March 7, 2014

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Students participate in first Mitzvah Fair Page 7 Ukraine Jews

by GARY JAVITCH President Emeritus of B’nai B’rith Henry Monsky Lodge and HOWARD BORDEN Denver Bronco QB Peyton Manning, the National Football League’s most valuable player last season, will headline the 60th charity sports banquet of the Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith.

“We are so excited to have Peyton Manning as the guest speaker at our dinner,” kvelled (beamed with pride) Howard Shandell, Banquet Chairman. “He is a future National Football League Hall of Famer, and arguably the most well-known player in the game today. His presence will make this 60th anniversary special.”

Helping Jewish Omaha While paying tribute to one of America’s most celebrated sports figures, the Banquet will also provide benefits to needy local Jewish families.

“The Lodge is committed to making this an event for the entire Jewish community of Omaha,” said Ari Riekes, Lodge president. “We will do that by allocating a significant share of the event’s proceeds to help defray costs to Jewish families and individuals who might otherwise be unable to participate in Jewish-related activities.

Peyton Manning will headline B’nai B’rith’s 60th annual charity sports banquet.

“We know that today, living ‘Jewishly’ is not cheap,” Riekes continued.

“Belonging to a synagogue and the Jewish Community Center (JCC), or enrolling Jewish children in activities like the Child Development Center

(CDC), for example, can be a financial struggle for some families.

Money should not be a burden for Jewish families to participate in Jewish activities.

“To help families in need and

broaden their participation in our community, the Lodge will again partner with the Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO), Temple Israel, Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Continued on page 2

The truth about mixed cities Cantor Gastón sees

performance as a way to say ‘thanks’ hunkering down Page 12

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

This Month The Arts See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

9 11 12

by ELIAD ELIYAHU Community Shaliach Two weeks ago an explosion occurred in a building in my city, Akko.

It happened at 2 a.m. Israel time.

After a few hours, the picture was clear -- eight people were killed in an explosion at a residential building near the northern port of Acre. The victims were identified as Nasser Aldin Sarhan, age eight, his father, Riak Sarhan, age 55, his mother, Nagah Sarhan, age 51, and a married couple named Mohammed and

Hanan Bader, ages 43 and 38.

As someone who was born and raised in Akko, only one picture was enough for me to understand exactly where all the bad news came from.

The explosion was initially attributed to an explosion by a gas cylinder, but police are now exploring a criminal element connected to a dispute over an illegal antenna placed on the roof of the building.

When I opened my Facebook after the event, it was already evening in Israel. One post from a friend of mine caught my eyes. He wrote that his mother decided to cook food and go to the Old City to comfort the families and all the people in the neighborhood. This was not the big surprise for me. The surprise was all the reactions to this act from my mother’s friend. It showed me how much people do not understand what life is really like in Akko. Although there are difficulties and Continued on page 3

Cantor Gastón Bogomolni

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Gastón Bogomolni’s career took flight 12 years ago at Beth El Synagogue. And although he left Omaha in 2008, he sees his upcoming visit to Beth El as a thank-you to the congregation and town that gave him the wings to fly.

‘Cantor G.,’ as he’s affectionately known by congregants at his current congregation in Needham, Mass., will be the guest performer at the annual Beth El Cantor’s Youth Scholarship Fund Concert, planned for Sunday, March 23.

The 7 p.m. show, Ta’am Latino LIVE! will feature the cantor and his seven-piece band, along with

Beth El’s Hazzan Michael Krausman and the synagogue’s choir.

When he first came to the United States in May of 2002, Cantor Gastón landed in Omaha, taking a position as Beth El’s ritual director. The job was a natural for the 24-year-old Argentinean: he had already served as a cantor and spiritual leader for congregations in the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Argentina.

Still, his cantorial aspirations remained, but because the Cantor’s Assembly required its applicants to be at least 27 years old, he was ineligible for consideration.

Luckily, less than two months after he arrived in town, the Assembly Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | March 7, 2014

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Continued from page 1 and the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO),” Riekes continued.

“We will allocate the net banquet proceeds among the above beneficiaries and in addition, the JFO’s CornerStone Fund.

The Fund provides scholarships for programs and activities such as the Pennie Z. David Child Development Center, Friedel Jewish Academy, summer camps, and youth groups.”

“In exchange for receiving money, each organization has committed to use their awards exclusively for enabling needy families and individuals to get involved in Jewish activities.”

“Directing proceeds in such a manner fulfills the B’nai B’rith’s mission to help bring all Jews together for a common purpose. In turn, we hope our effort inspires the entire Jewish community to support this wonderful, fun, and exciting event,” said Steve Riekes, a Lodge Trustee. “We chose Peyton Manning because he is the consummate role model for what we are trying to project.”

“But more than that,” Shandell, the banquet chair added, “we selected ‘Number 18’ because he is a true super star. At the steak dinner, Manning will provide insights from the past Super Bowl and the world of NFL football, among other topics. He will also take questions.”

Manning bio The Indianapolis Colts saw the potential in the young University of Tennessee standout and chose him as the first selection in the 1998 NFL draft. As the number one overall pick, he did not let them down.

From 1998 to 2010, Manning lived up to all the hype, taking the Colts to championships at all levels: Division (eight times), League (AFC-twice), and Super Bowl (twice, winning once). He set team records in total passing yards (nearly 55,000) and in yards passed per season ( over 4,000 each year).

Forced to sit out the entire 2011 year because of potential career-ending injuries and major surgery, he joined the Denver Broncos in 2012. His leadership that season earned him the NFL Comeback Player Of The Year Award, as Denver surged to a 13-3 record, after enduring an 8-8 season the year earlier.

He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and both Fox Sports and Sports Illustrated named him the NFL “Player of the Decade” for the 2000s. Last season, he also picked up the 2013 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Award for presiding over another 13-3 season.

Tributes and Tickets Manning will also help the Lodge honor a special male and female graduating senior, a very popular feature of the banquet.

A team of sports writers and broadcasters, area athletic directors, and coaches select the winning candidates, chosen for excellence not only in athletics, but also for work inside the classroom (for top grades) and outside the school (community service).

Those youngsters receive the Lodge’s most prestigious awards: The Bert Render Award (most outstanding male) and the Earl Siegel Award (Most outstanding female). And once again, the winning athletes will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Adam Jacobs Memorial Tribute Scholarship.

Howard Shandell added, “We will again hold our gala event on a Thursday evening, May 15, at 5:45 p.m. Tickets will go on sale in early March. They can be purchased online by visiting, www.Omahasportsbanquet.org or calling 402.334.6443. The price for a patron ticket is $125 (Table of 10 is $1250); a VIP ticket $200 (Table of 10 is $2000).” A portion of the ticket is tax deductible.

Special sponsorships, accompanied by preferred seating, are available by calling the Lodge at 402.334.6443.

Beth El Cantor’s Concert Contact Howard Epstein, Executive Director 402-334-6466 | hepstein@jewishomaha.org | www.jfofoundation.org

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Continued from page 1 amended its application age to 25, so on July 1 – Gastón’s 25th birthday -- he applied to become a certified cantor. In the fall of 2002, after months of study and acing the required exams, he became a full member of the Cantors Assembly, and in the summer of 2003, he succeeded Emil Berkovits as only the fifth cantor in Beth El’s almost 75-year history.

The young cantor infused the congregation with energetic enthusiasm, plus innovative programming and performances. There were always potential musical projects brewing in his mind, and eventually, thanks to funds offered by a local donor, he was able to realize a huge musical undertaking that would become Ta’am Latino: The Latin American Shabbat, a CD of original musical interpretations of Shabbat prayers infused with a variety of Latin musical styles.

“I wanted to represent who I am, my identity as a Jewish Latin American” he said. “I’ve lived in Latin American countries. I’ve lived in Spain, which is kind of the mother of Latin America. I’m a Jewish guy, with Ashkenazic and some Sephardic background, and I had a need to do something with all that, to represent who I am.”

He commissioned a musician in Argentina – “someone who would understand the idea of what I wanted to do,” he said – to arrange the music and help make his vision a reality.

“I told him, ‘I would love to have this prayer to sound like a Mariachi Ranchera, and this one a Salsa, and this one a Bossa Nova, and I have one that I wrote to my daughter when she was born and another one that was inspired by thinking about [my son] Samuel.’ He digested the information, sent me samples of how the music would sound, and then we started.”

His arranger assembled a group of musicians who recorded the 14 songs; he then sent the music to the cantor, who recorded the accompanying vocals in a studio at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. By the time Ta’am Latino was premiered in Buenos Aires in 2008, it had been three-and-a-half years in the making.

As he has performed Ta’am Latino over the past six years, the selections have evolved beyond just prayers in the Latin American style and now include a variety of Middle Eastern, African, and Israeli songs with a Latin American influence, as well as his cantorial and theatrical voices with some South American humor.

“The show has a thread, it has a story,” he said. “It’s more profound than just a concert. As I grow and change, I want to show that this is me, this is who I am, this is who I’m influenced by – that’s the idea of the whole concert.”

Being able to perform Ta’am Latino LIVE! at Beth El is even more meaningful to the cantor because he was unable to perform it at Beth El before leaving town to take over his cantorial duties at Temple Aliyah in Needham.

“The CD has a lot to do with Omaha because it was initiated there and it was finished there,” Cantor Gastón said.

“I’m very, very excited to return to Beth El. I feel that I owe something back for something that is so deep and so dear to me – this product that is Ta’am Latino – which is really part of everything Omaha has given me from the beginning.”

“I have always had this feeling of a lack of closure,” he added, “and coming back is a way of saying thank you, because all the things I’m doing now are happening because of the opportunities Omaha gave me, and the chance to open up my heart. Omaha gave me the wings to start flying.”

His career has indeed taken flight over the past years. In addition to his responsibilities at his temple, Cantor Gastón serves on the executive council of the Cantors Assembly; he is the music t’fillah (prayer) specialist at the Solomon Schechter Jewish Day School of Greater Boston, as well as song leader at Camp Ramah in New England. He has taken several musical acts on the road, including a cantorial quartet known as “The Jewish Argen-tenors,” and as half of “The Argen-twins,” alongside another Boston-area, Argentinean-born cantor.

Along with a fellow cantor in Mexico City, Cantor Gastón is compiling what will be the first anthology of South American Jewish congregational music. Over 250 songs, 80 percent of which needed to be transcribed, he said, will make up the anthology, which will be published this May by the Rabbinical Seminary of Latin America and the Cantors Assembly.

In addition to all of his other projects, the cantor is working toward a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology; his thesis, which relates to the role of music in the Friday night services of the Conservative movement in Buenos Aires, has made him an important academic resource as a speaker, and has elevated his prominence as a Latin-American cantor in the United States.

He’s come a long way in the past 12 years, and Cantor Gastón expressed great appreciation to those who helped him get his start.

“When Beth El hired me, I was just an Argentinean guy living in Barcelona. Nobody knew me, and I didn’t even have the certification of ‘cantor’ from the Cantors Assembly, but the people at Beth El saw something in me, and they put their faith in me,” he said. “I’m always thankful to the people who believed in me from the beginning. They gave me wings, they gave me trust and they let me fly. I hope that people will be very proud of who I’ve become and who I’m becoming.”

The entire community is welcome to attend Ta’am Latino LIVE!; all proceeds from the concert support Beth El’s Youth Scholarship Fund, which offers financial support to the synagogue’s children and teens who wish to attend Jewish summer camps, youth group conventions, or a variety of Israel experiences.

For ticket information and reservations, visit www.bethel-omaha.org.

March 7, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

Honoring parents

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Program Coordinator, Center for Jewish Life After tackling adultery, stealing and murdering, the March 10 session of the Center for Jewish Life’s Klutznick Learning Series will look at honoring parents and the first commandment. The series, What is it About the Ten Commandments? is taking a twoprong approach to looking at the “top ten list” with presentations on each by a clergy member and a community member.

On March 10, Honor thy father and mother will be discussed by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel from Temple Israel and Shelly Fox. Fox is Director of Admissions at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and Director of Community Outreach Services for Jewish Social Services.

She will focus on the fragile balance between respecting our elders’ independence and honoring the obligation to ensure appropriate care. The second half of the evening will feature Rabbi Mendel Katzman from Chabad of Nebraska talking about the first commandment, “I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Following Rabbi Katzman, Andy Greenberg, radio personality, private speaker, business consultant and Jewish educator will talk about the leadership lessons found in the first commandment and their validity in today’s world.

Klutznick Learning Series sessions meet Monday evenings through March 31 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Social Hall at the JCC. Upcoming sessions include the following: Mon, Mar 17 – Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Elyce Azriel will discuss “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

Rabbi Josh Brown and Ari Riekes will then review “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

Mon, Mar 24 – “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” will be examined by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Dr. Michael Cohen, followed by Rabbi Mendel Katzman and C. David Kotok discussing “Thou shalt not covet anything that belongs to thy neighbor.”

Mon, Mar 31 – Rabbi Steven Abraham and Ellie Greenspoon look at “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” followed by concluding remarks on the series by Marty Shukert.

The series is open to the community, free of charge and is sponsored by the fund of the Klutznick Chair of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. For more information, call 402.334.6463 or email 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.

The truth about mixed cities Continued from page 1 challenges between Arabs and Jews, in everyday life there is not active war and constant hate as many people believe it to be.

In my parents’ building there are eight families. Four of them are Arabs and four are Jews. All my childhood, I remember being surrounded by Arab neighbors, participating in theater workshops in the old city of Akko, and learning at school and the university with Arab students. With all of these ideal examples, we had many challenging times in Akko that put co-existence to a real test. One such test was the Yom Kippur pogrom that took place in Akko in 2010. During the night of Yom Kippur, Arabs who had entered the Jewish part of Akko broke out glass from cars and stores. The home of an Arab family was burned a few days after this and the municipality decided to cancel the International Theater Festival in Akko.

There followed two horrible weeks that I will remember for the rest of my life. The streets were filled with demonstrations by both Arabs and Jews. After two weeks, this conflict was resolved. Since that time, the situation in Akko has returned to normal and remained peaceful. This one event that symbolizes how deep the conflict is between Arabs and Jews.

Akko is only one of many mixed cities in Israel. Living in a mixed city sheds a different light on daily living than the one put forth by the media. The international media frequently emphasize the conflict

that is present between Israelis and Arabs and suggests that this conflict is growing from one year to the next. Terms like apartheid, colonialism, boycotting Israel, etc. are used with excitement and growing concern in many colleges around the world. Beliefs about the future of Israel are formed from the information received from the media. But if we observe what is happening in Israel by experiencing life in a mixed city, we come to understand that there is much more to Arab/Israeli relationships than conflict and fighting.

I invite you to the next session of Eye on Israel that will take place on Tuesday, March 11 from noon-1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. We will talk about the Israeli/Arab conflict and life in mixed cities. I will share with you my personal stories and ideas. I am sure you will enjoy hearing what Arab and Jewish neighbors talked about in the shelter during the second Lebanon war. These stories were never published during these Yom Kippur pogroms, and they will help you understand even better how people from two different cultures and religions can live side by side in peace. I will even share some funny stories that can happen only in mixed cities like Akko.

Eye on Israel is open to the community, free of charge. It is a program of the Center for Jewish Life whose mission it is to maximize the involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

To Submit Announcements: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154 (with photos we will scan and return). Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Class of 2014 High School Seniors High School Seniors and Parents We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 23, 2014. To be included, we need your graduation photo and the information below. You can also email the information and photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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4 | The Jewish Press | March 7, 2014

Meet Gubernatorial candidate Chuck Hassebrook

by DEB DENENBERG Chuck Hassebrook, Democratic candidate for Governor of Nebraska, will be at the Star Deli at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, Friday, March 14, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The community is invited to come say hello, ask questions, and learn more about Chuck.

Hassebrook’s roots are in community service and activism. He started out as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, the domestic arm of the Peace Corps, and worked with Native American tribes and low-toChuck Hassebrook moderate-income families helping them start businesses. This early work turned into a career leading microenterprise development and helping Nebraskans find economic opportunity.

Hassebrook spent his career at the Center for Rural Affairs, a national rural advocacy and development organization based in the Northeast Nebraska community of Lyons. He served with the Center for over 36 years, including 18 as the Executive Director. His work was crucial in securing the passage of state and federal policy reforms that strengthen family farms, small business and rural communities. During his time at the Center they have provided loans, training and business-planning assistance to over 10,000 small businesses in rural Nebraska.

He also served 18 years as a Regent for the University of Nebraska, including two terms as Chair. His efforts led to tuition assistance for students from modest income families and the creation of a Rural Futures Institute, aimed at revitalizing small communities.

Hassebrook currently serves on the Board of the USDA North Central Region Rural Development Center, and has previously served on the Nebraska Rural Development Commission, USDA Commission on Small Farms, and the Board of Bread for the World, a Christian ecumenical anti-hunger organization based in Washington.

He is a University of Nebraska graduate and native of Platte Center, where his family has farmed for more than a century. He lives with his wife, Kate, in Lyons, and they have two sons, Anton and Peter, both students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

In a recent interview, Chuck said that he looks forward to meeting members of the community on March 14.

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Topsy Turvy Purim

by MIRIAM KATZMAN In Jewish communities everywhere, this is the season for the important question, especially amongst the children: “How will you be dressing up for Purim?�

And throughout the world, selections are made between Kings and rogues, compassionate Queens and merciless villains. Many will even select modern day icons to impersonate.

Purim, which marks the deliverance of world Jewry from Haman’s evil decree during the 4th century BCE, is the holiday of merriment and masquerades, and is the most joyous of all.

Vnahafoch hu’, (literally) and it was turned upside down, transformed. These are the words the Megillah uses to describe the fate of the Jews, which was dramatically and uncannily turned around.

Darkness changed to light. Sadness to joy. Mourning to celebration.

In the wake of a sinister plan to exterminate, G-d forbid, every Jewish woman, man and child in one day with orders of the superpower’s government, Mordechai’s leadership averted the tragedy.

Vnahafoch hu is Purim’s buzzword. And this year at Chabad we are taking it to new heights.

Chabad invites you to celebrate Topsy Turvy Purim on

Foundation news

by MARY BORT Endowment Assistant/Staff Writer The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation recently upgraded its website and enhanced its social media presence. “Our plan is to enable everyone to more easily communicate with and learn about the Foundation and charitable planning,� said Foundation Endowment Associate Laurie Peatrowsky, who spearheaded the effort. “The Foundation Marketing Committee worked with our staff to assess and improve our existing website, as well as add new ways to communicate,� explained Foundation Executive Director Howard Epstein. “We want to meet the needs of our donors and potential donors, and decided it was time to make some changes. Of course, we’ll still gladly accept phone calls, e-mail, and regular U.S. mail, and we always enjoy in-person visits to our office. At the same time, we have a presence on Facebook and Twitter, and our website is highly interactive.� “You’ll find more information about the Foundation, including stories about our donors, our Jewish community needs and events, and learn about establishing various char-

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itable funds.� said Epstein. “There are valuable tips for you and your financial advisors, and a useful online wills planner. Scholarship applications that are offered through the Foundation are available on the site, and you can now make donations online.� The Foundation’s web address is www.jfofoundation.org.

In addition to the website, you can “Like� the Foundation on Facebook (JFOF1), and follow the Foundation on Twitter (jfofoundation). The Foundation’s monthly eNewsletter is a terrific way to get updates about Foundation funds, donors, programs and philanthropic activities, as well as current charitable giving news from Washington and the IRS. “These communication tools enable everyone to make informed decisions about their philanthropic legacy, and to stay informed about charitable funds that are established to support our community,� noted Peatrowsky.

If you have questions or would like to subscribe to the Foundation’s e-Newsletter, contact Howard Epstein at 402.334.6466 or hepstein@jewishomaha.org, visit the website at www.jfofoundation.org, or stop by for a visit.

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March 16, 4:30 p.m. which will include Breakfast for Dinner and a whole slew of Purim activities for participants of all ages. “Purim is actually a very sacred holiday, despite the levity�, explained Rabbi Mendel Katzman. “It is the Jew’s empowerment in trying times to enable each one of us to transform our own sadness or difficulty to gladness and great success.�

He added, “it is hard to believe that the partying on Purim is on par with the somberness of Yom Kippur.

We can accomplish so much good for ourselves and the world on this day,� he said.

With an emphasis on the four Purim observances, the Topsy Turvy Purim will be one rocking party! Celebrants are encouraged to come in costume.

Dinner will be compliments of Queen Esther. Please RSVP to 402.330.1800 or www. ochabad.com/rsvp.

A full-colored Purim guide chock full of Purim tidbits and information has been mailed out to the community. If you have not received one or would like additional copies, please email chani@ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

This publication is dedicated in memory of Jane (Yehudis Chana) Cohen and in honor of the Blumkin Home Staff who treated her so well. Jane was an accomplished teacher of young children and loved the Holiday of Purim!

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March 7, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5

Ben Brodkey attends Songleader Boot Camp

by DAVID GOLBITZ how each person led their session,” Brodkey Temple Israel Staff Writer said. “I enjoyed watching all the different Over President’s Day weekend, when a lot interpretations of how to lead a group. One of people are enjoying the extra day off from kid took an approach, he brought his guitar work or school, Temple Israel’s Benjamin up and acted like he was teaching a kinderBrodkey traveled to St. Louis to attend the garten class. Other people were standing up, Songleader Boot Camp (SLBC) national dancing around, singing ‘Oseh Shalom.’ It was conference.

SLBC is a leadership program designed for rabbis, cantors, educators and songleaders, and led by a group of Jewish educators and musicians, including co-founder and musician Rick Recht. Through its p r o g r a m m i n g , About 150 people attended the SLBC national conference in St. Louis SLBC participants over President’s Day weekend. learn “specific skills and techniques to a lot of creative differences, which I liked.” inspire change in their communities” Brodkey also took two repertoire classes, through song, according to its website. one for early childhood programs.

SLBC was brought to Brodkey’s attention “It was for younger than preschool age

by Cantor Wendy Shermet, who knows how through first grade,” he said. “We played a much Brodkey enjoys Recht’s music and lot of music in the classes to learn the songs. thought he would get a lot out of the experi- I thought it was a fun way to learn.” ence.

In addition to continuing to play with the “This was an opportunity for [Brodkey] to First Friday band and during Sunday mornstudy directly with Recht in St. Louis,” ing prayer assemblies, Brodkey also hopes to Cantor Shermet said. “I probably will con- use the skills and songs he learned at SLBC tinue to send him to various song leading in a greater capacity next year. workshops, because Ben really likes it.”

“Debbie Massarano, Temple Israel Brodkey, who has been playing guitar for Director of Lifelong Learning, wants me to about six years, currently performs with teach Kindergarten through Grade 2 music Temple Israel’s First Friday band and plays next year,” Brodkey said. “And I’m going to during Sunday morning prayer assemblies. ask to take some of this music into our “It’s clearly a path he enjoys,” Cantor Sunday morning assemblies.”

Shermet said.

Cantor Shermet would also like to see Brodkey, an eighth grader at Westside Brodkey become a song leader at summer Middle School, was one of the youngest camp, and suggests he can play for Hillel attendees at the three-day SLBC national services when he gets to college. conference, and since it was his first time “Whether he pursues music as a career is attending, he went to a few “master classes” entirely up to him, but whatever you do with to learn the ropes. music helps your brain,” Cantor Shermet said.

“One course was Head-to-Toe Body Cantor Shermet credits the generosity of Dynamics, which was a physical, interactive Joan Martin for being able to send Brodkey course,” Brodkey said. “It was all about being to the SLBC conference. animated and energetic when you lead a “[She] donated money for this specific group: head-to-toe, eyebrows up, eyes wide, purpose in honor of her brother, Miles shoulders back, clapping...”

Remer, who, as everyone who attends servOther courses included a round robin ses- ices knows, is a very active participant,” sion in which participants broke up into Cantor Shermet said. “It would be great if small groups and each took turns teaching we could send more kids, but right now Ben their groups. has shown the most interest and is most “After every few people we would discuss deserving of going to these kinds of things.”

“Happy Trails” begin at Friedel Kindergarten Roundup

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN serious about attending Friedel next year.” for Friedel Jewish Academy She added, “We can accommodate families Getting a taste of kindergarten, preschool- who were unable to attend with a personal ers met with Friedel Jewish Academy tour and overview.” Just call the office at kindergarten teacher Diana Zeman and Friedel Jewish studies teacher Naama Artzi in January.

Meeting at the school, the children listened to stories and participated in various other play/learn activities. While they were involved in the experience, the teachers informally assessed the youngsters’ attention spans, interaction with each other, gross and fine motor skills, and knowledge of colors, numbers, shapes and letters.

At the same time, the children’s parents met with Friedel Principal Back row: Sophia Gurock, left, Naama Weiss, Collin Pam Cohn, who presented an Kelln, Yisha Feldstern, front row: Sima Denenberg, left, overview of the school, informa- Shilat Shushan and Montgomery Smith tion about the application process, and pro- 402.334.0517 to make an appointment for a vided answers to questions the parents had. tour. Interested families can also visit Cohn felt that “Kindergarten Roundup was Friedel’s website and view the school’s new a great success. I believe all who attended are video at www.friedeljewishacademy.com.

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Temple Israel wants you to come and play

by DAVID GOLBITZ “I’ve taught groups before and just within Temple Israel Staff Writer a few weeks they’re playing,” she said.

Over the past several months, visitors to “They’re slower, of course, and those of us Temple Israel on Tuesday afternoons may who have been playing for 40 years or more, have noticed a small group of women sitting we don’t want to play with someone who’s in the Community Court chatting amiably brand new, which is why we want a lot of and playing Mah Jongg. And now they want people to learn at the same time, so they can you to play, too.

These women, Vicki Chesen, Cathy Christensen, Jane Crawford, Iris Deviney, Claire Flatowicz and Dora Goldstrom, are known collectively as the Mah Jongg Mavens and they’re offering lessons on Tuesdays through April 29, in anticipation of the Temple Israel Mah Jongg Tournament on June 22.

The Mavens, together and separately, have played Mah Jongg for up to 50 years. Mah Jongg Mavens Dora Goldstrom, left, Claire Flatowicz, Their decades of experience Vicki Chesen and Jane Crawford have been playing together with the game, coupled with for years. the fact that half of them are professional improve together.” educators, make them ideal candidates to Mah Jongg originated hundreds of years teach the basics. ago in China. The game usually has four “It’s just a very nice game that you can players, each of whom draw a certain numlearn to play,” Dora Goldstrom said. “It’s not ber of the 144 tiles based on Chinese chardifficult to learn. You make a lot of good acters and symbols. The tiles are broken up friends.” into three different suits, numbering one to Claire Flatowicz echoed Dora’s sentiment, nine, with additional tiles adorned with pointing to the social aspects of the game as symbols that represent the names of seathe big draw for her. sons, flowers and the cardinal directions.

“The camaraderie, the people you meet, “It’s a game of patterns,” Cathy it’s the best part of the game,” she said.

Christensen said. “All you’re really doing is In addition to possibly making new friends, following the card to look for the patterns.” the lessons offered at Temple Israel will “teach The Mah Jongg lessons are being held them the different suits and what all the dif- Tuesdays at both 10 a.m., taught by Dora ferent suits mean,” Goldstrom said. “We have Goldstrom, and 7 p.m., taught by Claire to explain the Mah Jongg card and the differ- Flatowicz. Lessons cost $45 per person and ent hands. It’s a lot like Rummy, putting suits everyone is invited to participate. The together, putting numbers together.”

Tournament will be held Sunday, June 22, Goldstrom, who used to fall asleep to the and will be open to anyone. clicking tiles of her mother’s Mah Jongg To sign up for lessons, contact Temple group, has previous experience teaching the Israel at 402.556.6536 or email RSVP@ game and insists it’s not difficult to learn. templeisraelomaha.com.

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Use the lines below to list your family members names you would like on your Passover ad. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Please send a check for the amount listed along side the different sized ads with this form to the Jewish Press office in the JCC or mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 South 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154

It’s Purim time at Beth El, and that means Megillah Mania!

by JILL BELMONT chased online at www.bethel-omaha.org.

Beth El Publicity For more information about the carnival, It’s Purim time again, and Beth El will contact Director of Congregational once again offer fun-filled holiday celebra- Learning Eadie Tsabari in the synagogue tions, Shushan shenanigans, and Megillah office, 402.492.8550, or etsabari@bethelmania for revelers of all ages. omaha.org.

This year, the synagogue’s festivities on Saturday, March 15, will begin with Mincha service 6:45 p.m., followed by seudah shlishit (a light meal featuring a variety of food stations) at 7:15 p.m., Ma’ariv at 8 p.m., and Havdalah at 8:10 p.m.

The Megillah reading will commence at 8:20 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to show up in their wacky Purim finery (wear a costume and receive a free game ticket for the Purim carnival), and everyone will be treated to refreshments -alcoholic and non-alcoholic Kids in costume ruled the day during last year’s Megillah – to celebrate the holiday.

On Sunday, March 16, the reading at Beth El. This year’s reading will be on Saturday, fun continues at the syna- March 15 at 8:20 p.m. gogue during the annual USY Purim carniThe Purim carnival serves as USY’s val, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event biggest fund-raiser of the year; proceeds are will feature entertaining game booths for used for convention travel expenses and children of all ages, prizes, a silent auction, scholarships, and a portion is donated to raffle, a ping pong tournament, and a holi- two charities selected by USY members. The day lunch served by Men’s Club. Tickets for entire community is invited to support Beth the raffle, games and lunch may be pur- El’s teens and enjoy some great family fun.

March 7, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

Students participate in first Mitzvah Fair

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Program Coordinator, The Center for Jewish Life Over 60 students from Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Friedel Jewish Academy and Temple Israel participated in the first Mitzvah Fair which took place on Sunday, Feb. 23. Nearly 30 colorful and informative displays were shown in the social hall at Temple Israel, which hosted the event.

The Mitzvah Fair was a collaborative program involving 3rd and 4th graders from Beth Israel, Friedel and Temple and 4th and 5th grade students from Beth El. Similar to a science fair, students researched mitzvot and then selected a specific mitzvah for their project. Working individually or in teams, students created a display highlighting their mitzvah. At the Feb. 23 event, students shared what they had learned with other students, parents and teachers. Rabbi Steven Abraham, Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Cantor Wendy Shermet were judges, visiting each display and providing feedback on the work.

The Mitzvah Fair is the third of three bi-annual programs for students in the Omaha Jewish community. The Center for Jewish Life, as a part of its on-going work in supporting the synagogue religious schools and Friedel Jewish Academy,

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meets regularly with the directors of the schools. These collaborative events are the result of the group working together for the good of all students in the community. The other programs are the Jewish Omaha Historical Tour and the Synagogue Discovery Tour. Ilana Weiss developed and coordinated the events for the Center for Jewish Life. Program funding has been generously provided by the Herbert Goldsten Trust. For more information, please call 402.334.6445.

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8 | The Jewish Press | March 7, 2014

March First Friday

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Temple Israel’s March First Friday will host special guests from Lincoln’s Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, the klezmer-inspired band The Star City Kochavim, or “Stars” in English.

The band, made up entirely of members of B’nai Jeshurun, came together in 2011 and performs once a month during services at B’nai Jeshurun and on special holidays. They were also featured performers at the 2013 Lincoln Arts Festival.

Kochavim includes band leader Nathaniel Kaup, who plays clarinet and provides vocals; Steven Kaup, piano and accordion, who writes arrangements and has composed several new settings for Jewish liturgy; Scott Stanfield, bass guitar, plays in multiple bands in venues around Lincoln; Elaine Monnier, vocals and percussion; Eleanor Kirkland, vocals and percussion, who is the current B’nai Jeshurun president; Don Glaser, vocals and percussion; and Peter Mullin, percussion and Irish flute.

“They are proof that when it comes to music, the South Street Temple enjoys an embarrassment of riches,” B’nai Jeshurun Rabbi Craig Lewis said.

“Scott Stanfield provides soul to our Friday Night Live services,” Rabbi Lewis continued. “And Elaine Monnier, who is our regular volunteer cantorial soloist, is passionate about contemporary Tefillah music. Don Glaser, who along with wife Linda are our volunteers of the year, enriches our harmonies with his deep vocal ranges.”

The March First Friday also features Temple Israel’s second graders, who will participate in the service.

The service, on Friday, March 7, begins at 6 p.m., followed immediately by dinner. In addition to performing during the service, Kochavim will also perform during this month’s Shabbat Lounge following dinner.

Temple Israel First Fridays are sponsored by Bob and Elly Gordman, Andie Gordman and Dan Fitzgerald, and Lindsey Thomas, in memory of Brandon Thomas.

Visit the Jewish Press online at jewishomaha.org

Rain and the Rabbinate

Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER It’s been a roller-coaster of a winter for the water specialists at Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. With the start of the Hanukah festival (Nov. 28), and the country still extremely dry, the Rabbinate issued a call to pray for “rains of blessing” by inserting the special “prayer in times of drought for the Land of Israel” into the Shma Koleynu (Hear Our Voices) section of the core Amidah prayer. One week later the heavens opened and rain poured down—enough so that by Dec. 11 the Chief Rabbinate announced that the special prayer could be discontinued.

Included with this announcement was a prayer of thanksgiving to God “for every single drop that You sent down to us.”

[Side Comment: As a professor of religious studies, I would always have my students take note of the fact that the world’s religions are pretty good at timing their prayers for rain to coincide with when rain is normally expected.

Whatever else religious people might be, they are not crazy.]

I’m sorry to say that since December things in Israel have again been pretty dry, and so at the end of January the Chief Rabbinate issued another call for that extra prayer for rain (“Answer us [Anenu] Creator of the World with the Attribute of Mercy...”). Unfortunately, as of third week of February, rains were not forthcoming and the call is still in place.

The truth is that I am not sure we have earned God’s special attention concerning water. Jewish tradition teaches us that God really appreciates it if you make an effort to help yourself first before relying on God. Yet in an age in Israel when we have desalinization plants operating at less-than-capacity, water-saving practices now seem quaint and old fashioned. If you look around, it’s not hard to spot water misuse: men letting the faucet run while they are shaving in the locker room, kids using the pool’s showers just for fooling around, people using running hoses (rather than buckets) to wash their cars, municipal sprinklers whirling in the summer during the heat

of the day (rather than the evening). A lack of attention to water conservation bespeaks a society where water is viewed not as God’s gift but as a commodity that can always be made and bought. I don’t imagine that that is an ideal setting from which some in that society would turn to God for rain.

Here’s a crazy idea. What if Israel’s Chief Rabbinate were to encourage water conservation? As opposed to the growing criticism of the Rabbinate as being out of touch with the needs of the people of Israel, a Rabbinate concerned with water conservation would be a Rabbinate worth having, a Rabbinate for a modern Jewish State. Who says that the Chief Rabbinate can’t look at the big picture? Who says that the Chief Rabbinate can’t speak to the “normal” lives of people and must restrict itself to times when people are officially being “religious” (e.g. when they are praying, observing Shabbat, or buying kosher food)? Unlike the very risky matter of water prayers, which may or may not be answered, water conservation always works and helps. And who knows, if we did more to conserve, perhaps we would be blessed more often with the divine gift of water?

Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest three, Nathan, Rebecca and Ruthie, are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Elaine Jabenis, award – winning actress, author, and now novelist at 93, will discuss her new book, Georgia’s Secret on Wednesday, March 12, 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 bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

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.

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March 7, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Swell

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press For Dutch children, learning English can be a challenge.

At least it was for me; at first, it was slow and boring. I still remember riding my bike to school, with that despised green vocabulary book propped on my steering wheel (In Holland, we often multi-task while riding our bikes.

It’s amazing how much you can get done), trying to memorize yet another thirty vocab words for that day’s test.

Things became better when I was able to read my first full-length Shakespeare play in Mr. van Dijk’s English class. Julius Caesar, I was fourteen years old, and although it took a good two months, I understood the general plot. When learning a foreign language, there comes a point where you understand enough that you can read past the roadblocks, and understand the story behind the words. It’s an exciting moment, because once you follow the story, you start to forget you are leaving your own language behind. When that happens, you open yourself up for new words. Words that don’t just threaten you from an irritating vocabulary book, but words that actually create context, and draw you in.

To this day, I love being able to read novels at super speed, never stopping to look something up.

Even if there’s a word here and there, which, outside of that of context, I wouldn’t quite grasp, it doesn’t matter: I am lost in the story. A good story is everything.

Love Me, by Omaha native Rachel Shukert, is a good story.

The sequel to Starstruck (and you really should read that first), it continues the complicated lives of Amanda, Margo and Gabby. Shukert shows the deceit, the backstabbing and the pitfalls of 1930s Hollywood, while leaving the fantasy

intact. In spite of the drug abuse, the heavy drinking and an avalanche of broken hearts, she never descends into sensationalism, which is a relief in the post-TMZ landscape we nowadays inhabit.

It’s not just because of the plot; it’s also the part that few people ever talk about: the language. The words Shukert uses

to bring her characters to life are deliberate; anyone who’s ever been addicted to early Hollywood film is instantly transported.

Shukert has done her research; that much is obvious.

“Maybe it was silly,” she writes, “but Amanda thought there was no place on earth that made her feel as safe as the Bullocks Wilshire department store. She loved the slippery floors of pale Italian marble, the immense art deco ceiling

mural depicting planes, trains and automobiles in a colorful paean to the steady thrum of optimistic American progress, the polished nickel columns and shining glass countertops in which one could catch a reassuring glimpse of oneself looking appropriately stylish and busy and important.”

But those planes and trains would soon be busy across the pond with much less glamorous tasks; in 1930s America, even against the backdrop of glitter and celluloid, there was a growing awareness that the optimism was short-lived.

“It was as if nothing bad could ever happen to you there, as though the cares and worries of the world were gone with a whisk of the revolving doors, like water past the rudder of a ship.”

Bad things happen nonetheless; inside and outside of Hollywood. Amanda’s analogy of the department store as a temporary bubble that keeps out reality is extremely fitting.

Rachel Shukert proves beyond any reasonable doubt that she has a lot of tools on her belt, that she is astutely aware of the backdrop against which these women (and a few men) live their lives, and never loses sight of the ultimate goal of any writer: to draw in her readers. Plus, she’s from Omaha. That may not mean as much to someone like me, who didn’t grow up here, but to all of you who “knew her when,” it should.

Rachel Shukert’s novels are easy to read (in fact, they are impossible to put down), but they are only easy because they are structurally sound, and written by someone who knows her stuff. If you haven’t read Starstruck, read it now; if you have, you’ve probably been waiting for what happens next.

You won’t be disappointed, because golly whiz, it is swell.

Modern day anxiety

Focus on issues KAREN GUSTAFSON, MS, NCC, LIMHP, JFS Executive Director Haven’t we ALL experienced anxiety, or at least the feeling of being anxious, at some moment in our lives? Many of us may have first noticed it in middle or high school, when we were required to stand up in front of our peers at the very time we were just learning how to be secure within ourselves.

For some, it may be waiting for your test results from a doctor; or like me... working hard to put on a community event (like Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety presented by author Daniel Smith) and hoping and praying that everything goes as planned. Yet for others, anxiety is experiencing worry to such an extent that it negatively affects your quality of life.

The most recognized types of anxiety disorders (clinically diagnosed) are: Panic disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Social anxiety disorder, specific phobias or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which involves excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there is little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.

Anxiety can be hereditary -- thanks Mom and Dad -- or, as in Daniel’s Smith’s experience, anxiety may develop after a traumatic incident. Although the “incident” may be long gone, an emotional brain connection is developed between all of the emotions experienced and the actual trauma. The longer-term result is that now when you experience one of the related emotions you remember the trauma all over again as if it happened recently.

(Founded in 1920) Andrew Ruback President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Jessie Wees Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper

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The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world.

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No matter how it happens, or how severe, we’ve all experienced the discomfort of feeling anxious. As a result, society tends to use the term anxiety very loosely to describe a common feeling that we can all relate to. Why? Part of the reason is that if we can relate, we might see that we have a problem that “everyone else does” and buy into the concept of needing the pharmaceutical drugs that are so frequently advertised during our favorite TV shows.

So, let’s talk about modern day anxiety. Dana Baker, the author of One Nation Under Stress: The Trouble with Stress as an Idea states, “We tend to focus on stress as if it were synonymous with anxieties that originate from within, rather than a reaction to external pressures or forces from without, which turns the word’s original historical meaning inside out.”

Stress stimulates us in some ways. Stress can be positive in many situations, like planning a wedding, but for some this feeling of excitement gets stuck. It can get stuck because the feeling makes us feel alive inside (reinforcement) and we associate that with pleasure that we want more of (kind of like putting your favorite song on repeat because the notes or words make you feel good). The only problem here is that this feeling of euphoria cannot be sustained at the same level for long. As a result, some may seek out new things to worry about. In the short run it may produce the sought-after feeling of excitement, but in the long run this person may be developing a bad habit of choosing “worry” that can eventually cause him more problems than the initial positive it provided (like a drug). Yet still for others, our “anxiety” or stress (again... using the clinical term very loosely here) comes from societal expectations to keep up, to do it all, to be the perfect... you fill in the blank. Our kids are always tuned in to something, their computer or cell phone, and we’re no better. Many of us receive our work e-mails on our personal cell phones

with the expectation that we are to be “on” 24-7. We communicate daily by work e-mail, home e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, cell phone and home phone. We check our answering machines at home, at work and again on our cell phones... all with the expectation that they will be answered... promptly.

Our kids are expected to be very high academic achievers AND good athletes, etc., all while communicating with their friends non-stop. Where is the down time for any of us? The other day as I was putting something into my cell phone calendar for August, 2014, I realized “this is why life goes so fast... I need to start thinking and planning for August... and it’s only February. And, if I’m now thinking about August, I am aware that I will now have a junior in high school and a sophomore in college; how can this be?” Our “lists of things to do” is never done. Do you see how these are all externally created stressors? This is not the same as clinical anxiety.

Clinical anxiety can be a serious condition that requires both medical and mental health treatment. Worry and stress may benefit from counseling as well. But let’s make sure that when we use these terms that we are not carelessly throwing them around and teaching our children that there is no difference between the two.

Whatever your experience has been, please join us on Wednesday, April 2 to hear from Daniel Smith, the author of Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety. Daniel will present from 7-8 p.m. at Temple Israel with a book signing to follow.

The program is hosted by Jewish Family Service in collaboration with Temple Israel, Beth Israel Synagogue, Beth El Synagogue and The National Council of Jewish WomenOmaha Section. The program is underwritten, in part, by a grant from the Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth, a component fund of, and administered by, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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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 and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.”

The Editor may edit letters for content

professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.

Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422.

Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

10 | The Jewish Press | March 7, 2014

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 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, March 14: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by an oneg with guest speaker, Mary Sue Grossman, Program Coordinator for Center for Jewish Life on What’s New from the Center for Jewish Life. The community is invited.

Miles Remer will officiate at all of the Speaker Series Services.

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.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

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.; Scholar-inResidence Rabbi Hayim Herring will speak during services, and at a 7 p.m. congregational dinner afterward.

SATURDAY: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m. Scholar-in-residence Rabbi Hayim Herring will speak during Kiddush lunch following services; Shabbat’s Cool, 10 a.m.; MinchaMa’ariv, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY: BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Board of Trustees workshop led by Scholar-in-residence Rabbi Hayim Herring (not open to the public), 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:45 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Kibbutz Chaverim will have lunch at the synagogue at 12:15 p.m.; then we’ll head to Defy Gravity in Papillion until 3 p.m. Transportation will be provided. Cost to attend, $10. Signed waivers are required for students to participate. For more information, contact Eadie Tsabari at etsabari@bethel-omaha.org.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

MONDAY: USY Carnival Work Night, 5 p.m.

TUESDAY: Wrestling with the Rabbis of the Talmud led by Rabbi Abraham. No class on March 11 and 18; USY Carnival Work Night, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes (grades 2-7), 4:15 p.m.

BESTT Hebrew High Classes, 6:45 p.m.; Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: USY Carnival Work Night, 5 p.m.

Mishloach Manot Bags to help deliver Purim treat bags, contact Diane Shandell at diane9357@gmail.com, or 402.333.7226.

Purim Celebration, Saturday, March 15, 6:45 p.m. (see full story on page 6.)

The Secret of Jews Adult Ed Class, Sunday, March 16, 10 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

Sunday Scholar Series, Sunday, March 16, 11 a.m., with UNO Professor Joan Latchaw on The History of Mystery of Purimshpiel. No charge to attend.

Purim Carnival, Sunday, March 16, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. BESTT classes dismiss at 11:30 a.m.

All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

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: No Services at South Street Temple; On the Road with the Star City Kochavim to Temple Israel in Omaha.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; LYTG meet to deliver Meals-on-Wheels, 10 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Vayikra; LYTG meet at UN-L City Campus Student Union, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1 p.m.

TUESDAY: Alexander Technique Class two of the threepart series with Robert Rickover, 7 p.m. If you are interested in registering for the class please contact him at 402.475.4731 or robert@alexandertechnique.com; Cantillation Class, 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Classes 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.

Purim Carnival, Sunday, March 16, 3-5 p.m.

Purim Spiel - The Megillah according to the Beatles, Sunday, March 16, 5:15 p.m.

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, 6:04 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit (Barchu), 9 a.m.; Mincha, 5:50 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:04 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: 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

Candlelighting Friday, March 7, 6:04 p.m.

Gonzales, 402.505.7714 or degmass@gmail.com.

Music in Transition with Cantor Shermet, Thursdays, March 20 - May 1, 10 a.m. Cantor will compare and contrast all the Jewish music that is available to us today, from oral tradition to videos on YouTube. She will discuss how music goes through transition and that everything old becomes new again. Music is Mishnah in which people present their own ideas of the text through their compositions.

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: Services, 7 p.m. at the UNL Multcultural Center with Hillel members and includes a potluck dairy dinner.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Classes Purim Extravaganza, Saturday, March 15, 7 p.m. at the Coren home, 3417 Hanson Ct. Come hear the megillah reading, nosh on hamantaschen, and enjoy the entertainment. Adults and children alike can wear costumes! This event is for all ages. RSVP to Nava in the office by Mar. 10.

Purim Seudah lunch, Sunday, March. 16, noon. This gathering is geared for young and old! Please let us know you're coming so we can prepare the right amount of tasty food! RSVP to Nava in the office by Mar. 10.

Purim Carnival, Sunday, March 16, 3-5 p.m. at South Street Temple.

Purim Spiel - The Megillah according to the Beatles, Sunday, March 16, 5:15 p.m. at South Street Temple.

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 SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: First Friday Shabbat Service with Grade 2 and Lincoln’s Congregation B’nai Jeshurun Band Kochavim, Shabbat Dinner and Shabbat Lounge, 6 p.m. Please RSVP to RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536. Temple Israel First Fridays are sponsored by Bob and Elly Gordman, Andie Gordman and Dan Fitzgerald, and Lindsey Thomas, in memory of Brandon Thomas. (see full story on page 8.)

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: Dan Gilbert.

SUNDAY: Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Non-Jewish Parents raising Jewish children, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel; Hamantaschen Baking, 10 a.m.; Adult Hebrew with Elyce Azriel, 11 a.m.; Purim Carnival, 11 a.m. Cost $10 per family for unlimited game play. Volunteers are needed to work the game stations.

Contact Director of Lifelong Learning Debbie Massarano, dmassarano@templeisraelomaha.com, if interested.

TUESDAY: Mah Jongg Lessons and Practice, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. $45 per person and includes 2014 Mah Jongg card.

Contact the Temple office to RSVP; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class: Bible Study, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Azriel.

WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Seeking to Bridge the Religious and Scientific Worlds, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Geoff Mitelman.

THURSDAY: Seeking to Bridge the Religious and Scientific Worlds, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Geoff Mitelman.

Purim Masquerade Wine Tasting Celebration, Saturday, March 15, 7 p.m. Costumes are optional for this adults-only masquerade party. There will be wine, appetizers, live music courtesy of George Walker, wine raffle and wine will be available for purchase. General admission is $36, with additional donor levels of $54 (sponsor), $72 (donor) and $118 (patron).

Proceeds will go to WRJ and Temple Israel. Volunteers are needed. If you are interested in helping out, contact Dana

Jewish Oscar winners

by JTA NEWS STAFF LOS ANGELES (JTA) – After some fairly lean Oscar years, full or partial Members of the Tribe scored well at the 86th Academy Awards, though mainly in the less glamorous, behind-the-scenes categories.

Israeli-American producer Arnon Milchan, who is an acknowledged intelligence operative for Israel’s nuclear weapon program, shared in the celebration for best picture winner 12 Years a Slave as one of the seven listed producers who won a golden statuette on Sunday night.

Woody Allen, a regular non-attending entry at the Oscars, failed to win the original screenplay trophy for his Blue Jasmine. However, the honor went to Her writer Spike Jonze, born Adam Spiegel and the son of a Jewish father.

Perhaps the most satisfying win of the evening, from a Jewish perspective, went to The Lady in No. 6: Music Saved My Life. The short documentary tells the story of 110-year old concert pianist and Holocaust survivor Alice Herz-Sommer, who died exactly one week before the award ceremony.

In his acceptance speech, director Malcolm Clarke lauded Herz-Sommer’s “extraordinary capacity for joy and for forgiveness... She taught everyone on my crew to be a little more optimistic and a little bit more happy.”

Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, born Emmanuel Lubezki Morgenstern, was the anticipated winner in the best cinematography category for his extraordinary work on the space cliffhanger Gravity.

Among the five finalists for best foreign-language film honors was the Palestinian entry Omar, while Israel’s choice, Bethlehem, was eliminated early on.

Both movies pit the Israel security services against Palestinian militants, with Omar predictably drawing a highly unflattering portrait of the Israeli agents.

However Omar, like Israel’s past 10 nominations, did not garner the top prize, which went to Italy’s The Great Beauty.

For the first time in recent memory, the host for the evening, Ellen DeGeneres, did not indulge in any Jewish jokes during the evening. On the other hand, the Academy reversed its long neglect of African-American talent by featuring numerous black entertainers, presenters, award winners and the Academy’s new president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

Two widely publicized movies based on the financial shenanigans of real-life Jewish con men, American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street left empty-handed.

March 7, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

The Witness and Servant

In memoriam BERNARD “BERNIE� BOGDANOFF

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Vayikra Our Sidrah opens the Book of Leviticus. This third book of Torah leaves American Jewish readers somewhat puzzled and uninterested. For the book deals largely with the ancient system of worship by sacrifice, the offering of animal life on an altar as a principal method of worship.

There is an elaborate system. But most Jews of recent centuries are unhappy with this method of worship, unhappy even that our ancestors practiced it.

Our Haftarah gives us some perspective on ancient forms of worship when Isaiah turns his attention to the idol worship which he saw as an exile in Babylonia. He is appalled at idolatry and cannot penetrate the mind of the idol-worshiper. He permits himself to mock the pagans about him for their unthinking practices.

Wait, the prophet says, can the pagan not recognize that the wood he so carefully selects to make an idol is the same wood he uses for his fire? With the fire he warms himself and bakes his bread and roasts his meat. And some of the wood he forms into an idol and cries, save me! You are my God! The famous Bible scholar Ezekiel Kaufman suggests that the prophets did not recognize that the idol-worshiper used the idol as a symbol, not as the god itself.

In any case, the prophet will have none of it. He sees God as One only, Master of nature and history, Ruler of the physical universe and Ruler of mankind.

Our people long ago eschewed idolatry. Their sacrifical system vanished with the destruction of the Temple 2,000 years ago. What remains?

What remains is the religious system that replaced the Temple, and the role of Israel as God’s witness and servant.

It is no small responsibility to be a Jew.

Nebraska premiere: Trunk’d Sunday March 9 at 2:15 p.m., the Omaha Film Festival is showing Trunk’d, an unapologetic road-trip comedy that involves four men driving from Nebraska to Texas to dispose of the body of a dead call girl found unresponsive the morning after a bachelor party.

Marilyn Tipp portrays the role of Mary, the Catholic mother of one of the main characters. “My ‘son’ is converting to Judaism, and I’m feeding him ham for dinner,� Tipp says. “Off camera, he had to teach me how to act like a real Catholic mother and cross myself, and I had to teach him to pronounce the Hebrewalthough, of course, there’s no bracha for ham. It was hilarious!�

Marcus Village Pointe Theater, 304 N. 174th Street. For more information, visit www.omahafilmfestival.org.

For all your car needs come see Marty Kaplan at Edwards Chevrolet and Cadillac

402-213-2265

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GLORIA FRIEDMAN Gloria Friedman passed away Feb. 25. Services were held on Feb. 27 at Fisher Farm Cemetery.

She is survived by her nephews and niece, Dr. Sidney and Barbara Friedman of Milwaukee, Murray and Pat Friedman of Milwaukee, and Renie and Dr. Steven Lauter of St. Louis; seven great nieces and nephews; six great-great nieces and nephews; and many loving friends.

Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, 323 South 132 St, Omaha 68154.

Norwegian YMCA embraces boycott Israel policy

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- The Young Men’s and Women’s Christian Association in Norway aligned itself with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, or BDS. The Norwegian YMCA-YWCA “encourages broad economic boycott of goods and services from Israel and Israeli settlements to pressure the Israeli government to follow up on U.N. resolutions and end the illegal occupation of Palestine,� the organization wrote in a statement published on its Norwegian-language website last week.

With 30,000 members in more than 500 chapters and affiliated Scouts groups, the Norwegian Y is among the country’s largest and oldest youth groups.

Conrad Myrland, director of Norway’s With Israel for Peace group, or MIFF, told the Vart Land daily that he considers the youth organization’s move “too weak to be considered tragic. Boycott of Israel is stupid and immoral independently of the support it has from YMCA-YWCA. “The only result is that YMCA-YWCA now supports boycotting the only democracy in the Middle East,� Myrland said. “I encourage all individuals and churches to withdraw their support of YMCA-YWCA until the immoral boycott action is abandoned.�

On its website, the Norway Y group wrote that it decided to embrace BDS “because a long series of U.N. resolutions and negotiations for decades have not yielded results. We believe it is now appropriate to initiate an economic boycott of Israel to put increased pressure on the Israeli authorities.�

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Bernie Bogdanoff passed away on Feb. 15th at age 80.

Services were held on Feb. 18 at Temple Israel.

He is survived by wife, Esther Bogdanoff; daughters and sons-in-law, Sandee and Howard Friedman, and Cindy and Morris Friedman; son, Adam Bogdanoff; son and daughterin-law, Brian and Jennifer Bogdanoff; grandchildren: Samantha, Alan, Emily, Michael, Zach, Jocie, Courtney and Eli; and numerous sisters and brothers in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Memorials may be made to an organization of your choice.

Producers of the Gr. Champion Bull and Res. Gr. Champion Bull in the same year at the Neb. Cattlemen’s Classic. (Pictured above)

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position works closely with Design Engineering, Pramac America has an immediate opening for Quality Assurance and the Production Team on all an experienced Manufacturing Engineer at our new product introductions and is responsible for Kearney, Nebraska facility. We offer a competitive ongoing continuous improvement efforts and cost salary and benefit package. Qualified applicants reduction initatives. should have an Engineering Degree and one to three years of experience in a hard goods manufacturing environment.

Qualified individuals may send their resume to: This position will be responsible for planning and Pramac America LLC Attn: Human Resources implementing the tooling and processes required PO Box 6001 Kearney, NE 68848 to manufacture, assemble and test portable Email to: hr.kearney@pramac.com generators, light towers, and related products. This An Equal Opportunity Employer

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Daws Inc. needs OTR company owner operators Daws Trucking needs OTR and company drivers for for !"!#$%#&'()$* +$,*%-!+$%#*./!#)0$1#!*%$-! !2%)$ atbed and curtain trailers. Paid by miles. Great bene! ts 3*'(*4!0$5&)%$-!$67$8!*#)$9/+:$".%;$<=>$!?3!#.Need current 2 years experience, ! package. '!$ @$ ,*%-!+$ !?3!#.!CDL-A, '!:$ ;*A!$ *$ '&##! %$ BCD$ clean MVR. Drug and alcohol testing required. * +$*$'/!* $5E>0$<F<$G!/'9H!0$I<I ()*+,-+&.,/01 233456748239 :4;&2,<48=< :>0?)@AB&'$ EOE

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VINTAGE VILLAGE Antique Mall, 2425 O Street, Lincoln. 402-742-0063. Open daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 60+ Dealers. Storewide Sale, March 1-31. New items arriving daily! Antiques, collectables, jewelry, furniture, records.

FOR SALE: Spider, Salamanca and Bridger pea seed. Looking for experienced seed growers. Inquiries call Great Northern Ag, 701-497-3082 or visit our website www.greatnorthernag.com.

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DISH TV Retailer. Starting $19.99/month (for 12 months). Broadband Internet starting $14.95/month (where available). Ask about Same Day Installation! Call Now! 1-800-861-8062.

WANTED: FARMER/Ranch hand. Must have experience in farming and with cow/calf production. Call Kristi at Poss Angus, Scotia, NE. Call 308-571-0434 or 308-245-3143.

THE AWARD-Winning Western Nebraska Observer is looking for an advertising representative. This individual must be outgoing, energetic, self-motivated, organized and self-confident. Duties will include selling and creating advertisements.

This will entail selling and designing ads for both new and existing customers.

Knowledge of InDesign and Photoshop preferred, but not required. This is a fulltime position (five days a week), and offers a competitive salary. Interested individuals may drop off a resume to the Western Nebraska Observer office at 118 E. Second Street in Kimball from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or e-mail it to: editor@westernnebraskaobserver.net.

2 FT openings: Service Tech and Installer: Degree Heating and Air, Lincoln, NE, for residential/light commercial systems. Must have good driving record.

Competitive/negotiable wages. 402-416-6226 or e-mail: degree@windstream.net.

CAN YOU dig it? Bulldozers, Backhoes and Excavators. 3 Week Hands On Training Provided. Become Nationally Certified. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance. GI Bill Eligible! 1-866-362-6497.

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY in southwest Nebraska looking for an experienced excavation supervisor. Travel and a pre-employment drug testing is required.

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GANA EXCAVATING is accepting applications for experienced heavy equipment operators. Contact us for more information or for an application, 402-794-5000, www.ganatrucking.com, brandong@ganatrucking.com.

GANA TRUCKING is accepting applications for night shift mechanics, all skill levels will be considered. Contact us for more information or for an application, 402794-5000, www.ganatrucking.com, brandong@ganatrucking.com.

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HVAC/REFRIGERATION Technician - Younes Hospitality, Kearney. Skilled mechanical maintenance for inspection, repair and installation of HVAC and refrigeration systems. Preventative maintenance and routine servicing of equipment.

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SEEKING AN auto mechanic, at least 10 years experience. Columbus Chrysler is willing to pay up to $60,000 to start. For more information contact Dave Thompson at Columbus Chrysler. 402-564-2846. EOE SERVICE TECHNICIANS wanted at Platte Valley Equipment John Deere dealership, Clarkson, NE. Competitive wage and excellent benefits. Apply at 1093 Road W, Clarkson, 402-892-3444.

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CONSTRUCTION COMPANY in southwest Nebraska looking for experienced heavy equipment operators and truck drivers with a clean driving record, current Class A CDL and Medical Card. Travel and a pre-employment drug testing required. Application available at www.bsbinc.net or 308-367-4336. Equal Opportunity Employer.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT Operators and CDL Truck Drivers needed. Company offers competitive pay, health insurance, 401K plan, vacation pay per diem. Travel is required. Contact: Adams Construction Co., 308-962-7918. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

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12 | The Jewish Press | March 7, 2014

Ukraine Jews hunkering down amid turmoil

by TALIA LAVIN and CNAAN LIPHSHIZ (JTA) -- The turmoil in Ukraine has left one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities on edge. After an outbreak of violence in Kiev last week that left dozens of protesters and policemen dead, President Viktor Yanukovych fled the capital and parliament installed an interim leader to take the still-contested reins of power.

Like their compatriots, Ukraine’s Jews are waiting to see what the future holds for their country, but with the added fear that they could become targets amid the chaos. There have been a few isolated anti-Semitic incidents over the past few months of civil strife. On Sunday night in the eastern city of Zaporizhia, a synagogue was firebombed with Molotov cocktails, causing minor damage.

While Kiev has been relatively calm since Yanukovych fled the capital, the situation in the country’s eastern and southern regions, where he has his base of support, is more volatile. Tensions between the local governments and revolutionaries continue to rise in the eastern city of Kharkiv, which has a sizable Jewish community.

“It’s still a very fluid situation,” said Mark Levin, chairman of the NCSJ, an American organization that advocates for Jews in the former Soviet Union. “The big concern, I think, is ensuring that there’s adequate security for Jewish institutions throughout the country, but particularly in the large cities. And I think that’s where much of the focus within the American Jewish community and Israel lies -- that and making sure the flow of services continues.”

Levin also expressed concern that with elections slated for May 25, a future government could result in ultranationalists gaining power in Ukraine. Svoboda, a right-wing nationalist party, was prominent in the protest movement, and party officials have expressed virulently anti-Semitic sentiments.

Thus far, though, the conflict has not been marked by incitement against Ukraine’s multiple national minorities, Oksana Galkevich, a representative of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, told JTA from Kharkiv on Friday.

“The overall situation in relation to the Jewish community in Ukraine is tolerant and peaceful,” said Vadim Rabinovich, president of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, in a statement issued Monday. “There have been no mass outbursts or exacerbation of anti-Semitism in Ukraine.”

Alena Druzhynina of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, pictured in white helmet, entered the tense Independence Square area of Kiev on Feb. 22 to bring a package of food to an 82-year-old pensioner who has been homeCredit: JDC bound since the worst of the violence began.

Rabinovich rejected as untrue foreign press reports of mass anti-Semitism in the country and called them “not conducive to a peaceful life of the Jewish community.” He vowed that the Jewish community would participate “in building a democratic state and promoting the revival and prosperity of the country.”

Estimates of the size of Ukraine’s Jewish community vary widely. Some commonly cited statistics suggest the country has only 70,000 Jews, while the European Jewish Congress and the JDC say there are as many as 400,000. Over the past few months, many Jewish institutions have simply gone into hibernation, suspending activity during the turmoil. But others have carried on their work under heavy security.

The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, which runs the Orach Chaim day school in Kiev and several other institutions, has been paying $1,000 a day for round-the-clock security by teams from two private firms, one of which also provides security for the Israeli embassy in Kiev. Together, staff guard nine buildings, including four school buildings, a community center, a synagogue and a religious seminary, according to Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich, the confederation’s president and a Ukrainian chief rabbi.

“Nobody goes alone at night, so we have three people doing escorts from the synagogue and back,” he told JTA last week. Meanwhile, security on the “Jewish campus” -- the area around Kiev’s Podol Synagogue -- is maintained by a team of nine people.

The guards have chased off a few trespassers but encountered no serious threats in Kiev. But the cost -- 10 times what the community used to pay for security before the violence erupted -- means the community cannot afford this level of security for much longer.

The Joint Distribution Committee also has promoted security measures to protect staff and volunteers. After the firebombing of the Zaporizhia synagogue, JDC reinforced security measures for its charity organization in the city. The JDC has been continuing to provide assistance to elderly and homebound Jews living in areas of Ukraine that have been affected by the unrest.

With Yanukovych ousted and avoiding the acting government’s warrant for his arrest for alleged murder, many hope the situation will stabilize as the country prepares for the elections. But if it doesn’t, Bleich’s community may not be able to keep its institutions running for another month.

Rabbi Moshe Azman of Kiev, who is another claimant to the title of chief rabbi of Ukraine, advised Jews in media interviews to keep a low profile until the situation calms down.

Hillel Cohen, who is responsible for the Hatzolah Jewish first aid service in Kiev, did not heed Azman’s advice. On Friday, he and other volunteers were driving in the Hatzolah ambulance in an attempt to help Jews in need of medical attention.

But he conceded that driving last week amid the burning barricades of Kiev was at times a blood-chilling experience.

“Things began getting really uneasy when the rioters started setting up spontaneous roadblocks to keep police and army troops from reaching the action zone,” he told JTA. “It was very uneasy, being pulled over in a car full of Orthodox Jews by club-wielding Cossacks.”

Bleich cautioned that there is a minority element within the opposition that is anti-Semitic.

“The Jewish community has to stay vigilant and see what’s going to be,” he said. “What’s going to happen with this new government? Are they going to be a part of the government?”

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Jessie Wees | 402.334.6559 | jwees@jewishomaha.org