Vol. LXXXVI No. 35 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 86 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
23 Iyyar, 5767 May 11, 2007
Local efforts urge end of genocide in Darfur In Britain, Darfur genocide begins to mobilize community by JONNY PAUL LONDON (JTA) -- Long after Darfur became a cause celebre for American Jews, Jewish communities in the United Kingdom are beginning to mobilize against the genocide. Under the banner “No more excuses, protect the people of Darfur,” British Jews demonstrated outside the Prime Minister’s Residence on April 29 as part of a worldwide effort to build momentum to stop the genocide unfolding in Sudan. Protesters in more than 35 capitals on the Global Day of Action called on the international community to protect the people of Darfur and impose sanctions on the Sudanese regime. Governmentbacked Arab militias have killed 200,000 to 400,000 people in Darfur and sparked massive refugee and humanitarian crises. The Union of Jewish Students and the U.K.-based Pears Foundation were instrumental in bringing Jewish voices to the Sunday rally. The demonstration, and a new Pears Foundation booklet, Darfur: A Jewish Response, are elements of an initiative to mobilize British Jews on the issue. Other events have been organized at a number of London synagogues, and seminars on the conflict have been held for leaders of Jewish youth groups. The Pears Foundation’s booklet provides European Jewish communities with background information on the conflict and tools for lobbying. The publication
was launched last week at a fundraising dinner for the Board of Deputies of British Jews and will be available from local synagogues, youth movements and communal organizations. The booklet was put together following research the foundation did on social justice efforts in the British Jewish community. The research showed that many in the community were concerned by the lack of engagement on Darfur among British Jews at a time when Jews were leading the Darfur effort in the United States. Board of Deputies President Henry Grunwald wrote the foreword. “The Jewish communities of Europe know all too well how genocide can occur and what its effects can be,” he told JTA. “As Jews we have a duty, not only to our fellow Jews but also to the wider world. And make no mistake, each one of us can and must make a difference.” The Union of Jewish Students has taken up the issue, and many of the Darfur campaign groups on university campuses are led by Jews. Events are being planned for Jewish students at Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol universities, and Darfur-awareness sessions will be held at a UJS activists’ conference. At the April 29th rally, Jewish students held banners saying “Never Again,” a reference to the world’s passivity in the face of the Holocaust. Jews joined other protesters Continued on page 2
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator More than 100 people, some sitting on blankets with their children, on the north lawn of Temple Israel on the last Sunday in April brought the genocidal crisis occurring in the Darfur area of the African country of Sudan to the attention of everyone driving on Cass Street between 72nd and 69th Streets. But their real goal was to join forces with other groups and organizations throughout the country observing Global Days for Darfur III and to focus pressure on United States policy makers, the United Nations, the government of Sudan, and
Teens Sharon Folkerts, left, Jesse Estrada, Maria Estrada, and Amy Durmaskin hold up a banner at the rally at Temple Israel alerting passers-by of the genocide in Africa’s Darfur region. The multi-faith crowd on the lawn was drawn from several groups representing Omaha and Lincoln.
Iscar CEO shares “life after Berkshire” with major donors by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press More than 120 members of the Jewish community were treated to a personal visit Sunday with Eitan Wertheimer, the Chairman of the Board of Iscar, manufacturer of precision tools in Israel’s Tefen Industrial Park. In addition to his association with Omaha through Berkshire Hathaway, which made a major purchase of Iscar just prior to last year’s Berkshire meeting here, Wertheimer’s company is located in the Western Galilee, Omaha’s Partnership with Israel region. In Omaha for the annual Berkshire meeting, Wertheimer told the crowd, “Warren made a powerful statement to the world a year ago and proved that Continued on page 3
Inside Opinion Page see page 8
Joel Alperson, center, outgoing UJC National Campaign Chairman, discusses the latest news out of Israel with Eitan Wertheimer, CEO of Iscar, a member of the Berkshire Hathway family of companies, and Jan Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation, at a major donor event Sunday. Wertheimer was in town for the annual Berkshire meeting.
This Week: Blumkin construction continues on basement: Page 3 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
the international community to fully implement a peacekeeping force. Do not stand idly by as the blood of your fellow man is spilled, urged Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Temple Israel. The people of the Holocaust, he emphasized, “must connect to what’s happening today. We need to pay attention. We need to be there for Darfur to break the silence!” Mimi Silverman, chairman of Temple’s Save Darfur Task Force, acknowledged that it’s hard to fathom that a genocide is taking place. “It’s happening so far away. Many people have asked me, ‘What can I Continued on page 2
From the desk of the Federation President: Page 5
Beth Israel awarded innovation grant by MARY BORT for Beth Israel Synagogue To “innovate” is to make changes or do something in a new way. To effect such change to an entire community can be a complicated task. However, once underway, the process can mean it is an exciting time for that community. Beth Israel is about to begin a process of innovation, thanks in large part to a $22,000 grant recently awarded by the Legacy Heritage Innovation Project, an affiliate of the Legacy Heritage Fund. The grant will be used to fund the synagogue’s new program, “Lev Banim al Avotam: Hearts of Children upon their Parents.” As delineated on their website, The Legacy Heritage Innovation Project “... is a non-denominational initiative which provides funding and training to support synagogues pioneering family-based educational innovations generating systemic congregational change.” For the 2007-08 year, grants were awarded “... to synagogues which on a regular basis are integrating adult, family, and children’s education into home and/or communal Shabbat and holiday practice on a systemic basis, developing models and ‘best practices’ which might be replicated or adapted for use by other congregations.” “The focus of our new program is exactly what Legacy Heritage was looking for,” noted Beth Cohen, Executive Director. “The idea behind ‘Hearts of Children’ consists of two main objectives. First, to engage and empower Continued on page 4
Coming Next Week: Senior Living Issue
Beth El salutes dedicated congregants: Page 7
Operation Promise funds programs for Ethiopian youth: Page 12