August 2, 2013

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

Cancer:what we must know

August 2, 2013 26 Av 5773 Vol. 93 | No. 46

This Week

by JULIANNE DUNN HERZOG servant to cut off her malignant of six children, announced that she response of Ashkenazi Jewish It never occurred to me that I would breast to the last patient of the book, had undergone a double prophylactic women to the disclosure of her gebe writing the name Angelina Jolie on Germaine, who fought a six-year mastectomy because she learned that netic testing and her subsequent acthe same page as the world famous fight against gastrointestinal cancer. she had a hereditary mutation on the tion in response to the results. Dr. cancer physician/scientist Henry T. Lynch, M.D., chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha. Nor did I think that Kenneth Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., breast oncologist and director of the Eppley Cancer Institute for Research in Cancer and the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center of the UniKenneth H. Cowan, M.D., Ph.D. Henry T. Lynch, M.D. Carrie Snyder, MSN, RN, APNG, AOCNS versity of Nebraska Medical Center, also in Omaha, would Neither knew each other but both BRCA1 gene. She was tested because Cowan said that women were calling end up on that same page. fought the same silent enemy as did her mother died from ovarian cancer. oncology centers across the country But that is the way it is with cancer, all the patients and doctors and famAlthough more common in the in a panic, demanding to be put on a the great leveler, the Emperor of All ilies in between and going forward.

Ashkenazi Jewish population, non- surgical schedule for prophylactic Maladies described by Siddhartha Cancer grants no favors, honors no Jewish persons can be affected by mastectomy and hysterectomy beMukherjee in his Pulitzer Prize-win- exemptions and affects individuals hereditary cancer. Ms. Jolie’s ethnic cause they, too, were worried about ning book of the same name. without regard to fame or fortune. background was not publicly dis- the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Mukherjee tells the 4000-year Which brings us back to Angelina cussed, so it is unknown whether or Dr. Cowan said that there should story of cancer from the Persian Jolie. In early 2013, this famous ac- not she has Jewish origins. be no such thing as an “emergency” Queen Atossa, who commanded her tress, fiance of Brad Pitt and mother But there was no uncertainty in the Continued on page 2

Connie Stilwell and the Road to Humor Page 3

Eating smart at every meal Page 8

Creighton/UNMC Fellows A ride to remember honor Dr. Paul Fine The shanda factor Page 16

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memorium

This Month Rosh Hashanah See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

12 14 15

by JEREMY WRIGHT creation of this combined program.

Psychiatrists in the combined Started over twenty years ago, the Creighton/UNMC Fellowship recog- Creighton/UNMC Child and Adonized their teacher Dr. Paul Fine for lescent Psychiatry now attracts applihis contribution to this unique program. The Fellows awarded Dr. Fine with the Child Psychiatry “Best Teacher” award.

According to Assistant Professor Joan Daughton, “Dr. Fine’s leadership and wisdom has allowed for interdisciplinary learning and teaching which has brought the fellowship training in family therapy and developmental foundations to another level.”

While presenting the award, Dr. Namita Dhiman said Dr. Fine was being recognized for his Dr. Paul Fine with his award “immense” contributions to the program over “many, many cants from all over the country. The years.” According to Dr. Nathan Her- fellowship accepts 3-4 doctors per man, Dr. Fine was chosen due to his year into the two year program, “incredible depth of experience.” which includes inpatient, outpatient In fact, Dr. Fine was critical to the and residential training. This year, Dr. Fine’s students have been offered positions here in Omaha as well as in Minnesota and New York.

This award is no surprise to the psychologists and therapists who work with Dr. Fine at Kids Incorporated. He provides supervision for therapists and psychologists there and sets the clinical and moral tone for the organization.

Over thirty years ago, Creighton Continued on page 3

Mark Kohn, left, and John Ferrin

by MARK KOHN It was the summer of 2000 that my friends Joe Erman, Bruce Hoberman, and Jon Okun encouraged me to start bike riding with them. Over the last 13 years, we have taken numerous bike trips, ridden countless miles on the trails around Omaha and even named ourselves “The Hebrew National Bike Team”. Over time, I started to have an interest in doing an organized ride; but the other team members really had no interest in participating in one.

On a cold March morning, while I was at the JCC working out on an elliptical machine, John Ferrin, who was on the machine next to me, casually mentioned that he was thinking about riding in

BRAN (Bike Ride Across Nebraska) this year. I just looked at him and said, “I’ll do it with you.”

By the end of that day, I was registered for the ride.

It was a few weeks later that John informed that he was registered, and that his 16-year-old grandson Jacob was also going to ride with us. I thought how lucky they were to be able to do that together.

Now, all John and I had to do was get into bike shape! The cold and wet spring made it difficult to get in the necessary training that is recommended for a seven-day, 471 mile bike ride. Thanks to the physical fitness instructors at the JCC, we were able to do a number of spinning, weight training, and boot Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | August 2, 2013

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For an appointment, please call 402.330.4014 or visit kids-incorporated.com

Cancer: what we must know Continued from page 1 prophylactic mastectomy or hysterectomy due to BRCA1 or 2 gene mutation. These are not women who have cancer.

These are women who are Jewish, Ashkenazi, and now aware of a possible risk of hereditary cancer.

The awareness of risk is good. The panic is not.

For most, there is plenty of time to consider the options available for a comprehensive risk assessment by a specialist to define their risk of developing cancer and to develop a plan to manage that risk.

Educating oneself about the danger signs is the first step.

A recent article in the genetics section of the July/August 2013 Moment magazine set forth the signs of a possible hereditary cancer: If any member of a family had any of the following: • Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and breast cancer before age • 60; • Breast cancer at age 50 or younger; • Breast cancer in both breasts at any age; • Both breast and ovarian cancer; • Male breast cancer; • “Triple negative” breast cancer; and • Ovarian or fallopian tube cancer at any age. and/or more than one relative on the same side of the family with any of these cancers: • Breast cancer; • Ovarian or fallopian tube cancer; • Prostate cancer; • Pancreatic cancer; • Melanoma.

If any of the above apply to you and you are worried, then you can do several things, Dr. Cowan said, to reduce your risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer: Lifestyle changes: Get your weight under control for your age, height and body build; If you drink alcohol, restrict your drinking to one drink per day; Don’t smoke.

Screening: Breast self-exam monthly: If you don’t know how to do that, ask your primary care doctor or nurse; Annual screening mammogram; If there is a family history, then a mammogram 5 years before the onset of cancer of the first family member and then yearly; MRI as recommended by the physician.

If you are still worried and need to know more about the risk you are facing and the best course of action, your next stop could be an oncologist or a genetics specialist for a complete family and personal history to identify risk.

You can find an oncologist at either Creighton University or UNMC; you can find a genetics specialist at the Hereditary Cancer Center at Creighton University where you will see Dr. Lynch and genetics nurse specialist Carrie Snyder, APRN-CNS, MSN, APNG. Families of this community have long been a part of the extended family hereditary cancer groups at Creighton.

What will happen there is a thorough family history and what is called a “kindred” history. If you have ever seen a

geneology map done by someone for a hobby, well, that is what you will be doing with the added information as to whether or not any member of the family had cancer.

This family and kindred history is your lifeline in more ways than one. Analysis of this data can give the genetics specialist the information necessary for you to select treatment options with your physician.

Back in 1970, when he first researched the phenomena of cancer clusters, Dr. Lynch did not receive the worldwide respect and fame which he enjoys today. His theory of environmental causation of cancer stood then-commonly accepted theories of virus causation on their collective heads. His application to present a paper on environmental cluster cancers at a conference in 1971 was declined. When he added hereditary familial cancers to his research targets, many in the close-knit world of cancer research wrote him off and ignored him.

He stayed the course. Now, at the age of 85, he is a world famous physician/scientist who is credited by his peers with not only changing the world of cancer research, prevention and care but also sharing his findings with other researchers.

Although he has spent the bulk of his career at Creighton University, his work has influenced two generations of cancer research and treatment all over the world.

The Hereditary Cancer Center has compiled the basic data and records on 1,473 extended familial cancer families affecting more than 30,000 persons, said Dr. Lynch. Of those family groups, close to 200 have the BRCA 1 or 2 gene mutations. The accuracy and reliability of this core information leads other scientists to build upon his findings either in separate research or in collaborative projects such as the one Dr. Lynch and Dr. San Ming Wang, a molecular geneticist at UNMC are now planning.

One of those, Mary-Clare King, Ph.D., now at the University of Washington but formerly at the University of California, Berkeley, is credited with the discovery of the gene BRCA 1 in the 1990s. Dr. King named the genes after Berkeley, CA, where she was working at the time. She echoed Dr. Lynch’s perception of being ignored by mainstream cancer researchers who espoused a “viral” theory of cancer transmission. Change of attitude in science comes slowly.

Advances in cancer genetic knowledge seem to have cleared the way to present action. Even if a person tests positive for the mutation, there are effective treatments short of organ removal, Dr. Cowan said. However, if a person chooses organ removal, then he or she needs to know where to go, who to go to, what surgery is available and who pays.

Next week you will read about non-surgical treatments from oncologists; about surgical removal and reconstructive surgery from general and plastic surgeons, and about the information-gathering and decision-making process from women in our own community who had to make tough decisions based upon the information available to them at the time.

A ride to remember Continued from page 1 camp classes which helped immensely in our conditioning.

The start of BRAN 33 was June 2 in Kimball, NE, and we finished June 8 at the SAC Museum in Ashland, NE. In between we spent our nights in Chappell, Paxton, Gothenburg, Kearney, Aurora, and Brainard.

One of the first things I noticed about BRAN was how well organized it was. By the end of the week, I realized how much time and effort went into the logistics of the entire operation. What really blew me away is when I learned that BRAN is an all-volunteer operation. There are a number of volunteers that have been working BRAN for 20 or more years, and even a few for all 33 years.

Seeing this was my first-ever organized ride, the best advice I was given was to ride in 10 to 12-mile increments which, as it turns out, was the distance between the SAG vehicles, which follow the riders to provide support. On the first day riding from Kimball to Chappell, 12 miles down the road was the first SAG. I learned very quickly this was going to be the best way to ride BRAN. The SAGS were like grocery stores, stocked with fruit, power bars, fig newtons, and assorted other goodies. It was also a great place to meet other riders.

After the first stop, I wound up riding with the oldest rider in BRAN who was an 89-year-old gentleman from Valley, NE. Later on another SAG stop, I met and rode with a professor from LSU. By the end of our ride, he invited me down to Baton Rouge to attend an LSU football game.

During the week I met so many wonderful and interesting people from around the great state of Nebraska and from states as far away as New York, California, and even Florida. You can probably guess I stopped at every SAG!

After spending many hours riding into what felt like a stiff north/east or south/east wind, we would ride into the host community. The welcome mat was always out, and the civic pride of these communities was refreshing to experience.

Since I’m not a camper, I stayed at motels. However, Chappell was one of the communities that didn’t have a motel. BRAN has a Bed-A-Biker program with each host community. For a small fee, the host family gives you a bedroom and bathroom. My host in Chappell was a wonderful 85-year-old woman who insisted on washing my bike clothes, and in the morning had coffee and hot homemade cinnamon rolls waiting for me. As I was leaving I tried paying her for my stay, but she refused to take the money. She said letting me stay with her was the only way she could help her community.

The fifth night of BRAN was in Aurora. John, his grandson Jacob, his brother Phil, who drove the RV, and I had dinner in town. The cafe was swarming with BRAN riders, and it took over an hour to get our order. While we were waiting, we happened to strike up a conversation with a table of locals.

It still took over an hour to get our food, but they made us feel so welcome we didn’t even mind the wait. We were still eating when the locals were leaving. We all said our goodbyes; and when we went to pay our bill, we were informed that our meal was paid for by our new Aurora friends.

Riding BRAN taught me a lesson on how good and caring most people are... especially those living in Nebraska.

Yes, for me, BRAN was very challenging. For most of the ride I was definitely out of my comfort zone. Yet, even after riding into 20 to 25-mile winds, having to pedal through a severe thunderstorm, and finding it hard to set down some nights... I’ll probably do it again next year.

August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 3

Connie Stilwell and the Road to Humor

by OZZIE NOGG The purpose of an artist statement is to help viewers understand the message conveyed in the work and to describe the motivation behind the artist’s creative impulse. In the process, many an artist statement becomes opaque as raw umber. Example: ‘My current body of work evolved from a serious pursuit to gain access to the impetus behind all life. These paintings take a critical view of cultural issues, and elicit an uneasy feeling in the viewers while inviting them to move into a space of speculation and become charged with life-force energy.’

In contrast, Connie Stilwell’s artist statement is clear and direct. “I approach my life and my art with humor. I want to entertain, make viewers feel happy. Seeing my paintings may not change lives in any way, but the work is funny and makes people feel good.”

Stilwell’s exhibit -- The Road to Humor -will hang at the JCC Gallery from August 1 to August 31. This exhibit is Stillwell’s twenty-fifth show in Omaha, and the sixty-seven abstract pieces include still-life renderings, portraits, landscapes and nature imagery.

The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Sunday, Aug. 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the JCC Gallery.

Lincoln-born Stilwell (née Connie Platt, to those of us who knew her at Central High School), grew up in the 1950s. “I think those times influenced my perspective on life,” she said. “Everything in the 50s had a ‘happy ending’ and that feeling gave me an optimistic outlook. I have a tremendous passion for life.”

Stilwell’s optimism shows in her colorful multiple media work. An accomplished artist who has exhibited nationally, Stilwell’s paintings, sculpture and assemblages are typically done in oil, acrylic or watercolor paints, pastels, crayons, chalk and graphite resins. “In

this past year I’ve done five commissions that the client wanted to look realistic. I consider myself an experimental abstract artist, so I hate renderings that the camera can do a bet-

from UNL, as well as an RN degree from Methodist Hospital. “In the 1960s I was a Methodist charge nurse in the bones and burns unit. Then I transferred to UNMC to work part time with Dr. Richard Young’s daughter, Rosie Reynolds, in the medical illustration department doing drawings used in professional journals.”

Stilwell’s natural talent was nurtured by several local artists. “At Central High, Zenaide Luhr became a good friend. We used to buy one another’s work. I studied with Marie Christensen, Isabella Threlkeld, and also with Augustus Dunbier who was a longtime resident of Omaha, but who traveled and painted throughout the world. In 1958, I shared my very first show with Miriam Cooperman at Duchesne Academy. All these teachers and colleagues are gone now.”

Marriage to Dr. Daniel Stilwell took Connie to Alexandria, Virginia, where she

found major inspiration for her work. “In 1987 and 1988 I served as President of the Vienna VA Art Society. It had eight hundred members and is one of largest art groups in the area. During those years I also served as a Consultant to the Arts for two Virginia Governors -- Gerald L. Baliles and Lawrence Douglas Wilder.” She returned to Omaha in 1991 to help care for one of the Stilwell family farms. Though she doesn’t paint every day, Connie says, “I’m hard at it all the time.”

Flash back. After her graduation from Central High, Connie Platt enrolled at the University of Colorado in Boulder. “One day I wandered into a classroom where an artistin-residence was giving a demonstration. I tried my hand at the exercise and the guy told me I had flair. Turned out the visiting artist was Willem de Kooning.”

This August, at the JCC Gallery, come see Connie Stilwell’s ‘flair’ for yourself.

Dr. Paul Fine honored

Connie Stilwell in her studio with a pastel portrait that’s part of her JCC exhibit. ter job with. My heros are Paul Cézanne, Georges Braque, Picasso and Hans Hofmann -- whom I consider the father of American abstract art. Hofmann believed that abstract art was a way to get at the important reality, and famously said that, ‘the ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.’ His philosophy has guided me for the past fifty years.”

Before deciding to spend her life at the easel, Stilwell earned a teaching certificate

Continued from page 1 University and UNMC combined their Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) residency and Fellowship programs. The programs are very competitive and receive applications from medical schools across the country. In 2012, Dr. Fine created a multidisciplinary group that included not only psychiatry Fellows but also psychologists, social workers, and psychotherapists.

According to Dr. Tania Fiacco, “We are very excited to be able to work with other professionals working with mental health in Omaha.”

Dr. Fine was born and raised in the Bronx, but has spent most of his career in Nebraska and Georgia. In a Lifer Report he

wrote for the AACAP, Dr. Fine writes, “both of my grandmothers died young and my parents did not get to attend high school. Nevertheless both valued education and were self-educated.”

Both Dr. Fine and his brother Leon became psychiatrists, and Dr. Fine writes, “Most of my generation of cousins are college graduates and professionals.”

Dr. Fine has published several books and research articles and is a founder of Nebraska’s regional council of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Together with wife Sally, he continues to practice at Kids Incorporated as part of what he calls a “well-run multidisciplinary outpatient practice.”

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4 | The Jewish Press | August 2, 2013

Beth El to host open forum about Affordable Care Act

by JILL BELMONT less ‘misconception’and more ‘confusion.’”

Beth El Publicity Coordinator That confusion revolves around the exchanges, whether In an effort to shed light on the Patient Protection and prices will increase, and whether the law will drive employAffordable Care Act (more commonly known as ers out of business.

“Obamacare”), Beth El Synagogue will host an “Since all of that is in the future, no one realinformational meeting on Thursday, Aug. 8, ly knows the answer,” she said, adding, “What 7 p.m., led by attorney Juliana Reno, a partner people think the answer will be depends on at Kutak Rock LLP, in Omaha. the facts they deem the most important.”

Reno, who specializes in employee benefits She offered the following illustration: “In and deals with the PPACA on a regular basis, being forced to choose between offering covapproached synagogue leaders about facilitaterage or paying a penalty, some employers are ing a forum after seeing a need for clarificaclearly going to see an increase in costs. tion regarding the law’s impact.

Detractors say ‘The law is going to drive some “The topic is important to almost everyone, employers out of business.’ Supporters say and it keeps coming up around me,” she said.

‘This is like the minimum wage - if you can’t “Half the time the topic surfaces because offer some basic health coverage to your someone is commenting on an article they’ve employees, you shouldn’t be in business.’”

Juliana Reno read or something they saw on the news.

The purpose of the Aug. 8 meeting is not Because the news coverage is either fairly superficial -- it has to debate whether the PPACA is good or bad law, Reno said. to be -- or skewed, either pro or con, I end up correcting a “The point of the meeting is to discuss not what the law lot of misconceptions. The other half the time the topic sur- should be, but what the law actually is. I would like people faces more directly -- I’m asked a question by someone at to have a better understanding of the law, how it might affect work, a friend, or a dinner guest.” them, their friends and neighbors, the poor, the rich, The most common misconception, she said, is that all employers, insurance companies, etc.” employers will have to pay for health insurance for all of During the forum, Reno plans to offer a brief overview of their employees. In reality, however, employers will have a the PPACA, addressing questions such as ‘What did the law choice: they can either offer health insurance to all their full- hope to accomplish?’ and ‘How did the law imagine we time employees or they can pay a fine. would get there?’ The rest of the evening will be spent in a “This misconception is not at all due to political detrac- question-and-answer session, she said. tors,” Reno noted. “It’s due to the fact that the law is comThe entire community is invited to join in the conversaplex, and the fact that people are not going to become tion; there is no charge to attend. For more information, experts on the topic unless they have to. Most people read contact the synagogue office, 402.492.8550, or email prothe headlines and ignore the fine print. What I am seeing is gramming@bethel-omaha.org.

Move better, feel better, at Horizon Rehabilitation Centers

by MARK BERTCH, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS Physical Therapist/Clinic Director, Horizon Rehabilitation Centers Horizon Rehabilitation Centers provides comprehensive outpatient physical therapy services to assist you in achieving your overall potential and life experience. Our services focus on treatment of general orthopedic, sports-related, spine, and neurological disorders. Additionally, we provide post-operative rehabilitation services. After completing physical therapy, 100% of our patients have stated he/she would recommend Horizon Rehabilitation to family/friends, and over 97% of people surveyed mentioned sufficient time was spent with them during PT. That translates into: individual care by an experienced, skilled physical therapist.

Our focus is on enabling you to maximize your health, wellbeing and function so you can get back to the lifestyle you enjoy. Following your plan of care, you might consider coming back to Horizon Rehabilitation for our wellness class offered two times per week titled “Expanding your horizon!”

At Horizon Rehabilitation Centers we believe in personalized care. You deserve this, along with experienced staff you can trust.

Please visit our website at www.horizonrehab.com for additional details about Horizon Rehabilitation Centers. Please call either of our Omaha offices at 402.393.9390 or 402.933.8900, or our Blair office at 402.426.0600, to schedule your appointment or speak to one of our staff members directly.

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Flamenco flavor at the RBJH

by OZZIE NOGG On Tuesday, July 16, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Auditorium was transformed into a bit of Barcelona when residents and guests enjoyed an elegant Spanishthemed dinner. The dinner, which was by invitation only, began at 5:30 p.m. with classic sangria. The menu includ-

Josephine Simon and her son Jay ed halibut Veracruz over saffron rice with roasted carrots, almonds, and olives plus ensalada de naranja y aguacate -- orange and avocado salad. A delicious dessert of peaches with wine syrup and vanilla bean ice cream topped off the meal. Entertainment was provided by guitarist Shawn Daley and dancer Ann Koehn.

“This dinner was sponsored by the Julius Frohm and Phil and Minnie Freeman Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation,” said Mary Heiman of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home activities department who chaired the evening. “What a difference their generosity makes in the lives of those who live at the Home. The special theme dinners create an atmosphere of fine dining with quality entertainment. The RBJH appreciates the opportunity to create these experiences for the residents, thanks to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.”

To order a gift subscription to the Press...

Send a check for $25, made out to the Jewish Press and prorated for the year, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to connect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 402.334.6448.

Tractors: Tall & Small V Saturday, August 10th • 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

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August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 5

Unique experiences in Israel

by DAVID GOLBITZ Julianna was looking forward to learning Temple Israel Staf Writer about her heritage and the history of the When Hannah Bargas’ mother asked her Jewish people, but she didn’t want to have any what she thought about having her Bat expectations about the trip. She wanted to Mitzvah in Israel, Hannah was understand- arrive with an open mind. ably nervous. But she quickly overcame her “I came to Israel wanting to meet great apprehension and embraced the experience. people and to enjoy a different culture for “It was cool, ten days,” Julianna because that’s where said. my family came Part of that different from,” Hannah said. culture are the ever “It was exciting to present soldiers that have this new experiaccompany Birthright ence, not just the Bat groups for much of Mitzvah, but visiting their tour.

Israel, too.”

“I was nervous about Hannah’s family meeting the Israeli solcame to the United diers,” Julianna said. “I States from Israel don’t know what I was about 50 years ago, expecting, but I’m glad Hannah’s mother I met them and travSharon said; they still eled with them for five have family in Tel days. It was great Aviv. Sharon knew learning from them she wanted to take and hearing their stoJulianna and Rachel Scheet enjoyed many her children to visit ries and what it’s like new experiences on their Birthright trip to Israel at some point. to go into the Army Israel, including riding a camel.

Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah right after high school. seemed like the perfect opportunity.

It’s very different from what Americans expe“I wanted to do something special for rience, and it’s hard to imagine.”

Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah,” Sharon said, “and it Julianna’s most memorable experience was phenomenal. I couldn’t have asked for a was visiting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust better experience for my children.” memorial and museum in Jerusalem.

Sharon connected with a rabbi in Israel “We spent almost half a day [there],” who helped her plan Hannah’s big day. The Julianna said. “We went on a guided tour, ceremony was performed on a beach in the but if given the chance, I’m sure I could go northern Israeli town of Caesarea, near King through the whole museum at least three Herod’s aquaducts. more times and still find things I hadn’t “I wanted something unique,” Sharon seen. When you first enter, you can see the said. “Many kids have their Bar or Bat ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ but you can’t Mitzvah in Jerusalem, many choose reach it without winding your way through Masada. Hannah’s ceremony was very beau- the entire building. Every time you exit a tiful and intimate, very relaxed, with just section of the museum, you’re that much close friends and family.” closer to the end of all the suffering. The Hannah, for one, was glad to have had floor actually slopes downward in the midsuch a small audience. dle of the museum to symbolize the lowest “I felt like it would have been much hard- part of the war. The entire experience was er if it had been in a synagogue,” she said. very eye opening. I don’t think I’ll ever for“And it felt more special, because not many get it.” people get to do what I did.”

In addition to visiting Israel with a The Bargas family was not Temple Israel’s Birthright tour, young American Jews also only representative in Israel this summer, as have the opportunity to travel with youth sisters Julianna and Rachel Scheet visited groups, such as NFTY and BBYO. Temple the Jewish state on a Taglit-Birthright tour.

Israel has funds set aside for sending its stu“It was originally [Rachel’s] idea,” Julianna dents to Israel. said. “But I guess going halfway across the For more information about financial aid, world isn’t really something you want to do contact Executive Director Dennis DePorte alone, so I jumped on the bandwagon.” at Temple Israel at 402.556.6536

Plastic surgery outcomes hinge on choice of surgeon The decision to have plastic surgery procedures like breast augmentation, liposuction or a face-lift involves personal issues that are both medical and emotional. Selecting a surgeon who understands and respects this is crucial, especially considering that a successful outcome hinges on that choice.

At Metropolitan Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, R. Coleen Stice, MD, FACS, has been helping patients make informed decisions with positive results since 1985. As a Diplomate of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons since 1987, Dr. Stice was the first board-certified female plastic surgeon in Nebraska and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Patients can feel confident that she has the expertise to guide them through any plastic or reconstructive process with skill and discernment.

Dr. Stice is a highly respected surgeon whose work has been published in numerous medical journals.

She has one of the few procedure rooms in the state to be certified by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and has privileges at all major Omaha hospitals.

In addition to reconstructive surgery and skin cancer care, Dr. Stice provides a full range of cosmetic services that include arm lift, breast procedures, eyelid surgery, face-lift and liposuction. She also offers skin rejuvenation treatments such as Botox therapy, camouflage makeup, chemical peel, injectable fillers and Obagi Nu-Derm.

When attending a consultation at Metropolitan Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, prospective patients spend the entire 45-minute session with Dr. Stice. This varies from many other situations where assistants do much of the consult. More time with the actual physician serves to strengthen lines of communication and deepen understanding, leading to optimal outcomes and increased satisfaction.

Metropolitan Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, www.metroprs.com, is located in the Alegent Lakeside Healthpark at 17030 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Suite 214. For information or to make an appointment for a personal and confidential consultation, call 402.758.5500.

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by DEBBIE DENENBERG lining, and the trust course at the 4H Camp, these - and a lot This May, Friedel Jewish Academy said l’hitraot to ten more - are events Friedel has provided us over the years. students, its largest graduating class ever. At graduation, Most kids wouldn’t think of school as fun, they would think the seniors expressed special feelings for their teachers, only of education. At Friedel education is important, of their school, and their Jewish education. Here you can read course, but we students are lucky enough to all know that we the thoughts of the 2013/5773 graduating class in their own can learn and have fun at the same time. -- Daniel Rosenfeld words.

Fabulous From the first moment we stepped into Friedel Jewish Friedel is fabulous because of the experiences we’ve had.

Academy, which for many of us was on the first day of Here are some of the things that I think are the best of all: Kindergarten, (or first • the teachers – fabulous grade! Or 4th grade! Or • the activities – fabulous 5th grade!) we have been • the kids – well, usually influenced by the teachers, fabulous principals, staff, students, • the Prayer Partners, the and overall atmosphere of Jewish values, the learning this special place.

– all fabulous Our school has been • the latkes – fabulous such an important part of with ketchup and chocoour lives for so long now, late and the thought of moving • the songs and Ariot – on is bittersweet. It is diffifabulous cult to put into words just • leaving Friedel – not so how these past years have fabulous affected us, but it is impor-- Ilana McNamara tant to try. Of all the words Pride in our impressively huge I am proud that I go to vocabularies, we’ve chosen Friedel Jewish Academy. I these ten simple words to get to walk through the best express what Friedel front door of the building Back row: Raelyn Cherry, left, Gabby Witkowski, Lillian Cohen, means to us. every day, I get to learn Hannah Stein, Ilana McNamara, Eylon Caplan and Daniel Rosenfeld.

Home Hebrew every day, and I Front row: Isabella Wright, left, Lily Goldberg and Josh Stein.

I think of my house as a get to come home happy place to live, but I think of Friedel as my home. Friedel has- from a long day of learning every day. I have been going to n’t only been a school to me, but it was also a place for me to Friedel Jewish Academy for seven years now – seven years of grow. The teachers, students, and principals have sculpted friends, Hebrew, learning, and memories, and that is someus into the people we are today. Seeing the alumni together thing to be proud of. -- Isabella Wright with the students who haven’t yet graduated impresses me. Dedication We are a family and we always will be. -- Lily Goldberg The Friedel teachers care about the academics of the kids.

Family They don’t let the students slack off. In all my years of I’ve gone to school here at Friedel for seven years. I Friedel, the teachers have answered all my questions and led remember meeting new friends on the first day of me on the right path. I think Friedel is dedicated to its stuKindergarten, learning with them, and growing up with dents. -- Eylon Caplan them. I, and others, consider every one family. We’re like Choices brothers and sisters; we can be nice if we want to, but we can Friedel has helped me to make better choices in my life. be pretty annoying at times, too! Just like in any other fam- For example, Red Ribbon Week was important to me ily. I’m going to miss Friedel a lot! -- Gabby Witkowski because we learned not to do drugs and we learned how to Friends make good choices for our health and our lives now and in You can go into Friedel not having any friends, and go out our future. Celebrating Red Ribbon Week is one of the having a ton of friends. I will remember these friends forev- things I will miss most about Friedel. I know I will make the er. How to make friends is just one of the important things I right choices and will never do drugs. -- Hannah Stein have learned from Friedel.-- Josh Stein Future Caring I first came to Friedel in fourth grade, not knowing any One of the things I love most about Friedel is how caring Hebrew. I knew that one day I would have to do my Bat the teachers are to the students. Not just caring because they Mitzvah, and I was super-scared, but I succeeded! Friedel have to look after us, but more like parents would care. And has helped me successfully become a Jewish adult, and I the caring of students to other students – it’s like siblings think Friedel has helped all of us prepare for our Jewishwould watch over each other. But not just that kind of car- filled futures. -- Raelyn Cherry ing, either. Friedel has taught us to take care of the earth. On We’ve applied some significant, meaningful words to our Taschlich we clean up the park at Standing Bear Lake, on years at Friedel, and we hope we can apply them to our Purim we give Mishloach Manot to soldiers in Israel, and future experiences, as well. each year we even go over to the Blumkin Home and do art Friedel’s new school year begins Aug. 14, and applicaprojects with the residents. Over all, Friedel is a caring fam- tions are still being accepted. To arrange a tour of our beauily. -- Lillian Cohen tiful facilities, or for more information, please contact Fun Principal Pam Cohn at 402.334.0517 or pcohn@jewish The Purim Talent Show, flying kites, canoeing, archery, zip omaha.org.

Most Israelis back a peace deal, poll shows

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- With Israeli-Palestinian talks set to begin, a poll shows that a majority of Israelis would support a final-status agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

The poll, conducted by Tel Aviv University and the Dialog Institute, showed that 39 percent of Israelis would vote for a peace deal if it were brought to a referendum, while 16 percent said they would probably vote for a deal. Twenty percent of respondents would vote against a deal, while 5 percent would likely oppose it.

Twenty percent of respondents said they were undecided.

The poll questioned 511 Israelis and had a 4.3 percent margin of error.

Last week, Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu advance a bill requiring that any final-status agreement with the Palestinians be brought to a referendum. Netanyahu also supports the bill.

On Tuesday, Bennett pledged to continue building in Israeli West Bank settlements.

Bennett is the chairman of the pro-settlement Jewish Home party, which won 12 Knesset seats in January’s elections running on a platform of vehement opposition to a Palestinian state.

“We will continue building, and you will see this soon,” Bennett said Tuesday in Shiloh, an Israeli West Bank settlement, according to the Times of Israel. “I am sending the message from here to all the parties in the negotiations: The land of Israel belongs to the nation of Israel.”

The Palestinian Authority has long demanded that negotiations come along with a freeze on settlement expansion.

August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 7

Moving the Temple classrooms takes many hands

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staf Writer As Temple Israel congregants mentally prepare themselves for next month’s move from Cass Street to Sterling Ridge, a lot of work has been going into preparing the building for the move. A number of volunteers have been helping organize and pack away files, books and anything else the congregation is taking with it.

Religious School teacher Joan Cooper has tackled head on the task of getting the school supplies ready to be moved to the new building.

“We’ve unburied some great teaching tools that we’ll have easier access to in the new building,” Cooper said. “There must have been 50 years worth of stuff in some of the closets, and we pulled it all out and dusted it off. It’s exciting to start a new school year in a new space, but it was hard for me to see all the years and all the classrooms condensed into one room.”

Cooper added, “I’ve spent so many years in those classrooms, they feel like home, and that’s what this feels like, when you’re moving homes. You hang on to the old memories and look forward to making new ones.”

In addition to volunteers like Joan Cooper, a number of young people have also signed up to help get the building ready for the move.

Danny Glazer, who will be a junior this fall, has been assisting Cooper with the Religious School supplies. He has unearthed “some old files that were hidden away, and were

Engagements Abby and Jim Susman of St. Louis announce the engagement of their son, Scott Susman to Shoshy Shrago, daughter of Dani and Leon Shrago.

The bride-to-be earned her Bachelors degree from Brandeis University. She is the Activities director at New Cassel Retirement Home.

She is the granddaughter of late Helen and late Phil Schwartz, and the late Sarah and late Harry Shrago.

Her fiancé received his Bachelors degree from Missouri University. He works in the IT department at Union Pacific Railroad.

He is the granson of the late Faythe and the late Jack Zuckert of Milwaukee, WI, and Bernard and the late Lorraine Abramson Susman of St. Louis MO. A wedding is planned for the fall of 2013 at Beth El Synagogue.

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Great care is being taken in the removal of the yahrzeit plaques from Cass Street and their installation at Sterling Ridge.

Glazer, like many of his peers, is excited for the move to Sterling Ridge, though he knows there are things he’s going to miss about the Cass Street building.

Soon-to-be freshman Jack Fletcher has been helping out by cataloging photos, stacking books and organizing files.

“I just wanted to help out with the move,” he said. “I’m going to miss this building, but I’m still looking forward to

the new building.”

Before she heads off to her freshman year of college, Past OTYG President Hannah Perry signed up to lend a hand.

“I’m doing a little bit of everything,” Perry said. “A lot of organizing papers, counting prayer books, scanning files for the digital archive; just a lot of organizing in general.”

Perry, who will leave for college before Moving Day, “won’t see the building in full swing until winter break, so this is my way of helping out before the move, making sure everything is ready to go.”

Another soon-to-be college freshman, Joe Hack, has been cataloging documents and photographs and creating a database of all the items. And Shari Hess and Dorothy Spizman have been organizing documents and photos by decade.

Lest you think everything has been taken care of, there are still opportunities to lend a hand before the big move to Sterling Ridge. The silver Torah scroll ornaments need to be polished and a team of volunteers is creating a plan for the removal of the yahrzeit plaques from Cass Street and placing them at Sterling Ridge in an installation designed by the building’s architect, Maurice Finegold.

Temple Israel has a database of plaque placement for the Cass Street building and great care is being taken to install the plaques as close to their original placement as possible.

There will be a new database at Sterling Ridge, so members will know exactly where their loved ones’ yahrzeit plaques are located.

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B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Omaha Community Playhouse, Carl Beck and Susan Collins will speak about Les Miz on Wednesday, Aug. 7, noon, at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha. org.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish, once thought to be a dying language, is now very much alive, with Webster’s Third International Dictionary

listing more than 500 Yiddish words. It has been perpetuated by greeting cards, television, radio, speakers, plays and books. It is now presented in transliterated form using the Roman alphabet, so that everyone can become a maven instantly. If you want to “jazz up” your conversation, throw in a few Yiddish words. One word in Yiddish has more meaning than a dozen words in any other language. So be a mentsh and zog a por verter, (say a few words). We meet every Thursday from 1-3 p.m., in the boardroom of the Rose Blumkin Home. For information, please call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

White Deer Retreat

by DEBRA COOK The number one antidote to stress, heartache, grief, anger, sadness, fear, and a multitude of other physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual maladies is... Mother Nature. There is bountiful research to support it. One main reason Debra Cook, the proprietor of White Deer Retreat, is doing what she is doing is to provide access that healing and renewing power of

Mother Nature in a beautiful, serene, loving, and nature-filled environment. If you are looking for a quick get-away to experience some of this, then by all means, check out WhiteDeerRetreat.com to see what all is available. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.

Please visit the website at www.WhiteDeerRetreat.com to gather more information or call Debra at 402.455.0950.

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Eating smart at every meal

The Hermit Kingdom: Part 4

by RICH JURO The DMZ is five miles wide, and stretches from sea to sea across the middle of the Korean peninsula. North Korea controls 2 1/2 miles on the northern side of the actual border, and South Korea the southern half. The road leading from North Korea into the DMZ is hemmed

in on both sides by large slabs of boulders. These huge rocks are balanced with a hair-trigger switch so that they will fall on the road on a moment’s notice and block tanks should the North Koreans think the South Koreans are invading. Off the road are cornfields, but we also know that the whole DMZ was full of land mines.

We were not supposed to take pictures while on the bus, presumably so we couldn’t show them to the South Koreans later. Most of us did anyway, hoping the soldier on board wouldn’t notice and confiscate our cameras. He was repaid later for his inaction with many packs of cigarettes. By re-selling them, that soldier is probably one of the highest earners in the Army. We assume he got his position by being closely related to a major general, or at least to the commander of that area. The workers and officials throughout the socialist paradise are not above expecting tips for actions rendered (or, in this case, deliberately not rendered). Like many developing countries, corruption and bribery are widespread in North Korea.

Almost anything from getting a better place to live to escaping across the Yalu River to China can be accomplished with the correct payoff.

After a short, bumpy ride, we arrived at the complex of buildings where the armistice talks to end the Korean War were held. Touring the structures, we were taught, in movies, photographs, and lectures, how the brave North Continued on page 9

by SILVIA HERSZKOPH JCC Nutritionist Vegetarian diets have become very popular for people interested in following a healthy diet. Especially those who are vegan should educate themselves about smart food combinations to maximize the intake of certain nutrients.

Whether you are vegetarian or not, you can benefit from choosing the right food combinations to stay healthy. Iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis are some examples of health conditions that may result from decreased absorption of important micronutrients like iron and calcium.

It’s important to know about potential interactions of nutrients in the diet that may inhibit or enhance the bioavailability of nutrients from foods.

One of the main functions of iron is to transport oxygen in the body.

Animal tissues (beef, chicken, fish, lamb, liver, and pork) contain iron in the form of “heme,” which is easily absorbed. Plant sources of iron include green leafy vegetables, legumes, soy foods, nuts, wholegrain and fortified breads, cereals, and pasta. In plant foods, iron is found in the non-heme form that is less available for absorption and utilization in the body.

Vegetarian diets, for example, limit or completely avoid meat intake, which compromises iron absorption. At the same time, plant foods such as cereals, legumes, nuts, seeds, and tubers contain phytates that inhibit the non-heme iron absorption. Even common beverages such as tea and coffee, herbal teas, cocoa, and red wine contain polyphenols that also inhibit iron absorption.

Other inhibitors of iron absorption include animal protein foods such as whole milk, casein and whey proteins derived from milk, cheese, whole egg, and egg white; and processed soy products like full-fat soy flour, textured soy flour, and isolated soy protein.

The easiest way to enhance iron absorption is to add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to a plant-based meal, especially

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in meals that have high levels of phytates and polyphenols.

The iron-enhancing effect of vitamin C is higher for meals consumed in the morning. Other organic acids such as citric, malic, tartaric, and lactic acids are also effective. Try to include citrus fruits (orange, guava, kiwi, cranberries, strawberries, papaya, mango) and vegetables like tomato, spinach, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts when eating a plant-based meal.

It is encouraged to avoid baking at high temperatures or prolonged rewarming of foods to maintain the benefits of vitamin C. Meat also seems to improve the nonheme iron absorption by reducing the inhibitory effect of polyphenols and by stimulating gastric acid production.

Food preparation methods like sprouting and soaking legumes may reduce their phytate content.

Fermented foods like silken tofu, tempeh, natto, and miso do not seem to inhibit iron absorption.

Calcium intake plays an important role in bone mineralization. Similar to iron, calcium absorption is compromised in presence of phytates and also oxalates. Oxalates found in spinach, rhubarb, and walnuts can form insoluble complexes with calcium reducing its absorbability. Fibers do not affect the absorption of calcium. Intake of dairy products is the best way to absorb calcium from the diet and at the same time, they do not contain anything that inhibits its absorption.

Other components found in milk, such as lactose, proteins, and phosphopeptides seem to enhance calcium absorption. There are some studies that suggest that calcium may interfere with iron absorption so it is encouraged to avoid consuming foods rich in calcium and iron in the same meal. Iron supplements are sometimes needed to treat iron deficiency anemia as well as calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis.

Some suggestions when using iron supplements include avoiding taking them with dairy products or calcium supplements.

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Diabetes?

August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 9

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Above: Over 50 people gathered in Omaha for three days in July for the Partnership2GETHER Steering Committee Meeting. For the first time in the 17-year history of our Partnership, all 12 stateside communities were represented at the meeting along with lay leaders and Partnership staff from Israel plus a lay leader from Budapest, Hungary.

Right: Eran El Bar, our Partnership Director from Israel, with Zoë Riekes of Omaha, our Stateside Partnership Chair.

Partnership2Gether, a platform of the Jewish Agency for Israel and a program of the Center for Jewish Life, promotes people-to-people relationships between Israel and communities throughout the world.

Omaha is one of 12 cities in the U.S. partnering with the city of Akko and the Matte Asher region in northern Israel, sharing cultural, social, medical, educational and economic programs. For more information on Partnership, please call the Center for Jewish Life at 402.334.6445.

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Education Coming September

North Korea Continued from page 8 Koreans held off the imperialist Americans and their South Korean lackeys. The only indication that there were other troops besides the aggressor Yankees was in the armistice hall. The two flags sitting on the desk where the truce was finally signed in 1953 were the North Korean and that of the United Nations. Those of us who watched the classic TV sitcom M*A*S*H know that there were troops from Turkey, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe fighting under the UN flag, but obviously the North Koreans never were able to watch that iconic show.

To complete the anti-American day, upon our arrival back in Pyongyang, we were taken to the river berth of the ill-famed “USS Pueblo.” According to the North Koreans (again via film, photos, and local guide), in 1968 the Pueblo was engaged in aggression by spying on the NK army while in North Korean waters. The “heroic” NK military was able to subdue the American Navy ship and force it to shore. Of course, whether the Pueblo was actually in NK waters is debatable, and the ship was armed only with one small machine gun on the prow. In due course, the American captain and his crew “confessed” to spying, and were returned alive to the USA. The North Koreans are very proud to have the only written formal apology ever given by American authorities to a foreign country.

The Pueblo is kept docked in Pyongyang’s river as a trophy.

Generally, American tourists like us are treated with hospitality, but the US Government is feared and loathed. Most of this abhorrence is probably based on our 60 years of support of South Korea. More recently, the official hatred was amplified by President G.W. Bush’s inclusion of North Korea with Iraq and Iran in the “Axis of Evil.” Never acknowledged is the thousands of tons of food that we have given to North Korea to alleviate their periodic famines.

Much of the food may have gone to feed the NK Army.

We made a visit to an ancient Buddhist monastery, built hundreds of years ago in a secluded woodland. Korea was traditionally a stronghold of Tibetan or Mahayana Buddhism. A solitary monk in a saffron robe guided us through the beautiful grounds and ornately carved wooden buildings. When Kim Il-Sung and his Communist regime took over in 1945, traditional religions were abolished. It has been gradually replaced by “Juche,” a concept which combines complete respect for past and present Korea with veneration for the Great Leader and his principles. For example, the new North Korean calendar is based on the date of birth of Kim Il-Sung in early 1912. Hence, our visit in August, 2012, was in the Juche year 101.

Although there are only a few elderly practicing Buddhists, this monastery with its lovely setting is visited by many families. We would call it a picnic outing.

We also had an overnight journey to the seaport city of Nampo and the Ryonggang Hot Springs Hotel. We passed through miles and miles of fields of corn, rice, beans, potatoes, etc. Every few hundred yards there was a little elevated straw hut, which apparently was for the farm workers to take naps during the hot midday. There were no tractors or other mechanized equipment. There were a few water buffaloes and oxen, but mainly it appeared that the hard labor of farming was done by hand. We visited one collective farm, but even at this “show” farm, there were almost no mechanical aids. The top administrator was not a farm manager but rather a Communist party official.

Apparently, the idea was to inspire the farmers spiritually to mold them into working hard for minimal material rewards. Even here there was a large statue of the Great Leader.

Omahans’ Fran and Rich Juro’s travels through North Korea will be continued in a future issue of the Jewish Press.

Publishing Date | 09.20.13 Space Reservation | 09.11.13 Camera Ready Deadline | 09.13.13 Contact your advertising representative to advertise in this very special edition.

Jessie Wees | 402.334.6559 | jwees@jewishomaha.org

Club A U G U S T

2 0 1 3

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P U B L I S H E R Margaret Block Mimi Rogers & Scott Farkas Amy & Sandy Friedman Rich and Fran Juro Gloria & Howard Kaslow Jody & Neal Malashock Robbin Mashbein Victor Mashbein

Patty & Steve Nogg Iris & Marty Ricks Howard Silber Memorial Mimi & Mike Silverman Susan Witkowski Phil & Nancy Wolf Jeremy Wright

E D I TO R Phyllis Aronson Frances Blumkin Julee Katzman Kevee Kirshenbaum

Maxine & Joe Kirshenbaum Mike & Andrea Siegel Howard Silber Memorial Carita Sommer

R E P O RT E R Marcia Arch Beth Cohen/Harry Berman Marcia Cohen Sharon & Howard Epstein Liz Feldstern Lois N. Friedman Jordana Glazer Alan Goodman

Myrna Grumer Ilse and Marcel Kahn Sara & Ari Kohen Abigail & Adam Kutler Rose Rosenberg Marcy Ruback Howard Silber Memorial Coke & Jack Tillman

10 | The Jewish Press | August 2, 2013

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and weekly grocery shopping at Livingston Plaza, and Health Maintenance Clinic at the Rose Blumkin Home, as well as many social clubs, guest speakers and religious services held throughout the year. “Not every older adult fits into one category,” says Maggie Conti, Director of Outreach Programs. “We strive to encourage participation by offering a variety of programs for many individual needs.”

Finally, the Jewish Social Services Geriatric Counseling program provides case management services for community seniors living outside a skilled facility. The program promotes health and safety while respecting the seniors’ desire for independence. JSS maintains close and frequent contact with family members and assists in referring additional needed support services.

“The JSS Geriatric Counseling program through Outreach Services is the only local program available to meet the needs of those in the community observing Jewish traditions, most specifically kosher observance,” says Director of Community Outreach Shelly Fox. “We also meet the very unique needs of Holocaust survivors in our community, in addition to arranging home visits, counseling, referrals for seniors and their family members and providing kosher Meals on Wheels. United Way of the Midlands, through generous grants, helps us meet our mission.”

“United Way’s support for these essential programs is greatly appreciated by the Jewish Federation of Omaha,” CEO Mike Silverman said, “and will change many lives in a positive way. We are grateful to everyone who made a contribution to United Way.” United way of the Midlands helps the most vulnerable in our community, and works on human service solutions that will benefit our metro area for generations to come. We connect people and organizations with a secure way to donate their financial support and their time. We also connect them to a strong network of health and human service programs that help our neighbors build a better life for themselves. Thanks to all who come together at United Way’s table, we are “community strong.” For more information, please visit www.uwmidlands.org.

Between Us

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by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT The Jewish Federation of Omaha is pleased to announce it was recently awarded $145,465 in grants from United Way of the Midlands. Youth Development received $57,700, $23,411 was awarded to Geriatric Counseling, $31,907 to Social Development for the Aged, and $32,447 to Mental Health Care and Counseling.

With the help of this grant, our Youth department is able to offer programming for K- 12th graders.

“These programs include our Before and After Care, School Break Specials, Adaptive Camp, Teen Leadership and Teen Volunteers,” explains Youth, Camp and Family Programming Director Corey Kirshenbaum. “Through these programs, we are able to offer our youth the opportunity to grow socially, physically and emotionally. The United Way funding goes a long way in providing our youth-specific programming that help them develop as individuals, and stay away from risky behaviors.”

Karen Gustafson, Executive Director of Jewish Family Service, added: “Our request to United Way for funding is directly related to our ability to serve those, on a Sliding Scale Fee, who could not otherwise afford quality mental health services. For clients without insurance, if they can obtain quality counseling services in Omaha, their wait can often be up to a month. By continuing to serve this population, JFS hopes to lessen the wait time for needed services.

The professional staff at JFS has provided counseling services in Omaha for over 40 years. Within the past 13 years, the agency has increased the education level of staff and provided the community with a higher quality of service delivery.

Clients range in age from 4-87, presenting with a multitude of issues, ranging from sexual abuse to adjustments in lifecycle events. These problems show very little bias when it comes to economic status and know no boundaries.”

Thanks to support from United Way of the Midlands, Social Development for the Aged through Jewish Social Services is able to provide diverse programming for the elderly—keeping them healthy and a vital part of the Jewish community. These programs include holiday celebrations

Let’s talk about the benefits that matter most to you.

Kim Shulters Senior Insurance Specialist 402-968-1500 kimshulters@gmail.com

by COURTNEY BIERMAN Jewish Press Intern Between Us is a moody portrait of two couples in unstable relationships. Based on Joe Hortua’s award-winning play, the film is directed (and co-written with Hortua) by Dan Mirvish of the Slamdance Film Festival. Mirvish’s parents, Sidney and Lynda, live in Omaha.

Mirvish finished his first film, titled Omaha (the movie) in 1995. It did not make it into the Sundance Film Festival.

“This was a time when many institutions of independent film, such as Sundance, Miramax, and Film Line became ‘Hollywoodized,’ and that process threatened to leave behind a generation of new, first-time filmmakers,” he says.

Along with several colleagues, Mirvish started the Slamdance Film Festival, for the purpose of providing a home to those first-timers.

Budgets were low, and no distribution was in place. He’s been doing it for close to 20 years, and the festival has earned a solid reputation for showing new talent.

Between Us came to be after Mirvish found himself in New York, digging through a stack of plays in search of a good story.

“I really liked Between Us,” he says, and thought it would adapt well on the screen. “It also spoke to me personally, although my family life, thankfully, is much healthier than that of the characters in the film.”

The story starts with married couple Joel (David Harbour) and Sheryl (Melissa George) visiting the New York City home of their married friends Grace (Julia Styles) and Carlo (Taye Diggs). The tension between them is palpable. This tension is the lingering aftertaste from a previous visit made few years earlier by Grace and Carlo to their friends’ mid-western McMansion. The details of the

night are revealed throughout the film, and the audience discovers the toxicity of Sheryl and Joel’s relationship.

That is, it used to be toxic. Their days of screaming arguments and hurling of wine bottles are over; they have found religion and have rebuilt their marriage. However, Grace and Carlo’s relationship is now in a similar situation to the one their friends were in several years ago. Financial problems have the two under a lot of stress, and their marriage, though not as bad as Joel and Melissa’s was, is struggling.

The film is powerfully tragic, so much so that it is sometimes hard to watch.

But, audience members who read a summary of the film before seeing it knows what they are getting into; stories about once happy unions torn apart by life’s hardships are not generally considered to be feel-good. The juxtaposition of violent moments of the couples’ relationships to flashbacks of happier times is genius as far as getting the audience to feel sympathy for the characters; it reveals the frustration that goes along with the destruction of something beautiful. Each scene is dark and angry. Mirvish compliements the movie’s tone with melancholy music and gorgeous shots of golden fields at sunset. However, it’s the acting that really stands out: the members of the principal cast show convincing performances as struggling spouses and friends.

Between Us is a must-see for any fan of good drama, and Mirvish captivates the audience from start to finish.

A special Director’s screening of Between Us will take place Thursday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Ruth Sokolof Theater. Following the show will be a Q and A with the director.

August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 11

German supermarket giant Aldi denies settlement boycott policy

by JTA NEWS STAFF THE HAGUE, Netherlands (JTA) -- The Dutch branch of the German supermarket chain Aldi has backtracked from its stated policy of boycotting products made by Israelis in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan.

“Aldi would like to emphatically state that it does not boycott products from the occupied territories,” a spokesperson for Aldi’s Dutch branch wrote on Monday to the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, a Dutch pro-Israel organization.

The spokesperson, Laetitia Gruwel, wrote in a letter to CIDI director Esther Voet that “Aldi is not engaged in political or religious issues.” Aldi has stores in 16 European coun-

tries, as well as in the United States and Australia.

On Friday, an unnamed Aldi spokesperson confirmed to the Dutch daily Trouw that Aldi’s Dutch branch has a policy of boycotting goods from Israeli settlements, which the European Union considers illegal.

The spokesperson told Trouw that Aldi remains committed to its policy as outlined in a report from April titled “Dutch Economic Links with the Occupation,” which was commissioned by several Dutch organizations that are critical of Israel.

The report said the Dutch subsidiary of Aldi informed the report’s authors “that it does not want to sell products from Israeli settlements in occupied territories and also has informed its suppliers about this policy.”

On Monday, Gruwel did not deny that Aldi made a statement to that effect but said it was “incorrect information.” Currently, Aldi does not offer any products from areas that the European Union considers illegal settlements, Trouw reported.

According to Trouw, two other supermarket chains operating in the Netherlands, Hoogevliet and Jumbo, have said they are boycotting settlement products.

How does the Affordable Care Act affect you?

by PAM MONSKY Community Relations Associate, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc. Health care reform under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be fully implemented in January 2014. Not surprisingly, many Americans are confused and are trying to figure out what the new law will do and how it will apply to them and their loved ones. It’s critical that we understand how the law may affect our family situations and how it changes options for ourselves and our loved ones as circumstances alter due to illness, job changes or aging.

Health reform will touch every American because the new laws establish new consumer protections and responsibilities. The law will keep in place today’s job-based private insurance system and the Medicare system for those over age 65 or those with permanent disabilities. The most important aspect of the law is that it provides new ways

to obtain insurance for people who today are locked out of the market due to pre-existing conditions or inability to afford insurance.

Even if you have good insurance today, it’s possible these reforms will make a difference for you or your loved ones at some point in your lives.

At OneWorld Community Health Centers, we have been preparing for these changes for a number of months. Our staff is being trained to assist consumers with understanding the new health care reform laws. As a federally qualified community health center, OneWorld is uniquely positioned to help you understand exactly how the Affordable Care Act will impact your health care choices and those of your family. The new insurance marketplace and new plans will be available with premium support from OneWorld. We will be writing more as the new marketplace evolves. In the meantime, visit us at www.oneworldomaha.org.

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LOVE brings comfort

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home residents are enjoying their new awning.

by OZZIE NOGG Walk through the doors of the Sports Lounge at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and you’ll find yourself in the facility’s center courtyard -- an outdoor area where residents, their families, visitors and RBJH staff can enjoy the fresh air. With the recent addition of a heavy-duty electronically controlled awning that blocks the sun, opportunities for a comfortable summertime outing have increased. The awning was a gift to the Home from L.O.V.E (League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly).

Over the past forty years, the sole purpose of the L.O.V.E. organization has been to raise funds to purchase specific items that improve and enhance the lives of Blumkin Home residents. “The old awning in the courtyard was badly damaged, and a replacement was #1 on the RBJH wish-list,” said Josh Gurock, Director of Facility Services at the Blumkin Home. “L.O.V.E. gifted us with $10,000 they raised this year, allowing us to buy the new awning, which is on a timer and can cover a large portion of the courtyard patio seating area. It has a real WOW factor and is in almost constant use.”

According to Lois Wine, Director of Volunteer Services for the RBJH, funds raised by L.O.V.E. support many special projects that benefit residents of the Home and their caregivers. “Federation CEO Mike Silverman and RBJH Assistant Administrator Michael Schop draw up a wish-list of needed items,” Wine explained.

“In recent years, generous donations from

the community have enabled L.O.V.E. to purchase a portable induction cooktop system, a crash cart with defibrillator and computers for the med carts -- all of which make life at the Blumkin Home more enjoyable and more efficient for our community members who live there and for the staff who care for them.” Monies raised

by L.O.V.E. also underwrite social activities including sing-alongs, bingo games, a quilting group, discussion sessions, tea time, movies, arts and crafts, attendance at cultural events, holiday celebrations and birthday parties. “Residents especially enjoy a trip to the Gift Shop on Main Street to pick out a birthday gift,” Wine said. “All this programming is made possible thanks to L.O.V.E. volunteers and the financial backing of the Omaha Jewish community.”

This year’s L.O.V.E. Membership Drive is now underway. “We invite you to support our efforts,” said Jim Wax, L.O.V.E. President. “The phrase, ‘All you need is love,’ truly reflects the importance of our work with the RBJH. We thank you in advance for your generosity and kindness to the residents and staff of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.” Membership categories include: $18 individual Chai; $36 couple double Chai; $75 individual benefactor; $150 couple benefactor; $300 individual life member and $500 couple life member. All donations are tax deductible.

For more information, call Jim Wax at 402.393.4442. Lois Wine can be reached at 402.334.6519 or email: lwine@rbjh.com.

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12 | The Jewish Press | August 2, 2013

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Let’s (not) talk about sex

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor I wasn’t going to write about this. I really, really wasn’t; I even went so far as to print out research for alternative topics, such as Jewish day school closings across the country, or the latest BDS shenanigans. It would have been interesting, I promise.

But like Anthony Weiner, I just couldn’t help myself.

A short recap (not that you need one): In 2011, the then Congressman made headlines because of sending inappropriate pictures of himself to several women. In spite of resigning in shame, he is currently running for Mayor of New York City. Reach for the stars, I guess. But, as it turns out, he hasn’t changed his ways. Using an alias (Carlos Danger!) he’s continued to send sexually explicit messages to an unknown number of recipients. Anthony Weiner treats women like the furniture he throws around during a tantrum.

The thing is, even sex scandals have rules. And those who find themselves in the thick of it need to follow those rules.

To the letter.

You lie about your misbehavior once, maybe twice. Then, when the evidence is overwhelming, and you no longer can even so much as fantasize about plausible deniability, you make a public admission of guilt, preferably accompanied by your stoic wife, and you apologize. You take your lumps, you weather the storm, and you wait. Then, you stop talking about it. And -- pay attention, this is important -- you cease all extra-marital nonsense immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect whatever it is you were collecting, and reform yourself. Be, if not a good boy (that ship has sailed), at least a better boy. A sex scandal can be survived once, but that’s it.

So don’t push it.

Americans are a forgiving people. They understand we’re all human, and everyone makes mistakes. But not learning

from them, not embracing the opportunity to show your humble side, well, that’s a problem. It’s something Anthony Weiner simply doesn’t seem to understand, which is why this is different from your run-of-the-mill political naughtiness.

So, Anthony, here’s the deal.

We will stop asking you to change your ways. We now know that’s not possible; there’s really no hope for someone who can’t even remember how many women there were, or are. Here is what he said, in answer to the question: How many women were there? Can you remember?

“There were more than... there were a few... I don’t have a specific number for you. It’s not dozens and dozens... it is six to ten, I suppose, but I can’t tell you absolutely what some-

one else is going to consider inappropriate or not.”

That doesn’t sound like mayor material to me. Neither does what commentator Richard Kim recently wrote: “[While a congressman] Weiner was megalomaniacal, narcissistic, bad at navigating the political ropes, alienating to potential allies, alarmingly disinterested in making actual change and really, really mean to his staff (one former aide likened him to Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada).

In his twelve-plus years in Congress, the Times notes, Weiner “sponsored and wrote only one bill that he steered to enactment: a measure pushed by a family friend who gave his campaigns tens of thousands of dollars in donations.” (The Nation.com) And yet, he’s not giving up the race. He still thinks the public will embrace him as a great mayor.

He also states the West Bank is not occupied, and that there is no IDF presence there. Then there’s his assertion that the United States recognizes the PLO as a terrorist organization, something the US stopped doing twenty years ago. We need especially our Jewish politicians to defend Israel, but Weiner’s tendency to do so by lying and sticking his head in the sand is not exactly helpful. In fact, it makes things worse.

How Anthony Weiner treats his wife is not our problem.

But the fact that his behavior shows an overly narcissistic, arrogant, devil-may-care attitude is. It’s a disgrace, and it’s a distraction.

“A campaign for the Second Toughest Job in America,” it says on Weiner’s mayoral campaign website, “should be a first class debate about ideas.”

Here’s an idea: leave the public arena, Mr. Weiner, so we can all go back to discussing the real issues. You know, the ones that don’t involve sad and adolescent twitter pics. We know, when in college, you wanted to be a television weatherman. I’m sure there’s a little station in a small town somewhere that would hire you. Campaign for that.

Kosher slaughter ban shows Poland has a Jewish problem

Behind the headlines LAWRENCE GROSSMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- The Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, has a Jewish problem.

In a painful affront to the Jewish community, it recently defeated a government initiative to reinstate the legality of kosher slaughter of animals. This prompted Poland’s chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, to threaten resignation and triggered sharp criticism of the Sejm from Jewish communities in Poland and around the world.

What happens in Poland regarding Jews has special significance because of the Holocaust. More than 90 percent of the country’s 3.5 million Jews were killed during the Nazi occupation. Poland began legislating against kosher slaughter in 1936, and once the Germans occupied the country three years later, the practice was banned entirely.

Since the fall of the communist regime in 1989, however, Jewish life in Poland has undergone a remarkable, and previously unimaginable, renaissance. Full recognition of the rights of Jews to practice their faith -- including kosher slaughter -- was enshrined in an agreement the government signed with the Jewish community in 2004.

Indeed, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, addressing an overflow crowd at the American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum in Washington last month, declared his country’s historic responsibility to ensure “that today’s Jewish community in Poland is safe, welcome and respected.” He honored Poland’s Jewish community “not just for how it died, but for how it lives, and how it is coming back to life.”

When legislation was adopted a few years ago mandating

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the use of electronic stunning equipment before an animal is killed -- a practice prohibited under Jewish law -- the Jewish community was granted an administrative exemption. In January, however, a court ruled the exemption unconstitutional. Alleged violations of animal rights trumped age-old Jewish religious practice.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government framed legislation to override the court decision. What should have been a fairly easy corrective measure was instead defeated on July 12 by a vote of 222 to 178, leaving in place the judicial ban.

Thirty-eight Sejm members representing Tusk’s ruling Civic Platform party joined with the opposition in voting to outlaw ritual slaughter. In Poland, this was viewed as a major victory for animal rights advocates, as their views prevailed against the nation’s farmers and meatpackers, who had developed a lively business exporting kosher and halal meat to Israel and Muslim countries.

Jews, however, see matters quite differently. From their perspective, the Sejm’s action stigmatizing kosher slaughter as inhumane blatantly contradicts Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s pledge to make Jews “safe, welcome and respected.” They point out that kosher slaughter -- whereby the animal is rendered immediately unconscious by severing the carotid artery -- is humane, and that the continued legality of hunting in Poland, which results in far greater and more indiscriminate pain to animals, suggests there may in fact be another, unstated reason for outlawing kosher slaughter: anti-Semitism.

In the wake of the Sejm vote, pejorative comments about Jews in some of the Polish media and online give some credence to these fears.

Unfortunately, it is not an isolated incident. The situation for

European Jews looks even grimmer in a broader context. Just a few months ago, a similar scenario unfolded in Germany when a court banned ritual circumcision -- another fundamental element of the Jewish religion -- on the grounds that it mutilated children without their consent. There, too, antiSemitic motivation was not hard to discern in certain quarters amid the talk about physiological and psychological harm.

Fortunately, Chancellor Angela Merkel navigated a bill through the German parliament overruling the court and reestablishing the religious freedom of Jews to continue an age-old tradition of their faith. Whether Poland will successfully follow her example and push through a law guaranteeing the right to kosher slaughter remains to be seen.

Such attacks on Jewish religious practice, in fact, constitute just one front in a wider struggle over the future of Jewish life in Europe. Anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise, increasing by 30 percent between 2011 and 2012. In France, there was an astounding 58 percent jump over that same period, including the targeted murder last year of four Jews, three of them small children, in Toulouse.

Vocally anti-Semitic political parties are represented in the Greek and Hungarian parliaments and are gaining power on the local and regional levels in other countries. Public opinion polls show alarmingly high levels of anti-Semitic attitudes. Demonization of Israel in the media and among some intelligentsia is often indistinguishable from Jew-baiting. No wonder that opinion surveys point to a striking number of European Jews contemplating emigration.

Alas, left uncorrected, the ban on kosher slaughter in Poland could be another bleak portent for the Jewish future in Europe.

Lawrence Grossman is the American Jewish Committee’s director of publications.

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August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 13

Poland’s goal of good Jewish relations remains clear

Focus on issues TAD TAUBE SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) -- For the past decade, the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture and I myself, as Poland's honorary consul in the Bay Area, have been involved directly in furthering the renaissance of Jewish life in Poland. The renaissance is viewed as a “miracle” in Poland and around the world.

At my foundation, we receive communications every day from all corners of the globe congratulating and thanking us for our leadership in the rebirth of Jewish life and culture in Poland.

The renaissance is not just a Jewish one; it is really Poland’s renaissance, as it shakes off centuries of foreign domination and reinvents itself as a free, prosperous and vibrant democratic nation. The transition from authoritarian rule to a true democracy that safeguards the rights of its Jewish citizens and other religious minorities has been a journey of a thousand steps over the last two decades, and we are proud of the outcome.

But like the democratic process anywhere, it does not always move in simple, straight lines. We at the Taube Foundation regard the current legal debate about ritual slaughter as a moment in that complex process of reinvention and democratic evolution.

This month’s legislative decision prohibiting ritual slaughter for large-scale commercial and export use has raised questions about Jewish and Muslim rights to maintain access to kosher meat. As the chief rabbi of Poland has

assured us, and as the Polish press is reporting, the parliamentarians’ vote was not driven by anti-Semitism. The vote was made both to support animal rights and to eliminate large-scale commercial and export sales, not to infringe upon the right of Poland’s Jewish citizens to have kosher meat or of its Muslim citizens to have halal meat.

The vote was based on the conviction that the Jewish community would be able to practice shechitah and acquire kosher meat as promised in a 1997 law protecting Jewish religious rights. In fact, as this is being written, a group of Jewish and Muslim leaders meeting with the government has been advised by the minister of administration, who is responsible for religious affairs, to petition the Constitutional Court for legal protection.

There is no one within the hierarchy of the Polish government leadership that is not committed to maintaining shechitah. The 1997 Law on the Relationship between Poland and its Jewish Communities guarantees these rights. But now, as there are potential conflicts with the new law, they need to be sorted out by the Constitutional Court.

Some within the Jewish media or within the Jewish leadership (primarily outside of Poland) are claiming the vote represents a resurgence of anti-Semitism. This is a mischaracterization of the situation and, by injecting the anti-Semitism perspective, may be harmful to the Polish-Jewish relationship. We must remember that Poland is one of Israel’s closest allies in the European Union and that thousands of Polish youngsters travel annually to Israel, while thousands of Israeli and American Jewish youngsters visit Poland.

We at the Taube Foundation, along with our key partner, the Koret Foundation, are proud to be part of these many

achievements. The capstone of our work is the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (or the Museum of the Jewish People, as I like to call it), a world-class cultural institution that uses cutting-edge concepts and technology to present the epic story of Poland’s Jewish millennium. The Poles, through their Ministry of Culture and the city of Warsaw, financed the capital campaign of this $120 million miracle, and the newly opened facility has exceeded all expectations.

The museum commands a square on the heritage site of the Warsaw Ghetto, a place of special meaning to Jews around the world. There, at the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the ghetto uprising earlier this year, the Taube and Koret Foundations, together with a Bay Area delegation of 50 supporters, watched as the entire hierarchy of the Polish leadership -- from President Komorowski to religious leaders to the Polish Army, Navy and Air Force commanders -- witnessed the ceremonial laying of wreaths at the base of the Rapoport Memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes. They were honoring Polish Jewry’s past, present and future, and there was not a dry eye among the 2,000 or so people in attendance. I never thought I would live to see anything like it.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu once wrote, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”

Poland already has taken many steps in its relationship with its Jewish present and future. Along the journey, it will invariably make missteps, but happily the destination remains clear and firm.

Tad Taube is chairman of the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture, president of the Koret Foundation and honorary consul for the Republic of Poland in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Charlie Dent: a Republican who is cautious on Iran

by RON KAMPEAS Back in 2009, J Street led a drive for congressional signatures on a letter to President Obama noting Israel’s security interest in controlling the flow of goods in and out of the Gaza Strip, but calling for care to avoid the “de facto collective punishment” of the Palestinians. It garnered 54 signatures.

Despite its earnest qualifications regarding Israel’s security, the letter became a bludgeon for right-wing pro-Israel groups who, in the 2010 midterms, described the “Gaza 54” as all but appeasers.

Facilitating the polarization was the fact that every single signatory was a Democrat. It’s much easier to muster opposition to an initiative if it can be cast as a partisan issue.

So when I broke the story last week about the letter to Obama urging him to test Iranian President-elect Hassan Tohan’s bid for dialogue, what struck me was the broader reach of a letter that -- like the Gaza 54 letter -- bucks the conventions of center-right pro-Israel orthodoxy.

This time, there were 131 signatories, among them 18

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Republicans. One of them, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), was a lead initiator of the letter. Among groups lobbying for the letter were J Street, Americans for Peace Now and the National Iranian American Council.

The reactions from the same quarters that had slammed the “Gaza 54” came instantaneously, noting that three quarters of the House of Representatives had failed to sign on.

The “appeasement” word cropped up not long after.

Still, the breadth of the signatories and the number of Republicans -- 18 is small, but not insignificant -- will make it harder to use the letter as a partisan wedge, as will Dent’s seniority. He’s on three appropriations subcommittees, including foreign operations.

The letter did not obviate demands identified with the pro-Israel center right; it supplemented them, he argued.

“The military option remains on the table, and nobody’s talking about loosening sanctions absent major concessions on the nuclear program,” he said.

From a GOP perspective, the need to exhaust diplomatic

Today is your day.

options was, if anything, made sharper by Dent’s lack of faith in President Obama’s repeated suggestions that he is willing to use force, if it comes to it, to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon.

Dent said he had been to too many funerals, had visited with too many amputees at Walter Reed military hospital, not to exhaust all options. “I have been to a number of funerals of constituents who gave what Lincoln called that last full measure of devotion,” he said. “I want to make sure we exhaust all diplomatic initiatives before we get into any military engagement.”

Dent added: “I’m a strong supporter of Israel. I believe it’s a strategic asset and ally of the United States. It’s an enduring and ascending relationship. The relationship is institutionally strong and I want to keep it that way.”

But he would not defer to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assessments. “Prime Minister Netanyahu said Rohani is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he may be right, but he may not be -- we have to test Rohani first.”

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14 | The Jewish Press | August 2, 2013

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, call 712.323.8885.

B’nai Israel Synagogue and the Jewish Chapel Group will have a special Potluck Picnic Brunch, Sunday, Aug. 11, 11 a.m. at Base Lake at the Offutt Air Force Base. The Jewish Chapel Group is providing kosher bagels, lox and cream cheese, beverages and paper goods. Last names A-J bring side dishes or salads. Last names K-Z bring desserts. Adults, children and grandchildren are welcome. Recreational facilities are available. RSVP to Carole Lainof at 402.659.8566.

WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.

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

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

THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. Contact Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@ unmc.edu to receive updates.

All programs are open to the entire community.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN

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

FRIDAY: Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group, 11:30 a.m. We will meet at the Blumkin Home’s Star Deli. For more information or to RSVP, contact Sherry Taxman, tax man@cox.net, or 402.397.5816; Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. Guest speaker Milt Katskee will speak about “Justices of Jewish Birth on the U.S. Sumpreme Court.”

SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; 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 Group, 10 a.m.; Movie and Minyan, 3:30 p.m., come to Beth El watch the PBS documentary, The Jewish Americans. No charge to attend; free popcorn and beverages will be provided. Afterward, stay for 5:30 p.m. minyan.

TUESDAY: Wrestling with the Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. popular weekly adult-education class returns led by Rabbi Abraham. No charge to attend; everyone is welcome.

WEDNESDAY: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m. in the chapel.

THURSDAY: Community Conversation about the Affordable Care Act, 7 p.m., Juliana Reno, will present an overview of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ‘Obamacare.’ The entire community is welcome, no charge.

Shabbat Sing-a-long, Aug. 9, 6 p.m., for children through first grade and their favorite adults. This lively sing-along, led

by Patty Nogg, will begin with a kid-friendly dinner. Cost: $5 for Beth El members, $7.50 for non-members. No charge for children ages six and younger. RSVPs required by Wednesday, Aug. 7. Visit www.bethel-omaha.org to register.

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

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

FRIDAY: Dinner and Early Family Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; Classical Reform Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Eleanor Shirley-Kirkland.

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

THURSDAY: High Holiday Day Choir Rehearsal, 7:30-9 p.m.

Be Present with the Prez, Eleanor Shirley-Kirkland, Sunday, Aug. 11, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Sessions are 15-20 minutes at a time and first come, first served.

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. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross.

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

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by the Kohll Family in honor of Max’s Bar Mitzvah; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:26 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Daf Yomi: Week in Review with Rabbi Gross, 7:45 a.m.

TUESDAY: Women’s Study Group, 6:30 p.m. at the home of Kathy Weiner.

WEDNESDAY: Coffee and Your Jewish News with Rabbi Gross, 7:45 a.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m.

THURSDAY: Sacred Grounds with Rabbi Gross, 9:30 a.m.

CHABAD CENTER 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.; Kiddush lunch is sponsored in honor of Shabbat Nachamu, 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.; Breakfast Bonanza, 9:30 a.m. This week our breakfast is in honor of Rachel Rosenberg to commemorate her special birthday.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

Candlelighting Friday, August 2, 8:22 p.m.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 http://templeisraelomaha.com FRIDAY: Summer First Friday on the Green, 6 p.m. followed by dinner. Come for the Shabbat service and stay for an outdoor (weather permitting) potluck dinner. Temple Israel will provide the main course. Families with last names A-L are asked to provide side dishes and M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. Reservations required. Temple Israel First Fridays are sponsored by Bob and Elly Gordman, Andie Gordman and Dan Fitzgerald, and Lindsey Thomas, in memory of Brandon Thomas.

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

Summer Speaker, Friday, August 9, 6 p.m.: Debbie Massarano “Change Your Place, Change Your Luck.”

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. followed by dinner.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by a special homecoming Kiddush luncheon sponsored by Elaine and Everett Evnen.

Tifereth Israel’s Fourth Annual Shabbat on the Green/New Member dinner, Friday, August 23, 6:30 p.m. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy a hot dog meal. More information is coming soon.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Steve Riekes.

Book review: Creating a Jewish heroine

by RUTH ELLEN GRUBER BUDAPEST (JTA) — There’s a new Jewish heroine on the block, a tough but tender Israeli who does undercover work for the United Nations and stars in a new series of thrillers by the British author and journalist Adam LeBor. The first installment, The Geneva Option, was released in the United Kingdom in April and recently hit U.S. booksellers. It spins a tale of corporate greed, international corruption and insidious plans for mass murder, with intrigue spanning the globe from New York to central Africa to Switzerland.

The protagonist is Yael Azoulay, an auburn-haired Israeli army veteran forced to use subterfuge, computer savvy and Krav Maga skills to thwart the villains.

“As far as I know, she’s the first Israeli woman protagonist in a thriller,” said LeBor, a Budapest-based correspondent for the Times of London, the Economist and other publications.

The story pivots on an unholy alliance between superpowers and multinational corporations aimed at cornering the market on raw materials essential for 21st century technology.

“I wanted to look at the tension between the moral aims of the U.N. and the actual results of superpower politics in the U.N. -- there’s a pretty serious gap there,” said LeBor, who drew on his own dealings with the world body as a reporter in Bosnia during the 1990s.

“But I don’t see the book as an indictment of the U.N. or of the people who work there,” he added.

LeBor drew inspiration for Azoulay from many sources, including Lisbeth Salander, the hacker heroine of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, and Azoulay’s biblical namesake, Yael, who sheltered an enemy commander in her tent and then killed him by hammering a stake into his head.

“What if there was someone working for the U.N. with a powerful moral drive to do good, yet who was forced to operate in the shadows? Even to kill?” LeBor wrote in a recent Op-Ed in the Times of Israel.

Azoulay, he wrote, is “a modern woman -- a 21st century heroine, haunted by her past, with a complex identity, but one firmly rooted in Israel.”

Azoulay faces more than just physical enemies. In her mid-30s, she’s also contending with the biological clock.

To complicate matters, the potential love interest for this proud Israeli is a Palestinian-American journalist.

“There’s always tension between career women and the call of relationships and family,” LeBor told JTA. “The basis of drama is conflict, and you need inner conflict in the protagonist.”

The Geneva Option is Lebor’s second venture into fiction, having already authored more than a half-dozen non-fiction books. His latest, Tower of Basel, is an investigative history of the Switzerland-based Bank for International Settlements that also was recently published in the United States.

Many of his books have a Jewish or Israeli theme -including The Believers, about the swindler Bernard Madoff’s impact on the American Jewish community, and City of Oranges, the story of Israel told through the sagas of three Arab and three Jewish families in Jaffa.

“I guess it’s a way of exploring part of my own identity in a way, being brought up Jewish in England, having gone to two Jewish schools, having lived on a kibbutz in my gap year, having studied Hebrew and also Arabic,” he said. “I realized when I got to the level of being able to write non-fiction books, I thought that there were some interesting things I can explore here.”

LeBor says writing fiction is more difficult than nonfiction, but often more satisfying.

“When you get fiction going, it’s true what you read about -- the characters just come alive,” he said. “You wake up in the morning still half asleep and you know what to do. You end a chapter on a cliff-hanger. You think how on earth is she going to get out of that; you sleep on it. And you know what to do.”

As for Yael Azoulay, her next full-length book adventure will be set partly in Vienna. Until then, LeBor and his publisher will be taking advantage of new technology to issue occasional short stories or novellas that can be published as e-books within weeks of being written. The first, The Istanbul Exchange, came out last month.

Azoulay “is going to get into a lot more trouble, for sure,” he said. He plans little by little to reveal more about her past “It’s not spelled out in The Geneva Option if [Azoulay] has any connections with Mossad, and if so, what they might be,” he added. “So you have to wait to see that in later volumes.”

Pulverent e

August 2, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 15

The God of history

In memoriam SHELDON M. “SHELLEY” GALLNER

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Re’eh A 19th century commentator, Samson Raphael Hirsch, suggested that the reminder that Pesach occurs in the springtime is not simply chance. It is a profound warning that there are always forces in life that tend to draw us away from our understanding of what God is.

What he had in mind was this: In the springtime the farmer (and everyone else) is impressed with the powers that lie in Nature. When the snows and rains of winter have passed, when the sun begins to lavish its light and warmth on the earth, when the hitherto forbidding earth begins to smell of fresh new life, then everyone who is close to Nature revels in its powers, in its mighty exploitation of the mysterious strengths hidden beneath our feet.

Ancient farmers and others worshiped Nature. The Canaanites in the Middle East posited fertility at the very core of religion. Their religious rites exalted fertility. Their psalms and songs entreated the hidden powers to give fertility to the fields, fertility to the flocks and herds, and fertility to the human family.

Israel demurred. Israel’s religious teachers taught that behind and beyond the earth’s fertility and the mysterious powers of reproduction was not only Nature, but the God of Nature. It is that God that must be worshiped, not Nature which responds to His call.

Therefore Passover, our text reminds us, is not the festival that celebrates the response of Nature to the coming of the spring season. Passover, quite to the contrary, is to be celebrated as the anniversary of the Exodus, that history shaking event that established for all time both the principle of human freedom and the kind of God who inheres in the world, a God who demands freedom for His children.

Queen for a Day

Sheldon M. Gallner passed away in Omaha at age 64 after a brief illness. Services were held July 16 at Temple Israel and interment in Oak Hill Jewish Cemetery in Council Bluffs.

He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Esther (Sacks) Gallner.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Gallner; son, Spencer Gallner; daughter, Elyse Gallner; brothers, Michael Gallner, and Gary Gallner; several nieces and nephews; and multiple aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, co-workers, and clients.

Born in Council Bluffs, Shelley graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, and later graduated with High Honors from American University in Washington, D.C., and University of Iowa School of Law. Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Cancer Organization or Boys and Girls Club.

JOSEPH POLONSKI Longtime Omaha resident Joseph Polonski passed away peacefully in his sleep July 25 at age 87.

He is survived by his wife, Bluma Polonski; daughters and sons-in-law, Sonia and John Breslow of Scottsdale, AZ, and Rose and Steve Viny of Cleveland, OH; son and daughterin-law, Morris and Claire Polonski of Los Angeles; son, Lynn Polonski of Tucson, AZ, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Mr. Polonski, originally of Silvaki, Poland, was a survivor of the Holocaust. He is one of only two known individuals to escape from Treblinka, known as the most rigorous death camp created under the Nazi regime. After his escape, he served as an officer in the resistance, fighting Nazis until the liberation. Mr. Polonski was trained in electronics by ORT in Germany and came to the United States in 1949 to found Aksarben Television Service. He is best known by his friends for his kindness, compassion, and honesty.

Memorials may be made to your favorite cause.

ARTHUR P. STEIN Arthur P. Stein passed away on June 27 after a long illness.

Services were held on June 30 at Beth El cemetary.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Morris and Fannie Stein and brothers, Sidney and Gerald.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Lorraine Stein; sons and daughters-in-law: Richard and Diane Stein, Robert and Susan Stein, Mark and Susi Stein, David and Julie Stein; grandchildren: Rachel, Aaron, Neil, Christine, Joseph, Matthew, Emilie, Zachary, Hannah, Joshua; sisters-in-law, Sandy Stein and Rita Thomas.

Memorials may be made to Beth El Synagogue in Omaha.

Latino-Jewish caucus urges path to citizenship

by JANA BANIN (JTA) Plans for Sacha Baron Cohen to portray a character who is both mustachioed and flamboyant (a hybrid of Borat and Bruno, one might say) have fallen through.

The Jewish actor has cancelled his plans to play Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biographical film, Deadline.com reports. Apparently he is not on the same page as the remaining members of Queen, who have creative control over the project. The band’s vision is a PG movie, while Cohen was pushing for a “gritty Rrated tell-all centered around the gifted gay singer.”

It’s too bad they couldn’t make things work, as they’re going to have a hard time finding someone who looks more like Mercury than Cohen does.

Turkey frees bird

by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) Turkey released a bird it accused of working for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

The bird was set free following an X-ray examination that determined it was not equipped with a microchip or other bugging device, the Hurriyet Turkish daily newspaper reported Friday.

Turkish authorities had detained the bird after residents of the Altınavya village had become suspicious upon finding a metal ring around its leg stamped with the words “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel.”

The tag reportedly was placed on the bird in order to track migration routes.

Visit the Jewish Press online at jewishomaha.org

by JTA NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON (JTA) A bipartisan caucus of Jewish and Hispanic members of the U.S. House of Representatives said a path to citizenship for undocumented workers should underpin immigration reform.

The co-chairs of the Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chairwoman of the House Middle East subcommittee; Rep. Eliot Engel (DN.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee; and Rep. Xavier Becarra (D-Calif.) said this week that immigration reform should include a”viable and efficient” path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and “smart, effective and humane” border enforcement.

“As longtime partners on these issues, we call for pragmatic common-sense solutions to fix our immigration system in a way that meets our nation‚s economic needs, protects those who flee persecution, reflects our shared commitment to security, justice, equal opportunity, family unification, immigrant integration and human dignity,” the statement said.

A comprehensive immigration reform plan has passed the U.S. Senate but is foundering in the House, where some Republicans say border enforcement should be its emphasis, rather than avenues to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

The American Jewish Committee praised the caucus‚ statement.

“The Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus initiative is critically important, emphasizing that both communities in the U.S. have been actively advocating for long overdue immigration reform,” Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute, said in a statement.

There are 25 members of the Latino-Jewish caucus, which was founded in 2011.

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LAGRAND SCOTCHCAP Angus Ranch Complete dispersal of 450 Registered and Commercial Fall Calving Cows including some spring calvers, 90 2012 Fall Heifers and 50 Fall Bulls. August 10th at Sioux Falls Regional Worthing Sale Barn.

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HELP WANTED: Electronic technician/sales position available. Grosshans International, Inc., is hiring a full-time electronic technician/sales position for Trimble Auto Guidance System. Applicant must have strong computer, people and organizational skills. Extensive training is required to become certified and some travel for education is required. Position includes excellent benefits for the right person as part of a growing team. Please send resume to: Grosshans International, Inc., PO Box 168, Aurora, NE 68818. Attention: Alan Anderson. Or call 402-6942121.

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16 | The Jewish Press | August 2, 2013

The shanda factor

by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The guy with the socks up. The guy with the pants down. The guy with the headlocks. The guy who tweets and deletes.

What is it with these male politicos? And why are they all Jewish?

The cloistered community that is Washington’s Jewish elite collectively choked a little Saturday morning as it progressed through a column in which Gail Collins of The New York Times named the protagonists of what she dubbed the “Weiner Spitzer summer.”

“Ever since the Clinton impeachment crisis, we’ve been discovering how much personal misbehavior we’re prepared to ignore in elected officials,” Collins wrote. “Hypocrisy, for sure. Adultery, definitely. Chronic lying, maybe. Financial skullduggery, possibly.”

Those seeking absolution this month for past misdeeds include Anthony Weiner, now running for New York mayor, who quit Congress in 2011 after he was caught saluting a female Twitter fan in his boxer briefs; Eliot Spitzer, now in a bid to be Gotham’s comptroller, who quit as the state’s governor in 2008 after the revelation that he patronized highpriced call girls -- and allegedly kept his knee-highs on while doing so; and Bob Filner, who quit Congress last year to become San Diego’s first Democratic mayor in 20 years and is now facing a welter of sexual harassment claims, including allegations involving something called the “Filner headlock.”

Rounding out the sordidness is the baffling case of Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who was caught tweeting and deleting love notes to a bikini model during the State of the Union address in February. Turns out she was his recently discovered love child. Then it was discovered she wasn’t.

Then, while attempting to explain the mess, he seemingly came on to a reporter about the age of his not-daughter.

In her column, Collins did not identify the protagonists as Jewish, but their collective appearance in print unsettled Jewish political players who were whispering their names at social gatherings over the weekend.

“If we need a reminder of how Jews are like everyone else, this is a useful one,” said Ann Lewis, who as White House communications director managed the fallout from President Bill Clinton’s sex scandal and whose brother, former Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank, was caught

Anthony Weiner, left, Eliot Spitzer and Bob Filner, three Jewish politicians seeking to move on after misdeeds.

Credit: United States Congress/Getty Images/City of San Diego up in a scandal in the 1980s involving a gay escort. “It does help bring us down to earth.”

Unlike other lawmakers caught in scandal, Lewis said, Jewish politicos are less likely to face the charges of hypocrisy that have afflicted others caught with their pants down.

“Jewish politicians by and large have not been huge advocates of patrolling other people’s sex lives,” Lewis said.

The cases all have their own particularities.

Spitzer’s lapses were crimes, though he was never prosecuted for them. Filner’s might yet land him in court; his former communications director said this week that she was suing the mayor for sexual harassment. And the ones with Weiner and Cohen are just bizarre, though no one has yet suggested they are criminal.

Filner thus far has rejected calls for his resignation, while Spitzer and Weiner are both trying to rehabilitate their political careers after retreating from the spotlight in the wake of the scandals. On Monday, however, Weiner acknowledged that he had sent more explicit photos and texts to a woman, though the exact date of the exchange was unclear.

Cohen added to his problems last week after he was asked by a reporter about a paternity test proving he was not the father of the bikini model Victoria Brink. The congressman responded, “You’re very attractive, but I’m not talking about it.”

Cohen almost immediately sought out the reporter to apologize, saying he had been roiled by the revelation that Brink was not his daughter after her mother had led him to believe he was.

Political observers attribute the various scandals to the

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same factors that have led other politicians into the halls of shame: arrogance, insularity and just plain loneliness.

“Anyone who wants to run for Congress has to be a little bit crazy, and that includes Jewish members of Congress,” said a longtime Capitol Hill staffer.

The perpetual fundraising, unfettered accolades from supporters and the rarity of staffers who push back when a boss crosses the line insulate lawmakers from reality checks, according to a number of Hill staffers. The rigors of living one’s life under the constant glare of media scrutiny may also be a factor.

“When people are separated from their families for a long period of time, things occur that wouldn’t necessarily occur if your family was there,” said Robert Wexler, a former congressman who described his first months in Washington as hellish, eventually leading to his decision to move his family north so he could spend more time with them.

The move was not without a price. In 2008, Wexler came under fire when it was revealed he no longer maintained a residence in his Florida constituency.

“Eventually, your political opponent will claim you are of Washington,” he said.

Sex scandals have not always sounded the death knell for political careers.

Frank continued to serve in Congress for more than two decades after revelations that he patronized a male escort and then hired him as a personal aide. Weiner is leading in several recent polls, and has never polled lower than second since declaring his candidacy in May. And Spitzer enjoys a commanding lead over his Democratic primary opponent, Scott Stringer, the Jewish Manhattan borough president.

“It’s not the end of the world,” Lewis said. “They have a lot of work to do, but if I go back and think about Jewish tradition, you are encouraged to give people another chance.”

But the scandals have certainly exacted a price. Barbara Goldberg Goldman, a leading Democratic fundraiser, said the Weiner scandal was a factor in her decision to fundraise for one of his opponents, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

“Because I am Jewish, because I am a Democrat and I am active in that arena, I see it as a tragedy” that Weiner and Spitzer are running again, Goldman said.

“There are many fine qualified candidates out there who do not come with the baggage,” she said. “Find another day job. It’s chutzpah.”

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