Vol. LXXXV No. 43 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 85 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
11 Tamuz, 5766 July 7, 2006
Israeli Hostage Situation Drags On, Still with No Information on Soldier by DAN BARON JERUSALEM (JTA)--Israel is still looking for a way to bring its kidnapped soldier home. A somber-looking Prime Minister Ehud Olmert convened his Cabinet and security chiefs Sunday for an assessment of efforts, so far unsuccessful, to retrieve Cpl. Gilad Shalit, abducted by Hamas and other gunmen. Despite a massive armored incursion and dozens of airstrikes in Gaza, and a round-up of senior officials from the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank, there has been no solid information on the whereabouts and condition of Shalit, who was kidnapped last weekend. Asked if military means alone could be relied upon to secure the 19-year-old’s release, Israel’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen., Dan Halutz, said: “It seems not.” “We have to take a deep breath. This could take weeks or even months. There is no magic solution,” Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin told the Cabinet. Retrieving Shalit is proving to be a big test for the fledgling government of Olmert and his defense minister, Amir Peretz. For the prime minister, the crisis threatens his promise of a withdrawal from the West Bank that helped get him elected. While much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure is in ruins following Israeli airstrikes, the Palestinian casualty rate
has so far been low-three dead terrorists. Security sources say Israel wants to pressure the Palestinian Authority into producing Shalit while avoiding the sort of onslaught that could push his captors to drastic deeds. But there has been little progress. The Hamas-led government insists it is not responsible for Shalit, yet a the same time publishes the ransom demands of the hostage-takers. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, considered internationally as the future address for rapprochement with Israel, has not Israeli soldiers sit on an armored personnel carrier at a staging area just outside the Gaza Strip. convinced Hamas to Israel entered the Gaza Strip with troops and tanks, applying pressure on Palestinian militants return the soldier. Credit: Brian Hendler/JTA Continued on page 3 to secure the release of a 19-year-old abducted soldier.
“Knighted” Teacher Inducted into High School Hall of Fame
Tikkun Olam was the Essence of Judaism to Former Omahan
by GARY JAVITCH University (nearly four When the name of years). Abraham Lincoln is Besides the praise for spoken, most recall the her teaching, Jan also country’s great Civil earned a number of War president. But for honors which the many Nebraskans and Council Bluffs NonIowans, the appellation pareil delineated in a is also fondly remempre-banquet article: “In 1976, she was recbered as the name of a ognized as Brownell well-known Council Talbot Teacher of the Bluffs high school. Year. In 1984, she was And for alumna Jan named Nebraska’s Lund, Abraham Outstanding Foreign Lincoln High School Language Teacher. In has even greater signif1995 and again in icance. It occupies an Jan Schneider Lund 2000, Lund was one elite position in her heart and mind. She revealed just why at of five finalists for Nebraska Teacher of a dinner honoring her and four others at the Year. In 1996, she was named Nebraska’s their induction into the school’s distinOutstanding French Teacher and Ralston guished Hall of Fame last March. Why was it so important? “A.L.,” she District Secondary Teacher of the Year. explained to an audience of National Four times she’s been named a “STAR” Honor Society honorees, her family, teacher by the Nebraska Department of friends and other school supporters, Education’s Foreign Language division.” Jan told the dinner guests why she “played the pivotal role in my life for three years, as it did for many other kids. chose a career path in education. “As you I spent more of my waking hours at A.L. know,” Jan stated, “I became a teacher or in A.L.-related activities than I did at and am sure that was due as much to the teachers who inspired me at A.L. as it was home.” Also in attendance at the event were the to “following my bliss,” (loosely--her two people who nominated her for the heart and soul), and added jokingly, distinction, Maynard Telpner and “which if the truth be told, I thought William Hughes--a lifelong friend and would lead me to being a back-up singer in some Motown girl group. I’m still toycollege classmate. The well-deserved honor followed a ing with that idea, but...teaching’s good, stellar career spanning more than a quar- too.” Actually much better than good, ter century in education in which Jan earned accolades as a French teacher at because she garnered more than money Brownell-Talbot (four years), Ralston in pursuing her dream job. High School (21 years), and Creighton Continued on page 4
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN with them.” As they sought to strengthen Temple Israel their relationship and build mutual respect Communications Coordinator and understanding, the groups attended Judy Siff “instantly fell in love with each others’ worship services. Judaism. She really related to the Jewish As they became more and more religion, really quickly. It had a lot of involved in social justice issues, Rabbi meaning to her,” said Barry Siff now of Aryeh Azriel “surprised us at Brian’s Bar Boulder, Colorado. Mitzvah in 1992, and brought in Rabbi Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, David Saperstein, director of the Judy met Barry there, and they were mar- Religious Action Center of Reform ried in 1977. She became a Jew-by- Judaism. Brian’s Bar Mitzvah was totally choice right before their wedding. Before dedicated to Boys Town. Even Brian’s moving to Omaha, the Siffs lived in party was as Boys Town, and the Jewish Boston. Members of Temple Israel from 1985 to 1996, Judy was also president of the local chapter of Women’s American ORT. As Temple members, the Siffs befriended some Jewish girls who were residents of Boys Town. The girls were brought to Temple for worship services by Boys Town staff members until the Siffs volunteered to bring them. “We became close with them,” Barry Side-by-side, in the Colorado mountains, with her sons Elliot, explained. “One even now 22, and Brian, now 27, Judy Siff left her mark on Omaha in life and after she died. lived with us.” Along with their sons, Brian and Elliot, kids who lived there were invited.” the Siffs delivered Meals on Wheels. Rabbi Azriel asked the Siffs to be the “This brought awareness of the home- first co-chairs of Temple’s Social Action less” especially when the family spent a Committee. Their involvement in social night outdoors trying to sleep in boxes in action “just evolved from Rabbi Azriel’s Central Park Mall. leadership and suggestions,” Barry said. “But the biggest thing was when we “We internalized it and found meaning in started a relationship with an African- it. The essence of Judaism to us is tikkun American church,” Barry continued. “We olam.” planted a garden called the Lord’s Vineyard Continued on page 4
Inside Opinion Page see page 12
This Week: Fourth of July Tributes: Pages 8-9 See Front Page Stories at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
Sisters Interview One Another About Birthright Pages 6-7
Coming Next Week: Health & Wellness Issue Catholic School Educators to Study in Israel: Page 11
Beth Israel Gets Rabbinic Intern Page 16
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
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allowed. That satisfied the last condition Israel needed to submit its membership application to the Red Cross, though Arab and Islamic countries still did all they could to block the move ahead of the vote early June 22. Reaching this point took decades of work by major Jewish organizations, and the battle also played out in Washington, where a number of legislators made it a priority issue. The American Red Cross also played a leading role in the campaign. Since 2000, the ARC has withheld $42 million in dues, 25 percent of the international federation’s annual income. But why did Magen David Adom succeed now, after so many years of failed attempts? Why couldn’t the Organization of the Islamic Conference once again keep Israel out? For one, Israel’s admission was linked to the admission of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which had been relegated to observer status because of a statute admitting agencies only from sovereign states. Changing the statute to allow a simultaneous vote on the Israeli and Palestinian agencies may, in the end, have created more votes for Israel. The strategies employed by Arab and Islamic nations may have also contributed to the victory. Two nations--
that message met with general disapproval. Another hitch occurred with the memorandum of understanding signed in November by MDA and the Palestinian group. The agreement specified certain steps Israel had to take on the ground, such as allowing Palestinian ambulances to pass easily through checkpoints. Some reports indicated that Swiss inspectors who visited Israel to monitor the agreement weren’t satisfied with what they saw. “We were fairly panicked yesterday,” said Marla Gilson, Director of Hadassah’s Washington office, citing a steady stream of messages among Geneva, Israel and Washington. The fact that the Islamic Conference “mounted such opposition was quite concerning.” In the end, such objections fell on deaf ears. A few nations--such as Jordan, Oman and Egypt--even surprised observers by voting for the measure. Former Lincolnite Rabbi Danny Allen, Executive Vice president of American Friends of Magen David Adom, called it a “vote for humanity over sectarian politics.” The chairwoman of the American Red Cross, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, agreed, citing it as a “remarkable and long-overdue response to the inclusion of all the principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.”
WORLD NEWS BRIEFS (OU)--Responding to an initiative by the Orthodox Union, nationally recognized animal welfare expert Professor Temple Grandin toured the AgriProcessors meat processing plant in Postville, IA, last week. It has recently been the subject of criticism from animal rights groups. Accompanied by Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, Dr. Grandin inspected the plant and surveyed various improvements which have been now put into practice. Grandin declared satisfaction with methods and the facilities and agreed to an ongoing relationship in which she and her staff will continue to monitor compliance with nationally recognized standards.
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S A V E All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not E 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)
Tunisia and Pakistan--tried to pass an amendment chalby RACHEL SILVERMAN NEW YORK (JTA)--Israel’s admission to the Inter- lenging Magen David Adom’s jurisdiction in areas Israel national Red Cross and Red Crescent movement was the conquered during the 1967 Six-Day War, such as the result of 58 years of aggressive, sustained lobbying. Golan Heights and West Bank. But it also was due to some last minute, behind-theThat amendment was shot down in a 191-72 vote, scenes maneuvering at the Red Cross conference in Geneva with 44 abstentions. Stuart Jackson, chairman of last week. American Friends of Magen David Adom, called it a The conference, which “tactical mistake” for these drew 192 Red Cross states countries to focus on Middle and 183 national emergency East politics. relief societies, was convened “The chairman said, ‘Look, to determine if Israel’s emerwe’re not in the political busigency services agency, Magen ness,’” Jackson said, paraDavid Adom, should be phrasing a statement from the allowed to join th internationconference’s chairman, al humanitarian organization. Mohammed al-Hadid, of Thursday’s final vote was Jordan. “We’re in the business decisive: 237 in favor of of doing humanitarian work.” Magen David Adom and 54 The strategy of challengagainst, with 44 abstentions. ing where the Israeli relief Previous attempts to gain agency can operate contraentry had been blocked by dicted the position of the Arab and Islamic countries, Palestinian envoy, who which latched onto the argued for a total rejection agency’s Star of David logo as Magen David Adom supporters unveil the official MDA of the Israeli agency. a pretext to reject the Israeli emblem moments after the group was admitted into the According to Jackson, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Palestinian envoy even was agency. But that point of con- Societies, June 22, in Geneva. Joining members of the World willing to forgo admission of tention was cleared up in Jewish Congress Young Professional Diplomatic Corps is Uri the Palestinian agency, as December, when a neutral Geller, left, chairman of the Friends of Magen David Adom. long as Magen David Adom Credit: WJC didn’t get in. Jackson said symbol-- a red crystal--was
(JTA)--The United Nations’ new Human Rights Council passed an anti-Israel resolution. Last Friday’s resolution, the only country-specific resolution passed, makes alleged Israel’s human rights violations and the “occupation” of Palestinian and other Arab territories a talking point at all future meetings. Twenty-nine of the council’s 47 countries voted for the resolution, 12 voted against, five abstained and one did not vote. Twenty-one countries also requested an emergency special session on the “escalating violence in Palestine,” expected to be held late this week. (JTA)--President Bush extended a waiver on a law that would shut down the PLO office in Washington. In a letter sent last Friday to Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, Bush extended the waiver for another six
months. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last month that would tighten restrictions on the president’s ability to impose such waivers. It has yet to be considered in conference with the Senate. (JTA)--A full-page advertisement in The New York Times calls for a “realignment” of the U.S.-Israel relationship The ad, placed by the Council for the National Interest, plays on the term for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to unilaterally set Israel’s West Bank border with the Palestinians. The ad, which ran Sunday, calls on the Bush administration to encourage Israel to return to its pre-1967 boundaries, and calls for a reconsideration of U.S assistance to Israel. (JTA)--Greenpeace International praised Israel’s stand on whaling. Last month, Israel signed an accord against the controversial practice, helping opponents defeat Japan’s efforts to loosen up the ban at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission. Sources in Jerusalem said Greenpeace recently wrote Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Environment Minister Gideon Ezra, praising them for their “pivotal role” in maintaining the ban. (JTA)--Jaap Penraat, a Dutch architect who helped save 406 Jews during World War II, died June 25 in New York at the age of 88. Penraat first made false identity cards as a member of the Dutch Resistance; he served several months in prison after his activities were discovered.
July 7, 2006
Israeli Hostage Situation Drags On Continued from page 1 Indeed, after an Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at the empty Gaza City office of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in a show of force early Sunday, Abbas toured the wreckage with the Hamas leader and condemned Israel’s “crimes.� Even the Egyptian power brokers who rushed to Gaza in a bid to defuse the crisis look likely to call it quits. “The Egyptians are trying,� Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, Israel’s commander of military intelligence, told Olmer and his fellow ministers. “The problem is, they’re mostly talking among themselves.� With surveys showing most Palestinians are behind them, Shalit’s captors have demanded that Israel free hundreds of Arab security prisoners in exchange for the soldier. Olmert has refused. “We have no intention of yielding to any form of extortion,� he said. The prime minister’s stance speaks to a core dilemma among Israelis--how to secure the freedom of thei fellow citizens without emboldening the enemy to strike again. With a young West Bank settler having been abducted and killed by Palestinians last week, and the Shin Bet warning that the tactic could be repeated, many Israelis are urging a return to the country’s traditional policy o not negotiating with terrorists. The problem is that policy was regularly ignored when it came to major hostage crises that could not be tackled militarily with a strong chance of success. “Be honest, Mr. Prime Minister: Is there a ‘reasonable military option’ at the moment? If the answer is no, then why not start talking with the ones holding Shalit?� wrote Ma’ariv commentator Rafi Mann. “Past experience shows that quite a few hostages who would have rotted for even longer in terrorist captivity have been released in this way.�
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Family and Fellow Students Bury Kidnapped Israeli Youth by DINA KRAFT TEL AVIV, (JTA)--On June 28, Miriam Asheri pleaded for the release of her kidnapped son. On June 29, she buried him. Eliyahu Asheri, 18, from the West Bank settlement of Itamar, was abducted June 25 by a Palestinian terrorist group called the Popular Resistance Committees. Soon after, according to Israeli officials, he was shot in the head and buried in a field near Ramallah. “He was so gentle,� Miriam Asheri said. “It always felt so good to talk to him.� She said Eliyahu was always speaking out for others, trying to make peace. “Whenever there was a Above left: Eliyahu Asheri, Credit: Israeli Foreign Ministry; Above right: St. Sgt. Pavel fight, he would always say, Slutzker, 20, left, and Lt. Hanan Barak,20, the two IDF tank crew killed in the June 25 terCredit: IDF ‘Stop, everyone should have rorist attack in which Cpl. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped. an arrested Palestinian, the Israeli army found Eliyahu’s their place,’� Asheri said. Thousands of people attended Eliyahu’s funeral on the body. Eliyahu was remembered as an especially positive and friendly youth. In photos he is seen with a bright, Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Eliyahu was a yeshiva student in Neveh Tzuf, a West wide smile. Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, head of Eliyahu’s yeshiva, euloBank settlement, and planned to join the army after completing his studies. He vanished Sunday night, June gized the teen as fellow students wept. “Eliyahu, you were like my son and a brother to your 25, after trying to hitchhike. Fellow students helped launch a search for him. Early fellow students. I can’t look at the empty chair you used Tuesday morning, June 27, following information from to occupy,� Nissim said.
Rockets Raining Down on Sderot Take their Toll on Schools and Kids
The IDF prepares at Mefalsim on the southern Gaza border with Israel just after dawn Israeli hostage situation drags on as IDF forces build up for what now seems an almost inevitable push into Gaza. Credit: ISRANET
by URIEL HEILMAN SDEROT, Israel, (JTA)--Eleven-year-old Shir Lazmi says she loves going to school. Why? Because she’s not really allowed to go anywhere else. That’s because Shir lives in Sderot, where months of intense rocket fire by Palestinians from the nearby Gaza Strip have all but confined schoolchildren like her to the few places where they have both adult supervision and close proximity to a room with a reinforced roof, strong enough to keep a Kassam rocket from breaking through. “I’m less scared in school,� Shir says after a bible competition marking the last week of the school year. “I can’t go out with friends. I can’t go to the pool anymore. But I can see my friends here at school.� Years of Kassam rocket fire at Sderot have shattered
the sense of normalcy in this desert town. The fire has become so intense in recent weeks--often three or four rockets a day--that daily life here has come to a virtual standstill. Real estate values in town have plummeted, businesses have closed, people are moving away and nearly everyone says they live in constant fear of sudden death from above. Sderot's schools have been particularly hard-hit, and not just by the Kassams that have fallen on kindergartens, classrooms and schoolyards. The schools also have been trying to cope with the challenges of maintaining the routine of education in a place that has become a veritable war zone--all the while trying to convey a sense of normalcy for Sderot’s children.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
Hall of Fame Continued from page 1 “The real rewards of teaching are intrinsic,” she explained. “I’ve had many thrills. One is being able to stay in touch with hundreds of former students and follow their lives to see how they ended up. Also great is having them remember you, especially those who went on to become French teachers.” In her career at the secondary school, she is particularly proud that she took 21 classes in a row to Paris or Québec to offer her students first-hand experiences in those cultures. Because of her many contributions to her students and to the French education field, she received a unique and distinctive honor on March 24, 2000. On that day, the Cultural Attaché from the French Embassy came to Omaha to confer upon Lund that country’s highest award to educators, bestowed for outstanding contributions to the spread of French language and culture in the world. “It was the highlight of my teaching career,” she exclaimed. It took place in a special ceremony at Ralston High School. The Attaché pinned on her blouse the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, thereby making her a “Knight in the Order of Academic Palms” - an award initiated by Napoleon in the first decade of the 19th Century. At the end of the academic year in 2001, she took advantage of a “buy-out” opportunity and retired from the secondary school system, but not from her academic or civic interests. Her second life Teaching has not been the only part of her life. Lund, 58, has also served on a number of boards and committees. In the general community, for example,
she also plays a major role on Omaha’s Cathedral Arts Project, and oversees the scholarship committees for the Ralston Community Theater and the Alliance Française, among other duties. Over the years, the educator also contributed her time and talents to the Omaha Junior League, the Board of the Omaha Academy of Ballet, the Junior League and the Omaha Children’s Museum. In the Jewish community, she has served on JCC committees and works now on the ADL Board. Since her “retirement” from Ralston, she found an opportunity in 2002 to teach at Creighton University as an adjunct assistant professor in the Modern Languages and Literature Department. Transitioning to the collegiate level was quite easy for the ably-qualified teacher. In addition to her expansive background in the secondary school system, she had previously taught evening classes at UNO. Her academic credentials included a bachelor’s in French and a minor in creative writing from the University of Iowa and a MA in language education from UNO. She also earned a Degré Supérieur from the Sorbonne (Paris), which is the equivalent of a masters. Married 34 years to Blake Lund, the couple has a 28-year-old son, Alexander (a Central High graduate!). They live near midtown with Percy, their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and according to the Nonpareil, both sing with the Voices of Omaha, performing Handel’s “Messiah” annually. What’s left? She hopes one day to complete her historical novel, which will require her to finish her research at the Bordeaux city archives in France. Knowing her broad background and connections, she will have an eager audience.
Essence of Judaism Continued from page 1 They also started a Hanukkah Torah Relay. Television cameras were filming Judy when she was given the holy scroll. At that time, the Chanukah Relay’s purpose was to raise awareness for oppressed Soviet Jewry, Barry said. In 1996, the Siffs left Omaha when Barry took a job with ConAgra in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Judy eventually became a flight attendant, “something she always wanted to do,” according to Barry. “She flew all over the place and had interesting experiences.” But after their move to Colorado, Judy and Barry’s lives took different paths, and they ended their marriage although they remained “best friends and were very open,” he said. “We talked everyday and I saw her almost ever week.” In 2000, Judy was diagnosed with colon cancer. “It
was a valiant battle,” Barry described. The disease forced them to talk about how Judy would divide her assets if she died. “Social action had such an enormous impact on our family. She felt strongly about continuing that legacy.” Judy’s battle ended on January 17, 2006. Rabbi Azriel officiated at her funeral in Colorado. She had designated that $5,000 from her estate be donated to Temple’s Social Justice Committee. “Judy Siff was one of those rare souls I was privileged to know,” commented Rabbi Azriel. “Judy’s courage, passion, zest for life were an inspiration to me. Her life was and always will be a sacred Jewish pilgrimage.” Barry added that he would like Judy to be remembered “as a warm, selfless, compassionate person.”
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Yachad Members Complete Social Skills Course by DUANE J. PIEPER One of the goals of the Yachad program is to assist its members in interacting in both the Jewish and larger community in a positive and successful manner. Recently many Yachad members have completed an eight-week Social Skills/Relationship Building Course. The process involved direct instruction, discussing rationales for skills, role play, practice, feedback and practical application opportunities. The students were committed to practicing and completing weekly homework assignments. Upon completion the members all received a Certificate of Achievement award for their work.
Yachad Social Skills Class, front row: Lisa Salomon, Grace Isler, Nancy Isler, Jillian Salomon; back row: Alan Friedman, Josh Parsow, Jeff Steinberg. Not pictured: Michael Parsow. The social dynamics in the class were very positive with stimulating exchanges. New insights and growth were observed on a variety of levels as they worked on these interpersonal skills. These bi-weekly events present a good forum for continued growth. The Yachad members goal is to continue to practice and utilize these skills at home and in the community. This will increase their chances for positive and successful adult interactions and friendships and enhance their success in employment and recreational settings.
Sharpen Hebrew Skills with Yanshuf by AVIGAIL KATZMAN Kripke Library Clerk Need to brush up on Hebrew? Read Yanshuf, (it means “owl”), an easy grammer, full color Hebrew newspaper, intended for those learning the language or improving existing skills. A recent addition to the Kripke library, this newspaper covers current events from Israel and around the world, as well as culture, science and technology, sports, activities, and much more. Also included as a supplement, is a Hebrew vocabulary page translated into English. The reader can use this as a reference or simply to check their knowledge.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE The Center for Jewish Education is seeking qualified individuals for the following positions. PROGRAM COORDINATOR - Duties include coordinating agency programs and assisting in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Applicants must have solid oral and written communication skills, strong Judaic background, enjoy working with people, and be well versed in Microsoft office products. 20 hours per week with occasional evening and Sunday hours. FACILITATOR FOR ROSH HODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING - An enthusiastic and creative group leader is needed to facilitate a new monthly program Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! for girls in grades 6-9. The program provides a supportive and meaningful Jewish experience through which girls can explore the issues they face as they become women. Training, ongoing consultation and supervision will be provided. The position is a part-time position (6 hours per month). One time, expense paid, out of state travel for training is required. Qualifications include three years of experience in formal or informal Jewish education or youth programs; the ability to facilitate groups through discussions, craft projects and experiential exercises; must be friendly, organized, motivated and a good role model; bachelor’s degree in Education, Psychology or Judaic Studies or any other related field preferred. Please submit resume to Dr. Guy Matalon, Executive Director, The Center for Jewish Education, 333 S. 132 Street, Omaha NE 68154-2198. Resumes may also be faxed to 334-1330 or emailed to mgrossman@jewishomaha.org. Equal Opportunity Employer; background check required.
July 7, 2006
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Jewish Humor in America PEOPLE OF THE
BYTE
by MARK MIETKIEWICZ A rabbi, seriously ill, was sent the following message from his congregation: “We wish you a speedy recovery, by a vote of 213 to 56.” [http://tinyurl.com/7uewk] Last time we looked at sites that trace Jewish humor from Biblical times to the early 20th century. Today we continue the voyage and focus on American entertainment. The TV documentary A Gift for Laughter suggests two reasons for the Jewish use of humor. As a survival mechanism (“as a defensive response to the burden of suffering and as a technique for overcoming adversity by sharpening one’s wits”) and as a people in relation to the dominant society (“Many Jewish parents teach their children to learn, to question authority, to explore different points of view.) [http://tinyurl.com/e6eo6] Questioning authority has certainly a hallmark of many Jewish entertainers like Jon Stewart, Lenny Bruce or Minnie Marx’s boys. [http://www.hauntedsmile. com/excerpt.html] Guests: Hooray for Captain Spaulding, the African explorer! Capt. Spaulding: Did someone call me schnorrer? Guests: Hooray, hooray, hooray! (Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers, 1930) [http://tinyurl.com/exqwf] A couple of years ago, PBS radio produced a wonderful radio series in which they lovingly restored incredible Yiddish radio programs from the 30s to the 50s. One of the stars of the Yiddish Radio Project was C. Israel Lutsky better known as the Jewish Philosopher. Part Dear Abby, part Dr. Phil, there was no question he felt he could not address. You can listen to a rare Englishlanguage broadcast in which he expounds upon the Jewish gift for humor. [http://www.yiddishradioproject.org/gems/23/] A few decades later, Jeff Berkwits looked at the ubiquity of Jewish humor and asked an interesting question. “What defines Jewish comedy, and have traditional Jewish values, deeply rooted in Judaism’s religious and cultural traditions, become so mainstream they no
longer qualify as distinctly Jewish?” Comedian Max Alexanders adds, “It’s like a bagel. A bagel was once just a Jewish food. Now, they serve bagels at McDonald’s with bacon on them.” Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch points out that in Seinfeld, “Even the non-Jewish characters seem to be Jewish, and certainly their parents seem to be Jewish.” [http://tinyurl.com/pud5n] Speaking of Jerry Seinfeld, if you’d like to invite him to liven up a party you’re throwing, you’d better speak to Gail Stocker. She represents such stars as Jon Stewart, Roseanne Barr or a couple dozen other Jewish comedians (and many other A-listers.) Unfortunately, her site doesn't say how much they charge. But I guess if you have to ask…well, you know. [http://www.comedycontact.com/jewishcomics.html] Trying to compile a comprehensive list of Jewish American comedians is no easy task. Undaunted, the always formidable online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, has created a section titled List of Jewish American entertainers that runs 31 pages. You’ll find veterans like Sid Caesar, Fanny Brice and the Horwitz brothers - Moe, Shemp and Curly Howard aka the Three Stooges. And more contemporary shticksters including Sandra Bernhard, Gilbert Gottfried and Larry David. (Sensing the inherent pitfalls when trying to create a list of Jews in contemporary society, Wikipedia also provides a link to its article on Who is a Jew.) [http://tinyurl.com/ nv68s] Jewish comedians (and Jews) are used to being heckled, insulted - and worse. But rarely has the Jewish funny bone been so battered as when British researchers conducted a study to determine the word’s funniest joke without a single Jewish joke among the finalists of the 40,000 surveyed. As veteran comic Alan King told Forward, “There aren’t 40,000 gentile jokes. If there are, they’ve been changed.” (You can read the winner on the Forward site which I must admit is not bad.) [http://tinyurl.com/7at4d] Alan King believes there really is no such thing as the greatest Jewish joke, although he offered what he called “the greatest priest, minister and rabbi” joke. “A priest, minister and rabbi go into a bar. The bartender says, ‘What is this, a joke?’” Mark Mietkiewicz is a Toronto-based Internet producer who writes, lectures and teaches about the Jewish Internet. He can be reached at highway@rogers.com.
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READ IT AND E AT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN Tomatoes and Mozzarella by H. Harron & S. Sikora (Harvard Common Press, $19.95) Time to head out to the nearest farmers’ market or if you’re really lucky to head out to the tomato plants in your own backyard garden. Nothing tastes better this time of the year than a home or locally grown, fresh picked from the vine, tomato. And just in time is this cookbook with 100 ways to enjoy tomatoes combined with mozzarella cheese now and throughout the year. From the Mediterranean to the American Southwest from quick and no-cook to Breakfasts & Brunches, Finger Foods-Cocktail Tidbits & First Courses, Salads, Savory Soups & Sandwiches, Tea-Time, Pasta and Main Events using fresh, canned or sun-dried tomatoes combined with fresh or packaged mozzarella. Following a brief primer to search out the best of the season are the recipes in a one-to-a-page format (recipes are listed on the chapter pages). Headnotes are full of fresh hints (buy more flavorful Capoto capers). Lovely color photographs. Clear instructions are numerical and easy to follow. Try this recipe with your fresh picked tomatoes and “good, clean fun”. ULTIMATE SUMMER SALSA 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered 1 1/4 cups cooked black beans or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed 1⁄2 cup fresh corn kernels 2 large scallions, minced (white and green parts) 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh mozzarella cheese (about 2 1⁄2 ounces) 1 medium Anaheim chile, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Makes 3 cups
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Cilantro by Gwyneth Doland (Rio Nuevo, $12.95) Part of a single ingredient series; try cilantro also called coriander with your tomatoes. Fifty recipes, helpful tips for an ingredient that you either love to eat or love to hate...there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground with cilantro. Described as robust, stimulating, powerful, pungent and easy-to-grow, “Coriander seeds discovered in a cave in Israel are believed to be more than 8,000 years old...” and cilantro was “used by ancient Hebrews as the symbolic bitter herb for the Passover seder.” TABBOULEH WITH CILANTRO AND FETA 3 cups water 2 cups bulgur 1⁄2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves 1⁄2 cup finely chopped mint leaves 1/3 cup lemon juice 3/4 cup olive oil 2 large ripe tomatoes, cored and diced 1⁄2 cup diced onion 1 cup crumbled feta cheese salt and freshly ground black pepper Bring the water to a boil. Put the bulgur into a large heat-safe bowl. Pour the boiling water over the bulgur and let it stand for 45 minutes. Toss the bulgur with the cilantro, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, tomatoes, onion, and feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 6 Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@yahoo.com.
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Muskin on Muskin...Israel Take One by ANNE MUSKIN Jewish Press Editorial Intern Typically a methodical, organized, friendly but a little guarded, competitive, and sharp 20 year old, Emily Muskin was anything but typical Wednesday morning. I set out to interview my little sister about a trip which I had taken with her. How different could our experiences possibly be? How much insight could she provide that I hadn’t already explored? To my surprise and humility, a great deal. We went on a birthright trip to Israel, but not just any birthright trip. We went on a birthright biking bonanza from the countryside to the desert. I asked Emily why she chose this specific trip, because as you should probably know, she found the trip, signed us up, and basically did all the leg work to make this happen. So, she told me, “I love a physical challenge, always. And, I love a team. Our group became a team. For me it makes everything that much more gratifying. The physical challenge presented a chance for vulnerability. You see people in a light that you wouldn’t normally see them. They see that you’re human. There are plenty of things in life that are sugar coated, and I think having the bike aspect peeled the sugar coating off Israel for us.” After hearing that, and rereading it now, I’m realizing that this isn’t the same little sister I’ve adored and possibly underestimated all these years. Something came alive in her, and I let it explode right under my nose. “Israel is really unexplainable,” Emily said. “You have to go there. It’s a place that I want to fight for. I’ve never felt so connected anywhere.” She explained to me, that before this trip she didn’t really have a view on Israel. She knew a bit about the conflict and history, but as she says, “I’m pretty black and white; I saw it as a place where there was no solution.” She also expressed a sentiment that I had felt too, of Israel being somewhat mythical. “Israel was the same to me as like, say, Hogwart’s in Harry Potter!” She said that, “at the very least this trip would be fun, and it’s free, and I wanted to go on a trip with you.” So, we went. Along with four extremely physical bike trips, we didn’t miss a chance to tour the country. We saw old Jerusalem, went to the Western Wall, climbed Harry Potter was playing in Masada at 3 a.m. to see Israeli movie theaters--with the sun rise over the Dead Hebrew sub-titles. Sea, visited Rabin Square, went to a museum dedicated to the Eichmann trial, kayaked the Jordan River, floated in the dead sea, shopped at an outdoor market in Jaffa Friday before the Sabbath, stopped at a beach in Tel Aviv, and danced the night away at a disco. For Emily, a couple things really hit home. “One of my favorite things was Independence Hall. You got the rush of sitting amidst something great. They played a clip of Ben Gurion speaking and proclaiming independence of the new state, Israel. It just gave me goose bumps; I thought to myself with pride, these are the people who formed this country.” She also loved spending time with a group of Israeli soldiers that joined our trip. “It’s interesting,” she said, “I felt like I should thank them. I felt ashamed that I had questioned Israel while they were here fighting for me to
Anne Muskin, left, and Emily got to know what two Israeli soldiers face in the IDF. have a homeland. This is something they want to do. And they were so fun when it came to having fun, but serious also.” She stopped then, and took a long sip of her coffee, “It’s just, all these things I strive towards as a person they…they really touched something in me.”
The part of the trip that affected her the most, however, was hearing a Holocaust survivor speak. Her name was Rina, and she was in her late eighties. She has been living in Israel since 1950, and spoke very slowly, yet clearly and deliberately. “I have heard stories, been to the museum, and even heard other survivors before,” Emily expressed. “I mean it’s horrific and terrible, but I’ve heard it. I thought I was numb to it by now.”
Emily Muskin watches as Rina, right, hugs a member of her birthright trip. Rina shared her story, a 16-year-old at the beginning the Holocaust, moving from ghetto to ghetto and finally to Auschwitz, losing her parents, brother and numerous friends in the process. When Rina was done speaking, she asked us for a hug. As Emily put it, “after baring her soul and reliving her nightmares, all she asked for was a simple hug.” I turned to Emily that day, to see tears streaming down her face; she turned away from me and left the room. I gave her a minute then went to find her with a handful of tissues. She politely took the Kleenex, and asked me to go away. “Death has never affected me like that,” Emily told me later, “I was mourning for the first time. She made the Holocaust real to me. I met her, just one person, and she touched me so deeply.” She went on to say, “It was the first time I realized what Israel meant to someone coming out of the Holocaust. I realized why it’s necessary to praise Israel in every prayer and include it…things came full circle for me.” I think it was helpful that this experience happened early in our trip, because it set the stage for Israel, as a refuge and a home, it triggered a tangible purpose. Talking to Emily now, she mentioned, “everyone has different experiences, but when I came back, I felt like I
Emily Muskin stands at a signpost with mileage figures from Israel to Amman, Jordan, and Baghdad, Iraq. had trouble talking to my non-Jewish friends about it. I never thought it would have this kind of impact on me. It’s all I’ve been talking about, I just want to talk and talk. I feel like a new person in some ways.” I asked her if she thinks she’ll go back to Israel, “Oh, I dunno,” she said with a sarcastic grin. “I feel like it’s my responsibility,” she said, more seriously. “I’ve never felt more alive and more comfortable in my skin. It’s an odd feeling. It’s like the Jewish part of me that I’ve never felt a huge connection to, has finally opened up.”
July 7, 2006
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Muskin on Muskin...Israel: Take Two by EMILY MUSKIN of 18-26 on free trips to Israel. partying. The biking tour allowed us to “Let me tell you a little story,” my sisAnnie Muskin is an extremely passion- connect to Israel in a very special way. ter answered in response to my question ate, creative, and intriguing 23 year old. As my sister said, “The trip was an emoasking her to recount her favorite experi- She also happens to have been my recent tional and physical challenge. I wanted ence in Israel. travel companion on the birthright Israel to test me like I had been testing it “It all began at Loyola Chicago when Biking tour of Israel. Something impor- for my whole life.” Israel surely was a test Hillel was celebrating Israel’s tant to note about my sister is her passion for her, but I am happy to report that she Independence Day. Patty, (The Hillel for every cause that jumps in her path. came out alive and even acquired some director who is a typical Jewish mom to This is significant because in the past, bruises and scrapes to show off when we the ENTIRE Hillel chapter!) hung Annie’s reaction to Israel was generally returned home! numerous posters with the slogan, apathetic, and Annie is not apathetic Aside from the physical connection to ‘Wherever We Stand We Stand With about anything! She stated, “Before the land, emotionally, Annie was Israel.’ I made fun of them by standing birthright, I didn’t have any connection extremely affected by the trip. She said under them, get it? I was ‘standing’ with to Israel other than thinking of it as land that one of the hardest things for her was Israel!” Annie quickly transitioned back to my question and stated that her favorite experience in Israel was the Mega Event. This event took place on the last night of our trip and included an enormous cel- Left photo: Anne Muskin, right, parties at birthright’s Mega Event--with all the birthright participants. Right: Emily and ebration with Anne Muskin chose a bike tour of Israel for their birthright trip, a demanding, outdoor adventure. 8,000 Jewish youth from 14 different being fought over. I didn’t want to go by facing the positive and negative elements countries. All the various countries of myself to Israel, actually I didn’t want to of each day. One day we talked about the each birthright group were announced go at all.” Yom Kippur war and Israel’s victory and and the last country to be announced was I had never seen my sister show this the next day, the disparity our people felt Israel. All the birthright participants, kind of attitude about anything before. during the Holocaust. Needless to say, from all over the world stood for Israel In the past Annie has been greatly there were many ups and downs. and applauded for what she referred to as involved in the Jewish community in I asked Annie what she considered to “the universal home for Jews.” Omaha and in Chicago. Because of her be the main differences between being The birthright trip and more specifical- past connection to Judaism, her initial Jewish in the United States and being ly, the Mega Event gave Annie an entire- reaction to going on the birthright trip Jewish in Israel and she replied, “In the ly new concept of Israel and for the first really surprised me. However, I signed U.S., Jews are the minority, and being a time, she knew what the saying, her up and convinced her that it would be Jew in Israel puts you in the majority. “Wherever We Stand We Stand With amazing. Neither of us knew what to There is nothing to prove, no need to Israel” really meant. expect because Israel to us was this myth- question your identity, or find ways to This article is the result of an interview ical place that we would never visit. maintain your Jewishness; it’s on every with my sister about the Taglit-Birthright We applied to the bike trip because we corner, behind every falafel stand!” program, which has now sent more than wanted to do something active and it was Then, Annie said something that struck 100,000 Jewish youth between the ages nice to have a trip whose focus wasn’t me more than anything else she had said
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in our previous conversations, “I will do everything in my power to make sure Israel does not go away. My kids n e e d Israel and I don’t think you can feel that without actually being there, meeting soldiers, seeing the day to day life. It is so much easier to None other than Eliott Siff was see what part of the Muskin girls’ trip! matters when you’re in Israel. They practice what they preach and it is ever present in their words and actions.” My sister and I both now feel an obligation to ensure that future generations of Jewish youth are also given the opportunity to cherish, visit, and appreciate this unbelievable place that we call home.
Avner, the “crazy” tour guide, brought along his pet scorpion on one of the bike rides.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
Another Look at Freedom: Jews from Former Soviet Union Remember WWII and the Holocaust by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press Sometimes stories are too traumatic to be told. Sometimes they are locked away in the mind of a family friend or relative for a very long time. And sometimes an event like a milestone birthday can unleash a torrent of memories. When Omahan Rita Kulik was in California a few years ago to celebrate the 90th birthday of Anna Elperina, the story of how Kulik’s grandfather saved Elperina’s life unfolded. Fyodor Manikovsky, Kulik’s grandfather, was responsible for saving Elperina’s life during World War II. Though he died in 1978 in his native Belarus and never experienced the freedom from Communist domination in his country, his granddaughter learned the whole story at Elperina’s birthday celebration in 2003. It’s a story that hasn’t been told very often...the story of the two million Jews behind the Iron Curtain during World War II. Only since the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the immigration of more than a million Jews to Israel and North America are the stories finally being told. Elperina was born in Borisov on Oct. 22, 1913. Borisov (also the family home of Omahan Lev Schektman) was a small city not far from Minsk in what is now known as Belarus. It once boasted a Jewish community of nearly 9,000, more than half of the town’s 15,000 population. By 1989, when the gates of the former Soviet Union finally opened for good, only 2,000 Jews remained; today that figure is less than 150. Today, Elperina lives in Laguna Hills, CA, with her daughter, Irene Kuznitzov. She’s 93 now and, according to Rita Kulik, her memory is as good as ever. Kulik was able to obtain a notarized copy of Elperina’s testimony, submitted to the “Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority”, part of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Before World War II, Elperina worked as a bookkeeper in Minsk. Her husband was in charge of equipment at the “October Revolution” factory in Minsk. All that changed with the invasion of the Nazis. The young family was not allowed to evacuate, as Elperina’s husband was responsible for “evacuating the equipment” instead of the people. He was killed by shrapnel on June 24, 1941. The Germans organized the remaining Jews into ghettos, but Elperina knew this wouldn’t be safe. She found herself “roaming from village to village in the Moldechino area of Belarus” with her
Elperina and her daughter roamed the forests of Belarus. “Belarussians of different religions were helping me
Manikovskys, I would never be able to do all my duties.” In the winter of 1942, Fedor came running to Elperina to alert her that the Germans were coming to the village. She needed to get out quickly and realized that Fedor, who was only 16-years-old at the time, had a carriage waiting for her. Fedor’s grandparents, Alexei and Alena, helped her hide in the forest. “Later
hide from brutal Fascist hands,” she said. “I can write a whole book about that.” Some people were simply too afraid to allow Elperina and her daughter, Irene, into their homes; others helped for a day or two. A Baptist family named Homchik allowed the two to live with them for a month. “Then it began to get even more dangerous,” Elperina said. “They placed me with a Polish farmer, who put me to work. His farm was just outside the town of Malashiki.” One family she singles out is the Manikovsky’s, Rita Kulik’s grandparents in Malashiki. Fedor Silvestrovich Manikovsky had been appointed by the Germans to be the leader of the village. “His wife, Natalia, and their children, Fedor, Maria, Anna and Vladimir, came to see me often” at the farm, said Elperina. “The girls helped watch my daughter; this gave me an opportunity to work and take care of my household and farm chores.” Elperina worked from early morning to late at night. “Without the help of the
when the Germans would leave, after a day or two of searching, the couple would find me and my daughter.” Elperina saw many Jews die, some because they didn’t believe the warnings of the local villagers who were trying to help them and others who died because unsympathetic villagers turned them in to the Nazis. After Minsk was liberated and the war finally over, Elperina remained in Belarus with her daughter. She went back to being a bookkeeper and remained in touch with the Manikovsky family. Even before the fall of Communism, however, cracks began to appear in the walls around the USSR. Between 1978 and 1981, during “peristroika”, a small number of Jews were allowed to leave. Among them were Elperina and her daughter. “When I left for America in 1981, the connection was broken,” Elperina said. But Maria Manikovsky also had a daughter...Rita, who came to live in Omaha and continued searching for Anna Elperina. Rita, now married and living in Omaha, finally found Elperina and, in 2001, went to Los Angeles with her son, Alex, for the Bar Mitzvah of a relative’s son. The connection, once severed, was made whole. The Elperina, Manikovsky and Kulik families truly understand the meaning of freedom. In fact, Alex Kulik, Rita’s son, recently completed a year of combat duty in Iraq. He returned--safely.
Above: Rita Kulik, left, and Anna Elperina celebrate Anna’s 90th birthday in 2003. Below: Elperina and her grandsons, Dr. Dmitri Kuznitsov, left, Igor and Alex. Right: Elperina and her daughter, Irene.
daughter, a toddler of just 20 months. Wherever she could, Elperina worked for local Christian families, earning just enough for food and a roof over her head. “They were risking their lives,” she said. One peasant took Elperina and her daughter to Plesche-Nitzi to live with an uncle. “He was very smart and respectful,” Elperina said in her statement. Her uncle understood the gravity of the situation and encouraged everyone in the town to leave their houses and belongings and move into the forest. “The Germans (later) approached the forest,” Elperina related. “My uncle explained to everyone that the Germans could discover us if they heard the children crying.” Elperina and her baby daughter moved away from the group so everyone else could be saved. For three years, from 1941 until Minsk was liberated in 1944,
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Local Vet Attends 22nd WWII Army Reunion by GAIL VEITZER Special to the Jewish Press Louie Blumkin recently attended his 22nd army reunion of the 974th and 975th Field Artillery in Washington D.C. It was an emotional experience, reminiscing and sharing stories with army buddies; these veterans of war share a special bond. Blumkin enlisted in the army in 1941, was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and then was assigned to Fort Lewis, WA, where he took basic training in field artillery. In 1942, he received orders to go to the European Theatre and landed in Belfast, Ireland, where he received additional training to prepare for the invasion of the French coast. He was later transferred to England. On July 14, 1944, his troop landed on Omaha Beach and later invaded Southern France. They then proceeded to Luxembourg where their batallion drove the German troops back to their border. In the winter of 1945, Blumkin was assigned to General George Patton’s third army, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He was in the first outfit to cross the Remagen Bridge (the bridge that links France to Germany). They later fought their way across Germany to Austria. When the war ended, Blumkin was
watching tourists at the Memorial come up to two army friends of Blumkin, who were wearing their army uniforms and medals. These tourists shook the hands of the veterans, and thanked them for fighting to preserve our country’s freedom. Some requested to have their picture taken with them. “It was an emotional moment that made you proud,” said Blumkin. Another highlight of the reunion was hearing Henry Greenbaum, a Holocaust survivor, who was liberated by “his angels, the American soldiers.” He was 12-yearsold, when he and his family were forced into a ghetto and later into a concentration camp. Some of his family perished in the gas chamber, while others were shot or died of typhoid. His story was chilling. At the end of the war, he came to the United States, married, had children, and lived the American dream. He now volunteers at the Holocaust Museum one day a week, and likes to speak to groups interested in hearing his story, but particularly to veterans, so he can express his appreciation to “his angels.” Everyone in Blumkin’s unit thought this was going to
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in Linz, Austria on May 9, 1945. During the years he served in Europe, his troop covered 2,226 miles and was in combat for 281 consecutive days. One of his greatest conquests was helping liberate the concentration camp in Dachau, a suburb of Munich, Germany. A highlight of the reunion for Blumkin was seeing the impressive new WWII Louie Blumkin, second from the right, reunites with his army buddies in front of the Memorial and new World War II monument in the nation’s capital.
be the last army reunion, because fewer and fewer men were able to attend, and it was getting harder for others to travel. But, at the final dinner a vote was taken. The soldiers unanimously wanted to have another army reunion. So, more stories will be exchanged, probably in Colorado, and the bonding of friendships continue.
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Galveston Movement Roots? We Want Your Story! by ANYA ROUS Project Intern Did your ancestors come to America through the port city of Galveston, Texas? Did they arrive by ship from Bremen or Naples or Liverpool between 1907 and 1914? Were they part of an organized movement of Eastern European Jews who were brought to America through Texas and settled in cities throughout the American Midwest? Did they have stories of the journey to America by ship, or a loved one left behind, or an “angel of mercy” who met their ship and smoothed their transition to America? Do you still use a pair of candlesticks or a Kiddush cup that your ancestors brought with them to America to begin a new life here? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, we want to hear from you! The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is planning a major traveling exhibition that will explore the history of Galveston Island as a significant port of immigration into Texas and America from 1845-1914. The exhibit is scheduled to open in 2009 and travel to other museums during 2010-11. One section of the exhibit will highlight “The Galveston Movement,” an internationally organized movement of more than 10,000 Jews who were recruited in Eastern Europe to come to
America through the port city of Galveston. Immigrants to the U.S. through this movement settled in one of a dozen cities in the American Midwest. Agents and representatives from the Movement helped them with jobs, places to stay, and connections for school, language study and other necessities for getting by in a new land. In the coming months, Museum staff members are planning to travel to major railhead cities in Texas and the Midwest to collect the stories and scan photographs from descendants of Galveston immigrants who were routed to these communities through the Galveston Movement. Individuals who immigrated to Texas through Galveston--or descendants of those individuals --will be invited to bring in family photos and record family stories of their journey to America through Texas. If you or your parents or grandparents came to America via Galveston between 1907 and 1914, please send an e-mail to me at galvestonproject@aol.com, or leave a phone message at 512.463.9930. We will make contact with you by phone or e-mail so your family story can be included in the archive of images, objects and stories of the Galveston Movement that we are gathering in connection with our upcoming traveling exhibit, “Forgotten Gateway: Immigrant Journeys Through Galveston.”
2006
America Decides
The Nebraska General Election
Publishes 11.03.06 Ad deadline 10.23.06 Camera ready deadline 10.30.06 Call Allan Handleman at 402/334-6451 or email: ahandleman@jewishomaha.org Call Terri Greenwood at 402/334-6559 or email: terrigreenwood@jewishomaha.org
Out
Dining
Page 10
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
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WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the Bunch to Lunch day trip to Louie M’s Burger Lust on Thursday, July 13, please meet at the JCC at 11 a.m. At 10 a.m., watch The Best of Johnny Carson in the social hall. For transportation, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638. VISIONS Reminder: For those members going to see Chicago presented by the Ralston Community Theatre (held at Ralston High School - 8959 Park Drive) on July 9, please meet in the lobby by 1:30 p.m. for tickets. Dinner to follow at Justin Thyme at 8421 Park Dr. Visions luncheon meeting is Friday, July 21, 12:30 p.m., at the Venice Inn. Special musical entertainment from Jon Rathsam with accompanist, Esther Wax. Jon’s ballads of Yiddish and favorite standards will delight us all. Cost is $10 per person. Send reservations with full payment to: Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard St., Omaha, NE 68114 by July 14. Make check payable to Visions. Help support the Nebraska Humane Society. Please bring items, such as used blankets and towels, to the luncheon or deliver to the Blumkin Home in care of Maggie Conti. For more information, call Betty Kolnick (Mitzvah) at 553.4748.
Brownsville Concert Series presents Maude Maggart on Sunday, Aug. 20. Dinner follows at Farmer B’s Steak House. Cost is $40 per person. Depart from the JCC at noon; return by approximately at 7 p.m. Send reservation to Rose Pitlor, 827 Dillon Drive, Omaha, NE 68132 by Aug. 1. For information call Ethel Goldston at 393.7358. Make all checks payable to Visions. METRO AREA JEWISH SINGLES 40+ Saturday, July 15, 6 p.m., is an evening of dining and dancing with other Jewish singles from the metro area at the German-American Society, 3717 So. 120 St. Dancing and live music will begin around 7:45 or 8 p.m. Reservations are necessary, so please RSVP to Sandi Cole at 895.1815 or SRCOMAHA@aol.com by July 10. B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The very popular outdoor life expert, Mace Hack, PhD, returns to Breadbreakers on Wednesday, July 12, noon, at the Regency Lodge, to talk about his new job at The Nature Conservancy, a world-wide organization whose mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent life on Earth. They do this by protecting the land and water living organisms need to survive. All men and women in the community are invited. Cost is $11 for lunch and $3 for beverage service only.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Administrator, the Center for Jewish Education “Eye on Israel”, led by Dr. Guy Matalon, Executive Director of the Center for Jewish Education, will begin on Tuesday, July 11, noon-1 p.m. The series (formerly called the “Guy and Bob Show”) features discussions on current issues in Israel and the Middle East in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library and are presented by the Center for Jewish Education. During the month of July, Matalon will be joined by Dr. Moshe Gershovich, Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Gershovich, who holds a PhD in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University, is a native of Israel and has spent the past several weeks in Morocco. The series is open to the public at no cost, and attendees are encouraged to bring a lunch. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays in July, September, November, January, March, and May. For more information, please call me at: 334.6445, e-mail me at: mgrossman@jewishomaha.org, or visit the Jewish Federation website at www.jewishomaha.org.
Simon Property Group, Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, has announced that Tim Kushner has joined its Community/Lifestyle Center development team as its regional vice president of development for the eastern region. Prior to joining Simon, Kushner was the Midwest development partner for Indianapolisbased Sandor Development Company, and was responsible for managing ‘ground-up’ developments in various markets including Virginia, Oregon, Ohio, Texas, and others. A former Omahan, he is a 1992 graduate of Southern Methodist University with a BA in finance. Counters can be personalized to glow or light-up notes according to Mory Ludwick of Premier Countertops in Omaha, who was quoted in the www.BobVila.com website. He describes how a pocket can be created in a translucent countertop backsplash and fitted with rope lighting. “The whole backsplash will glow,” he says in the website column about new uses of stone, marble, granite and man-made countertops. For more information, call him at 991.7258.
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Arts in Partnership with Meadowlark Music Festival. The five members of Boston Brass will treat the audience to a variety of classical arrangements, vocal harmony and jazz standards. The ensemble is acclaimed for its lively repartee and performances infused with humor and personality. Performing over 120 concerts annually, Boston Brass sets out to “entertain at all costs with blistering precision.” Picnic-style foods are available for purchase. Basket orders can be made by calling 402.661.8471 or e-mail dining@omahaperformingarts.org. No carry-in food or beverage will be permitted. The courtyard will open at 6 p.m. Patrons are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased through Ticket Omaha at 402.345.0606, or ticketomaha.org. For more information, visit www.omahaperformingarts.org.
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The Omaha Community Playhouse is presenting The Talented Mr. Ripley Sept. 15-Oct. 15. Auditions for this production will be held Monday, July 17, 7 p.m. and Tuesday, July 18, 7 p.m. The Playhouse seeks seven individuals from the community to fill the roles. Auditions are open to the public. The Talented Mr. Ripley will be performed in the Playhouse’s Howard Drew Theatre and will be directed by Susan Baer Collins. Those auditioning should enter through the west Stage Door entrance. A limited number of scripts are available for check-out prior to the audition. Call 402.553.4890, ext 110 for details.
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Catholic School Educators To Study Anti-Semitism and The Holocaust In Israel by BETH SELDIN DOTAN New York, NY--Catholic school teachers from across the country will travel to Israel to learn about antiSemitism and the Holocaust as part of the AntiDefamation League’s (ADL) nationally acclaimed Advanced Bearing Witness program. Four Omaha archdiocesan teachers have been chosen to participate in this program. Yvonne Carson of Daniel J. Gross High School, Millicent Garcia of St. Cecilia’s Elementary
Paula Lenz, left, Susan Nave, Yvonne Carson, and Milly Garcia are all participating in the Advanced Bearing Witness program, and will visit Israel this coming week. School, Paula Lenz of Skutt Catholic High, and Susan Nave of Mary Our Queen School, all alumni of the Plains States Regional Office of the ADL’s Bearing Witness program of June 2005, were accepted to take part in the trip. “Bearing Witness Advanced: Anti-Semitism, The Holocaust & Contemporary Issues” will give the educators an opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of Israel against the backdrop of Jewish history, the Holocaust, and Catholic-Jewish relations. “By visiting these historic cities and sites, the teachers will have the opportunity to witness history still unfolding in modern day Israel,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and Holocaust Survivor. “They will not only hear about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust from survivors and experts but they will combine their textbook knowledge with real-life experience.” The 30 educators will gather at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore for an intensive two-day
series of seminars prior to their departure. Lectures on a range of subjects including Jewish-Catholic relations, the meaning of Israel to the Jewish people, and the history of holy sites in Israel will be offered. Presentations will be given by Fr. Dennis McManus, Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor of ADL, and Bishop Dennis Madden. The group will also spend a day at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. In Israel, the teachers will visit many Christian holy sites, including the Church of the Annunciation, the Garden of Gethsemane, Via Del Rosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. They will also spend time in Safed, tour the Golan Heights, visit the Western Wall, climb to Masada and float in the Dead Sea. Local scholars and political figures, including the Papal Nuncio, will address the participants throughout their visit. Bearing Witness Advanced is July 9-19. The educators hail from the District of Columbia and 12 states; Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin.
Late Lubavitcher Rebbe Remembered
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
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Twelve years after Menachem Mendel Schneerson died, followers and admirers in Chabad-Lubavitch delivered his message to Washington’s highest echelons. Speakers, including Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, above, Talmudic scholar Adin Steinsaltz and radio host Dennis Prager interacted with top Bush administration officials. The event attracted more than 300 Chabad officials from around the world, as well as diplomats and lawmakers. Credit: Ron Sachs/American Friends of Lubavitch
Career Consultant Advises Opportunity Omaha Interns dents will implement these projects with the help of Dr. by ELLIE KRASNE Toby Schonfeld, a medical ethicist at the University of Federation Intern Cheryl Heisler, a professional career consultant, spoke Nebraska Medical Center. These projects go beyond collecting canned food or with Jewish college students at a recent Opportunity Omaha event, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of donating clothing. Students will have hands-on experiOmaha. She advised them how to turn their skills, inter- ences that they will later present to the entire group. ests, and what motivates them into a rewarding career. This portion of Opportunity Omaha provides students The forum, in which participants briefly described who with the chance to share their skills, time and generosithey are, what they wish to do, and asked questions, ty with the Omaha community. “Opportunity allowed Heisler to Omaha, It’s More Than address each person indiJust a Job,” has more vidually and give advice exciting programs to the whole group. planned for the summer-All who attended including Shakespeare on received a copy of From the Green, a film night Day One, written by with Dr. Guy Matalon, William J. White, former CEO and now professor Executive Director of at Northwestern The Center for Jewish University. Education, and an Opportunity Omaha evening with young also went to the Summer Jewish professionals who Arts Festival recently moved away, then meeting artists, walking Opportunity Omaha participants Sarah Grossman, left, Natalie returned home to around the Old Market Polak, Alex Clark and Jon Gates gather in the Old Market follow- Omaha. ing an afternoon at the Summer Arts Festival. and visiting shops. College students can Participants in Opportunity Omaha are working on check Facebook, Myspace and e-mail accounts for furmitzvah projects as well as social events. The projects ther updates. Please contact me at ekrasne@jewishomrange from volunteering at the Siena Francis House to aha.org or 334.6461 for more information. working at the Nebraska AIDS Project. The college stu-
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
Freedom Does Come with Sacrifice How the current situation in Israel will resolve itself is anyone’s guess. Frankly, the same forces that are at work against the goals of freedom and democracy in Gaza, land that the Palestinian Authority supposedly governs, are attempting to bring down the fledgling government in Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein’s rule, the families of suicide bombers who killed Israelis were paid $10,000 to $25,000. Though Saddam is no longer able to make those gifts (thanks to the U.S. military and its partnership with coalition forces), and suicide bombers now have trouble crossing into Israel (thanks to the security fence--see Amsel Arieli’s op-ed below), the same muddled thinking still exists among the PA leadership. Whether it’s “Kill Israelis” or kidnap them, the PA--or Hamas--take your pick since they seem to be interchangeable--won’t stop until all of Israel is theirs. In fact, according to Independent Media Review and Analysis, Muhammad Deif, head of Hamas’ military wing and the senior Palestinian terror suspect wanted by Israel, said last Sunday night that “all the land conquered in 1948 is Palestine’s land. Every Muslim in the world has the right and duty to fight in order to liberate this land because it is Muslim land.” So just how does the Israeli government respond to this? For that matter, how does the U.S. military respond when 66 Iraqis are killed by a car bomb in a crowded marketplace and
120+ wounded? Do we walk? Does Israel? And what happens if we do? It would be easy for most Americans to turn their backs on the Iraqi people. But the truth is, there are now twice as many Iraqi troops (nearly 250,000--trained by coalition forces) now on the ground than there are Americans. And, eventually we will leave. If we’re defeated by suicide bombers, terrorists blowing up oil pipelines or a coup that overthrows a democratically-elected Iraqi government, we will be laughed out of Iraq by terrorists who know that Americans no longer have the will to fight for principles. And if Israel does tiptoe around the Palestinians living in Gaza but doesn’t return with the kidnapped Israeli soldier in tow (alive--or dead), they, too, will be disgraced. If the Israeli army of the Six Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War is unsuccessful in this latest effort, they will find more to deal with than one kidnapped soldier. Bullies only respect stength. That means that America has to
Walled In, Walled Out
BEHIND THE H EADLINES by MELODY AMSEL-ARIELI Last month, some 50,000 Israelis converged on Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace) a village founded by Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel, for a concert by Roger Waters, founder and lead singer of the legendary Pink Floyd rock group. Waters is famed in some circles for the politically oriented 1990 performance of his opera The Wall in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. On his arrival to Israel, Waters, still a political animal, spray-painted his trademark lyric, “No Thought Control”, on a portion of Israel’s security fence that snakes its way through the Judean Desert. Later, during his performance, he encouraged his fans to pull down the Israeli “apartheid wall.” He got some interesting reactions from the man in the street. Some suggested that he himself is a product (and a very lucrative one at that) of commercialism, the epitome of thought control. Others suggested that instead of appearing in a peaceful Israeli village, he should have put his mouth where his mouth is. He should have performed in kassam-bombarded Sderot or “user-friendly” Gaza. A few days later, as we ferried a young American cousin volunteering with Magen David Adom, Israel’s Red Cross, from Jerusalem to our home in Ma’ale Adumim, she caught a glimpse of the security fence. From Ma’ale Adumim, the fence, though still a work in progress, is hard to miss. Heavy trucks lumber around Palestinian villages and scattered Bedouin encampments, unloading mountains of gravel and cement. Caterpillars crawl up and down the wadis sending clouds of dust Heavenward. And when the dust clears, the security fence, many times taller than a man and many times stronger, inches forward.
After completing a short, intensive Magen David course, our cousin will man an ambulance in and around Tel Aviv. She is, in her own words, prepared for the worst: births, murders, drownings, and traffic accidents. Israelis are experts on ambulances. We know that when a single ambulance is running a stop light, it’s racing toward a birth, death, drowning, or traffic accident. But when 10, 20 or 30 ambulances flash by, sirens wailing, that’s a terror attack. God willing, in the weeks that she is here, our young cousin will not ride one of those ambulances to a terror attack. If she does, she will know irrevocably that the security fence, no matter how high the price economically, socially, and internationally, beats scraping bits of human flesh from balconies and storefronts. Our guest was all questions. What is our opinion? Evidently, debating the pros and cons of separation is a hot topic on U.S. campuses. Opponents argue that the security fence has soured the lives of Palestinians, forcing them to trudge miles out their way to reach their fields, their schools, and their workplaces. Indeed. But who is at fault? Who educates its youth to the cult of death and 72 virgins? Let the Palestinians address their complaints to their democratically-elected government, not us. They have earned this wall. And so have we. In blood. Amsel-Arieli, who immigrated to Israel in 1971, lives in Ma’ale Adumim, near Jerusalem. She is a professional flutist, teacher, and avid genealogist, as well as a writer. Recently, Avotaynu, Inc., published her book, Between Galicia and Hungary: The Jews of Stropkov. Her articles have appeared in the The Forward, LA Jewish Journal, Cleveland Jewish News, Boston Jewish Advocate, Washington Jewish Week. She can be reached at: goldenjerusalem@yahoo.com.
...instead of appearing in a peaceful Israeli village, he should have...performed in kassam-bombarded Sderot or “user-friendly” Gaza.
stay in Iraq for the long haul, to show Iraqis that freedom is a precious commodity. The same goes for Israel. This is no time to back down, no time to kowtow to “world opinion” that cries out for humanitarian relief for the poor Palestinians yet has nothing to say about the 1000+ rockets that have fallen on Sderot. We already know the world has a double standard when it comes to democracy and freedom. During this week of the 230th anniversary of the founding of this country, let’s remember what we stand for--even if means laying down our lives.
With Spotlight on Darfur, Activists Plan New Rally
FOCUS ON ISSUES by RACHEL SILVERMAN NEW YORK (JTA)--Organizers of April’s Save Darfur rally in Washington are planning another large-scale event to draw attention to the continuing genocide in Sudan. The second protest will be held in New York City on Sept. 17 and, like its predecessor, will be orchestrated by the Save Darfur Coalition, a collection of 150 faith-based advocacy and humanitarian aid organizations. Discussions also are in place to stage rallies across the country that day, as well as in Europe and Canada. Unlike the first rally, which was aimed at President Bush and policymakers on Capitol Hill, this event will court a more international audience. Rally director Chuck Thies said it will focus on the demand for the United Nations, which will be meeting in Manhattan that week, to deploy a peacekeeping force to Darfur. In addition, Thies said there will be a push to make sure attendees represent an “international community.” He said the coalition will hold community roundtables in New York’s immigrant neighborhoods, advertise in nonEnglish speaking newspapers and strive to include world music acts on the lineup. The push for greater diversity begs the question: How will Jews, who played such a large role in the Washington rally, figure into the equation? The answer, for the most part, is that it's too early to tell, since most groups say they won’t flesh out their plans until more details, such as the event’s location, are determined. Still, agencies such as the American Jewish World Service and th Jewish Council for Public Affairs, both of which sit on the coalition’s executive committee, have pledged their support. The Save Darfur Coalition was cofounded by the AJWS and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004. The museum issued a genocide alert for Darfur even before the U.S. government did.
(Founded in 1920) Howard K. Marcus Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Terri Greenwood Advertising Executive Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Anne Muskin Editorial Intern Jewish Press Committee Bobbi Leibowitz, Vice-Chairman; Stan Mitchell, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Treasurer; Michael Siegel, Finance Chairman; Joanie Jacobson, Immediate Past-chairman; David Herzog; Susan Lehr; Jamie Meyerson; George Quittner; Melissa Schop; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Nancy Skid; and Dorothy Spizman. 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, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press is a constitutional committee of the Jewish Federation. Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish 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. 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.; $36 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. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.
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July 7, 2006
Thirty Years Later, Entebbe Raid Shows Jews’ Responsibility for Each Other “Spare your words,” she said dryly. “It’s between me and God.” What could I possibly say to this woman, who had lost all her family in the Holocaust, who married another Holocaust survivor, started a new chapter in Israel and by URI DROMI gave birth to two sons--only to lose them as well as her husband, who died heartbroken after Issachar was killed? JERUSALEM (JTA)--Last month, Nevertheless, when my turn came to give a eulogy, I we airmen and veterans of Squadron 103, one of the oldest units of the Israeli air force, bid farewell to a com- addressed Moshe’s mother directly. “When you were in the death camp,” I said, “there rade, Lt. Col. Moshe Naveh. His untimely death shocked us all and as I drove to his funeral memories of were Allied bombers flying over your head, yet their navigators didn’t mark on their maps a target called our joint service came to mind. It was on the third day of the Yom Kippur War in Auschwitz. Jews were murdered, while no one cared enough to drop even one single bomb on the gas cham1973. Since families were evacuated from the airbases, Moshe invited me to stay with him at his home. I bers to stop their massacre. However, less than 30 years later, Jews were in danger returned from a long again but this time there night flight, and when he was a Jewish state, and opened the door his eyes there were Jewish airmen were filled with tears: Just flying to save their brothhours earlier, his elder ers and sisters. And your brother Issachar, an F-4 son, Moshe, was one of Phantom pilot, was killed them, with Entebbe boldwhile trying to land his ly marked on his map.” badly damaged aircraft. She took my hand and Less than three years her eyes softened. later, Moshe was part of Indeed, the Entebbe one of the C-130 raid, carried out 30 years Hercules aircrews who ago on July 4, 1976, flew to Entebbe, Uganda, touched the raw nerves of to rescue the hijacked every Jew. passengers of Air France When the Air France flight No. 139. He never plane landed in Entebbe talked about it, but I felt Hostages of an Air France flight return from the Entebbe Airport to and the hijackers started that in his own silent way, Israel after a daring rescue by Israeli forces, 30 years ago on July to separate the Jewish he was proudly carrying Credit: Ya’acov Sa’ar/GPO passengers from the oth4, 1976. on in the footsteps of his ers, it brought back dark memories of the selection in fallen brother. Now Moshe is gone too. As I entered the graveyard, I Auschwitz, where Joseph Mengele singled out Moshe’s saw his mother. I started to mumble my condolences mother for life while sending hundreds of thousands to when this old woman, a survivor of Auschwitz, gave me their death. But times have changed, and Jews are not helpless a stern look. anymore. With the creation of the State of Israel, they regained not only their sovereignty but also the capability to defend themselves. In December 1942, Dolek Liebeskind, one of the leaders of the Jewish resistance in the Krakow Ghetto, led an attack on a German cafe. “We are fighting a lost To the Editor: battle,” he told his comrades. “All we are fighting for is Teddy Weinberger (“Elana tries to convert”, June 16) three lines in the annals of history.” seems to labor under the idea that the Jewish people is The Entebbe raid won its much-deserved lines in the essentially a club, one that can be joined by marriage to history books, but it wasn’t a lost battle at all: It was the a Jew and Judaic study. That is, sadly, a common con- daring act of a self-confident Jewish state, determined to ceit, but, alas, not the teaching of Jewish religious law rescue Jews whenever and wherever they’re in trouble. since Sinai. As these lines are being written, Israel has unleashed There are many fine, outstanding non-Jews, married its army again to bring home a soldier--Cpl. Gilad Shalit, to Jews or otherwise, who possess considerable knowl- 19, who was taken captive when Palestinian gunmen edge of things Jewish. That does not, though, make stormed an Israeli army base just outside the Gaza Strip. them Jews.. What alone has the potential of bringing a The Entebbe raid, however, did more than just fill the person born a non-Jew fully into our people is commit- heart of every Jew with pride--or, to use the saying after ment--full and uncompromising--to the law that our the 1967 Six-Day War, “make every Jew an inch taller.” ancestors accepted wholeheartedly millennia ago. There It also highlighted the sensitivity embedded in the relaare other technical procedures and rituals included in tionship between Israel and world Jewry. conversion to Judaism, but that commitment is the sine When enemies of Israel are incapable of hurting her, qua non of conversion. they pick more vulnerable targets--Jewish targets So when a neophyte states clearly that she is not will- abroad. Indeed, in 1994, after an Israeli attack in ing to commit herself to Jewish religious observance, Lebanon, the Hezbollah terrorist group--likely with the any conversion ceremony that might follow would be a assistance of Iranian intelligence services--took its sham in the eyes of Jewish law and of all Jews who revenge on the AMIA Jewish community center in respect it. It would, moreover, be an insult to countless Buenos Aires, killing 85 people in a bombing. gerei hatzedek (“righteous converts”)--whose merit we In other words, all of us Jews are in this together. invoke in our daily prayers--today and in generations The Entebbe raid also set a high moral standard, and past, who sacrificed much indeed, at times even their reminded us that military means should be used first and lives, to be part of our people. foremost for saving lives. Now that Jews are armed Rabbi Avi Shafran again, they should be very cautious in using their power. Director of Public Affairs, Agudath Israel of America The means should never become ends in themselves. Finally, the planes returning the freed hostages from To the Editor: Entebbe to safety carried a sad message as well: Liberty During the month of July, Burger King Restaurants can’t be won without paying a price. In one of the aircustomers in 73 locations will be asked to donate $1 to craft lay the body of Lt. Col. Jonathan (Yoni) “Beat Cancer for Kids.” The donor will receives a scratch Netanyahu, commander of the elite unit, who was killed card and a free Burger King food item worth at least $1. in the raid. All donations will go towards childhood cancer research The best of us go while serving the Jewish cause: Yoni at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. The promotion is Netanyahu during the Entebbe raid; my friend Moshe part of Liz’s Legacy, a fund to advance cancer research Naveh 30 years later. and care through the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, and named for the late Liz Karnes, an Omaha civic leader Uri Dromi flew in the Israeli air force between 1966who died in 2003 after a 12-year battle with cancer. 2003. Today he is director of international outreach at Vicky Cerino the Israel Democracy Institute. UNMC Public Affairs
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 13
How Muslims Think
BEHIND THE H EADLINES by DANIEL PIPES How do Muslims worldwide think? To find out, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press carried out a large-scale attitudinal survey. Titled “The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other,” it interviewed Muslims in two batches of countries: six of them with long-standing, majority-Muslim populations (Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey) and four of them in Western Europe with new, minority Muslim populations (France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain). The survey, which also looks at Western views of Muslims, yielded some dismaying but not altogether surprising results. Its themes can be grouped under three rubrics. A proclivity to conspiracy theories: In not one Muslim population polled does a majority believe that Arabs carried out the 9-11 attacks on the United States. The proportions range from a mere 15% in Pakistan holding Arabs responsible, to 48% among French Muslims. Confirming recent negative trends in Turkey, the number of Turks who point the finger at Arabs has declined from 46% in 2002 to 16% today. In other words, in every one of these 10 Muslim communities, a majority views 9-11 as a hoax perpetrated by the U.S. government, Israel, or some other agency. Likewise, Muslims are widely prejudiced against Jews, ranging from 28% unfavorable ratings among French Muslims to 98% in Jordan (which, despite the monarchy’s moderation, has a majority Palestinian population). Further, Muslims in certain countries (especially Egypt and Jordan) see Jews conspiratorially, as being responsible for bad relations between Muslims and Westerners. Conspiracy theories also pertain to larger topics. Asked, “What is most responsible for Muslim nations’ lack of prosperity?” between 14% (in Pakistan) and 43% (in Jordan) blame the policies of the U.S. and other Western states, as opposed to indigenous problems, such as a lack of democracy or education, or the presence of corruption or radical Islam. This conspiracism points to a widespread unwillingness in the umma to deal with realities, preferring the safer bromides of plots, schemes, and intrigues. It also reveals major problems adjusting to modernity. Support for terrorism: All the Muslim populations polled display a solid majority of support for Osama bin Laden. Asked whether they have confidence in him, Muslims replied positively, ranging between 8% (in Turkey) to 72% in Nigeria). Likewise, suicide bombing is popular. Muslims who call it justified range from 13% (in Germany) to 69% (in Nigeria). These appalling numbers suggest that terrorism by Muslims has deep roots and will remain a danger for years to come. British and Nigerian Muslims the most alienated: The United Kingdom stands out as a paradoxical country. Non-Muslims there have strikingly more favorable views of Islam and Muslims than elsewhere in the West; for example, only 32% of the British sample view Muslims as violent, significantly less their counterparts in France (41%), Germany (52%) or Spain (60%). In the Muhammad cartoon dispute, Britons showed more sympathy for the Muslim outlook than did other Europeans. More broadly, Britons blame Muslims less for the poor state of Western-Muslim relations. But British Muslims return the favor with the most antiWestern attitudes found in Europe. More of them regard Westerners as violent, greedy, immoral, and arrogant than do their counterparts in France, Germany, and Spain. In addition, whether asked about their attitudes toward Jews, responsibility for 9-11, or the place of women in Western societies, their views are notably more extreme. The situation in Britain reflects the “Londonistan” phenomenon, whereby Britons preemptively cringe and Muslims respond to this weakness with aggression. Nigerian Muslims have generally the most belligerent views on such issues as the state of Western-Muslim relations, the supposed immorality and arrogance of Westerners, and support for bin Laden and suicide terrorism. This extremism results, no doubt, from the violent state of Christian-Muslim relations in Nigeria. Ironically, most Muslim alienation is found in those countries where Muslims are either the most or the least accommodated. Overall, the Pew survey sends an undeniable message of crisis from one end to the other of the Muslim world. Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and author of Miniatures (Transaction Publishers) and can be reached at: www.DanielPipes.org.
Page 14
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
Candlelighting Friday, July 7, 8:42 p.m.
Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org
Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
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 southstreettemple.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
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to reserve space, call
Allan Handleman, 334.6451, or Terri Greenwood, 334.6559.
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by Beth El Synagogue; Evening Service, 8:55 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Weekdays, 6:55 a.m./5:30 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY: Bible Discussion Group, 10 a.m. K’TANTAN PLUS Our summer program, led by Daniel Christensen, meets in the chapel from 10:45-11:45 a.m. Our next sessions will be held, July 8 and 22. The program is open to children in K-6, and offers opportunities to take roles in leading Shabbat services, as well as the parasha discussion. For information, call Judy Rubin at 498.0904. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH MEETING Planned for Wednesday, July 26, 7 p.m., at the home of Carol Parsow, 2222 Skyline Dr. The theme is “L’Chaim -To Health!” and will focus on good nutrition and exercise. RSVP by July 23 to Parsow at cparsow@aol.com. HAZAK INSTALLATION DINNER Thursday, July 27, 6 p.m.; following installation, a musical program will be presented by Cantor Gaston Bogomolni and Jonathan Rathsam, accompanied by Esther Wax. Cost: $12.50 for adults; $8 for children six-12; no charge for children ages five and under. RSVP by July 24 to Natalie Rubin, 2004 So. 138 Ave Cir., 68144.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 10 a.m. (contact the office for class schedule); Kiddush is sponsored by Dr. Jonathan Kipnis in honor of Olga’s 30th birthday; Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:50 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Contact the office for Mincha/ Ma’ariv service time; Parent meeting to discuss synagogue’s educational programs for children, 5 p.m. (babysitting will be provided); Spaghetti Dinner, 6 p.m. followed by a concert featuring Seth Nadel, Beth Israel’s rabbinic intern, and the Beth Israel All-Star Band. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m; Contact the office for Mincha/Ma’ariv time. MONDAY: Intensive Summer Hebrew Class weekday mornings from 9 a.m.-noon through July 21 with Prof. Sara Kasher; Lunch and Learn, noon, with Rabbi Gross and rabbinic intern, Seth Nadel, What Makes a Rabbi? A Look at YU’s Curriculum and Requirements of the Modern Rabbi. TUESDAY: Interpreting Midrash class, 7:30 p.m. with Seth Nadel WEDNESDAY: Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Seth Nadel; Advanced Parsha Study, 9 p.m. with Seth Nadel. Rabbi Gross will be attending the Israelite Institute Rabbinic Fellowship program in Jerusalem from July 13-26.
BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home.
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service. SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m.; Torah Studies-Journeys exploring the Book of Bamidar (Numbers), 10 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Minyan, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Camp Gan Israel
Prayerbooks Available for Visually Impaired The Jewish Heritage for the Blind announced the availability of the High Holiday Machzor in large print and in Braille free of charge for all those who need them. Due to the high expense involved a doctor’s note stating necessity is required. To receive a complimentary Machzor contact our office at 718.338.4999; or fax 718.338.0653; or e-mail to Jewishheritage@gmail.com.
PERSONAL A loving thank you to my wonderful family and friends for making my 95th birthday a great joy. Your contributions and remembrances deeply bless my life and I am truly grateful. Rose Ziegman
To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. You can also submit other announcements--births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries --online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.
Kiddie Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel Older Division & Pioneers, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY: Women of Worth Prayer Circle, 9 a.m.; Camp Gan Israel Kiddie Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel Older Division & Pioneers, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Camp Gan Israel Kiddie Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel Older Division & Pioneers, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Kabbalah Circle, 7 p.m. THURSDAY: Camp Gan Israel Kiddie Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel Older Division & Pioneers, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m. All events and programs are open to the community. For information or to register, call 330.1800 or visit www. Ochabad.com.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel; Sarah Kelen and Ken Bloom will celebrate an aufruf before their upcoming wedding and invite all to join them as they are called to the Torah, with oneg provided by Sarah and Ken. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. THURSDAY: Saratoga School Food Distribution Program, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. The Social Action Committee encourages you to volunteer to help distribute food to those in need. The distribution takes place at Saratoga Elementary School on the second Thursday of each month. If you have questions, contact Stephanie Russell at the Center for People in Need, 476.4357.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Rabbi Maximo Shechet.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; “Shema Temple Israel: Many Stories, One Congregation”; d’var Torah by Jonathan Rockman - “Shabbat Dinners in London.” SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE: Available at each Friday evening service, Saturday mornings when there is a bar or bat mitzvah, and Sunday mornings when there is Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation are appreciated. Sorry, no facilities for infants.
NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Royi Shaffin. Minyan, MONDAY, & THURSDAY, 9 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by a light oneg. SATURDAY: Parashat Hashavu’a class, 8:30 a.m.; Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Sarah Kelen and Ken Bloom will celebrate an aufruf before their upcoming wedding and invite all to join them as they are called to the Torah, and the couple will be hosting a Kiddush luncheon following services. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066.
A ‘Mexican, Margaritas & Music’ Shabbat at Beth El vided free of charge. Cost is $10 by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator per person, and reservations may ‘Mexican, Margaritas & Music be made by sending a check to Shabbat,’ a south-of-the-border Beth El, 14506 California St., shindig for all Jewish community members in their 20s and 30s (married or single), will be celebrated at Beth El on Friday, July 21, 7 p.m., following 6 p . m . Kabbalat Shabbat services. With maraEmily and Gabe Meyer and Deb Hoffnung cas in hand, Emily and Gabe Meyer and Deb Omaha NE 68154. For more Hoffnung will serve as co-hosts information, contact Program of the event, along with Michael Director Margie Gutnik at and Stephanie Sigmond (not pic- 492.8550, or programming@ tured). Babysitting will be pro- bethel-omaha.org.
July 7, 2006
Negotiations and Warfare
Parashiyyot Huqat/Balaq As I think of this piece on July 3, I am wearing a shirt in preparation for the Fourth, which reads: Freedom is Not Free. The first of our Sidrot involves our ancient ancestors with negotiations on what they must do to get into the Holy Land. The negotiations are a failure; they found they must fight their way in. I cannot help thinking of the negotiations for the freedom, as I write, of Gidon Shalit, the kidnapped Israeli soldier in the hands of the mamzerim who hold him. It is quite true that he is worth the thousand or so brigands and murderers whom they want freed from Israeli prisons, worth a thousand, and 10,000 and 100,000 of them. But Israel will not negotiate, apparently, and will use its full military power to free him. By the time you read
DEATHS EVE KATZMAN WINTROUB Former Omahan Eve Katzman Wintroub died in Los Angeles, CA, at the age of 93. She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis Wintroub. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Lillian Wintroub and David and Isabel Wintroub, all of Los Angeles, CA; daughter and son-inlaw, Elaine and Rabbi Warren Stone of Bethesda, MD; grandchildren, Andrea of Los Angeles, Alisha, Liza of Palo Alto, CA, Alan Wintroub of San Francisco, and Nomi, Lia, and Zach Stone of Bethesda, MD; five great-grandchildren; sister, Cherie Silver of Los Angeles, CA. Memorials to Hadassah. CHARLOTTE HILL ORLOFF Former Lincolnite Charlotte Hill Orloff died June 28 at the age of 82. Services were held June 30 at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Lincoln. A real-estate developer, Orloff graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she was Editor of the college newspaper, The Rag, and a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority. She moved to Omaha only eight months ago. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis Orloff. She is survived by her sister-in-law and brother-inlaw, Ruth and Irwin Goldenberg; sister-in-law, Janice Orloff of Portland, OR; nieces and nephews, Martha and Dick Lerner, JoAnn and Steve Gold, Robin and Rick Karr of Chicago, IL, Mark and Cindi Dann of Sandusky, OH, and Gwen and Walt Stevens of Denver, CO. Memorials to Tifereth Israel, Hadassah or charity of choice.
To Submit an Obituary Notice: Send full name, age, date of death, location of service and burial site, as well as other pertinent information to the Jewish Press via e-mail: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; fax, 402.334.5422; or mail, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68114. Obituaries--as well as engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies, and births--also can be submitted at the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s website. Just go to: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press and click on “Submit Announcements.� Guidelines also are located on the Jewish Press home page; just click on the box at the lower right.
this, I hope that you and I will know that he is safe, and returned to his family and his military unit. Negotiations do not always work. Our second Sidra is based on the ancient superstition that a curse or a blessing, issued by an expert or a “saint� would be efficacious. The wonder is that Balaam, who is engaged to curse could not help himself as he looked from afar at the Israelites’ encampment. Against the will of the king who engaged him to curse, he burst forth into blessings of the Israelites, in words that we still use in our liturgy: “Mah tovu ohalekha Ya’akov... How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel.� But we must understand that the beauty of the Israelite encampment lay not in its physical alignment or the magnificence of their tents, burdened by the desert sands, but rather in the moral sense with which they approached life and its opportunities. When we read words of this kind, we are impressed again and again with the astonishing literary and moral wonder of this ancient volume which is miqra, Bible. To express oneself, in speech or in writing with both grace and power is to have a use of words in full capacity.
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Millions in New Grants Available for College Students Who Major in Math, Science or Foreign Language by SAMARA YUDOF and CASEY RUBERG U.S. Department of Education U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the availability of, and the state-by-state requirements for, Academic Competitiveness Grants and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grants. Starting July 1, qualified Pell Grant-eligible students may apply for these new grants that provide $790 million in funding for the 2006-07 academic year and $4.5 billion over the next five years. These grants provide further incentive for students to take more challenging courses in high school and to pursue college majors that are in high demand in the global economy, such as science, math, technology, engineering and critical foreign languages. Nationwide, it is estimated that approximately 500,000 students will qualify to receive Academic Competitiveness and SMART Grants. The Academic Competitiveness grants will provide college students who completed a rigorous course of study in high school with additional funds of up to $750 during their freshman year and up to $1,300 during their sophomore year; this is in addition to Pell Grant funds students are already receiving. College juniors and seniors who are eligible for SMART grants will automatically receive up to $4,000 in additional aid next year. “Math, science and critical foreign language skills are the new currencies in our global economy,� said Secretary Spellings. “These new grant programs will not only enable more students to attend college but also better prepare our students for today’s world. Justin Blahnik, a computer science student and SMART grant qualifier I met last week in Minnesota, put it best when he said these grants would enable students ‘to borrow less, work less and study more.’� To receive an Academic Competitiveness Grant, entering college freshmen and sophomores must be Pell Grant-eligible and have completed a program of rigorous high school course work as defined by their state and recognized by Sec. Spellings (visit www.federalstudent aid.ed.gov for more details). Academic Competitive-ness Grants provide additional funds of up to $750 for first-year college students and up to an additional $1,300 for second-year students who complete rigorous high school course work, are enrolled full-time and maintain a 3.0 GPA in college. Students who have never applied for federal student aid may go on-line to www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov or call 1.800.4FEDAID (or 1-.800.433.3243) for more information.
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Pulverent e
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SER O Q U E L
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 7, 2006
Beth Israel Selected to Participate in YU’s Rabbinic Intern Program by MARY BORT for Beth Israel Synagogue According to the online version of the American Heritage Dictionary, an intern is a “student or recent graduate undergoing supervised practical training.” We encounter interns in our places of employment and many of us have gained valuable experience while working as an intern during the course of a semester or summer. Future leaders of business, government, medicine and many other fields work in internship programs. Future rabbis also spend time as interns. There are internships for rabbinic students going into careers in education, chaplaincy, non-profit organizations and the pulpit. Students at Yeshiva University (YU) will work “in the field” for a semester or year. Beth Israel Synagogue has been chosen among a select group of synagogues to partner with YU in their Rabbinic Intern Program. The new summer program is a ground breaking effort to expand the training given to young, aspiring pulpit rabbis. Beth Israel’s summer intern is Seth Nadel. “This is a prestigious honor and a ‘feather in our cap’ to be chosen by YU for this program,” stated Rabbi Jonathan Gross. “YU is making an investment in the future and they want Omaha to be a part of that. Their goal is to provide quality students with quality experiences that include mentoring in good communities.” Through YU’s Torah Tours program,
m a n y future rabbis and educators have gotten to know small communities and have embraced the idea of bringing their professional Rabbi Jonathan Gross talents to those communities upon graduation or smicha. The new Rabbinic Intern Program expands on the positive impact that Torah Tours has made in the lives of young Jewish professionals, as well as meeting the needs of smaller Jewish communities. During his time as a rabbinic student at Yeshiva University (YU), Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Gross had a one-year internship serving as an assistant rabbi in Beverly Hills. “For me, my internship was the most crucial part of my training,” he said. Now it’s his turn to mentor a future rabbi. Gross noted, “I’m honored to now serve in the role as mentor for a future leader. But as they say, ‘it takes a village’ to achieve success in a program like YU’s Rabbinic Intern Program. It’s not only me that’s doing the teaching here. Everyone in the community teaches more
than what a single rabbi can teach. It’s a b o u t what the congregation and community can teach this f u t u r e rabbi.” Rabbi G r o s s Seth Nadel worked closely with YU to select an intern who is eager to make the most of his time in Omaha. The rabbinic intern will meet with executive directors of the Federation, the Foundation, the Center for Jewish Education, other Omaha rabbis and lay leaders. The intern will also assist Rabbi Gross with ritual and pastoral duties. Nadel is a teacher, singer, songwriter and performer. He graduated from YU with an undergraduate degree in Sociology. Nadel is concurrently working at YU on a Master’s in Jewish Education while studying for smicha and expects to complete both programs in the Spring of 2007. He has taught in Hebrew schools since 2000, was an advisor on an NCSY summer Israel trip and has performed in concerts at synagogues, schools and Shabbatonim across the United States. According to Gross, “In addition to teaching and assisting me in ritual and
pastoral duties, Seth will also lead services while I’m visiting Israel this summer. And, we’ll benefit from his musical talents, as well.” A special Dinner and a Concert is planned for July 9th. The concert will feature Nadel performing original music he composed, along with an appearance by the Beth Israel Band. The Rabbinic Intern Program and Torah Tours are made possible by community members who give their support. Funds raised offset the cost associated with staffing these programs. Torah Tours has always enhanced Beth Israel’s holiday celebrations and, with community generosity and participation, will continue to do so. Beth Israel has received funding from YU’s Max Stern Division of Communal Services to help support the Rabbinic Intern Program and Torah Tours programs throughout the year. Additionally, YU President Richard Joel donated the honorarium given for speaking at Beth Israel to the Intern Program. Others who make donations will be listed in the synagogue’s September bulletin. Gross emphasized how Beth Israel’s participation in YU’s Rabbinic Intern Program is an important step. “This is a first for Beth Israel and unusual for a community our size,” he added. “Being selected says so much about us; where we’re heading and how we’re perceived outside our community.” To make reservations for the dinner on July 9, or for a complete schedule of the Rabbinic Intern Program during July, please contact the office at 556.6288.
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