May 15, 2015

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

Malashock Award winner

May 15, 2015 26 Iyar 5775 Vol. 95 | No. 35

This Week

Celebrating Jerusalem with Beth Israel Page 6

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Derby day Page 7

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha It’s a rare thing to encounter a Jewish professional who, in a short four years’ time, impacts his newlyadopted city to a point where uniform praise and admiration are the norm, not the exception.

In recognition of his extraordinary impact on his synagogue, his congregation, his staff and the community organizations and Federation agencies with whom he works, Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue will be honored with the Jody and Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence at the Federation Annual Meeting and Awards Night on June 1 at 7 p.m. in the JCC Theater.

Because the award recognizes “professional leadership and excellence”, it was imperative to go to the source: those community members who interact with Rabbi Abraham the most and have observed his unique impact on Jewish Omaha. Janie Murow chaired Beth El’s search committee and said, “We expected him to have a positive impact on our congregation and as a man committed to his Judaism and his family, he does. But he also has a passion for community building and his impact on both Beth El and the entire Omaha Jewish com-

Rabbi Steven Abraham munity has been astounding. His ability to form relationships on a professional and personal basis has helped him achieve so much.”

His colleagues at Beth El paint a

Shavuot: A time to celebrate at Beth Israel

Meet the Jewish 300pounder heading to the NFL Page 12

similar picture. Hazzan Michael Krausman said, “I am privileged to call Rabbi Steven Abraham my Rabbi. He has wisdom and insight beyond his years. His vision, passion

and love for Beth El, the Jewish community of Omaha and all of Klal Yisrael is inspirational. It is a blessing to be his clergy partner.” Program Director Margie Gutnik added, “Rabbi Abraham infuses our congregation with new life and energy, bringing enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to everything we do. But what I admire most is his approach to new ideas. He listens, studies what our tradition says about the topic and engages others around him in the conversation.”

Rabbi Abraham is in the middle of his fourth year at Beth El, his first year and a half as assistant Rabbi. He feels a responsibility to continue the “amazing work of our predecessors.

This is a community that cares deeply about its history and future, and I recognize it’s a communal effort.”

To that end, he has become deeply involved at the Friedel Jewish Academy, and you can frequently find him at the JCC and the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center.

He has high praise for Omaha.

“This is a religious town. Omaha is respectful of its Jews. It’s also incredible to say that, here, clergy sit at the table together. That is not the case in many other places, and I am very grateful for the accessibility this offers. Third, our resources and Continued on page 3

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Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Next Week Salute to Graduates See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

8 10 11

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Beth Israel Publicity Chair Join Beth Israel for Shavuot events in celebration of the receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. An incredible group of educators from New York will also be on hand to enhance the many happenings.

The holiday begins on Saturday night, May 23 at 9:33 p.m. with Maariv, followed by a special Shavuot meal starting off with hamotzi and appetizers at 9:45 p.m.

Then the night of learning begins.

Following a short class at 10 p.m., the dinner’s main course of grilled cheese and salad bar will be served.

Learning continues at 11 p.m. with another set of classes for adults and children alike. After a brief break at 11:59 p.m. to enjoy a dairy dessert and reception, the all night learning will continue. Classes will be followed by one-on-one learning opportunities. Need a learning partner?

Just ask! The Shavuot Saturday night program is provided free of charge.

Continued on page 2

by GABBY BLAIR Prepare to be swept away by the magic of Beauty and the Beast Jr., hitting the stage at the JCC Theater on Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Once again, the Omaha JCC’s Community Acting Group, led by producer Esther Katz and her team of talented muses; director Fran Sillau, choreographer Courtney Stein, musical director Bernadette Smith, and rehearsal director Jessica Reed, will bring quality theater to life! “We have a great cast of 60, one of our biggest yet, and amazing leads: Grace Titus is the beautiful Belle, Matthias Walters is The Beast, and Emerson

Bostrom is Gaston,” says Katz.

When asked about the behindthe-scenes preparation the Theater Department must undertake for this production, Katz is excited to dish about Lesley Gould, a costume supplier from Nebraska City she has recently joined forces with. “In the past, I have made and pieced together the majority of the costumes,” says Katz, “which was incredibly time consuming and labor intensive.” Katz has wanted to do Beauty and the Beast for a long time, but the daunting task of creating the elaborate dress for Belle, and the rest of the cast, put the Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2015

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41 children are going to Jewish summer camp this year thanks to our generous donors.

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

Partnership grows between JCC Youth Dept and Friedel

by BETH COHEN Head of School, Friedel Jewish Academy Friedel Jewish Academy and the JCC’s Youth Services Department are partnering on an exciting new project to reinvigorate the Community Garden, located just to the south of the Federation Campus.

Started in 2011, with generous start-up funding from Harold and Linda Mann, the Community Garden has not only been a great educational tool but also a source of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs donated to the JFS Food Pantry. In the first year alone, the Community Garden produced almost 1,000 pounds of produce.

According to Ron Giller, interim Head of School at Friedel Jewish Academy, the land on which the garden sits is owned by Metropolitan Utilities District.

MUD has allowed this green space, which abuts the JCC’s property, to be used for a play area and the community garden. The fenced garden consists of raised beds, he said; organic vegetables, including tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peas, green beans, carrots and squash will be grown, as well as herbs.

Plans for this year’s garden involve a collaboration between Friedel and the JCC’s Youth Services Department to prepare the beds, plant, weed, water and harvest. Megan Berlin, the JCC’s Youth Services Department Director, says, “It’s exciting to see two organizations come together to provide an opportunity for kids to explore gardening and nature throughout the year in a way that incorporates education, hands-on learning and service.

As the school year winds down, students from Friedel and those children who participate in Kidz Inn, the JCC’s afterschool child care program, will be involved in planning and planting the garden beds. As the summer gets going, Berlin will coordinate the JCC summer camp groups in tending the garden. In August, when camp ends and the kids are back at school, children from Friedel and Kidz Inn will take over gardening and harvesting responsibilities.

“We are excited to give such a great learning opportunity to children,” says Giller. “Children learn best experientially.

As an adult, I love watching children experience the wonder of following a growing cycle through all of their senses.”

In an effort to alleviate one of the challenges the garden has faced in past summers, Berlin explains, “We are hoping to incorporate rain barrels into the garden to provide easier access for watering the plants and to better utilize our

resources. In the past, a hose was run from Friedel across the drive and over the fence. We hope the rain barrels eliminate that obstacle.”

In addition to the great experience for the children, the food panty of Jewish Family Service will benefit from the harvest. Giller has spoken to Sandy Nogg, JFS Assistance Coordinator, and plans for the garden were developed around the needs of the food pantry and the vegetables that are most requested from JFS clients.

Volunteers interested in helping with weeding, watering and tending to the garden over the summer are asked to call Beth Cohen, 402.334.0517, or Megan Berlin, 402.334.6409.

Cash or check donations are being accepted at either Friedel or the JCC Youth Services Department for the purchase of organic seedlings that will be used to start the garden and needed gardening supplies.

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Continued from page 1 production on hold. “Bernadette, our fabulous music director, put me in touch with Gould, an amazingly talented seamstress who, together with her mother, makes, stores, and rents out costumes for entire shows, catering mostly to local high schools.” Katz first worked with Gould for Fiddler On the Roof and was impressed by her selections. For Beauty and the Beast, Gould herself is driving up to do fittings and adjustments, allowing Esther to focus only on replicating specialty pieces as needed. “It is a blessing to get a bulk of the costuming brought in and allows us to tackle the shows we want. I am looking forward to having a long relationship with this amazing seamstress!”

Another important aspect of making the productions at the JCC Theater magical, is a quality set. Katz was contacted by a longtime set designer Carl Dumicich, who was looking for new opportunities. She brought him on for Alice in Wonderland and was so impressed, she again used Dumicich for the winter production of Into The Woods. Katz elaborates that, “Carl can really add dimension and expertise without much in the way of resources. Musical Theater is an exciting and rich sensory experience, however, our budget is often tight, especially when considering the resources each production takes,” explains Katz. Script licensing, staffing, music, costumes, set: everything that goes into making a quality performance happen adds up; however, Katz prides the department on keeping Musical Theater affordable and accessible to everyone who wants to participate, either as an actor or as an audience member.

Between generous grants that help fund the musical productions at the JCC, and the fairly new addition of patron tickets, Katz hopes to continue charging only a nominal amount for performances. “Patron tickets are an excellent opportunity to allow those who wish to see shows with friends and family members to also support the arts at the JCC, by making a largely tax-deductible donation at the time of purchasing tickets,” she explains. Patron Tickets begin at the Actor Level of $100 and includes two tickets, The Director Level, which includes four tickets at $150, and The Producer Level of $200 for six tickets. Each performance’s patron ticket buyers are also noted in the program and

receive reserved seating.

Katz would like to personally thank the Karen Sokolof Javitch Music Fund and The Morton A. Richards Youth Program Fund, both of which are funds of The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, for their generous support of this production.

General Admission is $5 and Patron Ticket sales for this exciting and beautifully designed production are available by visiting the Cultural Arts Office, or by calling Laura Wine at 402.334.6419.

Shavuot Continued from page 1 For planning purposes, reservations are requested by contacting the synagogue office The first day of Shavuot, Sunday, May 24, will begin with Shacharit at 9 a.m. Plan to stay for a delicious lunch with lasagna, pasta primavera, salmon, tossed salad, garlic bread and of course, fabulous dairy desserts. The cost is $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 4-12 and free for ages 3 and younger. Please contact the Beth Israel office for reservations. At 6 p.m., learning sessions for children and adults will take place.

On Monday, May 25, the day again begins with Shacharit at 9 a.m. and services will include Yizkor at 10:30 a.m. More learning sessions will take place in the evening, including a special session for children with pizza and ice cream. The holiday concludes with Maariv and Havdalah at 9:30 p.m.

The mission of Beth Israel Synagogue is to perpetuate the legacy of Torah Judaism in the modern world and provide a home for those who wish to learn about and observe halacha, Jewish law. Beth Israel Synagogue welcomes all persons of the Jewish faith to join, and accepts the diversity of practice and thought among its members. Beth Israel offers a variety of religious, cultural and social programs throughout the year. For more information, please contact Beth Israel Synagogue’s office at 402.556.6288, or e-mail BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org.

May 15, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 3

Shavit’s journey through the history of Israel

by DR. MOSHE GERSHOVICH Director, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, UNO Thursday evening, April 23, at the conclusion of its celebration of Israel’s 67th birthday, Omaha and its Jewish community were treated to a very special journey through the history of the Jewish State. Ari Shavit, journalist and columnist for Israeli daily Haaretz, and author of the 2013 bestselling book, My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel was this year’s keynote speaker at the Phil and Ruth Sokolof Lecture.

Inaugurated in 2009 with the Avi Shavit founding of UNO’s Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel Studies, the Sokolof Lecture has featured superb speakers, such as former ambassadors Martin Indyk and Stuart Eizenstat, authors and scholars Dan Senor, Rabbi Daniel Gordis and Professor Stephen Berk. Ari Shavit’s eloquent and passionate exposé added a new chapter in its short history. The title of his lecture was My Promised Land: A Personal Journey Through the History of Israel.

Speaking to a packed audience of about 300, which filled nearly every seat of the JCC Theater, Shavit related chapters

from his family history, starting with his great grandfather, Herbert Bentwich, a founder of the Zionist Movement who in 1897 left London to settle in then Ottoman Palestine. Shavit tied that personal journey to Israel’s great achievements as well as the challenges confronting it today. His goal, he stated, was to help rewrite the “Israeli narrative” which had guided the founders of Israel and their successors, but seems to have been altered and forgotten in the post-1967 political debate. Only by regaining the moral principles upon which the Zionist ideal has been based, asserts Shavit, can Israel secure its future.

Shavit’s Sokolof Lecture followed his first speech, delivered a day earlier at Temple Israel Congregation. Entitled Israel and American Jewry: Two Miracles Now Challenged, the lecture explored the common bonds as well as occasional disagreements that characterize relations between the two main centers of Jewish life today. Neither Israel nor the Jewish Diaspora can exist without the other, yet both need to redefine those ties in a world where hostility towards Israel and its politics often devolve into anti-Semitism.

The two lectures by Shavit left our community with plenty of questions and ideas to ponder. His visit was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Sokolof Family Foundation, Darlynn and Tom Fellman, and Debbi and Speedy Zweiback.

Joining Temple Israel and the Schwalb Center in hosting the two lectures were the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Plains States Region of the Anti-Defamation League.

Rubio demands investigation into Nisman’s death

by JTA NEWS STAFF BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a Senate resolution calling for a “transparent and internationally backed” investigation into the death of Argentine special prosecutor Alberto Nisman.

Rubio, R-Fla., who is a candidate for the Republican presidential race, introduced the resolution last week for consideration by the Foreign Relations Committee. The resolution noted that Nisman accused Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her government of covering up Iran’s role in the deadly 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Nisman’s complaint was dismissed last month on its last appeal.

It also mentions a Nisman investigation into Iranian agents in Latin America who also threaten the United States.

In 2007, a Guyanese man, Abdul Kadir, plotted to blow up John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and was, according to Nisman, “the most important Iranian agent in Guyana,” Rubio wrote in the bill.

Nisman was found shot to death in January in his Buenos Aires apartment hours before he was to present his evidence on the government’s cover-up.

Experts have said it will be difficult to establish one unified version of the death. Some experts believe it was suicide, while others say it was murder.

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Malashock Award Continued from page 1 infrastructure – Chabad, Friedel Jewish Academy, and The Jewish Press, to name a few - are second to none.

“This is a tremendous honor; it is very empowering to get this type of welcome mat.”

Buzz and Jody Malashock, for whom the award is named, were equally effusive in their praise. Jody said, “Buzz and I congratulate Rabbi Abraham on this welldeserved honor. Serving as Beth El’s spiritual leader, he has engaged his congregation with his leadership and commitment to Jewish life that has extended out to the entire Omaha Jewish community.” Buzz continued, “It’s apparent that his love and commitment projects beyond the past and present and he has excelled at involving the younger generations in community building. We are thrilled that Rabbi Abraham is this year’s recipient of the Jody and Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence.”

Beth El Board President Joel Rich had this perspective: “He has had a dramatic and revitalizing effect on Beth El. Rabbi Abraham works diligently to bring more families, especially young families with children, to Beth El. His ideas about community connection will benefit Beth El for years to come. He has a clear vision for developing a strong, dynamic congregation, and that makes working with him a pleasure.”

“Rabbi Abraham is a very approachable, ‘regular’ guy.

It’s been fun watching him learn the ‘Jewish geography’ of Omaha while he becomes the active and involved clergy he is,” said congregant and friend Bob Belgrade.

Time and time again, the familiar refrain, “He makes the effort” was heard. The appreciation and praise are certainly appropriate. Please add your congratulations to Rabbi Abraham by joining the community at the Federation Annual Meeting and Awards Night on June 1 at 7 p.m. in the JCC Theater.

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4 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2015

Graduates will miss Friedel, but are excited for next chapter

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN for Friedel Jewish Academy Nine sixth graders are about to graduate from Friedel Jewish Academy. The community is invited to the ceremony at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 21 in the Jewish Community Center theater. Six of the students started as kindergartners at Friedel.

“Friedel has been a part of our family’s life for over ten years,” mentioned Debbie Kricsfeld, mother of Rachel Kricsfeld, one of the sixth graders. “It has been the best decision we have made, thus far, in our children’s academic life.

They have the confidence to be part of the secular community while having a strong sense of their Jewish identity. We credit the teachers at Friedel for nurturing these skills.”

Rachel’s mother and father, Dr. Alan Kricsfeld, “like to joke that Rachel began Friedel much earlier” than 2008 when she was a kindergartner. “When her brother Sam started kindergarten in 2004, Rachel wasn’t quite two, but she loved to go to school with him,” recalled Debbie.

“Celebrating everything from Shabbat to all the holidays,” was among Rachel’s favorite aspects of Friedel along with the Dancing Classrooms experience and participating in the Modern Woodman of America speech contest which “gave her confidence to speak in public and a great life skill.”

Rachel, who will attend Kiewit Middle School next year, will miss her friends and teachers at Friedel but is “looking forward to applying the skills and education she learned at Friedel” at Kiewit.

David Kay’s family, Les and Helen Kay, David’s grandparents, and his mother, Jennifer Kay, chose Friedel for the smaller classroom sizes, hoping “he wouldn’t fall through the cracks.” They feel that David “received a great secular and religious education,” Les adding that his grandson “has already read Torah at Beth El three times!”

For David, as many of his classmates said, his favorite aspect of Friedel was “having everybody in school as a friend.” He’ll also attend Kiewit Middle School.

Gavin Smith might attend Kiewit Middle School, too. His parents, Doug and Crystal Smith, agreed that Gavin’s favorite aspects of Friedel “would be a combination of his friends, the small atmosphere, and extended Jewish family there. We have enjoyed watching him mature and grow in elementary school,” said Gavin’s mother.

Also headed to Kiewit Middle School is Matan Shapiro, son of Ben Shapiro and Amy Reynolds who chose Friedel “to reinforce Matan’s Jewish identity at home with a strong Jewish elementary education.” They have been pleased to see their son “learn and mature at Friedel and…have Jewish values and learning incorporated throughout his time there.”

Matan’s favorite part of Friedel has been “the extras like Dancing Classrooms and field trips and the Jewish related activities like Yom Ha’Atzmaut.” He admits he’ll miss “the small class size and being able to know everyone in the school.”

Almog Zinman is “excited to meet new people and to experience a new school” when he starts Beadle Middle School next school year. But he acknowledges that he’ll miss “seeing my friends every day” at Friedel. “I love the atmosphere and all the friends I made there.”

Almog’s mother, Dr. Sarit Hovav, and stepfather, Roni Mor, chose Friedel to give their son “a Jewish education which includes learning of Israel and the opportunity to improve his spoken Hebrew. I’m very pleased with the

schooling, yeshiva education, and kibbutz life,” Tippi said.

“It has been a dream experience” for their son Danny.

“Blessed with an amazing community of friends and teachers,” Danny “has loved all seven years. He loves feeling part of a Jewish community. Danny is thinking of attending Beveridge Magnet School.

“We are incredibly happy” with our daughters’ education at Friedel, emphasized Patrick McNamara. Both his and his wife Aviva Segall’s daughters, Ilana and Leora, attended the school. “The kids who come out of Friedel are self-confident, smart, kind, and strong in their connections to Judaism. This is exactly the return on investment that we wanted,” he added.

For Leora, who is graduating next week, “Friedel is like a little family - the older kids look out for the younger kids, and the teachers are awesome.” By graduation, “You forget if people are talking to you in Hebrew or English.

They just meld together like Heblish,” according to Patrick.

Leora, who will attend The Friedel Sixth Grade graduating class: front row: Almog Zinman, left, Matan Shapiro, Beveridge, said, “I will miss Rachel Kricsfeld and Gavin Smith; back row: Leora McNamara, left, Abby Kohll, Becca speaking Hebrew every day Denenberg, David Kay and Danny Denenberg. and also getting off for all the Jewish education he received as well as Almog’s improve- Jewish holidays.” Although she’s both “scared and excited” to ment in his ability to understand and reply in Hebrew when move on to middle school, Leora’s parents are “sure she’ll do we speak with family in Israel and at home,” said his mother. well, because Friedel prepared her.”

Moving on to Alice Buffett Magnet School will be Abby Debbie Denenberg, mother of Becca Denenberg, agrees Kohll, daughter of Susan Stern and Alan Kohll who agreed that Friedel is more than a school. “It’s a warm community. that “a private school education would be a wise investment Friedel has given Becca confidence in academics and helped in our daughter’s future.” Abby “has received a solid kinder- her place in all honor classes. She is looking forward to the garten though sixth grade education,” stated Susan. challenge.”

“Teachers were friendly and communicated well, classroom “We learned what’s important,” explained Becca, “not just size is small, and Abby learned a second language.” what’s going to be on the test.”

For Abby, “the nice friends she made and the great teach“Becca loved her general studies teacher so much that she ers” were her favorite facets of Friedel. “I’m sad to leave, but now wants to be a teacher. Once thought to be shy, Becca is I cannot wait to meet new friends,” she pointed out. now a trophy holder from the Modern Woodmen of Susan also admitted “it’s always a tad sad watching your America speech contest at district level and is moving on to little girl getting a little older. That said, we are indeed very state. Her Hebrew is so far beyond mine that I often can’t folexcited and ready for the next chapter in our lives.” low her,” Debbie admitted. “I know that will tie her to the Drs. Tippi and Steve Denenberg “chose Friedel for its Jewish people everywhere and to the land of Israel. We feel warm community and commitment to create learned, blessed to have Friedel in our community, and we feel these hamish, Jewish people. We want kids who live the ethics of are real gifts that Friedel has given to our family.”

Judaism” and a school that provides “a solid foundation for Graduation highlights include a performance by each a meaningful Jewish life. The school kind of spoke to us. We grade level, a song performed by the Friedel staff in honor of loved seeing children of all ages mixing so fluently, helping the graduating class, and a video from the past school year each other. It was the perfect nexus of summer camp, home featuring the 2015 graduates.

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May 15, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 5

Volunteers of the year

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha We rely on the dedication and generosity of our wonderful volunteers to further our mission to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. It is a privilege to honor those in our community

Serving Generations…

Deborah Platt is being recognized by the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home this year. She is a constant presence, offering companionship and conversation to the many Residents. She goes the extra mile, escorting Residents to doctors’ appointments and even serving as a manicurist in a pinch! She also volunteers at Methodist Hospital, the Methodist Women’s

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Barton Arnold

Stacey Atlas

Roberta Deremer

Bruce Friedlander

Patty Nogg

Deborah Platt

Jill Sideris

Jim Wax

who give tirelessly and selflessly to make our Jewish community the best it can be.

Join us on Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. when the Jewish Federation of Omaha honors the 2014-15 Agency Volunteers of the Year during a special presentation at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Meeting and Awards night.

Bruce Friedlander is the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s volunteer of the year.

This past year, Bruce co-chaired the Chief Executive Officer Search Committee and chaired the Budget and Financial Review Committee. He devoted countless hours to the process of budgeting and allocating resources for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

Bruce has shown consistent leadership and is a great friend to our community.

The Jewish Community Center will honor Stacey Atlas with its Volunteer of the Year award. Stacey volunteers in numerous ways through the JCC, especially at the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center (CDC).

She is in charge of its Parents Committee and volunteers for teacher appreciation projects and in welcoming new families to the preschool. Stacey also serves on the JCC Nominating committee.

Patty Nogg will receive the Center for Jewish Life Volunteer Award. Since getting involved in 2012, Patty has chaired the Partnership2Gether committee and joined the Center for Jewish Life Board. Patty and husband Steve frequently provide home hospitality to Jewish Omaha’s Israeli visitors, and she is known for continuing these relationships, often reconnecting on subsequent trips to Israel. Her upbeat attitude and zeal for all things Israel make her an invaluable asset to the agency.

Silvia Roffman will receive the Jewish Press Volunteer of the Year Award. She proofreads the Press every weekend with great attention to detail. She is an active and very informed member of the Omaha Jewish Community, making her perfectly suited for the job.

Jewish Senior Service recognized volunteers in each of its departments this year.

Jewish Family Services says its Volunteer of the Year, Barton Arnold, is a man who never says no to a request.

A busy family man with three teenage boys, he finds time to move furniture, straighten the JFS storeroom and be courteous and caring to JFS clients. The agency believes Barton is a “wonderful model for his family and the Jewish community.”

Hospital and Remington Heights.

Jewish Senior Outreach (JSO) gives its Agency Volunteer of the Year award to Jim Wax this year. No stranger to JSO, Jim served 10 years as chairman of the senior group Visions and the community group 39 Forever. He is president of the League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly (LOVE), an auxiliary of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. For the past six years, Jim has been the driving force behind Mainstreeters, the senior group sponsored by Jewish Senior Outreach. In addition, Jim remains an active volunteer in his synagogue, where he was President of the senior Hazak Group.

The Anti-Defamation League will honor Roberta (Bert) Deremer on June 1 for her work supporting the development of educational content for TypecastRecast™, for which the ADL is receiving a Federation Community Service Award. Bert worked for several months creating anti-bias and antibullying content for grades 4-12, meeting weekly with ADL staff to ensure project goals were achieved. As an elementary school principal and with 30 years of classroom experience, she was an effective volunteer leader in these efforts. Bert continues to support the ADL by being an active member on the ADL’s Education Committee.

As an active member of the Institute for Holocaust Education’s Governance Council, Jill Sideris has been a loyal and hands-on volunteer for many programs. But this year in particular, the IHE says Jill has “gone above and beyond the call of volunteering” by hosting out-of-town guests, delivering holiday baskets to Holocaust survivors, preparing refreshments during the IHE Film Series, and contributing great advice and ideas at the Council meetings.

Jill oversaw a large project in 2014, working on a commemorative video for the Yom HaShoah commemoration, and it was shown again this year. She is described as “a pleasure to work with and always bubbling with positive energy and creative ideas.”

Editor’s note: Credit for Jill Sideris’ photo: Cynthia J Kohll.

To order a gift subscription to the Press...

Send a check for $25, 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.

Father’s Day Coming in June

Publishing Date | 06.05.15 Space Reservation | 05.27.15 Camera Ready Deadline | 05.29.15

Promote your business in this special issue with an ad and a short article. Contact our advertising representative to advertise in this very special edition.

Jessie Wees 402.334.6559 jwees@jewishomaha.org

6 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2015

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Celebrating Jerusalem with Beth Israel

by RABBI YAAKOV WEISS Throughout the years, Jerusalem has been on the forefront of Jewish minds as prayers are recited. “If I forget you Jerusalem, let my right hand lose its strength. Let my tongue cling to my palate if I fail to recall you, if I fail to elevate Jerusalem above my highest joy.”

(Psalms 137:5)

carrying a Torah scroll, held the first Jewish prayer session at the Western Wall, at long last under Jewish control.

Now, 48 years later, that momentous day will again be celebrated at Beth Israel. The celebration begins with a festive morning Shacharit, in honor of the reunification of Jerusalem, at 9 a.m. In the evening, begin-

This Sunday, May 17, Jews around the world will be celebrating Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day – the celebration of the reunification of Jerusalem that took place in 1967. For many years, due to foreign control and anti-Semitism, Jews were unable to reach Jerusalem and visit the Holy Temple’s site. Finally, during the Six Day War, Israel was able to regain Jerusalem.

The famous words of Lt. Gen. Mordechai Gur rang out throughout Israel and the world as he proclaimed: “The Temple Mount is in our hands.” Israeli soldiers rushed to the site to celebrate that momentous occasion. Rabbi Shlomo Goren was on hand during the capture of East Jerusalem, where he gave a prayer of thanksgiving, broadcast live to the entire country. Shortly afterwards, Goren, blowing a shofar and

ning at 5 p.m., enjoy a special Yom Yerushalayim ceremony, video and music.

Immediately after the program, the celebration will conclude with a delicious Israeli themed dinner beginning at 6 p.m.

Shirly Banner and Joey Shyken, coordinators for the on-going Sunday Night Dinner series, have enlisted Israeli native Ido Shtrobach and a team of volunteers to prepare an authentic Israeli food experience. Enjoy homemade pita, falafel, burekas kebabs, hummus, tahini and Israeli tabouli and spicy Turkish salads. Rounding out the meal will be rugelach plus sachlav, which is described as the “hot chocolate of the Middle East.”

Dinner is $8 for adults, $4 for children 4-12, and free for children 3 and younger. Please RSVP to the Beth Israel office at 402.556.6288 or BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org.

Annual Temple Israel Mah Jongg Tournament date is set

NEW YORK DELI OMAHA STYLE

by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel Stop by Temple Israel almost any weekday or Tuesday night, and you will see different groups of people playing Mah Jongg.

Almost weekly we receive calls asking when we will be offering our Mah Jongg classes.

Under the guidance of women like Claire Flatowicz, Mah Jongg is growing in interest.

On June 14, we will be holding our Second Annual Mah Jongg Tournament.

The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. with check-in and breakfast. Then from 9:30 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. two rounds of Maj Jongg will be played. This will be followed by lunch and the drawing of raffle prizes.

After lunch from 12:45 p.m. until 3 p.m. the final two rounds of Maj Jongg will be played.

When asked about the tournament, Flatowicz said, “last year was so much fun and everyone left so happy, we knew that we would have to make the tournament an annual event! We have been working hard on getting raffle prizes and will also have

Mah Jongg items for sale this year. The tournament is open to the community and we hope to draw people from all over.”

The registration fee for the tournament is $35 and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and one raffle ticket. The deadline for

Women playing Mah Jongg at Temple Israel registration is Friday, June 5. To register online, please visit templeisraelomaha.com or call the Temple Israel office at 402.556.6536.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Scott Littky, Program Director at 402.556.6536.

In the news

FRIDAYS | 11:30 A.M. TO 1 P.M. | ROSE BLUMKIN HOME

Matthew G. Waldbaum, son of John and Natha Waldbaum, will be graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, on May 16. After four years of study, Matthew will graduate Magna Cum Laude with majors in Finance and Accounting from the Farmer School of Business. Upon graduation, Matthew will move to Chicago, taking a position as an Analyst with William Blair & Company in their Investment Banking division.

Sandy Gordon, the owner of Integrity

ATA Martial Arts, earned her 3rd Degree Black Belt from the American Taekwondo Association. To earn this rank, Gordon underwent a four-hour testing process at a Regional event. Integrity ATA Martial Arts is located near 167th and Harrison Streets.

Four of her current students attend Friedel Academy. She was previously an instructor of martial arts at the JCC. David Kay, a student at Integrity ATA, just received his Brown Belt, which makes him 3 belts away from testing for his 1st Degree Black Belt. David also competed, for the first time, the end of March, in Bellevue, NE. He didn’t place in any of his events, but did receive Songahm Spirit Awards for his participation.

May 15, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 7

RBJH Derby days

During the Kentucky Derby Party at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, hats were, of course, a required accessory.

From top: Art Jacobson sports his finished Kentucky Derby hat, Pola Katskee finishes her hat, Chicky Gilinsky dons her Derby chapeau.

Chai Lifeline goes to South Africa

by RABBI ARI DEMBITZER Rabbi, Beth Israel Synagogue I recently returned from a trip to South Africa. During this trip, the organization I am involved with, Chai Lifeline, brought 17 children with cancer on a journey into the “bush”.

The Jewish communities of Cape Town and Johannesberg generously opened their hearts and homes to host these children. The communities not only paid for them to come, they spoiled them while they were in South Africa.

It was heartwarming to see virtual strangers treat each other as brothers and sisters. The trip offers our children an escape from their reality of hospitals and treatments. They are inundated with love and caring, and get to enjoy

the beautiful world around us.

In addition to seeing the beauty of

South Africa, the group spent four days on a Safari Game reserve in close proximity to lions, tigers, hippos, rhinos, etc. They were able to see them up close in their natural habitat.

The Talmud tells us that we learn different character traits from all different animals when we examine them closely. But most of all, we learn from each other. Kudos to our global Jewish community which, when there is a need, opens its heart and shares its soul.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, May 20, noon. For more

information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnai brith@jewishomaha.org.

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8 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2015

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

A sense of humor

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor The other day I found myself in a conversation about the recent shooting in Garland, Texas. In a nutshell, Pamela Geller and her American Freedom Defense Initiative organized a cartoon contest. The objective: to invite artists across the country to submit satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohamed. The AFDI invited Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who is notorious for his anti-Muslim views, and has repeatedly suggested placing all Dutch Muslims “on a train.”

Needless to say he is as unpopular at home as Geller is with the Southern Poverty Law Center. While the local Imams asked their congregants to leave it alone and respect freedom of speech, two lone wolfs, representing ISIS, attacked and shot a security guard. The two shooters were killed, the security guard’s injuries were not life threatening. Pamela Geller has “no regrets;” the event, she says, “probably saved lives.”

That conversation evolved into a discussion about humor.

When is something funny, when is something just mean?

Where is the gap between the intentions behind a joke versus how it is received?

Freedom of speech includes satire, that much we know.

And with the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris still fresh on our minds, it is important to discuss the power as well as the limitations of that satire.

There are three main areas in which satire is commonly used: politics, religion, and sex. The first two have clear overlap: making fun of clergy is considered political, while religious satire specifically targets certain belief systems.

Geoffrey Chaucer and Desiderius Erasmus were two of the first writers to use satire; it is no accident that one was British, the other Dutch. Both societies, to this day, have a very well developed sense of satire. Humor can be sharp, witty, and hypercritical of what the public deems sacred. In fact, the more sacred the subject, the harsher the joke.

A very important distinction, however, is that satire in these and other European countries often has a strong element of self-deprecation. Jokes are made at the expense of us, rather than the other. The purpose is not to incite hatred

and divisiveness, but to advance the debate about the topic at hand. It’s especially useful when things seem too difficult to discuss: a sense of humor paves the way for a more serious talk. It’s why we joke at funerals: laughter is therapeutic in that it temporarily breaks the tension.

In the United States, satire is less well developed. On the rare occasions that Jon Stewart on his Daily Show went a little further than people were comfortable with, the backlash was immediate (usually that involved joking about Hitler).

There are more topics one simply does not joke about in America. It doesn’t mean America doesn’t have a sense of humor; it simply means humor varies depending on its cultural context. If you doubt that, ask me how many times I’ve made jokes that were met with an icy silence. It’s been 20 years, and I still regularly step in it.

When we laugh together about the same thing, we communicate a certain understanding; regardless of what we laugh about, it means we are connecting on a very basic level. As humans, we are always going to be unique. You don’t need a foreign passport to be different from the person in front of you, but when we find the same thing humorous, those differences temporarily fall away. It’s a very powerful

tool we have at our disposal; much more powerful than we give it credit for.

While I have zero problems with cartoons about Mohamed, I do think it matters what the intentions of the cartoonist are. When those cartoons are meant to vilify another religion, and that is the only reason, my internal alarm goes off. I feel the same way about Jewish jokes. I don’t think they are automatically all bad, but it matters who tells them, how, where and most importantly: why.

Example: A rabbi and a priest get into a car wreck. They each get out of their car, and the rabbi says to the priest: “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” the priest says.

“Thank God,” says the rabbi, “neither of us is hurt.”

“Thank God indeed,” says the priest, “I happen to have a bottle of Manischevitz in my car,” says the rabbi. “I’ll go see if it’s still in one piece, and then we should have a drink to celebrate.”

He goes to his car and retrieves the bottle.

“A miracle,” the rabbi says. “The bottle did not break!”

He hands the bottle to the priest, who takes a large swig.

The priest hands the bottle back to the rabbi, who screws the cap back on.

“Wait,” the priest says, “aren’t you drinking?”

“No,” the rabbi says, “I’ll wait until the police gets here.”

In telling the joke, we’re poking fun at some of the stereotypes against us. We can diffuse the tension. But when a few frat boys sit around telling it, making fun of the only Jewish fraternity member, and they do so with the underlying belief that Jews are manipulative and dishonest, it becomes a very different matter. And when it’s told to make fun of the stereotype of the drunken priest, it again becomes something else.

What happened in Texas is no joke. And we have to ask ourselves: with as much misunderstanding and hatred as there is in the world: do we respond by feeding into that hatred, or do we continue to fight for peaceful dialogue and mutual respect? If we choose the first option, like Pamela Geller, like Geert Wilders, it means we have already given up. And if that is the case, we really don’t have anything left to laugh about.

So... what’s next?

by MIKE SILVERMAN Executive Director, Jewish Social Services When I was asked to contribute to the Jewish Press with an article, I thought to myself that there are so many topics to discuss that our Jewish community would find of interest.

How could I possibly choose one? Well, I did.

I want to take this opportunity to discuss the future and how we, as a community, can provide greater service to our seniors. For approximately the last year, I have been discussing home health care as an option to include in the Jewish Social Services continuum of care. Home health is a non-medical model that places companions in homes to provide chore services, errands, and, of course, a watchful eye. There are many community families that are currently paying for these services from local companies, but nothing that is supervised and directed by our community. We receive requests for referrals weekly, and I believe that the time is right to formally explore entering the business. So, to that end, we are planning to commence with a feasibility study that will highlight the immediate and potential need for this service.

You may be contacted by a firm on our behalf, so please take the call and help us make the best decision we can for our community. We will definitely need your input and support.

(Founded in 1920) Andrew Ruback President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Jessie Wees Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Thierry Ndjike Bookkeeper

Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, President-Elect; Scott Farkas, Sandy Friedman, Paul Gerber, Debbie Kricsfeld, David Kotok, Paul Rabinovitz, and Nancy Wolf.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world.

Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish LIfe, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press.

Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishoma ha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’

Now, you may be thinking there are so many companies out there right now, why are we getting into this business? I believe that we can do it differently – better – and less costly than our competition which will allow us to pass savings on to our community members without skipping a beat on quality. The trusted name of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home would be behind the service, so a rigorous process of identifying skilled, compassionate companions would be applied.

And, of course, I would be ultimately responsible for each and every client’s satisfaction. Quite a burden for one individual, but when I entered Jewish communal service and committed to working with the Jewish elderly, I knew that there would be unique challenges. That’s ok -- it makes up the fabric of who we are, and I remain steadfast in my personal commitment to do the best I can each day.

Home care differs from home health care in that the latter can provide nursing tasks and services. We do expect to embark on this expanded level of service, but from all the conversations I have had Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha.

Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial

material and photos to: avandekamp @jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jew ishomaha.org.

Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jew ishomaha.org.

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during my career with executives who have started agencies, stepping into it with non-medical services first will allow us to learn about the business and hone our skills so when we do expand, we are sharp and prepared. Home health care is an intensely regulated industry much like the nursing home.

Understanding all the nuances will take time, so we intend to be thoughtful and deliberate in our approach. And rest assured that the same level of quality and attention to detail you have come to expect from the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home will be applied to any new service we undertake.

So, the above is a little heads up into what is happening behind the scenes. And don’t worry -- there will be more planned. Our Jewish community deserves the very best, and I know that with all your support, we will achieve our goals.

To submit announcements: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154.

Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m.

Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.

The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid per-

sonal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.

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May 15, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 9

When Israel turns its back on pluralism

by STEVEN C. WERNICK (New Jersey Jewish News via JTA) -- This past week was exhausting, but not in the way I’ve become accustomed to as the father of three children in a demanding profession.

It began with the uplifting gala of the Masorti Foundation and a conference celebrating 30 years of women’s ordination, but was immediately followed by the soul-draining news that the ultra-Orthodox mayor of Rehovot, Israel, decided to cancel the b’nei mitzvah ceremony of children with disabilities because it was to be held in a Conservative synagogue.

At the Masorti event, Rabbi Gordon Tucker spoke about the Zionism of love, a new relationship paradigm for the times we find ourselves in. This Zionism is built upon the tenets of any good relationship: quid pro quo, reciprocity and symbiosis. It receives, honors and returns the love it is given.

Yet what took place in Israel is the hallmark of a toxic or abusive relationship. The response to our love was a smack in the face.

For the past 25 years, the Masorti Foundation has been the sole provider of bar and bat mitzvahs to children with disabilities, a distinction of which we are proud. Such events are the essence of a kiddush Hashem, an act that sanctifies God’s name. At the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, we have a deep commitment to the mitzvah of inclusivity. Funded by the Ruderman Foundation, one of our initiatives is to make our kehillot accessible to every worshipper regardless of ability or need.

The shocking ruling by Mayor Rahamim Malul struck a deep blow; its cynicism and heartlessness was felt around the world. Trammeling on a moment of holiness, it was the essence of a chilul Hashem, or desecration of God’s name.

It left me personally heartbroken and spiritually depleted.

The Rehovot incident is merely the latest in a string of insults against non-Orthodox Jews in Israel. Although Rabbi Tucker can preach movingly about the necessity of promoting the Zionism of love, we are being confronted with the Zionism of fear and prejudice, a Zionism that has been hijacked by an extremist, coercive and inflexible rabbinate.

To be a committed Conservative or Masorti Jew in Israel is to be subjected to a series of assaults against your religious freedom. Some are physical, as evidenced by last month’s shocking attack by haredi Orthodox men at the Western Wall, where a dear friend had his chest and head pounded.

Others are to human dignity, as in this past week’s case.

I cannot help loving Israel, but lately it seems that Israel simply does not love me back.

Israel doesn’t want our rabbis. Israel doesn’t want our synagogues, our schools, our camps or, evidently, our brand of

open, tolerant, pluralistic Judaism. We have to beg for funding at every turn. Yet if the campaign against non-Orthodox Judaism in Israel is old news, why keep kvetching about it?

Why even try to build our communities there, to fight for our foothold in the increasingly complicated State of Israel?

It is not for my personal sake, nor even my children’s sake -- they’re all girls, so the stakes are high.

It is for Zion’s sake, for the viability of Israel herself. The Zionism of fear and prejudice leads us to a dark and narrow place, obscures the horizon, cuts off the blood supply to the heart of the Holy Land, hastens the expiration date of Herzl’s dream.

L’ma’an Zion lo echesheh -- For the sake of Zion I will not be silent.

Awash in these feelings, I sat in shul this past Shabbat marveling at the relevance of the Torah’s teaching. This past week we read the well-known verse that so beautifully encapsulates Judaism’s ethic of kavod ha’briot -- respect and dignity for God’s creatures: “You shall not curse the deaf and you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God; I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:14) This verse is one of a number of instances where God takes the position of personal advocate of the vulnerable individual, reminding the reader that their actions are being observed and overseen. I wondered how Mayor Malul might trammel upon the eight months of intense preparation undertaken by Rabbi Mikie Goldstein of Congregation Adat Shalom-Emanuel, the children, their families and a variety of volunteers, and then attend synagogue on the very Shabbat where we are commanded to protect and respect the deaf and blind.

Did he hear the Torah’s message? Is it possible that he is blind to the chilul hashem that he committed, deaf to the disappointment of the children and their families?

For the sake of Zion, I cannot be quiet. I insist on an Israel where all Jews are treated equally before the government. I insist on an Israel that returns the love that I feel for her, that loves me -- and mine -- back with the same passion and commitment.

I worry that the incident in Rehovot, the assaults on nonOrthodox Jews davening at the Kotel, the denigration of Conservative and Masorti rabbis and other events, are rapidly becoming the new normal. We cannot allow this.

We have changed the face of contemporary Judaism. Now we must change the face of contemporary Israeli society.

What is taking place is intolerable. For the sake of Zion, we cannot be quiet.

Rabbi Steven C. Wernick is CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Could an Israeli invention end cooking as we know it?

by JULIE WIENER (JTA) -- Plenty of mobile apps help consumers order meals for delivery or offer recipes.

But a new app developed by Israeli entrepreneurs will actually prepare the food for you on your kitchen counter.

While not quite as fantastical as it sounds -- to use the app you also need a coffeemaker-sized appliance called The Genie -- the invention promises to prepare mess-free, allnatural, healthy food in just seconds.

Described by one writer as “like a Keurig coffeemaker for food,” the device, which looks sort of like a fancy rice cooker, uses Keurig-like single-serving, disposable (but in this case recyclable) pods. Genie creators Ayelet Carasso and Doron Marco told Reuters the food in the pods will be nutritious and free of preservatives, the ingredients kept fresh simply through freeze-drying technology.

“The dish can be anything, it can be a meal like chicken with rice, like couscous with vegetable or an amazing Ramen or even a chocolate soufflé or any other desert that you want,” Carasso told Reuters. (The product does not appear to have its own website yet, nor is it featured on the site of Marco and Carasso’s White Innovation company.)

While not yet available commercially, at least not to individual consumers, the Genie, expected to cost several hundred dollars, is preparing for mass production and distribution. The meal pods will be “priced so they are comparable to a meal, snack or dessert,” Reuters reported.

The Genie’s creators say it could also help solve global hunger. “In our world, we are getting fat and we are throwing away a lot of food, in their world, they don’t have any food,” Marco told Reuters. “So if you use Genie, you can distribute the food better, you can have the shelf life much longer without the preservatives, give the people better food for them.”

The Genie also brings to mind another revolutionary Israeli kitchen appliance: SodaStream soft-drink makers.

Let’s hope The Genie manages to avoid the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions problems that hit SodaStream -keeping production out of West Bank settlements or Bedouin areas would help. One thing that remains unclear from the coverage so far is what the cooked product looks like: Promotional materials show beautifully plated meals, but from what I could see on the Reuters video, the food comes in the form of mush and is served up, Cup-o’Noodles style, in a cardboard container.

What a biblical tale of rape can teach us about Baltimore riots

by AVRAHAM BRONSTEIN GREAT NECK, N.Y. (JTA) -- From 2011 through 2014, the City of Baltimore paid nearly $6 million in over 100 judgments and settlements relating to false arrests, unlawful imprisonment and police brutality. Once the justice system takes its course, the family of Freddie Gray may well be added to the tally.

Though it is likely that only a small percentage of those who feel mistreated at the hands of the police ever see a settlement, the rage in Baltimore would be justified even if each and every case was paid out in full.

In the Bible, this is perhaps best illustrated by the narrative of the rape of Dinah, the patriarch Jacob’s daughter who was abducted by Shekhem, the powerful son of the local chieftain. Shekhem takes a liking to his victim, and he and his father attempt to negotiate a settlement with Jacob and his sons.

Jacob is offered a dowry and seems ready to accept the offer and make peace. But before he can, two of his sons, Simeon and Levi, massacre the town in an act of bloody vengeance. Jacob chastises them, saying, “You have troubled me, to make me odious unto the inhabitants of the land... being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me.”

Jacob does not make a moral argument. He does not say that the people did not deserve collective punishment for allowing a great injustice to occur. Instead, he makes a practical argument -- we are a minority here, and your actions have put our family at risk of reprisal from those who vastly outnumber us.

Echoes of Jacob’s words reverberate in every commentator who has wondered why the Baltimore protesters would respond to the injustice of Gray’s death by damaging their own community, or by further fraying relations between themselves and law enforcement through acts of violent protest.

Simeon and Levi do not respond by debating the practicality of their actions. They say simply, “May one deal with

our sister as with a harlot?” If they had not acted, Dinah would have been married to her abductor. And though they would have received monetary restitution, the crime of her abduction would have been whitewashed away, never to be ultimately redressed. That was intolerable to them. Someone needed to say, very clearly, This Is Wrong.

We can hear the pained desire for justice and validation in their words, even as they sail by Jacob’s practical concerns

Protesters marching in Baltimore following the announcement that six city police officers would be indicted in the death of Freddie Gray, May 2, 2015.

Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images like ships passing in the night. The matter is left unresolved.

We are left with the tension of their two arguments -- one calling for justice, the other for peace, both valid but together irreconcilable -- hovering over the devastation of a ruined Shekhem, in much the same way as those irreconcilable imperatives today hover over a charred West Baltimore.

My own feeling is that although Jacob firmly rejected what his sons did, he could not reject their anger itself. His nonresponse was his way of telling Simeon and Levi that he heard them -- not just the words they uttered, but the lived experience behind them. He could tell them they were act-

ing against their longer-term interests, but he could not tell them that they did not have the right to be angry. After all, with his own daughter’s abduction on the verge of being legally normalized without repercussion, he probably also felt angry, powerless and delegitimized.

Even if Jacob understood that violence was not a constructive answer, he also knew that he could not tell them that in the heat of the moment -- it would ring untrue. He could not credibly dismiss the sense of anger and injustice they felt because he understood it. He probably felt it as well.

Perhaps nobody embodied this approach in the modern era better than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In a famous 1968 speech at Grosse Pointe, Michigan, noting the race riots that had consumed American cities in the years prior, King said, “I’m absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt. And I feel that we must always work with an effective, powerful weapon and method that brings about tangible results.

“But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society.

These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.”

For us today, the empathy Jacob demonstrated toward his sons is critical. Just as it helped him keep his family together at a moment of supreme adversity and swirling passions, we need it just as much as we try to hold together our own fractured world.

Redressing crimes and paying damages is a necessary step toward justice. But a much bolder step toward healing is to begin hearing those who are unheard.

Rabbi Avraham Bronstein is the program director at the Great Neck Synagogue, an Orthodox congregation on Long Island.

10 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2015

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 |712.322.4705 email: BnaiIsraelCouncilBluffs@gmail.com Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series on June 12, at 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Marcia Kushner of Lincoln will visit and reminisce about growing up in Council Bluffs. Oneg to follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

Larry Blass will officiate at all of the Speaker Series Services.

For information on our historic synagogue, or to arrange a visit, please contact any of our board members: Mark Eveloff, Rick Katelman, Carole Lainof, Marty Ricks, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf and Phil Wolf.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 8 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:25 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels and Beit Midrash, 9:45 a.m.; Annual Meeting and Election of Officers, 10 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Scholar’s Club for Boys, 3:30 p.m.; Teen Class, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY: Wrestling with Rashi Class, 8 p.m. with Rabbi Weiss.

THURSDAY: Women’s Class, 9:30 a.m.; Med Center Chaburah, 1 p.m.; Scholar’s Club for Girls, 3:30 p.m.; Avot UBanim-Parent Child Learning, 7 p.m.; Jews and Brews Class, 8:30 p.m. at the Shtrobach home.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

CHABAD HOUSE

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

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.; BESTT Hebrew High Graduation, 6 p.m., followed by dinner.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services featuring guest speaker, Joe Kahn, 9:30 a.m. Kiddush following services; Junior Congregation, 10 a.m. Last session until Fall; Mini Minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m.

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

SUNDAY: Rose Fine Endowment Breakfast and Last BESTT Day, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Strange Customs of the Modern Day Jew, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:15 a.m.; Playground Grand Opening, 10:30 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m.; Camp Kef Orientation, 12:15 p.m.; USY Installation Brunch, 12:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: The Wonderful World of Jewish Music, 11 a.m.

Last class until Fall.

WEDNESDAY: Omaha Teen Trip to Israel Meeting, 6 p.m.; Women’s Rosh Hodesh Meeting, 7 p.m.

Lunch at Nebraska AIDS Coalition, Friday, May 22, 11:30 a.m.

Shavuot Morning Services honoring Veterans, Monday, May 25, 9:30 a.m.

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

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 and Meditation, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

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

WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 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.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.orthodoxomaha.org Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. followed by Shabbat Dinner.

are invited to attend. RSVP needed in order to plan for food; Kehillat Tikvah – “Community of Hope,” 4-5:15 p.m. A resource for congregants experiencing life's difficulties, facilitated by Caring Committee members Pam Ganz and/or Anne Rickover. Both Pam and Anne have many years of experience in facilitating group activities.

TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Grandmothers, 70th and A Streets. Questions? Contact Stephanie Dohner.

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

Shavuot, Sunday, May 24, 3 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. This year we will observe Leyl Tikkun Shavuot as guests of Tifereth Israel for a Sunday Sundae party on the first day of Shavuot at 3 p.m., followed by a mincha service and study sessions prepared by Rabbi Craig Lewis and Nancy Coren.

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us.

President’s Office Hours, Sunday Mornings, 10 a.m.–noon at SST. If you have any Temple business you would like to bring before the Board of Trustees, potential programs, or new ideas, please let us know! Call for an appointment at the Temple or just to chat any time at 402.513.7697. Or if you prefer, just email David Weisser at president@southstreet temple.org.

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: Chef ’s Demo, 1:30 p.m. with Chabad.

SATURDAY: Service, 9:15 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.

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

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: Shabbat Evening Service, Our Reform Legacy in Lincoln featuring the Star City Kochavim, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by the Anniversary Planning Committee and coordinated by Sue Schreiber.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study “We, the Children of Jeshuran”, 10:30 a.m.; Tree Dedication, 5 p.m. at Holocaust Memorial Site at Wyuka Cemetery, 3600 “O” Street; Reception, Havdalah Service and Dinner, 6 p.m. at Cornhusker Marriott, 333 S. 13th Street (adults and youth ages 13 and up).

SUNDAY: LJCS Last day of Classes -- all classes meet at Tifereth Israel; LJCS Picnic, 11:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel. All

Omaha Teen Trip to Israel

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor All Jewish Omaha teens who will enter the 11th and 12th grade in the fall of 2015, and are registered for religious school, qualify for the upcoming teen trip to Israel. The dates are Dec. 20, 2015 through Jan. 1, 2016; a parent and teen information night will be held on Wednesday, May 20 at 6 p.m. at Beth El Synagogue.

During this trip, teens from all three Omaha synagogues will be able to cultivate a personal relationship with the Israeli people, the land and its history. The program will include round-trip airfare, accommodations, meals, activities and transportation.

Registration will take place in the early summer. The trip will be heavily subsidized, so everyone who is interested can go!

The itinerary includes the famous sites one would expect, such as the Kotel, Yad Vashem, and the Machaneh Yehudah. It also, for this is a teen trip, includes camel rides, bike rides and rappelling. There will even be a drum circle, and bonfires on the beach. In other words, it will be exciting, it will be educational, and it will

Candlelighting Friday, May 15, 8:18 p.m.

be affordable.

Support for this trip has been generously provided by the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, the Herbert Goldsten Foundation, the Lois Jeanne Schrager

Memorial Fund, the Phillip and Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation and the Jewish federation of Omaha.

For more information, join us on May 20 at Beth El, or contact a member of your clergy.

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. Alex Kraft, son of Natasha Kraft, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah.

SUNDAY: Closing Day of Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; Temple Israel Book Club, 11 a.m.; School Picnic, noon.

TUESDAY: Executive Committee Meeting, 6 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Omaha Teen Trip to Israel Meeting, 6 p.m.; Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: What Makes a Value Jewish?, 10 a.m. with Debbie Massarano.

Shabbat Service/High School Senior Celebration, Friday, May 22, 6 p.m.

Erev Shavuot Service, Saturday, May 23, 6 p.m.

Shavuot Service and Yizkor, Sunday, May 24, 10:30 a.m.

Temple Israel Annual Meeting, Tuesday, May 26, 7 p.m.

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: Shabbat Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush Lunch; Please join us for a special gathering from 7-9 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

SUNDAY: LJCS Last day of Classes -- all classes meet at Tifereth Israel at their normal times; LJCS Picnic, noon at Tifereth Israel. All are invited to attend.

TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Grandmothers, 70th and A Streets. Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

Leyl Tikkun Shavuot, Sunday, May 24, 3 p.m. at Tifereth Israel for a Sunday Sundae party on the first day of Shavuot at 3 p.m., followed by a mincha service and study sessions prepared by Rabbi Craig Lewis and Nancy Coren.

On Monday, May 25, the Tifereth Israel office will be closed. Shavout services begin at 9:30 a.m. and Yizkor will take place at 11 a.m.

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

May 15, 2015 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam HAROLD E. ABRAMSON Harold Elton Abramson died on April 19 in Canoga Park, CA. He was 87. Services were held on April 22 at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

He was preceded in death by his sister-in-law, Gail Abramson, sister-in-law Fritzie Balk, and brother-in-law Ruby Balk.

He is survived by his wife, Gloria; daughters and sons-inlaw, Robin and Rick Lefkovits and Jody and Mark Barnhill; son and daughter-in-law, Curtis and Arpi Abramson; grandchildren: Matt Lefkovits, Rebecca and Eric Reingen, Joella Lefkovits, Daniel Barnhill, Carly Barnhill and Ella Abramson; great-granddaughter, Audrey Reingen; brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Pauline Abramson and brother, Marv Abramson; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Born in Omaha, NE, Harold graduated from the University of Nebraska where he met his wife of more than 64 years.

Professionally, he started out in radio before moving to Los Angeles and building a long career in public relations.

But work never defined him. A true bon vivant, he enjoyed great music, theater and sports. He loved to entertain, and knew how to pair a fine wine with a good meal. Most of all, he loved the large and devoted family that he and Gloria built together.

Memorials may be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, Radnor Station Building 2, Suite 320, 290 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, PA 19087.

Attacks rise in Germany

by JTA NEWS STAFF BERLIN (JTA) -- A major increase in anti-Semitic and right-wing violent attacks in Germany is “extremely worrying,� according to the country’s interior minister.

The number of right-wing extremist violent crimes in 2014 was 22.9 percent higher than in 2013, according to the annual report of the Ministry of the Interior released this month. Anti-Semitic crimes rose 25.2 percent to 1,596 in 2014 after declining in 2013.

In releasing the statistics, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere described an “extremely worrying� situation in which “xenophobic, anti-Semitic and racially motivated crimes and violent attacks have increased. Attacks are directed specifically against churches, synagogues and mosques. Refugees and their temporary housing are increasingly coming under attack.�

Anetta Kahane, head of the Berlin-based Amadeu Antonio Foundation, noted a marked increase in antiJewish verbal and physical attacks during Israel’s operation last summer in Gaza. “The feeling of insecurity among Jews reflects a real threat and has to be taken seriously,� Kahane said in a statement. “It is not acceptable that there are areas in Germany where Jews fear for their safety.�

Kahane is part of the newly formed nongovernmental Expert Commission on Anti-Semitism along with the American Jewish Committee’s Berlin director, Deidre Berger, and Julius Schoeps, founding director of the Moses Mendelssohn Center for European Jewish Studies in Potsdam.

Israeli charity turns supermarket fare into installation art

by BEN SALES ness of food waste. “It’s a basic necessity, it’s cheaper often TEL AVIV (JTA) -- From the wrong angle, it looks like a than fresh produce. We wanted something where we could bunch of unevenly stacked tuna cans, as if someone in the bring in creative people.� grocery store did a bad job.

The exhibit is done in conjunction with Canstruction, a Look at it from the other direction, and its shape becomes global charity that creates installation art pieces out of food clear: The cans are, in fact, a sculpture of a giant open hand cans all over the world, then donates the cans to charity -holding a bag of clementines. as Leket will also do. Canstruction exhibits have been That’s the idea behind “Come and See What Cans Can shown in 150 cities worldwide and have donated 25 milBe,� an exhibit of seven lion pounds of food since installation artworks conits founding in 1992. structed almost entirely The Leket exhibit, in from canned food. On distotal, includes some 70,000 play the atrium of Ra’anana cans -- ranging from tuna Park, in a Tel Aviv suburb, to tomato paste to white it’s organized by Leket beans. The largest piece, Israel, which salvages hot the truck, has 13,500 cans meals from caterers and alone. Under the direction unused crops from Israeli of a curator and two farmers, and donates them designers, 100 Leket volunto NGOs that feed the teers set up the exhibit One of seven installation artworks constructed almost entirely hungry. from Sunday to Tuesday, from canned food in an exhibit organized by Leket Israel.

Along with the hand, the when it opened.

Credit: Leket Israel installations depict a Leket Leket hopes to draw truck used to transport food, a silverware set, an Israeli 10,000 visitors, including groups of schoolchildren, by olive tree in a field, a giant sculpture of a food can (itself, of time the exhibit closes Saturday night. It invited visitors to course, made from food cans) and a giant watermelon bring a can of their own to donate as they arrived. slice. The pieces are made solely of the cans and cardboard Some of the installations -- like the fridge with the awksheets that stabilize them. ward produce -- are there to prove a point. Others aim to One more installation is a sculpture of a refrigerator, its evoke Israeli nostalgia, according to exhibit curator Hadas shelves holding just the kind of produce that Leket redis- Avtalion-Jackont. Israelis, she said, will feel drawn to the tributes -- vegetables too ugly to be sold at market, but installation depicting an olive tree, or the giant can with a which are still just as edible. A screen showing more mis- picture of a farmer -- the logo of Tal Tomatoes -- that lines shapen produce is embedded in the piece, displaying a so many supermarket aisles. potato shaped like a heart or a cucumber that looks espe“It’s an Israeli character from the kibbutz, the kibbutz cially like... something else. farmer with a crate of tomatoes,� she said. “We’re not get“Everyone understands cans,� said Leket founder Joseph ting into marketing, but we wanted to get a recognizable Gitler, who added that the exhibit’s goal is to raise aware- Israeli icon.�

Natalie Portman to star as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in new movie

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- Natalie Portman will star as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a new film.

On the Basis of Sex will follow Ginsburg’s obstacles-filled career on the road to becoming the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice on the high court, Deadline Hollywood reported. President Natalie Portman Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in 1993.

The producers are hoping to start filming by the end of the year.

Portman, who is Jewish and a native of Israel, is making her directorial debut with A Tale Of Love And Darkness, which premieres next week at Cannes. The film is based on the memoir by Israeli author Amos Oz and is largely in Hebrew.

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12 | The Jewish Press | May 15, 2015

Meet the Jewish 300-pounder from Hobart heading to the NFL

by HILLEL KUTTLER (JTA) -- When Alexander “Ali” Marpet and Jake Fuerst went on a camel ride during a Birthright trip to Israel last summer, the animal brayed loudly in displeasure at the 467 pounds of young men perched on its back.

Most of the camel’s agony could be blamed on the 6foot-4, 307-pound Marpet, who was overseas on a final fling of sorts before gearing up for the big time and facing even bigger bodies than his.

Marpet, an offensive lineman from Hobart College in upstate New York, was expected to be a high pick in the National Football League’s draft that began the night of April 30 in Chicago.

His speed and strength demonstrated at this winter’s NFL combine make him a logical choice. Sports Illustrated has Marpet, a member of the Jewish Sports Review’s 2014 All-America football team, as the 89th-rated player among those draft eligible and 14th among offensive linemen.

But Hobart, a private liberal arts institution of 2,396 students in the Finger Lakes region, isn’t exactly known for football, despite its 12-1 record and No. 9 national ranking last season. The Statesmen compete in Division III, which does not award athletic scholarships or receive much publicity, and have had only one other player drafted by the NFL. Still, Marpet told JTA days before the draft that he expected to be taken by the 100th pick, meaning early in the fourth round.

“I am a little excited and a little bit nervous,” Marpet said of the draft, which he

watched on television at his father’s house in Hastings-on-Hudson, a town about 20 miles north of Manhattan.

Then came the call: Marpet was selected as the 61st pick in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Fuerst, a senior at Tulane, flew up from New Orleans to be there along with scores of other friends and relatives. He’s well familiar with the home, having spent plenty of Friday nights there with other friends of Marbet for Sabbath candlelighting and singing.

“It was a given that we’d show up,” said Fuerst, who has known Marpet since the sixth grade. Another childhood pal, George Moore, traveled all the way from Japan, where he serves with the U.S. Navy.

Their being on hand -- along with Ali’s two older brothers and younger sister, who live in Chicago and Florida -- “means a lot,” Marpet said.

In the NFL, he will join such Jewish players as offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz of the New York Giants, Marpet’s favorite team

person” who’s never in a bad mood.

Beginning in childhood, whether bowling or learning to ride a bicycle, his son always has been “completely focused” on the task at hand.

Even during a family vacation in Jamaica a year ago, the elder Marpet recalled, his son was single-minded in his approach to his football training, setting his phone to ring every two hours as a reminder to eat protein bars, sandwiches and fruit, and working out regularly.

A videographer in Manhattan’s fashion industry, Bill Marpet was a studio camLeft: Alexander “Ali” Marpet and Jake Fuerst on a camel eraman for a Tel Aviv-based ride, above: Ali Marpet on the field. educational television progrowing up. gram while living in Israel from 1974 Marpet didn’t consider playing pro foot- through 1979; his first wife was Israeli. ball a realistic aspiration until enjoying what Ali Marpet is indirectly responsible for his he described as a “pretty dominant” sopho- dad meeting his fiancee, Susan Liberati, as more season, when he weighed 270 pounds the two divorced parents regularly watched -- small by NFL standards among offensive their sons -- co-captains on the Hastings linemen. That sense was bolstered, he said, High squad -- play football. by a strong workout before NFL scouts folMarpet is only the third Division III playlowing his junior year. er in the past seven years to be selected. Few Michael Green, Hobart’s assistant offen- have gained prominence in the league -sive line coach last season and a teammate Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre the two prior years, said that Marpet Garcon, Buffalo Bills running back Fred inspired the Statesmen with his dedication, Jackson and Seattle Seahawks placekicker leadership and humility.

Steven Hauschka are the notable exceptions “I saw him as a leader by example. He was still active, and Jackson and Hauschka went a two-year captain because he was so domi- undrafted. nant on the football field and because of Marpet, an economics major at Hobart how hard he worked,” Green said. “He was a with a minor in philosophy and public polimentor to other players and helped build cy, says he’ll proudly represent his small their skills, their technique. And he’s been school and Division III players in the NFL. humble -- never a cocky guy or egotistical, The Jews, too: He said it would be “a huge but confident.” honor” to represent Jewish athletes.

Bill Marpet described his son as “a quiet “I’m happy to wave that flag,” Marpet said.

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