sadofsky and Rebecca Herskovitz have something very special in common. They each were named the Phil and Ruth Sokolof Jewish Teacher of the Year and received an award of $10,000. Phil Sokolof was so proud of what his wife Ruth accomplished as a teacher, that he wanted to recognize others who were making a difference in the lives of children. He stipulated that the teacher had to be teaching K-12 in the Omaha metro area for at least the past three years.
Simply write a letter describing a teacher you know and tell why she/he deserves this special recognition. Encourage others (such as students, parents, teachers or administrators) who are aware of this teacher’s dedication and positive influence to do the same. A teacher who has been nominated in the past, but not selected, may be nominated again. Only an update is needed. Send your letter by March 3 to Janet Henthorn at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154 or to jhenthorn@jewishomaha.org. Contact her with any questions at 402.334.6551.
8 | The Jewish Press | February 14, 2014
Point of view
American Jewish Press Association Award Winner
Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008
All due respect
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press The nice people at SodaStream just can’t win. With all the flak over whether they should be allowed to employ Palestinians, rumor has it Coca Cola and Pepsi are angry. Their Super Bowl commercial (you know, the one with actress and singer Scarlett Johansson) had to be edited before it could be broadcast. The original poked a little fun at the two soda giants, and we can’t have that. Capitalism, the home of healthy competition, is only enjoyable when you’re on top and nobody messes with you. Besides, Pepsi sponsored that football game, so there. But that is not all. Next, Johansson herself was given a taste of what it’s like to be on the unpopular end of the debate. Unfortunately for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction people, she wasn’t having it, and stuck to her principles. Apparently, she had given this some thought before she signed on, and even visited SodaStream’s factory in the Mishor Adumim industrial park, located in Ma’aleh Adumim. “SodaStream is a company that is not only committed to the environment,” Johansson said, “but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbors alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights.” And when anti-hunger group Oxfam International criticized her for her role as SodaStream’s spokesperson, Johansson “respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years,” according to her press agent. Respectfully. Now that is a word we don’t hear often in the “where-doyou-stand-on-Israel” debate.
Case in point: former Pink Floyd member and anti-Israel activist Roger Waters had this to say: “Scarlett, you are undeniably cute, but if you think SodaStream is building bridges towards peace you are also undeniably not paying attention.” (Insert the sound of screeching brakes here). Cute? What, pray tell, does that have to do with the price of tea? It gets worse. Waters met Scarlett Johansson Johansson in 2013 during an event at Madison Square Garden, and recently said about that meeting: “You could have been forgiven for thinking that here was a young woman of strength and integrity who believed in truth, human rights, and the law and love. I confess I was somewhat smitten. There’s no fool like an old fool.” Indeed. How dare Miss Johansson charm Waters with her gorgeous looks, and subsequently disagree with him politically? I wonder what he would have said about her were she a little less attractive. Or a man. Would he have used that kind of put-down with George Clooney? Because let’s be frank, calling her “cute” in this context is not a compliment. It is disrespectful, arrogant, insulting and childish. Waters, you are a chauvinist pig. The real reason you talk this way: you have no intention to have an actual debate. What you call anti-Israel we call anti-Semitic. No use denying it: you bring an inflat-
able pig with a Mogen David imprinted on it to your performances. You just want everyone to agree with you, or shut up. And girls should be pretty, and have no opinions. It would be extremely easy to write a few paragraphs about you in this vein. I could talk about how you are indeed an “old fool,” and how you recorded some nice songs but do not have the intelligence to make politically sound arguments. How being a famous Pink Floydian does not make you the authority on walls in general, and how it is time to retire. It’s tempting, because you irritate me, and because your “cute” comment makes me think you have no respect for women. This editorial would practically write itself. But that won’t get us anywhere. Instead, I think we need to bring the concept of mutual respect back into this whole thing. So, dear Roger, here goes. Unlike many, I do not believe rock stars should stay away from politics. Instead, I believe we all have a voice, and every one of us has the potential to make this world better. Along the way, we will have disagreements, we won’t always understand each other, and we will argue. But if we stay respectful of each other’s opinions, even when we disagree, we will already have taken a step towards that better world. As long as we continue to talk, and not put each other down, like you did with Scarlett Johansson. Because what you said about her just made it difficult for many of us to take you seriously. Difficult, but here’s the good thing: not impossible. I propose a deal. You lose the attitude, and while you’re at it, you lose that inflatable pig. In return, I will stop calling you a chauvinist and an anti-Semite. We don’t need people like you to stand with us. We just need you to remember that freedom of opinion goes both ways.
Boycotting settlements is not anti-Israel
Focus on issues NAOMI PAISS NEW YORK (JTA) -- On her way out the door to defend the SodaStream company, the suddenly political Scarlett Johannson threw a grenade at her erstwhile cause, the international aid organization Oxfam. According to her spokesperson, “She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.” Full stop. The global boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which harbors more than a few people who want to put the entire project of a Jewish homeland out of business, is not the issue between Ms. Johannson and Oxfam. SodaStream has its main factory in the occupied territories. The company is contributing to the health and prosperity of the occupation while providing income for the settlement enterprise -- an enterprise that is corroding Israeli democracy, deemed “illegitimate” by the American government and considered illegal under international law. Boycotting goods and services coming from the settlements, although sometimes difficult to implement in practice, means putting one’s money where one’s mouth is, if one has been saying that the settlements are an impediment to the two-state solution and to peace. What’s so hard to understand about that? My organization, the New Israel Fund, which supports more than 100 progressive civil society organizations in Israel at any given time, made a clear distinction some years ago in our funding guidelines. We don’t fund organizations with global BDS programs. We will not disqualify organizations for funding if they support the boycott of settlement goods because we see it as entirely consistent with our opposition to the occupation, our defense of Israeli democracy and our support for a two-state solution.
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So let’s take a look at those who are profiting from blurring the lines -- the Green Line, to be precise. The current Israeli government and its well-funded organizational allies have popularized the word “delegitimization” to describe opposition to Israel. But in making no distinction between calls to boycott Israel itself and calls to boycott the settlement enterprise, they are deliberately conflating two very different things while erasing the distinction between Israel inside the Green Line -- the pre-1967 border with the West Bank -- and military control of settlements in the territories. Defunding the settlements equals delegitimization equals anti-Semitism equals destruction of Israel as a Jewish state, or so goes their formula. Those for whom any progress toward ending the occupation is their worst nightmare have been somewhat successful at making this false equivalence stick. The truth is, Israel has real adversaries who equate Zionism with racism. But it is also true that criticizing Israeli government policy, especially support for the settlement enterprise, is not delegitimizing Israel. According to last year’s Pew study, only 17 percent of American Jews believe the settlements help Israeli security. Do the other 83 percent not think that Israel is legitimate? By some accounts, the Palestinians who work at SodaStream are well treated by the standards of occupation enterprises. But suggesting that those Palestinians don’t have much choice about their employment because the West Bank is entirely aid dependent, and because it’s hard to have a vibrant economy under foreign military control -- that’s not delegitimizing Israel either. That’s the truth as pro-Israel progressives worldwide see it. But let’s leave the Palestinians aside for a moment. What blurring the lines between Israel and its military occupation accomplishes is not just the perpetuation of the occupation. Israel’s existence as a democratic state is grounded in the values and institutions it shares with other democracies, including freedom of speech and conscience, an independ-
ent judiciary and an untrammeled civil society. It is no accident that in the past five years, those values and institutions have come under attack from those whose defend the settlement enterprise at virtually any cost. The harassment and punitive legislation aimed at human rights groups, which inconveniently document the abuses inherent in occupation, is a deliberate strategy as well. Anyone who has spent 10 minutes watching Palestinians queue up at a checkpoint to get to work or a hospital in Israel knows that Israeli democracy comes to a halt at that checkpoint. Anyone who drives on a road forbidden to Palestinians and guarded by barbed wire and watchtowers, or reads the graffiti left at the scene by settler vigilantes during their “price-tag” attacks, cannot help but understand why the occupation is compared to other historical examples of oppression and injustice. Abraham Lincoln said of our own country that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.” Although the occupation is not slavery, he would have recognized that a pernicious institution poisons the entire body politic, and that there can be no such thing as freedom for one group and subjugation for another in a functioning democracy. The blurring of lines between Israel and the territory it occupies and administers militarily serves the short-term purposes of the settlers and their apologists. In the long term, however, if and when those lines really disappear, when Israel becomes identical to the occupation and its democracy is sacrificed to those with a messianic vision of the Jewish state, then the Zionist enterprise will have failed. And those of us who love Israel, and believe in the promise that a state founded by Jews would reflect the love of freedom and equality that is part of the Jewish heritage -- we will have failed, as well. Naomi Paiss is vice president of public affairs for the New Israel Fund.
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February 14, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9
Outreach to interfaith families strengthens the Jewish future
Focus on issues RICK JACOBS NEW YORK (JTA) -- All in favor of a strong Jewish future say “aye.” On that core question, there is resounding unanimity, but there have been some unnecessarily polarizing articles in the Jewish press suggesting that we have to select either endogamy (Jews marrying Jews) or outreach. Nonsense! Such binary thinking reduces a multi-dimensional and complex reality to a false choice. At the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial in San Diego many weeks back, I challenged Jewish leaders to stop speaking “about intermarriage as if it were a disease. It is not.” I do not know how any serious observer of American Jewish life can believe that in the aftermath of the Pew Research Center's study of Jewish Americans and other surveys, intermarriage is anything but a reality of Jewish life. Many characterize intermarriage as the result of assimilation. There is some obvious truth in this view, but I believe that higher intermarriage rates are largely the result of the open society in which we are privileged to live. The sociology is clear enough. Anti-Semitism is down. Jews feel welcome. We mix easily with others. So, of course, there are high intermarriage rates. The pressing question is, how do we respond? High intermarriage rates require a thoughtful response. Delivering endless sermons about the importance of endogamy -- or making apocalyptic arguments -- is not going to dissuade young people from falling in love with someone who is not Jewish. If that were the case, we would not be where we are today. Intensifying and deepening Jewish engagement for the next generation is an essential undertaking that forms the cornerstone of “Inspired Engagement,” our large-scale, new URJ response. Our new youth engagement strategies reflect our broadly inclusive definition of Jewish community that
seeks to include, educate and embrace, among others, children of interfaith families. Many in the “endogamy camp” argue that outreach to interfaith families is not an effective communal investment. At the heart of this debate is the allocation of communal resources. But the impact of outreach to interfaith families -when thoughtfully and effectively deployed -- matters. Consider Boston, where Barry Shrage, president of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, has made outreach to interfaith families a communal norm across all Jewish institutions, including synagogues. The number of interfaith families raising Jewish children has doubled. Jews marrying Jews is a blessing; the long-term demographic projections are clearly more encouraging when Jews marry other Jews. Creating pathways for Jews and nonJewish partners to create active Jewish homes also is a blessing, the sacred challenge of our time. However, talk of endogamy will not change outcomes. Only our actions can create change. Going forward, the Reform movement’s singular focus is to make sure that a widening, not shrinking, circle of young people in our community experiences a Judaism that is deep, compelling and inclusive. Simultaneously, they must hear from their Jewish leaders that interfaith couples can be and are supported in their effort to raise deeply committed Jewish families, especially when they do so in an inclusive Jewish community that is offered uniquely by the Reform movement. While other voices will surely proclaim that endogamy is the only effective way to have a committed Jewish family, the Reform movement has something altogether different to say: Jewish commitment can be established in a variety of settings, especially with support and increased opportunity for learning and engaging. Falling in love with someone who is not Jewish is not a failure of Jewish commitment at a time when young adult lives are just beginning. How congregations and rabbis do this holy work varies,
My valentine to American Jewish men by SUZANNE LEVY (JTA) -- On Valentine’s Day, I’d like to sing the praises of American Jewish men. I’m aware it’s a rather large group, but that’s the point: The United States is a sea of plenty for Jewish men. Whereas in Britain, where I grew up, there are only about 300,000 Jews. If you remove married men, women and children, you’re left with enough eligible Jewish bachelors to inhabit a synagogue or two. There are, however, millions of men in the U.K. who look like Benedict Cumberbatch or Hugh Grant. Lovely chaps, all of them, but none embodied the stocky, dark, curlyhaired Jewish types I longed for when I was growing up in the 1970s. Think Paul Michael Glaser, the guy who played Starsky. Or Tony Curtis. There were some in my Hebrew school class in London, but few had that sass, that chutzpah I was after. They were aiming to be languid and vaguely ironic, like Jeremy Irons. My first encounter with a real-life Jewish American boy came when I was 16. I was on a summer Israel tour, that rite of passage, and one night, on the shores of the Kinneret, I met Lance from Michigan. I’d never met a Lance before. Only Jeremys, Howards and Simons. It was thrilling. He was stocky, with a "Jewish nose" and thick hair. We flirted, I fell in love, he left on an Egged bus. I was left with the confirmation that yes, such beings do exist in real life, and a deep knowledge that one day we would meet again and marry. (That knowledge proved to be illusory, but if anyone knows a Lance from Michigan who went to Israel in 1979, please pass on this story. Maybe our children could marry.) I’m sure my attraction to American Jewish men was a factor 10 years later when, at 26, I decided to move to New York. I’d like to say it was because I had taken a job at the BBC’s New York bureau. But in fact it was just that I knew I’d be living in a world inhabited by Jewish guys. And so I was. I would walk down the street on the Upper West Side (with a particular viewing point outside Zabar's) and clutch myself in excitement at the Jewish Adonises around me with their deep, soulful eyes on their expressive faces. Could you be my prince? How about you? My dating pool suddenly expanded. Jewish men were everywhere: waiters, dentists, squash instructors. It constantly amazed me. I would meet a guy at a bar or a party and their last name would be Rosenbaum or Cohen. Definitely not Clemington-Smythe. My bubbe would have been proud. I was ecstatic. It’s not like I hadn’t dated -- or even been in love with -non-Jewish men in England. But I just found there was a level of comfort and warmth -- heimischeness, if you will -- with my Jewish tribesmen. And the American Jews also had an
exotic assertiveness that thrilled me. They have a confidence in their manliness, in their heritage. They’re descended from the Jews who made it through harsh winters and pogroms in the shtetls. They’re risk-takers and life-embracers. While it’s true that British Jewish men are descended from the same stock, more than a century of keeping your head down, fitting in and hoping no one will notice you’re avoiding the ham sandwiches at work doesn’t exactly make you want to stand out in a crowd. British society is wonderfully tolerant of multiculturalism -- as long as you don’t make a fuss. Jewish American men don’t try to assimilate. They don’t seem to rein in their mannerisms. They’re out and proud (at least in New York or Los Angeles). And they have broad shoulders and are, as my mother would say, “shtarkers” -they’re strong. Of course, there's the stereotype that Jewish men are nebbishy Woody Allen types -- and some are! But what these men may lack in brawn, they make up for with their scintillating smarts. The few Jewish intellectuals in the U.K. stand out because of their rarity (Alain de Botton, Harold Pinter), while here you can find bespectacled Jewish men passionately expressing their views or fluently spinning bewitching tales everywhere in the media. Talk wonkery to me, Ezra Klein! Give me a driveway moment, Ira Glass! Paul Krugman, fill me with your finance talk! (Paul doesn’t wear glasses, but you get my point.) One day seven years ago, after many years of happily wading through New York’s large Jewish dating pool, I was out for drinks with coworkers when the company's darkhaired vice president admitted to the crowd that he’d once considered becoming a rabbi. I almost fell off my chair. This would have never happened in London. His name was Steve Holtzman. It was love at last name. The next day I rushed to talk to him. We compared notes on teenage years involved with Orthodox youth groups, and we’ve been together ever since. Today, Steve shrugs off his Jewishness, but for me it continues to be part of the appeal. His maternal grandfather escaped the czar’s army by walking across Europe when he was 12. His father’s family comes from Pinsk. (I just like saying the word Pinsk). He’s smart, funny and cute. He has a big embrace. And a big heart. So on this day of pagan/Christian celebration of love, I’d like to take this moment to make a toast to him -- and to all American Jewish men. May you all continue to thrill this nice Jewish girl from London. And all Jewish girls, from wherever they are, throughout the decades to come. Suzanne Levy is a British-born writer and TV producer now living in Los Angeles.
but today it is an axiom of Reform Judaism that we take on the work of inclusion every day. Some rabbis officiate at interfaith weddings; others do not. But either way, thoughtful, content-rich outreach must become the gold standard of our Jewish communities. I hope that all of our federations, inspired by Boston’s strategic shift decades ago, will soon come to that same conclusion. Little is gained by circling the wagons only around those who are involved intensely in Jewish life and writing off the others as a bad investment. What a difference inclusion of interfaith families has made, bringing the creativity, leadership and service of hundreds of thousands to enrich our congregational lives, while countless thousands of children are being raised with meaningful Jewish experiences and commitments. Let’s be clear: Those of us who champion outreach know, of course, that creating opportunities for young Jews to meet and form close bonds with other Jews while living Jewishly makes perfect sense. But such obvious strategies must only be one part of our ongoing work. The goal, one we all share even if we disagree on tactics, is to secure a robust Jewish future. We can only reach that goal with a real commitment to outreach. Day schools, Jewish camps, intensive adult learning opportunities, soulful spiritual practice, acts of social justice and yes, inclusion of interfaith families in all of the above, are the most effective ways for us to strengthen the Jewish future. All opposed? Rabbi Rick Jacobs is the president of the Union for Reform Judaism.
Time to get serious about cybersecurity
Behind the headlines PAUL GOLDENBERG NEW YORK (JTA) -- The growing risks posed by homegrown terrorism, the rise of European ultranationalist fervor and anti-Israel boycotts, coupled with the likelihood that Mideast tensions may intensify, has given rise to a distinct and unfamiliar threat directly impacting homeland and Jewish communal security. A terrorist-related group from the other side of the globe can breach an agency or synagogue computer network and silently gather its most vital information. Hackers now have the capacity to make digital copies of information that once filled floors of locked filing cabinets under the careful watch of staff and volunteers. Most troubling is that a theft of this nature can go undetected for years, if not indefinitely. Governments, retail establishments, corporations and nonprofit organizations have been the targets of cyberattacks aimed at defacing websites, disrupting networks, stealing information and damaging systems. Earlier this month, several French Jewish communal websites were defaced by sympathizers of the anti-Semitic French comedian Dieudonne, a controversial figure known for his Holocaust denial and admiration for gas chambers. Our massive dependence on technology provides a perfect platform for those who seek to harm Jewish interests. What’s more, an institution’s private information is threatened with every download, every click on an Internet link and every opened email. “Cyber threats to Jewish organizations pose significant security risks to their operations and include everything from surveillance and intelligence collection on leaders and members to accessing systems that can disrupt operations or be exploited for conducting a physical attack,” says Mitch Scherr, CEO of the data security firm Encryptics. “The fact that critical information is being transmitted between offices and across the Internet is all the more reason that it must be protected while in transit and at rest.” Leaders of Jewish organizations have an obligation to educate themselves on the nature of their respective agency’s cyber technology and ensure that the threat is treated earnestly. Cybersecurity has become the newest front in homeland security. It is imperative that we apply the same level of awareness and action to this threat as we have to ensuring the physical security of our facilities. The threat of cyberattack is more real than ever. Like the years leading up to 9/11, the clarion call has been sounded and warnings have been made. Are we listening? Paul Goldenberg is the national director of the Secure Community Network, an initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America. This article was edited for length.
10 | The Jewish Press | February 14, 2014
Synagogues
Candlelighting Friday, February 14, 5:39 p.m.
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN
TEMPLE ISRAEL
618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885. FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by an oneg with guest speaker, Richard Fellman, Retired Lawyer and Adjunct Professor at UNO on Jews in Cuba. The community is invited. Miles Remer will officiate at all of the Speaker Series Services.
South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Karin and Ray Coulter. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Ki Tisa; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m.; LJCS Havdalah Service, 6 p.m. at the GrossbartHenkelmann home. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Lincoln, 10:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1 p.m. MONDAY: Temple Office Closed; Jewish Book Club Meeting, 1-3 p.m. at South Street Temple and hosted by Sara Friedman. Will discuss Jews and Words by Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzberger. The discussion will be led by Rabbi Craig Lewis. TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Aces, north of 70th and “O” Streets. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 6:30-8 p.m. Intro to Judaism, Session led by Rabbi Lewis. THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m. Nebraska’s Medicaid Choices: The Wellness in Nebraska Act, Sunday Feb. 23, 7 p.m. at South Street Temple. For more information please contact Barb Strauss, Social Action Committee at 402.476.1070. Creative Megillah Reading - Starring You, Saturday, March 15, 7:30 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to help read. Please contact the Temple office if you want to participate.
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Brown; Shabbat Service, at 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Brown and Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: No Religious School. TUESDAY: Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 6:30 p.m. with with Na’ama; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; The Symbiotic Relationship of Science and Religion, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Brown. THURSDAY: The way to the heart of Judaism is through the stomach, 10 a.m. with Debbie Massarano. Tot Shabbat, Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m. We will begin with bagels, juice and coffee. We will conclude by 10:15 a.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other families with young children, connect with our clergy, and add that wonderful Shabbat spice to the life of your family. Please contact the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536, to let us know you are coming.
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 Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Sunday Scholar Series, 11 a.m., with Marty Shukert on Leader, Scoundrel, Hero, Poet, Father: Contemporary Views on King David in Text, Novel and Song. Free and open to the community. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. MONDAY: No Tai Chi Class on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24; Tai Chi, Better Balance for everyone, six-week class at the synagogue with the last class on March 3, 6–6:45 p.m., led by certified Tai Chi instructor, Beth Staenberg. Non-impact movement, perfect for men and women of all ages. For more information, contact the synagogue office. TUESDAY: Wrestling with the Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. weekly adult-education class led by Rabbi Abraham. No charge to attend; everyone is welcome. WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes (grades 2-7), 4:15 p.m. BESTT Hebrew High Classes, 6:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m. Family Shabbat Service, Friday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m. Mitzvah Fair, Sunday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel. Mexican and Margaritas Night, Saturday, March 1, 6:309:15 p.m. (see full story on page 4.) The Secrets of the Jews, Sunday, March 16, 10 a.m. Monthly adult-education class led by Andy Greenberg. 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: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 5:39 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit (Barchu), 9 a.m.; Mincha, 5:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:40 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Office Closed; Daf Yomi: Week in Review with Rabbi Gross, 7:45 a.m. THURSDAY: Sacred Grounds, 9:30 a.m.
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: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch. SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.; Breakfast Bonanza, 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office. WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 10 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak. THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu. All programs are open to the entire community.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by B’nai B’rith Members. SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9 a.m. led by Steve Riekes. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon; There will be a Lunch and Learn after services. Bob Evnen will lead the presentation on Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act in Congress and the status of IsraeliPalestinian negotiations. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Lincoln, 10:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1 p.m. MONDAY: Jewish Book Club Meeting, 1-3 p.m. at South Street Temple and hosted by Sara Friedman. Will discuss Jews and Words by Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzberger. TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Aces, north of 70th and “O” Streets. If you have any questions please contact Stephanie Dohner. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.
Hadassah Hospital’s need for infusion by EDGAR ASHER Last Sunday was not an ideal day to have a doctor’s appointment as nearly all hospitals in Israel operated on an emergency footing. All elective procedures and surgery that were not oncology related, or life threatening, were suspended. Hundreds of doctors and nurses took part in a rally outside the Prime Minister’s Office to protest the severe financial problems facing the country’s hospitals, in particular the dire situation at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospitals in Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus. Hadassah hospitals, which are independent and mainly supported by the Hadassah Women’s Organization, presently have a deficit of $368 million. The staff at Hadassah has threatened an open-ended strike following the breakdown of negotiations with the government over the lack of public funding. Hadassah representatives are critical of the finance and health ministries for what they describe as their ‘indifference’ to Hadassah and the other hospitals operating in the public sector. Main city hospitals that are part of the main medical sick funds, such as Clalit, Maccabi or government-run institutions are in a relatively better position than Hadassah, but they also still lack sufficient funds. Many medical staff at
Hadassah have only received a part of their monthly salary. Last week the finance and health ministry, together with the Hadassah women’s organization, agreed to give an amount of about $29 million to go towards paying some of the outstanding salaries. Hadassah cannot of course be allowed to close shop and in the end it may be that a trustee will have to be appointed to run the huge medical undertaking. The cost of modern medical technology and experienced medical staff is beyond the financial capabilities of Hadassah Women’s Organization. The Israel Medical Association recently announced that ‘Hadassah physicians were and are ready to make major contributions for the financial recovery of their employer and decided to forgo a significant part of their 2011 wage accord and significant amounts of their earnings from private medical services.’ Over the past year or so several senior medical and administrative staff at Hadassah have left the organization, mainly because of what they see is the indifference of the Health Minister Yael German and the Finance Minister Yair Lapid. Representatives of Hadassah claim that over the past three months the Health Minister has not met with the representatives of the Hadassah staff, even once.
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February 14, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11
We are not alone
In memoriam MERRIAM FRIEDMAN
Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Ki Tisa Even its opponents, and I am one, sometimes admit that there is a certain virtue to atheism. This virtue lies in courage and spiritual bravery: the atheist announces that human beings are alone in this universe, and that if they are to do anything constructive toward the alleviation of the lot of humankind, they must do it themselves. There is no God, they say, to help. The virtue I see in atheism is the willingness to face the universe alone. Humankind, the atheist says, is alone. Now it takes courage, whether or not the opinion is justified, to say that we are alone. In our Sidrah our ancient ancestors were afraid to face the wilderness alone. “That man Moses,” who had led them out of Egypt, and who had foisted the Ten Commandments on them, was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the God about Whom he had spoken. So they fashioned a god for themselves, a bull-calf, symbol of fertility and strength, and gleaming with gold. We are appalled that, with the Ten Commandments still reverberating in their ears, they did this. But primitive humans, and some still to this day, were always afraid to be alone, and fashioned gods to be with them. The famous Israeli scholar Ezekiel Kaufman analyzed the anti-idolatry passages in the Bible, and came to the conclusion that the prophets had no idea what idolatry really was. They inveighed against idolatry as though pagans actually worshiped the wooden, metallic or ceramic figures. But Kaufman sees the pagan mind as looking beyond the figures to unseen gods represented by these figures. The statues were simply a comfort to have around, a focus around which worship could be centered. We can understand the golden calf incident better with that thought in mind. The frightened Hebrews, recently released from slavery, had not yet internalized the experience of Sinai. When they looked out into the empty wilderness, they needed to know they were not alone. And the bull-calf was for them the beast on which their unseen God was mounted. Judaism is not a faith for the faint-hearted. To be a Jew means to posit a God who is powerful but unseen, benevolent but unseen, demanding but unseen. We must be at least as courageous as the atheist. Judaism expects Jews to view life soberly enough to excise idolatry, and bravely enough to feel and know that in the wilderness of life we do not need to see God. It is enough to know that He is there, and we are not alone.
Merriam Friedman passed away on Feb. 3. Services were held on Feb. 6 at Beth Israel Cemetery, 78th and Crown Point Ave. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Friedman. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Cheri Friedman, son, Harold Friedman, and daughter, Sheryl Smith; grandchildren: Julie Rystrom, Lisa Friedman, Alexa Petersen, and Graham Smith; and her loving nieces. Merriam was the dedicated secretary of Beth Israel Synagogue for many years. Memorials may be made to the organization of your choice.
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ADL honors George W. Bush by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- The Anti-Defamation League awarded its highest honor to former President George W. Bush. The ADL presented its America’s Democratic Legacy Award to Bush during a Feb. 6 gala that opened its national executive committee meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. “We will never forget, Mr. President, how the vision you laid out of ‘two states, living side by side, in peace and security’ still informs our consciousness and our parlance today,” said the ADL's national director, Abraham Foxman. “You solidified an unbreakable affinity between two democracies challenged by extremists and terrorists -and an ironclad shared President George W. Bush understanding -- that security is one of the most important foundations for peace.” Foxman also hailed Bush's support for immigration reform and his leadership after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “When you were called on to respond to unspeakable terror, hate and violence, you refused to let America give into stereotypes," Foxman said. "You answered calls for antiMuslim revenge with calls for respect and understanding.” Bush spoke at the dinner, which was held at The Breakers resort and said: “The best Middle Eastern policy starts with an alliance with the only democracy in the Middle East, and that is Israel... The cornerstone of peace begins with an unshakable US-Israel alliance.” Previous recipients of the award, which the ADL has been giving out for more than half a century, have included American presidents as well as other government, business, literary and religious figures.
Did you know: The city of Sochi, where the Winter Olympics are currently being held, boasts five Jewish information centers, three synagogues and 13 rabbis. Among the services available to Jewish visitors are daily prayer minyans, Shabbat dinners, tefillin stations and kosher food. Sochi’s Chabad rabbi, the Los Angeles-born Ari Edelkopf, says the community has prepared 7,000 meals. (Source: JTA)
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12 | The Jewish Press | February 14, 2014
For some West Bank CEOs, no lost sleep over boycott threat by BEN SALES be more limited for Psagot and Lipski, neither of TEL AVIV (JTA) -- Of the 200,000 wine bottles which are as reliant on European business. Yakov Burg produced last year, 16,000 went to But neither Burg nor Cohen share Birnbaum’s Europe. sentiments about the virtues of operating a busiThe possibility of a boycott and repeated rumness in the West Bank. Nor does Rami Levy, the blings that Europe is planning to label goods prohead of the budget supermarket chain Rami Levy duced in the settlements could decrease that numHashikma Market, which operates three locations ber, but Burg isn’t worried. in the West Bank. The CEO of Psagot Winery, which is located in For Burg, his vineyard’s location is in part an a settlement of the same name in the hills of the ideological statement of opposition to a central West Bank, Burg prides himself on runPalestinian state. Cohen said he supports Israelining a Jewish-owned business in the West Bank, Palestinian peace talks and the goal of a two-state even welcoming groups of Christian Zionists who solution. Like other CEOs of companies with West want to volunteer during the harvest. Bank operations, he believes his company furthers The winery’s location, though, also makes it a the cause of peace by giving jobs to Palestinians. prime target for boycotts aimed at goods produced “Not only does it not do damage, it provides an in the settlements. example of how to live together, how we can do “There are a lot of places that won’t buy the Psagot Winery, located in an Israeli West Bank settlement, exported 16,000 bottles business together,” Levy said. “When you open Credit: Psagot Winery businesses, you create more jobs. Just don’t diswine, so of course there’s damage,” Burg told JTA. of wine to Europe in 2013. But several CEOs of companies that operate factories in the criminate based on religion, race and nationality.” “It doesn’t scare me. We need to fight the boycott, not just do settlements acknowledged that while boycotts could hurt what they want.” Levy, whose chain employs about 2,000 Palestinians, was The effort to boycott goods produced in the West Bank, sales, they don’t yet represent a serious threat to business. part of a delegation of 100 Israeli businessmen to the World Yehuda Cohen, CEO of the plastics company Lipski, Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month aimed long an objective of anti-Israel activists and some Jewish critics of the Israeli occupation, has achieved some notable which has a factory in the northern West Bank Barkan at encouraging a peace agreement. More than half the 90 industrial park, says sales dropped 17 percent in 2010 when employees of Lipski’s West Bank factory are Palestinians. victories in recent weeks. Last month, PGGM, the largest Dutch pension fund, local Palestinians started boycotting his products. His com- Cohen employs four Palestinians out of 20 total employees. announced it was divesting from five Israeli banks because pany has since recovered, growing by 18 percent last year. Hilik Bar, who chairs the Knesset Caucus for Furthering Though only a fraction of Lipski’s products are shipped Relations Between Israel and Europe, said Levy’s argument of their involvement in financing Israeli settlements. That was followed by an announcement that Denmark’s Danske abroad -- 18 percent of total sales are for export, of which a won’t convince Europeans in the absence of a peace agreeBank was blacklisting Israel’s Bank Hapoalim over its settle- majority goes to Europe -- Cohen acknowledges that the EU ment. Bar strongly opposes boycotts, but the Labor party ment activity. Sweden’s Nordea Bank has asked two other move to label settlement products is a real threat. Labeling lawmaker believes the government needs to pursue peace Israeli banks for more information about their activities in settlement products, Cohen says, could hamper relations more aggressively. with retailers. the settlements. “It’s not just the two [Scandinavian] banks; it is spreading “I don’t think we’ve come to the level of a boycott, but everywhere,” said Bar, who also chairs the Caucus for the In the United States, settlement goods were in the news recently after actress Scarlett Johansson came under fire for labeling is half a boycott,” Cohen said. “The retailer will say, Promotion of a Solution for the Israeli-Arab Conflict. “Israel representing SodaStream, an Israeli company that produces ‘I don’t want problems. Israel is not acting well.’ “ has an image as a state worthy to isolate. It’s a whole world A European boycott could have a much larger impact on we’re giving up on economically as long as we don’t come to home soda machines at a factory in the West Bank. And in Europe, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands SodaStream, which according to a 2012 Bloomberg News a two-state solution.” already label goods made in the settlements, and the report looks to Europe for a majority of sales. The company’s But Levy claims not to be worried. Europeans, he says, talk European Union has threatened repeatedly to take the label- CEO, Daniel Birnbaum, subsequently told the Forward a good game when it comes to settlements, but ultimately ing continent-wide. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently that having a factory in a settlement was a “pain in they’re focused on the bottom line. warned last week that Israel could face even greater boycott the ass.” “If we let them profit, in the end they’ll invest,” he said. The impact of a boycott, though hardly irrelevant, would “The Europeans know one thing: Israel treats them well.” pressure if peace talks with the Palestinians collapse.
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