August 1, 2014

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

Hollywood insiders

August 1, 2014 5 Av 5774 Vol. 94 | No. 46

This Week

Meet Assaf Gavron

by DR. MOSHE GERSHOVICH Professor of History and Director, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, UNO The University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Schwalb Center are welcoming a new Visiting Israeli Professor (VIP), while the Jewish Community of Omaha is getting ready to absorb a new

Robert Nefsky to receive Sower Award Page 3

Dan Mirvish

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications, Jewish Federation of Omaha Two well-known film industry pros, Lynn Stalmaster and Dan Mirvish, who also just happen to be native Omahans, plan to return to their hometown for the Omaha Jewish Reunion, Sept. 12-14.

Both will join panelists during An Afternoon of the Arts: Screen Time with Filmmakers program on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. in the JCC Theater. Don’t miss out on the great

Musical Visit Page 6

Inside Next Week Jewish Press Exhibit See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

discussion; sign up for the Reunion and your registration covers the entire weekend of events.

Lynn Stalmaster, considered by most of Hollywood as “a true pioneer” in the art of film casting, was born in Omaha in 1927 to Nebraska District Judge Irvin A. and Estelle Lapidus Stalmaster, and he attended Dundee Elementary School.

The elder Stalmaster was a prominent legal figure in Omaha, having been selected for the Nebraska Supreme Court at the age of 31. Ear-

lier, he served as an assistant state’s attorney and a Douglas County attorney.

Lynn has cast more than 400 productions during almost 50 years in show business and is credited with identifying the talent and jumpstarting the careers of John Travolta (Welcome Back Kotter), William Shatner, Jon Voight and Richard Dreyfuss, among many others.

He’s even earned the nickname “Master Caster”.

“Before Lynn, no one really knew Continued on page 2

Are you ready to order?

Mazal Tov Danny Page 7

Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

Lynn Stalmaster

8 10 11

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press On Friday, Aug. 1, the Dairy Deli is making another long-awaited appearance. That means cherry cheesecake nobody can say no to, blintzes galore and corn chowder in a bread bowl. There will be several kinds of pizza as well as fried cheese sticks with marinara sauce, and you can make your own sundae with your choice of toppings.

Of course, the highlight of any dairy deli is the lox and cream cheese kreplach. Only at the Star Deli, on Friday Aug. 1. Come and get your fill, because before you know it, it will be gone.

“Because our regular Star Deli is meat, we really enjoy shaking things up for Dairy Deli,” says Mike Aparo, Director of Food and Environmental Services at the RBJH. “We know the community loves it, because the house is always full, which makes it even more fun to create new and un-

expected items for the dairy menu.”

This will be the last deli before Tisha B’av. Tisha B’av is the day during which we mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples. It’s is one of the saddest days of the Jewish calendar, and during the nine days leading up to it, we do not eat meat.

“That means there is no better Friday to select for Dairy Deli than this Friday,” Aparo says.

Aparo is still contemplating adding several new menu items this year. In addition to the perennial favorites, he might offer a cream cheese veggie

sub sandwich, challah French toast, or even a dairy Calzone. As of this writing, the final decisions have not yet been made.

The STAR Deli is open every Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition, the Deli is happy to host special occasions and will reserve private dining spaces in the RBJH for large groups. For more information on how STAR Deli Catering can add spice to your events, visit their web page —http://www.rbjh.com/ index. php/starcatering/home — or contact Mike Aparo at 402.334.6522.

Assaf Gavron family from Israel. Assaf Gavron is an Israeli author, translator, and literature professor who will arrive in Omaha in August, 2014, along with his wife Hilla and two daughters, Gali (7) and Maya (4).

The first opportunity to meet Assaf Gavron will come on Sunday evening Aug. 17, 7 p.m. at the JCC Theater, at the screening of the film Zigzag Kid (2012), which will be shown as part of the 2014 Annual Jewish Film Festival.

The film is based on a novel by Israeli author David Grossman; Gavron will speak briefly about the author and the book.

The Schwalb Center’s ability to bring Gavron to Omaha is made possible through a generous grant from the American-Israeli Cooperative Exchange (AICE), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization established in 1993 to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship by emphasizing the fundamental values shared by both nations. Last year, the AICE sponsored UNO’s first Schusterman VIP, Dr. Anat Gilboa.

AICE has been complementary and supportive of the education the Schwalb Center provides the community, as attested to by this second grant. Additional support making this professorship possible was given by Silvia and Larry Roffman, the Deborah and Arthur M. Greene Trust, and the Jewish Federation of Omaha. The Federation is providing Jewish and general education for the Gavron family.

The son of English immigrants, Assaf Gavron grew up in a small village near Jerusalem and currently lives in Tel Aviv. His literary harvest thus far includes five Continued on page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | August 1, 2014

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A busy August at Beth Israel Synagogue

by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Beth Israel Publicity Chair August will be a busy month for Beth Israel as several guests will be presenting a variety of programming opportunities for the community.

Saturday, Aug. 2, the synagogue welcomes Michael Segel as a guest speaker giving the Shabbat sermon, reading the Torah and speaking at Seuda Shlishit.

Michael, a veterinarian, first visited Beth Israel this past year for an unexpected Shabbat stay. He was in Iowa taking part in training on, of all things, pigs, when his flight was cancelled. Taking the situation in stride, he contacted the synagogue, Shabbat arrangements were made and he found himself one step closer to his goal of reading the Torah in all 50 states. During Seudah Shlishit at 8 p.m., Michael will share from his experiences of animals in Jewish law.

Next up on the schedule is the arrival of yeshiva students Yechiel and Noami Munk on Sunday, Aug. 3 who will spend several weeks in Omaha as a part of Project SEED. Rabbi Yisrael Munk and his wife and two yeshiva students are traveling here as part of Project SEED. Project SEED is a program of Torah Umesorah that has the goal of providing every Jewish child and family in North America with an inspiring Torah education. SEED programs feature hundreds of volunteer young men and women spending their summers “off ” working to build Jewish lives in smaller Jewish communities. During their time in Omaha they will lead a variety of classes, do special programs and assist with Shabbat services, all while sharing their love of Judaism with the community. There will be daily learning opportunities following daily Shacharit services, Sundays at 9 a.m. and weekdays at 7 a.m.

Project SEED will also enhance Beth Israel’s Tisha B’Av programming. Tisha B’Av is a day of national mourning commemorating the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Tisha B’Av will be observed at Beth Israel on

Monday evening, Aug. 2 through Tuesday, Aug. 3. On Tuesday, programming will begin at 7 a.m. with Shacharit and Kinnot and continue all day until Maariv at 9:10 p.m.

The official Project SEED “kickoff ” event will be held Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Please join us for a Meet, Greet and Eat: Pizza and Program starting at 5:30 p.m. $6 adults and $4 children (3-13). On Sunday morning, Aug. 10, Project SEED will rededicate Beth Israel’s Sunday morning Bagels and Beis Medrash with a special program - Something for Everyone: Ages 1-120. The program will start at 10 a.m. and include kids’ crafts, learning for both kids and adults. Other Project SEED events will include a Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 1 p.m.; an evening class at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12; and the UNMC Chaburah on Thursday, Aug. 14 at 1 p.m.

On Saturday, Aug. 8, Beth Israel will welcome back Dr. Guy Matalon as a scholar-in-residence. Guy and his wife Elinor, both native Israelis, returned to Israel, along with their four children in 2012. Guy is the Executive Director of the Jerusalem Institute for Jewish Thought, a think tank that researches contemporary Jewish issues. He also teaches at Yeshivat Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. He is the former director of the Center for Jewish Education and the Jewish Federation of Omaha Professor of Judaic Studies in the department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Guy is also the former director of the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at UNO. He will give the Shabbat sermon in addition to a lecture entitled “Living and Loving the Land: Israel, Aliya and the current situation” following the Kiddush luncheon. Services begin at 9 a.m. Guy will also give an afternoon class at 7 p.m. on Chinuch – The Obligation to Educate our Children; Is it Really an Obligation?

All programs are open to the community. For additional information on any Beth Israel programming, please call 402.556.6288.

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Hollywood Insiders return Home for Jewish Reunion Continued from page 1 ist and speechwriter for US Senator Tom Harkin - Iowa, he who John was,” Travolta’s manager, Bob LeMond has been traveled the world before pursuing his film education in known to say.

California.

And, if you pay attention to the credits of a lot of truly At the film’s local sneak preview at the Indian Hills great films, you’ll see Stalmaster’s name.

Theater in 1994, Mirvish said the film rekindled memories Irvin and Estelle moved their family to California in 1938, of working at a Dundee donut shop the summer after high when Lynn was 12. A self-described “shy child”, he came school. “After working at Dippy Donuts (near 60th and “out of his shell” during high school and college via acting. Center) for a summer, people might think you wouldn’t like He enjoyed a good measure of success as a professional donuts, but I liked them even more because they were such actor, though one day while working as an assistant to a good donuts. Omaha (the movie) is a lot like that. I’ve devotgroup of producers, including fellow Omahan Phillip ed so much of my time to it, by all accounts, I should be sick Krasne, he was asked to cast some shows. Soon, he was look- of it, but I’m not.” ing for cowboys for the television western, Gunsmoke.

Dan Mirvish is also an award-winning director, screenThe rest, as they say, is history. Among the projects writer, producer, songwriter and author. Labeled a “cheerful Stalmaster has worked as subversive” by The New York casting director are Tootsie, Times, and “Hollywood’s Bad Superman, The Graduate, Boy” by the St. Louis PostWest Side Story, Welcome Dispatch, Mirvish was named Back Kotter, and Roots. one of Variety’s Top 50 Other titles among his Creatives to Watch and Film Saturday September 13, 1-3 p.m. credits are An Officer and a Festival Today’s Most Panelists: Gentleman, 9 ½ Weeks, and Influential People in Andrew Bernstein, VP Global Publicity Disney Corp.

The Untouchables.

Independent Film.

Rachel Jacobson, Founder/Director Film Streams For many, Stalmaster’s Mirvish made headlines Dan Mirvish, Author, Director, Filmmaker career seems glamorous and around the world as the coLynn Stalmaster, Film Casting Director, retired powerful; being able to create creator (with Eitan Gorlin) of Moderator: true stars; but he has said he the Martin Eisenstadt hoax Mike Kelly, Omaha World Herald Feature Writer doesn’t see it that way. “I don’t during the 2009 presidential think of what I had as power. Decisions were made jointly election. In the wake of the publicity, they got a book deal with the director and producer. I wanted to help make the from Farrar, Straus, Giroux (Faber & Faber) and wrote the best possible film and hire the best possible actors. I had a critically-acclaimed satirical novel I Am Martin Eisenstadt: responsibility not just to my clients, but to the actors as well.” One Man’s Wildly Inappropriate Adventures with the Last Once asked how it feels to now be the dean of his profes- Republicans. sion, he laughed it off, “I’ve just been around the longest!”

As a regular blogger for The Huffington Post, Mirvish disIt’s been twenty years since Dan Mirvish released his first covered “The Hathaway Effect,” correlating upswings in feature film, 1994’s Omaha (the movie) as his master’s thesis publicity for Anne Hathaway with the stock price of Warren for the University of Southern California film school. He Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway company. The effect was then founded the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, widely acknowledged by mainstream media outlets both for Utah. when his film wasn’t accepted at Sundance. its substance and humor.

The movie was filmed almost entirely in Omaha. He He was back in Omaha just last summer when he introrecalled, “During production, I put on 20 pounds because I duced his latest movie, Between Us, at Film Streams in lived at home and was eating home cooking. My mom made August. Mirvish has come a long way since making Super-8 cookies every day for the set. We were a well-fed crew in movies with friends from Lewis & Clark Junior High and Omaha.” will share his memories at the Omaha Jewish Reunion. Join Parents are Dr. Sydney and Linda Mirvish. He grew up both Lynn and Dan, fellow filmmakers and movie aficionanear 59th Street and Underwood Avenue and was a 1985 dos, at the Reunion! Register now, www.omahajewishre graduate of Central high School. union.com.

He attended Washington University in St. Louis and gradThe Omaha World-Herald and The Hollywood uated Phi Beta Kappa. After working as a freelance journal- Reporter contributed to this report.

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August 1, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 3

Robert Nefsky to receive Sower Award

by SHERILYNNE HANSEN mental in organizing the private non-profit Humanities Nebraska (HN) announced partner, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. today that Lincoln attorney Robert Nefsky He subsequently joined its board of direcwill receive the 2014 Sower Award in the tors as a founding member. In the years Humanities. Nefsky will be honored on since, NCE has become a critical source of Wednesday, Sept. 10, during a benefit din- funding for arts and humanities programming in Nebraska. Millions of ner at the Embassy Suites in dollars are distributed from Lincoln, and again at the 19th the public fund (and matched annual Governor’s Lecture in by private donations) to benethe Humanities immediately fit cultural and educational following the dinner. The free public lecture will be held at projects throughout the state. the Lied Center for The NCE is co-sponsored by Performing Arts. the E.N. Thompson Forum on The Sower Award is preWorld Issues and the sented annually to “an indiUniversity of Nebraska. vidual, institution, business, U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet or community that has made Natasha Trethewey will deliva significant contribution to Robert Nefsky er the free public lecture, public understanding of the which is the first event in the current humanities in Nebraska.”

During the late nineties, Nefsky was part of Thompson Forum season, a series titled, a core group of community leaders who The Creative World.

The 7:30 p.m. lecture is free and open to began working with members of the Nebraska Legislature to create a public-private partner- the public. Tickets for the Sept. 10 pre-lecship with the State of Nebraska to support the ture benefit reception and dinner, including programs and projects of Humanities presentation of the Sower Award, will be available for purchase Aug. 1. For more Nebraska and the Nebraska Arts Council.

Following its passage, Nefsky was instru- details visit www.humanitiesnebraska.org.

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Peres finishes political career

by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli President Shimon Peres officially exited Israeli politics as his successor, Reuven Rivlin, was sworn in. The inauguration ceremony for Rivlin at the Knesset was low-key owing to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein opened with a prayer for Israeli soldiers, and mayors from Israel’s embattled South were among the guests.

Peres, 91, recounted highlights of Jewish history and Israel’s establishment as he bade farewell after serving in myriad positions, including as prime minister. He also offered a strident defense of Israel’s current ground invasion of Gaza.

Peres spoke of his desire for peace and said Israelis should be optimistic for a better future in the Middle East. He praised the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, a plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace that was advanced by Saudi Arabia but has not received a response from successive Israeli

governments.

Following Peres’ address, Rivlin was sworn in as Israel’s 10th president. He will serve a seven-year term. Rivlin, 74, a for-

mer Likud lawmaker and Knesset speaker, is known as an advocate for Arab-Israelis and minority rights. He said Thursday that Israel should strive to be “a society where all its members, haredi and secular Jews, Arabs and Jews, veteran citizens and new immigrants all bear responsibility for building the country, and take an equal share in designing its character and its future.”

Meet Assaf Gavron Continued from page 1 novels (Ice, Moving, Almost Dead, Hydromania and The Hilltop), a collection of short stories (Sex in the Cemetery), and a non-fiction collection of Jerusalem falafeljoint reviews (Eating Standing Up). His fiction has been translated into English, German, Russian, Italian, French, Dutch, Swedish, Greek and Bulgarian. He has won numerous literary awards, including the Israeli Prime Minister’s Creative Award for Authors. His fiction was adapted for the stage in Habima, Israel’s national theater, and three of his novels were optioned for movies by Israeli and international film producers. As a translator of fiction, Gavron is responsible for the highly-regarded Englishto-Hebrew translations of J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories, Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint and Jonathan Safran Foer’s novels, among others. He also co-translated his own Almost Dead from Hebrew to English.

The English translation of Gavron’s novel, The Hilltop, is scheduled to be published by Scribner in October 2014. Hailed as “The Great Israeli Novel” (Time Out Tel Aviv) and winner of the prestigious Bernstein Prize, The Hilltop is a monumental and daring work about life in a West Bank settle-

ment. The Schwalb Center is planning to mark that event in early November, 2014.

Beyond his literary work, Gavron was the chief writer of the prize-winning computer game Peacemaker; and he has contributed to numerous newspapers and magazines, writing on subjects ranging from sports to politics, and from music to food. Gavron is also the singer and main songwriter of cult pop group The Foot and Mouth. The group has released five albums.

During the Fall, 2014 semester at UNO, Assaf Gavron will offer two classes. His first class, Israeli Literature of War, will be offered Tuesday evenings, 6-8:40 p.m. at UNO. His second class, American Jewish Literature, will be held at the JCC on Wednesdays, 46:40 p.m. Both classes are designed for UNO students and members of the community who wish to audit them. Seniors over the age of 60 are specifically encouraged to take advantage of UNOs “Senior Passport” program, which enables them to audit up to six UNO classes during the academic year, for $25. For more information about these courses (and others offered by the Schwalb Center), contact us by phone, 402.554.3175 or e-mail mgershovich@unomaha.edu.

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4 | The Jewish Press | August 1, 2014

The Jews of Nebraska City, Part II

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by SARA COHEN Jewish Press Intern Growing up in Nebraska City had its perks and downfalls for young Elberta. Throughout her childhood, she remembered having a Boston Terrier which she named “Jackie Boy,” along with a Shetland pony of her own. Enjoying excursions to Omaha or to the Lincoln football games (including a memorable match against the famed “Four Horsemen” of Notre Dame), Elberta was often the subject of short newspaper expositions. A clipping from the 1922 edition of the Nebraska City News-Press reads, “Elberta Rae Cohen, nine years old, entertained twenty-five little girls at her home, 1111 Second Corso, yesterday…A fishing pond proved very delightful. Each little girl was quite successful at this sport, catching either a horn, whistle, doll, or balloon.”

Following the excerpt is a photo and a list of names of the party-goers.

was curtailed due to the absence of funds during the Great Depression. She went on to attend the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for one year, but returned home before graduating to find a job in Omaha and provide for her mother Sadie who, in spite of her daughter’s insistence, knew that she could rely on her family and the close community in Nebraska City. In a 1989 interview, Elberta recounted, “I can remember my mother (taking) all the money she had, which was all of $3.00, and (sending) it to me because she didn’t need any money at Nebraska City. She could charge everything: groceries, everything. She knew that I would need it.”

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L. Wessel’s & Sons & Co. Dry Goods Store Credit: Peasley A. White Morris and Rae Sara Jacobs at their house. Morris Jacobs was instrumental in the creation of the Jewish Press, and he also coined the slogan, “He ain’t heavy Father, he’s my brother” for Boys Town. Rae Sara was Elberta Cohen’s cousin and lifelong friend.

Elberta attended the local elementary and high schools, graduating from a class of 70 as editor of the newspaper, a state-qualifier in Ancient History, treasurer of the Girls’ Reserve Club, and publicity manager of the Dramatic Club.

Although she asserted that her voice was far from spectacular, she was also active in Glee Club and participated in several productions, taking after her mother and aunt in excelling at piano.

When she was only 14, Elberta’s father, struggling to profit from his own store (Mose Goldberg had sold Sam Goldberg’s store years previously), took his own life, leaving a brief note that read, “Dear Sadie and Elberta – Prefer this way to failing. Private funeral. No flowers. Don’t go into mourning. Dress and go as before. Love, Bob.” Despite the hardships of dealing with the tragic and sudden loss of her father, Elberta continued to gain recognition for her academic achievements, maintaining an average of 100% throughout high school. In 1932, she began her studies at Northwestern University, but her college experience

After working in a number of diverse career fields, Elberta married Harry B. Cohen, an accomplished Omaha attorney.

Though their surnames were the same, Harry’s was the result of his family’s immigration to the United States from Russia in the first decade of the 20th Century. Elberta’s cousin and longtime friend, Rae Sara, and her husband Morris Jacobs, the first manager of The Jewish Press, hosted the couple’s wedding reception. Living in the Blackstone Hotel for a number of years afterwards, Elberta and Harry had a son, Robert; and due to the building’s strict No-Child policy of that time, moved to a house on Hillcrest Drive. In a sense, the multi-generational story came full circle when Bob married Marla Goldberg (again, no relation) of Omaha.

Together, they have four kids, of which I am the second youngest.

In the face of the ever-present hazards of assimilation and the eventual near-suffocation of their religious heritage, the early Jewish families of Nebraska City persevered in their strict adherence to the rituals of faith-restricted marriage and burial while establishing names for themselves to pave the way for future Jewish settlers. Through relating the history of these pioneers, I hope to have cultivated in the readers of The Jewish Press a newfound appreciation for the early Jews of Nebraska City.

August 1, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 5

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Legal Issues Involving Investments

by RUSS KAPLAN Russ Kaplan Investments, Inc. The U.S. Tax Code is extremely complex regarding investments. Certain actions are encouraged, while others discouraged.

The basic rule of thumb regarding tax issues is that making a profit comes first and tax considerations are secondary. In other words, it’s worth it to make a good investment and pay the required taxes.

Some brokerages have designed a variety of tax-shelter investments, which takes advantage of the tax laws’ loopholes.

Many of these shelters such as buying farmland, oil investments, master limited partnerships and more, have resulted in heavy losses for those investors.

The best ways to take advantage of the tax laws are invest-

ments that defer taxes into the future.

The major ones are the Individual Retirement Accounts and company retirement plans (401ks).

The traditional IRA allows an investor to write off the amounts he/she deposits into their IRA. Contributions, interest, dividends, and capital gains are not taxed until taken out during retirement. This works well since once retired you are put into a lower tax bracket.

The ROTH IRA contributions aren’t written off, but taxes on everything in the account are deferred, and Roth IRAs do not require the payment of taxes when withdrawn.

There are also a number of company retirement plans, which are not taxed until taken out with the advantage that the employer often contributes along with you. If you have this option it is your best choice.

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In preparation of the High Holidays, Chevra B’nai Israel Synagogue in Council Bluffs is undergoing some very visible repairs. A new sidewalk and stairway were made possible by an anonymous donor. “We want the Synagogue looking it’s best.

It is very important that we preserve this part of our history”, says Sissy Silber.

T h e Nebraska J e w i s h Historical Society is currently working on an edition of “Memories of the Jewish Midwest, The Council Bluffs Story.” If you have stories and/or photographs of the Council Bluffs Jewish community to share, please call 402.334.6442 or email njhs@jewishomaha.com.

by ZACH KRAUSMAN As part of my Bar Mitzvah, I will read from the Torah the verse that is part of the Grace After Meals, “when you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Lord your G-d, for the good land which G-d has given you.”

Approximately 20 percent of children in Nebraska and western Iowa are at-risk for hunger. Therefore, for my mitzvah project, I would like to help these people by donating food to the Food Bank for the Heartland. Would you please help me by bringing non-perishable items and place them in the buckets I have provided at Beth El. The foods that they need most are peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, canned tuna and chicken, cereal, pancake mix, canned fruit and vegetables, beans, pasta and sauce and boxed meals.

If you are unable to get to Beth El in Omaha, you can still participate in this great mitzvah by calling the synagogue at 402.492.8550 and let them know that you would like to purchase a Buy Beth El Grocery Gift Card to be donated to the Food Bank for the Heartland.

Thanks for your help!

Editor’s note: Are you doing a Mitzvah project, and would you like some help? Email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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6 | The Jewish Press | August 1, 2014

Temple Israel hosts Tri-Faith Picnic Coffee tour

by SCOTT LITTKY Program Director, Temple Israel The Annual Tri-Faith Picnic will take place this year Sunday, Aug. 17 at Temple Israel, 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive, at noon.

There is no better way to fulfill the mission of the Tri Faith Initiative, “To build bridges

discuss a plan to build new homes for their congregations next to each other. After the initial meeting, the two groups realized that they consisted of two Abrahamic religions, and if they were able to find a Christian congregation with which to partner, they could together build something truly historic.

39 Forever had a tour of the LaRue coffee roasting and grinding plant on July 16. If you are interested in information or joining the group, please contact Jim Wax at 402.393.4442 or Judy Katskee at

402.493.8875. Back row: Jake Besser, Sussie Besser, Linda Tederman, Roger Tederman, Jack Noodell, Claire Blass, Larry Blass; front row: Maxine Noodell, Doris Alloy, Carol Lainof, Harry Alloy, Judy Katskee.

Musical visit of respect, acceptance and trust, to challenge stereotypes, to learn from each other and to counter the influence of fear and misunderstanding,” than to join in a communal meal together.

If you’d like to attend, no RSVP is required, though you are asked to bring a dish to share. But please, no pork, shellfish or gelatin. Breads, fruits, vegetarian dishes and salads would be appreciated.

The Tri-Faith Initiative was first proposed in 2006 as a way to build bridges and forge lasting friendships among the three Abrahamic religions--Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Temple Israel and AIISC came together to

By the end of 2011, the three Tri-Faith congregations had together purchased a 35acre plot of land near 132nd and Pacific, land that used to be part of Ironwood Country Club, which was Highland Country Club when it was founded in the 1920s as Omaha’s first Jewish country club at a time when Jews were banned from joining other clubs.

Once completed, the Tri-Faith Initiative will comprise three distinct houses of worship, the first of which, the new Temple Israel, was completed in the fall of 2013.

There will also be a fourth building that will serve as a non-denominational community and education center.

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August 1, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 7

‘The Strange Customs of the Modern Day Jew’

by MARGIE GUTNIK Beth El Synagogue Program Director Long time Beth El Synagogue teacher Andy Greenberg is offering students in his new adult-education class another creative, insightful exploration of Judaism. In The Strange Customs of the Modern Day Jew, beginning on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 10 a.m., students will uncover the origins behind some of the more unusual and often unexplained traditions and rituals that Jews practice. Why do Jews stay silent after hand-washing before saying the motzi? What is the reason for throwing away and burning food? Why kiss or rip parts of clothing? Where did these practices and beliefs originate? Are they still relevant in our lives today? Should modern-day Jews continue or abandon them?

As always, those in class will have the opportunity for discussion and debate. Greenberg put it best when he said, “Every year I try to develop a different class subject that inspires conversation and dialogue as we explore various aspects of Jewish life, its heritage and legacy. This year promises to continue that tradition as we explore the nuances of our traditions, and their purpose, impact and influences on our lives. I look forward to learning with the class and exploring the subject from the point of view of the students’ varied backgrounds while respecting one another’s opinions. That is the core of our monthly gettogethers.”

As with all of Greenberg’s classes, no textbooks or prior knowledge of the subject are necessary. As moderator, Andy presents information and then opens discussion, and, with little encouragement, class members are eager to jump right in. Greenberg welcomes a variety of perspectives feeling that advances the learning that takes place.

All adults in the Jewish community are welcome to join the class. Cost is $36 for Beth El members and $45 for non-members. Visit www.bethel-omaha.org for more information, dates classes will meet and to register.

Arts+Entertainment Karen Sokolof Javitch’s singing group, Karen and Friends will be performing at Werner Park before the Storm Chaser’s game on Monday night, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. “This will be a fun outdoor show at this awesome stadium,” Karen commented. Others who sing her original songs with her include Daniel Denenberg, Elizabeth Liebermann, and Pegi Georgeson.

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Mazal tov, Danny!

After placing first in the State Speech contest, Danny Denenberg represented Nebraska at the National level. He was awarded Honorable Mention and received a plaque for

himself, as well as for his school, Friedel Jewish Academy.

Danny was the youngest of the finalists, and received honorable mention for scoring in the top nine.

Denise Bennett and Danny Denenberg

At State: Rachel Kricsfeld, left, Danny Denenberg and Denise Bennett; back row: Debbie Denenberg and Pam Cohn

Together We Are Stronger

by PAM MONSKY Community Relations Associate, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc. Every day, OneWorld sets out to empower families to lead healthy and productive lives. We have experienced tremendous progress during the last year. Our strength lies in our partnerships with our patients, our staff, our community partners and our donors. Together we become stronger.

Our long term goal of expanding access to quality health care is still a work in progress, but we are making great strides towards achieving that goal. In 2013, OneWorld’s expansion included a clinic in West Omaha that cares for hundreds of medical and dental patients, clearly proving that access to quality medical care is a city-wide concern. Our newest clinic in Northwest Omaha opened in early 2014 and is just as busy.

Our community partnerships have lead to innovative health care options for many families. We opened an integrated clinic at Community Alliance to address the health care needs of

those living with mental illness. A new School Based Health Center at Bryan High School, a collaboration with Building Healthy Futures, has allowed students to be treated for an illnesses early, before it progresses to the point where they miss school. The Learning Community Center, a partnership with the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy County, focuses on parenting, English language and computer skills so that parents can become more involved in their children’s schools.

Our vision going forward emphasizes transforming care, our campus, our clinics and support services into a network of “villages.” This strategy seeks to change the cycle of poverty with the focus on primary health care along with the neighborhood environment, economic stability, education and community groups. The collective impact of our work is to empower individuals in healthier communities. OneWorld has the capacity to transform lives on a very personal level which allows all of us to grow stronger together.

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Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Dave Domina, Candidate for the US Senate will discuss why he should represent Nebraska on Wednesday, Aug. 6, noon, at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. (Note: All the other candidates for the position of Governor, Senator, and Representative have been invited to speak before the general election in November.) An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be

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8 | The Jewish Press | August 1, 2014

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Teaching Tools ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Whenever the world begins sizzling, as it has done these past few weeks, those among us with young children wonder what to tell them. Some parents choose to not watch the news with children in the room, so as not to expose them to these horrifying images before they are ready. I think that is as good a decision as any; besides, parents usually know best what their own child can and cannot handle.

In our house, that’s not really an option. My husband and I talk, a lot, about everything and anything. And when it comes to politics, we don’t hold back, ever. Lucky for us, we were blessed with children who are curious, who know when to ask questions and how to create context. They also know when to walk away, which is an important trait when you’re just learning to flex your intellectual muscle.

A few weeks ago, my 12-year-old daughter installed the Red Alert app on both our phones. It monitors the rocket attacks in Israel; an alarm sounds every time Israelis have to seek shelter. It’s awkward to carry around in Omaha; it sounds while I’m in line at the bookstore, the supermarket, driving my car, while I’m in meetings. And although our nine-year-old son spent the entire first week asking “Tornado or rocket?” it’s proven a great teaching tool.

The siren forces us to drop what we’re doing and think about what’s happening far away. At the exact moment loved ones in Israel run for shelter, we are thinking about what they’re going through. It gives us an opportunity to raise our awareness, and talk about important issues. We’re learning that after midnight in Israel, the citizens of Ashdod don’t get a full night’s sleep, because the siren sounds every two hours. It means we’re noticing how annoying it is to just hear the siren, and we are trying to imagine what it’s like to have to go through that for real.

We can’t, but we’re trying. And if that comes with some people staring while I’m buying groceries, and thinking we’re a little weird, so be it.

Of course, with the crash of Malaysia Flight 17, we added extra tragedy to the mix at our house.

Watching the remains of 193 Dutch citizens arrive at the airport in Eindhoven, seeing the seemingly endless parade of pine boxes loaded into black hearses has been hard. We’ve watched a country mourn.

Because I was born and raised in the Netherlands, this is a country my children associate with family and friends and great vacations. A country that they take ownership of, a country they love deeply and miss every day, without being able to explain why this happened.

There is no why; there is only grief.

“I mostly have opinions about world events because you tell me what to think,” my daughter said the other day. “I listen to what you say and it shapes my opinions.”

I told her she probably needs to start thinking for herself.

She’s reaching an age where awareness of the world around her cannot simply mean mimicking what’s said at the dining room table. She’s ready for the next stage: asking impossible questions, disagreeing with me, finding her own way. She’ll get it enthusiasti-

cally wrong from time to time, and that’s okay too. She’ll eventually go through that post-adolescent idealistic phase, she’ll want to fix things, and she’ll know everything better than I do. And if she’s anything like me, I’m in for it.

Teaching children how to respond to tragedy and political upheaval has a lot to do with teaching them how to take in information. It’s as much about the what, how, where and who as it is about when to step away. When they are very young, we have to do that for them; the older they get, the more transparent our conversations become.

It’s not easy to admit to our children that bad things happen, all the time. It’s even harder to explain to them that sometimes there is no reason at all for those bad things. Life is chaotic, and the human race is extremely good at making a mess of things. We’d all like to shelter our kids from that. While that’s okay when they are really young, kids eventually grow up, and we have to help them make sense of the bad stuff.

That includes sometimes admitting that we don’t have any answers.

This seems to be one of those times. Today, the lesson we have to teach our children is: there is no lesson. There is no explaining, there is no preaching, and there is no telling people how they should respond. There is only grief.

Invest in Jewish children

Focus on issues ELLY LIBIN

(JNS.org) My wife Suzy and I will never forget our wedding day. It was not just the uplifting ceremony and beautiful party that left an indelible mark. Some life-altering advice that we received from one of our guests informed and shaped our lives from that day forward.

My high school teacher, Rabbi Moshe Yagid, pulled us aside just before the chuppah and challenged us to choose one mitzvah that would be the foundation of our marriage and our lives. He explained that we would have to work as a team to ensure that every facet of our chosen mitzvah would be fulfilled appropriately for the long term, and that this challenge would keep us focused and grounded.

We decided that building Jewish families would become our mission for life.

As Suzy and I began building a family of our own, we became intimately involved in Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services, bringing scores of Jewish children into our home as active foster parents. The relationships we developed with each child were precious reminders that providing children with a safe home and a strong education would set the stage for a healthy future and allow them to develop the emotional tools they needed to build stable and loving families of their own.

Though this sounds basic, especially to those of us who were blessed to grow up within such a framework, the truth

(Founded in 1920) Andrew Ruback President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Jessie Wees Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Thierry Ndjike Bookkeeper

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of the matter is that countless children around the world grow up without the love, support and resources they so desperately need, and wind up with serious deficiencies of these very elemental ingredients for healthy growth and development.

In addition to providing our children with love, support, and a top-notch education, we also make sure to stress the importance and centrality of Torah values. To maintain the appropriate balance and deliver the right messages, we send our children to schools that value higher education and Torah equally.

In our minds, it is not enough for us to raise a child who will build a single healthy family. We want our children to become contributing members of the Jewish community, individuals who will constantly give of themselves to build up their neighborhoods, cities and society at large.

Living with this healthy preoccupation, I joined the board of Friends of the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT). As a leader in the field of higher education in Israel that is at the forefront of educating otherwise-forgotten Israeli populations, including the haredi and Ethiopian communities and religious women, JCT was a perfect fit for me. Working with JCT—an institution that provides a framework of educational support and professional training in a Torah-rich environment—allows me to make a difference on the individual, familial and societal levels simultaneously, and sets an example for my children regarding the kind of impact they can make on the world with the right partners.

And the impact is truly phenomenal. Many of JCT’s stu-

dents are the first members of their families to pursue higher education. By providing them with serious opportunities for personal and academic growth, we are not only shaping their careers, but securing the futures of their entire families.

In turn, each family’s financial health drastically improves Israeli society as a whole.

We often forget the impact that a single educated child can make on the world. Armed with the right tools, a Jewish child can become the ultimate builder, transforming personal success into a boon for his family and community, as well as the entire Jewish world.

Instead of bemoaning our societal woes, as we so often do, our energies would be better spent ensuring that every Jewish child is provided for appropriately—mind, body and soul. A confident, well-rounded Jewish child will build a strong and Torah-centered Jewish household, dedicate himself to the cultivation of the global Jewish community, and ease, if not alleviate, numerous societal tensions.

Years later, Suzy and I are so thankful to Rabbi Yagid for forcing us to choose a single direction for our life’s work.

Our dedication to the development of Jewish families has, indeed, kept us grounded. More importantly, it has allowed us to stay focused on the unbridled potential for true greatness within every Jewish child.

Elly Libin is president of Broad Comm, Inc., a consulting group specializing in wireless communications. He is also executive director of the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance and president of Friends of the Jerusalem College of Technology (www.friendsofjct.org).

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, 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.

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August 1, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 9

The faux investigations of Human Rights Watch

Behind the headlines SARAH GARFINKEL (JNS.org) On July 21, Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), sarcastically tweeted, “People accept @HRW reporting as fair & accurate around the globe but when it comes to poor, helpless, defenseless #Israel we’re suddenly biased.” Now, the first half of Roth’s statement is specious. HRW is roundly and widely criticized across the globe for its politicized approach and false reporting.

But the more important question relates to the second part of Roth’s antagonistic and unprofessional Twitter rant: Why is Roth so worried about HRW’s work on Israel?

One place to start is the pattern of false accusations and invented or totally distorted legal language, which NGO Monitor and others have identified in HRW’s reports on Israel’s actions in Gaza (2012 and 2008-9), Lebanon (2006), and Jenin (2002). As opposed to rigor and expertise, HRW “investigations” reflect anti-Israel bias, lack of research methodology, and flat-out fabrications.

For instance, during Israel’s November 2012 response to Gaza rocket attacks, an 11-month-old baby was tragically killed. Citing “news reports and witnesses,” HRW immediately blamed Israel for the child’s death. HRW’s “investigation” was revealed to be faulty when a detailed U.N. analysis confirmed that, in fact, the death was caused by “a Palestinian rocket that fell short of Israel.” By the time the truth came out, though, HRW’s damage was already done.

More egregious were HRW’s reports during the 2006 Lebanon War, with numerous false claims attributed to “eyewitnesses” from territory fully controlled by Hezbollah.

After an attack in Qana, HRW claimed a number of casualties that were nearly double the on-site figure provided by

the Red Cross. Similarly, in the town of Srifa, HRW claimed that no less than 42 civilians died in an Israeli attack. After more than a year of promoting this false accusation, HRW finally admitted that 22 people died and of these, 17 were armed combatants.

Going back a decade, HRW was instrumental in initiating and perpetuating the Jenin “massacre” myth in the immediate aftermath of Israel’s operation Defensive Shield (2002).

HRW published an “investigative report” titled “Jenin: IDF Military Operations,” based primarily on unverifiable “eyewitness testimony” from Palestinians. The report consisted of false charges that “IDF military attacks were indiscriminate… failing to make a distinction between combatants and civilians… and vastly disproportionate.” That Palestinians had located a terror center in the middle of a densely populated neighborhood — a clear violation of moral and legal standards — was ignored.

In each instance, HRW’s “reports” lack professional standards and research methodologies, and show a deep-seated ideological bias against Israel. HRW does not possess the military expertise to conduct proper investigations that would lead to their conclusions. The faux-research is then repeated without question in the international media. And every time the allegations are repeated, new rounds of antiIsrael headlines and condemnations are triggered.

The same has already occurred during the current fighting.

On July 16, HRW presented the findings of its “investigation” into four Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. In a statement, HRW alleges that Israel “either did not attack a legitimate military target or attacked despite the likelihood of civilian casualties being disproportionate to the military gain.”

According to HRW, “such attacks committed deliberately or recklessly constitute war crimes.”

However, when reading the statement, it becomes clear

Finding equality in a Jerusalem bomb shelter

that the “investigations” consist of conversations with people in Hamas-controlled Gaza who may or may not have witnessed the event, as well as recycling media accounts. HRW attempts to create a façade of expertise, writing that it “could not determine the weapons used in [one] attack,” as if its assessments would be in any way meaningful.

Furthermore, establishing whether or not IDF targeted legitimate military objectives and used proportional force would require knowledge of intelligence possessed by Israeli commanders at the time of the strikes, and information on the officer’s intent. Since HRW cannot and does not possess this information, its “evidence” consists solely of ignorance and Israel’s refusal to explain its operational decisions. Since HRW “found no evidence that any of the victims was a member of an armed group or that there was a military objective in the area,” then it must be so.

Yet, the media continue to uncritically quote HRW as expert spokespeople on human rights and international law.

CNN’s Wolf Blizter (July 16) cited Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW, “Israel’s rhetoric is all about precision attacks but attacks with no military target and many civilian deaths can hardly be considered precise.”

Israeli minister Naftali Bennett responded correctly that HRW is nothing more than a radical left-wing political group. Whitson also told United Arab Emirates-based The National (July 16) that “recent documented cases in Gaza sadly fit Israel’s long record of unlawful airstrikes with high civilian casualties.”

This is base demonization of Israel, from a senior member of HRW’s staff no less. Unfortunately, however, it is consistent with the unethical standards set by the head of the organization.

Sarah Garfinkel is deputy editor of the Jerusalem-based research institution NGO Monitor.

Letters TO THE EDITOR

Behind the headlines AARON D. PANKEN

quietly and await the “all clear.” For a few minutes, the divergent, contradictory and competitive streams of life in Israel all converge, and human safety becomes the sole communal objective.

Walking on the street in Jerusalem when the alarm sounds, the scene is even more profound. As people move to their private shelters, whoever happens to be on the street is welcomed in, no questions asked. Shopkeepers, normally reticent to share their precious stockrooms with strangers, welcome passers-by into their inner sanctum without hesitation. Doors everywhere fly rapidly open, and the true

NEW YORK (JTA) – When the siren sounded, the Rolling Stones’ tortured 1969 track “Gimme Shelter” popped into my head, oddly enough.

That haunting song offered a stunning reminder of the endless horrors of war, reawakening a sleepy world with a vivid musical picture of human pain in times of combat.

Merry Clayton’s evocative vocalization of disturbing lyrics over a harsh musical background focused global attention on the awful realities of the Vietnam War. Nowadays, though, one hardly requires a song to experience war -live news feeds, endless websites and constant e-alerts inundate us with such input constantly. Such has certainly been the case with the ongoing Gaza-Israel crisis of the past weeks.

Often ignored amid the images we see, however, are the more human sides of military conflict.

Last week in Jerusalem, I witnessed this more human side. It started in a crowded lecture hall when the alarming, warbling music of the first siren in the city immediately captured the attention of all present. Quickly, though not very Israelis gathering in a public bomb shelter in the southern city of Ashkelon, July 18, quietly, we filed into the “miklat” -2014. Credit: Miriam Alster/Flash 90 the shelter located in the basement of almost every building in Israel. value of “hakhnasat orhim” – welcoming the stranger – hapMany Israelis do this with a practiced nonchalance pens all over the country. learned over many wars and missile attacks. They roll their On buses and in cars, the same principle holds true, for eyes at the inconvenience, remark on the fact that a little wherever one stops, one is welcomed. Such shared vulnerasiren can take precedence over even the most important bility unites the country, reminding everyone of their conversation or event, chuckle at morbid jokes and general- inescapable linkage to state and people, shared government ly riff on the annoyance of such happenings. and collective fate.

It is, I suppose, a way of normalizing the abnormal -- if This particular night, I happened to be with a group of our quotidian life can continue even in the face of the fear, then North American students who had come to Jerusalem just the victory of Hamas, Hezbollah or whoever the present days before to begin the first year of their studies to become enemy may be is thereby restricted and limited. rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators. It was surreal for them, In the shelter, the most remarkable equality reigns. Babies, to be sure, these young visitors so recently transplanted into young children, teens, soldiers, the elderly are all there -- the a new and foreign culture at a very challenging time. entire cycle of life walks down those stairs to seek safety, Along with a palpable nervousness, what emerged with with all its glories and challenges blatantly displayed. Those them as we left the shelter together and dispersed into the bedecked in yarmulkes or dressed in the black suits and hats balmy Jerusalem night was a sense of being at one with their of the haredi Orthodox stand alongside those who live people. A people sheltered together, against whatever the Reform, Conservative, secular or more postmodern lives, world might tender. along with Israeli Arabs, Druze, Christians and others.

Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D, is the president of Hebrew Some pray, others recite Psalms, some chat, but most sit Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Dear Editor: There was an article in the Jewish Press (July 18) which I totally agree with, demanding U.S. action against anti-gay persecution abroad.

I think also we should demand U.S. action against persecution of Jews and Christians abroad. Jews and synagogues in France are being attacked by Muslim mobs. Christians in the middle east and Africa are being murdered by Muslim fanatics. As far as I know, president Obama has not said a word about either problem. America needs to assert some leadership.

Sincerely, Maynard Telpner Talent, Oregon Dear Editor: I was extremely impressed with your article in the July 18 issue. I think you were right-on about how people process the information we’re constantly exposed to via the media, lectures, speeches, word-of-mouth. This article should be seen by the American public, not just the Jewish Press readers. Thank you for saying what I have thought about for a long time.

Diana Hahn, La Jolla, CA.

Al Franken vs. BDS

by DANIEL TREIMAN “SNL” funnyman-turned-U.S. senator Al Franken apparently doesn’t think that the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is a laughing matter.

JTA’s Ron Kampeas spoke with several attendees at a meeting between Jewish leaders and Democratic senators, and was told that Franken offered to use his unique skill set to take on the BDS movement.

Here’s the relevant excerpt from our article on the meeting: Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), a former comedian and Saturday Night Live regular, noted his continuing popularity as a campus speaker and said he would use that platform to push back against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which he called “pernicious.”

Much of the talk at the annual meeting between Democratic senators and Jewish groups kept coming back to anti-Semitism in Europe. The recurring theme, brought up both by the senators and the Jewish leaders, was a measure of the anxiety aroused by recent reports of attacks on European Jews, according to participants.

10 | The Jewish Press | August 1, 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.

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

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Mini-minyannaires, 10:45 a.m.; Shabbat Afternoon Basketball, 1 p.m. meet in the west parking lot; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m.

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

SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m.

MONDAY-Erev Tisha B’Av: Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY-Tisha B’Av: Morning Services, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 1 p.m.; Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m.

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

THURSDAY: Picnic for Beth El kids who attend Friedel Academy, 6 p.m.

Chef ’s Demo at the Rose Blumkin Home, Friday, Aug. 8, 1:30 p.m. Debbie Roitstein will be our guest chef.

Shabbat Services, Saturday, Aug. 9, 9:30 a.m. with guest speaker, Steve Riekes.

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

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

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha, 8 p.m.; Guest Speaker, Michael Segel, 8:15 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:35 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY-Erev Tisha B’Av: Mincha, “A different sorrow with project SEED, Ma’ariv and Eicha, 7:45 p.m.

TUESDAY-Tisha B’Av: Shacharit followed by Kinnot, 7 a.m.; Tisha B’av Kinnot Discussion, videos, all day classes, 8 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv and SEED lecture, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: SEED Kickoff Event: Meet, Greet and Eat: Pizza and Program, 5:30 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: UNMC Chaburah with SEED, 1 p.m.

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.

MONDAY-Erev Tisha B’Av: Mincha and Eicha, 8 p.m.

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 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.

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

FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Michael Boekstal with oneg following hosted by Marc Shkolnick.

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

SUNDAY: Cantillation Class, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY-Tisha B’Av: Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: High Holiday Choir Rehearsal, 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.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Candlelighting Friday, August 1, 8:23 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 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: Summer Shabbat Evening Services: A Pause for Reflection, 6 p.m.; Davening & Dining with Rabbi Azriel at Pasta Amore, 7 p.m., 11027 Prairie Brook Road.

Congregants are invited to enjoy no host Shabbat dinner with Rabbi Azriel after Friday evening services. Please RSVP by contacting the Temple Israel office, RSVP@templeis raelomaha.com or 402.556.6536.

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

SUNDAY: TED Talk, 11 a.m.

THURSDAY: Summer Thursday Morning Study Group, 10 a.m. Session will be led by the group.

Summer Shabbat Evening Services: A Pause for Reflection, Friday, Aug. 8, 6 p.m.

Temple Israel Annual Golf Outing, Monday, Aug. 18, noon at Shadow Ridge Country Club. The schedule is as follows: Lunch, noon ; Shotgun, 1 p.m.; Cocktails, 5:30 p.m. followed

by Dinner with cash bar at 6 p.m. The cost is per participant is $135 and includes 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, driving range and dinner. (Singles — we’ll find a group for you to join!). Dinner Only is $30.

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-Erev Tisha B’Av: Tifereth Israel office closed for Tisha B’av; Eicha (Lamentations), 8:30 p.m.

TUESDAY-Tisha B’Av: Tifereth Israel office closed for Tisha B’av.

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.

JTA: Tisha b’Av in a time of rockets, tunnels and death

by EDMON J. RODMAN LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- After weeks of missiles falling on Israel and bombs dropping on Gaza, we land on Tisha b’Av. With the day-to-day images of explosions and tunnels so fresh, I wondered how they might connect to my mid-summer night’s struggle with the somber holiday’s relevance.

Tisha b’Av, this year starting on the evening of Aug. 4, is a day on which we are supposed to mourn for the destruction of the First and Second Temples. I say “supposed to” because each year I become less certain -- as I suspect is the case for many American Jews -- as to why I mourn.

On Tisha b’Av we are forbidden to eat, bathe, have sex and wear leather (it’s considered a luxury). But do we really mourn the loss of the Temple enough to forego all that?

Enough to want to see the Temple rebuilt?

The promotional copy for a recent Second Temple “3D experience” DVD says it “will transport you back in time” and that “it’s like having a personal guided tour of the Second Temple.” On Tisha b’Av, wouldn’t that alone do it for many of us?

Every year, to prepare for Tisha b’Av, I practice a few verses of Eicha, the Book of Lamentations -- a dirge that tells of the tragedy of Jerusalem’s destruction -- to chant at my minyan’s evening service. However, even with an uneasy review of the historic loss and the national tragedy, I have found it increasingly difficult to connect with a text from a distant time filled with a sorrow that I can comprehend only through footnotes.

But when watching the news one night and seeing a video of an Iron Dome missile intercepting a Gaza rocket, I found myself saying, “God, don’t let it miss.” Then I thought that Jews around the world were probably saying that simple prayer, too. I began to get some insight into why we mourn on the Ninth of Av. As a baby boomer born in the 1950s, I have never known

a world without the State of Israel. Gen X’ers and Millennials know that same reality. As a kid, I had a bar mitzvah where I received a stack of Jewish National Fund tree certificates. As an adult, I saw my own kids go on Birthright trips. A world with Israel is the world as it’s supposed to be.

Thousands of missiles fired (more than 2,000 at this writing), though mostly missing their intended targets, scored a direct hit on my world as I know it. As a result, I got myself to a pro-Israel rally. “From where will our help come?” asked a rabbi there, chanting from psalms.

Afterward, remembering the worried faces in the crowd that day, and my own apprehension, I can see that Tisha b’Av connects to feelings about communal loss, shared pain and the potential for history to repeat itself.

The feeling is a kind of anxiety that grows with the numbers of tunnels dug up and civilians killed, and begins to float freely as other countries and international organizations weigh in with what they think Israel should do.

To counteract that feeling of anxiety, I had to do some digging of my own.

Returning to Eicha, I recalled its opening verse, “Lonely sits the city/Once great with people!”

This year, with air raid sirens blaring and Israelis taking

shelter underground, has the potential to connect us to their experience.

At the same time, however, I realized that Eicha and Tisha b’Av make for an imperfect shelter in a world in which Jews - no matter how justified world leaders say we are in defending ourselves -- are still being held responsible for much of the death and destruction in this conflict. With every photo of a bombed hospital, and especially with the death of a child, the world seems to ask: Why are you mourning?

I am mourning and fasting, I would say, as a response to those in the world who wrongfully perceive us as the willful perpetrators of destruction. It reminds me of the baseless hatred that is said to have brought down the Second Temple.

Before Tisha b’Av and its day of fasting, it is also traditional to eat a “seudah mafseket,” a small final meal. Often consisting of a hard-boiled egg and a piece of bread with some ashes, it is eaten while seated on the floor, without conversation.

I have never tried it, but this year, eating the bread will connect me to all the Jews who have come before, and the ash will connect to me to our tragedies. And as I chew on the egg, I also will think of Passover, and the egg on the seder plate, representing the renewal of life. In the silence, I will mourn Israeli soldier Max Steinberg, a 24-year-old man originally from L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, who just had a hero’s funeral in Israel.

Will I need a war every year to get into Tisha b’Av? No. But this year I will chant Eicha as a cautionary tale whose mournful tone echoes in our time. “Renew our days as of old!” exclaims the book’s final verse -- a hopeful ending in which, in these days of missiles and tunnels, we can all find meaning.

Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life.

August 1, 2014 | The Jewish Press | 11

In memoriam WILLIAM “BILL” ASHLEY Bill Ashley passed away on June 30 at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Services were held July 3 at Temple Israel Cemetery followed by a memorial service at Temple Israel.

He is survived by his wife Joyce Ashley of 28 years; daughters and sons-in-laws, Jill Ashley-Grochowski and Jason Grochowski and Julie Ashley and Jim Prohaska; son, David Rosen; grandchildren: Drew, Cole, Brynn and Zevin.

Bill graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was President of Phi Kappa Psi. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. Bill owned Crest Petroleum Corp, CFM Marketing Systems Inc., (Convenient Food Mart Franchise). Suds City Carwashes and Bushy Johns. He was co-owner of Omaha Ice Co., and Crestwood Shops. Bill was District Governor of Rotary International; and past President of Suburban Rotary, Nebraska Petroleum Marketers, Omaha Oilman’s Club, and Nebraska Grocery Industry Association. He served on the board of Directors for the following organizations: Petroleum Marketers of America, United AG, Omaha Safety Council, UNO Maverick Hockey Blue Line Club, Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame, Omaha Symphony Men’s Council, PTA and Youth for Understanding. Bill was service oriented locally and internationally in numerous organizations. He hosted several exchange students who became “members of his family.”

Memorials may be made to Temple Israel, Beth El Synagogue, Suburban Rotary Charitable Foundation or the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

HERBERT H. KAIMAN Herbert H. Kaiman passed away on July 11. Services were held July 13 at Temple Israel Cemetery Chapel.

He was preceded in death by daughter Cheryl, mother Reva Bolotnikov, and father Jack Kaiman.

He is survived by his wife Judy; daughter, Susan Lawler; daughter and son-in-law, Helene and Cary Paulin; son, Michael Kaiman; grandchildren: Amy, Andrea, Brandon, Ben, Callista, Shandon and Jairon.

Memorials may be made to Temple Israel or organization of your choice in Herb’s name.

First female rabbi, Regina Jonas, commemorated

by JTA NEWS STAFF PRAGUE (JTA) — A memorial plaque to Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi, was unveiled at the former Nazi concentration camp Terezin in the Czech Republic.

Several female rabbis from Jonas’ native Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States — notably Sally Priesand, who in 1972 became the first American female rabbi — attended Thursday’s ceremony in the camp’s former columbarium.

Jonas, a Berlin native, was ordained in 1935 and served the Jewish community in the German capital until her deportation to Terezin in 1942. Two years later she was murdered in Auschwitz at 42.

Rabbi Regina Jonas “Rabbi Jonas’ unique genius and perseverance allowed her to overcome the prejudices of the past, an achievement that continues to serve as a model,” said Lesley Weiss, head of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, which organized the ceremony.

During her internment in Terezin, Jonas continued to lecture, preach and provide pastoral care to fellow inmates. She also worked for a crisis intervention service set up by the prisoners.

“Her particular job was to meet those who just arrived at the station and help them cope with shock and disorientation,” said Jan Munk, the director of the Terezin Memorial.

Jonas’ life and work was largely forgotten until the 1990s when her personal archive was rediscovered in Berlin.

“I did not know about Regina Jonas, and I only discovered her as everyone else has,” Priesand, 68, told JTA. “I feel like we are almost kindred spirits, and I’m glad we came to dedicate her plaque in order to restore her story.”

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MARILYN (BRESLOW) SCHNEIDER Marilyn (Breslow) Schneider passed away on July 6 at age 68. Services were held on July 8 at Weil Funeral Home in Cincinnati.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Laurence M. Schneider; son and daughter-in-law, Brandon and Rebecca Schneider of Alexandria, VA and daughter and son-in-law, Ann and Adam Walter; brothers and sisters-in-law, Arieh and Anne Breslow of Israel and John and Sonia Breslow of Scottsdale, AZ; grandchildren: Zach and Ryan Schneider and Ava Walter.

Memorials may be made to the Marilyn Breslow Schneider Memorial Fund, c/o Fifth Third Bank, 9477 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242.

To Submit obituaries to the Jewish Press: Email to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.

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Did You Know: The Institute for Holocaust Education’s exhibit Searching for Humanity: Veterans, Victims, and Survivors of World War II has become a permanent exhibit at the Strategic Air and Space Museum! The exhibit is based on letters and artifacts from U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Clarence O. Williams, an Army medic in the 42nd Rainbow Division in the European theatre during the last years of the war. A central element of the exhibit is the eyewitness account of Williams in a letter he wrote as he entered the Dachau concentration camp in the spring of 1945. The exhibit was curated by the IHE and designed by Placzek Studios. Since the exhibit was installed in 2011, nearly 2,000 students have visited it on field trips.

The museum is located near Ashland, NE at I-80 Exit 426. The museum is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Summer hours thru Sept. 1 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Admission is $12 for adults; $11 for seniors and military (active and retired); $6 for children ages 4-12. Guided tours are available by arrangement with the IHE for $6 (our exhibit only). Request a $1 off coupon from the IHE for your personal visit. Contact Donna Walter at dwalter@ ihene.org or 402.334.6453.

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12 | The Jewish Press | August 1, 2014

Our

Community in the News The entire community is invited to the opening reception on

August 10, 2014 2 : 0 0 - 4 : 0 0 P M | J C C G A L L E RY

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than a donation.

This exhibit is made possible through the generous support of the Carl Frohm Memorial Foundation.

Opening reception courtesy of the Ruth Frisch and Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund, an endowment tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your legacy. fund established at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.