Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA
Humanitarian of the Year
May 18, 2012 26 Iyar 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 35
This Week
Longtime Beth El teacher Margo Riekes retires Page 6
B’nai B’rith honors top athletes at Annual Charity Banquet Page 7
Dressing like my Jewish mother Page 12
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
Next Week Senior Living See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
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by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Joel Alperson likes to spend Sunday afternoons with his wife, Daphna. His favorite food is pizza and his late mother’s macaroni and cheese. As a teenager, he attended Burke High School, and was active in AZA #1. According to lifelong friend Mike Abramson, who is Joel’s constant companion at Nebraska Husker games, Joel has always been “the responsible one. Even as a 17year-old, he kept us on the straight and narrow.” Mike has known Joel for 40 years and says Joel has always been very consistent in his views. “Other than his extremely high-end stereo equipment, Jewish life is his passion,” he says. “The flame never goes out; that passion is always there. Even if you don’t agree with him, you want to hear his side of the story because he cares so deeply, and if an issue is important, he won’t let it go dormant. I am very lucky to have him as a friend.” Much has happened in Joel’s life since he hung out with Mike Abramson at AZA. On June 4, at 7 p.m., at the annual meeting, the
Jewish Federation of Omaha will award him the Humanitarian of the Year award. The Jewish F e d e r a t i o n’s Humanit ar i an Award is bestowed annually on a person who has, to put it simply, made a difference in the lives of other Jews. It’s not just about philanthropy (although there is nothing “just” about that), it’s also about passion. Passion for the Jewish cause, locally, nationally, and internationally; an understanding that as Jews we are connected, have to care for, and learn from each other. More importantly, the understanding that to lead a Jewish life is something that has to have real meaning. To hear Joel Alperson tell it, his passion for Judaism did not really take root until he met with talk show
Joel Alperson host, author, and speaker Dennis Prager: “It was a series of things he said. While listening to him, I had a Karate Kid-kind of moment,” according to Joel. “You remember the scene where Daniel LaRusso paints the fence, sands the floor and waxes the car? Just like that, I realized I had been going through the motions of
Judaism without appreciating their relevance. Then Prager helped me find the meaning behind my actions. Up until then, I performed most Jewish rituals by rote.” He read Nine Questions People Ask about Judaism, which Prager cowrote with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, and that book further clarified what Joel was learning. Joel insists he is hardly the poster child for how to live a perfect Jewish life (he explains he is not orthodox). “However,” he says, “I feel there are many Jews just like me, with the same experiences I’ve had; they may not always realize how much purpose and relevance they can find in Judaism. Judaism should be understandable, compelling, and meaningful for every Jew. In the United States, we have the wealth and the freedom to make our communities anything we want them to be. My hope is that we will choose to invest in Jews at least as much as we invest in the facilities which are built to serve them.” Joel is the president of Omaha Fixture International, a member of World Presidents Organization, and is a graduate of the Wexner program. He currently serves on the Continued on page 2
Young Leadership Award winners well chosen by SHERRIE SAAG Communications Specialist, Jewish Federation of Omaha The Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award and the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award serve to recognize the next generation of leaders in our community. This year’s awards will be presented to Susan Fellman Witkowski and Andy Ruback in recognition of their commitment, involvement and leadership on behalf of the Omaha Jewish community. Susan quotes Benjamin Franklin on her Facebook page, “well done is better than well said.” How appropriSusan Fellman Witkowski ate for a volunteer for whom doing trumps talking every time. In other tor at multiple venues for the 2010 words, Susan is “in the trenches”, Maccabi Games, has been the on call volunteer pediatrician for the doing for our community every day. Susan is a pediatrician, working as Pennie Z. Davis Child Development an urgent care physician, having Center and currently is a volunteer graduated from the University of “Well done is better than well said” Nebraska Medical Benjamin Franklin Center in 2001. She is a Burke High School graduate physician during the summer for and holds a degree in English and Herzl Camp in Webster, Wisconsin. With her own two children stuAmerican Literature from Brandeis University. She was a volunteer doc- dents at Friedel Academy, Susan is an active volunteer. She has been on the school’s Board since 2005; holding multiple positions on the executive board including two years as president, two years as nominating chair, and three years as administrative chair. Susan’s tenure as president included the search process for Friedel’s principal, Ron Giller. She planned the annual fundraising tribute dinner three years in a row, co-plans the annual plant/flower
Andy Ruback sale (“We schlep to Crescent, IA, to retrieve the plants and then stand outside for two days during the sale.”) and helped create the new before-school walking program. She serves on the school’s wellness committee and in her words, “We are trying to introduce better nutrition, with an emphasis on locally grown vegetables and fruits as an increased portion of the students’ daily diets. I hope the new community garden will help us achieve this goal.” “I feel I make a difference when forging compromise in the midst of a great debate. When you have a community-based school with widely divergent religious practice, observance and interpretation of tradition among its members, it takes the ability to see the whole forest, not just the individual trees, to bring about agreement and consensus,” Susan said. Susan’s passion extends to Beth El
synagogue. A self-professed foodie and “accomplished home cook”, in 2010 Susan initiated a holiday challah sale; hoping to bake a few dozen for four holidays. Then, the fire happened at Bagel Bin, community demand increased, and Susan, along with volunteers, baked over 400 challahs - by hand – raising money for Beth El’s Sisterhood. (Author’s note: Susan’s multi-colored Sukkot challahs are something to see, and eat! Personally, I miss them.) When asked what she found most meaningful, Susan answered in her typically thoughtful way, “I don’t know if there is just one, but sometimes the most meaningful moments come at the less “important” events, like baking challah. I find it to be a very moving and meaningful experience and I am always willing to bake challah whenever asked.” She added, “I think it’s because I feel the presence of my grandmother, Dina Bloom, when I bake. She learned how to bake challah as a child, when she spent time in her father’s bakery on North 24th Street, Himelbloom Bakery. She baked challah for us when I was growing up, and after she died I took over the tradition. I have taught my own daughter, Gabby, how to make challah and though she is only 11, she can make a gorgeous simple braided challah.” “I hope to never stop doing work for the projects I believe in. There is so much work to be done! I will always volunteer with Beth El, since it is my second home. I also love Continued on page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | May 18, 2012 PRINTING, COPYING and DIGITAL NETWORK
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New board presented at upcoming annual meeting by SHERRIE SAAG Communications Specialist, Jewish Federation of Omaha The Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO) will hold its Annual Meeting on Monday, June 4 at 7 p.m. in the JCC Theater. At this meeting, the 2012-2013 Jewish Federation Board of Directors will be installed according to the requirements set forth in the by-laws adopted on Feb. 28, 2012. The following community members are to be commended for assuming positions of leadership and giving of their time and expertise on behalf of the Jewish community of Omaha: Jody Malashock, President; Howard Epstein, Jewish Social Services President; Michael Siegel, Jewish Community Center President; Bonnie Bloch, The Center
for Jewish Education President; Andy Ruback, The Jewish Press President; Patrick Jensen, Anti-Defamation LeagueCommunity Relations Committee President; Jay Noddle, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation President; Stacey Rockman, Budget & Financial Review Chair; Brett Atlas, Toba Cohen-Dunning and Bruce Friedlander, Membersat-Large and Bob Lepp, Immediate Past President who will serve in a non-voting, ex-officio capacity. The entire community is invited to attend the Annual Meeting on June 4 at 7 p.m. in the JCC Theater where the new leadership will be elected and we will honor our community Volunteers of the Year. For more information, please call 402.334.6429.
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Continued from page 1 Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA); he previously served as United Jewish Communities’ National Campaign Chair during Israel’s 2006 war with Hizballah. In addition, he served as Chair of UJC’s National Young Leadership Cabinet and for two terms was the national chair of UJC’s Network Communities. Lay leaders, not just in Omaha, have a lot to offer. It’s why our Jewish Federation takes the time each year to highlight lay achievements, and it’s what makes our community stronger. In turn, it’s often the lay leaders who shine a spotlight on where the need is greatest, such as the Former Soviet Union, or Israel. “I’m concerned that federations around the country are not addressing Jewish needs in the Former Soviet Union or in Israel as much as they used to, Joel says, “and there is a danger in that. Every Jew counts, and every Jewish community matters, wherever it is, however small it is. When Jews are thousands of miles away, they are easy to forget, and so we need to be vigilant about monitoring and addressing their needs.” Joel also cares that Israel be represented fairly to younger generations of Jews “Currently, the largest effort towards educating college students across America comes from Christians United for Israel (CUFI); needless to say, our Jewish institutions have much to learn from our Christian friends in this regard. We should be making the case for the remarkable freedoms which clearly exist in Israel; and yet, in the current climate, Israel is too often seen as a suppressor of rights. The irony is that this tiny Jewish state is the only Democracy in the Middle East. Israel grants its citizens far greater freedoms than many people realize.”
Making a meaningful difference in the life of other Jews is what excites Joel Alperson. And perhaps therein lies the essence of the Humanitarian: not just the doing, but also the place from where it comes and the passion that fuels it. The message is clear: if we want to make that meaningful difference, we have to care deeply and we have to act. “When I think of the term ‘humanitarian,’ I reflect on what a person has done with his or her life,” Jewish Federation of Omaha President Jody Malashock says. “In the case of Joel, there is no question that he has put his concerns into action throughout the Jewish world. He has stepped up year after year with commitment and passion to help others. “Joel has been instrumental in rescuing Ethiopian Jews, he took tremendous leadership in the Israel Emergency Campaign and has shown a strong commitment to community. Joel is respected nationally, internationally and here at home. This distinguished award is the most important recognition given by our community, and I congratulate Joel on this well deserved honor.” Jewish Federation of Omaha CEO Mike Silverman agrees: “Joel never ceases to impress and amaze me; he is focused on doing great things for this community every day. It’s nice to know someone who is brilliant but humble about the impact he has had. Besides, he has a sense of humor and he’s not a bad ping-pong player. As a lay leader, his passion and dedication is unlimited; when he signs on to a cause, he’s in 100%. As a community, we are thankful for everything Joel does.” Please join us in congratulating Joel during the annual meeting at the Jewish Community Center, at 7 p.m. on June 4. The event is free; the entire community is invited to attend.
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Continued from page 1 agency websites and provides easier access to electronic helping in ways that provide the community with nourish- news and information. ment for the Jewish soul, as well as for their tummies!” “Andy Ruback has enormous passion for this community, “I do what I do for the and it shows in everything he Federation, because this comdoes. The Jewish Press is munity is my past, present, extremely lucky to have him as and future.” – Andy Ruback Board President; his support This was Andy’s response for the staff is unwavering,” when asked what his volunsaid van de Kamp-Wright. teering means to him. For “His hands-on approach is him, his friends and his colevident when considering leagues in the Jewish commuwhat we have accomplished nity, the goal is simple. “I (the website, for instance, want our children to always would have never happened have a vibrant Omaha Jewish without him). I know he will community.” continue to help us grow. I am A native Nebraskan, Andy is not surprised at all that he is currently serving his first term receiving the Bruce Fellman as president of The Jewish Memorial Young Leadership Press Board. He is ideally suitaward. He has earned it!” ed to the job; as general man- Max Ruback with a gift from the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Andy and his wife, Teresa ager of NRG Media-Omaha, he is responsible for seven radio are the proud parents of Max and newborn daughter, Chloe. stations, huskermax.com, and is director of digital media. He recalls that his interest and desire to volunteer piqued in Working on behalf of The Jewish Press is certainly appro- May of 2009 when Max was born. “Like many others, having priate given Andy’s profession. He points out that our weekly a child changed my life and I found myself wanting to help newspaper is where he finds his most meaningful experi- ensure his Jewish future. This picture is one of my favorites. ences, and he views the role of The Jewish Press as a “connec- It’s not staged. The dog put the Federation Torah there and it tor” of the community. “The paper connects the Federation says so much.” and its agencies to its audience, the Jewish population of Locally, Andy has also been involved with Junior Omaha. Our goal is to maximize these connections and make Achievement, Downtown Omaha, Inc., the Nebraska them deeper, richer and more meaningful for everyone.” Foundation for Visually Impaired Children, and YJO To date, Ruback is most proud of assisting in the hiring of Young Jewish Omaha. He was a member of the Federation’s the paper’s current Editor, Annette van de Kamp-Wright. He 2010 Jewish Omaha Leadership Training. said, “That hire, so far, has turned out to be a gem.” Join us in congratulating Susan Fellman Witkowski, Andy Secondly, he says it’s extremely rewarding to work on digital Ruback and all our community volunteer award winners on communication improvements for the entire campus. The Monday, June 4 at 7 p.m. during the Jewish Federation of new website, unveiled just weeks ago, integrates individual Omaha Annual Meeting in the JCC Theater.
May 18, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 3
Thank you, Principal Giller by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press This summer, students and staff at Friedel Jewish Academy will say goodbye to Ron Giller, principal of the school for the past four years. Retiring for the second time, Ron is leaving the school with a brand new project, recently finished: the community garden, located south of the school. It’s a fitting last effort: Ron is an avid gardener in his spare time, and will no doubt fill some of his coveted free time tending his and his wife’s plants. In addition, he hopes to volunteer where and when he can; he also has some ambitious travel plans. He is thinking about New England in the fall, or maybe Italy. Venice sounds nice, he thinks. “I have no idea what my days will look like,” he admits. “My last day is July 31st, and this will be the first time since I was five years old that I don’t have to go back to school in the fall! Teachers and administrators don’t usually plan downtime in August, so this is definitely going to be a new experience.” What he will miss the most is, of course, the students: “My proudest moments occur when I see the children excel,” he says, “watching them learn anything gives me such pride, whether they are performing, singing, dancing or studying for their next test. There is something very wonderful about watching a child learn something for the first time.” He will also miss the way Friedel students and teachers immerse themselves in Jewish holidays. “Friedel kids don’t just celebrate a little bit,” he says, “they go all out. They come in crazy costumes for Purim, they sing non-stop, they make their own latkes from scratch when Hanukkah is here, and they understand the gravity of Yom HaShoah.
Whatever the holiday is, they get it, and they live it. It’s fantastic to witness, and I will sorely miss that.” The community will have a chance to say goodbye and thank Ron for his efforts at the annual Friedel Tribute dinner, which will be
Friedel students tend to show up in many different places. Any given day, you can hear them singing in the JCC Theater, accompanying the teachers during an impromptu outdoors lesson, or visiting residents at the Blumkin Home.
Ron Giller Credit: Ophir Palmon Artistic Visions - Pictures of Life held on May 20. “Everyone who is able should come,” Ron says, Ron doing what he loves; he was instrumental in plan“because we are the only Jewish ning and planting the new community garden. day school in Nebraska. Besides, you never “My advice for the new principal is: be a know who you might run into at those din- good listener. As for the kids, I hope they ners; you may see some old friends while will remember how much I cared about you are supporting the school.” them,” Ron says, “and that it is their success Compared to four years ago, Ron thinks that matters the most.” the school has “a stronger vision and misFriedel Academy’s fifth annual Tribute sion, especially when it comes to how we see Celebration Dinner is set for Sunday, May ourselves as part of the community.” The 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Beth El fact that Friedel has students from all three Synagogue. Tickets are still available. For synagogues is strong evidence of that. Being reservations and more information, contact located in the JCC also helps: everyone who Debbie Kricsfeld at kricsfeld4@aol.com or spends time in the building knows that 402.393.2714.
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Minister’s idea to cut electricity to Gaza before Israel is ignored by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel’s Cabinet ignored a suggestion by the environmental protection minister to cut the electricity supply to Gaza rather than have rolling blackouts in Israel. Gilad Erdan made his suggestion during a Cabinet discussion on Sunday about how to deal with an expected power shortage this summer, when demand for electricity is high. The Cabinet approved a plan that included allowing the Israel Electric Corp. to use an unlimited amount of highly polluting heavy fuel oil for electricity generation. Erdan’s recommendation was not part of the plan. Erdan had called on the ministers to add a clause to the emergency energy agreement stipulating that if electricity needs to be temporarily stopped, the blackouts should first take place in Gaza, according to reports. “Take care of your own needs first,” Erdan said. “It’s unreasonable that if there’s an electricity shortage, we’ll cut off the supply to Israelis -- but not to Gaza, which we left seven years ago and have no responsibility for.” Israel exports about 4.5 percent of the electricity it generates to the Palestinian Authority, Erdan said.
4 | The Jewish Press | May 18, 2012
Congregational Awards, Board Elections to highlight Beth El’s Annual Meeting by JILL BELMONT committee, and has served as chairman for Beth El Publicity Coordinator the past two years. Taking stock of the past year, looking BESTT Education Director Judy Haven toward the future and applauding dedicated applauded Rich for his efforts, pointing out volunteers will be the order of the day as that “The last two years have proven very Beth El holds its annual meeting on Sunday, challenging, regarding the changes made to June 3, at the synagogue. The 11 a.m. meet- the basic BESTT structure, town hall meeting will feature a slideshow retrospective of the past year, and a congregational lunch will be served. Phil and Jan Wayne are serving as chairmen of the event. Scheduled to be elected and installed are: president, Lloyd Roitstein; vice presidents, Janie Murow, Jon Jabenis and Wayne Schwarz; treasurer, Jay Gordman; secretary, Michael Schop; past president, Bev Fellman. Nominated for their Beth Friedman Joanie Latchaw first two-year term are Karen Cohen, Glen Fineman, Jeremy Friedman, ings, and the search for a new education Beth Friedman, Andy Greenberg and M’Lee director all on his watch. Joel is very pasHasslinger. Nominated for their second two- sionate about providing a quality Jewish year term are Roni Reiter-Palmon, Ari education for our children and provides Riekes, Ben Shapiro and Scott Simon. Those quiet but persuasive leadership.” leaving the board include Sharon Brodkey, Beth Friedman will be recognized with Marc Kahn, Mark Kelln, Bruce Kutler, Jeff the President’s Award, presented to a nonKirshenbaum, Allan Noddle, Juliana Reno, board member for exceptional volunteerism Linda Saltzman, Caryn Scheer and Alan to the synagogue. For years, Friedman has Shulewitz. served as production manager for countless This event will also be highlighted by the Beth El Cantor’s Scholarship Concerts and presentation of Beth El’s annual congrega- other musical shows put on by the congretional awards, which recognize four congre- gation. She also heads the synagogue’s new gants for their exemplary dedication to the marketing committee, and under her guidsynagogue. ance, the synagogue’s printed materials and This year’s winner of the Earl Siegel website all sport fresh, updated looks. Memorial Award, given to a board member “Beth is a tireless volunteer who exudes an for outstanding service to the board, is Joel infectious enthusiasm,” said Board of Rich. Rich is a longtime member on the Trustees President Bev Fellman. “If you Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah (BESTT) compliment her on a job well done, her
usual response is, ‘What can I say? I love my synagogue!’ Beth’s organizational skills, her attention to detail and her upbeat attitude add so much to every project she works on, and we’re grateful for her involvement.” This year’s recipient of the Selwyn Roffman Award for Religious Growth is
has made an indelible mark, helping to develop fun and meaningful programming especially geared for young adults and families with children.” Scheer’s volunteer involvement has included helping to create the synagogue’s Young Adult Committee, which has offered a variety of social events for marrieds and singles in their 20s and 30s; the YAC playgroup, for toddlers and parents, offering creative fun twice a month at different venues around town; and “Our Shabbat Tables,” a monthly congregational program which brings Beth El members together at host families’ homes to celebrate Shabbat dinner. In addition, Scheer is a Joel Rich Caryn Scheer member of the synagogue’s Joan Latchaw. Latchaw is a familiar face at marketing committee; she also serves as a the synagogue, participating in daily minyan Torah and Megillah reader. and Shabbat services on a regular basis and “Each one of our award winners brings attending adult-education classes. She has something unique and special to Beth El,” also served as a guest presenter for Beth El’s said Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin. “We Sunday Scholars Series. owe all of these dedicated congregants our “Joan has made a special and personal con- appreciation, and we’re pleased to be able to nection with Beth El,” Fellman noted. “When honor them for their invaluable contribuyou have a conversation with her about a pas- tions to synagogue life.” sage or a prayer, it is one that truly shows that A congregational luncheon will follow the she has thought deeply and reflected fully on formal meeting. There is no charge to it. She has led book discussion groups and is attend, but attendees are asked to donate consistently amazingly analytical and insight- non-perishable food items for Jewish Family ful. And then there is a wonderful smile!” Service’s food pantry. (Bins have been set up The final congregational honor, the in the community court; please drop off Emerging Leader Award, is being presented items by June 1.) For planning purposes, to Caryn Scheer. reservations are requested for the luncheon Fellman commended Scheer for her by contacting the synagogue office, involvement, saying, “Although a relatively 402.492.8550, or by emailing programm new member to our congregation, Caryn ing@bethel-omaha.org.
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May 18, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 5
IDF soldiers to visit Omaha by BOB GOLDBERG Title Our Jewish community is excited to welcome two active duty IDF soldiers for a day of meet and greets on Wednesday, May 23. Captain Yotam Romano and Staff Sergeant Lea Lehavi will speak at the B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers luncheon at noon, they will speak to seniors at Remington Heights at 2 p.m., they meet with Teens 4 Israel at 4 p.m. and will be the guest speakers at YJO’s Cocktails and Conversations at 6 p.m. They will discuss their army experience and the ways in which their interaction with young Jewish adults from North America on the Birthright Israel trip has influenced and informed how they see themselves and their relationship to the larger Jewish world. Each year thousands of Israelis, most of them active duty IDF soldiers, have joined Birthright Israel trips in what is known as the mifgash (Hebrew for encounter), where they spend several days interacting with peers from North America and around the world. The Jewish Federations of North America’s Speakers Bureau and the Birthright Israel Foundation are sponsoring this tour of two outstanding active duty IDF soldiers who joined a Birthright Israel trip. For questions, please contact Sharon Kirshenbaum at
402.334.6485 or at skirshenbaum@jewishomaha.org. Captain Yotam Romano, 24, is an electronics officer in the Israel Navy. He is a graduate of the Israel Naval Academy and served as a deputy platoon commander on a Navy missile boat. Yotam joined a Birthright Israel trip last year and says that in addition to making close friends during the trip, it gave him a great deal of perspective on Americans and the greater Jewish world. Yotam comes from Kfar Vitkin, a moshav near Netanya, north of Tel Aviv. He loves music and photography and worked as a DJ in the Tel Aviv area. He holds a BA in social science from Haifa University. Staff Sergeant Lea Lehavi, 21, just completed three years of service as a combat soldier in the IDF’s elite canine unit, during which time she also worked for the IDF General Staff and Israel’s General Security Service in V.I.P. protection. Lea lives in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, and has been recognized by both her city and Israel’s Ministry of Education for her volunteer work in informal education. She also worked as a production assistant on two films and founded and operated her high school radio station. Lea joined a Birthright Israel trip in June 2011, noting that “for each of my American friends, the trip to Israel was in part a personal journey; but what surprised me was that it turned into a personal journey for me in my country.”
Beth El’s Women’s Rosh Hodesh meeting spotlights notable women by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator “Notable Women” will take center stage during the next Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, at the home of Jill Belmont, 711 N. 164th St. Hosted by Cantor Beth Schlossberg, the evening will focus on “women who have affected our lives throughout history; those who have done so by their words and those who have done so by their actions, which others put into words,” the cantor said. “I think it’s important for us as women to occasionally recognize our own capabilities and realize how far we’ve come not only as a gender and a community.”
Beveridge Middle School choir entertains residents
Beveridge Middle School Backbeat Show Choir performed recently for the residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home with an energized rock and roll themed show. Mika Caplan, left, with Norm Zevitz, sang a heartfelt solo from Les Miserables before the show.
Births Stephanie and Mike Sigmond announce the March 31 birth of their daughter, Natalie Rose (Rivka). She is named for her maternal great-great-grandmother, Rose Fajman, and her paternal great-grandmother, Reba Axler. Grandparents are Ruth and Dennis Kuchar of Battle Creek, NE, Diane Axler Baum and Donald Baum, and Richard Sigmond and Susan Peteraf of Lafayette Hill, PA. Yaakov and Ilana Weiss announce the Dec. 28 birth of their daughter, Meira Rachel. She is named Meira meaning “she brings light” as she was born on the eighth day of Hanukkah and Rachel for her maternal great-grandmother Rachel Balter. She has a sister, Naama. Grandparents are Leonard and Michele Lieberson of New Jersey, and Arnold and Susan Weiss of Massachusetts.
To supplement the discussion, Cantor Schlossberg is asking attendees to bring a quotation from a woman they respect, admire or look on as a mentor -- from famous women to a family member who had a deep impact on their lives. Through the conversation, she said she hopes that “we will learn things about each other that we might not otherwise have known, and perhaps even learn something about ourselves which was previously hidden.” The Rosh Hodesh Group get-together is open to all women in the Jewish community. Social hour will begin at 7 p.m.; the formal meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. To RSVP, contact Cantor Schlossberg at cantor@bethel-omaha.org, or Caryn Rifkin at crgr6175@aol.com.
In the news The Board of Directors of ACLU Nebraska announced that Becki Brenner will assume the Executive Director position beginning May 7. Brenner has held positions most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio as well as President and Chief Executive Officer of Planned Parenthood Omaha/Council Bluffs and Executive Director of Jewish Family Service in Omaha. For the past 12 years she has focused her attention on diverse communities with the purpose of strengthening families, health care access, and protecting women’s individual rights and liberties. Brenner holds a Masters Degree from Central Michigan University and added certificate from Johns Hopkins University. Board President Joseph S. Brown said, “Becki Brenner brings both a strong advocacy and a strong administrative background to ACLU Nebraska. Her demonstrated commitment to individual rights makes her a good fit for ACLU.” “My work with Planned Parenthood affords me an enriched advocacy background.” Brenner remarked. “As we envision the future for Nebraska, the ACLU is committed to ensuring individual rights and freedoms. I look forward to engaging the community in thoughtful and constructive discussions on issues that impact all of us, while defending the rights of every man, woman and child within our borders.” Multi-Instrumentalists, Greenblatt & Seay, will be giving free workshops on Saturday, May 26, at the Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Nebraska. Championship fiddler, Deborah Greenblatt, will be giving a free fiddle workshop at 10 a.m. David Seay’s free harmonica workshop will be at noon with all participants receiving a free harmonica. Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska. Admission is free of charge. For additional information, please call 402.223.3514 or visit http://www.nps. gov/home/index.htm.
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6 | The Jewish Press | May 18, 2012
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by JILL BELMONT over Margo’s head as she thought of some new idea or projBeth El Publicity Coordinator ect for her students,” Kaslow continued. “She was a master Google “teachers who make a of glitter and glue guns, and her classes produced some difference,” and you’re sure to see wonderful treasures while learning about the Jewish life a picture of Margo Riekes at the cycle. In so many ways Margo touched the hearts and lives top of the list. For the past 45 of more than one generation of Beth El’s children, and her years, Riekes has channeled her dedication and commitment to Jewish education are own love of Judaism to her reliunparalleled.” gious-school students at Beth El; The marks Riekes has left on Beth El are prominent and she has made learning a handssignificant: she established the Merit Scholarship Program, on, creative and meaningful where students receive scholarships for summer Jewish experience for children. She has experiences, in return for volunteering at the synagogue; passed on the joy of being she initiated an arts and crafts program for the entire Jewish. school, by grade level, that allowed children to create Now, after over four decades, Jewish objects and keepsakes; she brought experiential Margo Riekes Riekes is retiring from learning to her classes, Beth El Talmud Torah’s including performing faculty; she will be acts of tikkun olam honored at the BESTT and tzedakah through graduation ceremony a variety of projects on Friday, May 18, 6 and field trips; plus the p.m., during Shabbat much-loved fourthservices, as well as at a grade wedding cerespecial Shabbat dinner mony, during which afterward. students learned about Riekes began her and participated in teaching career as a traditional Jewish third-grade teacher in wedding rituals. the public schools, and “When I see former then decided to stay students who are now home to raise her famadults, they tell me ily. Before the birth of that they do remember her first child, howevthese things,” Riekes er, she began teaching said. “That is what has Sunday school at Beth kept me engaged for all El, “because I did not of these years -- knowwant to give up my ing that perhaps I teaching career commade a difference in pletely,” she said. their lives as a teacher Eventually, she and as a Jew.” began teaching fullThe longtime educaRiekes welcomes parents to the 2011 Fourth-Grade Wedding, a muchtime for the Talmud tor is especially proud loved program among students, parents and faculty alike. Torah, and included that she’s been able to some high school classes to her workload. excite children about Judaism. “One of my proudest accomRiekes says she has remained dedicated to her students for plishments has been to have so many students who truly all these years because, “it is a mitzvah that I could do. The love to come to my classes – all those happy faces running in Talmud says, ‘If you raise up children in the way they should each day to greet me and trying to get seats in the front row.” know, even when they are old, they will not depart from it.’ BESTT Education Director Judy Haven lauded the longJewish education is so important, and I decided that I could time teacher for so successfully imparting Jewish heritage to make a unique contribution to Beth El by teaching there her students. rather than going back to the public school system. The syn“Whether teaching about Israel, holidays, or life as a Jew, agogue, the children and the staff whom I have worked with Margo’s love of Judaism has had an impact on the lives of became an integral part of my life.” many members -- current and future -- of our congregation. The love she has for her students has been unmistakable, There are not many teachers who can share the joy of knowand that affection was noted by a number of Riekes’s friends ing they have benefitted their congregation by teaching genand colleagues. erations of children,” Haven said. Bev Fellman, president of Beth El’s Board of Trustees, and She also credited Riekes for contributing to the developpast chairman of BESTT, called Riekes “a delightful person ment of curriculum and ideas for the school, both at Beth who, for 45 years, has been able to reach our Beth El stu- El’s original location at 49th& Farnam St., to the congregadents. By ‘reach’ I do not mean that she simply stands in the tion’s current home. front of the room and lectures. It is so clear that she likes “Margo has a wealth of ideas and experiences she gained each and every child, and that she enjoys working with all in her four decades of teaching, and we hope she’ll allow us the kids. She has developed rapport with two generations, to call her for ideas in the future,” Haven said. and all the children and the now-grown-ups love and Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin also paid tribute to admire her. The knowledge and friendship she has shared Riekes, saying, “Margo’s work as a teacher over so many will be remembered and treasured by all of her students, years shows a dedication unmatched by most, and our chilpast and present.” dren have benefited greatly by having her as their teacher. Gloria Kaslow, another past BESTT chairman and faculty She has made a difference in the lives of her students. She member, recalled, “I had the pleasure of sharing the ‘faculty has given unselfishly of her time to help an untold number lounge’ -- otherwise known as Stan Mitchell’s office -- with of students prepare their Bar or Bat Mitzvah speeches. We Margo for nearly 25 years. We were so closely associated as have been fortunate and are thankful to have her as a valued Talmud Torah teachers that occasionally people would call me faculty member.” Margo. I was flattered to be mistaken for Margo; she’s a talFor more information about Friday night’s graduation cerented and devoted teacher and much beloved by her students. emony and the Shabbat dinner, contact Haven at “It was always fun to see the proverbial light bulb go on 402.498.0904, or eddir@bethel-omaha.org.
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS We are going to be joined by two members of the Israel Defense Force, visiting Omaha: CaptainYotam Romano, 24, an electronics officer in the Israel Navy, and Staff Sergeant Lea Lehavi, 21, who has just completed three years of service as a combat soldier in the IDF’s elite canine unit, during which time she also worked for the IDF General Staff and Israel’s General Security Service in V.I.P. protection. They will share some insights living under a nuclear threat and much more on Wednesday, May 23, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email
list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha. org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH How much Yiddish do you know? Probably more than you think. Some English words have made their way into Yiddish. Many Yiddish words are commonly used in English. Every first Thursday of the month, we will be playing Yiddish Bingo. This will give you a chance to show off the Yiddish you didn’t even know you knew. Everyone is invited! We meet every Thursday from 1-3 p.m., in the Rose Blumkin Home Board Room. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.
May 18, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 7
Holocaust film series concludes by HILLARY FLETCHER Marketing Assistant, Institute for Holocaust Education On Thursday, May 3, as part of its 2012 Holocaust Film Series, the Institute for Holocaust Education, in cooperation with Film Streams, screened the film The Last Survivor. The Ruth Sokolof Theater welcomed approximately 150 guests to watch the documentary which traces the stories of survivors from four different genocides: the Holocaust, Rwanda, Darfur, and the Congo. Providing their testimonies, each survivor described their lives before the genocides that tore their families from them as well as their varied routes of survival afterwards. Two of the films’ participants are active in leading and organizing for change in governments and one survivor became a psychologist to help other survivors in recovery. The film focused largely on the personal impact of living through a genocide or mass atrocity. A panel discussion, including one of the film’s directors, Michael Kleiman, child survivor of the Holocaust, Bea Karp, and Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education, Beth Dotan, was held following the film. Many of those in attendance asked about ways to help speak out on current, on-going acts of brutality and murders throughout the world. Kleiman suggested that, “Elected officials are not voted out of office for not intervening in genocides,” and perhaps a public change to this approach could force more world-wide intervention. Bea Karp agreed, adding, “Heads of state should think less about their [politics] and more about individuals.” On the importance of drawing attention to these atrocities and remembering them, Kleiman said, “When Hitler was planning his final solution and he was asked how he’d get away with it, he said, ‘Who remembers the Armenians [the systematic decimation of Armenians by the Ottoman government beginning in 1915]?’” The Last Survivor was the final film in the three film series which also included Swimming in Auschwitz which follows the story of six women who survived the Holocaust, and A Film Unfinished which examines the early days of the Warsaw ghetto.
B’nai B’rith honors top scholar/athletes at its 58th Annual Charity Banquet by GARY JAVITCH B’nai B’rith correspondent The annual B’nai B’rith charity banquet always focuses on youth. The honoree, pictured right, was, as usual, a highly talented graduating high school senior, standout in the sports arena, the classroom, and the community. The fundraiser supports Omaha Jewish youth through the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, which meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the JCC. The group provides an opportunity for high school students from all over the city and from all synagogues to learn and work together. Funds also support B’nai B’rith International programs. The family of the late Adam Jacobs, former Lodge president, provides a scholarship for the winners, and the Lodge sends a stipend to the schools of the winners. Head Football Coach Mike Leach of Washington State University, best-selling author, part-time humorist and a record-holding offensive tactician for his teams headlined the event that was chaired by Howard Shandell.
Top ticket seller this year, Aaron Weiner, left; Coach Mike Leach of Washington State University; Mike Cassling, Gold sponsor of the banquet; and Laurie Meyers, the Earl Siegel Award honoree from Westside High School pose with autographed souvenirs from Nebraska’s favorite team.
The Rose Blumkin Home residents ‘horse’ around by KAREN MENAGH Activities Director, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home The residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home took an adventure recently to the America Legacy Horse Stable and Arena. The residents who ventured out were overwhelmed with beautiful landscapes and horses. Residents who attended either had a history of growing up with horses, going to horse races, or owning their own horse. The residents enjoyed a nice scenic drive to the American Legacy located in Northwest Omaha. The owners of the arena were especially gracious with their time resources, they provided a tour of the stables and residents were able to watch a retired race horse in action. Some of the residents were transported back to a time of joy and happiness when they saw the horses. Left: J.C. Graver
8 | The Jewish Press | May 18, 2012
Point of view
American Jewish Press Association Award Winner
Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008
And the walls became the world all around
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press When I was in college, one of my friends used to brag about the white wolf suit he owned as a child. His parents had it made for him when he was six years old; he wore it all the time. And even though we, his friends, were old enough to vote and live on our own, we were green with envy. Who, as a child, didn’t dream of owning that suit? Not for the suit itself, but for what it represented. Maurice Sendak, who passed away on May 8 at the age of 83, charmed us all. He did so by putting words together in a way that transformed the mundane into the extraordinary, celebrated the imagination, and made life adventurous and unpredictable. In Where the Wild Things Are (1963), his most famous book, the author took the side of young Max, and in doing so he sided with all children. Born in Brooklyn to Polish-Jewish parents Sadie and Philip, Sendak decided to become an illustrator after watching Disney’s Fantasia. His first professional commission was to create window displays for F.A.O. Schwarz. Imagine that; the creator of childhood fantasy received his first opportunity at the world’s most famous toy store. He described his own childhood as atrocious; many of his relatives had stayed behind in Poland and subsequently perished in the Holocaust. Sendak grew up amidst stories about pain and loss, about family members he would never meet. In a way, he paid homage to those relatives in the early 90s, when he collaborated with playwright Tony Kushner in the English translation of Brundibar. Sendak, while perhaps the most beloved of all children’s book authors, was no stranger to controversy. Initially, when Wild Things was published, parents voiced concern about the monsters’ appearance. When, in 1970, he published In the Night Kitchen, the book was censored because it contained images of a naked boy prancing through the story. It continues to appear on the American Library Association’s list of frequently banned books. Most children won’t under-
stand why; Night Kitchen is a typical Sendak story, where reality is bent, imagination is king, and children see and understand much more than adults. So what if the main character (a chubby little boy) ‘falls out of his clothes,’ when entering the night kitchen. Those who own the book know: it’s not exactly pornography. The fact that it keeps popping up on the banned book list is a travesty. There is a distinct purpose to children’s literature that Sendak seemed to grasp perfectly. He didn’t just write stories; he climbed inside a child’s skin and managed to see things from their point of view. Since children’s books are by definition written by adults, and those adults don’t always remember what it was like to be a child, Sendak’s talent was unique. His illustrations aren’t made of sugar and spice and everything nice; no rainbows and unicorns here. Instead, the pages are filled with gruesome beasts and dark skies, towering trees and big teeth. If we hadn’t grown up with the monsters populating these pages, we might agree with those initial parents from 1963 who thought this was far too troubling a sight for young children. And yet, children the world over have always loved Sendak’s world, with almost an obsessive nature. You don’t just read a Sendak story once, you read it a hundred times, through night and day, until you know it by heart. And then you read it to your children, and if you’re lucky, your grandchildren, and instead of scaring the living daylights out of them, you keep the nightmares at bay.
Sendak himself said: “I refuse to lie to children.” He did not buy into the concept of innocence that needed to be preserved at all costs; his own childhood made that probably impossible. But his work was not about destroying that innocence either; it was about treating children not as frail, timid creatures that couldn’t handle the monsters under the bed. Instead, the children Sendak wrote and illustrated for possess the power of imagination, and it is that imagination Sendak celebrated so beautifully. It’s what comes back to us when we read, watch, and observe his work as adults. Sendak doesn’t speak to the adults we have become; he speaks to the children who remain inside of us.
Credit: Maurice Sendak via antidoteldn.tumblr.com
Moderate middle must be heard on Israel debate
Behind the headlines by PETER A. JOSEPH NEW YORK (JTA) -- The intellectual food fight over Israel that has played out over the Op-Ed pages of virtually all Jewish and many mainstream newspapers in recent weeks may have settled down, but the passion of the discussion has made one thing very clear: The boundaries dividing American Jewish opinion on Israel, and its policies regarding Palestinians, have become as contentious as the borders between Israel and the West Bank. In the American Jewish dialogue on Israel, extreme polarization reigns. With the most dominant voices coming from the far left and right, the discussion has become alienating in its endless -- and more importantly, ineffective -- moralizing by both camps. The vast majority of American Jews is deeply concerned about Israel’s security and recognizes the need for a two-state solution that would ensure it. But in a world divided between the antagonistic right and left, centrists are being shut out of the conversation. What is the way forward for American Jews who want to be effective advocates for Israel but not apologists for its continued presence in the West Bank? In truth, American Jewish advocacy, like Israel’s political realities, is complex and cannot be addressed effectively through sound bites. But that is exactly what voices on the fringes have offered as their efforts have been directed at rallying political bases rather than advancing reasoned
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policy concepts. Instead of staking out principled, nuanced positions that reflect an understanding of competing narratives, both sides have adopted an oversimplified rhetoric that feeds fierce debate in the American Jewish community and shrinks political space for pragmatic policy. Ironically, while the American Jewish left is more vocal than ever, it also has become more irrelevant. While correctly promoting the idea that there is not only one way to be pro-Israel, the left has joined with the right to fuel a with-us-or-against-us paradigm that has resulted in the highly charged debate. The left’s vocal and consistent condemnation of the Israeli government, as well as its lack of sensitivity to Israeli public opinion, has significantly undermined its pro-Israel claims. Consequently, it has never been more politically expedient for politicians and community leaders to disassociate from liberal Zionists. The American Jewish right shares equal blame. It has sought to capitalize on the left’s failings, seeking to turn Israel into a partisan tool that can be wielded against President Obama and undermining bipartisan consensus support for the Jewish state. Faced with a choice, many organizations, community leaders and politicians quite naturally align themselves with the right, lest they risk alienation from a comfort zone of support for Israel. Others are disengaging from Israel advocacy altogether to avoid the seemingly endless debates that often resemble a dog chasing its own tail. The net result is a ridiculous and ineffective way for the pro-Israel community to proceed if it wants to lobby effec-
tively for ensuring Israel’s future. The tenor of the discussion has taken American Jewry further away from being able to lobby for a two-state solution and a secure Israel. Successful pro-Israel advocacy today requires mobilizing the majority and moving away from the extremes. This means rejecting the left-wing notion that peace will be achieved only by pressuring the Jewish state to capitulate to Arab demands, and the right-wing notion that Israel must never be questioned. Successful pro-Israel, pro-two-state advocacy requires engaging the broader American Jewish community, the democratically elected government of Israel and the Israeli public. It also requires rejecting all efforts to undercut bipartisan support for Israel based on the with-us-oragainst-us mentality. To be sure, American Jews do not need to support everything that the Israeli government says or does to be pro-Israel. But just as knee-jerk support for anything the Israeli government does is unhelpful, so too is knee-jerk condemnation. The past few weeks of mudslinging have highlighted how alienating and polarizing many of the tired left- and right-wing arguments about Israel have become. As Jewish people around the world recently recited around their seder tables, Dayenu! Enough already! It is time for the moderate majority to come together to form a centrist, pragmatic, pro-Israel, pro-two-state message that drowns out the noisemakers on the fringes and leads to a secure, realistic and effective path forward for Israel to thrive. Peter A. Joseph is the chairman of the Israel Policy Forum (www.israelpolicyforum.org.)
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May 18, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 9
For new Israeli coalition, haredi army exemptions issue is front and center
Focus on issues by URIEL HEILMAN (JTA)–Israel’s new unity government may not alter Jerusalem’s strategy for curbing Iran’s nuclear weapons program or do much to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It could, however, dramatically change something at home about which a huge number of Israelis care deeply: haredi Orthodox exemptions from military service. For years, haredi issues have been something of a third rail in Israeli politics. Nearly every government in recent years has needed the haredi parties to cobble together a governing coalition, rendering haredi entitlement programs like the military exemption politically untouchable. This long has irritated Israelis who serve in the army and resent that the haredim, by and large, do not serve yet draw all sorts of entitlement payments from the state. But with Shaul Mofaz’s decision to bring his Kadima party and its 28 seats into the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no longer needs the haredi parties to keep his government in power. They could pull out, and it would make no real difference -- at least until the elections that are scheduled for October 2013. How far will Netanyahu go in taking advantage of a historic opportunity to end the special treatment for haredi Israelis? The question is likely to hinge on political considerations. Already there is movement on finding an alternative to the Tal Law, which granted military exemptions to haredi Israeli men but was struck down several months ago by Israel’s Supreme Court. The court ordered that an alternative to the law be put into place by Aug. 1. Crafting an alternative to the Tal Law is one of the top four priorities set forth by the new government coalition. The other three are passing a comprehensive budget, reforming the structure of government and making progress toward peace. The budget issue is expected to be resolved one way or the other, as budgets generally are, but there is something pie in the sky about the other two priorities. That leaves the Tal Law alternative as the potential histor-
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ical legacy of this 18-month alliance between Netanyahu and Mofaz. On Tuesday, that alternative began to take shape. The Jerusalem Post reported that under the MofazNetanyahu deal, haredi exemptions from the army would be replaced by a Basic Law -- the Israeli equivalent to a constitutional amendment -- requiring all citizens to perform military or civilian service. Last month, Kadima proposed instituting a universal military draft within five years. Under the Kadima plan, all Israelis either would serve in the military or do national service in a variety of fields, among them education, health and domestic security. Those who fail to comply would be barred from receiving any state funding. The question is whether such a plan, which would radically alter the relationship between the state and its rapidly growing haredi Orthodox population, could survive opposition from Israel’s haredi Orthodox parties. Netanyahu doesn’t need them to survive in office until the next elections. Indeed, if he were to push through such legislation, it could earn his Likud party much broader support, including from secular and more centrist voters, the next time Israel goes to the polls. But it could cost Netanyahu in October 2013 if Likud wins the election, Kadima fares poorly and Netanyahu needs the haredi parties to form a coalition. Those considerations, political analysts say, will mitigate whatever changes are made to haredi exemptions. Some other factors are at play, too. For one thing, while in principle most Israelis would like haredim to be subject to the same requirements of service demanded of all other Israelis, in practice the army does not want a sudden flood of tens of thousands of new haredi recruits. The Israel Defense Forces lacks the infrastructure to absorb them, both in numbers and operationally. What would the army do with 10,000 new recruits who are religiously opposed to significant interaction with female instructors? Also, a dramatic transformation of the relationship between haredim and the state would run up against opposition not only from haredi parties in the Knesset but from haredi citizens. They would see the sudden change as a
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broadside against their way of life, and mass demonstrations and even riots likely would ensue. It would make the haredi riots against parking lots opening on the Sabbath and a Modern Orthodox girls' school in Beit Shemesh seem like child’s play. The reality is that Israel doesn’t want all these haredim in the army. What Israel wants is more haredi men working, paying taxes and integrated into Israeli society. Under the current system, haredi men must stay in yeshiva until their 30s to keep their military exemption (religious women are granted exemptions from army service upon request). That has helped bankrupt the haredi community and nurture a black market economy in which many haredi men work surreptitiously and do not pay taxes. Changing the rule would help drive haredim into the workforce and into better-paying jobs. That would help Israel’s tax rolls, reduce haredi dependency on welfare and help integrate haredim into Israeli society. There is great debate within the haredi community about whether or not to welcome these changes. Some haredim see it as key to the economic and social survival of their community. But other haredi leaders see it as opening up a slippery slope away from the yeshiva and Jewish observance and toward the dangerous temptations of modern, secular Israel. Ultimately, whatever change comes to the haredi community is likely to come gradually. Kadima has proposed exempting 1,000 haredi yeshiva students from the military draft and allowing others to defer military service on a year-by-year basis while they are studying in yeshiva. According to a report in The Jerusalem Post, Likud is likely to propose an alternative that instead would establish a minimum number of haredi participants in national service programs that would increase every year without a cap on those claiming yeshiva-related exemptions from service. For now, the haredi parties appear to be taking a wait-andsee approach. “There can’t be a situation in Israel in 2012 where someone who wants to study Torah will not be able to do so,” Yakov Litzman of the United Torah Judaism party told the Post. “But as long as the principle of ‘torato Omunato’ [Torah is one’s work] is preserved, UTJ will remain in the coalition.”
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10 | The Jewish Press | May 18, 2012
Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. during services 7th graders and 12th graders will celebrate their graduation; also, Margo Riekes and Judy Haven will be honored as they retire from BESTT, and faculty members will be recognized. Dinner will follow. For more information, visit www. bethel-omaha.org, contact the BESTT office, 402.498.0904, or eddir@bethel-omaha.org. SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:35 p.m.; during the service, Emma Hochfelder will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Last day of school for BESTT, and will include a 9:45 a.m. awards assembly for Pre-K to 7th grades, plus a talent show by students. Magician Joe Cole will also perform. A complimentary lunch will follow at noon, for all families; Diversity in Movies: Embracing the World with open Jewish eyes, 10 a.m. with Susi Frydman-Levin; Jewish Values in Today’s World, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Levin. MONDAY: Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham. TUESDAY: Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group, 7 p.m., meets at the home of Jill Belmont, 711 N. 164th St. Cantor Beth Schlossberg will lead a discussion about “Notable Women.” Social hour, 7 p.m.; formal meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. To RSVP, contact Cantor Schlossberg at cantor@bethelomaha.org, or Caryn Rifkin at crgr6175@aol.com. THURSDAY: Clergy visits Remington Heights, 1:40 p.m. Rabbi Levin and Cantor Schlossberg will present a special Shavuot program for residents; Women’s Book Club, 1 p.m. will discuss The Singing Fire, by Lilian Nattel. Shabbat Story Time for toddlers and parents, on Saturday, May 26, 11:30 a.m., led by Shira Abraham. Shavuot Celebration on Saturday, May 26, Shavuot festivities begin at 7:30 p.m., following the 7 p.m. Minha service, and will feature study sessions about the ethics of kashrut, and the history of kosher wine, led by Rabbis Levin and Abraham, respectively, plus a kosher-wine tasting led by wine maven Michael Levine of Kansas City, and a song session led by Cantor Schlossberg. Following the program, Ma’ariv and Havdalah will begin at 9 p.m. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush lunch is sponsored in honor of those celebrating graduations and birthdays, anniversaries and simchas in April; The Laws of Shabbat, 6:15 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 7:15 p.m.; Rabbi Gross’s Twitter Topic Class, 7:15 p.m.; Mincha, 8:15 p.m., followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:29 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast; Children’s Activity with Dr. Patricia Newman, 10:15 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.
To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewish omaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, by e-mailing the editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org or online at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press.’
MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross. Contact the office for information on how to call-in to the conference call. TUESDAY: Sisterhood Lunch with BINGO, 11:30 a.m.; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Mizrahi; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross.
CHABAD CENTER An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Minyan, 7 a.m.; Kiddush lunch follows the service in honor of the birthday of Dr. Marlene Cohen. SUNDAY: Service at 8:30 a.m. followed by breakfast at 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Minyan, 7 a.m. MONDAY: JLI Course, The Art of Marriage, 7 p.m. Register online at ochabad.com. WEDNESDAY: A Taste of Yeshiva-Chevruta style Beit Midrash study, 6:30 p.m. Register now for Camp Gan Israel Day Camp June 4-15. All programs are open to the entire community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. featuring the Star City Kochavim, and installation ceremony led by Rabbi Lewis’s mentor and friend, Rabbi Kenneth Kanter, Director of the Rabbinical School for the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Please bring your family’s favorite dessert to share with members of the congregation and other special guests at a Dessert Oneg Reception immediately following services. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9 a.m. with B’nai Mitzvah participation; Teen Torah Study, 10:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Behar-Bechukotai; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. SUNDAY: Last Day of LJCS Classes Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10-11:30 a.m. at South Street Temple; End-of-the-Year Picnic, 11:30 a.m. GanKindergarten students are invited to join us for the picnic, accompanied by their adults. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 6:30 p.m. Intro to Judaism, Session #17 led by Rabbi Lewis. The cost is $50 to cover course materials. Register by calling the Temple office at 402.435.8004 or email stemple@neb.rr.com. Note: Please contact Rabbi Lewis if the cost for a class creates a financial hardship.
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Candlelighting Friday, May 18, 8:21 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1 p.m. with Chabad. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. THURSDAY: LOVE Board of Directors Meeting, 7 p.m. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.
TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Worship Service in Honor of Rabbi Eric Linder with Sababa’s Cool Jewish Music, High School Seniors to be Recognized, 6 p.m.; OTYG End of Year Party, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Geordi Gonzales, daughter of Dana and Edward Gonzales, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. SUNDAY: Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; OTYG Car Wash, 10 a.m. Cost is $10; Kindergarten Round up, 11 a.m.; Prayer Assembly – Sabbaba, 11:30 a.m.; Sabbaba and Picnic Lunch on the Lawn – Celebrate the Start of Summer, Noon. Come to Sababa’s Concert on the front lawn after this year’s last day of Religious School. Women of Reform Judaism will run a concessions booth with pizza, face painting and Frisbee painting for all ages as a fundraiser. All are welcome. Please RSVP to the Temple Israel office, 402-556-6536; Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, 12:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Annual Meeting with Appetizer and Dessert Reception, 6:30 p.m. Come celebrate our incoming and outgoing Board of Trustee members. Cost is $18 per person. Please RSVP to the Temple Israel office, 402-556-6536, by Friday, May 18. After May 18, cost is $21. THURSDAY: God was in this place and I did not know, 1011:30 a.m. Tot Shabbat and Dinner, Friday, May 25, 6 p.m. Cost of the dinner is $5 for adults and no charge for children. Please contact the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536, to make a dinner reservation. Havdalah, Shavuot Study, Service and Dinner, Saturday, May 25, 5 p.m. Shavuot Service and Yizkor, Sunday, May 27, 10:30 a.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: Tot Shabbat with Ms. Jennifer, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Study Session on Pirkei Avot, 9:30 a.m.; Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch. SUNDAY: Last Day of LJCS Classes Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10-11:30 a.m. at South Street Temple; End-of-the-Year Picnic, 11:30 a.m. with families encouraged to join. TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Misty’s in Williamsburg, 40th & Old Cheney. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.
SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
Israeli Cabinet OKs plan to help second-generation Ethiopian immigrants by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel's Cabinet unanimously approved a plan to improve the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants into Israeli society. The plan, approved Sunday at the regular Cabinet meeting, is designed to accelerate the integration process for the second-generation members of the Ethiopian immigrant community into Israeli society and eradicate displays of racism against the community. Under the plan, young Ethiopian couples can receive mortgages starting from $68,000 in 2013 to $131,000 by 2016. In addition, the plan calls for assisting young Ethiopians in integrating into the labor market, including the establishment of special units for employment guidance. In order to promote fair representation in the country's civil service, 30 additional job slots will be allocated to
members of the Ethiopian community. Two additional Ethiopian religious leaders also will be employed, and approximately 15 new religious leaders will be added in service to the Ethiopian community. A public information plan also will be formulated to deal with displays of racism and prejudice against the Ethiopian community. “I have personally met with members of the Ethiopian community and I am impressed that there is a new generation -- younger, energetic, active -- that takes the initiative, with aspirations, and especially with a strong desire to be integrated into Israeli society,” Netanyahu said at the meeting. He added that there is no place for racism in Israel, and said of the Ethiopians, “They are our flesh, they are part of us, and we will not tolerate any displays of racism against them.”
Pulverent e
May 18, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 11
Productivity or Starvation
In memoriam
Before someone offers you alcohol or other drugs, decide what you are going to say.
RUTH GARBER GOODMAN
Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha B’har As we come close to the end of Leviticus, the third book of the Torah, we are given a lesson in ancient methods of keeping health and productivity in the fields on which our ancient ancestors relied for sustenance. Scientific farming today keeps fields productive by adding chemicals to the soil to keep them alive and productive. In our Sidrah, we are told, our ancestors, who had not yet a PhD in chemistry, treated their fields so that they would not be totally emptied of productivity. The plan our ancestors came upon was to let the fields lie fallow for one year every seventh, as though to give the fields a sabbatical year, to regain the nutrients that sun and rain could provide for them. One marvels at ancient farming practices, when our ancestors, without access to or knowledge of the appropriate chemicals, brought back productivity to their fields through a “sabbatical year.” Parsha B’chukotay The last Sidrah of Leviticus reminds us of something that we should need no reminder of: if you do thus and so, then you will be richly rewarded by the KBH, but if you do so and thus, the worst tragedies will come upon you. All productivity will have vanished from the fields on which you have relied, and instead difficulties and tragedies beyond comparison will fall upon you. Not only will the fields lose their productivity, but the human being himself will lose his/her productivity and the race will die out. With these warnings, which humanity should not have needed, the third book of Torah comes to its end; we should remind ourselves that Torah essentially means “teaching.” It would be wise to read these last two Parshiot of Leviticus again and again and again.
Ruth Garber Goodman, 89, passed away on April 22 in Denver, CO. Rabbi Steven Foster, Rabbi Joseph Black and Cantor Regina Heit officiated at the April 24 service at Mt. Nebo Cemetery. She was preceeded in death by her first husband, Harold (Sonny) Garber and her second husband, Samuel A. Goodman, her sisters and brothers-in-law, Rose and Abe Markovitz, Soph and Mike Freeman and her brothers and sisters-in-law, Harry and Sylvia Rosenstein and Sam and Ethel Rosenstein. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Bill Curry and Dale and Tom Lyneis, both of Denver; grandchildren: Emily, Drew and Jamie Lyneis. Memorials may be made to Namaste Hospice Comfort Fund, 1633 Fillmore St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80206. Ruth was born in Omaha, on August 11, 1922, to Morris and Lottie Rosenstein. She graduated from Omaha University (now UNO) with a degree in Elementary Education. Initially she was a fashion model at Brandeis Department Store in Omaha, then she became an elementary school teacher. In Denver, Mrs Goodman was a preschool teacher at Temple Emanuel, where she was a board member and president of the sisterhood. She was on the board of the Rose Hospital Auxiliary and she also belonged to Hadassah.
Website of Greek neo-Nazi party is suspended
Matzo Building Contest
Residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home created edible Matzo structures with leftover Matzo from Passover. The winners designed a Dr. Seuss office with bright candies and colorful frosting. Pictured are the winners: Jeanne Borcyk, left, Mary Heiman, activities director and Jan Ferris.
nps.gov/home
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ATHENS, Greece (JTA) --The Greek neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party, which won nearly seven percent of the vote in last week’s elections, has had its official website taken down by its host, WordPress. “This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service,” said a message from WordPress that replaced the Dawn Party’s homepage. The web page hosting service bars sites that include “hate content” or “contain threats or incite violence towards individuals or entities.” The extreme-right Golden Dawn Party, whose flag closely resembles the Nazi swastika, received 21 seats in parliament, the first time it passed the threshold to enter the legislative body. It campaigned heavily on an antiimmigrant platform under the slogan “So we can rid this land of filth.” Despite its strong showing, it is not clear how many Golden Dawn members would ultimately end up as lawmakers, as Greece appears headed to fresh elections. A poll published in the local To Vima newspaper indicated that in a new vote, Golden Dawn support would shrink to less than 4 percent. Last week’s elections resulted in a fractured parliament as voters protested against the mainstream parties they blame for the country’s financial crisis and for accepting harsh European austerity measures. Greek President Karolos Papoulias was holding lastditch effort talks with political leaders on Sunday trying to form a national unity government after the three largest parties failed to assemble a coalition. If the bid fails, the country must hold new elections in June. Greece’s Jewish community has condemned the rise of Golden Dawn as “a serious blow for Greek democracy.”
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12 | The Jewish Press | May 18, 2012
Dressing like my Jewish mother by EDMON J. RODMAN distributes “between 9,000 and 10,000 pins each year,” so I pins “showing up in flea markets.” LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- On Mother’s Day, I wore my knew I was not the only one to ponder what to do with So when I saw a couple of the Torah pins on eBay, one of mother’s jewelry. No, this isn’t a story about gender identi- them. them selling for $3, I should not have been surprised or sadty; it’s about Jewish identity and whether possessions can Other Jewish organizations use donor jewelry to raise dened. But I was. help pass it on. “Imagine a World Series ring showing As part of her legacy my mother, Pearl, up on eBay,” I explained to my 20-someleft to my sister Wendy and me a set of thing son, Elan, trying to find an analoTorah Fund pins. Each pin was an artfulgy. “Those are made with real gold and ly designed wearable Hebrew word or diamonds, but putting them up for sale words from the Torah, Proverbs or still seems wrong, since they represent an Psalms, and represented a donation my achievement.” mother had made in support of Jewish My family’s solution was to have mom’s study. Torah pins framed. They are hanging in The Women’s League for Conservative the entry hall of my home, not only servJudaism has been producing a different ing as a reminder of my mother’s pin design each year since 1957, and my achievement and commitment but an mother, though not being able to donate invitation to Jewish dialogue as well. toward one every year, had by 2008, the Since most of the designs are based on year of her passing, managed to collect a Hebrew inscription like “Na’div lev,” “a 21 of them. willing heart,” or ‘V’shinantam The basic Torah Fund pin represents a L’vanekha,” “teach them to your childonation of $180, with the proceeds dren,” they offer an opening for a congoing to support both improvement versation of Jewish values -- or, as I disprojects and student aid at the Jewish covered, a way for guests to demonstrate Theological Seminary in New York City, their translation skills. the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at Even so, once framed they can’t be the American Jewish University in Los worn. Angeles and the Schechter Institute of Fortunately, while emptying my parJewish Studies in Jerusalem. ents’ home, in the back of a drawer I After my mother passed away, we wonfound one remaining golden metal pin dered what to do with them. Keep them that must have been missed when my Out of the drawer: Torah Fund pins from the collection of Edmon J. Rodman’s mother. in a drawer, closed up in their neatly father, Murray, had the others framed. Credit: Edmon J. Rodman hand-dated white boxes? Give them to “Nishba’ti va’akayema,” “I have promised her grandkids? Sell them at an estate sale? Not made of sil- funds as well. ORT has the Golden Circle pin, Hadassah has and I will fulfill,” it said from Psalms in a simple Hebrew ver or gold, their intrinsic value was not high. a Founder’s pin, the Women’s Division of the Jewish typeface framing the form of a doorway. Recently I saw several Torah Fund pins on sale on eBay, Federations of North America has the Lion of Judah of 14k Mom used to wear her pins to Sisterhood meetings. and it made me think: What do you do when you inherit gold and Pomegranate pins, and the National Council of Lacking that association, this year on Mother’s Day I simply something that represents another’s commitment? Even if Jewish Women has a Triangle pin program. pinned this last one to my shirt. Though I was not the origyou share their values, what do you do when the time, Considering the history and reach of these organizations, a inal donor, wearing it fulfilled her promise in unexpected involvement, the financial contribution, and yes, the simple calculation nets potentially tens of thousands of baby ways. tzedakah, represented by something like these pins is not boomers who will be faced with a donor jewelry inheritance. Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on really yours? “Some people have returned them to us, others keep them Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at Torah Fund director Carolyn Baron says the organization for their sentimental value,” Baron said. She’s also heard of edmojace@gmail.com.
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