June 24, 2011

Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA June 24, 2011 22 Sivan 5771 Vol. 90 | No. 42

Next Week There will be no July 1 Jewish Press.

This Week

Former Omahan demonstrates unshakable U.S. assistance to Japan Page 2

Exhibition by Midwest Fiber Alliance to open in JCC Gallery Page 7

Buenos Aires mayor taps rabbi to lead party list Page 12

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

8 10 11

Growing up at the JCC by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP Editor of the Jewish Press We all like to think of the Jewish Community Center as a home for everyone. We work here, volunteer here, attend board meetings and send our children to school and summer camp. We get massages, hit the gym, and enjoy the pool and the library, among other things. It’s much more than a building: “You belong here,” it says on the banners outside, and it’s true. It’s a point that was driven home to Debbi Zweiback last winter. While looking for something she lost around the Arizona house she and husband Speedy share, Debbi Zweiback found an unexpected treasure. It was a picture of her daughter, Lauren, in her dance outfit. Lauren was five-years-old at the time. In the photograph, two friends accompany her: Michelle, daughter of Diane and Larry Malashock, and Erin, daughter of Jody and Buzz Malashock. “Those little girls are now grown women, and are all getting married within five months of each other,” Debbi says. “As children, they spent much of their time at the Jewish Community Center; they became

Lauren, left, and her mother Debbi Zweiback, Jody Malashock and daughter Erin, Diane Malashock and daughter Michelle. friends because their moms, Diane, Jody, and I, were hanging out together.” Mothers and daughters cemented their friendships against the backdrop of JCC dance practice, playgroups, preschool, and various JCC enrichment programs, which “nurtured both their spirits and their souls,” Debbi says. After starting dance at the J, the girls continued their lessons together at Mary Waugh Taylor’s studio. Although Lauren didn’t join Erin

HHEF restructures Board of Directors by MARY BORT Simon is chairman of the board of Heartland Holocaust Educational Fund Omaha Steaks International, Inc. The Heartland Holocaust Other original board members Educational Fund (HHEF) include Dr. Ronald Roskens, former announced a restructuring of its president of the University of Nebraska system, board of direcMorton Glass, tors. Four of the businessman, and five original William E. board members Ramsey, public have become relations execucharter members tive. These memand will continue bers oversaw the to support the organization and HHEF Board in development of an advisory capathe HHEF. city. Dr. Kenneth “This is an excitM. Bird joins the ing time for the remaining four HHEF,” said board members Fried. “I can’t as new chairman express how of the board. much we appreciThe HHEF was ate everything founded in 2001 Dr. Kenneth Bird that Alan, Ron, by Sam Fried, a survivor of Auschwitz, and his wife, Mort and Bill have done over the Frances. Fried, a retired business- past ten years. And our newly man, appointed Alan Simon as formed board, under the leadership chairman of the Board of Directors. of Dr. Bird, will be enhanced by their continued support of our mission.” Bird is CEO and president of Avenue Scholars Foundation (formerly known as the Bright Futures Foundation), which provides support for students of talent and need through high school, college and into the workforce. He retired as Westside Community Schools Superintendent after serving Continued on page 2

and Michelle at Montclair, they maintained their friendship. Then, they all came together again at Beveridge Middle School, and then Burke High School. “Jewish day camp led into overnight JCC camp, sports, cultural programs, and youth group participation. When I looked at that photo, taken when they were only fiveyears-old, I became so nostalgic,” Debbi says. Diane and husband Larry Malashock moved to Omaha from

Tennessee in 1984. “Jody and Debbi had already become friends,” Diane remembers, “and it felt natural to seek each other’s company and let our children spend time together. We lived very close to the J, and spent an enormous amount of time here. In fact, there’s still a picture of the girls with [teacher] Helen Epstein in the hallway of the CDC. I remember how hard it was to get a spot; you literally had to stand in line. Because of the preschool, I made so many friends.” “My daughter Michelle is the eldest of the three girls,” Diane says. “She’s getting married to B.J. Turnbull in July, while Erin married Aaron Berger in April, and Lauren’s wedding to Kelson Jorgenson will take place in September, which is indeed a pretty cool coincidence.” “It’s hard to imagine so much time has passed,” Jody adds. “After all these years, we have to accept that those little girls have grown up and become adults. Seeing Erin getting married, it was a fabulous thing. For us mothers, watching your daughter get married to the right person is a pretty emotional moment.” Jody is the first of the mothers to Continued on page 3

When the cat’s away by OZZIE NOGG While Federation CEO Mike Silverman enjoyed a much needed vacation with his family, the June 10 Star Deli Friday Lunch saw patrons and staff celebrating the boss’s birth-

Silverman Birthday Dessert -- a double layer yellow cake with cherry filling. Gurock, the quintessential party planner, had another gimmick up his sleeve. “I bought a cardboard cut-out of a guy on a surf-

From the front of the table going around is Rachel Kanner, Joey Shyken, Richard Reinblatt, Tamar Schiller, Ian Yellin, Wes Ferrel, Stacy Jo Ferrel, Sara Weinrich, and Paul Gnabasik. day with a special Buy-A-BuckBalloon fundraiser in his honor. All proceeds benefit Jewish Family Service on its 100th Anniversary. “Even though Mike wasn’t here, we had a great time at his birthday party,” said Josh Gurock, Jewish Social Services Facilities Coordinator. “Each paper Buy-A-BuckBalloon carries a congratulatory message to Mike and will decorate the walls on campus for a week.” The June 10 Deli Lunch featured a CEO Special Prime Rib Sandwich. Birthday hats were provided, and everyone who sported a chapeau received a free piece of Mike

board and placed Mike’s head on it,” Gurock explained. “Then I had people stand next to the cut-out and have their picture taken with Mike on vacation. It was hysterical.” In addition to the fundraiser balloons available at the Star Deli birthday party, all entrances to the campus -- including the Blumkin Home, JCC, Member Services, JFS and CDC -- provided visitors with the week-long opportunity to BuyA-Buck-Balloon in support of Jewish Family Service. “Another example,” said Gurock, “of the One Campus culture being fostered on 132nd Street.”

2 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2011

Former Omahan demonstrates unshakable U.S. assistance to Japan

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN The U.S. Marine Corps as well as the Air Force and the Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Army also were involved in providing support to Japan by Dan Rochman, born and raised in Omaha, has been the opening refueling points, providing basic medical care for deputy political counselor at the U. S. Embassy in Jakarta, those in immediate need, surveying damaged infrastrucIndonesia, since July 2009. In March, he was assigned to ture, monitoring the spread of potential disease, operating temporary duty in Japan in response to the devastating 9.0 radiological surveillance, recovering aircraft traffic, conearthquake and resulting tsunami as a team leader for the ducting surveys and removal of debris, assisting in clearing Japan Emergency Command Center at the American runways and opening towers, providing translators, comEmbassy in Tokyo. munications experts and combat medics, and establishing “My work there involved coordinating disaster relief, and maintaining a distribution and supply point. assistance to Americans, and U.S. nuclear mitigation efforts “In the first month or so of the operation,” Dan pointed after the earthquake and tsunami,” out, “the U.S. military delivered explained Rochman who graduatover 260 tons of disaster relief and ed from Westside High School in humanitarian supplies to the peo1982. He’s the son of Dick ple in Japan.” Rochman, a member of Beth El Partnering with the American Synagogue, who lives in Omaha Jewish Joint Distribution and Marcia and Jack Cohen who Committee, the Jewish communiare residents of Omaha and Sanibel ty of Japan raised funds to be Island, Florida. The Cohens are transferred to JEN, a non-governmembers of Temple Israel. ment organization that has exten“I’ve been working for the U.S. sive experience aiding victims of Department of State since 1991 as a natural disasters throughout the foreign service officer,” Dan conworld. tinued. A graduate of the “Results of the disaster in Japan University of Michigan with a were really tragic,” described Dan. Dan Rochman and his wife Sayaka live in Jakarta, degree in philosophy and Johns “As a close friend and ally, the Indonesia, where he is with the staff of the U.S. Hopkins University where he United States government and Embassy. earned a master’s in international people have made tremendous relations, Dan said joining the foreign service “seemed like efforts to help those affected in Japan. Since the scope of the a good idea at the time.” damage is so large, it will probably take years for a full Along with his wife Sayaka and their three sons Andrew, recovery, and the United States will continue to provide nec16, Thomas, 14, and David, 12, Dan has lived in Tokyo and essary support for some time ahead. Friends help each Nagoya, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand; and Seoul, South Korea. other,” said the former Omaha AZA member. Although there are no synagogues in Indonesia where the He added that “even as Japan was struggling to recover Rochmans live currently, according to Dan, when they live from its own tragedy, it was quick to provide assistance to in America, they’re members of Temple Rodef Shalom in Alabama after the tornado damage there.” Japan representaFalls Church, Virginia. tives delivered 8,000 blankets and 150 huge pieces of plastic Upon arriving in Japan, Dan found Tokyo to be “essen- sheeting to Montgomery, Alabama, after the April tornado tially normal except for decreased electricity. Areas in the there. Japanese officials said the donations are a symbol of northeast of Japan were…very devastated. In addition to their country’s appreciation for the help the United States helping with relief efforts and working to mitigate the provided after the earthquake and tsunami on March 11.” nuclear crisis at the Fukushima reactor (involving staff from “Immediately after the earthquake, the United States, our the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory most important friend and ally, provided swift cooperation,” Commission, U.S. military and others), the Embassy tried reported Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. “President to locate missing Americans and tend to the welfare of those Obama kindly called me to convey his strong commitment in affected areas including flights for those who chose to that the United States stood ready to provide all-out support depart Japan,” Dan said. to the Japanese people during this time of great difficulty. Relief efforts performed by the Department of Defense He reaffirmed that the relationship between our nations is (DOD) were designated “Operation Tomodachi,” Japanese unshakable. So many Japanese citizens, including myself, for friend. U.S. efforts focused most heavily on transport of were enormously encouraged by these remarks. From an relief supplies and Self-Defense Force personnel and equip- early stage in the response efforts, U.S. forces have diligentment; surveillance of the affected area to search for strand- ly performed relief activities on multiple fronts.” ed victims; and restoration of critical infrastructure such as U.S. assistance came also from non-government organizadamaged airfields in order to sustain operations. tions and countless individuals in various forms of humanAdditionally, the DOD was available to respond to the itarian assistance, search-and-rescue missions, charity stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor. Several U.S. events, and fundraising including one million dollars raised Naval carriers served as refueling platforms in rescue and by the Jewish Federations of North America. “The attitude recovery efforts, provided for Japan’s long-term defense, that Americans have demonstrated during this operation,” delivered humanitarian supplies to the affected areas, and the prime minister stressed, “has deeply touched the hearts provided a mobile operating base for helicopter missions. and minds of the Japanese.”

HHEF restructures Board of Directors Continued from page 1 in that position for 16 years. Bird has received numerous awards including Nebraska Superintendent of the Year and UNL’s David W. Hutcheson Award for Distinguished Service to Education. In addition to Bird and Fried, other current HHEF Board members are Tom Baker, Nate Dodge and David G. Brown. Baker, business development executive for Aon Risk Services Central, Inc., is HHEF vice president of endowment. Serving as HHEF vice president of administration, Dodge is executive vice president of NP Dodge Company. Brown is president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. “It’s an honor to sit on the board with these highly qualified individuals,” stated Fried. The HHEF supports Holocaust and genocide classes at Creighton University, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha and Wayne State College. The HHEF relies on grants and donations to fund these courses. Additionally, the long range goal of the organization is to raise funds to support the courses in perpetuity. “HHEF is making a difference,” noted Fried. “We receive comments from students who take HHEF-sponsored courses, and it is clear that they are deeply affected by what they

learn. These future leaders can help ensure that genocide becomes a thing of the past.” To learn more about the HHEF, visit www.holocaustedu cationfund.org or call 402.334.6459.

No Israel question during GOP presidential debate by JTA NEWS STAFF Washington (JTA) -- Israel was nowhere to be found as a topic during the first Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire. Presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and Ron Paul discussed the economy, health care, social issues and other topics during Monday night’s two-hour debate at St. Anselm College, but a question on the candidates’ stance on Israel was conspicuously absent. The only explicit mention of the Jewish state came in passing, during one of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s answers when he charged President Obama has “turned his back” on America’s allies, including Israel.

June 24, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 3

Homeland Security partners with Jewish groups on security campaign

Growing up at the JCC Continued from page 1 have made it through the wedding: “I was worried it would be hard to pull off, but everything went very well. My nephews, Andrew and Jeffrey (Diane's sons) per-

From left to right: Lauren, Erin, and Michelle formed the ceremony music. Although, I have to admit I didn't hear a single note because I was so focused on walking down the aisle with Erin and Buzz! It’s amazing how much life has happened since that picture was taken in dance class; of course, the girls all eventually went their own way, but seeing them together at the wedding, it’s like no time had passed. It’s easy to fall back into the friendship. I am so happy all three girls found their partner and will be able to share this as well.” “Over the years, Jody, Diane and I have all worked and volunteered at the J,” Debbi says. Debbi worked at the ADL for many years, Diane recently made the move to the Center for Jewish Education, and Jody is President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Board of Directors. “The J always felt like a partner when it came to raising our kids. Our children were nurtured, encouraged and loved here; to grow up in such a safe environment is to know G-d’s grace. We are, indeed, fortunate.” Since Erin, Michelle and Lauren took their first ballet steps, thousands of children have made the J their home, through the CDC, Friedel, summer camp, and the many different kinds of programming the JCC has to offer. Of course, change has happened, as it must; most notably, next month, the JCC will welcome its new director, Aaron Rosenfeld (Look for an extensive introduction to Aaron in the July 8 Jewish Press). Some things, however, don’t change: dance classes go on as always, and parents and children continue to find a home away from home at the Jewish Community Center. PRINTING, COPYING and DIGITAL NETWORK

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by MADELEINE MORGENSTERN the killing by U.S. forces of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden. WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The U.S. Department of “This campaign is an opportunity to involve the grass Homeland Security is working with Jewish organizations to roots of our community, and to emphasize the importance expand awareness of suspicious behavior. of security measures and empower them to do more,” said The “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign Hoenlein, who was at the meeting with Napolitano. will distribute posters and customized announcements in William Daroff, vice president for public policy and direcsynagogues, Jewish community centers and related agencies tor of the Washington office for the Jewish Federations of across the country. Its thrust will be to educate the Jewish North America, said the response from local Jewish leaders community to be on the about the campaign has alert for suspicious behavbeen uniformly positive. ior and to report the com“There’s an understandmunity’s concerns to local ing among Jewish commulaw enforcement. nal leaders that the Jewish “One of the main goals community is unfortuof the campaign is to nately often a target,” he encourage people not to be said. fearful, but to be vigilant,” The visuals and imagery said John Cohen, a senior for the campaign material Homeland Security offiwas created with the help cial.“People know what of the Secure Community belongs in their communiNetwork, an initiative ty, they know when things funded by the Jewish look out of place. We’re not Federations of North Paul Goldenberg, the director of the Secure Community Network, looking for the public to America. right; Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; Conference of make the determination of Posters and related matePresidents Executive Vice President, Malcolm Hoenlein; American whether something is terrial will be distributed to Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris; Jewish rorist-related.” communities through Federations of North America President and CEO Jerry Silverman; The Department of local Jewish federations. and Jewish Federations of North America’s Executive Committee Homeland Security’s speThe Department of Chair Michael Gelman meet at the White House to raise awareness cial partnership with the Homeland Security will in Jewish communities about terrorist threats, June 10, 2011. Jewish community is absorb the cost of the camCredit: Secure Community Network based on the recognition paign. that the community is a target for threats, Cohen said. The department is looking to expand the program to Two men were arrested last month in connection with an other faith-based communities, including evangelical alleged plot to blow up Manhattan synagogues. And last Christians and Mormons, according to Cohen. The agency October, two packages found on cargo jets addressed to already has started partner campaigns with a number of Chicago-area synagogues contained explosive devices. organizations, including Amtrak and local transit agencies, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met June and within all federal buildings under federal protection. 10 at the White House with Jewish leaders to discuss the Homeland Security launched “If You See Something, Say new partnership and ways to expand Jewish vigilance. Something” nationwide last year after originating the camNapolitano spoke at the meeting about the threat facing the paign with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Jewish community from radical Islamists and right-wing Authority. extremist groups, according to David Harris, the executive Paul Goldenberg, national director for the Secure director of the American Jewish Committee. Community Network, said the program is a way to “raise the Napolitano understands “very well what links these two bar of awareness.” groups is deep-rooted hatred,” Harris said. “It’s logical to go “The ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign empowto the Jewish community and say ‘let’s partner.’” ers this community to directly participate in their own safeMalcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the ty,” Goldenberg said. “This program focuses on better proConference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, tecting places where Jewish people come to worship, where said the new partnership is particularly vital given the they meet and where they socialize.” reported escalation of threatening statements in the wake of

4 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2011

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July Community Calendar SATURDAY, JUNE 25 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JUNE 26 Weekly Bible Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El S’mores and Songs, 7 p.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JUNE 27 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Teleconferencing Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. THL 354: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, JUNE 28 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad B’nai B’rith Annual Awards Lunch & Farewell for Outgoing President Gary Javitch, noon at Blumkin Home Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JUNE 30 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Women’s Book Group, 1 p.m. at Beth El Lomir Redn Yiddish, 1 p.m. THL 354: Introduction to Judaism, 5:45 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 18 Teleconferencing Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. Mainstreeters Luncheon Program, 12:30 pm Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Women's Rosh Hodesh Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El

TUESDAY, JULY 19 BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

THURSDAY, JULY 7 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Lomir Redn Yiddish, 1 p.m. FRIDAY, JULY 8 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Jewish Ethics Through Pirkei Avot, noon with Dr. Guy Matalon SATURDAY, JULY 9 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 10 Weekly Bible Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El WRJ Meeting, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Art Gallery Exhibit Reception, 2 p.m. MONDAY, JULY 11 Teleconferencing Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. IHE Governance Council Meeting, 11:30 a.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 1 Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad Jewish Ethics Through Pirkei Avot, noon with Dr. Guy Matalon

TUESDAY, JULY 12 ADL/CRC Executive Committee Meeting, noon BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

SATURDAY, JULY 2 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

SUNDAY, JULY 3 Weekly Bible Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Sunday Night Summer BBQ, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel

THURSDAY, JULY 14 Lomir Redn Yiddish, 1 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 21 Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. Lomir Redn Yiddish, 1 p.m. SATURDAY, JULY 23 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 24 Weekly Bible Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Jewish Social Services/Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Volunteer Recognition, 1:30 p.m. MONDAY, JULY 25 Teleconferencing Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. Jewish Press Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, JULY 26 BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JULY 28 Lomir Redn Yiddish, 1 p.m. FRIDAY, JULY 29 Beth El Young Family Shabbaton, 5 p.m. at Lied Lodge Birthday Blessings, 6 p.m. at Beth El

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MONDAY, JULY 4 Independence Day Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m. at Chabad JCC Fitness Center Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Teleconferencing Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 16 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel 39 Forever at the Papillion/LaVista Theatre, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 30 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 31 Weekly Bible Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El

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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 Marlene Hert at 334-6437. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.

June 24, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 5

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Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER My son Ezra (19) has been telling me for a while that he is going to change his last name from Weinberger to something more Israeli (Hebraic). He has come up with “Korem” as a good candidate, since a Korem in Hebrew is a vintner, which is a plausible meaning for the name Weinberger. I have told Ezra that the name Korem does not mean anything to me, and because of that, if he is going to change his name he might as well wait and see whether or not the woman who will someday be his wife is attached to her family name. If she is, and if it is suitably Hebraic, Ezra can achieve his Hebraic goal as well as score some major points with his beloved. Ezra in turn has told me that the idea of adopting his wife’s name does not appeal to him, but as of now he remains a Weinberger. It is interesting to note that the pro-Hebraic forces that were widespread at the founding of the State have remarkably lessened by now. Israel’s pioneers felt a great need to change their galus (exilic) names to Hebrew ones, and if you represented the State of Israel in an official capacity abroad, you were required to do so. Today you can go quite far with a galus name, as can be seen from the successful career of Israeli lawyer and businessman Dov Weissglas, who headed the Office of the Prime Minister under Ariel Sharon and who, for a short period in 2009, was an official adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu. I therefore do not feel a lot of social pressure to change my name, which is fine by me since I’ve grown accustomed to it. I recently was made aware of the fact that Sephardim, too,

have a concept of galus names. I guess that the rule of thumb is that if a name does not mean anything in Hebrew it is exilic. An acquaintance of mine thus changed his Moroccan name of Suissa to Bar Yosef (son of Yosef-the name of his father). But in the Sephardic community, there is no pressure to Hebraicize one’s name, and so Givat Ze’ev is rich in fantastically exotic (to me) Sephardic surnames, such as Buzaglo, Iluz, Albalades, Moyal, Pahlabani, and Ben Lulu. My good friend Dudu Gur would have been a Weinberger had his father not changed his name when he made aliyah (he had been with the partisans in Czechoslovakia and Hungary during World War II). Gur, which means cub, connects with Weinberger through the sound of the latter’s last syllable rather than through the name’s meaning. Now in his mid eighties, the elder Gur occasionally visits Givat Ze’ev. He gets a kick out of the fact that my name is still Weinberger, though he is a bit puzzled that I have not changed it. When he sees me he says, “Ah, Weinberger,” and I say to him “Ah, former Weinberger.” A funny thing happened to my last name and my wife’s (Ross) when we made aliyah. In America, many people stumbled in pronouncing my foreign-sounding name, whereas my wife’s last name is as American as Betsy’s. In Israel, it is my name that people find the more pronounceable, whereas the “o” in Ross stumps many an Israeli, who offer such variations as Russ, Reese, Rooss, Race, and Rice. There is a catch, however. Because there is no “w” in Hebrew, my last name is pronounced here as “Vineberger.” In effect, my name was thus indeed changed when we made aliyah. True, it is a much bigger jump to Korem, but since Ezra insists that I can have a say but not a veto, I’ll just have to hope for the best. Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest three, Nathan, Rebecca and Ruthie, are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.

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by BARRY SPIELMAN Four world-renowned New Orleans chefs, including television celebrity John Besh, will be traveling to Israel between June 23 and 30 as part of the Jewish Agency’s Partnership 2000 (P2K) initiative. P2K pairs Jewish communities and federations in the United States with “sister” communities in Israel. The chefs’ visit to Israel will occur in cooperation with the Israel Defense Force, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and the Union of Israeli Chefs. While in Israel, the chefs will tour numerous Tel Aviv restaurants, prepare meals for IDF soldiers stationed on bases in northern Israel, hold cooking classes for aspiring Israeli chefs and cater the gala opening of the Rosh Ha’ayin Boardwalk, where they will present gourmet meals for 10 shekels a dish (approximately $3 USD) to the general public. Proceeds from the event will be donated to programs in

Israel that serve at-risk youth. Rosh Ha’ayin and New Orleans are P2K partner cities. The P2K initiative has become the paradigm for successfully connecting Jewish communities and federations worldwide directly with Israeli communities. An extraordinary global platform that includes more than 550 Jewish communities and federations around the world in 47 partnerships with Israeli regions, P2K is building living bridges among Jewish communities in Israel and the Diaspora. More than 350,000 participants from Israel and the overseas Jewish communities take part in some 450 programs each year. For full bios on the chefs participating in this trip and to learn more about P2K, please visit: http://www.jewish agen cy.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnership/p2k. And for more information about the Jewish Agency please visit www.jafi.org.

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Erin Hayley Malashock and Aaron Robb Berger, of Kansas City, were married on April 10, 2011 at Hilton Omaha. Rabbi Robert Tobin officiated at the ceremony. The bride, the daughter of Jody and Neal “Buzz” Malashock. She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism, and the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. She is an attorney in Kansas City. Her bridesmaids were Cassie Benowitz, Leslie Berger, sister of the groom, Kristi Burmeister, Andrea Feuerstein, Jessica Kravitz Freede, Allison Leff, Michelle E. Malashock, cousin of the bride, Michelle L. Malashock, sister-in-law of the bride, Michelle Marvel and Emily Seidman. She is the granddaughter of Barbara and Stanley Malashock of Rancho Mirage, Calif., and the late Esther and David Rice. The groom is the son of Margaret and Arthur Berger of Leawood, Kan. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. He is a senior project manager for United Biosource Corporation in Kansas City. His groomsmen were Mitch Anderson, Jake Ballard, Michael Garry, Hunter Harris, Kyle Lew, Ryan Malashock, brother of the bride, Matt Thompson, PJ Ventola, Matt

Warren and Jay Wombolt. He is the grandson of the late Frances and Moses Berger and the late Ruth and James V. Gagne, Jr. The couple plan a November honeymoon to Anguilla.

Engagement MCCLURE-WOLFSON Sara and Doug Wolfson announce the engagement of their son, Aaron Jacob Wolfson, to Ashley Marie McClure, daughter of Julia Kalina McClure and Robert James McClure both of Burnsville, MN. The bride-to-be is a student at Creighton University Pharmacy School and will graduate in 2012 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She is the granddaughter of Joanne and Edward Kalina of Northfield, MN, and Ann O’Neill and the late Larry O’Neill of Effie, MN. Her fiancé graduated with a BA degree from Washington University in St Louis. He will earn his Master’s of Science in December 2012. He is a student and graduate assistant. He is the grandson of Rose and Harold Wexler of Monroe Township, NJ and Alan Wolfson and the late Bernice Wolfson. A wedding is being planned in Omaha.

6 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2011

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by JILL BELMONT We’re looking for any and all Beth El Publicity Coordinator USY photos to display at the As United Synagogue gala event,” she explained. Youth, the teen branch of the “The photos will be placed United Synagogue for around the room for people Conservative Judaism, marks to look at and remember back its 60th anniversary this year, to the beginning of USY in Beth El will join the nationOmaha.” All photos need to wide celebration with a weekinclude the following inforend of festivities planned for mation: names of people picthis fall. Shiri Tene, the synatured; where and when photo gogue’s youth director, has was taken, plus any pertinent announced that a gala event is background information, in the works for the evening Taken during USY’s 2002 board installations, this photo will such as what event or activity of Saturday, November 19; a be among those displayed during Beth El’s November 19 is being shown. special Shabbat service led by gala celebration of the youth group’s 60th anniversary. Front Photos may be emailed to current USYers, plus guest row: Sam Edelstein, left, Brian Altman, USY advisor Ellie Tene at youthdir@bethelspeakers and memorabilia Greenspoon, Sarah Linn, Rebecca Murow, Yoni Drazen; omaha.org; they may also be galore will also highlight the back row: Michael Hellman and Brandon Rich. mailed to her at Beth El celebration. Synagogue, 14506 California St., Omaha NE 68154. As with congregations around the country, Beth El’s USY The entire community is invited to attend this special chapter has served as a conduit for young people to connect commemorative weekend in November, Tene noted. socially and spiritually with synagogue life. Dances, parties, “This is going to be such a special celebration because we meetings, educational programming and conventions have are honoring not only BILU USY alumni who were part of all influenced the lives of participants and have created our chapter, but we are recognizing all USY alumni from unforgettable memories. across the country,” she said. “We’ll be honoring the generaWishing to bring back those memories, all current and tions of teens who have taken part in this wonderful organformer members of USY are being asked by Tene to send in ization. photos from their youth-group days – as well as “Where are “Even if you were not part of USY during your high school They Now?” photos -- for inclusion in a pictorial exhibit, years, this will be a chance to reflect on your wonderful “The Faces of USY: Yesterday and Today.” She added that memories as a young Jewish teen,” she added. “Bring your parents of former USYers are also invited to go through their kids along and take the time to show them how wonderful photo albums and send in old youth-group related pictures your USY years were to you! They’ll love this event, comof their children. plete with games and dancing.”

2011 Elinor Whitman Book Appreciation Contest results

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Beth El plans gala celebration marking USY’s 60th anniversary

by ANDREW MALASHOCK Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education The Kripke Jewish Federation Library and the Center for Jewish Education is pleased to announce the winners in the 20th Annual Elinor A. Whitman Book Appreciation Contest. To participate, contestants wrote a book review or designed a book jacket for a Jewish book. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade were eligible to compete. The winners for this year’s contest were: Kindergarten Book Jacket: Julia Weill, 1st Place; Abbey Milder, 2nd Place; Brittney Clignett, 3rd Place 1st Grade Book Jacket: Lindsey Kader, 1st Place; Aden Matalon, 2nd Place; Ethan Finkelstein, 3rd Place 2nd Grade Book Jacket: Chaeli Spivack, 1st Place; Laura Kirshenbaum, 2nd Place; Anna Dubov, 3rd Place 3rd Grade Book Report: Ari Saltzman, 1st Place 4th Grade Book Report: No entries submitted

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS All are invited to the Lodge’s 11th Annual B’nai B’rith Awards Lunch on Wednesday, June 29, noon at the Blumkin Home. At the lunch, program highlights will be reviewed, a PowerPoint presentation will be shown and certificates presented. Gary Javitch will give his final report as president. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; beverage service is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org.

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5th Grade Book Report: Mia Vinci, 1st Place; Kathleen Kirshenbaum, 2nd Place; Adam Folsom, 3rd Place 6th Grade Book Report: Sam Kricsfeld, 1st Place; Elianna Schuller, 2nd Place; Ian Schrier, 3rd Place This annual contest, started in 1991, is made possible by the Elinor A. Whitman Book Appreciation Fund, founded by Norman Whitman. The contest was created to honor the goals Mrs. Whitman had during her lifetime of devoted service to the youth of the Omaha community. She served for many years as a member of the Kripke Library board and on the faculty of both Beth El and Temple Israel Religious Schools. This contest furthers Mrs. Whitman’s goal in promoting Jewish literature for children. The Elinor A. Whitman Memorial Book Appreciation Contest is presented by the Center for Jewish Education and promoted by Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Friedel Jewish Academy and Temple Israel.

MAINSTREETERS The Ralston Community Theater presents The King and I on Sunday, July 17. Depart from the JCC at 1 p.m. to return by approximately 7 p.m. (School bus transportation provided by Jewish Social Services). Dinner following at Biaggi’s – dinner is on your own. The cost is $14 per person and includes show admission. Send reservation to Mainstreeters in care of Maggie Conti at 323 S. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Make checks payable to Jewish Social Services. For information call Rose Pitlor at 402.558.5144. Deadline is Tuesday, July 12. Luncheon Meeting is Monday, July 18 at 12:30 p.m. at the

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium. The cost is $10 per plate. Raptor Recovery Nebraska, Inc. will be the program – helping Nebraska’s birds of prey. Live birds will be on hand to delight us all. For information call Linda Abrams Tederman at 402.468.4939. Make checks payable to Jewish Social Services. Deadline is Tuesday, July 12. For transportation call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521. Mainstreeters Communications Fee is $5 per person, per year. This fee will offset the cost of postage and mailings. Please make checks payable to Jewish Social Services and send to Mainstreeters in care of Jim Wax, 118 S. 88th St., Omaha, NE 68114.

Birth Whitney Elisheva and Dan Feferman of Beer Yaakov, Israel, announce the birth of their daughter, Moriyah Miriam. She is named for her maternal great-grandfather, Marvin Taxman and her paternal great-grandmother, Miriam Feferman. She has a brother, Gideon Avraham, age 2. Grandparents are Sherry and Jeffrey Taxman and Shoshana and Bob Feferman of Mishawaka, Ind. Great-grandmother is Barbara Taxman.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE There will be no Jewish Press on July 1. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

June 24, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7

Temple Israel Confirmation and Graduation Showing in the JCC Gallery

Coordinator Lori Bennett. On Shavuot, 12 additional students were confirmed. In a joyful service during which Rabbi Aryeh Azriel spoke privately to each confirmand, bottom row: Hannah Radler, left, Sophie Goldberg, Laura Gilinsky, Cleo Rogers, Morissa Miller, Hannah Perry, Caroline Rockman; middle row: Zane Fletcher, left, Ariel Kohll, Zoe Cohen, Dustin Ginsburg, Lori Bennett; top row: Rabbi Azriel, left, Cantor Wendy Shermet, Joe Hack, and Rabbi Linder participated in the service.

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Ten high school seniors from Temple Israel graduated and were confirmed at a Shabbat worship service in May. They are, bottom row: Rachel Scheet, left, Chloe Heyman, Molly Gilinsky, Haley Burns; middle row: Grace Hack, left, Samuel Burrell, Emily Katz, and Haley Halsted. Posing with the students are, upper row: Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, left, Cantor Wendy Shermet, Rabbi Eric Linder, and Religious School

In the news run Jan 26-29, 2012, with performances held during the school day. All cast members will receive a small stipend. Auditions will be held July 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 333 South 132nd Street. Those auditioning will be asked to read from the script. For more information please contact director, Fran Sillau, at 402.660.6892 or Fran@fransillau.com.

Pamela J. Cohn, principal of R. M. Marrs Magnet Center has recently been named the Omaha Public Schools’ Magnet School Principal of the Year and also Magnet Schools of America Region VII Magnet Principal of the Year. Mrs. Cohn was recognized for this prestigious accomplishment at the National Magnet Schools of America Conference held in Indianapolis, IN, this past May.

The City of Omaha Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department, College World Series, Inc. and the NCAA will present a 5 Kilometer (3.1 mile) run in conjunction with the 2011 Men’s NCAA College World Series on Sunday June 26, at 9 a.m. The net proceeds from the “Road to Omaha Run” will benefit the Omaha Parks Foundation and Omaha-area schools through the NCAA’s Fund the Future partnership with DonorsChoose.org. To register, log onto www.NCAA.com/cws. The cost is $25 for adults 19 years and older and $20 for participants 18 and under. On-site registration will be available between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. the day of the event. Individuals interested in volunteering can contact Maureen Thomsen at mthomsen@vgagroup.com.

Sandy Gordon, 56, 1st Degree Black Belt with our own JCC Taekwondo School and Omaha Black Belt Academy, has finished in the Top Ten for the 2010–2011 World Standings for ATA Taekwondo. She is ranked 9th in sparring and 8th in weapons in her age division and will be competing at the ATA World Championship in Little Rock, Ark., this week. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in partnership with Common Sense Media, with generous sponsorship from the Nebraska Humanities Council, the Jewish Federation Foundation and the Jewish Community Center will be presenting The Secret Life of Girls by Linda Daugherty. Needed are two women ages 35-45, and seven to play teenage girls. The play will

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The Omaha Chamber Music Society will conclude its summer concert series on Sunday, June 26, at 3 p.m., in Saint Margaret Mary Church, 6116 Dodge St. Pre-concert talk, 2:30 p.m. Post-concert reception sponsored by Spirit World. Admission: $18; students, $5; four-ticket package, $40. For information: 402.960.6943 or www.omahacham bermusic.org. John Pollack, former presidential speech writer, will be at The Bookworm on Saturday, June 25 at 1 p.m. to sign his book, The Pun Also Rises: How The Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics. Pollack is the son of former Omahan Henry Pollack and his wife Lana. He lives in New York City where he works as a speechwriter and consultant for ROI Communication. MasterSingers presents: Hot Fun in the Summertime – a hodgepodge of vocal jazz, pop, Broadway, and whatever else suits our fancy. Join us Sunday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sumtur Amphitheater, 11691 S. 108th Street, Papillion, for this FREE concert, a part of the Sumtur Sunday Acoustic Music Series.

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by LYNN BATTEN JCC Gallery Supervisor The Midwest Fiber Alliance, including local artists Marge Bresel, Aimee Mahan, Debi Kibbee, Debra Ward, Dianne Thomas, Karen Stiehl Osborn, Rebecca Lilly Segura, Rhonda Baldwin and Wendy Maliszewski presents NE2. This collection of quilted textile squares illustrates the artists’ connection to Nebraska. The public is invited to meet the artists at the Opening Reception on Sunday, July 10, from 2-4 p.m. The exhibt runs July 1-Aug. 4. Gallery Hours are Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Please note that the Gallery will be closed on Monday, July 4th. For information please contact Lynn Batten, Gallery Supervisor, at 402.334.6564.

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8 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2011

Point of view

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l’Chaim!

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP Editor of the Jewish Press We’re back to boycotting. Except this time it’s us (sort of) in the driver’s seat. Here’s what happened: once upon a time, in a small Scottish county called West-Dunbartonshire, the local Council of Wise Men spoke out against Israel. They initiated the boycott against Israeli products in response to “the disproportionate use of force against Palestinians during the IDF’s Gaza incursion in 2009.” (Jerusalem Post) It’s not the first anti-Israel boycott; they continue to pop up in Europe, and so in and of itself, this is not news. Except for one minor problem: West-Dunbartonshire happens to produce a lot of Whiskey. Not the crummy brands, but the good stuff (or so I hear). And so, one boycott begets another: “The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs called for a boycott in response to the West Dunbartonshire Council’s recent decision to boycott Israeli goods. The federation called on its members to stop buying whiskey made by West Dunbartonshire distillers for use in Kiddush and other celebrations.” (JTA.com) FJMC is the international umbrella organization for more than 250 men’s auxiliaries serving 25,000 men throughout the United States and Canada. That is a lot of whiskey. I am fed up with all these boycotts. They are like badly aimed explosives; they always miss their intended target, and only hurt the people who have little to do with the original issue. Those would be the average, lower- to middle class people, who work all day and need a paycheck just as bad as you and I. Most of the workers in Scotland's distilleries could probably not find Gaza on a map if their life depended on it. Besides, boycotting whiskey wouldn’t teach those tartan-clad Wise Men anything anyway; I have no doubt that it would only serve to confirm existing prejudice. To boycott a certain product because it comes from a

region with whose political ideas we don’t agree equals action with inaction. It’s the economical equivalent of having a synagogue “you’ll never go to.” It’s firmly shutting the door, at the very moment that it should be blown wide open; it’s taking the easy way out.

In turn, do those Wise Men truly believe that by boycotting Israeli products, they are helping the Palestinian people? If

that is the case, it is high time they put themselves on a plane to Tel Aviv and check the situation out for themselves. Then they would find out that things are rarely as black and white as they seem from your very narrow kitchen window. You’ll never hear me say that the Israeli government is incapable of wrongdoing, but that’s not the point: it’s the simplistic view that they and they alone are blocking the peace process. Repeating a lie over and over doesn’t make it true, no matter how much Sabra hummus you refuse to eat. The question, of course, is: where do we go from here? How do we convince the world that this tit-for-tat boycotting nonsense has to stop? Easy: we start boycotting the boycotts. You think I’m joking? Only partially. Boycotts are often initiated by very small groups; without massive public support, they fizzle quickly. However, with support, they will grow out of control. Unfortunately, that support has been everywhere. This July marks the tenth anniversary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s boycott of Israeli goods. In 2004, the Presbyterian church voted to initiate selective divestments. The Church of England followed. In April 2007, Britain’s National Union of Journalists called for a boycott of Israeli goods, and in February of ‘09, the Belgian government decided to no longer sell weapons to Israel. The extremely varied list goes on, and what have all these initiatives achieved? Nothing but pain and loss of income for those who have little to no political influence. It almost makes me want to go out and buy a bottle of whiskey, and I don’t even like the stuff. It’s time we kick politics out of our shopping carts. As Jews, we can respond to the Wise Men of this world by counter-boycotting, or we can focus our energy on sending more support to Israel. I know which option I prefer. One more reminder: the Jewish Press will not publish on July 1 due to necessary software updates and staff vacations; you will find us again in your mailbox on July 8.

Do Jews Really Run the World?

Behind the headlines EMILY GILLER Recently I’ve been watching several television shows that incorporate Jewish characters into their shows. For example, The Nanny, a classic 90’s show from my childhood, portrays Fran Fine, an eccentric Jewish nanny who finds herself caring for the children of a rich playwright in Upper Eastside Manhattan. The show is the typical sitcom show except with an extra amount of kvetching Jewish women including Fran’s mother who stops by in every episode to do two things: eat and nag Fran about marrying a nice Jewish doctor. Although this show is humorous, The Nanny is just like any other television show that plays upon stereotypes that aren’t necessarily true. In most shows, Jews are portrayed as rich, or awkward, or very good with money and numbers. I can even break down the physical stereotypes that shows play upon. For example, in my favorite show, Glee, the main character, Rachel Berry, is the daughter of two gay Jewish fathers. In one episode, Rachel wants to get a nose job because her nose is too “Jewish looking.” Rachel would rather fit in with the crowd instead of looking unique. The show played this off with humor saying that it was common for Jewish girls to want to look better. At one point, the characters joked that one week after their Bat Mitzvahs, the Jewish girls at their school would show up with new noses. This prompted Rachel more and she decided to model her “new nose” after Quinn, the pretty, blonde, cheerleader at their high school. The thing is, the actress that plays Quinn, Dianna Agron, is actually

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Jewish. I guess she wasn’t Jewish-looking enough to play a Jewish character on the show. Now, I’m not saying that Jewish stereotypes haven’t gotten better over the years. There is a huge difference between the Jewish characters on “The Nanny” and “Seinfeld” compared to the Jewish characters on “Glee.” In fact, on the episode of “Glee” when Rachel wants to get a nose job, the character Puck, another Jewish character on the show, tells Rachel not to conform to everyone else. He tells her that her nose is what makes her who she is and that she should embrace that. You’d never hear that coming out of Seinfeld’s mouth. The question is: why are there still Jewish stereotypes? It’s not uncommon to watch a movie or television show and see several Weinsteins, Steins and Goldbergs in the credits. So if it’s our people who are the brains behind this great business we like to call show business, then why keep with the typical stereotypes? Have we just become so accustomed to them that we don’t care? From my own personal experience, I’ve learned that we need to care more. For example, I go to school at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln where I am one of two Jews in my sorority. A few of my friends in the sorority asked me one day if they could start calling me a JAP? For those of you who don’t know what a JAP is, it stands for “Jewish American Princess” and implies that a Jewish girl is the typical daddy’s girl; she’s spoiled and gets everything handed to her on a silver platter. Not the most flattering of phrases; especially for those of us who consider ourselves hard workers. I asked my friends how they even knew what it meant. They said they had heard it on T.V. and thought it was funny. I had to explain to them that being called a JAP is offensive

and I didn’t want to be associated with that term. After that, they stopped. However, I still don’t think they understand why that phrase is offensive. They don’t understand why Jewish stereotypes in general are offensive, because they hear them all the time on T.V. We obviously have some very influential Jews in this world, so why bring ourselves down with stereotypes? We as a Jewish people are so much more than just stereotypes. So, forget the myth that most Jews are accountants, or that many Jewish mothers would love their daughters to marry nice Jewish doctors, or lawyers. Heck, who needs to marry a doctor when I can marry Andrew Garfield who played the brilliant Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network? Not only is he handsome, a good actor, has a very charming British accent, but he’s also a Jew! I could use this entire column to list every Jewish actor, producer, director, politician (do we still claim Anthony Weiner?), scientist, author, playwright, etc., but I won’t because there simply isn’t enough room. The point is, for being a group of people that has experienced prejudice and hatred and continues to be a minority in this world, we sure have quite a few people in some pretty high and successful places. So instead of focusing on Jews having lots of money, or Jews having big noses, shows should focus on how important Tzedakah is to the Jewish faith. Jews have been known for their generosity time and time again. So why not focus on that? Here is a challenge for the week: next time you’re watching a television show or movie that has a Jewish character, think about how that character is being portrayed. Then think about if that portrayal is accurate or not really representative of Jewish culture.

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June 24, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 9

Obama’s path paves the way for a secure Israel

Behind the headlines STUART E. EIZENSTAT WASHINGTON (JTA) -- A strong secure Jewish state of Israel, supported by the United States as a close ally, has been a central feature of my public and private careers. As a senior government official in several administrations, an American and a Jew, I see Israel from multiple perspectives. Israel plays a strategic role in advancing American interests in the Middle East and beyond; Israel and the United States share a common set of democratic values and have developed a partnership unique in the annals of history. Israel is the Third Jewish Commonwealth, returning the Jewish people to their homeland after 2,000 years of exile, and it is the home of relatives and close friends, and the final resting place of my great-grandfather and grandfather, both of whom made aliyah. I fervently believe President Obama’s course is essential to achieve the hopes I have for Israel’s future in the 21st century and beyond -- notwithstanding the recent controversy over the president’s remarks about Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and differences over Israeli settlement expansion. First, the Obama administration has generated unprecedented international pressure to confront Iran, Israel’s most dangerous security threat. President Obama is determined in word and deed to “prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” The president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have orchestrated increasingly biting multilateral sanctions through the U.N. Security Council, winning support even from Russia and China; strengthened them with comprehensive U.S. sanctions aimed at Iran’s financial sector; and obtained European Union support for similar sanctions. As a result, Iran is virtually cut off from large parts of the international financial system, its economy is hobbled, and most large American and European companies have left Iran. The administration also has taken on Islamic terrorism more generally, from gravely weakening al-Qaida with relentless drone attacks and the courageous killing of Osama bin Laden to providing vast financial and military support to help governments throughout the Middle East and North Africa combat radicalism. Second, with bipartisan cooperation from Congress, the president has placed the military relationship with Israel at an all-time high. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized this in his recent speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, saying that “Our security cooperation is unprecedented” and noting that the president “has backed those words up with deeds.” President Obama has expanded U.S.-Israeli security cooperation from counterterrorism to preventing arms smug-

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gling to Gaza to missile defense. Despite the most difficult federal budget challenge in our lifetime, Israel’s military assistance has increased to the historic high of $3 billion. The Obama administration has assured that Israel will maintain a qualitative advantage in a region where the sophistication of arms is increasing by providing additional support of $205 million to help produce an Israeli-developed short-range rocket defense system, Iron Dome, which already has intercepted rockets from Gaza and saved Israeli lives. Third, the Obama administration has taken head-on the insidious campaign to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state. Obama is the first president to repeatedly refer to Israel as the “Jewish state of Israel.” He told the U.N. General Assembly that “Israel’s existence must not be a subject for debate” and said, “Efforts to chip away at Israel’s legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States.” The president withdrew U.S. participation in the Durban Review Conference in Geneva in 2009 because of its antiIsrael agenda. And the administration strongly opposed the Goldstone report following the Gaza War. The controversy over the president’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has colored the view of some supporters of Israel, who failed to listen to what the president said. His May 19 speech on the Arab Spring and his May 22 AIPAC speech are bookends that should be reassuring to Israeli supporters and are distinctly in Israel’s best interests. It is critical to understand that the president was not only trying to reignite the stalled peace process, but also to head off a serious looming danger to Israel: a unilateral declaration by the U.N. General Assembly in September recognizing Palestinian statehood within pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state and the “right of return” for Palestinian refugees. By giving the Europeans and the G-8 members an alternative, the president’s approach gives him leverage to urge them to join him in voting against the U.N. resolution. Without this initiative, and in the absence of a concrete Israeli proposal, the chances of heading off the U.N. vote or diminishing its support would have been nil. Israel is politically isolated because of its government’s policies on Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Obama initiative provides the opportunity for key nations to support the U.S. government’s determined effort to support Israel at the United Nations. We must focus on what President Obama said and what he did not say. He emphasized that peace could not be imposed on Israel and that Israel should not be expected to negotiate with Hamas so long as it is committed to Israel’s destruction. He stated point blank that “No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state,” and that

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any final agreement must assure that Israel can “defend itself -- by itself -- against any threat.” He said that the withdrawal of Israel’s military forces from the West Bank should occur only when the Palestinians can demonstrate their capacity to keep the peace, and that a Palestinian state should be “nonmilitarized.” Importantly, he stressed that the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees should be left to later -- after negotiations on principles that satisfy each side that their respective core needs on borders and security will be met. Finally, he said that the Palestinians must accept “Israel as a Jewish state and homeland for the Jewish people.” No American president has provided these assurances. What he did not say was that Israel should be required to withdraw to pre-1967 borders; quite the contrary. President Obama stated clearly that negotiations should be based on “the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps.” This is essentially the position that both former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak at Camp David in 2000 and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took in 2008 in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. As the president stressed at AIPAC, this means “by definition” that the “parties themselves -- Israelis and Palestinians -- will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed” before the Six-Day War in June 1967. That will allow the “parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place for the last 44 years,” he said, referring to Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Lost in the fog of an unnecessary controversy is the fact that continued expansion of settlements does not strengthen Israel’s security; it isolates Israel and makes a two-state solution more difficult. Two states for two peoples, with as much separation as possible, is essential for Israel’s well-being. When the president said that only a viable two-state solution with Israel within internationally recognized secure borders will enable Israel to remain a majority Jewish, democratic state, the president spoke for me. I believe he spoke for millions of Israelis, too; a recent poll by Israel’s daily Maariv showed that 57 percent of Israelis accept Obama’s principles. It’s time for the American Jewish community, and supporters of Israel in the United States and around the world, to recognize that President Obama’s broad principles -apparently just accepted by the chief Palesinitan negotiator, Saab Erekat, in a recent speech in Washington -- provide the key to a safe and secure Jewish state. Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, now a partner at the Washington law firm of Covington & Burling, served in senior positions in several presidential administrations. Under President Clinton, Eizenstat was responsible for the economic dimensions of the Middle East peace process, and he served as the administration’s special representative on Holocaust-era issues.

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Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, July 1: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

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 and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Evening Services, 8:55 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: S’mores & Songs at 7 p.m., join us in the synagogue’s backyard area, where we’ll have a campfire, delicious munchies and a spirited sing-along for the whole family. No charge to attend, but for planning purposes RSVPs are requested. Contact Margie in the office or email her at programming@bethel-omaha.org. MONDAY: Jews & Brews -- Beth El’s Men’s Club is sponsoring a Men’s Night Out dinner event at 7 p.m. No charge to attend; to RSVP, contact Mike Schop at 402.618.0189. WEDNDESDAY: Women’s Book Club, 1 p.m., at the synagogue and will discuss Sima's Undergarments, by Ilana Stanger Ross and led by Susan Paley. Open to all women in the community. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP will present “Diamonds and Pearls,” a financial workshop for women of all ages, on Wednesday, July 6, 7 p.m., at the synagogue. Guest speaker will be Lorraine A. DiMartino, CLU; Margo Riekes is serving as hostess. To RSVP, contact Riekes at 402.333.8498, or mriekes@cox.net. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored in honor of June Simchas; The Laws of Shabbat, 6:30 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 7:30 p.m.; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit, sponored by Jim and Suan Polack in honor of the anniversary of Max’s Bar Mitzvah; Havdalah, 9:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class is on break unitl July 11. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Advanced Halachic Kollel, 9 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of Torah class with Rabbi Gross is on break until July 14. FRIDAY, July 1: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; The Laws of Shabbat, 6:30 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 7:30 p.m.; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:52 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Sunday Night Dinner Summer BBQ, 6 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Synagogue office is closed; Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class is on break unitl July 11.

CHABAD HOUSE 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: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan,

10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-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-THURSDAY: Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.ochabad.com to register. Email Shani@OCha bad.com with your questions. FRIDAY, July 1: Service, 7 a.m.; Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.3 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-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-THURSDAY: Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.ochabad.com to register. Email Shani@OCha bad.com with your questions. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org FRIDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for kindergarten age and up at Tifereth Israel, light kosher lunch provided; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Michael Boekstal, with oneg following hosted by Lori and Mark Schwartz. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. led by Michael Boekstal; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. led by Robert Friedman. FRIDAY, July 1: Kiddush, 6 p.m.; Early Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by Marc Shkolnick. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. led by Michael Boekstal; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. led by Robert Friedman. MONDAY: Independence Day -- Temple office closed Book Club, Sunday, July 17, 4 p.m. at Sara Friedman’s home and will discuss People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

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

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 8:44 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

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FRIDAY, July 1: Minyan, 8:43 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.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 Chabad Members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by David Herzog and Mark Kazor. SATURDAY, July 2: Services, 9 a.m. led by David Herzog and Jim Polack. 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 Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Jeff Schweid; D’var Torah: Jeff Schweid - How does a New York Orthodox Yeshivah boy end up a Reform Jew in Omaha? SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Torah and Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer. FRIDAY, July 1: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; D’var Torah: Debbi Josephson - Growing up in a small, Jewish community.; Oneg sponsored by Poscovers, Wolpers and Mors family in honor of Mel Epstein’s retirement. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer. Shabbat Service, Friday, July 8, 6 p.m. D’var: Miles Remer.

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, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for kindergarten age and up at Tifereth Israel, light kosher lunch provided; Services, 6:15 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon sponsored by Elaine and Everett Evnen in honor of their 60th wedding anniversary. FRIDAY, July 1: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Temple office closed for Independence Day. Book Club, Sunday, July 17, 4 p.m. at Sara Friedman’s home and will discuss People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

Remembering Yelena Bonner by ALAN D. ABBEY Yelena Bonner’s death in Boston on June 18 at 88 has been covered widely, and JTA’s first-day news coverage provided the basics of her life as wife of Nobel Prize-winning dissident Soviet nuclear physicist Andrei Sakharov and as an activist on her own. But there are additional fascinating aspects to her long life worth a second look, especially regarding her Jewishness and Israel. Throughout her life Bonner attempted to balance the priorities and needs of her diverse heritage. Her father was an Armenian Bolshevik revolutionary and onetime Communist Party chief in Armenia. Her mother was the daughter of a Jewish family born into Siberian exile. “I hope to live out my life until the end worthy of the Russian culture in which I’ve spent my life, of the Jewish and Armenian nationalities, and I am proud that mine has been the difficult lot and happy fate to be the wife and friend of academic Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov,” Bonner wrote in her 1988 memoir Alone Together: Story of Elena Bonner and Andrei Sakharov’s internal exile in the Soviet Union. Bonner was “at heart a (Russian) patriot” and was wounded twice while serving as a nurse in World War II. After the war she enrolled in the Leningrad Medical Institute, but was expelled during a Stalin-era campaign against Jews. In the years after the Soviet Union fell, not only did Bonner continue to speak out against corruption and antidemocratic rule in Russia, she spoke and wrote eloquently about anti-Semitism and Israel. Fellow former dissident and activist Natan Sharansky, now chairman of the Jewish Agency, said that “The Jewish world and the State of Israel have lost one of their most passionate champions. At the same time, the global com-

munity of democratic dissidents, political prisoners and human rights activists has lost one of its greatest leaders and advocates. Whereas Andrei Sakharov was the heart of our struggle to defeat the great evil of the Soviet system, Yelena Bonner was the engine that encouraged us to act.” In a 2002 essay titled An Appeal to World Society, Bonner wrote with horror and prescience of the suicide terrorism initially directed against Israel: “The suicide bombers have introduced a new weapon -cheap and easily transported -- into the business of terrorism. And without a doubt, it will spread around the world, not only to promote the political aims of various extremist groups, but also as a way for tens and hundreds of mentally disturbed persons to solve their problems. Anyone tacitly sympathizing with the suicide-terrorists who thinks that this new weapon of murder-on-command can be kept localized is mistaken. If there is no attempt to fight back against them, very soon the suicide bombers’ attacks will spread beyond Jerusalem. Their bombs will explode on the ChampsElysees, on Red Square... and Damascus, depending on who orders and pays for the explosion and what are his goals. “Despite all this, in Europe and America there is a growing anti-Israeli hysteria whose battle-cry is the defense of the Palestinian people, even though Israel is conducting a necessary and just war not against the Palestinian people but against world terrorism, against the terrorism syndicate linking Al Qaeda, Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, et al.” Bonner also saw clearly the growing threat against Israel now labeled delegitimization: “The extent of this hysteria is impressive (...) It has tragically isolated Israel, but it is also dangerous for Europe and America, where it has stirred up a troubling wave of anti-Semitism.”

Pulverent e

June 24, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam

The Great Rebellion

JULIA SCHAPIRO

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Korach Think for a moment of the French revolution and the American revolutionary wars. The reader of history would say that both of these, despite the bloody fighting, brought a net benefit to mankind. The French revolution began a tradition of democracy, as opposed to elitism. The American revolution threw off a commanding and unbending, a controlling and unsympathetic master of a people who wanted to be free, and who won that freedom. In our Sidrah, we have the astonishing attempt of Korach to unseat Moses and Aaron and to appoint himself as leader of a people still struggling to get its independence. There is a sharp difference between Korach’s efforts on the one hand, and the American and French revolutions on the other. The latter two, whether or not we know the names of the leaders, were aimed at democracy and freedom. Korach, on the other hand, was interested in self-aggrandizement. He had managed to collect a large following of people who had agreed, in Hitleresque fashion, to back him up against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. There is, from our point of view, a miraculous test given in the biblical tale, that determined that Korach and his large band of followers were adventurers who sought to become leaders; but Moses and Aaron were identified divinely as the LORD’s chosen leaders. Korach and his followers, the Bible tells us, met a mysterious and terrible end. Reading the story brings us to an unwritten lesson: those who wish to end loyalty and revolutionize the status quo, must test themselves. One must ask himself: What is my purpose? To do something great for the common good, or simply to give myself a position of grandeur and leadership?

While standing on one foot

Julia Schapiro passed away on June 20 at the age of 91. Services were held June 22 at Mt. Sinai Cemetery, 78th and Crown Point. She was preceded in death by first husband Bernard Klein, and second husband of 50 years, George Schapiro. She is survived by daughter, Sandra McCreight; granddaughter Paula and her husband John Malone; great grandchildren, Jake and Caiden Malone, all of Tampa, FL; brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Bennett and Zena Fishbain of Las Vegas, NV; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator “Diamonds and Pearls,” a unique financial workshop for women of all ages in the Jewish community, will be presented by Beth El’s Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group on Thursday, July 6, at the synagogue. Guest speaker at the 7 p.m. program will be Lorraine A. DiMartino, CLU; Margo Riekes is serving as the evening’s hostess. Among the topics to be discussed will be “Recovering from an Lorraine DiMartino Economic Storm;” “Protecting and Securing Your Financial Future;” Building and Stretching Your Retirement Nest Egg;” and “Becoming Your Own CEO.” Reservations are needed and may be made by contacting Margo Riekes at 402.333.8498, or mriekes@cox.net.

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.

by OZZIE NOGG What do participants in the Body by Rowe Balance Classes have in common with a student of Rabbi Hillel? They all want to learn “while standing on one foot.” According to instructor Sharon Rowe, MA Public Health Education, certified exercise leader and Pilates coach, the ability to stand on one foot can help improve balance and lower the risk of falling. “I define balance as ‘preventing unwanted movement,’” Rowe said. “Basically, these balance classes are designed to keep people independent, safe and healthy so they can continue to enjoy life. Practice, even for five minutes, is going to make a difference.” One more Balance Class, sponsored by Mainstreeters, is scheduled for Monday, June 27 in the Simon Chapel at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. The class runs from 9:3010:15 a.m.

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12 | The Jewish Press | June 24, 2011

Buenos Aires mayor facing Jewish challenger taps rabbi to lead party list by DIEGO MELAMED BUENOS AIRES (JTA) -- Rabbi Sergio Bergman, one of Buenos Aires’ most prominent spiritual leaders, has become one of the Argentine capital’s most highly visible political candidates. Bergman was tapped by the city’s incumbent mayor, Mauricio Macri, to lead his PRO party’s list for the municipal legislature. As the top candidate on the center-right party’s slate, the rabbi is virtually assured of securing a spot in the city legislature in the July 10 municipal elections. Macri’s main challenger for the mayoralty is Jewish. Daniel Filmus, a former Argentine education minister, will be facing off against Macri for the city’s top job for a second time. Argentina’s president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, picked Filmus to run as the candidate of her center-left Victory Front. That both would tap Jews as key political partners in Argentina’s largest city has not escaped notice in the Jewish community. Depending upon what definition of Jewish identity is used, estimates of Argentina’s Jewish population range from 180,000 to 280,000. “This is a very shocking moment, an unprecedented situation,” said Aldo Donzis, president of DAIA, Argentine Jewry’s primary umbrella organization. “Had a similar panorama occurred during my teenage years, the Jewish community would have been terrified, assuming this situation to be highly risky, given that if any of the candidates were to obtain an official post and subsequently make mistakes, anti-Semitism would violently arise.” The selection of a rabbi to head the mayor’s list for city legislature has elicited particular notice. Bergman, the senior rabbi of the traditional Congregacion Israelita Argentina, is the founder of Active Memory, a group that demonstrated every Monday for a decade in front of Argentina’s Supreme Court seeking justice for the victims of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center. Asked why he is becoming involved in politics, Bergman told JTA that Argentine society is “in a deep crisis of values,” adding that “I believe that Torah can also be taught in the legislature.” He dismissed the notion that his candidacy could put the Jewish community at risk. “If the society knows us better, the level of anti-Semitism will become lower,” Bergman said. “I have many non-Jewish

Rabbi Sergio Bergman, with microphone, speaks as he stands alongside Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri, left, and two other politicians at a May 23 event introducing the PRO party’s candidates for municipal elections. Credit: Eliana Krumecadyk voters. The only doubt today is if Jews will vote for me. “What I can assure is that I can be criticized for many things, but not for being a rabbi. I receive criticisms that I’m on the right or that I ask for law and order, but nobody criticizes me for being Jewish. If I receive attacks for being a rabbi, the first to come out to defend me are the non-Jews.” On the other side of the partisan divide is Macri’s rival, Filmus, who served as education minister under the country’s previous president, Nestor Kirchner, the late husband of Argentina’s current leader. While more secular than Bergman, Filmus has not shied away from his Jewish identity. He sent his youngest daughter to the Jewish ORT high school and, as education minister, organized a 2005 ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. A poll of Buenos Aires voters published May 29 showed Macri leading with the support of 32.9 percent of voters, followed by Filmus with 24.9 percent. Amid the proliferation of prominent Jewish candidates, Buenos Aires voters also will have the opportunity to cast their mayoral ballots for a

neo-Nazi: Alejandro Biondini of the Social Alternative party. He has openly espoused anti-Semitism and his previous party, New Triumph, was banned by Argentina’s Supreme Court in 2009. The country’s electoral court rejected calls from members of the Buenos Aires legislature to ban Biondini from running for mayor -- a request that was backed by DAIA and other Jewish groups. Yet in contrast to the high-profile candidacies of Filmus and Bergman, the controversy surrounding a fringe figure like Biondini is little more than an electoral sideshow. Indeed, the prominence of Jews in Argentine politics today is all the more striking in light of the nation’s history. Argentine Jews are a small minority in an overwhelmingly Catholic country. In the decades after World War II, they found themselves living in a country that became notorious as an all-too-willing refuge for prominent Nazis who had escaped justice in Europe. Under the right-wing military junta that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983, Jewish dissidents and leftists were targeted for persecution. While Argentine Jews have been active participants in Argentina’s business, cultural and academic spheres, they have not been prominent traditionally in its political life. Two traumatic events brought the Jewish community greater visibility in the public sphere: the bombings in 1992 and 1994, respectively, of the city’s Israeli embassy and the AMIA Jewish community center -- both carried out by Hezbollah at Iran’s behest, Argentine prosecutors eventually concluded. In loudly demanding that the perpetrators of the two terrorist attacks be brought to justice, Argentina’s Jews moved decisively into the public eye. Today, prominent Jewish politicians are not unusual. Argentina’s current foreign minister, Hector Timerman, is the son of a famed dissident, the journalist Jacobo Timerman. The elder Timerman was imprisoned by the military junta and eventually fled for Israel before returning to Argentina following the restoration of democracy. Argentine Jewish politicians benefitted from changes in Argentine society, which has become more secular, argues University of Buenos Aires sociologist Daniel Scarfo. He noted the 1994 constitutional reform removing the requirement that the country’s president be a Catholic. “The religion of the candidates is less relevant to the majority,” Scarfo said.