July 11, 2014

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

Something for Everyone

July 11, 2014 13 Tammuz 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 43

This Week

2014 Whitman book appreciation winners Page 3

Israel Diary Part II Page 6

Jim Crounse

Dan Kully

Paul Landow

Howard Weinberg

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN for the Omaha Jewish Reunion Editor’s Note: Part 1 of a 2 part series on the incredible Omaha Jewish Reunion programming.

Whether you’re a lifelong Omahan or were born and raised and have been away for decades, the Omaha Jewish Reunion has something for everyone. Join with friends and families and enjoy cherished memories of the past while learning new things about the present-day city we call home. Events are planned all week-

end long, Sept. 12-14, on the JCC campus and include panel discussions and engaging talks with some of our most prominent community members.

Register now at www.omahajewishreunion.com. All of the programming is listed and ready for viewing.

Everyone will have the opportunity to sign up for all of the events they choose to attend. The weekend begins with a bus tour at 10 a.m. on Friday morning to Beth El Synagogue, in its current location since 1991, Beth Is-

rael Synagogue, in its present home since 2004, and Temple Israel, which just completed construction of its state-of-the-art building in September 2013, just down the street from the Jewish Federation campus at the old Highland Country Club property.

Marty Shukert, former Director of the City of Omaha Community Development and Planning Departments, who was involved in the design of both Beth El and Beth Israel Synagogues, leads the tour.

Shukert is a principal with RDG

Planning & Design.

A panel discussion titled Politics and the Media begins at 10:30 a.m. in the JCC Theater and includes Jim Crounse, Dan Kully, Howard Weinberg, and Paul Landow. David Kotok, retired Omaha World-Herald news executive, moderates.

Crounse is recognized as one of the top Democratic direct mail consultants in the U.S. He has produced political direct mail for dozens of high profile national campaigns and for Continued on page 2

Eye on Israel

by ELIAD ELIYAHU Community Shaliach, The Center for Jewish Life On Thursday, June 12 while I was in Akko visiting family and friends,

a calm and quiet weekend.

In less than a day these three boys became sons and brothers to all of us and their families entered into the hearts and homes of people in Israel

an unfortunate event happened in Israel. Three young Israelis were kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization. The three boys, Gilad Shaar, Naftli Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, were simply going home to their families on Thursday night for

and around the world. On the other hand, the Palestinians, as a society, have demonstrated callousness toward the victims, appearing to view the kidnappings as a victory.

Then on June 30, the tragic news of their deaths overwhelmed us. Soldiers in the IDF are trained on how to react in such a horrible situation.

These boys were far different. They were in their teens. They had not been in the Army. They were only innocent citizens.

Unfortunately, dealing with kidnaping by terrorist organizations is not a new or unfamiliar occasion for Israel. Less than three years ago, Gilad Shalit was released from Continued on page 3

July JCC Gallery Page 7

Remembering Sherman Poska

by SARA COHEN Jewish Press Intern Sherman Poska, a man loved and respected both inside and out of the Jewish community, passed away

Sherman is survived by thousands of his treasured JCC campers, many now grown, to whom he was affectionately known as “Uncle Sherm.”

A committed director of Camp

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

This Month The Legal Issue See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

8 10 11

Sherman Poska poses with participants at the Esther K. Newman summer camp, during the late 1950s.

Friday, June 13 at the age of 82. A memorial service was held at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Tuesday, June 17.

In addition to his sister, Bette Anne Poska, and 11 first cousins,

Floyd Rogers, a summer camp in Gretna tailored to kids with diabetes, Poska devoted himself to the organization for over 40 years. His year-long efforts to promote and Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | July 11, 2014

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Something for Everyone Continued from page 1 candidates -- Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Bill Richardson. He served as Chief of Staff to Senator Max Baucus of Montana, from 1994 to 1995, and to Congressman Peter Hoagland of Nebraska from 1989 to 1991. Jim graduated from Central High School in Omaha, has a B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a J.D. from Creighton University in Omaha.

Dan Kully is a communications specialist and award-winning media consultant advising high profile candidates and issue campaigns in more than 30 states. Kully worked with Bob Kerrey in Washington, D.C. and co-founded Kully Hall, a political media firm specializing in strategic communications and television, radio, and digital advertising. Kully, an Omaha native and past AZA Mother Chapter #1 President, resides in Seattle, Washington.

Also raised in Omaha, Weinberg graduated from Omaha Central High School. An award-winning independent documentary film and television producer who has created significant public and commercial television programming, Weinberg contributed to the success of American journalists Bill Moyers, Robert MacNeil, Jim Lehrer, Charles Kuralt, Harry Reasoner, and others. Founding director of The MacNeil/Lehrer Report, Weinberg was also executive producer of The Dick Cavett Show.

Paul Landow, a life-long resident of Omaha, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He concentrates his teaching and research on the politics of Omaha and Nebraska, has worked as executive director of a state political party, an aide to a member of Congress, and chief of staff to the mayor of Omaha from 2001-2008. Currently, his work focuses on connections between municipal unions, city government, and elected officials. In 2008, he returned to the University of Nebraska-Omaha and is a faculty member in

the Department of Political Science.

Moderator Kotok was a political/government reporter for the Omaha World-Herald before becoming a managing editor with a staff of over 140. Kotok, named one of the nation’s top political reporters “outside the beltway”, was an embedded reporter in Iraq in 2005.

Tours of the Jewish Federation of Omaha campus are scheduled for noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. This tour includes the Jewish Community Center, in its present location since 1973, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, regarded as a premier long-term care facility and home to a myriad senior services, and much more.

Aliya in Omaha!, at 1 p.m. in the JCC Theater, highlights Omaha’s young rabbis and their wives as Omaha settlers and includes Rabbi Steven and Shira Abraham of Beth El Synagogue and Rabbi Josh and Carrie Brown from Temple Israel.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Rabbi Abraham and his family came to Omaha in July 2011, upon his graduation from rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

He was named congregational Rabbi in August of 2013.

Since then, the Abrahams and daughter, Naama celebrated the arrival of their son Leor in February 2014.

Rabbi Brown, a native of Atlanta, came to Temple Israel in 2012 from North Carolina. He and his wife brought daughter Hannah with them to Omaha and have since welcomed Noah into their family.

This is just the beginning of all the incredible people and places featured during the Omaha Jewish Reunion! Program Committee members have spent untold hours preparing the subjects, itineraries, and conversations for the Reunion! To read about more, look for Part 2 in this series in next week’s Jewish Press or go to the reunion website, www.omahajew ishreunion.com.

Remembering Sherman Poska Continued from page 1 fundraise for the camp never passed in vain; through his involvement, many children who would have otherwise been denied due to financial or physical setbacks attended Camp Floyd Rogers for several consecutive years. One camper from Lincoln remarked, “Uncle Sherman and Camp Floyd Rogers changed my life. I was a newly diagnosed diabetic when I first went to CFR and I really thought my life was over when I first arrived. By the time CFR was over that summer, I never wanted to leave, and I learned that my life could be whatever I wanted it to be. Many years later, my daughter also learned from Uncle Sherman that she could do anything.” Investing countless hours and immeasurable amounts of energy into the CFR cause, Sherman left a legacy of indiscriminate love and dedication.

In examining his life, one can see these same admirable qualities of passion and commitment materialize time and time again. Born to Sam and Rose Poska in Creston, IA, on August 5, 1931, Sherman moved with his family to Bellingham, WA, and then back to Omaha in 1944. He attended Central High School, maintaining active involvement with the debate team and numerous sports until his graduation.

Sherman’s role in the Jewish Community arose early on.

He played for a JCC basketball team and was a member of AZA 1 throughout high school. While receiving his PhD in psychology and a graduate degree in education, Sherman served as the Assistant Director of JCC Youth Activities for two years. He spent his summers as a counselor and swimming instructor for the JCC Day Camp, and in 1952 advanced to the position of JCC Swimming Director.

Poska played an integral part in the Jewish Federation’s Camp Esther K. Newman, located in Louisville, from its inception. In a newsletter from the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Barbara Simon wrote, “(Sherman) helped conceive, design, and program the camp.” As its first director, Sherman formed Esther K. into the source of joy, excitement, and fond memories to which many community members who attended the camp in the 60’s and 70’s attribute it today.

Along with his forerunning role in the aforementioned developments, Sherman maintained a number of noteworthy jobs and hobbies. As a Sunday School teacher at Temple Israel, he incorporated inventive games and technology into his lesson plans, stating, “The media constantly challenges children’s intelligence. The traditional format of Jewish learning – bland classrooms, desks in formal rows, learning by rote – offers little to kids that have television and movies vying for their attention. Also, secular schools are using all kinds of learning devices, and it’s time we started adapting them to our purposes… We need to know and define our heritage. It gives us guidelines for our own time.”

In his lifetime, Sherman recorded operas, studied Shakespeare expansively, sold handcrafted mezuzahs and

Aron Kodeshim (Arks of the Torah) and flew planes. He also operated several day care centers in Nebraska and Iowa and was often commended for his progressive work in education.

Everyone who knew Sherman speaks of the way in which he touched the lives of numerous children through his JCC and summer camp involvement over the years, but few recognize the groundbreaking contributions he made to the area of high school athletics. He championed for the sports of wrestling, bowling, and softball to be sanctioned in public schools, going well out of his way to ensure that high school athletes could participate and gain recognition in the activities they loved. Barbara Kirkpatrick, Jewish Federation of Omaha Bookkeeper, cites Sherman as the reason her son was able to receive an invaluable education. His participation in Sherman’s Sunday night bowling tournaments held throughout the 90’s led to the accumulation of enough prize money to finance his parochial high school tuition.

This was exactly the kind of impact that Sherman had anticipated when he took up the cause of sanctioning these sports. Whether in the above-mentioned bowling league or the club softball teams and tournaments he established for high school girls while advocating for enforcement of Title IX legislature in the 90’s, he always insisted that the earnings of these athletes be invested in their education. When softball was finally adopted as a varsity sport, girls began earning scholarships to prestigious universities, and Sherman’s initial vision sprang to life.

As a result of his valiant efforts, Sherman received many awards in his lifetime. He earned the Ritonya Buscher Poehling Scholarship Fund, was inducted into both the Omaha Metro Softball Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Bowling Hall of Fame, and was selected as a finalist for the U.S. Amateur Wrestling Foundation’s Man of the Year Award. Additionally, he served on many boards, including the Omaha Softball Association, the NCAA Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, and the Sportsplex Operators and Developers Association.

Despite all of these achievements, Sherman’s ultimate pride was Camp Floyd Rogers, where, through his tireless efforts and dedication in creating a safe haven for those who had already endured much adversity in the wake of their illness, he cultivated the precious gifts of hope and self-worth within each of his beloved campers. One of his associates at the camp, Rich Hoffman, said, “I had the pleasure of being with him the last few days, and it broke my heart when he asked me if the camp was going to be okay. He even requested that all memorials for him go directly to CFR. It is completely obvious where his heart was.”

Truly loved by all and admired for his compassion, gregariousness and vivacity, Sherman Poska will be sincerely missed. Donations in memory of Sherman may be made to Camp Floyd Rogers, P.O. Box 31536, Omaha, NE 68131.

July 11, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

2014 Elinor A. and Norman Whitman book appreciation winners announced

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Program Coordinator, The Center for Jewish Life The Center for Jewish Life, through the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Elinor A. and Norman Whitman Book Appreciation Contest. This annual contest, first started in 1991, is made possible by the Elinor A. and Norman Whitman Book Appreciation Fund.

The contest was created to honor the goals promoted by Mrs. Whitman during her lifetime of devoted service to the youth of the Omaha community. She served for many years as a member of the Kripke Library board and on the faculty of both Beth El and Temple Israel Religious Schools. This contest furthers Mrs. Whitman’s goal in promoting Jewish literature for children.

Based on books with Jewish content selected by each student, kindergarten through 2nd graders created book jackets.

Students in 3rd through 6th grades wrote book reports in addition to creating a word search, crossword puzzle, poster or one-

page newspaper, related to the book.

A group of three judges reviewed the entries, ranking each entry within the grade level.

Prizes this year were gift cards from The Bookworm with 1st place receiving a $20 card, 2nd place receiving $15 and 3rd place a $10 card.

Additionally, all stuSeveral 1st and 2nd grade book jacket entries dents entering the contest received a Gilbert, 2nd Place Aviva Shyken, 3rd Place. certificate of participation.

4th Grade: Brad Berman, 1st Place; The 2014 contest winners are: Phoenix Mavropoulos, 2nd Place; Shmuel Kindergarten: Ezzy Shyken, 1st Place.

Aaron Shyken, 3rd Place.

1st Grade: Mo Blair, 1st Place 5th Grade: Rebecca Denenberg, 1st Place; 2nd Grade: Maayan Zinman, 1st Place; Laura Kirshenbaum, 2nd Place; Micah Ilan Modrykamien, 2nd Place; Oliver Gilbert, 3rd Place.

Lucoff, 3rd Place.

6th Grade: Sarah Aoki, 1st Place; Rachel 3rd Grade: Noah Blair, 1st Place; Noemi Aoki, 2nd Place; Doron Margalit, 3rd Place.

Other students participating in the contest included Zoe Berman, Jack Cohen, Daniel Denenberg, Ari Finkelstein, Ethan Finkelstein, Daisy Friedman, Leah Gurock, Destiny Howard, David Kay, Peyton Kelln, Abby Kohll, Rachel Kricsfeld, Lauren Kugler, Jake Lucoff, Leora McNamara, Isabella Persky, Doniven Polivka, Noah Shrago, Shevy Shyken, Evelyn Smith, Gavin Smith, Julian Witkowski, Mendel Wright, Almog Zinman and Max Zweiback.

The Elinor A. and Norman Whitman Memorial Book Appreciation Contest is presented by the Center for Jewish Life and promoted by Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Friedel Jewish Academy and Temple Israel. For additional information, please call 402.334.6445 or email mgrossman@jewish omaha.org.

Israel already has a routine and premade plan of how to handle events during these difficult days. Israelis went to main streets in central cities in Israel and demonstrated.

Many went to the homes of the kidnapped boys and showed solidarity by praying for the sake of the boys. Several days after they were kidnapped, there was a huge prayer gathering at the Kotel, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem. Then in Tel Aviv, over 65,000 people went to Rabin Square to show support to the boys’ families. And of course in

and learn together about this event and the ways it was shown in different sectors in Israel, Arabic world and in the USA. Eye on Israel and the Community Shaliach program are offered through the Center for Jewish Life, whose mission is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences. For additional information, please call 402.334.6463.

Eye on Israel Continued from page 1 Hamas captivity after being held for five years. A month after Gilad Shalit was kidnapped, two other Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldvasser and Eldad Regev, were kidnapped and killed by the Hezbollah organization in the north of Israel. The list of kidnaped Israeli soldiers is unfortunately longer.

In Israel, from the first day Gilad, Naftali and Eyal were kidnapped, the agenda in the media was changed and it appeared that

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the virtual world, many Facebook groups were opened and showed their warm solidarity from varied and many places in the world. Finally, the funerals of these young men were attended by thousands. The names and faces of Gilad, Naftli and Eyal are now a part of the collective memory of Israel’s history.

The kidnapping will be our discussion focus for my next Eye on Israel session on Tuesday, July 22 at noon in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. We will discuss

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4 | The Jewish Press | July 11, 2014

Magic Words: The Tale of Julius Meyer

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by MARK KIRCHHOFF Center for Jewish Life How’s that for the title of a book that the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group has chosen for its July selection?

And as an added point of interest - as if the title hasn’t tantalized you enough - the novel takes place in 1867 Nebraska, the year that Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state in the Union. This local interest should make the July 17 discussion, which will take place from 1-2 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, particularly interesting.

The author, Gerald Kolpan, was born in New York City and grew up in New Rochelle, NY. He attended The Philadelphia College of Art (now The University of the Arts) from which he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After college, Gerald launched several successful careers. He was an illustrator for books, magazines and advertising for over a decade and later became an advertising copywriter and art director. At the dawn of the punk era, he even fronted a rock band. In March 2009, Ballantine Books published his first novel, Etta, a fictionalized account of the life of Etta Place, purported girlfriend of the Sundance Kid. Magic Words was published by Pegasus Books in 2012.

The book’s main character, Julius Meyer, befriends the mysterious Prophet John who saves his life when the two are captured by the Ponca Indian tribe. Living as a slave, Julius meets the noble chief Standing Bear and his young daughter Prairie Flower with whom he falls in love. Using his astounding facility with languages, Julius becomes the tribe’s interpreter and a champion of its rights.

Just as Julius’s life seems to be settled, he has to reckon with the arrival of his older cousin, Alexander, who will soon become one of the most famous magicians in the world. Julius suspects no danger as he encounters Alex’s treacherous brother Compars, or the ultimate consequences

of the magician’s affair with Lady-Jane Little Feather, a glamorous - and murderous - prostitute destined to become the most scandalous woman on two continents.

The novel is based on historical events that have been molded to produce a tale with colorful characters, rollicking humor, and the danger of the frontier. Beneath the surface lies the insightful exploration of the nature of prejudice, the horror of genocide, and two amazing men: one fighting for love and freedom, the other living for mystery and magic.

Booklist said of the book, “Kolpan’s magical feats include more than conjuring diverse, intricately detailed historical settings and heart-revving predicaments. He also offers sensitive revelations of the horrific suffering of Native Americans forced from their homelands, crimes and tragedies he thoughtfully parallels with the bloodshed and exile endured by Jews. In all, a distinctively insightful and bewitching work of compassionate historical fiction by an adept novelist one hopes has lots more tricks up his sleeves…”

The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group has been in continued existence since November 1979 and continues with its goal to select books with Jewish content and/or authors. The group explores diversity of topics and formats, including poetry, fiction, biography and, occasionally, a film. There is no cost to participate and people are always welcome to share in an insightful exchange. Mark your calendars for the 3rd Thursday of every month, 1 p.m., in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library and join in.

The discussion group receives administrative support from the Center for Jewish Life whose mission it is to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences. For more information, please call 402.334.6463 or email mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org.

Elvis performs at the JCC on July 23

by OZZIE NOGG Nelson, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Tom Jones and When describing his way of moving on The Ventures. The performance includes stage, Elvis Presley said, “Some people tap music from the 50s and 60s, along with their feet, some people snap their fingers, Country and Classic Rock hits plus Bill’s and some people sway back and forth. I original tunes. “When Bill was eight years just sorta do ‘em all together, I guess.” old, his grandmother recognized his musiAward-winning Branson, MO, entertaincal potential and bought him his first guier Bill Chrastil will duplicate The King’s tar,” said Mary Heiman, Activities Director moves during a Salute to Rock & Roll at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “He Concert on Wednesday, July 23, at 1:30 began playing for his mother and her sisp.m. in the Jewish Community Center Auditorium. The performance, sponters as they sang along and yodeled. Today, sored by Jewish Social Services, is free he’s a whiz on the guitar, piano, bass guitar, and open to the community. drums and harmonica, as well as being a Chrastil has been a full-time musician talented vocalist and songwriter. Bill and show-biz personality since 1983, perChrastil is #1 on the Branson Top 20 Artist forming at theaters, fairs, casinos and Countdown. His show is fun and full of resorts across the country and abroad. energy. You won’t want to miss it.” For Bill Chrasti His high-energy show is a salute to music information call Maggie Conti, Director of legends Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Willie Activities and Outreach Programs at 402.334.6521.

Beth El Sisterhood offers “Honey for the Holidays”

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Once again, Beth El’s Sisterhood is sponsoring its honey sale for Rosh Hashanah, offering the Jewish community a sweet way to wish friends and loved ones shana tova. Festively-wrapped bottles, accompanied by special holiday greetings, may be purchased for in-town delivery and out-of-town shipping (U.S. only), just in time for the new year celebration. All proceeds benefit Sisterhood, which supports youth activities, plus community and social services.

Cost of each bottle is $10. Order forms may be found at the synagogue office; purchases may also be made online at www.bethel-omaha.org. Orders are being taken through Monday, July 14; late orders will not be accepted.

For more information, contact “Honey for the Holidays” chairman Andrea Grossman at andrea.gross man@marriott.com, or 402.680.9095.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, July 16, noon, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibr ith@jewishomaha.org.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Our meetings are on Thursdays from 1-3 p.m., at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s boardroom. We welcome all who would like to attend. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

NEBRASKA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Genealogy Club will meet on Sunday, July 20 at 1:30 p.m. in the NJHS office. Anyone interested in researching family history is welcome.

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

July 11, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5

Gone fishin’ -- instead of jest a-wishin’

by OZZIE NOGG Early in June, a group of Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Residents spent a lovely afternoon at Lake Zorinsky where they enjoyed a picnic, flew kites, and tried their luck at the old fishing hole. The outing was coordinated by Mary Heiman, Activities Director. “It was a beautiful blue-skywith-puffy-clouds kind of day,” Heiman said. “And though no one caught a fish, we did get a kite up pretty high and kept it up there for quite a while. The Residents took turns holding on to the kite because I wanted them to feel that the tug on the string by the wind is similar to the tug of a fish on a line. It’s an empowering feeling.”

Residents were treated to a traditional picnic box lunch of turkey sandwiches, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, watermelon and pop, catered by the RBJH Dietary Staff.

“Besides the kite flying, we socialized, laughed, enjoyed the scenery, watched the other fishermen and the mallard ducks floating around,” Heiman said. “The Blumkin Home staff and volunteers really know how to pull off a good picnic, and the Residents had a wonderful time. Thank you, everyone, for your help.”

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Blumkin Home Residents Annette and Leo Fettman wait for the fish to bite

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Wayne, Nebraska Saturday - Bressler Park July 11, 12, 13 9:30 a.m. - Parade, Main Street 11:30 a.m. - Chicken Feed

www.chickenshow.com Noon - Free Entertainment, JourneyMen Quartet 1:00 p.m. - Chicken Show Contests 9:00 p.m. - Street Dance, Back 40

Sunday - Wayne Municipal Airport 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Car Show 1:00 p.m. - Poker Run 2:00 p.m. JourneyMen Quartet Concert & CD release

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by DONNA OBERSTEIN Burnt ends slathered in sauce, juicy smoked chicken, and slabs of beef ribs are just a few of the mouth-watering favorites BBQ enthusiasts will find at the Third Annual KC Kosher BBQ Competition and Festival on Sunday, Aug. 17.

The event is free (there will be an optional door fee that will go directly to local food charities) and open to the public and takes place on the grounds of the Ritz-Charles, 9000 West 137th Street, Overland Park, KS. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. The festival runs until 4:30 p.m.

In addition to the KCBS BBQ competition, the festival features musical entertainment for all ages, great food, kosher hot dog and pickle eating contests, live cooking demonstrations, entertaining interactive celebrity judging panel and a “Kids’ Zone” with activities ranging from bounce houses and slides to face painting, games and more.

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He has a brother, Henry.

Grandparents are Sally Fredricks and late Terry Fredricks, and Nan and Jerry Halvorson of Rapid City, SD. Great-grandparents are Arlene and David Fredricks, and the late Dr. Harry and Irma Henderson.

6 | The Jewish Press | July 11, 2014

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Israel Diary part II

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By the time you are reading this, I will be back from an amazing twelve days of experiencing Israel. The visual of Israel is so beautiful, I will have to share more photographs.

Watch the Jewish Press in the next few weeks for more pictures and details about the many site visits and meetings I was a part of during my time here.

After a few days of visiting the sites of the Western Galilee

discuss and approve our budget for the coming year, which we successfully accomplished, and to strategize for our future.

While we were in Northern Israel, we also toured in Caesarea - the ancient ruins dating back to the Roman King Herod - and the port city of Haifa. Both were striking sites but dramatically different, comparing the ruins of an ancient city to the vibrancy of a thriving city.

Tuesday afternoon, Patty, Jan and Iris left for Omaha while Zoe, Beth and I traveled to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Our first activity on Wednesday morning was truly amazing. We had a two-hour tour of the Seam Line Fence - the security system in place at the borders of the West Bank - with Colonel (ret.) Dani Tirza. He was the architect of the system and told fascinating stories of his

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Tree planting in the partnership garden: left picture: Zoë Riekes; right picture: Patty Nogg, left and Mike Silverman as I wrote about in my last update, the Partnership Steering Committee Meetings began. Omaha had great representation with Zoe Riekes (Stateside Partnership Chair), Patty Nogg (Omaha's Partnership Committee Chair and the newly named chair-elect of the Education Task Force), Iris Ricks (Omaha Partnership Committee member), Beth Cohen (Executive Director of the Center for Jewish Life), Jan Goldstein (Stateside Partnership Director), and Eliad Eliyahu (Omaha's Community Shaliach and Partnership's Education Task Force Coordinator). Our meetings took us all over our Partnership communities of Akko and Matte Asher. We heard from the mayor of each municipality, learned about different projects and programs supported by our Partnership, and heard reports from each of our Task Forces (Education, Resource Development, Medical, and Arts & Community). The main focus of this meeting was to

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meetings with Yassir Arafat, Hillary Clinton, the Vatican and the myriad others he negotiated with in the delicate planning required to create a system to protect the people of Israel.

From our tour of the security fence, we went to Amigour, a project of the Jewish Agency for Israel providing sheltered housing facilities to the elderly population of Israel.

Amigour serves over 7,500 vulnerable seniors, most of whom are Holocaust survivors, and now many who have relocated from the former Soviet Union.

The rest of our time in Jerusalem was spent exploring the Old City of Jerusalem, with all the unexplainable feelings of history and religious significance that go along with being in such a place. We also toured in other significant sites in Jerusalem, including Yad Vashem and Mt. Herzl cemetery.

Continued on page 7

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July 11, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

In the JCC Gallery this July “Inspired by Poetry” Work

by THE MIDWEST FIBER ART ALLIANCE Located just next to the JCC Theater, the Come and see your favorite poems in a Gallery provides individuals an excellent whole new light. Local artists, belonging to opportunity to immerse themselves in culthe Midwest Fiber Art Alliance present their turally enriching exhibitions. Exhibits cycle newest collection of work Inspired by poetry. Each artist has taken a poem that has influenced them in some way, and interpreted it in textiles and fiber. Artists participating include: Deb Ward, Dianne Thomas, Gail Dickel, Peg Pennell, Joan Duggan, Jo Drueke, Debi Kibbee, Kellie Kachek, Karen Stiehl Osborn, LaVonne Dunetts, Aimee Mahan, Marge Bresel, Marcia O’Donovan, Rhonda Baldwin, Shelly Burge, Wendy Maliszewski, Cindy I Shall Wear Purple” by Karen Stiehl Osborn.

Schroeder and Cindy Erickson. The public is invited to the recep- through on a monthly basis, providing a tion on Sunday, July 13 from 1-3 p.m. in the constant stream of new material. The Jewish JCC Gallery.

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Mah Jongg Tourney at Temple

by CLAIRE FLATOWICZ place went to Susan Jodis.

Just about everyone had a fun-filled day Temple Israel sponsored their first annual Mah Jongg tournament on Sunday, June 22.

Forty entrants from the ages of 26-92 participated. There were two men, who both had a great time, along with the women contestants.

Breakfast was served from 9-9:30 a.m. Then two rounds of four games each were played. After a lunch break and raffle drawing, two more rounds of four games Three ladies playing are Renee Kazor, left, Dorothy Spizman, were played. and Sandy Lehr.

The first place prize of $100 went to 92-year-old Lucille Epstein, and looks forward to playing in the tourwith Sandy Kutler close behind. Third nament again next June.

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Israel Diary part II Continued from page 6 persevere and flourish. The relationship that Yad Vashem was moving and I stopped the United States has with Israel is vital to repeatedly throughout the tour to absorb all her existence and our relationship with our the information and to try to understand how such an atrocity could have taken place. At Mt. Herzl cemetery we saw the graves of many Israeli statesmen including Yitzchak Rabin and Golda Meir. All too soon, our trip was coming to an end with a final afternoon and evening spent in Tel Aviv.

I have learned so much the last two The Kotel in Jerusalem weeks and realize how much more I have to learn. Israel tells Partnership area is having an immeasurable the story of triumph and ingenuity, but also impact on the quality of life of literally thouof war and strife. We learn how to balance sands of Israelis. the tragedies - just in our time here, three I look forward to my next visit to Israel innocent boys were kidnapped by terrorists, where I will experience more cities and desarsonists struck next to Yad Vashem, and tinations, continue learning about our rich rockets were fired into the Golan - with the heritage and reunite with friends. strength of a people who are determined to

Publishing Date | 07.25.14 Space Reservation | 07.16.14 Camera Ready Deadline | 07.18.14 Contact your advertising representative to advertise in this very special edition.

Jessie Wees | 402.334.6559 | jwees@jewishomaha.org Hymie Gendler | hgendler@jewishomaha.org

8 | The Jewish Press | July 11, 2014

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Truth or dare ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Two pieces of news caught my attention when I was reading the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s daily update last week.

The first piece dealt with the attacks from Gaza: At least 15 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel over the course of an hour. Hours after Hamas’ military wing threatened Israel, the barrage struck buildings and caused fires, and a soldier was injured from shrapnel. Residents of Israeli communities near the Gaza border were instructed to remain within 15 seconds of a bomb shelter. As Israeli troops moved towards the Gaza border, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades told reporters in the coastal strip: “The threat of an Israeli military action against the Gaza Strip does not scare us. It only hastens the hour of our revenge against Israel, and an opportunity to teach it a lesson.

He added: “I promise you that one stupid move by your leaders will be enough to make us turn all of your communities, even those you might not expect, into targets and burning coals.”

More than 30 rockets hit Israel between July 2 and 3.

And then, after Israel defended itself, there was this: The U.N. Commissioner of human rights, Navi Pillay, condemned the violence taking place on Israel’s border with Gaza on Thursday July 3, following increased cross-border attacks.

“From a human rights point of view, I utterly condemn these rocket attacks and more especially I condemn Israel’s excessive acts of retaliation,” Pillay said in Vienna.

I’m not surprised that a United Nations representative once again ignores the truth and shoots from the hip. There

is a sense of glee in Pillay’s tone, an enthusiastic embrace of the “Israel-as-the-big-bad-wolf ” narrative. It must be easy and comfortable to make up your mind without having to worry about the facts. How does one argue with people who don’t just have blinders on, but who actively welcome those

blinders? It seems about as fruitful as discussing foreign policy with a four-year-old.

Sometimes it seems the U.N. regrets the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and its representatives have been trying to make up for it ever since. Apparently, both government and citizens of Israel should sit back and do nothing when attacked, and if they do try to defend themselves, they should apologize.

Since the 2006 establishment of the U.N. Human Rights Council, things have gotten considerably worse. Resolution after resolution denouncing Israel has been passed, with no

regard for the enemies surrounding the country. Rarely does the Council speak out against rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians, regardless who initiates them. But the second Israel so much as threatens to answer, another resolution is presented, and voted in. Between 2006 and 2010 alone, a total of 33 anti-Israel resolutions were passed, without so much as an acknowledgement of the other side. Israel is the only country listed permanently on the Council’s agenda, and it is the only country subjected to an investigatory mandate. It’s frustrating, and it’s telling.

What’s more, the language itself shows a remarkable prejudice. Israel does not defend; it retaliates. Words like ‘occupation,’ ‘revenge,’ ‘senseless killing,’ ‘repressive measures’ and ‘massacre’ set a tone that makes one thing clear: Commissioner Pillay isn’t bringing anything new to the table. She is simply toeing the party line.

Meanwhile, the world hears nothing about Kassam rockets fired against Israeli civilians, Israel’s frustrated attempts to safeguard religious sites, how Hamas really treats the people it supposedly fights for or any of Israel’s legitimate security needs.

None of this is news. It’s just more of the same, and it trickles down. As operation Protective Edge is underway, United Nations’ representatives will no doubt denounce Israel with a strong voice, a voice that will be echoed around the world. Everybody will be talking about Israel’s attack on Gaza, but no one will mention what brought it on. And no one will be asking why there seems to be such comfort and ease in hating Israel. Because some questions are just too hard to face.

Inviting Israel President Reuven Rivlin back to a Reform synagogue

Focus on issues CHARLES A. KROLOFF

WESTFIELD, N.J. (N.J. Jewish News) -- Over the years, Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, the largest Reform synagogue in New Jersey, has been on the receiving end of public criticism for a variety of reasons.

As a newly-arrived rabbi in the late-1960s, I learned how our temple was upbraided because our members were supporting fair housing practices in the Westfield area. Then we opposed a church-like Christmas pageant in the public high school. (A federal judge upheld our cause.)

In the 1970s, the national media reported that prior to a visit of Vice President Spiro Agnew to our community, Agnew’s advisers were unhappy about our opposition to the war in Vietnam.

I was proud of these critiques. They demonstrated that we stood for important principles. In the spirit of the Hebrew prophets, my teachers and mentors taught me that our task as rabbis is to comfort the afflicted, but also to afflict the comfortable. As our rabbinates mature, most of us learn that if everyone loves everything we do as rabbis, we must be doing something wrong.

But one day my synagogue was criticized for reasons that reflected more on the insensitivity and parochialism of the critic than on the reality of Temple Emanu-El or the Reform movement of which we are proud members.

In 1989, six members of the Israeli Knesset visited our synagogue and appeared to enjoy the experience, including Shabbat dinner at our home. Yet the next day, one of those parliamentarians, Reuven Rivlin, unleashed a venomous

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attack on us and our style of worship.

In an interview on April 19, 1989 with Yediot Ahronot, the popular Israeli daily, he described his Shabbat experience in this way: “I was completely stunned. This is idol worship and not Judaism. Until now I thought Reform was a stream of Judaism, but after visiting two of their synagogues I am convinced that this is a completely new religion without any connection to Judaism. Total assimilation. Their prayer is like a completely Protestant ceremony.”

Earlier this month, the same Reuven Rivlin was elected by the Knesset to become president of the State of Israel, succeeding the venerable Shimon Peres.

The year 1989 is a long time ago. And Rivlin has hopefully learned a few things.

Let’s hope that he has learned that Judaism is not a monolithic faith. We are and have been throughout our history a pluralistic people. The rabbis of the midrash taught that this diversity began with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who, they suggest, embraced differing concepts of God. Fast forward to the American Jewish experience. Our community has flourished because we embraced a diversity of thought reflected in the teachings of Rabbis Isaac Mayer Wise, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Mordecai Kaplan and Joseph Soloveitchik, to mention a few who helped shape Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Orthodox Judaism respectively. Our Jewish federation movement has thrived because the various streams of Judaism work together and respect each other.

Surely Rivlin knows that Israel itself has been built by secularists (Theodor Herzl), socialists (David Ben-Gurion), Orthodox leaders who believed in outreach (Rav Kook), liberal religious leaders (Anat Hoffman) and a vast array of

immigrant communities whose beliefs and practices differed dramatically from one another (Yemenites, Ethiopians, Iraqis, Americans and dozens more).

Let’s hope that Rivlin has learned that calling fellow Jews idol worshippers and describing the practices of Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish religious community in the United States, as “Protestant” is demeaning for any Jew, and beneath a member of Knesset.

I am hopeful that Rivlin understands that if we are to be strong we must respect our fellow Jews, and if we are to survive, we Jews must be a united people.

We have reason to be optimistic. Speaking shortly after his election victory, Rivlin stated that he would represent “all the citizens of Israel -- Jews, Arabs, Druze, rich, poor, religious and less religious. From this moment, I am no longer a party man but everybody’s man, a man of all the people.”

I join with the senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, Douglas Sagal, in extending an invitation to Rivlin, on his first trip as president to the United States, to attend a Shabbat service in Westfield and to address our congregation. Now wouldn’t that be a brilliant statement affirming the pluralistic character of the Jewish people? Wouldn’t that be a dramatic contribution to the strength and unity of the Jewish people?

We promise the president a warm welcome and a Shabbat experience that will lift his spirit.

Charles A. Kroloff is rabbi emeritus of Temple Emanu-El of Westfield and past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. A president of ARZA, the Association of Reform Rabbis of America, he is currently a vice president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. This article was originally published by the New Jersey Jewish News.

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July 11, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

The Presbyterians’ Judaism problem

Focus on issues GARY BRETTON-GRANATOOR NEW YORK (JTA) -- The Jewish world has been shaken by the decision of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to divest from three companies that it claims “further the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”

The denomination has placed itself squarely on the side of the divestment movement that seeks to hold Israel solely to blame for the plight of the Palestinian people. It did so, furthermore, over the opposition of many Presbyterian pastors and lay leaders.

Despite protests to the contrary by the denomination’s leaders, the church’s embrace of divestment is an affront to the Jewish community.

The insult is made worse by the release earlier this year by the church’s Israel/Palestine Mission Network of a vehemently anti-Zionist congregational study guide, “Zionism Unsettled.” This ahistorical and wildly biased broadside impugned the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel and the very legitimacy of this core element of Jewish identity.

The church’s recent General Assembly did pass a resolution stating that “Zionism Unsettled” does not represent the denomination’s views, and it has now been removed from the Presbyterians’ publishing website. But the church still has not repudiated this egregious tome, and anyone who wants it can still buy it from the denomination’s Israel/Palestine Mission Network.

Regrettably, the church -- which often has been a partner of the Jewish community on critical social justice issues -- has been on a 10-year road to this moment. At the Presbyterians’ 2004 General Assembly, the church’s Mission Responsibility Through Investment committee called for a “phased, selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel.” Since then, within the church, Israel has often been compared to South Africa’s nefarious apartheid regime.

Even worse, these ostensibly political actions are part of a

warped theological framework that delegitimizes any Jewish attachment to the land of Israel. This theological structure represents a wholesale denial of Jewish history, Jewish experience and Jewish religious strivings to live in covenant with God. Irrespective of repeated statements by the denomination’s leaders that the church loves its Jewish friends, the real problem is what the church thinks about Judaism. The truth is that the denomination is theologically unreconciled with the Jewish community.

Whereas many other Christian denominations have grappled seriously with anti-Jewish theological traditions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has failed to do so.

In the late 1950’s, Pope John XXIII contemplated how the Catholic Church might have contributed to an atmosphere that produced the Holocaust. He reevaluated the history of church-based anti-Judaism: the historical Christian belief that the Jewish covenant with God had been broken by perfidy, and that God had chosen a new covenantal partner, the church.

The process initiated by John XXIII led to the Second Vatican Council’s 1965 declaration Nostra Aetate, which made four remarkable claims: 1) that Jews are not now --and never were -- collectively responsible for the death of Jesus, 2) that God’s covenant with the Jews is eternally valid, (3) that Jews should never be treated as if God had abandoned or cursed them, and (4) that anti-Semitism has no place whatsoever in Christianity.

Today, Jews and Catholics continue to work at deepening understanding and cooperation. Even when Jews have had political differences with the church, these were discussed with an attitude of respect for the fundamentals of Jewish identity -- a level playing field for dialogue.

Many Protestant denominations took up the same process of theological soul-searching. The Episcopal Church dealt with the issue of supersessionism and the validity of the Jewish covenant in a resolution in 1988; the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 1994; the United Methodist Church in 1996. These other mainline Protestant denominations have wrestled with their theological relationship to

NCJW Omaha Section calls Supreme Court ruling a defeat for women and religious freedom

Behind the headlines BECKI BRENNER, VP of Public Affairs & Education, NCJW-Omaha Section The Omaha Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) condemns the Supreme Court’s decision to allow employers to deny access to family planning services through employer-provided health insurance based on a claim of personal religious objection to contraception.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that private health insurance coverage include such access in any standard package of benefits. In separate cases, the owners of Hobby Lobby, a for-profit craft store chain, and Conestoga Woods Specialties Corporation, a for-profit furniture manufacturer, sought to assert a religious objection to withhold this preventive benefit. NCJW signed an amicus brief in each case in support of contraceptive coverage.

We are extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court struck down the law’s provision intended to ensure that millions of women workers – as well as women dependents of working men – would have access to birth control services at no added cost. Our members worked hard to help enact the Affordable Care Act and to ensure that such coverage would be part of the package of key preventive benefits offered to all covered workers, and that company leadership would not be able to interfere in women’s ability to make their own personal medical decisions.

Under this ruling, private employers may be emboldened

to cite religious objections to discriminate, potentially picking and choosing what services to cover in accordance with their own religious beliefs – eroding a worker’s religious liberty. This might even jeopardize the basic protections of the new health care law, as well as those of many longstanding civil rights and labor laws affecting private employers. Workers should never be forced to abide by personal religious views imposed by their boss.

The Supreme Court cases in question, Hobby Lobby v.

Sebelius and Conestoga Woods v. Sebelius, both contain claims that employers ought to be able to disregard requirements of federal law that are contrary to their personal religious beliefs. More than 40 employers are involved in such lawsuits regarding the Affordable Care Act. Contraceptive access for women and families is a critical health and economic security issue. Nearly all women of child-bearing age report using contraceptives at some point in their lives, and many use them for medical conditions unrelated to family planning. Seven in ten Americans agree that health insurance companies should cover the full cost of contraceptive services, just as they do other medical conditions.

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families, and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

To order a gift subscription to the Press...

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Judaism. They have developed a language of understanding and respect upon which to respectfully engage with Jews on political questions.

The Presbyterians have not done this.

True, a white paper on these questions has been circulating around the Presbyterian church since the mid-1980s, but it was never acted upon. The Presbyterian church has not resolved the question of supersessionism. It has not resolved how it teaches about the Jewish covenantal relationship with God and the biblical roots of the Jewish people’s attachment to the land of our heritage. And by denying our essential identity, the Presbyterians have now ceased to understand us as we know ourselves.

All of this became very clear when the Presbyterians’ 2014 General Assembly debated whether the church should emend those prayers and hymns that refer to Israel, or at least to footnote that the Israel of the hymn does not refer to the modern land of Israel and that Zion only refers to the “City of God,” not a physical place. True, this resolution was rejected, but an atmosphere of anti-Judaism created the opportunity for it to be debated seriously.

The Presbyterian church’s actions have not just called into question its relationship with Jews. They have also highlighted a glaring issue: the church’s relationship to Judaism.

Until the official church body is willing to wrestle with this theological question, we can only expect expanded efforts within the church targeting Israel and a further tearing asunder of a Jewish-Presbyterian relationship that was built upon a shared vision for a just society.

Much work lies ahead if the Presbyterians wish to repair this breach. Jews are an eternally hopeful people and we stand ready to work with them. But to mend ties, the church must affirm our identity as a people still in covenant with God and with a legitimate attachment to both our history and our ancestral homeland.

Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor is a vice president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

Our worst fears

by MARCY OSTER For the first time in two and a half weeks, my children did not ask, upon opening their eyes in the morning, “Has there been any news about Naftali, Gilad and Eyal?”

They did not have to ask, because our worst fears were confirmed with the announcement of the discovery of the teens’ bodies in a shallow grave in a field north of Hebron.

Actually, they were my worst fears. My children, at least the younger ones, believed throughout this ordeal that the teens would be found alive and returned to the warm embrace of their families.

My kids could have been at the swimming pool, since it has been in the 90s for more than a month. Instead, they are all sitting with me on the couch watching the funerals on TV. The older ones check their smartphones every few minutes for developments in the search for the killers.

They were the first to let me listen to the recording on WhatsApp of the phone call made by Gilad Shaar to the emergency call center. For 18 days, many of our teens attended special prayer services, recited psalms in public and private, and decided to take on additional mitzvot to convince God to bring the boys home. And they have returned home — just not in the way that we hoped they would.

The Education Ministry this morning sent a letter to parents, emailed by our local schools, to help us guide our children through this difficult time and return them to their “full and active lives.”

At this moment, seeing on television the teens’ fathers saying the Mourner’s Kaddish over their sons’ shrouded and flag-draped bodies, it is hard to believe that things will ever be normal again. But I know they must. For all of our children, for us and for our country.

Marcy Oster is a JTA correspondent in Israel.

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10 | The Jewish Press | July 11, 2014

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.322.4705.

Menachem Ben Avraham Yitzchak.

THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. RSVP by emailing Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@unmc.edu.

All programs are open to the entire community.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by the Golbitz family, in honor of Darlene’s retirement from the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; Mini-minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:45 p.m.

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

SUNDAY: Daddy & Me Group, 10 a.m. meets at Stone Ridge Park sprinkler park, located on Butler Avenue between north 162nd Ave and north 163rd St. Bring swimsuits and towels; Torah Study, 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m.

Chef ’s Demo, Friday, July 18, 1:30 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Home.

Shabbat Services, Saturday, July 19, 9:30 a.m. with guest speaker, Jim Zipursky will present Words or Weapons: Which are more dangerous? Lessons from Parsha Mattot.

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

South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Ryan Bennett.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Pinchas.

SUNDAY: Cantillation Class, 6 p.m.

MONDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

TUESDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Tandoor, 3530 Village Drive; Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

THURSDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; High Holiday Choir Rehearsals start, 7:30-9 p.m.

As part of the Temple’s 130th anniversary celebration, we want to reach as many former members and clergy as possible. Are you in touch with someone who used to attend?

With kids who grew up and moved away? With friends or family with Temple connections? If so, please give their contact information to Barb Straus at barbstraus@gmail.com.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit (Barchu), 9 a.m.; Mincha, 8:25 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:48 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road | Offutt AFB, NE 68123 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. RSVP by calling the office.

WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 10 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office; The Development of the Oral Tradition, 7 p.m. with Rabbi Katzman. RSVP by calling the office. In memory of Forrest Krutter -- Efrayim

Bar Mitzvah Isaac Jacob Kurtzman, son of Jordana Kurtzman, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, July 12, at Beth Israel.

Isaac is a seventh-grade student at Beveridge Magnet School.

His interests include reading, swimming, traveling, and attending summer camp. He recently signed up to become a volunteer to work with the residents at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

He has two older brothers, Aaron and Joshua.

Grandparents are the late Eleanor and Stanley Kurtzman.

Great-grandparents are the late Fay and Nathan Kurtzman, and the late Helen and Frank Pinckney.

Card of Thanks We wish to thank everyone for their sympathy cards, offers of support and phone calls after our recent loss. We deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness during this difficult time.

Sincerely, Rena, Michael, Heather, Beth, Doug and Mark Bailen.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by LOVE. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive | Omaha, NE 68144-1206 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Cantor Shermet; Summer Shabbat Evening

Candlelighting Friday, July 11, 8:40 p.m.

Services: A Pause for Reflection with Judy Vann, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Torah Reader: Family of Miles Remer and Haftarah Reader: Miles Remer.

TUESDAY: Executive Meeting, 6 p.m.; Board of Trustees, 7 p.m.

Summer Shabbat Evening Services: A Pause for Reflection, Friday, July 18, 6 p.m.

Summer Thursday Morning Study Group, Thursdays, July 24, Aug. 7 and 21, 10 a.m. Session will be led by the group.

Temple Israel Annual Golf Outing, Monday, Aug. 18, noon at Shadow Ridge Country Club. Contact the Temple Israel office for more information.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon.

MONDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

TUESDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Tandoor, 3530 Village Drive. Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

THURSDAY: LJCS Camp Israel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Rebecca Shimoni-Stoil speaks about Religious pluralism at 7 p.m. Rebecca is the Washington correspondent for the Times of Israel and a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University. Rebecca and her family will be staying in Lincoln for two weeks while she works with the University.

Refreshments and a babysitter will be available.

To submit 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 (with photos we will scan and return). Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

Readers 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.

Southern Israelis told to stay near shelters

by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) — At least 15 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel over the course of an hour.

Hours after Hamas’ military wing threatened Israel, Thursday’s barrage struck buildings and caused fires, and a soldier was injured from shrapnel. Residents of Israeli communities near the Gaza border were instructed to remain within 15 seconds of a bomb shelter.

As Israeli troops moved toward the Gaza border, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades told reporters in the coastal strip, “The threat of an Israeli military action against the Gaza Strip does not scare us. It only hastens the hour of our revenge against Israel, and an opportunity to teach it a lesson.”

He added, “I promise you that one stupid move by your leaders will be enough to make us turn all of your communities, even those you might not expect, into targets and burning coals.”

Some high school students in Sderot on Thursday, July 3 sat for their matriculation exams as the rockets fell on the city. More than 30 rockets have hit Israel in the 24 hours since the evening of July 2nd, according to the Israeli military.

While Hamas in Gaza said it was not interested in an escalation on the border with Israel, an unnamed Gazabased Hamas leader told The New York Times on Thursday July 3rd that the group was having trouble convincing other groups to stop firing rockets. A rocket slammed into a home in Sderot during the morning of July 3rd, causing damage. A woman and her four children were in their

bomb shelter when the rocket came through the wall but failed to explode.

The rockets fired overnight also caused power outages throughout the city. Another rocket fired Thursday morning landed in a home in which a children’s summer camp was taking place.

The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted two rockets over the southern Israeli cities of Netivot and Ashkelon. A greenhouse and several cars also were damaged by rockets.

The rocket attacks come amid the backdrop of the kidnap and murder of a Palestinian teen on Wednesday in what police suspect may be a reprisal attack by extremist Jewish settlers following the burial hours earlier of three Israeli teens who were kidnapped and murdered allegedly by members of Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the residents of southern Israel for their fortitude in the wake of the onslaught of rockets.

“The strength you are demonstrating allows us to act determinedly and responsibly towards one goal – your security, all our security,” Netanyahu said Thursday evening at an Independence Day celebration at the home of the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Netanyahu spoke of two possibilities in southern Israel, including the end to rocket fire from Gaza.

“The second possibility is that the firing at our communities in the South will continue and then the reinforcement forces that are located in the field will act forcefully,” he said.

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

July 11, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam DR. LLOYD STEPHEN “STEVE” BROOKSTEIN Former Omahan Dr. Lloyd Stephen “Steve” Brookstein of Northbrook, IL. passed away at age 78.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Flora and Frank Brookstein.

He is survived by his wife Frances Mintz Brookstein of 50 years; daughter and son-in-law, Pamela and Ron and son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Dana; grandchildren: Talia, Avra, Lyla and Fisher; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Joe and Kit Mintz of Ft. Worth, TX and brother-in-law, Alan Mintz of Columbus, OH; and many friends.

Dr. Brookstein graduated from Northwestern University and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from Nebraska Medical School, and was a proud veteran who served in Viet Nam as a General Medical Officer. He completed his residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Steve worked as a pediatrician for 34 years in Arlington Heights, Il. on the staff of Northwest Community Hospital. Dr. Brookstein cherished spending time with his family and friends.

Memorials may be made to the Ark, a social services agency for Jewish families. For info: 847.255.3520.

ROSEMARY DUNN Former Omahan Rosemary Dunn passed away in Minneapolis on June 22. Services were held on June 27.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Dale Dunn.

She is survived by her ten children including her daughter and son-in-law, Julianne Dunn Herzog and David Herzog; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to you organization of choice.

EDWARD ALAN HOROWITZ, M.D. Edward Alan Horowitz, M.D. passed away on June 22 at age 63. Services and burial were held on June 29 at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, CA. A family reception followed services at the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. W. Horowitz.

He is survived by his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Clarence William (Bill) and Rosalie Horowitz; brothers, Melvin, Arthur and brother and sister-in-law, Leslie and Diane; nephews: Joshua and Daniel; uncle and aunt, Robert and

Eleanor Horowitz; aunt, Barbara Horowitz; cousins: Douglas Horowitz, Steven and Melinda Horowitz, Patricia Kim and Daniel Toll, Cindy and Ricky Mintz, Thomas and Peggy Horowitz, Marjorie and Dale Bonar; and many cousins.

Ed was an associate professor of medicine at Creighton University in Omaha. He was a practicing physician specializing in infectious diseases and internal medicine. Ed graduated from Creighton Medical School in 1978, and was devoted to the Creighton University Medical School Magis Clinic, which provides free services for homeless and uninsured people. Ed supervised the medical staffing of the Magis Clinic.

He was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended public schools. He graduated with honors from U.C.L.A and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa scholarship society and Honors Math Society.

Memorials may be made to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

SARAH KAPLAN Sarah Kaplan passed away on June 25 at age 102 at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Services were held on June 27 at Fisher Farms Cemetary.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, June and Martin; granchildren: Stephen, Suzanne and Hector; greatgrandchildren: Cierra and Zachary of Tucson, AZ; nieces and nephews-in-law, Helene and Jack Shrago, Renee and Louis Kazor; and many great-nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

Muriel Kamp passed away July 2 in Palm Beach, FL. Services were held on July 7 in Brooklyn, NY. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Sol Patton and Charles Kamp, and her daughter, Joanne Patton Sandler.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Joel and Marcy Patton; grandchildren: Michelle Patton Fraser, of Colorado, Jenny Patton of Chicago, David Patton of Scottsdale, AZ, and Steven Patton of Portland, OR; greatgrandchildren, Olivia and Rylie Stoddard Fraser, of Colorado.

Memorials may be made to the hospice of your choice.

dance during prayer services. He sought to fuse the mystical traditions learned while he was Lubavitch with the sensibilities of the modern world in an effort to revitalize synagogue practice. He eventually broke with Chabad, founding the P’nai Or Religious Fellowship in 1962 and a havurah — a lay-led congregation with no central leader — in Somerville, Mass., in 1968. He ordained the first Renewal rabbi, Daniel Siegel, in 1974.

Schachter-Shalomi led prayers in English set to popular tunes, translated Hasidic texts on mysticism into English, promoted ecologically friendly kashrut and encouraged Jews to create their own colorful tallitot, or prayer shawls.

Born in Poland in 1924 and raised in Vienna, SchachterShalomi’s family fled the Nazis and eventually landed in Brooklyn in 1941. He was ordained as a rabbi in 1947 from the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva. He later got a master’s degree from Boston University in the psychology of religion and a doctorate from Hebrew Union College.

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Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) — Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the father of the Jewish Renewal movement, has died at age 89.

A maverick rabbi from an Orthodox background who spent time in the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, SchachterShalomi transitioned over time toward a New Age, neoHasidic approach, gaining a substantial following on his own but also influencing other Jewish denominations.

His nontraditional approaches to Jewish spirituality, including services marked by ecstatic prayer, drumming and dancing, eventually morphed into the Jewish Renewal movement.

Known to friends and followers as Reb Zalman, he lived out his later years in Boulder, Colo., where he died Thursday morning after being ill for some time. An associate told JTA that he had been battling a pneumonia infection in recent weeks.

The movement he started had its origins in the 1960s, when Schachter-Shalomi began instituting meditation and

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Twenty years after rebbe’s death, has Chabad changed?

by URIEL HEILMAN that manage Chabad’s finances, the emissary organization NEW YORK (JTA) -- What does a fervent religious move- and Chabad’s public face. But the leadership void at the top ment do after the death of its singular leader? is palpable.

That was the existential question the Chabad-Lubavitch “There’s a gaping void. No one can replace the rebbe, that movement faced 20 years ago this week when its charismat- kind of spiritual leadership,” said Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, a ic rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, died with no heir. Chabad spokesman. “But in a way, amazingly, there’s been Amid the grief and turbulence following his 1994 death, no change at all. The Rebbe's teachings and example continmany thought Chabad would be torn apart by those who believed it should proclaim its departed rebbe as the messiah and those who didn't, or that the messianists would doom the movement’s wider appeal. Both views turned out to be wrong.

Chabad has grown over the last two decades, despite the absence of a living rebbe at the helm.

The number of Chabad Jewish outreach emissaries, known as shluchim, has nearly quadrupled, from about 1,200 in 1994 to more than 4,100 today. Chabad has expanded its geographic reach, college campus presence, number of schools and Chanukah menorah displays. More than ever, Chabad is part of mainstream Jewish life.

And the rebbe, though he has passed, remains very much present. He has been packaged into countless hours of video, audio tapes and books. New pamphlets and documents Women pray at the gravesite of the late Lubavitcher rebbe, focused on his sichot, or religious discourses, continue to be Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on his 20th yahrzeit,in Queens, published. His photo adorns practically every Chabad N.Y., July 1.

Credit: Adam Ben Cohen/Chabad.org household -- not to mention pizza parlors, barbershops and mom-and-pop stores run by admirers or followers. Devotees ue to guide and inspire. And it keeps coming back to the still consult the rebbe daily, often in the form of letters deliv- fundamentals: learn, daven, serve Hashem.” ered to his gravesite in Queens known as the Ohel.

Twenty years on, the primary pilgrimage site for the moveBut the absence of a living, speaking, guiding leader has ment’s adherents has shifted, but only slightly: from the transformed the movement in both subtle and fundamental rebbe’s office at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights ways. section of Brooklyn to the Queens cemetery near John F. “Everything’s different,” said Yakov Reichman, a middle- Kennedy International Airport, where his remains are aged Israeli native who has lived in New York for nearly 40 interred in a granite mausoleum. On Monday night and years and works at Oholei Torah, a Chabad school with Tuesday, when the movement marked the 20th anniversary of some 1,850 students. “Yes, we have the rebbe’s sichot, but the rebbe’s death -- the yahrzeit is the third day of the Hebrew everyone’s interpreting them in their own way.” month of Tammuz -- thousands flocked to the cemetery.

Like many Chabadniks, Reichman compared the seventh Without the rebbe around to articulate it, the mission is not Lubavitcher rebbe to Moses: The Jewish people survived always clear, especially on a personal level. As with many Moses’ death, but there was no other leader like him. And other Hasidic groups, followers often sought the rebbe’s counlike Moses, many Chabadniks viewed the rebbe as having sel on important decisions like whom to marry, where to live had a direct line to God. or what livelihood to pursue. Now that guidance is gone.

Now there are leadership organizations and committees “The rebbe used to tell you what to do. If they had a dilem-

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ma, they’d just ask the rebbe and the rebbe would direct them,” said Devorah, a 19-year-old store clerk in Brooklyn who declined to provide her last name. “Now we don’t have the same guidance. We don’t have clear answers to anything.

We don’t know what our mission is. We’re just floating.”

There’s a divide between those who knew the rebbe and those who grew up without him, Devorah said. She described how teachers at her Chabad school become angry when they catch students chattering during video screenings of the rebbe’s talks.

“They say you should dress and behave as if the rebbe were right in front of you, but it’s hard,” Devorah said. “They expect us to feel the same connection they did to him, but they don’t understand that we don’t understand how great he was.”

There continues to be a strong messianic strain that runs through Chabad. Some followers refer to the rebbe as if he were still alive or refuse to characterize his passing as death.

Almost universally, Chabadniks make pilgrimages to Schneerson’s gravesite on important dates, updating the rebbe about their lives or requesting his intercession or guidance.

Whatever Chabadniks’ views about the rebbe as messiah -Schneerson often described his era as the messianic age and made statements that followers interpreted to mean that Schneerson was himself the messiah -- Chabad has managed to avoid having messianic fervor overshadow the movement. With the rebbe long gone, the question of whether or not Schneerson was/is the messiah has little practical bearing on day-to-day Chabad life -- except, perhaps, as a motivating factor for performing mitzvahs.

Whether or not there is more or less motivation now to carry the torch for Schneerson’s mission of Jewish outreach varies by individual.

Miriam Goldin, 23, said she remembers when she was little that there was widespread eagerness among Chabad youths in becoming outreach emissaries. But with the rebbe gone and practically the whole globe covered, the idea of shlichus -- being an emissary -- has shifted, she said.

“Now you’re a shaliach wherever you are,” Goldin said. “If you see another Jew out there, you try to welcome them into the fold.”

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