April 11, 2008

Vol. LXXXVII No. 31 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 87 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

6 Nisan, 5768

April 11, 2008

Second district congressional candidates focus on war and the economy at JCC forum

Making matza the old fashioned way

AMERICA DECIDES 2008

by GARY JAVITCH Special to the Jewish Press

Families all over Israel have been making last minute preparation to ensure that their homes are ready for Passover, which, this year, begins after sundown on Saturday night, April 19. The stringent requirements for the festival make it a very expensive proposition, particularly for the less well off. Many charitable organizations are operating to ensure that the poorer members of the community are able to obtain Pesach food. In such places as Jerusalem and Bnai Brak, there are numerous supply points distributing basic commodities, such as matzot, fruit and vegetables. Many locations have set up vats of boiling water to enable people to kosher kitchen utensils by completely immersing them in the boiling water.

This is to ensure that there cannot be any chametz (leaven) remaining on the utensils. It is regarded as being particularly meritorious to bake ones own matzot, particularly for use at the seder meal. Above: Many families get together to prepare the traditional round shmura (watched over) matzot.

Credit: Edgar Asher of Isranet

Zamir Chorale performs at Carnegie Hall for Israel@60 Alberto Mizrahi and Lorna Wallach singing with HaZamir, the international Jewish high school choir. The concert told the story of Israel through the music and texts of the Jewish people. It began with the voice of the nation’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, proclaiming the creation of the state in 1947. Credit: Rachel Banai

Sixty years of Israeli history came alive in sound at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York. A concert on March 31 to celebrate the Jewish state’s birthday featured the Zamir Choral, pictured right, under the direction of maestro Matthew Lazar along with such notables as Theo Bikel, Debbie Friedman and Cantors Jacob Mendelson,

All the candidates vying for the Second Congressional seat, including current Congressman Lee Terry, and challengers Jim Esch, Steven Laird, and Richard N. Carter, will present their views at a Candidates Forum this Sunday, April 13, 2 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center.

The event is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the National Council of Jewish Women-Omaha Section, and the B’nai B’rith Henry Monsky Lodge -and will be fair, impartial and nonpartisan. “It will provide an opportunity for each candidate to address the issues and information which will benefit the voters, and will not promote a particular candidate,” according to Barbara Rennard, event organizer for the League.

A moderator will ask the candidates questions on a number of issues, including the economy and the Iraq War. “Each candidate will get the same question and will have up to two minutes to answer. The candidates will have five minutes for closing statements; in addition, members of the audience will be able to submit written questions,” she continued. The entire forum is expected to last about 75 minutes.

“We hope to see a good turnout this election year with no heir apparent waiting in the wings to compete for President. There is added interest in the upcoming local race because the last congressional election was relatively close in the second district,” added Nancy Jacobson, NCJW Vice President for Public Affairs and Education.

“The shared goal of our three groups is to provide voters an opportunity to find out where the candidates stand on the pressing issue of the day, especially on the economy, the war, healthcare, education and energy,” she added.

Rep. Terry and Laird are the Republican candidates; on the Democratic side, Esch and Carter will be expressing their views. The outcome will be determined by the primary to be held on Tuesday, May 13.

After their verbal sparring, Hagee and Yoffie may meet

by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Now that they’ve called each other disrespectful, Rabbi Eric Yoffie and the Rev. John Hagee are ready to meet and discuss their differences -- respectfully.

The two religious leaders have been squaring off for the past week.

Yoffie in a major speech April 2 called on Jews to dissociate themselves from Hagee and the organization he founded, Christians United for Israel, asserting that the pastor did not respect other faiths or the right of Israeli leaders to make territorial concessions.

Five days later Hagee, a San Antoniobased evangelical mega-church leader and arguably the country’s most influential Christian Zionist, fired back in a conference call with reporters.

“Rabbi Yoffie’s speech demonstrates not only a lack of respect for me but a troubling lack of respect for the truth,” he said Monday.

Hours after Hagee’s media call, however, both men were sounding a more conciliatory note.

Inside

Pastor John Hagee Credit: Christians United for Israel “I was told he was interested in meeting with me,” said Yoffie, the president of the Union of Reform Judaism, in an interview with JTA. “I’d be delighted to sit down and talk to him.”

Hagee’s spokesman, Juda Engelmayer,

Rabbi Eric Yoffie Credit: Union for Reform Judaism confirmed that the pastor was considering such a meeting.

Yoffie’s initial speech and the potential for a rapprochement come as Hagee is working to repel a tidal wave of negative publicity unleashed by his endorsement

This Week: From the seder plate to the dinner plate: Pages 10-11

See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’ Opinion Page see page 12

Pope to visit New York synagogue in historic visit: Page 2

last month of U.S. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Critics have called on McCain to distance himself from the endorsement, accusing Hagee of religious intolerance.

The controversy threatens to weaken Hagee, one of Israel’s most influential Christian supporters, while also supplying a boost to liberals who oppose the increasing willingness of Jewish organizations to work with him and other right-wing evangelicals on Middle East-related issues.

“Jews should not enter into alliances of any kind with those who do not speak respectfully of other faith communities,” Yoffie told the approximately 300 Reform rabbis who had gathered in Cincinnati last week for their annual convention.

“And sadly, tragically, Christian Zionist leaders have engaged in repeated attacks, expressed sometimes in shocking and unacceptable language, directed against other religious traditions. This is not a matter of highlighting differences in belief but of making use of overheated Continued on page 2

Coming Next Week: Passover issue Israel@60 Walk the Land for Israel’s 60th: Page 8

Beth El makes life easier for Omaha’s homeless: Page 16

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

Hagee and Yoffie may meet

Happy Passover Let us help you welcome Elijah into your new home next year.

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CLIP & SAVE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, APRIL 11 Understanding Jewish Mysticism, noon Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You, 4 p.m. at Remington Heights Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel SATURDAY, APRIL 12 Beth El Junior Congregation Spring Break, 4:30 p.m.

C L I P &

SUNDAY, APRIL 13 Men’s Club Yellow Candle Project, & kashering the kitchen for Pesah, 9 a.m. at Beth El Reading the Rambam Class, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El Involving the entire family in Passover, 10 a.m.

Visions Mystery Trip, 11 a.m.

Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing, 1 p.m.

Beyt Shalom Religious School, 1:30 p.m. at JCC Jewish Literature Identity and Imagination, 2 p.m.

NCJW Congressional Candidates Debate, 2 p.m.

Deli Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel Chabad Gala honoring Kirshenbaums and Yanneys, 5:30 p.m. at KANEKO

S A V MONDAY, APRIL 14 E CJE Committee Meeting, 7 p.m.

C L I P & S A V E

Beginning Hebrew, 7 p.m.

Womens Seder, 7 p.m.

Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 15 Hebrew Lunch ‘n Learn, 12:15 p.m. at Temple Israel Foundation Meeting, 4 p.m.

BBYO Council Installations, 6 p.m.

Budget & Allocations Committee Meeting, 6 p.m.

Parshah Roundup, 7 p.m. at Chabad Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel CJE “Eye on Israel” Evening Edition, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16 CDC Passover Seder, 10 a.m.

Foundation Meeting, 4 p.m.

Leslie J. Klein Art Reception, 5 p.m.

C L URSDAY, APRIL 17 I Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. atTHBeth Israel P Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Insights and Values from the Torah, noon Beth El Kripke Library Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m.

& Yiddish Group, 1 p.m.

Women’s Book Group, 1:15 p.m. at Beth El JSS Concert, 1:30 p.m.

Beth El Clergy at Remington Heights, 1:30 p.m.

JFS Love & Logic Classes, 6 p.m.

Class with Rabbi Gross, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

S A V E All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437.

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)

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Continued from page 1 rhetoric that spews hatred and vitriol toward the Muslim and Catholic faiths.”

The anti-Catholic charge especially irked Hagee, who delivered prepared remarks during the conference call.

Hagee denied reports that he had referred to the Catholic Church as “a great whore,” a “false cult system” and an “apostate church.” When using such terms, Hagee added, he had been referring to all Christian antiSemites, whatever their denomination.

The pastor did not address claims that in the past he had said some intolerant things about Islam, including his reported assertion that the Koran instructs Muslims to kill Jews and Christians. After the call, a Hagee spokesman said the pastor distinguishes between Islam and radical Islam.

Yoffie told JTA that he would go back to the sources to see whether he had plucked any of these statements out of context.

“I would be delighted if we could agree” on treating other faiths with respect, the rabbi said.

A powwow with Hagee would hardly be the first time Yoffie, a staunch liberal and Zionist, met with an ideological foe. He delivered a major address last year at the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, and in 2006 he gave a speech at Liberty University and met with its founder, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, a top Christian conservative.

Yoffie’s boldest step last month was his call for Jews to stop attending the “Nights to Honor Israel” that have been Hagee’s key triumph.

Christians United for Israel, the pro-Israel organization that Hagee founded, says the nights have raised tens of million of dollars since he launched them 25 years ago at his church.

Since its founding two years ago, CUFI has held 75 such events across the country, often working with local Jewish groups. Jews who attend the events report being bathed in goodwill and encouragement.

Even with the recent controversies, Hagee still commands strong support within the Jewish community.

Lee Wunsch, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, who joined Hagee on his current Israel tour, sent an e-mail to constituents urging them to give the pastor the benefit of the doubt.

“I know that Pastor Hagee has encountered his share of public criticism these last weeks and months. He and I have discussed some of these criticisms,” wrote Wunsch, whose federation has received support from Hagee. “I must tell you from the bottom of my heart that I believe that he has been maligned by the press and unduly criticized by some in the Jewish community that cannot accept his unconditional love and support for Israel.”

On the national level, Hagee has strong ties with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He delivered a keynote address last year at the pro-Israel lobby’s annual policy conference, and CUFI leaders consulted with AIPAC officials in structuring the Christian Zionist organization’s lobbying blitzes.

AIPAC did not comment.

Yoffie acknowledged the feel-good aspect of the CUFI events, but said negatives deriving from Hagee’s outspoken opposition to a two-state solution, as well as the pastor’s reported bromides against Muslims and Roman Catholics, made such alliances dangerous.

“I have listened to my colleagues who have chosen to do otherwise and have tried to understand,” Yoffie said in his speech in Cincinnati. “But my view is that most of the time, these evenings will not increase our political clout.

They will reduce our political clout and drive away our allies. And I cannot accept the argument from Jewish leaders that they can endorse CUFI events, appear as speakers at these events, accept CUFI money and still distance themselves from the positions that CUFI embraces.”

In supporting Israel, Yoffie said, CUFI “rejects a twostate solution, rejects the possibility of a democratic Israel, and supports the permanent occupation of all Arab lands now controlled by Israel.”

He added, “If implemented, in fact, these views would mean disaster for Israel, and would lead to diplomatic isolation, increased violence and the loss of Israel’s Jewish majority.”

Hagee acknowledged skepticism regarding territorial compromise but said that above all, he heeded Israel’s government.

“It is true that I and many other Christian Zionists have grown skeptical of territorial concessions after watching the results of Israel’s withdrawals from Southern Lebanon and Gaza,” he said. “However, CUFI’s fundamental philosophy from day one has been that Israelis and Israelis alone have the right to make the existential decisions about land and peace.”

Answering a question from JTA about what he and other CUFI activists raise in their lobbying meetings with U.S. lawmakers and administration officials, Hagee said Iran was the priority issue.

“When meeting with lawmakers or government officials concerning Israel, our primary focus is to support economic sanctions against Iran in the hope that Iran will abandon its nuclear agenda,” he said.

Yoffie said such claims were disingenuous.

“This is a matter of public record,” he said. “We’re not talking about a statement here or there by him, by employees of CUFI, by board members. Their position has been clear and unequivocal: no territorial compromise.”

Hagee retains close ties with settlers: He spoke on the phone with reporters from Israel, where he had distributed $6 million, including a contribution to the West Bank town of Ariel. He also led a march through Jerusalem, where he made clear his opposition to any deal involving the city, although the current government has suggested such compromises are inevitable.

“Turning part or all of Jerusalem over to the Palestinians would be tantamount to turning it over to the Taliban,” Hagee said at a Jerusalem rally.

Still, Yoffie told JTA, if Hagee’s “central message on territorial compromise is that Israel needs to decide, I would welcome it.”

Pope plans to visit synagogue during upcoming U.S. trip

by BEN HARRIS Pope Benedict XVI will make a historic visit to a New York synagogue the day before Passover. On April 18, Park East Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side will become the first American Jewish house of worship to host a papal visit.

A report in the Milan Pope Benedict XVI daily Il Giornale said the Credit: Fabio Pozzenbom for pope will meet at the synAgência Brasil agogue with its rabbi, Arthur Schneier, and a group of Jewish children.

Separately, the pope is due to meet with Jewish leaders the day before, April 17, in Washington.

“He’s going to offer Passover greetings to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel,” Schneier told JTA. “It’s a message of goodwill and we should welcome it.”

Schneier said the idea for the synagogue visit arose when he “happened to be at the Vatican” discussing the pope’s American trip. The rabbi would not say whether the suggestion came from him or the Vatican.

The visit, part of the pope’s six-day visit to New York and Washington beginning April 15, comes at a fraught moment in Jewish-Christian relations.

Last year the pope allowed the reintroduction of a cen-

turies-old prayer for the conversion of the Jews, a move that sparked fears of a major setback in Catholic-Jewish relations. A revised version, released by the Vatican in February, removed some of the prayer’s most incendiary parts but retained the call for Jewish conversion.

The pope presented the prayer’s reintroduction as an attempt at “interior reconciliation in the heart of the Church,” a reference to traditionalist Catholics who never accepted the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. But to Jewish ears the prayer -- part of the Latin, or Tridentine, Mass -- suggested a departure from the Catholic Church’s Vatican II reforms, including the landmark document Nostra Aetate, which absolved the Jews of culpability for the killing of Jesus and recognized the Jewish covenant with God. That explanation may be forthcoming, according to Rabbi David Rosen, who told JTA this week that the Vatican was preparing to issue a letter aimed at easing Jewish concerns that the Church wants to convert them.

“If we have confirmation that it is an epistemological prayer and implies no change in Jewish-Catholic relations, then I think we should be content with that and continue dialogue as before,” said Rosen, the chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations.

The pope is also scheduled to hold masses at Nationals Park in Washington and Yankee Stadium in New York, in addition to a meeting with President Bush at the White House, a prayer stop at ground zero in Lower Manhattan and an address to the United Nations.

April 11, 2008

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 3

Clinton campaign launches Jewish outreach in Pennsylvania AMERICA DECIDES 2008

by LISA HOSTEIN

percent. The differential falls within the 6 percent margin of error for the 368 Jews who were interviewed.

Ann Lewis, the senior adviser to Clinton who is directing Jewish outreach in the campaign, dismissed the latest Gallup Poll.

“I know she is doing very well with Jewish voters,” Lewis told JTA, before addressing an intimate luncheon gathering of area rabbis. She added wryly: “Sometimes, the polls have been a little off this election season.”

At the same time, a group of Jewish Pennsylvanians supporting Obama issued an open letter explaining their

PHILADELPHIA (JTA) – U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign for president launched a Jewish outreach effort in Pennsylvania this week, emphasizing her track record on issues of concerns to Jewish voters.

Jews “don’t have the luxury to decide if someone may be OK down the road,” Marcel Groen, the chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party, said Tuesday at a gathering of Jewish communal and organizational leaders in Philadelphia.

“We have one candidate we know, the other we don’t,” Groen said, referring to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who is behind in the polls as Pennsylvania heads toward its April 22 priBarack Obama and Hillary Clinton court Jews in Pennsylvania prior to the April 22 primary. mary.

Credit: JTA Staff The Jewish outreach comes as both campaigns are intensifying their efforts in support for the Illinois senator.

Among the signatories were a few rabbis and two Pennsylvania. The outcome of the primary will likely play a key role in determining whether Clinton has a Jewish representatives to the Pennsylvania state chance to clinch the Democratic nomination, given that Legislature -- Josh Shapiro and Daylin Leach.

“Senator Obama has earned our respect and gratitude she is trailing Obama in pledged delegate support.

Clinton is widely expected to win the state, but the because of his support for traditional Jewish values and question is how big her margin will be. Her supporters his commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Israel,” say she needs to pull off big numbers and do well in the the letter said.

The letter also lauded Obama’s recent speech in which remaining primaries and caucuses to give her enough momentum to convince the superdelegates -- who most he repudiated the views of his controversial pastor, the likely will determine the outcome -- that she is the right Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., and compared support for Obama to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s famous choice for the Democratic nom ination.

The outreach also comes as a national Gallup Poll last description of marching for civil rights in Selma as “prayweek showed the gap narrowing between Clinton and ing with his feet.”

“We have each chosen to pray with our feet and stand Obama among Jewish voters.

A poll of American Jews in November had showed with Barack Obama because he is sensitive to the issues Clinton with a much higher approval rating than of the Jewish community and a stalwart supporter of Obama, but the recent Gallup Poll found a tight race Israel,” the letter said.

While Obama’s campaign is continuing to attract among Jews, with Clinton winning 48 percent to 43

Jewish support, Clinton is favored by most of the state’s Jewish political and communal heavyweights. Her list of supporters includes Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz and the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Leonard Barrack.

Lewis, saying that she personally signs off on all official communication to the Jewish community, insisted the Jewish-targeted e-mail and Internet attacks on Obama focusing on advisers with a critical view of Israel and his pastor are not emanating from campaign headquarters.

And publicly at least, Clinton’s Jewish point people are emphasizing her positive attributes.

“On every issue of importance to us – from the domestic agenda we call tikkun olam [repair of the world] to the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Clinton is “not just supportive, but she is a leader,” Lewis said to both the rabbis and the communal leaders in Philadelphia.

“It’s not just what she says but what she does,” she added.

Lewis cited as specifics her efforts to bring attention to anti-Israel, anti-Semitic Palestinian textbooks and to gain entry for Magen David Adom to the International Red Cross.

Pressed to distinguish Clinton from Obama on specific issues, Lewis cited Iran. She reiterated Clinton’s position that she would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Noting that Clinton sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lewis said the candidate is “for diplomacy and engagement, but it has to be smart.”

Lewis chided Obama’s statement that he would sit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his first year in office.

“You don’t give away a meeting with the president of the United States” without first requiring a change in behavior, she said.

As they launched their statewide outreach effort, which includes at least eight more events in the next two weeks, Clinton’s backers scoffed at the notion that Clinton should drop out early, before the remaining 10 primaries and millions of voters have had their say.

“The notion that Hillary should step aside is outrageous,” Schwartz told the communal leaders.

They outlined a strategy that focuses on taking Pennsylvania and the remaining contests, showing the superdelegates that having won in most of the big swing states, Clinton is the one who can beat Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in November.

As Mark Aronchick, a prominent Philadelphia attorney and chairman of Clinton’s Pennsylvania finance committee, put it, “The only question that matters to superdelegates is who will win in November.”

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

New therapist at JFS makes a great addition to the team

by ANDREA BARTMAN for Jewish Family Service Bruce Myers, the new Outpatient Mental Health Therapist at Jewish Family Service is anything but new to his trade or the other staff members of JFS. With over 26 years of experience in the fields of social work, mental health and community outreach, he’s the perfect fit for the job. He also walked into his new position with an already-up-and-running level of familiarity with his co-workers at JFS. Myers began his journey as an undergraduate at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls where he received his BA in Social Work and, through a volunteer opportunity, got his early experiences in outreach to others. He began this volunteering as a tie-in to course requirements and worked with a mentoring program for juvenile offenders. “It was good experience because I worked with people from a lot of different backgrounds,” he

comments. This and other early experiences set him on a path that, over the years, has provided him with varied experiences and rich opportunities to affect the lives of others for the better.

Some of those experiences include clinical supervision, in-home and outpatient therapy, family preservation and more.

He continued his education at the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana where he received his Masters Degree in Social Work with emphasis in community mental health.

Myers describes his schooling on ecological theory and how he applies it to his therapy sessions: “We are a product of our environment,” he states, and then goes on to say that counseling a person cannot exclude environmental factors like what kind of conditions they’re living under and what relationships in their life may be affecting their own actions. He focuses on counseling a person with

regard to what has work in collaboration brought them to the place with the other therapists they are in now. here because we staff At JFS, Myers is percases weekly. It’s very forming family, individual productive.” This spirit of and couples therapy. working together for the best interest of all clients “Clinically speaking, I is precisely why he ended have worked with a lot of up at JFS. youth and families. I’m a Myers ran into Gustafson clinical social worker by at a recent professional trade,” he comments. A event and she asked him previous position in famito call about her opening ly preservation brought at JFS. A perfect fit for the him into contact with Bruce Myers therapists from other team, Myers was brought agencies including Karen Gustafson, on board. “When you’re working with Director of Jewish Family Service, and other professionals, you have to be honest others who are now also at JFS. “Back and upfront about your weaknesses with then we did some good work and it was a the case or otherwise you don’t grow,” he lot of fun. Part of therapy in a smaller says. “This is a real opportunity for growth office like this is getting along with the in therapy.” It’s also a real opportunity to other therapists,” he says. “What I really provide the very best services to the Jewish like about this job is that I’ll be able to community. A win-win for all involved.

Interfaith couples invited by Temple for an evening of Japanese cuisine

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator “It’s nice to go to things with people your own age who have similar backgrounds,” said Sarah Schroeder. She and her husband Shawn have attended events sponsored by Temple Israel’s interfaith couples group such as a game night and an evening at the Fox and Hound Pub and Grill. “They were fun and enjoyable,” she added. She also appreciated the informal opportunity to talk “about people’s interfaith experiences.”

Coming up on Thursday, April 17, 6:30 p.m., interfaith couples are invited to meet for appetizers (compliments of Temple Israel) and drinks at Hiro Sushi,

known for its Japanese cuisine. A blend of modern and traditional design, the restaurant, at 3655 No. 129 St., is a comfortable place to meet and spend a casual evening with friends.

For those who wish to stay for dinner, the restaurant serves traditional favorites such as teriyaki beef as well as more exotic dishes like nabeyaki udon. Entrees are prepared right before the diners’ eyes. A full

Chinese menu is also offered.

RSVP to Nikki Kirshenbaum at 965.8935 or at nrkirshe@cox.net. All interfaith couples are welcome.

At left: Dave and Kim Stern, standing, Adam and Nikki Kirshenbaum, and Ann Osborne (with her husband Don who is not pictured) were among those who attended Temple’s Interfaith Couples event at the Fox and Hound Pub and Grill in October.

EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press will be closed Monday, April 21 for Passover. The Passover issue publishes April 18. The deadline for the April 25 issue is Wednesday, April 16, 9 a.m.

Questions? Call 402. 334.6448.

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April 11, 2008

Temple congregational seder provides “warm, family atmosphere”

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator There are numerous reasons why people attend the congregational Passover seder at Temple Israel. Some are looking for a family atmosphere, because they don’t have relatives in the area. Others attend a congregational seder, because it’s convenient in that the work and cleanup are done by someone else. Others like to hear the rabbis and the cantor lead the ceremonial service.

Suzy Crabb, who will be attending this year’s congregational seder, on Sunday, April 20, 6 p.m., at Temple, indicated that “a big reason why we attend is because we have no family in town.”

She and her husband Ian and their son, Michael, 18,

also “thought it was tremendously convenient, because the Temple does so much of the work -- preparing the meal and organizing the seder. And it’s a chance to partake of a seder with comments from the rabbis and music with the cantor. I was very pleased that the seder was a good mix of music and prayer. The enthusiastic leadership created a warm atmosphere.”

Bittner mentioned that it’s ok to go to the seder by yourself. “I met some old friends and was able to make some new ones.”

Leslie Kully came last year with her son Tim and his family, and Leslie’s father Irv Forbes. “We went as a family, because my grandson Cameron is now in kindergarten and is learning about Passover at preschool and at

Getting ready for the “real thing,” Chloe Ray, and her grandmother, Jeanine Goldberg, attended the second grade model seder at Temple Israel on March 30.

Bernie Tompkins and Kate Kirshenbaum, grandparents of Kathleen Kirshenbaum, are helping her prepare for Passover, too.

and daughter Rebecca, 16, brought a new member couple with them “as our guests. It was great,” Crabb said.

“It was just the right length, and we really enjoyed it.

The food was good, and we felt really comfortable. We really enjoyed seeing so many little kids looking for the afikomen. That wouldn’t have happened at our house! It was also another opportunity for my family to be part of the Jewish community.”

Marvin Bittner has attended numerous congregational seders at Temple. It’s not always convenient for him to travel to homes of relatives who live out of town. He

Religious School. It’s important to go to Temple for something like this. We all enjoyed it very much.” She added, “It’s important for my father to be there with our family.”

A traditional seder meal and a vegetarian option will be served. The charge for adults is $19, $8 for children in sixth grade and younger. no charge for two-year-olds and younger. Checks are due at the office by Friday, April 11. After that, the charge increases to $22 for adults and $11 for children.

Visiting scholar to focus on Jewish refugees in the Dutch West Indies

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Administrator, Center for Jewish Education Dr. Oscar Lansen has extensively researched the experiences of Austrian and German Jews who escaped Europe during World War II but were interned in the Dutch West Indies despite the efforts of the local Sephardic Community to free them. On Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m., Lansen will talk about his research at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library The talk, “Children of One Father: Sephardim Efforts to Free Their Co-Religionists in the Dutch West Indies 1940-1945”, will focus on the lives of Jewish refugees who resettled in the Dutch West Indies. What they thought would be a safe and secure land became an inhospitable situation as they were treated as enemies in their new home.

Lansen will be visiting Omaha at the invitation of Dr. Moshe Gershovich, Associate Professor of History at the University of Nebraska Omaha. While at UNO, he will meet with faculty members of the Department of History and give workshops on teaching history more effectively.

“I first met Oscar last November at a pedagogical workshop in Denver,” says Gershovich. “I was very impressed with him both as an engaging speaker and as a scholar. The story he is going to share is not known to many and I am sure everyone will learn from his talk.”

Dr. Lansen is a Senior Lecturer, Undergraduate Coordinator, and Honors Director at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. His research interests include a focus on the Holocaust and Jewish refugees in the Netherlands and the Dutch West Indies. Dr. Lansen’s current research includes a multi-year project on Jewish refugee migration and colonial refugee policy during the Second World War. This lecture, presented by the Center for Jewish Education, is open to the community, at no charge. For information, please call 334.6445.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Nancy Rips will speak at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, April 16, noon, at Regency Lodge, according to Gary Javitch, chairman. The Omaha storyteller has authored a new book: Seder Stories. Included in the book are the names of some nationally-known Jews as well as some prominent Omahans. Copies will be available for purchase. All men and women in the community are invited. Cost is $13 for a complete lunch and $3 for beverage service only. Due to the Passover holiday, there will be no Breadbreakers on Wednesday, April 23.

WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the bunch to lunch day trip to the China Road on Thursday, please meet at the JCC by 10:45 a.m. Return to the JCC for the violin concert with Linda Pallard. For transportation, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. If you have any Yiddish books to donate, please call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.

VISIONS Reminder: for those members going on the Mystery Tour on Sunday, please be at the JCC by 10:45 a.m. for 11 a.m. departure. For information, call Harry Alloy at 697.8709.

JEWISH SENIOR SERVICES Join us for a special concert by violinist Linda Pallard, a member of the Omaha Symphony on Thursday, April 17, 1:30 p.m., at the JCC. Pallard will perform a variety of classical music, as well as Jewish ethnic and Eastern-European selctions. There is no admission charge. For information, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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StandWithUs (SWU) the six-year old, international, nonprofit Israel education organization is excited to announce that it is accepting applications for the SWU Emerson Fellowship for the 2008-09 academic year from students on U.S. and Canadian campuses. The deadline is June 1.

SWU Emerson Fellows will run educational programs about Israel on their campus. They will attend SWU’s annual International Conference, “Israel in Focus,” and training seminar where they will hear from experts who will focus on skills and facts to help clarify Israel’s image on campus, combat anti-Israel propaganda, build coalitions and deal with the media. Throughout the year, Fellows will liaison with chapter coordinators and have access to SWU’s resources and a worldwide network of students to communicate and collaborate with.

Emerson Fellows receive a stipend. They are eligible to participate on the StandWithUs Taglit Birthright Israel trip, or be chosen to intern at the StandWithUs office in Israel in the summer of 2009. It is funded by philanthropists Rita and Steve Emerson.

For more information on the StandWithUs Emerson Fellowship, and to apply: http://standwithuscampus. com/?page_id=45 MIT’s Jerusalem 2050 Program, a joint initiative sponsored by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Center for International Studies, announced today the winners of its global Just Jerusalem competition. The open contest sought proposals that addressed different aspects of urban life in a futurist Jerusalem. Participants were asked to look beyond the current nation-state conflict and, instead, focus on ‘just’ the city as a place where, by mid-century, its citizenries co-exist in peace.

More than 1,150 people representing 85 countries registered for the competition. Of that number, more than 125 eligible proposals were submitted by the Dec. 31, 2007, deadline. The proposals were blind-reviewed by a world-class jury that convened at MIT last month, including many members of the Silverman family of Omaha. The project was made possible through the financial support of former Omahan Jeffrey Silverman, an alumnus of MIT; and other individuals and institutions.

Four winning entries and seven honorable mentions were selected. Students, professionals, practitioners and others who care about Jerusalem were among the winners. The selected proposals, or their authors, hail from all over the world: Malaysia, Austria, the United States, India, Israel, Palestine, China, England, Australia, and Greece. The top winners will receive visionary fellowships at MIT where they will engage in interdisciplinary discussion about the implementation of their ideas.

“The Just Jerusalem competition addresses one of the greatest challenges of our times: the elusive peace between Israelis and Palestinians. To that end, the winning entries offer hopeful, creative, and passionate ideas for potentially altering daily life in Jerusalem in small and large-scale ways,” said Diane Davis, director of Jerusalem 2050, professor of political sociology, and

head of the International Development Group in the Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. More than 320 people gathered at the Scott Conference Center Feb. 9, for the “A Work of Heart” Valentine Gala, a fundraiser benefiting Voices for Children in Nebraska. More than $77,000 was raised to fund continued advocacy on behalf of children facing abuse, neglect, hunger and poverty conditions. In addition, the “Making a Difference for Children” awards were presented to three worthy recipients.

Carol and Steven Bloch, right, served as the honorary chairmen, along with their children, Jennifer and Scott Meyerson and Melissa and Michael Bloch (not pictured).

Founded in 1987, Voices for Children in Nebraska is a statewide nonprofit child advocacy organization committed to building a powerful and effective voice for all Nebraska’s children through research, public education and advocacy. For more information, visit: www.voicesforchildren.com .

The 2008 Nebraska Book Awards program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book (NCB), will recognize and honor books that are written by Nebraska authors, published by Nebraska publishers, set in Nebraska, or relate to Nebraska.

Books published in 2007, as indicated by the copyright date, are eligible for nomination. They must be professionally published, have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and be bound. Books may be entered in one or more of the following categories: Nonfiction, Fiction, Children/Young Adult, Cover/Design/ Illustration, Anthology, and Poetry.

Certificates will be awarded to the winners in each category. Award winners will be announced at the Nebraska Center for the Book's Annual Book Festival, October 18, 2008, in downtown Lincoln.

The entry fee is $40 per book and per category entered. Deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. Entry forms are available from the Nebraska Library Commission home page, www.nlc.state.ne.us, or contact Mary Geibel, 402.471.2045 or 800.307.2665.

Enter by sending the form, three copies of the book, and the entry fee to NCB Book Awards Competition, Nebraska Library Commission, The Atrium, 1200 N St., Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023.

Eat to your heart’s delight at Temple Israel’s deli night for being present at the most

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel deli nights of any Temple Communications Coordinator employee.

When you make plans for For dessert, could there be dinner Sunday night, how a more perfect finale than do matzo balls, kreplach New York-style cheesecake (cherry topping upon soup authentically prepared request)?

by Denise Meyers, and With help from Temple Dennis DePorte’s bubbe’s Men’s Club and Women of chopped liver sound? That’s Reform Judaism, Executive only the beginning of what Director Dennis DePorte the Temple Israel Deli Night will be in the kitchen ensuron Sunday, April 13, 5-7 ing that everyone’s order is p.m., has to excite your flawlessly filled. But even if appetite. yours is not, the underpaid Try a classic Rabbi Aryeh Azriel sandwich piled high (actually, unpaid) wait staff with corned beef, pastrami, will appreciate your generand tongue; the Rabbi Eric ous tip!

Linder jazzy corned beef and You’ll think you’re in a New York deli (if just for one night) All gratuities and proceeds turkey topped with cole slaw; when Dennis DePorte and his crew offer a tantalizing menu go directly to Temple Israel the Cantor Wendy Shermet at Temple’s Deli Night. projects. If you can’t be subtly saucy turkey sandwich with whipped cream cheese there, don’t worry. Carryout service is available. The and chives; or turkey and corned beef with Russian dress- community is welcome; reservations are requested but ing named after Lonnie Williams, who holds the record not required. Please call the office at 556.6536.

April 11, 2008

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Masterworks Choir, the adult choir of the Nebraska Choral Arts Society, will hold an open house on Monday, April 14, 7-8:30 p.m. Masterworks is an auditioned mixed choir with members ranging in ages from 18 to 80. Any interested persons should contact Masterworks President, Holly Weill at 213.3114 for location and more details. Auditions will be held in May for the 2008-09 concert season. For more information on NCAS please visit the website at http://www.choirmusic.org.

Omaha Performing Arts has announced its 2008/09 Omaha Performing Arts Presents season, which features a wide range of classical, jazz, dance, popular entertainers and Broadway Across America performances at the Holland Performing Arts Center and the Orpheum Theater. The schedule of events also includes the expansion of the À La Carte Series, a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Holland Center, and a special performance featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

“I’m proud to announce the fourth season of Omaha Performing Arts Presents, a season filled with remarkable performances,” said Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts. “It is a wonderfully diverse range of artists and ensembles, including classical music sensations The 5 Browns; the ever-popular Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby; stage and television entertainer Bill Cosby; the stunning Aspen Santa Fe Ballet; Canadian-born singer and songwriter, k.d. lang; Broadway’s recent Blockbuster, Wicked; and a New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.”

Omaha Performing Arts Presents subscription packages are available for purchase; subscriptions range from $57 to $205, depending on the series. For more information about packages, or to purchase a subscription, contact Ticket Omaha, located inside the Holland Performing Arts Center at 13th and Douglas, by calling 402.345.0606, or toll-free at 866.434.8587 or visiting www.ticketomaha.org.

Chicago 10, the story of the Chicago Conspiracy trial (following the 1968 Democratic convention) told through a mixture of archival footage, 3D-animated reenactments, and a blazing soundtrack ranging from Black Sabbath and Steppenwolf to the Beastie Boys and Eminem, opens April 18 at Film Streams downtown theater, 14th and Webster. For ticket information and times, visit www.filmstreams.org. The non-profit film organization was written up by former Omahan Eric Konigsberg in “When Omaha met Cinema” in the March 16, 2008, issue of the New York Times.

April 18th & 19th Fri., 4-9 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

Israeli wine today PEOPLE OF THE

BYTE

by MARK MIETKIEWICZ Do a search or two about Israeli wine and you are bound to trip over phrases about how it is “neglected,” or “underrated” or “finally coming into its own.” But to tell you the truth, I found the same phrases years ago when I first wrote about Israeli wines and the Internet. The question is whether anything has really changed. Today a virtual tasting of today’s Israeli wines.

Most of the big, medium and boutique brands have informative websites extolling the virtues of their vines and winemaking. For a bit of perspective, I recommend a different approach. When you read HaKerem: The Israeli Wine Blog, you feel like you are get an insider’s taste of the industry from knowledgeable and critical writers. The tone is upbeat but they aren’t afraid to be critical, too. An added bonus: you can’t beat the extensive list of links to Israeli wineries and related sites. [http://israelwine. wordpress.com] What are the experts outside of Israel saying? Writing in Business Week, influential wine guru Robert Parker and his colleague Mark Squires tasted some Heavenly Wines from the Holy Land. Squires rated four wines 90 points or higher (Excellent) including Domaine du Castel 2004 Grand Vin (92 points). “This unrefined and unfiltered cab, merlot, and petit verdot blend is beautiful. Aged for 24 months in new French oak, it is bursting with flavor and simply delicious.” [http://tinyurl.com/2k92bb] And then there’s Gary Vaynerchuk. Or as he pronounces it: VAY-NER-CHUK! Vaynerchuk is the host of Wine Library TV, a daily Internet webcast on wine, and has been justly described as “hyperkinetic” by Slate and “totally uncorked” by Time Magazine.

Here’s his set-up: “Kosher wines! Are these the most overlooked wines in the world? Maybe, maybe not. But what has happened in the last 36 months has erased decades and years and centuries of atrocious, crapass, disgusting, awful, dirty, unacceptable, undrinkable, pitiful, efforts in the kosher wine section.”

Forget everything you thought you knew about precious and effete wine tastings and watch Gary go

through the paces as he sips, spits, mulls and pronounces his verdict on five Israeli and one California wine. [http://tinyurl.com/2v8au6] and [http://tinyurl. com/2orcvm] Wine lovers worldwide wouldn’t miss a chance to take in the sights and latest vintages as they roam Tuscany or Napa or Bordeaux. But what about Zichron Yaacov?

Earlier this year, plans were announced for the creation of the 150-acre Israel Wine Park that will encompass Carmel Winery, Binyamina Wines, Tishbi Estate Winery, and a number of boutique wineries in the area. [http:// tinyurl.com/37cpo8] If you’d prefer to join an organized tour, check out The Kerem – Wine Tours of Israel. [http://www.thekerem.com/] And if you’d like to explore on your own, the Route 89 Wine Tour of the Upper Galilee will have you winding along the picturesque northern countryside and eight delightful wineries. [http://tinyurl.com/26wrwc] As you are drive around the Galilee or push your cart down the wine store aisle, you may be surprised to learn that not all Israeli wines produced today are kosher. As Daniel Rogov, wine and restaurant critic for Ha’aretz, points out, “While every large Israeli winery (including Carmel, Barkan, Golan Heights Winery, Efrat, and Binyamina) and the majority of medium-sized wineries (such as Tishbi, Segal, Dalton, and Tabor) produce only kosher wines, the smaller wineries often produce nonkosher offerings.”

Many of Israel’s boutique wineries (including Margalit, Flam, Bravdo, Saslove, Sea Horse, Clos de Gat, and Amphorae) have chosen to manufacture upperend non-kosher wines for “discerning and not necessarily kashrut-observant wine consumers both in Israel and abroad.” [http://tinyurl.com/2wtlhz] If you’re still looking for more Israeli wine community chat, I recommend the Facebook site, Israeli Wine Society [http://tinyurl.com/3383br], Strat’s Place [http://tinyurl.com/2v9t88] and Israel Wines. [http://tinyurl.com/2dla8p] So how good are Israeli wines?

I’ll leave the last word to Daniel Rogov. “Tel Aviv cannot boast that its restaurants rival the best of Paris or Lyon, and the region surrounding the Sea of Galilee is not producing wines to rival those of the great chateaux of Bordeaux. That is not the issue. What is important is that a group of highly talented chefs and winemakers are moving in all of the right directions and whether one lives in or pays a visit to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa or any of the more provincial cities or towns of Israel, no-one will suffer from a lack of excellent food and fine wine.” [http://tinyurl.com/ yv99bz] Mark Mietkiewicz is a Toronto-based Internet producer who writes, lectures and teaches about the Jewish Internet. He can be reached at highway@rogers.com.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

Crowd stays past closing for awards, concert

Photos from top: The Sokolof scholarships were presented to Elina Yurikov, left, Ben Nachman, Sarah Edelstein, Jeffrey Malashock, Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen, and Adam Skog (not pictured) and Outstanding Teacher to Naama Arzi, whose mother, Devora Arzi, travelled from Israel for the ceremony. The awards were followed by the showing of A Cantor’s Tale with Cantor Jacob Mendelson. Right: The awards were presented by Karen Sokolof Javitch and her son, Mark.

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Walk the Land to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary strate our pride and gratiby LISA LIEB Federation Communications tude for Israel,” said Director Norman H. Sheldon, What does the Omaha Federation President.

Jewish community have “The entire community is in common with Boston, invited to participate in Johannesburg, this special event, as we South join together with hunAfrica, and London? dreds of thousands of These communities and participants - united in more will participate in our unwavering support Walk the Land, a worldof Israel.” wide celebration of Registration is due by Israel’s 60th Anniversary.

Join the Jewish Federation on Sunday, April 22 and costs $5 per adult, which May 4, at the Jewish Community Center, includes a Walk the Land t-shirt, water as Walk the Land kicks off Omaha’s Yom bottle and sling backpack. Free registraHa’atzmaut celebration. Participants will tion for kids includes a Walk the Land meet at the JCC pavilion, where registra- t-shirt while supplies last. Register tion and breakfast will begin at 10 a.m. online at www.jewishomaha.org/walkThe walk will start promptly at 11 a.m., theland, complete the registration form rain or shine, and it will be followed by a in the Passover edition of the Jewish Press, full day of Yom Ha’atzmaut activities or contact Kathy McGauvran at sponsored by the JCC. 334.6427 to register. By registering in Coordinated by the Afikim Foundation advance, participants can request their in solidarity with Keren preferred adult or child Kayemeth LeIsrael, Walk Video contest offers sized t-shirt, which will the Land will unite com- roundtrip ticket be distributed on a firstmunities from Sydney, come, first-served basis. A Australia to Santiago, to Israel as prize limited supply will also be The Afikim Foundation is spon- available on walk day.

Chile. Supporters of all ages and affiliations from soring a video contest in order to “The Omaha Jewish across the globe will par- build their gallery of Israel community has demonticipate in this one-mile videos. Celebrate your connec- strated tremendous pride walk, through routes tion to Israel by submitting your and generosity towards lined with beautiful 30-90 second video about Israel Israel throughout the www.walktheland.org. years, and our connection murals of Israeli cities, to Entries are due by June 2. The grows stronger every from Rosh HaNikra to with the winning entry will day,” Sheldon said. “Sixty person Eilat. win a round-trip ticket to Israel. years ago our homeland “The 60th anniversary Visit www.jewishomaha.org/ is an outstanding opporwas born -- let’s celebrate tunity for us to demon- walktheland for details. together.”

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April 11, 2008

Temple Teens learn about Jewish values, social justice in nation’s capital

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Sixteen high school students from Temple Israel spent four intensive days in Washington, D.C. in March at L’Taken, a unique educational program designed to stimulate serious commitment to Jewish values and social justice. Every year, more than 100 congregations from across the country bring their teens to participate in one of several sessions of L’Taken which is sponsored by the Religious Action Center (RAC) of Reform Judaism.

The RAC’s purpose is to pursue social justice and religious liberty by mobilizing the American Reform Jewish community and serving as Temple 10th, 11th, and 12th graders its advocate in attended L’Taken in Washington, D.C. in the nation’s March accompanied by Rabbi Eric Linder, capital. L’Taken Director of Religious Education Elyce Azriel, is short for L’Taken olam b’malchut Shaddai which means “to repair the world under the realm of the Eternal.”

Experts from inside and outside the Jewish community speak to the students on topics such as economic justice in a session entitled “Faces of Homelessness” presented by the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Other sessions cover campaign finance reform, the assault weapons ban, reproductive rights, rights of people who have disabilities, public awareness on behalf of those suffering in Darfur, and international relations with regard to Iran. The sessions help students learn more about the complexities of public policy issues, how the American democratic system functions, and how to become more active and informed citizens.

Rabbi Eric Linder, who accompanied the students, hopes “this experience motivates our students to think of the link between our Jewish theology and the daily actions of our lives. The RAC enables them to use their own voices to speak for change, and we hope that they continue to use that voice throughout their lives.”

In addition to the speakers, Temple’s contingent met with Senators Ben Nelson, Chuck Hagel, and a repre-

sentative of Congressman Lee Terry. “Talking with my senator was probably the most meaningful thing that I got to experience,” said Robert Friedman, a high school senior from Temple.

Ashley Bernstein, also a senior, presented a speech about the ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) for gay and lesbian rights to Senator Hagel’s assistant.

“I really enjoyed meeting both of the senators,” added Amanda Bucher, a junior. For her, the Holocaust Museum “was very meaningful.” In fact, seeing the sights in Wa s h i n g t o n was her favorite part of the experience. Part of the L’Taken curriculum is a tour of the and Barry Grossman. Standing on the N a t i o n a l Capitol steps are Chloe Ginsburg, left, H o l o c a u s t Amanda Bucher, Hannah Grossman, and M e m o r i a l Brittany Baines.

Museum, the World War II Memorial, the Smithsonian National Mall, meetings with elected representatives on Capitol Hill as well as dinner in Georgetown. Shabbat dinner and creative worship services connecting holiness and justice were also included.

“I wanted to learn more about how the Reform Movement felt about certain issues,” Robert explained.

“We not only learned about lobbying, but we had the opportunity to learn more about the Jewish faith. My favorite part was getting to know all the other Reform Jews from across the nation and getting to know the Temple kids better as well.”

Amanda had never been to Washington before this trip and wanted to see the famous sites. She also enjoyed meeting others among the 200 teens at L’Taken.

For Ashley, “viewing all the different museums and memorials dedicated to our country’s history” was among her most memorable part of the trip. “I went on L’Taken to learn more about our governmental process and the power that our voice has,” she said. “Overall, this trip taught me skills on how to be a better person, to stand up for myself and others, and to avoid stereotypes.”

“All That Remains” artist creates custom Judaica fabrics ple and stubborn resistance to oppression.

In addition to putting on many one-person shows both in the U.S. and in Israel, mixed media and fiber artist Leslie J. Klein is also well-known for her work in fabric. Klein creates custom tallitot, challah covers, and other fabric Judaica for individual clients, special occasion gifts and presentations.

Klein uses embroidery, airbrush, paint brush, dyeing and discharging, stencils, stamps, and screen prints to create her complex cloth. Yarns, stitchery, trims and found objects -- both human-made and from nature -are layered to achieve a unique effect. Each piece incorporates personal and Biblical images, themes, and wording meaningful

by LESLIE J. KLEIN and symbolic to each Throughout client, including family Germany on the names, blessings and night of Nov. 9, Torah portions.

1938, Jewish syna“All That Remains” is gogues, hospitals, presented by the Jewish businesses, schools Federation and the and homes were Institute for Holocaust smashed, looted Education, a division of and burned in what the ADL/CRC. The became known as exhibit will be on display “Kristallnacht,” or through April 28, and an the “Night of reception for the artist Broken Glass.” Cataclysmic events such as these will take place on are the legacy of all humankind, but every Jew Wednesday, April 16, 5bears them in his or her soul. They become part 7 p.m. It is free and open of the fabric of our being, but we go on, “…makto the public. ing of our lives a blessing.” This tallit reminds us Klein will have several that despite all the blood and destruction, we still stand and praise God. The traditional stripes of tallitot for sale during the this tallit, bordered with abstracted barbed wire, are made of photo-transferred images of the reception, and orders or burning of the shards of “glass” that littered the streets throughout Germany. The lining design inquiries for custom made alludes to the camp uniforms, with sections from the Biblical story of Esther. The neckband bears fabrics will be taken at the a phrase from the Kaddish, the prayer for the dead. The tzitzit fringes bear the weight of pure gallery throughout the crystal and simulated drops of blood made especially for this piece by glass artist, Susan Butler. month.

by LISA LIEB Federation Communication Director April is the month in which the Jewish community commemorates Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. As a special part of Omaha’s Yom Hashoah programming, “All That Remains” will be on display at the Jewish Community Center Gallery throughout the month, featuring conceptual art clothing, wall hangings, drawings and installation pieces.

While addressing the Holocaust and anti-Semitism through layers of meaning and imagery, every piece also contains within it faith in Torah, pride in the Jewish peo-

Kristallnacht

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 9

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

Bringing Passover symbols from seder plate to dinner plate

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The evocative roasted egg recalls the festival offerings

by LINDA MOREL NEW YORK (JTA) -- Like skilled novelists, Jewish brought to the Temple in Jerusalem and reinforces our sense of loss at the Temple’s destruction. It also stands cooks miss no opportunity for symbolism.

Think of Hanukkah latkes sizzling in oil or Purim’s for life’s mysteries and rebirth in the spring.

Many Sephardim enjoy eggs long simmered with hamantaschen, a filled cookie that’s a metaphor for a story within a story about a queen who married under onions and coffee grounds. Cohen’s delicious Chopped false pretenses and revealed her secret to save her people. Eggs and Onions recipe originated with her grandmothAmong Jewish holidays, Passover is the most abun- er and substitutes for the customary Ashkenazi harddant in symbols, which are turned into ingredients that boiled eggs in saltwater. Made with both sauteed and are chopped, braised and baked into dishes such as raw onions, it is served in soft green leaves, a symbol of matzah farfel, vegetables as green as spring and pastries karpas and the green of spring.

“I first ate eggs in saltwater at a boyfriend’s seder puffed with eggs.

These symbols start on the seder plate, where clues to when I was 17,” Cohen recalls. “They tasted like a picthe story about Pharaoh and Moses, bondage and free- nic ruined by high tide.”

Cohen suggests trying boiled eggs in salty water at dom are brought to life. Jews at the seder taste in maror (bitter herbs) the harshness of slavery; in charoset (a mix- another season -- chances are you will agree with her ture of nuts and fruit) the mortar our enslaved ancestors assessment. made into bricks for Egyptian pyramids; in matza, the Foods from the seder plate often fade after the cerebread of affliction; and in karpas (a green herb or leaf), monial part of the meal ends, Cohen says. the new growth of the season. The roasted egg repre“Cooking symbolic ingredients into recipes becomes sents the cycle of life, mourning and rebirth. a way to discuss them once the Haggadah is closed,” Once the seder service concludes and the ceremonial she says. “The roasted egg in particular is rarely menplate is removed, guests often lose their awareness of these tioned. We need to figure out a way to thread back to vibrant symbols while they partake in a sumptuous meal. the ceremonial plate, making it relevant.”

“The Passover story becomes a part Cohen suggests engaging of us when we eat symbolic foods,” the children by explaining says Jayne Cohen, a food writer and the meaning behind the the author of Jewish Holiday Cooking, foods. Tell them the spinach which is to be published this month by salad represents spring; the John Wiley and Sons. “In the matza kugel reminds us of Haggadah, we read that every person the bread our ancestors made in great haste as they should experience the Exodus personfled Pharaoh’s tyranny. ally. What better way to do so than to “When I was a child, my eat foods that symbolize what hapgrandmother made enticing pened to our ancestors in Egypt.” foods at holidays, things Cohen’s new cookbook not only especially for me, which I offers celebration ideas and menus but loved,” Cohen says. “She also presents sophisticated recipes that whipped up an extra batch are contemporary and essentially of golf ball-sized matza balls Jewish. for me to nibble, as I readied “When I taste something I like, I the plate of ceremonial ask how can I make this into a Jewish foods used in telling the recipe,” she says.

After trying salted caramels, she Jewish Holiday Cooking by Jayne Cohen, published Passover story.

“Cuisine connects us to duplicated the contrast of sweet and by John Wiley and Sons. our past, and encoded in our recipes we find our family salty by creating Caramelized Apple Matzo Brie.

“My aim in writing this cookbook was to develop story and history. Jewish food is not just something to specifically Jewish foods and to imbue them with a hol- eat at celebrations -- it defines who we are.”

The recipes below are from Jewish Holiday Cooking. iday’s symbolic attributes,” she says. “I’m interested in the story of foods, so that’s why symbolism fascinates TANGY CHAROSET BITES me.”

Conveying the misery of the Israelites’ slavery, bitter Ingredients: herbs vary from place to place and even family to family. 1 cup walnuts Ashkenazim favor freshly ground or sliced fresh horse- 1/2 cup black raisins radish root, bottled horseradish or romaine lettuce. 1/2 cup dried, pitted dates (choose a soft variety like Medjool), Sephardim prefer bitter greens such as endive, escarole, coarsely chopped chicory, sorrel, arugula, dandelion or watercress.

“Gnarled horseradish root in its native state may look 1/2 heaping tablespoon dried tart cherries or cranberries positively prehistoric, but it was not the original maror, bitter herb, of the ancients,” Cohen says. “Biblical 1/4 cup unsweetened purple grape juice or kosher sweet Concord wine scholars surmise that greens like chicory, dandelion, sorrel and hyssop, which grow wild in Egypt and the Sinai 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Peninsula, first symbolized the bitterness of bondage at 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 30 to 35 almonds seders.”

For dinner, her Salad of Bitter Herbs and Oranges 30 to 35 tart dried apricots, plumped in very hot water until softened and patted dry offers a tart contrast to a rich brisket or braised lamb. with paper towels Cohen explains that throughout the Diaspora, Jews Preparation: have created rituals to concretize the story of the Preheat oven to 350º. Spread the nuts out in a single Exodus. Iranian and Afghani Jews bring home the themes of oppression, freedom and redemption by beat- layer in a baking pan and toast them, shaking the pan ing each other with leeks on their backs and shoulders as occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. they sing the refrain “Dayenu.”

Put the raisins, dates and cherries or cranberries in a Many Ashkenazi families have adopted this custom -a symbol of the slave masters’ whips and a potent bowl. Stir in the grape juice or wine, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let the fruit macerate for at least 15 minutes. reminder to appreciate our freedom.

When the nuts are cool, set the almonds aside and place Capitalizing on this custom, Cohen devised SlowBraised Lemon Veal with Leeks, which calls for mounds the walnuts in a food processor. Using the steel blade, pulse of oniony leeks to melt slowly, forming a succulent gravy on and off until the walnuts are coarsely chopped.

Add the macerated fruit and any liquid remaining in for the tender veal.

With the exception of matza, charoset is the only food the bowl to the food processor. Pulse on and off until the displayed on the seder plate that is consumed in its origi- mixture is a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and chill so nal state during Passover’s eight days. Reminiscent of that mixture will be easier to roll. (The charoset tastes best some Sephardic charoset Cohen’s recipe, originally devel- if flavors are allowed to mingle for several hours.) oped for Food and Wine magazine, is a medley of walnuts Form heaping teaspoons of the mixture into balls and and chopped dried fruit rolled into balls and placed on place each on a softened apricot half. Press an almond into apricot halves before being topped with an almond. each ball at a jaunty angle.

This presentation makes the charoset an accessible Yield: about 8 servings. snack during the seder and throughout the holiday.

Continued on page 11

April 11, 2008

From the seder plate to the dinner plate Continued from page 10 CHOPPED EGGS AND ONIONS Ingredients: 3 to 5 tablespoons best-quality olive or avocado oil, perhaps a bit more 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions, plus 1/2 cup finely chopped onion Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled and cut into eighths Preparation: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet; add the sliced onions. Saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rich golden brown. Salt and pepper lightly and remove from the heat to cool.

Scrape the sauteed onion and all the oil remaining in the skillet into a wooden bowl, and chop coarsely. Add the eggs and raw onion, and continue to chop until the mixture is well blended but not pasty. Mix in salt and lots of pepper as you chop, or blend in the seasonings afterward with a fork.

The mixture should hold together loosely; you will probably need to add a bit more oil. Chill well, but remove from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 to 6.

SALAD OF BITTER HERBS AND ORANGES Ingredients: For the Dressing: 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons minced shallot 11/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons grated orange zest 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Salad: 12 to 14 cups mixed greens (choose 3 or more of the following: arugula, sorrel, watercress, Belgian endive, romaine, radicchio) 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes 4 to 6 thinly sliced scallions (use white and pale green parts) 1/2 cup snipped fresh dill 2 blood or navel oranges, peeled and white pith removed, quartered lengthwise and sliced widthwise Preparation: Make the dressing: Combine the lemon juice, shallot, thyme and zest in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the greens in a large bowl. Top with the radishes, scallions and dill. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Add the oranges and toss again. Yield: 8 servings.

SLOW-BRAISED LEMON VEAL WITH LEEKS Ingredients: 10 fat garlic cloves, peeled 3 packed tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves About 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Salt One 3 1/2 -pound boneless shoulder of veal,

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rolled and tied About 4 large or 6 medium leeks 4 tablespoons olive oil Freshly ground black pepper Optional accompaniment: lemon quarters Preparation: Prepare the flavor paste: Process 4 of the garlic cloves, the parsley, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or mini food processor to a coarse puree, stopping to stir down as necessary.

Make a slit in the veal with the point of a small, sharp knife. Insert a little of the paste into the slit, using your fingers and the knife tip to push it in as far as possible. In the same way, insert some of the paste all over the top, bottom and sides of the veal, spacing it out as evenly as possible, and slip the paste in between the rolled layers of the tied meat. (If you are tying the veal yourself, spread a little paste on the boned side of the meat before you roll and tie it.) Place the veal in a large, plastic resealable bag or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours, so the flavorings penetrate the meat.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature and pat it dry.

Wash and thinly slice enough white and pale green parts of the leeks to make 5 cups. Dry the leeks well, using a salad spinner or patting well with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 325º.

In a heavy, flameproof, lidded casserole (oval enameled cast iron is ideal) just large enough to hold the meat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown it well on all sides. Transfer it to a platter and set aside.

Wipe the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat until hot. Add the leeks, salt generously and stir to coat well. Cover the pan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender and wilted, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining 6 garlic cloves and 4 tablespoons lemon juice; stir well. Sprinkle the veal with salt and pepper to taste on all sides. Place the veal in the pan and spoon some of the leek sauce over it. Cover tightly and oven-braise until fork tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning every 15 to 20 minutes and basting with the leeks and pan juices. Transfer the veal to a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil.

Prepare the leek sauce: Since the veal is quite lean, there is really no need to defat the gravy. Working in batches, if necessary, puree the braising mixture, including the leeks and garlic cloves, in a blender or food processor. If desired, return the pureed sauce to the pan to warm and reduce it slightly over high heat, uncovered. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. For lemon lovers, add a drop or two of fresh lemon juice to the finished meat and sauce, or serve the veal with lemon quarters.

Cut the veal into thin slices and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon some of the warm gravy all over the meat and pass the rest in a separate sauce boat. Yield: about 6 servings.

Cook’s note: Great for plan-ahead menus because this is even better the next day. The recipe makes quite a lot of gravy -- delicious on mashed potatoes.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 11

Pesach for the Rest of Us

by Marge Piercy (Schocken Books, $22.95)

READ IT AND EAT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN

You wouldn’t think that a prolific writer whose books include Gone to Soldiers, Woman on the Edge of Time, Sex Wars, and Braided Lives, would focus on Pesach, but a very spring Piercy tweaks her Passover Seder and leans toward a significant contemporary interpretation rather than the traditional format.

In 22 chapters, she describes her own slant and encourages you to develop your own homemade, personal Passover.

The book begins with a look back to her personal childhood Seder memories and experiences and a historical perspective. From getting rid of chametz and preparing for the holiday, through candlelighting, blessings and wine, Piercy follows with karpas and salt water, the Four Questions, and the Four Children, which precede “Maggid: The Telling.” She relates symbolic experiences like putting large baking pans of water on the floor and after removing shoes and socks, crossing the Sea of Reeds.

Each of the symbols of the Seder plate is a chapter with many recipes. Beginning with Z’roah: The Lamb Shank (I keep mine in the freezer and whip it out every year), read of Matza , Maror, Chazeret, Charoset, Tapuz (an orange), Beytzah: The Egg, Gefilte Fish, and Chicken Soup. Other options are for The Feast, followed by Eliyahu’s Cup, Miriam’s Cup and Songs and Endings.

It’s all about making the Passover Seder your own.

Whether you make or buy your gefilte fish, for a convenient “way to cheat,” try this recipe.

TARTING UP BOUGHT GEFILTE FISH 4 medium beets, peeled and with the ends cut off 5 carrots, peeled 2 large yellow onions 1 large jar gefilte fish, whatever kind you prefer Freshly ground pepper Salt to taste Slice beets, carrots, and onions. Layer in a heavy pot all the beets, some gefilte fish balls, some onions slices, some carrots slices, and seasoning, repeat as many times as you can, except for the beets, which only go on the bottom. Pour the liquid from the jar over the fish and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool before serving. Serves 6.

Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@yahoo.com.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

The lessons of Passover It seems that even the most unaffiliated and estranged Jews make room in their lives for two Jewish holidays, and no, they are not Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. One of the holidays to which Jews are attracted is Hanukkah, perhaps because of it’s proximity to that “other” well known holiday which falls at the end of December.

But next Saturday night, the vast majority of Jews around the world will sit down with family and friends for a Passover seder. Whether it’s a “Liberation” seder or a traditional one, reading from the Maxwell Coffee hagaddah or one of the many hagaddot created in the last few decades such as those for vegetarians or gays and lesbians, the theme remains the same: freedom.

Thousands of years ago, the term freedom meant the opposite of slavery. To be a free man (there weren’t too many free women in the first millennium), offered the ability to move from one village to another; it meant owning land or entering a trade (if you had relatives already in the guild), but little else.

Freedom in the year 1000 didn’t carry the same connotation it does today. It really only meant that you weren’t owned by another human being (tell that to the feudal serfs who spent their entire lives paying off debts to their lord and master!).

Even 50 years ago, many people around the globe did not have true freedom. Ask the Jews in the former Soviet Union, or the blacks of South Africa. And if you had asked the North Vietnamese or the North Koreans or the Chinese about their “freedoms”, they probably would have glanced left and right to ascertain if anyone was listening and then confided that they had no freedoms, none at all.

So what does that word, that concept of freedom, mean, however, today?

If you are a woman in the United States today -- instead of in Tsarist Russia 100 years ago, you have the freedom to vote, live where you like, marry for love, and reach the highest pinnacle (including running for the American presidency).

If you’re Jewish, you can practice your religion -- including taking time off from work for all the Jewish holidays. If you’re a first-generation American from India or Pakistan, your children have now surpassed American Jews, Koreans and Japanese in scoring higher on the SATs and obtaining scholarships at America’s top universities. And if you’re an American black, you have only to watch the news to see a new generation of role models beyond sports figures and rock stars -- from Sen. Barack Obama to Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice, from former Omaha businessman and radio personality Herman Cain to columnist Thomas Sowell on the right and Leonard Pitts on the left.

Freedom means more than just a vote and a job. It means taking the gifts of liberty and telling our children and grandchildren not only what it meant to be slaves, but what it took to rise out of oppression. It’s not just about recalling the past, but reminding younger generations of the responsibilities of what freedom brings -- that as a free man or woman, you are not an island; you have a family, a community to which you must

be responsible. You have future generations looking up to you for advice, for guidance, for leadership.

This Jewish community has set the bar extremely high, building institutions of brick and mortar, as well as ideas and ideals, sending Nebraskans to the top levels of national Jewish organizations, and providing services that are the envy of other Jewish cities. We have much for which we should be grateful -- including our freedom and Pesach, 5768. Chag Samayach!

Will Europe resist Islamization?

BEHIND THE H EADLINES

by DANIEL PIPES Some analysts of Islam in Western Europe argue that the continent cannot escape its Eurabian fate; that the trend lines of the past half-century will continue until Muslims become a majority population and Islamic law (the Shari‘a) reigns.

I disagree, arguing that there is another route the continent might take, one of resistance to Islamification and a reassertion of traditional ways. Indigenous Europeans -- who make up 95 percent of the population -- can insist on their historic customs and mores.

Were they to do so, nothing would be in their way and no one could stop them.

Indeed, Europeans are visibly showing signs of impatience with creeping Shari‘a. The legislation in France that prohibits hijabs from public school classrooms signals the reluctance to accept Islamic ways, as are related efforts to ban burqas, mosques, and minarets.

Throughout Western Europe, anti-immigrant parties are generally increasing in popularity.

That resistance took a new turn last month, with two dramatic events. First, on March 22, Pope Benedict XVI himself baptized, confirmed, and gave the Eucharist to Magdi Allam, 56, a prominent Egyptian-born Muslim long living in Italy, where he is a top editor at the Corriere della Sera newspaper and a well-known author. Allam took the middle name Cristiano.

The ceremony converting him to the Catholic religion could not have been higher profile, occurring at a nighttime service at St. Peter’s Basilica on the eve of Easter Sunday, with exhaustive coverage from the Vatican and

many other television stations. Allam followed up his conversion with a stinging statement in which he argued that beyond “the phenomenon of Islamic extremism and terrorism that has appeared on a global level, the root of evil is inherent in an Islam that is physiologically violent and historically conflictive.”

... I do distinguish between Islam and Islamism, but I believe it imperative that their ideas get a fair hearing, without vituperation or punishment.

In other words, the problem is not just Islamism but Islam itself. One commentator, “Spengler” of Asia Times, goes so far as to say that Allam “presents an existential threat to Muslim life” because he “agrees with his former co-religionists in repudiating the degraded culture of the modern West, and offers them something quite different: a religion founded upon love.”

Second, on March 27, Geert Wilders, 44, released his long-awaited, 15-minute film, Fitna, which consists of some of the most bellicose verses of the Koran, followed by actions in accord with those verses carried out by Islamists in recent years. The obvious implication is that Islamists are simply acting in accord with their scriptures. In Allam’s words, Wilders also argues that “the root of evil is inherent” in Islam.

Unlike Allam and Wilders, I do distinguish between Islam and Islamism, but I believe it imperative that their ideas get a fair hearing, without vituperation or punishment. An honest debate over Islam must take place.

If Allam’s conversion was a surprise and Wilders’ film had a three-month run-up, in both cases, the aggressive, violent reactions that met prior criticisms of Islam did not take place. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dutch police contacted imams to gauge reactions at the city’s mosques and found, according to police spokesman Arnold Aben, “it’s quieter than usual here today. Sort of like a holiday.” In Pakistan, a rally against the film attracted only some dozens of protestors.

This relatively constrained reaction points to the fact that Muslim threats sufficed to enforce censorship. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende denounced Fitna and, after 3.6 million visitors had viewed it on the British website LiveLeak.com, the company announced that “Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature, … Liveleak has been left with no other choice but to remove ‘Fitna’ from our servers.” (Two days later, however, LiveLeak again posted the film.)

Three similarities bear noting: both Allam (author of a book titled Viva Israele) and Wilders (whose film emphasizes Muslim violence against Jews) stand up for Israel and the Jews; Muslim threats against their lives have forced both for years to live under state-provided round-the-clock police protection; and, more profoundly, the two share a passion for European civilization.

Indeed, Allam and Wilders may represent the vanguard of a Christian/liberal reassertion of European values. It is too soon to predict, but these staunch individuals could provide a crucial boost for those intent on maintaining the continent’s historic identity.

Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, is the Taube/Diller Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University during the spring semester. Read more at: www.DanielPipes.org.

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Page 13

Unreasonable accommodations

Do Muslim demands at Harvard safeguard rights or promote something more troubling

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

by JONATHAN S. TOBIN Conflicts between the religious needs of minorities and those of the rest of society always have the potential to take a reasoned debate off the tracks.

That’s what happened when the otherwise trivial question of the hours of operation of a gym on Harvard University’s campus become a major cause cÊlèbre.

The dispute centers on the request of six female Muslim Harvard students.

Speaking with the support of the Harvard College Women’s Center, they point out that since their faith forbids them from wearing revealing clothing in the presence of men, the school ought to provide women’s only hours at one of its gymnasiums where they can work out in comfort without any males there to leer at them.

The university responded positively, and since Feb. 4, no men have been allowed in the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic for sessions amounting to six hours per week.

No Big Deal?

Given the fact that this is but one of a number of such facilities on the campus, and the hours set aside are but a fraction of the total available to everyone, the school probably assumed that the concession was not a big deal.

If so, they were dead wrong.

The decision to exclude men from the gym has set off a furious debate not only at Harvard, but on the editorial pages of many of America’s leading newspapers.

Adding fuel to the fire was Harvard’s decision to allow the Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast across the campus from the steps of the main library during the recent “Islam Awareness Week.�

Harvard computer-science professor Harry Lewis wrote in The Boston Globe that the university was being hypocritical since it upheld gender equality under other circumstances, but decided that Islam’s needs trumped other values. Moreover, he added, the school’s refusal to allow the military’s ROTC program on campus showed that its devotion to diversity (which Harvard claimed was at stake) was subject to exceptions based on the political popularity of the group in question.

On the other side of the debate, Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus answered that “it’s reasonable to set aside a few off-peak hours at one of Harvard’s many gyms.� Identifying herself “as a member of another minority religion,

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Judaism,� she added that the accommodation does not exclude “it’s not offensive to have people since anyone can elect to eat a the call to prayer echoing kosher sandwich.

Likewise, the passive exhibit of a menoacross Harvard Yard, any more than it is to ring rah on Harvard Square or the sound of a church bells or erect a giant bell is a very different thing from authorizing a call to prayer, whose translation menorah there.�

But is this just a reason- amounts to a public proclamation that all non-Muslim faiths are false. able accomThe public square need not, as The public square need not, as modation to a rabid separationists demand, few without rabid separationists demand, be be rendered naked of faith. damage to rendered naked of faith. But it is But it is another thing entirely everyone else?

The answer is another thing entirely to provide a to provide a minority a beachhead from which it may seek that there are minority a beachhead from limits to what which it may seek to delegitimize to delegitimize everyone else.

Context of Intolerance a minority everyone else.

It would, however, be disinfaith can genuous to debate this case without expect in the way of accommodation.

Marcus herself cites the 1998 case of acknowledging that it’s being discussed in the “Yale 5,� a small group of Orthodox a context in which an aggressive Islam is Jews who insisted that they could not fighting for control of not only Muslim conform to the school’s rules, which and Arab societies, but the West as well.

While the left-liberal milieu of demanded that they live in one of the coCambridge might be a long way from a ed dorms on campus.

As one who reported on that story at debate about the viability of the imposithe time, I remember well how that case tion of Sharia, or Muslim religious law (as generated support from conservatives the Archbishop of Canterbury recently around the country, who perceived them suggested to a shocked Britain, which has as defending traditional values against seen its capital transformed into what author Melanie Phillips termed immoral academia.

But, as is the case with many such cases, “Londonistan�) on our society, but there the farther you got from New Haven, the is little question that Islamists are pushing in a direction that should worry everyone. more attractive the demand was.

That includes moderate Muslims, who What was really at stake was an attempt by an ultra-Orthodox group to embarrass will now face additional pressures -- even other equally observant Jews, who saw no in hyper-secular Harvard, or anywhere problem with living on a same-sex floor while members of the other gender lived on other floors in the same building.

The “Yale 5� lost their case because it To the Editor: was understood that if their sensibilities “The American officers responsible for were offended by what they imagined monitoring Israeli and Palestinian complimight be going on in their classmates’ ance with the road map peace plan recentrooms, then they could get an education ly criticized the Palestinian Authority’s elsewhere. counterterrorism efforts. Specifically, the The principle at Harvard is the same. Americans are concerned that the PA does The law can require reasonable accom- not engage in the full spectrum of counmodations for minorities, but reasonable terterrorism activities, including arrests, does not mean that the rest of society interrogation and trial. Trials generally take need to alter its values to satisfy the con- place only if the PA is under external presvenience of the few. sure ... when they do take place, they are It would be unthinkable that public generally hasty affairs,� wrote Amos Harel, schools here demand, as they have in Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay, in France, that Muslim girls take off their Ha’aretz on March 26. head scarves or Jewish boys their kipot in Let’s put the cards on the table. It isn’t order to sit in class. But the Harvard deci- because of a lack of resources that the sion is akin to a decision to mandate those Palestinian Authority declines to implegirls their own female-only classrooms. ment serious and consistent measures In those cases where institutions do against the terrorists. Nor does a lack of rightly accommodate minorities, such as will explain the situation. the provision of cafeterias where kosher The stark truth is that notwithstanding and halal food can be obtained, as is the all the verbiage about Palestinian “modcase at Harvard and many other schools, erates� and “friends of peace�, the PA --

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else where such demands are met -- to conform to the behavioral norms sought by the ultra-religious.

Harvard may have rushed to act to avoid being termed Islamophobic by proIslamist groups like the Council on American Islamic Rights and other grievance-mongerers who foster the myth that Muslims have been subject to widespread discrimination since 9/11.

As columnist Andrew Sullivan wrote last week on his Atlantic magazine blog, “They [Harvard] would never do that kind of thing for any other religion. ‌ What’s next? Removing all gay men from the locker room?â€?

American Jews, who have always fought to protect the few from having the majority trample their rights, are naturally sympathetic to the desire of another minority for respect. But we should shrink from backing measures of highly selective and politicized “tolerance� which may be the forerunner of other demands that will restrict rather than expand religious and political liberty.

A Harvard gymnasium isn’t necessarily the place where the West must begin its defense against jihad. But what at first glance seemed like an easy way to indulge a minority might well be the harbinger of something much more troubling.

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from Mahmoud Abbas down -- doesn’t consider terror activity against Israelis to be fundamentally unacceptable. At most they may quibble over the efficacy of a given attack and criticize it for being counter productive. “Moderate� Abbas’ attitude about terror is brutally illustrated by his demand that each and every terrorist now being held by Israel be set free -- regardless of what crime he committed or when he committed it.

Again. Abbas is not calling for Israel to transfer these criminals to PA prisons. As far as he is concerned, if Israel captures a Palestinian murdering an Israeli this morning, that murderer should be set free this afternoon.

This is not a minor issue. It makes the entire “peace process� a farce. And the sooner Israel’s leadership realizes this and acts on it the better.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)

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Page 14

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

Candlelighting Friday, April 11, 7:42 p.m.

Synagogue Listings

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. with artist Eliska Morsel Greenspoon, speaking on A Presentation of Light Works. The community is invited.

Beth El Synagogue

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org

Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Gastón Bogomolni.

FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m.; Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m., followed by dinner. Cost is $5 for adults, free for children ages six and younger.

Open to all Jewish families in the community. To RSVP for dinner, call the office.

SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by Terry and Sue Finkle, in honor of their son, Zachary, becoming a Bar Mitzvah; Minha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.

Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge.

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

BESTT: Spring break April 521 for all classes and activities.

JUDAICA SHOP SALE: Now through April 13.

THURSDAY, APRIL 17: Shaharit/Siyyum B’khorim, 6:30 a.m.

COMMUNITY SEDER Sunday, April 20, 6 p.m. for all families in the Jewish community. For information or to make reservations, contact Margie Gutnik at 492.8550, or programming@bethel-oma ha.org.

B’nai Israel Synagogue

Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org

Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org

Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org

The Neighborhood Minyan 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609

Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org

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BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush is sponsored by Jordana Kurtzman in honor of Joshua’s Ninth birthday; Mincha, 7:15 p.m., followed by Suedat Shlishit, sponsored by Zena and Bennett Fishbain; Havdalah, 8:45 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; “Reading the Rambam” with is canceled this week; Rabbi Gross’s teen class, 10 a.m.; Gift Shop will be open from 10 a.m. to noon WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbi’s weekly class is canceled on April 17 and 24.

BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home.

SUNDAY: Religious School, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the JCC.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Mitzvahs & Music Chabad Gala, 5 p.m., honoring Maxine and Joe Kirshenbaum and Gail and Mike Yanney at KANEKO, 11th and Jones St. Reservations required.

WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Maamar Kabbalistic Insights for Women, 12:15 p.m.; Parsha class for pre-schoolers, 12:30 p.m.; Halacha class, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9 a.m.; Parshah Roundup: Weekly Torah Portion Class, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Parsha class for first graders, 3:45 p.m.

THURSDAY: Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m.

All events and programs are open to the community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel.

FRIDAY: Classical Reform Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, wtih oneg following, hosted by Pam Ganz.

SATURDAY: Bar Mitzvah of Jack Pred, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Shabbat service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah service, 10:30 a.m. all led

by Rabbi Emanuel; Game Night/ Potluck, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY: All LJCS Students

BAR MITZVAH Jack Pred, son of Tracey and Michael Pred, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, April 12, at Tifereth Israel.

Jack is a seventhg r a d e Honor Roll student at Scott Middle School. He is in charge of communications for Kadima.

His interests include science class, playing

outside, playing video games, and being with his friends, and sister.

Jack has a sister, Jenna.

For his mitzvah project, Jack made a donation to the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation.

Grandparents are Susan and Jack Pred of Minnesota, and Holly McConchie of New York.

meet at the South Street Temple for an Interactive Seder led by the Hallah High students; 2008 Wald Lecture, The Return of Antisemitism: The Intellectual Assault Against the Jews and the Jewish State with Alvin H. Rosenfeld at Great Plains Art Gallery, 1155 Q St. Free and open to the public.

TUESDAY: Women’s Lunch Group, noon at Lone Star Steakhouse.

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

ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAYS, 7 p.m. Intro to Judaism, led by Rabbi Emanuel.

THURSDAY: Jews and the News lunch and discussion.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Visions Members.

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Marti Nerenstone & Beyt Shalom Congregation.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You, 4 p.m. at Remington Heights, led by Rabbi Eric Linder; Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m., led by Cantor Wendy Shermet. Cost for dinner is $5 for adults; no charge for children.

Please contact the Temple office or mkube@templeisraelomaha. com; Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m., led by Rabbi Linder and Cantor Shermet.

SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: David Swensen.

SUNDAY: No Religious School; OTYG Board meeting, 4 p.m.; Temple Deli Night, 5 p.m. Enjoy your favorite deli; carryout service is available.

SITTER SERVICE: Available Wednesday evenings during Family School hours, Friday evenings service except when there is a Tot Shabbat, Saturday mornings when there is a B’nai mitzvah, and Sunday mornings during Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation

appreciated. Young children, including infants, are welcome.

TUESDAY: Hebrew Lunch & Learn, 12:15 p.m.; Executive meeting, 6 p.m.; Board meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: No Family or Religious School; No Middle/High School.

THURSDAY: “Adult Study with the Clergy,” 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel; Interfaith Couples Event, 6:30 p.m. at Hiro Sushi.

CONGREGATIONAL SECOND SEDER Sunday, April 20, 6 p.m.

Adults, $19; children in sixth grade and younger, $8; children two-year-olds and younger, no charge. (See full story on page 5.)

Temple Israel Religious School at the JCC Pavillion, Sunday, May 4, 10 a.m. All classes will meet at the JCC Pavillion at 10 a.m., but come at 9:30 a.m. for a free bagel breakfast sponsored by the Jewish Federation. Every child will need a parent at 11 a.m. to participate in the one-mile “Walk for Israel.”

To register before the event, go to www.jewishomaha.org/walk theland or download a registration form and bring it to Elyce Azriel, Director of Education.

NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

There will be no serices held during Passover.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

MONDAY and THURSDAY: Minyan, 9 a.m. Contact the office to arrange for a minyan.

FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. with the Bar Mitzvah of Jack Pred, followed by kiddush lunch and Talmud study.

SUNDAY: All LJCS Students meet at the South Street Temple for an Interactive Seder led by the Hallah High students.

WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group meets at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066; Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Making pickles the old fashioned way

Bruce Goldberg, right, helps his son, Max, and Becca Denenberg mix the brine for their pickles on Sunday at the Kosher Pickle Factory.

Kids and adults crowd around “Rabbi Pickle” of California to check out all the accouterments needed, and get some of their own cucumbers to pickle.

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April 11, 2008

Where are the doctors?

SPARKS FROM THE WORD

by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Metzora The symptoms of the illness described in this Sidra don’t come anywhere near what the medical profession considers leprosy. Nonetheless, our usual translations use the word leprosy for the illness described here.

Indeed, elsewhere in the Bible, this same word is used and the translation is the same: lepers or leprosy.

Moreover what is strange to our ears is that the priests, the Kohanim, were the medical officers. Now, considering the fact that medicine and physicians are commonplace in medieval Jewish life, and, for that matter, in ancient life described in the first chapters of Genesis, it is strange that the priests, rather than professional physicians were the medical officers whom we meet in our Sidra this week.

Further, the medical tools they used were not those known since the ancient world, but only their eyes. They looked for changes in the appearance of various skin diseases and made pronouncements about the illnesses and their treatment, including quarantine, without any tools but their vision. So, when we read these chapters of Leviticus, we ought not to be confused to think that the medical terms used are those we would use today for similar symptoms.

Strangest of all, to repeat, is the idea priests, Kohanim, should be the medical officers, and that their only diagnoses and prognoses had to do with visual examination, appearances and changes.

We are constantly surprised at this since in the medieval world very many of the rabbis were physicians and very many physicians were rabbis. This special knowledge, it should be noted, came to the medieval rabbis/physicians through Arab sciences which originated way back in the time of Aristotle. Indeed, in medieval Hebrew literature, Aristotle is called “THE philosopher.”

It behooves us to acknowledge this cultural debt that medieval Jews, and particularly the physicians of modern times, owe this culture and this science to the Arabs. We take it for granted that, despite national enmities of late medieval and modern times, that culture in general and science are shared by all the literal world. It is unfortunate, but oh so true, that science is shared by everyone, but land itself is fought over -- fought over vigorously!

Interfaith choir service celebrates freedom

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Camille Metoyer Moten will be one of a quartet of African-Americans soloists to join Temple’s choir, Kol Rina, and the St. Paul United Methodist Church Choir in their annual interfaith service on Friday, April 25, 7:30 p.m., at Shabbat worship services at Temple Israel.

At this time of year, during Passover, the message of freedom is obviously meaningful to Jews, to Methodists who have a “rich history in the abolition of slavery,” said Jerry Brabek, minister of music at St. Paul, and to the descendants of slaves in America.

Metoyer Moten is the recipient of the first Omaha Entertainment Award and is well known for her performances at the Omaha Community Playhouse, the Omaha Theater Company for Young People and Cabaret Theater. Another soloist, Dianne Yates, who has performed with Opera Omaha, will also sing with the choirs at Temple. Each of the spirituals the quartet will sing will refer to a figure from the Hebrew Bible including Moses, Daniel, Ezekiel, Elijah, David, and Joshua, explained Brabec.

Cantor Shermet noted that Kol Rina always likes singing with the St. Paul Choir which “adores” singing with Kol Rina, according to Brabec. “They want to do it more often” and consider the event “to be an experience of God’s grace.”

On Sunday, May 13, 11 a.m., the service will be repeated at the church located at 5410 Corby Street.

EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press will be closed Monday, April 21 for Passover. The Passover issue publishes April 18.

The deadline for the April 25 issue is Wednesday, April 16, 9 a.m. for all ads, articles and photos.

Questions? Call 402. 334.6448.

DEATHS GWENN MILDER MALLIN Former Omahan Gwenn “Babe” Milder Mallin died March 22 in Overland Park, KS. Services were held March 25 at Kehillat Israel Blue Ridge Cemetery.

A graduate of the Leland Powers Drama School, she was an accomplished golfer, winning several women’s championships at Oakwood Country Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Robert Mallin, who died in 1999.

She is survived by her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Stan and Sandy Mallin, Las Vegas; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Adrianne and Ronnie Greenberg of Oklahoma City; nieces and nephew, Lisa Cohen, Tony Greenberg, Jennifer Miner, Jessica Mallin, Julie Modrcin, Kelly Milder; and cousins, Jerry Milder, Barbara Rips, Phyllis Weinberg, Bernice Milder, Barbara Taxman, Mike Milder, Carl Milder and Joye Yousem Tatz.

Memorials to Kehillat Israel, the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115 St., Suite 201, Overland Park, KS 66211 or its Jewish Community Foundation at the same address, Suite 104.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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PETER ASTOR Peter Astor died April 5 at the age of 80. Services were held April 6 at Beth El Cemetery.

A retired engineer from HDR, he and his wife, Alexandra, were among the first group of immigrants to arrive from Kiev in 1974, more than 15 years before the collapse of the former Soviet Union. They lived first in Lincoln and then moved to Omaha.

In addition to his wife of 50 years, he is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Elena Astor of Boston, MA, and Valery and Stacey Astor; and grandchildren, Nicholas, and Alexana of Boston, and Bailey.

CORRECTION In last week’s issue, the name of Max Prostok was misspelled. The Press regrets the error. The corrected obituary is below.

MAX PROSTOK Former Omaha and Hastings resident Max D. Prostok died March 27 in Overland Park, KS, at the age of 88.

Services were held March 30 at Mount Sinai Cemetery in Hastings, NE. After graduating from Central High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Prostok served in the Pacific during World War II. He and his wife of 60 years, Bobbie, were third-generation owners of Philipps Ladies Clothing, working side-by-side for 40 years. The couple retired in 1988 in Florida before moving to Kansas last year to be near family.

A member of the Hastings City Council, Prostok served as president of the Hastings Jaycees, and a member of numerous community organizations in both the general and Jewish communities.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Judi and Jim Gessford of Lincoln, Beth and Jeff Dorfman of Leawood, KS; son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Cynthia Prostok of Ft. Worth, TX; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials to KC Hospice, 10100 W. 87 St., Suite 100, Overland Park, KS 66212.

Free Haggadah from The Jewish Heritage for the Blind This year, the Passover Seders will be celebrated on April 19 and 20. If you are expecting guests who are seniors or visually impaired, you many obtain a Braille or large print Haggadah free of charge by contacting the Jewish Heritage for the Blind at 800.995.1888; or fax 718.388.0653; or e-mail to jhb.ny@verizon.net.

To Submit Announcements to the Jewish Press: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154 (with photos we will scan and return).

Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.

Readers can also submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Check the Jewish Press, however, for notices of early deadlines prior to secular and Jewish holidays.

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Page 16

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

April 11, 2008

Through donation drive for Siena/Francis House

Beth El congregants hope to make life easier for Omaha’s homeless of toiletry items Larry has collected from hotels during out-of-town business trips.

“Larry travels two to three days a week,” Sherry said, “and you can accumulate a lot of shampoos, soaps and lotions in that time. By collecting and donating these items, we feel good knowing that they’ll be put to good use and won’t be sitting unused in a cupboard or thrown away. “Anyone can do this,” she added. “People don’t realize how easy it is, and it offers some basic comforts to people in real need.”

Margalit, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College for Public Health, has also observed a great need for dental care among those in the homeless community, and hopes that dentists in the community will come forward and offer their services.

“I would say that 95 percent of our patients have dental needs -- they have very, very bad dental care,” she commented. “I’m working with Nebraska Dental Association, and we’re trying to create some kind of service that would help us serve our patients, because as a health-care provider, it’s really frustrating when somebody comes in with something urgent and the only place I can get them in has a one-month wait. There are just not enough servBeth El Program Director Margie Gutnik, left, and Ruti Margalit’s ices out there to care for daughter, Noam, check out a bag of toiletry items recently donat- these people.” ed by Sherry and Larry Shapiro, for the synagogue’s ongoing She encouraged anyone donation drive in support of the Siena/Francis House. willing to help out or that are unused and would be so much offer advice to contact her at 502.6762, appreciated in that environment,” she said, or rmargalit@unmc.edu. adding that by making an effort to assist Hoping donors will continue to supthe homeless, “we can, at many different port the Siena/Francis House, Margalit levels, teach our children and be open to spoke of the inspiration she receives while that community and help. Most of the peo- working at the shelter, saying, “With each ple have come there to try to make it again visit, I am reminded of the strength of the human spirit and the healing power in life and deserve a second chance.”

To illustrate the shelter’s needs, of compassion, plus the potential for Margalit noted that on an average night, healing individuals and some of society’s 375 men, women and children stay at most difficult problems: homelessness, Siena/Francis House; during an average poverty, and health disparities, that are all month, 95 three-pound cans of coffee are a result of a failing system.

“Individuals can make small differences in consumed, and 220 pounds of laundry detergent, 25 gallons of cooking oil and the lives of those who are hurt. Many people in the shelter made bad choices in their 55 pounds of sugar are used.

Items always needed at the shelter past or grew up in a toxic environment. But include personal hygiene products, pil- with some help, some turn around to reallows, towels and sheets, baby products, ize that life is worth living and that they paper and plastic products, clothing and have the power to change and be respectful, productive, happy members of society. I’m kitchenware.

Among the Beth El families who have often touched by the resilience, endurance, supported the cause are Larry and Sherry and courage of people, and the humor and Shapiro, who have donated large quantities light touch they bring.”

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator The needs of homeless members in our community are many, and Beth El Synagogue congregants are stepping up and helping out by donating much-needed items to the Siena/Francis House.

An ongoing donation drive at the synagogue benefiting the shelter was spearheaded several months ago by congregant Ruti Margalit, a physician who offers medical care to Siena/Francis House residents through her work with the One World Community Health Center.

Being at the shelter every week and seeing the needs of the residents led Margalit to send out the call for contributions. And, she said, the drive will continue indefinitely, as “there’s always more need and more new people coming in.

“All of us have so much, many things

New website celebrates Israel

by DILLON HOSIER Co-Founder, Celebrating Israel LOS ANGELES -Celebrating Israel, a new media company developing unique online campaigns to support Israel, launched its first campaign, “A Tribute to 60 Years.” The company operates with a single unique mission: to utilize the new tools available on the Internet, online social networks, and proprietary software to promote Israel worldwide.

The inaugural campaign commemorates Israel’s 60 years of independence by allowing individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to post a special message online for all to see. Users of the website pay a small fee to post their trib-

ute and a portion of every order is donated to the OneFamily Fund, a charity which supports victims of terrorism in Israel. Other funds generated from the campaign are reinvested into future initiatives.

Celebrating Israel’s second campaign is slated to launch the second half of 2008 and is designed to mobilize a massive grassroots effor to support and publically demonstrate solidarity with Israel.

The second campaign also incorporates a fundraising component and all of the funds generated will be donated to charity.

Celebrating Israel can be found online at www.CelebratingIsrael.com. Links to Facebook and MySpace pages are available and the website also includes a blog with relevant news and other updates.

COMING 05.02.08

Mother’s Day GIFT GUIDE ISSUE Information Publishing Date » 05.02.08 Space Reservation » 04.18.08 Camera Ready Deadline » 04.22.08

COMING 06.06.08

Father’s Day GIFT GUIDE ISSUE Information Publishing Date » 06.06.08 Space Reservation » 05.19.08 Camera Ready Deadline » 05.23.08

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Contact your advertising representative to advertise in these very special editions.

ALLAN Handleman Call Allan Handleman at 402.334.6451 or email:ahandleman@jewishomaha.org

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