April 20, 2012

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

This Week

Temple Israel gets ready to dig Page 6

Ride to celebrate, and ride to remember Page 7

Omaha’s Orpheum presents Fiddler on the Roof Page 12

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

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April 20, 2012 28 Nisan 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 31

2 | The Jewish Press | April 20, 2012

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This April, something very exciting is happening on our campus.

Maybe you’ve noticed those ads we’ve been running on the back page, and perhaps you’ve wondered what on earth we were talking about.

Before Annette came on board at the Jewish Press in early 2010, under the capable oversight of thenPresident Bobbi Leibowitz, talks were under way to establish a website. After the project had been put up for bid, Peggy Zier with Waitt Interactive was selected to work on the site map. Annette was more than happy to continue to work with her.

What has made Peggy such a great fit for us is, first of all, her tremendous expertise. She has been involved in the building of many of Omaha’s best websites, from the Joslyn Museum’s to the Henry Doorly Zoo’s, and then some. Her online track record speaks for itself. In addition, there’s a more emotional reason why Peggy has been such a fantastic resource. Every single one of her four daughters has attended the CDC, the Zier family has held a membership to the JCC for many years, and Peggy has a personal investment in doing right by this community: it’s her community too.

However, we soon hit a fork in the road. While looking at the potential for a Jewish news site, the Jewish Press Board and staff realized there was another option. Rather than using our valuable donor dollars for a site that was only for the Jewish Press, we could think bigger.

A website operated by our agency, offering additional stories as well as some overlap with the print edition, would have been nice. However, we had to ask: was this really the best use of those dollars? Wouldn’t it be much more valuable to think of something larger, with many options for people to find us, with endless use and functionality for the community? A way to bring together all agencies, all departments, under one online roof?

While we were considering our options, the One Campus initiative was born. David Bailis came and went, we gained a shiny new CEO and with him a new understanding of what it meant to be one campus, to work together as well as think together; to not just coexist, but fully cooperate.

The Jewish Press, as an agency, does not operate in a vacuum. Neither, we think, should its website. For the Jewish Press’ online presence to be great, it needed to include the entire campus. And so we came up with a proposal to

rebuild campuswide; we would incorporate what was working, and redesign what wasn’t.

After much discussion, Mike Silverman gave us the go ahead, and in December of 2011, the Jewish Press board voted to spend our donor dollars on a campuswide website, and take the lead on what will truly be a one-stop-site for the entire Jewish community and beyond. As agencies, we are all stewards of the dollars that our generous donors give us.

The more people we reach, the more responsible we are. There is no “us” versus “them.” As a community, we are in this together. And the Jewish community truly is bigger than the sum of its parts.

This initiative will impact everyone, from the mom who wants to sign her child up for dance lessons, to the former Omahan who wants to see what’s happening back home. From the community calendar to the Star Deli Menu, from pool hours to basketball schedules; Kripke Library events, theater performances, Shabbat candle lighting times and scholarship applications: it will all be together in one place, and we will be able to connect this community 24/7. It is tremendously exciting for all of us to work on, lay leadership and professionals alike, and we hope and anticipate it will be just as exciting for all of you to take advantage of all our new online home has to offer.

It is important to note there’s one thing that won’t change.

The print edition of the Jewish Press will not be affected; it will continue to be published in its current format for many years to come. A website is not meant to replace a print paper; it’s a different animal, serves a different function, and besides: we love our paper. It is a tangible expression of our commitment to this campus and community. We’re proud of it, and we have no intention of giving it up.

Of course, this is just the beginning. Although we’re excited about our initial launch, we fully realize it’s a work in progress. A website always is. Technology changes daily, new widgets are introduced; we’ll be changing and adapting as we move forward. This is a fantastic first step, and what the future will bring we can only imagine.

We want to sincerely thank our donors for their vision and their generosity, and for placing their trust in us. We think we did a pretty good job; we hope you think so, too.

Andrew Ruback, Jewish Press Board President Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Editor

What I learned

by MIKE SILVERMAN CEO, Jewish Federation of Omaha In order to meet your expectations and excel at my job, I must be well rounded in every facet of the Federation and the agencies we support. That’s a tall order but you probably noticed I am not a short man.

Anyway, from time to time I will be out of the office and off-campus gathering information that will help me perform my job better as well as provide information to the Omaha Jewish Community. But where do I go and what do I learn? Well, recently I went to Lincoln for a morning seminar sponsored by the Nebraska Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (a group I did not even know existed). Marty Ricks is very active in this group, and he invited me as a guest. I went to this seminar expecting to come back with snippets of information that are useful. I was pleasantly surprised.

The seminar lasted only a few hours. The Vice President of Development for the University of Kansas Hospital spoke – and she spoke very well. I came back with many good concepts and have already discussed them with our

Campaign staff as well as the 2013 Campaign leadership.

For example, how donors expect us to be good stewards of their gifts; how important it is to tell stories of our successes; that we must focus on transitioning the importance of philanthropic giving from generation to generation; how important it is to create an accurate profile of our community members so we can identify opportunities to get them involved; and the list goes on.

Why am I writing this brief article? Because when I am out of town gathering information, I intend to update you all on What I Learned so you feel confident that we are using your gifts wisely and purposely. It is expensive to travel and gather information, but necessary. You have a right to know that there is value in these trips, so I will keep you informed.

If you have any questions, or feel that you would like to learn more about the seminar, I can be reached at 402.334.6512 or msilverman@jewishomaha.org.

This is the first in a series of articles focusing on what professionals on campus learn when they are away from their desks, and how that benefits the community.

April 20, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 3

NCJW to host “Women, wine and the WCA!”

by JOANIE JACOBSON NCJW Publicity Tuesday is the new “Girls’ Night Out” as women in the Omaha Jewish community are invited to share a glass of wine, enjoy each other’s company, and meet the National Council of Jewish Women’s new community partner, the Women’s Center for Advancement (formerly the YWCA).

The event will be held on Tuesday, May 1, at the home of Patty and Steve Nogg, 7 p.m. Co-chairmen of the event are Community Service Vice Presidents, Michelle Epstein and Kelly Nogg. Committee members are Laurie Epstein, Laurie B. Epstein, Megan Dreesen and Molly O’Tool. The event is free and open to all women in the community.

“We wanted the evening to be fun and upbeat and learn something new,” said Nogg. “How could we energize the membership and give women something they’d enjoy and remember? The answer? ‘Women, wine and the WCA’ ... the perfect combination of ‘entertaining and interesting.’”

Along with Natalia Peart, WCA President and CEO; and Margo Parsow, WCA Career Services Director and a member of NCJW, the evening will feature food maven, Miriam Gross, with a whole new take on “Weeknight Meals, Fast!” and professional organizer, Elinor Matalon of Elinor’s Helping Hands, with a message: “‘No More Piles!’ -- paper is the enemy!”

“Organization is my passion,” said Matalon. When I was three, I collected soaps. I kept them in a case, and no one was allowed to touch or clean it because they would never put things back in the right order. My mother would say, ‘You’re one special girl.’ That’s when I knew that organizing was my G-d-given gift! And now it’s my business!

“For me, it’s personal -- it comes from the heart,” she continued. “That’s why my clients come back -- because they know I truly, truly care and that I will treat their home as if it were mine. Clients gain relief in taking control, and giving them hope and making them happier is one of the best things in the world.”

Miriam Gross is very much a self starter and the type of person who prefers to be busy, productive, and active in the community. Since making her home in Omaha, she has served as director of the Omaha Jewish Community Chai School and taught at the Center for Jewish Education’s

Limmud Omaha and at Friedel Jewish Academy. She is also an accomplished cook and caterer, owning her own catering company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and teaching a professional chef series at the Omaha Whole Foods entitled, “Secrets from the Catering Kitchen.”

Kelly Nogg and Michelle Epstein

Miriam Gross

Elinor Matalon

“I’m going to show the ladies some tips to cut dinner prep down to 10 minutes,” Gross explained, “but more important, we’ll share ways that cooking can be a calming and positive experience. Even if it takes just ten minutes, those ten minutes can actually be YOU time. Time to be in the moment ... to connect with yourself, to find that inner calm -- without

having to go to a one-hour Yoga class. Now doesn’t that sound just about perfect?”

The spotlight will then turn to the WCA, as Epstein explains, “We are very excited to create new community service opportunities, education, and outreach programs which advocate for women, children and families. For more than a century, the YWCA has been at the forefront of meeting the critical needs and challenges faced by women and families in our community.”

According to Peart,” To better reflect our local mission of helping women and their families build lives of strength, growth and self-sufficiency, we have adopted a new, vibrant and more inclusive identity. Our new agency now fully reflects the broad spectrum of programs and services offered with the goal of helping our clients from all walks of life and in various stages of transition and growth, advance toward personal, social, and economic success.”

This mission makes the WCA a perfect match for NCJW, whose own mission is “to strive for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families, and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.”

Epstein and Nogg recently met with Peart and Parsow, to brainstorm how the two organizations could best work together to fulfill the goal of advancing women and families.

“One area of planned partnering is through WCA’s ‘Connections’ program,” said Epstein, “which seeks to connect women (from all walks of life) with other women through enrichment workshops and mentoring. NCJW also plans to team up with WCA with new outreach and educational events in the Omaha community.”

Epstein concluded, “We are ecstatic to join forces with such a powerful voice for women and families and excited to engage NCJW members and the community to support our advocacy efforts on behalf of women, children and families.

I personally am thrilled to be able to work with Natalia and Margo -- two outstanding women from whom we can learn much. Exciting events are in the works! Stay tuned for more information and news about future events and volunteer opportunities.”

For more information on “Women, wine and the WCA,” contact Michelle Epstein, 402-964-1107.

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4 | The Jewish Press | April 20, 2012

Temple Youth Groups get a taste of conclave hospitality and homelessness

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Six Junior Youth Group (JYG) members of Temple Israel got their first taste of life at a conclave in Denver in March.

“It was really fun,” according to Emily Kazor, a seventh grader. She talked about staying with a host family and making new friends. “We did lots of group activities at

In addition to games and social activities, the junior youth groupers attended a worship service led by high school students.

Others who attended the conclave were Abby Reiss, Sophie Budwig, Jacob Wigodsky, and Spencer Arnold. Amy Katz, Temple Israel youth advisor, and Na’ama Artzi, JYG advisor, were chaperones.

While JYG members were enjoying the

On their way to the JYG Conclave in Denver are Spencer Arnold, left, Jacob Wigodsky, Lindsay Osborne, Emily Kazor, Abby Reiss, and Sophie Budwig. the Temple” as well as “swimming and basketball at the JCC.” The 12-year-old would definitely like to go again.

So would Lindsay Osborne, also a seventh grader. “Oh yes!” she said enthusiastically about another conclave. “I thought it was really fun meeting all these new people and doing all the new activities.” She mentioned singing, introducing themselves, and playing “fake zombie apocalypse, a teamwork thing” resulting from the breakdown of society as a result of a zombie infestation.

warmth of host families in Denver, Omaha Temple Youth Group (OTYG) members were recovering from a chilly night sleeping in a box city they built themselves on the grounds of Temple Israel.

“It was hard to do,” recalled Justin Norton, 15. “We used an (existing) wall to lean boxes up against and duct tape and string to hold them together. It was kind of hard to fit inside. We put boxes on the ground to lay on. We didn’t get much sleep, but it was an interesting experience, and we had interesting conversations about what it

would be like to sleep in a box every night.”

Dressed in jackets, hats, and gloves, the teens realized that homeless people might not have warm clothes. When youth advisor Amy Katz insisted after a couple hours in the 23 degree temperature that the kids come inside Temple Israel, “we got hot chocolate,” Justin admitted. “Homeless people wouldn’t have had that.”

interactive program walked the kids through a list of average budget items,” explained Katz. “The activity showed the kids how low incomes impact families.”

As Dustin recognized: Being homeless would not be like kids building a fort in the backyard.

Starring Will Smith, the movie, The Pursuit of Happiness about homelessness was shown to the youth.

They also had fun bowling and eating pancakes for breakfast before departing the next morning.

Club 56 (for fifth and sixth graders) spent a Sunday morning in March with Artzi and Slicha Na’ama Keren playing Israeli games and tasting Israeli food that they helped prepare.

Coming up next, Katz said there will be an all-youth group event on Wednesday, April 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. featuring a slide show of Dustin Ginsburg, left, and Noah Grossman try to figure out events and pictures from throughout the year. the structural design of a shelter made from boxes.

Spring Conclave will be Dustin Ginsburg, 16, described how “we in Kansas City from April 27 to 29. Seniors chilled in the boxes outside for awhile. It are invited one day early prior to underwas manageable.” Reminding him of his classmen. An end-of-year party and inforyounger days, “We made a pretty good fort.” mal eighth-grader rush event are scheduled Prior to the box city experience, youth for Friday, May 18. Current and prospecgroup members participated in a Shabbat tive youth group members will board Ollie worship service written and led by Hannah the Trolley at 7:30 p.m. bound for some of Perry who gave a d’var Torah about home- their favorite Omaha destinations. lessness. OTYG member Hannah Radler Under Hannah Radler’s leadership, led the Social Action segment of the event OTYG is organizing a car wash from 10 which included creating a nutritious shop- a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 20 at Temple ping list with only $31.50, the average food Israel. stamp allotment per person per week. “The

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April 20, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 5

Community gathers for Second Seder at B’nai Jeshurun

by DEBORAH SWEARINGEN Lincoln’s Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, the South Street Temple, held a Community Seder on Saturday, April 7 (the second night of Passover). Seventy-five people attended, including groups of students from UNL and Doane College.

Seder participants shared in the reading of the haggadah and enjoyed a wonderful meal of matzo ball soup, chicken,

throats, demonstrating sickness. One young participant fell on the floor! In addition to the plague acting, participants joined in song as Elaine Monnier, the Temple song leader taught everyone a new song about the Ten Plagues.

Rabbi Lewis said that he enjoyed celebrating the holiday with a full synagogue and that he felt that the Community Seder went very well. Rabbi Lewis wanted everyone to

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Kristine’s Kleaning Darius Geiser helps Rabbi Craig Lewis break the middle matzah for the afikomen at the South Street Temple’s Community Seder. Do not try this at home! potatoes and vegetables, prepared by a team of volunteers supervised by Maria Cadwallader. In keeping with the Community theme, a variety of Passover desserts were provided by attendees.

This was Rabbi Craig Lewis’s first Pesach Seder with this congregation, and it was a huge success. Rabbi Lewis stayed on his feet throughout the Seder, engaging everyone, as he worked his way between the tables crowded into the Temple social hall. In keeping with the interactive nature of the haggadah, Rabbi Lewis was able to engage everyone, young to old, in the Seder. In order to demonstrate the Four Children, Rabbi Lewis had placed pictures of characters from cartoons, science fiction and popular culture on all of the tables, bringing a contemporary perspective to this lesson.

Another way that Rabbi Lewis engaged both children and adults at the Community Seder was by asking participants to act out the Ten Plagues, table by table. My favorite was the demonstration of dever, cattle disease. The members of the table assigned to this plague mooed, and grabbed their

Beth El plans fun guys’ night out during “Jews & Brews”

Clayton McIlwain, Deborah Swearingen, Dennis Dohner, and (behind) Julie Moore follow along in the haggadah at the South Street Temple's Community Seder. understand and appreciate the Pesach story and for all ages to participate. Sentiment among the attendees was that the Seder was a success on both counts. First time Community Seder participant Zoya Zeman said she enjoyed the beautiful service and was struck by the way everyone helped each other and how much the children enjoyed the Seder.

In the news Barry Kricsfeld, MD and Alan Kricsfeld, MD are opening a new Members.MD-affiliated internal medicine practice in Council Bluffs beginning this May. The new Members.MD clinic is located in Valley View Village.

Drs. Kricsfeld will continue to offer care at their current internal medicine practice, Diagnostic and Internal Medicine Associates, but eventually most of their time is going to be spent at the Members.MD practice so they can concentrate on preventive medicine and have ample time to serve as their patients’ health advocates.

The Kricsfeld Members.MD practice will serve patients in Council Bluffs, Omaha and surrounding communities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Vists www.mem bers.md/kricsfeld for more information.

Organizations

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Back by popular demand, another laid-back guys’ night out is on tap for all Beth El men on Thursday, April 26, during the “Jews & Brews” at the synagogue.

Free munchies, beer and non-alcoholic drinks will be the featured fare during the 7 p.m. get-together, sponsored by the Beth El Men’s Club.

“During our Jews & Brews get-togethers, all the men in our congregation are invited to spend a relaxing evening with old friends and new acquaintances,” said Men’s Club president Michael Schop. “It’s a great way to unwind after a busy work day.”

For more information or to RSVP, contact Schop at mschop@rbjh.com.

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Our former Mayor Hal Daub, known for his ability to talk, will discuss Higher Education, Social Security and any other topic you want him to address on Wednesday, April 25, noon at the Blumkin 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 bnai brith@jewishomaha.org.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH How much Yiddish do you know? Probably more than you know. Some English words have made their way into Yiddish. Many Yiddish words are commonly used in English. Every first Thursday of the month, we will be playing Yiddish Bingo. Everyone is invited! We meet every Thursday from 1-3 p.m., in the RBJH Board Room. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

To order a gift subscription to the Press...

Send a check for $30, made out to the Jewish Press and prorated for the year, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to connect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 402.334.6448.

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Temple Israel gets ready to dig!

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator “This is the most exciting event I’ve ever had anything to do with at Temple Israel!” declared John Lehr, president of Temple Israel’s Board of Trustees, as he opened the groundbreaking ceremony on April 15 for the future Temple Israel in Sterling Ridge. Gathered and scattered around a tent, nearly people defied a blustering wind as they overlooked the property upon which the new home of Reform Judaism in Omaha will soon begin to rise.

Rabbi Aryeh Azriel described the ground west of the tent as “the Promised Land. The heart of Judaism is the synagogue,” he added. “It’s the center of who we are, the core of who we are as Jews.” Then he led the crowd in reciting the Shehecheyanu prayer.

Upon returning to the microphone, Lehr said, “What an exciting, historical moment this is. We are a congregation blessed with a generous heart. But it took more than money” to reach this point. He went on to thank some of the families and individuals who have contributed not only their financial support but also countless hours of planning and effort over the past decade to build a new synagogue.

He also thanked the clergy for constantly reminding everyone to keep in mind who they want to be when we move in.

John Waldbaum, chair of the Building Coordinating Committee, also spoke at the ceremony and explained that “you’re going to see a lot more activity on the property. “A steel frame will begin to be built” with the goal of closing in the structure before winter. “If all goes on schedule, “Vrana Construction will hand us the keys” in August 2013.

Harley Schrager, co-chair of the Capital and Endowment Campaign, spoke last paying tribute to his brother the late Phil Schrager to whom the new building meant so much. “I tried to pick up the mantle for my brother,” Harley explained. “It became a labor of love for me.’ He mentioned a number of families that “stepped up” to provide “the lead gifts” for the new building project.

Many of those who were mentioned as leaders in the new building project shoveled a scoop of dirt to symbolize breaking ground. Then the future of Temple Israel, the children, took their turns at digging up some soil as the ceremony concluded in a swirl of wind and anticipation for what lays ahead.

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Clockwise, from top: The sign marking the building site at Sterling Ridge; Temple Israel Rabbi Azriel addressed the audience and led them in the Shehecheyanu prayer; the spades are ready; many community - and Temple members, young and old, participated in the groundbreaking; Tom Fellman and his grandson Tommy share a spade; John Lehr, President of Temple’s Board of Trustees, and Rabbi Azriel rolled up their sleeves; Harley Schrager, co-chair of the Capital and Endowment Campaign, paid tribute to his brother, the late Phil Schrager, and described the new building project as “a labor of love.”

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April 20, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 7

Ride to celebrate, and ride to remember ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press When we hear the phrase “Motorcycle club” a certain picture comes to mind. We think of rough riders, long beards, and lots of leather. Of course, there are many people who ride and own motorcycles, and they don’t fit the stereotype. There are hundreds of organizations in America that bring

motorcycle enthusiasts together. The question is: how many of them are Jewish?

The answer may surprise you. The Jewish Motorcyclist Alliance has 407 members, 40 of which are here in America, from New York to Texas, and from South Carolina to Arizona.

In May of 2008, the JMA came to Omaha for the Ride to Remember, promoting remembrance of the Holocaust. More than 75 Jewish motorcyclists from around the world partnered with the National Holocaust Endowment Fund, in support of the Fund’s efforts to promote Holocaust education in Nebraska and throughout the world.

Howard Kutler was there, and soon after he received a request from Sam Fried and Ron Brodkey. Wasn’t it time to start a Omaha chapter of the JMA? The L’Chaim Riders of the Heartland was born, and Kutler became its president. Four years later, Kutler has an invitation for other motorcycle enthusiasts in the community.

“We’re getting together,” he says, “and we are planning an Independence Day ride during the J’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.”

The group will depart from the JCC parking lot, and ride to Pisgah, Iowa.

“There, we will stop at “The Old Home Fill ‘r Up and Keep on Trucking Café” for breakfast; then we’ll come back to Omaha, back to the J. The ride will take us through the beautiful Loess Hills, which I’m sure everyone will enjoy.” The ride will take approximately three hours, including the stop at Pisgah.

The L’Chaim Riders welcome anyone who wants to participate: “We’re hoping for riders from Omaha, Council Bluffs, and the Sioux City area,” Kutler says.

In addition, a repeat Ride to Remember is scheduled for May 31- June 3, starting in Toronto, Canada. It’s an initiative of the Holocaust Education Center of the Jewish Federation of Toronto. For more information, visit www.yowmtc.com/R2R. Local riders who want to participate in the Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration Ride can contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com.

Kochavim to shine worldwide on April 20

by SARAH KELEN Soon after he arrived at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Lincoln’s South Street Temple, Rabbi Craig Lewis proposed that the Temple try an occasional “Friday Night Live” style of service, featuring contemporary settings of worship music. Temple

month. Although the exact membership of the bimah band varies somewhat from service to service, members have included Nathaniel McHargue (vocals, clarinet), Steve Kaup (piano), Eleanor Shirley Kirkland (vocals), Jeff Kirkland (guitar), Marina Kushner (guitar), Elaine Monnier (vocals), and Scott Stanfield (bass). The band has dubbed itself the Star City Kochavim, and they sport matching retro style shirts and fedoras while they play.

These Friday Night Live services have proved very popular with the congregation, always drawing a crowd. Temple families in central Nebraska, who cannot make it to Lincoln in time for Erev Shabbat servicThe South Street Temple’s Star City Kochavim: back row Elaine es, sometimes gather Monnier, left, Steve Kaup, Eleanor Shirley-Kirkland, and Nathaniel together at someMcHargue; front row Scott Stanfield, left, Jeff Kirkland, and Rabbi one’s home to join Craig Lewis. the rest of the conmember Nathaniel McHargue, a talented gregation in worship via Skype. On April musician with a strong interest in Jewish 20, the Temple will take the next step in music, eagerly jumped in as the musical expanding its worship opportunities for its coordinator, and started working together outstate members by broadcasting the with Rabbi Lewis and the Temple’s cantor- Friday Night Live service via a live webial soloist Elaine Monnier to initiate this cast. Those interested in getting the link new service style. for the webcast to join the Temple’s Friday Since last November, the Temple has Night Live worship from afar may contact held Friday Night Live services once a the Temple Office.

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8 | The Jewish Press | April 20, 2012

Temple Israel Scholar’s message provocative, inspiring, validating

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator “Rabbi (Steven) Greenberg is a charismatic speaker who seems to care for every person who is in need of acceptance,” said Dorothy Spizman after hearing the scholar-in-residence who spoke on several occasions at Temple Israel. The openly gay Orthodox rabbi, who is a senior teaching fellow at the National Center for Learning and Leadership, gave the d’var Torah at Shabbat worship services on March 30. Speaking about “The Wisdom of Welcome,” Rabbi Greenberg talked about how differences make people feel uneasy. But being gracious to the stranger means putting aside discomfort in order to build a welcoming community.

“His message of welcoming the stranger is universal,” observed Jeff Schweid, who found Rabbi Greenberg’s message to be “very thought provoking. It’s not enough just to say good-bye at the door,” Schweid continued. According to Rabbi Greenberg, “one should escort the person a little farther. He didn’t just present the idea of welcoming the stranger. He gave an example of what it means to do that.”

On Shabbat morning at Torah study, Rabbi Greenberg “asked us to confront our fears and phobias,” explained Schweid. “Why do we feel that way, and should we?”

Schweid said it was “provocative, inspiring, and educational, and very interesting reviewing the Torah and Rabbi Greenberg’s interpretations of it. He made me think about how I treat others and to be more aware and welcoming.”

Mel Epstein believes Rabbi Greenberg “had some good messages about accepting people who ‘scare’ us and how to approach them and overcome our fears.” On the other hand, Epstein didn’t feel Rabbi Greenberg’s reasoning justifying gay sex made “much sense.”

Some things Rabbi Greenberg said also puzzled Howard Kaiman. “I thought he was brilliant and very interesting,” said Kaiman. Referring to Saturday morning’s discussion of Leviticus 18:22 which commands, “Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence,” Kaiman commented that an Orthodox Jew would have to take every word literally. But there’s “a lot of ambiguity. To me, Rabbi Greenberg is more of a Reform Jew.” In contrast, Cat Rawlings thought “Rabbi Greenberg’s message was persuasive in a way that only an Orthodox rabbi’s message could be. He gave us what he called a credible interpretation of the Torah’s teachings on homosexuality. As a lesbian Jew, this had a profound effect on me,” she explained. “To see him teach older members of my congregation, to see him help parents and grandparents understand, for example, that the suicide rate for (LGBT) teens is a multiple of their straight peers unless and until familial acceptance brings it down to the same levels -- this was amazing to me.”

Judy Feigin “appreciated Rabbi Greenberg’s approach -looking at the prohibitions in Torah and trying to understand the ‘problem’ and to look at the interpretation. The comments that struck me most were those when he related homophobia to fears we have about things that are ‘different’ and that make us look at our own insecurities and vulnerabilities and to misogyny -- that it is a bigger issue in cultures that also denigrate or assign lower status to women.”

On Saturday evening a room full of Jews, Christians, straights, and gays listened to Rabbi Greenberg describe his personal story and then watched The Invention of an Orthodox Gay Rabbi: A Personal Story, an award-winning Israeli film. Robert Dorton said: “I am very thankful that Temple Israel brought Rabbi Greenberg to Omaha. He has a very interesting personal story, and although I am not Orthodox, I appreciate the stance he has taken and how he

Rabbi Steven Greenberg, left, and Andrea Jacobs, guests of Temple Israel, presented an LGBT Inclusion Training attended by Cat Rawlings, Ann Noodell, and Matt Ray among other educators and community leaders. is trying to bring new ideas to a very traditional area of our faith.”

Rabbi Greenberg also met with Temple Israel’s Board of Trustees, Long Range Planning Committee, and staff mem-

bers.

“We discussed the multiple roles of a synagogue as a center of prayer, a center of study, and a center of community,” said Dan Gilbert, a Board member. “I think it’s critical for Temple Israel to reflect on not only who we have been but what we want to be as we move in to our new building. I think his was a message about inclusivity and that there are profoundly Jewish reasons for welcoming everyone in the community.”

On Sunday, Rabbi Greenberg and Dr. Andrea Jacobs, director of education at Keshet, led an LGBT Inclusion Training for educators and community leaders from throughout the Omaha community.

Rabbi Greenberg’s residency was sponsored by Temple Israel’s Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning; Inclusive Communities; the Anti-Defamation League; First United Methodist Church; and the Men of Reform Judaism Congregational Interfaith Mini-Grant program, made possible by funding from the Jewish Chautauqua Society, MRJ’s interfaith education project.

My connection to the Holocaust

Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER Growing up I thought of the Holocaust like I thought about the destruction of the Second Temple: a long-ago faraway tragedy for the Jewish people. Of course, I knew from a relatively early age the dates of the Holocaust, and I could do the math and figure out that the 1940’s were much closer in time to me than 70 CE. But I was led to believe, both through my informal and formal education, that the Holocaust was far removed from my life.

At the Yeshivah of Flatbush, where I was a student in the 1970’s, we observed Holocaust Remembrance Day every year. In advance of this day, we studied about the Holocaust, but not once during any of those lessons did a classmate of mine raise their hand and say, “Well my mother is a survivor, and...” Only years later did I discover that many of my classmates were indeed children of survivors. This fact always astonishes me--not so much for what it says about my classmates, but because I had met quite a number of my friends’ parents during the course of my school years. And I knew that some of them spoke English with an accent (which seemed to be Yiddish flavored). I was a smart kid. Why did I never for one moment consider the chances of an obviously European-born parent being a survivor of the Holocaust?

The answer to this question is connected to my having grown up in an interim period of Holocaust awareness. The Holocaust could be (and was) studied, but the Jewish community was not yet ready to hear from survivors. I never put the 2+2 together concerning my friends’ parents because my cultural milieu did not want me to put the 2+2 together. The Jewish community was prepared to deal with the Holocaust as a historical event but not as a lived experience that continued to impact many lives.

My familial connection to the Holocaust is also redolent with absence. All through my childhood I thought that I had no direct connection to the Holocaust. Of course I knew that all four of my grandparents were European born. But

did it ever strike me to ask any of my grandparents about whether or not they had lost any siblings or parents in the Holocaust? No. In this I was only continuing a pattern set by the earlier generation.

Take just one of my four grandparents, in this case my mother’s mother Janet Borowich, nee Rothschild. Janet emigrated from Poland at the age of 16 in 1928 with her parents and her 18-year-old sister Anna. Two older siblings were left behind in Warsaw: Sarah (Sonia), who married a physician named Boris Kane and who had a son named Moshe Aaron, and Chaim, who married a woman named Mina Mintz. All of these people--my mother’s aunt and uncle and their respective families--were killed in the Holocaust. My mother says that she does not recall her mother or her grandparents ever speaking about Chaim or Sonia, and Anna’s daughter Frances Karten, my mother’s first cousin, reports the same of her mother. My mother says: “Europeans had a different attitude about what they told children. Americans tell everything, but children of Europeans did not get to know personal things. Children were on a ‘need to know’ basis and in general they didn’t need to know anything.” Frances says: “The Holocaust was not something that was spoken about. It was just a painful topic, something horrible, and they didn’t want to go there.” Unfortunately, Janet died of cancer a few weeks after my birth. As to why my mother didn’t tell me about her aunt and uncle, she says: “I don’t know. I assumed that everybody had people who died. I didn’t know enough information. They didn’t share with me, I didn’t share with you.”

As we get ready to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on Thursday April 19, I remember to focus my attention back onto the victims. Yes, my learning about the Holocaust would have been more meaningful had my friends’ survivor parents shared their stories with my class, and yes, my connection to the Holocaust would have been more personal had I been told about the fate of my great-grandparents and great uncles and aunts; but the ultimate tragedy has nothing to do with the stories not being told but with the stories--with the lives--that were brutally cut short. May all the victims rest in peace.

Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest three, Nathan, Rebecca and Ruthie, are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@net vision.net.il.

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American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Jewish groups must bring young volunteers on board

Focus on issues

by JON ROSENBERG and LEE SHERMAN

(JTA) -- Nonprofits in the United States don’t just benefit from government contracts and charitable donations. Some 62.8 million volunteers in the United States provided more than 8 billion hours of their time to nonprofits in 2010 at an estimated value of $160 billion.

Like other nonprofits, our own organizations in the Jewish world continue to struggle as competition for funding dollars climbs, government support declines and staffs are stretched thin. It is time for us to rethink the role of volunteers and how we are working with them -- especially the next generation of young adult volunteers.

Engaging young adults as volunteers with Jewish nonprofits has proven tricky, especially when it comes to connecting them with meaningful opportunities that have potential to have a real impact on clients or communities.

The problem has not been a lack of willingness to volunteer among young Jews. According to Repair the World’s 2011 Volunteering + Values report, 78 percent of young Jewish women and 63 percent of young Jewish men said they had volunteered during the 12 months prior to the survey.

But their volunteerism in general now consists primarily on sporadic, one-shot engagements, and most of it occurs outside the Jewish community.

That means there is great social spirit in the community, but not a lot of value added through volunteerism. There’s even less through volunteering with Jewish organizations.

Even as organizations struggle to sustain funding, we must do much more to engage the important human capital provided by volunteers. But the volunteers must also know about the opportunities in order to engage with our collective work.

That’s the impetus behind a new partnership between Repair the World, the service arm of the American Jewish community, and the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies, the membership association for North America’s 125 Jewish family service agencies.

Repair the World and AJFCA’s new Volunteer Initiative Program will focus on increasing volunteer opportunities for young people at Jewish Family Services organizations and on creating meaningful, effective service that better enables JF&CS agencies to deliver on their mission. It will help us serve those in need.

Of course, while reports can help us identify concerns, we won’t really know what will work until we get on the ground.

So starting in April, some 22 JF&CS organizations will work to create better volunteer programs. They will come up with theories, put those theories into practice and help us see what works so we can spread best practices to the rest of the JFS network -- and then beyond to the broader Jewish nonprofit world.

In this process, we will not only be informed by good work

happening already in the JF&CS network, but also by emerging efforts in the secular service world such as the Reimagining Service (reimaginingservice.org) and the Cities of Service (citiesofservice.org) initiatives.

We have a century-long American Jewish history of helping the other, be it the settlement houses of the turn of the 20th century, the vast network of Jewish hospitals that now exist primarily for a general population, or the work of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society with immigrants that includes not only those pouring in from ravaged Jewish communities of Eastern Europe but also refugees from all around the world.

Whether or not our young people are aware, like many of our stalwarts in the Jewish world today, JF&CS agencies began by assisting Jewish refugees and immigrants, orphans, and the poor and needy. These agencies are continuing to provide critical services to people of all ages of all religious and cultural backgrounds; with special needs and physical needs; and through economic challenges and life-cycle changes.

It’s time that we introduce this crucial work and these impressive organizations to the next generation of volunteers, supporters and advocates. It’s time we foster pride in our contributions to our communities at large and enable young people to embrace their work as an entry point back into the Jewish community.

Jon Rosenberg is CEO of Repair the World. Lee Sherman is president and CEO of the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies.

In survey of American Jews, questions for right and left

Behind the headlines

by SIMON GREER NEW YORK (JTA) -- Mark Twain famously distrusted statistics. This was due to their malleability. Ask the question the right way, and you can claim a mandate for anything.

In contemporary society, statistics are often used to provide “unbiased evidence” for our pre-existing viewpoints.

This is not to say that statistics tell us nothing useful. I believe they tell us much that is useful. But statistics are most illuminating if you look more intently at the numbers that challenge rather than simply confirm your assumptions.

The Public Religion Research Institute released a survey of Jewish values and opinions commissioned by the Nathan Cummings Foundation. We underwrote the survey because, as a funder of the Jewish social justice sector, and of Jewish life and values more broadly, the foundation believes it is important to better understand how Jews today understand our experience, engage our values and consider the issues facing our country.

The survey is fascinating. Some of the information confirms conventional wisdom, but not all. Liberals and conservatives who care about the Jewish future would benefit from mulling over the data beyond the headlines.

For example, conservatives might want to grapple with this finding. We asked participants: As a Jew, which of the following qualities do you consider most important to your Jewish identity?

The most popular quality was “a commitment to social equality,” chosen by 46% of American Jews. Support for Israel and religious observance came in second and third with 20% and 17%, respectively.

More and more we do an excellent job meeting the needs of those for whom Israel or religious observance are most important to how they see themselves as Jews. Yet too often we outsource our commitment to social equality to nonJewish institutions, or make a passing wave at tikkun olam while dramatically underfunding the very Jewish organizations that embody this broadly held commitment. This is in

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part because conservatives assert that Judaism is -- and should be -- largely about religious observance and Israel.

Those on the right must rethink their campaign to belittle, delegitimize and excise Jewish social justice from the Jewish community. At a time when we need more avenues into meaningful Jewish life, they are imperiously dismissing almost half of the community. They declare certain conversations or advocacy issues verboten (taxes, human rights in Israel), attack funders who make grants to the social change sector (Open Society Foundations; Ford Foundation) and ridicule those who make connections between Jewish text and contemporary efforts to create a more equitable society.

On the other hand, liberal Jews take for granted popular support within the Jewish community. Often the support is there. But not always.

The survey asked whether or not poor people have become too dependent on government assistance programs.

A clear majority (54%) said they had.

So while Jews may support legal abortion and gay marriage in overwhelming numbers (93% and 81% respectively), they also agree with an argument long advanced by con-

servatives: Social programs create dangerous dependency.

What are the implications of this belief? Consider the fact that much of the money spent by Jewish institutions goes to administer government assistance programs. The entire federation system supports agencies that provide poor people with government-funded health care, food assistance, housing and more. Support for the poor has been at the core of Jewish communal norms for centuries.

Jews who believe that the government has an important role to play in providing a safety net for the poor are losing this argument in their own community, even among those who support most other elements of the liberal agenda. This new majority perception must be engaged.

There is a great deal more to say about the PRRI Jewish values survey. Soon the headlines will assert that some of us are right and others wrong. Instead of falling into self-congratulations, let’s instead take it to our Seder tables and ask a new set of questions about our experience, our values and our distinctive role here in America.

Simon Greer is the president and CEO of the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

The day the rabbi turned Sheldon Adelson down

by RON KAMPEAS · Rolling Stone’s Rick Perlstein does not like Sheldon Adelson (he calls him “crazy and unscrupulous”) and thinks Adelson’s taste for union busting is more germane to understanding his relationship with Newt Gingrich than Israel. But his piece this week replays some of the highlights of how Adelson takes his fight to Jewish arenas: “Then there was the time, late in 1999, when Las Vegas’s Temple Beth Shalom honored the city’s new Jewish mayor with a dinner. It was originally to be held at Adelson’s new Venetian, but the Democratic mayor refused to cross the picket line. So they held it at the Four Seasons instead.

Adelson withdrew the $250,000 he had pledged for the temple’s building fund and tossed it to another Jewish organization instead – but not before verbally dressing ha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’

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down Beth Shalom’s rabbi with such virulence that the shaken rabbi recalled, “Nobody had ever talked to me like he talked to me.”

“He went similarly berserk after the National Jewish Research and Medical Center announced that their annual gala would recognize John Wilhelm, then the head of the Culinary Workers. One reason they were honoring Wilhelm was because his union had donated $700,000 to the hospital over the previous 23 years. Allegedly, Adelson offered the hospital $70,000 – a payoff – if they would just honor someone else.”

Also on the gambling magnate/SuperPAC beat, Irving Moskowitz, backer of settlements, has donated $1 million to Karl Rove’s American Crossroads, Huffington Post reports. and space restrictions, but it should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view.

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10 | The Jewish Press | April 20, 2012

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

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Beth Schlossberg.

FRIDAY: Let’s Do Lunch with Rabbi Levin, noon at the Star Deli. RSVP by Wednesday, April 18 to rabbilevin@ bethelomaha.org; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; Tot Shabbat/Say Shalom to Shabbat, 6 p.m., followed by dinner.

Cost is $5 for Beth El members; $7.50 for non-members. No charge for children ages six and younger. RSVP to Margie in the office, or at programming@bethel-omaha.org; Dinner & Drash, 7 p.m., following services. Cost: $8. RSVP to the office.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (2-7), 10 a.m.; Simchat Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.

Cantorial candidate Michael Krausman visits Beth El this weekend, April 20-22. On Friday, noon, Cantor Krausman will join Rabbi Levin and congregants at the Star Deli; he will also participate in Shabbat services at 6 p.m., as well as Dinner & Drash, following services. On Saturday, he will help lead services in the sanctuary at 9:30 a.m., and will participate in a question/answer session; he will also lead Minha-Ma’ariv services at 8 p.m. On Sunday, 9 a.m., the cantor will lead Shacharit services and will attend the BESTT family assembly.

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

SUNDAY: Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group meets in the synagogue kitchen from 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., to bake desserts to be served at Nebraska AIDS Project lunches. Joan Marcus is chairman. No RSVPs necessary; Women’s Health Screening, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., all women in the Jewish community are invited to health screenings, including blood pressure assessments, blood glucose screening and nutrition assessments, led by Amy Raffel, BSN, RN, and Hilary Muhle, BSN, RN. In addition, osteoporosis risk factors will be discussed, and informational pamphlets about a variety of health topics will be available. Drop in; no RSVPs necessary; A World without Jews, with Andy Greenberg, and Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Sunday Scholar Series, with Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, 11 a.m. (see full story on page 12.).

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

TUESDAY: YAC Playgroup field trip to the Henry Doorly

B’nai Mitzvah

Zoo, 10:30 a.m. To RSVP or for more information, contact Caryn Scheer at carynscheer@yahoo.com; Musar – Jewish Ethics class, 7 p.m. a four-session mini course led by Professor Guy Matalon. For more information, contact the office.

THURSDAY: Jews & Brews, 7 p.m., at the synagogue, sponsored by Men’s Club. All Beth El men are welcome. No charge. (see full story on page 5.)

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored in honor of Zoe Berman’s 10th birthday on the 2nd of Iyar by Beth, Harry and Brad; The Laws of Shabbat, 5:45 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 6:45 p.m.; Rabbi Gross’s Twitter Topic class, 6:45 p.m.; Veshinamtam, 7 p.m.; Mincha, 7:45 p.m., followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 8:56 p.m.

SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross. Contact the office for information on how to call-in to the conference call.

TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Mizrahi; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross.

CHABAD CENTER 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, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush lunch follows from noon-1 p.m.; SUNDAY: Service at 8:30 a.m. followed by breakfast at 9:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan, 7 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Beit Midrash study 6:30 p.m.

All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Sophie Leopold, daughter of Lisa and Julian Leopold, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 28, at Beth Shalom in Sioux City.

Sophie is a seventh-grade Honor Roll student at Dakota Valley School in North Sioux City, SD. Her interests include art, piano, animals and biking.

For her mitzvah project, Sophie was involved with CBS Garden, Sioux City Humane Society and Girls Inc. She has a brother, Ross.

Grandparents are Barb and Mike Platt, and the late Fay and Karl Leopold.

Great-grandparents are the late Dorothy and Max Platt.

Lindsay Osborne, daughter of Ann and Don Osborne, will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 28, at Temple Israel.

Lindsay is a seventh-grade Superior Honor Roll student at Kiewit Middle School. She has received various athletic awards in swimming and cross country.

Her interests include cross country, swimming, singing and track.

For her mitzvah project, Lindsay is helping to teach adaptive swim lessons for special needs children and young adults.

She has a brother, Robert.

Grandparents are Susie and Jim Silverman, and Jean and Ron Osborne.

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: Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, Music as a Bridge, 7:30 a.m. (doors open at 7 a.m.) at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Advanced reservations required; Friday Night Live! Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Stacy Balter.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9 a.m. with B’nai Mitzvah participation; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Shemini; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Community Interfaith Worship, 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 17th & G St. Rabbi Lewis is participating.

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

THURSDAY: Yom Ha’Atzma’ut Celebration, 7 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 7:15 p.m. Israel Update Part 1, led by Rabbi Lewis and Nancy Coren at Tifereth Israel.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1:30 p.m. with Beth Israel;

Candlelighting Friday, April 20, 7:52 p.m.

Shabbat Singing, 6 p.m. with Nancy Rips and Lisa Lieb.

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by David Herzog.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: WRJ Book Sale Preview Party, noon-4 p.m. Fee to attend is $10; Shabbat Service honoring our Senior congregants, 6 p.m. followed by Clergy Unplugged led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet.

SATURDAY: Experience Shabbat for grades 3-6, 9 a.m.; Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-2, 10 a.m.; MRJ Speaker: Lee Terry, 10 a.m.; PreK-2 Prayer Assembly, 10 a.m.; Grade 2 Parent Learning Coffee, 10:30 a.m.; Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, 12:15 p.m.; WRJ Book Sale, 1-4 p.m.

MONDAY: WRJ Book Sale, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

TUESDAY: WRJ Book Sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; All Youth Group Event, 5:30 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-8, 6-8 p.m.; Mahjong: The Tiles that Bind, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: God was in this place and I did not know, 1011:30 a.m. with Rabbi Linder. He will be looking at what our tradition says about the normal moments ... Maybe they’re not so normal?

Temple Israel Blood Drive, Sunday, April 29, 9 a.m-2 p.m. (see full story on page 11.)

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

FRIDAY: Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, Music as a Bridge, 7:30 a.m. (doors open at 7 a.m.) at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street. Advanced reservations required; Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Study Session on Pirkei Avot, 9:30 a.m.; Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple.

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

THURSDAY: Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day, 7 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 7:15 p.m. Israel Update Part 1, led by Rabbi Lewis and Nancy Coren at Tifereth Israel.

The 2012 Hallah High Rummage Sale is Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at South Street Temple. Please drop-off your donated items at Tifereth Israel.

Former Brown’s Hotel in Catskills burns down

Credit: Associated Press NEW YORK (JTA) -- The former Brown’s Hotel, once a popular resort in the Catskill Mountains, has burned down. The fire, which began at approximately 6 p.m. on April 14, destroyed seven of the nine buildings in what are now condominiums in Fallsburg, N.Y. About 100 people were evacuated; no injuries were reported.

Earlier this year, the town of Fallsburg had condemned the complex for fire safety and other building code violations. An investigation into the cause of the fire reportedly is underway.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Brown’s was among the more popular Borscht Belt resorts. Many comedians, including Jerry Lewis, performed at Brown’s. After business declined in the 1980s, the resort was sold and converted into condos.

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April 20, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 11

Sh’mini: The Gifts of God

In memoriam ALLAN SETH BLANK

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Sh’mini II We find ourselves in the midst of the Book of Leviticus (Vayikhra) where the principal subject is the ancient sacrificial system.

One misses the point completely if he assumes that all of this food was to be consumed on the altar. Indeed, what was burned on the altar was skin and bones and other parts of animal life, which were not considered proper food for humans.

Thus, what we have before us is the requirement that animal flesh was not to be grabbed from nature and gobbled up, but rather, the edible parts of permissable animal life were placed on the altar and then given to Aaron the Priest and his family. Then, they presumably distributed most of it to other Israelites.

It is totally without foundation to assume sacrifices were consumed on the altar, without regard for the needs of humanity.

It is clear from reading the appropriate passages of Leviticus that animal flesh was first blessed on the altar, and then distributed to the Priestly tribe, who obviously had more than they needed. And so they gave or sold most of the flesh (meat) that had been on the altar to other Israelites.

Without it being said specifically, it’s clear here we have what we might call the great-great-grandparents of Kashrut.

In Judaism, we do not simply grab what nature supplies.

We gratefully accept these gifts of nature and sanctify them.

We know that nature is the servant of God, thus our food is a gift from God, and for it, we regularly offer our thanks.

It is with this understanding that we read the chapters of Sh’mini: we understand that the gifts of nature are what God supplies to humanity, and for all of this we offer our gratitude and thanksgiving.

Save a life: Donate blood at Temple Israel

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Currently only three out of every 100 Americans donate blood, according to the American Red Cross. But the need is constant. You’ll have an opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 29 at Temple Israel’s annual blood drive.

In order to be a blood donor, you must be healthy, be at least 17 years old, and weigh at least 110 pounds. Other aspects of your health history will be discussed as part of the donation process. Your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin will be measured.

Ron Budwig will chair the Blood Drive again for about the seventh time, he estimated. To sign up for an appointment, please call Temple Israel at 402.556.6536 or visit www.redcrossblood.org (search sponsor code 00913).

Bring a photo ID and be sure to drink plenty of water and eat before you donate.

Mikado at Opera Omaha

by JESSIE WEES for the Jewish Press Opera Omaha recently put on the famous Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado at the Orpheum theater, and what a spectacular job they did.

Set in Japan, it tells the story of Nanki-Poo, the Mikado’s son. While posing as a musician, he returns to the village of Titipu seeking his love Yum-Yum, whose fiancé Ko-Ko was recently condemned to death for flirting. With that, the audience is lead into a world that goes into the account of love triangles, potential executions and deceit. Standout Brian-Mark Conover steals the show as Ko-Ko, with his fantastic singing voice, his sense of humor and his great delivery.

With stage scenery of vibrant colors, beautiful decorations and a cast that brings the story to life to overall movements with the music, I cannot wait for the next Opera to be presented in Omaha.

I would recommend that if you love music and are looking for a place to enjoy yourself: give the opera a try, especially next season’s performances of La Traviata, The Magic Flute and Bluebeard’s Castle. For more information about the upcoming 2012/2013 season, call 402.346.7372 or operaomaha.org.

Former Omahan Allan Seth Blank passed away on April 9 at age 87. There will be a private family memorial service.

He was preceded in death by his son, Andrew David Blank.

He is survived by his wife, Chotsie Blank; his daughter, Debby Jo Blank of Tucson, AZ, and his daughter and sonin-law, Nancy and Bill Hammonds; grandchildren, Jennifer, Casey, and Craig Severance; and step-grandchildren, Natalie and Will Hammonds.

He served in the Air Force in World War II.

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FLORENCE GILINSKY BLUMENTHAL Former Omahan Florence Gilinsky Blumenthal passed away on April 5 at age 98. Services were held on April 9 at Beth El Cemetery.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Russell, and daugther, Amy; brother, Marvin Gilinsky; sister, Doris Gilinsky Orlikoff.

She is survived by her son, Larry Blumenthal of Missouri Valley, IA; grandchildren: James Amster and Ashley Amster of Plano, TX, and Nick Blumenthal and Jason Blumenthal; great-grandchildren, Nick and Laura Blumenthal, and nieces and newphews, Sandra Gilinsky Cole and William Gilinsky, Michael Orlikoff and Steven Orlikoff.

She moved from Omaha to Dallas, Texas in the late 1960’s.

Memorials may be made to Beth El Synagogue.

LLOYD DAVID (BUCK) FRIEDMAN Lloyd David (Buck) Friedman passed away on April 12 at age of 96. A private burial was held April 15 at Temple Israel Cemetery, followed by a memorial service at Temple Israel Synagogue.

He was preceded in death by parents Samuel and Goldye Friedman, and brother Alvin Friedman of Kansas City, MO. He is survived by wife Lois; son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Debbie Friedman; grandchildren: Jennifer and Robert Roth of Chicago and Angela Friedman; and nieces and nephews.

Lloyd served five years in World War II in the infantry in Europe with the 134th and 137th Regiments and 35th Division. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Croix de Guere from Luxembourg. At the conclusion of the War he was discharged as a Major.

He was President of the former Highland Country Club, he served on the Board of Trustees of Temple Israel Synagogue, and was President of Independent Insurance Agents of Omaha.

Memorials may be made to NCJW-Omaha Section c/o Sue Meyers, 770 North 93rd Street; #3C3, Omaha, NE 68114; The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society; Temple Israel Synagogue or the charity of your choice.

JOB FAIR On Site Interviews Welders, Fabricators, Maintenance Techs Saturday, April 21st, 2012 9:00 am - 1:00pm 9575 N. 109th Ave., Omaha, NE 68142 At I-680/Irvington exit, 2.5 miles NW to Rainwood Rd.

Writer Temple Israel Temple Israel seeks an experienced writer to support publicity and media relations. This position will involve writing, social media, researching, and editing communication materials. Writing grant reports, proposals, inquiry letters, and conducting research is also part of this job. Experience preferred. Part time, 20-30 hrs/wk. Send resume to wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com.

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Lend me a Tenor

by JESSIE WEES for the Jewish Press Lend Me a Tenor, which will be shown at the Omaha Community Playhouse now through May 6, is everything a play should be. It offers a great ensemble and a refreshing hilarious story of confusion and mistaken identities.

The story starts off with the arrival of famous Italian opera singer Tito Merelli and the hilarious misunderstandings that follow. With a cast that has great chemistry and feeds off one another, each character that was introduced to the audience seemed to be better than the last one.

Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek and Joseph Dignoti, who played the characters of Max and Tito Merelli, bring playfulness to their roles and capture the attention of the audience. The audience laughed throughout the whole play and left wanting more.

With this performance, the Playhouse shows what a treasure it is to the Omaha community. Lend Me a Tenor is plain fun. For more information about show times and to order tickets, please call 402.553.0800 or visit www.omahaplay house.org.

KEARNEY GUN/Coin Show, April 21 and 22. Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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NEWSPAPER FOR Sale. Weekly newspaper, can be purchased with/without building.

Priced to sell immediately!! Loyal advertiser and subscriber base. Call Cheryl at 402986-1777, 402-910-1603, howellsjournal@msn.com.

SMALL MANUFACTURING Company established 1986. 3 million plus in sales and growing. Call for details, 800-543-1732.

PRAIRIE AG Partners of Lake Preston, SD, is seeking a qualified General Manager. This $175M cooperative with 4 locations offering grain marketing (with rail), full service retail agronomy, energy (bulk/retail), and feed (bulk/bag). Grain, agronomy, energy, feed, and service as well as financial and personal management experience required. E-mail: larry.fuller@chsinc.com or fax (888-653-5527) resume to: Larry Fuller, 5213 Shoal Drive, Bismarck, ND 58503.

A POSITION for a staff medical laboratory technologist is available at the Cherry County Hospital. Benefit package includes health, disability, dental/vision insurance and pension. Contact the Cherry County Hospital, Box 410, Valentine, NE 69201 or 402-3762525.

AIRLINES ARE hiring. Train for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program.

Financial aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance, 888-896-8006.

SMALL, AGGRESSIVE company looking for skilled laborers to travel throughout the country. CDL license, welding, mechanical and concrete experience a plus. Should be ambitious with an eye for detail. Valid driver’s license and pre-employment drug screen a must. Call Deb at 402-792-2612.

OMAHA BASED construction company is immediately seeking Class A CDL Truck Drivers for our paving operation. These positions are continuous travel in Nebraska and Iowa, from Now to October. Applicants must have the following: 1 year driving experience, clear driving record, ability to pass a drug screen. We offer: Up to $15.50 per hour, approximately $1,275.00 Weekly gross - Direct Deposit, Per Diem pay & paid lodging.

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12 | The Jewish Press | April 20, 2012

Omaha’s Orpheum presents: Fiddler on the Roof

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT We all know the story so very well. Jewish girl wants to marry boy. Father doesn’t approve. Conflict ensues, causing other arguments (there are sisters!) and so forth and so on. Who hasn’t seen a performance of Fiddler on the Roof? Or two, or three? Same old, same old, isn’t it?

Not so fast, says Gerri Weagraff, who currently plays the role of Golde, Tevye’s wife.

The Broadway production of Fiddler is coming to Omaha’s Orpheum Theater, from Tuesday, April 24 through Sunday, April 29, as part of its North American tour.

Playing the character of Golde has been in the cards for a long time, according to Gerri: “My parents were both active in the theater,” she says, “and I remember when I was seven or eight years old, they performed in Fiddler.

As a result, I knew all the songs by heart at a very young age.”

At 16, friends convinced her to try out for a part in the musical she knew so well; she was cast as Hodel. “I just fell in love with performing,” she says. “All through high school and college, I would do at least one show a year.”

Then, Gerri met her husband in a 1986 production of Fiddler: she played Tzeitel to his Motel. To top it off, her mother was Yente. She did another production in 1988 at the Candlelight Theatre in Delaware, and again in 2004, this time with her 2 children.

“We have always been a theater family,” she says. “We constantly did this together; it was a passion we shared, during more than 20 productions.”

In 2010, she found herself with her daughter Rebecca in college and her son Jordan recently graduated from high school; it was then she found an audition notice in the paper: Fiddler was touring again, and they needed actors.

“And so I went,” she says, “and they cast me, and suddenly, it stopped being a hobby.” The rest is history: Gerri first became an understudy for four different roles during the first year, and visited over 90 cities in 40 states. Now, the production is in its second year (which will end in May) and Gerri gets to be Golde in 27 states, five Canadian provinces, and too many motel rooms to count. The touring life, the

part that the audience doesn’t see, moves the cast and crew back and forth between different climates and time zones.

“To be able to play the matriarch at this stage of my life is

very meaningful,” she says. “Every time I get on that stage, I play the role that so many played before me, both in the story, and in real life. I think about all the women who came long before I was born, back in the old country, and it becomes much more than a role.”

The story of Tevye and his family remains relevant, Gerri says: “And not only to Jews. I think love, tradition, the persecution of minorities; it translates across different cultures and generations. It teaches us we have more similarities than differences; we are so much more alike than we realize. The story is about Jewish life, but I think the wonderful message appeals to non-Jews as well because it is so universal.”

And that is why it keeps showing up in theaters the world over, and why those theaters keep filling up. After 48 years, the story still speaks to audiences everywhere.

Fiddler on the Roof is presented by Omaha Performing Arts as part of its Broadway Series. The Orpheum Theater is located at 409 South 16th Street. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at www.TicketOmaha.com, by phone at 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha office in the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th and Douglas.

Beth El Sunday Scholars Series to feature Rabbi Yaakov Weiss

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, Pastoral Services Coordinator at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, will be welcomed as the featured speaker during Beth El’s upcoming Sunday Scholars Series program on April 22, 11 a.m. Because the day of his presentation coincides with the national celebration of Earth Day, which is “man’s responsibility and connection to the land,” Rabbi Weiss said, his discussion will focus on ‘Ki Ha-Adam Eitz ha-Sadeh’ (For Man is a Tree of the Field), from Deuteronomy 20:19.

“There is much discussion in our Jewish commentaries as to how man is compared to the trees. Within these comparisons we can learn much about the way we interact and care for each other,” Rabbi Weiss explained. “The cycle of a

tree and its seasons often mirror our own life cycle and those of our loved ones.

In this class, we will look at sources and discuss the nature of relationships and how to be supportive to others as we all strive to become caring and strong individuals whose roots run deep.”

Rabbi Yaakov Weiss All Sunday Scholars Series programs are held at Beth El, 14506 California St.; everyone in the Jewish community is invited to attend, at no charge. For more information about the presentations, call the synagogue office, 402.492.8550.