Vol. LXXXIII No. 30 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 83 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
4 Nisan, 5764 March 26, 2004
Lincoln, Omaha to Commemorate Holocaust Survivor Recalls Help from Catholic Family
Omaha Community to Hear Survivors’ Love Story on Yom HaShoah at Temple Israel
by JULIE BROCKMAN Rochelle Epstein of New York will speak at the 2004 Nebraska Holocaust Commemoration Ceremony. Epstein and her younger brother watched as their parents were arrested by the Nazis and led away to their deaths. Luckily, Epstein and her brother survived the Holocaust through the courage, compassion and generosity of their Catholic neighbors. Epstein’s remarkable story of her Catholic “family” and their kindness and selflessness lends hope to our world and proves the truth of this years’ theme: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing” (Edmund Burke). Nebraska survivors of the Holocaust will light candles in memory of the victims. Each year additional candles are lit honoring our own Nebraska heroes. This year the candle of the “Righteous Rescuer” will be lit by Anthony O Messineo Jr. (President of Valentino’s) for his humanitarian work. Modesta Putla (Director of the Asian Center) will light the candle of hope to remember victims of all genocide, and Everette Hilfiker of Mead, NE. (a WWII veteran) will light the candle for the Liberators of the concentration camps. Cantor Gastón Bogomolni of Beth El Synagogue in Omaha will chant the Hebrew prayer, God of Compassion (El Malei Rahamin). The Lincoln Boys’ Choir will perform several selections and three LPS middle school students will read their winning Holocaust poetry. Governor Johanns, Mayor Seng, and Senator Foley will each offer a few words. Continued on page 4
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN prisoner by the Nazis and Temple Israel ended up in Auschwitz. Communications Coordinator Somehow she survived, “In a world that knew but it seemed impossible only bloodshed, hatred, that she would ever see and violence, here is a Walter again. story that warms the Hanna and Walter’s heart…a story of love, story, “a special kind of hope, and determination,” love story,” according to wrote Jewish Week. The Israel Today, emerged in story is one of the few 1953 when she was feafrom the Holocaust that tured in an episode of has a happy ending--the Ralph Edwards’ television story of Hanna and Walter show, “This is Your Life”. Kohner who met in a It was the first time that small Czech town in 1935. Edwards strayed from the Walter was 20 and show’s usual format of dreamed of being an featuring celebrities. actor. Hanna, 15, was an Now the Kohners’ incurable romantic who daughter, Julie, travels Hanna and Walter Kohner hoped to move to a big across the country makcity. They slowly fell in love while ice skating, dancing, ing approximately 30 presentations a year telling her and hiking in the mountains together. They had heard parents’ story. This year, for the community-wide about what was going on in Nazi Germany, but they observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance didn’t realize how it would impact their lives. They did- Day, which will be hosted by Temple Israel on n’t know that their world would be torn apart. Wednesday, April 21, 7 p.m., Julie Kohner will presAfter the Sudetenland was annexed to Germany, ent “Voices of the Generations” speaking and showing Hanna fled first to Prague with her family and then to a video of “This Is Your Life, Hanna Kohner”. Holland as a maid. Walter escaped to California hoping The program is sponsored by Jewish Educational and to arrange for Hanna to join him. He took a job as an Library Services, in cooperation with Beth El errand boy at Columbia Pictures in Hollywood. Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, and Temple Israel. But the two lost track of each other. She was taken Continued on page 4
“I Have Great News for You: Monday, We Can Cut Off Your Leg” by GARY HILL Special to the Jewish Press I had been in Ethiopia only a few hours, when Dr. Rick Hodes picked me up. He’s the medical director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC or JDC or “The Joint”). Beside him in the white pickup truck was a tall, thin young man. I climbed into the back seat, rested my feet on crutches lying on the floor and said hello to one of Rick’s adopted sons. Our first stop was Mother Theresa’s clinic where Dr. Rick volunteers almost daily. We met with a volunteer physical therapist from Lebanon and Adam Laytin, a JDC intern-volunteer from Pennsylvania. Then we were off to a private hospital, where Rick paid 35 birr (about $4) for an x-ray for the kid in the front seat. Dr. Hodes thought it might be lung cancer and, if that was the diagnoses, it would not make sense to perform the needed amputation of his leg. Continued on page 16
The interior of a JDC-run medical clinic in Ethiopia.
Inside
Women’s Seder “Rocks the House” by CAROL KATZMAN Editor, The Jewish Press It was wall-to-wall women last Wednesday night at the Jewish Community Center for Omaha’s first-ever Women’s Seder. Nearly 250 women (247 to be exact) packed the auditorium to hear Rabbi Amy Walk Katz of Kansas City, and Yachad, the Travelling Tefillah Band. “Yachad was, as always, fabulous!” said Jane Rips, whose mother, Helen Glazer travelled from Sioux City. “The pleasure of listening to Yachad really made the event. And so many women were there. I hope we can do it again!” Organizer Rosie Zweiback, who led a committee representing Jewish women’s groups and the synagogues, added, “We Nearly 250 women from Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln and Sioux City, IA, crammed in the were overwhelmed by the JCC’s auditorium last Wednesday night for this region’s first Women’s Seder. positive response to this event! We loved that we were Latenser, Lois “Ducky” Milder, Patty Nogg, Debbie able to include the women of Sioux City, Council Bluffs Recht, Marcie Rowe and Andi Willensky. Passover items were donated to JFS, along with all unopened and Lincoln, too. “We’d like to make this a biennial tradition here,” she bottles of wine, to help Jewish families in need. “I’ve got three new recipes for charoset now,” said suggested, “It was a tremendous effort; if we alternate Deirdre Evans. “They were delicious!” years, I think it will keep the excitement going.” “It was really a fun evening,” added Marilyn Berman. Members of the committee included: Jane Winston Doman, Harriet Einziger, Dora Goldstrom, Phyllis “I can’t wait ‘til we do it again!” Hoffman, Debbi Josephson, Bette Kozlen, Allison Continued on page 10
Coming Next Month: Passover Issue Publishes on April 2 and Our Mother’s Day Gift Guide on April 30 Omahans Lobby at NCJW Washington Institute: Page 2
The Historian’s Footprint Medical Care in the Holocaust: Page 4
Teen’s Point of View-Team: Page 6
Monthly Calendar for April: Pages 8-9