Vol. LXXXIX No. 37 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 89 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
22 Sivan 5770
June 4, 2010
Third Friedel fundraising dinner a true charm by TIPPI DENENBERG own family has been a cornerstone of Friedel’s history still,” and lamented that images “of Julie frying 1000 At fundraising events, sometimes the magic shows up, and its ongoing success, introduced them. latkes” make it hard for us to relax. some times it doesn’t. For Friedel Jewish Academy’s David Kohll accepted on behalf of the group while Then Friedel teacher Denise Bennett gave the Steins a Third Annual Tribute Dinner Sunday night May 23rd at crediting wife Janet for guiding the family in its FJA “real” and lovely introduction. Julie took the podium. Beth Israel Synagogue -- from the 5:30 start to the on- involvement. He went on to recognize the other hon- She described how her parents were her role models in time 8:30 finish -- the magic giving so much of their time kept coming and coming. to the community. She also Jerry Gordman kicked off credited her husband David the event with spectacular Stein for supporting her so shofar blasts. Emcee Debbie that she can give so much Denenberg opened by time to the school. A huge explaining the evening’s contingency of UNMC scitheme, “Three’s a Charm”. entists who work with the “It’s our third annual dinfamous Dr. Gendelman were ner, we’re honoring three in attendance and Julie Stein exceptional families, and got an unintended laugh because our school is growwhen referring to fellow ing so beautifully, we’re honorees Drs. Bloch and entering a capital campaign Gendelman as “Bonnie to add three new classBloch and her husband”. rooms.” She pointed out Jeff and Danielle Gordman that the event’s invitation announced Friedel’s capital sported a picture of the campaign. Emcee Debbie Julie and David Stein Drs. Bonnie Bloch and Howard Gendelman triplets, Hamicksburg Denenberg adroitly linked Credit: Gary Javitch the recent Blumkin renovaIllyana, Dahlia and Tzipporah, who commute two hours orees, at first seriously with daily to attend FJA. Why such an effort? Their mother the usual respect for their accolades, then with a little tions with Friedel’s forthcoming classroom expansions. was quoted, “We live in Lincoln. We wanted a fighting humor. For his efforts, he was rewarded with big laughs. She said, “On the north side of the JCC, we have the chance of our daughters being observant Jews no matter Everyone in attendance was in a receptive mood when spectacular RBJH. It’s filled with the people who reprewhere they ended up. They needed a strong sense of area actor Michael Simpson, posed as new Friedel parent sent our community’s history, wisdom and experience. identity and a lot of background and knowledge. They and close friend of Julie Stein “Michael Schwartz.” He It’s where we obey the words of the Torah by honoring need to be able to do it themselves no matter where they took the podium to introduce the second honorees, our fathers and our mothers. And on the South side we end up.” Debbie commented: “Aren’t those the wishes Julie and David Stein. After joking that he has to Google have Friedel, now 60 children strong. It’s filled with our of any American Jewish parent?” Hebrew words to understand what his daughter is learn- hopes, our future. It’s where we obey the words of the The night’s first honorees were the families of Kohll’s ing at Friedel, “Mr. Schwartz” did a “stinger” about Torah by teaching it diligently to our children. And Pharmacy & Home Care: Marvin and Sandra, David and Julie as the over-achiever volunteer. He noted that her these two groups get to know each other, because Janet, and Justin Kohll. Jerry Gordman, someone whose energy made the rest of us “look like we’re standing Continued on page 7
Palmon Honored with Beth El’s Gendler Award by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator For her involvement and dedication to Beth El Synagogue, Shir Palmon has been named the 2010 recipient of the A.B. and Freeda Gendler Award. The award was presented to the recent Ralston High School graduate during the synagogue’s May 15 BESTT graduation ceremony. The Gendler Award is an honor given to a high school senior who has shown exemplary dedication to the synagogue: the criteria include regular attendance at BESTT Shir Palmon Hebrew High School, Credit: Ophir Palmon Torah reading and/or for Artistic Visions Haftorah chanting, leading service portions in the sanctuary, attendance at services and participation in the synagogue’s USY youth group, as well as other service to the synagogue. In addition to a $500 award, Palmon’s name will be included on a plaque on the synagogue’s Wall of Honor. Palmon has made her mark in a variety of ways at the synagogue: her involvement has included tutoring younger students on Shabbat, four years of participation in the USY youth group, participation in the religious school’s Merit Scholarship program, volunteering during the High Holidays and attending Continued on page 2
Inside Op-Ed Page: see page 8
Bob Lepp completes term as Federation President by BOB LEPP Outgoing President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha It has been an honor and a privilege to be the President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha the past two years. I had big plans when I started and we did accomplish many great things, but the downturn in the economy forced us to reassess and refocus our efforts in order to overcome the obstacles we now face. While we did not accomplish everything I had planned when I started my term as President and while we Bob Lepp continue to face many challenges, we did forge new ground and have set the stage for this community to continue to be one of the great Jewish communities in North America. I want to thank our Federation’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and professionals along with all the professional and lay leaders throughout our Jewish community. Your passion for this place we call home has set the standard very high and working with each of you has been my pleasure and an honor. I am confident that we can have productive conversations and find solutions to the issues we face in fundraising, volunteerism and engaging the next generation. Here are just a few of the highlights from my term as Federation President. In a vibrant and progressive community, there are times when the leadership must grapple with various issues. During these past two years, the JFO board has
Next Week: Salute to Graduates/Father’s Day See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press’
Institute for Holocaust Education offers summer programming Page 2
addressed some very important and sensitive issues. Fortunately, we have been successful in addressing the area of Kashrut and recognizing its importance to our community with the development and implementation of a new Kashrut Policy. The JCC has looked into its hours of operations in terms of Shabbat and brought forward a recommendation to the JFO Board that was agreed upon by the majority of those who represent our community. A Mikvah Committee, representing all three synagogues was formed, and formal policies were established. It’s the “nuts and bolts” of every organization that make it operate, enabling the delivery of programs and services to the constituents. This administration was faced with significant changes in the areas of finances and governmental obligations and had to meet those challenges. A number of new Internal Revenue regulations have come about in an effort to maintain accountability and transparency. We have had to step up and meet those requirements and implement new policies and procedures without significant increase to our budgets. Central Services has assumed this additional responsibility and has been able to meet these demands without increasing staff. At the same time, they have implemented quarterly financial statements, continuing our organization’s commitment to excellence. This year the Federation was able to successfully respond to a grass roots effort among many in our community to begin a supplementary Jewish Community High School, bringing together the teens of our community in a learning environment. We are proud of those who came together to develop the initial stages of this project. Advertisements are now out and a search Continued on page 2
Coming Next Month: Sports and Recreation Sayig goodbye to Edith Rogert Page 6
Rivers keeps rolling, with bark and bite intact Page 6
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
June 4, 2010
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Institute for Holocaust Education offers summer programming by ILANA WEISS Institute for Holocaust Education The Institute for Holocaust Education will offer a full summer of educating and thought-provoking programs beginning June 2010. The IHE is a local organization which focuses on the development and dissemination of educational resources and programs to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and their applications to life and society today. Starting off the summer events will be a presentation of the film Four Seasons Lodge on Sunday, June 13 at 3 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center Theater. The documentary tells the story of a group of Holocaust Survivors who built a lodge in the Catskills for summer retreats. After digging out an Olympic-sized pool, setting up two tennis courts, and building a synagogue for Friday night services along with a social hall with room for 15 simultaneous games of canasta and mahjong, the Survivors called the Four Seasons Lodge their summer home for 30 years. Following three decades of venturing out to the lodge, the Survivors’ home away from home is threatened to be closed down. The film captures what may be the Survivors’ last summer together, and rather than using staged head-shots throughout the documentary, the film is shot in its characters’ natural environment doing what they’ve done for so long – having a good time. The IHE anticipates that this documentary will enlighten the audience about not only the hardships that Survivors endured during the Holocaust, but also about the lives that they led and built after coming to America. Tickets for the screening, including a light reception, are $5. To make reservations online or to watch the film’s trailer, visit www.ihene.org. On Thursday, June 17, the IHE will collaborate with the Bookworm to present a Book Reading with Maria Krenz, author of Made in Hungary: A Life Forged by History. In her book, Ms. Krenz shares the story of the first 14 years of her life. She and her parents stayed in hiding to avoid the Holocaust, but after escaping the Nazis, her family was still halted from starting anew as the Soviet occupation was upon them. As an adult, Ms. Krenz spent years studying the history and events that led up to what she lived through, and tells her own story
through this historical context. The event will be held at 6 p.m. at the Bookworm located at 8702 Pacific Street. A training for educators on Echoes & Reflections: A Multimedia Curriculum will be held on July 22 at the Jewish Community Center from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Echoes & Reflections is a curriculum developed by the Anti-Defamation League, the USC Shoah Foundation Institute and Yad Vashem including ten multi-part lessons along with a companion DVD of over two-and-ahalf hours of visual history testimony from survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust. Teachers of literature, history, art and many other subjects from all over the world have brought this curriculum into their classrooms to help students understand the depth of the Holocaust. Participants of the workshop will receive a complimentary copy of the curriculum generously underwritten by a donor to the Echoes & Reflections project. The cost of the workshop is $20 and includes breakfast and lunch. Registrations may be submitted using the online form at www.ihene.org. Finally, there is no better resource on the Holocaust within our community than our local Survivors. In cooperation with the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, the IHE will present a Holocaust Survivor Speaker Series featuring five Survivors telling their stories of desperation, escape, hope and ultimate freedom. A speaker will talk to an intimate group of participants on July 14, July 21, July 28, Aug. 11, and Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Kripke Library. Gary Katz, Library Administrator, will be available at those times to check out Holocaust related materials. The event is open to the public and free of charge, but due to limited space, reservations are required. “We are pleased to offer many opportunities for people to learn more about the amazing personal stories of the Holocaust.” stated Beth Seldin Dotan, Executive Director of the IHE. “These programs will provide an inspirational look at a terrible time in our history and to understand resilience and life after the war.” To RSVP for any of these events or for more information contact the Institute for Holocaust Education at 402.334.6576 or email holocaust@jewishomaha.org. More information can also be found at the IHE website, www.ihene.org.
Bob Lepp completes term as Federation President Continued from page 1 committee representing all three synagogues has been established to hire a school director. The school is scheduled to open this fall. The people-to-people aspect of the Omaha Jewish Community is a source of great pride to our members. One concern has been our ability to pass this on to the next generation and engage them in community programming and services. This means we need to be able to leave our comfort zones and be able to communicate with our young people on their terms. We have increased our electronic communications and have spent a great deal of time and effort programming for today’s young Jewish adults. We have met with unqualified success in these efforts and are now faced with requests for more programming and opportunities for young people to get together. Since most newcomers to Omaha are young adults, we have merged our newcomers programming with Y.J.O. We continue to bring our community outstanding programming through our Partnership with Israel. This past year marks the most extensive programming we have done with the Western Galilee that included special visits from Israeli artists, musicians, business and medical professionals, teens and educators. A goal of my presidency has also been to work closely with the agencies and encourage the sharing of
resources. During the past two years, there has been increased communications with the agencies on both a professional and lay level. We have shared programming and are moving forward with increasing agency involvement in the Annual Campaign. The Federation has also shared programming with the new Schwalb Center for Israel Studies at UNO and on our campus we have continued to work closely with the Institute for Holocaust Education and Center for Jewish Education for joint programming opportunities. The Presidents lunches were a new and unique approach to re-engage former leadership and communicate with major donors. This forum was extremely successful and should be considered a valuable program and accomplishment of this presidency. These are just some of the areas we have made a difference. I am proud that we have asked the hard questions and enhanced our efforts at transparency and collaboration. I want to again compliment our executive committee members who have handled countless “behind the scenes” issues, as well as more public issues with great consideration and wisdom. This group is representative of the various aspects of our Jewish Community and has handled each challenge in a professional manner. It has been an honor serving with them all.
Palmon Honored with Beth El’s Gendler Award Continued from page 1 religious school for 13 years. In addition, she distinguished herself as a classroom assistant during Sunday mornings, and as a regular Shabbat service attendee. The daughter of Roni Reiter-Palmon and Ophir Palmon, Shir said that being involved at Beth El “has always been an automatic thing for me. I go to Shabbat services often with my family, so it made sense to help out at Junior Congregation. I go to High Holiday services anyway, so I might as well be useful with my time. I enjoy being at the synagogue. It has always been a sort of second home to me. I have attended Beth El for as long as I can remember.”
She also noted that the synagogue “has created who I am as a Jew in today’s society. I have learned so much from tutoring on Shabbat, attending BESTT for 13 years, working at Sunday school, volunteering during the High Holidays, and being active throughout Kadima and USY. Beth El has given me so many opportunities to grow as a person, a Jew, and as a member in today’s society and I look forward to coming home and going back to Beth El to visit.” This fall, Palmon will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she plans to double-major in English and Education.
June 4, 2010
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Vadim Gluzman one of “Partnerships Jewels”
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the “living bridge” concept of connecting by JANIE MUROW Community Development Director Israelis and American Jews in our comIf you were one of the 325 people in munity through their beautiful music and attendance at the Vadim Gluzman and showing people the beauty Israel gives Angela Yoffe concert recently then you the world”. Zoe Riekes, past chair of the understand the description of the performance as magnificent. Vadim’s music Partnership Consortium added, “I have takes you away and watching Angela’s fingers dance across the piano keys casts its own special spell. The performance included pieces by Leclair, Brahms, and Ravel, each of them mesmerizing the audience. Gilad Sheba, Managing Director of the Keshet Eilon Music Center accompanied Vadim and Angela to Omaha. Before introducing the performers, Gilad shared a video of Keshet Eilon with the audience. This music center in the Western Galilee is dedicated to the conviction that music can serve as a connection between religions, people and nations. Gluzman, a student of the first class to attend Keshet Eilon 20 years ago is currently an instructor and mentor Vadim Gluzman, accompanied by his wife, Angela Joffe there. Keshet Eilon holds Mastercourses always believed that our Partnership every summer for talented young violin- region is a hidden treasure in Israel...this is just one of the many jewels we are forists from around the world. This incredible concert is an example of tunate to be connected with.” Omaha’s Partnership with Israel prothe work of Partnership with Israel. Over the past several years Omaha has hosted gram is active year round doing work in many wonderful events through the the area of arts and culture, education Partnership’s Performing Art Series. Jan and medicine. If you would like to get Goldstein said it best, “At the conclusion involved, contact Janie Murow at of the performance I told Vadim and 334.6566 or at jmurow@jewishomaha. Angela that their music truly embodies org.
chance to meet new people, exercise their by OZZIE NOGG Hot on the heels of its sold-out Kick- brains, take part in new activities and conOff Cabaret Luncheon, MAINstreeters tinue enjoying life to the fullest. “I’m not upcoming Lunch and Laughs promises to 60 yet,” Linda Abrams Tederman said, be equally entertaining. The event, sched- “but my husband Roger is 62, and we uled for Friday, June 18, at 12:30 p.m. both enjoy the group so much. Being one in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home audi- of the younger MAINstreeters lets me see torium, features comedian T. Marni Vos. things from a different perspective and “I’ve seen T. Marni many times,” said Linda Abrams Tederman, Chair of the June 18 luncheon. “She’s refreshing, funny and inspiring. Everyone loves her brand of clean, delightful humor, and audiences always relate to her stories. This is sure to be a stress-free afternoon full of laughs.” The lunch menu includes hamburgers (with all the trimmings) or tuna salad on challah roll. Both options T. Marni Vos, a very funny lady, will share her up-beat stories come with tossed green and jokes at the MAINstreeters June 18 luncheon. salad, potato chips and a freshly baked reminds me that age really is just a numcookie. The meal is $10 per plate. “Space ber. Also, as a MAINstreeter I can now is limited,” Tederman said, “and reserva- put faces to names -- to people -- I’m tions must be in by Thursday, June 10, so familiar with but haven’t had the chance we encourage everyone to sign up today.” to meet before. That’s a nice bonus.” All MAINstreeters programs are under MAINstreeters is the fun-filled new organization for Jewish residents of the the auspices of Jewish Social Services. Omaha area age 60 and older. It offers For further information, or to secure social events and speakers, plus learning transportation, please call Maggie Conti opportunities that give participants the at 334.6521.
To order a gift subscription to the Press... Send a check for $20, made out to the Jewish Press and for the rest of 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 334.6448.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
June 4, 2010
Board elections, congregational awards to highlight Beth El’s annual meeting by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Sunday, June 13 will be an afternoon for Beth El members to review the past year, welcome new board members, and thank out-going officers and members, as the congregation holds its annual meeting. During the 1 p.m. event, the following officers are scheduled to be elected and installed: Bev Fellman, president; Lloyd Roitstein, Jon Jabenis and Eric Phillips, vice presidents; Allan Noddle, treasurer; and Sharon Brodkey, secretary. Returning to the board for a second two-year term are Mark Kelln, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Bruce Kutler, Linda Saltzman, and Jan Wayne. Joining the board for their first two-year term are Stan Edelstein, Sandee Friedman, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Juliana Reno, Ari Riekes, Scott Simon, Ben Shapiro and Mindy Tene. Out-going executive committee members to be thanked during the meeting are Sally Zipursky, Toby Schonfeld, Scott Simon and Mark Kelln; out-going board members include Shane Kotok, Ed Schneider and Stanley Mitchell. The annual meeting will also be highlighted by the presentation of the synagogue’s annual congregational awards, which recognize congregants for their exceptional volunteerism and commitment to Beth El. This year’s Earl Siegel Memorial Award, presented to an outstanding board member, will be given to Jon Jabenis. “Jon’s legal expertise has been instrumental regarding execution of our synagogue bylaws,” said Steve Pitlor, the synagogue’s president. “In addition, he was a key contributor and major point person in the development and implementation of our new dues collection policy. Jon takes his commitment as a member of the Board of Trustees very seriously, and is always willing to volunteer his assistance whenever needed. During discussions he often offers perspectives that hadn’t been considered and always encourages the board to examine all sides of any issue before making a decision.” The Selwyn Roffman Award, given to a congregant
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who has shown religious growth, will be presented this year to Sharon Brodkey. Pitlor noted that Brodkey is a frequent weekday service attendee, as well as a dedicated Shabbat service-goer who has become a member of Beth El’s Torah corps, regularly reading Torah during Shabbat services. Marcie Spivack is this year’s recipient of the President’s Award, an honor bestowed upon a non-board member for exceptional volunteerism to the synagogue. “Marcie is a volunteer extraordinaire: she is the president of both the BESTT PTA and our synagogue Sisterhood,” Pitlor said. “She helps out in the synagogue office, as well as with the BESTT administrative activities and tasks. She is also the go-to person for all school-related food matters and has been dedicated to the development of the healthy snack school program. In addition, he continued, “Her behind-the-scenes work during last December’s “Children of Eden” production was invaluable, as is her role as key spokesperson for our Buy Beth El program. Marcie’s contributions to our congregation are many and varied; we are pleased to recognize her many efforts.” Finally, Susan Fellman-Witkowski is the first recipient of the synagogue’s newest honor: the Emerging Leader Award. “Susan sets the bar very high for future Emerging Leader award winners,” Pitlor remarked. “She has served as chairman of last year’s Sisterhood Boutique, is spearheading our very popular specialtychallah fund-raiser, and has taken the lead with the synagogue’s community-supported agriculture initiative. Her organization, enthusiasm, commitment and ability to engage others in Beth El activities make her highly deserving of this new award.” Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin applauded this year’s award recipients, saying, “We owe all of these dedicated congregants our appreciation, and we are pleased to be able to honor them for their invaluable contributions to synagogue life.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Brownsville Concert Series 20th Anniversary Season presents Lonnie McFadden, Jazz Trumpeter, Singer, Songwriter and Tap Dancer who has performed with The Count Basie Orchestra, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Orlando, Wayne Newton and many others. The concert will be in Brownville on June 4 & 5, 7:30 p.m., and June 6, 2 p.m. For ticket information and reservations for the concerts please call 402.825.3331 or 402.274.3661. For more information on the Brownville Concert Series visit
the website at www.brownvilleconcertseries.com. The Brownville Lyceum Café will be open for lunch, dinner and desserts prior to the performances. The Whiskey Run Creek Winery in Brownville is also open. Catch Beauty and the Beast: the musical at the Orpheum Theater from June 22 through June 27. Tickets begin at $25 and are available at the Holland Performing Arts Center, online at TicketOmaha.com, or call 402.345.0606 for more information.
READ IT AND E AT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN
Cooking All Things Trader Joe’s was this duos first cookbook a couple of years ago (they left high-powered careers to write and publish it in 2008). Because of the popularity of their first “TJ’s” cookbook and by requests, here is the next guide to cooking all things Trader Joe’s...a portable cookbook to take along while you are shopping. This cookbook is designed to fit in your purse, briefcase, backpack, or suitcase-because news has reached Omaha that “TJ’s” is coming and you won’t have to shop out-of-town any more. If you haven’t shopped at “TJ’s” you are in for a treat...the aisles are packed with everything you want, crewmembers are helpful, samples galore...all that and 3 buck Chuck wine. Back to the cookbook, save time by using off-the-shelf and out-of-the freezer products in these 125 one-to-a-page, easy recipes with international flavors and brief instructions. Vegetable Tikka Masala, Gyoza Salad, Chipotle Turkey Chili, Vegetarian Mushroom Moussaka, Tarte Tatin, No Moo Mousse and more in six chapters. Got ten minutes? Try this dish, either cooked chicken or tofu chunks can be added. PEANUTTY SESAME NOODLES Prep time: 10 minutes, Hands-off 8 oz (half a pkg) spaghetti noodles 1 cup shredded carrot, available pre-shredded in the produce section 1/2 cup peeled and sliced cucumber 2 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed 1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain 2. Pour Easy Peanutty Sauce (recipe below) over noodles and toss until noodles are evenly coated. Add carrots and cucumber. Toss gently. 3. Top with green onions and crushed peanuts. Easy Peanutty sauce: 1/4 cup Soyaki or Veri Veri Teriyaki 1/4 cup peanut better 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil 1/4 cup water 1. Whisk Soyaki, peanut butter, and sesame oil until blended. 2. Add water and mix well. Cooking time: 10 minutes. Serves 4-6. Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@
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Never too late BERT’S EYE VIEW by BERT LEWIS
For various reasons, some good and some not so good, I missed the chance to offer a few words and thoughts on the recent JP topic, Senior Living. But maybe the old phrase “it’s never too late” applies here, you think? It’s such a great subject, especially since I’m (lord knows!) a card carrying professional. I often tend to remember how things used to be, way back when, and compare them to current practice, so let’s start there. People of my generation are likely to remember a childhood including a grandparent living with the family, or sometimes a great aunt or uncle. It was a natural way in the 1930’s and even ‘40’s, because the concept of retirement centers or homes for the elderly hadn’t really become an accepted way of life. Many of my contemporaries can remember a Bubbe who was often found in the kitchen, either sitting and watching as a meal was prepared, or maybe doing the cooking entirely. Today, I think of such women and know how difficult it must have been to be the second woman in a kitchen. If it was the home of her daughter, she might likely feel comfortable commenting or criticizing how things were done. Daughter, on the other hand, would have maybe tried to accept graciously and keep the peace. Conversely, think about the mother-inlaw sitting on a kitchen chair and watching the preparations. And the daughterin-law being watched. Oh boy, was that a recipe for possible trouble! I always visualize the M.I.L trying to be silent, while probably gritting her dentures, wanting to say “you’re doing that wrong. I’ll show you the right way”. I’m not saying that’s the way it always was, only that it was the perfect setting for such a scene. Think of it...and remember the old saying about no kitchen big enough for more than one woman! Certainly there were homes where Bubbe was welcomed in the kitchen with open arms and a clean apron, but really, I wonder what the odds are. Whether the maternal or paternal Bubbe, if her health was reasonably good, her presence could have been a blessing for all. I mean, the one who could make a batch of sugar cookies appear in the time it took to play a few games of bridge, surely was cher-
ished by her grandkids! Plus, couldn’t she be counted on for a myriad of daily important household events if Mom worked outside the home? Today, a three generation family under one roof is not so usual. We, and I include myself, likely didn’t work quite so hard and wear ourselves out physically, as our mothers before us. We’ve had so many labor saving devices they didn’t have, I can’t count them all. I know the modern vacuum cleaner must have saved millions of hours of beating a rug or sweeping with a broom. And how about the electric mixer as opposed to that endless beating with a whisk? And the power driven grinder rather than the knuckle shredding grater? Just think of it. No wonder we who have turned in our aprons and hung a closed sign on the kitchen door have time for cards and mah jongg or tennis, golf and whatever else we choose. The retirement and well-elderly places to choose from make life very different for us women. We probably took better care of ourselves, and our doctors knew more about how to keep us in decent health. Let’s face it, most of us have had it a lot easier than our moms did, on many levels. Fewer are found making a three-generation family because we can take care of ourselves and, if lucky, live alone longer than those old Bubbe mentioned above. None of that is news....we all know where geriatrics are today, compared to past generations. I personally don’t believe we’re nearly as tough as many of the old timers were. I have said many times I’m a real wimp compared to my late Mom, who was doing a lot more when she was my age than I do today. But when all is said and done, I know how lucky we are to have so much available when we need it. I just want to add one more thought here. I didn’t set out to exclude the senior men from this discussion. I just emphasized that with which I’m the most familiar - women. Senior living for elderly men can be a wonderful experience, providing good health is part of the picture. We all get a certain pleasure from seeing a big group of very senior guys around a table in a restaurant, enjoying lunch and a good schmooz session. Retirement can be wonderful, if a good portion of mazel in the health department is part of the picture. This all makes me think of a yiddish expression familiar to many of us very mature citizens: zie gezunt. I think that says it all. Bert Lewis can be reached at Bert Lewis39@aol.com.
Thanks to you the dream came true by OZZIE NOGG After almost four years of construction, the new Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is ready to show off its charms at a Splendiferous Housewarming on Sunday, June 27, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. “The entire community -- moms, dads, kids, grandparents -- everyone is invited to celebrate this fabulous facility,” said Sandy Epstein, chairman of the event. “The new Blumkin Home is a
jewel that all of us can take pride in. Thanks to you, the dream came true. Thanks to you, we did it.” The Splendiferous Housewarming will feature guided tours of the building along with family fun including music, a magician, face painting and balloon man. Delicious deserts will be served all afternoon and valet parking will be provided. “It’s going to be a fantastic day,” Epstein said. “Don’t miss it.”
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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emial list contact Jenny a 334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish brings us closer to our roots! Come join us every Thursday afternoon from 1-3 p.m. in the social hall of the JCC. For information call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.
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Saying goodbye to Edith Rogert by EMILY GILLER The Seder table was set with candles and all. The miniature matzo ball soup bowls and wine glasses rested before the Cabbage Patch Dolls, who were all placed nicely in their seats. A camera snapped a photo as Edith Rogert smiled at her timeless display. Edith’s dedication and compassion toward the JCC is as notable and impressive as the Passover displays she would create in the JCC Gallery every year. She was not only dedicated and driven, but she was creative too. grew up in Edith McCook, Neb. and was the oldest of seven children. She Edith Rogert understood the meaning of hard work and worked for everything she had. According to Lois Wine, the director of volunteers at the Rose Blumkin Home, she didn’t take anything for granted and took comfort in helping others, especially those in the Jewish community. “She had a Jewish heart and really embraced all of Judaism,” Wine said. Edith dedicated a lot of her time to volunteering. For more than 18 years she worked on the board for the League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly, or LOVE. She would help plan many of LOVE’s banquets and became the first lifetime member of LOVE. In addition to LOVE, Edith would help decorate the display case for the JCC library, she was an active member of the Jewish Cultural Arts Council, served as president for NA’AMAT USA, and served as an advisor, his-
torian and Moms and Tots chairman. She even published a book called “Children’s Guide to Passover,” which was published by the JCAC in 1985. “When she found something she loved, she would put her whole heart into the project,” Wine said.
Many community members remember Edith for her detailed Seder tables at the Jewish Community Center. Edith’s hard work didn’t go without recognition. In 1988 she was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award. According to Maggie Conti, who is in charge of the JSS Adult Programming, Edith would come to the JCC and spend all day there just to visit with the elderly, or work on her displays. She would get so engrossed with her work that she would “sometimes forget to eat.” “She was very caring, even when I had my first baby she came to see me,” Conti said. Edith’s work and drive is an inspiration to all. She put her love and her hard work into helping the Jewish community and for that the community will never forget her. “It was her passion. She truly enjoyed being a part of the LOVE organization and the Rose Blumkin Home,” Wine said.
Rivers keeps rolling, with bark and bite intact
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Joan Rivers can be both alienating and endearing, often within the span of two sentences. Love her or hate her, it’s impossible not to respect the unstoppable comedienne, red carpet interviewer, reality show contestant and QVC pitchwoman, to name just a few of her endeavors over the course of five decades in show business. Rivers takes her latest turn in the spotlight with Joan Rivers -- A Piece of Work, an exhaustingly candid portrait by respected social-issue documentary makers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback). The filmmakers followed the comic for the entirety of her 76th year, a daunting proposition that Rivers agreed to -- on her terms, naturally. “I’d just seen two biographies that I despised, that told you nothing, one about a fashion magazine and the other about a fashion designer,” she recalls in her Fairmont Hotel suite atop San Francisco’s Nob Hill. “I don’t want to say which two. So when Ricki and Annie approached me, I said, ‘I’d love to do it, but I don’t want it to be talking heads saying, ‘Oh, Joan Rivers is my friend.’ I gave them full access.” Rivers sits with her back to the window, ignoring the stunning view to focus on her interviewer. As is clear from the first few minutes of Joan Rivers -- A Piece of Work -- which would close the San Francisco International Film Festival that night, hence Rivers’ visit—the task at hand is always her priority. The rest of the documentary catalogs the energy and persistence required to maintain a career in a youth-obsessed culture. “It’s not just a day in the life of Joan Rivers,” she declares. “It’s the work and the backstage and the business and what you have to do to keep it going, and fighting the age thing and fear.” One doesn’t associate fear, or self-pity, with this archetypal tough cookie. She owns a framed copy of a letter written by Helen Keller, who serves as her point of reference and, characteristically, also pops up in a joke in her act. “I don’t have any role models,” Rivers says with a short laugh. “Anyone that survived a concentration camp. And was able to come back and make a life. I had a neighbor, when I first got married, who had been on a train to Auschwitz with her mother. And the mother pushed her out of the cattle car and said, ‘You’ll be safe because the SS won’t admit they lost a little girl, and the Germans won’t shoot a little girl.’ And she never locked her door in New York, and she said to me, ‘I’ve been through it all.’ She went on, got married, had children.
How do you live and go on? Those are the people you have such respect for. “ Rivers has endured her own miseries, of course, notably her husband Edgar’s 1987 suicide in the wake of her short-lived late-night talk show on Fox. But she downplays her suffering, then mines it for a joke. “I wasn’t watching my mother starve or my father being beaten on the head,” she says. “You think about ups and downs, it’s nonsense: ‘Gee, I gained four pounds.’ ‘Gucci’s out of the shoes. It’s a bad day. They didn’t have my size.’” This is vintage Rivers, pairing tragedy with banality, the important with the trivial. She fervently believes that her way of making people laugh also gets them to think. “I never get on a soapbox onstage,” she declares. “But I do make a few points. I’m glad to remind [audiences] about Mel Gibson, glad to remind them about Hitler, glad to remind them about Anne Frank. But I’ll do it in a way that she Joan Rivers was a whiner, ‘cause she had a very good apartment. Which in New York is true. It would go for $3,000 a month. She had an eatin kitchen, and they’re complaining.” For every Jewish listener or reader who finds that offensive, she’ll get an “amen” for her unwavering stance on Israel. “It’s very easy to still hate Jews,” Rivers asserts. “Nobody would raise a finger if Israel went under. Not a finger. If Israel had the earthquake instead of Haiti, I don’t think Brad Pitt would have been standing out there screaming and crying with Angelina. You can tell me I’m wrong. Let’s hope we never have to know. I think the Obama Administration’s treatment of Israel is outrageous. Outrageous. When we are the only sane nation in that part of the world.” Never one to mince words, the comedienne sets the record straight about her main quibble with Joan Rivers -- A Piece of Work. “What they didn’t get in the movie is I do have friends,” she says with a raspy laugh. “You don’t see me having dinner with somebody, or going to the theater. It looks like, ‘My God! This woman walks alone.’”
June 4, 2010
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Temple youth graduate, take office, and are confirmed
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Left photo: Temple Israel’s twelfth grade graduation class posed with top row, Lori Bennett, Religious School coordinator, left; Rabbi Eric Linder; Rabbi Aryeh Azriel; and Cantor Wendy Shermet. The graduates are middle row, Jordan Slutzky, left; Danny Pachman; Scott Goldberg; Chloe Ginsburg; front row, Brenna Robinson, left; Zoe Vann; Brittany Baines; Hannah Grossman; Molly Goldberg; and Julie Sadofsky.
Middle photo: Omaha Temple Youth Group officers for 2010-2011 were installed during the graduation Shabbat service on May 14. The new Board includes back row, Jordan Jensen, president, left; Sophie Goldberg, communications vice president; Sophia Miller, special projects coordinator; Zane Fletcher, programming vice president; Sam Burrell, social action vice president; Rachel Scheet, membership covice president; front row, Hannah Budwig, Junior Youth Group liaison, left; Morissa Miller, membership co-vice president;
and Hannah Perry, religious and cultural vice president. Right photo: On Shavuot, Temple’s tenth grade class was confirmed. Participating in that service were back row, Cantor Shermet; left, Rabbi Azriel; Rabbi Linder; and Lori Bennett; middle row, Oliver Rockman, left; David Glazer; Jacob Lehr, Yaniv Azriel; Lauren Cooper; Jessica Levinger; Ben Noodell; front row, Megan Bucher, left; Madison Baron; Jordan Jensen; Bailey Newman; Alexis Slutzky; Sophia Miller; and Lindsey Thomas.
Third time’s a charm at Friedel fundraising dinner Continued from page 1 orphaned and hidden children of World War II, he was This story prefaced Gendelman’s earnest remarks Friedel students frequently join Blumkin home resi- able to link seemingly disparate concepts of education, about his wife of almost 30 years, kinehora, Dr.Bonnie dents for visits, art projects, or holiday celebrations, marriage, responsibility to community and preserva- Bloch. He explained that Bonnie had not only agreed enriching both their lives, to raise a committed young and old. We are so Jewish family with him and proud of our community’s children Lesley, Sierra, and investment in the beautiful Adam, but that her vision renovation of the RBJH. of family firmly included Now we ask our communithe extended community. ty’s support in our necesHer accomplishments are sary expansion of Friedel.” too many to include in this Final honorees Bloch article, but among them, and Gendelman were preshe was the first woman ceded by Dr. Rodney president of Beth Israel in Markin and honoree-prea time of transition and difsenter Don Gerber speakficulty, and put it back on a ing the words of Julee path of growth and sucKatzman who was unable cess. She was the president to attend. Dr. Rodney of Friedel, and used her Markin is the Senior education background Associate Dean for Clinical (Dr. Bloch is also a lawyer) Affairs at UNMC. He to be a liaison to the teachnotably and emphatically ers, dedicating hours to said, “You can never say the school, and becoming ‘thank you’ enough, but I a key player in the last really must thank the seven years during which entire Jewish Community time attendance tripled. who have been so supportIt was a funny, touching, ive of UNMC over the Clockwise from top left: honorees Marvin, David, Janet, and Sandra Kohll, not pictured: honoree Justin Kohll; Yaffa passionate event and a Podbilewicz-Schulle, her mother Deborah Tenenbaum, and Dan Schuller; FJA board member Lloyd Roitstein and UNMC’s completely ecumenical one years.” The magical evening Rodney Markin; FJA alumna Eva and Julie Phillips; FJA’s first grade teacher Angie Mass Gormley and husband Clint Gormley. as every Omaha synagogue then became transcendent as a riveting Howard tion of one’s very soul in a moving and poignant way (Beth El, Beth Israel, Temple Israel, and the Chabad Gendelman began to speak. In retelling the story of that was relevant to everyone in the room, Jew and House) contributed to the success of the evening by Jews who attempted to reclaim the thousands of non-Jew alike. providing substantial in-kind donations.
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June 4, 2010
Just the facts.
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Trying to figure out exactly what happened during the recent collision between the Israeli Navy and the Gaza flotilla is nearly impossible. Accusations fly back and forth; anti-Israel demonstrations are organized at the speed of light. IDF spokesman Avi Benayahu called what was waiting for the IDF troops ‘a lynch, and an ambush.’ According to a May 31 article in the Jerusalem Post, written by David Horovitz, “Benayahu said soldiers, who had been dispatched to block the flotilla because of fears that it was carrying weaponry and other highly dangerous cargo into the Hamas-controlled Strip, were attacked with knives and bars and sharpened metal implements.” Not true, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry, which accused Israel of violating International Law. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called it excessive force, while Mahmoud Abbas quickly came up with the media-ready slogan ‘slaughter at sea,’ and called for three days of mourning. A large number of European countries called their Israeli Ambassadors in for questioning. Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmedinijad couldn’t wait to add his two cents, and gloated over the latest “Inhumane action of the Zionist entity.” Members of the UN Security Council, frothing at the mouth, took the opportunity to demand an end to the Gaza blockade while they were at it. Netanyahu quickly returned from Canada and canceled his next Washington meeting to do damage control. Self defense, he said, a logical consequence when we are trying to let humanitarian aid pass, but refuse to let weapons in. In addition, he reminded the public that Gaza-controlling Hamas is no friend of Israel. So, who is right? Who has the real story? The activists, who claim innocence, who claim to have been attacked seemingly out of nowhere,
and without provocation? Or the IDF, explaining that, when they are beaten by activists who aren’t half as peaceful as they pretend to be, they are going to strike back? It’s early, and it’s noisy, and at this stage of the game, we all have our suspicions, but few really know what actually went on aboard those ships. Until there is a full-blown investigation, nobody who wasn’t there should denounce anybody, or pretend to know the truth. And yet, an overwhelming number of foreign governments are ready to do just that. There has been an international outcry over this incident the likes of which haven’t been seen in quite a while. The entire world seems more than ready to point the finger. Of course Israel is the bad guy. Who needs the truth, when government after government has been waiting in the wings to find fault with Israel? The pure glee with which foreign ministers are joining the pack is not all that surprising to anyone who has been following international news. This, I’m afraid, has been a long time coming; it seems Israel has no friends left. Except, there was one exception. Lately, there has been much noise regarding the allegedly worsening relationship between the Obama government and the State (not to mention the people) of Israel. But now, when push comes to shove, America is the lone reasonable voice in the middle of an eager set of vultures, ready to rip flesh wherever exposed. Within hours after the clash, Obama was on the phone with Netanyahu; soon after, a White House spokesperson said the following: “The President expressed deep regret at the loss of life in today’s incident, and concern for the wounded. The President also expressed the importance of learning all the facts and circumstances around
this morning’s tragic events as soon as possible.” Combined with a refusal to condemn Israel, the message couldn’t be clearer: America does not jump to conclusions; America will wait for the facts. During the UN’s emergency session later that same day, Alejandro Wolff, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, reiterated the message in very clear terms. He expressed regret over the loss of lives, and asked Israel to investigate. But he also said: “Mechanisms exist for the humanitarian assistance to Gaza by member states and groups that want to do so. These non-provocative and non-confrontational mechanisms should be the ones used for the benefit of all those in Gaza. Direct delivery by sea is neither appropriate nor responsible, and certainly not effective, under the circumstances.” Why is it that no other country besides America is addressing that side of the issue? What else are we not hearing? Oh, that’s right; it is currently not popular to refuse condemnation. It’s much easier to follow the pack and scream from the highest tower that Israel must pay for its crimes. And if that is indeed the route most governments want to take, those pesky facts will only get in the way.
FOCUS ON ISSUES by STEVEN L. PEASE
SONOMA, Calif. (JTA) -When I was a kid, the prospect of catching polio was terrifying. We could not dive into a public swimming pool for fear we would spend the rest of our lives in an iron lung. Two Jewish doctors vanquished that disease and removed such fears forever. Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin are but two of the Jews we honor in celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month. America has been blessed with many waves of immigrants from all over the world who have made our nation the most successful in history. This success has drawn these immigrants with its promise of living free and making one’s own way, and perhaps achieving and contributing great things. During Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we honor our Jewish countrymen. Their numbers are small, roughly 5 million or 6 million in a country of more than 300 million. The first Jews arrived in 1654 fleeing the Inquisition. They insisted on, and were granted, full citizenship. One hundred of their successors fought in the Revolutionary War and one -Haym Solomon -- helped secure vital financing for George Washington’s Revolutionary Army. Waves of succeeding Jewish immigrants helped build American industries and culture, and our way of life. Jews built the majority of our great retailing institutions like Macy’s and Bloomingdales. Even today, more recent names such as Home Depot and Costco have their roots in Jewish merchants.
Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; Nancy Wolf. 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 . Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.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. 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: editor@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.
The disproportionate success of Jews in America Our garment industry, with names like Levis, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and others, changed the United States from a country in which garments were made by hand, one at a time, into the world’s leader in ready-to-wear and high fashion. Our computers, with names like Dell, software from giants like Oracle, search engines like Google, and social media like Facebook, share the legacy just as Intel and Qualcomm chips and technologies are inside so many of our computers and cell phones. The three largest broadcasting networks -ABC, NBC and CBS -- were built from the efforts of two visionary Jewish entrepreneurs, David Sarnoff and William Paley. Sarnoff in particular saw the potential to convert “wireless,” then used for ship-to-shore communications, into a “broadcast” medium distributed via a “network.” The technology for making movies was invented by the non-Jewish Thomas Edison, the Lumiere brothers and others, but it was Jewish entrepreneurs who saw the potential to create an industry, making feature-length films, distributing them internationally, and building and sustaining the studios. From that arose the vital role played by Jewish movie producers, directors and actors. So many of the most important U.S. newspapers and book publishers came from or were shaped largely by Jews -- notably The New York Times, the Washington Post, Random House, and Simon and Schuster. And in winning 51 percent of the Pulitzer Prizes for nonfiction, we confirm the importance of Jews in news reporting. History shows that if we attend a symphony, one-third of the time the conductor will be Jewish. And if we watch the annual ceremony for the Kennedy Center honorees, we will be celebrating the fact that the same is true for
(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Emily Giller Press Intern
more than one-fourth of our most important performing artists. In medicine, law, science, politics and education, the leadership, innovation and hard work of Jews have benefited us all. And if they have been successful as entrepreneurs, disproportionately represented among the members of the Forbes 400 and as CEOs of the Fortune 500, that achievement is outstripped by the fact that in philanthropy -- particularly for secular causes such as education, medicine and the arts -- Jews are even more philanthropic than they are wealthy. Finally, when the underprivileged in America have needed help, Jews have been there. Julius Rosenwald, who built Sears Roebuck, was responsible for the construction of more than 5,000 schools for blacks throughout the American South when he found conditions appalling. That Jews were attracted to America is a testament to its greatness and hospitality to all immigrants. That they have repaid our welcome and relative freedom from discrimination with great achievements and contributions is equally clear. The huge premium Jews have placed on education, on rearing strong families, their push for innovation and entrepreneurship, tolerance for differing opinions, accountability for one's performance in this life, and their sense of duty to help make the world better (tikkun olam) are but a tiny sample of cultural values that they have added to our melting pot. Jews have enriched America and deserve being celebrated during Jewish American Heritage Month. Steven L. Pease, a venture capitalist and community activist, is the author of “The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement: The Compendium of a Culture, a People, and Their Stunning Performance.” He is not Jewish.
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Pro-Israel, with questions: Beinart pins his thesis to the synagogue door
FOCUS ON ISSUES by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Peter Beinart attends an Orthodox synagogue, once edited The New Republic (the closest thing to a smicha for Jewish policy wonks) and backed Sen. Joe Lieberman’s quixotic 2004 bid to become the first Jewish president. Which is why he’s always been counted among the Washington pundits who defend Israel, Zionism and the right of American Jews to lobby for a strong U.S.Israel relationship. Beinart also frets about how Jewish his kids will be. Which is why he worries about how Israel behaves, how it is perceived and what it means for American Jewry. And why, he says, he published a lengthy essay in last week’s New York Review of Books arguing that American Jews are becoming alienated from Israel and blaming U.S. Jewish groups for refusing to criticize the Israeli government’s perceived rightward shift. “Having kids makes you react differently to things,” Beionart told JTA, speaking of what brought about his 5,000-word (not counting several subsequent rebuttals to rebuttals) encomium. “It made me think more, not about my own Zionist identity, but about what Zionism was going to be available to them,” Beinart said. “I began to grow more and more concerned about the choice they would make, which would have been agonizing for me to watch unfold” -- between an American universalism stripped of Zionism or an “antiuniversalistic Zionism that has strong elements in Israel, and in the Orthodox community for which I have strong affection.” Beinart’s essay has had an impact, unleashing a stream of responses. It is being examined as well in the uppermost precincts of organized U.S. Jewry, and has become fodder for lunchtime chats, insiders say. “Everyone’s read it and everyone is talking about it,” said Marc Pelavin, the associate director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center. The essay comes as dovish and leftist groups in Israel and the United States are beginning to push back against the conventional wisdoms that define organizational American Jewish attitudes about Israel. The most prominent case is the rise in recent years of J Street, but there are other examples: B’Tselem, the human rights group, recently exported an Israeli staffer to direct its Capitol Hill operation.
Officials of Ir Amim, a group that counsels accommodating some Palestinian aspirations in Jerusalem as a means of keeping the peace in the city, are touring the United States this week. They are sounding out Jewish leaders about how to make the case for a shared city to an American Jewish polity where dividing the city is something of a third rail. For the most part, the debate has assumed something of the tone of an earnest, friendly exchange, with the combatants avoiding the sort of dueling takeno-prisoners charges of dual loyalty and anti-Semitism that sometimes marks such exchanges. In large part that’s because of Beinart’s biography and standing. Even his critics admit that Beinart -- unlike other critics of U.S. Jewish support for Israel who have cast it as an anomaly at best and dual loyalty at worst -- cannot be shooed away. James Kirchick, like Beinart an alumnus of The New Republic, said in a critique published on Foreign Policy’s Web site that Beinart’s arguments could not be dismissed. “Beinart has never been part of American Jewry’s leftist faction; up until recently, he was a prominent spokesperson for the hawkish wing of the Democratic Party,” Kirchick said. Beinart’s synagogue door declaration of independence from what he says is establishment Jewish orthodoxy (small o) is framed in the politest of terms, although he names names: the American Israel Committee, the Public Affairs Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “In theory, mainstream American Jewish organizations still hew to a liberal vision of Zionism,” he writes. “On its website, AIPAC celebrates Israel’s commitment to ‘free speech and minority rights.’ Beinart says the Conference of Presidents declares that “‘Israel and the United States share political, moral and intellectual values including democracy, freedom, security and peace.,’ These groups would never say, as do some in Netanyahu’s coalition, that Israeli Arabs don’t deserve full citizenship and West Bank Palestinians don’t deserve human rights. But in practice, by defending virtually anything any Israeli government does, they make themselves intellectual bodyguards for Israeli leaders who threaten the very liberal values they profess to admire.” The response, on the record from the pro-Israel commentariat and off the record from some of Beinart’s targets: He’s moved on. Once an Iraq war supporter, he is now affiliated with the New American Foundation, the liberal-realist
think tank that is home to a number of pronounced critics of traditional American pro-Israel orthodoxies. Shmuel Rosner, a blogger for The Jerusalem Post whose focus for years has been on relations between Israel and U.S. Jewry, wondered whether Beinart hadn’t made it a little too personal. “It is a story worthy of telling, with careful attention to detail, with open mind,” Rosner wrote. “A story more interesting than the personal misgivings one Jewish liberal is trying to impose on the community as a whole.” Jeffrey Goldberg, a correspondent at the Atlantic, and Leon Wieseltier, Beinart’s former colleague at The New Republic, chided Beinart for publishing his essay in The New York Review of Books, which has published material questioning the validity of a Jewish state. In response, Beinart has noted that it also has published tough defenses of Israel -and that it is an apt forum for a writer trying not only to reconcile Zionism with liberals, but liberals with Zionism. More substantive complaints had to do with Beinart’s omissions: He mentions only in passing the Palestinian responsibility -- through the failure to contain terrorism and incitement -- for frustrating the peace talks, and also does not substantially treat the existential threat implied by Iran’s current rulers. He also focuses on Netanyahu’s 1993 book “A Place Among the Nations,” which severs the Palestinians from his vision of a peaceful Middle East instead of the prime minister’s more recent pronouncements acceding to a two-state solution. Beinart, in follow-up essays in the online Daily Beast, another of his employers, argues that he glances by the Palestinians because he is writing about and for Jews. “My piece never claimed to offer an overview of the Israeli-Palestinian or Israeli-Iranian conflict.,” he wrote. “Rather, it was a plea for American Jewish organizations to take sides in Israel’s domestic struggle between democrats and authoritarians, and thus help save liberal Zionism in the United States. Those American Jewish organizations, of course, don’t need to be encouraged to criticize Iran and the Palestinians.” As for Netanyahu, Beinart argues that his acceptance of Palestinian statehood was only grudging and came under intense American pressure. Rosner also picks over Beinart’s statistical analyses, wondering if they hold up. The research, Rosner says, shows that American Jews who believe in trading land for peace -- and who conceivably would be at odds with its current government -- nonetheless describe themselves as attached to Israel, whatever its current
political posture. Kirchick notes that attachment to Israel has traditionally increased with age. Steven M. Cohen, one of the sociologists whose work Beinart cites in his essay, thinks Beinart is right to say younger Jews are increasingly alienated from Israel, but wrong to blame it on politics. Instead, he argued in a response published by Foreign Policy, the main factor is intermarriage -- more specifically, the “departure from all manner of Jewish ethnic ‘groupiness,’ of which Israel attachment is part.” That said, Cohen added, “Jewishly engaged young adults” are turned off by their perception that debate over Israel is not welcomed in Jewish communal circles. “If Israel is to retain the engagement of the coming (and present) generation of American Jews,” he wrote, “organized American Jewry will need to provide a third alternative -- one that combines love of Israel with a rich and open discourse on its policies and politics.” Whatever the dimensions of the threat, even some of Beinart’s named targets -speaking off the record -- agreed that a crisis was imminent and that he raised worthwhile issues. “Is my diagnosis as dour as his is? No, I’m probably not as pessimistic as Beinart is,” said one such official. “But anybody’s who’s not worried about” disaffection among younger Jews, “whether they believe his thesis or not, is fooling themselves.” Beinart’s best point, this official said, is that young Jews are not as prone to see themselves as victims as the establishment is. “The most correct part of his analysis, the challenge for us, is a Jewish community that is changing,” the official said. “We have viewed ourselves as having been powerless and weak, but we have evolved into a community that is powerful and strong.” Plenty of previous debates over Israel and the pro-Israel lobby have descended into name calling and generated plenty of hostility. Not this time, according to Beinart. “In all honesty, the thing I worried about most was the reaction of some of our friends because a lot of the people whose friendship I really value are significantly to my right, which isn’t surprising at an Orthodox synagogue. But I mostly worried for nothing,” Beinart wrote in an exchange with Goldberg. “There’s been a lot of disagreement, but nothing the least bit malicious. It’s made me realize how remarkable and unusual a community we live in, in fact. I think I may even have smoked out one or two hidden doves.”
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
June 4, 2010
Candlelighting Friday, June 4, 8:36 p.m.
Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org
Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org
Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154
Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org
The Neighborhood Prayer Group 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609
Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org
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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Sarah Kutler, daughter of Howard and Nancy Kutler will become Bat Mitzvah; Minha/ Ma’ariv, 8:50 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Study SUNDAY: Bible Discussion Group, 10 a.m. WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB: Will not meet in June. COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL MEETING: On Wednesday, June 9, 7 p.m., there will be an informational meeting for BESTT parents and students who will be in grades 712, about the new Jewish Community High School in the synagogue’s West Court. Babysitting will be provided for younger siblings by making reservations with Judy Rubin, at 498.0904 or eddir@bethel-omaha.org. ANNUAL MEETING: Sunday, June 13, 1 p.m. New officers and board members will be installed; outgoing board members will be recognized; congregational awards will be presented. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP: Meets on Sunday, June 13, 3 p.m. at the JCC for the film, Four Seasons Lodge. Cost: $5, which includes reception afterward. RSVPs needed by June 9; to reserve a spot, contact Margie in the office or at programming@bethel-omaha.org. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush by Sisterhood; “Guard Your Tongue,” “The Great Midrash”
and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up), one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Beth Israel Board of Commissioner’s Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m.; Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. Follow the Kollel at www.omahakollel.blog spot.com. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m taught via skype.
SUNDAY: Board of Trustees meeting, 1 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY, 7 p.m. Intro to Judaism, led by Rabbi Emanuel.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Jim Polack.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Eric Linder. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.
THURSDAY: Adult Study with clergy, 10 a.m.; CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30 p.m. at South entrance.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP FRIDAY: Minyan, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch in honor of Zachariah Knecht and Talmud study.
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. Mini-Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush lunch follows. Join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: JLI class, Beyond Never Again, How the Holocaust Speaks to Us Today, 7 p.m. Visit www.OChabad.com for more details or to register. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com with any questions or to receive a guest pass. All programs are open to the entire community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Oneg, 6 p.m.; Early Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Jewish Movie Night, When Do We Eat?, 7 p.m. Snacks, Refreshments and Child Care provided. RSVP to the Temple office 402.435.8004 or stemple@neb. rr.com.
School year ends, Campaign begins by SARAH TRAININ The Jewish Federation of Lincoln began their annual fundraising campaign on Sunday, May 16, with a picnic and party that also helped to commemorate the last day of the Lincoln Jewish Community
took the microphone and gave a rousing speech reminding all of us of the crucial role that the Jewish Federation plays in our community. Beginning with the famous quote of Hillel, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what
Students of the Lincoln Jewish Community School School’s 2009-2010 school year am I? And, if not now, when?” Al and Yom Yerushalim. asked us all to remember our obliThough the weather was unex- gation to ourselves, our children, pectedly inclement, the misty and our community and to conskies didn’t deter anyone. sider making a pledge commiserFederation members, teachers, ate with both our capabilities and and students, all had a fun and our dreams for our community. festive time. The event began As moved as the adults were by with presentations by each grade Al’s inspiring words, the children level, from pre-K to Hallah High. seemed equally moved by the Each group represented them- hotdogs, salads, watermelon, selves in their own unique way, frisbees, and bounce house that some danced, some put on skits, the Federation generously proand others presented the culmi- vided for the celebration. David nation of unit work that they had Brockman and Julie Widman were in charge of the food done throughout the year. Following the school presenta- preparation. Jennifer Rosenblatt tions, and a sincere and heartfelt did the behind the scenes coorthank you to the LJCS school dination that made this an enjoydirectors, Andrea Halpern and able event for everyone. All in Tracy Gordon, the Lincoln all, a better event could not have Federation President, Al Weiss, transpired, rain or shine.
B’NAI MITZVAH Alec Ruxton Epstein, son of Laurie and Jeff Epstein and Ellie and Alexander Fields, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, June 12, at Beth El. Alec is a seventh-grade Honor Roll student at Westside Middle School. He is a Block Scholar and has been Student of
the Week. His interests include baseball, basketball and golf. He has two sisters, Cali and Sophie, and two brothers, Spencer and Charlie. Grandparents are Bobbie and Bob Epstein, and Penny and Dennis Dix. Step-grandparents are Rachael and Bill Brown, Barbara Fields, and Fred Fields. Great-grandparents are Charlotte Adler, and Latifa Cohen.
Jared Maxwell Polack, son of Susan and James Polack, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, June 12, at Beth Israel. Max will be an eighthg r a d e Principals Honor Roll student at Beveridge Middle School. He received the Principals Award for Academic
Excellence and is in the National Junior Honor Society. He holds a General Class FCC license in Ham Radio, and takes karate. For his mitzvah project, Max assists with conducting Shabbat services at the Rose Blumkin Home. He has a brother, Joshua. Grandparents are Lenore Polack, the late Joseph Polack, Israel Berkowitz and Vera Berkowitz.
Pulverente MONUMENT CO.
June 4, 2010
Scouting the Promised Land
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Shelach Lecha It has been said that a military general is likely to appreciate poetry more than a private, or even a sergeant in his army. Whatever the case may be, intellectual capacity tends to cover more fields of endeavor than one only. Thus we are not surprised when Moses, whom we know as Moses our Teacher, becomes a master of strategy as the Israelites approach the Promised Land. Therefore he sends out scouts to see what the land is like: is it mountainous, or is it flat? Are there rivers, or is it subject to drought? Are the people who live there militarily adroit, or will they be easy to subjugate? Are the cities walled in for defense, or are they open and more easily conquered? The scouts reported to Moses in a double report. Ten of the twelve reported that it was much too powerful for the Israelites, who were basically untrained in warfare, to conquer. Only two of the twelve said that, with the help of the Lord and with proper military strategy, the land would fall into their possession. Do you find it strange (I do!) that the origin of the Minyan, a quorum for public prayer, developed out of these ten, who brought such a disappointing idea of the power of the Land to keep the Israelites out? The two, whose report was acted upon when the land was taken, were Caleb and Joshua. It was that same Joshua who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites.
New Zealand bans kosher slaughter by JTA NEWS STAFF SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) – New Zealand has banned shechita, the kosher slaughter of animals. The country’s new animal welfare code, which took effect last Friday, mandates that all animals for commercial consumption be stunned prior to slaughter to ensure that they are treated “humanely and in accordance with good practice and scientific knowledge.” The regulation has shocked the Jewish community. “This decision by the New Zealand government, one which has a Jewish prime minister, is outrageous,” said Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, acting president of the Organization of Rabbis of Australasia. Gutnick, who travels frequently to New Zealand to oversee shechita, added that “One of the last countries I would have expected to bring in this blatantly discriminatory action would have been New Zealand.” David Zwartz, the chairman of the Wellington Jewish Council, agreed. “I am sure there will objections made that this action is an infringement of the right of Jews to observe their religion,” he said. Agriculture Minister David Carter rejected a recommendation that shechita be exempt from the new code. The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee did recommend a dispensation for kosher slaughter in 2001, but the new code does not allow any exemptions. Among other countries that have banned shechita are Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
iPhone app divides Jerusalem by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA staff) -- Yahoo’s weather application for the iPhone has divided Jerusalem. Users of the pre-installed application must now choose between West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem, West Bank, to get the weather for the city following a change that went into effect over the weekend. The temperature information for both choices is identical, as it comes from the same weather station, identified on the Yahoo weather pages as Jerusalem, Israel.
DEATHS JULIE ANNE DURMASKIN Julie Anne Durmaskin, age 50, passed away May 26 in her home after a four-month long battle with pancreatic cancer. Services were held May 28 at the Beth El Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her mother, Joan Sandra Bernstein, and her father, Abraham “Bud” Bernstein. She is survived by her husband of 28 years, Jay Durmaskin; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Laura Durmaskin of Boston; daughter Amy Durmaskin; sister, Deborah Bernstein of Los Angeles. Julie has always been an active member of the Jewish community. From the leader of her youth group growing up, to her many years as a BESTT Sunday school teacher, Julie has spread her warm heart and spirit of loving kindness, or hesed, to both fellow congregants and her numerous students. Julie recently helped launch the national B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program in Omaha through the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, which aims to teach young teens the Jewish value of tzedakah. Julie has been a vibrant and compassionate part of all the lives she has touched, and will always be lovingly remembered. Her family would like to thank all of the support the community has shown them throughout her battle. Memorials may be made to the Julie Durmaskin Professional Education Fund of the American Society for Training & Development (astdnebraska.org/en/ donations/add.asp), Jewish Family Services, Beth El Synagogue, or the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. In Julie’s honor, the ASTD Nebraska 2010 Board announced The Julie Durmaskin Professional Education Scholarship, which provides monetary assistance to members of the local chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, ASTD Nebraska, for attending educational programs for professional development. Julie Durmaskin served on the Board as Director of Education. Her friends on the ASTD Nebraska Board named their scholarship fund after her as a token of appreciation. Her passion for education is an inspiration and will continue to inspire workplace learning and performance professionals through the scholarship. DR. ARTHUR FREDERIC FISHKIN Dr. Arthur Frederic Fishkin, Emeritus Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Creighton University, died May 27 at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. He died peacefully in his sleep on his 80th birthday, following an extended illness with lung cancer. Services were held on May 30 at Beth Israel Synagogue. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jane Leslie Paul, whom he met at The University of Iowa. They were married in 1956 at her home in Bangor, Maine; sons and daugthers-in-law, Paul A.S. and LaDona Fishkin of Peoria, IL, Charles Fishkin and Suzanne Tinley of Chappaqua, NY, Joel A. Fishkin and Luella Bangura of Lafayette, IN; and son, James Fishkin of Washington, D.C.; five grand children, Henry Paul, Jeanne Marie, Grant Alexander, Alena Ann, and Sara Janah. Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.
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US delegation will attend Conference by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- President Obama is sending a delegation to the Palestine Investment Conference. The conference will take place Wednesday through Friday in Bethlehem. George Mitchell, Obama’s special envoy for Middle East peace, will lead the delegation, according to the White House. Other members include Neal Wolin, deputy secretary of the U.S. Treasury; Daniel Rubinstein, American consul general in Jerusalem; Mara Rudman, deputy special envoy for Middle East peace; and Dr. Ziad Asali, president and founder of the American Task Force on Palestine, which advocates a two-state solution and has good relations with Jewish groups.
Congratulations Grant Schlotman 2010 Nebraska Father of the Year! Thanks to all the nominees across Nebraska! Grant, a resident of Milford, was nominated by his daughter, Tracy Fuller of Seward.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
June 4, 2010
Volunteers needed for 2010 JCC Maccabi Games by EMILY GILLER For everyone who likes a math challenge here’s a brainteaser: 1,000 athletes will be arriving in Omaha in August. More than 300 coaches will follow. Over 5,000 lunches and 4,000 dinners will be served. One opening ceremony plus one final night plus two evening events equals one big event; the 2010 JCC Maccabi Games. With such high numbers Omaha’s Games are looking great, except for one thing: the number of volunteers doesn’t add up. With less than 58 days until the Maccabi Games, hundreds of volunteers are still needed. “We can use all the help we can get. Even if that person can only give one shift, they’re extremely valuable,” Lisa Shkolnick, Maccabi Games director, said. Some specific jobs for volunteers include registration,
which involves putting together goodie bags and helping with the actual arrival of athletes. Helping pass food and drinks out at the sporting venues and helping to serve and “turn over” tables at meal times. Also, chaperones are needed for evening events and “hangtime,” which is where athletes can go, relax and participate in Israeli and Judaic activities. According to Diane Malashock, the Maccabi program director and Delegation Head, a lot of work goes into putting the Maccabi Games together. “It’s been a two year process but when you see all the kids performing, every moment spent on the games is worth it in the end,” Malashock said. The need for volunteers is so important because it’s the volunteers who help make the Maccabi Games pos-
sible. The Maccabi Games allow people to come together and give the athletes the opportunity to participate in an event that they will remember forever. “Coordinating these Games is a community effort and organizing hundreds of volunteers is no exception,” Shkolnick said. “And we encourage people to sign up today!” On Sunday June 23 at 1 p.m., the JCC will be holding a Maccabi Volunteer Information Session to learn about and register for the volunteer roles that still need to be filled. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Volunteers preferably should be 21-years-old or older, however, there are select jobs for people ages 19-20. To become a volunteer call Jessica Reed, the Maccabi administrative coordinator, at 334.6418.
ZAKA expanding Arab units by AMY KLEIN (JTA) -- At the scene of terrorist attacks, accidents and even homicides, most Israelis are used to the sight of ZAKA volunteers -- Orthodox men working to save lives or recover body parts of the dead. What they may not know is that ZAKA, Israel’s Orthodox-run life-saving, rescue and recovery service, also has a minorities unit comprised of Bedouin, Muslim and Druse volunteers. Started about five years ago to serve Israel’s nonJewish communities, primarily Bedouin in the Negev and Druse in the Galilee, the minorities unit is expanding due to its success. Nearly 100 volunteers and three units will be added. Twenty-six volunteers in two minorities units currently are among ZAKA’s 1,500 volunteers, who work in coordination with Israeli government agencies on any unnatural death – be it a car accident, terrorist bombing, murder or suicide. Trained as paramedics and in first aid, the volunteers, who are on call 24/7, attempt to revive the victims and, if unsuccessful, respectfully attend to the dead. Sheik Jaffal Abu Sabet, who has been leading the Muslim unit in the Negev for the past 13 years, says that, just like in Jewish law, in which honoring the dead is a great mitzvah, “For us it is also a great honor.”
The minorities unit also functions when religious Jews helps, says David Rose, ZAKA’s director of internationcannot, on the Sabbath and holidays. According to al development. “We were often the first on the scene, and the question Jewish law, Jews may violate the Sabbath to save a life, arose about how to contact the families or deal with the but not to deal families or treat the dead,” Rose said of cases involving with the dead. Bedouin, Druse and Muslim victims. “It gives me Now ZAKA, which started as an ultra-Orthodox, or faith and pride haredi, organization, plans to increase its Druse, that they depend Bedouin and Muslim units to 125 volunteers in five on me,” Abu units. ZAKA views its most important task in the Sabet said of the minorities unit as dealing with the victims themselves. Jews he helps. “Interestingly, at the first meeting you had Jewish rabbis “In the end we telling the local imams how we deal with our dead are all people -according to Jewish law, and their local religious leaders Jews, Muslims, telling the rabbis how they deal with their dead,” Rose Christians -- and said. we all must be According to both Jewish and Muslim law it is importaken care of the tant to treat the dead respectfully, whether it be coversame way.” ing the bodies so that others cannot see them or collectIn car accidents ing every last body part for burial, including blood. and terrorist attacks, the police A Bedouin volunteer of the ZAKA rescue-and- “In principle, they deal with it the same way,” Gadi Credit: ZAKA Kellermann, chief of operations in the Negev, said of contact families. recovery organization. But for other unnatural deaths, it is ZAKA members who Muslim dealings with the dead. “But from an emotional point of view, it’s good for Muslim families to know that often visit the victim’s home to inform the family. Having volunteers who hail from those communities there are Muslims dealing with the victims from the start.”