April 18, 2014

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

Sokolof Merit Scholarships awarded

April 18, 2014 18 Nisan 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 31

In memoriam

Mallory Rogers

Rabbi Myer S. Kripke passed away Friday, April 11 at the age of 100.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy and his daughter, Netta Stern.

He is survived by son, Saul A. Kripke, and daughter Madeline F. Kripke, son-inlaw, Yossi Stern, grandson, Gil Stern and wife Brandee Stern, granddaughter, Tamar Stern, and two great grandsons, Benjamin and Ari Stern.

Funeral services were held on Monday April 14 at 10 a.m. at Beth El. Internment immediately followed at Beth El cemetery. The meal of consolation was held at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

The impact Rabbi Kripke has had on this community cannot be measured. Living and working in the Omaha Jewish community, his influence went beyond one synagogue, organization, or agency. He will be sorely missed, and warmly remembered by all.

The Jewish Press will dedicate a front-page article to Rabbi’s passing in our April 25 edition.

Tyler Siegel

by MARY BORT Endowment Assistant/Staff Writer, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation College-bound seniors Mallory Rogers and Tyler Siegel have each been awarded a $10,000 Phil and Ruth Sokolof Honor Roll Merit Scholarship. These awards are not based on need, but on the late Phil Sokolof ’s criteria of personal achievement, scholastic performance, community service and overall good character.

Following Sokolof ’s same criteria, $10,000 Honor Roll Merit Scholarships were awarded to two Omaha area residents in the field of Health Care. Winners of Health Care scholarships are Ashley Corcoran and Adrian “Aryeh” Epstein.

To honor his daughter whose talent and appreciation of music and theater arts inspired him, Sokolof created the Karen Sokolof Javitch

Ashley Corcoran

Adrian Epstein

Music Fund for students pursuing degrees in music performance, composition or music education. This year’s recipients are Caroline Juster, and Adeev Potash and Ezra Potash who are sharing one scholarship.

The community is invited to a reception honoring these recipients on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium.

The Phil and Ruth Sokolof Honor Roll Fund and Karen Sokolof Javitch Music Fund are both administered by the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. Suzanne Singer chairs the committee that selected the award winners.

Mallory Rogers Mallory is a senior at Burke High School. She has been an Honors student every year, is a member of National Honor Society, and has taken a full range of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Mallory has been in-

Welcoming Stephanie Larm

Caroline Juster

volved with the Academic Decathlon, serving as a coach and tester. In her junior year, she co-founded Burke’s Philosophy Club that has grown to over 20 members. At their weekly meetings, she has given presentations about religion, political ideologies, and consequences of equality.

One of Mallory’s teachers described her as a top performing student and devoted scholar who truly cares about learning, and “...one of the most intelligent, most motivated, and most passionate students I have had over the course of my teaching career.” Another teacher wrote, “I can honestly state that Mallory has fabulous interpersonal skills, displays good leadership, and she is well liked and respected by both her peers and teachers.”

A member of the French club, Mallory served as club president during her junior year. She has taken a French course every semester and be-

Adeev Potash

Ezra Potash

longs to the French National Honors Society. She is a member of Alliance Francaise d’Omaha. Mallory plays violin, was in the orchestra for three years, and belongs to the Tri-M/Music Honors. Mallory also is an accomplished dancer; she has studied advanced ballet, jazz and modern dance.

Mallory was a founding member of Omaha’s Teens4Israel. She has belonged to B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) since her freshman year and has been a member of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) for three years.

With an interest in becoming an educator, Mallory has volunteered her time as a Kindergarten assistant at Columbian Elementary School, working with students to teach reading, math and handwriting. Mallory also serves as a first grade teacher’s aide at Temple Israel and volunteers Continued on page 2

Biggest BBYO Spring Regional Convention yet

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Month Mother’s Day See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

12 14 15 Stephanie Larm surrounded by some of her Kidz Inn clientele.

by GABBY BLAIR If you have kids that utilize the fabulously updated JCC Youth Lounge, stop in to meet the new Director of Youth Programming, Stephanie Larm. I recently stopped in to learn a little bit about Stephanie and all of

the programming ideas she plans to implement at the JCC. An Omaha native and graduate of Skutt High School, Larm is excited to begin her role at the JCC. “I really enjoy working with children and their families. I am very passionate about building leadership qualities in kids so that they can be successful,” she said.

Larm is a highly qualified addition to the JCC Staff. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska – Omaha and a master’s degree in organizational leadership in business from the College of Saint Mary. While at the College of Saint Mary, Larm was Continued on page 3

Sam Sullivan, left, Megan Kahn, Ammy Wertheim, and Jackie Wax enjoy sharing time together and meeting new teens during icebreakers and other exciting events during Spring Regional Convention!

by LEORA WERNER BBYO/Teen Director In Kansas City from April 3-6, Omaha teens joined over 225 staff and BBYO’ers for a fun-filled 3-day meaningful Jewish experience. On Thursday evening, teens were eager to meet new friends and played several great icebreaker games and a fear factor competition in which our very own Sophomore Jordan Saag won!

Friday was full of community service activities and BBYO business meetings run by Mid America Council leaders. Seniors Tyler Siegel and Rachel Saag said goodbye to their successful terms as Gadol and

N’siah of Omaha Cornbelt Council.

Senior, Tyler Siegel said, “The leadership opportunities that BBYO allowed me to do were simply incredible. Each opportunity I have had opened a new doorway to something new. I had the ability to grow into a leader while having the best time of my life. I will take the knowledge and experience from BBYO and continue to build a Jewish future in college and beyond.”

Community Service Projects were definitely memorable at SRC. One in particular was reStart Inc. reStart provides the homeless with Continued on page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

Sokolof Merit Scholarships

Help Jewish kids who can’t afford to play in JCC sports leagues.

Establish your charitable fund at the Foundation.

Contact Howard Epstein, Executive Director 402-334-6466 | hepstein@jewishomaha.org | www.jfofoundation.org

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Continued from page 1 as a teacher’s aide for a weekly pre-ballet class.

Mallory was a member of the varsity swim team and worked as a CPR-certified lifeguard. As a volunteer staff member at Okoboji YMCA Summer Camp, she swam with campers, planned games and other activities.

Mallory is the daughter of Marcelyn and Charles Rogers. She plans to attend a university with strong education and Judaic studies programs, where she can belong to Hillel and participate in dance programs. Mallory is considering Washington University in St. Louis, New York University, Central Florida University and University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Tyler Siegel A senior at Westside High School, Tyler has taken numerous AP and Honors courses, including challenging math, science and computer classes. Tyler was an Academics Scholar during his freshman and sophomore years, and is a member of National Honor Society. He received the UNO/UNL Outstanding Economics Student Award and the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award.

Tyler has had an interest in technology since he was young. He is involved with Westside’s online publication, Westside Wired. As the editor, he implemented live-streaming for school sporting events and has seen popularity significantly increase on the website and Twitter. During his junior year, Tyler was a member of the Innovation Cup programming team, working as a game programmer in a gamecreation competition.

In a letter of recommendation, one of Tyler’s teacher’s stated, “I love the joy he shows when he solves a problem. He likes the challenge and chance to figure things out on his own.” Another teacher commented, “Tyler is genuine, caring and enthusiastic.”

As a member of DECA, Tyler and his partner placed first in the financial division of state competition and were finalists in the International DECA competitions. He is a DECA board member, is in charge of membership, has organized training sessions, and helped promote charity fundraisers.

Tyler was also a member of Westside’s Future Problem Solvers (FPS). He volunteered his time in an FPS afterschool program to help elementary students with homework and reading, and worked on other projects.

Tyler has been active in BBYO. He has served in a variety of leadership roles and is currently president of BBYO’s Omaha Council. Tyler has helped plan dances, regional conventions in Omaha, and membership recruitment. He was a JCC youth camp counselor, interacting with children in Kindergarten and first grade.

Tyler is an avid tennis player and a captain of Westside’s Varsity Tennis Team. He has been a part of a recreational basketball team in the YMCA league since 7th grade.

Tyler’s parents are Andrea and Michael Siegel. He plans to study engineering at University of Michigan, MIT, Cornell University or Duke University.

Ashley Corcoran After graduating from Westside High School, Ashley majored in Exercise Science and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from University of Nebraska at Omaha. She then attended Clarkson College and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

She recently began graduate studies in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at Clarkson College.

Ashley is a full-time registered nurse at Methodist Hospital, working on a critical care unit. Her abilities and leadership led to her designation as a preceptor to train new nurses. Prior to nursing at Methodist Hospital, Ashley worked for Community Rehab Physical Therapy/ Community Home Health for five years. Her duties included work as a physical therapy technician, secretary, personal trainer and nursing assistant for home health care.

Noting Ashley’s compassion and sincere interest in patient care, a supervisor at Methodist Hospital wrote, “Ashley is one of the most engaged nurses I know! I have never had a new nurse perform at the level that Ashley has. She goes above and beyond to help her patients, co-workers and the unit. Many co-workers have commented that she is considered one of the best employees on this unit.” One of Ashley’s professors expressed similar sentiments, noting, “The professional image she presents for nursing is a positive image in caring, value of the person, commitment, integrity, and excellence in quality care.”

Ashley has volunteered her time in a variety of health settings, such as assisting physical therapists and nurses with patient care at Nebraska Orthopedic Hospital, caring for babies at Immanuel Hospital’s Childhood Development Center, and helping nurses provide patient care at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. She also served as a community home health volunteer and volunteered with the WIC community service program.

As an undergraduate student, Ashley made the Dean’s List and was a member of Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing

Honor Society. She also organized activities promoting awareness of childhood obesity, and planned games and exercises for children of UNO staff. Ashley volunteered at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, assisting physical therapists in providing care to residents.

With her passion for nursing, ability to deal with patients’ complex medical issues, and a desire to make a difference, Ashley decided to enroll in Clarkson College’s nurse practitioner graduate program in order to help more people, expand her knowledge, increase her capabilities and continue following her career path. She believes in the importance of patient advocacy and it will be an area of focus in her studies.

Ashley is the daughter of Renee and Dan Corcoran.

Adrian “Aryeh” Epstein Aryeh earned his undergraduate degree from Saint Louis University with majors in computer science and applied mathematics and a minor in biology. He graduated with his Master’s degree in biology from Washington University.

Aryeh is currently enrolled in the M.D. Ph.D. Scholars Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the field of neuroscience. He finished two years of medical school, will complete his Ph.D. this summer, and then complete his last two years of medical school.

With his dual enrollment in brain research and medicine programs at UNMC, Aryeh is training both as a scientist and a clinician. He plans to pursue the field of neonatal neurology to care for newborn babies born with neurological disease and build a research program studying neural mechanisms of childhood neurologic diseases. Aryeh is the co-author of many research articles that have been published in numerous medical and scientific journals, and has presented research studies at various international research meetings.

This year, Aryeh is leading the trial of a new student-run journal club for graduate students that integrates interdisciplinary resources and fosters student leadership and networking skills. He also is on the first organization committee of monthly seminars that link medical and scientific training by pairing senior M.D. Ph.D. students with intermediatelevel students. From 2011-2013, he mentored high school students enrolled in a biomedical research course at UNMC. Aryeh’s research brings divergent technologies together and he is forging new and exciting research that was unimaginable only a few years ago. A UNMC professional wrote, “Aryeh took a discipline that was just in its infancy and made a fledgling research program into a functional reality... Aryeh is skilled in Jewish learning, an exceptional researcher, a first rate clinician and an able colleague.”

As a member of Beth Israel Synagogue, Aryeh made the commitment to be a member of the daily morning minyan.

Among his other synagogue activities, he often helps lead Shabbat services and tutors children. He also started and leads a Talmud studies program for healthcare professionals at UNMC. Aryeh noted that he is well-equipped to handle his responsibilities and interests due to the ethical guidance he gains from being a member of the Jewish community. His career goals provide him with opportunities for Tikun Olam (repairing, or healing, the world) and his Ahavas Chaim (love for life) is a powerful impetus to care for a newborn baby facing difficulties.

Aryeh and his wife, Crystal, have an 11 month old daughter, Nina. He is the son of Betty and Andy Epstein of St. Louis, Missouri.

Caroline Juster A graduate of Westside High School, Caroline plays trombone and will graduate this June with a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University. She has a doublemajor in history. Caroline will begin graduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music next year. After she completes her Master’s Degree in Music Performance, her goal is to be a member of a professional orchestra.

Caroline’s love of music began with piano lessons in kindergarten. She studied piano and guitar for many years. In fifth grade, Caroline began playing trombone, and added French horn the following year. She performed in the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra and various music ensembles at school.

At Northwestern, Caroline performs in the Symphonic Band, Chamber Orchestra, Brass Ensemble and Trombone Choir. She founded, manages and performs with Orrington Brass, a brass quintet that performs on campus and in the Chicago area. Additionally, she is a member of a trombone quartet and works as a freelance musician in Chicago.

Caroline took private trombone lessons from Omaha Symphony bass trombonist Jay Wise, and has continued her studies with members of the Chicago, San Francisco and Detroit Symphonies.

Last year, Caroline was also a finalist in the Eastern Trombone Workshops’ National Solo Competition in Washington, DC, and placed in the 2012 International Trombone Association’s Frank Smith International Solo Competition. In 2010, she was selected as a member of the Continued on page 4

April 18, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

BBYO Spring Regional Convention Continued from page 1 supportive services to women, youth and families with children, with the goal of helping them move toward independence and self-sufficiency. BBYO teens helped collect and create items to make hygiene bags for the residents of this amazing non-profit.

“I think we helped lots of residents at reStart.” says Freshman Josh Wax. “This experience encourages me to do more for the Omaha community when I return home. I think we should spread the enthusiasm we have for doing mitzvahs with others. We should all be making a difference in the world.”

Teens experienced a fantastic Shabbat experience during SRC. Eric Hunker, a nationally known musician, was an integral part of making Shabbat so meaningful. His beautiful voice and song leading at several events such as International Convention 2013 and 2014 has made him popular among Jewish teens today. For Saturday morning services, teens were given two options of how they wanted to

Grant Goldstein, left, Max Goldberg and Josh Wax. celebrate Shabbat. An alternative Yoga service weaved in yoga teachings and philosophies with Jewish ones as well. The pluralistic service was titled “From the Roots We Grow” and led by freshman and sophomores of AZA #1 and Chaim Weizman. All teens did a fantastic job of leading and giving their peers an uplift-

Stephanie Larm ing and meaningful service filled with inspirational Jewish music.

After Shabbat, Mid America Awards were handed out to praiseworthy teens and chapters. AZA #1 was awarded “Best Top Ten List” and “Most Improved Chapter”.

Freshman Nate Gendler was awarded AIT (Aleph in Training) of the Year for MidAmerica Region. Junior Isaac Rogers of Chaim Weizman won “Flame of AZA” for the most passionate and hard-working male teen from his region! To celebrate all the successes that Omaha and Mid America had this year, teens got groovy at a neon themed DJ-spun dance. Freshman Alex Belgrade comments “Last year I attended SRC as an eighth grader and it just keeps getting better.

I can’t wait for Fall Regional Convention, more Omaha events, and the next three years of my amazing BBYO career!”

For more information on how to join BBYO, contact Leora Werner at 402-3346404 or lwerner@jccomaha.org.

Joining (musical) forces

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Temple Israel prides itself on having strong relationships with congregations from the entire religious spectrum of Omaha; one of its lasting partnerships is with St. Paul United Methodist Church.

That partnership will be on full display on two upcoming occasions, as Temple Israel’s Kol Rina choir will participate in Sunday morning services at St. Paul’s and St. Paul’s choir will reciprocate by participating in Friday evening services at Temple Israel.

“We always look forward to joining forces with St. Paul and getting the opportunity to sing at their church,” Cantor Wendy Shermet

said.

“The choirs capitalize on the musical strengths of the other; we truly look forward to singing together and what each choir brings to the whole,” St. Paul Minister of Worship Jerry Brabec said.

On Sunday, April 27, Kol Rina will visit St. Paul United Methodist Church, 5410 Corby St., where Brabec will conduct the combined choirs during the 11 a.m. service.

“Since we share a musical director, each choir is musically prepared in the same way, but, in response to our differing faith tradition, we are each enabled to bring a particular and unique perspective to our preparations and to the music itself,” Brabec said.

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The choirs will sing Samachti b’omrim Li, Early Will I Seek Thee and Go Not Far From Me (Psalm 21), as well as regular service songs. They will also perform the version of “Hashkiveinu” arranged by Cantor Jonathan Comisar and commissioned by Temple Israel for the dedication ceremony of its new building.

The two choirs will come together again on Friday, May 2, at Temple Israel, during the Shabbat evening service. “[Performing together] reminds us of our shared faith through the Hebrew Scriptures, our connectedness through Abraham, and even more, our unity as children of a loving God,” Brabec said.

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Continued from page 1 recognized as an Emerging Leader in 2010.

She served as an Admissions Director at Vatterott College and also as a Youth Diversion Specialist at Boys Town.

While working at Boys Town she assisted youth in learning Stephanie Larm and developing life skills and also coached high school girls basketball and track. She will be carrying that experience over to the JCC. “I will also be playing a role in the development and implementation of girls athletics here at the JCC,” she said.

Larm’s primary role will be running the Youth Department and its programs including Kidz Inn, Before & After Care, and Summer Camp.

As one of five children growing up, Larm was highly active in various clubs, camps and athletics, making her a natural fit in the Youth Department. Now, she has a five-year-old daughter of her own who is also active in extracurricular activities, giving Larm the opportunity to experience such programs as a parent.

She plans to draw upon all of these experiences in her role as Youth Director.

“I am looking forward to my career here at the JCC and the opportunities I will have to enhance the Youth Department,” she said.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions regarding the Youth Department, contact Stephanie Larm at 402.334.6409 or at slarm@jccomaha.org.

Mazal Tov, Aaron!

We are so proud of your achievements – membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from the Band.

ere Photo h

Love, Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters

Congrats, Lauren!

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Name _____________________________________________________________________

ere Photo h

Address ____________________________________________________________________ City, State and Zip ___________________________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________________________________________ Ad A O Ad B O Photo enclosed O Check enclosed for $ _________ Send check and photo to The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154 by May 9.

We are so proud of your achievements – membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from B.E.S.T.T. Love, Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters and grandparents

4 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

Sokolof Merit Scholarships Continued from page 2 Grammy Jazz Band and performed at official Grammy events in Los Angeles. Last summer, Caroline received a fellowship to attend the Summer Brass Institute in Atherton, CA, and was recently offered a position at the 2014 Aspen Summer Music Festival.

One of Caroline’s instructors wrote, “I immediately recognized a profound talent and love for music and an amazing work ethic. Her goal is to perform professionally, and I believe she has the ability and determination to accomplish it.”

Caroline works as a student assistant at Northwestern’s Music Library. She provides community service by participating in many outreach performances with Orrington Brass. During her high school years, she served as a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands, and gave free weekly music lessons to a young trombone student.

In addition to her studies and performances, Caroline trains for competitive powerlifting and works as a personal trainer. She is completing work to obtain professional certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Caroline is the daughter of Sara Juster and Sorin Juster.

Adeev Potash and Ezra Potash Adeev Potash and Ezra Potash are both graduates of Westside High School. They are also identical twins who share a love of jazz music that has led them to develop professional careers as musicians.

An accomplished trumpet player, Adeev is a student in the Purchase College Jazz Studies Program at the State University of New York (SUNY) and plans to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in jazz performance. He performs in SUNY’s Jazz and Latin Jazz Orchestras, Big Band and AfroCuban Big Band. Adeev also takes private lessons with Jon Faddis, a protégé of the late Dizzy Gillespie.

According to one of his instructors, “Adeev prepares his lessons with skill and maturity well beyond his years. His dedication and professionalism speak volumes and serve as a marvelous example to students and peers alike.”

Ezra is an equally-accomplished bass trombone player who is working toward a Bachelor’s of Music in jazz at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM). He performs in

MSM’s Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra and Jazz Orchestra.

While attending the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music for a year, Ezra performed in the Big Band and Afro-Cuban Jazz Band. He takes private lessons with Dave Taylor, who has performed with the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin.

“I have seen a constant growth in Ezra’s musical creativity, interpretation and technique,” wrote one of Ezra’s instructors. “His joy, based on a deep positive understanding of music and human nature, affects everyone who hears him.”

Adeev and Ezra both perform as featured artists at various New York City venues. The brothers perform as the Potash Twintet and released their debut album, Twintuition, on iTunes in 2012. They were co-presenters at TedxOmaha 2013, have performed at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meetings and played at various Jewish venues around the country.

After arriving in New York to study music, the brothers developed a relationship with Wynton Marsalis, who helped them get their start in that city.

In addition to performing jazz music, Adeev and Ezra are co-Artistic Directors of the Preston Love Jazz and Art Center in Omaha. They book local and national jazz greats from New York City to perform in Omaha and set up educational jazz curriculum for school age students.

Both young men knew from an early age that they wanted to be musicians. They performed in high school bands including Westside’s Concert Jazz Band, took private music lessons, were members of the Metropolitan Area Youth Jazz Orchestra and Omaha Area Youth Symphony, and were selected as Nebraska All-State Musicians. They also performed across the country in the award-winning Amazing Technicolor Show Choir Band.

While in high school, Adeev and Ezra served as interns for Representative Lee Terry, volunteered at Herzl Camp, were teacher’s aides at Beth El Synagogue, were active in United Synagogue Youth (USY), and participated in the B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz.

Adeev and Ezra’s parents are Amy Nachman and Alan Potash.

Pinwheels for Prevention

Back Row: Lynne Saltzman, left, Sandy Nogg, Justin Cooper and Teresa Drelicharz; front Row: Vanessa Cooper and Marissa Cooper. Pinwheels for Prevention are put up in April because April is Child Abuse Awareness Month.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Banker Sid Dinsdale will discuss his candidacy for the US Senate, as part of our series on contested primary races on Wednesday, April 23, noon, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Guess what? Spring is here!! We’ve resumed our meetings on Thursdays from 1-3 p.m., at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s boardroom. We welcome all who would like to attend. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

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For the love of the game

by GABBY BLAIR If you hang out at the JCC long enough, you are sure to run into JCC Sports Programming Coordinator and Select Basketball Coach, Nick Runco.

Always quick with a smile and friendly greeting, Coach Runco enjoys helping kids discover their sports abilities, especially in basketball.

“Coaching is more than just teaching game fundamentals, it’s about teaching passion and camaraderie,” he said.

Runco’s own love of basketball began at a young age when he played for the Unity Stars Organization. He continued to develop his skills throughout his youth, and later discovered a new type of basketball experience when he transitioned from player to coach. As a coach at the Omaha Sports Academy, Runco developed new skills and found that coaching was a great way to share his passion with others. When he started as the JCC Sports Programming Coordinator, Runco knew he wanted to lead sport programs that were the best in the city.

Runco is well on his way to reaching his goal. Recently, his 8th grade Select Boys Basketball team received a gold ranking, making them one of the highest rated teams in the Omaha Metro.

Runco is also excited about working with Lynette Brannen, the new JCC Director of Athletics, and supports her visions of expanding the Select Basketball program to once again include girls teams.

“I am very supportive of Lynette’s initiative on this. I encourage all girls to participate in this program,” he said. “We are going to kick things off by offering a series of four

‘JCC Girls Got Game’ basketball clinics this April and May. They are open to all 3rd – 8th grade girls in the community and are free of charge. Girls can attend as many of the clinics as they wish.”

“JCC Girls Got Game” clinics will be held on Saturday, April 26, Sunday, May 4, Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 18 at 1 p.m. in the JCC gymnasium. More information on these clinics can be found on at www.jccomaha.org.

Runco is also busy gearing up for the Fall/Winter JCC Lions Select Basketball season. Tryouts for the season will be held on Sunday, April 27. Teams practice twice a week and play a minimum of 30 local games throughout the season. Tryouts on April 27 are for kids in 3rd-8th grade and are open to the community. Tryouts for kids going into 4th – 6th grade in the Fall of 2014 will be in the JCC gymnasium from 1-3 p.m. Those going into 7th and 8th grade will be from 3:15 - 5:15 p.m.

Runco also points out that adults have options when it comes to basketball programming at the JCC. The Men’s Drop-In Basketball League meets on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:45 a.m. and Sundays at 8:30 a.m. It is free for JCC members. Private and semi-private basketball lessons are also available for JCC Members of all ages. They are offered year round and can be booked anytime by calling Member Services at 402.334.6426.

For more information on any of the programs listed in this article, contact Nick Runco at 402.590.2141 or Lynette Brannen at 402.590.2144.

Religious literacy

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Over the winter, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel taught an adult education class at Temple Israel titled “Judaism and Religious Literacy.” The purpose of the class was to invite people from different religious backgrounds to visit and discuss their particular religion’s beliefs and tenets.

Guest lecturers came from a wide range of religions, including Islam, Catholicism and Episcopal. There was one faith, however, that the class wanted to discuss that Rabbi Azriel was unable to schedule an example of, until now: Evangelical Christian.

On Wednesday, April 23, Temple Israel will welcome Pastor Mark Stevens of Glad Tidings Church.

“I think the evangelical community in America has definitely proven themselves to be one of the great supporters of Israel,” Rabbi Azriel said. “And I think it’s important for us to listen to some of the arguments and support that comes from that community, knowing full well that there are issues and areas of theology on which we completely disagree.”

Some of the issues on which Judaism disagrees with Evangelical Christianity include, of course, the second coming of Jesus Christ and the Rapture, during which Christians believe they will “be with the Lord forever,” while those remaining on earth will undergo “indescribable suffering as God judges a rebellious and disobedient world,” according to an Assemblies of God pamphlet titled Our 16 Doctrines.

Evangelical Christians also believe that the creation of the state of Israel was a sign of the “end times,” and they fret over the ongoing struggle between Jews and Palestinians, because it “seem[s] to be hindering the prophetic promise Christians saw beginning to happen in 1948,” according to the Assemblies of God website.

There will be a question and answer period during this class.

“Despite our differences, we do owe the evangelical community a great deal of gratitude for standing with Israel during these tough times,” Rabbi Azriel said.

This special “Judaism and Religious Literacy” class with Pastor Mark Stevens is Wednesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m., and is open to the Omaha Jewish community.

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6 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

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by OZZIE NOGG According to the Alzheimer’s Association, when people think about staying fit, they generally think from the neck down. But a healthy brain is critical in almost everything we do, and clinical evidence suggests there are steps we can take to help keep our brains healthier as we age. To that end, Jewish Social Services will present a Dementia Prevention program on Thursday, April 24, 10 a.m. in the Board Room at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. During the session, Gayleen Bradley, Certified Dementia Specialist, will show how caring for one’s brain health can reduce the risk of developing Gayleen Bradley, the Move In/ dementia.

Marketing Coordinator at “There are so many Remington Heights Senior dementia and Alzheimer’s Living Community and myths out there,” Ms. Certified Dementia Specialist.

Bradley said. “The question I most often get -- even from nurses -- is ‘What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?’ Well, there are over one hundred different types of dementia, and I want participants to leave this presentation with a better understanding of what dementia is, and what it isn’t. Each of us is accountable for our own life, and I believe it’s a personal responsibility to learn new strategies that will help keep dementia at bay.”

During her presentation, Ms. Bradley will explain how to recognize the symptoms of dementia and its related behaviors, as well as how the disease is diagnosed. “We’ll also explore ways people can protect their brains by making sound lifestyle choices, and examine different coping mech-

anisms,” Bradley said. “A diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can be very frightening. But there are simple things each of us can do to help reduce risk factors, like increasing physical activity and making changes in our diets. And there are simple techniques to use if you’re a caregiver, that can make everyone’s life easier and more fun.

We’ll discuss all these issues on April 24.”

From 2008 to 2013, Ms. Bradley served as Client Care Coordinator for Home Instead Senior Care. She also facilitated CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and Education℠ Training Program -- developed exclusively for Home Instead by a panel of experts with a variety of knowledge within the aging field. Bradley is currently the Move In/Marketing Coordinator at Remington Heights Senior Living Community in Omaha. “I’m probably the first staff person a new resident meets and talks to,” Bradley said. “I help make their move-in experience go smoothly, integrate them into the community and introduce them to the other team members at our facility. The most important service I perform at Remington is making sure that when new residents move in they feel warm and welcome, and that their needs are being met.”

Besides her professional experience with dementia, Bradley understands its ramifications on a personal level.

“My dad has the disease,” she said. “It has affected his memory, his behavior and his ability to perform everyday activities. But he’s still my dad. Just like so many other sufferers, he has human needs and I have to figure out what they are.

Our loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer’s are people who still need to be hugged. They might not be able to walk up to us and tell us they need a hug, but they do.”

The April 24 Dementia Prevention program is free and open to the entire community. Seating is limited. Call Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Outreach Programs at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, to RSVP at 402.334.6521 or email: mconti@rbjh.

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by LYNN BATTEN JFO Publicity Manager It’s no secret that engaging in athletics and team sports can have numerous health benefits for those who participate in them. Ongoing studies are now shedding light on just how beneficial team sports programming can be on the lives of young girls.

According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, the impact of sports reaches far beyond the fitness aspect.

Physical activity aids in the development of concentration skills and memory, allowing girls who participate in team sports to often excel academically. In addition, the group dynamics of team-oriented sports establish a solid concept of goal-setting, teamwork, social development, stress management and problem solving – all valuable life skills that carry over into adulthood.

Plus, participation in sports isn’t just about the immediate satisfaction of hitting a three-pointer, or scoring a goal... it’s about making an investment in future well being.

The Women’s Sports Foundation notes that girls who participate in sports gain health benefits beyond the standard aerobic endurance and muscle mass. The reason? Athletes generally tend to recognize the value of their health and are therefore less likely to smoke and engage in detrimental behavior. Research also suggests there is a link between physical activity and the reduced chance of developing diseases, such as osteoporosis, later in life.

With a new series of sports programming, the Jewish Community Center of Omaha hopes to allow girls to incorporate these benefits into their own lives. The upcoming JCC Girls Got Game basketball clinic on April 26 is one such example. Open to girls in the community that are entering 3rd – 8th grade in the Fall of 2014, this free clinic will be the first of four offered. Girls may participate in as many of the clinics as they wish.

When asked about the ultimate goal of this programming, JCC Director of Athletic Programming, Lynette Brannen, said it is about much more than just strengthening basketball technique.

“We hope to provide the young ladies in the community with a variety of different sports opportunities, all of which will allow them to grow in numerous ways. We work to foster a supportive and fun environment, where girls know that they don’t have to be perfect. Growth is encouraged.

That is what we want. We want them to learn and develop both sport skills and life skills while they are here. All we ask is that they try their best and have fun while doing it,” she said.

Stephanie Larm, JCC Director of Youth Programming, will also be involved in the JCC Girls Got Game program-

ming, acting as coach. Larm, who previously coached girls basketball and track at Boys Town, knows the impact that athletics can make.

“Organized sports can instill structure, guidance and security in the lives of many kids, especially young girls,” she said. “My main goals as a coach are to emphasize the importance of an active lifestyle and the benefits of being part of a team. One of the ways we do this is by working as a team to reach a shared goal. It sets the foundation for supportive interactions both on and off the court/field. I also really focus on helping the girls build self-confidence and positive self-esteem,” Larm said. “And, of course, I always want my team to have fun and enjoy what they are doing.”

Part of the reason Larm is so passionate about youth sports is she knows first hand the positive impact athletics can bring.

“During my high school years as a female athlete, I learned the values of leadership, attitude, and setting future-oriented goals. I learned about the different qualities of communication, positive feedback, teamwork and dedication. Now I look forward to passing all of these things on to all of the girls that I coach.”

Both Brannen and Larm encourage all youth, regardless of gender, to get active and get involved. Even just a session of team sports at the recreational level can have a positive impact.

“I strongly believe that being involved in sports illustrates to any child the direct link between hard work and success, “ Larm said. “And with all of our new programming, that is exactly what we hope to do.”

For more information on the free JCC Girls Got Game basketball clinics, or for additional youth sports offerings, call at 402.590.2144 or visit www.jccomaha.org.

April 18, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

JCC Director of Athletics seeks to expand programming In the news

by GABBY BLAIR and receptive to their ideas and suggestions The new Director of Athletics, Lynette for new programs,” she said.

Brannen, is excited to begin her role at the Another goal that Brannen has is to JCC. In her first week, Brannen hit the maintain the top caliber Specialty Sports ground running. In addiCamps that the JCC offers tion to maintaining curevery summer for kids in rent sports programgrades K-6th. The popular ming, she looks forward College All-Stars camps to developing new ones. are offered in basketball, “We already have wonvolleyball, and soccer. derful basketball skills There is also a cheer camp, classes, clinics and Boys triathlon camp, swim and Select Basketball Teams dive team, and the Eric headed by Nick Runco,” Berhens JCC Basketball says Brannen. “I would Camp. like to expand upon this “Our College All-Stars and have more options Camps have been voted for girls looking to join Best of Omaha multiple in.” years in a row, and there is One of Brannen’s first a good reason for it. We goals is to establish a get collegiate athletes and Lynette Brannen Girls Select Basketball special guests from local Team for the 2014 Fall/Winter session. To teams, such as UNO and Creighton, to make this happen, she is launching a new come in and work with our campers. It is a series of “JCC Girls Got Game” sports clin- very special experience,” she said. “We are ics. The first round of clinics will focus on also excited to bring in Omaha Central basketball and will be held on various High School basketball coach, Eric Saturdays and Sundays in April and May. Berhens, to lead the Eric Berhens JCC Brannen encourages all girls in 3rd – 8th Basketball Camp.” grade to come and participate. “JCC Girls Brannen alerts parents that spaces in the Got Game” basketball clinics will be held JCC Specialty Sports Camps fill quickly. on April 26, May 4, May 10, and May 18 at “Registration has been strong and spaces 1 p.m. in the JCC gymnasium. These clin- are filling up fast, so I would encourage ics are free and open to the entire commu- parents to enroll their kids as soon as posnity. Girls may attend as many clinics as sible” she said. they wish.

For those not old enough to participate in Brannen is eager to bring JCC Members Summer Camp, Brannen recommends the programming they would like to see. other programming options.

She welcomes any feedback they might “There are always classes being offered at have. the JCC for Members of all ages. We offer “I want Members to know that I am open family friendly options, like Taekwando.

Snowbirds Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning. Sometimes several papers are sent to your “old” address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged! Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

Plus, we have great programming options for pre-kindergarten kids,” she said.

Brannen encourages parents to sign their kids up for sports programming to help show them how fun an active lifestyle can be. Some popular options for little ones include Preschool Sports, Superhero Training, soccer, tennis, or the new T-ball program starting this May. Brannen, an Omaha native, brings a broad and expansive skill set to her role as JCC Athletic Director. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bellevue University and a master’s degree in the science of kinesiology, with an emphasis in sports psychology, from the University of North Texas. She taught Sports and Exercise Psychology at Iowa Western Community College and, most recently, worked as a Health Educator. In her role as Health Educator, she raised awareness on childhood obesity, along with the importance of engaging families to make healthy choices together.

Lynette is a former gymnast who has participated in numerous team and individual sports throughout her life. Now, as a parent herself, Lynette places even more importance on the physical, mental, and social aspects of organized sports programming.

She is excited to work with the youth at the JCC and looks forward to helping them discover the path towards becoming healthy, well-rounded adults.

If you would like more information on any of the programs mentioned in this article, please contact Lynette at 402.590.2144 or lbrannen@jccomaha.org. More information can also be found online at www.jccomaha.org.

On March 6, 2014, the Selection Committee for the UNO Award for Distinguished Research or Creative Activity voted to recommend Dr Roni ReiterPalmon to the Chancellor as the 2014 recipient of the Award. The Chancellor had accepted the Selection Committee recommendation.

On April 10, 2014 at 2 p.m. the Award was presented to Dr. Reiter-Palmon during a Faculty Honors Convocation at the Thompson Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Sanford Freedman, named “Outstanding Alum of the Year” by the Economics Department of the University of NebraskaOmaha, is congratulated by Prof. Donald Baum, Department Chair/Graduate Adviser, at the recent Annual Awards

Sanford Friedman, left, and Donald Baum Banquet. In a lively speech about his varied career -- marked by creating and developing businesses -- Sandy expressed his gratitude to UNO for the education that provided him the tools for success. His guests at the banquet included his wife, Amy; son and daughter-in-law, Dustin and Candace; and in-laws, Molline and Frederick Cassman.

8 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

Compassion: Through the eyes of Sandy Nogg

by OZZIE NOGG The Passover Seder features four sons, four glasses of wine, four questions. In this, and upcoming editions of the Jewish Press, we will ask our questions through the eyes of four Jewish Family Service professionals. And just as with the Haggadah, in the telling we will learn. This week, we focus on Sandy Nogg -- and acts of compassion.

Sandy, would you please describe your main responsibility as Assistance Coordinator?

Simply put, my job is to assess the requests for assistance that come to the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Two years ago, Jewish Family Service implemented a process by which all financial aid and scholarship requests are first reviewed

their current food expenses so they don’t go hungry. Each day as Assistance Coordinator brings new, and sometimes unexpected, opportunities to provide help. I’m never bored.

Your job with JFS brings you face to face, literally, with members of our community who need aid. Have you learned anything surprising?

I’ve learned that many Omahans have only a vague understanding of the scenarios we at Jewish Family Service see almost every day. When I explain to people what my job entails, I’ve had Jew and non-Jew alike say, “But no one in the Jewish community is poor or jobless or mentally ill, and so on.” Before I became JFS Assistance Coordinator, I spent years in the volunteer sector -- both in Jewish organizations and in the Omaha community at large. Those experiences took me inside many different neighborhoods and showed me the many different conditions under which men and women and kids live. Those experiences proved to me that the Jewish community is a microcosm of the larger Omaha community, so it stands to reason that there are Jews in need of assistance, too. Listen. I learned a long time ago that Omaha Jews have big hearts. We show our generosity over and over. But there’s hunger and poverty and mental illness out there, and the Omaha Jewish community is not exempt. That fact surprises some people.

And that surprises me. I’m also surprised when people suggest that we tell our clients who are in financial straits to “just get a job.” Transportation is a major problem for low income households. Omaha lacks a mass transit system, and since many of our clients can’t afford a car, they can’t get to a job that would allow them to take care of themselves and their families. The answers aren’t simple.

Does your background as a registered nurse help you in your job as JFS Assistance Coordinator?

My nursing experience is helpful in every aspect of my life.

It’s simply a part of my thought process, and it’s definitely been useful in my current position. My years in a hospital environment gave me an understanding of, and empathy for, our clients who are dealing with chronic or acute health issues which greatly impact their lives. So, even though my nursing education is helpful, a lot of what I do is influenced by life experience. I’m no spring chicken, you know. I’ve been a single working woman, a married and divorced woman, a working single parent, a Jew-by-choice, a married

In the Haggadah, after counting each gift given by God to our ancestors during the Exodus, we say, dayenu -- it would have been sufficient for us. Jewish Family Service recognizes that in the doing of good deeds, there is never enough.

Sandy Nogg through my desk. Individuals, couples and families who request aid must provide necessary financial paperwork in order for JFS to adequately assess their needs. Those requests run the gamut -from emergency situations that require immediate assistance for living expenses, to financial aid for childcare or pre-school at the Child Development Center, a reduced rate for JCC membership, or scholarships for youngsters who want to attend The Friedel Jewish Academy or a Jewish summer camp. In all situations, Jewish Family Service treats its clients with the utmost dignity and respect. We know that most people find it hard to ask for help for any reason.

Besides assessing financial needs, what other duties are on your job description?

I’m responsible for keeping in contact with our clients on a regular basis and to be here for them when they need an advocate. I accompany JFS clients to physician’s appointments, go with them to parent-teacher conferences, meet with state and county social service representatives to help cut through the red tape. Often, just having someone beside them gives clients the confidence to do what needs to be done. I also stock the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry, which is available to Jewish community members to help supplement

Home+Garden

woman again, an Omaha community volunteer, a Jewish community volunteer and a long time thrift shop volunteer in both the Jewish and citywide sectors. During my thrift shop days, I wasn’t just schlepping shmattes. I was observing the needs of the people in Omaha, which informs how I approach my role at JFS. What else do you want us to know, Sandy?

I want you to know that Jewish Family Service clients are young, old, single, married, divorced, widowed, of every color and background, and we take our responsibilities to those clients -- and to the entire Jewish community -- very seriously. The agency tries to serve both in the best possible way. We understand that confidentiality is paramount. We are deeply conscious of our fiduciary responsibilities to the community that funds our work. The financial assistance we give to clients is based on their needs, but we’re always mindful of staying within our budget guidelines. We rarely say, ‘No’ to a request, but when we do have to deny an application for assistance, it frequently changes that client’s course for the better. Believe me, this job has changed my course for the better, too. It never occurred to me that JFS Assistance Coordinator was a role for which I was in any way a good candidate. I was an RN, not a social worker. I will be forever grateful to Mike Silverman for encouraging me to try the job out, and here I am, six years later and loving it.

At this Passover season, how will you express acts of compassion towards others? By becoming a Friend of Jewish Family Services. Your generosity guarantees that the financial assistance needs of the Jewish community will be met. If you or someone you know would benefit from our services, we are as close as the phone or computer. Call 402.330.2024, or email: jfsomaha.com.

Friedel’s Flower Power

by GABBY BLAIR Mark your calendars for the annual Friedel Jewish Academy’s PTO Plant & Flower Sale, Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9 from 9:30 a.m.

- 4 p.m. at the main entrance of the JCC. Select from quality organic, locally grown vegetable and herb seedlings, many of which are offered in rare, heirloom varieties. Stay tuned; there will be more information in next week’s issue of the Jewish Press.

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April 18, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

BESTT students honored during Kitah Gimmel ceremony

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Second and third grade students in Beth El Synagogue’s Talmud Torah (BESTT) were formally welcomed into the world of Jewish study during a recent ceremony held during religious school. Friends and family packed the chapel for the program, highlighted by songs, prayers, and personal reflections by each student. Director of Congregational Learning Eadie Tsabari, standing at left, led the festivities, along with Rabbi Steven Abraham, Hazzan Michael Krausman, and the stu-

Save the Date for the

Omaha Central High School

100th Annual Road Show Thursday, May 1, 2014 | 7 PM [Alumni Show] Friday, May 2, 2014 | 7 PM Saturday, May 3, 2014 | 2 PM & 7 PM Credit: Arielle Fried dents’ teacher, Laurel Krausman. A reception followed the ceremony, complete with cakes adorned with each celebrant’s name.

Bye Bye Birdie takes flight

by GABBY BLAIR Rehearsals for the JCC Musical Theater Community Acting Group’s production of Bye Bye Birdie: Young Performers’ Edition are well under way and the cast is flying high as opening day approaches.

I caught up with cast member Marilyn Tipp, who plays the bombastic and over the top Mae Petersen, to get a performer’s view of how rehearsals have been going.

“This has been one of the most fun things I have done in a long time,” gushes Marilyn.

“The kids are having a blast. They are fun and engaged, and it is hilarious to watch the littlest ones acting like grown teenagers.

Some of the lingo and mentality from the 1950’s are lost on the kids but our director, Fran Sillau, is wonderful at equating these ideas to the modern day so they can relate.”

Tipp went on to mention that, for her, it’s also been a family affair.

“Four of my five grandchildren are in the play with me and it has provided a whole new dimension to our relationship. I would highly recommend this experience to families looking to have a fun time together,” she said.

This is Tipp’s first time doing theater and she is enjoying her role immensely.

“The play is coming together so nicely and it is going to be explosive,” she said.

Jessica Reed, JCC Assistant Director of Dance and Cultural Arts, is acting as the Rehearsal Director for this production. She agrees with Tipp.

“We are starting to run the scenes back to back and I can see the show is clicking in our performers’ heads,” she said.

Right now, rehearsals are being held in the JCC Auditorium, but Reed is looking forward to moving them into the JCC Theater to start incorporating sets, props, and costumes.

“It always seems to send a spark through our cast once we get into the theater. The energy changes and everyone gets a little

more in character. To me, when all of the elements come together, that’s when I feel the most excited about a performance.”

Bernadette Smith, who has been Musical Director for the JCC Musical Theater Community Acting Group since its inception, says she loves rehearsals.

“It’s fascinating to watch talent mature from untried to true, and amazing to go from knowing nothing about the music to mastering it,” she said.

Smith describes the biggest challenge that most actors face is keeping up the quality of their voice while also projecting it loud enough for the entire theater to hear.

Her best moments of satisfaction are when cast members overcome such challenges and begin making musical breakthroughs.

“That’s one of the happiest moments of all for me... to hear a budding performer really grasp the part and become the character.

What a transformation!”

The community is invited to attend both performances of Bye Bye Birdie: Young Performers’ Edition at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 29 and 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 1.

Tickets are $5 each and will go on sale Monday, May 12 at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased by contacting JCC Registrar, Laura Wine, at 402.334.6419. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the ticket table set up in JCC Theater lobby. The ticket table will be open from 9 -10 a.m. on May 12 only.

The JCC Musical Theater Community Acting Group’s production is generously funded by The Sokolof Javitch Music Fund and the JCC Theater Program Endowment Fund, both funds of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

If you are a business that would like to show your support and advertise in the Bye Bye Birdie: Young Performers’ Edition program, please contact Jessica Reed at 402.334.6402 or email jreed@jccomaha.org.

Tickets: $10 - Adults, $8 – Students | General Admission Seating Tickets sold at the door before each performance.

For more information or to purchase tickets call (402) 557-3332

Mother’s Day Coming May

Publishing Date | 05.02.13 Space Reservation | 04.23.13 Camera Ready Deadline | 04.25.13

Contact your advertising representative to advertise in this very special edition.

Jessie Wees | 402.334.6559 | jwees@jewishomaha.org

10 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

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by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Originally meant to be a four-part class, Temple Israel’s “Non-Jewish Parents Raising Jewish Children” quickly became a hit with parents, and the class, led by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, was extended through the end of the school year, with plans to bring it back after summer break.

“As the class went on, we realized that there was too much material to cover in just four sessions,” Rabbi Azriel said.

“This is such a rich topic, with so many facets and layers, that we want to be sure to cover everything a parent might have a question about, be it holidays or Shabbat or Jewish ethics. This is why we’re here, to help our families live Jewishly not only here at Temple, but also at home.”

The class is designed to help parents who may not have been raised Jewish but who have decided to raise their children in the Jewish faith to better understand the education that their kids are getting in the Temple Israel Religious School, so that both parents can be part of their child’s education.

Omaha native Sarah Gilbert was raised Catholic, but as she grew older she became disillusioned by the teachings of the Church in relation to the world she saw around her.

“It’s not that I had chosen another path,” she said. “It’s more that I realized as I was growing up that doing the things that make a good Catholic, I was finding harder to do intellectually.”

This didn’t stop her from attending a Catholic university, Georgetown, which was fortuitous, because that’s where she met Dan, the man who would become her husband.

She still finds it ironic that she went to a Jesuit school and met a nice Jewish boy.

The Gilberts moved to Omaha when their son, Micah, was in kindergarten, and there wasn’t much doubt that they were going to enroll him in the Religious School after joining Temple Israel.

“What I was learning about Judaism [from Dan], I was excited about incorporating that into our childrens’ lives,” Gilbert said.

And now that Micah is in fifth grade and their daughter Noemi is in third, Gilbert was worried “that they are moving beyond my knowledge about some things, and I would

Respect is an Art

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like to keep up with them, and also model for them the idea of learning as a lifelong pursuit,” which brought her to the “Non-Jewish Parents” class.

“I wanted to attend to meet other parents who are in the same boat,” she said. “And in the first class, Rabbi Azriel drew a strong distinction that he was not going to be talking about Christian traditions versus Jewish traditions, but that it was going to be Jewish values versus secular values, and that set a really good tone for the class.”

New York City natives Danielle and Bryan Howell have also been attending the class, and getting a lot out of it.

“Being with other families who are asking the same questions we are, wanting the same knowledge, it’s nice being part of this community,” Danielle said.

The Howells met in high school in Queens and have been together ever since. Danielle was raised in a Conservative Jewish family and Bryan was raised Catholic, and while their two daughters, Kathryn and Emelia, are attending Temple Israel’s Religious School and celebrate Jewish holidays, the family also attends church services during Easter and Christmas.

“Although we are raising our children with an emphasis on Judaism for religious upbringing, we are still practicing many aspects of the Christian faith,” Bryan said. “We wanted to learn how other interfaith parents handle the challenges of raising children with a multi-faith understanding.”

“For both of us, it wasn’t a question of ‘I’m going to convert for you,’” Danielle said. “We both grew up strong in what we believe, and we decided, in teaching our children, even if we have different traditions, the fundamentals of our religions, trying to be a good person, are universal.”

Both the Howells and Sarah Gilbert are glad the class is returning next year, and couldn’t be happier with their instructor.

“Taking a class with Rabbi Azriel is the most awesome experience,” Danielle said. “He’s so engaging, it’s just so much fun to learn with him.”

There is one more session of “Non-Jewish Parents Raising Jewish Children” this semester, on April 27 at 10 a.m. The class returns in the fall. Interested parents should keep an eye on the Temple Israel website over the summer for details.

TypecastRecast features six works of art by regional artists that examine stereotypes, start community conversations and foster a more respectful and hate-free world. The objective is to improve the culture of understanding in the community by using art to initiate crucial conversations. The works of art featured in TypecastRecast include: BROKEN OPEN by Jarrod Beck Symbols of hate and intolerance were “broken open” to build this sculpture, which represents how fragile humans are in this world. BROKEN OPEN is a structure for the residents of Omaha to use as a place to educate themselves on how to be more tolerant of others and to contemplate their approach to the world.

ALWAYS FORGIVE NEVER FORGET by Avery Mazor This installation contemplates a figurative and conceptual tension between the ideas of forgiveness and forgetting. By weaving these phrases into a fence in opposition to each other, they are pulling against each other. The tension in the piece invites the community to forgive the past, but not forget the past, in hopes of learning from our mistakes. Additionally, these ideas intervene in the surrounding landscape to spark discussion about tensions in local Omaha history.

RISERS by Paige Reitz RISERS is an interactive piece that resembles traditional choir risers. Throughout the duration of the exhibit, there will be communal singing events that will bring people together through music. Singing and celebrating together can reveal our connectedness, while honoring our diversity.

DEBBIE BUTLER by Jamie Burmeister Each of us has a story to tell, if given a chance. This monument tells the story of Debbie Butler. She and her husband are longtime residents of North Downtown Omaha. Hers is the story of a woman who overcame discrimination to build a happy and successful life in Omaha.

TWO DRINKING FOUNTAINS by Charley Friedman The goal for TWO DRINKING FOUNTAINS is to bridge the history of our past and start a community dialogue about what has changed in our society. This intentional reference of a visual cue reminds us today of how legal segregation worked and appeared in this country 50 years ago.

For an older generation of black Americans, it had demoralizing effects through body, mind and spirit.

WALL by Andrew Conzett and Ryan Fisher This installation explores ways in which ordinary materials can be detailed and viewed in new and different ways. By reframing – or recasting – common materials, the wall offers a new kind of sensory image for the street. In doing so, the hope is that the work will urge visitors to re-think the ways in which they view Omaha’s existing architectural and social conditions. We have all built up walls in our own lives – how can these walls be recast?

TypecastRecast opens to the public on Sunday, April 27 with a free community event from 1-4 p.m. at the corner of 12th and Cass Streets. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the artists and ask questions about their works. The exhibit will be on display through this fall.

The Anti-Defamation League hopes to break down stereotypes and initiate dialogue among those who visit TypecastRecast. Most people have found themselves being typecast at some point because of their age, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion. Each work of art tells a story and poses questions to the visitors in hopes of recasting those typecasts.

To find out more about TypecastRecast, visit www.TypecastRecast.org.

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April 18, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

Young Jewish voices in Washington

by SOL MARBURG and ABBY REISS Our tenth grade class was lucky enough to get the chance to attend the Religious Action Center’s L’Taken event. The Religious Action Center is the voice for liberal Reform Jews in Washington D.C. They send representatives and lobbyists to meet with elected officials and discuss the Reform Jewish opinion on current issues. The L’Taken event gives Reform Jewish high school students from across the country the chance to travel to our nation’s capitol, learn about the R.A.C., and then gives them a chance to actually lobby to their own representatives. For us, that meant talking to three conservative Republican representatives: Senator Mike Johanns, Senator Deb Fischer, and Congressman Lee Terry.

Or rather, it meant talking to some of their aides, as none of our representatives were in Washington at the time. Still, the aides were very gracious in listening to what we had to say and passing it on to their respective bosses.

The trip was about more than just the lobbying, however.

It allowed us to connect to other Reform Jews from across the United States in much the same way as a summer camp or conclave would. It was also an opportunity for many teens to see the significant historical and government sites for the first time. Though the trip was brief, we still found time to visit the Smithsonian, the Lincoln, King, Vietnam, and Korea memorials, the Mall, and the Capitol. Some of us were even lucky enough to visit the White House. We also learned about the many factors that affect how the United States government works, compared to how it is supposed to work. We even dabbled in a little bit of Israeli politics. But, for me at least, the highlight of the trip was still meeting with

staffers of our representatives to discuss the issues of gun control, torture of suspected terrorists, LGBT employment rights and immigration reform. The experience gave all of us a better understanding of the issues, the United States Government and Reform Judaism. It was also a lot of fun, which should count for something.

Editor’s note: the following speech was given by Sol and Abby at the offices of Senator Mike Johanns, Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Lee Terry.

Abby: On Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, when Sol and I were in fourth grade, a mentally unstable teen with a history of criminal activity entered the Von Maur department store at Westroads Mall in our own city, armed with a stolen WASR10 assault rifle and sixty rounds of ammunition, and opened fire, killing eight people before taking his own life. Sol recalls his father telling about the line of police cars speeding past the Regency office building where he worked, and how he knew something awful must have happened. You no doubt remember this incident as well. Four years later, a student entered Millard South high school with a stolen semi-automatic handgun and fatally shot his vice-principal, then left and shot himself. I was in 8th grade at Millard North Middle School when a Code Red emergency was declared. I was terrified for my life, and I hope I never have to feel anything like that again.

Sol: Gun violence is currently a huge shadow looming over American citizens. Every day in the United States, thirty two people are murdered by gunmen, fifty one people commit suicide using a gun, and emergency rooms frantically rush to save the lives of one hundred and forty people who have been wounded by assailants wielding guns. One in every three people knows someone who has been shot.

More disturbingly, four out of every ten guns sold in the U.S. are sold by unlicensed sellers who do not conduct background checks, and one third of all illegal guns are sold through gun shows. As American citizens, and as Jews, we find these figures more than disturbing, as you surely do also. There have been many bills that have passed through the Senate, most recently the Manchin-Toomey Compromise, with the intent of making it harder for people with histories of criminal activity, gang connections, and dangerous mental instability to obtain guns.

Unfortunately, we noticed you voted against this bill.

We are not here to complain to you about that; we are here to urge you to vote in favor of similar bills in the future. We feel that a bill of this nature would greatly reduce the number of guns which fall into the wrong hands, and thus would cut down on the number of gun-related deaths.

Abby: As Jews we believe that no idea is more important than the preservation of human life. In a sacred text of our religion, it is stated that, “he who takes one life it is as though he has destroyed the world, and he who saves one life saves the entire world.� As you can see, this issue is paramount in the Jewish religion, and as representatives of RAC, we feel we must emphasize this importance.

Although we understand that your desire to keep guns readily available is intended to fulfill this purpose, we strongly believe that making guns available to everyone is not the answer. After all, for every instance of a gun being used to protect the occupants and contents of a home, there are twentytwo instances of one being used to commit a suicide, homicide, or unintentional shooting. This is an unacceptable ratio.

Sol: Our purpose in coming here is to implore you to act in favor of instating stricter rules and more thorough background checks for those who wish to purchase a gun. We realize that Americans have a right and a need to protect themselves and their families, but we firmly believe that these measures would reduce the number of guns that fall into malicious hands without preventing the majority of honest, good Americans from buying a gun to keep their family safe. If anything, if you vote in favor of this bill, American families will not feel nearly as threatened. We do not wish to keep guns out of the hands of the majority of Americans; we are asking that they subject themselves to what may be a minor inconvenience in the name of preventing murderers, gang members, and those who are dangerously mentally ill from obtaining a gun to help them carry out their evil actions.

Thank you for your time, it means a lot to us.

The fragility of matzah

by JTA NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The Transportation Security Administration said its employees are aware of Jewish needs during Passover and will accommodate requests for delicate handling of religious items. “Our workforce is aware of the unique items carried by individuals and religious practices individuals may engage in while traveling,� said a statement posted April 2. “This may include reading of religious text or participating in prayer rituals. Observant travelers may be wearing a head covering, prayer shawl, and phylacteries -- in Hebrew, kippah, tallit, and tefillin.�

The TSA also said it is aware that there will be increased travel between April 14 and April 22.

The statement noted the fragility of matzah. “Some travelers will be carrying boxes of matzah, which are consumed as part of the Passover ritual,� it said. “Matzah can be machine or handmade and are typically very thin and fragile, and break easily,� the release said. “Passengers traveling with religious items, including handmade matzoh, may request a hand inspection by the TSO of the items at the security checkpoint.� TSO is the abbreviation for transport security officer.

Agudath Israel of America, an umbrella group for Orthodox congregations, expressed its “profound thanks� for the notice.

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12 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Goodbye

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Some editorials are more difficult to write than others. The research can get bulky, the topic may be dense, or my brain may start to hurt from trying to figure out what details need further explanation, and what can I assume to be common knowledge. Sources can be incorrect, news briefs can contradict each other, and I can be running short on patience and struggle with tempering my opinion.

This is not one of those times.

The passing of Rabbi Myer S. Kripke has made us all sad, and the question of how personal I can be on this page is front and center in my mind. I’m having a hard time processing that he is no longer there, in that corner suite, sitting in his comfy chair and watching a Royals game. Refusing to attend teatime (with or without rolling his eyes), asking me to close the door if the live music in the hallway was too loud. Looking pleased with himself if I asked him how his poker game had gone, and if he beat everyone at the table. Demanding his chocolate bowl be filled, causing panicky runs to my office from his caretakers (I always had a chocolate stash in my office for Rabbi, and I know for a fact I wasn’t the only one who enabled that particular habit).

There were many reasons why I loved Rabbi: he was kind, incredibly intelligent, and he had a calming presence that is rare in this day and age. But what I will miss most was his

sense of humor. Rabbi was funny.

It’s probably why, when I think of him, one specific image sticks out: Rabbi at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Olympics in 2013, waving a plastic sword, wearing that typical half-smile on his face.

Remembering the times when, unexpectedly, a sharp and witty retort came out of his mouth is what makes the sadness a little more bearable.

Next week, The Jewish Press will dedicate a full article to

the impact he has had.

We’ll talk about the many years he gave to this community, his sermons, and the tower at Yeshiva University. We’ll talk about the Center for Jewish Life’s Kripke Library, the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, and about his wife, Dorothy. We’ll, of course, talk about his many years at Beth El. We’ll probably also talk a little about his friendship with Warren Buffett, and we’ll quote some of the things he wrote as well as parts of the eulogy; all the important milestones that compile a man’s life.

But for now, I want to remember Rabbi Kripke the man, the human being, someone who meant so much on a personal level. Not only to me, but to many of you. The conversations we’ve had with him, his opinions, his likes and dislikes, the meaningful moments we shared. Because that is what we will be mourning, that is what we have to learn to live without.

And that is why in this issue there is one last Rabbi Kripke Sparks from the Word on the inside of the back page.

Until very recently, Rabbi dictated that Parsha to me every week. Sometimes I felt bad, and just wanted to let him rest, but he wasn’t having it. It was only after his birthday in January that it became too much for him, and he requested I use his book. And so I did, and so I will, one last time.

Although I have known the day was coming, I am not ready to see that empty spot just yet. I’m guessing none of us are.

Beating back the assault on Israel’s legitimacy

Focus on issues JERRY SILVERMAN and STEVE GUTOW NEW YORK (JTA) -- Leaders of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement say they are protesting Israel’s policies in the West Bank. They are doing far more than that.

BDS advocates routinely oppose a two-state solution and seek to delegitimize the sovereign, Jewish State of Israel. In some cases, BDS becomes the latest form of anti-Semitism.

The BDS movement aims to isolate and punish Israel, using the same techniques applied to apartheid South Africa. Not hesitating to misrepresent facts and ignore context, these Israel bashers take advantage of ignorance and naïveté within civil society circles, mostly in Western Europe, to advance their anti-Israel agenda.

BDS advocates view the situation in the West Bank through a one-way lens, seeing only a single perspective.

They cite, for example, the security checkpoints that make life difficult for Palestinians but conveniently overlook the reasons for those checkpoints. They ignore the fact that hurting Israel’s economy would also hurt Palestinians who earn their livelihoods from Israeli-owned businesses.

BDS backers don’t bother to protest the many countries that have horrific human rights records, instead singling out the world’s only Jewish state, often based on false or misrepresented information.

A tipping point for the Jewish community’s response to BDS came in 2009 when a number of anti-Israel groups called for a boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival because one of its themes was Tel Aviv’s 100th anniversary. The Toronto and Los Angeles Jewish federations joined forces and, with the involvement of major figures in the entertainment industry, fashioned an effective response.

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With calls for BDS escalating in the mainline Protestant churches, on college campuses and elsewhere, Jewish community leaders realize that the situation calls for more than an ad hoc approach: Local communities need a strategic approach with national support and coordination.

In 2010, the Jewish Federations of North America, representing more than 150 local federations, allocated significant resources so that the Israel Action Network could serve this purpose. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs -- with its 16 national member organizations, including all four of the religious movements, and 125 Jewish community relations councils, which work with non-Jewish coalition partners on a range of international and domestic concerns -was the JFNA’s obvious partner.

One principle that guides this work is that we should understand our audiences. And when we speak with others, we should do so with a respect for the sensitivities of that constituency so that our important messages are authentically heard. Whether on a campus, in a church or speaking with an LGBT group, we should always be clear that we stand as partners, sharing the goal of a future with peace and security -- not one of conflict and BDS. Experience and research demonstrate that what works best with these audiences -- mostly made up of political and religious progressives -- is not an all-good-vs.-all-bad characterization of Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, a more nuanced narrative is the one that is likely to defeat the one-sided and hostile stance of those seeking to delegitimize Israel.

This means honestly conveying the situation’s complexity, expressing empathy for suffering on both sides (without implying moral equivalency) and offering a constructive pathway to helping the parties move toward peace and reconciliation based on two states for two peoples.

Whether we are dealing with a boycott of Israeli academic institutions adopted by the American Studies Association

or an attempt to remove Israeli products from a Brooklyn food co-op, the most effective opponents of these initiatives are the people who travel in those circles.

While we in the organized Jewish community should not remain silent in the face of Israel’s delegitimization, we should strongly support and accentuate the efforts of these third-party validators who share our values and viewpoints.

The 247 (and counting) universities and colleges that have denounced academic boycotts generally -- and academic boycotts of Israel specifically -- are just such validators.

It is not enough to only expose the true goals of the boycotters and their allies. Israel’s supporters must also go on the offensive and drain the swamps of ignorance that allow the poisonous ideas of the Jewish state’s opponents to incubate. Thus, we are taking the initiative to inoculate vulnerable politically progressive sectors, presenting a more factual perspective on Israel and taking prominent leaders to the region to see the real situation firsthand.

The Israel Action Network, of course, does not work alone in this arena. On a daily basis, numerous organizations stand up for Israel. Through the IAN, JFNA and JCPA are working together to convene around a common strategic planning table with a range of other North American, Israeli and European groups. This allows for sharing of best practices and coordinating our collective resources in confronting this global danger.

There is no imminent threat to the critical and broad North American support for Israel. But American support for Israel is not something to be taken for granted in light of the organized campaign we now face. While we should not be panicked, we cannot be complacent either. We pledge to continue to work hard to prevent any erosion of that support.

Rabbi Steve Gutow is president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Jerry Silverman is president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America.

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April 18, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 13

‘Occupied territories’ is a flawed and biased term

Behind the headlines ALAN BAKER JERUSALEM (JTA) -- When New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologized to Republican donor Sheldon Adelson for using the term “occupied territories” to refer to the West Bank, critics pounced. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show ridiculed the apology, insisting that the phrase is “widely accepted” and accurate.

While the term is indeed widely used to describe Israel’s relationship to the West Bank areas of Judea and Samaria, that doesn’t make it accurate. Indeed, the use of the term “occupied territories” in this context is flawed legally, historically and factually.

The phrase does not accurately reflect the status of the areas that it purports to describe. Yet it has regrettably become lingua franca in contemporary international and U.N. parlance, including for senior members of the U.S. administration and European leaders.

The expressions “occupied territory” and “occupied Palestinian territory” are political terms frequently used in nonbinding political resolutions, principally in the U.N. General Assembly, representing nothing more than the political viewpoint of the majority of states voting in favor of such resolutions.

These political pronouncements have never constituted, nor should they constitute, an authority for any determination that the territories are Palestinian or that they are occupied. Such determinations would appear to be based on incorrect and partisan readings of the factual situation and of the relevant international legal documentation.

In the 1967 Six Day War, Israel took control of Samaria,

Judea, eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. These areas had previously been seized by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Egypt and held by them since the 1948 war, initiated by them against Israel.

International law relates to occupation of foreign territory from a “prior legitimate sovereign,” and these areas never

Orthodox men get their cooking pots dipped into hot water in preparation for Passover, in Efrat, a Jewish settlement in Credit: Gershon Elinson/Flash 90 the West Bank. constituted the legitimate sovereign territory of Jordan or Egypt. Hence, the accepted international law definition of “occupation” of territory cannot be attributed to Israel’s status in these areas.

The unique historic and legal nature of these territories, in which there has existed a basic indigenous Jewish presence since at least 1500 BCE, long before the arrival of Islam in the 7th-century CE, with concomitant Jewish historic rights,

inevitably renders these territories as sui generis, or having a unique legal status. This status runs counter to any attempt to use standard definitions such as “occupied territories” in order to designate or describe these areas.

Furthermore, the historic and legal rights of the Jewish people to this territory, rendering it unique and not “occupied,” have been acknowledged and encapsulated legally and historically in official, binding and still valid international documents: the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the 1920 San Remo Declaration, the 1922 League of Nations Mandate Instrument and the 1945 U.N. Charter.

By any objective criteria, the status of the territory could therefore only be considered to be at the most “disputed territory,” subject to an agreed-upon negotiation process between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at determining its ultimate status by agreement. This negotiating process includes the requirement to agree on secure and recognized permanent boundaries.

Demands that Israel withdraw to the “1967 lines,” which are in effect the 1949 armistice demarcation lines, are equally flawed and misleading. Such demands attempt to prejudge an open negotiating issue.

Efforts by leading elements in the international community to assign the territory to the Palestinians, prior to a successful conclusion of the negotiating process, or to deny the rights and status of Israel, demonstrate nothing more than political ignorance and bias.

Alan Baker is director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, as well as of the International Action Division of the Legal Forum for Israel. He has served as the legal counsel to Israel’s Foreign Ministry and as Israel’s ambassador to Canada.

The West Bank is under military occupation, and that’s a fact

Behind the headlines JESSICA MONTELL JERUSALEM (JTA) -- According to press reports, the crowd at a recent Republican Jewish Coalition conference “noticeably gasped” when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie referred to the West Bank as “occupied territories.” Christie promptly apologized to the event’s host, mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, clarifying that his remarks “were not meant to be a statement of policy,” according to a source.

This incident illustrates the many semantic land mines involved in talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The terms employed to talk about the separation barrier or the Israeli settlements or some of Jerusalem’s holy sites often belie a political agenda intended not only to describe reality but also to affect it.

Yet this incident also illustrates the way in which an inherently legal term has been branded as somehow part of a radical political agenda.

Acknowledging that the West Bank is presently subject to military occupation is not at all a statement of policy. It is a statement of fact.

Many Jews, both in Israel and in the United States, use the biblical names Judea and Samaria, highlighting the belief that this territory forms the foundation of the Jewish people. This territory is indeed the biblical heartland of the Jewish tradition, where according to our Bible the Patriarch Abraham purchased a plot of land for his family, where Joshua brought the people after 40 years of wandering in the desert and built the tabernacle to house the Ark of the Covenant.

But calling this area Judea and Samaria tells us nothing about the applicable legal framework: Who is the legislator in Judea and Samaria? Who is the executive branch of government in the West Bank? What is the judiciary there?

The answer to all three questions is the Israeli military. The military passes laws, in the form of military orders that supersede the local laws that otherwise remain in force. Even the fact that Israeli law applies in the settlements, and personally to settlers, is not due to legislation from the Knesset but because the military commander signed an order giving force to that particular piece of Knesset legislation.

The military is also the executive, administering all aspects of the governance of this territory. Many of the Israeli civil authorities operate in the settlements, and the Palestinian Authority has responsibility for civil affairs within Palestinian cities. However, all of these authorities operate within the overall control of the Israeli military.

And the military is the judiciary. The military legal advisors decide what is lawful and what is not. The Israeli military maintains a military court system in which Palestinians are tried for everything from security offenses to traffic violations.

All Palestinians -- including those living in Area A under the nominal control of the Palestinian Authority -- are subject to the jurisdiction of the Israeli military. Some 300,000 Israelis live in this territory as well (not counting the 200,000

Israelis in the territory annexed to the city of Jerusalem).

Though they also live in territory governed by military law, settlers enjoy all the rights of the Israeli democracy, as well as additional financial benefits intended to encourage Israelis to live there. The result is that two different and discriminatory legal systems operate in the same territory, with a person’s rights and benefits determined by his or her national origin.

The words “military occupation” might sound harsh to the American ear. Many Israelis don’t like the sound of it either.

Yet the reality is indeed harsh. Millions of Palestinians have lived for almost half a century under military rule, denied

basic rights and subject to the whims of a government they did not elect and have no ability to influence.

Adelson and his ilk may be able to dictate a form of censorship of the political conversation in the United States.

This ostrich-like behavior, however, does not alter the reality on the ground. This is a rotten system. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is currently devoting massive efforts to address this problem. If his efforts are to have any hope of success, we must first of all call it like it is.

Jessica Montell is executive director of B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories.

The real threat to Ukraine’s Jewish community

by MARK LEVIN (JTA) -- After years of fighting against anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and later in an independent Ukraine, the Ukrainian Jewish community is now confronting a new threat. This threat comes from an unprecedented effort by the Russian government and others to paint a false impression of the state of anti-Semitism in Ukraine.

The recent claims of growing anti-Semitism in Ukraine, and of pervasive neo-Nazi ideology in the protest movement and the newly formed government, exaggerate the effect of the crisis in Ukraine on its Jewish community and misstate the facts.

The concerns about the safety of the Ukrainian Jewish community are real. Since the beginning of the unrest in the country in November, four members of the Kiev Jewish community have been assaulted, a synagogue in Zaporizhia was firebombed and a synagogue in Simferopol was vandalized with swastikas and other anti-Semitic symbols.

The two most recent incidents took place in Kiev in recent weeks. The director of the Ukrainian branch of Hatzalah emergency services was attacked by two unidentified men who shouted anti-Semitic slurs, stabbed him and inflicted other injuries. The next day a Jewish couple was assaulted close to the Great Choral Synagogue in the Podol district of Kiev.

Several local Jewish community leaders, however, suggest that these incidents were most likely provocations designed to incite unrest and discredit the new Ukrainian government. The Ukrainian Jewish community is as concerned about provocations by pro-Russian groups, and Russia’s destabilizing role in Ukraine as it is about homegrown anti-Semitic groups.

Contrary to the allegations of growing anti-Semitism in Ukraine, there is no pattern of violence against members of the Ukrainian Jewish community. Moreover, the Ukrainian authorities swiftly responded to the most recent incidents and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice. Ukraine’s acting prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, met with the leadership of the Ukrainian Jewish community and vowed to increase security measures for Jewish institutions.

The Ukrainian government’s guarantees to the country’s Jewish community are important to help alleviate concern about the presence of some radical elements in the opposition movement and the new government. But while the presence of the Svoboda party, the Right Sector and Spilna Sprava is alarming, radical and neo-Nazi ideologies do not represent the Maidan movement as a whole.

Although the Jewish community had been divided in its opinion of the movement, many Ukrainian Jews participated in the protests against what they believed to be a corrupt and criminal government.

Ukraine has a complicated past, and an even more complex history of ethnic relations. Since Ukraine’s independence, anti-Semitic sentiments have been used during elections and crises as a political tool to influence public opinion.

Similar attempts to use the Ukrainian Jewish community as a pawn in the bigger political game are occurring now.

To respond effectively to the crisis in Ukraine, the international community needs to be well informed and rational, distinguishing facts from rumors and innuendo. It needs to impress upon Ukraine’s new government that it is responsible for guaranteeing the safety of Jewish institutions and preventing legitimation of anti-Semitism and xenophobia.

It must also recognize that Russia’s attempts to undermine the Ukrainian government’s legitimacy not only undercut Ukraine’s ability to stabilize the domestic situation, and to address the looming economic crisis and general security concerns, but also affect the Ukrainian government’s ability to combat anti-Semitism and ensure the safety of Jewish institutions.

The efforts by the Russian government and others to perpetuate a myth that anti-Semitism is an integral part of the new Ukrainian government’s agenda are alarming. The United States and others need to send a strong message that just as anti-Semitism and xenophobia are unacceptable, the cynical exploitation of concerns about these issues in order to advance a political agenda also will not be tolerated.

Mark Levin is executive director of NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia.

14 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

Synagogues

Candlelighting Friday, April 18, 7:49 p.m.

Sunday, April 20, 7:52 p.m. | Monday, April 21, no earlier than 8:55 p.m.

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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

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

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

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

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

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Havdalah, 8:56 p.m.

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

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m.; Mini-Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Congregational Pesach lunch, noon; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; No BESTT Classess; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m.

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

MONDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: Shacharit (Yizkor is said), 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8 p.m. (Yom Tov ends at 8:55 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY: BESTT Classes, 4:15 p.m.; USY Elections, 5:30 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High Classes, 6:45 p.m.

THURSDAY: Scotch Tasting Program, 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.bethel-omaha.org.

Cook/serve lunch at Nebraska AIDS Project, Friday, April 25, 11:30 a.m. To help out, contact Joan Marcus at hmarcom@juno.com.

Our Shabbat Tables, Friday, April 25, Shabbat dinners at participants’ home. For more information, contact Caryn Scheer at carynscheer@yahoo.com.

Sunday Scholar Series, Sunday, April 27, 11 a.m., with Dr. Fred Kader on My Experience during the Shoah.

Community Yom HaShoah Remembrance Program, Wednesday, April 30, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel.

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

B’nai Mitzvah Zoe Berman, daughter of Beth Cohen and Harry Berman, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 26, at Beth Israel.

Zoe is a sixth-grade student at Friedel Jewish Academy.

Her interests include art, cooking and dance. She has been a part of the JCC Dance program since kindergarten. In honor of her Bat Mitzvah, Zoe has established the Zoe Berman Donor-Advised Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

She has a brother, Bradley.

Grandparents are Sheila and Harvey Cohen of St. Louis, and Marilyn Berman and the late Dr. Bradley Berman.

Shelby Hale Goodman, daughter of Jen and Scott Goodman, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 26, at Temple Israel.

Shelby is a seventh-grade Honor Roll student at Lewis and Clark Middle School.

Her interests include volleyball, running and spending summers at Camp Sabra.

For her mitzvah project, Shelby watered flower baskets throughout Dundee during the summer.

She has a sister, Hannah.

Amanda Simon, daughter of Jill and Scott Simon, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 26, at Beth El. Amanda is a seventh-grade student at Beadle Middle School.

Her interests include dance, soccer, hanging out with friends and attending Herzl Camp.

She has a brother, Jake.

Grandparents are Yvonne and Joe Simon of Ft. Meyers, FL, and Ann and Sheldon Lippman of Albany, NY.

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

FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

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

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

TUESDAY: Moshiach Fesast, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis.

FRIDAY: Friday Night Live! Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Linda and Don Glaser.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m.; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at China Garden, on 84th south of Van Dorn; Cantillation Class, 7:30 p.m.

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

ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY, 4:30-5:45 p.m. Guest Presentation, by Rabbi Josh Brown of Temple Israel in Omaha.

THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m.

Temple Garden Clean-up, Sunday April 27, 9 a.m.-noon.

If you are interested in donating supplies or helping with summer wedding and watering please contact Ellin Siegel at ellin7@aol.com or 402.327.9988.

30th Annual Lincoln Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, May 1, 7:30 a.m. at Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, 333 S. 13th St in Lincoln. Please send your reservation check for $25 by April 22. For more information please contact Nava at Tifereth Israel at 402.423.8569 or Jean as South Street Temple at 402.435.8004.

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Weiss.

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

MONDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

TUESDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: Natasha Kraft and Haftarah Reader: Jeff Schweid SUNDAY: No Religious School MONDAY: Conclusion of Passover: Matzah Brei Breakfast, 9:30 a.m.; Service and Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.

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

Contact the Temple office to RSVP; Executive Committe Meeting, 5:30 p.m.;Adult B’nai Mitzvah: Writing a D’var Torah with Rabbi Azriel, 6:30 p.m.; Board of Trustees, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; All School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6 p.m.; Encountering Evangelical Christianity, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Music in Transition, 10 a.m. with Cantor Shermet.

Tot Shabbat, Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. Please contact the Temple Israel office, 402-556-6536, to let us know you are coming.

Temple Israel Blood Drive, Sunday, April 27, 8 a.m.

Schedule an appointment online, http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation-sponsor, using code 009113, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or email Executive Director Dennis DePorte. Bring a photo ID and drink plenty of water before you donate.

Temple TED Talk: Sir Ken Robinson, Sunday, April 27, 11 a.m. on How Schools Kill Creativity presented by Dan Gilbert.

Kol Rina and St. Paul United Methodist Church Choir, Sunday, April 27, 11 a.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

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

FRIDAY: Erev Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach Service, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach Morning service, 10 a.m.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes MONDAY: Temple office closed; Seventh Day of Pesach Service, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: Temple office closed; Pesach and Yizkor Service, 8:30 a.m.; Pesach ends at 8:56 p.m.

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

The Nebraska State Holocaust Commemoration, Sunday April 27, 3 p.m. at the State Capitol Rotunda with keynote speaker, Holocaust survivor and retired UNL professor Lou Leviticus. For more information please visit JewishLincoln. org.

30th Annual Lincoln Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, May 1, 7:30 a.m. at Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, 333 S. 13th St in Lincoln. Please send your reservation check for $25 by April 22. For more information please contact Nava at Tifereth Israel at 402.423.8569 or Jean as South Street Temple at 402.435.8004.

Headline At B’nai Israel Synagogue on April 4, Milton Kleinberg discussed his book, Memories of My Childhood: During and After the Holocaust 1937-1951. From his birth in 1937 until age 14, when he arrived in the United States, Milton Kleinberg’s young life was filled with horrific Holocaust sites, sounds and smells that etched his memories. He described some of these senses still evoked after more than a half-century later. He told of the relationships of his family members and others who he knew form his Polish hometown. His story, his painful tragedy of this time, was detailed and ghastly, and it ws important for others to hear. We learned of his bravery and sacrifices.

The was the final Speaker Series of the year. Services were conducted by Volunteer Miles Remer. Larry Blass substituted at two of the services. The B’nai Israel congregation appreciates their generosity of time and effort.

Pulverent e

April 18, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 15

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Pesach We all remember the question raised by the “wicked son” of the Haggadah: “What do you mean by this service?”

In the Haggadah he is answered sharply, as though he had meant to distance himself from his parents and other Jews.

In the Torah itself, there is no such implication. He is simply asking for information.

And it is that situation, that a son of Israel would have to ask one day what the Passover service is all about, that arouses a “good news-bad news” response in the Midrash.

It is seen as bad news that the day would come when the Torah would be ‘forgotten’ to such an extrent that parents would have to explain to a child why they are observing Passover. Woe to us if the day ever comes when so central a Jewish doctrine as the enslavement and deliverance of our ancestors in Egypt has to be explained to an adult son of Israel. Bad news, indeed.

But the Midrash goes on with good news. If it is implied that one day afar off even elementary and fundamental precepts will have to be explained, then it also implied that Israel, the people and religious entity, will continue. For the implication is that there will be generation after generation of Jews.

Editor’s note: Unfortunately, this is the last Sparks from the Word. It was adapted from Rabbi Kripke’s book, Insight and Interpretation, which can be found at the Center for Jewish Life’s Kripke Library

In memoriam MANFRED PIECK Manfred Pieck passed away April 2 at the age of 82. A memorial service was held April 6 at Beth El. Rabbi Steven Abraham officiated.

He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Elizabeth and Jack Gallagher, Catherine and Dan Hoffman, Gabrielle and Xavi Girau; grandchildren John and Jason Gallagher, Ben and Julia Hoffman, and David and Pepi Girau; Friend, Gilda Pieck.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerhard Pieck and Anni and Jasha Desencik.

Manfred Pieck was born in Berlin, Germany and moved to

the Netherlands in 1933. After the war, the family made their home in New York City. Pieck helped Sam Fried incorporate the Society of Survivors, but did not speak publicly about his experiences during the war.

He began teaching at Creighton University in 1958 and retired in 1999. At first he taught Property, Constitutional Law, and International Law, and later added his favorites, Public International Law and Counseling International Business Transactions. He also was faculty advisor for the Jessup International Intramural Moot Court Board.

Memorials may be sent to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home or to the charity of your choice.

In Kansas City, targeting a community’s beating heart

by VICTOR WISHNA OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (JTA) -- Every Friday at noon, my 2-year-old daughter and I rush through the doors of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City here to meet my father for lunch.

We are usually late, and the JCC’s Heritage Center, catering to active seniors (and their preschool-aged guests), is only our first stop. Vivien refuses to leave until she and zayde have had a run of the entire building. At the White Theater, she chatters on about the time she saw “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins.” She reads books about Purim and Passover in the library, points out the most colorful paintings hung in the atrium and chases soccer balls around the gym until it is time to go.

Only when I promise we can always return does she let us carry her back through those large glass doors, the ones now shattered by shotgun blasts.

It’s a surreal image, those scarred doors, no easier to believe for having seen it on TV than the fact that two lives were taken in the parking lot outside.

After all, I grew up here, too. This is the place my parents first left me to fend for myself as a day camper, where I made an awkward preteen stage debut, worked summer after summer as a counselor, later helped produce a film festival, ran my first meeting and now continue to volunteer, work, work out (occasionally) and build some of the strongest relationships I’ve known.

Much has been made of the JCC as a safe place, but this is not our haven, it’s our habitat, a campus full of organizations serving those in all stages and walks of life. There is a preschool, a K-12 day school and the offices of the Jewish Federation and multiple other philanthropic, vocational, educational and family-service agencies, as well as the respected theater and popular fitness and sports facilities.

Nearly anyone involved with the Jewish community, even tangentially, has a regular reason to stop by.

A mile away, Village Shalom, the second site targeted by 73-year-old white supremacist Frazier Glenn Cross, is another community hub. It is an assisted-living facility for seniors but also houses a kosher cafe, an art gallery, a social hall for community lectures and events, and a chapel where

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our family’s synagogue holds weekday minyanim.

These campuses are the physical manifestation of a remarkably cohesive Jewish community. Perhaps more so than in larger communities, Kansas City Jews hold tight across political and denominational lines.

But neither is the community an island. The Jewish Community Campus serves visitors of all religions and backgrounds.

In the moments before the shooter struck, an audience was gathering for a performance of To Kill a Mockingbird, a stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s call to tolerance. Across the hall, auditions were underway for KC SuperStar, an American Idol-style competition open to students from high schools across the region.

The two victims from the JCC parking lot would be identified as Dr. William Lewis Corporon and his grandson, 14year-old Reat Griffin Underwood, who was there to audition. Both were members of United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Many in the Jewish community count its members among our neighbors and friends. Pastor Adam Hamilton has built close relationships with local Jewish leaders, including some who participated in a church trip to Israel.

The third victim, Terri LaManno, a Catholic mother of two, was killed in the parking lot of Village Shalom, where she had come to visit her mother, a resident at the home.

At a vigil only hours later, Mindy Corporon, Dr. Corporan’s daughter and Underwood’s mother, rose to deliver an impossibly articulate appeal.

“I want you all to know that we’re going to have more life,” she said. “And I want you all to have more life.”

All year, the JCC has been celebrating its centennial -- a time for looking back and retelling, something Jews know how to do. But throughout the building, the black-andwhite and faded-color photos from the first 100 years are dwarfed by the banners bearing the center’s slogan: “100 More.”

As Pesach begins, this may now be the moment that separates the center’s last century from its next, “l’dor v’dor.” Let all who are hungry come and eat. There will be more life, and the doors to the community will only open wider.

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QuickBooks experience required. Competitive wages, benefits. Send resume to voicenews@inebraska.com. Voice News, Hickman, 402-792-2255. EOE THEDFORD PUBLIC Schools is seeking applications for a 7-12 Science teacher & K-12 PE/Health teacher for 2014-2015 school year. Please send letter of application, resume and transcripts to: Henry Eggert, Supt., Thedford Public Schools, PO Box 248, Thedford, NE 69166.

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16 | The Jewish Press | April 18, 2014

Community G A L L E R Y

The Jewish Press is catching up, clockwise from top, left: Scott and Jen Goodman at Temple Israel’s Purim play; Mayor Stothert hands the signed annual Holocaust Proclamation to members of the community; Phil, Erica, Jake and Oliver Lucoff participated in Friedel’s Sababa Sheva run; Feigy Katzman with Fran Blumkin at Chabad; Sababa Sheva runners Peyton Kelln, Oliver Lucoff, Jack Cohen, Brad Berman, Phoenix Mavropoulos, Jake Lucoff and Julian Witkowski; Temple Youth collected food for the Stephen Center; the Blumkin family, Gary Javitch, Shani and Rabbi Mendel Katzman came together to honor Louis Blumkin.