Vol. LXXXII
No. 46
Omaha, NE
18 Tamuz, 5763
July 18, 2003
SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA FOR 82 YEARS
Argentine Jews Must Depend on Outside Help to Survive Financially by LARRY LUXNER BUENOS AIRES (JTA)-- Argentina may have a new president, but life is still a struggle for thousands of Jews in what was once South America's most prosperous nation. President Nestor Kirchner was inaugurated last May after his main rival, Carlos Menem--who governed Argentina from 1989 to 1999-dropped out of a runoff election. “Last year people were expecting riots and even the possibility of a civil war,” said Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt, Director General of ChabadLubavitch Argentina. “People felt they didn’t own anything. It was like the floor was moving underneath your feet. That’s why nobody was spending a penny. They didn’t see any future here. But today, there is optimism.” Economists expect Argentina's GDP to grow by 3 percent to 4 percent this year, after shrinking nearly 11 percent in 2002--the worst performance in a century. Even so, an estimated 60 percent of the country’s 36 million inhabitants, and 35 percent of the country’s
mist at the Washingtonbased InterAmerican Development Bank who has been asked to advise K i r c h n e r. “The suffering of Argentina’s Jews will continue, and we very urgently need more help from Intersection of Pueyrredon and Corrientes, in Jewish the AmerBuenos Aires. Photo by Larry Luxner/JTA ican Jewish 200,000 Jews, live below the poverty community. Every day, there are new line. Unemployment is well over 20 Jewish poor in Argentina.” percent. Even for Jews who are not impover“I think the new president has the ished, the country’s economic crisis has best of intentions and has a very good triggered changes--some subtle and team, but he cannot make miracles,” some not so subtle--in their daily lives. said Bernardo Kliksberg, an econo“As a precaution we never kept our
money in Argentine banks, but in my practice the crisis affected us terribly,” said Freddy Rosenmeyer, 71, a Buenos Aires dentist. “Our expenses jumped by 300 percent, but we couldn’t increase fees for patients. We lost business because people couldn’t afford dental care. I belong to a health insurance plan in which 50 percent of the patients were dropped because they couldn’t pay their monthly premiums.” Rosenmeyer shares his practice with his wife Alicia, 62, who’s also a dentist. In his spare time, he volunteers at the Asociacion Filantropica Israelita, a Jewish charity in nearby Belgrano. “We’ve had to live much more modestly these days,” he said. “For example, I drive a 10-year-old car and my wife’s car is seven years old. Before, we used to change cars every two or three years. All my sons have economic difficulties, and my daughter Deborah is an architect, but she works as a secretary in my practice because nobody’s building anything.” (Continued on page 12)
Former Omahan Makes “Quickie” Trip to Israel by MARC WARREN (Editor’s note: Marc Warren, son of former Omahans Marilyn and Marty Warren of St. Louis, MO, has worked on Wall Street since 1985 and is currently an investment banker for USB. He lives in New York City with his wife, Barbara, and their children Rachel, 6, and Ben, 3. His aunt, Lois Epstein, shared Marc’s journal with the Press; what follows are excerpts from that journal.) In June, Jonathan Resnick and I led a group of 10 New York real estate professionals on a solidarity mission to Israel. The trip, four days, was organized by the Real Estate Division of UJA- Federation New York and was intended to enable us to reach out to Israelis during this difficult time, see where UJA’s support in Israel actually goes, and support the ravaged tourist economy. As one who had been to Israel only once previously and is not at all an expert in Israeli history or politics, the idea is to just report on what I saw and heard. Our group is from both Manhattan and the New York suburbs, holds various levels of religious observance and Jewish involvement, and is in their 30s or 40s. All but one had been to Israel at least once, two or three on multiple occasions. Before checking in to our hotel, we stopped at the Wall for about 30 minutes. It was quite emotional for me when I said Kaddish for a childhood friend that died the prior week from a brain aneurysm. Michael Oren, senior fellow at the Shalem research facility and the American-born writer of Six Day War, joined us for dinner. His talk centered on the fact that the 1967 War was an existential threat (i.e., the threat of complete destruction) to Israel and that the current terrorist threat is really the same thing. According to Oren, American officials in 1967 were concerned of another Holocaust and had contingency plans to evacuate all the Jews from Israel. Oren actually sees a number of existential threats to Israel today, among them: a) conventional Arab
threats--their troops number 3-4 million; b) nonconventional Arab threats (i.e., missiles, WMD, etc.); c) demographics with the Israeli Arabs (huge fertility vs. Jews with twice the Israeli birthrate which itself is twice the American birthrate); and d) terrorism (undermines society and drives off investment). Oren does not think the Road Map will work as he says the Arabs do not want their own separate state--they have had the chance before (i.e., Oslo accord) and will continue to fight violently to extinguish the Jewish population from the entire area-they want the entire land only. He said the message A Zaka volunteer explained the organization’s mission of retrieving that “if you continue to bodies and body parts in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Israel. blow yourself up, you will be rewarded” must end. INSIDE: The upside from the violence is the Israelis’ Medical Ethics Series Starts in Aug ... page 7 resilience and their attitude that “life goes on”. The national will has not been broken, he added. The History Footprint ......................... page 12 We met with a volunteer group called ZAKA. The mostly Orthodox group was set up to perform the Coming next month: special issue on holy job of returning all body parts from “unnatural Simchas (weddings, B’nai Mitzvah, deaths” (suicides, car accidents, drownings and, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) Send your now, terrorist actions). These 600 people employ a articles and photos from your family’s spesystem of scanners, beepers, walkie-talkies, cell cial events to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 phones, and motorcycles to generally be the first on St., Omaha, NE 68154 or call 334-6450 for the scene to a tragedy. more information. (Continued on page 8)
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 18, 2003
SPARKS FROM THE WORD
Daniel R Somberg, Ph.D. will speak about his book
A Heritage Passed from Generation to Generation
The Ten Hidden Barriers to Weight Loss and Exercise Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m. The Bookworm in Countryside Village
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS C L I P & S A V E
FRIDAY, JULY 18 Visions Luncheon, 12:30 p.m. at Venice Inn SUNDAY, JULY 20 Visions, 2 p.m. at Ralston Theatre Israeli Scouts Performance, 7 p.m.
C L I P & S A V E
MONDAY, JULY 21 Israeli Scouts, 8 a.m. YES Program, 10 a.m. Talmud Class with Rabbi Kutner, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel TUESDAY, JULY 22 BBYO Night, 6 p.m. C L I P
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers, noon, at the Park Inn Regency Lodge
& S A V E
C L I P &
THURSDAY, JULY 24 Walk-in Drop-in Activity, 10 a.m. Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated.The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events.To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING,VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)
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Parashat Pinchas After reading parashat Pinchas again, I began to think about the invisible thread that connects the different themes of this interesting parasha. In my opinion, the idea of something being passed down from generation to generation--just as a torch is passed from hand to hand--is that thread. The torch may be the priesthood, the land of Israel, or leadership being given to Joshua from Moses. The first theme discusses Pinchas, son of the priest Eleazar. The text says that because of his religious zeal, Pinchas received a special reward: the priesthood became the possession of his descendants for all time. Here we see the heritage of Jewish tradition linking one generation to another, from parents to children. Later, at the border of Moab near Jericho, God told Moses that the land would be divided among the tribes according to a census which would be taken, and each section of land would be assigned by lots. Moses and Eleazar took a census of all male Israelites able to bear arms--those over the age of 20--and the number totaled more than 600,000. They also counted 23,000 Levite males from the age of one month, although they were not eligible for military service and at that time were not going to receive land. Here we see the land of Israel being passed as the legacy from one generation of Jews to another. A third theme appears when the five daughters of Zelophehad protested the injustice that land was not given to their family because their father died without leaving a son to receive the inheritance. Moses proclaimed a general rule that property was to be inherited in the following order: sons had first priority, but if there were no sons, property was to be assigned to daughters. If there were no children, property would be passed to brothers, and if there were no brothers, to the nearest relative. Here we find the heritage of passing material possessions from parents to children. Finally, God told Moses to ascend the mountains of Abarim to see the land given to the Israelites. Because of his act of disobedience at Kadesh, Moses was not allowed to enter to the Promised Land and would die before seeing it. Before he died, and in front of all the Israelite people, he passed on his leadership to Joshua, the son of Nun. Here we see the tradition of leadership being handed from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, there are some people who have lost their connection to Judaism and to their heritage. These people think only of the past in relationship to their Jewish lives -- they do not attempt to perpetuate or nurture a richly vibrant kind of Judaism in their own lives. We Jews have a very important heritage. It is not only our privilege, but also our responsibility to maintain it from generation to generation. What would have happened if the future generations of priests who came after Pinchas hadn't taken responsibility in their religious leadership? What would have happened to the land received by the daughters of Zelophehad, if they didn't work to take care of it? What would have happened to the leadership of the Jewish people if Joshua had taken only the kavod (honor) of being a leader but not the responsibility or work that the position required? It is one thing to receive or to inherit, and another to actually care for and protect that inheritance. We Jews are the inheritors of our Jewish tradition, with its significant ethical values and practices. Are they part of our present and future or only part of our past? In every generation we have to take responsibility in the chain of the Jewish tradition. As it is written in Pirkei Avot (2:21): "You are not required to finish the task, but neither are you free to abstain from it." We can't do all of the work, but each one of us is obligated to help create and nurture a thriving Jewish experience for ourselves, for our children and for the Jewish people. Susi Frydman Levin is the wife of Rabbi Mordechai LEvin of Beth El Synagogue and a Jewish educator in her own right.
DEATHS MORTON LEANARD FISHER Mort (Mordechai) Fisher died at the age of 86. Services were held July 13 at Beth Israel Cemetery. Fisher served in World War II as a member of the Army Air Corps. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Carol and Peter Brodkey, Nolly and Glen Foster; daughters, Roni Peterson and Barbara Fisher; grandchildren, Steven, Laura and Gail Brodkey; Seth, Aaron and Matthew Peterson, and Brittany Foster. IDA FORBES Ida Ruth Forbes died at the age of 81. Services were held July 15 at Fisher Farm Cemetery. Frobes was a 20-year employee of the downtown Brandies department store. She is survived by her husband Irving J. Forbes, children, Karen Meyer, Bruce Forbes and Jean Briardy, Leslie and Bill Kully; grandchildren, Brent and Sheryl Meyer, Linda Brombley and Brian Dumois, Jason and Mia Meyer, Joshua Forbes and Julia Gentry, Tim and Denese Kully and Cathy Kully; 10 grandchildren; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Marshall and Toby Forbes and Annette and Sidney Merlis. Memorials to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.
A Look Back at the Library’s Book Club by DOROTHY KAPLAN Kripke Jewish Federation Library Technician October 1980, marked the debut of the Jewish Federation Library Book discussion group. A team of dedicated women set out to select a list of books with Jewish content which they hoped would appeal to women of different ages and taste. Among the early selections were As a Driven Leaf, Last of the Just, Night, and The Adventures of Auggie March. Thus, a bond was formed and over these years some of the original members are still actively engaged in reading and discussing good and not-so good Jewish literature. Guest and member facilitators have led the group, and everything from poetry and mysteries to science fiction, biographies and original works has been included in the discussion. Films have added a new dimension to the offerings. In the 23 consecutive years of meeting on the third Thursday of each month, the diversity of topics has increased and new and old publications have been selected the Pulitzer Prize winner The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Everything is Illuminated, and an older Philip Roth title, I Married a Communist, have been discussed. New members have been added and older members who are no longer with us are fondly remembered for their wit and incisive reading ability. Of the original group; Marilyn Berman, Jean Duitch, Sophie Schulman, Phyllis Bittner, and I still faithfully attend. The group, which meets at the renamed Kripke Jewish Federation Library, is open to anyone who is interested in attending and reading suggestions are always welcome. For more information, call me at the Library, 3346463.
@@@@@@@@@@ With profound gratitude to G-d B”H For the great miracles he has wrought We inform all our friends That the occasion of the Bris of our new son Will be held on Monday, Tammuz/July 28, at 5 p.m. At the Chabad House, 1866 S. 120th St. Buffett dinner will follow the ceremony. Your presence will add to our joy. Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman and family *Traditionally one does not extend a formal invitation to a Bris, rather informs invitees of the occasion. This is because it is an invitation one is not allowed to decline.
July 18, 2003
SYNAGOGUES
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Candlelighting Friday, July 18 .............................................. 8:36 p.m.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism
7023 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556-6536 templeisrael-ne.org
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
1502 No. 52 St., Omaha, NE. 68104 -5013 556-6288 BethIsrael@novia.net
14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492-8550 WEB--www.bethel-omaha.org
FRIDAY: Men’s Club, 11:45 a.m. All male members of Temple Israel are invited to a weekly informal get together at Spirit World, 7517 Pacific St. Join us for some relaxation and great conversation; Shabbat Evening Service, 5:30 p.m. Rabbi Craig Marantz and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate. Rabbi Marantz will speak on “The Life and Times of Amos Oz,” an acclaimed Israeli author who is speaking at Temple on Nov. 19. See article on page 7. SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30 a.m., in the Milder Center; Morning service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE During the months of July and August, available for the 5:30 p.m. Shabbat Services. There will be no sitter service Saturday mornings. Please make a reservation through the Temple office. Cost is $2 per family. Sorry, there are no facilities for infants.
Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. West Minyan, 7:30 p.m. at the home of David and Brooke Shrago. SATURDAY: Morning Services, 8:45 a.m. Free babysitting begins at 10 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood. Mincha, 8:30 p.m., followed by Shalosh Suedot and Ma’ariv; Havdalah, 9:42 p.m. SUNDAY: Services, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. and 7 p.m FUTURE EVENT Make plans to attend the 2003 Summer Torah Tours July 29- Aug. 3. See article on page 6.
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. FRIDAY: A musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Services at 9:30 a.m. The D’var Torah will be given by Steve Riekes. Beth El will host the Kiddush. Evening services at 8:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Services at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Services at 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION Sunday, July 20: Sunday Morning Adult Learners, 11 a.m. in the Library. MEN’S CLUB & HAZAK Men’s Club and HAZAK are meeting for a ball game at Rosenblatt, Sunday, July 27. Before the game, lunch at Beth El, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Reservations, call Natalie Rubin, 334-5893.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 tiferethisraellincoln.org
423-8569
Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan, Monday & Thursday, 7:15 a.m. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday: Men’s Group at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. If you would like to attend, call Yale Gotsdiner at 423-7066, or the office.
SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway, Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294-6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: Evening Service, 7:30 p.m. Oneg will follow.
CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of the Worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Movement
1866 So. 120th St., Omaha, NE 68144-1646 Phone: 330-1800 E-MAIL--chabad@aol.com WEBSITE: www.nebraskajudaism.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Monday-Friday: Services at 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Services at 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Services at 8:30 a.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andrew Greenberg. All services are held in the Herbert Goldsten Chapel and are open to the community.
Temple Women Elect Officers and Enjoy Retreat in Iowa by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordintor Stacey Rockman was re-elected President of Women of Reform Judaism-Omaha at the Temple Israel group’s retreat in June. Nancy Nogg was elected President-elect. Other officers are Wendy Goldberg, Past-president; Arlene Adelson, Treasurer; Andi Willensky and Rosie Zweiback, Vice-presidents of Membership and Meetings; Cindy Goldberg and Tami Field, Vice-presidents of Religious Living; Deb Marburg, Vice-president of Education; Andie Gordman, Vice-president of Religious Action; Gretchen Radler, Vice-president of Development; and Karli Newman, Public Relations. About 30 women between the ages of 25 and 67 attended the retreat in Griswold, IA. “The setting was beautiful,” said Iris Ricks. “You felt like you were really able to connect with nature.” Rabbi Amy Katz, director of Adult Jewish Learning for Greater Kansas City, was one of the retreat leaders. “I thought Rabbi Katz was absolutely wonderful. She showed how the morning prayers bring meaning to the mind, body, and spirit, and she led a beautiful Havdalah service,” Ricks added. As Shabbat ended, Rabbi Katz explained how she looks for three stars in the night sky rather than the clock “to see the connection between God and nature,” Ricks explained. Linda Saltzman also attended the retreat and said “it was a great way for women to share thoughts, hopes, and reflections. My favorite part was Rabbi Katz’s perspectives on the holidays and rituals and
SOUTH STREET TEMPLE
Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 Phone: 322-4705 NEW e-mail: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN 2061 S. 20th St., Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435-8004 jewishnebraska.org Rabbi Stiel will be in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays, all day. You may reach her 9-5 weekdays at 416-2321 (local for Lincoln), or at rabstiel@aol.com. FRIDAY: Shabbat Services, 7:45 p.m., with Rabbi Debbie Stiel, followed by Oneg. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. Game Night, 6 p.m. Join us for games and a potluck dinner. Questions, call Deb Swearingen at 476-7528. TUESDAY: Board Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: AA Meeting, 7 p.m. in the Library or Social Hall. THURSDAY: Choir Practice, 7:30 p.m.
BEYT SHALOM
An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
3012 S. 119th St., Omaha, NE 68124-5130
P.O. Box 241130 402-592-4082
FRIDAY and SATURDAY: Shabbat in the Home. seeing aspects of Judaism in a new light. The retreat planners did a great job keeping it interesting and fulfilling throughout the weekend.” “I liked the worship service on Saturday morning,” said Arlene Adelson. “The women were dancing with the Torahs. It was a great bonding experience--a real spiritual experience.”
MEMORIALS The unveiling of the gravestone for Sarah Lewis will be Sunday, July 27th, 1 p.m. at Beth El Cemetery, 84th and L.
The unveiling of the gravestone for Sam Eveloff will be conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner on Sunday, July 27th, 1 p.m. at Bikur Cholim Cemetery in Council Bluffs.
WANTED: JEWISH PRESS PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Linda Salvay, left, a musician with Yachad: The Traveling T’fillah Band from Kansas City; performs with Rabbi Amy Katz, also from Kansas City; and Devra Lerner, another member of Yachad; at the Women of Reform Judaism’s retreat.
This is a part-time position of up to 10 hours per week, ideal for a high school student or a college student majoring in graphic design or journalism. Flexible hours are available to suit a student’s schedule. Other ‘perks’ available may include reimbursement of college classes applicable to this job. The Press Production Assistant is responsible for photo scanning and scanning of articles, as well as some page make-up and assistance on TeenAge. Qualifications include: Familiarity with scanning techniques and computer page make-up; familiarity with Adobe Photoshop and Quark is a plus. To apply, call Carol Katzman, Editor: 334-6450.
Page 4
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 18, 2003
The “Rest of the Story”
EDITORIAL A congregant spots her Shomer Shabbat rabbi entering a local McDonalds. Before the day is over, a rumor is already circulating around town that “the rabbi eats non-kosher hamburgers.” A committee accepts a bid to a contracting firm worth thousands of dollars. The contractor’s son sits on the committee. An executive director of a local agency persuades her sister to serve as chairman of the personnel committee, giving her control over benefits and salary increases for all the agency’s staff. A volunteer overhears a secretary mention that a check sent in by “Soand-So” was returned marked NSF (Not Sufficient Funds). Naturally, the volunteer assumes the company’s going under. What’s wrong with these pictures? It should be pretty obvious. In the first case, a woman leaps to the (incorrect) conclusion that her observant rabbi is now eating treif. Had she bothered to ask, she would have learned that the rabbi had merely stopped into the McDonald’s to use the restroom. (Of course, the rabbi should remember that even his seem-
ingly innocent actions can cause congregants to assume the worse--not the best--about him and he, too, should be careful about his behavior.) In the second case, it is a conflict of interest to sit on committees where a person can benefit directly from financial decisions. The contractor’s son should have excused himself from deliberations, as should committee members whose spouses are applying for paid jobs or whose children are applying for grants or scholarships. It’s too easy even for the most innocent, well-intentioned committee members to inadvertently err on the side of family members--better they should excuse themselves from the proceedings. In fact, both the Jewish Press and the Jewish Community Center already have bylaws in place which prohibit a spouse, sibling, parent or child from sitting on either board if a first-degree relative is hired as fulltime paid staff. That should be mandatory, across the board, for all Jewish agencies and synagogues. In a small Jewish community like Omaha’s and Lincoln’s, this sometimes presents challenges. Even rabbis occasionally have to make “emer-
profit, it means disclosing everything. Our books should be open to inspection and financial transactions should be honest and above-board. It’s not “our” money and shouldn’t be used as a personal bank. We should not put ourselves (or our loved ones) in positions where people will talk. And for those doing the talking--stop and think a minute about the consequences of what you say-before you say it.
Wiping Egg from his Face, Pollster Learns It’s Tough to Change Culture
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by MATTHEW GUTMAN TEL AVIV (JTA)--One of the central points of the “road map” peace plan is for the Palestinians to cease anti-Israel incitement and move to a style of public discourse that favors reconciliation. Some might say that a recent poll of Palestinian refugees, indicating that few would want to implement a “right of return” to their former homes inside Israel, does just that--promoting reconciliation by helping to defuse one of the most controversial issues separating the two sides. But that might have been precisely the problem. About 200 rioters stormed the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research on Sunday as the center was about to publish a poll indicating that the overwhelming majority of refugees preferred to receive monetary compensation or settle in other areas, rather than return to their former homes. In the end, center director Khalil Shikaki--himself a refugee--cancelled the news conference called to discuss the survey results, wiping not just metaphorical but actual egg off his face. “They ran in here, smashing everything. They broke all of our furniture, the windows, throwing eggs and physically attacking us,” one of the center’s researchers told JTA. “It was horrifying.” For advocates of reform, the incident served as a nasty reminder of how difficult--and potentially bloody--it will be to change the Palestinian culture of violence and rejectionism. This is hardly the first such incident
gency” stops and banks do sometimes make mistakes. In these cases, we need to give people the benefit of the doubt; something out-of-the ordinary-like a bounced check from a usually reliable source--shouldn’t be taken as a sign of bankruptcy. This concept in Judaism is known as maris ayin as “it doesn’t look right.” We all know what that means; our actions should be beyond reproach. If we’re handling funds for a non-
that reform-minded Palestinians have encountered: Last October, following his statement that the Palestinians would have to compromise on the right of return, Sari Nusseibeh received death threats. Leaflets attributed to Fatah, the ruling Palestinian political party, circulated in Ramallah condemning to death all those who would compromise on the right of return. Most Israelis see the call for a right of return as a veiled demand to dismantle the Jewish state through demography. Nusseibeh, president of eastern Jerusalem’s Al Quds University and at the time the top P.A. representative in Jerusalem, publicly downplays the threats. In private, however, he acknowledges that a sniper’s bullet could cut him down at any time. Still, since the road map was launched last month, many in the Palestinian media are trying to change the political culture to foster a gentler image of Israel. Even Israeli officials say they see the beginnings of moderation in the Palestinian media, which are heavily influenced by the governing Palestinian Authority. “We are trying to support the hudna,” Gaza television host Hazem Abu Shanab told JTA, using an Arabic word for the temporary cease-fire Palestinian terror groups declared a few weeks ago. “Much of our efforts are now concentrated in selling the hudna to the people.” According to Abu Shanab, television
programs have adopted new terminology and increasingly are geared to presenting “the Israelis as partially responsive to peace.” Palestinian media officials also are trying to filter out “Israeli statements about violence, possible reinvasions and aggression,” Abu Shanab said. Israeli troops left the Gaza Strip three weeks ago and Bethlehem two weeks ago in the initial stages of the road map. But Israel has refused to withdraw troops from other Palestinian cities in the West Bank until it is confident that the Palestinian Authority will crack down on terrorist groups operating there. In Bethlehem, Nasser Laham, who owns the influential local cable station “Bethlehem TV,” increasingly relies on local Palestinian reporters rather than those of the massive Gulf satellite conglomerates, finding them more sensitive to local issues and generally less prone to incitement. “We are also trying to concentrate on the future and not the past,” he said, presenting viewers with images of “a quieter, more comfortable future.” Most importantly, Laham said, Bethlehem TV is working to counter the clout of local clans and small neighborhood groups, fostering “a greater, unified Palestinian structure, one with a single Palestinian policing force.” Laham, who comes from a family of refugees--his cousin is an administrator of the Dehaishe refugee camp-- believes Israel and a future Palestinian state can coexist peacefully. An avid reader of
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Israeli newspapers, his office is plastered with pictures clipped from the mass circulation dailies, Yediot Achronot and Ma’ariv. Paramount right now is the need to wean Palestinian viewers and readers from what was, until a few weeks ago, a steady diet of “martyrs,” gore and “Israeli atrocities.” The Palestinians have grown so addicted to the violent images screened nightly that “we have forgotten what it is to live a normal life,” Laham said. Some of the efforts to reduce antiIsrael incitement are not well received. While the whitewashing of some anti-Israel graffiti in Gaza met with great fanfare, the vast majority of the sprawling Palestinian city was left untouched. Few are willing to take on the job, both because the workload is so great and because it is highly unpopular. Likewise, Palestinian journalists and researchers find it increasingly difficult to overcome the anti-Israel sentiment that their own outlets have helped stoke. “Our work is not having an effect on the people because Israelis are acting differently, not fully accepting the truce,” Abu Shanab claimed. “The people feel that there are no real changes on the Israeli side.” “We are constantly threatened for this stance,” Abu Shanab said. “It’s not because I don’t believe in peace, it’s just that the people don’t think the hudna does anything for them.”
JEWISH PRESS COMMITTEE Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; Jean Duitch; Penny Endelman; Kip Gordman; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Nancy Skid; Steve Simon; Melanie Weinstein; and George Schapiro (Honorary Committee Member). 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.
July 18, 2003
JOURNAL ENTRY FROM ISRAEL by TEDDY WEINBERGER In my previous life as an assistant professor of religious studies in the U.S., I would use Sioux holy man John Fire/Lame Deer to teach my (predominantly Catholic) students about a religious tradition that had radically different worship norms than theirs. The words of John Fire/Lame Deer have come alive for me this past year--that is, ever since I started going to Israeli folk dancing. I had always wanted to do Israeli folk dancing. I connected it in my mind with the Zionist experience and I wanted to be a part of it. Then last May I saw my chance. “Learn Israeli folk dancing from the very first step with Kobi Michaeli” said a flyer in my mailbox. If I ever was going to learn, now was the time, and so, overcoming years of my wife’s telling me that I had two left feet, I gathered up my courage, and with my 22-shekel ($5) admission money in hand, took the plunge. I felt good right from the first class. Kobi Michaeli is simply a marvelous teacher, and indeed, on that first night, nothing was presumed. Kobi even taught us the basic mayim (water) step, which I had thought everyone would have already known. It turns out that while most Israelis are exposed to folk dancing at a very early age, folk dancing is not ingrained in the blood but like anything else takes persistence and dedication. As the weeks went on, a pattern began to develop. And unlike when I taught religious studies, where it was often difficult to ascertain what my students were actually learning, with Kobi there is a definite learning curve. Kobi teaches the dance (using a strap-on face mike and without music) by surgically breaking it up into digestible parts. Gradually we put the parts together and run through the whole thing. Kobi then puts on the music and we go through the entire dance, clapping with glee as we finish, then doing it again for good measure. One week later I have forgotten everything about the dance except for the dry fact that it was a dance taught to me the week before--almost all of the individual steps have been magically erased from my brain. I guess that somewhere my body has stored parts of the dance, because when Kobi reviews it I seem to learn it quicker than I did the first time. Each subsequent week I forget a little less until I arrive at the point (and this can take several months) when my body knows exactly what to do as soon as I hear the opening chords of the music. An hour into our class the advanced dancers start to appear. There’s a supportive atmosphere in Givat Ze’ev, with the best dancers helping the beginners, and there’s no sense of “what are you doing on my dance floor.” Still, I’m very jealous of the experienced dancers. I’d love it if, magically, I knew a few hundred rather
“Dancing and Praying-It’s the Same Thing” John Fire/Lame Deer
than a few dozen dances. My favorite dancer is Nurit, a 35-year-old mother of three (she also happens to be an operating-room nurse for heart and chest surgery). Nurit has a wonderful sense of rhythm. She never dances halfheartedly, but makes all the moves in all of the dances. Whenever I think that I’m bored with a dance, I look to Nurit and sure enough there are graceful touches that she has added which I can try to emulate. About 20 minutes of every session is devoted to pair dancing. With men at a premium, many of the women dance with other women. The best male dancer is 23-year-old Dan (who works as a school guard). I love it that of all the women available to him, Dan chooses his mother as his regular partner. Early on, I hooked up with Noa, a 25-year-old recent graduate of Tel Aviv University. There’s something extra special (and difficult) about pair dancing. You are part of a duo that is moving gracefully (or trying to). Noa makes mistakes and I make mistakes and we laugh at them together. I’d be lying if I said that holding Noa was not sensual and sexy. But the overarching feeling during the pairs dancing for me is one of grace and beauty (during the slow dances) and exhilaration during the fast dances. My experience with Israeli folk dancing has been everything I had dreamt it to be and much more. Folk dancing was a popular expression of the Zionist pioneers’ love for this land, and for those who dance today it continues to be this loving expression--albeit with the noticeable additions of new movements, and of middle-eastern beats and rhythms. But there’s more, and this is the more that surprised me. It has to do with the words of the songs. Dancers usually sing the song’s words as they dance. There are plenty of songs about love and relationships, and also about the beauty of the land. There are also more religious songs. I love it that the dancers, who are mostly not “religious,” sing these songs passionately as well. There are songs about yearning for the Messiah, songs taken from the Sabbath liturgy, songs about the special meals and atmosphere of Shabbat, and then there are songs that can only be described as petitionary prayers to God. A huge crowd pleaser is a re-make of “Today is the Day” by Israeli pop star Sarit Hadad. And when the crowd sings along with Sarit, “Today, on this very day, I ask God . . . Give us life today from the start, Give us from the start to the finish,” I am powerfully lifted up, up, up out of my little narrow self and immersed in that larger collective known as Israel. It’s an ex statis (ecstatic), transcendent, out of body experience that has eluded me in my praying life, even though I pray three times a day. Maybe that’s because I have been praying all these years with my lips and not with my feet.
LETTER FROM ISRAEL by HARRY ALLEN Although American Independence Day will have passed by the time this column is printed it may be worth dwelling for a moment on that wonderful phrase in Jefferson’s declaration, “the pursuit of happiness”. The founders of the American republic did not declare that everyone was entitled to happiness-only its pursuit. To life and liberty we are entitled, but to happiness only its pursuit. It was, and remains, a remarkable insight. As the latest in a long line of peace initiatives unfolds in Israel one is tempted to transpose Jefferson’s formulation of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” to our own situation. As we drive onward using the “road map” as a guide, are we ensuring our lives and liberty and are we truly pursuing the happiness of peace? The answer is very unclear--the potholes in the road are numerous and the weather along the route is terribly unpredictable. And yet, despite its uncertainties and perils, it is a route that we must pursue though the final goal of peace may prove to be as illusive as Jefferson’s happiness. To Jefferson happiness was not a matter of personal gratification--it was rather a matter of an well-ordered society, a virtuous life. Jefferson defined happiness more in a social sense than in
any other way. Just as Jefferson had a rather narrower vision of happiness than do our modern hedonists it would be well for us to narrow our own visions of the happiness of peace that may lie along the road before us. In the immediate future and for many years thereafter most of us in Israel see peace merely as the absence of killing each other. And that is no insubstantial achievement. But real peace, the shalom of good will and understanding, probably lies in the realm of permanent pursuit. Cynthia Ozick had a wonderful piece in the Wall Street Journal describing the bestiality of the Palestinian culture, a culture whose contributions to the world include airplane hijacking, killing Olympic athletes, pushing disabled Jews off a cruise ship, and a culture of death wherein young people are encouraged to wantonly blow themselves up if they can kill as many Jews as possible. It may be that we can pursue an absence of killing with this culture--but peace as we imagine it--hardly in our lifetime. We are instructed by our tradition, “to seek peace and pursue it.” And so we shall, so that we may in Jefferson’s words enjoy the blessing of life and liberty for our posterity and ourselves.
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July 18, 2003
Get Ready for Another JOLT by PAM MONSKY Federation Communications Director Jewish Omaha Leadership Training, or JOLT, is ready to launch the next class for Jewish leaders. JOLT II will kick off this fall with an exceptional slate of prominent national and local presenters. JOLT is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha and made possible by a generous grant from the Herbert Goldsten Trust. The Advisory Committee for JOLT II consists of Harry Berman, Jay Gordman and Susan Norton. The three are graduates of the first JOLT class of 2000 and are all involved on various committees in the Omaha Jewish community. The purpose of the JOLT program is to provide organizations within the Jewish community with leadership who are prepared to meet the challenges of the future. Howard Kaslow, Secretary of the Herbert Goldsten Trust, stressed the importance of a dynamic Leadership Development program. “Skilled leadership strengthens the Jewish community in a number of ways,” said Kaslow. “The JOLT program provides a comprehensive overview of how our local Jewish organizations function in a communal setting while giving each participant the practical skills they need to be successful. In addition, JOLT is rais-
ing the bar by providing the very best national and local professionals as teachers and facilitators. The Herbert Goldsten Trust is proud to be a part of this impressive Federation series.” Federation Young Leadership Director S h a r o n Kirshenbaum said that “JOLT not only focuses on providing participants with the basic tools they will need to be an effective leader, the program gives them the education and insight needed to be an effective Jewish leader. For JOLT II, we’ve combined the best of what we did in 2000 with suggestions from the first class and come up with what we think is an exceptional program.” Federation Director Jan Goldstein added, “We are grateful to the board of trustees of the Herbert Goldsten Trust for making JOLT II a reality. Its belief in the importance of leadership development programming will help to ensure the stability of Omaha’s Jewish community. JOLT graduates go on to serve on boards and committees for every Jewish organization, synagogue and agency,” she concluded. JOLT II will feature nine sessions beginning in September 2003. To be considered for the JOLT II class, participants must be recommended by the synagogues, the Federation and its agencies or local Jewish organizations.
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Y.U.’s Torah Tours Returns to Beth Israel by BETH COHEN, Executive Director Beth Israel Synagogue welcomes back Yeshiva University’s Torah Tours to Omaha for the third summer. For many years, YU graduates and semicha (rabbinic) students have spent their summer vacations going into communities to educate, enlighten and inspire. Yeshiva University, through study and interaction, engages communities in fulfilling their unique mission of blending the Secular and Jewish worlds together. The Summer Torah Tour will take place at Beth Israel from Tuesday, July 29-Sunday, Aug. 3. Rabbi Howard Kutner, an alumnus of Yeshiva University and its Theological Seminary, has worked closely with YU to bring this program to Omaha. “Yeshiva University students and Omaha are a perfect match,” said Rabbi Kutner. “I believe the Yeshiva University approach to Judaism is very compatible with our community. We welcome YU’s presence both for Beth Israel as well as for the entire Jewish community.” The program theme this summer, “The Land of Israel in Jewish Tradition,” will explore such topics as “Land for Peace: A Halachic Perspective”, “The Mitzvah of Living in Israel”, and “Is War Ever a Mitzvah?” This year’s staff from YU includes two married couples who have extensive backgrounds in Judaic studies. Returning for the second time is Jesse Boiangiu, a semicha student at YU. Jesse’s wife, Chanie, is a student at Brooklyn College with plans to pursue a Masters in Occupational Therapy. Our second couple, Shocky and Rivky Klar, are 2003 graduates of Yeshiva University and Stern College respectively with degrees in accounting. This fall, Shocky will begin work at Ernst & Young, and Rivky will be with Deloitte & Touche. All four of our Torah Tours staff have spent time studying in Israel. Torah Tours give members of the community the opportunity for formal learning sessions, in the form of Lunch and Learns and shiurim (classes/lectures), and also individualized, informal learning sessions. Individual sessions give people the chance to study or discuss any aspect of Judaism. In addition to individual learning, available each morning from 8:3011:30 a.m., each morning of the Tour (July 30, 31 and Aug. 1) will have a breakfast and informal discussions with the Torah Tours staff. This ses-
sion will follow the 7 a.m. morning service, and will start at approximately 8 a.m, at Beth Israel. There are two days of Lunch and Learn programs with the Torah Tours. On Wednesday, July 30, noon, there will be a Men’s Lunch and Learn at the office of Joe Kirshenbaum, Noddle Development. Sandy Kohll will host a Women’s Lunch and Learn program at her home. A dairy lunch is available at each location for $5. Lunch and Learn on Thursday, July 31, noon, is in the social hall at the JCC. The Blumkin Home will provide a dairy lunch for $5. The evenings of Wednesday and Thursday will be a combination of fun and learning. On Wednesday, July 30, 6 p.m., at the JCC Pavilion, there will be a Family Israel Night Picnic, followed by two learning sessions, one for adults and one for teenagers. On Thursday, July 31, ? p.m., there will be a dairy Italian dinner at Beth Israel followed again by a learning session. These weeknight dinners cost $10 for adults, $5 for children (ages four-12). The program for Shabbat will begin at Kabbalat Shabbat services, Friday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m., at Beth Israel. After services, there will be a traditional Shabbat dinner. Dinner is $12 for adults, $6 for children, ages four to 12. There will be free babysitting service from 7-10 p.m. On Saturday morning, Shabbos services begin at 8:45 a.m. Free babysitting service begins at 10 a.m. and goes through 2 p.m. Following services, a festive lunch will take place. After lunch, there will be informal sessions for adults and teens. Cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children, ages four-12. Shabbos will conclude with a Pirkei Avot class at 7:45 p.m., followed by Mincha and an elaborate Shalosh Suedot. A farewell breakfast is planned on Sunday, Aug. 3, immediately following 9 a.m. morning minyan. The YU Torah Tour is being held in conjunction with the Max Stern Division of Communal Services/Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. Men and women are invited to attend all sessions of the seminar. Meals are free for children, ages three and younger. Reservations for all meals and for learning times are being taken in the synagogue office. Please call or e-mail your reservations by July 25 to 556-6288 or BethIsrael@novia.net.
BIRTHS Jim and Kim Simon announce the June 19 birth of their son, David James. David has three sisters, Gabby 6, Maddie, 4, and Charlotte, 22 months. Grandparents are Steve and Kathy Simon and Vibeke Trusty of Omaha and Michael Trusty of Santa Fe, NM. Great-grandparents are Jean Weil of Cleveland and Jean Daniel of Santa Fe, NM. Jennifer Wolf Lear and Major Rick S. Lear of Fort Polk, LA, announce the July 11 birth of their
son, Asher (Yitzchak ben Avraham). Grandparents are Edie and Marty Wolf of Omaha and Janet and Don Lear of Kearney. Great-grandmothers are Irene Stein of Sarasota, FL. and Ruth Lear of Estes Park, CO. Elana and Seth Schwartz of Rockaway, NJ, announce the July 14 birth of their daughter, Rachel Mara. Grandparents are former Omahans Fran and Steve of South Orange, NJ, and Arlene and Philip Schwartz of East Windsor, NJ.
July 18, 2003
Temple Israel to Introduce Amos Oz by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Acclaimed poet and novelist Amos Oz will be a featured speaker of Temple Israel’s Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Oz, who was born in Jerusalem in 1939, has become one of Israel’s most beloved writers as he describes the tumultuous history of his homeland and campaigns for an Israeli-Palestinian compromise. To prepare for Oz’s visit, Temple Israel is offering a number of study sessions to become better acquainted with his work beginning with a sermonette tonight at Shabbat worship services. Rabbi Craig Marantz will officiate on Friday, July 18, 5:30 p.m. and offer an introduction to Oz and his times. At worship services on Friday, Aug. 1, Cantor Wendy Shermet will reflect on Oz’s poetry. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel will explore Oz’s political views on the Arab/Israeli conflict at worship services on Friday, Aug. 15.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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“Clones, Cures and Cancer” Series Examines Jewish Medical Ethics by PAM MONSKY, Federation Communications Director Rarely has there been a more polarizing issue the process of moral decision-making in Judaism by than the one regarding stem-cell research, cloning looking at some of the and assisted suicide. The ethical debate flares up key contemporary with every report of a new study or finding, often responses on stem cells pitting religious beliefs against scientific advanceand cloning. I expect ment. this to be a very interThe Jewish view of medical ethics will be examesting and lively ined during a three-part series presented by Toby debate!” said Dr. L. Schonfeld, Ph.D. of the University of Nebraska Schonfeld. Medical Center. “Clones, Cures and Cancer: A The second session in Foray into Jewish Medical Ethics” will be held the series on Aug. 11, Mondays, Aug. 4, 11 and 18, 7:30 p.m. at the will focus on Jewish Jewish Community Center. This unique series is Genetic Disease. sponsored by Jewish Educational and Library Participants will be Services and is open to the entire community. exposed to the diversity Dr. Schonfeld is a member of UNMC’s Graduate of Jewish views regardDr. Toby L. Schonfeld Faculty and an Assistant Professor of Humanities ing genetics and why and Law in the Department of Preventive and the science of genetics has raised so many new Societal Medicine. She is nationally recognized and moral questions. lectures extensively on the topic of medical ethics. On Aug. 18, the series will conclude with Judaism Jewish views on stem cells and cloning will be the and End-of-Life Decision Making, which will examfirst topic in the series beginning Monday, Aug. 4. ine the options available for those nearing the end “The use of embryonic stem cells for therapeutic of their life and what Judaism has to say about research has been in the media often, frequently these issues. tied to the issue of cloning. During this session, I Dr. Schonfeld is in the process of completing a will clarify the current state of the science and book on Jewish medical ethics entitled, Technology explain why researchers are so excited about these and Tradition: Jewish Bioethics in the Age of opportunities. I’ll also differentiate between thera- Genetics. For more information, contact Kathy peutic and reproductive cloning. Then we’ll discuss Hirshman, JELS Assistant Director at 334-6445, or
Year Three of Melton Adult Mini-School to Commence in September by PAM MONSKY, Federation Communications Director Omaha’s successful Florence Melton Adult Mini- Jews do what they do and believe what they School returns for its third year when classes begin believe?’ Monday, Sept. 8, 7-9:30 p.m. at the Jewish “Rhythms of Jewish Learning,” the other firstCommunity Center. year course, presents an introduction to the fundaSince the Melton Adult Mini-School’s inception in mental ideas, beliefs and practices that define 2001, more than 100 people have taken the course, Jewish life while exploring how these practices are which provides a systematic and interesting key to understanding basic Jewish values. approach to Jewish literacy. The courses are nonSecond year courses also begin Sept. 8. “Dramas denominational and designed to accommodate both of Jewish Living,” taught by UNO Professor Moshe people with little to no Jewish education, as well as Gershovich, looks at the dramatic developments, those who are more knowledgeable. trends and events from specific periods in Jewish The Melton Mini-School first year curriculum is history and how these events shaped and influenced comprised of two one-hour courses each week, our shared history. Leonard Greenspoon teaches “Rhythms of Jewish Learning,” and “Purposes of “Ethics of Jewish Living,” a text-based approach to Jewish Living.” Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, who Jewish ethical foundations. Ethical issues dealing holds the Klutznick Chair for Jewish Studies at with justice, life and death, sexuality and communiCreighton University, will teach “Purposes of ty are explored using the Torah, Talmud and other Jewish Living,” a course that explores the meaning commentaries, both classical and modern. and purpose of life from a Jewish perspective. The Third year Melton students are invited to get into class will attempt to answer the question, ‘why do “The Soul of the Text,” featuring an in-depth search
EDUCATION THAT WORKS Time to enroll for Fall Classes begin September 2nd
Call 457-2400 or toll free 800-228-9553 www.mccneb.edu
into writings from different periods in Jewish history like the Bible and medieval commentaries, rabbinical literature, Yiddish literature and the Holocaust and Eretz Israel. “The Soul of the Text” will be taught by Gary Katz and is open to people who have not taken any prior Melton classes. Registration deadline for all three Melton courses is Aug.15. The cost for Melton I and II is $450, which includes all course materials. The cost for Melton III, “The Soul of the Text,” is $275 and includes all texts. To register and for more information, please contact Kathy Hirshman, Assistant Director JELS, at 334-6445, or khirshman@jewishomaha.org. The Melton Adult Mini-School is sponsored by Henry and Dorothy Riekes, Jewish Educational and Library Services and the Jewish Federation of Omaha; and affiliated with the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 18, 2003
Quickie Trip to Israel (Continued from page 1) They mentioned that rescue actions in the first four minutes after an emergency (“the golden minutes”) are the key to a patient’s survival and that, after suicide bombings became more frequent, ZAKA expanded their operations to EMT work as well. Recently, ZAKA volunteers have had sleeping and eating problems and, as a result, UJA-Federation funds have gone to support much-needed psychiatric counseling for the ZAKA volunteers. We also met with two professionals from UJA involved in helping people deal with the psychological effects of terrorism. One said a difficulty is the “Sabra don’t-be-a-sissy culture” whereby people are taught: “if you can’t handle it, go away”. To deal with things, they say people operate in “survival mode”. We were introduced to a 20-year old Russian girl, Lena, who has lived in Israel for four years. Three weeks ago, her mother (who had emigrated to Israel three years ago) went out early in the morning to buy a cake for an anniversary party that evening and was killed as a suicide bomber destroyed her bus. Lena is a second year student at Hebrew University, but this month, when she turns 21, her supplemental government support (to pay for rent, food, basics; education is free) will run out. Our bus (complete with two armed bodyguards) drove along the border between Jerusalem and various Palestinian communities. I was amazed at how little separates the two areas. Next to Bethlehem is a small
Palestinian community--various Jerusalem. I figured I could run from buildings there had the roof or top the village to where I was standing in floors blown off when the IDF shot about 10-20 minutes. The valley that back at snipers about a year ago. separates us didn’t appear to be at all Our guide has us turn around and guarded or fenced. I had always view the apartment buildings behind imagined these areas to be much more us. They were recently built and are secure than they actually are. not in the “settlements”. It’s a nice Ehud Olmert is the Deputy Prime subdivision of three and four-story Minister and Minister of Industry and condos, townhomes, and some single- Trade. After Teddy Kollek, he served family houses. The population is as Mayor of Jerusalem and we met probably about 3-4,000 people (the him for breakfast the next day. exterior Olmert buildings, said that i.e., near “the probthe borlem with der, are American owned by civilizai m m i tion is the grants belief that and lowerthere’s class peoalways a ple while solution to the center e v e r y and northproblem; ern sides you canhold the not conu p s c a l e Marc Warren, left, and the group, heard from for- ceive of a r e s i - mer Jerusalem mayor and current Deputy Prime situation dents). that has Minister Ehud Olmert. The no soluexterior walls were riddled with bullet tion.” This is a stirring thought. holes. Particularly exposed areas had A friend of Rudy Giuliani’s, he was concrete barricades or sandbags to on the first plane into New York after protect pedestrians. Apparently, the 9/11. He said, “The U.S. attacks were Israelis just go on, notwithstanding a major threat to US values and a the danger. reminder of the viciousness of the As I gaze into the Palestinian area, enemy but not a threat to the surI saw the sunken highway that actu- vival/existence of the U.S.” He sugally goes under hostile ground--this is gested that, as bad as the losses in the how people living further out safely U.S. on 9/11, imagine what it would be drive between their homes and like to have 45 attacks at different times and places. “Peace is very, very important but life is more important,” he added. We asked what will happen if the political situation continues. He replied it would be tough, but the survival of the State will never be in question, not even if the Palestinians use terrorism for another 200 years. When we sat next to him and he looked into our eyes with such steely
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The Fifth Annual Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights
Ethiopians, practicing (in nearly complete isolation) Judaism for some 1,000 years, were rescued and taken to Israel. Entire families marched hundreds of miles across the desert, often burying their dead members in the sand as they ran away. Their assimilation has been complex. When they arrived at the airport, most had never seen diapers. They would stuff sandwiches into their bags or pockets, unaware of what the cellophane wrapping was. The children have had some social problems but have in general done well. A key problem is their parents-particularly the men and elderly, formerly the leaders of their families-have few skills and are less willing to become educated that the women. About half the boys wear kipot in a kindergarten class of Ethiopian kids. My daughter, Rachel, is the same age and is in a similar classroom today in New York; thinking about what these kids have been through and what chances they now have is one of my “life moments”. A friend who visited the same school 2 years ago mentioned to me how he wished the United Nations delegates equating “Zionism is Racism” could all see this place. This visit was incredible bright spot in the trip for me. We had lunch with Ohad Marani. Before taking this job (#2 in the Ministry--a combination Federal Reserve and Treasury Department, behind Benjamin Netanyahu). He talked about the effect of the intifada (and the drop in high-tech) on the Israeli economy--GDP was growing 6% per year and now is negative for three years in a row. Tourism, the country’s top industry, is in a shambles (our UJA mission is the first one the Ethiopian social worker has been on in 2.5 months; he used to give these tours weekly) with hotels partially shut and all shops and restaurants s business hugely down. Unemployment is at all-time highs. Marani mentions that over 20% of
“Tainted Legacy: 9/11 and the Ruin of Human Rights” Featuring
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The mission group visited an absorption center’s kindergarten for newly arrived Ethiopian children. determination, we believed him. I’ve rarely met such a strong person, a great (if perhaps a tad conservative for my blood...) politician. According to our guide, he and Benjamin Netanyahu are the likely contenders for Prime Minister (i.e., head of the Likud Party) after Sharon. We traveled to Rehovot, a suburb of Tel Aviv that holds many Ethiopian immigrants. We heard the story of Operation Moses and Operation Solomon where more than 80,000
the population (i.e., ultra Orthodox scholars and Israeli Arabs) receive tremendous governmental support but pay hardly any taxes (also, these groups have much higher levels of population growth so this problem is growing). That said, Israel privatized El Al that day and was pricing a $500 million investment-grade bond offering. Coincidentally, Judy Stern, one of my closest friend’s mother (the former (Continued on next page)
July 18, 2003
Dining
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Tim Butz will speak at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, July 23, noon, at the Park Inn Regency, according to Gary Javitch, July Chairman. Butz, Director of the ACLU, will discuss recent controversies over the Ten Commandments and the Patriot (Homeland) Security Act. Cost is $9 for lunch; $2 for beverage service only. Breadbreakers is open to the community. OMAHA CENTER FOR TORAH LEARNING Rabbi Aryeh Blum will give his weekly parasha shiur tomorrow afternoon, July 19, 6:30 p.m. Time for Talmud is Monday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. The Beit Midrash meets on Tuesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. The Wednesday Women’s Class is July 23, 7:30 p.m., all at the OCTL House, 1313 No. 58 St. Join OCTL for the weekly discussion of Torah Topics at Lunch ’n Learn, Wednesday, July 23, noon, at the Kripke Library. Save the date: on Thursday, Aug. 7, OCTL will present a special two-video series, including the renowned documentary, Relentless, to commemorate Tisha B’Av. For information about OCTL, call Rabbi Aryeh Blum at 320-8055. Y.E.S. Members will meet Monday at the JCC. Play bingo at 10 a.m. with Eileen Remer or exercise with Stacey Paskert at 10:30 a.m. Bring articles to share for “YES Talk” at 11 a.m. Following lunch at noon, Carrie Schneider Miller from the University Extension Nutrition Program, will talk on senior health, diet and creative ways to add good nutrition to your meals. For transportation call Dee Dee at 330-4272. Call Maggie Conti for reservations for Bluffs Run Casino on July 31; deadline is July 24. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Want a place to brush up an your Yiddish? Join us every Thursday, 1-3 p.m. at the JCC. Call Anne Skolkin for information at 343-1638.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
VISIONS Tip toe through the tulips at the Lauritzen Gardens on Tuesday, Aug. 5. A tour with docent will begin at 10 a.m. Following the tour, we will dine at the cafe in the Gardens Visitors Center (lunch is on your own). Cost is $6 per person or free for members of the Gardens. Deadline for reservations is July 25. Send reservations to: Sandy and Fred Bromley, 13419 Marinda St., Omaha, NE 68144. Join us for the Summer Picnic at Chalco Hills on Sunday, Aug. 17, 12.30-4 p.m. Cost is $6 per person. The main course and drinks provided. Please bring a side dish to share. Enjoy Musical of the Rat Pack with Michael Walker following lunch. Send reservations to: Betty Sanford; 9205 Western Ave., #127, Omaha, NE 68114. Deadline is Aug. 8. Broadway in Omaha presents Mamma Mia! at the Orpheum Theater on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m. The cost is $58 per person. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting take of love, laughter and friendship. Send reservations to: Jean Elkon at 1005 No. 63 St., Omaha, NE 68132. For information, call Ethel Goldston at 3937358. Deadline is Aug. 1. Visions presents a Jewish theme cruise “Catskills in the Caribbean” aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines”Enchantment of the Seas” on Jan. 510, 2004. Cruise only price of $689 (double occupancy) and $1125 (single occupancy) for inside cabin and more for outside cabin or balcony. For information call Betty Sanford at 399-2001. Reminder: for those members going to the show Footloose held at the Bellevue Little Theatre on Sunday, July 20, please meet at the JCC at 12:30 p.m. WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the Lunch Bunch day trip to Rose's Restaurant in Treynor, IA, on Thursday, please meet at the JCC by 11 a.m. Exercise will begin at 10 a.m. in the Social Hall at the JCC.
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(Continued from previous page) Chairperson of UJA-Federation) is in Israel this week as President of Israel Policy Forum, a group that studies policies in the region and encourages the U.S. government to get involved in peace in the Middle East. She met with Shimon Peres, several regional US ambassadors, and Abu Mazen while on this trip. She spends the day with us and talks with the group about her experiences. Stern has gone to Israel regularly since a trip in 1960 with her parents; she’s gone as often as three times per year and has been involved in various organizations there. In 1989-1993, she started a dialogue between Jewish and Arab women; it was her first time in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Today, she talks about the sadness she feels that the Israel she remembers as a girl (a promising pioneer/shelter state with a Jewish calendar and a Jewish majority) is so different from the one that she will show her grandchildren. She tells the Palestinians that they must stop the violence and manage themselves. She tells the Israelis that demographics demand a two-state solution. She’s optimistic, notwithstanding the recent troubles. We had a free afternoon to shop (the Israeli retailers desperately need the business) and pack for our late evening flight. Judy and I went through a funky neighborhood, looking for presents. I dropped her off at her hotel for a meeting and go alone up Jaffa Road to get wine and a few Israeli CDs and videos. While I was talking on the phone and ducked into a storefront as I heard a sound and feel a rumble; 30 seconds later, I heard a siren. Up the hill, a bus was bombed (killing 17 people). Within one minute, there were 10 police cars and ambulances. Within five minutes, the street was blocked, traffic directed away from the scene, soldiers everywhere, and many ambulances were on the scene. The blood drained from everyone’s faces; some
people were just sitting down and crying; almost everyone on their cell phone. I wasn’t sure what to do: cry, throw up, run to my hotel (about 10-15 blocks), go to the Wall... I called my wife and my office in New York to say I’m okay and walked away in a sort of daze. I passed a Tower Records; I was alone except for a 25-year old clerk. She’s been crying. I told her that I didn’t know the protocol after a bombing, but wondered if it were okay to hang out for a while. “How do you deal with days like this?” I asked and she replied, “You have to go on.” Thankfully, no one on our trip was injured in the blast. Dinner was at a lovely Moroccan restaurant in Jerusalem. The owner imported all of the tables, chairs, arches, dishes, from Morocco and the food was great. The owner appreciated us coming to support him; business has been tough. The program director of the trauma center and the head psychiatrist there joined us, as they figured we may need some counseling, given how near many of us were to the bombing. Strangely, I think most people in the group think that if the bombing had to happen, it’s alright that we were there to share the experience with the Israelis. As I read the last sentence, I realize it sounds somewhat weird but that’s the feeling we seem to have. In follow-up discussions with members of our group, it is interesting to know that each of us-notwithstanding our proximity to the Jerusalem bombing--was happy we came on the trip, would definitely do it again and would encourage our friends to join us. It occurs to me that not one of the Israelis I met indicated absolute confidence in peace (i.e., “it will definitely happen”)--the best I heard was “we can’t give up peace and have to try again.” Many people said “the Palestinians want to destroy us so there can never be peace but politically we have no choice but to pursue it.”
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 18, 2003
Etz Chayim: in the Business of Growing by RABBI TUVIA HOFFMAN, Administrator Etz Chayim Preschool Who better than a parent, can create an atmosphere of warmth and love for their children? It is for this reason that traditionally the responsibility of Jewish education is given to a parent, who would be best able to transmit the love and warmth of Judaism with great vigor. Today, however, the modern Jewish parent is struggling to make sense of Judaism for him or herself, let alone transmit heritage to their children. In fact, I recall a large poster made by a Jewish leadership group that showed a scrumptious bagel with lox and cheese. The caption read, “Is this the culmination of 3,000 years of Jewish history?!” Sad but true, there are many Jews whose only connection to Judaism is lox and bagels. With no other alternative, parents have sought out talented educators to help with their children’s Jewish education, with little satisfaction. All Jewish population surveys agree that most segments of the Jewish population in the United States are losing individuals and families at a much faster rate than they are repopulating. Studies are done; the educational system including Jewish educators is evaluated year after year, and improvements are instituted. But we are still at a loss for words. Knowledgeable talented educators can be found in many institutions, yet their students are assimilating. Herein lies the problem. Knowledge and educational talent are certainly prerequisites for the Jewish educator, but there is one point being overlooked: we are not in the business of transmitting Jewish “knowledge” in “talented ways.” A proper Jewish educator is simply in the business of teaching children how to grow in Judaism. The teacher’s “talents” albeit important, are merely tools of secondary importance. Intrinsic to this point is that the teacher must be intimately involved with growing himself, in order to teach. The aspiring heart surgeon does not seek out a great doctor who only instructs from books. Rather, he finds himself a teacher who is involved with surgery day after day who can show him hands on what needs to be done. Similarly, we should not settle for teachers unless they are involved in growing process themselves. Part of the reason for the failure of teachers is their misconception that the teacher is someone who has attained a high level of education who is now ready to give that same information to others.
IN THE NEWS
This attitude, however, teaches stagnation. In order for me to teach you how to grow, I must also be in the growing process myself, because a teacher cannot teach how to grow if he is not growing himself. At Etz Chayim Preschool, both the teaching staff and administration set time to learn Torah daily. Still, there is one other prime component that must be dealt with, which I have stated: “Who better than a parent, can create an atmosphere of warmth and love for their children?” Dear parent, know that you do not have to rely solely on the teacher for your child’s Jewish education. If you are learning to grow in your Judaism, then you are already a beautiful Jewish role model for your child, even if you just recently started learning what Judaism really is. It is never too late to learn how to grow. To promote family learning Etz Chayim Preschool is also offering a unique Family Learning Incentive. As I stated, Jewish tradition emphasizes the importance of parents being involved with their children's education. In order to facilitate this, Etz Chayim will offer a significant tuition reduction to any parent who regularly participates in adult classes with the rabbinic staff. In addition to covering subjects related to the preschool program, classes will also include topics such as philosophy of Jewish parenting, Hebrew, and the Jewish calendar. To make sure that all parents have the opportunity to attend classes, the rabbis will be available for both day and evening sessions. Please realize that our own children could be brimming with excitement over our Jewish heritage the way that Omaha goes wild over a Huskers game! Picture your child filled with enthusiasm, reciting the Hebrew alphabet and even translating sentences in the prayer book. See your preschooler’s face glow with a love of Judaism, singing Hebrew songs while falling asleep at night. This is not an exaggeration. Etz Chayim Preschool is part of the Torah Umesorah family of nation-wide schools, and Torah Umesorah has an excellent track record of turning out children filled with the warmth and love of Judaism. There will be an open house on Sunday, July 27, 10 a.m.-noon. I will also be available to discuss any questions you may have as well as to give you a tour of our classrooms. Please call me at 384-2032.
JCC Honors Outgoing, Incoming B&G Chairmen by JEWISH PRESS News Service Mike Collier, right, Jewish Community Center Campus Manager, presented a plaque to outgoing Buildings and Grounds Chairman, Sorin Juster, left, who served for five years and oversaw the expansion and remodeling of the JCC. Collier also introduced Todd Manvitz, center, as the new B&G Chairman.
Ariel Shukert was recently named to the Dean’s List at Washington University is St. Louis, MO. She is a student in the School of Art and the daughter of Aveva and Marty Shukert. Rachel Shukert has recently been cast in The Conquest of the Universe by Charles Ludlum, to be performed off-Broadway in 2004. She is currently finishing in Richard Forman’s Panic. In May, she directed the premier of her short play, The Blackstone Hotel, as part of the Seven Minute Play Festival at the Ontological Hysterical Theatre. Another original work, Soiled Linen, is planned for production next year. She is the daughter of Aveva and Marty Shukert. Dustin A. Friedman, a student in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University, has been named to the Dean’s List for the 2003 spring quarter. Students on the Dean’s List have attained a grade point average of at least 3.75. Dusty is the son of Sandy and Amy Friedman. Elaine Jabenis received the Dick Boyd Award at the annual Omaha Community Playhouse awards night last month. The award, “created to recognized unique, lifetime performances, where an individual player’s work has become synonymous with the excellence of the Playhouse,” has only been given three times since its inception. Kimberly Epstein, the daughter of Dr. Steve and Elaine Epstein of Houston, TX, and the granddaughter of Harold and Etta Epstein of Omaha, graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School last month. Kimberly received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a major in philosophy. She recently moved to New York City and will begin practicing corporate law in the fall at the firm of Davis, Polk, and Wardwell. Mendel Kurland, a junior at the University of Iowa, was honored as the Founding President of Alpha Epsilon Pi, Iota Upsilon Chapter, at the fraternity’s chartering ceremony. He is the son of Sandra and Allan Kurland of Council Bluffs, IA. Jamie Skog, a junior at the University of Denver, was named president of her Hillel chapter, and will be going to the Brandeis-Bardin Institute’s BCI Summer program in California. She is the daughter of Jeff and Ricki Skog. Former Omahan Daniel R. Somberg, Ph.D, now a counseling psychologist in Kansas City, has recently written a book entitled The Ten Hidden Barriers to Weight Loss and Exercise...discover why you've failed before and how to succeed now. He will be speaking July 26, 2 p.m. at the Bookworm in Countryside Village, 87th and Pacific. David Meyers was among a group of volunteers honored at by the Douglas County Board recently for the Homestead Exemption Project, which he founded. The 25 volunteers were appointed as Admirals in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.
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THE HISTORY FOOTPRINT
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by OLIVER B. POLLAK I have insomnia. It’s two o’clock in the morning. Honey, are you asleep? Slight sign of feigned unconsciousness. Rolling over in my head was how to spell Leisel or Liesel, well it’s Lizell, a catalog merchant for readers and office paraphernalia. The google search lead me up to CyberCatalogs.com. listing 500 catalogs, including the playful Lilliput. Going to the mall, going to the local store front merchant means physically driving a car, finding a parking place, walking from the parking lot to the merchant. Dealing with crowds, clerks, and returning to the car. Mail order catalogs AND order on line are another variation of let your fingers do the walking. I have often thought that some library should collect catalogs, as they in mass would provide a vivid history, a veritable catalog of American consumerism. Perhaps it already exists. No one, especially local library folk, has shown an interest. I acquired a 1970 replica, facsimile, or reprint of a 1900 Sears, Roebuck and Co. Consumers Guide (Cheapest Supply House on Earth). It’s a hoot. I remember the telephone size Sears catalog, and its competitor, Montgomery Ward, arriving in the mail. Did the Sears catalog really accessorize the sliver mooned outhouse window? During the latter 1950s an advertisement in Boys Life turned me to postage stamp catalogs from H. E. Harris. Marveling at President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s collection I turned my hard-earned lawn mowing money into stamps. Harris, founded in 1916, sent stamps “on approval.” The Scott Catalog was the philatelist’s bible. I started haphazardly saving catalogs in the 1970s. Perhaps they were waiting for a night into morning like this. Banana Republic issued catalogs in the 1980s before it broke out into store fronts in upscale shopping centers. Their catalogs are precious combinations of fabrics from far away places and travelers’ notes providing armchair and vicarious thrills. They were detailed, alluring and downright exotic. They made you feel cultivated, sophisticated, worldly, chic and with it. The turned down page corners lead me to what I wanted back then, deferred and unsatisfied gratification. At least I
selectively saved the catalog. The J. Peterman Company picked up in 1987 where Banana Republic left off. Peterman purveyed the unique, the faux and the reproduction. Not quite silverware from the Titanic, but close. Their catalogs had come on titles like “Booty, Spoils & Plunder” and “Owner’s Manual.” To their and my disappointment they went bankrupt in 1999. The Republic of Tea, also picking up from Banana Republic, issued its first catalog in 1993, with a pretentious, unpaid price tag of $1. Their catalogs and teas were such a delight I read The Republic of Tea, “Letters to a Young Zentrepreneur.” I received a catalog from The Peruvian Connection. It contained a one-inch square swatch of alpaca or llama wool. I kept it on my desk for years. When Noah went to the University of Kansas in Lawrence, we stopped in at a small store, The Peruvian Connection. The catalog mailing address was nearby in linguistically intriguing Tonganoxie. It was a rural residence without any sign of ongoing business activity. Our mail box fills with Borsheims, Daedalus Books, Frontgate, Hammacher Schlemmer, Herrington, J. Jill, L.L. Bean, Levenger, Lizell, Neiman Marcus, Orvis, Penzy Spices, Pottery Barn, Sharper Image, She Works, etc. At UNO, I receive stacks of publisher’s catalogs. So the catalogs we receive tell us about our own merchandising habits. Some catalogs I no longer receive, because I have not purchased anything for some time. Borsheims and Neiman Marcus are affectations. I am not sure how we got on the list, and less certain why they still send us catalogs. This is Karen’s department. A “catalog raisonne” generally lists art works you cannot buy. When did Americans plump for ‘catalog’ over ‘catalogue’? What do we do with demagogue, dialogue, epilogue, monologue, and prologue? Is there a dictionary for suffixes? Has William Safire addressed this? A frog is still a frog--or is it a toad. The First Jewish Catalog published by the Jewish Publication Society appeared in 1973. The Third Jewish Catalog appeared in 1980. My wife is calling me back to bed. Good night and good morning. OBPOMNI@aol.com
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ZUCKER/LUGER Dr. Irv and Judy Zucker announce the engagement of their d a u g h t e r, Lauren, to Brian Luger, son of Pam Luger of Omaha and Richard Luger of Inverness, FL. The bride-to-be is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in journalism. She is currently the weekend news producer for KPTMNews. Her grandparents are Gertrude Silver of Queens, NY, and the late Edward Silver, Lee Zucker of Boca Raton, FL and the late Leo Zucker. Her fiancé also graduated from UNL with a degree in journalism and is the master control operator for KMTV-Channel 3 in Omaha. He is the grandson of Alan Luger of Inverness, FL, and the late Muriel Luger and the late Arthur and Doris Antony. A Sept. 5, 2004, wedding is planned in Omaha.
Central High School Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Korean War Deaths by JEWISH PRESS News Service Harry Richman will represent the EpsteinMorgan Post of Jewish War Veterans when he gives the benediction at a ceremony July 26, 1 p.m. at Joslyn Art Museum to commemorate the lives of those soldiers who died in the Korean War. To mark the 50th anniversary of the end of this conflict, Mickey Rosenblatt Malashock and her husband, Irv (a former bomber pilot) will attend to honor the memory of her brother, PFC Norman Rosenblatt.
COPILEVITZ/PASSER Claire Flatowicz and Dr. Jeffrey Passer announce the engagement of their son, Samuel Brent, to Cori Ann Copilevitz, daughter of Errol and Ciccy Copilevitz of Leawood, KS. The bride-to-be earned an undergraduate degree from Brandies University in Waltham, MA, and graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School. She completed a residency at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and a fellowship at St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Copilevitz is currently an allergist with Asthma and Allergy Associates of Sterling, VA. She is the granddaughter of Rose and Maurice Copilevitz of St. Louis and the late Hortense and Henry Cohn. Her fiancé graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, IA, and is manager with Accenture’s financial services consulting practice in Reston, VA. He is the grandson of Stanley Passer and the late Edith Passer and Fanny Gummers of Overland Park, KS and the late Richard and Lottie Gummers. A Nov. 8 wedding is planned in Kansas City.
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CORRECTION Jeri Kohn of Lincoln, NE, (13-14 Girls Swimming) and Jamie Tully of Omaha (15-16 Girls Swimming) will be participating in the 2003 JCC Maccabi Games in St. Louis. The information was received too late for publication in last week’s issue.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 18, 2003
Argentine Jews (Continued from page 1) Despite the difficulties, Alicia an average of 100 meals a day in each Rosenmeyer said, “We’ve never really kitchen,” he said. “Before the crisis, thought of leaving Argentina.” we had maybe 1,000 poor Jewish famNeither has Norma Vilk, who man- ilies. That’s why if America stops helpages a paint factory in suburban San ing us and Argentina doesn’t have the Martin and is married to Alfredo Vilk, funds, all these people will be in big an orthopedist. trouble.” “A lot of our competition had loans About 10,000 Jews have left and were importing things on credit, Argentina since the crisis hit, and they went into bankruptcy,” she Grunblatt said. About 6,000 moved to said. “But not much happened to us Israel, while the rest relocated to the because I had a healthy business. United States or other countries. That really saved me from all this The departure of so many Jews has mess.” made it nearly impossible to raise Mario Ringler, President of the funds in the local Jewish community. Marshall T. Mayer Latin American In years past Chabad’s budget was $4 Rabbinical Seminary in Buenos Aires, million, but only $600,000 of that said the current crisis began in 1998, went to social relief; the rest was as Menem’s second term of office was spent on educational activities and winding down. youth programs. This year, Grunblatt “He was trying to change the rules has a budget of nearly $8 million; of the constitution to be elected for a most of it will go to emergency relief. third time. Everything was politicized The American Jewish Joint and corrupted,” said Ringler, a lawyer. Distribution Committee is extensively “In 1999, when the Peronist Party lost involved in relief efforts in the counthe elections, things got out of control. try. The JDC allocated $15.7 million-Suddenly, from a level of 16 percent, raised mostly from American Jews-unemployment skyrocketed to 22 to for programs over the past year. 24 percent. Argentina’s whole finan- (Editor’s note: Omaha participated cial structure collapsed.” through its regular Annual The Jews were affected more than Federation Campaign for direct assisothers, Ringler said. tance through the JDC and through “In the first place, most Jews were the Israel Terror Relief Campaign, either economically active or lived which helped to resettle Argentian from rents” on stores or apartments Jews in Israel.) “that produced income,” he said. “All While Argentina’s economic crisis found themselves with their proper- has wrecked thousands of lives, ties but nobody to rent Jewish and nonto, so they began selling Jewish alike, their things. Many Grunblatt sees a businesses closed, and silver lining. about a third of “This crisis defArgentina’s 200,000 initely got a lot of Jews have passed people who were below the poverty level. already out of Now they’re getting the community social assistance back into the through special procommunity,” the grams.” rabbi said. “Since Grunblatt said his December, we’re Lubavitch organization having a brit alone provides 8,000 of mila almost once the poorest Jewish fama week of grown ilies in Buenos Aires children who with food, electricity were never cirand financial assiscumcised. All A man walks by a kosher butch- these tance. families “We have seven relief er shop in Buenos Aires’ Jewish are finally reconcenters and four soup neighborhood of Once. necting to the kitchens. We give out Photo by Larry Luxner/JTA community.”
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BUENOS AIRES (JTA)--From the outside, this nondescript, heavily guarded complex in a quiet neighborhood near the center of Buenos Aires bears few signs that it is the South American capital of Conservative Judaism. But inside--and in synagogues and communities in Brazil, Paraguay, Cuba and New York--this building is known as one of the world’s foremost producers of Conservative rabbis. One of only four Conservative rabbinical seminaries in the world, Argentina’s Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano plays a key role in sending Spanish-speaking rabbis to Jewish communities throughout Latin America. (Editor’s note: Omaha has two connections to this school--not only is Beth El Synagogue’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin a graduate of the Seminario, but former Omahan Rabbi Dr. Richard Freund who now lives in Hartford, CT, was its director.) The seminary also has a 52,000-volume collection of books in half a dozen languages, considered the largest Jewish library anywhere in Latin
America, officials here say. “The seminary is the only institution that constantly sends rabbis to perform services and religious activities in small Jewish communities,” said lawyer Mario Ringler, the institution’s President. “To become a rabbi here, you have to have the equivalent of a master’s degree. We don’t give this to yeshiva boys.” Nor to girls, for that matter--unless they pass the rigorous academic standards established by the seminary more than 40 years ago. Founded in 1962 by Rabbi Marshall Meyer, the seminary describes itself as “the academic, cultural and religious center of the Conservative Jewish movement in Argentina and Latin America.” Ordaining rabbis is just one of the things the school does. It also runs a Jewish studies institute to train primary-school and secondary-school teachers, a cantor's institute and classes for high-school-age students. In all, the school has about 150 pupils. Since its founding, 72 graduates-including six women--have been ordained as rabbis.
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• Career Advancement opportunities • 2 week’s paid training • $10.58 per hour starting • Excellent benefits • Nationally recognized program Requires valid driver’s license with good driving record, 21+ years of age, HS/GED with college preference in social science field. Ability to work a variety of shifts including evenings, nights and weekends. Located in Omaha, NE. Other sites across the U.S. Call 1-877-639-6003 or www.girlsandboystown.org. TTD/TTY 402/964-7103 Drug Screening/EOE
GIRLS AND BOYS TOWN help healing hope