August 9, 2019

thejewishpress AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

this week

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SPoNSoreD By The BeNJAMiN AND ANNA e. WieSMAN FAMiLy eNDoWMeNT FuND

Meet Fortune’s Daughter

AU G U ST 9 , 2 0 1 9 | 8 AV 5 7 7 9 | V O L . 9 9 | NO . 4 2 | C A ND LeLi g h Ti Ng | FRID AY , AU G U ST 9 , 8 : 1 3 P. M.

Omaha community celebrates ADL-CRC and Dr. Mary-Beth Muskin

Kripke Jewish Federation Library Staff On August 15, the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will be discussing Fortune’s Daughter by Alice Hoffman. The group previously read Hoffman’s novel The Marriage of Opposites in 2017.

Soul Zimra returns to Temple Israel Page 2

T

Sharon Nazarian, left, Senator Brett Lindstrom, Congressman Don Bacon, Senator Tony Vargas, Senator John McCollister and Douglas County Commissioner Marc Kraft.

Credit: Mark Kirchhoff

Nothing is self-evident Page 4

PAM MoNSKy Community Development Liaison, ADL-CRC he Omaha community had the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the ADL-CRC and to wish Regional Director Dr. Mary-Beth Muskin mazel tov on her retirement. Rosé at the Rose, our second annual summer fundraiser, was held on July 28.

The program that brings Afican-American teens to Israel Page 12

This week at J Camp: Letting the creativity flow

inside Spotlight Viewpoint Synagogues Life cycles

One hundred and twenty-five people attended the event at the Rose Theater-- enjoying food, music, a silent auction, and the chance to connect with the mission of the ADL-CRC. $25,000 was raised for educational programming to combat bias, bigotry and anti-Semitism throughout our region.

Special guest Sharon Nazarian, ADL’s Senior Vice President for International See rosé at the rose page 3

7 8 10 11

ALi BrehMer Jewish Press Intern From baking to making keychains, campers have been busy creating at J Camp! With only a few short weeks until school starts and summer fun winds down, campers are soaking up what is left of their time left at camp.

As a part of “Let’s Talk Television,” a week that consisted of competing in game shows and exploring cartoons, campers participated in their very own bake off. The kids were split into

smaller groups to put their creativity and teamwork skills to the test. They had to work together to make chocolate balls to be judged by their counselors. Each group was instructed to add an ingredient that would make their chocolate stand out. Some chose to roll the dough in sprinkles while others coated them in sugar. The kids also practiced their communication skills and working together under a time limit. Counselors judged groups on teamwork, creativity, taste and workstation cleanliness when they were finished with the competition.

While not all are Jewish, campers at the JCC typically engage in one activity per day that teaches them about Israeli or Jewish culture. In Judaism, the hamsa is believed to protect those who wear it against the evil eye. Most commonly displayed on necklaces, keychains or displayed on walls, hamsas can be purchased in Judaica shops around the world. Campers at the JCC made their own hamsa keychains using markers and Shrinky Dinks by tracing a stencil before adding their own style and colors. Counselors punched a hole in the top before sending them to the oven to harden.

While the creative juices were flowing, campers put their DIY skills to the test.

Bath bombs make bath time more enjoyable, but have you ever wondered how they are made? Campers got to experiment by making do-itSee J Camp page 2

Fortune’s Daughter is a tribute to the philosophical mysteries surrounding childbirth and motherhood. Alice Hoffman’s book is a tale of searching and discovering for its main characters Rae Perry and Lila Grey.

Rae’s youth and Lila’s cynicism intertwine as their lives play out against Southern California’s “earthquake weather,” a time when anything can happen. With such a dramatic backdrop, the reader can be sure that the lives of these two women will be affected and changed by each other during the uncertain times they share together.

Rae is young, unmarried, and far away from her native Boston and uncertain about her future while awaiting the birth of her first child. Rae’s long-time boyfriend Jessup still has wanderlust after seven years of their drifting from state to state. Jessup is getting restless again and Rae fears that Jessup’s next move will be without her; but she concludes that she is probably far better off without him.

Lila is a fortune-teller who reads tea leaves. When Lila reads Rae’s fortune, she reveals Rae’s pregnancy to her but holds back something she sees ominously awaiting in Rae’s future. Lila also is a woman with a troubled past and is haunted by the child she gave up at birth 25 years ago when she too was an unmarried and frightened “child.” With this interaction begins the intersecting of Rae’s and Lila’s lives as one woman faces the impending birth of a child and the other desperately searches for the child she lost so many years ago. Lila’s child who would now be about the same age as Rae. The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion group meets on the third Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. New members are always welcome. The group receives administrative support from the Community Engagement & Education See Fortune’s Daughter page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019

community

J Camp

Soul Zimra returns to Temple Israel

“M

Soul Zimra from their 2018 visit to Temple Israel.

CaSSandra WeISenburger their return to Omaha. “My friends as a truly transformative experience.

Director of Communications, Temple Israel Our weekend begins on Friday, Aug. Andy Dennen, Marcus Newman and usic, our tradi- Gary Schaffel formed Soul Zimra in 23 at 6 p.m. with a lively service featuring tion says, is the order to ‘bring meaning, energy, tran- Soul Zimra in our beautiful sanctuary. language of the scendence and light to prayer.’ With a On Saturday, Aug. 24 this popular Jewsoul,” says Rabbi musical style combining the acoustic ish worship band from Chicago will be Brian Stoller. It guitar, the bass guitar and the mandolin, leading Torah Study at 9:15 a.m. alongis with this in mind that we are very ex- Soul Zimra’s unique approach is to side Rabbi Stoller and Cantor Alexander cited to announce the return of Soul blend modern secular folk, rock, blues as we discuss the morning’s theme, Music, Zimra to Temple Israel! Soul Zimra, the and other familiar songs with traditional Prayer & the Quest for God. Bagels and Jewish band from Congregation BJBE liturgy to make the prayer experience coffee will be provided. Afterwards, we in Deerfield, IL, will be leading us in a powerful, participatory, contemporary will gather for Shabbat services at 10:30 a.m. with our musical guests Soul Zimra. memorable weekend that combines tra- and relevant to our lives today.”

Soul Zimra also performs originals This weekend is made possible by a ditional liturgy with modern melody.

In the eight years since Soul Zimra written by member Andy Dennen. grant from The Milton S. & Corinne N. formed, they have performed at many Andy began his 17-year career as a Jew- Livingston Foundation. We are eternally Jewish communal events in the ish music composer and service leader grateful for their generosity!

You can preview Soul Zimra’s music Chicagoland area and traveled as artists- by attending Hava Nashira at OSRUI in-residence around the Midwest, as where he learned how to lead services by searching Andrew Dennen on well as led services weekly at Congrega- with music by well-known teachers iTunes, CD Baby or Spotify. We will be tion BJBE. Rabbi Stoller helped foster such as Debbie Friedman, Craig Taub- posting samples on our Facebook page their growth and he is very excited for man and Dan Nichols. He remembers it and in our weekly eTidings.

Continued from page 1 yourself bath bombs. Using baking soda, citric acid, Epsom salt, water, lavender oil, olive oil and blue food coloring, the kids created a powdery substance for the base of their bath products. They then used plastic eggs to mold their bath bombs before sticking them in the freezer to harden. At the end of the day the kids got to take their bath bombs home to enjoy.

Did your kids miss out on the fun? There are plenty of online tutorials for you to explore making your own bath bombs, right at home!

Fortune’s Daughter

Continued from page 1 arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For information about the group, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewi shomaha.org. To view books discussed by the group over the past several years, go to www.jewishomaha.org; click on the “Community & Education” pulldown tab and navigate to “Kripke Jewish Federation Library,” then to “Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group.”

Visit us at jewishomaha.org

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Event Co-Chairs Eric Dunning and Toba Cohen-Dunning with Dr. Mary-Beth Muskin (center).

Credit: Mark Kirchhoff

ADL-CRC Chair Danny Cohn and Honorary Event Co-Chair Carol Parsow.

Credit: Mark Kirchhoff

Continued from page 1 Affairs, spoke about ADL’s work combatting anti-Semitism in the Middle East, Europe and around the globe. She also spoke in a more intimate setting to 40 people who attended a VIP dinner at Stirnella following the main event.

Congressman Don Bacon, who attended the event, surprised Dr. Muskin with a floor speech for the Congressional Record. The resolution honored Dr. Muskin’s career as an educator in the Omaha Public Schools, Creighton University and, of course, leading the ADL-CRC for the past four years.

A special highlight of the silent auction was a gallery of student artwork representing all of the high schools in the Omaha Public Schools District. Bret Anderson, retiring principal of Wilson Focus School, was also honored for his outstanding commitment to the No Place for Hate program at the school. Along with this recognition was announcement of a one-time scholarship in his name to be awarded to a Wil-

son Focus School student.

The ADL-CRC would like to expressing thank event chairs, Toba Cohen-Dunning and Eric Dunning, and honorary chairs Alan and Carol Parsow for their passion and hard work in making Rosé at the Rose a success.

Event sponsors included Kutak Rock, LLP; Omaha Public Schools Foundation; David Kohll; Nebraska Furniture Mart; Alan and Carol Parsow; Bruce and Anne Shackman; Broadmoor Management Company; Belle Terre Vineyard and Reception Hall; Carol and Steve Bloch; Michael Erman; Momenta Pain Care; Abrahams, Kaslow and Cassman; Bloom Companion Care; W.H. Ferer Co.; Julie and Jim Fried; Ron Giller; Sheila and Gary Nachman; Stephanie Shakhirev and sons; Kathleen Starr; Danny Cohn and Andrew Miller; Becki Brenner; Gary and Lisa Epstein; Andrew and Kimberly Robinson and Dr. Joel and Nancy Schlessinger. The Gudgel family sponsored the wine.

MARk kiRCHHoff Community Engagement and Education Judaism has been in existence a long time. A very long time.

With age comes wisdom and that wisdom might imply considerable knowledge on contemporary topics – and it does.

But not in every case is the message that comes from that what some might expect to hear. Rabbi Shlomo Abramovich, in preparing for the August sessions of the Friday Learning Series, cautions, “It is best to have a sense of humility when approaching contemporary issues with the eternal wisdom of Judaism. We must not allow the Torah to be diminished in order to make it fit into our agendas. We must allow ourselves to be elevated by the experience.”

On Aug. 16, 23 and 30 from 11:15 a.m. until noon in the

Kripke Jewish Federation Library, Rabbi Shlomo will bring the wisdom of tradition and teaching to contemporary issues.

From vegetarianism through environmentalism to feminism, he promises to stimulate interesting and informative discussions. He will be drawing from a variety of Jewish sources to ensure a rich and comprehensive presentation.

Due to an extension of his time in Omaha, Rabbi Shlomo will be with us for a few more months. He characterizes his time presenting the Friday Learning Series as one in which he is a substitute instructor substituting for himself. The Friday Learning Series is presented as a cooperative effort with the Community Engagement and Education arm of the Omaha Jewish Federation and Beth Israel Synagogue. It is open to the public free of charge.

A Jewish view on contemporary issues

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nothing is self-evident: A year of Shlichut

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thejewishpress

n Israeli-Jewish education, Diaspora Jewry occupies a very small stage. And always, even if not explicitly stated, there is a sense that “they,” the Jews who live in the Diaspora, live there because it is easier. ere is a belief that they are people who chose not to take part in the realization of the Zionist idea. It is not that Israelis are angry; they just can’t iden- ron lugasy tify.

Community Shlicha It’s not easy to say these things out loud, and I’m sure it’s not pleasant to hear. It is unpleasant for me because of this year in Omaha.

Being a Jew in Israel - it’s easy, it doesn’t take too much effort. If you were born a Jew you have no doubt or question if it is part of your identity or not. Why? Because that’s how everyone is and everything around you, too. e land and the country are built especially for Jewish life in every aspect of life.

On a field trip with school, you will visit the holy places.

On Jewish holidays, you will get a vacation, you do not have to explain to the teacher that the child will not be at school again because there is another unknown holiday.

And in the shops and the streets you, can’t miss what holiday is coming. And whether you want to or not, on Saturday the streets change to Shabbat mode.

You don’t have to go to Hebrew School twice a week be-

cause it’s built into the public school curriculum. Everyone speaks fluent Hebrew, and the Bible is examined.

You don’t have to buy your groceries from five different stores, and go crazy finding kosher food for Passover. It will be the opposite; you will go crazy to find the chametz.

You don’t always have to emphasize what the Jewish value is in everything you do or teach because that is obvious.

And that’s our problem - that’s the obvious thing. As Israelis, we do not understand that there are places where Jewish life is not taken for granted, is not simple and is a matter of choice. e synagogue in Israel for most of society is not the center of Jewish life.

Jewish life happens with the family around the table.

An average Israeli (in the society I grew up in at least) comes to the synagogue on Yom Kippur and for his Bar Mitzvah and not much more than that. But he has no doubt that Judaism is a big part of his identity.

Over the past year, I suddenly had to test myself against my Jewish identity.

As one who takes pride that Judaism is an important part of her identity, suddenly I came across the question of how I observe my Jewish life outside of Israel.

And this question met me while I’m working for the Jewish Agency, the Jewish Federation, the synagogues, and most of my friends and acquaintances here are Jews. So I can’t imagine how much bigger the question could have been if I lived here regardless of the community.

I realized during this year that being Jewish here is a complete choice that requires a great deal of effort and a lot of thought and investment.

And here nothing is self-evident. Jewish life is not self-evident, the very special Jewish community here is not self-evident and the strong see nothing is self-evident page 6

Harold Prince, who brought ‘Fiddler’ to the stage, dies at 91

JTA Legendary Broadway producer and director Harold “Hal” Prince, who brought Fiddler on the Roof to the stage, has died at the age of 91.

Prince, whose credits also include West Side Story, Damn Yankees, e Phantom of the Opera, Cabaret, Company and Sweeney Todd, died on July 31, aer what his publicist called a brief illness, in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Broadway theaters dimmed their lights for one minute July 31 evening in tribute to Prince. He requested that there be no funeral, Hal Prine in 2017 Credit: according to Playbill, and instead Walter McBride/WireImage the theatrical community will later hold a celebration of his life.

Prince received a record 21 Tony Awards and was a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor. Two of his Tonys were special awards. In 1972 he received a special Tony when Fiddler became the then-longest running musical, and in 1974 he received one for the revival of Candide.

His production of Phantom of the Opera currently is the longest-running musical.

He collaborated with Broadway giants including George Abbott, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim in some of their greatest undertakings.

Prince of Broadway, a musical retrospective of his career, made its Broadway debut in August 2017, aer opening in Tokyo in 2015.

Prince was born in New York City in 1928. In his 1974 memoir “Contradictions,” he described his parents as “privileged, upper-middle lower rich-class” German Jews whose families had immigrated soon aer the Civil War. In the same book he wrote that “Saturday matinees were part of a New

York Jewish child’s intellectual upbringing.”

In another memoir, “A Sense of Occasion,” he recalled that when he first read Fiddler in 1962, its focus on Russian Jews was “fascinating, but alien.” But working with Robbins, who directed, he produced what one critic called an “ode to Jewish history, the Jewish soul, the survival of a people.”

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Judy Chaplin; a daughter, Daisy Prince; a son, Charles Prince; and three grandchildren.

Musical guests

Jill oHlmann Activities Coordinator, RBJH Johnny adams, ron Cooley, and Dan Cerveny recently performed a rat Pack Jazz concert at the rose Blumkin Jewish Home for residents and community members.

To the dogs

JiLL OHLMaNN Activities Coordinator, RBJH RBJH has gone to the dogs. On July 25 more than 20 lovable canines were spotted at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home during the annual Dog Show. Staff and Community members generously took time out of their day to bring their furry friends in for a visit.

Activities Coordinator Emily Clement emceed the event. Residents were entertained with information about each dog and plenty of time to interact with their special guests.

Each dog went home with a bag of treats as a token of the residents’ appreciation.

Sandy Nogg and Sooner

Linda Novak, left, Janie Kulakofsky and their furry friends Lily and Sarah.

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Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

Susan Bernard | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019 | 5

community UK has record 892 anti-Semitic incidents for first half of 2019

Marcy OSter JTA A record number of nearly 900 anti-Semitic incidents have been recorded in the United Kingdom for the first six months of 2019. e Community Security Trust, or CST, which is British Jewry’s largest watchdog on anti-Semitism, released its January-June 2019 Antisemitic Incidents Report, on ursday. e 892 incidents reported in Members of the British Jewish community holding a protest the first half of 2019 are the against anti-Semitism in the Labour party, outside the British highest number recorded in Houses of Parliament in central London, March 26, 2018.

Credit: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images that six-month period and is a of 2019 were in February and March, with ten percent increase from the 810 incidents 182 and 169 anti-Semitic incidents respecrecorded during the same period in 2018. tively. ey occurred when issues relating to ere were 38 incidents of damage and Jews and anti-Semitism in the Labour party desecration of Jewish property in the first six were prominent in the news and politics, months of 2019; 710 incidents of abusive beCST pointed out. havior, including verbal abuse, anti-Semitic CST recorded a 37 percent increase in the graffiti, anti-Semitic abuse via social media number of violent anti-Semitic assaults, to and cases of hate mail; 49 direct anti-Semitic 85 in the first six months of 2019, up from threats; and ten cases of mass-mailed anti62 in the first six months of 2018.

Semitic leaflets or emails.

Almost two thirds of the 892 anti-semitic Some 323, or 36 percent, of the anti-Seincidents were recorded in Greater London mitic incidents involved social media, comand Greater Manchester, the two largest Jewpared to 221 incidents, or 27 percent of the ish communities in the UK. total, on social media in the first half of 2018. e highest monthly totals in the first half

6 | The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019

community Organizations

B’Nai B’rith BreadBreakerS

B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers meets weekly on Wednesdays at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. For specific speaker information, please email Gary.Javitch@Gmail. com, Breadbreakers chairman. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewish omaha.org.

reduce the ringing: Treating tinnitus

Boys Town Audiology Tinnitus in some form affects about 50 million people in the U.S., according to the American Tinnitus Association. If you experience buzzing, roaring and high- or low-pitched sounds in your ear even though no sound is actually being made, you may be one of those people.

Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes for tinnitus reduction, but lifestyle changes can aid in tinnitus management. Here are some audiologist-approved treatment options that may limit the effects of tinnitus, depending on what is causing the condition. reduce Caffeine: If caffeine intake is causing your tinnitus, simply reducing caffeine consumption may eliminate tinnitus.

Change Medication: Sometimes certain medications cause tinnitus. Your physician can recommend a different medicine and tinnitus may be reduced. If you are on medicines that you need to be healthy, those will not be taken away.

Manage Stress: Stress can make tinnitus worse or cause a flare-up. Yoga or stress management may be helpful. add Soft Noise: People who are annoyed severely from tinnitus in quiet may need to add pleasing soft room noise to help reduce tinnitus annoyance.

Wear hearing aids: In cases where hearing loss is the cause of tinnitus, wearing hearing aids for six to eight hours a day may reduce tinnitus after a period of several months.

Use tinnitus habituation therapy: If medical and audiological causes of tinnitus have been ruled out, you may benefit from tinnitus habituation therapy, the introduction of low-level sounds to train your brain to ignore the tinnitus.

Boys Town Audiology invites those affected by tinnitus, and their loved ones, to attend a free Living Well with Tinnitus class on thursday, aug. 22. The class will cover the effects of tinnitus and how to control tinnitus symptoms. Register at Boystownhos pital.org.

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Nothing is self-evident Continued from page 4 connection of all this to Israel is not self-evident.

So how many things are not self-evident?

It is not self-evident that a Jewish community in Omaha, Nebraska (which almost no Israeli has ever known) cares so much about Israel that they have been bringing an emissary from Israel for 15 years already to preserve the connection between the community and Israel.

It is not self-evident that the amount of effort made every year to celebrate Israeli Independence Day is the biggest celebration of the year.

It is not self-evident that the community invests significant resources to send community missions to visit Israel.

It is not self-evident that the community provides economic support for Israeli organizations.

It goes without saying that I receive a number of questions and a large amount of interest every day from community members about Israeli news.

It is not self-evident to want to learn Hebrew.

It is not a self-evident that the people here care a great deal for Israel even in the days when it was a little hard to be proud of. e Jewish Agency always says that the shlichut does not end when we return to Israel,

but that it is a shlichut to both sides that we return the shlichut home.

And they are right: the shlichut is a special circle where those who come to teach come out a scholar.

Over the past year, I have worked in the community with a variety of ages and styles, with Chabad, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform (and those who are members of all) with the entire political spectrum and males and females. ere is one thin g the same for all: everyone cares.

If is not self-evident that you care, nothing is selfevident. ank you for a wonderful year. I am going to recharge my Israeli battery and I am already really excited to start the second year!

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The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019 | 7

Above and below: Esther Katz with JCC dancers in Israel.

Left: Laura Kirshenbaum, one of the dancers

Above: Natan Sharansky and Ari Kohen (who remembers writing letters for Sharansky’s release back in the day) met for breakfast.

Below: Eli Lopez helping Cantor Fettman put on his Tefillin before the daily evening minyan at the Rose Blumkin Jewish home.

Above: Outgoing ADL-CRC Director Mary-Beth Muskin shares a laugh with ADL Board President Danny Cohn during last week’s ADL event at the Rose Theater.

SP O TLIGHT

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Left: One of the best parts of summer camp: getting messy in the art room. This past week, some of the kids decorated Hamsas.

Below left: Reuben Kogan celebrating his birthday at Camp.

Below: Kevee Kirshenbaum with daughter Kathy as they celebrated his 96th birthday.

8 | The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019

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(Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Thierry Ndjike Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex Officio; Laura Dembitzer; Candice Friedman; Jill Idelman; Andy Isaacson; Michael Kaufman; David Kotok; Natasha Kraft; Debbie Kricsfeld; Eric Shapiro and Amy Tipp.

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T

A list of names

ANNETTE vAN dE KAmP-WRIGHT Editor, Jewish Press he topic for this week’s opinion piece was supposed to be the recent UNWRA scandal.

Funding has been suspended by several countries after allegations of corruption, sexual misconduct and other drama at the highest levels. It’s a juicy but complicated story and I was looking forward to reading up on everything.

Then, I became distracted.

Every morning, I wake up to a string of messages from my mother and sister. They are seven hours ahead of me, so I tend to fall into the middle of the conversation. That’s okay- it’s usually not hard to catch up; besides, we all have the tendency to discuss the weather a lot.

This time, though, my sister brought up the recently-approved construction of the Holocaust Names Memorial in Amsterdam. All roughly 102,000 names of those who were murdered will be included; one of the way funds are being raised is by allowing private citizens and businesses to adopt names. Within days, more than 60,000 names had already been adopted, but there are many names left; and we need to join in. One great-aunt, who died when I was 23, had parents who maybe died in Auschwitz, or perhaps Sobibor. We’re not sure, and we don’t know their exact names. Everybody who used to know is gone. But those names must be adopted; because Aunt Nettie can no longer do it, so we have to dig and search until we find their names.

My husband, who is good at this sort of thing and much less emotional than I am, starts to research. He finds her in a separate registry and asks me about her marriages. Which one came first, which second?

Excuse me?

“She was only married once,” I say. “It’s not her. It’s a different woman with the same name.”

But the birth- and death-dates line up. The birth place

lines up. The sibling names line up. And that second marriage, that is most definitely to my uncle. His name, his dates, his birthplace. But the registry has her married to a different man, a rabbi, from 1942 to 1945. We know she was in several camps from 1943 until the end, so what was this marriage? They divorced in 1945, the registry said. He was already with someone else at that time. We know this because one of his grandchildren apparently wrote a book, which we immediately order.

Does his family know he was married before?

Do they know he was still married when the war ended?

My greataunt, about whom I thought I knew a lot, who once confessed to me that her name was not her real name but something she made up, whom I stayed with during school vacations and long weekends and had endless conversations with, kept this first marriage a secret her whole life. I share the story with relatives back home and they are just as confused as I am.

It’s not the first time this has happened. Decades after the Nazis were defeated, stories keep coming out. Spotty, incomplete stories. Incidents that don’t make sense, dates and names that don’t line up and with it comes the knowledge that we’ll never, ever, find out the truth. Those who remember are almost gone. My mother was born in 1943 and heard things growing up, but my sister and I don’t

know which questions to ask.

We do finally find my aunt’s parents. Moses Abram, who died in January 1945 but nobody knows where. Rebecca De Paauw, who was murdered October 1942 in Auschwitz.

There is no comfort in finding their names, in finding information we didn’t have before. They’re still murdered, no matter how many memorials we built, no matter how fran-

ability to call out anti-Semitism when we see it.

Almost 30 years after the Holocaust, the Austrian Jewish journalist Paul Lendvai described the anti-Jewish obsessions of post-war Communist leaders as “anti-Semitism without Jews.”

In 1980, writing about Austria, the sociologist Bernd Marin took this a step further, writing about “anti-Semitism without anti-Semites.” Average Austrians understood it was socially and politically

see universities here, but their primary loyalty is to the global community.’”

In each of these instances the speakers have plausible deniability. Didn’t Janet Yellen and Lloyd Blankfein represent elite, moneyed interests at the expense of the little guy? Doesn’t campaign spending distort public policy? Hawley said he was drawing on mainstream political science, not age-old conspiracy theories starring Jews, and gave his talk at a conference whose organizers are both Jewish.

Those accused of anti-Semitic dog-whistling also often point to their own affinity for Jews. After all, say Trump’s defenders, if the president allegedly trafficked in anti-Semitic memes and tropes, what accounts for his unflinching support for Israel and his administration’s pledge to combat anti-Semitism? And aren’t his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren Jewish?

If Hawley was tapping latent anti-Semitism in his “cosmopolitan elites” speech, why would he go on to talk about his commitment to “the Jewish people, their greatness, their history, their safety, and the state of Israel”?

And in an op-ed this week accusing Trump of racism, Omar wrote that the “chants of ‘Jews will not replace us,’ shouted at a rally in Charlottesville in 2017 by white supremacists, whom this president tacitly accepted, are a direct attack on the values of religious freedom central to the founding of our nation.”

Whether you accept these explanations and protestations depends a lot on your own politics, I’m guessing. Omar apologized for her “Benjamins” tweet and thanked the “Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” which suggests she wasn’t familiar with centuries-old canards that rapacious Jews manipulate governments. If you are no fan of Omar, you probably don’t believe her, just like Trump’s critics don’t believe he and his circle don’t understand the painful history of the tropes they have used. Partisans on both sides have See It can’t be anti-Semitism page 9

tically we try to have every name on that list accounted for. I’m not even happy or relieved we finally found Moses and Rebecca’s names.

But then, we don’t remember for our own comfort.

There is nothing about this that should make me feel better. Realizing that, funny as it sounds, actually helps. I feel rotten, because I should, and it’s okay to feel that way.

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

It can’t be anti-Semitism if you’re not an anti-Semite, right? Right?

ANdREW SILOW-CAROLL JTA Earlier this month — or 16 years ago in Trump years — the White House disinvited a cartoonist named Ben Garrison to a meeting of right-wing media influencers. It had been pointed out that Garrison had once drawn a cartoon that could be interpreted as anti-Semitic.

The cartoon depicts two administration officials being manipulated by a puppeteer labeled “George Soros,” who is in turn having his strings pulled by a puppeteer labeled “Rothschild.”

Soros, the Jewish financier, often figures in farright anti-Jewish conspiracy theories. But he also spends millions promoting liberal causes, so I suppose demonizing him can be construed as something other than anti-Semitic. But the Rothschilds, the famed European Jewish banking family and target of anti-Semitic fantasias since the 19th century, are barely relevant today. The only people talking about them as a potent political force are anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists.

Garrison disagrees. He told my colleague Josefin Dolsten that the Rothschilds were “instrumental in the behind-the-scenes creation of the Federal Reserve” (they weren’t) and thus, according to the logic of the cartoon, ultimately responsible for the “globalists” who are undermining Trump.

“All of this is not conspiracy theory, it is historical fact,” he said. “Yet nowadays anyone who even mentions the ‘R’ word is smeared as anti-Semitic.”

I have no doubt the cartoon is anti-Semitic. As for Garrison, who can say. Because I think we have come to a point where anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic tropes have become part of the political discourse, and are being adopted by people who may not even understand the vicious precedents for such words and imagery.

Is this good news, when what sound like antiSemitic messages are so divorced from their original targets they stop being about Jews?

Perhaps. I suspect, however, there is an insidious mainstreaming of toxic ideas that undermines our

Rep. Ilhan Omar, left, and Sen. Josh Hawley have both received criticism for their perceived use of anti-Semitic tropes in recent months. Their intentions matter less than who those tropes might inspire, writes JTA Editor in Chief Andrew Silow-Carroll. Credit: Getty Images unacceptable to express hatred for Jews after the Shoah. But people still held on privately to what Marin called “anti-Semitic mystifications” that were embedded in the collective unconscious.

Today we can talk about “anti-Semitism without anti-Semitic intent.” In recent years, Jews have seen fringe and mainstream politicians use anti-Semitic tropes even as they proclaim their devotion to Jews and Israel. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign warned about a global financial conspiracy by elites, and singled out four Jews in their closing ad.

Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted that it was “all about the Benjamins baby,” using slang to suggest that campaign donations bought U.S. support for Israel.

Last week, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri gave a speech decrying the “cosmopolitan elite” whose members live in the United States but “identify as ‘citizens of the world.’ They run businesses or over-

It can’t be anti-Semitism

The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019 | 9

What I learned on J Street’s first alternative to Birthright trip JTA Editor’s Note: In March, the liberal Israel policy group J Street announced that it would be creating a 10-day free trip to Israel, designed to provide students with both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives on the conflict. Many interpreted the announcement as a move to compete with Birthright Israel’s trips, which have been criticized for not featuring Palestinian voices. e first trip took place in July. Below, Elyse Endlich, one of the 28 participants shares what they experienced. e response has been edited for length and clarity. e conflict is not mine to fix: Before I went on J Street’s “Let Our People Know” trip, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was highly intellectualized in my mind. I could rattle off a few key dates and figures, and I could come up with one or two points of contention for either side, but it seemed abstract.Now, the conflict is material. It includes faces from Sakhnin and Jerusalem, Ramallah and Netiv HaAsara. It smells like eucalyptus in Tel Dan Park and tastes like tea in a drought-plagued West Bank village. It sounds like an Israeli woman choked up with grief and fear while describing the death of Gazan civilians during Operation Protective Edge, an American-accented settler calling the West Bank his ancestral land and a Palestinian man describing his ideals of nonviolence and community education.

However, at the end of the day, the conflict is not mine to fix. I am a Jewish American, and my Judaism does not give me a blank check to speak over Israelis or Palestinians. e crux of what I have learned is that Israelis and Palestinians deserve more than American saviors who tokenize and simplify them.

In America, I have seen Zionism and even Judaism itself attacked as inextricably colonialist, even to the point of misguidedly supporting Hamas. I’ve seen careless disregard for

Arab lives, the elimination of Palestinians from our dialogue and the dismissal of pro-peace activism. is binary limits our ability to recognize the real-life subtleties of the conflict and discuss them in any meaningful way.

Our trip examined some of those subtleties. I learned about false historical narratives that infantilize and minimize the role of Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews in Zionist history, as well as Israel’s continued colorism against that community. I also learned about the continued suffering of Gazans under both Hamas and the blockade and the struggle of West Bank Palestinians who are faced with the occupation as well as corruption within the Palestinian Authority.

At a panel in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian man looked askance at our group and stated that he bears no hatred for Jews. He was afraid we wouldn’t listen to him because we would associate his criticisms with anti-Semitism. I refuse to be the type of Jew that man fears. It wounded me deeply to know that many in my own community might be so wrapped up in their own political ideologies that they would deny him his voice.

As I le Israel, I knew that our trip was likely to be smeared as anti-Israel and anti-Zionist by some on the right, and as a colonialist, Zionist propaganda exercise by others on the le.

It was neither. I won’t pretend I can understand the shared history and emotions of two peoples aer such a short trip, but I see that I didn’t know enough before and I don’t know enough now. Starting conversations begins with admitting ignorance and seeking to understand that which we do not. Education is crucial in fighting despair and inertia.

Elyse Endlich is a rising sophomore at Pitzer College. e views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Continued from page 8 weaponized anti-Semitism in attacks on the other, and tend to be more forgiving of the bigotry heard on their own side.

You don’t have to take sides to wonder whether, given the rise in actual threats to Jews, including blatant attacks on social media, cemetery vandalism and murder, we shouldn’t be distracted by ambiguous and perhaps unintentionally bigoted remarks and tweets. If those who have been accused of trafficking in anti-Semitic memes are so willing to accept and defend us, maybe we should stop complaining about “tropes” and “echoes” and “dog whistles” and focus only on direct, unambiguous threats to the Jews.

The problem is that even if the speakers don’t think they are trafficking in hate, there are plenty of people out there who think otherwise. Internet trolls and lone wolves and bands of unabashed white supremacists don’t care that your argument draws on political science or that you believe your conspiratorial worldview has nothing to do with Jews, especially the ones in your family. The haters just appreciate the boost that their ideas are getting in the real world.

Consider the “Great Replacement,” the once fringe conspiracy theory that insists white people face a demographic “genocide” from non-white and Muslim immigration. Mainstream politicians and pundits offer the “acceptable” version that they are merely defending “European” or “Judeo-Christian” culture.

In 2018 Trump warned Europeans that “you are losing your culture” as a result of immigration from Muslim countries.

But the white supremacists who hold by the theory also say the process of replacement is “deliberately engineered and controlled by a Jewish conspiracy to destroy the white race,” as the Anti-Defamation League explains. Those chants of “the Jews will not replace us” at Charlottesville?

That’s what the neo-Nazis were going on about. Both the Poway and Pittsburgh shooters espoused a version of replacement theory that blamed Jews.

History tells us what kinds of ideas serve as tinder, and what kinds of words act as the match.

“Anti-Semitism without anti-Semitic intent” is the oxygen that allows noxious ideas to burn on.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

e Jewish Press Centennial Endowment In 2020, the Jewish Press will turn 100 years old!

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synagogues B’nAi iSrAEl SynAgoguE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETh El SynAgoguE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETh iSrAEl SynAgoguE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

ChABAd houSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

CongrEgATion B’nAi JEShurun

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

offuTT Air forCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

roSE BluMkin JEWiSh hoME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPlE iSrAEl

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

TifErETh iSrAEl

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’nAi iSrAEl SynAgoguE

Join us for our monthly Shabbat Speakers Series after a brief hiatus. We will next meet on friday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker Dr. Marvin Bittner on the Importance of Vaccinations. Our service leader is Larry Blass, and as always, an Oneg wil follow service. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on our historic synagogue, contact any of our board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Howard Kutler, Carole Lainof, Wayne Lainof, Sissy Silber, Nancy Wolf, or email nancywolf16620@gmail.com.

Handicap Accessible.

BETh El SynAgoguE

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. fridAy: College Send Off Pre-Neg, 5:30 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATurdAy: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Tisha B’Av, 8:30 p.m.; Mincha, Ma’ariv and Eicha WEEkdAy SErViCES: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

SundAy: Tisha B’Av — Shacharit, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha, 1 p.m.

TuESdAy: Mahjong, 1 p.m.; Chesed Committee visits Remington Heights, 2 p.m.

ThurSdAy: Brachot and Breakfast, 7 a.m.

Order Honey for the Holidays now through Aug. 5. Learn more at www.bethel-omaha.org.

Welcome Back Shabbat with Six String Band and Dinner, friday, Aug. 16, 5:30 p.m.

Chesed Committee visits The Heritage at Sterling Ridge, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2 p.m.

NE AIDS Coaltion Lunch, friday, Aug. 23, 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. Joan Marcus serves lunch once a month at the Nebraska AIDS Project, and she needs baked goods for dessert.

Contact Joan if you can help by donating baked goods.

BETh iSrAEl SynAgoguE

Services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer fridAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:30 p.m.; Candle Lighting, 8:14 p.m.

SATurdAy: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Sponsored Kiddush, 11 a.m.; Mincha/Seudah Shlishit, 7:15 p.m.

SundAy-fast of Tisha B’Av: Shacharit, 9 am.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home; Havdalah, 9:15 p.m.

MondAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

TuESdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

WEdnESdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Board of Commissioners Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

ThurSdAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Connecting with Our Faith, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Shlomo; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:10 p.m. at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

ChABAd houSE

Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. fridAy: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing.

SATurdAy: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.

WEEkdAyS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. followed by coffee, treats, study and shmoozing.

SundAy: Service, 8:30 a.m.

MondAy: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani; Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m.

WEdnESdAy: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Hebrew 101, 11:30 a.m.

ThurSdAy: Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman.

All programs are open to the entire community. For more information call 402.330.1800 or visit www.ochabad.com.

CongrEgATion B’nAi JEShurun

Services conducted by Rabbi Teri Appleby. fridAy: Pop-Up Shabbat Dinners — No Service at Temple; Candlelighting, 8:14 p.m.

SATurdAy-Shabbat Chazon —Erev Tisha B’Av: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:45 a.m.

on Book of Lamentations; Havdalah (72 minutes), 9:43 p.m.

SundAy-Tisha B’Av: Adult Hebrew Prayer Class, 11:30 a.m.

WEdnESdAy: LJCS Teachers Meeting, 6 p.m. at TI. ThurSdAy: High Holidays Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m.

It's Back to School time! The first day for our Lincoln Jewish Community School is Sunday, Aug. 18. All classes will meet at the Tifereth Israel building, with grades: Gan -7 starting at 9:30 a.m., and Gesher at 10 a.m. First Day Schedule: Family Tefillah and breakfast, 9:30 a.m. and LJCS parent orientation, 11 a.m. Lincoln Jewish Community, we need your help--If you are interested in volunteering as a substitute in one of our LJCS classrooms, please contact Andrea at ahalpern1386@gm ail.com. Todah!

SST is partnering with "We Can Do This" to provide weekend meals to the children of the F St. Community Center. Join us as we provide lunch on the third Sunday of every month.

Food/monetary donations, meal preparation and assistance with setting up, serving, and clean-up are needed! We will serve our next meal on Aug. 18 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Aimee Hyten at aimee.hyten@gmail.com.

Federation Shabbat, friday, Aug. 23 at the Antelope Park Enclosed Shelter: Set up and Park Play Time, 6-6:30 p.m., Family-Friendly Shabbat Service, 6:45 p.m. and Potluck Dinner, 7:15 p.m. Please bring a dairy or pareve dish to share.If you participated in a Jewish camp this summer, please bring photos and memories to share. All members of our community are welcome!

cred time for mourning and the first step towards renewal.

MondAy: Temple Golf Outing, noon. at Shadow Ridge Country Club.

Temple Israel Youth Learning begins Aug. 18! We are excited to begin a new year of learning with you! PreK through 6th grade Sunday mornings begin Aug. 18, and 3rd-6th grade Wednesday Hebrew groups and 7th-12th grade teen programs begin Aug. 21. Find all the information you need on the new ParentSquare app. Questions? Please contact Director of Congregational Learning Ben Mazur, bmazur@tem pleisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536.

Temple Tots, Sunday, Aug. 18, 10:30 a.m.

Temple Israel Book Club: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, Sunday, Aug. 18, 10:30 a.m.

Tri-Faith Picnic on the Commons, Aug. 18, 5-8 p.m., Faith Plaza Food, music, kids activities and fun for all ages. Halal burgers and kosher hot dogs will be provided. Please bring a side dish to share (no pork, shellfish or gelatin dishes, thank you). Feel free to bring a picnic blanket if you'd like! Picnic On The Commons will feature music, henna painting, bounce houses, speed dialogue program, and other fun activities!

We'll also be collecting peanut butter to donate to the Countryside Community Cupboard Food Pantry, so please bring a jar or two. This is a free event and open to all. Come see the Commons, make new friends and enjoy a plateful of baba ghanoush, tabouleh, couscous, burgers and hotdogs!

Soul Zimra Returning to Temple Israel, friday, Aug. 23 – Saturday, Aug.24. (see full story on page 2.)

fridAy: Services, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month.

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. fridAy: No Services; Candlelighting, 8:14 p.m.

SATurdAy: Shabbat Service, 10 a.m. followed by a light Kiddush luncheon; Tisha B’Av: Chanting of Eicha, the Book of Lamentations, 9:15 p.m.; Havdalah (72 minutes), 9:13 p.m.

WEdnESdAy: LJCS Teachers Meeting, 6 p.m. at TI. It's Back to School time! The first day for our Lincoln Jewish Community School is Sunday, Aug. 18. All classes will meet at the Tifereth Israel building, with grades: Gan -7 starting at 9:30 a.m., and Gesher at 10 a.m. First Day Schedule: Family Tefillah and breakfast, 9:30 a.m. and LJCS parent orientation, 11 a.m. Lincoln Jewish Community, we need your help--If you are interested in volunteering as a substitute in one of our LJCS classrooms, please contact Andrea at ahalpern1386@gm ail.com. Todah!

Federation Shabbat, friday, Aug. 23 at the Antelope Park Enclosed Shelter: Set up and Park Play Time, 6-6:30 p.m., Family-Friendly Shabbat Service, 6:45 p.m. and Potluck Dinner, 7:15 p.m. Please bring a dairy or pareve dish to share.If you participated in a Jewish camp this summer, please bring photos and memories to share. All members of our community are welcome.

offuTT Air forCE BASE

roSE BluMkin JEWiSh hoME

SATurdAy: Services, 9:15 a.m. led by Stan Edelstein.

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

TEMPlE iSrAEl

fridAy: Shabbat Comes to You at The Heritage Sterling Ridge, 4 p.m.; Shabbat Evening Service, 6 p.m.

SATurdAy: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Tisha B'Av: Mourning Together, 7 p.m.

Join us for a solemn and spiritually powerful service commemorating Tisha B’Av. The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av is a day of mourning for the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history, for the pain and loss in our own lives, the pain we may have caused others, and for the brokenness in our world. Tisha B’Av also marks the beginning of the High Holiday season and our spiritual journey of t’shuvah. Over the next 7 weeks, our lamentations turn to hope as we move towards Rosh Hashanah. Tisha B’Av is Judaism’s sa-

TifErETh iSrAEl

Shooters used 8Chan to spread hate

as motivations for his attack.

MArCy oSTEr JTA Cloudflare Chief Executive Matthew Prince in 8Chan, the conspiracy theory message board a statement announcing the removal of 8Chan that featured the racist manifesto allegedly writ- said he is concerned that it will have little effect. ten by the El Paso shooter and also the anti-Semitic statement by the Poway synagogue shooter, has been dropped from its network. e Cloudflare digital security and infrastructure company terminated its services to what has become an electronic home for extremists. e announcement comes almost exactly two years aer Cloudflare kicked the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer off its network.

About 20 minutes before Saturday’s Texas State Troopers keep watch outside the Cielo Vista Mall attack in Texas, a four-page manifesto Wal-Mart where a shooting left 20 people dead in El Paso, allegedly written by the shooter was Tex., on Aug. 4, 2019. Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images posted on 8Chan, which is unmoderated. He He noted that the Daily Stormer quickly came wrote disparagingly about Hispanic immigration back online using a Cloudflare competitor and to the United States and in support of the has “more readers than ever.”

Christchurch mosque shooter in New Zealand “I have little doubt we’ll see the same happen who also posted on 8Chan. with 8chan” he said. “While removing 8chan from e Poway synagogue shooter had cited the our network takes heat off of us, it does nothing to Christchurch mosque shooting and the attack on address why hateful sites fester online. It does noththe Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh ing to address why mass shootings occur.”

The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019 | 11

lifecycles B’nai MiTzvaH

anna giTTeLMan

Anna Gittelman, daughter of Jennifer and Larry Gittelman, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Temple Israel.

Anna is an eighth-grade honor roll student at Peter Kiewit Middle School, and she is in the High Ability Learners (HAL) program.

Anna is interested in dance, winter color guard, soccer and track.

For her mitzvah project, Anna volunteered at Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA).

She has a brother, Sam. Grandparents are Debbie and Richard Gittelman, Margaret Arch and the late David Arch.

Tri-Faith Picnic On The Commons urOOsa jawed TriFaith Communications Director

Tri-Faith Initiative’s annual Picnic on the Commons brings together families from all three congregations for a fun, laughter filled gathering. is community event is free and open to all.

in MeMOriaM

sidney ePsTein

Sidney Epstein passed away on July 16 at age 100 in Las Vegas, NV. Services were held July 31 at Omaha National Cemetery.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruben and Sarah Epstein, sisters Bernice and Betty, and brother Sol. He is survived by daughter, Sunni Epstein, niece, Shari Asplund, both of California; nephew, Robert Adler, and niece, Shelley Wisnia, both of Omaha.

Sidney was 100 years and seven months. He lived the life he loved in Las Vegas for close to 40 years, going to the casinos, telling jokes and making people laugh. Sidney was well liked by everyone he met and loved bringing a smile to everyone’s face. The Palms Hotel threw him a fabulous 100th birthday party for family and friends. He was active and healthy right up to the last night when he passed quietly in his sleep.

Memorials may be made to the organization of your choice.

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Natalie is a seventh-grade student at Peter Kiewit Middle School, and she is in honors math.

Natalie is interested in dance and competition.

For her mitzvah project, Natalie is tutoring dance.

She has two brothers, Orion and Aidan, and a sister, Kayla.

Grandparents are Violete Jordache, and Sofya and Igor Shnayder.

Great-grandparents are Olga and Mihail Ticos, and Sarah and Ephraim Shnayder.

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sOCiaL seCuriTy Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! Win or Pay Nothing! Call 844-897-9118 to start your application today! e picnic will provide a time for children to play and get to know one another, while adults enjoy music by Aly Peeler and Kyle Knapp, participate in programs such as Speed Dialogue, and make new friends. Henna artists, the Obaidi Sisters, will offer henna art to attendees.

Tri-Faith will offer halal burgers and kosher hot dogs and we ask that participants bring a side dish. is year we will also offer a unique opportunity to sample eCreamery custom ice cream flavors, blended especially for the Tri-Faith community and which reflect our three diverse congregations.

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Two Jewish boys wearing kippahs assaulted in Toronto

JTA Two Jewish boys wearing kippahs were assaulted in a Toronto suburb while they were walking on Shabbat.

An 18-year-old male approached the boys, said to be 14, from behind as they walked in Thornhill, which has a large Jewish population.

The assailant began swearing at the boys and then punched one of them in the face, before fleeing. B’nai B’rith Canada said in a statement issued Aug. 4, a day after the incident.

The victims could not record the incident: It was Shabbat and they are observant and do not carry cellphones. The boy who was hit in the face later went to an emergency room for treatment of his injuries.

The York Regional Police Hate Crimes Unit is investigating: “This is an extremely serious incident, and we trust that law enforcement will give it the attention that it deserves,” said Michael Mostyn, chief executive officer of B’nai B’rith Canada. “It is inconceivable that Jewish families should be afraid to send their children to the park, in a heavily Jewish neighborhood, on the Jewish Sabbath.”

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12 | The Jewish Press | August 9, 2019

community

the program that brings African-American teens to Israel JosefIn Dolsten JTA ight years ago Aaliyah Cuthrell knew little about the Jewish community, beyond what she had seen on a visit to her local Jewish community center to use the pool. ings look different now for the 24-year-old. As a high school junior, she joined a prestigious two-year program for African-American teens in Baltimore. e program, founded by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., seeks to strengthen ties between the African-American and Jewish communities in his Baltimore district. As part of her fellowship in 20112013, Cuthrell met with Jewish teens, attended seminars on topics such as anti-Semitism and the Holocaust and spent close to a month living in a youth village in Israel’s north.

Cuthrell said that aer having done the program she believes it is crucial for the two communities to have good ties.

“From what I saw growing up and from how I’ve studied things when I was in college and learned about incidents in the past, the communities are not very close,” Cuthrell, who works as a communications coordinator for an insurance company, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Bringing them together is “important because it brings two communities that aren’t very close together who can support each other during tough times.”

She is one of more than 200 graduates of the Elijah Cummings Youth Leadership Program in Israel. e fellowship, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, was founded by the African-American lawmaker to bridge gaps between the Jewish and black communities in his Baltimore district.

Every year about a dozen teens participate in the program.

In a recent tweet attacking Cummings, President Donald Trump referred to his majority-black district as “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess,” a remark that many criticized as racist. Local leaders, including Jews, leaped to the defense

of the congressman and their city. Some cited the Israel program as an example of what he has done for the community.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., founded the program to strengthen ties between African-Americans and Jews in his Baltimore district. Cummings oen speaks highly about ties between Jews and African-Americans.

ated, the Jewish Federation of Baltimore. Its director, Kathleen St. Villier Hill, declined a request for comment by JTA. ere are three main components to the program: leadership development, a trip to Israel and community service. Fellows attend workshops on a range of topics from life management skills and activism to black-Jewish relations and Holocaust remembrance. ey also meet with local and national politicians.

Aer the first year, fellows travel to Israel, where they stay for almost a month at Yemin Orde, a youth village near Haifa. ere, they work with Israeli teens from diverse backgrounds and volunteer and tour the country. Upon returning, fellows speak about issues of diversity and mentor middle school students in their home community.

For many, the trip to Israel is the first time they travel outside the country. at was the case for Michaelangelo Hayes, who participated in the program in 2010-2012. Hayes’ grandfather is Jewish, so he was already familiar with the religion, but he said the program taught him more about Israel. Being exposed to another David Cuthrell, fourth from right in back row, said visiting Israel had a big country motivated the 24-year-old to learn about impact.

Credit: Cuthrell the world and ultimately go on to major in inter“I want to send a message that we cannot as African-Amer- national relations in college. icans progress without coalitions, and our greatest coalition “at changed my whole perspective,” he told JTA. partner has been the Jewish people in America,” he recently David Cuthrell, Aaliyah’s cousin, said the program opened told WBALTV 11 in an interview. his eyes to a new world view.

For Cuthrell, the program even changed her social circle. “e biggest thing I would say I took away from the proToday, many of her friends are Jewish. gram would be a sense of connectedness,” said Cuthrell, 20.

If she hadn’t been on the program, she said, “I wouldn’t be “Even though [there are] different cultures and different peoable to relate to them. And that’s kind of how I ended up talk- ple all around the world, [and] we all have our differences, we ing to them: talking about this program.” still have many basic similarities.” e program operates under and receives support from the is story was edited for length. Find the full article on Baltimore Jewish Council, which is an agency of e Associ- http://www.jewishomaha.org/jewish-press/.