Vol. LXXXIV No. 43 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 84 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
24 Sivan, 5765 July 1, 2005
New Blumkin Home Will Bring the Outside In
In Thailand Seminars, JDC Helps Tsunami Caregivers Help Themselves
“Emerging research is making a strong case for access by RITA SHELLEY to the outdoors as an important part of a therapeutic JSS Publicity Coordinator A new philosophy of nursing home care has revolu- environment,” Silverman said. “The new facility will tionized nursing home design in the last 25 years. have secure walking paths, healing gardens, a playToday’s emphasis is on rehabilitation and short-term ground for visiting children, and other ‘natural’ areas stays for residents who still can live independently, and that contribute to overall well-being. None of these on more intimate, homelike settings for individuals who would be feasible in our current facility.” need care for extended periods of time. This “revoluIn the enlarged courtyard that is proposed, residents tion” also has overtaken the physical limitations of the and families also will have more ways to enjoy the outexisting Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. doors in a secure setting. Winding paths will provide difThe time for a modern building that addresses current ferent lengths and difficulty of walking routes that will and future needs has arrived. provide choice to residents different needs. to Mike According with Handrails will encourage less Silverman, Executive able residents to participate Director of Jewish Senior in outside activities. Paths Services and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, the will be wide enough to proposed facility addresses accommodate the turning current and future trends in radius of wheelchairs. Shady short- and long-term care. areas will provide protection from the elements and proKey aspects of the proposal vide places to sit and watch include re-allocating space to children of family members accommodate the increasing demand for speech, occupaand friends interact on the tional and physical therapies, playground. Cathy Carroll, an activities coordinator at the Rose Blumkin separate care units for shortThe enlarged courtyard also Jewish Home, helps resident Esther Segel care for petunias in and long-term residents, and will be more accessible, both the home’s courtyard. The proposed new building will provide an area designed especially for visually and physically, from additional opportunities such as these in a larger courtyard the care of people experiencthe main entrance and from and other areas with plants and sunlight, indoors and out. throughout the building. ing memory loss. The new Home also would feature a “Main Street” “The nursing home industry is calling for further concept as its front entrance. Shops, as well as commu- research on connections between the environment and nity and family gathering places, will be designed to help the well-being of seniors,” Silverman said. “But further research would only support what any reasonable person reinforce intergenerational connections. The proposed facility addresses yet another important already knows--getting outdoors feels good, even if you “connection” often overlooked in traditional nursing don’t ‘feel good.’ The time has come to make use of this home design—the connection between residents and knowledge to continue to provide exemplary care that the outside world. meets the needs of our community’s seniors.”
by GUY SHARETT PHUKET, Thailand--Juree Worawit wasn’t hurt in last winter’s Southeast Asian tsunami, but that doesn’t stop her from envisioning worst-case scenarios as she relives the moment in her mind. “We’re still thinking, ‘What if the tsunami had hit on a Monday?’” says Worawit, a kindergarten teacher from a navy base in Phang Nga in southern Thailand, where teams are still looking for bodies from the Dec. 26 disaster. “Although it happened on a Sunday and the kids were safe, we still feel guilty, just by thinking ‘what if,’” she says. “The other teachers and I often speak about what we’re going to do if it happens again: Who would grab which kid and to which direction we would run.”
Israeli trauma expert Dr. Gillat Raisch talks with Thais who helped victims of the 2004 tsunami, on June 11, during a seminar in Phuket, Thailand, organized by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Credit: JDC Continued on page 3
ADL’s St. Louis Office Takes Over KC from Omaha Ozzie Nogg Named to AJPA by RICK HELLMAN Editor of the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle For many years, Bob Wolfson, who heads up the Anti-Defamation League office in Omaha, had responsibility for the greater Kansas City area. The local phone number: 816.471.3038, rang in his office. But now that responsibility has passed to Karen Aroesty, regional director in Karen Aroesty ADL’s St. Louis office. “This is a good move for us,” Wolfson told the Jewish Press, “as it allows the Great Plains Region office--our office in Omaha--to devote more time and more of our resources to the rest of the region--outstate Kansas, Nebraska and Western Iowa.” To that end, Aroesty came to Kansas City last month to introduce herself to leaders in the Jewish and general community and to reintroduce ADL’s mission: “To stop the defamation of the Jewish people--to secure justice and freedom for all.” Aroesty said ADL works closely with the National Conference for Community and Justice in St. Louis, and she hopes to do the same in the Kansas City area, with regard both to NCCJ and to the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee. While the various groups share some goals in common, Aroesty said, “We have specific products to bring to the table, including early-childhood education and an interactive video product for middle- and high-schoolers
Inside Opinion Page see page 8
called ‘Hate Comes Home.’” Aroesty said ADL has a legislative agenda in Missouri, and part of her efforts in Kansas City will be devoted to securing support for that. She noted that Missouri has no “cultural competency” requirement for teachers, and ADL thinks it should. It would involve such things as anti-bias training for teachers to instructions on how to Bob Wolfson defuse a conflict over race, religion or sexual orientation. Aroesty said the St. Louis office of ADL has been open since 1958. It has a regional advisory board of 48 people, an Israel advocacy task force and a civil rights committee. Omaha’s ADL office is involved in the planning of the “No Place for Hate” rally in Lincoln this month on July 16, 1-4:30 p.m., at Antelope Park. Last year’s rally came about in oppostition to what turned out to be a rather small neo-Nazi gathering on the capitol steps. Organizers of the diversity rally were so overwhelmed by the huge numbers that came to the park last summer they decided to host the event again--even without the presence of hate groups to spur them on. With projects like this, the Prejudice Elimination Workshop, the ADL Community Teen Leadership series (and its annual trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.), Manhigim: the Jewish Teen Continued on page 2
Next Week: No Jewish Press Published July 8 JDC Helps Tsunami Caregivers Help Themselves: Page 3
RBJH Honors Silvia Roffman: Page 4
Executive Committee by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press She’s a former Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Press, an ad agency owner, photographer, actress, storyteller, author of a book--Joseph’s freelance Bones--and columnist and writer. And now Omaha’s own Ozzie Nogg is the first freelance writer ever Ozzie Nogg asked to serve on the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Press Association. She was elected at the AJPA annual meeting in Boston, MA, last week. “I’m very excited to have this opportunity,” said Nogg from Boston. “Life has taken me down many different roads and I’m sure this one will lead to new outlets for creativity and collaboration.” Joanie Jacobson, Chairman of the Jewish Press Committee, added, “It’s an honor for us and for the Jewish community of Omaha to have our friend and colleague serving on the national level. Not only will she represent Omaha to the greater Jewish world, but she’ll be in a position to bring us new ideas as well.” Nogg’s term is a two-year position; she will report on the rest of the AJPA annual meeting in the July 15 Press, and on other issues critical to the organization during the tenure of her term. Her column, “Staying in Touch”, will continue to appear in the Press.
Coming July 15: Health and Wellness Special Issue Teen Age Features Winners of Lt. Cohen Essay Contest: Page 7
YJO to Hold Casino Night at Blumkin Home: Page 12
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 1, 2005
BBYO to Participate in 14 Days of Giving Campaign at New Local Entertainment Complex
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by RACHEL BLUM JCC Program Director The soon to be opened entertainment complex, inPlay, is sponsoring a Grand Opening Event--14 Days of Giving--during which specific non-profit organizations will be given the opportunity to raise money, receiving a portion of each ticket sold. The B’nai B’rith Youth Organization is participating in this program on Monday, July 18, noon-1 a.m., but tickets can be used any time from July 5-18, 2005. During these days, all games will be free of charge to participants, and in exchange for their $20 admission ticket, participants will receive a $20 game card redeemable any time after the grand opening. InPlay is located on the ground floor of the Tip Top building at 16th and Cuming. The 35,000 square foot entertainment complex contains the latest in virtual reality games, sports bar and private game rooms. This interactive mix-use development includes a 45foot rock climbing wall, retro video games, redemption games, private themed party rooms including a wine cellar, retro bowling room and speak-easy style billiards room. In addition, a 25,000 square foot banquet and conference center will be attached to the east of the existing building, designed to seat up to 700 for social, corporate and family events. Games include a multi-story rock-climbing wall and the hottest new virtual reality games, such as Full Swing Golf, Wave Runner, Derby Owners Club horse racing, a simulator, basketball competitions, NASCAR Quarterback Challenge, and AMF miniature bowling. In-Play also features classic pastimes such a billiards, darts, foosball, skeeball, video games, and prize redemption games. The event is open to everyone in the community, so families and friends of BBYOers are invited. Tickets are $20 and should be purchased in advance by calling me at 334.6404.
JEWISH PRESS NOTICE NO PAPER ON JULY 8 The Press office will be closed on Monday, July 4, for Independence Day. There will be no Press published on July 8 in order for the staff to perform computer maintenance and software upgrades. The deadline for the July 15 publication--our annual Health and Wellness issue--is Tuesday, July 5, noon. For more information, call the Press office at 334.6448.
Rolling in Dough
During last month’s Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh meeting, Pam Friedlander shared a strudel-making demonstration with the 32 women who attended the get-together at her home. The meeting’s theme was “Beyond Matzoh Balls: Jewish Foods and Their Role in Our Lives:” The evening was filled with participants sharing favorite Jewish recipes and cookbooks, as well as fond and funny cooking memories from days past and present. The synagogue’s next Rosh Hodesh meeting will take place on Thursday, July 7, at Archiver’s scrapbooking store, located in the Village Pointe shopping center.
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St. Louis Office Takes Over KC CALENDAR OF EVENTS ADL’s Continued from page 1 Wolfson will be attending a conference this month in MONDAY, JULY 4 JCC & FED OFFICES CLOSED/H & PE OPEN 9-5 INDEPENDENCE DAY C L I P & S A V E
TUESDAY, JULY 5 “The Guy & Bob Show”, noon BBYO Night, 6 p.m. JELS Conversational Hebrew Class Level 1, 7 p.m. and Level 2, 8 p.m.
C L I P &
S A V E All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)
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Germany, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials, organized by former Omahan Larry Raful, dean of the Touro Law School in Islip, Long Island, NY. Carol Katzman contributed to this article.
At ADL’s “Bearing Witness” program last month, some 70 Catholic educators attended a three-day workshop to assist them in educating their students about the Holocaust. Left photo: Warren Marcus left, Director of Teacher Workshops and Conferences in the Education Division of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., Dr. Carmen Nanko, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and the Director of Field Education at the Catholic Theological
Union in Chicago, and Dr. Dennis McManus, the Joel E. Smilow Chair for the Study of Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center and Director for the Intercultural Forum for Studies in Faith and Culture in Washington, D.C., participated in the program. Right photo: Cantor Gaston Bogomolni, left, and Rabbi Mordechai Levin of Beth El Synagogue led a model Shabbat dinner to introduce Bearing Witness participants to Jewish rituals.
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Leadership series, the Institute for Holocaust Education, as well as the ongoing issues of battling hate groups in the Great Plains Region, Wolfson said, “We’ve got more than enough on our plate!”
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JDC Helps Tsunami Caregivers Help Themselves Continued from page 1 Worawit was among 80 participants in one of several five-day seminars organized by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Thailand earlier this month. Half a year after the tsunami killed at least 165,000 people-including 5,400 from Thailand--the survivors still relive the horrific hours that changed their lives. But the workshop Worawit attended in a Phuket hotel wasn’t only for survivors: The majority were aid-givers, people who gave psychological assistance to survivors, even without training, and who might need to do it again. Thais who aided tsunami victims in 2004 take part in a ceremony in which they Three Israelis--one a trauma expert, make peace with the sea, on June 11, 2005, during a seminar in Phuket, the second an art therapist and the third Thailand, organized by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. a medical doctor who focuses on body Credit: Guy Sharett/JTA and mind--came to give the helpers and survivors the tools to support people dealing with trauma. Worawit’s “reaction is a typical post-traumatic one. It’s called ‘Near Miss’: The mind of a person that was in the second and third circle of vulnerability digests the ‘what if’ as if it actually happened to him,” explains Ofra Ayalon, a trauma psychologist who has worked with terror victims in Israel, after the Balkan wars and in Japan and Turkey after earthquakes. “Our model is multi-cultural, and I have to say that the trauma is very similar anywhere.” “The fact the participants are Thai and we’re Israeli, they’re Muslim or Buddhist and we’re Jewish, means only that some cultural adaptations are needed, but other than that, we speak exactly the same language,” says one of the instructors, Dr. Gillat Raisch. Raisch is a pediatrician and family doctor who suffered post-traumatic symptoms after being at the scene of a car bombing in a Jerusalem marketplace. Participants in Worawit’s seminar all came from Thailand. At other seminars, Thais were joined by participants from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Though the seminars were intended as a humanitarian gesture, they had inescapable political overtones: Malaysia and Indonesia, majority Muslim countries, do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. “Barriers were bridged. You really felt people finding their common humanity,” says Betsy Sheerr, a JDC executive committee member responsible for the organization’s non-sectarian programs, who participated in one of the seminars. “One small step at a time, we can make inroads and change perceptions that can benefit America, Jews and Israel. “It made me feel very proud as an American Jew -- and I stress both parts, American and Jew,” says Sheerr, who is a member of JTA’s Board of Directors. “I was very much more moved by the experience than I expected to be.” It was especially valuable, she says, to help heal those who will, in turn, try to help others overcome the trauma they suffered. “Only now we understand that we, in Thailand, need to be prepared for the next crisis in case there is one. Here we train the new cadre of helpers and teach them how to assist victims and their families,” says Dr. Amporn Sornprasit of Prince Songkla University, the local partner in organizing the workshop. The training included mind-body sessions that were unusual for the Thai culture. “Now I will ask you to lie down on the floor and close your eyes,” whispers Nira Shiran-Mizrahi, the art therapy expert. As an interpreter translates her words from English to Thai, the participants, mainly women, including some with Muslim head scarves, lie down on the carpet. “Relax. Now imagine a color is coming into your body. It could be any color and can come to you through any part of your body,” Shiran-Mizrahi says. There is silence in the half-lit room. “Now the color can come as a blanket that covers you,” Shiran-Mizrahi continues. “Every color has a meaning,” she explains, running between participants who are making drawings on paper in the color each has imagined. “Later we can work with the feelings that these colors represent.” After the scribbling, Shiran-Mizrahi asks participants to look for symbols in their drawings. Later, each writes a personal prayer on the other side of the paper and goes to the beach to make peace with the sea, offering seashells they have painted with their symbols. After hanging their prayers on a cord between two trees,
they stand and sing together in Thai. Participants seem very moved by the sea-forgiveness ceremony, and some have tears in their eyes. “There was a session where I experienced an immense feeling of pain inside me. It’s hard to explain,” Worawit says. “Even after you share your feelings with your friends, at the end of the day you stay alone with your thoughts. That’s why this workshop was very important for me: It allowed me to deal with my own feelings, so later I can help other people.” Even after the seminars, the JDC plans to continue working with trauma experts in southern Thailand. At the end of the seminar, Shiran-Mizrahi seemed pleased. “The feedback was amazing. Many girls came to us, hugged us and cried--things Thai people don’t do, as showing feelings in this way isn’t part of the culture,” she says. “We gave them legitimacy to let it all out.’’
Page 4
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 1, 2005
Yale Richards Award for Exceptional Leadership Presented to Silvia Roffman by JSS/RBJH by SUZANNE SINGER JSS/RBJS Board Member The first Yale Richards Award for Exceptional Leadership was presented by the Board of Jewish Services/Rose Senior Blumkin Jewish Home to Silvia Roffman June 28. This special award, which will not be presented on an annual basis, was named for one of the most outstanding volunteers to ever serve JSS/RBJH as well as the Joanie Bernstein entire Jewish community. to Sivi Roffman Upon his death in 2003, a tribute in the Jewish Press read “The place does not honor the man. The Man honors the Place. Yale Richards honored the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, our residents, staff and volunteers with his decades of quiet passionate stewardship and leadership on behalf of our Jewish community seniors and frail elderly. We will remember him and carry forth his vision.” When Silvia Roffman wrote those words, little did she know that they would become the criteria for an award for which she would be the first recipient. In presenting the award, outgoing Board President, Joanie Bernstein, said “Sivi cares so much about the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home that she has always been ahead of the curve in researching the needs of the elderly. Her knowledge of the history of the Home and the Jewish Federation of Omaha has proven invaluable when dealing with problems concerning overall campus issues, as well as Jewish Senior Services issues. With Bert Lewis, Sivi once wrote an
entire holiday issue of the Jewish Press about the history of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and the Homes that preceded it in our Jewish community. “She has been a true advisor and mentor to the entire Board. An outstanding listener, she never gives an opinion without first thoroughly thinking through the problem,” Bernstein. continued “When a problem arose, presents award she would research solutions by contacting Jewish homes throughout the country for ways they handled similar concerns. Her sensitivity to the needs of the Residents and their families is unparalleled.” Throughout her many years of service, Roffman has been President and VicePresident of the Board. She served on the committees to hire Mike Silverman, executive director of JSS/RBJH, as well as Barbara Gottlieb who preceded him. During her presidency, the initial planning to rebuild the facility was begun. Bernstein added, “I know that Sivi’s advice and counsel will always be sought by the President and Board of JSS/RBJH. Her heart and soul is in this Home. The words that Murray Newman, a Livingston Foundation Trustee, wrote about Yale when he received the Federation Humanitarian award in 2002, ‘He never sought personal recognition for his work...in the truest and most righteous sense of tzedakah–unpretentious, unassuming and seeking no credit for himself...’ describe Sivi so well.”
N.Y. Family Marks Bat Mitzvah by Giving Torah to Polish Jews received a Fulbright by CAROLYN SLUTSKY (JTA)-scholarship to study in WARSAW Warsaw and Wroclaw. During World War II, Jews “My friend said, were forbidden from ‘Harley, life behind the entering the Saski Gardens Iron Curtain, let’s go,’” in Warsaw. Lippman told JTA. But on a Friday night Though his grandmothlast month about 100 er, who was born in Polish and American Jews, Poland, cautioned him joined by 180 Israeli solabout anti-Semitism diers, danced, sang and there, he eagerly jumped paraded a 129-year-old into Polish life, learning Torah through the garNew Yorker Harley Lippman car- the language and making dens to its new home. The parade took the ries a Torah his family donated to Polish friends. group from the site of the Warsaw’s Nozyk Synagogue, “When I was in Poland former Great Synagogue, through the streets of Warsaw on in ’75,” there were virtualwhich now is a skyscraper June 17. Credit: Carolyn Slutsky/JTA ly no Jews, he said, recallknown as the “Blue Tower,” through the ing that when he did meet a Jewish couple gardens, down the streets of Warsaw and in Warsaw they greeted each other like to the Nozyk, the city’s main operating family. Today there are believed to be at least 5,000 Jews in Poland, and Harley Orthodox synagogue. The Torah came home to Poland via a Lippman said he was deeply moved by the circuitous route. It was commissioned in reception they had given him. Lippman, who runs Genesis10, an 1876 from a Strasbourg scribe by a Polish information-technology consulting comJewish family who lived in Warsaw. By last year, it had made its way to a pany in New York, is chairman of the Torah broker on the Lower East Side of American Jewish Congress’ governing New York, who sold it to Harley and Marie council, a member of the American Israel Lippman. The Lippmans purchased the Public Affairs Committees’ executive Torah for a special purpose: Their daughter committee and on the board of the AntiJuliet was having her bat mitzvah, and they Defamation League. Juliet Lippman’s bat mitzvah was held wanted to bring meaning to the event in a way that seemed absent in many of the cel- Nov. 6, 2004; her Torah portion, Chaye ebrations they’d attended. Sarah, told the story of the death of “Bat mitzvahs in New York could be so Sarah, and how Abraham buys a plot of tacky it was frightening,” Marie Lippman land for her in Canaan, modern-day said. “I did my duty as a Jewish mother.” Israel. The Lippmans were pleased to be Harley Lippman has what his wife calls a able to connect the story to their own “love story with Poland.” experience with the Torah. In 1975, as a college student, he Continued on page 10
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Dr. Menachem Mor, the first holder of the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, has been named Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Haifa University in Israel. Dr. Mor earned a master’s at Duke University and specializes in the history of the Second Temple, Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. He is the author of The Samaritans in the Ancient World and The Bar Kochba Revolt: Its Extent and Effect. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature as well as a member of the board of the Journal of Jewish History. Allison Baker, daughter of Jeanatte (Reinglas) and Stephen G. Baker of Framingham, MA, is a recent graduate of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. A cum laude graduate who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design and a minor in Painting, she was honored as a 2005 recipient of the Elissa Ribatt Memorial Prize for excellence in Advertising Design. She will be employed by Deutsch, Inc., an advertising agency in New York City, as a graphic designer. She is the granddaughter of Lola Reinglas and the late Irving Reinglas. Former Omahan Linda Priesman Smith has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Temple Beth Shalom in Sun City, AZ, for a two-year term beginning July 1. She will be the editor of the Shofar, the temple’s bulletin, as well as working on publicity for Temple Beth Shalom. Linda and her husband, Mike, moved to Sun City four years ago. Hap Abraham Catering announced the opening of 1316 Jones St. in the Old Market, a new banquet facility and venue for parties in Omaha. The newly designed hall will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, July 15, 6-9 p.m., with hors d’oevres and cocktails. A pink diamond from jeweler Alan Friedman will be raffled. Reservations are required; call Abraham Catering at 331.6610. Chabad House has announced that author, counselor, lecturer and philosopher, Rabbi Manis Friedman, will address the Nebraska Disaster Behavioral Health Conference, Thursday and Friday, July 14-15, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Omaha. According to Rabbi Mendel Katzman, who serves on the State Advisory Disaster Preparatory Plan Committee, Rabbi Friedman of Minneapolis, MN, Is “the ideal presenter in the field of mental health issues facing the community.” Rabbi Friedman will present his Community Manual to assist those providing assistance following a disaster in meeting the special needs of Jewish individuals, on July 14, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Target audience for the conference includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health care providers, public health officials, nurses, clergy, substance abuse counselors, emergency managers and first responders. Continuing Education Credit is available for this conference. Registration is $40; a form is available on-line at: nebhands.nebraska.edu.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 1, 2005
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B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Annual Awards lunch will be held on July 6, according to Gary Javitch, chairman. Members and non members will be honored for their contributions to the Lodge and to the community. ADL Director Bob Wolfson will help us celebrate another impressive team effort with an abbreviated presentation. Cost is $11 for a full lunch and $2 for beverage service only. Judge Todd Hutton will be the guest speaker at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, July 13, noon, at Park Inn Regency, according to Gary Javitch, chairman. Judge Hutton is a Sarpy County Municipal Court Judge; he will discuss a proposed drug court for Sarpy County. Cost is $11 for a full lunch and $2 for beverage service only.
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LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638 for more information.
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YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday, July 11 at the JCC as “The Hometowners” perform a musical concert. Lunch is served at noon in the auditorium at $6 per person. Call Maggie Conti for reservations for the Thursday Day Trips at 334.6521. The Lunch Bunch group will be trying a new restaurant Nothing But Noodles on July 14. Cost is $3 for transportation and lunch is on your own; Ameristar Casino is scheduled for July 21; the cost is $5. VISIONS Our luncheon meeting on Friday, July 15, 12:30 p.m., at Caniglia’s Venice Inn, features John Knicely, News Anchor at WOWT channel 9. Cost per person is $9.50. Send reservations to Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard, Omaha, NE 68114 by July 8. For information, call Harry Alloy at 697.8709. For our next Mitzvah Project, bring donated items to help support the Nebraska Humane Society. Please bring these items to the luncheon or deliver to the Blumkin Home in care of Maggie Conti. For information call Phil Cofman at 493.7858. Cruise down the river on the River City Star on Tuesday, July 26, 6:30-8p.m. (meet at the dock at 6) Enjoy good company, music, food and a super evening. The cost of $27 per person includes the cruise, dinner buffet and music. Send reservations to Sandy and Fred Bromley, 13419 Marinda St., Omaha, NE 68144 by July 18. Make check payable to Visions.
L.O.V.E. The Pan Tournament will be held on July 10, noon in the JCC, to benefit the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Tournament play will begin at 12:30 p.m. For reservations, send a check for $30, made payable to LOVE, to Lois Wine, 323 So. 132 St, Omaha, NE 68154. Deadline is July 5.
MARRIAGE GROSSMAN/FRANK Marsha and Ron Frank announce the April 16 wedding of their son, Adam, to Laura Grossman, daughter of Pat Skott and Dr. Neil Grossman. The groom is a sales planner at National Cable Communications. He is the grandson of the late Cissy Harry Liberman, and Annette Frank Schloff and Max Frank. The best man was the groom’s brother, Brad Frank and the bride’s matron of honor was her sister, Leslie Tourial. The bride is employed at MCI as a Financial Analyst. After honeymooning in Costa Rica, the couple are residing in Atlanta.
BIRTHS Jamie and Ted Friedland announce the March 23 birth of their son, Alex Michael. He has a sister, Rose. Grandparents are Terri and Dick Zacharia and Nancy and David Friedland. Great-grandmother is Trickle Milder. Jennifer and Brandon Koom announce the May 26 arrival of their daughter, Reagan Anne. Grandparents are Georgine and Larry Koom, and Shirley and Jim Ferley of Payola, KS. Great-grandparents are Pete and Rhoda Milder, and Lester Ferley and Marcella Welch, both of South Dakota.
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BERT’S EYE VIEW by BERT LEWIS I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve talked about the entertainment value of what I call people watching. Still, every now and then, I get a reminder of how fascinating it can be. Here’s my take on the last such experience I had, which I think should be shared. The place was a Veteran’s Medical Facility, where I sat in a waiting room, trying to wait patiently for my boyfriend. The key word here is veteran, in case you missed it. The people milling around or sitting and either dozing or reading, were mostly men, but some women were also there. They were present because our government provides medical care and certain amenities for the citizens who have served in the Armed Forces. (Cynics like I am believe it’s the least they can do.) Okay, do you have the picture? This is what I saw. Older men, a few looking dapper and neatly dressed, apparently in reasonably good health. Some looking less “in charge”, and maybe leaning on a cane or walking with a limp. Some were dependent on either a walker or a wheelchair or some other means of physical support. They all had one thing in common: white hair (unless bald), a beard here and there and a birth date probably sometime just before or after 1920. These people obviously were the guys who served in World War II. They were, it seemed to me, the most serene and amiable of the group. Many were accompanied by someone who drove them to the appointment and some clearly got there on their own. The second group of men (and a few women) were
obviously younger but not necessarily in better shape. Clearly, these were the vets from the Korean conflict and Viet Nam. There were some with wheelchairs and various braces or appliances, and some with no outward walking aid...only a frown and a barely civil answer to a question, their apparent souvenir. Some walked well, smiled appropriately and seemed to be comfortable with themselves, while affecting the dress and mannerisms of much younger people, as though nothing had interrupted the years between youth and the present. Sadly, every so often, a much younger person would appear, needing to ask directions and wondering “where do I go?” That group is small but alas, growing larger all the time. These are the kids, and I use that term deliberately, who are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan and those other places in that corner of the world. They’re very young, but have already seen horrors enough to age them prematurely. For the most part, these are the men and women in the armed forces, who have gone and come back--the ones with fresh nightmares to remind them of their experience. It’s as certain as Monday follows Sunday that there will be more and more of this youngest group being seen at the V. A. From where I sit, old enough to have perfectly clear memories of WW II, I shudder to think how many more times we’ll keep adding to the list of veterans. When will people live and let live? When will we take care of our own problems first? When will we let our kids grow up and get educated and live a normal life that doesn’t need to include special health care for veterans? When will we earn back the respect we once enjoyed as a free country? Tough questions, but if you sit in that V.A. waiting room as I did, they might occur to you too. I know we’ll always need to protect ourselves from those who would be our enemies. I also know the price can be very high. Bert Lewis can be reached at: BertLewis39@aol.com.
July 1, 2005
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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underwritten by A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION FROM AN ANONYMOUS DONOR Editor’s note: This month’s Teen Age features excerpts from the winners of the Lt. Irving Cohen “Profiles in Courage” essay contest. Special thanks goes to Library Administrator Gary Katz for collecting the material. Editor’s note: The winners in the “Lt. Irving Cohen Profiles in Jewish Courage Essay Contest, announced on May 15 during Yom HaAztmaut ceremonies at the Jewish Community Center, were: Ben Nachman, First Place, $100; Caroline Juster, Second Place, $50; and Daniel Grossman, Third Place, $25, in the seventh-ninth grade division. In
the 10-12th grade division, winners were: Shayna Kurland, First Place, $200; Marty Nachman, Second Place, $100; and Adam Gendelman, Third Place, $50. Irving Cohen was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa on July 12, 1921, the son of Anne and Harry Cohen. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School
Be Civil and Respectful by SHAYNA KURLAND A heroine is defined as “a woman noted for courage and daring action.” A heroine in my mind is a person who influences my life. Lee Eveloff fits into either category. She taught me the importance of kindness, values, and how to keep a positive outlook. Lee was the kindest and pure-hearted human being I ever met. Her secret was that you don’t always have to like someone, but you need to respect that person as a human being. You don’t have to be friends, but you do have to be civil and respectful. Lee always said what was on her mind. If she saw something wrong, she wouldn’t hide it; she would make sure to find a quick fix. She generously donated to many organizations around the country to people she didn’t know. Later in life, she started donating to local people and families in need of medical help from accidents and illnesses. While her uncle was away at war, she helped
to keep the Katelman Foundry running. Later, she and her husband owned Marcus Department Store. She put many hours of hard work into the business to help is succeed. She was also active in the PTA when her children were growing up and in Hadassah where she served as treasurer. She also selflessly worked for B’nai Israel Synagogue. Lee taught me many lessons and now I want to teach one: respect and have love for everyone. I watched the deep care and love she had for her husband, Sam, in his last days of life. You never know who will reach for your hand and touch your heart. She honestly lived her life for others. She was the mom everyone hopes to have and the role model that everyone hopes to meet. She was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago. She fought hard to the end, but the cancer was just too much. Lee accomplished so much in her life. I feel truly honored to have met such an incredible person.
his “spiritual journey”, performing mental health analysis, placing the ideal of helping others above worrying about himself. He moved on to work for the State of Nebraska prisons, implementing drug and alcohol programs.This led David to his present career--running three transitional houses for men just out of prison. He has named the houses ‘The Wolf Houses’ after his middle name and his grandparents’ last name. In addition to the basics, David has worked with these men, treating them and helping them to abstain from drug and alcohol use. He puts in 70 hours per week and indicates it’s a commitment, saying it is “rewarding” and he is “lucky he can help people.” This past holiday time, the men, under David’s guidance, baked 3200 cookies for the troops in Iraq. David wanted to instill that the men can give back to society, too. David Staenberg has worked his entire life to help others, even in the face of obstacles. He has shown the courage to overcome roadblocks, allowing himself to continue his spiritual journey. He is performing tzedakah by devoting his life to placing the needs of others high on his list.
A Sister’s Courage by ADAM GENDLEMAN Usually when you hear the word “courage” the first thing that comes to my mind is a soldier fighting for his country or firefighters and police officers putting their lives on the line for the public good. When someone says, “a person shows courage,” what exactly does this mean? Everyone can interpret this question in different ways. When I hear the word “courage,” I think of the synonym, bravery. If I were asked to name someone in my life who has shown great courage, I would name my sister, Sierra. Sierra is a 20-year-old college junior at Syracuse University. For second semester many juniors choose to study abroad at popular venues such as Madrid, London, Paris, or Rome. Sierra chose to study the Hebrew language and spend the semester in the Holy Land of Israel. Sierra’s choice could be considered odd considering the political climate in the Middle East. This choice, however, shows her tremendous courage. At the time of her decision, the terrorist attacks were occurring on an all-too-regular basis. She did not focus on the hostilities: suicide bombings in restaurants, buses, and gathering spots for young people. Sierra showed
when his plane was shot down while on a mission over Mersberg, Germany. The essay contest, dedicated to the memory of Lt. Irving Cohen, was sponsored by The Lt. Irving Cohen Memorial Endowment Fund, The Kripke Jewish Federation Library, and Jewish Education and Library Services.
A Rich Life
Overcoming Obstacles by MARTY NACHMAN There aren't many good-hearted people who care about their fellow persons in society today. One such person is David Staenberg, who has shown courage in helping those in need. David earned an associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. While he was successful, there were roadblocks. The first, which continues to be a roadblock, is the financial ability to attend school. In order to earn his degrees, David had to work full time while he attended college. David also has a learning disability. He can’t completely comprehend what he has read. But this learning disability didn’t stop him. He found methods to overcome. Once he had his associates’ degree David was off into the ‘work-a-day’ world: helping people. To start him off on his career, David worked at the Sienna Francis house, helping with food lines. He went on to work for Methodist Hospital. Using his college background of drug counseling, he wrote drug and alcohol programs for adolescents. After this job David married, and went to work at Blue Valley Mental Health, closer to his home in Lincoln. Here he continued, as he put it,
and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He left the university early in 1942 to enlist in the United States Army Air Corp during World War II. In 1944, he became a B-17 bomber pilot and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He was attached to the Eighth Air Force and flew 14 bombing missions over Germany. On Nov. 25, 1944, he was killed
nothing but a smile on her face as she left Eppley Airfield for Israel. Her joy at having the opportunity to be in Israel for an extended period was overpowering. Her mission to study Hebrew and her goal to speak Hebrew fluently by the end of the semester—despite the risks—greatly effected how I view my secure, safe life here. Every week I received an e-mail from Sierra. She wrote of the bombing at a nightclub in TelAviv. She told me she was in Jerusalem on that night, so I should not worry. But I do worry and wonder how I would react if I had chosen to study in Israel. Would I be able to overcome my fears? Would I maintain my aspirations and continue to stay in Israel? To get around Israel, Sierra takes the local buses (but don’t tell my parents) even though she knows they are vulnerable to suicide bombings. She never thinks she could become another statistic. She is committed to pursuing her Hebrew studies in the best classroom in the world—Israel. I hope others will also appreciate her bravery. Despite the threat of a terrorist attack at any moment or at any location, she is living and studying those Jewish values important to her.
by BEN NACHMAN On March 8, 1932, a very special person was born in Omaha, Marlene Hechtman. She performed many mitzvot, helping Russian immigrants pursue jobs and become a part of the community. She helped a Ukrainian model become a fashion model in New York City and also helped another immigrant who was an opera singer in Russia establish herself here in America. Fifteen years ago, Hechtman moved to Siesta Key, FL. She helped get defibrillators for the local JCC and donated the first one. She was also very involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Marlene loved to play tennis and loved to entertain others. She often intertwined entertainment with community service by opening up her house for charitable events. One such event included an auction, the proceeds of which went to Make-AWish. Even though Hechtman was a woman of great chutzpah and performed many acts of loving kindness, her life was not all wonderful. Marlene had been dealt a huge blow when her husband died at an early age in 1967. Even though she was now
unexpectantly single with four young children, she still maintained her will to help others. One such example was organizing and narrating fashion shows as fundraisers for many Jewish women’s organizations. In 1972, she remarried, but divorced in 2001. Her family was not the only area of struggle. Her health was a constant battle. In 1994, Hechtman suffered a heart attack. She recovered, but a year later was diagnosed with cancer. After surgery, everything was fine for five years, but the cancer reappeared. This time she had to have four different treatments, none of which succeeded. As Beth Staenberg, Marlene’s daughter says about her mother, “She was a big lover of life.” She even was known to cheer up patients who were sitting by her in the waiting room in the hospital. During the time Hechtman had cancer, she continued to live life to its fullest. In the midst of this situation, she still dressed for every occasion and was known for her outrageously bold outfits. She was known as a “fashion queen” throughout her illness. Though she died on April 5, 2004, at the age of 72, Marlene Hechtman lived a rich life.
The Courage of a Spy by CAROLINE JUSTER Eli Cohen is known as Israel’s greatest spy. He showed great courage, stealth, and loyalty to Jews in Israel and around the world, even in the most dangerous situations. It is partly because of Cohen’s extensive work in Syria that the Jews were able to win the Golan Heights so easily in the Six Day War of 1967. Even after he was discovered by the Syrian government, Cohen refused to betray his country and his people. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, “Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.” Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt on Dec. 26, 1928. Throughout his childhood, his parents taught him about Jewish culture, teachings, and Zionism. He stayed in Egypt until the summer of 1955, working with Zionist and Jewish programs. However, he was suspected of being a spy and moved to Israel after brutal questioning by Egyptian authorities. Once in Israel, Cohen began intensive espionage training. In 1956, he returned to Egypt, but was detained and later expelled. He arrived in Israel in early 1957, and offered his services to Israeli Intelligence. He was denied twice and instead placed in a reserve Air Force formation as a logistics clerk. On Aug. 31, 1959, Cohen married Nadi Majald. He found work as an accountant, but in 1960 Israeli Intelligence offered him a job. He refused at first, but lost his accounting job and accepted the offer. He then began training and was taught the unique tune of Syrian Arabic. In 1961, Cohen officially became a spy for Israel. He was sent to Syria under the name Hamal Amin
Ta’abet and quickly worked his way up the Syrian government, making powerful friends and allies. His connections gave him power, influence, and access to Syria’s secrets. One of his more famous accomplishments was advising Syrian officers to plant trees in the army outposts in the Golan Heights, above northern Israel. He told the officers they would provide cover and shade for soldiers and they would also fool Israel into thinking the outposts were abandoned. Because the Israelis knew exactly where to look, they were easily able to overtake the outposts during the Six-Day War! In November of 1964, Cohen returned to Israel, afraid that some of the Syrian officials were becoming suspicious. Still, Israeli Intelligence wanted Eli to return for one last mission. However, when he returned to Syria, Cohen became careless with his radio transmissions. In January of 1965, Syrian officials broke into Cohen’s home, in the middle of a transmission. He was tortured, but bravely refused to give any information about Israel. His captors later remarked on his courage despite horrific interrogation methods. Then, Cohen underwent a show trial, with brutal questioning by top government officials. His verdict was predetermined and he was hanged on May 18, 1965. His execution was broadcast on Syrian television. Syria has never returned his body to Israel. Eli Cohen was a very courageous person. He was always loyal to Israel, even when his own life was in danger. Cohen was selfless and determined, only thinking of his country and the welfare of Jews around the world. He died protecting our homeland.
Never Give Up by DANIEL GROSSMAN Imagine being a young woman in the Holocaust who was one of the only ones who survived from a family with nine children. Imagine being in the Lodz ghetto with little food and water, if any, for years. Imagine watching your mom and dad die from starvation and there being nothing you can do. For Miriam Grossman this was no imagination. This was a reality. She was an extraordinary person. She had to survive so many things, more than just the ones above. She made it out of the war and then faced the challenge of moving to a new country with her husband and new baby. I don’t think there is anyone more deserving of the “Profile in Courage.” Any survivor of the Holocaust is extraordinary. I can’t even to begin to imagine how they felt. Not
only did Miriam survive the horrors and atrocities of those dark years, she later felt it was her responsibility to share her story. This was a difficult task because of the mental scarring the experience had left her with. No matter the difficulty however, she continued to speak as long as she was able. There is one more area of courage that I would like to tell you about. This would be her unwavering belief in G-d. If you went through what she went through, do you think that you would still have the faith to praise and thank G-d? Well, I know for a fact that she did and she never ever forgot it. Miriam is not here with us today. If she was, I’m sure her story would still be told. If there is one important virtue that I learned from her, it would be to never give up--no matter what.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 1, 2005
Serving You Better What distinguishes newspapers like ours--a community-based weekly--from other media? This is a questions asked repeatedly, but it’s easy to answer: The Jewish Press is the only publication to reach the entire Jewish community in Eastern Nebraska, Western Iowa and in small pockets across the state. And we’ve been publishing weekly since 1920 (with the exception of next Friday, July 8, when we’re shutting down to perform much needed computer maintenance and upgrades). Frankly, most businesses want to reach this target market--and now we’ve got the statistics to back that up. As part of a joint venture between the American Jewish Press Association and members like the Jewish Press, a new entity was created--JMedia--to solicit regional and national advertising from agencies that often overlook small weeklies like ours. In order to provide these ad agencies with statistics on how far their advertising dollars would go, this newspaper agreed to a certified audit of by the Circulation Verification Council. The results are even better than expected. According to a random survey of our readers: • 61% read the Jewish Press as their primary source of Jewish news; another 23% as their only source of Jewish news and information; • 67% of our readers have household incomes of $50,000 or higher, with 27% of those over $100,000 in annual income; • 81% of our readers are over the age of 35, however, the biggest age group was 35-54, with 48% of our readership in 35-44 and 4554 years of age categories, divided evenly; • 57% of our readers anticipate making several domestic airline trips this year; another 11% plan on flying overseas; 39% will probably
(Founded in 1920)
purchase an automobile in the next 12 months, while 43% will purchase home furnishings, another 27% electronics; and • our readers are very involved in managing their finances with 38% invested in 401K plans and another 57% in IRAs; 64% invest in individual stocks with 35% investing in mutual funds and another 27% purchasing bonds. This new survey from the CVC, combined with the services of the Nebraska Classified Advertising Network and Display Ad Network offer additional opportunities to our advertisiers and readers. These networks are part of the services offered by the Nebraska Press Association, and like AJPA, strive to assist smaller papers like ours by joining forces to increase revenue. Classified ads that formerly appeared in “jBay”, the Jewish Press classified ad section, now have the ability to reach as many as 900,000 readers through this statewide network of dailies and community weeklies. For $185, an advertiser can place a classified ad of 25 words that will run in 173 newspapers (for $175/week the ad will run for four consecutive weeks; regional prices are also available for Northeast Nebraska, including Omaha and Sioux City, or Northeast and Southeast regions, including Omaha, Lincoln and Sioux City). This issue offers the first in weekly classified and display ads through the Nebraska statewide network (contact Allan Handleman at: 334.6451 or ahandleman@jewishomaha.org to place your ad). We know this information is important to our advertisers, but it’s also important to the entire Jewish community. CVC confirmed that we print 3818 issues each week, with an average of 2154 mailed in Douglas County, another 503
mailed to homes in Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Lancaster and Sarpy counties, and another 475 out-of-town paid subscribers. (Not surprisingly, the next highest numbers of issues mailed outside Nebraska were to Kansas City--and Scottsdale, where many of our snowbirds have now become permanent residents.) As the Jewish community of Omaha plans for its future, having an economically viable Jewish Press that continues to reach households with buying power will remain an attractive media buy for our advertisers. That means that readers who count on us for their source of Jewish news will continue to find the Press in their mailboxes each week for a long time to come!
Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press the Jewish Committee, Federation of Omaha 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.
Saudis Import Slaves to America
BEHIND THE H EADLINES by DANIEL PIPES Homaidan Ali Al-Turki, 36, and his wife, Sarah Khonaizan, 35, appear to be a model immigrant couple. Having arrived in the United States in 2000, they live with their four children in an upscale Denver suburb. AlTurki is a graduate student in linguistics at the University of Colorado, specializing in Arabic intonation and focus prosody. He donates money to the Linguistic Society of America and is CEO of Al-Basheer Publications and Translations, a bookstore specializing in titles about Islam. Last month, however, the FBI accused the couple of enslaving an Indonesian woman in her early 20s. For four years, reads the indictment, they created “a climate of fear and intimidation through rape and other means.” The slave woman cooked, cleaned, took care of children, and more for little or no pay, fearing that if she did not obey, “she would suffer serious harm.” The two Saudis face charges of forced labor, aggravated sexual abuse, document servitude, and harboring an alien. If found guilty, they could spend their remaining lives in prison. The government also wants to seize the couple’s Al-Basheer bank account to pay their former slave $92,700 in back wages. It’s a shocking instance, especially for a graduate student and religious bookstore owner – but not a particularly rare one. Here are other examples of enslavement, all involving Saudi royals or diplomats living in the United States. • In 1982, a Miami judge issued a warrant to search Prince Turki Bin Abdul Aziz’s 24thfloor penthouse to determine if he was hold-
ing Nadia Lutefi Mustafa, an Egyptian woman, against her will. Turki and his French bodyguards prevented a search from taking place, then won retroactive diplomatic immunity to forestall any legal unpleasantness. • In 1988, the Saudi defense attaché in Washington, Col. Abdulrahman S. Al-Banyan, employed a Thai domestic, Mariam Roungprach, until she escaped his house by crawling out a window. She later told how she had been imprisoned there, did not get enough food, and was not paid. Interestingly, her work contract specified that she could not leave the house or make telephone calls without her employer’s permission.
Only when Washington more robustly represents American interests will Saudi behavior improve. • In 1991, Prince Saad Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and his wife, Princess Noora, lived on two floors of the Ritz-Carlton Houston. Two of their servants, Josephine Alicog of the Philippines and Sriyani Marian Fernando of Sri Lanka, filed a suit against the prince, alleging they were for five months held against their will, “by means of unlawful threats, intimidation and physical force,” they were only partially paid, denied medical treatment, and suffered mental and physical abuse. • In March 2005, a wife of Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Turki Alsaud, Hana Al Jader, 39, was arrested at her home outside of Boston on charges of forced labor, domestic servitude, falsifying records, visa fraud, and harboring aliens. Al Jader stands accused of
Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Amanda Marcuccio Sales & Marketing Intern Jewish Press Committee Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; Jean Duitch; Penny Endelman; Kip Gordman; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Michael Siegal; Nancy Skid; and Melany Weinstine. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press is a constitutional committees of the Jewish Federation.
compelling two Indonesian women to work for her by making them believe “that if they did not perform such labor, they would suffer serious harm.” If convicted, Al Jader faces up to 140 years in jail and $2.5 million in fines. There are many other similar instances, for example, the Orlando escapades of Saudi princesses Maha al-Sudairi and Buniah alSaud. Joel Mowbray tells of twelve female domestics “trapped and abused” in the households of Saudi dignitaries or diplomats. Why is this problem so acute when it comes to affluent Saudis? Four reasons come to mind. Although slavery was abolished in the kingdom in 1962, the practice still flourishes there. Ranking Saudi religious authorities endorse slavery; for example, Sheikh Saleh AlFawzan insisted recently that “Slavery is a part of Islam” and whoever wants it abolished he called “an infidel.” The U.S. State Department knows about the forced servitude in Saudi households and laws exist to combat this scourge but, as Mowbray argues, it “refuses to take measures to combat it.” Finally, Saudis know they can get away with nearly any misbehavior. Their embassy provides funds, letters of support, lawyers, retroactive diplomatic immunity, former U.S. ambassadors as troubleshooters, and even aircraft out of the country; it also keeps pesky witnesses away. Given the U.S. government’s louche attitude toward the Saudis, slavery in Denver, Miami, Washington, Houston, Boston, and Orlando hardly comes as a surprise. Only when Washington more robustly represents American interests will Saudi behavior improve. Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and author of Miniatures (Transaction Publishers) and can be reached at: www.DanielPipes.org.
Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, noon, eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For more information, contact Carol Katzman, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $31 per calendar year U.S.; $35 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.
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Page 9
As Conservatives Plan Future, Choice of Successor to Schorsch is Critical
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by CHANAN TIGAY NEW YORK (JTA)--It has become axiomatic in certain circles to say that the Conservative Movement is at a crossroads as it considers its future. With the announcement last week of the upcoming retirement of Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, longtime chancellor of the movement's flagship Jewish Theological Seminary, elements of that future are now slightly less clear, and may hinge in large part on who is selected to succeed Schorsch. “I think it’s a turning point,” said Rabbi Neil Cooper, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in suburban Philadelphia. “I think that when the chancellor took over 20 years ago, the challenges facing the seminary and the movement were very different.” Roundly praised for bolstering what he calls “serious Jewish education” among Conservative Jews, Schorsch is retiring at a time of uncertainty for the movement as a whole. During his tenure, the number of Conservative day-school students jumped, as did the number of students at JTS itself, and the seminary established a large graduate school for Jewish education. Yet insiders say the movement today is in the throes of an identity crisis, facing dwindling numbers of Americans identifying as Conservative, internal debate over the place of gays and non-Jewish spouses in the fold and difficulties speaking in a unified voice. How the movement resolves such contentious issues will be significantly impacted by the next chancellor. It seems clear that those charged with choosing a new chancellor would be well aware of candidates’ stands on these issues, and that their selection could be a bellwether for the future direction of the movement. “I think that the next chancellor is probably going to be addressing those issues more directly,” Cooper said. “All of those kinds of things are pulling at us.” In a June 15 letter to the JTS community and supporters, Schorsch said he would step down officially on June 30, 2006, some 20 years after taking the reins. “I do so with more than a tinge of sadness, because throughout my tenure, I have found my work deeply fulfilling,” wrote Schorsch, who will be 70 when he retires. “But I decided long ago to step down while still in top form.” Under Schorsch’s watch, the movement’s camping and day-school arms have grown, with 25,000 students now attending Conservative Schechter Schools and an additional 25,000 Conservative students in community day
schools--nondenominational Jewish academies. Conservative students, JTS says, now comprise 25 percent of the national day-school population. The JTS student body also has grown, jumping from 500 students in 1994 to 700 today. The school’s faculty has increased from 90 members in 1994 to 120 today. In 1996 JTS established the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, which the seminary says is the largest school of its kind in the country. Schorsch further has worked to bolster the Conservative Movement’s affiliates in Russia, Argentina and Israel. He also has raised $500 million in annual campaign dollars and over $265 million in the school’s capital campaign that ended in 2004 alone. Under Schorsch “we consistently have strong annual campaigns, a balanced budget and effective financial management,” a seminary spokeswoman said in an e-mail. That’s despite news reports that emerged in December indicating that JTS was in debt and was selling off buildings and instituting a hiring freeze to cover loans. JTS denies it froze hires, and continues to maintain that its financial position is strong. As JTS’ vice chancellor for institutional advancement, Rabbi Carol Davidson often is on the road with Schorsch, raising money for the school. Although he is 20 years her elder, she said, when she’s tuckered out after a day of strenuous fund raising, Schorsch still has the strength to debrief and analyze the day’s events. That’s indicative not only of his “boundless energy,” but also his “laser vision about just how important serious support of the institution is,” she said. Since its inception, the Conservative movement has walked a fine line between adhering to halachah, or Jewish law, and embracing modernity and a modern approach to religious observance. Schorsch, for his part, often has come down on the side of tradition, a stance that has not been without controversy. “It’s much easier to join a movement that doesn’t have norms,” he said in a recent interview. “The challenge of Conservative Judaism is to be in and of the world without surrendering the importance of norms and boundaries.” Among these boundaries is the movement’s policy precluding the ordination of openly gay rabbis and against allowing its rabbis to officiate at same-sex weddings. Some have said privately that it was unlikely these policies would be changed as long as Schorsch was at the seminary’s helm. Schorsch, for his part, dismisses the argument. “I don’t exaggerate my influence,” he said. “I think I’ve been a voice. I’m not
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sure I’ve been a determinative voice. The debate will continue.” In March, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the movement’s rabbinic arm will meet to examine several teshuvot, or responsa, on the place of homosexuality in the Conservative Movement. Those with knowledge of the committee’s workings say it could pass teshuvot both in favor of and opposing an easing of the movement’s restrictions on homosexuality. A teshuva that garners the votes of onequarter of the committee’s members is considered an official, halachically tenable opinion, even if another responsa gets a majority of the votes. In such a case, they say, the new chancellor will play a significant role in determining which teshuva to rally around and, by extension, how the movement approaches the issue in the future. The role of women in the rabbinate may be another area in which a new chancellor could make strides, observers say. Conservative women rabbis are paid less than their male counterparts, occupy fewer senior positions and are more likely to be unmarried, according to a movement survey. A new JTS head could work to ensure that those arenas that are supposed to be egalitarian “are truly egalitarian,” said Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles-and could work to move gender issues
into the public eye. “I think that the new chancellor can continue to work on issues of halachic pluralism,” he added. Conservative leaders say Schorsch’s commitment to educating Conservative Jews has borne fruit. “What Schorsch has done incredibly well is build the seminary into a first-rate academic institution,” said Rabbi Elliot Dorff, a professor at the University of Judaism, the Conservative Movement’s other main seminary. Compared to his student days at the seminary in the 1960s, Dorff--who was a visiting teacher at the seminary in 19992000--said JTS is “a better place to learn and teach, both for students and faculty,” something he called an “incredible achievement. “I think a new chancellor would hopefully build on that base academically, but may also be able to help to coordinate the arms of the movement more effectively,” he said. “One of the things we have lacked is some kind of a structure for the movement to speak as a movement. That, at least, has not happened to this point, although there have been attempts. It was not that Chancellor Schorsch didn’t try.” Schorsch for his part, said he doesn’t envision a lame-duck year as he prepares to step aside. He hopes to raise “more money that ever” this year, and to continue pushing “the agendas I’ve been pushing.”
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 1, 2005
Candlelighting Friday, July 1, 8:43 p.m. Friday, July 8, 8:41 p.m.
Synagogue Listings
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
B’nai Israel Synagogue
FRIDAY, July 1: There will be no Services.
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
Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 nebraskajudaism.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 jewishnebraska.org
Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 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 Minyan 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.tiferethlincoln.org
Please come to a
kiddush luncheon following services
Saturday, July 9 Beth El Synagogue Etta and Harold “Bae” Epstein No gifts please
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; D’var Torah given by Steve Riekes; Summer K’tantan, 10:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Beth El Synagogue; Evening Service, 8:55 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Weekdays, 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. BIBLE STUDY CLASS: Sundays, 10 a.m., led by Prof. Leonard Greenspoon; in the synagogue library. HAZAK: Celebrate the Fourth of July With Hazak! Group members will meet for a 5:30 p.m. dinner (restaurant to be announced), then back to Beth El to enjoy the Boys and Girls Town fireworks. For more information, contact Gloria Goodman at 333.3351. COMMUNITY JEWISH SINGLES Thursday July 7, 6:15 p.m.: Jewish adults from throughout the Jewish community will meet at Jazz-on-the-Green at Joslyn Art Museum. Attendees will meet at the yellow sculpture on 24th St.; organizers will be carrying purple balloons. For information or to make reservations, contact Harriet Einziger at 492.8550. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP Meet Thursday, July 7, 7 p.m., at Archiver’s scrapbooking store, located in the Village Pointe shopping center. Participants are asked to bring multi-generational family photos to be used in a scrapbooking page or photo frame. FRIDAY, July 8: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 9: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Summer K'tantan, 10:45 a.m. kiddush luncheon sponsored by Etta and Harold “Bae” Epstein.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free Babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Drs. Bonnie Bloch and Howard Gendelman in honor of the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Lesley, to Miles Ehrenkranz; Mincha, 8:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Contact the synagogue office for Mincha/ Ma’ariv service time. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Contact the synagogue office for Mincha/Ma’ariv time. Monday, July 4: Shacharit, 7 a.m. The synagogue office is closed. Contact the office for Mincha/Ma’ariv service time. WEDNESDAY: Intensive Summer Hebrew Class begins today and will be held weekdays through July 22, 9 a.m.-noon. FRIDAY, July 8: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, July 9: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free Babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; Mincha, 8:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:50 p.m. WEDNESDAY, July 13: Beth Israel Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home. SATURDAY, July 23: Potluck dinner and Havdalah at the home of the Schlossman/Ferber’s, 6 p.m. Come join us for good food,
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m.; Ima & Me, 10:30–11:45 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Services, 9:30 a.m., followed by a Kiddush luncheon. SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m. Mishneh class, 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY:Torah for Teens, 4:15 p.m. MONDAY, July 11-FRIDAY, July 15: Gan Israel Summer Camp--Kiddee Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Gan Israel Summer Camp-Older Division, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Programs are open to the community. For information or to register, call the office or visit: www.nebraskajudaism.com.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m., led by Stephanie Dohner, with oneg provided by Lori Merliss. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. FRIDAY, July 8: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m., led by Brian Bornstein, with oneg provided by Jennifer Williss. SATURDAY, July 9: Torah Study, 10:30 a.m.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m. Cantor Wendy
Shermet will officiate. Summer worship-study discussion: “Praying in the 21st Century.” SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE will not be available during summer worship times. Check the Temple website, www.templeisrael-ne.org, for the fall schedule. OUTREACH AND SYNAGOGUE COMMUNITY Celebrate the 4th of July at the home of Steve Danon, Sunday July 3, 6 p.m. Tasty BBQ and fireworks! Questions? E-mail Steve at sdanon@aol.com. RSVP to the office, mkube@templeisraelomaha.com. SHABBAT UNDER THE STARS Friday, July 8, 6 p.m. at the JCC Frohm Pavilion. Kabbalat Shabbat service is preceded by a bring-your-own dairy picnic dinner at 6 p.m. Rabbi Craig Marantz will lead the 6:30 p.m. service which is open to the entire Jewish community, followed by the Israel Scout Caravan Concert at 7 p.m. In the event of rain, all events will be in the JCC auditorium and theater. Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m. Congregant Michael Walts will officiate in the Livingston Chapel at Temple.
NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Kabbalas Shabbos, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharis, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum. Minyan, MONDAY & THURSDAY, 9 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066.
Shock and ‘Awwwwwwe’
Torah to Polish Jews Continued from page 4 “Chaye Sarah is about taking care of the dead,” Marie Lippman said, “and what is Poland if not an immense Jewish cemetery? “If everybody leaves, if all the Torahs leave, who will be left to take care of the dead?” she asked. The family, which includes daughter Nina, 16, and son Adam, 9, as well as Juliet, 13, met with members of the Polish Jewish community who briefed them on Jewish life here today. They also visited a soup kitchen and met elderly Jews who eat there daily, as well as a Righteous Gentile who takes her lunch there. “This Torah represents an American Jewish family not forgetting their family, their roots,” Michael Schudrich, chief rabbi of Poland, told JTA. Some people also used the occasion to reflect on the sadness of the past. “I’m feeling bad about this place,” said Leszek Kedziralow, standing by the lobby fountain of the “Blue Tower” on the site of the
conversation, and singing.
former Great Synagogue, which was blown up by the Nazis in May 1943 as a symbol of victory over the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. He was there, he said, out of a sense of duty. “It’s not a question of faith but of giving a testimony: We are still alive,” he said. More than 20,000 Israelis visit Poland every year, but most don’t see more than the death camps and cemeteries dotted throughout the country. But the parade route was enlivened by the presence of jubilant Israelis, who had come to see the death the camps and wanted to attend the Torah dedication once they heard of it. “It’s very weird to be here,” said Yaniv, a 25-year-old soldier. “We’re taught that we should hate Poland. We’re learning here. It’s different from what we thought.” “We’re giving this Torah back to Poland,” Harley Lippman said in his speech. “We are here to return what is yours. It’s about remembering the past to know your future. This is a homecoming.”
by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Left: Escorted by the Bogomolni family (from left, Lena, Samuel and Cantor Gastón, holding daughter, Emmanuelle), Beth El’s longtime kitchen manager Lucy White was stunned to find herself the guest of honor during her recent surprise 70th birthday party in the synagogue's social hall. More than 200 congregants showered White with applause, roses, birthday greetings and special birthday serenades. In
photo at right, Steven Finkle watches as White blows out the candles on her pink and white cake, which was flanked by balloons reading “We Love Lucy.” Finkle’s mother, Judi, served as coordinator of the surprise event.
July 1, 2005
The Ever Present Opportunist
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Qorah In one of a series of rebellions, 250 men, including chieftains of the people and other men of renown, attacked Moses and Aaron. Why do you presume to consider yourselves elite? Everyone is holy. We are equal to you! Moses fell on his face in humility and suggested a plan to let the Lord decide whom He will choose as leaders. Is being Levites not enough for you? Do you aspire to the priesthood as well? Dathan and Abiram refused to come when Moses called them. “You promised to bring us to a Land flowing with milk and honey. But what we see is that you have dragged us into the wilderness to die here. And now you arrogantly set yourselves above us. Do you want to gouge out our eyes? We will not come.�
Moses appeals to the Lord: “I have not so much as taken an ass from any of them. I have wronged no one.� Moses suggests to Qorah a way for the Lord to choose at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The Lord threatens to annihilate the whole assembly, but Moses intervenes. Moses now warns the people to stay away from the dwellings of Dathan and Abiram. Now the earth swallows Qorah and his followers: And fire consumes the 250 men in the whole group. Now the people complain to Moses and Aaron: “You have killed many people!� The Lord would have exterminated the complainers in a fatal plague, but Moses and Aaron made expiation for them. The plague was stopped when almost 15,000 had died. An attempt to see whom the Lord favors is made by placing a staff for each tribe at the Tent of Meeting. In the morning, it was seen that the staff of Aaron, the Levite, had sprouted and produced greenery and almonds. The Israelites, in despair, now wail: “Have we at last finished with all this dying?� With this plaintive cry, our Sidra comes to an end. So, too, ends the rebellion against Moses and Aaron.
JOEL A. BRODKSY Joel A. Brodsky died June 22 at the age of 43 after after battling multiple sclerosis since he was diagnosed 24 years ago. A memorial service was held June 24 at Temple Israel, with burial immediately following at Temple Israel Cemetery. While in high school, he moved to Kansas City with his family and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in economics in 1984. He returned to Kansas City and opened a 50’s style diner, “Lucille’s� in the city’s Westport neighborhood. In of became Vice-president 1988, Brodsky Administration for Rader’s, Inc, an Omaha office products and supply company. A member of the local Multiple Sclerosis chapter, he was selected in 1994 by staff members as “MS Dad of the Year.� He was also active with Leadership Omaha, Creighton University’s occupational therapy program and spent countless hours volunteering as a youth basketball and soccer coach and mentor. He is survived by Jodi Brodsky, his wife of 17 years, and daughter, Rachel; parents, Sheldon and Judy of Rancho Mirage, CA; sister, Karen Brodsky of Santa Rosa, CA; and brother, Peter Brodsky of Lexington, KY. Memorials to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Temple Israel.
by Jewish Press News Service Independent singer/songwriter Ruvane Kurland began a month long, solo tour throughout a seven state region last week. Based in Carbondale, IL, Kurland will be performing nearly 20 shows in 28 days. For most people, summer is a time for rest and relaxation. Acoustic folk-rock musician Ruvane Kurland is not most people. Kurland kicked off his summer tour in Chicago and will be making a stop in Omaha, Saturday July 9, 9 p.m., at Straight Shooters, 7812 “Fâ€? St., with a follow Ruvane Kurland up show at McFoster’s Natural Kind CafĂŠ, July 10, 11 a.m., 308 So. 38th St. Kurland will then take his blend of folk-rock to Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin Raised in Council Bluffs, IA, Kurland began performing professionally at age 17, with his first performance in Omaha. He has released three albums, and has had his music featured on the soundtrack to the movie, Vengeance Zombies 2000, produced by Bo Hakala. For more information, contact Kurland at: 319.621.7887 or visit www.ruvanekurland.com.
Kripke Library Announces New Hours To Submit an Obituary Notice: Send full name, age, date of death, location of service and burial site to the Jewish Press via e-mail: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; fax, 402.334.5422; or mail, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Or visit the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s website: www.jewishomaha.org, and click on Jewish Press and go to ‘Submit Announcements.’ Complete form and click on ‘send’; it will automatically be sent to the Press--or call 402.334.6448 for guidelines and the form.
by Jewish Press News Service The Kripke Jewish Federation Library announces new hours, beginning this week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the Library will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and on Fridays, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. On the last Sunday of each month, the Library will be open from 1-3 p.m. For more information, call Library Administrator Gary Katz at: 334.6462.
Board Administrator
Defibrillator Recall Alert
The Buffalo County Board of Supervisors (Kearney, NE) is accepting applications for the position of Board Administrator. Compensation range $2,375 to $2,637 monthly. This is an “employment-at-will� position. A position description and application may be found at www.buffalogov.org or are available from the Buffalo County Clerk, 1512 Central Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847 or by calling 308-236-1226. Application and resume must be returned in a sealed envelope marked “Buffalo County Board Administrator� to the Buffalo County Clerk’s office by 5:00 pm on July 8th, 2005. Buffalo County is an EEOE.
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Page 11
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Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 1, 2005
What Happens at Casino Night, Stays at Casino Night
Beth El Honors Outgoing and Incoming Board
YJO to Host Vegas-Style Event for Blumkin Home Residents by PAM MONSKY Federation Communications Director YJO (Young Jewish Omaha) members are betting that a little flash, a lot of fun and plenty of food will add up to a spectacular Casino Night event for the Residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. On Thursday, July 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m., YJO members will transform the Auditorium at the Community Jewish Center into a Las Vegasstyle casino complete with slot machines, blackjack tables, a roulette wheel and the Wheel-OfFortune. In addition to the casino games, Blumkin Home Residents can enjoy a variety of delicious appetizers and beverages, elegantly served to them by YJO volunteers. A number of volunteers from YJO are needed to help decorate the Auditorium, serve food and drinks to the Residents and help escort them to the event. Volunteers are also needed to serve as Las Vegas-style card and game dealers and slot managers for the evening. According to Adam Yale, YJO Steering Committee Chairman, Casino Night promises to be one of the most entertaining volunteer jobs ever offered to YJO members. “Not only will YJO members
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Beth El at the synagogue’s recent annual meeting. Other outgoing officers and board members include David Finkle, Lloyd Roitstein, Mikhail Ginsburg, Shira Kronick and Carl Riekes.
Small Town Iowa Stories Opens in JCC Gallery by RACHEL BLUM appearing in her mind. JCC Program Director “There is a rich history of happenings A series of art quilts about small town, in small towns, and I was fortunate to Midwestern life in the 1960’s goes on have lived there. I hope that viewers will display at the Jewish find much that they can Community Center Art identify with, no matter Gallery, July 5-Aug.18. where they grew up,” Omaha artist Shirley Neary explained. Neary has been working Some of the pieces are on this series for about personal narratives, such five years, both in as “Fried Marbles”, thought and actual pro“Summer Tents”, and duction. She lived on a “Counting Cars”, while farm near Breda, IA, until others also relate to fads fourth grade when the of the era, such as gum family moved to Carroll. wrapper chains, ironing Persistent memories of hair, and paper dresses. “Fried Marbles” those years kept re-
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Beth El President Hyman Sukiennik, left, and Rabbi Mordechai Levin, right, flank outgoing Board of Trustees members Diane Malashock, Larry Shapiro and Janie Murow, who were recognized for their service to
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perform a wonderful mitzvah, they’ll have a great time! If anyone’s ever fantasized about becoming a blackjack dealer at a swanky Las Vegas casino, this is your chance to live it out!” Mike Silverman, Executive Director of Jewish Senior Services and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, and an active YJO member, is thrilled to offer his Residents a program that is purely social and geared especially for adults. “Events like Casino Night are just as beneficial to the volunteers as they are to the residents. If you haven’t had the chance to volunteer for a project in the Jewish community for a while, Casino Night is the ideal opportunity to give it a try. Give us two hours of your time on July 14 and I guarantee you'll feel like a million bucks!” said Silverman. To volunteer, please email Jill Simon, YJO Program Coordinator, jsimon1123@cox.net, no later than Monday, July 11. Young Jewish Omaha (YJO) is a social group for members of the community ages 25-45 and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For more information, pleased contact Sharon Kirshenbaum, Young Leadership Director, 334.6485, or at: skirshenbaum@jewishomaha.org.
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