April 4, 2014

Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

Tribefest 2014

April 4, 2014 4 Nisan 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 29

This Week

by LEONARD J. GREENSPOON Publicity about Noah the movie, which is scheduled to open at the end of this month, has set in motion once again the conflict between “Christians” and Hollywood or, to put it another way, between true Bible believers and all the rest of us. This debate is not likely to die down anytime soon, given the considerable number of other “Christian” movies planned for the coming months.

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Rachel Martin, left, Sarah Spooner, Amy Saylan and Ben Taxman

by JUSTIN ZACHARY SPOONER as 1500 young adults packed the & Harry Kulakofsky Endowment Development Associate, Sheraton New Orleans to discuss Fund, and the Jewish Federation of Jewish Federation of Omaha topics ranging in everything from Omaha for their generous support.

Thank you to Tom Fellman and On March 16, nine young adults arts and entertainment to business from our Jewish community made and politics, with important aspects Jerry Milder for their continued support of the youth in our community the trip down to New Orleans for of Jewish life in between.

TribeFest 2014.

TribeFest 2014 was a huge success and helping to send our wonderful TribeFest is a program put on by for our Omaha delegation. However, delegation to TribeFest. Without Jewish Federations of North America none of our experiences would have these organizations and community with the hopes of engaging and in- been possible without the help of our members, our community wouldn’t spiring young Jewish adults from all fantastic community. I want to thank be as bright. Thank you for all that over the country. This year, as many the Herbert Goldsten Trust, the Sadie Continued on page 7

‘Ta’am Latino LIVE’ at Beth El Page 5

Past Presidents honored Journey to Bolivia Page 12

Inside Point of view Synagogues

Next Week The Passover Issue See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

9 10 Tom Fellman

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha Three esteemed members of our community, principle players in Omaha’s growth and economic development for decades, were honored Tuesday night, April 4 at the Centu-

Howard Kooper

Jerry Slusky

ryLink Center as the newest members of the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Summit Hall of Fame.

Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, owners of Broadmoor Development, and Jerry Slusky, a partner at Smith Gardner Slusky Law, L.L.C were chosen by a committee of brokers, lawyers, developers and others in the commercial real estate industry.

The Hall of Fame dates to 2003 and recognizes individuals and their companies for contributing to the State’s growth through construction, banking, law and development.

Not only do all three share the singular distinction of being past Jewish Federation of Omaha Presidents, they served the Omaha Jewish community in succession. Slusky served from

1993 to 1995, Fellman from 19951997 and Kooper from 1997-1999.

“I can’t think of a more meaningful recognition than one that comes from your peers,” said Slusky. “I was honored to be inducted with my great friends, Tom and Howard.”

Broadmoor Development has been a locally owned business for over 35 years. It strives to design its residential projects to meet resident needs.

When asked about his selection into the Hall of Fame, Kooper stated, “Our goal has always been to provide quality living for our residents. More than anything we value the people... both those who make up the Broadmoor family and those who choose to make their home with us.”

Continued on page 3

What make Noah or the soonto-arrive-at-your-theater Exodus “Christian” movies? As narratives contained in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, wouldn’t you think that their Jewish origins would merit some discussion?

Alas, this is not the case because conservative Evangelical Protestants, a “noisy” group (says Darren Aronofsky, the movie’s director), have established the parameters of the debate -- and Jews in Hollywood (to say nothing of elsewhere) seem to have yielded the ground to these “Christians.”

Not that Jews are uninvolved in this film -- this is Hollywood after all! Paramount executive Rob Moore, a self-described Conservative Christian, feels comfortable weighing in on all sorts of religious questions. But from the director, raised in a Conservative Jewish home, and two of the movie’s authors (perhaps, we should more accurately call them adapters, since they surely didn’t write the book of Genesis), unnamed but identified as Jewish, nary a word.

It will not do to raise our hands, individually or collectively, as if to acknowledge an obvious point: there are more Conservative Christians than there are Jews (Conservative or otherwise). Nor is it enough to point out that the so-called literal reading of the Bible that these Christian critics appear to be championing is far from universally taught in Christian circles -- all you need to do is ask a moderate Protestant or any Roman Catholic.

What we as Jews should be doing, once the terms of engagement have moved into Biblical Studies, one of our most prominent Continued on page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | April 4, 2014

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by DAVID GOLBITZ thing in response, like they were unsure of what to say.”

Temple Israel Staff Writer “It felt like we were doing important work,” Marburg added, On Monday, March 24, eight Temple Israel high school though he feared their arguments were falling on deaf ears. students visited Capitol Hill to lobby the Nebraska congres“The best way to have a voice in American politics is to sional delegation as part of the Religious Action Center’s have a lot of money,” he said. “I could stand there and lobby L’Taken Social Justice Seminars program. someone for hours and hours, but then someone else could The L’Taken program is designed to expose students to a just write them a check and get what they want.” variety of public policy issues, explore the Jewish values surThe students were accompanied on the trip by Rabbi Aryeh rounding these issues and teach the skills of an effective Azriel and Director of Youth Engagement Nikki Flatowicz. advocate. More than 200 stu“This is a great way to expose dents from 26 reform conour kids to some of the imporgregations around the countant issues that are at the core try participated in the proof governing this country,” gram with the group from Rabbi Azriel said. “Most of Temple Israel. our kids don’t watch TV news The students, Sophie or even read newspapers, so I Budwig, Brandon Idelman, think some of our kids really Solomon Marburg, Michael had their eyes opened, learnMilitzer, Madelin Miller, ing about topics they hadn’t Abby Reiss, Gavin Rogers thought about before.” and Sierra Simpson, spent In addition to learning about the weekend of March 21-24 the American political system, learning about various social the group was also able to fit and political issues, such as in some sightseeing over the campaign finance reform, Temple Israel sophomores Sierra Simpson, left, Abby Reiss, weekend, with trips to the separation of church and Sophie Budwig, Michael Militzer, Madelin Miller, Gavin Rogers, Smithsonian Museum, the state, LGBT equality, repro- Solomon Marburg and Brandon Idelman standing outside the Holocaust Museum, the ductive rights and torture, office of Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, with Director of Youth Martin Luther King Jr. knowing that they would get Engagement Nikki Flatowicz, center, and Rabbi Azriel.

Memorial and the Lincoln to choose one of the topics to take before Nebraska’s senators Memorial, where all the groups from the 26 congregations and representatives. came together for a Havdalah service Saturday evening.

“It was a great experience,” Solomon Marburg said. “This “Every place we went to, I had been before, but it never was obviously the first time I’ve done anything like that. gets old,” Marburg said. “Getting to see the Smithsonian and Getting to lobby was pretty cool.” the Holocaust Museum and the Capitol, I like everything Marburg and his partner, Abby Reiss, chose the topic of gun about the city. Some people are lucky enough to get to go to violence prevention to research and prepare a speech about, a place like that once, and I’m fortunate enough that I got to which they would then present in the legislators’ offices. go back a second time.”

“It was the only topic we really felt like we had a personal The Temple Israel group even ran into some familiar faces experience with,” Reiss said, citing the shootings at the Von while in Washington. They had dinner Saturday evening Maur department store at Westroads Mall and at Millard with one-time OTYG President Jennie (Gates) Beckman, South High School. who currently lives and works in Baltimore.

Sophie Budwig and Madelin Miller elected to lobby on Hannah Perry, last year’s OTYG president and currently a behalf of the LGBT community, arguing for the group’s freshman at George Washington University, visited with her inclusion in the Employee Non-Discrimination Act. younger counterparts at the airport Monday before the “It was the most relatable topic on the list,” Budwig said. group flew home.

“We have a lot of friends who are gay and lesbian,” Miller “Another great benefit of trips like this is for the kids to be added. “They deserve the same rights that everyone else has.” together as a class,” Rabbi Azriel said, “and to be with us and While the students were excited to have the opportunity to see their rabbi and youth director as human beings. It crevoice their opinions, they unfortunately did not have a chance ates a better relationship.” to speak directly with their representatives. They instead preFlatowicz agreed, saying, “Not only do they learn a little sented their speeches to staff members Sharon Burd, Graham bit more about public speaking and gain some tools for Dufault and Ally Mendenhall, from the offices of Sen. Deb advocacy, but it was a good bonding trip. It helped them as Fischer, Rep. Lee Terry and Sen. Mike Johanns, respectively. a class to grow a little bit closer. On this trip they were jok“I felt like we were being taken seriously,” Miller said, “but ing and laughing together, whereas maybe that wouldn’t two of the aides we spoke with seemed hesitant to say any- have happened if they hadn’t gone.”

NCJW National Convention

by ALICE KLEIN Lasting Social Change, Talking about Abortion, Domestic NCJW Vice-President of Public Relations Violence, Talking about Immigration, and Voting Rights.

In early March, five members of the National Council of NCJW-Omaha Section President Holly Weill and Jewish Women (NCJW)-Omaha Section attended NCJW’s Community Service Co-Vice President Sonia Tipp were pan46th National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. NCJW’s elists in the Connecting with Kids in Your Community workNational Convention is a shop. They presented how hands-on event, where proNCJW-Omaha Section progressive Jewish women convides speakers for teen parnect to make things happen. ents through the Child Members joined together to Saving Institute Parenting learn from each other and Education program. The to motivate, inspire and program is focused on helpready themselves to take ing parents understand how action and address social to best care for their children. needs. They joined hunNCJW’s faith in the future dreds of women from and belief in action are around the country to speak reflected in its mission stateout and make their mark on ment: “The National the future of NCJW. Council of Jewish Women Resolutions were voted on Nancy Kaufman (NCJW CEO), left, Alice Klein (NCJW-Omaha (NCJW) is a grassroots that set the stage for the Communications VP), Holly Weill (NCJW-Omaha President), organization of volunteers next triennium. Delegates Debbie Hoffmann (NCJW President 2014-2017), Linda Slucker and advocates who turn prodelivered their collective (NCJW President 2011-2014), Lise Sasson (NCJW-Omaha gressive ideals into action. voice and took meaningful Fundraising VP), Sonia Tipp (NCJW-Omaha Community Service Inspired by Jewish values, action on vital issues, Co-VP). Not pictured: Jan Schneiderman (NCJW President NCJW strives for social jusincluding the newly 1999-2002, NCJW-Omaha President 1976-1980) tice by improving the quality launched anti-sex trafficking initiative. Attendees celebrated of life for women, children and families and by safeguarding NCJW’s 120th anniversary and heard from an impressive individual rights and freedoms. roster of speakers on topics such as Combating Human If you are interested in joining NCJW-Omaha Section or Trafficking, Israel as a Modern Democratic State, and becoming more active please contact Membership Co-Vice Feminist Voices for Change.

Presidents Dana Kaufman (danak1975@gmail.com, The members attended workshops that included Bullying 402.980.0998) or Lori Kooper-Schwarz (lkoops@cox.net, and Harassment, Courts Matter for Women, Strategies for 402.502.6665).

April 4, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

Noah revisited Continued from page 1 interests, is staking out a claim that is at once authentically Jewish and worthy of consideration in the multi-faith (and no faith) society that we presently inhabit. If, as happens here, an authentic Jewish interpretation tends to be supportive of a particular film, in this case Noah, that’s fine. If it went the other way, that would be equally good.

What’s most important is to break the formula that equates literal with serious or true, thereby relegating all of the rest of us to the sidelines in any sort of debate that centers on what the Bible (or, better, the biblical writers) intended or meant. At its most expansive, the Evangelical Christian argument is that this movie takes liberties with the biblical story of Noah. The easiest way to counter this is to observe that the biblical story itself (as found in Genesis 6-9) takes liberties with itself, providing, among other things, alternative timelines for how long the flood lasts and alternative commands on how many animals of each kind to take into the ark. In other words, the biblical account invites our speculation, especially our filling in details.

Thus, for example, the cinematographic Noah is pictured as hesitant and conflicted about the divine consignment of 99.99% of humans -- and animals -- to annihilation. The biblical text says nothing about Noah’s feelings, not surprising in a book (or series of books) that rarely says anything about the inner lives of its characters. Can we know that Noah grappled with the moral issues the flood entailed? Of course, not. Can we be called out for attempting to fill in this biblical lacuna? I don’t think so, especially since there is a long, very long, line of Jewish interpreters, including Elie Wiesel, who have frequently seen in biblical personages ancient exemplars of the anguish they themselves feel. This interpretive tradition is often spoken of as midrash.

And then we are told of objections raised because it is not clear, at least to some viewers (many audiences, often composed of “Bible believers,” have previewed the film in one or more of its many versions), that one of Noah’s sons was actually married to his wife, named Ila in the movie. A literal reader of the Bible, so it seems to me, should have no objection on this count, since the text itself speaks of Noah’s three sons and their wives. But I suppose, such a reader should be strenuously objecting to the movie’s bestowing on Noah’s daughters-inlaw (as well, I’m guessing as his wife) actual names, since they

Hollywood (whatever that may mean). Nor that we should assert our own monopolistic, unequivocal view of how the Bible should be portrayed. But, minimally, we need to insist on a seat at the table -- without that, we are all malnourished and impoverished.

Past Presidents honored (like any number of other female characters in the Bible) remain nameless in Genesis. For whatever reasons, early rabbinic interpreters bestowed names on these women, a practice followed, although probably not for the same reasons, by those responsible for the film. Now that I think about, it would be odd (to say the least) to have Seth, Ham, or Japheth (Noah’s named sons) or Noah himself fighting with their wives, or making love to them, without knowing their names!

Ironically, some conservative Christian complaints reveal just how selective and limited these readers are in their knowledge of the Bible. More than one viewer, so we discover, was upset about a scene in the movie when Noah, the first planters of vines, also becomes the first drunk (but by no means the last!) in the Bible. Perish the thought that alcohol passed through his lips! Alas, the kernel of that story is found within the Bible itself.

What’s my point? In one sense, it is to call attention to the apparent fact (apparent because I haven’t yet viewed the entire film) that the Noah of the film seems to be very Jewish in terms of the ways in which he and his family’s lives are filled out -- and, as should be apparent, you can’t have a biblical movie based just on the biblical text itself.

But from a larger perspective, this debate (if that’s what it is) is representative of a common unwillingness among Jews to enter into public discussion about the Bible, this part of which (at least) is very Jewish. We allow ourselves, so it seems, to be pushed to the periphery. As long as that continues, we should not be surprised, even if we continue to be saddened, when films based on the Hebrew Bible are called “Christian” and when a particularly vociferous segment of Christianity takes upon itself the mantle of true Bible readers and interpreters.

I am certainly not contending that Jews need to take back

Continued from page 1 Fellman echoed Kooper’s thoughts. “Every member of our Broadmoor family makes the needs of our residents their first priority. Omaha is a dynamic and constantly growing Midwest community. It’s a great place to live and work.”

Both men feel lucky to have found a business and industry they love and that has brought positive growth to the city they call home. Since its beginnings, Broadmoor has developed and managed over 6500 units in 33 different apartment communities and four commercial/retail sites from Lincoln and Fremont to Des Moines.

During the daylong Summit, Slusky served as moderator for the morning session entitled, “Remember When...

How Omaha has transformed over the past 25 years”.

Participating in the panel discussion was Jay Noddle, current Jewish Federation of Omaha President.

Previous Summit Hall of Fame award winners include Theodore Seldin, Millard Seldin, and Stanley Silverman, all of Seldin Development; Ben Wiesman of Wiesman Development; the late Harlan Noddle and Joe Kirshenbaum, Noddle Companies; Jay Lerner, The Lerner Company; Stanley Slosburg, Slosburg Company; the late Sheldon Harris, the late Joseph Polack and Rod Shkolnick, Creighton University law professor.

Celebrating its 25th year, the 2014 CRE Summit has grown to be Nebraska’s best known real estate conference.

Attendance is well over 500 and represents virtually every business and professional that makes their living in commercial real estate.

For more information, check out the Facebook page, Commercial Real Estate Summit.

THE RESIDENTS OF THE ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME EXTEND A CORDIAL INVITATION TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO SHARE THE SEDERS WITH THEM IN THE SILVERMAN AUDITORIUM Reservations are due by April 7.

Seder 1 – Monday, April 14 at 6 p.m.

Leaders Andy and Carole Greenberg

Seder 1 Menu Vegetable Platter Gefilte Fish w/Beet Horseradish Matzoh Ball Soup Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

Herbed Potatoes Seasonal Mixed Vegetables Matzoh Honey Cake

Name: __________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ Residents you would like to sit with: _________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ April 14 – Seder 1 Meal

April 15 – Seder 2 Meal

Number of Adults ($25.00) ____ Number of Adults ($25.00) ____ Children under 12 ($16.00) ____

Children under 12 ($16.00) ____

(There is no charge for RBJH Residents)

Seder 2 – Tuesday, April 15 at 6 p.m.

Leaders Jim, Susan, Max and Josh Polack

Seder 2 Menu Vegetable Platter Gefilte Fish w/Beet Horseradish Matzoh Ball Soup Smoked Beef Brisket

Sweet Potatoe Tzimmes Seasonal Asparagus Matzoh Fudge Chocolate Cake

Total Amount Enclosed $ _________ Make check payable to: Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Return this form with payment to: Rose Blumkin Jewish Home c/o Maggie Conti, 323 South 132nd Street Omaha, NE 68154

Please call Maggie at 402-334-6521 with any questions

4 | The Jewish Press | April 4, 2014

Mainstreeters April events

by OZZIE NOGG Best Picture, Best Director (Alexander Payne), Best Actor April programs for Mainstreeters (Bruce Dern) and Best Supporting Actress (June Squibb). will put a spring in your step. Please Have lunch at the Star Deli in the Rose Blumkin Jewish note, there will be no lunch this Home before the show. The Deli month because of Passover, opens for business at 11:30 a.m. but you’ll want to attend the For answers to your questions, programs listed below. call Maggie Conti at A Visit to the Durham 402.334.6521.

Western Heritage Museum: Omaha Chamber Music The 1968 Exhibit on Friday, Society presents Friends and April 11. Cost is $5 per perFamily: Wednesday, April son. Free for members of 30, 1:45 p.m. in the Rose Durham. Be sure to bring Blumkin Jewish Home your membership card with Auditorium. Free and open you to the Museum. The to the community.

1968 Exhibit examines the Performed by the trio social forces that swirled Kazoku -- which means through the turbulent 1960s ‘family’ in Japanese -- this crested in 1968. It was a concert features Tim turning point for a generaStrang, Juliet Yoshida and tion coming of age and a Teri Heil playing Three nation at war. The year saw Preludes for Piano and I’ve the assassinations of Dr. Got Rhythm by George Martin Luther King Jr. and Gershwin, Café Music by Tim Strang, Juliet Yoshida and Teri Heil -- the Kazoku trio -- perRobert Kennedy, riots at the Paul Schoenfield, Sonata for form at the Omaha Chamber Music Society Friends and Family Democratic National Violin and Cello by Maurice afternoon concert on Wednesday, April 30.

Convention, assertions of Ravel, and Graceful Ghost Black Power at the Olympic Games and feminist demon- Rag by William Bolcom. This program is supported in part strations at the Miss America pageant. President Lyndon by a grant from the Ruth Riekes Richards Fund of the Jewish Johnson spoke of a country “challenged, at home and Federation of Omaha Foundation, United Way and Jewish abroad” in his State of the Union address. His successor, Social Services.

Richard Nixon, promised in his nomination acceptance Mainstreeters welcomes everyone in the community to speech that “the long, dark night for America is about to attend their programs, regardless of age. “Invite your friends end.” In the closing days of 1968, we saw Earth in its entire- and come join us,” said Maggie Conti, Director of Activities ty for the first time from the window of the Apollo 8 space and Outreach Programs at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. capsule. This multimedia exhibit looks at how the experi- “Monthly luncheons with outstanding entertainment, firstences of the year fueled a persistent, if often contradictory, run movies, excursion to museums and other points of sense of identity for the people who were there. We depart interest, and all kinds of classes are just a few of our diverse from the JCC by a small bus at 9:15 a.m. Please be at the activities aimed to keep you fit in mind, body and spirit.” main entrance by 9 a.m. We’ll return by approximately Mainstreeters programs are supported in part by grants 12:15 p.m. Space is limited! Sign up today! Transportation from the United Way of the Midlands and the Jewish sponsored by Jewish Social Services. Deadline for reserva- Federation of Omaha. tions is Tuesday, April 8. Please let us know if you require transportation from the JCC or will drive your own car to the museum. Make check payable to Jewish Social Services.

Send Reservation with full payment to: Mainstreeters, c/o B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Maggie Conti, 323 S. 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. After Mace Hack, Ph.D., director of Nebraska’s Nature the tour you’re invited to have lunch, on your own, at the Star Deli at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. The Deli is Conservancy, will discuss “our precious, clean water supply – are we in danger of losing it?” on Wednesday, April 9, open from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Join Us at the Movies: Nebraska, Friday, April 25. 1 p.m. noon, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. An optional bufin the JCC Theater. No charge for the film or for unlimited fet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more bags of warm, delicious popcorn. No reservations necessary. information or to be placed on the email list call Invite a friend. Omaha-born director Alexander Payne takes 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. the helm for this black and white road trip drama. The LOMIR REDN YIDDISH movie tells the story of an aging, booze-addled father who Guess what? Spring is Here!! We’ve resumed our meetings makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega on Thursdays from 1-3 p.m., at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s boardroom. We welcome all who would like to Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

Nebraska scored several Oscar nominations, including attend. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

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Learn: How computers work • How to use programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint How to e-mail friends and family • How to play games on the computer Shop, read newspapers & books and watch videos online How to use SKYPE for free video-conferencing with your children and grandchildren Call today to see how we can tailor our services to meet your needs.

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First Friday celebrates teachers

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer The First Friday service and dinner at Temple Israel next month will be particularly educational as the congregation celebrates its teachers with a Teacher Appreciation service.

“We are grateful to our teachers for giving of themselves, their time, their expertise, and their love and concern for our students,” said Director of Lifelong Learning Debbie Massarano. “We thank them for creating relationships that will impact the next generation of Jews and working for the continuity of the Jewish people.”

Parents are asked to have their children make homemade ‘Teacher Appreciation’ cards for their teachers and to bring the cards with them Friday evening, or give the cards to Massarano beforehand.

The April 4 service begins at 5:30 p.m. with candle lighting and Kiddush in the Community Court, followed by the Shabbat service at 6 p.m., with dinner immediately following.

What makes this First Friday even more special are the special guests Temple Israel is hosting that evening: 12 Israeli teachers, who will be in town for an education seminar.

The Israeli teachers are from Akko and will share their educational experiences with Omaha’s Jewish students and teachers on Sunday, April 6.

The First Friday menu consists of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans with almonds, mixed green salad and challah, with brownies and ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert.

There is no charge for dinner, but those who plan to attend are asked to contact the Temple Israel office to RSVP, RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536.

After dinner, guests are welcome to stay for the Shabbat Lounge, which will feature guitarist Jeff Scheffler and trumpeter Doyle Tipler. The duo will play music that encompasses a variety of jazz styles, both old and new.

Scheffler is a graduate of Boston’s famed Berklee School of Music and has performed with the Omaha Symphony.

Tipler has performed at the Omaha Community Playhouse for the Broadway touring shows Legally Blonde and Rave On! This First Friday is the last of the season. The First Friday program starts back up again on September 5.

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

The following week, on Friday, April 11, Temple Israel will once again host a contingent from Israel. Two soldiers from StandWithUs, an international nonprofit organization that supports Israel around the world, will share their personal stories during the service. StandWithUs is dedicated to correcting common misconceptions about the Arab-Israeli conflict and promoting discussions and policies that can help promote peace in the region.

April 4, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5

‘Ta’am Latino LIVE!’ wows crowd of 450 at Beth El

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Nowadays, it’s a shortage of blood that’s really a plague.

Ancient Israelites fleeing Egypt may have felt differently, but today it’s essential that Israel have an ample supply of blood for all its people. That’s where Magen David Adom comes in — collecting, testing, and distributing Israel’s blood supply for civilians and the Israel Defense Forces. Every unit of blood is separated into three components and can save three lives.

Can’t get to Israel to donate blood? You can still support MDA’s lifesaving blood services. Make a gift today. Pesach kasher v’sameach.

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity A distinctly Latin flair was in the air at Beth El on Sunday, March 23, as the synagogue presented ‘Ta’am Latino LIVE!’ the synagogue’s annual Cantor’s Youth Scholarship Fund Concert. Sally Zipursky served as chairman of the evening event, which raised a record amount for the fund.

Around 450 audience members packed the sanctuary for the lively performance,

which featured songs and stories from special guest, Cantor Gastón Bogomolni, plus musical selections by Hazzan Michael Krausman and the Beth El Choir. All proceeds benefit the synagogue’s Youth Scholarship Fund, which offers financial support to Beth El’s children and teenagers who wish to attend Jewish summer camps, youth group conventions, and a variety of Israel experiences.

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6 | The Jewish Press | April 4, 2014

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Here comes the Passover Latke Rueben

by OZZIE NOGG Friday, April 18, is time for the Passover Deli, where customers can sink their teeth into the Star Deli’s famous Latke Rueben.

“Patrons start lining up early in the day for this unique sandwich,” said Josh Gurock, Director of Operations at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

“In this culinary creation, crispy potato latkes are used instead of bread. We pile corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and parve (fake) cheese between the latkes, so this combo meets all the requirements of a Passover prize-winner.”

Along with the special Latke Reuben Sandwich, Passover-approved Deli menu includes traditional holiday favorites: a brisket platter, matzoh ball soup, matzoh brei, plus fried salami and eggs.

Ever-popular Star Deli sandwiches -- corned beef, pastrami, turkey, tuna and egg -- all piled high on a matzoh roll and served with potato chips, are also available.

The Passover Deli is clearly a community favorite and, in Gurock’s opinion, gives everyone an opportunity to appreciate the joy of the holiday. “I truly enjoy working the deli during Pesach” he said. “After Seders that last late into the night and so many food restrictions, it’s a treat to come to the Deli and order a delicious meal with no fuss or

bother. The Passover Deli runs from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on April 18, and we anticipate an even bigger crowd than last year.”

Launched in July of 2010, the Star Deli on

Main Street -- with its garlicky aromas and the raucous atmosphere of a Lower East Side eatery -- is a favorite Friday lunch destination for local chow hounds. Open for business Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Star Deli is happy to host special occasions and will reserve private dining spaces in the RBJH for large groups. For more information please contact Mike Aparo, Director of Food Services at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Chef Aparo’s phone number is 402.334.6522. And you can LIKE the Star Deli on their Facebook page -- https://www. facebook.com/star.deli.rbjh.

Friedel’s Got Talent

Friedel Jewish Academy students showed off their skills at a culminating event celebrating ten weeks of ballroom dancing. Gavin Smith and Rachel Kricsfeld, in the foreground, demonstrate the swing. Everyone in the audience was invited to the stage for the finale.

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN for Friedel Jewish Academy Whoever said, “School is all work and no fun,” never went to Friedel Jewish Academy!

March was an eventful month at the school, starting with a speech contest on March 13, then a Purim Talent Show on March 14, and a culminating event on March 19 for the fifth and sixth graders who showed off dancing skills they had learned over the preceding ten weeks.

As individuals or in groups, students demonstrated their gymnastic, Tae Kwan Do, piano, singing, dancing, magic, and theatrical skills before an audience in the Jewish Community Center theater of their families, teachers, Penney Z. Davis Child Development Center children, and Rose Blumkin Jewish Home residents. “It was a day of costumes and parades in the morning, and a chance in the afternoon to show off our extremely talented and versatile student body,” proclaimed Friedel Principal

Pam Cohn.

Just a few days later, students returned to the theater to watch 14 classmates dressed as young ladies in skirts or dresses and gentlemen in slacks, collared shirts and ties dance the merengue, fox trot, rumba, heeltoe polka, tango, swing and waltz -- some of which they had never heard of previous to their weekly sessions with Mari Anne Hartmann, associate director of The ARTery’s Dancing Classrooms Omaha.

As the admiring audience looked on, each dance was introduced by students who presented a short history of the next dance. Hartman said, “The students have grown in their dance skills, but more importantly, they have learned to work together as a team. They are more respectful of each other, and I’ve seen them stand a little taller and walk with more pride and accomplishment. To have traveled on this journey with them,” she added, “has been a privilege.”

EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed Tuesday, April 15, for Passover; the deadline for the April 18 issue is Wednesday, April 9, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

April 4, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

Tribefest 2014 Continued from page 1 you and your organizations do.

Below you will find the experiences of the other members of Omaha’s delegation to TribeFest. Through their words I hope you, too, can feel the amazing experience that was TribeFest 2014.

Rachel Martin I would like to thank the generous sponsors who made it possible for us to attend TribeFest 2014 in New Orleans. Not only did the nine Omaha representatives grow closer to each other, but we connected with nearly 1200 Jews from across the United States and Canada. Some of these people included professional writers, famous actors, and musicians. Each of the speakers shared inspirational stories about their Jewish journeys from the past, as well as their Jewish pride today. My TribeFest experience taught me the importance of maintaining my Jewish relationships, and motivated me to become more involved in my Jewish community.

Daniel Grossman TribeFest is, without a doubt, the best thing in which a young Jewish adult can take part. Going into it, I was unsure of what to expect. Fifteen hundred Jews staying in one hotel with tons of programming? This whole situation seemed oddly reminiscent of a BBYO convention!

Well, I have to say that TribeFest 2014 not only surpassed my expectations, but left me wanting to learn and do more within the Jewish world. Along with other young Jews from Omaha, we were joined by attendees from across the globe.

We walked in and were immediately bombarded with chants and signs from various groups. From the “Property of Detroit” t-shirts paraded around to the Canadian flags being waved all over, it was clear from the very beginning that TribeFest was as diverse as can be.

While in New Orleans, we were able to learn about different issues that are affecting the Jewish communities around the world and what we can do to help solve these problems.

During my time there, I heard many inspiring speakers, collaborated with others in small breakout sessions, and had an amazing time being able to network with other cities’ representatives.

Our group was able to attend different sessions and gained a vast amount of knowledge from the various topics. From increasing diversity in our communities to genetic screening for Jewish diseases such as Tay-Sachs, TribeFest packed an incredible amount of information in just a few days. Above all else, this trip reiterated the fact that shaping a strong Jewish community for the future is incredibly important, and it is my generation that will have a defining role in doing that. It was truly an amazing experience, and I would urge others to participate in the future.

Ben Taxman TribeFest 2014, “the most anticipated Young Adult Jewish gathering of the year,” was located in New Orleans this year.

Being a native of N’awlins, I was very excited to get back down there and not only see a few college friends but reconnect with old friends from NFTY, BBYO, OSRUI and Camp Sabra.

Sunday night, New Orleans police shut down Canal St. and Decatur St. for 1,500 of us to have our own Second Line with Soul Rebels Brass Band. (Those not familiar with a second line should look it up.) In addition to the food, music

Top: back row: Daniel Grossman, Zach Spooner, Ben Taxman; middle row: Rachel Martin, Cari Green, Sarah Linn, Sarah Spooner, Amy Saylan; front: Angela Friedman; middle: Sarah Spooner and Survivor Africa winner Ethan Zohn; bottom: back row: Sarah Linn, left, and Sarah Spooner; front row: Cari Green, left, Amy Saylan and Rachel Martin. and of course the little bit of drinking, the presentations, speakers and programming was exciting and instructive. I will absolutely be pushing TribeFest 2016 in Omaha, NE!

Angela Friedman, Cari Green, Sarah Linn It’s 4:30 in the morning and the cell phones start going off; everyone is excited and making sure the group is up for our journey to TribeFest. A 7 a.m. flight will give us plenty of time to get settled into New Orleans before the adventure begins!

For the kickoff event, we walked into a room filled with 1300 other Jewish Professionals from all over. The energy level continues to grow as the rest of the cities trickle in.

Looking around and taking it all in, we have arrived at TribeFest. What an exciting couple days we have ahead of us.

How will it begin? Speakers and programming await us. As the speakers begin to share their Jewish journey, it gives us a chance to think about our personal journeys and experiences, giving each of us a chance to connect with the speakers and their stories, even though they aren’t from Omaha.

There are still some similar connections across the board: Sunday school, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, family holiday gatherings, time in Synagogue and finding a Jewish connection.

There is nothing more exciting than having a group of 1,300 Jewish Professionals meeting for an evening program.

After a mash-up with a band and appetizers, it’s time for our next adventure to begin. As we gather in the hotel lobby and start walking down the streets of New Orleans, looking around all you see is the group you are with, smiling, laughing and dancing. As we continue, it takes a little while for us to look around and realize the streets are shut down around us and a band has joined our group. We have now become part of our own TribeFest parade through the streets of New Orleans. Getting a chance to bond and deepen our Omaha connections, we also are given a chance to interact with past friends from prior Jewish experiences; whether it is from Summer Camps or Youth Groups, and it’s great to catch up.

Day two was jam-packed with speakers and personalized break-out sessions so that we can continue to explore our Jewish journey. We spent some quality time exploring the city as a group during the morning. The programming ranged from: Faith and Feminism: The Power of Jewish Women; It’s Complicated: Your Relationship Status with Israel; On Your Way to Making Partner, Make Change; Prayer, Spirituality & The Art of Passion: Striving Higher and Searching Deeper; Securing the Tribe: Emerging Frontiers in Jewish Health and Wellness; and last but not least, Unscrolled: Are you Ready to Wrestle... with the Torah?

Everyone in the Omaha delegation split up and tried to go to a different seminar. Cari went to Faith and Feminism and Sarah attended Building a More Diverse and Inclusive Jewish Community. Angela went to the seminar called Securing the Tribe, because she wanted to connect her Judaism to her love of health and wellness.

There was a panel made up of Taryn Gluskin, Assistant Director of Jewish Genetics in Chicago; Eli Groner, Minister of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Israel; Mariah Kelly, Patient Affairs Liaison from Pfizer; Shomrat Shurtz, Senior Director of Protalix; Dr. Michael Wajnrajch, US Medical Director for Pfizer, Inc. and Pediatric Endocrinologist; and Jonathan Westin, Health Policy Director. Angela learned more about Jewish genetic diseases, testing, and treatments than she ever knew before. She never knew there were separate Jewish genetic diseases. We are the generation that can Continued on page 8

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Tribefest 2014 Continued from page 7 effect change and change Jewish history. One in four Ashkenazi Jews are carriers of a Jewish disorder. The Jewish disease they talked most about in this seminar was Gaucher Disease. It is treatable. Type 1 is most common and it affects the spleen and the liver. There are three types. In order to have Gaucher Disease, you must have two abnormal copies of the gene responsible for producing glucocerbrosidase, which breaks down the fatty substance glucocerbroside. One of those abnormal copies is the carrier. There are two options for treatment: ERT (Enzyme Replacement Therapy) or SRT (Substrate Reduction Therapy). SRT reduces the production of glucocerebroside. The goals are to reduce the size of the spleen and liver. Pfizer is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world and developed a drug called Protalix to help treat Gaucher Disease. The benefits are numerous with this drug: home infusions, infusions at work, guaranteed drug supply, reimbursement/insurance/copay services and patient mentors. They talked about how genetic testing can help identify at-risk people before reproduction occurs.

What is amazing about this drug is that they have been trying to produce human proteins from plant cells instead of animal cells in a bioreactor. They are all about quality control. The FDA approved this drug as Elelyso in 2012. The factory is in Northern Israel with 260 employees. In house, they perform research and development, product development, production and quality control. They have worked with Pfizer for five years. As spoken by Eli Groner: “U.S. Jews want to be services providers. Israelis are about earth, wind, and fire. They want to start something up. Innovation in Israel is a mindset.” Sitting in this seminar sparked Angela’s fire to get tested for Jewish genetic diseases she might be a carrier of.

After the last night mash-up and Networking opportunities with a variety of Jewish organizations, we went as a group to a New Orleans original restaurant, Jacques-Imo’s Cafe. This gave us the opportunity to share what we learned from the past couple of days. We were able to share experiences and talk about our own personal journeys and what goals we have once we return to Omaha.

Our final day was spent with more breakout sessions and closing programs. TribeFest also gave us the opportunity as Jewish females to participate in genetic testing. Angela and Sarah Linn went to the room for genetic testing. Cari came for moral support because she had been tested two years prior. We decided to take charge and make a change and change Jewish history. We wanted to know what we could possibly pass on to our children. The process was very precise. We walked into this large room with signs that said “Step 1, Step 2, etc.” We went through the tables in order. We were to give our insurance information, our medical history, whether we were Ashkenazi or Sephardic, and a lot of other information. They were very confidential and secure. We • • • • •• •• • •• • talked to a genetic counselor who told us what 19 diseases

Zach and Sarah Spooner

Josh Malina and Rachel Martin they were testing us for and what we can expect. All the information was fascinating. We got booklets explaining the diseases we were being tested for. We got our blood drawn.

Minutes of pinching, prodding, flicking and pumping later, we were done. Now we wait for 4-6 weeks for results that can possibly determine what our future family will be like.

Everybody should be tested: if not for yourself, to protect your future children. It could save you a lot of heartache.

Once you get tested, tell your family and the Jewish community. The more people get genetic testing, the more we can change Jewish history.

As the closing session ended, you can tell there was calm, a sense of belonging, and a new spark for our Jewish Identity that came over us. The spark was different for each of us, but as a result, we each were impacted in one way or another from this trip. We each had such an amazing experience and journey with one another, speakers, and meaningful Jewish experiences.

We grab our bags and head back to the airport; all very tired and sad that our trip was over, but feeling very rewarded about the opportunities and experiences we gained. As

we sit, we all know that having this experience is what will not only make us stronger Jews but also ones that want to get involved or get more active in the Jewish Community of Omaha. We want to thank the Herbert Goldsten Trust, the Sadie and Harry Kulakofsky Endowment Fund, Jerome Milder and Cheryl Cooper, Tom Fellman and the Jewish Federation of Omaha and everyone else who made TribeFest possible for the opportunities and an experience of a lifetime. This trip gave us individual and group memories and experiences we will never forget.

Sarah Spooner TribeFest 2014 was an experience that will be a part of me forever. I came back from New Orleans with more knowledge of and appreciation for my religion than ever before.

Over 1,500 Jewish Young Adults in one place at one time was something extraordinary. Looking around, each of us automatically knew we were appreciated, supported and loved by one another, even as strangers.

TribeFest encouraged us to explore our inner Jewish identity and learn from programs each day. Whether it was leadership development groups, Israeli Advocacy, Service Projects or mingling with young adults at Purim Mash-Ups, we were engaged every minute. We also heard stories from famous Jewish actors, well known doctors and reality show winners of how growing up in a Jewish household got them to where they are today.

One of the best nights of TribeFest took place on the streets of New Orleans. Picture this: 1,500 Young Jewish Americans. Our own police escort. Marching band playing.

New Orleans citizens acting as our very own paparazzi. I thought I was on top of the world. As I looked around, I saw the faces of my friends, new and old, smiling ear to ear, loving the moment just as much as me.

At that instant, in the middle of the streets, I realized I am a young woman with dreams. I am a young Jewish American woman who will accomplish my dreams. Every single one of us on that street understood, in that moment, what we were capable of with the support and inspiration TribeFest had given us. Now we can look back and be thankful for TribeFest bringing us together and inspiring us to look forward and achieve our dreams.

Amy Saylan TribeFest 2014 was an eye-opening experience and I cannot extend my gratitude enough to have been given this opportunity. As a tight-knit group, we were able to share our opinions on matters like current events, cuisine, religion and other aspects of Judaism. I was able to interact with 1000+ Jewish people from nationwide organizations, attend meaningful discussions and listen to dynamic speakers on their personal experiences about the importance of being Jewish and what it means to them. My TribeFest experience has showed me how important it is to continue staying active in my Jewish community and maintaining relationships with my Jewish peers.

ELDERFEST 2014 Thursday, April 17 Wayne City Auditorium — Starting at 9:00 am

A day-long celebration . . . especially for our friends 55 years of age and over.

Doors open promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Exhibits conclude at 11:30 a.m.

Entertainment from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Keep your money in your pocket...it's all FREE" FREE GIFTS, REGISTER FOR PRIZES, FREE FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT. FREE ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

The day typically ends with a free dance in the evening but this year ELDERFEST falls on Maundy Thursday so the FREE dance is postponed until May 1st and will be held at the Wayne City Auditorium beginning @ 7 p.m. Live music provided by the Burt Heithold band.

Your vision. Our experience.

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April 4, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

New old enemies

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Most of us talk regularly about Nazis in America. We tend to pay attention to the hate mongers, the anti-Semites who leave their nasty commentary on various news sites, and when a politician utters a racist thought, we sound the alarm. But we live in a world that is bigger than this country, and at the same time getting smaller by the minute.

It’s time to take a look at the European right wing, and what they are saying.

Golden Dawn: One of the more well-known right wing parties in Europe, Greece’s Golden Dawn was created in the 1980s, was registered as a political party in 1993 and collected 6.9% of the vote in 2012. Members of the party routinely beat on immigrants, but are rarely prosecuted; the government as a whole is more concerned with fixing the economy than worrying about the far right. That economy, particularly the austerity measures, forms a fertile breeding ground for xenophobia. Golden Dawn members regularly make visits to neighboring Cyprus to give talks to sister party Elam. Elam offers more of the same, but is not quite as popular as Golden Dawn. Yet. English Defence League: the EDL opposes the “spread of Islamism, Sharia Law and Islamic extremism in the United Kingdom.” Born as a street movement, it includes many football hooligans among its membership. Not surprisingly, the majority of demonstrations end in violence and arrests; there is no official list of members (estimates range from 15,000 to 25,000) because they are much too paranoid to keep track, and infighting among the leadership is rampant.

Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV): its name roughly translates

to Freedom Party, but the question is, freedom for whom?

Not for the Dutch Moroccan population, if we have to believe front man Geert Wilders. He has been quite open about his desire to kick every single Dutch citizen with Moroccan roots out of the country. In fact, it seems his only platform. Getting rid of an entire section of the population, by creating the illu-

sion that every problem in the Netherlands will be solved if they could just disappear, it’s an old refrain. It’s the sort of talk that begins in a beer hall and ends on a train car.

Front National: lead by Marine Le pen, daughter of infamous Jean-Marie Le Pen, it was founded in 1972 with the purpose of unifying various nationalist groups. Big on issues of law and order (reintroducing the death penalty was part of Le Pen senior’s platform), it deems immigration a mortal threat to civil peace in France. Daughter Marine has followed in her father’s footsteps with her anti-European Union stance,

wishes to close the borders and abandon the Euro. Her platform is passionately anti-Muslim, in favor of a secular society, but she has made overtures to Israel. And while the elder Le Pen was an old-fashioned Holocaust denier and hater of all things Jewish, Marine has distanced herself from that, and instead adopted her father’s language to go after Islam.

Vlaams Belang: the second attempt of the Flemish right wing, after predecessor Vlaams Blok was effectively shut down by the courts for incitement to racism and xenophobia.

VB wants Flemish independence, is anti-multiculturalism and a defender of “traditional Western values” (to Europeans, that’s code for ‘white’). Oh, and women who wear a hijab have "effectively signed their contract for deportation.”

“It is disheartening,” writes Dr. M. A. Bari on Platform.uk.org, “that a continent that has learned many lessons in such a hard way, is allowing itself to be influenced by the forces of intolerance and hate.”

What is even more disheartening is how easy it is, and how tempting, to make fun of these people. Whether these groups (and I’ve only mentioned the tip of the iceberg) hate Muslims or fill-in-the-blank, what they have in common is that irrational hate of others. The populist idea that if this “other” were gone, everything would be better is coupled with the conviction that it is perfectly okay to think this way and openly work towards it. In many countries, xenophobia is no longer something to be ashamed of, something to be whispered about at the kitchen table, with the drapes shut.

Because we are talking about Muslims, and Muslims are portrayed as scary, different, alien and unwanted. And that sounds much too familiar, and it should make us all cringe.

Can an Israeli-Palestinian business coalition push leaders to make a deal?

Focus on issues BEN SALES TEL AVIV (JTA) -- Two years ago, Israeli supermarket mogul Rami Levy invited Palestinian gas and oil magnate Munib al-Masri to one of his grocery stores.

A working-class boy who had become the West Bank’s wealthiest man, al-Masri already had turned his attention to a new challenge: encouraging a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the partnership was not to be.

Levy, the owner of the supermarket chain Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing, has three stores in Israeli West Bank settlements, and al-Masri decided he could not work with him in good faith. In Levy’s eyes, the West Bank franchises advance peace by employing Palestinians and fostering coexistence. Al-Masri, however, saw them as an impediment to the partnership.

Now the pair find themselves together anyway as part of a larger initiative of 300 Israeli and Palestinian businesspeople hoping to nudge their respective leaderships toward a peace agreement. Levy and al-Masri say they can coexist within the larger group, known as Breaking the Impasse, or BTI, despite the significant ideological gaps between them.

BTI was founded at the World Economic Forum in 2012, but launched its public campaign only recently. So far, BTI has engaged in a mix of public advocacy and quiet diplomacy, holding off-the-record meetings with Israeli and Palestinian ministers and placing large billboards in Israeli population centers touting the benefits of a peace deal.

Participants say their interest in the initiative isn’t strictly economic, though a peace agreement surely would bring substantial benefits to the business community. In particular, they say a deal would be key to curbing the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or BDS, that seeks to punish Israel economically for its treatment of the Palestinians.

“A lot of companies and states and academics want to invest, buy products and do joint academic research” with

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Israel, said Moshe Lichtman, former president of Microsoft Israel’s research and development center. “If we have an opportunity [for peace] and we miss it, it will have economic and business implications.”

In February, BTI ran a series of billboards featuring a large picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and slogans such as “Only with an agreement can we secure a Jewish and democratic state,” or “Without a peace agreement we won’t be able to lower the cost of living.” Each statement concluded with a message to Netanyahu: “Bibi, only you can do it!”

A parallel effort is underway to exert pressure on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but the Israeli and Palestinian members of BTI are operating independently in their respective spheres.

BTI members say that while they support a peace agreement that leads to two states, they won’t delve into the thorny details of major issues such as Palestinian refugees, the future of Jerusalem or final borders. Such questions, they say, should be left to the negotiators.

Sticking to broad slogans allows BTI to paper over substantial differences among its participants, but it also could present obstacles for the group should the particulars of an agreement come to light. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is slated to propose a framework for an agreement any day now.

“We know there are disagreements left and right,” said Michal Stopper-Vax, BTI’s CEO. “But if the prime minister signs an agreement, the majority of the group will be behind it.”

The differences between Levy and al-Masri point to the gaps even between Israelis and Palestinians who agree on the need for a two-state solution. Al-Masri talks about a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders, while Levy wants to keep all of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty. Al-Masri wants to offer each Palestinian refugee Israeli citizenship, a non-starter for most Israelis. And while Levy believes Palestinians aren’t fully prepared for a final deal, al-Masri believes Israel is “morally responsible” for the conflict.

Both men say that if their respective leaders sign an agreement, and both Israelis and Palestinians approve it in referen-

da, they won’t object. But the differences between them may make for a tenuous alliance. In February, some BTI members took out a full-page ad in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot touting the group’s message, but Levy chose not to sign on because it didn’t sufficiently address Israeli security concerns.

“We are not politicians,” Levy told JTA, echoing several other BTI members. “We don’t make the decisions. In a democratic state, the majority decides. No one can come and dictate if the majority says something else.”

Even before the latest round of negotiations began last July, skepticism abounded among both Israelis and Palestinians about the chances for a peace agreement. The American negotiating team appears to be struggling to bridge gaps between the sides on several major issues, but BTI participants say the talks may be Israel’s last good opportunity to end the conflict.

“Netanyahu has had a certain change of thought, that this is a historic decision,” said Lichtman, the former Microsoft executive. “He needs to feel that he has broad support.

There’s a lot of justification to be skeptical, but I think he’s ripe to make these decisions.”

Promoting economic cooperation has long been seen in some quarters as essential to buttressing a peace deal. But Bar-Ilan University political studies professor Shmuel Sandler says that if Netanyahu does push through to an agreement, it won’t be because of business interests.

Netanyahu is aware of the potential economic benefits of peace, Sandler says, but security concerns remain his top priority.

“Up until now, businessmen haven’t had influence,” Sandler said. For Bibi, the economy is important, but security is more important.”

Levy thinks Netanyahu will rise to the occasion. But if he doesn’t, Levy says BTI should keep advancing the same message.

“When we talk about negotiations, I’m always optimistic,” he said. “Sometimes I hear people say this is the last chance for peace. You can never say this is the last chance for peace.

You need to try your whole life.”

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10 | The Jewish Press | April 4, 2014

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885.

FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by an oneg with guest speaker, Milton Kleinberg, author, will discuss his book, Memories of my Childhood: During and After the Holocaust 1937-1951. The community is invited.

Miles Remer will officiate at all of the Speaker Series 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 Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m. We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Grant Jabenis, son of Dacia Jabenis and Jon Jabenis; Shabbat’s Cool, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: Kitchen kashering for Passover, 8 a.m., led by Men’s Club. All volunteers are welcome; Family Portrait Day, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., sponsored by the Young Adult Committee.

All families in the Jewish community are invited to sign up for a 20-minute photo session and will receive CDs of their photos. Cost per family, $75. To register, visit www.bethelomaha.org; BESTT Classes, 9:45 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m.; Sunday Scholar Series, 11 a.m., with Rabbi Joel Levy, Dean of the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem via satellite hook-up to discuss The Mysteries of Passover: Hidden Debates in the Pesach Seder. The entire community is invited; no charge to attend; BESTT Kitah Gimmel Consecration/ Siddur Celebration, 11:15 a.m. Second and third graders will be formally welcomed as students of Jewish study during a special ceremony. Students’ families are invited; USY/Kadima Chocolate Seder, 12:30-2 p.m. We will meet at Beth El and carpool to the home of Betsy Goodman, 14068 Pine St., for the program. Pick-up will be at Goodman’s home. Cost to attend, $5.

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

TUESDAY: Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham.

B’nai Mitzvah Adam Jay and Alec Davis, sons of Jim Folsom and the late Jill Folsom, will become B’nai Mitzvah on Saturday, April 5, at Te m p l e Israel.

Adam is an eighth-grade student at We s t s i d e M i d d l e School and Alec is a sevAdam Folsom Alec Folsom enth-grade student at Westside Middle School.

For their mitzvah project, Adam and Alec volunteered at Lydia House, to help those in need.

Adam and Alec would like to honor their mom, Jill, by contributing to the Jill Folsom Fund at Children’s Hospital.

Jill was an advocate for healing children and long-time volunteer.

Grandparents are Felicia and Stan Schrier.

Cameron Kully, son of Denese and Tim Kully, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, April 12, at Temple Israel.

Cameron is a seventh-grade student at Westside Middle School.

His interests include playing football, baseball, basketball and hockey.

He also enjoys swimming, being outdoors and hanging out with his friends.

For his mitzvah project, Cameron ran an animal supply drive which is raising supplies for animal rescue shelters.

He has two sisters, Sydney and Madison.

Grandparents are Leslie Kully, and Sophie and Larry Nicholson.

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

BESTT Hebrew High Classes, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel, for the program, Conflict Resolution: At Home, In Israel, and Around the World.

THURSDAY: YAC Cooking class at Whole Foods, 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Wendy Furst, wjfurst@ gmail.com, or Sonia Tipp, stipp0811@yahoo.com.

Beth El Judaica Shop Sale, through April 11. All Passover items will be 20 percent off. Shop hours are Sundays, 10 a.m.12:15 p.m., and Wednesdays, 3-5 p.m. or by appointment.

Community Second Seder, Tuesday, April 15: doors open at 6 p.m.; Seder begins at 6:15 p.m. For early-bird pricing, RSVP by April 4; reservations will not be accepted after April 10. Sign up online at www.bethel-omaha.org.

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 7:34 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit (Barchu), 9 a.m.; Mincha, 7 p.m.; Ma’ariv/Havdalah, 8:36 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Daf Yomi: Week in Review with Rabbi Gross, 7:45 a.m.

THURSDAY: Sacred Grounds, 9:30 a.m.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m. followed

by Kiddush lunch.

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.; Breakfast Bonanza, 9:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office.

WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 10 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak.

THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu.

All programs are open to the entire community.

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 Craig Lewis.

FRIDAY: Family Dinner, 6 p.m. hosted by Jayne Draper and Julie Moore, and Early Family Shabbat Service; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Leslie Delserone and Peter Mullin with sermon by Dr. Ken Wald.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Group meet to deliver Meals on Wheels, 10 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Metzora; Cantillation class, noon; Holocaust Remembrance Activities, 3-8 p.m. Lincoln High School students will read letters from the Wald family, who emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1939 to escape Nazi persecution and established a home in Lincoln.

Dr. Ken Wald will provide opening remarks.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan - Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Understanding Kabbala Adult Education Class, 12:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: Cantillation Class, 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 6:30 p.m. Intro to Judaism, Session led by Rabbi Lewis.

THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m.

Annual Community Passover Second Night Seder, Tuesday, April 15, 6 p.m. RSVP to the Temple office at 402.435.8004

Candlelighting Friday, April 4, 7:34 p.m.

or office@southstreettemple.org by Monday, April 7. Cost: Adults $15, Children ages 6-12 $7. No charge for children 5 and under or full-time college students.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: April First Friday with Kindergarten and Grade One: Teacher Appreciation Service, 6 p.m. followed by Dinner and Shabbat Lounge.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Adam and Alec Folsom, sons of Jim Folsom and the late Jill Folsom, will celebrate their B’nai Mitzvah.

SUNDAY: Sababa Sheva 7K Relay, 8 a.m., start at Beth El; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Non-Jewish Parents Raising Jewish Children, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel; Adult Hebrew, 11 a.m. with Elyce Azriel; Chess Tournament, noon. All ages and abilities welcome. $3 registration fee includes lunch. To register, email RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com. For questions, contact Dan Gilbert, dmgilbert@gmail.com.; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 1 p.m. at Temple Israel.

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

Contact the Temple office to RSVP; Adult B’nai Mitzvah: Hebrew Study wtih Na’ama, 6:30 p.m.; Rosh Chodesh, 6:30 p.m. We’ll be learning about how Jews of many lands make charoset. Bring an appetizer or dessert to share. Please let us know you are coming, rsvp@templeisraelomaha.com.

WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Community Wide High School Program, 6 p.m.; The Symbiotic of Science and Religion with Rabbi Brown, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Music in Transition, 10 a.m. with Cantor Shermet; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 7 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, Friday, April 11, 4 p.m.

Shabbat Service - StandWithUs Israeli Soldiers' Stories, Friday, April 11, 6 p.m.

OTYG Lock-in with JYG Eighth Graders, Saturday, April 12 – Sunday, April 13. Cost is $25 and includes all food and activities.

Passover Congregational Seder, Tuesday, April 15, 6 p.m.

Cost for adults is $25, $12 for children six to twelve years old. Reservations are required and made by contacting the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536 or rsvp@templeisraelomaha.com. Reservation deadline is April 11.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Lunch and Learn Session led by Gary Hill.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan - Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High Lite, 9:45 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Tifereth Israel Board Meeting, 2 p.m.; Holocaust Remembrance Activities, 3-8 p.m. Lincoln High School students will read letters from the Wald family, who emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1939 to escape Nazi persecution and established a home in Lincoln. Dr. Ken Wald will provide opening remarks.

WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Tot Shabbat with Ms. Jennfer, Friday, April 11, 6 p.m.

Join us for our Communal Passover Seders: Monday evening, April 14 and Tuesday evening, April 15. (see full story on page 11.)

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April 4, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

The Moral Leper

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Metzora Questions about the “leprosy” mentioned in this week’s Sidrah are, in modern times, of historical interest only.

Especially interesting to us are, first, the involvement of the Kohanim and second, the association of the illness with moral lapses and moral decay.

For the rabbis of the Midrash, the passages about the metzora, the leper, were already academic, as they are to us. The rabbis made the association between the physical and the moral through an ingenious play on words. “Metzora” they read as “Motzi Ra,” not a leper, but rather one who spews out evil.

Jewish history, unfortunately, has had to include defense against a long list of slanderers of Jews and Judaism over the centuries. And we have not finished.

Rabbinic Judaism offers an insightful remark about slander: it slays three. Who are the three? The slanderer himself, seat of the disease; his victim, who may become a target; and he who listens, who may contract the disease in mild or virulent form.

If I were to offer advice on how to combat anti-Semitic slander, it would have to take two tacks. One is the painfully long and arduous task of hammer-and-tongs answer of the slanderer, point by point. Our defense agencies undertake this task manfully, and often successfully. There is a second tack which we ought to take, and it derives from the treatment of the metzora in our Sidrah. He is treated, until cured, by quarantine.

Our answer might be not a logical refutation, but rather an open charge that the slanderer is morally diseased and must not be listened to. He is outside the bounds of civilized conduct, even when he is a thumping majority of the United Nations. He is a lynch mob in high places, a liar in control of communications, and a band of thugs in uniform. He is a menace to civilized living, and as a moral leper he must be quarantined.

Passover Sedarim at Tifereth Israel Congregation Tifereth Israel is offering two very different communal seder experiences this year. The first seder will be geared for our youngest members ages 2-12 and their extended families. This hands-on seder will tell the story through drama, song, and movement. The purpose is to engage children who might otherwise find it difficult to sit for long periods of time, yet provide a thorough understanding of why Pesach is an essential part of our story as Jews.

The second seder will be geared for members and their extended families who range in age from 13-113!

Individuals may attend either seder free of charge, but reservations, called in to the synagogue office at 402.423.8569 are needed by April 1 in order to ensure proper seating and the right amount of food!

We look forward to spending a Chag Pesach kasher and sameach with members, their families, and those in the Lincoln Jewish Community who would like to join us.

We are always excited to welcome old friends and new!

1439 So. 13th 402-341-2452

Frank L. Ciciulla, Jr.

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Typecast/Recast

by PEGGY REALL The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – Plains States Region hopes to start a conversation in the Omaha community about respect and understanding with an innovative public art exhibit, called Typecast/Recast. Located at the corner of 12th and Cass Streets in the north part of downtown Omaha, Typecast/Recast has been a two-year long project which will be introduced to the public at a free community event on Sunday, April 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with participating artists on hand to answer questions from the public and talk about their works. The exhibit will be on display through this fall.

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Temple Israel seder

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Each year, the highlight of Temple Israel’s Passover celebration is the second night seder, open to whomever wants to attend.

“The Passover Seder is one of the Jewish peoples’ most treasured traditions,” Program Director Wendy Goldberg said. “To this day, in every corner of the world, Jewish families come together to reconstruct that original Passover Seder, and they do so for a reason: to remember all that the Jewish people endured, but also to take stock of all that we now have.”

This year’s seder is Tuesday, April 15, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will include matzah ball soup, chicken, potato kugel, salad, chocolate-dipped macaroons for dessert, and all the traditional favorites such as charoset, gefilte fish and, of course, matzah.

Kids are advised to hone their detective skills in order to search for the afikoman.

“Passover is my favorite holiday,” Iris Ricks said. “We always do a seder with our family [on the first night]. I love to be able to celebrate with family and also celebrate with the community. I just love the rituals, I love the food, I love the seder itself. It’s just something we always like to do.”

Sharon Comisar-Langdon shares Iris’ enthusiasm for the holiday and always looks forward to attending the seder at Temple Israel.

“We love Temple’s seder and have attended a number of times,” she said. “We enjoy the Jewish experience, the community and the camaraderie. And the food is always terrific.”

Reservations for the seder are required, so be sure to contact the Temple Israel office at 402.556.6536 or email RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com by April 4 to reserve your seats. The cost of the dinner is: $25 for adults, $12 for children ages six-12, and no charge for children ages five and under.

Also, those who would like to attend a seder on the first night of Passover, or you have room for a guest, are asked to contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg, and she will help make arrangements.

Temple Israel is also offering a Passover morning service on April 15, beginning at 10:30 a.m. A concluding service and Yizkor will be held on Monday, April 21, also at 10:30 a.m.

Those who would like to have the names of loved ones read during Yizkor are asked to contact Temple Israel at 402.556.6536 or email mweidner@templeisraelomaha. com by April 18 with the names.

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A temporary, outdoor public art exhibit, Typecast/Recast will feature six commissioned works by regional artists Jarrod Beck, Jamie Burmeister, Charley Friedman, Avery Mazor and Paige Reitz, and a collaborative work by Andrew Conzett and Ryan Fisher. The ADL sought artists with experience working in the public realm and brought in experts from the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts to lead the selection process. From among more than 50 entries, the final installations were chosen for their power to challenge perceptions, deconstruct stereotypes, generate understanding and initiate dialogue within the Omaha community, and the works themselves represent a variety of artistic disciplines and styles. Installation of the six works will begin in early April.

“We wanted a unique way to reach our community to forge ideas of community awareness and of respect within this community,” said Alan Potash, Regional Director of the ADL. “Art opens the door for conversation. I am engaged daily in conversations concerning hate and bigotry, and I am always looking for ways to elevate the conversation.

Unlike other topics that tend to polarize, art is a neutral topic --there isn’t a wrong or right answer when talking about art. But it leads us to explore our ideas and the world around us.”

The ADL – Plains States Region’s objective for Typecast/Recast, which aligns with the organization’s mission, is to improve the culture of understanding in the community by using art to initiate crucial conversations -- some of them challenging or provocative, but always with an underlying message of hope. The project is designed to capture the interests of all and engage a diverse group of people, regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.

For more information, visit www.TypecastRecast.org.

To Submit obituaries to the Jewish Press: Email to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.

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12 | The Jewish Press | April 4, 2014

Journey to Bolivia: Moon goddesses and other oddities

by RICH JURO your wish becomes true, you must give gifts Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Rich’s in return. As a result, the Copacabana travel journal. The full text can be found at church became wealthy as people rewarded www.jewishomaha.org/jewish-press/ it with money, jewelry, livestock, or at least My wife Fran and I travelled to the only penance. Such was its fame that a chapel country in South America that we had not with another Virgin of Copacabana was seen: Bolivia. A landlocked country in the built on the Brazilian coast. That shrine later middle of the continent, Bolivia is a poor but beautiful nation with a rich history extending from the preColumbian people to today’s controversial Socialist government.

Heading south from Peru, we travelled along the coastline of Lake Titicaca. At an altitude of 12,500 feet, Lake Titicaca is the biggest lake in South America. It’s also the highest navigable body of water in the world for large ships. After going through customs at the frontier border, we arrived at Richard Juro sitting with his “same name cousin”, Ricardo, Copacabana, Bolivia, a town chief of the Uros Indians, and his family, on the floating reed of 6,000 mostly indigenous island that they live on in Lake Titicaca.

Amerindian people, on the western shore of gave its name to the beach. As far as other Lake Titicaca. famous Copacabanas, like the former nightYou might think the community was club in New York City, the Groucho Marx named for the famous Copacabana Beach in movie, or the Barry Manilow song, I assume Brazil, but actually it’s the reverse. The name their name came from the Brazilian beach “Copacabana” means either “view of the rather than the town in Bolivia, but maybe lake” in the local Aymara Indian language, not... or it may be derived from the name of the We boarded a hydrofoil ship that sped us mythological god of fertility of the Andes across Lake Titicaca. We stopped at the Mountains. After Spain conquered the area Island of the Moon. It was here that around 1550, a large Catholic church was Viracocha, the great creator god of the prebuilt in the lakeside village. The church’s Inca mythology, made the moon rise and Shrine of the Dark Virgin of Copacabana set. The natives, naturally, built a Temple of became revered. Requests asked of her the Moon. It was staffed only by carefully would seemingly be fulfilled. Under the chosen young women known, for some conlocal Aymara practice of “reciprocation”, if trary reason, as the "Virgins of the Sun".

They, of course, performed ceremonies dedicated to the solar god.

At the southern end of Lake Titicaca we visited a tribe of people who live a unique life-style.

Hundreds of years ago the Uro Indians were forced off their land by their neighbors, the Aymaras. Being fishermen, instead of fleeing the area, the Uros figured out a way to live right on the lake: they took thousands of the leafy reeds and laid them together to create new floating islands!

Bolivia had slavery until 1952. Serious discrimination against indigenous people existed until the 1990s. Nowadays, discrimination of any kind -- racial, gender, sexual preference, religion, etc. -- is punishable by law. The average income has risen from $150 to $450 per year. Bolivia is making progress politically and economically, but is still a very poor country. More than half the population lives below the poverty line.

Many of the doctors are from Cuba. In exchange, Bolivia sends rice. The important exports are natural gas and minerals like tin, zinc, silver and gold. President Morales renegotiated the contracts with the big mining companies so that Bolivia’s share of the value of the ores went from 11% to over 50%. Inflation is down to 5%, the gross domestic product shows a 5% increase, and unemployment is only 6%. But Bolivia is rated a lowly #163 out of 189 world economies as far as difficulty of doing business. So while internationally Bolivia leans left, inside the country it’s capitalist as well as socialist. Confusing to us, but it seems to be working. There is a USA embassy, but there is presently no American ambassador.

Next, we visited a large archaeological site.

The Tiwanuku culture lasted about 4,400 years, from 3000 B.C. to 1400 A.D. The digs have uncovered large temples, pottery, mummies, and even pyramids. 100,000 peo-

ple lived here in its heyday. There was advanced agriculture with irrigation.

Construction of buildings was done by fitting huge stone blocks perfectly together without mortar, a method that was passed onto the Incas that succeeded them.

We then drove across the high plateau to the city of LaPaz. In downtown LaPaz, 300year-old churches sit next to modern office buildings. The traffic is congested due to the narrow colonial streets and the increasing number of cars. The “Witches Market” consists of many small shops selling herbs, potions and other remedies to the believers and the curious.

Being Jewish, we tried to visit the local synagogue, Circulo Israelita. Although we had the exact address, our taxi driver had a lot of trouble finding it. Eventually we located the small brick structure. There was no identifying sign. An armed security guard sat outside in a little shack. He showed us that the building was completely locked up.

I wasn’t even allowed to take a picture of it.

Apparently, Jews are now few in number, and the house of worship, although still in use for Sabbath services, is not a safe place.

Ironically, when I asked Iver where most of the tourists to Bolivia come from, he told me adult Germans and young Israelis.

Thousands of backpackers in their twenties come from Israel to Buenos Aires, then make their way to Bolivia, and finally go on to Chile or Peru. Fran and I decided not to regress to our original tourism methods when we travelled around Europe on $5 a day (yes, you could really do it in 1966). We returned to our very nice hotel for our final night in Bolivia.

At an altitude of 12,500 feet, LaPaz is the highest capital city in the world. But the altitude also prevents departing airplanes from being in the sky for more than 2-3 hours.

Let Us Do the Work!

Passover to Go Brisket Roasted Chicken Charoset Gefilte Fish Loaf

1/2 pound 1/2 chicken 1 pound 3 pound loaf 8-10 servings Matzoh Ball Soup (2 Balls) 1 cup serving Sweet Potato Tzimmes 12 servings Matzoh Dressing 12 servings Mashed Potatoes 12 servings Roasted Vegetables 12 servings Chocolate Cake 1/4 sheet Apple Kugel 12 servings

$14.00 $9.00 $8.00 $18.00 $5.00 $25.00 $25.00 $18.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00

Please place orders by Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Contact Mike Aparo 402-334-6522 maparo@rbjh.com

Tyler Wolles 402-334-6523