Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA March 18, 2011 12 Adar II 5771 Vol. 90 | No. 28
Ann Goldstein brought many blessings
This Week
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Ann Kennedy Goldstein, who passed away Saturday, March 12, “always saw the good in everybody,” said her friend Cheryl Cooper. Ann was born and raised in Omaha, and graduated from Central High. She earned her education degree from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and taught at Edison Elementary School. “The magnitude of Ann Goldstein’s contributions to the community could be matched only by her radiant smile”, the Omaha World Herald wrote earlier this week, and everyone who has ever had the privilege of meeting her knows that to be true. That smile could, and often did, light up a room. After raising her two daughters, Rebecca and Deborah, Ann went to work for the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. She also devoted an enormous amount of her time to volunteer work, from Planned Parenthood to the Jewish Federation, from the Center for Jewish Education to the National Council of Jewish Women. “It is the responsibility of every Jew to support each other”, she told the Jewish
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Press in 1988, when she co-chaired the annual Women’s Campaign. There was a special place in Ann’s heart for the Anti Defamation League, for which she was a board member from 1988 to 2005. She was board president for three consecutive years, from 1998 to 2001. In 1976, Ann was the first recipient of the Jewish Federation’s Justin Greenberg Young Leadership
our agency with a strong presence in the community”, says Dr. Guy Matalon, Executive Director of the Center for Jewish Education. “It is said that ‘every journey brings blessings,’ Cheryl wrote in her eulogy. “Our lives have been enriched and blessed by knowing Ann and sharing with her, in some small part, her journey in this world. Ann showed us by example how to live a life worthy of celebration”. Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Howard Kennedy III and Jane W. Kennedy, and her brother David Kennedy. She is survived by her husband Donald; daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Derek Groothuis, Chicago, Il.; daughter and son-in-law Deborah and Matthew Baum, Providence, R.I.; grandchildren David and Zoe Groothuis, Beatrice and Max Baum, sister Jane Kennedy, Denver, CO; brother and sister-in-law Howard and Karen Kennedy; mother-in-law and father-in-law Shirley and Leonard Goldstein, Omaha; nieces, nephews, and many close friends. A memorial service for Ann was held Tuesday, March 15 at Beth El; Private interment took place at Beth El Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to the Omaha Chamber Continued on page 11
Dan Senor, Start Up Nation Jewish Genetic Testing author, to speak in Omaha returns to Omaha in May by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha Did you know Israel has more companies on the NASDAQ than those from all of Europe, Korea, Japan, Singapore, China, and India combined? It’s amazing economic
Tribefest a hit with young federation donors Page 12
Ann Kennedy Goldstein
Award. She also received the Omaha Children’s Museum Founder’s Award, and the Omaha Education Association’s Human Relations Award. “She lived life to the fullest,” Cheryl said. “She was like the Energizer bunny, and everyone around her tried to rise to her level. She was very accepting, never tried to judge anyone. We will all miss her dearly; Ann was the most positive person you could ever know, and she meant so much to so many of us”. “However you first met Ann, you loved her and recognized her specialness immediately”, Cheryl added. “Ann was the light, and we were like moths. We just wanted to flutter in her presence”. Ann left a big footprint in the Omaha Jewish community, most recently due to her involvement with the Center for Jewish Educations. “As president, Ann’s leadership, vision, and common sense provided
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Dan Senor growth and entrepreneurial climate is not well documented in mainstream media. Described as the “Israel effect”, other countries have tried to re-create this triumph. Dan Senor and Saul Singer, foreign policy insid-
ers, explored the uniqueness of this success in their book Start Up Nation: the Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. Senor, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, will visit Omaha next month as the featured speaker at the upcoming Ruth and Phil Sokolof Lecture Series. He will speak on Thursday, April 14, at 8 p.m. at the UNO Thompson Alumni Center. The event is open to the public, free of charge. His talk will examine the central question addressed in his book: namely, how is it that Israel--a sixty year old country of 7.1 million people, surrounded by enemies, with no natural resources--produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Canada, and the United Kingdom? “While we are inundated with daily news reports about Israel’s military and political crises, very little is written about the history and strategy behind Israel’s economic growth. Start Up Nation is this story. Senor’s expertise in Middle East politics, security and economics provides a unique insight into Israel’s most important economic decisions,” reports Mark Javitch. Mark is the grandson of the late Phil and Ruth Sokolof. He and his family have been instrumental in establishing the lecture series. “Dan Senor’s message is critical for Americans. It forces us to re-focus our attention on Israel’s positive Continued on page 3
by JOANIE JACOBSON FACT: Jewish genetic diseases are devastating, debilitating and fatal. FACT: Children rarely live to become adults.
Jean Duitch FACT: One out of five adults are carriers of at least one Jewish genetic disease. FACT: If both parents carry the same gene, the child has a 1 out of 4 chance of being born with a Jewish genetic disease, and a 2 out of 4 chance of being a “carrier.” FACT: Jewish genetic diseases can be prevented through Jewish genetic testing. In 2004, Jean Duitch, whose grandson had been diagnosed with Canavan Disease, decided to bring Jewish genetic testing to the forefront of the Omaha-area community. With a handful of volunteers,
she established the Greater Omaha Committee for Jewish Genetic Testing. Boys Town National Research Hospital signed on as the Committee’s medical partner and the Jewish Federation of Omaha served as community partner. The goal was to provide information, testing, and genetic counseling to 100 individuals in Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln, Sioux City and Des Moines, 18 years of age or older, free of charge. An Informational Forum, featuring a panel of physicians, genetic counselors and Jean Duitch, was held at the Jewish Community Center a month prior to testing. The result: 107 individuals of Ashkenazi descent were successfully tested, and 25% were found to be carriers of at least one Jewish genetic disease -- slightly higher than the national average of 1 out of 5. An Informational Forum will be held on Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. Once again, physicians and genetic counselors from UNMC will be on hand to present the case for testing and take questions from the audience. Attendees will also be able to register for either of the May testing dates. Duitch emphasized, “Education is essential. Once you understand the nature of the diseases themselves, the prognosis, the treatment, care, and prevention, you will understand what’s at stake, Continued on page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | March 18, 2011
Jewish groups mobilizing response to Japan quake by URIEL HEILMAN Jewish organizations are mobilizing their responses to the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11. IsraAid, an Israel-based coordinating organization for 17 Israeli and Jewish humanitarian groups, said that it has two teams of rescue personnel, emergency medical officers and water pollution specialists ready to deploy to Japan. Because the airports in the affected area are flooded and Tokyo-area airports closed on Friday, IsraAid said it was exploring the possibility of flying to a nearby country and then trying to make it to northeast Japan, where the tsunami has killed thousands and devastated cities and towns. The Chabad-Lubavitch movement reported that its emissary in Tokyo said the Jewish community there largely was spared any serious injury or damage. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said late Friday that some 25 Israelis in Japan still had not contacted family or embassy officials to report on their safety.
The Japanese consul in Israel, M i t o s h i k o Shinomya, told the Israeli news website Ynet that he was heartened by the Israeli government’s offer of assistance. “Israel officially offered its help an hour after the earthquake struck,” Shinomya said. “It is very heartwarming, but at this point we do not know exactly what the extent of the damage is, so it is difficult for us to say what can be done.” The Jewish Federations of North America set up an emergency relief fund [https://secure.ujcfederations.org/ft2/ form.html?__id=21987] to help those in affected areas and urged local federations to
Credit: Mainichi newspaper do the same. “We are determined to provide emergency relief as quickly as possible and to work with our partners to provide support over the longer term as well,” said Fred Zimmerman, chairman of the Jewish Federations’ Emergency Committee. The organization said it is working with its partner, the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee, which also started a Japan/Pacific disaster relief fund [https://jdc.org/ donation/donate.aspx], to support relief efforts. “JDC is now conducting an up-to-theminute assessment of the situation in Japan and the Pacific Rim and has activated its network of partners to determine critical, immediate needs of the hardest-hit areas,” the JDC said in a statement Friday. B’nai B’rith International [http://bbi. convio.net/site/Donation2?df_id=1520& 1520.donation=form1] and the Orthodox Union [http://www.OU.org/Earth quake] also established an emergency fund. A spokesman for American Jewish World Service, which played a leading Jewish role in responding to the massive 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated parts of Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, said it would not be responding to the Japan tsunami because AJWS, which works in the developing world, does not have any partner organizations in Japan.
Jewish Genetic Testing returns to Omaha in May Continued from page 1 and testing will become a priority.” “Round #2: Jewish Genetic Testing” is planned for Sunday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 25, at the Jewish Community Center. This year, the University of Nebraska Medical Center is the Committee’s medical partner, and the Federation is, again, the community partner. Med Center professionals will conduct the blood draw and provide genetic counseling. Blood samples will be sent to the Jacobi Medical Center Laboratory in New York to be tested. Those individuals identified
as carriers will be personally contacted by a genetic counselor from the Med Center, and counseling will be offered free of charge. “Round #2” will test for the following Jewish genetic diseases: Tay-Sachs, Canavan disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Niemann-Pick disease, Familial Dysautonomia, Gaucher disease, Mucolipidosis IV, Bloom Syndrome, and Fanconi Anemia. “The target audience is not only young Jewish singles and couples,” noted Duitch. “People of all ages, all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds need to be tested.
“A blissfully funny MONSTER MASH.”
Jewish genetic diseases, including Tay Sachs and Cystic Fibrosis, have been increasingly diagnosed in children with non-Jewish parents, making it just as important for interfaith couples to be tested. “Parents and grandparents of 20 and 30 year olds were also tested in 2004. Those who were found to be carriers could then inform their grown children and grandchildren of the necessity for them to be tested. “Knowledge is power,” Duitch concluded. “Identifying carriers allows individuals the opportunity to make informed and rational
decisions regarding the future of their family -- to be proactive rather than having to be reactive. Testing can save families the unnecessary heartache and despair when a child or grandchild is born with a Jewish genetic disease. It can provide the comfort and assuredness every couple deserves when starting their family.” To register or for more information on “Round #2: Jewish Genetic Testing,” contact Jean Duitch at (402.393.1141 or JDUITCH@aol.com) or Joanie Jacobson (402.554.0500 or ohjoan413@aol.com).
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Dimona Mayor visits Lincoln by SARA FRIEDMAN both in school and at home. Through this program, children for the Jewish Federation of Lincoln can socialize with each other, enhancing Dimona’s mixture On Thursday, March 2, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in of cultures and decreasing the achievement gaps between Lincoln, Mayor Meir Cohen of Dimona, Israel, shared the groups. Children are also given private tutoring to give them story of Dimona at its Lunch and Learn program. This pro- better understanding of the core classes. gram is funded by the Network of Independent Mayor Cohen also explained that he wants to encourage Communities of the Jewish all of Dimona’s children to Federations of North attend college. Ten-year-old America. The Network of elementary school students Independent Communities is visit universities to explore made up of 400smaller and understand what higher Federations in North education will offer them. In America, those with no paid tenth grade there is intensive staff. Lincoln is a member of work on education skills. the JFNA Network of Those students who score Independent Communities. well on graduation tests are Before the talk, Lincoln encouraged to go to college Mayor Chris Beutler welbefore doing their military comed Mayor Cohen and service. In the Army these presented him with a medalstudents will then be placed lion representing Lincoln. In in units related to what they their respective speeches, have specialized in while in Mayor Beutler and Mayor college. This program not Cohen traded observations only works with the individDimona Mayor Meir Cohen poses with with Dahlia, Iliana, about the challenges and ual student, but with the famand Tzippora Hamicksburg during his visit to Lincoln. rewards of serving as a mayor. ily by helping siblings who are Dimona, a “development having problems and helping town” established in the early days of the State of Israel, is the adults to find employment located in the northern Negev. Its population includes immiAfter his presentation, Mayor Cohen took questions on grants from over two dozen countries, including the Black topics ranging from Dimona’s economic development to Hebrews of Chicago. The city has many citizens who are at how Dimona is solving the problem of maintaining an aderisk and in need of social services. The Lunch and Learn pro- quate water supply. He said that Dimona, known as “The gram works on the premise that with education you make Flower in the Desert,” is a very green city. Lincoln changes and empower people by decreasing the gaps of Federation Board member Gary Hill, who moderated the inequality and various cultural differences. presentation, noted many similarities between Lincoln and Mayor Cohen noted that the basic needs of poor students Dimona, particularly with regard to the two cities’ absorpmust be met so that they can break the cycle of poverty. The tion of immigrants. Mayor Cohen also thanked the Lincoln Lunch and Learn program provides students with a hot Jewish community for its support of Dimona’s Lunch and lunch and dinner, (sometimes the only hot meal they get). Learn program, thanked Mayor Beutler for his hospitality, Computers are placed in each child’s home, so they can learn and invited all in attendance to visit Dimona.
The future in online media sharing by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Although most people nowadays use a digital camera, and deal with – at most – a messy desktop, we all remember the days of hard copy photographs. In addition, we save drawings, letters, and many other kinds of paper memories. Then there are slides and videotapes we hang on to, but don’t do anything with. We all promise ourselves we’ll clean out those boxes some day, but who has the time? It would be nice if someone else could just do it for us. That is why Jim Simon, e-commerce pioneer and member of the Omaha Steaks Simon family, together with Marcia Kapustin, launched a new company called PeggyBank. Kapustin is a video production specialist and has an extensive background in entertainment; third co-founder is Adam Zweiback, an expert in multimedia. The fourth member of the team is Louri Sullivan, who is in charge of operations. “If you have any kind of legacy media,” Simon says, “we have the capacity to preserve it forever. We take video, photographs, slides, and anything else you can think of, and save it for you in a safe and efficient way.” Once the materials are in the hands of Simon and his colleagues, they are audited and inventoried. A price is quoted, and once the client agrees, everything is saved to an online location from which the client can view, share, and reproduce. “The client decides who they want to share with,”
Simon says, “and everything is password protected. In addition, we sign a privacy statement on the front end, so clients can feel secure about their materials.” Simon says Peggybank fills a void in the online media sharing space: “We are doing more than simply hosting a site for people to upload videos and images. We are taking media that people have previously been unable to save or share, converting it, and making it available.” Once the media is converted, it is given a “PeggyVault”, which means the client no longer has to worry about deteriorating videotapes, water damage, or anything else that these types of media are susceptible to. “It’s kind of like a treasure hunt,” says Jim, “where you open a box and you don’t know what you find. It happens often that people have media sitting around, and they have no projector, they don’t have a VCR anymore, and they don’t really know what is there. Recently, we found 8mm films that turned out to be from the 30s and 40s; our client had never even seen them.” Jim Simon did not set out to create a specifically Jewish business, he says, “it just sort of happened that way, and so I guess we did end up doing just that.” What they don’t do: medical documents that have specific privacy regulations and copyrighted materials. Other than that, “we’re game,” Simon says. “The demand for a service like this is increasing rapidly,” says Kapustin. “We are very excited to get PeggyBank up and running.” For more information, visit www.peggybank.com.
Dan Senor to speak in Omaha Continued from page 1 contributions to the world; rather than the political challenges and emphasis on terrorism and conflict most often associated with the country”, states Jan Goldstein, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Omaha. “This is a great opportunity for the Omaha community to hear of Israel’s accomplishments firsthand and to experience pride in what we as a people are doing today,” As a senior foreign policy adviser to the U.S. government, Senor was one of the longest-serving civilian officials in Iraq, for which he was awarded the highest civilian honor by the Pentagon. He also served as a Pentagon adviser to Central Command in Qatar and as a foreign policy and communications adviser in the U.S. Senate. “Having extensive experience in the investment world in
addition to his mastery of Middle Eastern geopolitics gives Mr. Senor a salient comprehension of the phenomenon,” reports Dr. Guy Matalon, Director of the Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies. “His reputation and credentials make him an obvious choice to talk at the annual Phil and Ruth Sokolof Lecture on Israeli Economics.” Today, Senor is a founding partner of Rosemont Capital, a New York-based global investment fund. In his business career, he has invested in a number of Israeli and American startups. His writing is frequently published by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time magazine. The Ruth and Phil Sokolof Lecture series is presented by the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the University of NebraskaOmaha and the Jewish Federation of Omaha.
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Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER If you receive a decent Jewish education in America, you are taught that Purim in Israel is a two-day holiday, with Jerusalem (a walled city from the time of Joshua) celebrating on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, and the rest of the country (and world) celebrating on the 14th day of Adar. It wasn’t until I got to Israel, however, that I found out that Purim ranges anywhere from a 4-day holiday to a 6-day holiday (as is the case this year—what I call the Mother of All Purims). Rather than a quick hit-and-run type of Purim, therefore, as the holiday was for me in the States, Purim in Israel never seems to end: tiring for parents, paradise for kids, and a big bonus for Israeli skiers who can jet over to Europe and take advantage of low, off-peak rates and short ski-lift lines. [A hint for those who are curious: The variation in the length of the Purim holiday has to do with the fact that Shabbat observance is incompatible both with certain aspects of the celebration of Purim and with the Fast of Esther. I would like to elaborate, but if I do, my editors will get mad at me for boring the majority of you.] All of Israel gears up for the Purim holiday. Many countries have masquerade-type holidays, and this is Israel’s. Several weeks before Purim, radio advertisements broadcast the sorry tale of a harried mother who struggles in vain to come up with costumes for her kids (with a solution provided by the advertiser’s huge selection of Purim outfits). And a month before Purim, all the bakeries of Israel start selling hamantashen (the traditional three-cornered cookie) stuffed with poppy seeds, chocolate, date-nut filling, etc. In Israel, the process of getting caught up in the Purim spirit is facilitated by the social dynamics of the state. This was forcefully epitomized for me a few years ago when, five
Beth El picnic welcomes first Shabbat of spring
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by JILL BELMONT Publicity Coordinator It may be too chilly to dine outside, but that’s not stopping Beth El from holding a picnic – albeit indoors – to celebrate the first Shabbat of spring on Friday, March 25. The casual, family-friendly dinner will be served following 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services, and is open to the entire community. And, as a bonus, attendees will have the opportunity to meet Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham, one of the synagogue’s candidates for the assistant rabbi position. “With the long, dreary winter we’ve had, we’re more than ready for spring,” said Beth El Program Director Margie Gutnik. “Leave the cold outside, leave the work week behind you, and leave the cooking to us! We invite you to join us to celebrate the warmth of Shabbat, together with a good, oldfashioned barbecue.” The evening’s fare will include hotdogs, burgers, a variety of sides, fresh fruit and dessert (vegetarian option will also be available upon request). Cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children six to 12; there is no charge for children ages five and younger. Reservations are needed by Wednesday, March 23, and may be made by sending a check – made payable to Beth El – to the synagogue, 14506 California St., Omaha NE, 68154. For more information about the picnic, please contact Gutnik at 402.492.8550, or via e-mail at programming@ bethel-omaha.org.
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weeks before Purim, my ten-year-old neighbor Shuli knocked on our door. She wanted to know if she could borrow my son Elie’s policeman costume for Purim. A perfectly reasonable request, but remarkable since Shuli happens to be Christian (yes, we have some token gentiles in Givat Ze’ev). Purim is thus one of those test-cases for seeing what it means to live in a country whose majority culture is Jewish. With the exception of the Arab population, all children in Israel celebrate Purim. Outside of Israel, Purim is largely relegated to the synagogue, and tens of thousands of “unaffiliated” Jewish children do not even know what they’re missing. The 12th day of Adar is special because on this day all the children of Israel come to school in costume. (Although this year it’s going to happen on the 10th day of Adar—March 16—because the Fast of Esther had to be moved from Saturday March 19 to Thursday March 17. Oops--I said that I was going to spare you.) The streets are filled with hundreds of beautiful Queen Esthers, handsome Mordecais, regal King Ahashveroshes, and evil Hamans. I have to admit that something unusual happens to me when I see all those children parading around the streets of Israel. To be sure, it’s easy to be affected by kids in costume (the tension between their small features and their oversized costumes is often poignant), and yet when I see Israel’s Purim kids I don’t just think: “those kids are really cute.” More than on any religious or national holiday, more than when I see all those flags on Israel’s Independence Day, or the many “booths” of Succot, or experience the eerie quiet streets on Yom Kippur, more than all of this, when I see those kids walking around in costume, bringing life to the characters from the ancient Book of Esther, I think: Here is Hitler’s real defeat. Here is wonderful, joyful and incontrovertible evidence that the Jewish people live, that Am Yisrael Chai. Happy Purim! Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest two, Nathan and Rebecca, recently completed mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces; their daughter Ruthie is still serving in the IDF. Weinberger can be reached at weinross@net vision.net.il.
Engagement COMISAR/GOMEZ Cheril and Frank Comisar announce the engagement of their daugther, Andrea Jill Comisar to John Michael Gomez, the son of Tina and Sam Gomez. The bride-to-be graduated from University of NebraskaLincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Middle Level Education. She is a member of Phi Mu sorority and a sixth grade teacher with Millard Public Schools. She is the granddaughter of Edith Comisar and the late Alvin Comisar, and Joan Martin and the late Marshall Zalkin. Her fiancé earned his Bachelor of Science in Excercise Science from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He is the Health and Wellness Director at the Omaha Downtown YMCA. He is the grandson of Ramona Gomez and the late Samuel Gomez, and the late John and the late Carmen Galvan. A wedding is plannned for Oct. 15 at the Omaha Downtown DoubleTree Hotel. JEWISH PRESS NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed Tuesday & Wednesday, April 19 & 20 for Passover; the deadline for the April 22 issue is Wednesday, April 13, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
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Today’s Hamentashen: Waddaya mean, no mohn?
Merry making and Young Jewish Omaha
by OZZIE NOGG Hamantashen Wars have been waged for generations, with combatants taking up rolling pins to duke it out over which crust is better -- yeast dough or cookie. And while that skirmish continues, battle lines are now being drawn between rival Hamantashen Filling Factions -- those who favor sweet vs. those who favor savory. Who’d a thunk it. Apparently, some bakers who once championed poppyseed, prune and sweet jam, now choose cheese (mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, Provolone) vegetables (tomato, broccoli, mushroom, potato) and other pizzaesque stuff as Hamantashen stuffing. According to Jeff Nathan, executive chef of the eclectic, kosher Abigael’s on Broadway, “The cheese adds a delicious and smooth texture and is balanced very well by the crispiness of the dough -- almost like a calzone.” Go figure. Then again, calzone (in Italian) means stocking or trouser; Hamantashen often translates as Haman’s pockets. Plus they look like Haman’s hat. So maybe Mr. Nathan is
onto something -- sartorially and gastronomically. For me, the writing was on the wall when bakers took bagels and gussied them up with basil, cinnamon, blueberries, jalapeno peppers and other (IMHO) unnecessary bling. Clearly, some cooks felt compelled to turn the tables on traditional Jewish food. In the case of Hamantashen, it’s common to now find them filled not only with cheese, herbs and veggies, but also (purists, cover your eyes ...) with chocolate chips, peanut butter, Reese’s Pieces and even Nutella -- a spread made of fat-laden cocoa plus almond and/or hazelnut paste. My Bubbie would plotz. But Purim is a joyous holiday of masks, hidden identity and surprise. So altering the taste of the ubiquitous Hamantash -- disguising it, so to speak -- makes sense. But please don’t mess with the shape. As long as the slightly askew triangular form remains the same, revealing just a hint of what lies inside, I’m happy. To paraphrase a popular Purim song: My hat it has three corners. Three corners has my hat. And even stuffed with parsnips, it still will be my hat. So. Purim arrives on March 20, and you might want to shake things up a bit with a batch of savory pastry pockets for your festive seudah or to include in shalachmones gift baskets for your friends. In either case, Jeffery Nathan says, “These Hamantashen “always have a ‘wow’ effect.”
by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha A masquerade party, costumes, sweet treats, noisemakers, and all night revelry. If you weren’t reading the Jewish Press, you’d think I was describing Mardi Gras. But I am not. I am describing this year’s Young Jewish Omaha Purim Party which occurs this Saturday, March 19 beginning at 8:30 p.m. in the Clubhouse at One Pacific Place. This is the YJO event where religiosity in the conventional sense is “thrown out the window” and the Purim story is re-enacted while dancing, joking and engaging in raucous behavior. Building on last year’s successful formula, event co-chairs Cari Green and Rachel Kanner look forward to celebrating with the “old” members of YJO and welcoming this year’s new members. “This is a costume party! Those who choose not to dress up will have a small “penalty.” The cost for the evening is $5 with a costume and $10 without,” Green said. Rabbi Gross will educate and entertain with his special “super speedy Megillah reading.” There will be a DJ, Wii games, a chip bar and drinks. And, no Purim party is complete without prizes for best costumes. Kanner added, “Creativity is key. Show up with your best costumes and try to top last year’s winners.”
SAVORY HAMANTASHEN FROM JEFF NATHAN’S NEW JEWISH CUISINE Filling 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup onions, chopped 1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced medium 1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced medium 2 small zucchini, diced medium 2 tablespoons chopped garlic kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup pitted olives, roughly chopped 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped 1/2 cup farmer’s cheese 1/2 cup pot cheese 1 cup grated havarti cheese 2 eggs, mixed In a large sauté pan add the olive oil, onions, peppers, zucchini and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, olives and fresh herbs. Stir well. Remove from heat. Place in a large bowl and fold in the cheeses. Stir in the eggs. Adjust seasonings. Set aside and allow to cool. Dough 2 packages dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 2 tablespoons honey, divided
1 1/2 cups cool water 2 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons olive oil 6 cups flour Preheat oven to 450 F. In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Set aside and allow to proof (approximately three to four minutes). In another small bowl mix the remaining honey with the cool water, salt and oil. Put all the flour in a large food processor. While the machine is on, add the cool water mix, then the warm water mix. Process until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a large, well-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm area until doubled in volume. Punch down dough. Roll out to approximately two 10” circles. Fill each with stuffing and pinch into triangles. Brush with olive oil. Bake on cookie sheets sprinkled with corn meal to prevent sticking until edges urn brown. Makes two large savory hamantashen, enough for four to six servings. Other savory Hamentashen recipes suggest adding 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, basil, or oregano to the dough. Filling variations can also include white cap or cremini mushrooms, feta, spinach and kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and ricotta. You like rutabaga? Go for it.
Visiting Nurse Association Speaker Series for Seniors
Save the Date Yom Hashoah Community Commemoration, Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Synagogue (30 Nisan, 5771). Sponsored by the Institute for Holocaust Education, the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Beth Israel, Beth El and Temple Israel For information contact IHE 402.334.6576.
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Moshe Gershovich, a Harvard PhD and a native-born Israeli will give us some insights into the increasingly volatile situation in Libya and Israel on Wednesday, March 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 e-mail list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org. 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.
Save the Date!
Nutrition for a Changing Life As we age nutrition and dietary needs change. This presentation will help you to understand those changing needs and adjust your diet so you are able to lead a healthy life. Presented by Travis Lucas, RD, LMNT, LD a recognized speaker and Co-Chairman of the Wellness Committee.
Celebrating 100 years of Jewish Family Service
Thursday, March 24 Noon-1:30 p.m. VNA Omaha Office 12565 West Center Road, Suite 100
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Monday | June 6 | Beth El Synagogue Cocktails, dinner and surprise-filled entertainment honoring
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Partners and presenters:
More details to come Made possible with the support of the Lincoln Financial Foundation
6 | The Jewish Press | March 18, 2011
Arts+Entertainment
Jewish Federation Young Leadership awards
Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway across America will perform the new Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein at the Orpheum Theater from Tuesday, March 29 through Sunday, April 3. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th and Douglas. For more information, call 402.345.0606, or visit www.TicketOmaha.com. The Old Avoca (Nebraska) Schoolhouse will host a Jamming Workshop on Saturday, April 2, from 1-3 p.m. Deborah Greenblatt will share some hints to help you play in a jam session with minimum stress and maximum music. Pre-registration is required, enrollment is limited, and there is a $20 fee. For more information, call 402.275.3221, or send an e-mail to debby@greenblattand seay.com.
In the news Former Omahan Donn Kaplan, a 1967 Central High graduate, will be featured on the CBS show “Undercover Boss.” The episode features employees of MGM Grand Casinos, and will be aired Sunday March 20, at 8 p.m. Central Time.
Birth Mara and Patrick Prendergast of Phoenix, AZ announce the Feb. 23 birth of their son, Owen Keanu. Grandparents are Donna and Bob Olesh, and Mike and the late Margaret Prendergast. Great-grandmother is Madeline Dineen.
March 3, at the Waiting room Lounge, Patrick Jensen and Danielle Gordman received the Young Leadership awards. Clockwise from top left: Patrick Jensen with daughters Maddie, left, and Jordan; Jeff and Danielle Gordman with
their children; Sharon Kirshenbaum, left, and Diane Malashock were among those attending the awards event; the Blumkin Home’s Star Catering served a tasty kosher buffet.
BBYO girls and Uta Halee Girls Village team up for clothing drive by JODI LEVINE Teen/BBYO Director From March 1 through March 31, BBG (B’nai B’rith Girls) is partnering with Uta Halee Girls Village to put on a spring clothing drive for the young girls of Uta Halee Girls Village. Uta Halee Girls Village is a psychiatric residential treatment program for girls between the ages of 12 and 18. According to Uta Halee resources, these adolescents have emotional or behavioral issues that have become so severe, it
is no longer safe or advantageous for them to remain in their home community. The girls of Uta Halee reside in four cottages specifically designed for therapeutic care; there is a fully licensed school where students earn credits toward high school graduation. These girls are in need of new clothing for the spring, and BBYO’s B’nai B’rith Girls are determined to help fill their closets to welcome in the spring season. BBG’s are collecting the following items: Jeans, t-shirts, coats, pants, sweatshirts, underwear (new), tops, hoodies, bras (new), sweaters, socks, shoes and boots. All sizes are
needed, but large and extra-large are needed in particular. All clothing can be dropped off to Jodi Levine, Teen/BBYO Director, at the JCC front entrance, at member services or Jodi Levine’s office and will all be delivered to the Uta Halee Girl’s Village. What’s a better way to jump start the spring season than to stand up and help our sisters!? So come help BBYO’s B’nai B’rith Girls and donate! Questions? Please contact Jodi Levine, Teen/BBYO Director, at 402.334.6404 or jlevine@jccomaha.org.
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March 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7
A fabulous February for Yachad by KAREN GUSTAFSON JFS Director Every month is an active one for our Yachad members, but February was exceptional. That’s because February is NAIM (North American Inclusion Month), for those in the Jewish community who experience developmental disabilities. NAIM’s 1911 - 2011 mission is to develop sensitivity and knowledge of what it means to live with Celebrating a disabilities, and to century of service educate communi-
fun. Many wonderful community members helped during the event, too. Thank you to Rabbi and Miriam Gross, Rabbi and Susie Levin, Rabbi and Ilana Weiss; Jim, Susan, Max and Josh Pollack for playing guitar along with Avrohom; and Josh Gurock, for helping set up a video of Yachad’s Movement Program for everyone to watch. A very special thank you to the staff of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home for making our weekend accommodations so perfect, and for the food -- which was delicious. We also appreciate the support of everyone who attended even part of the Shabbaton, or who stopped by to see what all the buzz was about. To end February with a bang, we put together an Employment Preparation Job Fair at the Blumkin Home on Feb. 27. Several local Jewish businesses helped, including Laura Reynolds from Nebraska Furniture Mart; Mike Gibbs of Bag-N-Save; Lisa Enjoying the fun at the first ever Yachad Shabbaton. Front row: Marilyn Shkolnick from Zevitz, left, Mindy Fersel, Micole Horowitz, Saul Shamash, Mike Sutton the JCC; Mike and Avi Wolfson. Back row: Jeff Steinberg, left, Mark Kazor, Avrohom Silverman from Levitt and Rabbi Weiss. the Blumkin ties on how they can do their part to make Home and Ann Osborne representing sure all Jews are properly included in all Julios. Rotellas Bakery (another company facets of Jewish life. friendly with the developmentally disabled Without getting too philosophical, I community) has offered a behind-thesometimes think how sad it is that we need scenes tour of their bakery in March. The a special month devoted to such inclusive Employment Preparation Job Fair was a activities. But then I think it’s great to have huge success, due to these people who made a month where we can focus on what we it happen: Jan McCarthy, Yachad should be promoting all year long -- which Coordinator; Mark Kazor, Assistant is to foster inclusive community in our own Program Coordinator; and volunteers backyard. Karen Lepp, Rabbi and Illana Weiss, and the Last year, National Yachad -- sponsored youth group from Beth Israel who helped by the Orthodox Union -- supported our our Yachad members navigate the computOmaha chapter by partnering with Jewish ers while filling out on-line employment Family Service/Yachad to bring in Sarah applications. Taub, a Yachad Coordinator from Although February, the month of NAIM, Cleveland. Sarah, who is also a Yachad par- is behind us, I know the entire community ent, provided education and support to our will continue to embrace Yachad in the Yachad families and other interested com- month of March and beyond. Next up is a munity members. March 29 program that will pair Yachad and This year, we doubled our efforts in both Young Jewish Omaha to volunteer side-byprogramming and leadership. On Feb. 5, side at Together, Inc., the independent nonYachad members attended Simchat Shabbat profit agency that provides free food from -- the Alternative Shabbat Experience at its pantry. (The average age of our Yachad Beth El Synagogue -- and stayed for lunch at members makes YJO the closest peer demoCafé Schmooze. Yum! Next up was our graphic group). And on Sunday, April 10, Annual Superbowl Party, on Feb. 6, where Yachad will participate in the Passover Art the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Competition at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Steelers to bring home their illustrious Home. We’ll have two groups competing to Vince Lombardi Trophy. On February 13, design a mural depicting the story of Esther Katz and her Dance Troupe offered a Passover. Please stop by and say hi. Movement Workshop for interested Yachad Since Passover is near, let me acknowledge members. After several hours of training, the help Jewish Family Service has received Yachad participated in a dance performance over the past few years from Temple Israel that was breathtakingly beautiful. Both and Beth El Synagogue. Both congregations groups are excited to work together again in have contributed so generously to our Food the future. But wait. There’s more. Pantry and Project Tzedakah, which allows On Feb. 18-19, Omaha Yachad held its us to make sure Jewish families in need very first Shabbaton. Leadership was dele- receive necessary food items for their gated to our own Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, who Passover seders. Thank you very, very much. worked closely with National Yachad to plan Finally. Our joyous JFStival! 100th a wonderful twenty-eight hour program that Anniversary celebration is scheduled for included religious services plus lots of Monday evening, June 6, at Beth El singing, educational sessions, games and, of Synagogue. The event begins at 6 p.m. with course, visiting residents at the Rose cocktails, followed by dinner and surpriseBlumkin Jewish Home. (Boy, were our filled entertainment. During the evening, Yachad members tired by the end!) we’ll honor Gloria Kaslow as our Woman of National Yachad supported our chapter’s the Century. We hope to see all of you there. Shabbaton by flying in five experienced, Jewish Family Service is an agency of the fantastic Yachad advisors to lead the pro- Jewish Federation of Omaha and a beneficigramming. We had Avrohom, who played ary of the Federation’s Annual Campaign. the guitar; Micole, who led lots of activities Future editions of the Jewish Press will carry (‘Pizza Man’ and ‘Boom Chicka-Boom’ were JFStival! details as well as stories chronicling big hits); and Michael, Saul and Mindy who the history of Jewish Family Service and its made sure everyone participated and had acts of loving kindness.
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8 | The Jewish Press | March 18, 2011
Point of view
American Jewish Press Association Award Winner
Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008
Fear and loathing in Washington D.C.
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press “Jewish groups rap terror hearings focused on Muslims” the headline read on the JTA website. The hearings referred to in that headline opened March 10 under the auspices of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.). What happens now will prove whether we, as a nation, can put our focus where it belongs, or whether we will, once again, be sidelined by fear of the unknown. One of those Jewish groups critical of the current process is the Anti Defamation League: “Homegrown Muslim extremists pose a real threat to the United States, but the issue is one that may be difficult to explore seriously in a hearing that has engendered an unfortunate atmosphere of blame and suspicion of the broader American Muslim community. We need to be careful not to single out an entire community for special scrutiny or suspicion.” (Source: JTA.com) The Reform movement and the National Jewish Democratic Council also criticized the hearings for singling out Muslims. It’s during times like these, when firestorms are brewing, that we have a choice: do we draw a line in the sand? The ADL seems to think so. Here’s why: by singling out the entire Muslim-American community, Rep. King operates under the assumption that all Muslims in America are the same. That is a mistake: the Muslim community is diverse in ethnicity, religious affiliation, culture, political conviction and national origin. Was the attack on 9/11 brought by radicalized Muslims? It was, but the key term here is not ‘Muslim,’ it is ‘radicalized.’ If we have to have hearings, they should focus on this radicalization, as they have done in the past: “Previous congressional hearings have more broadly addressed terrorism, not-
ing that prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the most serious terrorist attacks on American soil were carried out by rightwing extremists.” (JTA.com) Personally, I don’t know if I would care if the plane that flies into my building is flown by a radicalized Muslim, a right-wing extremist, or Kermit the Frog. Terrorism is terrorism, regardless of who perpetrates it. And for the politicians to single out one community means there are a lot of others that are not being looked at. At the same time, we make those members of the Muslim community who serve in our military and who teach in our schools feel like second-rate citizens. Is that really what we want? How do we go from this atmosphere of fear and xenophobia to a more balanced and effective approach? At the end of the day we do all want to see an end to terrorism, and preferably soon. To that purpose, we need to say goodbye to racial, ethnic, or religious stereotypes; we need to broaden our search without getting sidetracked by fear and hate. “ADL has documented ongoing, dangerous, criminal activities of a variety of extremist and anti-government groups across the ideological spectrum that also merit the committee’s attention. We hope you share our view that there is urgent need for the Committee to hold additional hearings on a broad range of other violent international
and homegrown threats,” the League’s letter further stated. (ADL.org) ADL Director Abraham Foxman makes a good point. Terror has many faces; the best way to combat it is not by creating more fear and paranoia. Of course, singling out these purely extremist groups is not as easy. Muslims, diverse as they are, are still much easier to identify and isolate. The ‘broad range’ Foxman speaks of includes those who may exist on the political and ideological fringe, but yet somehow melt into the background, are often not organized or overly visible. Threats can come from anywhere; ignoring that fact is dangerous, and shortsighted.
Triangle Shirtwaist fire reminds of need for unions
Behind the headlines MELVYN DUBOFSKY ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (JTA) -- Late on the afternoon of Saturday, March 25, 1911, a fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company on the top floors of a modern, fireproof building at the corner of Manhattan’s Washington Place and Greene Street, near Washington Square Park. In the bedlam precipitated by the flames and smoke, more than 200 panicked employees jammed the only open exit; a company policy aimed at eliminating employee theft locked a second exit door. They overwhelmed the one inadequate working elevator, and the single fire escape collapsed. Those trapped inside rushed to the window ledges and, with flames licking at their backs, leapt. They fell to their deaths on the pavement below within sight of thousands of witnesses. When firefighters finally controlled the blaze, officials tallied the number of victims at 146. No one could be certain of the identity of the dead because many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. Only last month did an amateur historian finally identify and name the last six unidentified victims. Among the dead, the vast majority, 127, were women, mostly Jewish immigrants from Russia. Many also were immigrants from southern Italy. The ironies associated with the tragedy were almost too unbearable to ponder. The Jewish immigrant women and girls came mostly from families who practiced Orthodox Judaism and for whom Saturday was the Sabbath, when they should not have been at work. Had the company been unionized, as were many of its competitor shirtwaist manufacturers by March 1911,
(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-
employees may have been long gone before the fire erupted. Yet from the moment that the shirtwaist makers had quit work collectively in the winter of 1909-10 to demand union recognition, the Jewish owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company refused to recognize their employees’ union, Local 25 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. The blaze erupted not in a stereotypical, unsanitary, cramped sweatshop but in a modern steel-frame building that was well lit and well ventilated. Perhaps the ultimate irony is the manner in which the tragedy has been commonly remembered and even today is being memorialized on its 100th anniversary. Far too many of the remembrances link the Triangle Fire to an era of social reform associated with the names Al Smith, Robert F. Wagner Sr., Frances Perkins and ultimately to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. It is a tale in which social reformers like Perkins improve workplaces, limit the hours of labor by law, provide legal protections for women and child workers, institute worker pensions, and transform toilers such as the Triangle workers from wage slaves into middle-class consumers. Undoubtedly, that tale bears a large measure of truth. Unfortunately, however, it obscures a far more important reality -- one that was dearer to the fire’s victims, their families and their fellows at work in the city’s garment industry -- that was expressed vividly by Rose Schneiderman, herself once a shirtwaist maker and now an organizer for the ILGWU. At a memorial meeting convened by such respectable reformers as Perkins, Schneiderman lamented that “Too much blood has been spilled. I know from my experience that it is up to the working people to save themselves. The only way that they can save themselves is by a strong working-class movement.”
Few truer words were ever spoken. Laws to improve working conditions were meaningless unless enforced. Public agencies rarely had enough inspectors to ensure the implementation of statutes violated with impunity by unscrupulous employers. It took unions to make regulations effective in the daily lives of workers. The unions that emerged in the garment trades, the core of the Jewish American labor movement, not only insured that new laws were enforced; they provided additional layers of safety and security. The ILGWU bargained with employers to create a Joint Board of Sanitary Control to police conditions in the shops. The ILGWU and its counterpart in the men’s garment industry, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, pioneered in providing their members with pre-paid, first-class health care and modern commodious apartments. In doing so, the unions saved thousands of lives that otherwise would been sacrificed to fetid living conditions, communicable diseases, most notably tuberculosis, and inadequate health care. Today, fewer than 7 percent of private sector workers belong to unions. A well-financed and coordinated attack seeks to limit the rights of public employees. Wage theft is rife, and employers prey upon undocumented immigrant workers and insecure documented immigrants. It is past time to recall the lesson Schneiderman taught -that workers must save themselves, and that the best way to do so is through organization. Melvyn Dubofsky is distinguished professor of history and sociology emeritus at the State University of New York at Binghamton and author of numerous books on U.S. social and labor history.
ries and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ 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.
and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but it should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the
Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos
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
writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, 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 $37.50 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.
March 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 9
Letter
U.N. human rights chief must be held accountable
TO THE EDITOR
GENEVA, Switzerland (JTA) -- The favorite word of Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, appears to be “accountability.� Yet with her own agency tainted by its longtime disregard of Libyan human rights violations -- and by apologists for Libyan strongman Muammar Gadhafi occupying key U.N. positions -- it’s high time for the high commissioner to prove that accountability begins at home. Let’s put aside that in the past three years, United Nations headquarters in New York opened every golden door to the terrorist from Tripoli. Never mind that the Gadhafi regime was granted membership on the elite U.N. Security Council, that its envoy was made president of the U.N. General Assembly or that the dictator’s daughter, Aisha, was named a U.N. “goodwill ambassador.� Indeed, one wonders why Gadhafi bothered trying to pitch his Bedouin tent in the middle of Manhattan when U.N. headquarters itself was already in his hands. Instead, let’s look only at Pillay’s own human rights apparatus in Geneva. Start with the 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council. Until the current atrocities in Libya, this august body -dominated by members like China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia -- turned a blind eye to Libya. Well, that’s not entirely true. They once did look at Libya - when the Gadhafi regime won an election last May to become a member of the council by a landslide. UN Watch led an international coalition of human rights groups, supported by courageous victims of Gadhafi’s torture and terror -- to protest. High Commissioner Pillay, however, was silent. Only last week did the council seek to undo its shameful act by suspending Libya’s membership. According to our recent study of Pillay’s statements from 2008-2010, she never once mentioned human rights in Libya. The recent annual report of her department, a Geneva staff of many hundreds, boasts of its ardent support for the Durban process, for which she served as secretary-general of its 2009 World Conference on Racism. When Najat Al-Hajjaji, a representative of the Libyan regime, was chosen to chair that conference’s two-year planning committee, Pillay stood by her side and became the world’s leading cheerleader for Durban II, the follow-up in Geneva to the 2001 anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa that devolved into an anti-Israel festival. Not a word about the brutal regime that stood behind the conference chair. It gets worse. Al-Hajjaji is, in fact, still operating within
Pillay’s office. It turns out she is one of the Human Rights Council’s investigators on human rights violations by mercenaries. This is no joke: At a time when Gadhafi is using mercenaries to kill his own people, one of his longtime representatives is sitting on the world’s highest human rights body as a supposed defender of human rights -- and, of all things, as a defender of victims of mercenaries. Pillay, who worked closely with Al-Hajjaji on Durban II, is refusing to comment, according to Fox News. Finally, there is the council’s advisory committee. In 2008, ignoring the appeal of UN Watch and 25 human rights groups, the council elected Jean Ziegler, the co-founder of the Muammar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize -- a propaganda tool for the regime -- to the committee, and last year he was made its vice president. Pillay said nothing. Recipients of the prize include former Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1998; Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2004; Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in 2009; and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2010. In 2002, Ziegler won it himself, sharing the prize with Roger Garaudy, a convicted French Holocaust denier. The sad reality is that Libya was given a free pass by the U.N. rights system. So were all of the other Middle East dictators. Instead, for the past five years of its existence, the council has pursued a pathological obsession with that region’s only democracy, Israel. Seventy percent of all the council’s condemnatory resolutions have been against Israel. Six out of 10 urgent sessions criticizing countries have been against Israel. The council has only one standing agenda item on a specific country: Israel. Defenders of Pillay’s department, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, insist she is independent of the 47-nation council and therefore not directly responsible for its actions. True enough. Yet sadly, unlike U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his predecessor Kofi Annan, who at various points criticized the council’s anti-Israel selectivity and bias, Pillay has said nothing. On the contrary, on several occasions she has fully endorsed maintaining the special agenda item on Israel, saying it is justified due to “occupation.� When the Middle East was aflame three weeks ago, Pillay was there. Well, not in the human rights hot spots, such as Egypt, Bahrain or Libya. Instead, she was in Israel, accusing the Jewish state of “discrimination.� Until the United Nations’ highest human rights officials exorcise their Israel obsession and fix their broken moral compass, murderers like Gadhafi will continue to enjoy impunity. Hillel Neuer, an international lawyer who represents Libyan torture victims, is the executive director of UN Watch http://www.unwatch.org.
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Demonstrations of solidarity across Israel
Credit: ISRANET by EDGAR ASHER Impromptu groups of demonstrators showed support for the family of the five slain residents of Itamar who were stabbed to death in their homes last Friday night. Five members of the Fogel family were laid to rest in Jerusalem in the presence of an estimated 25,000 people. The murders have galvanized public opinion to such an extent that the government gave a go-head yesterday to the building of several hundred new houses in the West Bank. In Tel Aviv’s Azrieli junction dozens of protestors, who are supporters of the ‘My Israel Movement’ gathered together displaying placards saying, ‘Don't sign to peace with (Jewish) blood’, and ‘Jewish blood is not just for the taking’. Some placards pointed a finger at politicians, such as Ehud Barak, who the right-wing regards as being soft on Palestinian intransigence and double-talk on the peace process.
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To the Editor: I trust that many of you have been able to view the Wedding Exhibit at the Rose Blumkin Home. You will see wedding photos of your family and friends on display as well as antique wedding dresses. The exhibit is located in the alcove opposite the main desk in the Blumkin Home and it has been made possible because the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society has archived and cataloged these donated items, and because of the efforts of some of our wonderful staff and volunteers: Renee Corcoran, Jenny Gordon and Nan Katz. Another very important reason that this exhibit, and others planned for in the future, is possible is because of the genuine and warm cooperation between the NJHS and the fine staff and administrators at the Rose Blumkin Home. Mike Silverman and his staff value the memories we are trying to preserve. They have made it so easy for the Historical Society to showcase what we have, and we thank them. I hope you will also. Debbi Josephson, President Nebraska Jewish Historical Society
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10 | The Jewish Press | March 18, 2011
Synagogues
Candlelighting Friday, March 18, 7:17 p.m.
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
CHABAD HOUSE
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME
618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
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.
323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1:30 p.m. led by Beth El’s Ben Shapiro. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by David Herzog and Jim Polack. THURSDAY: LOVE Board of Directors’ meeting, 7 p.m. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend Services.
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. led by Cantor Schlossberg. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; Learners’ Service, 10:15 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:15 p.m. PURIM FESTIVITIES: Celebrate a colorful, fun-filled Purim on Saturday, beginning with a 7 p.m. ice cream social, followed by the Family Megillah Reading at 7:40 p.m. Wear a costume and get a free ticket for the Purim carnival! Full Megillah reading will take place after family program. 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.; BILU USY Purim Carnival, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Don’t miss the great game booths, prizes, ping pong tourney, silent auction, raffle, or the magic of Joe Cole. And remember, if you wear a costume, you get four FREE game tickets! WEDNESDAY: No BESTT Classes for grades 3-8. 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; Everyday Holiness, 7 p.m. mini course, taught by Guy Matalon. CONGREGATIONAL SHABBAT PICNIC: On Friday, March 25, following 6 p.m. services. (see full story on page 4.) 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, 7:17 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 Sisterhood; The Laws of Shabbat, 5 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 6 p.m.; Mincha, 7 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 8:17 p.m.; Megillah Reading, 8:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 8:30 a.m.; Megillah Readings, 9 and 10 a.m.; Megillah Reading at Remington Heights, 3 p.m.; Megillah Reading, 4:15 p.m. followed by Purim Seuda and Costume Contest, 5 p.m.; Mincha, 6:30 p.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; Sr. NCSY Latte & Learning, 7:30 p.m. at Starbuck’s, 114th & Dodge. 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.
Bar Mitzvah Benjamin Oyler, son of Karen Oyler, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 26, at Temple Israel. Brandon is a seventh-grade student at Beveridge Magnet Middle School. His interests include computers, science fiction, and enjoying the outdoors. Grandparents are Ruth Ann and Charles Knox.
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. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Joint Megillah Reading and Purim service, 6:30 p.m. at South Street Temple, led by Rabbi Emanuel and Nancy Coren. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel, prepare and deliver Misloach Manot Baskets; Gan Simcha-Kindergarten, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes. Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 27, 4 p.m. at Marcia Kushner’s house, 1632 Old Farm Rd and will discuss Peony by Pearl S. Buck and Jews in China. Please let her know if you plan to come 402.423.5959 or kushner.marcia @gmail.com.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 7:17 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
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 Linder and Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Brandon Idelman, son of Jill and George Idelman, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah; Purim Sing-Along, Carnival, and Dinner, 5-8 p.m. The cost for dinner and the carnival is $10 per family with an additional charge for seconds. Haman and the Jewish Xenophobia, adult text study, 6:45 p.m. facilitated by Rabbi Azriel SUNDAY: No Religious School. TUESDAY: Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: No Religious School, No Middle School and No Family School. THURSDAY: Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. Zio’s Pizza School fundraiser, Sunday, March 27, noon.
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, 6:15 p.m. followed by dairy potluck dinner at 6:45 p.m. at the home of Cindi and Marlon Weiss, 6400 Country View Lane. SATURDAY: Learners Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon; Joint Megillah Reading and Purim service, 6:30 p.m. at South Street Temple, led by Rabbi Emanuel and Nancy Coren. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel, prepare and deliver Misloach Manot Baskets; Gan Simcha-Kindergarten, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Full Megillah Reading, 10 a.m. followed by a light lunch and then a clown show for children beginning at 1 p.m. WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes. Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 27, 4 p.m. at Marcia Kushner’s house, 1632 Old Farm Rd and will discuss Peony by Pearl S. Buck and Jews in China. Please let her know if you plan to come 402.423.5959 or kushner.marcia @gmail.com.
Liberal Episcopal Bishop to speak at Temple Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Communications Coordinator John Shelby Spong is the retired American bishop of the Episcopal Church Diocese of Newark, New Jersey. A liberal Christian theologian, religion commentator and author, he will address the congregation of Temple Israel at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 25, during Shabbat worship services. Bishop Spong calls for a fundamental rethinking of Christian belief away from theism and traditional doctrines. Sponsored by Temple Israel’s neighbor, First United Methodist Church, Bishop Spong will be in Omaha as Bishop John Shelby Spong part of the church’s Horizons of Faith yearly lecture series. He was the series’ first lecturer ten years ago and spoke at Temple Israel when he was here then. Before he delivers his message at the church, however, he’ll speak at Temple Israel. Members of First United Methodist are invited to join the Jewish community at Temple Israel for that service. Temple Israel will also conduct its regularly scheduled 6 p.m. Shabbat worship service on March 25.
A well known spokesperson for an open, scholarly, inclusive Christianity, Bishop Spong is a deeply committed Christian. But he insists on also speaking as an informed citizen of the 21st century. Having studied at major centers of Christian scholarship on two continents, the bishop delivers more than 175 public addresses per year across the English-speaking world. He has served as rector at four churches in North Carolina and Virginia and has held visiting positions and given lectures at major American theological institutions including Harvard Divinity School. Retired since 2000, he has authored 22 books which together have sold more than one million copies and has been a weekly columnist on the internet since 2001. A prominent theme in Bishop Spong’s writings is a denial of the popular and literal interpretations of Christian scripture. He believes they are not sustainable and do not speak honestly to the situation of modern Christian communities. He believes in a more nuanced approach, informed by scholarship and compassion, to scripture that is consistent with both Christian tradition and contemporary understanding. Bishop Spong rejects the historical truth claims of some Christian doctrines such as the virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. His ideas have received strong criticism from some other theologians.
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March 18, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 11
The Tetragrammaton
Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Tzav Editor’s note: This column was reprinted from Rabbi Kripke’s 1988 book, Insight and Interpretation. I write today without direct connection with the Sidrah. Indeed, this column is in the nature of a “guest column.” The writer is not the guest; but the subject is. I was asked by some very knowledgeable Jews to say a word about the ancient Israelite Name of the God of Israel. The occasion was the use of the Name in its commonly accepted English spelling (and pronunciation); for the Name had appeared again and again in an Omaha trial, and therefore appeared in the local press. Frivolous use, less-than-reverent use, explains why ancient Jews were reluctant to use the Name. I refer, of course, to the four-letter (Tetragrammaton, Quadriliteral) Name of God used in ancient Israel. It appears in the Bible thousands of times. In reading Torah and in prayer Jews have been accustomed not to pronounce the Name, probably since about 300 B.C.E. It may be that our ancient ancestors were reluctant to pronounce the name in Babylonia, lest the very surrounding, an unclean land, insult it. When Israel was restored in the Second Commonwealth, Jews were already reluctant to pronounce the Name, or even to write it. This may explain why late books of the Bible, like Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs, do not use it, even once. And in Daniel it is found only a few times. It is thought that quite late into our times, however, perhaps as late as 1000 C.E., the pronunciation was known, and was used by mystics and magicians for holy or magical purposes, such as curing the sick. The legend of the Golem has it that its use brought the clod to life. But we no longer know its pronunciation. By common consent it is written (Jews are reluctant to write or pronounce it!) as Yahweh, transliterating the Hebrew consonants and adding the suggested vowels. Its meaning is also unclear. There are many who think that it is meant to be a causative form of the verb “to be,” — thus “He who causes all else to be.” At the very least it implies eternity, “He who always was, is, and will be,” whether or not a universe exists. We are all aware that in the late years, or centuries, of the Second Temple, the use of the Name was so restricted that it was pronounced only by the High Priest, and only on Yom Kippur; and the people, in awe, would prostrate themselves on hearing it. In the earliest manuscripts of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Bible, the Name was written not in Greek but in Hebrew letters, to stress its sanctity. And in (at least some of) the Dead Sea Scrolls the same purpose was accomplished by writing the Name, in Biblical texts, not in the square, Assyrian script they used, which we also use, but rather in the ancient script. Thus the reader was warned about pronouncing it. In our own use, for many, many centuries, the word “Adonai” (“Lord”) is substituted. In time this too became too holy to be pronounced carelessly; and outside Torah reading or prayer, we tend to substitute “Adoshem” or ‘HaShem.”
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In memoriam ANN KENNEDY GOLDSTEIN Continued from page 1 Foundation/Ann Goldstein Outstanding Leadership Award, 1301 Harney St., Omaha NE, 68102, or the University of Nebraska Foundation/Ann Goldstein-Cheryl Cooper New Frontiers in transplant medicine Fund #8037. 2285 S. 67 St., suite 200, Omaha NE 68106. MOLLYE SALTZMAN MARCUS Mollye Saltzman Marcus passed away on Feb. 18 at age 111. Services were held Feb. 20 at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills, CA. She was preceded in death by her husband Abner Marcus in 1964, son-in-law Kurt Hirschinger in 2003, and daughter Beverly Bramson in 2004. She is survived by her daughter Darlene Hirschinger, and son-in-law, Bob Bramson; grandchildren: Bobbe Bramson Goodman and Martin Goodman, David Bramson, Danny and Julee Bramson, Debbie Hirschinger Tynan, Tom and Stephanie Bramson, Richard and Debbie Hirschinger; and seven great-grandchildren all residing in the Los Angeles area. Mollye was born in Lechovitz, Russia and migrated at age four to the United States in 1904 as Mali Saltzmann. The Saltzman family settled in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where her father had a coal business. In 1950, they relocated to Omaha where Mollye was a volunteer in the Omaha Hadassah Thrift Shop. Memorial donations may be made to Beth El Synagogue in Omaha, or to Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, CA.
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Lillian Cohen shows off her artwork, with mother Karen holding sister Eva, left, Eric Plautz, Assistant Director Omaha - Douglas County Emergency Mgt. Agency, Lillian, dad Michael, brother Jack, and Barb Sather, who is Lillian’s fourth grade teacher at Friedel Jewish Academy. Lillian earned first place in the annual Severe Weather Poster Contest. This contest is sponsored by the Nebraska Association of Emergency Managers, the National Weather Service, and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. Another Friedel fourth grader, Gabby Witkowski, received an honorable mention.
Executive Director JCC of Omaha The JCC of Omaha is seeking an Executive Director who has the professional experience and personal enthusiasm to provide leadership for the future and oversight of a full service facility and complement of programs. The successful candidate must have outstanding interpersonal skills, be an innovative manager and a dedicated advocate of the JCC’s mission.A strong record of strategic thinking,planning,staff and financial management skills is also important.The JCC operates on a $4.2 million annual budget, is part of a Jewish community campus with a 165,000 sq foot building on 37 acres of land,with 2100 units of membership. This position reports directly to the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and works with the Board of Directors of the JCC. The successful candidate will have a BA, BS or advanced degree in Jewish Communal Service,business, public administration or non-profit management,and a minimum of 6-10 years of successful experience in the JCC, federation, non-profit or related field. Knowledge and understanding of the Jewish community, Jewish traditions and culture is helpful. Competitive salary and compensation package is provided. Interested candidates should send their cover letter, resume and salary requirements to: Omaha@jcca.org
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12 | The Jewish Press | March 18, 2011
Tribefest a hit with young Federation donors, but reaching unaffiliated remains a challenge by SUE FISHKOFF LAS VEGAS, Nev. (JTA) -- “Connect, explore and celebrate” was the tagline for Tribefest 2011 held recently in this desert gambling town.The new name for what was a rebranded annual convention of the Young Leadership Division of the Jewish Federations of North America accurately described the spirited atmosphere at the confab. More than 1,200 Jews turned out for three days of lectures, workshops and performances on everything from new trends in Jewish art to the 2012 elections to the etiquette of offering a “L’chaim!” Federation officials say Tribefest is the first step in a new outreach strategy for the national Federation system. Instead of targeting Jews aged 25 to 45 who already donate to Federation campaigns Tribefest offered an open invitation to any young Jew who wanted to be “entertained and educated” about Israel and the Jewish community, affiliated or unaffiliated. “In the past it was about getting young leaders more engaged,” said Jewish Federations spokesman Joe Berkofsky. “This is about consciousness raising, bringing more people into the fold.” But if one of Tribefest’s central aims was about reaching a whole new audience, an informal survey of participants revealed the challenges of achieving that goal. Eleven of the 12 attendees interviewed by JTA reported that they already are active members and donors in their local Federations. “If you’re unaffiliated, why would you shlep all the way out to Vegas for this?” said Dan Sieradski, digital strategist for Repair the World. Participants came to Tribefest to learn how to get even more involved more effectively -- in Federation as well as the other Jewish organizations represented. The Jewish Federations partnered for the conference with about 40 Jewish organizations popular among younger Jews, from Israel-oriented groups such as the New Israel Fund, to the food justice organization Hazon, to smaller groups focused on music, art and social service. Hal Greenblatt, 26, and his friend Marc Prine, 25, both of Philadelphia, were part of the Jewish fraternity AEPi at
Temple University and now are active in their local Federation’s Young Leadership Division. Although this was their first time at a national conference, both said they didn’t need any convincing to make them fans of the Federation system.
Five women from the Atlanta delegation to Tribefest enjoy a moment in Las Vegas with a new friend from Los Angeles. Credit: Sue Fishkoff “There are many different ways to get your interests met in Federation -- cultural, social service, religious,” said Prine. “My dad is a Holocaust survivor, and I grew up doing social service. I want to give that to my kids,” he said. “If we’re not going to build the next generation of the Jewish community, who will?” Some of the presenters at Tribefest didn’t seem to grasp that the conference participants were not disaffected from the Jewish establishment. At a session Monday titled “Reconnecting Young Adult Jewish-Americans to Israel,” the panelists spent an hour apologizing for what they deemed as Israel’s bad behavior to a room full of young Israel supporters who seemed bewildered by the message. “Unlike our parents, who saw Israel as a source of pride, many in our generation see it as a source of shame and dis-
illusionment,” said Israeli army veteran Yoav Schaefer, executive director of the Avi Schaefer Fund, which advocates for strong Diaspora support for Israel while recognizing the rights of the Palestinians. “I’m a Zionist, pure and simple, despite what I’ve heard from this panel,” responded one audience member. Despite their already firm connection to federation, many attendees said they appreciated the direction the conference had taken and learned a lot from the sessions. Prine and Greenblatt particularly enjoyed a session on punk Jews. “We have friends with Jewish tattoos, friends who are black Jews, and they are shunned by the mainstream,” Prine said. “It doesn’t matter how you want to show your Jewishness. If it means getting tattoos or wearing tzitzis, it’s all about passing the flame to the next generation.” While Tribefest may not have drawn as many newcomers as organizers may have liked, it seemed to have hit the mark for its core audience -- those already involved with federation and committed to Jewish community. “As a Jewish professional, it got me re-energized and ready to go home and engage new people, and that’s what it’s supposed to do,” said Staci Weininger, 37, communications director of the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Atlanta. Weininger noted that some of the 23 delegates from Atlanta weren’t in her federation database. The lone newbie JTA interviewed, Debbie Zaidman, 38, of Columbia, S.C., said she found out about the conference from a friend’s posting on Facebook and suspected it “would be something that would inspire me.” Zaidman grew up in a small Southern town with no Jewish community to speak of. Her mother drove her an hour each way to religious school until her confirmation at 16. “In high school I always felt like an outsider,” she said. Now Zaidman is part of a young Jewish professionals group in Columbia that regularly draws 100 people to events. “It helps me be inspired,” she said. “Now I embrace my Judaism. I love it.”
Save the Date! May 15, 2011 Everyone is invited to our celebration of a joyful, Jewish future
4th Annual Friedel Jewish Academy Tribute Dinner honoring
Jody K. & Ray Goldstein Bob Eisenberg Shami Jacobs
For more information: Call 402-553-2977 or email Tippi@Denenberg.com