Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Israel Grants lead to incredible Israel experiences
February 18, 2011 14 Adar 1 5771 Vol. 90 | No. 24
This Week
by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Director of Operations and Programming, Center for Jewish Education Each year, many teens and young adults have the experience of a lifetime, traveling to Israel on a wide variety of programs. The Jewish Federation of Omaha is delighted to support these experiences through the Israel Experience Grant program. The Israel Experience Grant is a one-time gift from the Federation for students in grades 9-12 or young adults ages 18 to 25 for an approved Israel experience. The grant is available to anyone in the Omaha Jewish community. The following articles were written by teens who participated in programs in the summer of 2010 and each was a recipient of an Israel Experience Grant.
JOLT spotlights Young Leadership with Patrick Jensen Page 5
Brad Kutler USY Poland/Israel Journey This past summer I had the opportunity to spend one week in Poland and then fly to Israel for four weeks on a USY summer program. The week in Poland was life-chang-
Beth El’s cantor invites community to wine about it Page 7
Inside Coming February 25 Arts+Entertainment See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
ing and eye-opening. Experiencing the Holocaust inches in front of me was jaw dropping and surreal. I was in a place where just 60 years ago unimaginable horrors had been committed. After a long and emotionally straining week in Poland, Israel was the only remedy anyone
Chasnoff comedy returns to Omaha for One Night Only
How Jewish values will save Justin Bieber Page 12
Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
Brad Kutler, right, with a friend in Jerusalem
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by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha Why would a peace-loving, leftleaning, lactose-intolerant Jew from the Chicago suburbs join the Israeli Army? Why indeed. Joel Chasnoff grew up in a tranquil middle class Chicago suburb. He attended Jewish day school through eighth grade, observed Shabbat unless the Cubs were on TV and, generally speaking, believes he grew up with a strong Jewish identity. In Joel’s “Gen X” generation, if you were a young man expressing a strong Jewish identity, and your parents could afford it, you went to Israel on a six-week teen tour. And, according to Joel, “It was the trip I took as a teenager that hooked me for life. Within days of arriving in Israel, I discovered my new heroes: Israelis.” “They were the coolest, most exciting Jews I’d ever met. Most captivating of all were the Israeli soldiers. Here they were, just a year older than
me, flying F-16s and carrying Uzis, hunks with muscles, tattoos and Ray-Bans. Compared to them, I felt like such a putz: they defended the homeland like Jewish Rambos while
could have concocted to cure my ailment. The plane ride from Poland, which is one of the most dreadful places in Jewish history, transported me to Israel, a land that is nearly a polar opposite. There are a few words about Poland that stick out in my mind: no Jews (besides the ones
in my USY group); no falafel; and only few happy moments. I will never forget my first moments and thoughts when my plane crossed the border into Israel. There was something about the shine of the night lights in Tel Aviv that had a different feel as I gazed upon them. There was something about the instant cry of joy from my friends as the landing gear kissed the landing strip. We were just like the countless people making the pilgrimage to kiss the holy wall and stand before its glory. There was something about the way the country looks as if it is the prettiest flower in the desert. I remember whispering to myself, a realization I had made when I stepped into Israeli culture, “I just felt welcome.” It is that sense of belonging that captivated me while I was there. The feelings that I experienced were just as important as the places that I went. In Jerusalem, the stone facades of the buildings transported me back to a different time. There is feeling of Continued on page 3
B’nai B’rith Annual Charity Sports Banquet by HOWARD BORDEN and GARY JAVITCH for B’nai B’rith Two legendary college football icons will headline the 57th Annual B’nai B’rith Charity Sports Banquet on May 4 at the Omaha Qwest Center.
will provide great insight into the world of college football. “As Nebraska transitions into the Big 10 conference, this duo will give college football fans an advance look at where football is headed,” Shandell stated. “UNL Athletic Director Tom Osborne
Urban Meyer Credit: UF Communications
Jim Delany
Joel Chasnoff I walked around Israel in sunscreen and a fanny pack.” By the end of that summer, Joel had decided it was unfair for American Jews to call Israel their homeland, yet leave Israelis alone to defend it. He, too, would one day return to be a soldier. Since that time, Joel and his unique comedy have toured with Jon Stewart and Lewis Black. His writing has appeared in The Idiot’s Guide to Jokes and The Big Book of Jewish Humor. When not touring, Joel teaches stand-up comedy at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. On his unique humor, one reviewer wrote, “A one hundred-eightydegree turn from the Borscht Belt comics of old. Audiences across the spectrum, from students at College Continued on page 5
“We are so pleased to announce that two-time National Champion head coach Urban Meyer will be the featured speaker at the dinner. And Big 10 Conference Commissioner Jim Delany will be the guest speaker,” said banquet chair Howard Shandell. “Former Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer is a super star coach,” Shandell continued. “And he is now a color analyst with ESPN. In addition, Commissioner Delany will offer his views on the highpressure, high stakes galaxy of Division I NCAA football. Both
will also be on the dais. “The banquet has a number of additional highlights. The alwayspopular Otis XII will reprise his role as master of ceremonies. His humorous comments frequently score audience points with his comments and guest introductions. Additional invited guests include, UNO Athletic Director Trev Alberts and head football coach Pat Behrns; Creighton University Athletic director Bruce Rasmussen and Head basketball coach Greg McDermott; the governor and mayor, just to name a Continued on page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | February 18, 2011
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DAVID P. BAILIS, CEO, Jewish Federation of Omaha After three weeks on the job, I want to take this opportunity to let you know how things are proceeding at the Federation. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Federation for providing the opportunity for me to be of service to the community. It is a wonderful community consisting of many bright, committed and engaging individuals who are generous with their time, energy and resources. The breadth and depth of the skills and the commitment of my professional colleagues at the Federation are remarkable. In discussing the Federation with a lay leader, he pointed out that the Federation is relevant in his life as a place where he both cares for others and is cared for. The comment stuck with me and helped me better understand what the Federation actually does. The Federation cares for individuals starting in the cradle through the later stages of life. It also cares for the Omaha Jewish community as well as for Jews wherever they live. Together with our synagogues, the Federation works to ensure the health of the Omaha Jewish community. It has been very gratifying to be a part of that process. Based upon my discussions with both the lay leadership of the Federation as well as my Federation colleagues, I have established a number of short and longer term priorities. In the short term the Federation has established a “One Campus Task Force” to address very tactical opportunities to improve the Federation’s effectiveness and efficiency. By March 31, I anticipate most of the initiatives to be implemented. The two dozen or so initiatives of the Task Force include: evaluating employee parking to enable our patrons to more easily access the facilities; understanding what and
how the Federation purchases things so it can stretch its resources; and potentially combining certain administrative activities across the campus so we operate more efficiently. The objective is to allow the very precious resources of the community that are given to the Federation to go further in delivering the care and services essential to the well-being of the community. We have also begun active searches to fill key leadership positions at the Federation, including a chief executive officer and a chief financial officer. The searches are being driven by community leaders who have generously agreed to guide the process. We are drawing upon the resources of the National Federation in the process. I am hopeful that these positions will be filled in the next three months. Some of the longer term projects are also beginning. We are analyzing our Federation and agency board structure to strengthen the role of lay leadership. Additionally, we are examining our fund raising strategies and methods. And finally, we are looking at the long term real estate needs for our campus. All of these activities reflect the strength of the Federation and our community. The ability to thoughtfully examine the Federation and evolve it in order to better serve the Omaha Jewish community is an exciting process. Stay tuned, and thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at dbailis@jew ishomaha.org.
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Continued from page 1 few,” Shandell said. “Most importantly, the dais will include the most outstanding graduating high school male and female scholar athletes, selected by area athletic directors, coaches, and sports media. The male winner will receive the distinguished Bert Render Award, while the female recipient will accept the distinguished Earl Siegel Award. The Lodge will announce the winning scholar/athletes in April,” added Larry Goldstrom, the Scholar/Athlete selection chair. As in the past, the Lodge will hold a silent auction for enthusiasts, who will be able to bid on unique sports and entertainment memorabilia, as well as tchotchkes (a wide variety of souvenir-type items). The gala fundraising event, the only one the Monsky Lodge holds, benefits and supports B’nai B’rith youth, the international organization, and other primarily Jewish entities. Sponsorships, VIP and Patron Tickets for the evening are now available by calling Beth Gershovich in the B’nai B’rith office at 402.334.6443. Individual tickets are $110 (Table of 10 is $1100). VIP tickets, which include a private reception with the guest speakers and the dais guests, are $160 (Table of 10 is $1600). Previous banquet speakers have included Kareem AbdulJabbar, Dan Patrick, Lou Holtz, Tom Osborne, Barry Switzer, and Bill Self, to name just a few. Urban Meyer Urban Meyer is in a league of his own. In only 10 years as a head football coach, he achieved phenomenal success leading Florida, Utah, and Bowling Green. Starting in the Fall of 2005, Meyer guided the University of Florida to a pair of national championships, two Southeastern Conference Championships, three SEC Eastern Division crowns and six straight January bowl games, including three BCS bowl games. His .810 winning percentage (64-15) is the second-best in school history and his .750 winning percentage (36-12) in SEC play is within the top five in league history among head coaches who spent five or more years in the conference. Meyer, who was named Sporting News and Sports Illustrated “Coach of the Decade” in December of 2009, was the first coach ever to win two BCS National Championships and he is one of only two coaches in the history of the SEC to win two outright National Titles. Meyer is one of five coaches to win a pair of national championships in his first four years at a school. At 46, Meyer is already a three-time national Coach of the Year with an overall career record of 103-23. His .817 winning percentage ranks the best in the nation among active coaches with at least 10 years of coaching experience. He also coached Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. At Utah, Meyer earned multiple National Coach of the Year honors in 2004 after leading Utah to a perfect 12-0 season, the school’s first in 75 years. Meyer began his head-coaching career at Bowling Green
in 2001, where he engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division I-A football, rebounding from a 2-9 record to post their first winning season since 1994 with an 8-3 finish. For his efforts, he was named the 2001 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year. Big 10 Commissioner James E. Delany For 20 years, James E. Delany has led the Big Ten through significant periods of change and growth. His leadership has helped the conference maintain its preeminent position in providing quality athletic and academic experiences for young people. Delany’s distinguished career in administering intercollegiate athletics began at the NCAA where he served as an enforcement representative from 1975-79. For the next decade, he worked as commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. Since Delany took the reins of the Big 10 in 1989, he has overseen unprecedented success and attendance growth in football and basketball while establishing the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. Only the Big Ten’s fifth commissioner since its founding in 1896, Delany also implemented a set of conference-wide sportsmanship initiatives and developed the first collegiate version of football instant replay. Most recently, he expanded the conference to 12 institutions with the addition of The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Delany negotiated extensions of ABC, CBS, and ESPN contracts and created the first national conference-owned television network -- the Big Ten Network, which launched in August 2007. The network became the only broadcast entity in history to reach 30 million homes in 30 days. Since 1990, Delany has participated in a variety of NCAA, BCS, and conference media negotiations that earned the Big Ten rights fees in excess of 10 billion dollars. In the community, he established an outreach program, partnering with two Chicago elementary schools to improve reading performance. He also created the “Big Ten 9-11 Scholarship Fund” following the national tragedy in 2001.
REMINDER: NEW AREA CODE Omaha will be getting a new area code, 531. The new area code will be an addition to the 402 area code. Any new numbers issued will come with a 531 area code; beginning Feb. 26 you will be required to dial all 10digits in order to make any phone call. Once the mandatory dialing begins, you must use the new dialing procedure for all local calls. After Feb. 26, if you do not use the new dialing procedure, your call will not be completed, and a recording will provide instructions on how to redial your call. You should still dial just three digits to reach 911.
February 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 3
Israel Experience Grants lead to incredible Israel experiences Continued from page 1 belonging when you are anywhere in the country. The Old City is the heart of Judaism. The stony structure of the wall stood before me. Every crack, no matter the size, was crammed with over a million pieces of paper. Each stone was prominently set apart from another while simultaneously standing together as part of a never swaying wall. I had been praying in the direction of the wall every day of the trip and now I was able to pray -looking up - with a strong sense of my Judaism. Everyone knows that when you are abruptly awakened before the crack of dawn it is time for Masada. I expected it to be a physically exhausting climb to the top of a behemoth, but in actuality it was a steep fifteen minute trek that was actually quite simple. The beautiful sunrise that paints the cliff sides a majestic purple and shines gold into the water below greatly outweighs any physical strain. My group was told the story of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the name of dignity. What seems to escape your mind when you are up there is the winding walk down, but it was a day well worth it. My group went on many hikes all over the country, and over the course of my four week trip I always marveled at the pristine breathtaking scenery of the country. In the desert I had a growing appreciation for the intricate patterns of the desert. In the north I fell in love with the luscious greenery and tantalizing waterfalls. After all of the walks and hikes in the country I became engrossed in the natural splendor. The most difficult thing about the entire journey was departing. Now I could see the waterfalls on the faces of my friends as we cried, leaving the country and each other. We couldn’t believe that our time together was now just a memory. Israel and my friends with whom I had made unbreakable bonds are something that I miss every day. Although we were all feeling down after our separation there is still a glimmer of hope that l can hang onto. That hope is that I know I will be back. It is not a question of “how” but it is a question of “when.” Molly Helm BBYO Euro-Israel Journey Central For seven summers prior to this year I had been a camper at Camp Sabra. The summer of 2010 was my year off from camp, and I frankly had no idea what to do with myself.
In March of 2010 my mom, Kathy Helm, and I traveled to Israel to see my brother, Zak, who was studying there. I immediately fell in love with Israel and the Israeli people. I felt at peace and at home in Israel, and more comfortable
Applying for a grant You must meet the following requirements: 1. The applicant must be a resident of the Omaha metropolitan area 2. The applicant, or his/her family, is a donor in good standing to the Annual Campaign of the Jewish Federation of Omaha 3. The applicant will provide an article and pictures of the experience within one month of return to Omaha for publication in the Jewish Press 4. The applicant will participate in any required preparatory program Applying for an Israel Experience Grant is a simple onepage application. The applications are available on the Scholarships and Grants page of the Center for Jewish Education on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website at www.jewishomaha.org. Applications may also be requested via email at scholarship@jewishomaha.org. Return completed applications to the Center for Jewish Education, 333 South 132nd Street, Omaha NE 68154. Those in need of additional financial assistance can also apply for financial need-based scholarships. Scholarship applications are available as described in the previous paragraph. For additional information on all grant and scholarship programs, please call 402.334.6445 or email mgrossman@jewishomaha.org. with my faith and myself than I had ever felt before. The amount of history surrounding me was both overwhelming and wonderful. When I returned home two weeks later, I couldn’t wait to get back to Israel. A friend from camp called me a few weeks after my first trip to Israel to see if I was interested in going on a BBYO trip with her. I researched the trip she was going on, BBYO Euro-Israel Journey Central, and the countries it included in the tour. I became obsessed with the possibility of going on the trip. It
started off in Budapest, Hungary. From there it traveled to Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Prague, Czech Republic; and finally to Israel for three weeks. I became familiar with the histories of the countries and all of the landmarks and historic places that were on the agenda. Not only was I truly interested, but I wanted to prove to my mother that I was as well. My mom finally agreed to send me on the trip, and I was so excited. We started off our journey in Budapest, and by the second day of the trip, we had already become a family. I had come into the trip knowing only one person and couldn’t believe how easy it was to connect with the twenty-six other kids that I was traveling with. From Budapest we traveled to Vienna, Slovakia, and Prague. While in the Czech Republic we traveled to Theresienstadt concentration camp, and walked through the camp and ghetto in complete silence, taking all the history and horror in. The bond that I shared with the kids on my trip grew even stronger when we reached Israel the very same day that we had toured Theresienstadt. Our three weeks in Israel began in the most holy place for Jews: the old city in Jerusalem. After eating some falafel and buying a few souvenirs, we visited the Western Wall to pray. I have never been a very religious person, but I felt so at peace and close to G-d while at the Kotel. After leaving Jerusalem, we traveled from the Golan Heights in the north all the way to Eilat in the south, and everywhere in between. Together we went on so many adventures… snorkeling in the red sea, taking part in an archeological dig in the desert, wandering ancient cities, sitting through lectures, learning about Kibbutz life, going on hikes, swimming in oceans, visiting synagogues and holy places, rafting in the Jordan River, climbing Masada, floating in the dead sea; we did it all. Every day was an adventure and a blessing. By the end of our month together, I had never felt more connected and close to a group of people in my life. We had become a family, and it was so difficult to say goodbye. Leaving Israel was so hard, but leaving the family I had made was even harder. The trip may be over, but I know that the friendships I made will last forever. Being in Israel is such a special experience, especially when surrounded by people that you love and care about so much. It was truly the greatest month of my life.
One Happy Camper grants are a joint project of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Foundation for Jewish Camp. For more information for the One Happy Camper or Omaha’s Jewish Experience Grants, call (402) 334-6445 or email mgrossman@jewishomaha.org.
4 | The Jewish Press | February 18, 2011
Upcoming Mainstreeters programs offer great choices by OZZIE NOGG Mainstreeters -- the fun-filled organization for Jewish residents of the Omaha area age 60 and older -- is keeping its promise: to offer social events and learning opportunities that give participants the chance to meet new people, exercise their brains, take part in new activities and continue enjoying life to the fullest. The list of upcoming events has something for everyone. Friday, February 25: With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition. The event will be held at the Durham Western Heritage Museum and includes a 10 a.m. private tour led by docent Janie Dann. The exhibit charts Lincoln’s growth from prairie lawyer to preeminent statesman and addresses the monumental issues he faced, including slavery and race, the dissolution of the Union, and the Civil war. The exhibit reveals Lincoln the man, and by placing his words in historical context the exhibition gives visitors a deeper understanding of how remarkable Lincoln’s
decisions were for their time and why they still resonate today. The tour costs $5 a person but is free to members of the Durham. Bring your card. Following the tour, an optional STAR DELI lunch is available in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium. If you have questions, call Jim Wax at 402.393.4442. Monday, March 7: AARP Driver Safety Program. From noon - 4 p.m. in the RBJH Board Room. This class will help you tune up your driving skills and update your knowledge of the rules of the road. Participants will learn defensive driving techniques and discover safe ways to handle left turns, right-of-way traffic and blind spots. This course may qualify older drivers for an auto insurance discount. The session costs $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. If you have questions, call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 Sunday, March 20: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Bellevue Little Theater. This fresh new musical comedy is fast-
paced, very funny, filled with action plus song and dance. The ticket price is $14.00 a person. School bus transportation to the theater is sponsored by Jewish Social Services. For a ride, please be at the JCC by 12:45 p.m. The bus departs at 1 p.m. and returns at approximately 7 p.m. Following the show, an optional dinner -- on your own -- is planned at the Greek Islands. Reservations are due by Thursday, March 10. For transportation or other information, call Rose Pitlor at 402.558.5144. Monday, March 21: In The Wild with Greg Wagner. 12:30 p.m. Lunch program in the Rose Blumkin Home Auditorium. A native of Gretna, Greg Wagner currently serves as the Public Information Officer and Manager of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Omaha-Metro Area office. Come enjoy this outdoor enthusiast and discover the good life. Luncheon choices are Baked Walleye with Roasted Vegetables, rolls and cookie, or Mostaccioli and Meatballs with tossed salad,
Three B’nai B’rith generations meet to share ideas by GARY JAVITCH for B’nai B’rith Three generations of B’nai B’rith met last week in Omaha when the international B’nai B’rith Youth Organization teen president stopped by for a visit. Jeremy Sherman of suburban Detroit has traveled the world and across the country promoting BBYO. The 18-year old leader is taking a year off between his
Ryan Kirshenbaum, Omaha AZA Cornbelt Council President, left, Jeremy Sherman, International teen president and 86th Grand Aleph Gadol, Mark Javitch, BBYO advisor, and Gary Javitch, B’nai B’rith Monsky Lodge president.
high school graduation and his first year of college at Washington University in St. Louis to visit with the AZA boys groups and the BBG girls units at the JCC. He also met with BBYO advisor Mark Javitch and youth director Jodi Levine -- the second generation of BBYO , and the local B’nai B’rith president Gary Javitch, the third generation. Jeremy noted that Omaha is one of the only locations where the adult group interacts successfully with the youth groups for a number of programming events.
roll and cookie. Lunch is $10 a plate, and reservations are appreciated by Monday, March 11. For more information, call Linda Abrams Tederman at 402.468.4939 Those making reservations for any of the above programs should make checks payable to Jewish Social Services for the appropriate amount and mail to Mainstreeters, c/o Maggie Conti, 323 So. 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154.
In the news Omaha native Timothy Kushner has returned to his hometown to join Stonebridge National Lending as Regional Vice President. His responsibilities will include supervision of the company's residential and commercial mortgage lending operations across the country. Prior to joining Stonebridge, Kushner was a Vice President of Development for Simon Property Group, Inc., in Indianapolis. As a longtime commercial real estate developer, Kushner brings years of experience to this position. “Being located in Omaha allows me to deal directly, face-to-face, with the many friends, family and valued contacts I have grown up with here, as well as serve others anywhere in the country,” he said. He noted that as part of a federally-chartered bank, he can offer most loan products available in commercial and residential lending. He may be reached at 402.850.0707, or at tkushner@stonebridgenational.com.
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JOLT spotlights Young Leadership by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha This is the last profile in a series that introduced members of JOLT, the Jewish Omaha Leadership Training program. As an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, JOLT offers its members an opportunity to learn, connect and build strong leadership skills for the future. Patrick Jensen is Marketing Director of AOI Corporation, a construction and interior solutions company. A member of Temple Israel, he is this year’s recipient of the Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award, which will be presented to him on March 3. If you could change one thing about our Omaha Jewish community, what would it be? I would change what I perceive as a disconnect between Patrick Jensen the various agencies, synagogues, and general Jewish community, etc. To my eyes, it looks like there is lot of parallel play and missed opportunity for true collaboration. There seems to be a vibe from the different agencies and synagogues that leans toward possessiveness or protectiveness in regard to their programing, projects, ideas and initiatives. To effectively change this culture, I would encourage more joint partnerships and programs like JOLT; programs that bring together future leadership from the different facets of our community. I think the combined community high school is a good example of what we should be doing as adults and will serve us well in getting our youth connected
to the larger Jewish community. What inspires you? I am inspired by potential, creativity and intelligence wherever it manifests itself. Who is your Jewish hero and why? I have been asked this question before, but I honestly don’t really have “heroes”. I may be too much of a realist or too jaded. I admire anyone who is true to themselves and lives their life honestly, without pretense or agenda. I hold those who work toward making the world a better place in high esteem. How would you like to be remembered? As a mensch who packed out what he packed in and left the world slightly better than when he came into it. What is the proudest moment in your career? I don’t know that I have a “proudest” moment because I don’t like to define people by their career or by what they do for a living. If I had to choose something that I have achieved, it would be my recent certification as a marketer of professional services – CPSM. It was a challenging two year process to achieve this designation. No one knows that I… My life is pretty much an open book and I don’t think there is any aspect of my life that I haven’t shared with those I know. No one knows everything about me but everyone I know knows something. For me, Jewish community means… A community that supports and uplifts each other. A community that builds on traditions but continually forges ahead, transforming itself in order to inspire and fulfill the needs of its participants.
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Dr. Curtis Hutt to speak at Kripke Library by ANDREW MALASHOCK Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education Whenever Israel is brought up in the community, it almost always references the Jewish population in Israel. Many tend to forget very quickly that Israel is not just considered the Holy Land in Judaism, but many other religions as well. In Christianity, Israel is the center for the life of Jesus. Christian pilgrimages are first made to sites that deal with the imporDr. Curtis Hutt tant parts of Jesus’ life including his birth, crucifixion and resurrection. Having mentored graduate students in a Christian research institution in Jerusalem, Dr. Curtis Hutt is very knowledgeable about the anthropology of religion, the his-
Chasnoff comedy returns to Omaha for One Night Only Continued from page 1 of the Holy Cross to U.S. Marines stationed at Okinawa to the rebbes of Lubavitch Yeshivah Flatbush find Joel’s comedy smart, witty, and -- most importantly -- hilarious.” Joel did, in fact, return to Israel and spent a year in the Israeli Defense Forces. While hoping to train as a paratrooper, Joel describes his eventual assignment as a tank gunner in the Armored Corps as “not sleeping in the tank as me and my platoon mates lay in ambush against Hezbollah in south Lebanon.” Joel’s memoir about his year in the Israeli army, entitled, The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah, was published in 2010. For one night only, on Thursday, March 3, the Omaha Jewish community has the good fortune to enjoy an evening with Joel Chasnoff when he joins the Jewish Federation of Omaha in honoring the Lois Jeanne Schrager & Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award recipients, Patrick Jensen and Danielle S. Gordman. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, this event is made possible through the generosity of the Milton S. and Corinne N. Livingston Foundation, Inc. The evening begins at 7:30 p.m. at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple Street. In addition to Chasnoff ’s show and presentation of the awards, the evening includes live music and a taco and burrito bar by Star Catering. $18 per person covers food, music, comedy and two drink tickets. Reservations are necessary by email to bgoldberg@jewishomaha.org. Pay at the door. Sources: www.joelchasnoff.com, University of Pennsylvania Gazette, and The 188th Crybaby Brigade. Reprinted with permission.
tory of women in the religions of the ancient Mediterranean, and comparative religious ethics. On Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, Dr. Hutt will present a lecture entitled, One Hundred Years of Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He will delve more into the the anthropological aspects of the Christian pilgrimage. “In addition to presenting my own work on the anthropology of pilgrimage, I will share results from fieldwork conducted by graduate students in Jerusalem,” says Hutt. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 2007 in Religion and Critical Thought and is currently a professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the Religious Studies department. This lecture is presented by The Center for Jewish Education and The Hannah and Natan Schwalb Center for Israeli Studies at UNO This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Please contact 334.6445 or email mgrossman@jewishomaha.org with any questions.
Marriage POLITI/KENKEL Deborah Politi and Edward Kenkel were married Dec. 11, 2010, in Bethlehem, PA. The bride is the daughter of Nick and Alberta Politi of Bethlehem, PA. She graduated from Penn State, and is a finance manager for Johnson & Johnson. Her maid of honor was Alyssa Politi, sister of the bride. The groom is the son of Gail and Tom Kenkel of Council Bluffs. He graduated from Ithaca College, and is a finance manager for Johnson & Johnson. His best man was Matthew Kenkel, brother of the groom. He is the grandson of Edythe and Lloyd Krasne and Ray Kenkel, all of Council Bluffs. The couple resides in San Francisco.
Arts+Entertainment Enjoy a cultural evening out and raise funds to bridge the digital divide! “Computers for Africa” is hosting it’s annual fundraiser Saturday, Feb. 19 from 6:30-9 p.m. at Creighton Prep HS. The evening includes a buffet dinner, silent auction, African market, African art gallery and a raffel. Tickets are $40 or 37.50 a piece for two, student rate is $20. By buying one ticket you’ll be sending a computer to students in Africa. Reserve your space today at www.computers4africa.org.
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Blumkin residents enlighten Temple Caring Committee visitors with memories by CLAUDIA SHERMAN us, and for me, a lifelong resident of Omaha, Temple Israel Communications Coordinator I can relate to most of their stories. Some of Every Friday afternoon, just after the these people do not have family living close lunch hour, volunteers from Temple Israel’s Caring Committee can be seen strolling the corridors of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home together dropping in on their fellow congregants to say hello. For volunteers who are looking for ways to touch the lives of those who have been members of our community, in most cases, for generations, it takes little more than an hour to wish them Shabbat Shalom. “I started visiting the Home to do something while I was looking for a job,” explained Alice Klein. “It made me feel Lisa Epstein, left, Rabbi Eric Linder, and Debbi Josephson visit good. Very good. I love with Norm Lincoln, front, in the Blumkin Home ceramics studio. meeting the people who Epstein and Josephson are Caring Committee volunteers who regare staying there and ularly drop in to see Temple Israel members who live at the Home. hearing the history of Clergy or staff members accompany the volunteers. their life in Omaha and at Temple Israel.” by so I feel, that in a small way, we are also Many residents are usually pleased to share making visits for a person’s entire family. their stories. “Some elderly people have told “Someday, I may be in a position where I me that their grandparents belonged to will need visitors,” reflected Silverman. “I Temple Israel!” Klein marveled. “One would like to think that Temple members woman told me to look at the Confirmation will still be doing these things that they do Class picture of 1932 to see her! I do geneal- so well.” ogy for my family, and even though I am not Vicki Perlmeter, whose parents reside at from here or have any relatives here, I love the Home, also enjoys “visiting the resihearing about their ancestors and why they dents, because they enjoy our visits so came here. And they have such wonderful much. It’s such an easy thing to do. pictures from their families in the old coun- Sometimes they just want to talk to sometry. There is so much of Omaha’s Jewish her- one other than the wonderful nurses and itage at Rose Blumkin.” aides. It’s a great way to spend a couple of Susie Silverman said she realizes “that the hours making others happy!” purpose of visiting the Blumkin residents is If you are interested in building relationto make them feel good and to let them ships and honoring senior members of know they are a valued member of our Temple Israel’s congregation, please contact Temple. However, I truly feel that I get more Program Director Wendy Goldberg at out of each visit than they do! Most of these Temple Israel, 402.556-6536, or at wgoldwonderful people have great stories to tell berg@templeisraelomaha.com.
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Investor Alan Parsow, on the stock market outlook on Wednesday, Feb. 23, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; beverage service is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.
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LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish words have made their way into every phase of modern life, show biz, law, classrooms, etc. Come join us at our new meeting room (across from the beauty salon) at the Blumkin Home, every Thursday, 1-3 pm. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638. MAINSTREETERS Mainstreeters: Join us for an informative morning at the Durham Western Heritage Museum on Friday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. with docent Janey Dann to tour The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition – With Malice Toward None. Cost for admission is $5 per person and free for members of Durham. Lunch at the Star Deli at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home following the tour. Make check payable to Jewish Social Services and send to Mainstreeters, c/o Maggie Conti, 323 South 132 Street, Omaha,
NE 68154. For information call Jim Wax at 402.393.4442. AARP Driver Safety Program is on Monday, March 7 at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home board room from noon-4 p.m. The cost for AARP member is $12 and $14 for a non-member. Brush up on your driving skills to stay safe. This course may qualify older drivers for an auto insurance discount. Make check payable to Jewish Social Services. Send reservation form with full payment to Mainstreeters, c/o Maggie Conti, 323 South 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. For questions call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521. JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICES Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra presents “Song and Dance” on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 1:45 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center auditorium. There is no admission fee. The concert is titled “Song & Dance” because each of the works is from a great 19th century dramatic stage work. The Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra is comprised of 70 students from UNO and community players. This performance is sponsored by Jewish Social Services. All are welcome and bring a friend. For information call Mary Heiman, Activities Director at 402.334.6520.
February 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7
Orchestra brings song and dance to the JCC by OZZIE NOGG The entire community is invited to attend a free concert by the Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday, Feb. 27, at 1:45 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium. The program, titled Song and Dance, features selections from three great 19th Century dramatic stage works -the Overture to Der Freischutz by Carl Maria von Weber; Hungarian March from the Damnation of Faust by Hector Berlioz; and Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin. The 70-member Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra is comprised of students from UNO plus community players who are invited, annually, to audition for a chair. Jerry Gordman, who plays French horn with the HPO, describes the group as a “town and gown orchestra that performs pieces from the standard symphonic literature as well as premiering new music, often composed by UNO music faculty.” According to Gordman, the HPO presents a half dozen concerts during each academic year, primarily at the Strauss Performing Art Center on campus, as well as outreach concerts at other venues including the JCC. The HPO’s programs have been featured on Omaha’s local classical radio station, and they have performed at the Holland Performing Arts Center. “The Heartland Philharmonic performances are a challenging, rewarding symphonic experience,” Gordman said, “and the orchestra has developed a strong following. This is my fifth year in the HPO, and I feel privileged to be part of such a talented group of musicians. The UNO Music Department enrolls over two hundred undergraduate and graduate students and offers a full range of majors in music education, music performance, composition, and music technology. It’s gratifying to be involved with an organization that works very hard to prepare people for a career in music, and also provides an outstanding product for its loyal audiences. I hope you’ll attend the concert and bring your friends.” The Feb. 27 Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra appearance is sponsored by Jewish Social Services.
DEADLINE NOTICE Please send all articles, photos and ads to the Press by Thursdays, 9 a.m., for all regular issues (early deadlines are announced in advance). Questions: 402.334.6448.
Community is invited to Wine About It with Beth El’s cantor by JILL BELMONT I bring up discussion topics and introduce ideas which I have Beth El Publicity Coordinator come across throughout my week, but the idea is also to let If you’re an adult in the local Jewish community, Beth El’s the conversation flow as naturally as possible, so we end up Cantor Beth Schlossberg cordially invites you to ‘wine’ with jumping from topic to topic quite often, which, in my opinher. The cantor has established Let’s Wine About It, a casual, ion, keeps the evening extremely interesting. Let’s Wine About It offers a monthly get-together, where great way to get to know and members of the community chat with some fellow commeet to enjoy some wine and munity members in a warm, conversations about anything social atmosphere,” she conand everything Jewish. All tinued. “It’s a nice break after ages are welcome, both married and single; synagogue a long day to sit down with a affiliation is not required. The glass of wine and some good next gathering will take place people, and laugh and talk on Monday, Feb. 21, 6:30 and enjoy being social and p.m., at Del Mare, 810 S. communal at the same time.” 169th St. New faces are always welLet’s Wine About It came come at these meetings, she about because “I wanted to noted, pointing out that, “The create a forum or place where beauty of this group is that At a recent Let’s Wine About It get-together, members of the people would be able to get there is no targeted age group. Jewish community enjoyed some fine wine and fun convertogether and discuss things The evening is open to anysation with Cantor Beth Schlossberg, seated third from right, that were on their mind,” one and everyone over the at Brix Wine Bar. New participants are always welcome. Cantor Schlossberg said. age of 21, and often offers “Sometimes when we take the forum out of the synagogue to people the opportunity to get to know and chat with people a neutral place, people are more likely to relax, talk and real- they might not normally have the opportunity to socialize ly share their opinions, which is exactly what I was hoping with.” to accomplish.” For more information or to RSVP for the upcoming getThe get-togethers are relaxed, not at all structured; topics together, contact Cantor Schlossberg at cantor@bethare spontaneous and all over the map, she said. “Occasionally omaha.org, or in the synagogue office, 402.492.8550.
Write an essay, win an iPad by ANDREW MALASHOCK Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education Why does the world need Israel? That is the topic for the 1st Annual Phil and Ruth Sokolof High School Essay Contest. Students of the Omaha Jewish Chai School are encouraged to write an essay from 750 to 1000 words on the important presence of the Jewish State of Israel and how it applies to the rest of the world. The contest prizes are substantial! First place will receive an Apple iPad. Second place will receive an Amazon Kindle, and third place will receive the Barnes and Noble Nook. The contest is open only to students. The students’ names will be
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omitted during the judging process to ensure anonymity on all submissions. Entry forms are available in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library or online at www.jewish omaha.org. Click on the Communtiy High School tab under the Center for Jewish Education dropdown menu to access the form. The entry forms and essays are due by Tuesday, March 1 to Miriam Gross, Director of the Omaha Jewish Chai School. This contest was made possible by the Sokolof Foundation, The Hannah and Natan Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at UNO, and the Center for Jewish Education. Please contact Miriam Gross at mgross@jewish omaha.org or 402.590.2147 with any questions.
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8 | The Jewish Press | February 18, 2011
Point of view
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Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008
Educate me
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press All over the United States, budget cuts have become routine; unless they affect us personally and immediately, we hardly pay attention. All that changed when, on Feb. 9, South Carolina schools chief Mick Zais recommended cutting $31,000 for Holocaust education. With plenty of precedent, I’m sure he was hoping his latest cost-cutting idea would go unnoticed by the public. Not so. “Zais said that teaching the Jewish Holocaust is vital, but that it's already taught as part of regular middle school lessons. A separate designation isn't necessary as the state faces a $700 million shortfall, he said. The suggestion wasn't made flippantly, he said, noting his ancestors are Jewish and his late father was the Army’s only Jewish four-star general, who fought the Nazis as a paratrooper commander in World War II.” (AP) There are several things wrong here. First of all, having Jewish ancestry doesn’t give anybody a pass to mess with Holocaust education. Actually, it seems one should be all the more dedicated to keeping it in place. Second: Zais’ total proposed cuts add up to $71 million, about a tenth of the total budget cuts the state faces. $31,000, on the other hand, is a drop in the bucket. It seems that focusing on such small amounts doesn’t get you very far when you have to cut that many millions. Third: any self-respecting educator would know that a plan like that would draw lots of unwanted attention. Did he really think he would get away with this? Beneficiary of the $31,000 is the state Council on the Holocaust, which, among other things, “has partnered with Columbia College to offer a weeklong summer graduate course on the Holocaust to roughly 30 teachers, who pay just
$125 each for the three-hour credit course. The council also sends two teachers each summer to the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous' conference in New York. “Though this is a very difficult year, the return on this minimal amount of dollars is worth 10 times what we spend,” said Senator Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, whose late father helped create the council. Lourie is the state’s only Jewish legislator. “Tens of thousands of students have been touched by this program,” Lourie said.” (thesunnews.com) That’s because, when you educate a teacher, they tend to pass it on to their students. It’s not rocket science. Cutting the funding to the Council will allegedly not change the state’s requirements for middle and high school students. That’s a relief, but it still doesn’t make this okay. However, the fact that this kind of proposal, in 2011, still constitutes really bad p.r. is reason for optimism. And if we want to continue to hear this kind of public outcry, we have to continue to educate the next generation, any way we can. If we, not just in South Carolina, but everywhere else as well, commit ourselves to that education, we cannot allow people like Zais to put a limit on how often the next generation is exposed to necessary knowledge. Children don’t just learn in the classroom; they
learn everywhere in life. They learn from parents, they learn from politicians, they learn from field trips and movies and exhibits. Cutting any type of tool that furthers awareness inadvertently sends the message that ‘enough is enough’, and is the first step to abandoning Holocaust education altogether. We will then end up with a generation that thinks the Holocaust is not really all that relevant. In an era where Israel bashing –with side trips into antiSemitism-is becoming more acceptable every day, that is a dangerous development. Ignorance is not bliss; it is a road to nowhere.
Engaging Jews means more than better marketing
Focus on issues HAL M. LEWIS CHICAGO (JTA) -- For four days in January, Jewish leaders under 40 from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Holland, South Africa and Israel assembled in London at the Kolenu conference. Representing large city campaigns in their respective countries, they sought to enlighten and learn from each other as they explored issues of mutual concern. These young volunteers expressed anxiety over the fact that many of their peers are not “buying” what Jewish community campaigns are “selling.” Attendees acknowledged that in each of their cities, Israel-centric fundraising and support for centralized campaigns have lost traction. To be sure, demographic research has affirmed this for a decade. These self-proclaimed Israel advocates and builders of Jewish community gathered to rebut the trends by contemplating meaningful solutions and proposing alternative strategies. Their deliberations were thoughtful and impassioned. As individuals, they remain undaunted. As leaders, however, they may be on their way to making the same mistakes as those who preceded them. Though the facts are incontrovertible -- many young Jews have lost interest in coordinated Israel fundraising drives -the solutions considered were strikingly disconnected from the essential problem. Not unlike discussions at assemblies of veteran Jewish leaders, a prevailing theme at Kolenu suggested that organizations could best encourage young Jews to support Israel by enticing them to attend events where they will hear why they should support Israel. In this circular construct, the problem and the solution are reduced to improved marketing and public relations. For
(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper
Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson; Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; Nancy Wolf. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page sto-
example, participants agreed that developing more sophisticated social media tools can increase the Gen Y and Gen X donor base, since this demographic is connected to Facebook and Twitter. Similarly, they suggested “cooler” speakers and performers would swell the ranks of supporters. Unfortunately, even with engaging tweets and trendy presenters, this strategy fails to meet its goals. Employing “technical” solutions (e.g. improved programming, updated technology, expanded marketing) to fix an “adaptive” challenge rarely succeeds. As H.L. Mencken once cautioned, “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.” While tenacity is admirable, those who love Jewish community would do well to heed the late Peter Drucker, widely regarded as the dean of American management studies, who said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try once more. Then do something else.” As their parents before them, many at the conference appeared to equate being Jewish with financial support for Israel. Strategies seeking to bring young Jews closer to the Jewish state that do not also consider how to make Judaism, in Abraham Heschel’s words, a matter of “ultimate personal significance,” are flawed approaches to outreach and engagement. The historical record is clear: Caring about Israel is a natural outgrowth of, not a substitute for, Jewish knowledge and commitment. Making giving a goal in and of itself rarely engenders a meaningful Jewish identity, while the inverse is often the case. Millennia of Jewish history confirm that allegiance to the Land of Israel comes from strong Diaspora communities made up of individuals who care about Jewish life writ large. Deracinating charitable contributions from a broader Jewish consciousness assumes, mistakenly, that sustained loyalty to
Israel is possible without an appreciation of Jewish life, values, history, ethics and culture. Love of Israel and support for Jewish community are not intuitive for many of today’s young people. For them, being Jewish is one of several identities, often relegated to an episodic role. That doesn’t make them unenlightened or “bad Jews.” It does obligate those who treasure the core principles of Judaism, including support for Eretz Yisrael, to rethink the Jewish communal agenda. To make the case for involvement in organized Jewish life, including fundraising, Jewish communities must invest in high-quality Jewish learning for post-collegiate young adults. Providing sophisticated and compelling opportunities to explore the Jewish experience will go a long way toward creating a much-needed context for Jewish behaviors, including involvement, tzedakah and support for Israel. A famous discussion in the Talmud (Kiddusin 40b) debates the relative merits of “study” versus “action.” Though convincing arguments are mounted on both sides, the matter is resolved by Rabbi Akiva, who concludes that “Study is greater than action because it leads to action.” Peter Drucker was right. We have tried and tried again. Now it is time to try something better. Contemporary Jews first must begin to understand the Jewish experience, and make enough of that experience their own, before support for Israel makes sense. If a portion of the energy, creativity and resources devoted to enhancing our campaigns for Israel were expended on providing meaningful Jewish learning for adults, our campaigns and our communities would benefit immeasurably. Dr. Hal M. Lewis is the president and CEO of the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago, and the author of several books on Jewish leadership. A former Jewish federation CEO, he attended the Kolenu conference as a guest speaker.
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is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp @jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jew ishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted
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February 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 9
Tamp down the shouting
Behind the headlines ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN, National Director of ADL The shootings in Tucson provided an opportunity for America to unify in the aftermath of a national tragedy. While many come together in sympathy for the victims, unfortunately, so, too, did the shooting become an occasion for more polarization and partisanship. The discord between what should have been the reaction and the bickering and casting of blame that actually took place, seemed to awaken the nation. President Obama spoke movingly at a memorial service for the victims about the need for more civility. One can only hope that this will be more than a passing phenomenon. The reflexive and bitter partisanship takes a toll on a democratic society. When ideologues take hold, where the attitude often becomes, “You are either with me 100 percent of the time, or you're the enemy,” it leaves little room for constructive dialogue, risk-taking, and the necessary give and take that holds together a pluralistic society. We at the Anti-Defamation League have experienced this firsthand. As an organization that is nonpartisan -- one that makes decisions not based on politics or ideology, but on our reading of the principles that guide us -- we have been
the target of both sides of the divide. For most of our 98-year history, nonpartisanship was an asset. Now, far too often, there is little reward for nonpartisanship. In a society where people prefer to turn to sources that reinforce their already existing views, rather than to those that may lead them to question their assumptions or open their minds (note the popularity of Fox News and MSNBC), nonpartisanship is seen as a deviation from the truth. During this past year, on several occasions when we spoke out about issues we were attacked on ideological grounds. Let me be clear: I am surely not suggesting that our positions are always correct or that there's no room for criticism. Rather, I'm talking about the nature and virulence of the criticism. When the controversy over the proposal to build an Islamic community center and mosque in lower Manhattan near Ground Zero erupted, ADL indicated that we believed that the organizers had every right to build, but we questioned whether that would be a wise move toward achieving their goal of reconciliation. We recognized that there would be legitimate differences of opinion on the subject, but those on the left turned it into a test as to whether one supported religious freedom, despite the fact that we made it clear that the organizers’ right to build was indisputable. Meanwhile, the right chose to make this an occasion to exploit anti-Muslim sentiment. What should have been a moment to explore the issue of reconciliation was transformed into another arena for polarization. This tendency to see things only through one's own prism and to ignore other perspectives also surfaced during the
past year concerning the troubling use of Holocaust analogies to demean others. On the right, Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News, during the dispute over the firing of Juan Williams from National Public Radio for comments he made about his fear of flying with Muslims, chastised NPR for its “Nazi attitudes.” On the left, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., compared Republican criticism of the Obama administration's healthcare legislation to Goebbels' Nazi propaganda. As always, we condemned these statements. Ailes and Cohen each stepped back and apologized. In these cases, as in others, politics was never the issue. The point for us was to have the public understand that such language is unacceptable. Again, these moments that should bring everyone together to say, “This is not what America is about,” instead become moments for further division. Still, partisans either on the right or left have bombarded us with criticism, suggesting falsely that we only go after people on their side of the divide and therefore put us in the opposing camp. In our increasingly polarized society, nonpartisanship has become a tough sell. That should not discourage those of us who believe in it. On the contrary -- it makes it even more important. Our belief is the good sense of the American people will triumph in the end and a measure of civility will return. But it won’t happen without leadership from all sectors of society. Abraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the AntiDefamation League.
Mubarak’s fall heralds new power player in the Mideast: the Arab street
Behind the headlines URIEL HEILMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- Hosni Mubarak’s resignation from Egypt’s presidency raises a host of questions not just for the future of Egypt and its peace treaty with Israel, but for the entire Middle East. The most remarkable feature of the developments in Egypt is the introduction of a major new power player in the Middle East: the Arab street. Until recently the Arab street - essentially, popular will -- was viewed typically as little more than an irritant by autocratic regimes from Cairo to Tehran that sought to repress its power or, occasionally, redirect its anger against some outside foe such as Israel or the United States. When massive street protests greeted the dubious re-election in June 2009 of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the government’s deadly security tactics repressed popular will, and the Persian street eventually was rendered irrelevant. But the success of the Arab street in Egypt and Tunisia
raises the prospect that Arabs elsewhere in the autocratic Middle East will feel emboldened to rise up and seek to overthrow their unelected leaders. Protesters in Yemen and Jordan already have staged massive demonstrations against their governments, and smaller protests have taken place in Algeria and Syria. In Iran, the government is trying to keep a budding protest movement in check for fear it will redirect its rage toward the regime in Tehran. For Israel and its allies, the ascendancy of the Arab street could be a game changer. While Israel has cultivated relationships with the leaders of many of these countries, the Arab street still largely reviles Israel. In Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab countries that have full diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, professional unions still maintain a boycott against any interaction with Israeli colleagues. A 2009 Pew Research Center survey conducted in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon showed unfavorable views of Jews at 95 percent, 97 percent and 98 percent, respectively. So if the Arab street becomes more powerful, Israel’s relationships in the Middle East will be at risk. For example, while the governments of Israel and Saudi Arabia see eye to
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eye on such issues as the Iranian nuclear threat and the rising danger of Shiite power, including Hezbollah’s ascendancy in Lebanon, the Saudi people -- like the people in Egypt and Jordan -- are more inclined to view Israel as a hated foe rather than a country with which they share common cause. On the other hand, if countries such as Egypt or Tunisia were to become true democracies, they could become inherently more stable and less belligerent toward Israel. In this respect, Turkey could be the model: a democracy in a Muslim country whose relationship with Israel persists even at times when its government and people engage in harsh, anti-Israel rhetoric. Until the situations in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East sort themselves out, it seems there is little Israel can do but wait, watch and pray for the best. That’s not the case for the United States, which wields influence in Arab capitals through a combination of aid, trade and diplomacy. With future control over the reins of power uncertain, however, the United States is trying to keep all its options open. The only thing that seems assured is that more uncertainty lies ahead, in Cairo and beyond.
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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.
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 and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; No Junior Congregation today; Shabbat Discussion Group, 12:15-12:45 p.m., led by Rabbi Levin; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 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.; Jewish Images on the Big Screen, 10:30 a.m. with Susi FrydmanLevin. BESTT: No classes on Sunday, Feb. 18 or Monday, Feb. 19. Classes resume on Wednesday, Feb. 23. MONDAY: Let’s Wine About It, 6:30 p.m. meet Cantor Beth at Del Mare, 169th & Pacific St., for our monthly get-together filled with casual conversation about anything and everything Jewish. All adults in the Jewish community are welcome. TUESDAY: Parsha & Pizza, 6:15 p.m. monthly mini course, led by Cantor Schlossberg. Cost is $3 per session for members, $4 for non-members. To register, call the office. THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Life Lessons from the Hebrew Bible, noon. Cost is $36 for members and $45 for non-members. Open to all adults in the Jewish community. To register, contact the office. BESTT PASSOVER CANDY SALE: The BESTT Passover Candy Sale is offering a large variety of treats; every item will have a certification of Passover Kosher Supervision. Orders, which must be accompanied by a check are being taken until Feb. 25; order forms may be picked up in the BESTT school office or in the synagogue office. For more information, call the BESTT office, 498.0904. All Beth El 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, 5:45 p.m.; Shabbat Dinner, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by the Kohll Family to thank all the teachers and rabbis who give our children wonderful learning experiences; The Laws of Shabbat, 3:30 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 4:30 p.m.; Mincha, 5:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 6:46 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate
Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. Contact the office to get the dial-in number and access code; Searching for Torah in Ayn Rand, 7:30 p.m. with Rabbi Gross. TUESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:45 p.m. at the Blumkin Home; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Advanced Halchic Kollel, 9 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class with Rabbi Gross, 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: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: After school teen program, 2:40-4 p.m.; JLI class, Toward a meaningful life, 7 p.m. Register at www.my jli.com or call 402.330.1800. To request you first class free or have questions contact JLI@OChabad.com. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com with any questions or to recive a guest pass. 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 Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by Alan Frank. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. All ages welcome. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Gan Simcha-Grade 2, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Board of Trustees, 1 p.m. MONDAY: Temple office closed for President’s Day WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Book Club Organizational Meeting, Saturday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m. at Marcia Kushner’s home. Please contact her at 402.423.5959 to let her know you are coming.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
Omaha Chai School in its second semester by MIRIAM GROSS Director, Omaha Jewish Chai School The second semester of the Omaha Jewish Chai School is in full swing. With the wide variety of course offerings, it is difficult for students to know which class they would enjoy the most. To solve this issue, the teachers and Omaha Chai School staff teamed up to offer students a “course roundtable.” Students, who were arranged in groups of 10, moved to different stations around the auditorium, meeting with each instructor for five minutes, giving them a brief “taster” of the class. The challenge of creating an interactive five minute sample of a semester-long course is daunting. However, the teachers were creative and used their time to engage the students in lively discussions, text studies, and even a speed-art project. Daniel Christensen, who will be teaching a mixed media arts coursed based on the Haggadah, did torn paper collages with his groups. It was amazing to watch the students create real works of art in five minutes or less. They were instructed to depict, using only torn paper pieces, a symbolic interpretation of the Passover seder’s four sons. As a
result of the “can-do” feeling of the project, many students who might not have thought of themselves as ‘artists’ signed up for the course. Rabbi Gross presented the often misunderstood book of Judges as the scandalous and glorious early history book of the Jewish people. This led to a lively discussion about ethics and society. Cantor Schlossberg engaged her group in an inspired discussion on how the Parsha can be relevant in everyone’s lives, and how it gives insight into the parts of life that matter most. Rabbi Levin had his students engage in a Chevruta (partner study) session during which students interacted and shared insights about the real personalities of our biblical heroes. “I am really liking how all of this is playing out,” said Lily Phillips. It seems to be unanimous among the students: Second semester is off to a great start. For more information on the Omaha Jewish Chai School, contact Miriam Gross at mgross@jewishomaha. org or 402.590.2147.
Candlelighting Friday, February 18, 5:45 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 5:45 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1 p.m. led by Temple Israel members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by David Herzog and Jim Polack. THURSDAY: LOVE Board of Director’s Meeting, 7 p.m. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend Services.
TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet; Midrash Keit: Master Storyteller Rita Paskowitz; Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m. Co-hosted by Joy and Brian Mason and Sarah and Dan Gilbert and is co-sponsored by Women of Reform Judaism. Cost for dinner is $5 for adults and no charge for children. Please contact the Temple Israel office, mkube@templeisraelomaha.com or 556.6536, to make a dinner reservation. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Abby Reiss, daughter of Wendy and Rob Reiss, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. SUNDAY: No Religious School. TUESDAY: Executive Meeting, 6 p.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 6:30 p.m.; Board of Trustees, 7 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. THURSDAY: Adult Study with the Clergy, 10-11:30 a.m.; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 7:15 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church.
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 service, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Learners Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush lunch sponsored by Miriam Wallick and Torah study. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Gan Simcha-Grade 2, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. MONDAY: Temple office closed for President’s Day WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.
Israeli film pioneer honored by JTA NEWS STAFF BERLIN (JTA) -- Israeli film pioneer Lia van Leer received a Camera Award at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. Van Leer, 86, of Jerusalem, was honored Feb. 13 for creating Israel’s first film club and cinema houses, the Jerusalem Film Festival and a matchless film archive. She said the future of Israeli film looks bright. “There is so much talent, and the government now helps with money,” she told JTA. Several Israeli films are being screened at this year’s festival by filmmakers such as Jonathan Sagall, Michal Aviad, Nir Bergman, Tomer Heyman, Guy Nattiv, Dani Rosenberg and Yoav Gross. Van Leer, whose parents were killed in the Holocaust, started a film club with her husband, the Dutch engineer and film producer Wim van Leer, in Haifa in 1952. “Suddenly, collecting film was like collecting books,” a member of the early club said in Taly Goldenberg’s documentary film “Lia,” which was shown at the ceremony. By 1960, the van Leers had collected enough films -including some they had smuggled out of the former East Germany -- to launch the Israel Film Archive in Jerusalem. In accepting the honor from Berlinale creative manager and director Dieter Kosslick, van Leer said that the only shadow on her celebration was the sentencing in Iran of filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who also is banned from making films for 20 years. Kosslick has kept a symbolic empty chair for Panahi at the festival. “But let’s not be sad, let’s smile and hope for a better future,” van Leer said.
Pulverent e
February 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 11
Taking a census
In memoriam BEN LEBOWICH
Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Ki Tisa The Torah here yields to an old superstition. If you are taking a census, you don’t count people, for if you do, at least one will surely be missing. Therefore, instead of counting people, you take a coin from each one and count the coins. This is what they did: they took half a shekel for each and counted the half shekels. As late as our day, if you remember, the Zionist movement took a shekel (in our case, a dollar) from everyone who wanted to see Israel restored as the Jewish homeland. The money was not to be used to count followers of the movement, but was to be used for trying to obtain control of the land of Israel. Our Sidrah next considers the chemistry of making anointing oil. After giving careful directions to Moses, we are told that the anointing oil was used to anoint (and thus sanctify) every item in the Sanctuary. And then, the oil was used to anoint Aaron and his sons, the Priests, to induct them into their sacred service. Our sacred Text thus brings us closer to the preparations of holiness that made the Sanctuary ready for holy service. In the Sanctuary, of course, one would find the altar, so that the Priests might begin again the sacred services, even while the Sanctuary, like the Children of Israel, was moving from place to place.
Iranians demonstrate in support of Egypt by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- Thousands of Iranians demonstrated in support of uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Dozens of opposition protesters were arrested in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, and Iranian security forces fired tear gas at protesters marching in central Tehran toward Freedom Square on Monday, Reuters reported. Iranian officials banned rallies in support of Egypt. Opposition leaders reportedly had planned such rallies after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in public remarks that the Egyptian reformists had taken a page from Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 in toppling a monarchy supported by the West. Also Monday, anti-government protesters demonstrated in the streets of Yemen and Bahrain. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton threw her support to the Iranian protestors, telling reporters Monday in Washington that they “deserve to have the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt and are part of their own birthright.”
Brazil’s highest court names first Jew by JTA NEWS STAFF RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) – Brazil’s highest court of justice will have its first Jewish member. Prominent Judge Luiz Fux was approved by Brazil’s Senate Feb. 9 to be seated on the Supreme Federal Court, an 11member court that decides matters related to the Constitution or about which there is doubt or controversy. It also decides appeals in last instance. Fux was Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff ’s favorite choice for the position. Rio de Janeiro state’s Gov. Sergio Cabral has also heavily supported Fux’s nomination, due to his bright judicial career in the state’s courts. In 2009, Fux received the Theodor Herzl trophy, an honor given by the Rio Jewish Federation and the Israeli Embassy to distinguished Jewish personalities. Fux, who attends an Orthodox synagogue, was born to Romanian grandparents who fled to Brazil during World War II. His grandmother is a former president of the Israelite Children’s Home in Rio. Fux, 57, has built a brilliant carrier as judge, writer and professor at prestigious universities. He will need to step down from his post as judge of the Superior Court of Justice, where he recently presided over the commission of jurists that forged Brazil’s new Civil Process Code. In May 2009, The Economist called Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court “the most overburdened court in the world, thanks to a plethora of rights and privileges entrenched in the country’s 1988 constitution. ... until recently the tribunal’s decisions did not bind lower courts. The result was a court that is overstretched to the point of mutiny.”
Ben Lebowich passed away on Feb. 6 at age 93. Services were held on Feb. 8 in Sioux City, IA. He was preceded in death by parents, Abe and Ida Lebowich; daughter, Roxann Lavorato; and son, Gary Lebowich. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Grace; daughter-inlaw, Bobi Lebowich; grandsons, Michael and Jonathon; great-granddaughter, Marina; brother, Howard Landers; sister, Anne Cohen. Ben served in the U.S. Army Air Force for four years during World War II, attaining the rank of 1st lieutenant. He was associated with the livestock and meat packing business, in Sioux City, Omaha and surrounding areas for many years.
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U.N. agency disavows TV campaign by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A United Nations agency has disavowed its involvement with a television campaign to address women’s issues that glorifies a female Palestinian terrorist. The United Nations Population Fund, an international development agency that promotes a life of health and equal opportunity, disassociated itself from the campaign late last week following the surfacing of media reports about the contents of the campaign. The “White Hands Campaign,” which was produced by the Arab Producers Union for TV, is being aired on more than 50 Arab television stations, including the official channel of the Palestinian Authority. The population fund “had no involvement in the selection of women profiled in the ‘White Hands Campaign’ of the Arab Producers’ Union for TV (APUTV), and has asked for its logo to be removed from the site,” according to a statement posted on the fund’s website. The statement said that in 2008, the fund provided information and data on reproductive health and youth issues to the Arab Producers Union, but no funding. “More importantly, UNFPA was neither consulted nor involved in the selection of Arab women to be featured by the initiative, and it condemns any acts of violence that take the lives of innocent people,” it said. “The Fund therefore disassociates itself from the campaign activities.” One of the model women introduced in the campaign is Palestinian Dalal Mughrabi, who in 1978 directed the hijacking of two buses on Israel’s Coastal Road between Haifa and Tel Aviv, which led to the murder of 38 Israelis, including 13 children. According to Palestinian Media Watch, a watchdog agency that has been monitoring the campaign, Mughrabi “was venerated in the clip as a role model for ‘martyrdom’ and ‘victory over enmity.’ “ “We are pleased the UN Population Fund has clarified its role by publicly disassociating from the TV ad campaign and condemning violence,” American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris in a statement. “Clearly this campaign contravenes the fund’s noble mission of empowering women.”
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The situation in Egypt was the focus of a special evening edition of Eye on Israel on Feb. 8. Nearly 40 people joined Dr. Guy Matalon and Dr. Moshe Gershovich in discussing the uprising in Egypt and the potential effects on the Middle East. Starting with the country’s historical background, Moshe and Guy discussed a myriad of issues and shared their thoughts -- often with opposing ideas -on what is ahead for the region. Regular sessions of “Eye on Israel” will resume in March, meeting each Tuesday from noon-1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Eye on Israel is presented by the Center for Jewish Education. For more information, please call 402.334.6445.
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12 | The Jewish Press | February 18, 2011
How Jewish values will save Justin Bieber by HAL G. SENAL that I was listening to, like Biggie [Editor’s Note: Christopher Britney. George Latore Wallace, the late rapper who went by the proMichael. fessional name of The Notorious B.I.G.] and all of that East Lindsay. Coast rap, as well as Snoop Dogg. I also loved Boyz II Men. Just those first names ring bells in one’s head immediately As you get older, you get into other stuff like Green Day. I without hesitation: the faces of once-fresh-faced teen pop had no problem with pop music either. I was secure enough stars gone bad, whether it be from alcohol, drugs, or car to say, as a kid, ‘yeah, I like it!’ So, if the girls were rocking wrecks. out to ’N Sync, hey, I was When you’re at the height of your career down. Those guys could realbefore you even hit puberty, what do you do? ly sing.” In this day and age, if you’re one Justin In fact, Braun, during his Bieber, world-renowned teen sensation, you young adult years, was a party say your prayers. Seriously. planner to the stars, including Just ask the guy behind the (almost) guy, the latter boy band, as well as Bieber’s manager, Scott “Scooter” Braun, rapper/actor Chris “Ludacris” who has been using the Jewish values Bridges. Yet, that never caused instilled in him by his parents. Before every him to become jaded by an concert, he helps lead Bieber, who is not otherwise fickle music indusJewish, in reciting the Shemah. Coming try. from someone who had to practically be “I can honestly tell you that wrangled into going to shul, this writer had I was never the guy who Producer “Scooter” Braun, left, and Justin to ask: How does that work?! would just love this artist,” Bieber in Never Say Never, a film that “I actually didn’t help him. He helped himsaid an enthusiastic Braun. recounts the meteoric rise of the teen singer. self,” said Braun. “Justin would say a prayer “Unless it was Michael Credit: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures in Jesus’ name and then Dan, our Musical Jackson or Stevie Wonder— Director, who is also Jewish, and I would also say the those were my two favorites—I was never the guy who said, Shemah. After the third time, Justin chimed in. We both ‘I’m obsessed with this artist’ … I was always someone who looked at him, shocked, and he said: ‘I memorized it.’ We was obsessed with song. I just absolutely loved songs and I looked at each other and were like ‘what?!’ He took pride in always found that music is universal.” showing us that he memorized it.” Braun has made it his mission to lead his young performer Braun, himself, is certainly no stranger to Jewish prayers. on a path from boyhood to manhood—minus some of those “I grew up in a Kosher household, so we had two dish- pesky and clichéd sex, drugs, & rock n’ roll setbacks. washers, two sets of knives, forks, and plates,” said Braun. “He’s beyond a good kid,” said Braun. “He’s a great kid! Not On high holidays, the family had to be together in syna- a lot of kids could handle being in a fishbowl. He is handling gogue. And that wasn’t just until I moved out. To this day, we himself with integrity, he’s growing up in front of everybody, all have to come home and go to synagogue together. I was and he understands the responsibilities of it all…and it is not raised to be very proud of who I was.” easy. This is a kid who people expect the best from, every Growing up, Braun was also raised on a kaleidoscope of time. And he’s a special person.” musical genŕes and artists. “I grew up in a household with So special, in fact, that Bieber will be starring in his own everything!” Braun said. “My father use to listen to opera in biographical documentary, Never Say Never (arrived in thethe house, The Allman Brothers, Pat Metheny, George aters on Feb. 11) that’s already gaining momentum through Benson, Motown, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, a lot of sheer word-of-mouth from some famous faces. Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. And there was the stuff “We let it hang raw, in the movie,” said Braun, also a major
Passover
player in the feature film. “[DeGeneres] called me and told me ‘I love it! I had no idea how hard he worked. I had no idea how truly talented he really was!’ I mean, I’m having the host of [BET’s number-one-rated music video countdown show] 106 & Park, Terrence J—he’s a 28-year-old guy—pull me aside to say, ‘look, I saw the movie because I was interviewing him, but I’ve just gotta tell you, it’s one of my favorite movies ever! I walked out inspired and I’ve gotta work on my hustle. I have to do more with my life!’ Everyone is walking out of this movie shocked. They’re walking into it thinking that it’s a movie for teenagers, but it is a movie made for everyone. I wouldn’t make a movie that I didn’t enjoy. I am beyond proud of this movie, and if I didn’t feel that way, I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to my own culture, saying ‘please, support me.’ I wouldn’t want my people going to it, unless I knew it was something that they could be proud of.” Shemah aside, when asked how his own Jewish heritage affects how he manages Justin, his response was very simple and matter-of-fact. “You’re a Jew, so you’ll understand this,” he said. “Being a Jew is part of my DNA. It is who I am, it’s who my father raised me to be, and it’s my job to try and take that knowledge and put as much of it into Justin as possible, so he grows up to be a good man. No teenage act has ever failed because of their talent leaving them—they failed because of their personal life, and I’m trying to raise Justin to be a better man than I am, so he can handle everything. I get those values from my core; a part of that is having been raised the way I was raised.” But what about those other former teen icons mentioned at the beginning of the article? How can one Jewish man prevent his charge from crashing during his meteoric rise to fame? “Do you wanna know how I think he won’t fall? Music. The Beatles were the same thing as Justin. They were the big Boy Band of that time. People didn’t think they would last. But when you make great music, which The Beatles did better than anybody who ever did it, your career lasts. If Justin Bieber comes out making great records that people enjoy, for the rest of his life, he will stay around, because music decides who stays.” Amen.
Publishing Date 04.15.11 Space Reservation 03.14.11 Camera Ready Deadline 03.23.11
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Allan Handleman 402/334-6451 ahandleman@jewishomaha.org