May 25, 2012

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

His motto: Serve and Preserve

May 25, 2012 4 Sivan 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 36

This Week

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications Specialist, Jewish Federation of Omaha “Omaha should be a model community considering what we’ve built and accomplished.”

– Marty Ricks Marty Ricks, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, will be recognized for his fourteen years of outstanding service to the Jewish community with the Jody and Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence.

According to Jody Malashock, President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board, acknowledged the hard work of the community’s professionals was long overdue. “Last year’s One Campus, One Community Initiative set the groundwork for developing great relationships between our lay leaders and professional staff. In the short time since, I have seen our professionals really step up, take ownership and get involved. Buzz and I decided it was time to

Finger lickin’ BBQ at STAR Deli Dinner Page 5

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Marty Ricks

The Jody and Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence was established to recognize the exemplary performance of a professional in Jewish communal work. Nominations were submitted from across the Jewish community and the honoree was selected by the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Executive Committee.

The award will be presented annually at the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Annual Meeting.

establish recognition for these outstanding efforts.”

“The Foundation has flourished under Marty’s leadership. Most recently, he was a great asset to the Federation’s Budget and Financial Review Committee. Marty is our go to man and he is always finding funds that will help in the process of developing budgets.’

Malashock continued, “Every part of our community is touched by Marty. He is deeply involved with the B’nai B’rith organization and he and his wife, Iris, are members of Temple Israel and Beth Israel Synagogue.

No one in this community is more visible than Marty! He truly wants what’s best for Jewish Omaha. Buzz and I are thrilled to congratulate Marty as the first recipient of this award.”

Marty was raised in Missouri Valley, Iowa where his family was one of only two Jewish families in town.

His parents owned a grocery store and scrap yard. His family eventually moved to Omaha, and he was a member of AZA Mother Chapter #1 (Aleph Zadek Aleph)

prior to graduating from Central High School.

A 1969 graduate of Creighton Law School (where he joined the B’nai B’rith bowling league), Marty lived in California from 1969 until 1998, when his sister, Jan Schneiderman, called to tell him Sheldon Bernstein, then Executive Director of the Foundation, was retiring and would he take the job? (Well, he does recall being interviewed. It wasn’t exactly a slam dunk.)

Now in its 29th year, the Foundation has flourished under Marty’s leadership, direction and vision. In 2002, Marty was influential in settling two large bequests, an endowment fund and a donoradvised fund, that provides substantial supplemental funds for the Federation, its agencies and local synagogues. When Marty assumed the role of Executive Director, the Foundation had $27 million in total assets; today that number is $66 million. But if you compliment Marty on his asset acquisition skills, he deflects all credit and quickly replies, “I attribute the Foundation’s growth to this incredible and generous community.”

“The generosity and deep commitment of people like David Friedland, Buddy Goldstein, Phil Continued on page 2

Kripke Library presents Beth El pays tribute a new way to get there to departing BESTT A smaller Hiloula celebration in Tunisia Page 16

by MARK KIRCHHOFF Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education “Can you tell me how to get...” For those of you who were viewing television in the 1970’s, either by yourself or with your children, you will

Morrisett. By incorporating the talent and creativity of Jim Henson and his Muppets, the show premiered on National Education Television (NET) on November 10, 1969. The show received some positive reviews, some controversial discus-

likely finish that sentence with “...to Sesame Street?” The American children’s television series, Sesame Street, was conceived in 1966 by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd

sions, and high ratings. Most likely, high ratings allowed for the continuing development of a revolutionary concept in children’s programing.

Cooney and Morrisett knew that children were watching television – many hours of television. Why not turn their viewing into an educational experience? If a show could hold a child’s attention, then it could teach. And so it began. Sesame Street set its goals and moved forward.

The initial programs utilized Jim Henson’s Muppets as entertaining breaks from educational sections.

Initial beliefs and concerns that Continued on page 3

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

12 14 15

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

education director

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator In 2004, when she first heard that Beth El Synagogue was looking for an education director, Judy Haven admits that the only thing she knew about Omaha was that “Ak-Sar-Ben was Nebraska spelled backwards, and that Omaha is approximately a three-hour drive from Kansas City, my hometown.”

And when Haven (then Rubin) accepted the position and moved to the Midwest from Richmond, Virginia, “I wasn’t even aware of the existence of Borsheim’s or Nebraska Furniture Mart, or why red is such a prevalent color at Shabbat morning services in the fall,” she joked.

Much has changed since that time, and now, after eight years at the helm of Beth El’s Talmud Torah program (BESTT), Haven, is leaving the Cornhusker state to begin a new chapter in her life in Potomac, Maryland, with her new husband, Moshe Haven.

BESTT has flourished under Haven’s guidance: new technology and learning enhancements have been implemented at the school; a new, creative enrichment program,

Monday Moadon, has enhanced the curriculum; and faculty members have been given opportunities to enhance their teaching skills by

Judy Haven attending Jewish teachers’ conferences around the country.

Always a strong advocate for her teachers, Haven in turn, has been applauded by numerous faculty members.

“I have traveled and been in education for more than 35 years,” said Maya Wertheimer. “I have met different people from various Continued on page 2

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Marty Ricks: Serve and Preserve Continued from page 1 Schrager and Dorothy and Henry Riekes were endless. They all cared deeply about securing the future of our Jewish community. I became so close to each of them, I felt like a member of the family and losing them hit me very hard,” Marty said.

His colleagues are filled with admiration and respect when talking about him. They describe him as “always working. On vacation, Marty stays in touch with donors; calling on them, joining them for lunch or dinner, offering condolences and celebrating simchas.”

One of Marty’s favorite recollections is the trip he, Iris and Gary Javitch took four years ago to Los Angeles to celebrate the 100th birthday of Bon Theodore (uncle of Carol Parsow), the last surviving founding member of AZA Mother Chapter #1 (the chapter that began it all right here in Omaha). “As I recall, we crashed the birthday party just to hand the centenarian a plaque to mark the milestone birthday. It was a special time to reflect on how far B’nai B’rith and AZA had come. At the time, it was certainly a highlight of my 7 ½ years back in Omaha,” Marty said.

He fondly recalls Bon’s acceptance of the plaque, “I didn’t know I was going to be given all these honors on my 100th birthday. But it made me glad I stuck around.”

Javitch recently noted, “Marty continues to play an important role for the Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai Brith. He is

our idea man! For Breadbreakers, he always suggests the greatest speakers: from the prominent to preeminent, from the interesting to influential, Marty gets them all. On top of all this, he is one of the most thoughtful and kind person I have ever met.”

His commitment to Omaha and its Jewish community extends beyond his professional responsibilities. He is a Board Member of the Women’s Center for Advancement (formerly the YWCA), the Nebraska Partnership for Philanthropic Planning and the Oak Hills/Bikor Cholim Cemetery in Council Bluffs, where he also serves as Treasurer.

“Marty Ricks is, very simply, a mensch. He works tirelessly on behalf of our community and Jewish people everywhere. He is a valued colleague, a trusted advisor, and most importantly, a treasured friend. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of our recognition and praise,” said Jay Noddle, Board President, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

Marty responds to the praise with characteristic humility when he says, “It’s pure pleasure and joy to work at something you have such passion for. That is how I feel about my career at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.”

Marty Ricks and the rest of our community volunteers will be honored at the June 4 Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual meeting. The entire community is invited to join them at 7 p.m. in the JCC Theater.

Beth El pays tribute to Judy Haven Continued from page 1 learn and become better Judaic teachers. These trips, some cultures and backgrounds. Judy is a person who does not taken with Judy, helped to make us a closer and more tighthave an agenda or an angle; she is a Jewish woman, an edu- ly knit group; there was a strong connection. cator, and a person who simply believes. Her belief in “People also talked about the many friendships that have Judaism and education is strong, and her convictions are been made because she was willing to help us grow, listen to honorable and professional. She believes in children and our concerns, showed compassion, kindness and gently gave their potential as well as teachers and their strengths. She some of us help or a nudge in the right direction,” Kronick believes in taking the next continued. “Judy’s comstep by elevating people mitment to Jewish teacharound her with her ing is steadfast and she patience and our discovercontinually looked for new ies. She quietly does what ways to enhance BESTT is necessary without learning experiences. It whimpering or venting. has been a delightful expeJudy to me is Eshet Hayil, a rience to work and grow leader, and a guide.” with her these past eight Margo Riekes noted years.” that, “I have enjoyed workJoel Rich has worked ing with Judy Rubin Haven with Haven for years, first because she is a true proas BESTT committee fessional. She is a knowlmember, and for the past edgeable Jewish educator two years, as chairman of who has been very supthe committee. portive of her staff. She is “It has been a pleasure also a good listener and to work with Judy,” Rich always willing to embrace said. “She cares about the new ideas. BESTT has future of Judaism and BESTT faculty member Daniel Christensen presents Judy Haven thrived under her direcworks to allow the chilwith a going-away present -- a painting by Christensen -- which was tion and leadership. Our dren to share this. She has given to her by her staff. community’s loss will be a done a wonderful job of gain for the institution that hires her. She will be missed! making BESTT an outstanding school that Beth El can truly May she go from strength to strength!” be proud of.”

Haven is the third director with whom teacher Daniel Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin echoed those thoughts, Christensen has worked. While singing her praises, he cited saying, “With Judy’s leadership, our school has been in good her outstanding administrative and organizational skills, hands all these years -- well organized and filled with new “which helped us through a challenging transitional period ideas and programs, thanks to her creativity and passion for with positive results. her work. We are very thankful for her contribution to our “She provided unique opportunities for teachers to school and our students all these years. We will miss her, and expand personal growth and went out of her way to see that we wish her the best in her new endeavors.” any teacher who wanted to experience Jewish education Haven said she plans to pursue professional opportunities enrichment could do so,” he added. “She will definitely be in the field of Jewish education in her new city, and looks missed, as both BESTT director and as a friend." forward to continuing to be of service to the Jewish comTeachers Sindie Katskee and Deborah Kronick helped munity. During her recent farewell speech to her Beth El plan a special tribute luncheon to Haven held recently at the family, she shared that, “I was hired to be your education synagogue; both expressed their gratitude to Haven for her director, and Beth El Synagogue has been like a family to me innovation and leadership. ever since. Omaha will always have a dear place in my heart.

“Judy began many wonderful and innovative activities at I have shared in your joys and sorrows. I have made lifelong Beth El Talmud Torah,” Katskee said. “We have program- connections to you. Little did I know in 2004 that my expeming for all the ages with holiday stations where students riences here would have been so extraordinary. While my move around tasting and learning together. Some of these main motivation in moving here was to be able to visit my activities even include parent participation. We now have sister and my extended family in Kansas City with more fretwo SMART Boards that are used by the staff and students, quency, I discovered a wonderfully warm, friendly and as well as a computer lab for research and other activities. vibrant Jewish community, as well as a home.”

Our family assembly on Sunday mornings has also been a She concluded her comments by thanking BESTT parents wonderful addition to BESTT. Parents and students of all and “our fabulous students who are eager to learn and whose ages participate together singing and reading prayers in Jewish souls and identities we are privileged to shape,” and Hebrew.” added, “It is bittersweet to say goodbye to you. However, Kronick shared some of the teachers’ comments about please know that while my life moves forward with a new Haven that were made at the luncheon. husband, new location, new experiences, and being closer to “Many of the teachers talked about the many teaching my son and his family, I will be no further away than a opportunities she solicited on our behalf so that we could phone call or an email.”

May 25, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 3

Kripke Library presents Shalom Sesame Continued from page 1 human characters should not interact directly with the Muppets because it would be too confusing for children proved to be unfounded through the research that was always a part of the show’s development. As a result, Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird arrived on the Street and became companions to their human counterparts.

That Sesame Street had significant influence in the lives of thousands of children around the world is evidenced by the fact that as early as 1970, one year into the series, the producers of the show were approached by representatives from a number of countries urging the production of international versions. Soon, “co-productions” began in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, France, Israel, Germany, and several Caribbean nations. The co-productions evolved from the simple dubbing of words to the development of characters and topics of particular relevance to each culture. Israel filmed its co-production called Rechov Sumsum in 1983. Along with its entertaining method of teaching numbers and words, it presented Israeli children with the opportunity to learn about children from different cultures.

The extraordinary talent of the creators, producers, and cast members of Sesame Street did not go unnoticed. By its 40th anniversary in 2009, the show had won eight Grammy Awards, 118 Emmy Awards, and accepted its Lifetime Achievement Award. It was being viewed in 140 countries around the world.

This article is not a dissertation on Sesame Street, but an invitation to you. “Can you tell me how to get...” -- and you will be delighted with the completion of this sentence -- “...to Shalom Sesame?” Here’s the easy way. Follow 132nd Street until you reach 333 South. Turn east into the Jewish Community Center

parking lot. Come in through the main entrance and walk about twenty paces and turn right into the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Available inside is the complete 12 volume DVD video collection of Shalom Sesame. Check out one -- or more -- of the videos and view it with your children or grandchildren. Better yet, bring the children with you and introduce them to all the fun that can be found in the library. Among the Shalom Sesame titles are: Welcome to Israel, Chanukah: The Missing Menorah, Shabbat Shalom, Grover! and more.

Shalom Sesame presents a cast of characters that you and your children will find entertaining. If you know Sesame Street, you know Grover, and he’s there. He’s the gregarious blue monster who visits Israel and captivates everyone on Rechov Sumsum (Sesame Street) with his energy and charm.

When you meet Moishe Oofnik who resides in his own stinky garbage can and is always in a bad mood, you’ll probably wonder if he is a relative of Oscar the Grouch. And how could you not like Avigale and her counterpart, Brosh? Avigale is a curious three-yearold girl with a cheery disposition and a kind heart. She is making her way into the adult world by asking lots of questions. Brosh is a young boy monster who is the perfect model for children. He is responsible, trustworthy and willing to help. He’s a thoughtful friend who has many good ideas for games to play.

You will also come to know Mahboub, an interesting six-year-old Arab-Israeli monster who speaks both Hebrew and Arabic, loves all kinds of music, and helps his friends learn Arabic words by teaching them songs.

There are hours of entertainment and education for Jewish families and anyone who wants to learn more about Judaism contained in these videos. This series will make a lasting, positive impact on all who watch

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them. The New York Jewish Week reports, “Although the literature states that the target audience is ages 3 to 8, this engaging method of storytelling appeals to viewers of all ages.”

There is so much here to enjoy for the incredibly low price of your Kripke Library registration (free of charge). Do yourself and your kids a favor. Stop by today and check one out. Shalom Sesame.

The Kripke Jewish Federation Library is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday. The online catalog is available 24/7 through the Center for Jewish Education tab on the www.jewishomaha.org website. The library is available to the community through the Center for Jewish Education. For more information, call 402.334.6462.

Omaha Jewish Chai School year end dinner and senior recognition

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN CJE Associate Executive Director The final session of the year for Omaha Jewish Chai School featured a school-wide dinner, senior recognition and a thank you

Bucher, Sophie Cemaj, Hal Emas, Jordan Jensen, Sam Kohll, Brad Kutler, Ben Noodell, Lilly Phillips, Adeev Potash, Ezra Potash, Oliver Rockman, Alexis Slutzky and Lindsey Thomas. Teachers this year

Seniors and teachers at the year end OJC dinner to the teachers. Seniors were presented with a book specifically selected by the rabbis of his/her congregation with the rabbis also adding some words of wisdom to the graduates. Senior OJC students included Kevin Adler, Yaniv Azriel, Megan

included Rabbi Steven Abraham, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Glen Fineman, Andy Greenberg, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Miriam Gross, Mark Javitch, Na’ama Keren, Rabbi Eric Linder, Judy Rosenfeld, Cantor Wendy Shermet and Cantor Beth Schlossberg.

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Beth El’s Rabbi Levin rubs elbows with VP Biden Hollywood Podcast with an Omaha connection during Rabbinical Assembly convention

by JILL BELMONT Following the presentation, Rabbi Levin was able to share Beth El Publicity Coordinator a few words with the Vice President, “a unique honor,” the For many years, Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin has rabbi said. “I was pleased to have the opportunity to briefly attended the annual conventions of the Rabbinical Assembly, talk to the Vice President, and I thanked him for his support an international association made up of 1,600 Conservative for Israel and for the vital U.S.-Israel relationship.”

Another highlight of the convention, according to Rabbi rabbis. This year, however, held a unique opportunity for the rabbi, as he had the opportunity to meet Vice President Levin, was the release of the Rabbinical Assembly’s book, The Observant Life: Joseph Biden, the convenConservative Jewish Wisdom tion’s featured speaker. for Contemporary Jews. The Rabbi Levin said the Vice book focuses on what it President has been “a strong supporter of the State of Israel means to be an observant Jew since his days in the Senate,” in the 21st century, offering and that his convention insights about how Jewish speech strongly re-affirmed tradition can offer guidance his stance. The rabbi also in everyday living, and teachshared that Biden sees the ing how to apply and translate United States’ commitment to into concrete and everyday Israel as a moral obligation, behavior traditional Jewish and that U.S. support for values.

Israel is in the fundamental “Until now, the ethical and national interest of the United ritual positions of ConservaStates. The Vice President tive Judaism were scattered in also noted that he recognizes many books and articles, and an international effort to detherefore it was not easy for legitimize Israel, and said that lay people to access them,” the U.S. continues to fight this Rabbi Levin said. “This book Vice-President Joe Biden, left, and Rabbi Levin effort; he also addressed the is an important contribution threat posed to Israel by Iran by saying, “Israel should not to the understanding of Conservative Judaism. I recomcontract security out to anyone, should it reach the conclu- mend that everyone take advantage of this new publication sion that Iran is on the brink of attaining a nuclear weapon.” and enrich their knowledge of ways to live an observant life.”

Red White and Blue Shavuot

by ROCHI KATZMAN The Chabad Center Shavuot, the Time of the Giving of the Torah, is celebrated forty nine days following the morrow of the Exodus.

Shavuot marks the “renewing of vows” between G-d and His people and our rededication to Torah and its Mitzvot.

The Ten Commandments are read as we envision standing at Sinai with reverence, awe and commitment. “Our festivals do not merely mark events of the past. We are enjoined to relive the historic occasions and make them relevant and meaningful today,” explained Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

“Shavuot is the perfect time for inspiration for all-thingsTorah,” he added.

When G-d wanted to give the Torah to the Jews, He demanded a guarantor. How will I be sure that you will keep studying Torah and performing my commands? Who

will assure that My people throughout the generations will keep strong in their faith? G-d was offered all kinds of groups -- the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Leaders -- but refused them all until the Jewish Children were offered.

Who could be more worthy? Hence, Shavuot is a holiday where we focus on the children.

The annual family and kid-friendly Shavuot event at Chabad is billed this year as Red, White, and Blue Shavuot since it concurs with Memorial Day Weekend. Featuring the usual warmth and a delectable feast- the décor this year will feature an American theme.

All are invited Sunday, May 27 at 11 a.m. for an inspiring and fun Torah Reading and celebration followed by a festive dairy lunch and ice cream party. There will also be plenty faux dairy for the lactose intolerant.

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by MAX SPARBER Former Omaha residents Max Sparber, AKA Bunny Ultramod, and Coco Mault will be producing an episode of their Hollywood-based podcast in Omaha, during this year’s Great Plains Theatre Conference. The conference is held at the Fort Omaha campus of Metropolitan Community College May 26 - June 2. Bunny and Coco have been attending the event since its beginnings in 2006 as educators, respondents, and general troublemakers.

The podcast, Your Hollywood Friends and Neighbors, is a unique look at the neighborhood of Hollywood, California, as well as a glimpse into the entertainment industry, by two recent transplants. Playwright Max Sparber, AKA Bunny Ultramod, is a playwright who lived in Omaha for six years, where he edited The Reader newsweekly and wrote for the Omaha Jewish Press. His plays include Minstrel Show, or The Lynching of William Brown, telling of the 1919 murder of an African-American man in downtown Omaha, which debuted at the BlueBarn Theatre in 1998 and has since been performed throughout the country. Award-winning journalist Coco Mault was a resident of Omaha for one year, where she freelanced and did advertising design.

Both have been residents of Hollywood, California, for about six months, where their adventures have included crashing movie premieres, working as film extras, and discovering the distinctive character (and characters!) that make up their new neighborhood.

Bunny and Coco normally record their podcast from a huge bed in their apartment in downtown Hollywood, but will be taking advantage of their participation in the Great Plains Theatre Conference to produce an episode in Omaha. The episode’s guests will include Omahans who have lived in Los Angeles, and Angelenos who are visiting Omaha.

Births Rachel and Edward A. Hinkle of Springfield, IL announce the May 6 birth of their son, Benjamin Charles.

Grandparents are Leanne and Frank Goldberg, Mary Lou Hinkle of Springfield, IL, and Mary and George Hinkle, Springfield, IL. Elizabeth and David Kulakofsky of Highland Park, IL announce the May 7 birth of their daughter, Alana Rachel.

She is named for her grandfather, Alan Kulakofsky.

She has a brother, Joshua Louis.

Grandparents are Janie Kulakofsky, and Marsha and Ray Miller of Milwaukee, WI.

May 25, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 5

by OZZIE NOGG The Memorial Day weekend finds many of us flipping burgers and hot dogs on our grills. But for those who crave BBQ without prep time and clean-up, the STAR Deli Night set for Tuesday, May 29, is just the ticket. The Deli Dinner runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium and features a toothsome Grilled BBQ Chicken Dinner or a Grilled Rib Eye Steak Dinner with corn on the cob and baked potato. Traditional STAR Deli menu items -- corned beef, pastrami, smoked turkey, egg or tuna salad sandwiches, along with ever-popular salads and sides -- will also be available. “Slabs of cool, juicy

watermelon will top our list of desserts on May 29,” said chef Mike Aparo, Director of Food and Environmental Services at the RBJH. “The evening will be like an indoor community picnic. Come one, come all, come hungry.”

The STAR Deli is open every Friday from 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. and continues to be a popular destination for chow hounds who enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and the kibitzing factor. “In addition, the Deli is happy to host special occasions and will reserve private dining spaces in the RBJH for large groups,” Aparo said. For more information on how STAR Deli Catering can add spice to your meetings, parties and life cycle events, visit their web page -http://www.rbjh.com/index.php/star-catering/home -or contact Mike Aparo at 402.334.6522.

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Young Jewish Omaha (YJO) held a Lag B’Omer bonfire at the Ponca Hills home of Alex and Mary Sue Grossman. Thirty people attended the get together to share in a great evening

of fun, friendship, learning and eating. Pictured above left: Naomi Fox and Shiri Tene; above right: Jodi Levine and Matt Seigel.

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by JOSH LIPOWSKY Cakes have always been popular, says Ben-Israel, 54, but TEANECK, N.J. (JTA) -- As the minutes on the clock tick television has given bakers permission to make them the away, the chefs run about their kitchens furiously trying to main attraction. complete their Taj Mahal-themed desserts.

“In a bar mitzvah you do the candle-lighting ceremony with “What have I got for you now?” booms the thickly-accent- the cake. Every birthday, the cake is the big moment,” he says. ed master pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel as he overlooks the Now because of the growing pop-culture spotlight, “Every chefs’ workstations. “Another mandatory ingredient -- tahi- cake-maker knows how important they are. I always knew it.” ni paste!”

The Food Network studios are a long way from BenThis is Sweet Genius, the hit Food Network show that Israel’s beginnings in Tel Aviv, and even further from his recently began its second season. original career as a dancer.

Chefs compete to earn the coveted title, win $10,000 and He attended a Tel Aviv high school that focused on the arts, impress Ben-Israel, the show’s host, judge and original sweet and then while he was serving in the Israel Defense Forces in genius, who often asks competitors to include ingredients the late 1970s, a friend got him interested in ballet. After not typically found in completing his mandatory desserts. army service, he joined Bat “When you talk about a Dor, an Israeli dance troupe. level of skill and craftsmanBen-Israel then began studyship, the other cake purveyors ing dance techniques across in the city are in awe of Ron’s Europe, Canada and the work,” says Ashlea Halpern, United States. When he New York Magazine’s stratearrived in New York City in gist editor. “He’s one of the the mid-1980s, he says he best in New York. He’s perknew he was there to stay. fected the model.”

“I really feel Tel Aviv has a Ben-Israel doesn’t like to lot, but everything in New focus on the genius moniker, York is just more,” he says. however, and he was even a In between applying for bit intimidated by the idea grants to fund his dance studwhen Food Network proies, Ben-Israel began picking posed it, he told JTA in an Ron Ben-Israel decorating a wedding cake at his New York up odd jobs designing store Credit: Josh Lipowsky window displays and working interview at Ron Ben-Israel studio.

Cakes, his New York bake shop. He prefers to concentrate on in bakeries. the “sweet” part of the title and considers himself more like “Toward the end of my career, grants were drying up and a guide to the show’s contestants.

I needed to support myself,” recalls Ben-Israel, who had For the few who impress Ben-Israel enough to also earn grown up watching his Viennese mother make fantastic the title, the recognition -- and prize money -- can be a desserts. “I was able to come in [to bakeries] and observe -career booster. and with my ego, tell them how to do it better.”

When pastry chef Amos Hayon competed on Sweet At the age of 36, after 15 years as a professional dancer, he Genius last season, he was on the verge of returning to his began baking full time. In 1996, while on display in the winnative Israel, having failed to make a living in the United dows of Mikimoto on Fifth Avenue, his cakes began grabStates. After Ben-Israel crowned him a sweet genius and bing national attention and Ben-Israel soon started receivawarded him $10,000, things began to pick up. ing commissions from De Beers, Bloomingdale’s and In addition to traveling to food festivals nationwide, Bergdorf-Goodman.

Hayon is a pastry chef at a restaurant on Long Island in subThe New York Times dubbed Ben-Israel “the Manolo urban New York.

Blahnik of cakes.”

He calls Ben-Israel an inspiration both for his accomplishIn 1999 he opened Ron Ben-Israel Cakes in New York’s ments as a baker and as a gay Israeli who realized his dream. SoHo neighborhood with one oven and one mixer. As peo“He’s my guru,” Hayon says. “He gave me a lot of energy, ple fled downtown New York after the 9/11 tragedy, he was power to do this. Somebody came before me, and I know I able to capitalize on lower rents and expand his operation. can do this also.”

Coming from a secular Israeli upbringing, Ben-Israel wasBen-Israel’s confections can be seen on the pages of n’t ideologically interested in making his shop kosher, but Martha Stewart Living, People, New York Magazine and for a caterer for some of New York City’s biggest hotels, it Vogue, and they are staples at such establishments as the was a prudent business decision.

Continued on page 7 Waldorf-Astoria, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton.

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May 25, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 7

Transport company rapidly expands

Israeli pastry chef is Sweet Genius

by DERRICK BLACKMORE Medics at Home recently bought American Ambulance Service and became a strategic partner with Omaha Ambulance Service, launching them from an extremely small medical transport company to one of Omaha’s largest.

Derrick Blackmore, previously an employee of both American and Omaha Ambulance, is the new director of marketing and sales for Medics at Home. “The injection of new ideas, a new work ethic, and an abundance of business experience has come with this recent acquisition and partnership. Our employees are reinvigorated and we have already seen positive results in the three months since Medics at Home has been involved,” Blackmore responded when asked how the new and old companies are working together. Blackmore also added that he is looking forward to having the tools to go out and make this company grow.

“We feel that this made the most sense for us to quickly grow our business,” said Brian Townsend, CEO of Medics at Home.

Townsend went on to elaborate that as a volunteer firefighter and Paramedic himself, being involved in medical transportation and treatment is a fantastic fit for his skills. “We are certain that we will be able to offer the best customer service in our community, quick responses, professionalism, and training that is above all required levels,” Townsend says.

What exactly does a medical transport company do? Medics at Home offers specialty vehicles that move people that cannot otherwise move themselves. This could mean someone temporarily or permanently in a wheelchair, but it could also mean someone in need of a higher level of medical care while moving from one place to another. They have trained EMTs and Paramedics in every ambulance, and can perform the needed care to the patient during the ride. In addition to medical transportation, Medics at Home is offering stand by services for any activity ranging from a company picnic to the local high school football game. This puts an ambulance on scene and trained personnel ready to respond at the moment of any accident.

Medics at Home also offers shuttle or courtesy vehicle transportation. Similar to a taxi service, this is for people that can still walk on their own, but maybe should no longer be driving.

A much more personal service than that of a taxi. As if this weren’t enough, their employees are sometimes called to an emergency in a home or place of business. They don’t compete with the local 911 services, but are used by people looking for more discretion, or who just aren’t sure if they are in a 911 situation.

Medics at Home is still running like a small business, with just three owner operators and a few select investors. They have grown from having one ambulance to having a fleet of more than 21 vehicles. They offer services ranging from shuttle service to corporate response teams. They are a company to watch over the next few years.

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are sources of pride for Ben-Israel.

A “textbook second-generation survivor,” Ben-Israel remembers listening to his parents’ stories and realizing an emptiness within them that has trickled down to him. The creativity of baking helps fill that emptiness, he says.

“My parents were artists, so my salvation was to make pretty things -- and ultimately delicious things at the same time,” he says.

In 2007, Ben-Israel designed a cake celebrating the 100th anniversary of New York’s Plaza Hotel, which the Israeli conglomerate Elad Properties had purchased earlier in the decade. The connection quickly raised his profile in his homeland. The chef tries to return to Israel at least once a year, and he would love to do an Israeli version of Sweet Genius.

While Ben-Israel no longer votes in Israeli elections -- he doesn’t believe it’s right for him to vote if he doesn’t live in the country -- he maintains a strong sense of pride in Israel and its accomplishments, especially in women’s and gay rights.

Still, he says, there is a long way to go.

“I always admire people in Israel who come out because it’s such a small place and everybody’s looking at you,” BenIsrael says, noting that while he himself came out in Israel, being openly gay was common at the art school he attended.

Between running his cake shop, hosting Sweet Genius, and teaching at The International Culinary Center, founded as The French Culinary Institute, Ben-Israel appears to have time for little else. Still, he continues to seek new challenges.

Perhaps peacemaker?

“The Palestinians do cakes with the same products,” he says. “I’d be open to bridge the gap with sugar and cake.”

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Wednesday, May 30, noon at the Blumkin Home; speaker to be announced. 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.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN Got Chocolate? NCJW and its corporate sponsor, Bakers Candies of Greenwood, NE, will present The Great Omaha Chocolate Festival on Sunday, Sept. 30, noon-5 p.m., at the UNO Field House. Vendors are needed to give out samples and sell products on site. We need bakers, restaurants, candy stores, etc. for this incredible opportunity – last year’s festival drew a crowd of 2,200 chocolate enthusiasts! If you know of a local business that might be interested, please email event co-chair Joanie Jacobson at ohjoan413@aol.com ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME Teen volunteers wanted: Do you have time on your hands now that school is out? Spend time interacting with Residents at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. For more information please call Lois Wine, Director of Volunteer Services at 402.334.6519.

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Continued from page 6 He chose OK Laboratories, the Chabad-affiliated kashrut organization headquartered in Brooklyn, which now certifies his shop’s pareve cakes.

The Chabad rabbis, Ben-Israel says, have a certain spirit that has ignited his own passion for Judaism. He never thought about owning separate Passover dishes while living in Israel, but now he owns a set, as well as a dozen Haggadahs, a shofar and a menorah.

“I became more sentimental,” he says. “It’s a matter of age, but also not being in Israel on a regular basis, I miss a lot of the traditions that are just natural in Israel and you don’t even think about it Ron Ben-Israel, a former because you’re surrounded dancer, has gone on to become

by Jews. So I had to distin- the host of Food Network’s Sweet Genius. guish myself.”

Credit: Food Network Jewish and Israeli cultures have certainly influenced the master baker. Challah, he says, is one of his favorite things to bake -- but he doesn’t do just any challah.

“My version has olive oil, semolina flour, honey, and I make six braids,” he says. “It takes the whole day.”

As the son of Holocaust survivors, being Israeli and Jewish

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Blumkin Home dresses up

Familiar television shows were the inspiration for the RBJH staff to play dress up. Clockwise, from left: Shelly Cash as Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island and Josh “the Fonz” Gurock; Shelly Fox as Lucy; Jeanne Snyder and Natalie Osborne as Laverne and Shirley; several of the staf dressed up as Waldo; Mary Heiman, Karen Menagh, Dominick McLain and Adrienne Kitagawa as the cast of Dukes of Hazard.

Exploring senior living

by ROXANN ROGERS MEYER Understandably, seniors and their families often do not understand senior housing. Many believe their only choice when considering a retirement community is a nursing home. The most difficult thought most seniors struggle with when they make a move to a retirement community is they lose some of their independence, when in fact, they gain the freedom and independence to explore their interest and their passions. Seniors are pleasantly surprised when they discover independent living as an

option. Even in Assisted Living, you are able to live as independently and actively as you wish.

Many of our residents at Immanuel Communities tell us that they wish they had made the decision to move to a community much sooner!

At Immanuel Communities, our primary goal is to educate seniors and their families on the secure and maintenance-free lifestyle offered at a retirement community. We encourage seniors and their family members to plan ahead.

Internet research is a great way to look at sen-

ior housing providers. The earlier you explore your senior housing options, the more choices and control you will have over your future.

Scheduling a personal visit with the retirement communities you are interested in is the next step. A personal visit allows the senior and their families to get a first-hand look at the community, meet the staff and get more detail regarding the financial arrangements, services and the amenities. It is also important to ask about the financial strength, the overall management philosophy of the community. Making

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May 25, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 9

Gearing up for LOVE Game Day

Playing Mah Jongg are Myrna Grumer, left, Yvette Roffman, and Gloria Jones.

Calling all Men & Women! LOVE (League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly) is planning its 8th Annual Game Day to be held on Sunday, June 10 in the Jewish Community Center Auditorium. Sign in at 11:00 a.m. with play beginning at noon. Reservation deadline is Monday, June 4. Please make a donation of $20.00, which will benefit the Residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Make up your own table to play: Bridge, Pan, Poker, Shanghai, Mah Jongg, Scrabble or game of choice. There will be prizes and light refreshments. For more information, call Lois Wine at 402.334.6519.

“Dames & Drinks” promises great ‘girls’ night out for the women of Beth El

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Last year, Beth El’s Men’s Club instituted a monthly guys’ night out called “Jews & Brews,” a social evening for all the men of Beth El. And now the synagogue’s women have decided that girls just wanna have fun, too, so they’ve established “Dames & Drinks,” monthly social get-togethers, which are open to women of all ages.

Hosted by Melissa Schop, the program will be kicked off on Thursday, May 31, 7 p.m. in the synagogue’s community court; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be served, as well as a variety of snacks. There is no charge to attend, and babysitting will be available upon request.

For more information or to make a reservation for the evening, contact Schop at 402.319.9609, or mmelschop@ hotmail.com.

Right: Melissa Schop, left, and Linda Saltzman met at Baker’s recently to check out margarita mixes for Beth El’s first “Dames & Drinks” get-together on May 31.

Fun and games in the JCC backyard

by COREY KIRSHENBAUM Director of Youth, Camps & Family Programming, JCC of Omaha Did you know that the back of the JCC is becoming the place to be? It has really grown over the past two years. Here is what is in our backyard that the camp kids will take advantage of this summer: Sand Volleyball Court: The summer camp will not only take advantage of this court but will be using it all of the time. There are a lot of fun games that can be played in this area.

Tetherball area: Remember this when you were growing up. Well, now your children will remember playing it at the JCC. Gaga court: Never heard of Gaga? It is a fast paced game with players hitting a ball with their hands towards other players trying to knock them out by hitting the other players legs with the ball. You can’t hit it above the waist or out of the court which is surrounded by walls. If you hit the ball two times in a row, you are also out. It is a well-known game and has been played indoors at the JCC for the past 30 years.

Playground: There is a huge playground out back that the kids get to use during overnight. There are also a couple of playgrounds back at Columbian Elementary School that they will play on occasionally.

Baseball Field: There is a baseball field out back and the kids sure do enjoy playing kickball on it.

Soccer Field: Yes, it is true. We will bring out the goals for them to use.

Open fields: There is a huge open field that we use for all sorts of games and activities.

JCC Inflatable: We do have a waterslide that will make an appearance this summer. It is the JCC Camps’ very own inflatable waterslide.

Pavilion: This is where we eat lunch, do art projects and sing songs every day. It is a nice shade structure and is used for our overnight dinners.

Flag poles: Two flag poles now sit out in the back for our daily flag raising and lowering. This year we will do both the Israeli and American flags.

Tennis Courts: Although we do not use them for tennis, there are plenty of uses for them when the ground is too wet.

Outdoor Basketball Courts: We will also use these courts for not only basketball, but for other games as well.

As you can see, the camp facilities have really grown over the years. We are looking forward in taking over the back area of the JCC for our summer camp program.

Take advantage of all of these places by signing up for summer camp. Space is limited, but the fun is not.

Register by calling Laura Wine at 402.334.6419 or go on the website at www.jccomaha.org.

Looking forward to seeing you at camp this summer!

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

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Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Dinner

by DIANE PERRY 2012 Humanitarian Dinner Coordinator Actress and activist Marlee Matlin and actor, director, producer and author Henry Winkler will be the featured speakers at this year’s Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Dinner, scheduled for Thursday, May 31.

The evening’s honorees— selected for their outstanding service to the community and commitment to Inclusive Evelyn Adler-Zysman Communities’ mission— include Humanitarian Award recipients Susan and Michael Lebens, and Dr. Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen. The Otto

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Swanson Spirit of Service Award will be presented to Evelyn “Evie” Adler-Zysman. The Inclusive Communities Volunteer Award recipient is Ronald Moore.

Honorary Dinner Chairs of the event are Senator Brad and Ann Ashford. Presenting Sponsors include Omaha Steaks, and several anonymous donors.

Funds raised from this year’s Borsheim’s Jewelry & Fine Gifts raffle will provide much-needed scholarships for high school students attending Inclusive Communities’ weeklong, summer residential workshop, IncluCity I. For more information visit: www.inclusive-communities.org or call Diane Perry, 2012 Humanitarian Dinner Coordinator, at 402.391.4460.

Inclusive Communities’ 2012 Humanitarian Dinner will be held Thursday, May 31 at Embassy Suites, 12520 Westport Parkway, in La Vista. A reception will begin at 5:45 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m.

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Remington Heights

by RESIDENT LOUISE ABRAHAMSON Some people refer to Remington Heights as a “Retirement Home.” However, to me it is “HOME.” I came to live at Remington more than five years ago. Like any new place, it took me a few months to adjust. After that, I felt comfortable and wanted. The staff was so warm, friendly and attentive to my needs that I realized this was my home.

Here at Remington, we are served three tasty meals a day.

The staff tries in every way to see to our needs, and makes every effort to keep us busy. I can participate in any or all activities planned for us.

We have every opportunity to improve our minds or just enjoy. As I think back I have always been encouraged to be as independent as I care to be. If I need or want something, someone is always there for me. If I have an appointment with a doctor, I am driven there, picked up free of charge, always with a smile.

For me Remington is the place to live. This is my home, and will continue to be my home, where I am surrounded by loving and caring friends. My room is strictly mine, where I enjoy my knitting, watch TV, and so much more.

When I am in my room, it is strictly private. The furniture is mine and I have a place for my clothes. In fact, my room is MINE! I’ve said it all and it’s GREAT. I would like to mention that each and every Jewish Holiday, we are served food that is special for that particular holiday. Also, I must not forget the various synagogues and Chabad come to see us on Fridays to welcome Shabbat and say the prayers for our departed ones. Yes, I am truly home here at Remington.

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Annelise Ocanto-Secola graduated May 17, 2012 from the H.L Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. She will receive her Master’s in Sacred Music and will be invested as a Hazzan (cantor).

While studying at the H.L. Miller Cantorial School, Annelise was an active leader in the JTS community.

She recently finished her term as President of the Cantorial School Student Organization and has been involved with the annual H.L. Miller Cantorial School Tzedakah Concert.

This past summer, Annelise participated in the intensive Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program through the Center for Pastoral Care at JTS. She has also served as cantor for the High Holy days in Sosua, Dominican Republic and Youngstown, Ohio, and served two years as cantorial intern at Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff, NJ. Josh Cohen received a scholarship from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Program. In addition, he received the ECYBERMISSION Application of Science, Math, and Technology Scholarship. He is the son of Bob and Marla Cohen.

Molly Helm received a scholarship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the daughter of Kathy Helm of Omaha and Robert Helm of California.

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent John Mackiel announced that Mark Kelln, Assistant Principal at Boyd Elementary, will become the Principal of Adams Elementary.

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Community Calendar FRIDAY, JUNE 1 Swim & Dive Team, 8:30 a.m.

Women in the Tanach, noon with Judy Rosenfeld Say ‘Shalom!’ to Shabbat! & Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El SATURDAY, JUNE 2 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel First Annual Chess Tournament, 3 p.m. at Beth Israel SUNDAY, JUNE 3 Breakfast Bonanza, 9:15 a.m. at Chabad Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Annual Meeting and Congregational lunch, 11 a.m. at Beth El Hadassah Hurrah – 100th Birthday Party, 1 p.m.

MTA Performance of The Music Man, 5 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 4 Ca.m.p Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Dance Camp, 9 a.m.

Tennis – Beginner Rallyball, 9 a.m.

Wrestling w/Rabbi’s of the Talmud, 10 a.m. at Beth El Tennis – Intermediate Rallyball, 10 a.m.

Torah Teleconference Class with Rabbi Gross, 10:30 a.m.

THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

The Jewish Federation’s Annual Meeting & Volunteer Awards Event, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 5 Tennis – Micro Clinic, 9 a.m.

Eye on Israel, noon with Dr Matalon WCA’S 25th Anniversary Tribute to Women, noon BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

JCC Final Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JUNE 7 Tennis – Micro Clinic, 9 a.m.

Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Mainstreeters Lofte Theatre in Manly Nebraska depart JCC at 4:45 p.m.

THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

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Men’s Club Jews and Brews, 7 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, JUNE 15 The Great Rashi Shabbaton, 8 a.m. at Beth Israel Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Dinner & Drash with the Clergy, 7 p.m. Beth El

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Breakfast Bonanza, 9:15 a.m. at Chabad Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Dance Summer Semester, 1 p.m.

8420 West Dodge Rd, Ste 113 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: 402-991-5153 Cell: 402-578-0008 Fax: 402-884-7386

MONDAY, JUNE 18 Wrestling w/Rabbi’s of the Talmud, 10 a.m. at Beth El Torah Teleconference Class with Rabbi Gross, 10:30 a.m.

THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

Jewish Press Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19 Sisterhood Lunch with Bingo, 11:30 a.m. at Beth Israel B’nai B’rith Board Meeting, 11:45 a.m.

Eye on Israel, noon with Dr Matalon BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

BESTT School Committee Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

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THURSDAY, JUNE 21 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Kaplan Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. at Kripke Library THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

Women’s Rosh Hodesh Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El

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FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH

Sarah Bryan 402.533.4464 www.facebook.com/LifeCaptured.bySarahBryan | www.life-captured-photography.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 8 Tennis – Beginner Rallyball, 9 a.m.

Tennis – Intermediate Rallyball, 10 a.m.

Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Rabbi Levin’s Let’s Do Lunch, noon at RBJH Star Deli Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m.

Reception for Cantor Beth Schlossberg, 7 p.m. at Beth El

SATURDAY, JUNE 23 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

MONDAY, JUNE 25 Wrestling w/Rabbi’s of the Talmud, 10 a.m. at Beth El Torah Teleconference Class with Rabbi Gross, 10:30 a.m.

THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 Breakfast Bonanza, 9:15 a.m. at Chabad Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El LOVE Game Day, noon Dance Summer Semester, 1 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 11 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Wrestling w/Rabbi’s of the Talmud, 10 a.m. at Beth El Torah Teleconference Class with Rabbi Gross, 10:30 a.m.

THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad ADL/CRC Board Meeting, noon Eye on Israel, noon with Dr Matalon BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

SUNDAY, JUNE 24 BBYO & Beth El Blood Drive, 9 a.m. at JCC Breakfast Bonanza, 9:15 a.m. at Chabad Weekly Torah Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Dance Summer Semester, 1 p.m.

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We want to thank the Jewish community for their support, and we look forward to serving all of you in the future.

We hope to see you at brunch on Sunday.

TUESDSAY, JUNE 26 Eye on Israel, noon with Dr Matalon BBYO Night, 6 p.m.

Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel JFO Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JUNE 28 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel THL 345: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

Dames and Drinks, 7 p.m. at Beth El LOVE Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH SATURDAY, JUNE 30 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Pat Anson at 402.334.8200. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.

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12 | The Jewish Press | May 25, 2012

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Shipoopie

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press When, in 2010, Cultural Arts Director Esther Katz and play director Fran Sillau brought Willy Wonka Jr. to the Jewish Community Center, my daughter Isabella enthusiastically signed up. “Wouldn’t it be nice,” I said to my husband, “if you did it with her? Imagine the fun a little girl would have if she could have you there, and the two of you can make great memories together.”

I was delighted when he agreed. Also, it meant that I wouldn’t have to. Nothing against the theater, but my musical talents lie elsewhere (downloading iTunes, hitting ‘play,’ discussing the pros and cons of eighties Brit pop, and that’s about it).

With the upcoming Music Man, we are now facing the third JCC musical in a row, and I have no doubt the place will be sold out both nights. This is a good thing; it means our theater is bringing people in the community together, and we can never have too much of that.

Of course, some of us pay the price. If, for instance, you are related to someone in the play, you may hear certain parts of that play on a daily basis. It also means you can find yourself close to banning the word ‘shipoopie,’ or requesting that your family work on their conversation skills, and not insert random lines from the play when the mood strikes them.

Also, the tendency to break out in song gets old. “Less talking, more homework,” I tell my kids; next thing I know, my husband starts singling Elvis’ A little less conversation from the kitchen. Expressing every single sentiment in song should be reserved for the stage, I think.

All joking aside, what the Jewish Community Center and its Cultural Arts department are doing is phenomenal, and everyone involved should be commended. To convince a group of people to invest such an enormous amount of time (precious weekend time, no less) week after week is extreme-

ly admirable.

Making a community work, engaging its members, is not something you do all at once. It’s not one person, or one program, or even one mission statement that bring people together. Instead, it is many things, many different things, that will eventually culminate in a sense of belonging for the people in the community. Just as you don’t build a house all at once, but instead one brick at a time, you build community by offering a variety of opportunities for people to get involved.

The JCC Musical Theater Group is one such brick. And it’s a brick we should all support. To go back to the part where my husband took one for the team so I didn’t have to, that does not mean I stand on the sidelines. If being on the stage isn’t your thing, you can order tickets, sit in the audience, and enjoy the show. Or maybe you can attend the CJE’s Jewish Film Festival in the fall, or one of the upcoming summer concerts behind the JCC. You can be a participant or volunteer for any department or agency that strikes your fancy. The important thing is that, pardon the pun, we all play our part and learn our lines.

The Music Man will be shown at the JCC on Thursday, May 31 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 3 at 5 p.m.

For tickets and more information, please call Laura

Wine at 402.334.6419, or Esther Katz at 402.334.6406.

Editor’s note: The Jewish Press is gearing up for its annual Rosh Hashanah edition, which this year will be published on September 14. The topic centers on food, and we will explore family recipes, chefs, restaurants, and many other things related to Jewish cooking. As always, we are very interested in finding stories with a local angle, and we invite you to email or call us if you think of someone in our community who should be included. Over the next few weeks, we will finalize the list, and we look forward to your input. Please email your suggestions to avandekamp@jewishomaha.org, or call 402.334.6450.

Pluralism means finding your place in the Jewish story

Behind the headlines

by EDGAR M. BRONFMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- For the past six years The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, which is named in honor of my father and that I now run with my son Adam, has held a conference called “Why Be Jewish?” It is an intimate gathering that seeks to explore an expansive question. This year, in conjunction with the Shalom Hartman Institute, we will focus on the idea of Jewish pluralism.

Jewish pluralism, to me, is about finding your place in the story of our people. All Jews share a narrative going back to the patriarchs and matriarchs who created us, and they are wonderful and complex stories to share, study and learn.

Jewish texts root you in the world and allow you to understand yourself, your values and your culture, all the while speaking to our modern lives with ancient wisdom.

Every Jew, regardless of belief and practice, should be able to see themselves in the narrative, values and rituals -- in all their permutations -- that bind us together as the Jewish people. We have an obligation as Jews to educate ourselves about our shared texts, common history and the traditions we have inherited.

At the heart of my Jewish beliefs is the tradition of questioning. Questioning is how we begin to learn. We Jews constantly discuss complex issues about how to live a moral and meaningful life, and seek guidance from sources ranging from our sacred texts to our most assimilated activists. We debate openly and are not shy, nor should we be.

All Jews, regardless of how they choose to practice-- or not practice -- their Judaism should be encouraged to engage in this dialogue. Questions are where education begins, and

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

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The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press.

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with education comes a sense of pride and ownership. The challenge for those of us who care about seeing Judaism thrive now and in the future is not to tell people what they should think, but rather to encourage them to learn enough that they can arrive at their own conclusions.

Taking a curious rather than pedantic approach to the question of why we are Jewish has led me to studying Jewish texts, history and culture. That knowledge has become, as I enter my 83rd year, a wellspring of joy and inspiration. It is not because studying taught me how to be a Jew, but rather because it rewarded my curiosity and helped me become a better human being.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned through studying Judaism is the necessity of mutual respect, and this idea lies at the heart of pluralism. To debate well we must be civil. To answer questions we must listen. I am a firm subscriber to the notion that there is no valid question that is rude, only questions rudely asked.

The “Why Be Jewish?” conference this year also marks the 25th year of a program I founded called the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel. BYFI takes a small group of young, promising future Jewish leaders from across the spectrum of beliefs and traditions and immerses them in intensive study both here and in Israel. It is of great importance to me that the teenagers in the BYFI program represent people from across the spectrum of Jewish experience so that they learn not only by engaging in Jewish study, but also through dialogue with each other. My hope is that the future of pluralism can be seen through the transformative conversations that occur between participants.

This type of Jewish dialogue shouldn’t just be limited to teenagers in intensive study programs, but is something we can all share with each other through learning with our

families, friends, communities and, even upon occasion, those we might see as our enemies. Jews are, after all, a family of sorts. Even when we disagree, we are mutually bound to care for each other.

That interconnectedness means respecting other streams of Judaism and discovering what we can learn from each other. Pluralism is an open Judaism where all denominations can be inspired and gain wisdom by listening to each other. Regardless of individual practice, we all share a rich heritage in which meaning can be found for every Jew, from the traditionally pious to the most skeptical of conventional religious practice.

Pluralism also means egalitarianism. Women’s contributions as Jewish leaders and rabbis have only enhanced our community as a whole, as has the open inclusion of homosexuals. Their active participation in Jewish life should be encouraged across the entire spectrum of Jewish practice and ideologies. The more widely we open our tent, as our forefather Abraham did, the more Judaism is enriched. All should be welcome and able to express themselves within our community.

Like Abraham, who was known to keep his tent open to accommodate all who wished to be included, pluralism means that all who wish to come into our Jewish community must be welcome. Judaism is strong and rich enough to take on a plurality of practice. There is room for all in our story. My hope for all Jewish people is that they write a new story for themselves that will be told for generations to come.

Edgar M. Bronfman is the president of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation and is working on a book about Jewish peoplehood with journalist Ruth Andrew Ellenson.

He is the former CEO of the Seagram Company Ltd.

ha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’

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.

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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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May 25, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 13

Ordaining cantors is mostly good for congregations

Behind the headlines DANA EVAN KAPLAN KINGSTON, Jamaica (JTA) -- Six graduates of the cantorial program of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion were ordained Sunday at Temple Emanu-El in New York. The key word here is “ordained.”

Since the cantorial school was established at HUC in 1948, cantors have been invested rather than ordained. The difference, as JTA put it, was more than “a word.” It is a declaration of independence, a certification of equality.

In preparation for the change, the HUC cantorial program already had been expanded from four years to five, thus matching the rabbinic program. A concerted effort was made to argue that cantors are full members of the clergy, with diverse and challenging duties, and not just “singers” who show up on Friday nights and Saturday mornings and disappear until the following week. The seriousness and intensity of the cantorial program was stressed.

The change was inevitable, so there is little point in arguing that it should not have been made. The Academy for Jewish Religion, a nondenominational seminary in New York City, already ordains cantors; HUC needed to stay competitive. While the change is going to make professional life more difficult for rabbis and deprive them of certain job opportunities in smaller communities, it may help to bring new life to certain moribund synagogues, allowing them to choose from a broader pool of spiritual leaders.

Synagogues are struggling to explain to congregants why they are worth thousands of dollars a year in dues at a time when there are so many other ways to be Jewish. I just completed a CLAL-sponsored fellowship program called Rabbis Without Borders in which one of my colleagues started an online congregation that now interacts with more than 10,000 people a year from all over the world. And I just finished a manuscript on Reform Judaism for the Jewish Publication Society in which I wrote about rabbis who train the children of unaffiliated Jews for their bar and bat mitzvahs over Skype and take them to the Grand Canyon or the Colorado Rockies or even Alaska to mark their entry into adulthood.

With society changing so rapidly, synagogues are desperate to find formulas that will keep them functioning. They want as many options as possible and don't want rabbinical organizations -- effectively labor unions -- to dictate to them.

I’ve seen the breakdown of the rabbinic placement structure from a rigid protocol to a very loose situation in which congregational profiles are posted on password-protected websites and CVs are forwarded to search committees with few restrictions, limitations or stipulations. For these committees, what matters is whether candidates can motivate their congregants and draw in unaffiliated Jews and poten-

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tial converts. Where they studied and what their connection might be to the Reform movement is of less importance -- a triviality, if we are to be blunt.

For a small congregation, it makes good sense to hire a cantor instead of a rabbi. I know of a small congregation in Florida that engaged in a lengthy search for a Reform rabbi but found that nobody reasonably competent was interested.

With limited resources, and located in a less attractive part of the state, the congregation eventually hired a cantor to become its spiritual leader. He later was ordained privately and served with distinction until his untimely death.

In contrast, I led Congregation B’nai Israel in Albany, Ga., for 10 years before my move to a historic synagogue in the Carribean. Not being blessed with a good voice, I was reliant on a classically oriented choir. When the temple decided to modernize the music and make it more participatory, the choir was resistant. If I had been a cantor, I could have stepped in and helped to create a dynamic musical experience that could have enriched the spiritual experience of our services. All of my scholarship in the world could not compensate for sounding like a frog.

The change to ordaining cantors is not all good.

Congregations will have two types of clergy with the same level of authority. In an egalitarian era this is bound to lead to a tremendous increase in conflict between rabbis and cantors. While I see institutions where rabbis and cantors get along fabulously, even before ordination I witnessed a tremendous amount of dissension.

Two examples of major turf battles between rabbis and cantors: In one congregation, a new rabbi is appointed to find the cantor has so much charisma that he feels over-

shadowed. People love listening to her voice and gravitate to her after services, bypassing the new and now marginal rabbinical appointee. In another, the senior rabbi departs suddenly and the associate rabbi is promoted. The cantor refuses to accept his authority, arguing that she contributed more to the synagogue both professionally and organizationally and should have been made the effective CEO rather than the associate rabbi.

Neither conflict ended well, either for the individuals or the institutions.

As revolutionary changes go, this is relatively minor. It is, however, one more indication that the American Jewish religious marketplace is becoming a more competitive environment. Under such circumstances, neither denominational labels nor professional credentials are going to mean all that much.

From one perspective, this is a long overdue shaking-out of the deadwood. From another viewpoint, we are entering into a Darwinian phase that may see increasing numbers of rabbis -- and possibly also cantors -- fighting for their professional positions under increasingly adverse conditions.

Let us hope and pray that the consequences will be a more vital and dynamic Jewish religious experience. The odds of that happening, unfortunately, are no more than 50-50.

Dana Evan Kaplan is the rabbi of the United Congregation of Israelites in Kingston, Jamaica, and teaches Judaism at the United Theological College of the University of the West Indies. His most recent book is Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal. Many of his writings can be found at www.dana kaplan.com.

BDS and bullies

by RON KAMPEAS Gerard Donovan, an Irish novelist, was going to read in Jerusalem. Then he got sick and couldn’t go.

Which didn’t prevent an Irish BDS group from chastising him in an open letter.

Donovan, reports the Irish Times, is appalled: “Mr Donovan said he was completely unaware of the campaign as he lives in a cabin in the woods in New York state and is recovering from cancer and a series of leg operations.”

He questioned the campaign’s attempts to contact him as he was easily accessible by email through his publishers, Faber. “I get letters and emails from complete strangers all the time, but I received noth-

ing from them. They are suggesting I was contacted and I ignored them, but I received no contact whatsoever from these people.”

Mr Donovan described the campaign group as “idiots” as he had cancelled his planned visit to Jerusalem two months ago, but solely on health grounds.

He said his literary agency had arranged for him to read in Jerusalem as his third novel, Julius Winsome, was translated into Hebrew.

He added: “If I had been well, I would have gone to Jerusalem. It is the job of the novelist to write things people don’t want to read and to go places where other people don’t want to go.”

14 | The Jewish Press | May 25, 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.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Shabbat Story Time for toddlers and parents, 11:30 a.m., led by Shira Abraham; 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, 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.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m.

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

SUNDAY: Shavout Services, 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.

MONDAY: Shavout Services, 9:30 a.m. with Yizkor and 8:40 p.m.; Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham.

THURSDAY: USY Dinner, 5 p.m. For more information, contact Rabbi Abraham at rabbiabraham@bethel-omaha. org; Dames and Drinks, 7 p.m. at the synagogue.

New monthly social get-together for all Beth El women. No charge to attend; for more information or to RSVP, contact Melissa Schop at 402.319.9609, or melschop@hotmail.com.

Annual Meeting, new officers and board members will be elected, and congregational awards will be presented at the meeting, Sunday, June 3, 11 a.m. A congregational lunch follows, at no charge. To RSVP, contact the synagogue office.

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

Session, 8:45 p.m.; Ma’ariv, 9:30 p.m.; Kiddush and Shavuot Seuda, 9:45 p.m.; Session 1 of Tikun Leil Shavuot, 10-10:45 p.m.; Benching and short break. Session 2, 11-11:45 p.m.; Session 3, 11:45 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

SUNDAY-First day of Shavuot: Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by a dairy Kiddush and Family Feud; Vehinantam for kids and session 4 for adults, 6 p.m.; MinchaMa’ariv, 7 p.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY-Second day of Shavuot: Shacharit, 9 a.m. with Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.; A dairy lunch will follow morning services.

Megila Ruth and a Woman’s Role in Jewish History, a panel discussion with Rebetzins Miriam Gross, Talia Mizrahi, and Ilana Weiss, follows lunch; Session 5, 7:45 p.m.; Mincha, 8:40 p.m., followed by Session 6, Siyum and Ma’ariv; Havdalah, 9:38 p.m.

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

WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m.

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

CHABAD CENTER

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

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. David Cohen; Shavout all night study session, 11:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

SUNDAY: Shavout Service at 9:30 a.m.; Ten Commandments Reading, 11 a.m.; Red, White, and Blue Shavout luncheon and Ice Cream party, noon.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Shavuot Service, 9:30 a.m.; Yizkor, 11:15 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon to follow service; The Art of Marriage-JLI Course will not meet this week.

WEDNESDAY: A Taste of YeshivaChevruta 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.

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-Erev Shavout: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Jane Fishkin in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Arthur Fishkin; 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.; Introductory Shavuot

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: Kiddush, 6 p.m. hosted by Brian Bornstein and Christie Emler; Shabbat Evening Service, 6:15 p.m.

SATURDAY-Erev Shavuot: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Melissa Bornstein; Kiddush Luncheon, noon hosted by Brian Bornstein and Christie Emler.

SUNDAY-Shavuot: Community-wide “Lunch and Learn” on Shavuot with Synagogue and Temple members, noon at Tifereth Israel with Kiddush, followed by a dairy lunch and two 45-minute learning ses-

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

Candlelighting Friday, May 25, 8:28 p.m.

Saturday, May 26, 9:36 p.m. and Sunday, May 27, 9:37 p.m.

sions, one led by Rabbi Lewis and one by Nancy Coren. Please RSVP to the Temple office if you plan to attend. Tifereth Israel will be holding services beginning at 9:45 a.m., and Temple members are welcome to attend.

MONDAY: Temple office will be closed.

the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536, to make a dinner reservation.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Havdalah, Shavuot Study, Service and Dinner, 5 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shavuot Service with Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.

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

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

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Jim Polack.

SUNDAY: Shavuot Service, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

MONDAY: Shavuot Service with Yizkor, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

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, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet; Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Linder. Cost of the dinner is $5 for adults and no charge for children. Please contact

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: Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Their will be no services at Tifereth this morning. Please join Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at South Street Temple as Melissa Bornstein is called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah.

SUNDAY-Shavuot: Community-wide “Lunch and Learn” on Shavuot with Synagogue and Temple members, noon at Tifereth Israel with Kiddush, followed by a dairy lunch and two 45-minute learning sessions, one led by Rabbi Lewis and one by Nancy Coren. Please RSVP to the Temple office if you plan to attend. Tifereth Israel will be holding services beginning at 9:45 a.m., and Temple members are welcome to attend.

MONDAY: Tifereth Israel office will be closed.

Browns sign Jewish offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz

by JTA NEWS STAFF (Cleveland Jewish News, JTA) -Offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz, a second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, signed a four-year, $5.17 million contract with the team.

Schwartz, a tackle from the University of California, Berkeley, was selected 37th overall in April’s draft. The Jewish player was among eight draft picks signed by the team on Sunday.

Browns head coach Pat Shurmur said Schwartz displayed solid technique that could quickly catapult him into a full-time player, according to the Cleveland Jewish News.

“He is very sound in his fundamentals,” Shurmur said. “He’s very detailed with his sets, he is good with his hands, he understands what the defense is going to do by the

way they are aligned. He’s a very sharp guy.”

Schwartz, whose older brother Geoff is in his fourth season in the NFL, said he had a “pretty decent understanding of what to expect” coming into camp and wanted to focus on improving daily.

“Obviously whatever your weakness is, you kind of want to make that into your strength,” he said. “At the same time you don’t want to let your strengths become your weaknesses. It’s always a nice little balance. So far, we’ve been doing a little bit of everything. Working different techniques in the run game, different techniques in the pass game with our hands, our feet.”

Schwartz also responded to draft pundits’ assertions that he was “NFL ready,” crediting his coaches at the University of California for giving him a strong foundation.

Memorial Day Service Sunday, May 27 • 11 a.m.

Speaker: Mark Eveloff

Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim Cemetery 1350 East Pierce Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa

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.’

Plots Available, Call Marty Ricks, 402/334-6440 Cemetery Manager John O’Connor, 670-8913

Bob Kully, President; Patty Nogg,V.P. ; Sheldon Gallner,V.P.; Sissy Silber, Secretary; Marty Ricks,Treasurer; Harold Bernstein, Mark Eveloff, Joel Finkel, Mike Gallner, Dave Goodman, John Goldner, Rick Katelman, Gail Krasne Kenkel, and Ted Seldin

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May 25, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 15

Where to find God

In memoriam JULIUS GOLDBERG

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Bamidbar A colleague of mine pointed out how strange it is that God spoke to his people in the wilderness of Sinai.

A wilderness, of course, does not mean a desert where one finds his feet sinking in the sand. A wilderness means simply a place without roads or paths, where few men have walked before.

It seems strange to us to say that the place where the socalled Ten Commandments were given is called the wilderness of Sinai.

The point is that the Kodesh Baruch Hu is found everywhere, not only in synagogue, temple or mosque, but everywhere.

It is this ubiquity of the KBH that comes to mind when you speak of His being found addressing His people in the wilderness. But that is precisely the point, that the KBH is found wherever you may be, and where you may wish to consult Him. And how do you consult Him? By turning you heart toward Him, and opening it. Your ears may not hear, but it is much more important that your heart hear Him. Therefore it is not strange to find anyone consulting the KBH in the wilderness. He is to be found everywhere and everywhere!

Argentina has Jewish president for a day

by JTA NEWS STAFF BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) -- For the first time, Argentina will have a Jewish president -- at least temporarily.

Beatriz Rojkes, the provisional president of the Argentinean Senate, will be in charge of the government for a day-and-a-half beginning Wednesday because President Christina Fernandez and Vice President Amado Boudou are traveling out of the country.

On Wednesday, Fernandez will fly to Angola on a business trip. On Tuesday night, Boudou traveled to Switzerland to accept a prize for Argentina at the International Telecommunication Union.

The provisional president of the Senate is the No. 3 position in the government and second in the line of succession.

Rojkes was elected to the Senate in 2009 to represent the northern province of Tucuman. Two years later she was appointed by Fernandez as provisional president of the Senate. She became the first Jewish lawmaker and the first woman to hold the position.

Rojkes is married to Jose Alperovich, the governor of Tucuman, who was the first Jewish person in Argentina to be elected a governor and to be sworn in on a Jewish Bible.

To Submit obituaries to the Jewish Press: Email to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.

Julius Goldberg, 100, of Lincoln, passed away on Friday, May 18. Services were held May 20 at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Lincoln.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Louise Brown Goldberg, and three brothers and four sisters.

He is survived by his daughter Tana Goldberg of Andover, MA; son and daughter-in-law, Mel Goldberg and Diane Newman of Brooklyn, NY; grandchildren: Michael and Rebecca Hahn of Rochester, NY, Kenneth and Amy Hahn of Wilmington, MA, Daniel and Jennifer Hahn of Bear, DE, Molly Goldberg of Burlington, VT, and Joshua Goldberg of Brooklyn, NY. He was a WWII Army veteran. He owned/operated Consolidated Supply Co., Inc. in Lincoln. Julius was a member of Congregation Tifereth Israel, Elks Lodge and Kiwanis Club, including many years at the Kiwanis Concession Stand at the Nebraska State Fair.

Memorials are suggested to the Congregation Tifereth Israel [http://www.tiferethisraellincoln.org/] 3219 Sheridan Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68502.

1934 Cheesecake Challenge

by ADAM SOCLOF With Shavuot coming up -- a holiday on which many Jews customarily eat dairy meals -- the JTA Archive Blog thought it would be appropriate to revive an old cheesecake recipe.

There are two types of cheesecake enthusiasts: those who know what zwieback is and those who don’t. The twice-baked bread, which isn’t easily found in supermarkets these days, is an ingredient in this 1934 cheesecake recipe printed in our Jewish Daily Bulletin.

Will you make this recipe? Are you bold enough to bother your local supermarket to help you find the zwieback aisle? E-mail us a photo or video of your creation -- or share your zany zwieback stories as you attempt to shop for it.

CHEESE CAKE 1 pkg. zwieback 1¾ cups sugar ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ cup melted butter 2 lbs.-cottage cheese 2 tbsps. flour 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 2 tsps. lemon juice 5 eggs 1 cup cream Grate or roll zwieback rather fine. Mix ¾ cup sguar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and cinnamon with the zwieback and blend thoroughly with the melted butter. Retain ½ cup of the crumb mixture for the top. Butter a 9½-inch spring form pan and line the bottom and sides with the crumbs. Press the cottage cheese through a fine strainer twice. Combine 1 cup sugar, the flour, salt, grated lemon rind and juice and blend with the cheese. Add the beaten egg yolks and cream.

Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites, pour into the lined spring form pan and sprinkle crumbs on top. Bake in a moderately slow oven (325°) about 1½ hours, or until a silver knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set on a cake rack in a warm place to cool slowly. When cold remove spring form carefully.

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16 | The Jewish Press | May 25, 2012

Amid security concerns in Tunisia, a smaller Hiloula celebration

by JTA STAFF DJERBA, Tunisia (JTA) -- Two thousand years ago, a mysterious woman who was unable to talk arrived on this island.

Every sick person she touched was healed. Although she died when her wooden house caught fire, her body remained intact and did not burn.

That’s a local legend.

Another is that the miracle worker is buried beneath the foundation stone of the El Ghriba Synagogue, one of the oldest continuously used synagogues in the Diaspora and the site of an annual pilgrimage that typically brings thousands to Djerba seeking answers to their prayers.

This year, amid political uncertainty and security concerns, the two-day celebration held last week on Lag b’Omer drew more journalists and police than pilgrims.

“We have about 300 people here from abroad today, but most are locals,” said Rene Trabelsi, a Paris-based organizer of the celebration whose family oversees the synagogue.

“What’s important is that we are having this event this year because last year it did not happen. I hope we can slowly increase the number of people attending each year.”

Last year, in the aftermath of Tunisia’s revolution that overthrew the country’s long time autocrat Zine El Abddine Ben Ali and killed more than 300 Tunisians, the celebration was canceled.

Pilgrimages in previous years had attracted thousands of visitors to Djerba. After the El Ghriba Synagogue was attacked in 2002, the pilgrimage was vastly scaled back, but the number of pilgrims steadily increased until nearly 10,000 came in 2010.

Heavy security accompanied this year’s event, and those coming by car faced some dozen checkpoints en route.

Elias al-Fakhfakh, Tunisia’s minister of tourism and a member of the center-left Ettakatol political party, attended on the second day.

The crowd, which had been singing kabbalistic tunes outside the synagogue, switched to the Tunisian national anthem as al-Fakhfakh approached.

Entering the El Ghriba sanctuary, al-Fakhfakh put on a kabbus, a red traditional Tunisian hat that many Tunisian Jewish men wear as a kippah.

Before cameras from almost every Tunisian television station, al-Fakhfakh viewed both the sefer Torah and holy area where the foundation stone is believed to be.

“It is great that Muslims and Jews can celebrate this occasion together,” he told a cheering crowd before heading off to a meal with local Jewish community leaders. “After the

Pilgrims enjoying the Hiloula celebration at the El Ghriba Synagogue in Tunisia, May 2012.

Tunisian revolution we adopted new democratic values. We have a new country with a deep heritage that accepts people with different cultures and religions.

“As a government,” he said, “we want to embrace good relations between Jews and Muslims in the new free Tunisia.”

During the pilgrimage, El Ghriba’s sanctuary becomes a holding place for people’s wishes, which are written on paper and placed inside cracks of the wall -- similar to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Coins are placed inside oil lamps for tzedakah, charity.

Women seeking to marry or have children visit El Ghriba and write their wishes on boiled eggs, symbolizing life.

Candles are lit for those asking for good health and a long life.

A door to the foundation stone, which is beneath the ark, is opened during the pilgrimage, so the candles and eggs may be placed on the stone.

Newlywed Vanessa Mamou, whose father is from Djerba, traveled from Paris for the celebration.

“I put an egg in the synagogue because I am married and want to have a baby,” she told JTA. “My sister is here because she wants to meet someone and get married.”

The El Ghriba legend is important not only for Tunisian

Jews but for Muslims as well.

“This is a holy place for all Djerbians, not just the Jews,” a woman named Khalija said as she was leaving the sanctuary.

“I came to light a candle with my Jewish friend.”

Unlike previous years, when the celebration attracted Tunisians and non-Tunisians from abroad, nearly all of this year’s pilgrims were Tunisian.

Many were local Djerbians; others came from Tunis. The remaining were Tunisians visiting from Europe, although the visitors included a couple of French pilgrims.

“My family left Tunisia when I was 10 years old, but I spent almost every summer growing up in Tunisia,” said Isabel, who came with her husband and daughter from Paris. “No one will scare me away from coming here because this is my country.

I am Tunisian and will never be afraid of my country.”

Adjacent to the synagogue is a building that once served as an inn housing visitors, primarily Libyan Jews visiting El Ghriba. With the growth of the tourism industry and the establishment of vast hotels in recent years, the building is mostly abandoned year-round.

But during the two-day Hiloula, the inn becomes a center of celebration. Live traditional Tunisian music, in Hebrew and Arabic, is sung to the beat of the darbouka drum.

The smell of fried brik -- a flour envelope of potatoes, Tunisian hot sauce known as harissa, parsley and egg -- is present in the air. Families sit together on benches and munch on fresh almonds, apricots, oranges, cantaloupe and mulberries that are sold in nearby stands.

For some Tunisians who have been abroad for many years, the celebration is a chance to reconnect with Tunisia. On sale are CDs of famous Tunisian Jewish singers from the community’s past as well as DVD collections of recent Tunisian sitcoms.

Previous celebrations have attracted many Israeli pilgrims, but this year Israel issued a travel warning advising its people not to attend.

Perez Trabelsi, El Ghriba’s president, criticized the Israelis in the local French language Tunisian newspaper, Le Press, for not attending this year.

According to some foreign attendees, many foreign visitors canceled after the Islamist Tunisian party Ennahda invited Youssef Al Qaradawi, a Qatar-based Egyptian sheik well known for his endorsement of suicide bombings, on a multi-city speaking tour of Tunisia in the week leading up to the Hiloula.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Meeting Honoring our Community Volunteers Humanitarian of the Year Award Joel Alperson

Please Join Us Monday, June 4 7 p.m. | JCC Theatre Special emcee David Gilinsky

Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Meeting Honor our Community Volunteers State of the Federation Address Jody Malashock | President Mike Silverman | Chief Executive Officer Election of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors Performance from The Music Man

Phil & Terri Schrager Spirit of Federation Award Stacey Rockman & John Glazer Community Service Award National Council of Jewish Women: The Great Omaha Chocolate Festival Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award Andy Ruback Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award Susan Fellman Witkowski Robert & Ellen Gordman Teen Leadership Award Kevin Adler & Brad Kutler Volunteers of the Year Jewish Federation of Omaha | Debbie Friedman & Debbie Denenberg The Center for Jewish Education | Mark Javitch Anti-Defamation League/Community Relations Committee | Shirley Cemaj Jewish Community Center | Mark Martin Jewish Social Services | Joanie & Terry Bernstein The Jewish Press | Margaret Kirkeby Jody & Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence Marty Ricks