September 3, 2010: Rosh Hashanah Edition

Vol. LXXXVX No. 1 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 89 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

24 Elul, 5770 September 3, 2010 3 Sections

ASliceof

JewishLife

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

A slice of Jewish life It is almost Rosh HaShana, and as always, time for us as a community to make up the balance. We have much to be thankful for and be proud of: the opening of our new Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, which has exceeded everybody’s expectations. A very successful and inspiring week that brought us the JCC Maccabi Games, and gave so many of us the chance to open our doors and our hearts to an enormous number of visitors. Another successful year at Friedel, not to mention the inception of the new Hebrew high school. Countless Jewish Omahans who diligently attended board meetings, joined committees, and volunteered for too many tasks to mention. Staff and lay leaders at Synagogues, Agencies, and other Jewish organizations did what they had to in order to make this community flourish and bloom. It wasn’t always easy, and yet many gritted their teeth and vowed not to give up. The reason for that is that we have a community that is worth taking care of, by raising money and by rolling up our sleeves. The theme of this year’s Rosh HaShanah issue is “A Slice of Jewish Life.” The question is obvious: what, exactly, constitutes a ‘Jewish Life’? There are as many answers as there are people in our community; I wager you’d even get different answers from the same person depending on which day of the week you’d ask. The question ‘Who is a Jew’, while still prominent, is getting quite a bit of competi-

tion from that other inquiry: ‘What is a Jew’? For many, it means praying, going to Synagogue, celebrating holidays; but is it exclusively a spiritual concept, or does it include giving and volunteering? Do you have to like Klezmer if you’re Jewish? If you’re a Jew and an actress, do you have to be a Jewish actress, or can the two be separated? Are your Israeli relatives more Jewish than you? Are we less Jewish than our grandparents, or, in some cases, more so? Or are we just different? And how acceptable is it for a Rabbi to despise bagels and lox? What you will find in this newspaper are many different answers to the question of what it means to be Jewish. As is so often the case, there is no one complete and final answer: it is more than the sum of the total that makes us whole. Alone, we aren’t worth much -- one person is just one person. But together, we are a community: a concept that is central to Judaism. Together we can move mountains, together we can make sure campaign goals are met, buildings are erected, and special events are pulled off. Together, we can repair the damage done by assimilation, by anti-Semitism, by enemies defined and undefined. Individually, we may all be different, we all have our preferred ways of celebrating our Judaism, but what we have in common is that we celebrate our Judaism. As always, this issue wouldn’t be possible without the help of a great number of people. First of all, I would like to thank the irreplace-

able staff at the Jewish Press: Richard Busse, Lori Kooper-Schwarz, Barbara Kirkpatrick, and Allan Handleman; you guys are truly the best. In addition, I want to say thank you to our proofreaders Deborah Platt, Suzanne Singer, Dottie Rosenblum, Ellie Batt and Margaret Kirkeby, without whom this newspaper would be riddled with ugly typos, grammatical iffy-ness, and bad word choices, for which I would then be held responsible. Thank you, ladies. I also want to thank our summer intern, Emily Giller: we loved having you around and hope to see more of you. Your internship may be over, but you’ll always have a place here. All the freelancers who made it a priority to write great, funny, sad, throught-provoking and entertaining articles, and without whom there would be no special issue. All the various staff members here in the building, who answer questions, help us solve problems and work with us to make sure everything ends up the way it should. And finally, the members of the Jewish Press Board, who made it through a year full of changes without tearing their hair out, and who have been nothing but supportive. It’s a New Year, and who knows what it will bring. One thing is sure: it will be exciting, and we as a community are ready for it. L’Shana Tova, from all of us, to all of you! Bobbi Leibowitz, President Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Editor

On the cover, you may recognize some faces from the Omaha Jewish community mixed in with various artistic projects and scenes and people from Israel. They are row 1: Naomi Teetzel and Mika Caplan, Elya Wilson; row 2: Alexandra Pichik and Sarah Kutler; row 4: Rose Friedland; and row 5: Cheyenne Janicek and Jessica Shandell, Lizzie Wine.

new year

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(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Emily Giller Press Intern Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; Nancy Wolf. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press . Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewish omaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but it should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $35 per calendar year U.S.; $72 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha. org. 2008 award winner

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Observant and cool: a former Omahan makes aliyah by CAROL KATZMAN Maybe you’ve seen the YouTube video - - h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=ULtglogZbR8o. It portrays 150 newly arrived olim (new immigrants to Israel) from the United States in a “flash mob” dancing scene on Ben Yehuda Street in the heart of Jerusalem. Or maybe you know a few of the dozens of former Nebraskans who have made aliyah. Gladys Groner and Rafi Groner (children of the late Rabbi Benjamin Groner, rabbi of Beth Israel synagogue in the 1950s and early ’60s) and recent olim like Whitney Taxman Feferman, daughter of Sherry and Jeff Taxman, and Gal Tsabari, daughter of Eadie and Eitan Tsabari, who completed three years in the Israel Defense Force and is now enrolled at Hebrew University in a pre-med program are some of the many “Cornhuskers” in Israel. Now you can add another name to that list: Zack Gonsher. Born and raised in Omaha, he just arrived Aug. 19 in Israel on a Nefesh b’Nefesh charter flight (more about that organization later) and on Oct. 9 begins a five-month ulpan/ work program at a religious kibbutz: Sde Eliyahu near Beit Shean. So how did a laid-back, jovial, Phishfollowing young man like Zack make a life-altering decision that would take him thousands of miles away from his family and American friends to a land some would say is constantly under siege? Though it seemed like the unrealistic dreams of a high school kid, Zack’s first thought of making aliyah occurred in 1997 while he and a group of other

Omaha and Midwest Jewish high school students participated in an NCSY Israel Summer Seminar. His older brother, Josh Gonsher, was already in his second year of post high school learning at the Reishit Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem. His other brother, Ben, had left Omaha in ninth grade to attend the Margolin Academy yeshiva high school in Memphis. And Zack, the youngest of former Omahans Allan and Rini Gonsher’s three boys, was home “alone with the parents.” Trying to live up to his parents’ and brothers’ expectations, Zack was making his way in the world. Like many teens, that sometimes meant rebellion. But the shape of Zack’s rebellion was not to drop out entirely of Jewish life, though sometimes being the only kid at a Bar Mitzvah eating kosher food or staying home on Friday night instead of going to Central High School’s football games was tough on the teenage boy. “I like being unique,” Zack said in a recent interview, joking about his fashion aesthetic and the dreds he sported for several years. “But it

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Zach Gonsher was hard being alone.” Most of his high school friends were not Jewish. “I was always trying to fit in,” he recalled, “but I was happiest when I was out of town with my Jewish friends.” Out of town, that is, on NCSY Shabbatons, on Israel trips, or at camp. That summer trip in ’97, however, started him thinking about going to Israel after he graduated from Central. Fast forward to after his first post-highschool year in Israel. “I knew I wanted to come back to Israel,” Zack recalled, not-

ing that he wasn’t ready for American college life, maybe wasn’t even interested in that route. But it wasn’t until he spent five or six months back in the U.S., making kosher grilled cheese for fans to earn enough money to follow a few bands on tour, that he began to seriously think about his future. His rav, Rabbi David Charlop (whose name may be familiar to readers – he’s a descendent of a Rabbi Yechiel Michel Charlop who served the Omaha Orthodox community in the 1920s), began a college program for six young men at the yeshiva to which Zach returned in the fall of 2001. The curriculum included psychology, math, Jewish ethics, as well as rabbinics and other Jewish courses of studies. By then, Zack was participating in morning and evening tefillah (prayers). “It brought a feeling of conversing with G-d,” Zack said. “It started with that tefillah class, learning word-by-word,” and being able to choose “to connecting to G-d.” He felt it was finally time for him to be observant in his way, like “saying a bracha over a beer” with friends. After that semester, he moved to Tsfat, Israel’s second holiest city and home to the 16th century Kabbalists of the Zohar. “I did a lot of soul searching,” he recalled, noting that making aliyah through the Israel Defense Force might be one avenue. His mom brought him home for two weeks for a frank discussion. “Your Hebrew is not good enough,” she reminded him. “If your commanding officer shouts ‘Duck!’ I don’t want you Continued on page 4

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Observant and cool: a former Omahan makes aliyah

Top: Zack Gonsher first thought of making aliyah on his 1997 NCSY trip to Israel, Israel Summer Seminar, making a stop to hike in the Negev. Middle: Waiting for a game of basketball between members of NCSY’s 1997 Israel Summer Seminar and the NCSY Kollel in Jerusalem are Jeff Katzman, left, Scott Saltzman, Zack Gonsher, and Jacob Katzman. Bottom: Zack Gonsher, in front, hikes in Israel with friends, 2001. son from Chicago, Shira Ozery, “a wonderful woman,” to personally show each document’s originality, as well as a lengthy interview of intention, goals, concrete plans, etc. “Although it is somewhat of a formality, it is never-

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theless important,” he added, noting that his personal story with the interview is great. “I went to meet her, nervous as hell because I thought my plan was somewhat too idealistic,” he recalled. “She looked at all information and documentation, took time scrutinizing everything, and took off her glasses. Then she said, ‘What will you do when you get off the plane?’” Zack smiled, “It was great. She wouldn’t take an answer of ‘I’ll figure it out.’ Thankfully I explained to her that I wished to sightsee and tour during the month of Tishrei and the chagim (the High Holidays and Sukkot), and then do Ulpan (intensive Hebrew language lessons).” During Ulpan, on days off, he plans to find job interviews, explore potential communities, and begin dating. “When I’m finished (with Ulpan), I hope to be able to move to a community I enjoy with a job already procured, and head towards making a family,” he told Ozery. “I expected her to say something like ‘Stop dreaming’, but she made a few check marks and said, ‘Great! And what will you hope to do?’ It felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. I had been planning this for months, and I got the ‘approval’ of sorts, not only by the JA, but by an Israeli! So I figured if my plan could stand the standards of Israeli, I was okay,” he added. Ozery proceeded to explain the “Sal Klita” benefits for immigration to Zack. “She laughed as I lit up when I saw how much financial help they give for resettling!” After the interview, and application process was completed in its entirety, and the flight date was solidified, the visa paperwork began. Zack explained that it’s “more of the same, but several copies of somewhat lengthy paperwork,” including more health and financial info had to be sent, certified and insured mail with actual passport and certain monies, to the nearest Israeli Aliyah office (Chicago, where Ozery works), to process all the visa work. “At this point, upon stepping off the plane in Israel, you are a citizen, whether you like it or not!” he said. (“That was an actual warning issued by Ozery’s secretary!” he added. “Priceless.”) While awaiting for the flight date and for all the documents to be processed, Zack has spent time figuring out shipping, freight, searching for communities and apartments as well as compiling job contacts, all through both organizations with helpful links on their websites. Benefits from JAFI vary from applicant to applicant, depending on marital status, number of people in the family, etc., but include a range from tax-free shipping and financial aid, to housing, as well as five months of Ulpan. According to its website, Nefesh B’Nefesh (www.nbn.org.il) provides olim with “financial assistance, employment resources, assistance with governmental absorption, and community-based guidance and Continued on page 5

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Continued from page 3 to be the only one standing!” So Zack returned to Israel with the intent of making it on his own. He supported himself as a chef in a dairy restaurant until it closed, and then was offered a position as a dorm counselor at Yeshivat Shaarei Yerushalayim. “It was an amazing year,” he said. He was responsible for waking the boys up each morning, leading services, and it all made him realize that he had skill in working with young people. “My door was always open to them.” Reality hit. That year allowed Zack to earn a BTL – a Bachelor’s degree in Talmudic Law. Both his brothers got married, three months apart. So he moved to St. Louis, began working as a teacher at B’nai Amoona, a Conservative synagogue in the St. Louis suburbs, building his resume with other jobs, and researching graduate programs. Armed with a Master’s in Social Work from St. Louis University, Zack obtained local positions in therapy and counseling. And he’ll be using all his education and experience toward helping at-risk teens now that he’s an Israeli citizen. So just how does an American Jew make aliyah? There are several ways to accomplish this not-so-easy task. One way is on your own, as Alicia Yaffe did a decade ago. The daughter of former Omahans Bob Yaffe and Sue Yaffe, Alicia graduated from Kansas University in 2000, packed her bags and flew to Israel. She detailed her personal journey in the 2008 Passover issue of the Jewish Press: Israel@60. Another path is through the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), which is a beneficiary of campaign funds from the Jewish Federation of Omaha and other federations across North America. According to Zack, “The first step is to get all relevant paperwork: official and notarized (where necessary) copies of one’s birth certificate, tax statements, financial affidavit, health information, passport, photos, proof of Judaism, etc.” That takes time, so plan ahead, he cautioned. The process is primarily through the Jewish Agency (JAFI). Nefesh B’Nefesh is “merely a liaison agency that simplifies, to some degree, the process. However, a vast majority of my time and efforts have been with JAFI, as opposed to NbN,” he added, though NbN funded his charter flight. He also is utilizing additional funding, and the NbN contacts and information networks through them. The second step was opening a file with NbN, simultaneously with JAFI. There is a small processing fee and “a lengthy application with much retrospection and essay,” which had to be scanned, uploaded and e-mailed to both the JAFI and NbN. After that comes the waiting: approval and processing of all documents, and then finishing the application with flight selection. During this time, Zack had an interview with JAFI liai-

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What’s so Jewish about Social Media? by PJ FEINSTEIN I read somewhere that the New York metropolitan area is home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. So why was it so hard to find a nice Jewish boy to date when I lived in Manhattan? With a deli PJ Feinstein on every corner and a synagogue in every neighborhood, there were Jews everywhere. But I couldn’t walk up to a cute stranger in a bar, introduce myself and ask if he was Jewish. “What was your Bar Mitzvah theme?” does not make a very good pickup line. So, I signed up for JDate. Since I didn’t belong to a synagogue while living in New York City, I needed to create my own Jewish community. JDate [www. jdate.com] fashions itself the “premier Jewish singles online community,” and I did meet some interesting guys while using the site, albeit I was not as successful as my former roommate, who last year married an orthodontist she met online. When Rabbi Baruch HaLevi, or “Rabbi B” as he prefers to be called, came to Omaha in July for an event at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, he asked the audience what it means to be an “authentic Jew.” One participant raised his hand and answered that being an authentic Jew means being part of a Jewish community. While I don’t completely believe that’s true – am I no longer Jewish if I withdraw from society and live an isolated life? Even if my mother is Jewish? I will agree that Jews like being part of a Jewish community. There’s strength in numbers, after all, and it’s more fun to kvetch with others than it is alone. Hence the popularity of JDate and Frumster [www.frumster.com], a strictly Orthodox Jewish dating site, and other social media sites like Facebook [www.facebook.com], Twitter [www. twitter.com] and Flickr [www. flickr.com]. These websites allow us to engage with other Jews (and non-Jews)

and form communities and networks that span the globe. It’s the ultimate game of Jewish Geography. Now we can keep tabs on all of our Hebrew school and Jewish summer camp friends that we would otherwise no longer be in contact with. We can report back to our parents (well, our nosy mothers) who is marrying whom (and the size of their diamond), who is pregnant and who is, sadly, divorcing. Chris Brogan, a popular blogger, defines social media as “the two-way Web.” In addition to gossiping and finding your soul mate, it’s particularly useful for businesses. I’m sure you’re “a fan” of at least one company on Facebook. Social media sites are like virtual water coolers, according to Brogan. Twitter, in particular, is “an idea bank, a place to gather information, to inspire new thoughts, or to see what your friends are doing.” So how can we use these sites Jewishly? By sharing Jewish content. Synagogues can do more than post high holiday schedules on their homepages; they can have a two-way conversation with their members on blogs. They can upload sermons and webcast Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for those unable to attend. They can announce special events on their Facebook pages and allow for participants to RSVP online. In Roslyn Heights, N.Y., the congregation gave its senior rabbi a Flip camera to post personal videos to You Tube, and a synagogue in Washington used Twitter to create online buzz for a Hanukkah cooking contest. These are just a couple of examples of how social media can be used by religious institutions for outreach and to create community (buzz word!) among members, especially the younger demographic, who are highly skilled at tweeting while talking and updating their Facebook statuses while “working.” But I’m no social media expert. I’m just a Jewish girl who likes to feel connected to others and to be part of a Jewish community. While I no longer use JDate (I found a Jewish Air Force officer who, interestingly, also experimented with the online dating site before meeting me), I do blog [www.somewherein middleamerica.com] and tweet [www. twitter.com/pjfeinstein], and I would love for you to join my conversation— and my community.

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Observant and cool Continued from page 4 support, in order to make each individual’s aliyah as successful as possible … NbN also provides guidance through all stages of the aliyah process. Individuals who are at the initial stages of aliyah planning can contact NbN with questions about applications, assistance in planning pilot trips, information about Israeli citizenship and queries regarding Nefesh B’Nefesh grants and aliyah flights.” In addition to preparing those making aliyah beforehand, Nefesh B’Nefesh also provides “support in navigating the challenges that they may encounter as new immigrants. Our Department of Social Services offers a range of services, including a buddy program and seminars, in communities all over Israel, and conducts one-on-one consultations both before and after making Aliyah.” Some of Nefesh b’Nefesh’s funding comes from The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (www.ifcj.org), founded in 1983 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. According to its website, its mission is: “to promote understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for

Israel and other shared concerns.” In the IFCJ 2008 financial report, Rabbi Eckstein noted, “We have both witnessed and been part of many extraordinary events during the past year through The Fellowship. Indeed, the word miraculous may be more appropriate for the ongoing work of On Wings of Eagles ... helped thousands more Jewish émigrés make their aliyah to Israel and receive klitah (resettlement) assistance.” In 2008, IFCJ spent $21,851,371 – or nearly a third of its budget on its Wings of Eagles program. Not just for young Americans like Zack Gonsher, but for needy Jews from the former Soviet Union, from South American countries and from Ethiopia, among others. With a twinkle in his eye, Zack says about his choice of living in Eretz Yisrael, “You pray… hug your mom, and get closure on relationships.” Closure on relationships? Uh uh, Zack ... we’re adding your name as yet another former Omahan to the list of “Nebraskans in Israel.” We do plan to visit ... and soon!

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Kay and Tipp. Born too late for vaudeville by OZZIE NOGG It’s said that if you mix equal parts cynicism and sarcasm with a healthy dose of neurosis, you get a funny Jewish person. Or funny Jewish people who, like Les Kay and Marilyn Tipp, can laugh at themselves -- a theory born out by my recent email exchanges with the pair. Examples: Q: What made you gravitate toward show biz, Les? Kay: My dashing good looks and outgoing personality. One day I said to myself, ‘Self’, why not let everyone see what Helen sees daily. So I started auditioning for movies. I was an extra in Up In The Air, and there was confusion on the set because I was constantly being mistaken for George Clooney. Personally, I thought people should have mistaken George for me.” (Rim shot) Q: Marilyn, as a performer how do you feel when you don’t get the part? Tipp: I don’t audition often so I don’t get rejected often. Great idea, NU? (ka-POW-ee) Marilyn Tipp. Oy, what she Both Les Kay and could tell you about Jack Marilyn Tipp are drawn Nicholson to performing, though neither has illusions of stardom. Kay’s Up In The Air appearance is his only credit to date. “I tried out for a commercial that called for a Greek father,” he said, “but I think my Greek father was ‘too Jewish.’” According to Les, “Marilyn is the reason I do this. She calls me and I go. I was really looking forward to working with her in Trunk’d -- a low-budget film shot in Omaha -- but they cut my scene because they couldn’t afford to pay for the location, a convenience store gas station.” Marilyn’s part in Trunk’d is already in the can. “Get this. I play a proper Christian mother of a good-fornothing son who wants to convert to -- of all things -Judaism. OY, was that a fun stretch for me. When I went to the audition I wore a straight-haired wig -- not so Jewish looking like my own hair -- and told the director, ‘Please don’t hold it against me that I can make a mean kugel.’ Lord knows how I got the role.” The spotlight first hit Tipp at Central High. “Oh my gosh, I remember my best friend -- and now machateniste, Sara Moses Baum -- and I did an AWFUL Jewish Mother routine in a Road Show. I also played in the chorus of Oklahoma during high school, but only because I had a crush on the lead, Billy Gilinsky.” Years later, Tipp fell into film work. “My son Alan -- who may I say is gorgeous -- is a model, and one day his agent suggested I audition for a film that was going to be shot in Omaha. The movie turned out to be Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth. I was cast as an anti-abortionist extremist, a substantial part, the 6th largest role of the movie.” In Election -- her second Payne film -- Marilyn played the school secretary in several scenes opposite Matthew Broderick. “Let’s just say he was NOT much of a mensch,” Tipp offered. Marilyn’s third Payne movie was About Schmidt. “I was originally cast in a lead role, but when Jack Nicholson heard he was cast opposite an unknown, he had a fit and insisted he play opposite an Academy Award-winning actress. So in stepped Kathy Bates, out went Marilyn. By that point all the other significant parts were taken, so Alexander put me in substitute scenes -the versions that run on airlines, some TV channels and wherever people might find things offensive. The movie was, after all, rated R. As it turns out, my ‘original’ character had a big nude scene in a hot-tub which Kathy Bates pulled off fabulously. I would NEVER have done that. I would have insisted that Sharon Stone be my body double. After all, what would my grandchildren think?” Of her encounter with Mr. Nicholson, Tipp said, “Oy, could I tell you things about Jack. They shouldn’t, however, be in print. Who KNEW?” Even though you may not have seen Marilyn in About Schmidt unless you were flying down to Rio or a complete bluenose, she was in the credits. “The great thing about being in the credits is that I get residuals. I LOVE that part.” Tipp’s résumé includes ten movies, various television commercials -- one grabbed a Clio Award -print work for an Alegent Health heartburn campaign, plus a Union Pacific training film in which she was strapped into a harness and launched airborne as a blond-haired flying sleep fairy. Marilyn’s latest project is

a TV pilot for a children’s show. Her costar is a stuffed dog named Rusty. “We had already filmed several episodes when the dog was stolen from the director’s car. Until they make another Rusty, I’m on hold.” Of her turn as Queen Esther in a Beth El Synagogue Purim Shpiel Tipp said, “I was never asked to do another one.” Marilyn Tipp is outgoing (her emails scream with upper case emphasis) and (at times) outrageous. When asked if she had a regular 9-to-5 job she replied, “Are you high? I’m a Bubbie with five grandchildren. I SHOP... a LOT.” Les Kay (in his assessment) is the flip side of the coin. “Basically, I’m shy,” he said. “Large crowds make me nervous. Some people have a hard time believing that, because I’m told I come across as strong and intimidating. So I guess I mask the shyness quite well.” Les recently got his real estate license and is hanging it with America’s Realty Team and Phil Rich. The job will afford him the chance to interact in one-on-one situations, which are his preference. “I choose not to perform or speak in front Les Kay. He hasn’t yet played a of a group. I’d rather not doctor on TV, but he could. see the audience -remember, I’m shy -that’s why film is easier. You don't see the people.” Shy? Les Kay’s work history belies his claim. “I started out with Younkers in Des Moines,” he said, “and held several positions there. At one time I put on seminars and women’s fashion shows -- couture, bridal, everyday wear. Once, I staged a shoe fashion show, from the knees down.” Kay was brought to Omaha by Pamida where he spent twenty years in logistics and warehouse management. He later worked in management and sales for a snack food company that distributed Vic’s Popcorn and Barrel-O-Fun potato chips. Barrel-O-Fun, indeed. “My agent, Manya Nogg, wants me to send her updated head shots so she can forward them to agencies and get me cast in commercials. Manya says she can sell me as eight years younger than I look. I’m waiting ‘til she can sell me as fifteen years younger.” (Yukka-yukka) The influence of Jewish performers on American culture and humor is a fact both Kay and Tipp appreciate. “So many of my favorite comedians are Jewish,” Tipp said. “I love being part of it all. I find it hilarious that in two of my biggest roles, I’m cast as an evangelical Christian woman. What? ME? They want me to wear a CROSS? Oy, vey. It’s a good thing God knows I’m just play-acting and doesn’t send down lightening bolts.” Mel Brooks movies are Les Kay’s favorites. “I love his offbeat humor. I loved The Producers long before it became popular. I love the way Brooks brought Jewish humor to people who didn’t understand it and now everyone uses Yiddish words in everyday language. I also love Rocky and Bullwinkle, so go figure.” Theodore Reik, a disciple of Sigmund Freud, theorized that the jester’s ultimate aim is the unconscious wish to win the approval and love of the audience. When asked what she ‘gets’ from being in front of an audience, Tipp said, “ATTENTION of course! Who doesn’t like that?” Les Kay admitted he, too, likes recognition. “It’s nice to hear people say, ‘I wish I could do what you do. Try out and get a part.’ But mostly I’m in this to give my mother something to kvell about.” Kay’s mother can also kvell from other performers in Les’s family. His daughter Jennifer appeared in a national ad for Montgomery Ward when she was just one year old. His wife Helen and daughter Joanna were cast in a food company training film. And his seven-and-a-half year old grandson David has been featured in TV spots for La Mesa restaurant and Children’s Hospital. Not exactly the Seven Little Foys, but it’s a start. Freud himself considered self-deprecation to be one of the unique defining qualities of Jewish humor. Tipp is a case in point. “Don’t hold your breath waiting for any of my movies to come out,” she said. “They could sit on a shelf for years and never be distributed. I could be in the Blumkin Home before Trunk’d is ever shown. Yep. I’m only a S*T*A*R in my own mind. Then again, maybe my next role will be red-carpet worthy. Alexander Payne has already asked me to play the MADAM in his next movie. It’s a western. I’m gonna have to have THE GIRLS lifted for that one.” (Boiiiiiinng)

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Ted Seldin is much more than ‘just’ a country boy by BERT LEWIS an observant Jewish family. His response was quick and and Beth Seldin Dotan. Each of the girls has provided This is a story about one of the outstanding men in emphatic. “Of course we were an observant family....the Sarah and Ted with two grandchildren. As if that isn’t our Jewish community. It’s not intended to necessarily kitchen was kosher and we walked to shul on the holi- enough to be proud of, Beth’s daughter Liatte Dotan is feature all of his fine work, but rather to have a closer days, and I went to cheder and learned my Hebrew”. presently serving in the Israeli Army. But wait a look at the man. Of course his achievements count, but Less seriously, he recalled that on Sundays, they would minute...if we’re interested in whether or not his, shall maybe more importantly, what drives him? What were go into Omaha to purchase the kosher deli and bakery we say, Jewishness, has had an impact on Ted’s life, we the early lessons learned in the circle of his family? favorites they all loved. have to take special note of this grandchild whose Army His bio reads in the usual duties have her on the way: name: Theodore M. Golan Heights! Seldin. Date of birth: Dec. Ted has always had a deep 17, 1931. Residence: interest in the state of Council Bluffs, Iowa. In Israel, but with a family reality, the residence is the member doing important current Omaha address, but service there, well, need we for the sake of illustration, say more? let’s take some poetic I asked Ted about his first license. In truth, as a child, trip to Israel, which led to Ted Seldin did live with the an interesting story. Despite family in Council Bluffs. Seldin’s early Orthodox Also, as stated in his bio, his upbringing, when he and early education was in the Sarah moved from Council public schools of Council Bluffs to Omaha, they had Bluffs; he graduated from searched for the congregathe university of Iowa with tion where they hoped to a BA in Economics, in June be comfortable. After lookof 1953. Formal education ing around and doing some was completed with a Juris real research, they decided Doctor degree from the on membership at Temple Alex Howard, left, Rodger Howard, Ted Seldin, Stephanie Seldin Howard, Sarah Seldin, Amnon Dotan, Adam Howard, Beth University of Iowa Law Israel. Acquaintance with Seldin Dotan, Yonaton Dotan. Not pictured: Liatte Dotan. School in June of 1955. Rabbi and Jane Brooks folCredit: picture taken at Chamber Dinner at the Hilton in April 2010 All of which might lowed, and when a trip to explain why Ted Seldin is sometimes heard to respond to Leaving the food treats behind, Seldin spoke of his Israel was announced, the Seldins signed on. Through a request for an interview by saying, “Me? I’m just a early military service in the Air Force in 1955 and as some meetings and/or classes which provided orientacountry boy from Council Bluffs, Iowa.” Of course Assistant Staff Judge Advocate of Ardmore Air Force tion for the trip, Ted and Rabbi Brooks had an opporthere’s mischief in the grin that accompanies that line. Base, Oklahoma. He was Captain Seldin in the Judge tunity to become well acquainted, and according to Ted, There’s also a hint of who this man really is. We know Advocate General Department and couldn’t say enough in time he felt the Rabbi became something of a mentor much about him, since he’s been a very public figure for about the excellent experience it was. His active duty to him. He speaks with both genuine fondness and a long time now. But when we say “who this man real- was between 1955 and 1957, but he was in the Reserves respect for the late Sydney Brooks, when he says he ly is,” we don’t refer to the recent honor bestowed on until 1968. He added that he felt his service in the mil- learned a lot from him. him when he was inducted into the Business Hall of itary was a valuable experience from which he profited Ted laughs when he remembers that soon after joining Fame, for example. greatly. the Temple, he was asked to co-chair the Building and Let’s instead pay some attention to the response he In December of ‘56, Ted was married to Sarah Nadler, Grounds Committee. What’s so funny about that? Soon gave when asked to tell about his family and if they were and they have two daughters, Stephanie Seldin Howard Continued on page 8

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September 3, 2010

Much more than ‘just’ a country boy Continued from page 7 after agreeing to serve on the committee, the famous tornado that struck Omaha arrived, leaving vast destruction in its path. Building and Grounds? It’s no doubt safe to say that Ted as well as the entire congregation were involved in the work of restoration for a long time to come. From that time to the present day, Seldin has been involved in everything from bricks and mortar to the important issues affecting Temple Israel. In fact, in May of 1979, Theodore Seldin was elected President of Temple Israel. Remarks he made during an interview at the time were quoted in the Jewish Press: “My philosophy has been that if you drink from the well, you have an obligation to replenish it.” He went on to say he felt his entire family had derived so many benefits from their association with Temple, his participation simply felt right. A gentle, homespun attitude? Why not? Ted Seldin remembers such things, busy as he is in his daily schedule with family-owned Seldin Company. Given the priority family has always had, it seems natural for him to have recognized his need for a close connection to his religion. We all know the expression that advises “if there’s a very big job to do, give it to a really busy person.” Somehow, invariably, that busy person manages time to handle all obligations, even the extra one. Ted’s way of working and living seems to prove the truth of that. He is, after all, a very busy man, but still is involved in many places outside business. A good example is Ted’s interest in low-income housing for the segment of society we like to call seniors. Now remember, this is the same man whose firm builds multiple apartments, homes, office buildings and shopping centers, to name some of their real estate activity. When might he even have time to think about special high rise apartments built expressly for older people whose incomes couldn’t accommodate whatever the going rate might be? People who were retired and living on a low, fixed income. People, who often were just “getting by,” which sometimes meant cutting back on food or medicine in order to scrape together the rent. I don’t know where the inspiration for this originated, but I do know that Ted Seldin went to Washington and talked, cajoled, argued and educated the people who had the power to help. I also know that when he was finished pleading his case, an FHA program was in place, which would provide assistance to seniors assuring safe, clean and comfortable housing. It promised rent at no more than 30% of income, after deduction for medication. Ted says, “if I have a legacy to leave, this is it.” he loves to tell about the first of those high rise apartments, the one connected to the Jewish Community Center. He

says “there’s always been a myth in the Jewish community that says there aren’t any poor Jews. That’s just not true.” He grows more and more enthused when he describes the comfortable housing available for the folks who reside at Livingston Plaza, pointing out the activities available to them at the J, without ever having to walk outside.

Sarah and Ted Seldin And indeed, all the excellent perks available to Livingston residents are well known enough to have made a waiting list for prospective tenants. Yes, he says, there’s a waiting list, but it moves, and in time people who have waited do get to the top of the list. Clearly, it disturbs him that folks are frightened off by a waiting list, because there’s so much that’s worth waiting for. There are many other such low rent apartment buildings around Omaha and Council Bluffs and around the state of Nebraska. I believe Ted said twenty-some additional buildings. He loves to describe these apartments as “well kept, clean and decent places where seniors can live in dignity and security.” Seldin talks of building projects such as those apartments, or the countless other projects the Seldin Company has undertaken, all of which are enough to promote a feeling of pride and satisfaction. Not to be mistaken as personal pride, but rather for that which enriches the community. And therein lies another tale. Or perhaps another question. Let’s explore a bit. Ted has been honored many times by this charity or that, for this gift or that scholarship, for various awards from Chambers of Commerce, and as a matter of fact, so

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have his brother Millard and his brother-in-law Stanley Silverman, his partners in the family business. Not a relative, but President and CEO Randy Lenhoff is counted in this powerful team. The question one might ask is “From where does this seeming need to give back to the community originate?” Why does a very large and successsful corporation give the time and effort to people they don’t know, to better their lives and improve the future of their children? Who instilled the wish to not just take, but to also give? Suppose we go all the way back to the beginning of the company...all the way to 1923, when Ben Seldin, father of Ted, Millard, Ruth and Norma was just starting his first business. It should be noted that the senior Seldin was a Russian immigrant only in this country since 1913, arriving in Omaha on the same day as the Easter tornado. However, the important detail here is Ben Seldin’s first business, which happened to be insurance. Later, sensing potential in real estate, he added that to his company, in time building small houses. This business operated out of the family home; a modest beginning, no matter how we measure. So where did the drive come from? Who urged the importance of working hard and succeeding? Whose influence molded the characters of these fine citizens? Maybe it was their mother, Bertha, who surrounded her family with the customs and traditons of their Jewish faith. Or Ben, the father, who knew if you wanted anything in this world, you’d better be prepared to work for it. Perhaps it was a combination of the two, and an understanding that something was expected of them, and it didn’t seem wise to disappoint. The children of Bertha and Ben Seldin understood the importance of being charitable - a trait usually acquired by observing what others do. Or, to put it another way, by watching role models. If a person grows up watching parents share what they have with those who have not, surely there’s no better lesson? Somebody, somehow, somewhere, instilled good values into the people responsible for helping to make our community a fine place to live. Rather than speculate further, I’d like to quote some of Ted’s own words from an article in B2B OMAHA magazine. “I am so proud of my partners, our staff and our firm’s accomplishments over the years. I am grateful too, for the goodness of the people of America’s heartland. I know that my father and my mother laid the foundation for the blessings we enjoy today.” Now, 85 years after Ben Seldin set the company in motion, it can be said that he reached the cherished “goldena medine,” the land of gold.

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Lloyd Roitstein and Jewish Scouting use the scouting program is because they recognize the character building, the moral building, the leadership training and the skills that are imparted as they grow in the program,” Smason said. Smason also mentioned that the NJCOS supports about 7,000 Boy Scouts across the country in Jewish-only units. “There are a number of Jewish Boy Scouts who are in traditional units, such as my son. The problem is, that he was a part of a charter that was given to troop 48 operated by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, and according to the National Boy Scouts of America Council, he is an Episcopal scout even though he is certainly a practicing Jew,” Smason said. Smason said that although Lloyd receiving his Eagle Scout Badge from his father, the the National Scouting prolate Dr. Morris Roitstein, in 1960. gram knows that not all One important member scouts in one unit are necesof the scouting program sarily of a particular faith, who helped celebrate was each unit is registered as a native Omahan, Lloyd particular faith based on its Roitstein. Roitstein joined charter. Smason says this the scouts when he was 8helps the program keep years-old at Dundee school. track of which faiths are in He later became an Eagle the scouting program. Scout and remained active Despite faith though, the with the scouts years later. scouting program teaches After graduating college at young people to be active the University of Nebraskamembers in their communiOmaha, Roitstein was ty, and for Roitstein, he Lloyd Roitstein offered a job working with applies that idea right here the scouting program. He continued in the Omaha Jewish community. working with the program for 39 years. Roitstein has been president of the Currently, Roitstein is the Executive Omaha Jewish Press, started his second Director of the Mid-America Council. term on the board at Beth El Synagogue For his job, he oversees the scouting in and has been on the board at Friedel parts of Iowa, Nebraska and South Jewish Academy, two of those years he Dakota, which puts him in charge of served as president. roughly 31,000 youth and 9,000 leaders. However, although Roitstein is an “The most important thing we do is active member in the Omaha Jewish build character in young people and community, he does not associate himself building good citizens. If you look at the solely with the NJCOS, but with the military academies, if you look at politi- scouting program as a whole. cians, if you look at the leadership of our “We serve all faiths and that’s one of country, most of them have been the unique parts of scouting is that you involved in scouting,” Roitstein said. have to believe in God to be in scouting,” Roitstein is also the first person to serve Roitstein said. on a staff in one region for over 30 years Since Roitstein has been an active as well as hold the position of executive member in the scouting program for so director. Roitstein said that he moved to long, he credits a lot of his successes to St. Louis at one time to help with the the program. scouting program there and then moved “People have a lot of jobs in their lives to Southern Illinois to help in that and bounce around, I have never had a region, but always wanted to come back job, I’ve had a career that gets me up to Omaha. every single morning excited about doing “I had other opportunities to move up what I do; and for 39 years I have been nationally, but this is home and this is fortunate to hopefully make a difference what I enjoy doing,” Roitstein said. in our community and love everything I The scouting program, which puts do every day,” Roitstein said. strong emphasis on character building All his work and all the work of the and responsibility, also puts emphasis on scouts in the Mid-America Council paid family and religion. According to off. Mid-America Council was honored Roitstein, being active in a synagogue as the No. 1 scout council in the country and being active in the scouts will usually this past year. lead to a successful life. “All that means to me is that we’re “We teach patriotism, and we teach serving those young people better than leadership, and we teach duty to God and anybody else and that’s the greatest satiswe have the statistics that show that those faction I can have,” Roitstein said. young people who participate in our proThe Boy Scouts of America have spent grams are more apt to be good citizens the past 100 years shaping young people and good parents and be more active in into future leaders. Through leaders such the community and not get into trou- as Roitstein, the scouting program has ble,” Roitstein said. been able to thrive, and its honors and According to Alan Smason, editor of accomplishments will be recognized for the New Orleans Jewish Press and active years to come. member in a Jewish scouting program, “The most important thing for me and called the National Jewish Committee on the greatest satisfaction is seeing the Scouting (NJCOS), is the “second oldest scouting program happen and seeing the religious relationships group in boy young people grow into great citizens, scouting.” The NJCOS started in 1926, and that’s the best. The awards that we just two years after the National Catholic get just mean that the young people are Committee on Scouting started. ‘getting’ the program we deliver,” “The reason that the religious groups Roitstein said. by EMILY GILLER This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. This program, which credits itself as being a program that helps “build the future leaders of this country,” celebrated this landmark anniversary at its annual jamboree held at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., this past July. The event celebrated the accomplishments of the scouts and took a look at how far the scouts have come over the past 100 years.

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by GLORIA SHUKERT-JONES became first cousins. Although it may seem strange, I discovered after many “My father, Shmuel, was born in the Ukraine in decades that I had first cousins in Tel-Aviv who were my 1902,” he recalled, “and his entire family, parents, two age and whom I had never met or even heard of. brothers and two sisters fled from there because of the As a child, I remembered my parents speaking on persecution of the Jews by Petlura and his gangs. They occasion about an “Aunt Fannie” in what was then crossed the border to Romania by way of carriages and called “Palestine”. Later, when we received word that on foot. From Romania, they traveled through Turkey “Aunt Fannie” had passed away, I regretted never hav- and Syria, crossing the border by night to the north of ing had an opportunity to know the sister of my late Israel, finally reaching Jerusalem. It took them three father, Harry Shukert. It was never mentioned whether years before arriving in Israel in 1921. My mother, or not this aunt had any children. Zippora, was born in Poland in 1906. When she was After many years had passed, I was invited to a gather- very young, her parents divorced, and her father, Jacob ing at the home of the late Helen and David Shukert, Shukert, our grandfather, remarried.” my aunt and uncle, for the express purpose of meeting a He then told me my father, Harry Shukert, was born cousin, Dov Sapir and his in Poland, and the family wife, Rina, from Tel-Aviv. left Europe and emigratThey were in Omaha a very ed to the United States, short time, but wanted to settling in Omaha, where meet the family members the other siblings, my who were here. What a joyuncles, David, Max ous occasion that would (Midge) and aunt, Rose, have been, but fate interwere born. At this time, vened, and extenuating cirJacob Shukert was marcumstances prevented my ried to his second wife, meeting them at that time. Minnie, who died during I was very sorry to have an epidemic of influenza. missed that opportunity. Our grandfather then Approximately three years married Mirel Fox later, the Sapirs returned to Cohen, who was related the United States to attend to the F & F Cough the wedding of another Drop founders, and also cousin’s daughter in New the Louis Rich Meats Orleans. Again, I was family. Mirel had a son, unable to meet them, Joe, from her previous Rina and Dov Sapir because of illness in my marriage to Mr. Cohen, family. I was afraid to leave town, because my brother and then Mirel and Jacob had a son, Nate, who was the was near death. As fate again would have it, he did pass youngest of the Shukert clan. It was said by other famiaway shortly before the wedding. Sometimes one has to ly members that my father at age 12, helped to raise his concede to his or her instincts. However, again I missed younger siblings when his mother, Minnie, died. the chance to meet Dov and Rina, who indicated to the Dov continued, “My mother’s mother remarried and family that this was most likely their last trip here. had another daughter and two sons. My mother lived Because I was very curious about them, I asked my with her grandparents and came to Israel by herself New Orleans cousins if they had the Sapirs’ email when she was about 20 years old. The rest of the family address. I wrote them a long, detailed letter about my who remained in Poland were extinguished in the family, and all the things that had transpired over the Holocaust.” years, as I tried to catch them up to the present. They Dov’s mother and father were married in 1930. His immediately responded, and brought me up to date sister, Shoshana, was born in 1932, followed by Dov on about their family history, activities, and children. We February 10, 1935. Dov says he was named after his also exchanged family pictures. mother’s grandfather, who was actually our great-grandI learned that “Aunt Fannie” was Dov’s mother. Her father. Yiddish name was actually “Feige,” which meant “bird,” According to the family history, Rina’s father, but a mispronunciation may have been how she was mis- Menashe, was born in Brisk. As a small child he studied takenly called “Fannie” by the relatives here. In Hebrew at the Yeshiva , but when he decided to go to Israel he her name was “Zippora.” Dov’s name means “bear” in continued his education in Ort, a Jewish technical Hebrew. school, where he was trained as a carpenter. He came to Since those first introductory emails, we have been Israel in 1925. He had an older brother who went to the regularly corresponding. Dov and Rina have sent me U.S. in 1909, and a sister who settled in Israel. The rest some beautiful Power Point presentations of the spec- of the family were also killed in the Holocaust. tacular sights in Israel, and illustrations of the works of Rina’s mother, Bathia, was born in Vilna, Lithuania, talented Israeli artists. And since we had the same grand- and had nine brothers and sisters. Her father first came father, we shared memories about grandparents, aunts, to Israel to buy a piece of land in 1913. At the beginuncles, cousins, and other relatives we have in common. ning of World War 1 in 1914 he went back to join his I was privileged to be one of the first to learn of the birth family, and was drafted into the army. Some years folof Dov and Rina’s 13th grandchild, in July of 2008. lowing the war, part of the family left for Brazil and othBoth Dov and Rina have revealed interesting back- ers, including the parents, went to Israel. Bathia stayed grounds. How exciting it was to hear from them. I dis- in Vilna and worked with her brother in painting. She covered things I never knew about my distant family came to Israel in 1932 as a tourist with a provisional members from cousins with whom I had only recently license. After some months she met Menashe, and they been in contact. This was a perfect example of how were married in 1933. Rina’s brother Moshe was born modern technology can, in a matter of seconds, bring in 1934 and Rina on December 26, 1935. together families who live worlds apart. None of that In 1938 Bathia’s mother returned to Vilna to bring would have been possible when I was growing up, as her two children back to Israel. Unfortunately, they there were no such things as email or cell phones. I were trapped in the war and killed by the Nazis and colregret all the years that passed before I finally got to laborators. know of the Sapirs. According to Dov, the only notificaTimes were very difficult in Israel, and both Dov and tion he received from anyone in the family in the United Rina’s parents worked very hard to make a living. States, was when our grandfather, Jacob Shukert, had “Rina lived in Ramat Gan and I lived in Bnei Brak, passed away in 1947. He also recalled that the first fam- both suburbs of Tel Aviv,” Dov said. “We were married ily members he and Rina met here were Helen and September 12, 1958, and live a happy life. Our parents David Shukert, our mutual aunt and uncle, who were participated in the Independence War in 1948. I and very hospitable to him. Dov said from then on, he and Rina served in the army, and I took part in the wars of his wife enjoyed a good relationship with the Shukerts, 1956 and 1967, and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. I was and stayed with them on two occasions when he was in occupied in that war for seven months, while Rina was Omaha. The first trip was when the Shukerts arranged left alone with four children.” the aforementioned family gathering which I missed. Currently, Dov is a certified public accountant, and has Dov also noted that the Shukerts visited them in been since 1960. He reports, “I was a senior partner in Israel, when their son, Jay, an American soldier, was sta- the biggest accounting firm, and served as vice-president tioned in Germany, affiliated with the NATO Forces. of the largest bank in Israel. In 2003, I was nominated as Our cousin, Judy Newman, formerly of Omaha, went to Chairman of the Israeli Accounting Standard Board. At a Israel on her own in 1970, and stayed for six months. recent international accounting conference in Israel, in Dov gave a review of the family background for the which all the chairpersons of big international purpose of establishing ancestral identities and how we Continued on page 11

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 11

Finding my Israeli family Continued from page 10 accounting firms attended, I was the first speaker at that meeting. Rina worked in a bank in Israel, and retired in 1996.” The Sapirs have four children: two sons and two daughters. The oldest son, Doron, is 49, and has three daughters. He is the vice-president of one of the largest insurance companies in Israel. His wife, Nurit, is an M.D. Their oldest daughter, Lili, 22, has served her time in the Army, working with computers, and is now studying architecture at one of the most prestigious art schools in Jerusalem. Doron’s other daughter, Daphna, is currently in the army. The twin Sapir daughters, Iris and Rakefet, are 47. Iris is a C.E.O. of a large company that has 120 subsidiaries abroad, dealing with irrigation pipelines for agriculture. She has three daughters: the oldest one, Sapir, also 22, has finished her stint in the Army Intelligence, and is now studying medical science at Tel-Aviv University; her other daughter, Topaz, is a special education teacher in the Army. Rakefet, the second twin, is the only one who has no C.P.A. license. She works in Bezeq, Israel’s biggest telecommunication company. She has two sons and one daughter. Her oldest son, Gal, serves in Naval Intelligence. The Sapirs’ sons-inlaw are both engineers. The Sapirs’ youngest son, Guy, is an accountant in the firm associated with P.W.C., one of the largest firms worldwide. His wife, Tamar, is a talented doctor doing research at the Weitzman Center in the study of biological and brain cells. The ages of their children are 16, 13, 11 and two.

I found this geneology fascinating, considering that I never knew much about my father’s family history. Apparently

Dov Sapir Dov kept fairly accurate and detailed records. Dov indicated the degree of Jewish religious observance in Tel-Aviv is varied. He said, “The majority of the population here is not very religious. But there are some who attend synagogue at least once a week, and eat kosher food, whom I’d call light Orthodox and even a few who are strict Orthodox who keep the tradition. Those people go to the synagogue on the High Holidays, and more strictly observe dietary laws. However, most of the younger population in Tel-Aviv is secular. As for me, I have four seats permanently reserved in the synagogue and the sons and sons-in-law accompany me on the High Holidays.” Dov also remarked that night life is very

active where he lives. “The restaurants are full, and the pubs are open until early morning,” he said, and the way he described Tel-Aviv night life sounded much like Las Vegas here in the States, sort of like a city that seldom sleeps. When asked if he ever felt threatened by political enemies and threats to the security of Israel, Dov replied, “ We have to be careful and strong. We do worry about the nonconventional armament being built in Iran, and the missiles that are sent to Hezballah forces in the north border, and by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. We think that most of the nations in Europe and other places are hypocritical. They know that Iran and its followers want to destroy Israel, and they are terrorists and dangerous for the west countries. Nevertheless, they condemn Israel whenever we try to defend ourselves. As far as day-to-day living goes, we don’t feel afraid, and we just try to enjoy life.” Hesitant to engage further in any deep political discussions, he did comment that the peoples’ expectations of the Obama administration’s support for Israel are somewhat less optimistic than they were when the present regime first took office, especially since the Jewish communities had contributed heavily to the campaign funds. I then asked Rina about the women in Tel-Aviv, what their interests centered upon. She indicated there were a lot of cultural lectures for retired women in science, art, music, literature and gymnastics. Rina attends one or two lectures on

a weekly basis together with her girl friends. Once a month, she and Dov attend one lecture together. She said, “The coffee houses are full every morning, mainly with retired ladies. Dov and I used to go out very frequently to the theater and enjoy the shows together.” Rina, who shyly admits her command of the English language is not as proficient as that of her husband, nevertheless knows what pleases young people the most, as far as food is concerned. “Once a month on a Saturday or a holiday, the family comes here,” she told me,“ and I fix what the young people demand; schnitzel, rice, beef, chicken and gefilte fish, and lots of salads.” Apparently, family gatherings are quite common in the Sapir household. While it was a great experience getting to know my cousins through the exchange of many emails and international calling involved in putting this information together, it doesn’t take the place of actually meeting them in person, as my other relatives here have done. My sole hesitation is the fear of flying. I’ve never been on a plane, and the idea of being confined in a small area for 11 or 12 hours, high over the ocean on a first flight, is daunting to say the least. To me, it’s downright scary! However, I think every Jewish person should visit Israel at least once in his or her lifetime. I want to experience the awesome beauty of that country, and as some have described, “feel the presence of G-d.” I want to partake of the Sapir hospitality which has graciously been offered to me, to greet the extended family members and enjoy with them some of Rina’s cooking. What could be more compelling reasons than those, to finally become airborne?

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Joanie Jacobson: song and dance girl

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by OZZIE NOGG Competition. She writes, choreographs Joanie Jacobson -- writer, director, pro- and directs three musical numbers for ducer of Jewish musical revues -- has a herself and eight pledge sisters. She is purpose. “Of course I want the audience zinging. Her skit wins. to be entertained by my shows, but what Cut to sophomore year and a Botany I want most, what’s really important to class lecture about a leaf. Joanie asks herme, is to have people leave the perform- self, ‘“Why am I here? How can you do ance feeling glad they’re Jewish.” A surprising statement, perhaps, coming from a woman who admits that in her youth she put little emphasis on Jewish identity. “I’m a child of the 60s,” Jacobson says, a phrase she tends to repeat, like a mantra. “For us, it was ‘Make Love, Not War.’ The peace symbol was sacred. We marched to put an end to the war in Viet Nam -- to all war -- and for people to live in peace with each other. Black, white, Jewish, not Jewish, it didn’t matter. My mother used to say, ‘Joanie, you hate people who hate and you’re prejudiced against people who are prejudiced.’ She called me ‘the Social Joanie Jacobson at a street dance. Worker.’” Now, pretend this interview is on 40 minutes about a L-E-A-F?’” Pledge TIVO. We fast forward over the next few Princess success plus boring botany years in Joanie’s life (we’ll rewind later) equals I’m-outta-here epiphany. She and arrive at her blind date with Richard transfers to the Goodman Theater School Jacobson -- arranged by mutual friends, of Drama in Chicago, earns a BFA with a Andi and Larry Kavich. We watch Joanie major in directing, and joins the Illinois and Richard marry in Des Moines, set up Arts Council’s Free Street Theater, a housekeeping in Omaha, bring Carrie racially-mixed company that brings theand Maggie into the world, and then -- ater by show mobile to inner-city neighooops... borhoods. One night, August 24, 1970, “When Carrie was three, she started after a performance at 56th and Green on asking questions about God. ‘Who’s God? the South side of Chicago, a gang opens Why can’t I see him? How do you know fire on the group. Shotguns blast. Joanie it’s a he?’ I couldn’t answer her. I realized takes a .22 caliber bullet in the stomach. I had no belief system. I didn’t know what It lodges in a muscle near her spine. The God was or what that had to do with me. slug is still there. So I called Rabbi Barry Cytron, who offiFast forward to Omaha, October 25, ciated at our wedding, and he told me to 1992. Dodge Street in front of UNO read Rabbi Harold Kushner’s book, When clocktower. (Menacing music, maestro.) Children Ask About God. That was it. For Joanie looks left, looks right, steps off the the first time I understood God and the curb and is slammed by a car. Fractures universe in a way that still works for me tibia, shatters tibia plateau, undergoes every day, in good times and bad. It gave three surgeries, bone graft, a slow, me a personal connection to what Rabbi demanding, painful recovery -- first to a Kushner describes as a force of goodness, wheelchair, then crutches, then a cane. but still allows for the elements of mystery Ten months of physical therapy. Cranial and faith.” sacral therapy. Acupuncture. Intense. “I believe that whatever talent or abili- Grueling. Hard work. Whatever it takes ties I possess are gifts from God -- the to walk again with no limp and no cane. presence of all that is good -- and I’m forNow, back with Joanie, 2010. ever grateful. Of course, this kind of talk “Being shot and hit by a car is a lot of often elicits the ‘eye roll’ from people, what defines who I am, how I see the and I know they’re thinking, ‘Oh boy, world, what I think about being alive. At there she goes again.’ But that’s okay. I’m the time, I figured the shooting was my a zealot. I’m thrilled I have these gifts. brush with death and that I had escaped They allow me to express my love for it. The accident taught me, ‘It’s never Judaism and to serve my Jewish commu- over -- anything can happen to anyone at nity in a very special way.” any time, all the time.’ I don’t walk Please hold those thoughts while we around afraid, but I do walk around rewind to the beginning of the Joanie always mindful of where I’ve been.” Jacobson Story. Perhaps ‘where she’s been’ brought It’s 1948. Her parents stand two-year Joanie to where she is -- able to delight old Joanie on a coffee table and she audiences and raise their level of Jewish entertains their friends by spelling M-I-S- awareness and pride. S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. Growing up, Joanie “Almost my entire body of work has takes dancing lessons, stars in summer been in the Jewish community,’” Joanie camp musical revues and appears in pro- says. “Some people write checks and ductions at the Des Moines Community some sit on boards. Some lead services, Playhouse. She falls in love with music, send out mailings or set tables before a performing, and the rush of pleasing an community event. Others are Jewish proaudience. Then she falls in love with fessionals, youth leaders, teachers, comboys. Segue to Ohio State University. munity builders, visionaries. It doesn’t Joanie is Sigma Delta Tau’s candidate in matter what you do Jewishly. It matters the Greek system’s Pledge Princess Skit Continued on page 16

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 15

The Jewish Traveler: Marseille by OLIVER B. POLLAK Marseille, France’s second largest city, is not a destination vacation. As a location for business meetings and conferences, or if one finds oneself en route to somewhere else, this city may warrant a look see. It has the third largest Jewish population in Europe. The streets of Marseille bustle 24 hours a day. The movie The French Connection (1970) depicted Marseille as a drug hotbed. However, with caution, even pickpockets are not a pressing issue. Beggars, panhandlers and people sleeping in doorways populate most large cities. Despite early morning sanitary services the city is still not clean and the air is fetid in many locations where dogs and humans urinate. But Marseille, like its ornate Neo-Byzantine basilica Notre Dame de la Gard, towering 532 feet above the city, rises above its imperfections and is very colorful. Even the ever present graffiti has its attractions. You walk the crowded streets like a basketball player weaving toward your goal, breaking right or left, to avoid collisions with Muslim women wearing black head scarves, more scantily clad women with piercings and tattoos. Orthodox Jews were in evidence with black hats, tzi tzi, and some kippas. France has a population of 65 million. The largest ethnic minority, Muslims, number about 5 million. France is home to about 600,000 Jews. Jews have lived in Marseille for centuries. In 1896 they numbered about 5,000 out of 420,000. Today they number about 80,000 out of 800,000, 10 per cent of the population. Muslems number 200,000. By most accounts the tensions between the two communities is less in Marseille than in the rest of France. The population increase occurred after 1956 and the French withdrawal from Algeria, and the 1968 War, when Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan Jews, mostly Orthodox and Sephardic migrated to France. Paris and its 400,000 Jews have Le Marais. The sign, Cite Juif, indicates Marseilles’ Jewish concentration on

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Rue Saint Suffren, Dragon and Breteuil is its Marais. Kosher restaurants, supermarkets with a wide variety of Kosher wines, gift stores, and shuls line the narrow streets. To be sure, Jews live, worship, and work throughout almost all the city. The Grand Synagogue on Breteuil, built in 1864, is architecturally noteworthy. The Consistoire Israëlite de

cially after the second intafada. In 2002 on Passover weekend, Or Ariv Synagogue, home for 600 families, was burned to the ground. The French government was outraged, Jews feared for their security. The grand mufti condemned the action, “Our natural and spontaneous solidarity with the Palestinian people, who submit to daily murders and humiliations orchestrated by Israel’s bloody and vengeful leaders, cannot let us forget two undeniable truths: Jews and Arabs have shown, across their long history, an astonishing capacity to life together. . . And we are in France, a country ruled by secularism, where the only possible way to engage is in a calm and constructive dialogue.” Several thousand Jews marched in the streets carrying the fire-damaged Torah scrolls. There is a sense of well-worked political and social cooperation between the Jewish and Muslem communities, reinforced by their combined opposition to the rightwing anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, National Front. Claire Berlinski, a writer living in Paris, wrote that “There is something unique about the city that protects it from cyclones of ethnic violence.” Our first contact with a Top left: the interior of the Grand Synagogue on Marseillian Jew was on Canebiere Breteuil, in Marseille, France. bottom and right: Street, reminiscent of Barcelona’s Jews live, worship and work throughout the entire Ramblas. Among the hustle, bustle, city. Marseille has the third largest Jewish popula- hawkers, cars, busses, trams, bicytion in Europe, numbering around 80,000, or 10 cles, motorcycles, cafes, bistros, brasseries, we spied a short man percent of the population. with grey hair, black striped pants Marseille published Agenda 5770 listing 47 synagogues (no jacket, it was about 100 degrees), and a kippa. and 24 Jewish schools. Unabashed my wife Karen asked him if there were any We walked several kilometers to Maurel’s Kosher restaurants. Our French, Ladino and Hebrew are International Bookshop where Pierre Maurel maintains limited. Yiddish and English were not an option. Our a bookshop that caters to English speakers, somewhat problem was resolved when we re-pronounced kosher as like Shakespeare and Company in Paris. He did not have cacher. He motioned for us to follow him, and at a brisk any English language pamphlets or books on the Jews of pace we trailed him as he pointed out Chez Jackinot, Marseille. He was friendly and helpful and we exchanged Restaurant Oriental Cacher and other Jewish religious email addresses. and commercial establishments. Marseilles is divided in 16 arrondissements or adminWe ate dinner at Jackinot but had to wait for it to istrative districts. The synagogue and about 20 Jewish open, around 7:30. Most French diners start at 8:30, schools are located in several arrondissements, suggest- but we eat earlier and suffer from jet lag. Hors d’oeuvre ing that although there is a concentration of Jewish serv- consisted of eight small dishes of olives, fennel, eggplant, ices in central Marseille, Jews live throughout most of zucchini, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and tuna in varithe city. ous oils and spices. A family run restaurant, we watched Anti-Semitism flairs up occasionally, and did so espe- Continued on page 16

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September 3, 2010

Joanie Jacobson: song and dance girl Continued from page 14 parents have, and how they can use that life!” that you do something. I write and direct influence in a caring, Jewish way. “As all of us get older, God willing,” shows.” Thoughts of the future give Joanie Jacobson continues, “we become more A few cases in point: Jacobson pause. “You know how you go forgetful and less patient. We need to cut The Good and Bad Dreams of Sylvia to the dentist every six months, and each other some slack and become more Rosenthal. Campaign Cabaret. before you leave the office the reception- forgiving and less self-absorbed. More Sentimental Journey. Light Up Beth ist says, ‘Would you like to schedule your grateful. I know it’s humanly impossible El. “All my shows, in different ways, are designed to touch people’s Jewish heart. They’re written to celebrate our Jewish community, promote Jewish identity, instill Jewish pride and, hopefully, motivate the audience to express all the above through their actions. I’m a child of the 60’s. Can’t do a show without a message. Can’t do fluff.” A favorite of Joanie’s is To Bubbie and Zayde, With L.O.V.E., a benefit for the League of Volunteers for the Elderly at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “The show was a celebration of the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren,” she explains, “and since I didn’t Top left: Joanie Jacobson at a Beth El perormance; bottom: the Jewish Federation’s Campaign Cabaret in have any grandchildren, I 1987; right: Ozzie Nogg and Joanie Jacobson getting their diva on together. interviewed eleven sets of Jewish grandparents. They all expressed next six-month appointment?’ My first to spend every minute of every day overwhelming unconditional love for thought? ‘I hope I’m around to keep the appreciating what we have, but I do find their grandchildren. Some became appointment.’ Does the thought that I myself saying ‘Shehechiyanu’ more often obsessed with their family history and the might NOT be around make me curl up these days -- even on a bad day. Grateful need to pass it on. And after they talked in a fetal position on the sofa? No. I just to ‘reach this season.’ Grateful to be about being a grandparent, every one of keep doing what I’m doing and pray I’m Jewish. Grateful for my husband, my them told me stories or anecdotes about here in six months, a year or five years, children, my family, my friends. Grateful their grandparents. It made me keenly and of sound mind and body. But then, to just be. If I can feel the sun on my face aware of the enormous influence grand- I’ve never been of sound mind my whole and the wind in my hair, I’m in the deal.”

The Jewish Traveler: Marseille Continued from page 15 couples and families starting to come in around 8:30. I had a Maccabee beer. We explored the next block, it was a bonanza. A Kosher supermarket, patisserie, pizza parlor, and other establishments catered to the Jewish community. We went into the Jewish bookstore, Librairie Pardess, and there was our earlier guide, along with three of his friends. We made some headway through broken English and gesticulations. Again, there were no English language books on the Jews of Marseille. There actually are major studies on Marseille Jews, apparently inaccessible to French speakers. Returning from a wonderful bouillabaisse at the Miramar on the Vieux Port, which can be served without shellfish (the extensive wine list has a separate page featuring Kosher wines), was a Chabad Lubavitch Mitzva Wagon. There are six ChabadLubavitch centers in Marseille. The majority of the Marseille Jewish community dates from after the Second World War. American Varian Fry operated out of Marseille in the early 1940s and rescued many prominent Jewish intellectuals and artists from the clutches of the Vichy government and the Nazis, including Hannah Arendt, Jean Arp, André Breton, Marc Chagall, and Berthold Jacob. The Mémorial des camps de la mort, opened in 1995 on the fiftieth anniversary of the war’s end, memorializes Marseille’s Jewish World War II experience.

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47-year love story continues to evoke great memories for Blumkin Home resident by GARY JAVITCH Brooklyn, Israel had become a state just three months At 89, Blumkin Home resident Paul Nathan still has earlier and during the week of the wedding, Babe Ruth, his wits about him and is as articulate as ever. He is the legendary baseball hero, died. In New York City, known around the Home as a great storyteller. And the that was a very big deal.” one narrative he especially enjoys telling is the one about But there was more to the story. “I had no ring and I his late wife, Reva. had no dress clothes.” His account reflects the The venue for the nuptials history, culture, and times was the “Shabbos Wedding of the Jewish people in a House.” Paul’s ceremony post-World War II America, was going to be their third more than half a century wedding of the day, and the ago. attendant offered Paul a As he began the story, he deal he couldn’t refuse. joked, “My memory is “‘For five bucks,’ he told good, although don’t ask me, ‘I’ll leave all the wedme about yesterday.” ding flowers in place from Their meeting the previous wedding.’ and marriage There were even flower Paul Nathan joined the petals under the Chuppah.” Army in 1943, serving on a It looked beautiful. hospital ship anchored off Reva was married in a Staten Island. The street dress and Paul in his Merchant Marine operated recently purchased suit.” the ship and the army took Standing up for Paul were care of the internal operaHarry and Josie, Paul’s sistion. ter, who drove all the way On a day off, he and two from Scottsbluff to be there buddies set out to enjoy for the occasion. Manhattan. They went to a “All I had to do was bring few bars around Times my own whiskey,” Paul Square. When leaving one remarked. “We served watering hole, Paul saw his open-faced corned beef Paul and Reva Nathan future wife coming out of a sandwiches. The best I’ve Chinese restaurant with four other women. eaten. I can still taste it today…” He persuaded all five of them to have a drink with his Reva’s sister-in-law played an organ. The entire cerepals and him, but he was focused on Reva. mony was recorded on a vinyl record. When you played Paul ordered a straight shot of whiskey and Reva said, it back, it sounded like the whole affair took place in a “I’ll have what you’re having.” big synagogue. During their little get-together, he noted, “She had “It was a wonderful day,” Paul exclaimed. two shots -- with no chasers.” That at first caused our “When you stop and think about it,” Paul observed, small-town adventurer to wonder, “What am I getting “what did Reva’s family even know about me? Her myself into?” father was from the “old country” and was losing his As he got to know her, though, he realized that her daughter. He made us promise that if we had a son, he family was “old country” and they always had a shot had to be circumcised by a Mohel. We kept that prombefore Shabbos, and Reva was conditioned to drinking ise. the alcohol straight. The wedding would initiate what would become a 47Paul escorted Reva to her Brooklyn home. “When she year union. The baby of her family would be leaving opened the door, all I could smell was home cooking. It behind her mother, father, and three older brothers. was chicken soup.” Although they would talk many times, Reva would only He asked her for a date for the next day, and they see her parents again two more times, Paul recalled. dated during his tour of duty. When he wanted to Making a life arrange time together, he had to send her a telegram. In all the excitement, Paul had not even figured out Her family was too poor to own a phone. how the couple would return to Scottsbluff. “We ended After the Army, Paul returned to Omaha. He found up driving back with Harry and Josie.” work as a floorwalker at Woolworth's, guiding cusIn 1967, Harry brought his son into the business. tomers and supervising sales people, but he really didn’t That, of course, complicated Harry’s overall working like the job. arrangement with Paul. Before the end of the second His brother-in-law, Harry, however, came to his res- year, Paul was not happy with the situation, concluding cue. Harry owned a scrapyard called the Scottsbluff that it would be better if he moved on, leaving the son Pipe and Supply, located in the far west part of the state. and father to run the operation. When he asked Paul to work for him, Paul accepted and By this time the couple had two nearly-grown chillived in Harry’s house, also. dren, Ira, at UNL and Allan, a senior in high school. If With the move and over time, Paul lost track of Reva. he left his job, where would he go and what would he However, as Luck would have it, one day he found a do? The answer came soon enough. snapshot of his pretty Brooklyn girl. Her address was on When Paul was visiting in Omaha, he met Harvey the back of the photo. Ferer, who owned a scrap yard. They talked and Harvey “I started up the correspondence again,” Paul related. offered Paul a job, running the warehouse. Before “And in one of her letters, Reva asked, ‘When are you accepting, Paul told Harvey he had to discuss it with coming to New York?’” The flame was re-ignited. Reva. As fast as he could, he got on a bus for the three-day After hearing all the details of the new job, Reva told journey to New York. “That bus trip was the only bad her husband, “Take it, take it.” part of the entire experience,” he recalled with a frown The only complication was their son Allan hadn’t finand vowed, “I would never do that again.” ished high school. So Paul moved to Omaha in October Once in New York, Paul got a hotel room. Although 1969, and Reva and Allan followed four months later in he was unaware of it at the time, the young WW II vet’s February. Paul would write Reva a letter every night courtship had just begun – in earnest. before he went to bed. One evening, the young couple was invited to dinner “I ended up working for Harvey for 19 years. Harvey at the home of Reva’s older brother on Coney Island. was good to me. I ran the warehouse, buying copper, Following the meal, they ambled down the boardwalk. brass, and non-ferrous metals. I bought more in one day Paul sat down to rest and they started talking. He just at Ferer’s than at Scottsbluff in one month.” blurted out, “A girl like you wouldn’t live in a small The marriage for Paul was filled with great joy. “While town.” Reva and I seemingly had nothing in common, it She responded, “Yes I would.” worked because we loved to talk – about everything. We That was it! had no secrets. Not only that, everyone loved Reva.” He never really asked her to marry him. But aside Paul laughed, “Being in a small town, I thought I’d from adding that he would never live in New York City, end up marrying a ‘shiksa.’ I had a good childhood, a Paul knew he had made a commitment. good army life, a good marriage, good grandchildren, “I was going to be married on August 22, 1948. That and now great grandchildren,” he reflected. “What else was a momentous year, too: For the heavily Jewish is there?”

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Hachnasat Orchim: how to welcome guests by ILANA WEISS With that agreement, our arsenal of chickens never ran When I was a tween left home alone, I would see what out, and while other couples were going to the superingredients we had around the house and come up with market to supplement their chicken supply when having recipes to try out. I would either share them with my par- guests, we were cooking what we had in stock. This ents upon their return or, more frequently, keep to myself understanding did have one flaw though: All it would and clean up really fast so they would never know about take was one other couple to figure out such a system the double chocolate dessert that was made in their and woo these guys to hand over their chickens in return absence. I imagined the for a similar deal. The day when I would be all only way that I could grown up (i.e: above the keep this going was by height of 4’6”), living in staying on the ball and my dream home (ie: one serving up delicious guywith a setup like the friendly food that would “Jetsons”), and happily rival what anybody else cooking for myself and would make. my hubby (ie: the guy I And so, every week, had a crush on in middle I’d think of something school who shall still new. “What could I put remain nameless). So, on this chicken that about a decade later when would be different?” I’d I ventured out to Israel wonder. “Which previfor the first year of my ous recipe got gobbled marriage, things were a up the fastest?” little different than what I Well, who would’ve imagined as a kid, but my thought, but there was resourcefulness in finding one recipe that was random things to cook always a winner: Pretzel with did come in handy. Chicken. I guess it’s just It was about 9 o’clock that the combination is Ilana Weiss with her husband Yaakov in “Dirah Chai” hosting a at night, dark, but still unexpected. Sweet, salty Shabbat Shuva Melaveh Malka, a post Shabbat party taking place hot outside when Yaakov and savory, it became on the Saturday night that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom and I went to pick up the one that our “chicken Kippur. keys to our first apartdonors” asked for ment. We were spending the year in Jerusalem as part of repeatedly. I had such a dish at a friend’s house a couple Yeshiva University’s Israel Program, and by doing so we years prior, and while I never took down the recipe, I were granted an apartment on the University’s campus. figured out one of my own. We snagged the keys and were pleased to see that our Of course, nobody really ever tried to steal away our apartment number was 18, a significant number in Jewish guests or chickens, and we were always happy to have tradition representing the word “Chai” or life. We decid- lots of people at our table regardless of their chicken ed to dub our apartment “Dirah (Apartment) Chai.” contribution. One of the greatest Mitzvot that we have We started to climb up the winding staircase with our is that of Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests. We luggage for the year. The building was about 30 years learn it primarily from our Patriarch and Matriarch old and had that yellow color that I remember seeing in Avraham and Sarah, whose tent was opened on four pictures of my parents’ kitchen from when they first sides and who in the hot sun eagerly waited for guests to bought a house. Standing out on each of those yellow come by, even just days after Avraham had his brit milah, doors was a pastel colored paper sign saying “Horowitz circumcision, at the age of 99! In Israel, we were always Family,” “Weinstein Family,” and so on for each of the thrilled to add to the “life” of our “Dirah Chai,” and names of the families living in the complex. Six flights share our meals with both our close friends as well as the later we saw the sign on the door saying “Weiss Family.” random guests who entered our lives in search of a place We reached our beloved “Dirah Chai.” I took a quick for Shabbat. Now in Omaha, we are proud to be part of look around at the nearby doors to see who our neigh- a community that so embraces the idea of Hachnasat bors were. Strangely, those signs were different. They Orchim, and made us feel so welcome upon our arrival just said “Grossman” or “Goldstein/Abrams” no men- here two years ago. We continue to be in awe of the tion of the word family. Upon seeing the faces of our efforts that community members make to ensure that floormates, I understood why. other newcomers feel at home here as well. See, there was an organized system to decide in which So, without further ado, here is the Pretzel Chicken apartment each participant would live: couples with chil- recipe for you to enjoy with both your family and your dren lived on the lower floors – the more children you guests for a sweet and zingy new year! had, the fewer stairs you had to climb. Since Yaakov and Ingredients: I were one of the most recently married couples living in • 1 whole chicken, cut-up. White meat and thighs the apartments, we were deemed the least likely to should be deboned, drumsticks can stay intact (Of spawn (at least for several months), so we were placed course you can just buy chicken pieces in a store to suit near the top of the staircase. There was, however, one your desire!) group of participants who were considered even less • 2/3 cup honey likely to be carrying strollers anytime soon, and that was • 2/3 cup mustard the group of single guys. • ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) So, it was I, the sole female on the top floor living with • ½ 16 oz package of pretzels, preferably thick salted my husband amongst five single 20-something males on ones (but watch out for the salt at the bottom of the bag our floor. After spending the majority of the previous – you don’t want to include that or it will be too salty!) four or five years living in a girls-only dorm, I was not Directions: aware of most of the antics that I would put up with • Place pretzels in food processor and crush into throughout the year. The guys living on our floor seem- coarse crumbs – not a fine powder, and pour into a ingly often forgot of my existence, walking around with- bowl. (You can also do this using a zip-top bag and a out their shirts on, leaving their doors wide open, etc. rolling pin.) Nevertheless, there were some benefits to living • Mix together honey, mustard and cayenne pepper (if amongst this group. Each week, in preparation for desired). Keep half of the mixture for raw chicken, and Shabbat, the University provided its participants with a the other half for either glazing or serving as a dipping bottle of wine or grape juice and one frozen, raw, half sauce. chicken per person. That meant that each couple • Coat chicken pieces in honey mustard mixture, and received a total of an entire chicken every week, and then dredge in pretzel crumbs. each single picked up their whole chicken every other • Place coated chicken on lightly oiled baking pans week. What was a single guy to do with a raw chicken? and place in oven at 350 degrees. With that in mind, I came up with an arrangement sure • Cutlets should be baked for 20-30 minutes. to please everybody: In return for their chickens and Drumsticks will need longer depending on size. empty freezer space, all of the single guys had an open Halfway through the cooking process, the chicken can invitation to our Shabbat table every week and free be glazed with the remaining honey-mustard combinaaccess to any leftovers that we might have. tion for extra sweetness and zing.

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Hasslinger leaves loved ones priceless lessons of family and faith by JILL BELMONT A legacy is a weighty, yet delicate thing: the blueprint of a life left for others to remember, emulate and, hopefully, cherish. It is created and cultivated over time by living a good, honorable life. The best legacies are a gift to loved ones – like the one Larry Hasslinger left. Before his untimely death last April, at the age of 57, Hasslinger spent much of his adult life instilling in his children a love of life, family, and of Judaism. Raised by Christian parents (but with a Jewish maternal grandfather), Hasslinger’s journey into Judaism began in 1977, when he told his fiancée, M’Lee Jabenis, that he had decided to convert. Recognizing this decision as “very intimate, very personal,” M’Lee said he made the decision on his own; she did not request it of him. “As far as Larry’s decision, I think it was an easy one for him,” she recalled. “His family was not very religious, to my knowledge. When he brought me home to meet his family, they were thrilled, and the conversion was met with very open arms. His grandfather and aunt and uncle (the latter two who were also Jewish) were especially excited. There was never anything negative or any reluctance.” Before their wedding in 1978, and with the guidance of Beth El’s Rabbi Kenneth Bromberg, Larry adopted Judaism as his chosen faith. The Hasslingers joined Beth El Synagogue, where M’Lee had been raised (her grandparents, Sol and Ida Lagman, were among the founders of the congregation), and with the births of their daughters Sarah, in 1981 and Jessica, in 1984, the family’s fourth generation of

Beth El members was established. They had found their spiritual home. “Home” held a special significance to Larry. The son of a career-military father, he lived in a variety of places such as

Jessica, 25, who now resides in Los Angeles. “He would always want to introduce us to everyone he worked with or knew; he was so proud that we were his three girls. It is hard to explain how

Larry Hasslinger and his girls, Sarah, M'Lee and Jessica, during their 2008 trip to Israel. Guam and Great Britain, where he attended elementary school. The transiency of military life --picking up and moving every year or two-- made home and friendships fleeting and ever-changing challenges. As a result, putting down roots, establishing traditions and spending time with his family became paramount as he reached adulthood. “He had a lot of other projects and hobbies, but we were what was really important, and he made it known,” said

strong our family bond was -- how much we loved each other. We grew up to be four best friends. In the past few years I feel like we grew even closer and loved hanging out together when Sarah and I were both back in Omaha.” The girls always knew that their father’s primary interest was their happiness, said Sarah, 28, who lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, Matt Frey, and their one-year-old daughter, Liat. “I think my dad was the kind of father

May your home be blessed with Health, Love, and Joy this season and throughout the whole year.

who only wanted the best for his family and gave us the tools to attain that goal ourselves. If we made a mistake, he would use it as a tool to teach us how to learn from it. And if I was having a bad day, getting discouraged, or just needed a recipe, I could call him, day or night, even from across the world, and he was there to talk to, encourage, and share his wisdom and love. My father was my best friend, the best teacher I ever had, and someone who meant more to me than I can say. There are not enough ways to explain the immense loss our family and the world have endured with the loss of this very unique, talented and kind soul.” Larry’s interests and talents were varied: for years, he owned and operated his own sprinkler company; he was accomplished in the field of computer graphics; and his passion for cooking was wellknown. For over 10 years, he was a volunteer firefighter and paramedic, M’Lee said, noting that he was credited with helping to deliver three babies, one during a snowstorm. In 1988, the Irvington Volunteer Fire Department honored him with its Firefighter of the Year Award. Larry’s passion for Judaism was an important part of the Hasslingers’ family life; he and M’Lee were a fixture at the synagogue. He was a proud member of Beth El’s 2001 Adult B’nai Mitzvah class, delivering the D’var Torah the morning of the class’s celebration. For years he was an active member of Men’s Club, cooking for synagogue events and volunteering in numerous capacities. “He was very happy to do things that needed to be done -- anyone need only ask him,” M’Lee said. Because of his skills Continued on page 21

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September 3, 2010

Why Jews Volunteer by GLORIA SHUKERT JONES was active in the American Legion. Post No.1 for many nized for steadfast and reliable services to the Home.” Volunteerism is a catchword. It encompasses many years, and was a charter member of the American Rose These volunteers are also presented with awards, such areas and special individuals dedicated to providing serv- Society. He was also active in the Republican party. as framed pictures or volunteer pins, contingent upon ice and assistance to people and organizations, without Petite and vivacious, with an ever-present smile and their years of service. There is also an award for expecting anything in return but the joy of helping oth- winning personality, Wine is easy to spot going about Volunteer of the Year, and Teen Volunteer of the Year. ers. Such persons are truly involved in donating their her errands through the halls of the RBJH and the According to Wine, “Having young people assist with time and special abilities wherever needthe activities is important to me because ed. At the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, residents enjoy visiting with them, and volunteers are appreciated for their we have many teen volunteers. For examefforts and provide an important adjunct ple, Creighton Prep students lead to the care of the residents. So why do Wednesday bingo games during the Jews volunteer? Lois Wine certainly has school year.” the answers to that question. In addition to her myriad of duties, “We, as a people, take care of our own Wine also oversees the operation of the beloved elders, but at the Rose Blumkin newly opened gift shop at the Home, and Jewish Home, volunteers enjoy helping recruits volunteers to help the several all the other residents, especially those appointed residents and staff ensure its who do not have any family in Omaha to smooth operation. Wine indicates that visit and look after them,” she said. she is a liaison to the L.O.V.E. (League Wine is well acquainted with the very Offering Volunteers to the Elderly) essence of volunteer work, not only Auxiliary. because she heads the volunteer program Volunteers do not fit any particular patwith over 100 volunteer workers at the tern. They are males and females of all RBJH, but because she’s a volunteer herages, and have varied agendas and fields self, and is, in fact, still engaged in comof endeavor. However, their common munity service through other organizadenominator is loyalty, devotion and willtions. She has quite an impressive voluningness to help others in need. In teer background which coordinates well Judaism it’s known as Tikkun Olam. with her career obligations. Wine encourages anyone who has time Wine has been Vice Chairperson for Lois Wine, in middle, with Marge and Norm Lincoln, looking over receipts. The Lincolns are just and would like to offer a particular servthe March of Dimes Board of Directors, two of the Blumkin Home residents who volunteer their services at the new gift shop. ice, to volunteer for the Home. She tries and was Mother’s March Chair for two years. She was Jewish Community Center as part of her daily routine. to match helpers in areas where they are most needPublicity Chair for Children’s Hospital Friends Board. You can even “hear” that smile through the phone. ed,and where their particular talents and interests lie. She was a Chair of the Community Volunteer Network Being upbeat reflects one of the objectives of the Home, Lois, and her husband, Norman, of 51 years, have two of the United Way of the Midlands, and is still active in to keep up the spirits of the residents and encourage sons, Brent, and Bryan, who is married to Laura; and the that organization. their participation in the plethora of creative activities Wines are proud grandparents of Andrew, age 11, and She is a past President of Associates of Jewish Homes and programs that are offered. Elizabeth (Lizzy) who is nine. and Services for the Aged, and was also recording secreWine enumerated her many duties at the Home, In her leisure time, Wine enjoys reading, attending tary of the National Board. She has been on the which include, but are not limited to, scheduling events sporting events, needlework, and playing mahjongg. She Planning Committee for the Governors’ Conference on and recruiting volunteers to help with some of the proj- and Norman enjoy fishing trips and being with family. Volunteerism for ten years. She has been appointed to ects, such as leading Shabbat services, assisting with They have taken winter journeys to much warmer clithe Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission by Bingo, arts and crafts, singalongs, entertainment, and mates, such as Antigua, the Carribean and Mexico. They Governors Mike Johanns and Dave Heinemann, and is other special events. are looking forward to an Alaskan cruise next year. They now serving her third term, currently elected Vice She stated, “Some volunteers accompany residents to also take annual fishing trips to Minnesota with family. Chairperson. Wine began her lengthy volunteer crusade special entertainment events at the J.C.C. and other cul- They love being with the grandchildren, observing their as a parent volunteer when her sons were attending tural activities, and still others relieve staff members by sporting games and ballet recitals. Another of Wine’s grade school. answering phones during lunch and breaks, greeting and favorite pastimes is spending time with her dog, All of this is not surprising, considering that Wine was directing visitors, and other office duties. Some of them, Schnapps. How she ever found time, with such a busy left a legacy of volunteerism by her late parents, Anne along with staff members, escort residents-to-doctors’ schedule, I’ll never know, but states she has also been a and Max (Mick) Moskowitz, also avid volunteers. Anne appointments.” caregiver for ten family members over the past 20 years. was active in the PTA at Washington Grade School, and “I also make up monthly calendars for Shabbat service In my own experience as a volunteer, I’ve observed was also a Camp Fire Girls leader. She was also a key leaders, and schedule pet visits for the residents,” she that some of the residents have lived long enough to celparticipant at the Beth El Synagogue Sisterhood, and added, “and each year, I host Volunteer Recognition ebrate their 100th birthdays and beyond. I attribute assisted in planning weddings and dinners there. Max Day, in which all of those special individuals are recog- Continued on page 21

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Hasslinger leaves loved ones priceless lessons of family and faith community that surrounded us is what allowed him to feel so comfortable and in turn made us feel so comfortable with our religion and synagogue.” Jessica echoed those thoughts, adding that, “They showed us the importance of the traditions and celebrating as a family. They went to services when we were in Torah and Siddur Skills [a Saturday morning program for youngsters]; they didn’t just drop us off. My dad was the president of Men’s Club at one time and my mom was the president of Sisterhood. “During grade school and high school we were literally there all the time, and I loved it,” she continued. “I loved having this whole other world that some of my public-school friends didn’t have the privilege of having. I felt like I had a million parents -- all of my parents’ friends were always good people to be around and I felt safe and surrounded by positivity all the time. My parents both have Larry took special joy from being with his granddaughter, always encouraged me to Liat. continue with my Jewish up the canopy each Sukkot, as “each pole identity by raising my own family Jewish is so precisely made, it fits in only a spe- and marrying someone Jewish, which I cific spot,” she noted. intend to do, not necessarily because of “He wanted something that would be only the religious aspect, but because I used again and again. When he noticed simply want my children to be able to the work it took to create a new sukkah have the childhood I was able to have.” year after year, he decided it would be less There’s much to be cherished in Larry wasteful and easier to devise a long-term Hasslinger’s legacy. His wife of over 31 solution, so he did it. That was how Larry years said “He was my strength and my was -- when he saw a problem, if he best friend.” His daughters say he taught could, he fixed it.” them about the strength of a good marAt home, Larry and M’Lee made riage, how love is respect. That he was Judaism a priority for their family. “His “the most kind and gentle man” who Jewishness was very important to him, never spoke badly of anyone. not only personally, but for his children,” His son-in-law, Matt, an army sergeant she said. “He wanted so much for them stationed with 10th Special Forces Group to feel Jewish, live Jewishly with the val- at Fort Carson, paid tribute by saying, ues we tried to instill in them -- love of “He was loyal to people and his country. family and being involved at the syna- He always wanted to join the military, gogue.” but couldn’t, so he worked for the miliTheir dedication made an obvious tary as a contractor, and was a civil serimpact on their children. “Our parents vant as a firefighter for many years. supported and encouraged our Jewish “I am glad I got the chance to know lives from a very young age,” Sarah said. him, even though it was a short amount “I can’t remember a time we were not at of time. Larry was a good and loving the synagogue as Jessica and I grew up. I father and he taught me how to be a remember the old Beth El synagogue on good and loving father. I miss him.” 49th and Farnam Street well, and I even Larry’s legacy is no clearer than when vaguely remember the kitchen. As Beth Sarah whispers the Sh’ma to her baby El moved out west, I think the only daughter every night as she tucks her into change our family made was spending bed -- just as her father did for her and even more time there. From Shabbat her sister years ago. She hears her father’s services to Hebrew School, we were voice as she recites the prayer. “Every always at the synagogue. My dad would night I remember exactly what he soundbe in the kitchen with Lucy, in the gift ed like as he put me to bed.” shop talking to my mom, or at a board And so cherished memories are premeeting while we were in school. Selling served; family traditions are passed from gift certificates on Sundays and attending parent to child. Dor l’dor. And though Men’s Club meetings, my dad showed learned too soon, Larry Hasslinger’s famme that Beth El was my second home. I ily knows for sure that the best legacy is think that the love of his religion and the indeed the gift of love. Continued from page 19 as a chef, he was often called upon to prepare food for events, celebrations and programs. “The kitchen just became a fun, favorite place to ‘play,’” she said of Larry and his Men’s Club cohorts. “Over the years, the guys all seemed to have fun together.” Larry also made his mark at Beth El by designing and building the elaborate sukkah which is erected in the front courtyard every fall at Beth El. His meticulous work is obvious to those who put

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Why Jews Volunteer Continued from page 20 their longevity not only to the excellent care they receive at the RBJH, but to the efforts of volunteers who make them feel special, and are given something to look forward to, such as diversions that ease loneliness. When residents are encouraged to take part in many planned activities, they often discover creative talents they never knew they had. From a volunteer perspective, it works both ways. You get to form friendships with these interesting older folks, and you feel a sense of satisfaction,

knowing you have made a difference in someone’s life. One might ask, why spend those hours volunteering instead of working for wages? There are many reasons, as indicated throughout this article. But Wine sums it up this way: “Volunteers give of themselves. When you work, you have to be there. When you volunteer, you want to be there. That’s the difference that makes volunteerism a truly unique and rewarding experience.”

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by HAL SENAL Upon receiving this assignment, that is, The History of Jewish Cinema, from 1950-Present Day, a nagging— nay, burning!—question burst aflame inside of me; a place, ladies and gentlemen, that should never be set on fire. Ever. My brain, that is. The question is this: What makes a film a Jewish Film? Is it the M.O.T. status of the actors and actresses? Perhaps, it’s the people behind the scenes, such as the producer, director, or screenwriter! Maybe it’s all of the above; maybe it’s none of them. In truth, while many of the above factors can certainly contribute to the film’s success in being entered into the category of cinéma Jéwité, in the end, in this writer’s humble opinion, it’s all about the intent of the film, the spirit, which makes a film a Jewish Film. Let’s take, for instance, The Ten Commandments (1957). Essentially, the film took a particular story from the Torah and made it a little more accessible to the public, causing Jews, young and old, to rush home and crack open their good ol’ Five Books of Moses and give it another read. This is most certainly the best possible outcome imaginable for such an event film. These days the most that anyone does after an event film is order a happy meal, or purchase some other schlocky movie tie-in! Another Jewish film of note from the 1950s is the Academy Award-winning The Diary of Anne Frank, and for obvious reasons. After all, Anne Frank is one of the most famous Jews to perish in the Holocaust. She was, and always will be, a true, living, breathing metaphor for the murder of innocence, and a constant reminder of why we use the words, “never forget.” The 1960’s kick-started with Exodus, the epic war film adapted from Leon Uris’ 1958 novel, which was based on a true story. The film exploded onto the big screen, with its powerful story about the liberation of Jewish Holocaust survivors stuck in British internment camps, and the protagonists’ plot to get them to their new home state of Israel. This in particular is a Jewish film, as it demonstrates the heroics of a group of Jews willing to die for their people, while fighting for a cause. The Producers, Mel Brooks’ absolutely hilarious sendup of Broadway, is pure Jewish Vaudeville writ large! The characters of Max Bialystock (an absolutely legendary comedic performance by Zero Mostel) and “nebbishy” Leo Bloom (the invaluable and ingenious Gene Wilder) are “incredibly guilty,” alright! Guilty of being unforgettable. Putting aside its vaudevillian roots, it also finally allowed Jews to take a cathartic breath and just laugh at themselves. The fact that they were able to laugh at the concept of a pro-Hitler musical, its showstopper being the truly tasteless but gut-busting “Springtime for Hitler,” is an accomplishment in and of itself. The ‘70s were also kind to Mr. Brooks. Let’s see: you’ve got Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, out the same year (1974—and it’s Fronkenshteen to you, sir!), Silent Movie (1976) and, finally, High Anxiety (1977). For the more cerebral, darker comedy-lover, you can’t find a movie with more intelligently-written, perfectlytimed comedic moments than 1977’s other film of note,

Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. The scene where Marshall McCluhan shows up, seeming out of osmosis, at a movie theater to tell off some pompous intellectual, is just one of many priceless highlights. Although I double-dogdare you to give me your best shot.

Maybe you’re more of a musical person. From a Jewish perspective, you could do worse by watching and marveling at Norman Jewison’s 1971 adaptation of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnicks’ musical ode to Jewish tradition, Fiddler on the Roof. The ‘70s also brought a darker side to Jewish film, especially with films like 1976’s Marathon Man, directed by John Schlesinger and written by the alwaysdependable William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, anyone? Does The Princess Bride ring any bells?), about a Jewish man (Dustin Hoffman) being terrorized (Is it safe?) by a sinister Nazi war criminal, played with quiet precision by Lawrence Olivier. Now, let’s flashdance to the ‘80s, shall we? The Decade of Excess certainly lived up to its name. It offered an insurgence of amazing Jewish films, including Barry Levinson’s Diner, about a group of Jewish twentysomethings, trying to come of age. Think of it as the Jewish version of St. Elmo’s Fire, minus one Demi Moore, but plus one Ellen Barkin; a terrific tradeoff in my book! And let’s face it, the Jewish world couldn’t function without Barbra Streisand’s 1983 turn in Yentl, where Babs goes full-out drag king on the Jewish world, in order to be allowed into religious training, along with the boys. Somehow, no one notices that it’s Barbra Streisand in drag. Ah, the magic of film and the wonderful suspension of disbelief! Continued on page 23

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 23

Jewish cinema: a short history Continued from page 22 Claude Lanzmann’s 1985 documentary, the nine-and-a-half-hour-long Shoah, is considered to be an even tougher, gut-wrenching film experience than Schindler’s List. As to why it took so long for this intense, gritty film to finally make its way to DVD in the U.S. remains a mystery! Speaking of France, the late Louis Malle’s semi-autobiographical 1987 drama, Au Revoir, Les Enfants, in which a group of Catholic boarding-school priests hide a young Jewish boy, sports one of the saddest, most tragic endings this 29year-old has ever seen. I was only 10 or 11 when I saw it. I still see the final shot in my head. Perhaps ending this decade on a lighter note might be just what the Jewish doctor ordered. That note would be 1988’s Crossing Delancey, directed by Omaha’s own Joan Micklin Silver, about a young Jewish woman’s desire to find a love match in Manhattan. Her match ends up being Boon (Peter Riegert), from National Lampoon’s Animal House. What would Tevye think?! While 1992 brought us the least convincing Jew of all time. That, my friends, would be Melanie Griffith in A Stranger Among Us, as a tough, New York cop, going undercover, among Hasids, to find a killer. Melanie Griffith—as a Jew. And yet, it was a drama. It also gave us a young, working-class Jew named David Greene, played with a quiet dignity by Brendan Fraser, in the underrated coming of age film, School Ties. The story revolves around Greene’s attempt to “fit in” at an all-boys Presbyterian school by masking his Jewish identity. Once discovered, Greene has to figure out what’s more

important: Acceptance or self-acceptance? That same year, Steven Spielberg’s 1992 Holocaust opus, Schindler’s List, hit theaters, making him, apparently, The Greatest Filmmaker EVER!

September 11, 2001, America had only one thing on its mind: Revenge. Bloody, merciless revenge. Since then, a whole slew of Jewish revenge flicks have been produced.

Like I said, it’s a good movie, and a Great Jewish film, but I don’t necessarily think it’s the Best Holocaust Film of AllTime. To me, the use of black and white film stock is a complete cheat; for the Jews who lost their lives and those who managed to survive, had to watch everything in living, breathing color. After the events that occurred on

In 2005, as a sort of reflection of current events, and a philosophical meditation on the topic of revenge, Steven Spieberg made his other Jewish film, Munich. It depicts the Israeli government’s secret mission to search and destroy those responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics by the Palestinian

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group known as Black September. While some might disagree, Quentin Tarantino’s 2009’s brilliant, loony, Inglourious Basterds, which I actually consider to be a Jewish film (far more than dreck like Life Is Beautiful! A Holocaust comedy?! Fo’ real?! Feh!). I mean, come on, can anyone think of a movie that’s just totally about Jewish bloodlust and revenge? I think not! Well, okay, there is, too, Defiance, where James Bond—er—Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber kick Nazi butt, minus the baseball bats (ya gotta love Tarantino and his wonky self-indulgences). As far as which film, in my opinion, holds the title of Greatest Jewish Film? Without hesitation, I submit to you this: 1990’s Avalon, written and directed by Barry Levinson. It’s a must-see for every Jew. It’s both sweeping in its scope and generous in its intimacy. It’s also tragic and heartbreaking, as we bear witness to the assimilation, and eventual disassembly, of what was once a proud Jewish family of immigrants. To me, a movie is an experience, in one way or another, for the viewer. Just like in any film, it’s what you take away from it. The experience, in this case, is a Jewish one. A Jewish film is like a kaleidoscope: everyone sees something different. Some parts you can identify with, others not so much. In the end, it’s for you, the filmgoer, to decide. And really, isn’t that the beauty of it? Editor’s note: The majority of the movies mentioned in this article are available from the Kripke Library. Only four of them are not, and librarian Gary Katz has promised that he will take care of that once enough people bug him about it.

Wishing Your NisewYear illed F withPeace and Prosperity.

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September 3, 2010

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Esther Katz and Cheryl Lerner: Descendants of Miriam and the women by OZZIE NOGG in Philadelphia, Esther was inspired by Sometimes, if a writer gets lucky, a story her teachers and other dancers, many of almost writes itself. So it was with my whom she considered sisters. “True assignment to interview Esther Katz and dancers, I feel, carry themselves like Cheryl Lerner, both wellknown in local dance circles and in the Omaha Jewish community. What follows (accompanied by some reporterly narrative) is a patchwork of musings, sent me by two artistic women - different in age, born in different places -- who share similar feelings and experiences. In her hometown of Philadelphia, Esther discovered dance early. “When I was little they called me the Tippy Toe Girl, because from the time I started toddling until I was three, I would only walk on my tippy toes. I began dancing at five and by the time I was in fifth grade I was dancing every day of the week. Once I started, I never stopped. I loved it.” Cheryl Lerner with Tim Grensback, Omaha Ballet in 1985. Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Cheryl turned on the music dancers everywhere they go, both physiand danced around the house. “I was cally and mentally. A dancer can stand drawn to open spaces that just begged to alone, but can also support and be supbe filled with movement. Simply walking ported by the world. Dancers know how through them was not an option. Grass to work with other people, trust other was for leaping, smooth floors for spin- people. From your first recital on, you’re ning. As a ballet student, I dreamed taught to use your peripheral vision to about the day when I’d put on my first help you stay with your fellow dancers. pair of pointe shoes, which I finally got But it goes beyond that. When you’re when I was twelve. I slept with them partnering other dancers you need to be under my pillow for weeks.” able to feel their movement without seeAt the Professional Children’s School ing it, and trust that they’ll be there for

you when they’re supposed to be. My teachers and my dance sisters practiced that approach in dancing and in life. They trusted people and saw the good in every-

ographers, ballets. I listened entranced to stories about enchanted princesses, evil sorcerers turning girls into swans, brokenhearted maidens who haunted the woods at night. After class, I’d stay and watch the older girls, think how beautiful they were and hope I could be like them some day. In my first recital I was a butterfly. Being only four years old and the littlest, I was first onstage, first in the line. To this day, I remember a few steps of the dance. I still have the costume.” Both Esther and Cheryl’s families offered support, and Esther’s parents -- to use her words -- were very into dance. “My folks considered school and getting good grades equally important, but my mother would drag my younger brother all across the East coast so I could go to auditions. We took long train rides or car trips to get to them, which was okay with me. It didn’t Esther Katz with Elizabeth Bergman performing Arcanum in matter how much my 2006. Credit: Jim Williams brother complained. It wasone. Classes taught me much more than n’t a choice.” how to dance.” In Cheryl’s house, the situation was For Cheryl, her dance instructors and somewhat different. “My parents supthe ballet studio were magical. “The ported my dancing, but they didn’t teachers always had a regal quality about encourage or discourage me. My father, them, how they carried themselves, how especially, didn’t understand the depth of we were to address them. They were firm, the obsession I had for ballet. I think it but not overly strict. I started pre-ballet was hard for them to see me pushing classes when I was four, using scarves, myself so much -- bloody toes, aching hoops, that sort of thing. Every week we muscles, unhappy at my perceived body had lectures about dance history, chore- Continued on page 27

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Shana Tova Wishing you a good and sweet year from the board and staff of The Jewish Federation of Omaha.

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September 3, 2010

Terrorism 101: Recapturing the narrative by GARY JAVITCH had the story almost instantaneously and condemned trolled by the government and can print almost anything Turmoil always seems to engulf the Middle East. The Israel. So did many allegedly “mainstream” news media they desire about the government, pro or con, usually confrontations between the Palestinians and the Jews and so did many Jews. the latter. have been going on so long, however, that battle fatigue Why? The reasons given: Israel “botched” the boardThose freedoms are not available in many surrounding has set in. Key issues have lost their clarity, and Israel, ing attempt. They should have foreseen the attack; intel- countries, where women are treated as second class and once the sympathetic character in the story, increasingly ligence was lacking. The operation didn’t go perfectly. can be killed if the men in their clan believe the women has been cast as the villain in a continuing narrative. Fortunately, an IDF film of the entire episode showed have in some way dishonored the family. Two incidents illustrate this point. Gaza was home to Israeli troopers being viciously attacked, clearly revealing Yet, oftentimes those facts are dismissed or down1.2 million Palestinian Arabs and about 8500 Jews in the malevolent intent of the “humanitarian peace played by the world press. 2005, when, as a unilateral gesture towards peace, Israel activists.” Recapturing “The narrative” withdrew from the area. Following their deparThe accepted narrative for many around the ture, however, Hamas-controlled Gazans world is that Israel is the Little Satan, the launched thousands of rockets into southern oppressor and the aggressor in their role with Israel, forcing the Israelis to return and root out the Palestinians. The Palestinians have become the bombers. the sympathetic victims. This two-month conflict ended in January History contradicts that story: The PA has 2009. In the topsy-turvy world of Middle East turned down the two-state solution every time it politics, this was not a success for Israel. Israel was offered to them. was universally blamed for a “disproportionate When the UN voted to partition Palestine in military response” and, by many, for the hostili1947, the PA rejected this two-state solution. ties itself. They rejected it again at Camp David in 2000 Somehow, taking aggressive action to defend and again just two years ago, when Prime yourself against rocket attacks was wrong, and Minister Olmert offered statehood to somehow, Hamas, named a terrorist organizaPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. tion by both the US and the European Union When Israel accepted the partition plan and (EU), became the sympathetic victim. declared statehood in 1948, they were attacked Situation II: When Hamas came to power in by five Arab nations whose goal was to wipe 2006, vowing to destroy Israel, the quartet – the Israel off the map. Two more wars followed in US, the UN, the EU and Russia – all agreed to 1967 and 1973. Still, the Arab goals endured: isolate them. That isolation would end if Hamas destroy Israel. accepted three principles: renounce terrorism, Although they wanted to, Israel could not even One of the many forms of terrorism: riots in Jerusalem near the Temple Mount abide by all previous Palestinian Authority (PA) give back the land they won. Shortly after their in early 2010 agreements, and recognize Israel’s right to exist. loss in the 1967 war, the Arabs espoused their The Gaza blockade was also designed to prevent How could Israel become the villain against Hamas? infamous “Three Nos: No negotiation; No recognition Hamas from receiving rockets and other weapons. The No reason is forthcoming because when it comes to of the Jewish state; No peace with Israel (the Khartoum blockade conformed to standards of international law, Israelis, the world often employs a double standard to agreement).” and the Jewish state warned all ships heading for Gaza judge them, generally criticizing the Jewish state no The PA has launched and lost three wars against Israel. that they would be boarded and diverted to an Israeli matter what it does. Their being occupied still to this day is a direct result of port for inspection. Moreover, if you compare the respective political sys- their losing wars and rejecting three offers of a state. At the end of May 2010, a flotilla of six ships sailed tems of the governments surrounding Israel, you will see But give them credit: they have the sympathy of the from Turkey under the auspices of the Foundation for that almost universally, the other countries are dictator- world because they are “victims.” In essence, that part is Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief ships or one-party rule states. true. They are victims of very poor leadership. (IHH), a group with known ties to terrorist organizaIn contrast to those authoritarian regimes, Israel is a Unfortunately, for them, that leadership has lasted more tions. Their pre-announced purpose was to “break the true democracy, indeed the only one in the Middle East. than 60 years. blockade.” Five of the flotilla ships followed the Israel The word “democracy” rolls off the tongue so easily, its Ironically, while President Obama says he will negotiDefense Force (IDF) instructions and headed to an great significance is often lost in the cacophony of con- ate with any enemy without preconditions, Palestinian Israeli port for inspection. demnation that befalls the Jewish state. President Abbas demands Israel meet a number of The sixth ship did not. This so-called “freedom flotilIsrael has free elections with multiple parties that can requirements before they will even sit down with them. la” ship was actually a component of a “guerilla flotilla.” and do criticize the government without being impris- How odd, that the tail can wag the dog. Many on that ship were armed; they attacked the IDF oned. Israel permits Christians, Muslims, Jews and other So what are the lessons? How do we combat this? forces when the Israelis boarded the ship. In the ensuing groups to practice their religion freely. R e l i g i o u s First and foremost, we have to be proud of ourselves, action, nine passengers were killed, while many Israelis groups can have their representatives be elected to the our religious brethren, our heritage and traditions. Our were beaten and injured, some critically. Knesset. Gays and Lesbians are not imprisoned or killed people have survived the Holocaust and have gone on to This mission took place at night, but the world press just for being homosexual. Newspapers are not con- Continued on page 27

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Descendants of Miriam and the women Continued from page 25 older dancers, it’s more than good exerflaws and always wanting to be better, to cise. The studio is a safe place where peobe perfect. I would often put on my ple can come and let go.” pointe shoes and practice in the middle of For Cheryl Lerner, who served as directhe night and my father would yell at me tor of the JCC Dance program from to take those contraptions off my feet 1986 to 1993, teaching is almost spirituand go to bed.” al. “If I felt a perAt seventeen, sonal relationship Cheryl convinced with God while I her folks to let her was dancing profesfinish high school sionally, it was more early and move to often frustration San Francisco to with Him for not study ballet. “My making me ‘perfather was very confect.’ I honestly feel cerned that because the presence of I was pursuing a God much more as professional career, a teacher of young my education children. I have a would have to wait. distance now from He was worried that pursuit of perabout my future. fection. Now I’m But I promised him able to see the Cheryl at age 15 in the Nutcracker. that wherever I was incredible uniquedancing, I would fit in classes at a nearby ness and, yes, perfection in each and college. I wonder now how they felt, let- every child. To listen to them express ting a seventeen-year-old make those their ideas, see them discover something kinds of decisions. Only when I became a new about themselves; to simply observe parent myself did I understand how diffi- the beauty of childhood is to be in the cult it must have been for them to let me presence of God. One should not leave home to follow my dreams.” approach dance with the goal of being a In different parts of the country and at ballerina. Dance training is about the different times, both Cheryl and Esther pursuit and the discovery, not simply auditioned, joined professional compa- about learning a bunch of steps and putnies, endured physical pain, and suffered ting on a costume, although that is fun, injuries. Esther used dance as a release for too. For young children, to explore what her soul. When something negative was it feels like to be a princess or a chicken, going on in her life she turned to the a fairy or an ogre. For older dancers, to dance studio to help her let go, to escape. forget about homework, arguments with For Cheryl, the chase of the unattainable friends, feel the music, challenge your was frustrating. She danced because she body to reach further, jump higher. The had to. Because she loved to jump, to be dance studio should be a special place in the air, to feel like she could fly. And where you can forget about everything then, when faced by circumstances that outside, a place where you go for yourcould not be ignored, both women gave self.” up performing and chose to foster the For twenty-five years, Cheryl Lerner dreams of others. has watched countless little girls and boys After twenty-five years in Omaha, grow up. There are days when she’s tired, Cheryl Lerner’s roots are firmly planted her body hurts and she walks into the here. Esther Katz, who moved to this dance studio feeling she can’t keep doing community in 2003, has already made this. “But then I see those faces, that her presence known. Today, as JCC energy, those little personalities, and Dance Director and Program Supervisor, everything changes. Every recital brings Esther teaches kids and teens. “When I tears as I watch the graduating seniors, teach, I feel I’m sharing this love I have. remembering many as little four-year olds It’s exciting to see the students’ eyes in their first dance classes. I’ve watched open wide and soak everything in. As I them become young women and men in said before, dancing and being a dancer front of my eyes. I’m now even teaching doesn’t affect you only in class or their children, second generations of little onstage. Dancing goes with you doe-eyed dancers, amazed at the passage throughout life. The discipline helps you of time. I hope I can continue to help in sticky situations, from sitting still in them discover the joy of movement, the grade school to getting through college beauty and potential within each of and job interviews. Even for adults and them.”

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Terrorism 101: Recapturing the narrative Continued fron page 26 build a great society in Israel. As a “start-up country,” Israelis have created an economic miracle in the desert. They converted swamps into viable living areas and provided homes and opportunities for many, both Arab and Jew. Our history did not begin post 1945. The history of the Jewish people is rich and glorious, but do we as Jews know it well enough? The Jewish people have contributed a great deal to the world. Our list of Nobel Prize winners, for example, far exceeds our relative population size. We also need to speak out. “All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men [and women] to do nothing” (Edmund Burke). This is the day of the 24-hour news cycle. A lie can be spread around the world almost instantaneously. In the Middle East, surface distortions of the truth take place all the time. Take

the time to learn what really happened within its historical context. And yes, be aware that frequently it is anti-Semitism that drives the drivel often disseminated as the “truth.” While we are relatively “safe” in America, there remains a large group of radicals in the world that does not value human life and disdain western values. That is why in the end, you do need to choose sides. Israel is not a perfect country, nor does it claim to be. Yet when people denounce the Jewish state for its occasional misstep, that puts them in the camp of those who want to drive Israel into the sea. Critical words need to be chosen wisely and put into context. The is the time to recapture the narrative. The Palestinians need to be required to make concessions for peace also. Israel has an honorable case; it can be defended and now is the time to do it.

Page 27

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Temple Youth Leaders spend a semester at school in Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN For a week with the Israel Defense Forces, the girls Temple Israel Communications Coordinator wore uniforms, slept in tents, ate meals on the ground, Grace Hack, 16, and Emily Katz, 17, lived on a kib- and “did everything our M’fakedet (commander) told butz about ten miles from Jerusalem during the second us to do,” explained Grace. semester of their high school junior year. When they It was “probably the most intense experience of my returned to Omaha at the entire life,” emphasized end of May after four Emily. “It was a combinamonths in Israel, they had tion of being completely become familiar with Israeli scared out of my mind to life, learned about the culbeing very uncomfortable ture and history of Israel, the whole time. As soon as strengthened their indewe arrived at the base, they pendence, maturity, and treated us as though we leadership skills, developed were really soldiers-in-trainan awareness of internationing. One day we went ‘out al issues, and improved to the field’ and learned their Hebrew skills. how to crawl, walk, and act As participants in the like soldiers. The other days Eisendrath International mainly focused on learning Exchange (EIE), Grace, how to use the gun which daughter of Mace Hack and we eventually got to shoot Rosie Zweiback, and Emily, on the last day. We lived in daughter of Dick and Amy tents with about 15 other Katz, attended the high Above: Grace Hack, left, and Emily Katz spent last semester girls. The beds were not school and earned credits in Israel as Eisendrath International Exchange participants very sturdy, and it was very that transferred directly to studying and traveling in Israel and Poland. Below: On cold at night. I didn’t showWestside High School camelback, EIE students, including Emily Katz, second from er the entire five days, where they will be seniors in left, visited Eilat. which is especially gross the fall. Grace’s EIE classes because I wore the same included Jewish History uniform the whole time.” and Hebrew, AP U.S. They also spent a week, History, Spanish, chemistry, “one I will never forget,” English, and AP calculus. insisted Emily, in Poland. Emily’s were much the They stayed in Krakow, same with the exceptions of Warsaw, and Lublin and vistrigonometry and physics ited Birkenau, Majdanek, instead of chemistry and and Auschwitz concentracalculus. tion camps. They also visitTheir Hebrew and Jewish ed the Warsaw Ghetto wall. history teachers were It was all quite “sobering,” Israeli. The rest “were very she said. diverse and had many dif“Poland was incredibly ferent backgrounds. Most interesting,” commented were from either the U.S., Grace. “I always thought it England, or South Africa,” sounded weird and someGrace clarified. how wrong to visit old conAccording to Emily, “The teachers were awesome. centration camps. But after going to some, I would recThey were all very interesting and very knowledgeable on ommend it for any Jew. It’s a very enlightening and their various subjects. The classes were a little more laid- meaningful experience.” back than my classes at home which was a nice change.” “Shabbat in Israel was more special for me than it is School days were also much longer than at home. A here. Everything closes and really nothing is expected of typical day started at 8:30 in the morning with Jewish you,” recalled Emily. “For really the first time, I could History for three hours and then two hours of Hebrew. look towards Saturday and know that I didn’t have to do General studies began after that. Between classes, they anything. They also celebrated Purim, Passover, Tu were able to go back to their rooms and take a short nap B‘Shevat, Shavuot, and Yom HaAtzmaut in Israel. “It or grab a snack. After five more classes, the school day was really fun, because we were able to celebrate like ended at 7 at night. “After class, we would go straight to true Israelis-for Passover especially, because we stayed dinner.” For the rest of the night, “we had free time with host families that week.” which we could use for homework, socializing or grabGrace described Shabbat as “very low key. We had bing some iced coffee at the restaurant on the kibbutz,” services and a lot of free time.” She also mentioned celexplained Emily. ebrating Tu B’Shevat by having a ceremony with dried Friday and Saturday were days off. Grace often went fruit, Purim by going to a carnival which was “really fun, to her uncle’s house in Jerusalem or enjoyed the free everyone dressed up,” Lag B’Omer by having a bonfire, time with her friends. On Fridays, the EIE students and Shavuot with Torah study. often had a tzedakah project. On Saturday, “we would Both girls kept in touch with their families via telephone have free time all day,” Grace pointed out. At night, they calls and with their friends through Facebook. Emily conwould usually go to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. fessed that she didn’t expect to get homesick, “but that At their kibbutz, Tzuba, the girls lived in a hotel in a definitely happened about halfway though EIE.” dorm-like setting. Three or four students roomed Both girls are quite active in Omaha Temple Youth together and then switched in order to meet new peo- Group which is affiliated with NFTY (North American ple. “I really enjoyed the living arrangements and felt Federation of Temple Youth.) really comfortable,” noted Emily. “My roommates were Emily, who is the Missouri Valley regional special projreally great, and we had a lot of fun in our rooms.” ects coordinator for NFTY, concluded that “EIE defiThere were about 70 students from across the United nitely changed me. I feel like I learned a lot of life lesStates as well as one each from Canada and New sons that I’m sure I would have eventually learned, but Zealand. I got kind of a head start.” She is thinking of possibly Both girls reported their Hebrew skills were “much minoring in Hebrew when she’s in college, and “I think better. I barely knew any conversational Hebrew I will probably study abroad in Israel again in college. I before,” said Grace. had never been to Israel prior to EIE so this definitely “I am able to read much faster, speak a little conversa- gave me an inside-out view. I feel much more informed tional Hebrew, and I understand the language much on Israel current events and political happenings.” She better,” added Emily. gave the EIE experience an “A+!” rating. Besides their classes, “We saw most if not all of the Grace, the regional religious and cultural vice presifamous sites while we were in Israel,” said Emily. “We dent for NFTY, confided that EIE “hasn’t really affectactually had our first Shabbat service at the kotel. That ed my view (of Israel), it has more developed my view. was one of the coolest experiences I had ever had. We EIE has given me the tools to develop an outlook went to all the major cities in Israel including Jerusalem, through knowledge and understanding.” She rated the Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tsfat, Eilat, Sde Boker, and we also went experience as a “ten out of ten. I wish every Jew had this to the Golan Heights.” opportunity.”

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 29

Shang-Chai by MASADA SIEGEL ern Shanghai. It was all Chinese to me, really, with a My group was comprised of Jewish touch of Hebrew; and that’s because I people from around the world: was standing in what was once a Jewish Canadians, Australians, South Africans ghetto, in Shanghai, China. and Israelis. We found our way to Shanghai today is a modern metropolis; Huoshan Park in the Hongkou District it is significantly different from when it area, where tens of thousands of Jewish was a refuge city for Jewish immigrants escaping World War II. A city under nonstop construction where low buildings give way to skyscrapers, it’s a conundrum: pricy hotels are around the corner from housing communities with no bathrooms or kitchens. The energy is infectious, and while China is a communist country, capitalism flows from every direction, from Shanghai Above: Former Ohel Moshe. Right: A Pagoda-garden in Tang to TGI Fridays. Shanghai. There is no escaping a myriad of places to refugees lived during World War II. spend money, and even the markets are (1938-1945) overflowing with pearls, jade, and silk. The park has a small plaque written in A city of epic proportions, population Hebrew, Chinese and English commemtwenty million, Shanghai is currently busy orating the suffering of the European hosting the 2010 World Expo. The Expo Jewish refugees. Bar-Gal started to is a global event to promote the exchange explain the history while we sat in the of ideas and development in economy, park on an unusually clear and sunny day culture, science and technology, as well as and journeyed back in time. to improve international relations. It runs Across the street from where we were from May 1 through October 31; organ- sitting, Bar-Gal pointed to a building izers are estimating seventy million visi- where the Joint once operated. (The tors. American Jewish Joint Distribution Through the help of the Peninsula Committee [JDC or Joint] is a worldwide Hotel, I learned about a tour of Jewish Jewish relief organization.) It was estabShanghai with Dvir Bar-Gal, an Israeli lished in 1914 and is active in more than who has been living in China for years. 70 countries. Half the day was a tour of the Jewish “There are three reasons why Shanghai areas, and the other was a view into mod- saved more Jews during World War Two.

The first is it was an open port city so people did not need a visa or passport to enter the city,” Bar Gal said. “Second, righteous Gentiles in Europe such as Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Lithuania, wrote thousands of exit visas, as well as Chinese consul-general Dr. Ho

Feng Shan, who also issued thousands of visas for Austrian Jews during 1938-1940 against the orders of the Chinese ambassador in Berlin. (The Israeli government awarded the honor of “Righteous Among the Nations” to Sugihara in 1985 and to Ho Feng Shan in 2001.) Finally, more Jews were saved in China because no other country around the world would let them in.” Those saved include the former US Treasury Secretary, W. Michael Blumenthal, pop artist Peter Max and Haredi Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz. A short distance away, we walked into a small alley filled with crowded apartments that were was once the ghetto. Small remnants of Judaism-past remained-such as nails on doors where mezuzah’s once

were, or a design of a Jewish star in the door itself made out of metal. Seven synagogues were built in Shanghai. We visited the Ohel Moishe Synagogue now known as the “Jewish Refugee Memorial Hall.” It is a small museum dedicated to the history of the Jewish experience in Shanghai. Today, the only operational synagogue, Beit Menachem, is run by Chabad. I nicknamed the city Shang-Chai, as during the 1930’s when the rest of the world was shutting doors on Jews, Shanghai was one of the only cities worldwide welcoming people who were escaping the Nazis. There was already an established Jewish community as the Sephardic Jews from Baghdad and Bombay arrived in the middle to late 1800’s. Most notable among them were the Kadoories, the Sassoons, and the Hardoons, who built many of the city's greatest business empires. One of the premier hotels is the Peninsula Shanghai, owned by the real estate magnates, the Kadoories. The Kadoorie family, long time residents of Shanghai, built up the Jewish community, establishing important institutions such as the Shanghai Jewish Youth Association in 1937. They also established a Jewish Day School, and set up a fund with the Sassoon family to help refugees escaping Europe set up businesses and become self-sufficient. The Peninsula’s hotel rooms are opulent and luxurious, and the staff provides first class service in every sense of the word. The subtle elegance is inviting and warm, and having Tea in the lobby is a real treat, not to mention, the live music to accentuate the magnificent food. Continued on page 30

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True Life: I’m a Jewish College Student by EMILY GILLER In the chaotic world of tests and textbooks, college students feel the added pressures of being successful in the job market and in life. Some students turn to advisors for advice, others turn to family, and then there are some who look toward religion for guidance. Judaism in particular has offered a religious outreach program on many campuses nationwide known as Hillel. However, with the ever-increasing number of social clubs, academic clubs and on-campus activities, maintaining a Jewish identity can be problematic for some Jewish students. For Mike Friedman, a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, finding a religious outlet in Lincoln can be difficult at times. According to Hillel’s national web site, UNL only has about 50 Jewish students out of about 24,000 total students. “I try to stay involved in Jewish activities like Hillel, but it’s difficult when the resources aren’t there,” Friedman said. Even when the resources are there, students sometimes find it hard to make a Jewish connection at their

university. For some students, the college experience is better when they can meet people on their own without relying on organizations to help them meet people. At the University of Iowa, there is an active Jewish campus life consisting of a Hillel, a Chabad and Jewish Greek life. For junior Rachel Gordon, though, it was more important to “connect” with people, both Jewish and not Jewish, without feeling “forced into it.” “Even though I haven’t been very active in the Jewish community at Iowa, I know that it’s always available to me if and when I want it to be,” Gordon said. Gordon did mention that Iowa is very good at allowing students to be “as serious as they want to be” when observing Jewish holidays: “It's really easy to celebrate any and all of the Jewish holidays at Iowa the way I want because of all the resources they offer,” Gordon said. For a lot of Jewish students, picking which school to go to is based on whether that university offers the resources they need to help maintain a Jewish identity. Sophomore Jessie Morris, who attended College of St. Mary’s for one year, decided that a move to Bradley University might be a better fit for her academically and

culturally: “It is going to be a better experience having the opportunity to be involved in Hillel and other Jewish activities,” Morris said. Morris also wants to become involved in a Jewish day school located at a synagogue near the university. Morris said this is the type of Jewish involvement she enjoys and was used to doing during her high school years. She said Bradley would help her to continue making a Jewish connection throughout college. Students must make many decisions throughout their academic career. Which school do I go to? Do I join this club or that club? Do I really want to wake up early and go to class tomorrow? Some students may feel overwhelmed with the wide array of options that are presented to them, but ultimately, they pick an option that they feel best fits their needs. Jewish students are no different. Some Jewish students go off to college to meet other Jewish students, and some students go off to college to experience their own college adventure without any help. Whatever the reason, they all have one thing in common: they all have a personal way of maintaining a Jewish identity.

Shang-Chai Continued from page 29 Until World War II, Shanghai was divided into three different sections known as concessions: Chinese, British and French. The area of old Shanghai known as the former French Concession is filled with restored colonial-era buildings, gardens and shops. It’s a relaxing place to wander, shop for souvenirs, custom-tailored clothing or have a cup of tea in a little cafe. Also a trendy, happening area in the French Concession is Xintiandi; this area is renovated, and hosts Shanghai’s signature stone-gate homes, shops, bars and restaurants. Ironically, one of Xintiandi's mustsee places is the meetinghouse-turnedmuseum where the Communist Party of China was founded in 1920. It was intriguing; it had a feel of China meets Rodeo Drive, but for a more authentic old Chinese feeling, I spent time in Yu Garden. Established in the 16th century, it is a classic Chinese garden, filled with ornate pagodas, flowering trees, pretty ponds and the still operational Huxinting Teahouse. Right outside the peaceful garden is the chaotic Yuyuan Bazaar, a good place for memorabilia and inexpensive street food. Later in the day, an Israeli friend, Ziv, who lives in Shanghai, joined the tour. Hilariously, in China I found

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marble mosaic floors, an airy octagonal rotunda and eight allegorical wall murals from the 1920s representative of the world financial centers, such as Tokyo, New York and London. One of Shanghai's most prominent pedestrian streets is Nanjing Road, and Left: The Jewish ghetto. Above: A harbor view of Shanghai it will leave you wondering China. if you are really in China, myself speaking more and not Europe. It is an enormous bustling boulevard; Hebrew than English. video screens flashing advertising and alive with a mix of We headed towards the locals and tourists wandering as well as shopping. If you Bund, a curving riverside want to go off the beaten path, walk behind the road boulevard lined with marble - and granite-clad buildings and another slice of China awaits you-small stores selling it was built up in the 1840s. The most beautiful struc- everything from mannequins to door knobs; motorcytures were built in the early 1900s, with the river port on cles galore litter the streets, and people peddling on one side and the old foreign concessions on the other. bikes pull supplies from one area to the next. Foreign magnates spared no expense and imported Shanghai’s history is intriguing, and its present is proItalian marble, Oregon pine, and British bronze work. pelling fast and furiously into the future. Of course, even The buildings were used as banks, private clubs and traveling solo, I found my place, and my people; but no hotels. matter, at the end of the day, it was still all Chinese to One of the must-see buildings is the Shanghai Pudong me! Development Bank, formerly known as the Hong Kong Masada Siegel can be reached at fungirlcorresponand Shanghai Bank. It is located at 12 the Bund. dent@gmail.com. Stepping inside you are transported to Italy. It has shiny

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Sharing the (Jewish) music by RABBI YAAKOV WEISS As we got closer, I realized this was definitely more than A few months ago, I was taking a trip to New York to what I had expected. There had to be about 40 people visit friends and family and introduce my baby daughter there, probably six guitars, a few bongo drums, a bunch Naama. Since moving to Omaha, it’s hard to stay in of drinks on ice and a full barbeque. touch with everybody on a regular basis, and it’s also I saw a lot of old friends, and a lot of people who I had hard to coordinate seeing everybody within a short peri- never met before. It was weird – somehow an email that od of time. The time of I sent out about a Lag B’Omer was going month prior about getto coincide with our ting together with a trip. During college, I couple of friends to celwould always get ebrate Lag B’Omer together with friends on turned into a full-blown that day for a barbeque, festival. guitar playing and I started to think that whatnot since it is histhis get-together is sort torically a festive day. of like a mini version of Seeing as I was planning the entire Jewish experion being in town for ence: Everybody came the occasion, I decided to this party for differto try to organize or at ent reasons and everyleast set a gathering into body learned about it in motion. different ways. I was I sent an email to a there to see old friends, couple of friends: “We celebrate the holiday, are planning a trip from Lag B’Omer in New York with Ben Refah, left, Ari Berger, Rabbi and relive some times Omaha and will be Yaakov Weiss and Daniel Bloom. from when I was around for Lag B’Omer and the week following. Any younger. A few guys probably came to meet girls and vice get-togethers scheduled?” versa. Others were there for the opportunity to play Response to the group from Dan: “Not that I know music together, and some were there just because they of, but it is probably worth figuring out something. I’ve got a text message saying to come. Whatever the reason added another friend to our email list who may know we were there, we were there together, and that’s what more (Isaac-- see previous email).” made it lively and enjoyable. After that, there was not much email discussion about Jewish people become active in Jewish life for all kinds an event until I received the following post on my of reasons. Some fall in love with Judaism for its emphaFacebook “wall” from a friend, Ari, who was not includ- sis on chesed – acts of loving-kindness, while others will ed in the initial discussion: “So you guys will be here for find prayer and coming to synagogue to be a meaningLag B’Omer? Can you please come to the Heights for a ful experience, believe it or not. Many will take a trip to BBQ with music?” Israel and develop a deep connection to the Land, and I wrote back: “Ari, we would love to join. What time others will find that there is nothing more satisfying than are you thinking?” delving into the depths of Torah learning. It looked like things were coming together- a small We are fortunate as a Jewish People, that God has party with a few friends. Then I got an email from Ari: given us a Torah not only to guide us, but to bond us to “Please come to Washington Heights for a Festive Lag each other. No matter how we express our Judaism, at B’Omer celebration on Sunday May 2, at 8 p.m. in Fort its core are the mitzvot and lessons of the Torah. Jews Tryon Park.” come together to perform mitzvot for different reasons, But instead of it just being addressed to a few close but in reality the performance of those mitzvot is what friends, it was addressed to about 30 others. Suddenly brings Jews together. It is what gives the Jewish people this was getting bigger than what I had originally their identity and strength. intended. When I started working as the Rabbi and Pastoral In the interim weeks, I didn’t hear from Dan or Ari or Services Coordinator at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home any other friends about what would actually be happen- just over a year ago, I was excited to be part of a unique ing. I assumed that a few of us would just wind up get- facility in Omaha. It is not just the Rose Blumkim ting together, playing the guitar for a couple of hours, Home; it is the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. What realmaybe putting a hot dog or something on a makeshift ly sets it apart from other facilities? It is not just the Grill. beautiful building, but it is the Mezzuzot that grace On May 2, around 7:30 at night, I still wasn’t sure every doorway. It is the weekly Shabbat services held in that anything would really be happening until I got a the beautiful chapel prominently located near the text message from Ari. “Come to the park at 8 p.m. with entrance. It is the kosher food on everybody’s plates. It your guitar. We will be there at the highest point.” I is the communal performance of those mitzvot that wasn’t sure what to make of that text. make it truly a special place. I was already in the area, so just after 8 p.m. I walked Back to my journey in New York a few months ago. over to the park. I had no idea where the “highest That evening in New York I was looking forward to celpoint” was. Was it the highest geographical point in the ebrating Lag B’Omer, but I needed my friends and even park or the highest spiritual point in the park? Maybe it strangers to become involved and excited in order for it was both heights. I called Ari, “Where are you guys?” to happen. There are so many mitzvot and religious “You’re on the right track if you hear music,” he practices that energize me, but it is only through conresponded. “I’ll come and meet you so you get to the necting with fellow Jews that my actions seem complete. right place.” As I do every year, I am looking forward to spending A few moments later, I saw Ari walking towards me. this Rosh Hashanah together with other Jews, praying, He reached out to give me a hug, since, even though we celebrating and contemplating the upcoming year had been communicating for quite some time, we had- because I know that when we act together as a Jewish n’t actually seen each other in about three years. He led People our own personal experiences fuse to form an me towards the party, and I started to hear the music. even more powerful and meaningful Jewish experience.

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Six degrees of separation: The small Jewish world by CAROL KATZMAN CE, after the destruction of the Second Temple by the While Debbie had been to Italy before, with her husThe Friday prior to my interview with former Omahan Romans. The famous Arch of Titus depicts a carving of band Steve Trenton, (“BC – before children” and “stayDebbie Schneiderman Trenton, she packed her 14-year- Jewish slaves being forced to march behind a captured ing in inexpensive hotels!”), this trip enabled her to old daughter, Emily, off to camp. I didn’t think much menorah. make new friends, and become closer to women she had about it, until halfway through the interview when I already met in the Jewish community. realized that my sister-in-law also sent her daughter to So it was that in Seinfeld-speak, “worlds collided.” camp on Friday. It’s a frequent occurrence in the Jewish world, where “What’s the name of the camp,” I asked Debbie, we’re all either related to one another or know somewho has lived in Kansas City since 1985. “Camp one who went to school with your brother, husband, Kamaji,” she replied. “It’s in northern Minnesota.” best friend. So it’s not surprising, then, that quite a While not labeled a “Jewish camp” like Herzl, Sabra or number of former Omahans have crossed paths. And Young Judaea, the vast majority of girls who go there while Debbie may not have known, say, Netta Krashin for the summer are Jewish. Emily’s been a camper (Nate Schwalb’s sister) while growing up in Omaha, as there since she was nine-years-old. they’re years apart, she made that connection on that Here’s the connection: My sister-in-law, Linda recent trip to Italy. Lazere Levin, who grew up in Kansas City, had gotten And that, dear readers, is what Debbie Trenton has the recommendation of Camp Kamaji from her longlearned in her Jewish life, more than half of it now time friend, former Omahan, Sandi Fried (who moved spent in Kansas City. “The best thing about my volunback to her hometown of Kansas City in 1995 with teer experiences has been making more Jewish husband Ed and their four children). And Sandi just friends,” she said. happened to be Debbie Trenton’s roommate on a In fact, it was a friend who first got Debbie involved Helzberg Leadership (more about that later) Alumni with the Jewish community, asking her to serve on the Trip to Italy this past March. Both women serve on the Menorah Hospital Medical Auxiliary. For 17 years, Women’s Division Board of the Jewish Federation of Debbie has served on the Menorah Women’s Greater Kansas City (along with another Omaha conFoundation board, formed when the Hospital nection, Kelly Somberg, who’s married to former Corporation of America purchased the hospital in Omahan Dan Somberg, son of Suzanne Singer and 2003, as part of an independent, charitable foundation Ray Somberg). -- Menorah Legacy Foundation. As of 2006, the “Omaha and Kansas City are so connected,” Debbie Foundation had assets of more than $30 million. The “whole mishpocha” celebrated at Emily Trenton’s Bat Mitzvah said, “I have so many friends in KC who grew up in Approximately 5% is awarded annually in grants to last spring in Kansas City, including, front row: Jan Schneiderman, Omaha.” institutions and organizations in the greater Kansas left, Steve and Debbie Trenton and daughter Emily; middle row: In a last-minute decision, Debbie participated in a City area, both in the states of Kansas and Missouri. Les Schneiderman, Lauren Baer, Andrew Trenton, Spencer, trip to Italy with 34 other alums of the Helzberg “We meet two to three times a year,” Debbie Brooke, and Tyler Schneiderman, Robin Baer; back row: Kenny Leadership Fellows program, including its founders: explained, “in order to give grants for local Jewish and and Adam Baer, Heidi and Scott Schneiderman. Shirley and Barnett Helzberg. “The previous alumni health-related causes.” For example, recent grants trip was to Poland,” Debbie related. “This one included One of the trips participants wrote in her blog on the included funds for Jewish patients of local hospice housside trips to Milan and Siena, as well as the Jewish sites Federation’s website: “The Jews of Italy do not need our es and a defensive driving course for teens, based on the in Italy’s major cities.” money to survive -- though they do need assistance main- Foundation’s mission in “support of programs and servThe group visited Rome, Venice and Florence, toured taining their beautiful old structures. They are part of a ices that foster healthy living throughout all stages of life its cemeteries, including the “ghetto” of Venice (yes, the larger picture of the Jews of Europe which come togeth- and to provide for the health care needs of the Jewish first ghettos were in Italy and were walled neighbor- er to learn from each other, develop leadership and relate community” of Greater Kansas City. hoods established to keep Jews separate from the rest of to the greater Jewish world. They have learned they canAnother early volunteer experience was a ‘run’ organized Continued on page 34 the Italian population). Jews first arrived in Rome in 70 not afford to act or be alone as a community.”

From our family to yours during the High Holy Days. May you and your loved ones have a new year that is blessed with love, happiness, prosperity and peace!

www.creighton.edu

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Six degrees of separation: The small Jewish world Continued from page 33 explained, noting that her close friends Amy and Peter ever, Debbie noted. “The Omaha trip went north (to the to support the original KC Jewish community’s home for Shapiro were also going to be part of the group. Both Western Galilee, Omaha’s Partnership region),” Debbie the elderly. Originally founded in 1912, today, Village she and her husband of 20 years, Steve, attended the said, “while our Helzberg trip went south to the Negev.” Shalom boasts a large campus, built in 2000 in Leawood, series of educational seminars that culminated in a trip to The Fellows also visited KC’s Partnership city, Gezer. But KS, meeting the needs of probably the most impornearly 230 elderly residents tant part of that visit to with independent living vilIsrael for Debbie was the las, assisted living and skilled opportunity to share it with nursing care. her husband Steve. Debbie continued making Debbie had graduated friends within the Jewish from the University of community – mothers of Kansas in 1984 and then other preschoolers at Beth lived in Boston for a year to Shalom when her children take classes at Katherine were young, and then later Gibbs before returning to at Beth Torah, where her Kansas City. While working children became b’nai mitzat a brokerage firm, Debbie vah. Along the way, she was was fixed up by one of the asked to sit on the Women’s brokers on a blind date with Division Board of Directors the son of his friends, Carol at the Jewish Federation of and Cliff Trenton. Steve Greater Kansas City. and Debbie were married in The board members are 1990 and moved into involved with more than Steve’s “bachelor’s pad,” just raising funds for the their current home in the federation campaign. Country Club Plaza area. Programs like the Yad b’Yad Three years later, son educational series and B’not Andrew was born, and then Kehilla leadership developdaughter Emily. For his Bar ment for young women in Mitzvah, Andrew went on a the community are both special trip to Israel with his directives of Women’s grandmother, Jan, and Division. cousin Adam Baer of Long “If you were to look for Island (son of Debbie’s sisan example of a perfect vol- Clockwise form top left: Debbie Schneiderman Trenton and Amy Schapiro admire the view of the Arno in Florence, Italy, on ter and brother-in-law, unteer, you wouldn’t have last spring's Helzberg Leadership Fellows Alumni trip of Jewish heritage; Kansas Citians Gail Lozoff, left, Debbie Robin and Ken Baer). to look any farther than Schneiderman Trenton and Amy Schapiro pause during a hike in the Negev; Kansas Citians Eric Gonsher, left, and Steve Debbie hopes that Emily Debbie Trenton,” said Trenton make a new Israeli friend on the 2009 Helzberg Leadership Fellows trip to Israel; and Steve Trenton hikes in the Negev will go to Israel during high Beverly Jacobson, director during that same trip.. school on a trip with Kansas of Women’s Division for the Jewish Federation of Israel with the Helzberg group in the winter of 2009. City teens, but right now, going back to Camp Kamaji Greater Kansas City. “You don’t come out and say to yourself, ‘I’m a Jewish (for her sixth year!) has a higher priority. “Her span includes a two-year stint as a vice president, leader,’” Debbie added, but “you do learn the skills to Andrew and Emily both attend Pembroke Hill School. service on steering committees for campaign events and become that person.” Those skills include not only Both Debbie and Steve are very involved with their chilleadership development, as well as campaign solicitation important information about the local Kansas City dren and volunteer for the school. In fact, Debbie’s time and continuing board membership. She has demonstrat- Jewish organizations – their history, mission, and role in is now taken up with Pembroke’s Clothesline Sale, a ed an ongoing commitment to the mission of Jewish the community – but also the “tools to be better leader garage sale that raised $110,000 this past spring. Debbie is Federation and to strengthening Jewish peoplehood,” for both small and big positions,” she said. Plus, there’s in charge of the women’s sale, which brought in $28,000. Jacobson added. the added advantage of being exposed to role models “It’s two weeks non-stop,” Debbie said proudly. All of those leadership roles brought her to the atten- within the community. With Andrew starting his junior year, Debbie knows tion of the selection committee of the Helzberg And that brings us to Debbie’s own role models. she’ll be soon planning those college visits. And it won’t Leadership Fellows. According to its website, “the proWith parents like the Schneidermans, generous donors to be long before she repeats that with Emily. Between that gram selects approximately two dozen individuals who a myriad of causes, and especially Debbie’s mother, Jan – and her continuing service on the boards of Women’s have been nominated by agencies and congregations to a past national president of the National Council of Jewish Division and the Menorah Women’s Foundation, this is participate in an intensive, two-year leadership initiative Women, a past chairman of the Women’s Campaign, an one busy lady! which includes monthly sessions, a weekend retreat and officer on the boards of Temple Israel and the Jewish “We are so fortunate to have Debbie in our communia study seminar in Israel. Upon graduation, these indi- Federation, to name a few of her many accomplishments, ty,” added Bev Jacobson. viduals contribute significantly to the community by Debbie has to look no further than three hours north for While Debbie refrains from describing herself as “relibringing a higher level of leadership to local, national leadership examples. In fact, Debbie and Jan went on an gious,” she does have a very strong Jewish identity. and international organizations. Omaha Federation mission to Israel in 2007. “I live a Jewish life,” she insisted. “The most impor“You have to be asked to participate,” Debbie The itineraries of the two missions were different how- tant thing is to raise my kids as Jews.”

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Czech composers, food, and Terezin in London by OLIVER B. POLLAK Do you ever feel haunted, stalked, or chosen? In Scotland in 1995, while on an interhostel with my mother, Stirling University performed Hans Krasa’s children’s opera Brundibar, which debuted in Terezin concentration camp on September 23, 1943. A thrilling visit to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1996 closed at the exit with an exhibition of Terezin children’s art. A visit to the Le Musee d’art d’historie de Judaisme in Paris’s Marais district in 2000 ended with a display of Terezin children’s art. Omaha revived Brundibar in 2009 at the Rose Theatre and hosted an 80-year old Czech Jewish survivor who had performed in Terezin. Art served as a strategy for survival, and a vehicle for remembering. Karen and I arrived at London’s Heathrow airport a little bit early on Sunday morning, June 27, 2010. We like to do musical marathons, especially double headers, taking in afternoon and evening performances. Jet lagged and buzzed on adrenalin we made an 11:30 am Sunday venue that turned into an odyssey. We attended two programs at Wigmore Hall, built in 1901 by German piano manufacturer, Friedrich Bechstein, and called the Bechstein Concert Hall until 1916 when anti-German atmosphere called for a change of ownership and name. The English side of my family living in London changed their names from Borgzinner to Bonner. Read Willa Cather’s Pulitzer Prize Winner, One of Ours, to gauge Nebraska’s anti-German sentiment. There, again, at the Wigmore, in the Bechstein Room, was a Terezin children’s art exhibition. The Wigmore is phenomenal. It seats 584 and is in continuous use. From April 1 through July 31, 2010, it featured over 120 different performances. The predominantly white retiree audience, with a few canes and walkers, more women than men, despite infirmities, had intact appreciative hearing. My grandfather, who lived in Hannover survived Terezin. My grandmother from Vienna, Agnes Pollak, did not survive, dying a few weeks after she arrived. My father served in the Czech army. During the war, the British government had a program to remove children from the bombing zone to relative safety. Some went, temporarily, as far as Canada. My 23-year old mother, a refugee from Nazi Germany, took me, a 6-month old baby in 1944, to live in what she described as bleak and monotonous row houses in the Staffordshire pottery town of Stoke-on-Trent. The Sunday morning Wigmore coffee concert (with Sherry), similar to Joslyn Bagels and Bach of the past, featured the Florestan Trio. They vigorously and sensitively performed Antonin Dvorak’s Piano Trio (1875). Dvorak, a Czech, lived in America from 1893 to 1895, including a stay in Spillville, Iowa. They then performed an 1839 piano trio by Felix Mendelssohn. After the performance, over sherry, we chatted with Leslie Brown, a computer cartographer who had consulted in Lincoln, NE, his spouse Elaine, and their daughter Melanie. They came in from Dublin for a Bat Mitzvah, and to take in London music. Melanie, a composer working on a doctorate in composition at the National University of Ireland, has composed around Holocaust, Terezin and dayenu themes. That same evening at the Wigmore, five young Czech musicians and a professor of music, two pianists, oboe, clarinet and violin, two women and four men performed Smetana, Josef Suk, Leos Janacek, and contemporary works by Karel Janovicky commissioned for the occasion. On the streets you hear French, Spanish, Chinese, a plethora of Indian languages, Arabic, and English with an American accent, and sometimes the Queen’s English. At the Wigmore, the elderly audience at the Czech performance spoke Czech and Russian. At the very time I was being protected in Stoke-onTrent, my father wore the British Czech military uniform and my grandfather endured Terezin, my grandmother did not, the fate of the children artists were dramatically and tragically different. The Wigmore displayed the works of 16 boys and 24 girls (including a Jana Polakova, no relation), born between 1928 and

1931. All but three died between 1943 and 1944. This trip was in part a gastronomic tour; I gave a paper on Burmese Cuisine at an international conference on Burmese/Myanmar studies in Marseille. We dined at the Czechoslovak Restaurant in West Hampstead, founded

Back to London we visited the Sigmund Freud Museum. Freud left Vienna in 1938 after the Nazi takeover. He moved to London in 1938 and died in 1939 after suffering from cancer of the jaw for 15 years. His daughter Anna continued to live in the house until

Left: Marc Chagall painted the Paris Opera Ceiling in 1965. Middle: The Arts and Crafts cupola of Wigmore Hall symbolizes according to official literature the “striving of humanity after the elusiveness of music in its great abstraction.” Above right: The Sigmund Freud Museum in Northwest London where he lived with his daughter Anna, 1938-1939. by émigrés in 1939. I had goose with dumplings and creamed cabbage. Karen had Wiener schnitzel, not as good as my father made. I had a draft Czech beer, and shared a strudel, not as good as my mother’s. A few days later we went to the Paris Opera where Leos Janacek was lauded for his influence on Czech composers Pavel Haas and Erwin Schulhoff, both of whom died in Terezin.

her death in 1982, and it became a museum in 1986. On the wall hangs a genealogy of the Freud family. Sigmund was the eldest of eight children. Four Freud siblings went to Terezin, none survived. My life has been fortunate. And the longer I live, travel and eat, the luckier I feel, and contemplate how but for certain decisions made by my parents, my life could be far different.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

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by ELYA WILSON AND ANNE Imagine lending your voice to “Imagine there’s no Heaven, those who’ve been silenced. MUSKIN BBYO Director and Community Shlicha Thank you again to all who It’s easy if you try. Imagine traveling 13,000 miles No hell below us, made this journey possible: The for 15 days as four teens representGary Javitch Family Fund, Special above us only sky.” ing one community. Donor Advised Fund, The Milton Imagine hiking your footprints – John Lennon S. and Corinne N. Livingston through the pages of Jewish Foundation, The Shirley and History so many before you have learned and not seen. Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, The Jewish Imagine visiting the past, marching in the present, and Federation’s Israel Experience Grants, Beth Dotan, Elya knowing you are the future. Wilson and Mary-Sue Grossman. by MOLLY GOLDBERG On April 8, 2010, I traveled to Poland with over 10,000 other teens from around the world. During that time, I learned so much about our Jewish history and about myself. My absolute favorite part of the trip was the Shabbat we spent in Poland. We went to Friday night services at a local synagogue in Krakow. There were people from Poland, Israel, and America, and it was really powerful to see everyone come together as one to pray. The building was built so that the sound of our prayers and songs sounded as if they were going straight to God. We were all from different parts of the world but the prayers were all the same and through-

out the entire trip, the sound of all the voices in prayer remains one of my favorite memories. Shabbat was overwhelming. We began the day with some astounding news the president of Poland, along with his wife and most of Poland’s leaders were killed in a plane crash. The director of the program explained to us what happened and then asked us to be respectful as we toured their country. Then we went to the oldest synagogue in Poland, built in the 1400s and later turned into the Nazi headquarters, the only reason it survived the Holocaust. This trip was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone interested.

by BRENNA ROBINSON It was a Tuesday evening at B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) when I first heard about the “March of the Living.” I did not know much about the program except that we would be traveling to Poland and Israel for two weeks with other Jewish teenagers from around the world and learning about the Holocaust. On April 22, 2010, I began to learn what March of the Living really means. I flew to JFK International Airport with three other girls from Omaha where we met up with over 100 other BBYO teenagers from around the country. We all wore the same neon orange BBYO tshirts that made us all stand out in the crowd. I immediately started bonding with the other Jewish teenagers, and in less than an hour I realized I had already made lifelong friends. In hindsight, I believe our bond was based on our realization that we were about to embark on an amazing, emotional, and lifechanging experience. Poland was exactly what I expected it to be: cloudy, dreary, and depressing. My experience visiting the concentration camps, however, was not what I expected. During the week I was there, I visited four concentration camps: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (also known as Birkenau), Treblinka, and Majdanek. As I walked through Auschwitz and Birkenau, I expected to immediately be overwhelmed with sadness and disgust. To my surprise, however, I did not feel like I was in a place where millions of people were slaughtered and tortured. The camps were modernized and sterilized – I felt like I was walking through a museum that offered all the comforts I was accustomed to, including vending machines with snacks and sodas. I became angry and frustrated because it was hard to picture and feel what it was really like to be a Jew during the Holocaust when everything was now behind glass, labeled, and clean. I was not overcome with emotion until the actual March from Auschwitz I to Birkenau. I never thought I would be marching with 10,000 people from all around the world, coming together as one to commemorate what so many people went through due to the Nazis’ hatred and intolerance. Seeing all these people united sent chills up my spine. I was proud to be a Jew – my presence proved that Hitler’s plan to wipe out the Jewish people failed. Everyone else also seemed to be overcome with emotion because we all walked the mile between the two camps in silence.

After the March, I continued to travel through Poland, and my next stop was Treblinka. There was not much left of the concentration camp at Treblinka. The buildings were replaced with a monument made up of a sculpture with a vertical crack symbolizing the gas chambers, stones representing the Jewish towns obliterated during the Holocaust, and a charred pit with the tar symbolizing the burned bodies. While the monuments were beautiful, I did not feel any emotions or connections to the Jewish people. Majdanek was our last stop in Poland. As I approached, I again felt the emotions I anticipated feeling at every concentration camp we visited. I could not believe what I was viewing: a concentration camp in the middle of a city, across from a school, and completely surrounded by neighborhoods. I could not imagine how people could continue living their lives knowing that such death, destruction, and inhumanity occurred in their own backyards. What was more shocking to me was the fact that this camp could be back up and running in 48-hours because there were still cans full of Zyklon-B in the gas chambers. As I walked from chamber to chamber, it became more difficult because I could see and feel the blue residue left on the walls from the gas. Even though I could still see the scratch marks in the walls from those who died here, it was still hard to imagine that I was standing where so many lives were taken. After an emotional week in Poland, my spirits soared as I landed in Israel. As soon as I got off the plane we went straight to a Tel Aviv beach. The sun beating down on our group as we played games on the beach provided a nice contrast to the dark and dreary environment experienced in Poland. I finally felt like I was home, and I was so happy to be in such an incredible place with such special people. The remainder of the trip felt like one celebration after another. We celebrated Israel’s Independence Day on the streets of Ben Yehuda with silly-string, falafel, schwarma, and dancing. I have always taken for granted my ability to appreciate voices, discussion, family, friends, toys, food, clothes and other everyday necessities, and I think many others do the same. Traveling to Poland and Israel with the March of the Living deepened my understanding and appreciation of the nightmare the Holocaust victims endured. The March stimulated my intellectual curiosity, compelling me to investigate and realize this horrible genocide. Continued on page 37

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 37

March of the Living Continued from page 36 My determination to learn more about the Holocaust continues to permeate my thoughts, to define my goals, and to inspire me to connect with those who cannot relate to what I experienced. After visiting Poland and the concentration camps, I realized that the Holocaust education we receive in our high schools is

too limited. All the pictures and texts we are shown are in black and white. It is a different experience witnessing first -

by SHIR PALMON When I attended Chapter Leadership Training Conference in 2008, we had a program telling us about March of the Living. I was sitting with some very good friends as a slideshow started showing pictures of Holocaust victims and the concentration camps. My eyes started tearing up as I realized that some of my family members went through that and didn’t survive. It was then that I decided I would go on the March of the Living. I came home and told my parents. I was nervous - I thought my parents wouldn’t want me to miss two full weeks of school. However, they were excited about the prospect of me seeing our history; it’s an opportunity not many people get. My father even asked if he could come on the program as well. I signed up the day after registration opened; I was so excited. But as April 8, 2010 approached, I became more and more nervous. I worried that my reaction to the concentration camps wouldn’t be the “right” reaction. April 8th came and as I put on my bright orange neon t-shirt and went to the airport to meet up with everyone, I got more and more nervous and excited at the same time. Poland was a blur. On the second day, Friday night, we went to a synagogue in Krakow and prayed with people from Poland, Israel, and all over America. The synagogue was built so that the

hand these places and things than simply reading about or seeing photos of them in a book or museum. I would recommend that every Jewish teenager in Omaha, or anywhere else in the world, participate in the March of the Living! It is a trip of a lifetime that provides its participants a strong connection to the Jewish people, the Jewish religion, and the State of Israel!

when she was here, the weather was much worse and she had

sound of our prayers really sounded like it was going straight up to God and I have never felt so close to Him as I did in that synagogue. Whenever we were at a concentration camp, the weather was cloudy and rainy. But when we cleaned up the Warsaw graveyard and marched from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the weather was sunny and warmer. At Birkenau, Trudy Album, the Holocaust survivor who traveled with us, told us her story in a barrack in the camp she lived in. Hearing her story was overwhelming and difficult. As we were leaving, she overheard people complaining about the cold, muddy, rainy weather and she told us that

much less to keep her warm. My most memorable moment was the actual March of the Living, with over 10,000 other teens from all over the world. We marched from Auschwitz to Birkenau, about a 2 kilometer walk in silence with our arms linked. The

sun was out, and I felt like I was marching for all of those who couldn’t make it, and especially my family that didn’t make it through the Holocaust. After Poland, we flew to Israel. We jumped off the plane and went straight to a sunny, warm beach. I have family in Israel, and so I have been there often, and I will go again; but going to Israel right after being in Poland was so meaningful. We spent a week touring destruction and sights of torture, and then we spent the next week celebrating life and love in Israel. A really special part of The March of the Living is the date they chose for the program. It is specifically in April so that the March is over Yom HaShoah- Holocaust Remembrance Day, and you are in Israel for Yom Ha’Atzmaut(Independence Day) and Yom HaZikaron-(Israeli Fallen Soldiers Day) and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance. I would definitely recommend this program to everyone, even adults. I am so happy I went and saw firsthand what happened there, and that I went when I could go with a Holocaust survivor to tell us her story. Continued on page 38

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

What do Jews read? by GARY KATZ Library Adminstrator Being the librarian at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library makes me somewhat of an authority on what Jews are reading today. In fact, most patrons make the assumption that I have read every book in the library –of course nothing could be further from the truth. Every day I get the same question from puzzled patrons, “Got anything good to read?” How can I answer a question like that? Do we? We are after all “The People of the Book” and we have thousands and thousands of years of amazing texts all available in the library, just waiting to be read. But on the other hand, not many people pick up Maimonides’ The Guide

to the Perplexed to take to the beach. So what are people reading? In Daniel Silva’s new novel, The Rembrandt Affair, Israeli spymaster Gabriel Allon is back. He’s tracking bad

guys again, plus a missing Rembrandt, a portrait of the artist’s mistress, a never-displayed lost treasure. Gabriel is pressured to use his spy skills to search for the paint-

March of the Living Continued from page 37 by ADI GILL When Anne Muskin, my BBYO director, approached me to talk about going on March of the Living, I was very excited. As the date approached, tickets bought, and the pre-trip classes began, I got very nervous. I had built this trip up so much in my head. Was I going to be disappointed? Will this trip be everything I want it to be? No. It wasn’t; March of the Living was unbelievable. There are no words to describe the amazing experience I had. It was an incredible journey that matured me on so many levels, and being able to go through that with 100 other Jewish teens made it so special. Although we had just met on the plane ride to Poland and were practically strangers, this group of wonderful people became my family for those couple of weeks. I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience, to actually see the places where human cruelty was carried out to its fullest extent -- the four concentration camps we visited. Walking through Majdanek, Treblinka, Auschwitz One, and Auschwitz Two, was very surreal. All the years of

learning about it in Jr. High and High School seemed like a big blur. I was there. I walked the same path others took on the way to their deaths. I was standing in places where families were torn apart, lives shattered. I touched the same walls that caged millions of desperate people. Once I realized this, it really put my life in perspective. My friends were standing right there beside me, experiencing the same emotional rollercoaster I was going through. Poland wasn’t all serious business. We had a fun time just hanging out in the hotel, meeting gorgeous Australians, shopping at the Market square, sharing Shabbat dinners, or just riding on the bus. These times brought us even more closer together. On the day of the actual March, a March from Auschwitz to Auschwitz Birkenau, we didn’t really know what to expect. When we met the 10,000 other people we got extremely excited. It was a walk that symbolized many things, like resistance, resilience, and determination. To me, it symbolized humanity most, a human race, humankind, six million humans that were once treated as cattle. That April day, I walked for each and every person. That’s what the March of the Living means to me.

ing and those responsible for the crime. But as he meticulously follows a trail of evidence leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to the shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there is lethal cloak-anddagger secret agent “stuff” connected to the painting. It was just released and I already have a waiting list. Something that obviously I don’t read much is Chick Lit and the poster girl for that movement is Jennifer Weiner. Her latest novel, Fly Away Home, is your typical mother/daughter story. Each must come to grips with their relationship and bridge the emotional distance between them. The touching and moving ending is designed to make anyone with a heart within a 10 mile radius cry their eyes out and immediately pick up a phone to call their moms to apologize for everything. In Alex Epstein’s Blue Has No South: each story is less than 250 words, many just under 50, but Epstein shows a depth that many writers cannot get near even with 2,000 words. After reading, I still didn’t know if I should really call them short stories, poetry, blog, or whatever. They just didn’t fit into any literary box, so I have decided to call them “pregnant thoughts.’ For example his story “All the Positions of Sleep:” The spaceship drifted into deep space many years ago. Her transmissions grew more and more infrequent. The cosmonaut sends a greeting to his wife, and reports that even in conditions of weightlessness, in his dreams he always wakes up beside her in a different position than the one he fell asleep in. Expecting more? That’s the complete story In his new novel Eight White Nights, Andre Aciman examines love at first sight between two damaged New Yorkers. Meeting at an Upper West Side Manhattan party, the unnamed narrator’s life is turned upside down with the introductory words, “I am Clara.” Over the next eight meetings, the two lovers will play a social repartee, filled with coffee house meetings, foreign films, New York landmarks and wealthy friends. Full of rich language and strong, intense emotions, Aciman’s Eight White Nights is a novel to be read and appreciated. Who knew that the words “I am Clara” could mean so much? Lastly, I wouldn’t feel right recommending books without adding a classic Jewish novel. One of my all time favorite authors, Bernard Malamud, in his second novel, writes about the gritty world of immigrants and unfulfilled lives in The Assistant. Frank Alpine is a two-bit crook who lands a job working for Morris Bober, a Jewish grocer in Brooklyn. When he falls in love with the storekeeper’s daughter, he is forced to reexamine his identity and principles. All really good reads. I guarantee it.

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September 3, 2010

Scott Weiler and his new kind of Judaism by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Like so many who have made Omaha their home, Scott Weiler is not from here. His grandmother, Ida Deckelbaum came from Russia to the United States in the early 1900’s. She found herself in Washington D.C, (where she en passant won a beauty contest) and married

Scott Weiler Chaim Israel. “She had three children,” Scott says, “one of whom is my mother, Joanne. Joanne married David, became Joanne Weiler, they settled in California, and on August 26, 1974, I was born.” The family settled in Omaha around 1980. Scott was Bar Mitzvahed at Beth El, and attended Burke and UNO; so far, his story is more or less typical. Scott is an artist, because “Art is an expression of yourself, and a gift from God,” he says. “It is something people feel compelled to do: it’s something that has to be expressed, it has to come out.” He started to draw political cartoons around 2005, because he was upset by what was happening in national politics: “I needed a way to express my displeasure, and the best way I knew how to share my political views was in cartoons.” However, cartooning is not the only way Scott expresses himself; in addition, he has worked as a tattoo artist for the past ten years. Traditionally, this is considered a very un-Jewish occupation: “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord” it says in Leviticus 19:28; the prohibition against tattoos is based on this passage. It doesn’t keep Scott awake at night. Instead, he is perfectly able to have those two sides of himself coexist peacefully. “First of all, I am hardly the only Jewish tattoo artist out there,” he says. “It is no longer unanimously seen as something that is impossible, or automatically bad. Times have changed. Besides, you have to figure these things out for yourself; you can’t just take someone else’s word for it. This is how I express myself, and tattooing does not, in my case, mean I can’t live a very Jewish life.” Some might wonder what kind of Jewish man sticks needles in his customers and leaves a permanent mark. “I am not any ‘kind’ of Jew,” Scott says, “I am Jewish. Plain and simple; there is no other answer. The real question is: do you let others define you, or do you define yourself?” ‘Being Jewish’, according to Scott, isn’t something that simply happens when you are born; you have to keep working at it, it has to be a choice. “God didn’t choose us,” he says, “we chose him. We can express that in many different ways, and art is merely one of those ways. The Torah shows us the importance of justice, Tzedakah, and love; everything else is just commentary.” Although he does

believe that his tattoos make people happy, he does not really feel the need to get defensive; it’s not Scott’s way: “What God wants for all people, I think, is harmony. He wants for people to live happy and peaceful lives. We may disagree, but we always have to take the moral high road.” One way in which Scott hopes to help that along is by offering the covering of Nazi and white supremacist tattoos with something neutral, at half the cost. Of course, he has many questions; thinking about Judaism and how to give it a place in your dayto-day life tends to do that: “Was the destruction of the Temple a good or a bad thing? What is more important, dogma or intent? Should Jews always occupy the high moral ground? And what, exactly, is the difference between ‘whole’ and ‘perfect’?” He figures it out through thought, prayer, and action. Oftentimes, he finds his answers in the middle ground. He believes that, in some ways, the Torah has always been far ahead of its time, as in commanding us to keep the Shabbat, be conscious of our diet, and our cleanliness. He also believes it is a little behind when it comes to women’s rights or homosexuality. His views may be shocking to some and familiar to others, but what Scott has in common with many is his daily internal monologue; Judaism a la Scott is not something that is simple, easy, or unchangeable. It is, instead, something that needs to be fed and worked out, on a daily basis. It is, most of all, extremely now. Scott may defy stereotype when he says that God is his friend, and that they are very close. And yet, with his constant arguing and his opinionated views, he feels he couldn’t belong anywhere else. Scott Weiler is hardly alone: his crossbreed of religious views and traditionally considered un-Jewish practices fit right in with the Jewish “renaissance” (for lack of a better term) that is currently taking place in America. During the late 19th and 20th century, the road from Russia to Ellis Island came with unexpected side effects -- with freedom came assimilation; generation after generation removed itself further from the shtetl -- emotionally, economically, and spiritually. For much of the 20th centuries, assimilation has been a dirty word, a great enemy, to those who wish to preserve Judaism. Many of us agreed -- with total assimilation comes the danger of total abandonment, loss of identity. ‘One of these days, Judaism will be lost to American Jews; what’s worse, some day very soon, there will be no more American Jews’. And yet, in spite of these warnings, something is happening among the current younger generation of Jews that nobody could have predicted: a resurgence, and a re-defining of what it means to be Jewish. The Internet has given young and hip Jews a platform on which to connect on an entirely new level. Many of them have embraced their heritage – but with a twist. “We are Jews,” they say, “but what that means is up to us.” Take Zeek Media, for instance - an organization Continued on page 40

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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The Piaseczno Rebbe’s Spiritual Check-Up for the New Year a free translation from the work of Rabbi Lior Engelman

JOURNAL ENTRY FROM ISRAEL by TEDDY WEINBERGER As part of the spiritual accounting that characterizes the period of the High Holidays, we are invited to survey ourselves and ask honestly: In relation to last year, has our spiritual condition improved or worsened; were the hopes that we expressed during last year’s High Holidays—that there would be a change in our character—realized or did they vanish into nothing? It’s difficult to find an exact scale to help us perform a proper spiritual check-up, one that will not delude us and yet one that will also not produce a picture of exaggerated gloom. The Rebbe of Piaseczno offers us an honest and true scale: “If you want to learn about yourself, to tell if you rose or, heaven forbid, if you fell during the past year, look at your wishes--but only your wishes and not your fantasies. Every Jewish person wants to be a tzaddik, but this is a type of fantasy -- a person fantasizes that they will wake up one morning and find that they have become a tzaddik. This is not a true spiritual wish. Only a condition towards which a person is willing to work can be considered a true spiritual wish. And so, if you want to learn about your spiritual condition, look to your wishes. What did you want spiritually a year ago and what do you want now? If your wishes have increased—or even if they have stayed the same--this is a sign that you have risen spiritually.” A proper spiritual check-up according to the Rebbe of Piaseczno, therefore, is measured by our willingness to put in effort, to take that extra spiritual step--and to take responsibility for all that results from this step. A comparison of our willingness to commit to this work during the course of the coming year in comparison to last year will testify like 1,000 witness to our true spiritual condition. But something is bothering you. A tiny voice sneaks

into your heart and whispers: “Last year at this time you also thought that you could change; yes, you thought that you could change your skin and become a really pious person. And yet you repeated your sins again and again. What was last year will be this year: you will be greeted by the same failures and sins, and all of your prayers will be for naught.” Here too the words of the Rebbe of Piaseczno can be helpful. Our problem stems from our hope for big changes: to be a completely different person, to be free of sin. The expectation is so lofty that when the High Holidays pass we find that we have no tools to bring it to fruition, for it’s not possible to change drastically in one fell swoop. And so we are left to struggle with a powerful fantasy that cannot be realized in our lives. Our job is to translate the great feeling of penitence that we have at this time of year into defined goals. We need to honestly identify for ourselves a practical spiritual goal for the coming year for which we are willing to pay a price. A person who wants to change their character will not desire in a general way to be humble (for example.) This person will set aside a defined period of time to study the trait of humbleness and will commit to performing certain specific actions that can help them attain their goal. A person who wishes to be more charitable will take it upon him- or herself to perform a few more specific charitable acts--but to do this with consistency. In this way, one’s practical spiritual wishes will be realized. The Rebbe of Piaseczno concludes here: “A false spiritual wish can always be very great. A person can always fantasize about taking a giant leap and becoming an exalted tzaddik in an instant. Not so is the true spiritual wish, the wish that is realized with work; it knows no short cuts but only measured steps, step after step, towards a more elevated spiritual condition.” Shana Tova! Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest two, Nathan and Rebecca, recently completed mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces; their daughter Ruthie is still serving in the IDF. Weinberger can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.

Scott Weiler’s new kind of Judaism Continued from page 39 that promotes “conversations about the Jewish tomorrow in print, online, and in person. We believe that Judaism is undergoing a paradigm shift that we must not ignore if we want Judaism to be a vibrant religion and culture generations from now. Judaism will only thrive,” Zeek’s mission statement continues, “if we are willing to discuss and debate the most charged issues facing us. Zeek is unafraid to face those issues head on. Join us.” (Zeek. forward.com) Those are fighting words, and they can be found in many places these days. From Heeb Magazine to PunkTorah, from youtube to Sarah Silverman, Jumpstart, Jewcy, you name it: young, renegade Jews are expressing themselves any way they want -- Jewish rappers, filmmakers, photographers, and yes, tattoo artists. “Abraham smashed idols like Jimi Hendrix smashed guitars,” PunkTorah’s mission statement reads. “He [Abraham] completely rebelled against the mainstream culture of his time,” and “We survive and flourish because of our individuality, but also our collective responsibility for each other. When you dig into your heart, and pull out a Jewish answer to the issues that confront you, that is ‘as PunkTorah as it gets’.” (punktorah.org) Recently, things have started to trickle into mainstream media. “New Jews stake claim to faith, culture” reads a headline by Jessica Ravitz, topping an article written for CNN in 2009. Heeb Magazine, while still viewed as cutting edge and at times shocking, has gained its place alongside more traditional Jewish mag-

azines. And in 2010, Andy Abrams wrote, produced and directed the documentary Tattoo Jew. The film is photographed and co-produced by Justin Dawson. “This documentary looks at a new way in which being Jewish is cool, hip, and relevant,” the website says. “The tattoos not only represent a connection to Jewish culture, they are a stylish and beautiful representations of a growing aesthetic for the expression of Jewishness. Written or drawn permanently on the skin, these tattoos are the intersection of personal adornment, cultural and political expression, and a unique twist on personal identity in our highly individualistic American culture.” Scott Weiler couldn’t have said it any better. The one word that jumps out of the above quote is ‘relevant.’ The young Jews of today want to be relevant. They also want to be hip, they want to be selfaware, and they want to be very, very Jewish. The avalanche of Jewish expressions in popular culture shows a generation of Jews who, rather than turn their backs, embrace their heritage with a vengeance. The fact that they, while doing so, proceed to change the rules is secondary; this is not your grandmother’s Judaism. However, it is also not complete assimilation. It is, instead, resurgence -- a renaissance if you will. And renaissances usually break a few traditions, but they also tend to make people very, very excited. We can agree or disagree with the way certain young Jews express themselves, but I think there’s one thing we can all see very clearly -- discussion, disagreement, and innovation are preferable over total abandonment, or worse; indifference.

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 41

Short Subject by GLORIA SHUKERT JONES they used less material than the average sizes. shorter, and I wondered where they had been all my life I spent practically all my childhood years feeling like I always tried to look taller by the way I dressed. I when I needed someone to comiserate with. the lone Lilliputian in a community of Gullivers. As far wore high heels and piled my hair on top of my head to This is not meant as a stereotypical comment, but it back as I can remember, I’ve had to stand on a chair in add a couple more visual inches. But the effect was only does seem as though some Jewish women of my generorder to reach a high shelf, and since I was the shortest illusory. I was still the same frustrated short person in ation and middle-European ancestry are not quite as tall one in my classroom, I was always awarded a as some of our other contemporaries. But not front-row seat under the watchful eye of the one word of complaint ever came from them teacher while my classmates giggled and passed about being petite. In fact, they seemed to either notes, unobserved at the back of the room. be unaware of it or it was never an issue, at least It was tiresome hearing the old bromides about not at this point in life. In fact, unlike myself, “good things coming in small packages.” Yeah, I they were proud of who they were, and what they thought sarcastically, maybe babies and diamond had accomplished. They were impeccably rings, and I wasn’t buying into that. And of dressed, every hair in place, but were not adverse course, there were the inane questions people to wearing low heels at times, opting for comfort asked, like, “How’s the weather down there?” over appearing taller. They are family-oriented Or, “How come you forgot to grow?” My dad and leaders in the community. They do volunteer liked to kid around by saying I should sue the city work and have pet projects they are passionate for building the sidewalk too close to me. Even about. Some had chosen professional fields, and though I knew those references to my being even the ones who had not pursued any particushort were all good-natured teasing, I neverthelar career were happy and content with who they less took offense, and was quick to become hurt were. So who was I to concentrate on the negaand angry. tives when there was so much positive energy surAs I got older, I had to admit there were some rounding me? Maybe it was time to rethink the advantages in being short, because I was perconcept of “size matters.” Who really cares how ceived to be younger than my actual age. For tall or short a person is? People are judged not by example, I was able to get in the movie theaters height, but by integrity and what they have at half price, the downside being someone tall “Gloria Shukert Jones with her grandsons, left, Caleb Nachtigall, 22, and, accomplished and contributed to their families, was usually seated in front of me. Instead of the right, Jacob Nachtigall, 18. friends, and society as a whole. Those qualities movie, I had a great view of that person’s head and platforms and teased hair, who reluctantly gave up the are what makes a person commendable and worthy of shoulders. premise that I would one day experience a sudden, respect and praise. Lesson learned! I could wear high heels, and never had to worry about miraculous growth spurt. Okay, so am I finally convinced that good things come being taller than my date, as did some of my loftier As the years passed, I became more resigned to being in small packages? Well, as far as it concerns me, I still friends. The youthful appearance continued until I was short, but never gave myself credit for having done the give the kudos to babies and diamond rings. But I no in my mid-30’s, and often mistaken for my own daugh- important things in life, such as establishing a home and longer obsess as much about height, although I occater, who had inherited not only my facial features, but family, and pursuing a lengthy and successful career in sionally sneak wistful glances at tall, willowy women. also my diminuitive stature. government. I left any such praise for others to com- However, I’ve come to appreciate being who I am, Buying clothes was a real hassle until they came out ment about, but I remained my skeptical self. ignoring what I consider to be my imperfections, and with petite fashions. Before that, I had to shop in the Then when I retired, I had the time to become active- concentrate instead on things that have real significance pre-teen department where the lengths of jeans and ly involved in the Jewish Community for the first for me. I’ve also come to the conclusion that how I view pants were perfect for me, but the proportions were way time;and lo and behold, I discovered some people over myself largely depends on the circumstances. For off, and the styles were not exactly suitable for my age the age of 12, whose faces I could see at eye level and instance, whenever my six-foot-something grandsons group. The petite sizes were great, but I never could didn’t have to strain my neck looking up. I met some hunker down to give me a bear hug, and say, “I love you figure out why they were so much more expensive, since delightful ladies who were my height, or even a tad Grandma,” suddenly I feel as though I am ten feet tall!

!"#$ &'($) *+,+) #( '- . /#((#'-0 1#-2 3$44$5 6.7( 4' 45$.4 8.4#$-4( 6#49 "7/89'/.) #/85':#-; 49$ "#<$"#9''2 '1 (!5:#:."+ =9$ #( ./'-; . ;5'!8 '1 >?*@ /$2#A." (A#$-4#(4( 69' -'6 9.:$ /'5$ 49.- BCDD /#""#'- #- .--!." 5$($.5A9 (!88'54+ E.#5 49.4 6#49 9.52 6'5< .-2 49$#5 5$('":$ 4' 3$.4 49$ 2$.2"#$(4 2#($.($() .-2 49$ '22( .5$ -'6 #- '!5 1.:'5+ !"#$%&!'()&* ,'! -.,"/

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

How to keep Israel healthy, beautiful, and green by NACHUM HIRSCHEL The earthworm is one of mankind’s best friends. Hard at work 24/7, this lowly creature makes it possible for human and plant life to exist. Without the earthworm we would have little to eat, our world would be flooded by snow and rain, and environmental pollution would be greater than it is today. The earthworm is a natural tiller and a prodigious earth mover. Making its way through the soil -- it churns the earth, loosening the subsoil and creating microscopic tunnels that allow water and oxygen to reach the root systems of plant life. As they burrow, the earthworm mixes and sifts the soil, breaking up clods of dirt and burying stones. The earthworm uses the tunnels it constructs to bring healthy organic matter deep into the ground and healthy minerals to the surface where they are most needed. These tunnels also help in water absorption. With earthworms, the ground can absorb rain and snow four to ten times faster than areas without these passageways. This reduces flooding, restores groundwater, and helps to retain moisture for dry seasons. In the course of the earthworm’s movements, it eats close to one hundred percent of its body weight in decaying organic matter and soil daily. Passing through the length of the earthworm’s body, chemical reactions convert this matter into a super nutritious dark earthy substance full of nutrients and soil-enriching compounds known as “castings.” They are chock full of phosphorous, potash, magnesium, and calcium. Earthworm castings are no less than five times more beneficial than the finest top soil found anywhere in the world. They contain microorganisms that fight harmful bacteria, pests, and disease in the soil. Plants and trees grown in an environment with large numbers of earthworms tilling the soil produce healthier, tastier, and more bountiful harvests of food. More can be grown in a smaller space. Land considered unsuitable for growth can be converted into productive soil. The time required for the produce and fruit to ripen is shortened. The need for harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides is dramatically diminished. Less water is needed for the growing food. From the moment it is hatched, the earthworm begins its life long task of turning organic matter into castings. No one knows for sure how long an earthworm lives, but in one study a group of earthworms was observed for fifteen years. At the end of this time the earthworms were found to be young, healthy, and vigorous as ever. The earthworms do not carry or transmit diseases. All

they ever produce are castings and more earthworms. An earthworm can easily produce more than one thousand offspring annually. One thousand mature breeders can produce a million earthworms. The earthworm has no eyes. Light sensitive cells on

the skin enable it to maintain its course and avoid danger. These cells are also sensitive to touch. The earthworm has no lungs, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide through its highly permeable skin. It has five hearts that pump blood through its body and works similar to the heart of a human. The earthworm has a mouth but does not chew its food. The earthworm swallows any piece of organic matter that enters its mouth, where it passes into the gizzard, similar to that of a bird. There it is ground up with the help of tiny pebbles or grains of sand that serve as a millstone. The earthworm absorbs the nutrients it needs for survival and passes the castings out of its anterior. The earthworm is an invertebrate, meaning it has no backbone. The absence of protruding appendages increases mobility. Lubricating mucus on its skin further allows the earthworm to pass through the roughest ground and escape the grasp of predators. An earthworm has the power to easily move stones that are fifty times its body weight. Earthworms live off of our leftovers. They devour

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food wastes, many types of animal manure, corrugated cardboard, and the leaves and grass clippings from our gardens. Fallen leaves in an orchard or forest that might need years to decompose are easily consumed by the earthworm. More than fifty percent of the contents that fill our garbage heaps are food for the earthworm. So much of the trash that packs our landfills, dirties our oceans and lakes, and makes the air less pleasant to breathe can be converted into castings. In earlier times the importance of earthworms was recognized. The fertility of the Nile Valley can be attributed to the earthworm. Today, there is a growing appreciation of the work that the earthworm performs, both as a means of growing food and for recycling waste material. Many countries throughout the world are reducing their use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by converting animal wastes and organic matter into castings. Local governments are using earthworms to alleviate the problems of overcrowded landfills. Earthworms can produce more compost, in a shorter amount of time, with less effort, than any other recycling method. If every person in Eretz Yisrael fed one kilo of food wastes to earthworms in the year 5770, 7 million kilo less garbage would blight the beauty of our land. Five million kilos of castings would fertilize our fields, orchards, and gardens. Earthworms can be raised in your home. Even if all you have is a small porch, you too can have your own earthworm farm, converting your fruit and vegetable wastes into beautiful castings that will enrich your plants, lawns, and gardens. It is a wonderful hobby and an excellent educational tool. Have you ever considered how much garbage you dispose of each day? How many pounds of carrot and potato peels did you throw away during last week’s Shabbos preparations? What have you been doing with your apple cores, melon rinds, and cucumber peels? These items did not just disappear from the face of the earth. “Ain lanu Eretz acheret.” We have a responsibility to care for our environment. We have the ability to combine ancient knowledge with modern know how to protect and enhance the beauty of our Land. Let’s put the earthworm to work for us! Nachum Hirschel lives in Beit Shemesh where he operates Eretz HaKodesh Earthworm Farm. He sells earthworms, castings, and bins. He gives classroom workshops and lectures extensively on earthworms throughout Israel. Nachum can be contacted at nhirschel@ gmail.com or at 052.7.143.154.

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 43

by ELYA WILSON Community Shlicha How can you describe a song, a chord, a harmony, a melody? The only possible way of getting it across is by describing the emotions, the little anecdotes, the history that come as a package with all these. You know what it’s like when you suddenly hear Don McLean’s “Starry Night,” and it shoots you back to high school, sitting under the stars, on a beautiful summer night? Well I do… these are some of the songs that represent for me a period of time, a place, a moment.

Ha’yalda Hachi Yaffa BaGan - The prettiest girl in kindergarten HaKeves HaShisha Asar (The 16th Sheep) is probably the best children’s album to ever come out in Israel. Based on a book of poems written by Yehonatan Geffen, the album is filled with innocence and fun. Yoni Rechter wrote the music for most of the children’s songs and rhymes in the album, which came out originally in 1978. Performed by some of Israel’s prominent singers, the album still is heard by children and adults alike, and is known to almost every Israeli. As I have told many people, I was the first girl born in my community of Har-Halutz (after a long line of boys…), so it’s no surprise that I was the only girl in kindergarten. This song has followed me since, and will always bring me back to those naïve and laughter-filled times. Kach Otto Le’at Et HaZman – Take time easy For every graduation in Israel, we have a limited bunch of appropriate songs to match the occasion. “You will have time to explore the world, if you’d like to and if not(…),” this one taken from that bunch, as you can see for yourselves, is definitely kitsch. It would most definitely have some of my peers rolling their eyes at me for listing it, but I can’t help it; this song reminds me of our faces poking out of flower decorated walls during our elementary school graduation ceremony… so really, I just can’t help it. Amen It has become this tradition in HarHalutz that for our Bar/Bat Mitzvahs this song is added to the service, almost automatically. If we had our own sidurim, this would probably be placed right in between the Parasha portion and the Rabbi’s blessing. I had no choice in the matter (although I tried to oppose), as my Mom wouldn’t let me be the exception. Sometimes we have these songs that would definitely not be our first pick as the ones to represent a big event for us, as the ones to take us back to this major turning point in a young Jewish life. This one, written by Chamutal Ben-Zeev and music by Moshe Datz, falls into that category.

Agadat Deshe – A grassy fairytale The Israeli old rock scene is probably one of my favorite Israeli genres, with great singers and songwriters such as Shalom Hanoch, Arik Einstein and Meir Ariel. Since the music playing at home up to this point was always Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor and that sort (yes, my parents gave me a good background in music education), I was only introduced to those Jewish names in my late teens, and absolutely fell in love with their scruffy voices and Hebrew lyrics. Ariel wrote the lyrics and Hanoch wrote the music; this song literally just describes a pile of people lying serenely on the grass. Years after it was written, it is still so relevant, as there’s not much we would do than just lay on the grass, and place our heads on a free leg, stomach, or arm. Achi HaTzair Yehuda – My young brother, Yehuda This song takes me back to every Yom HaZikaron ceremony in my childhood, crying without knowing a single lost soldier or bereaved family. It was during my service years, though, that it became more relevant to my private life. Ehud Manor, a famous Israeli songwriter who wrote so many famous Hebrew songs, wrote this one for his fallen brother, describing for him the life that keeps on going even though he’s gone: “The first rain fell two days ago… in your kindergarten the kids are learning a new song… and Mom is secretly still waiting for a letter…” This song makes me cry each and every time. Yoman Massah – A traveler’s journal After several years in the military, it’s almost a natural part of every Israeli’s life to go for a long period of time, and just travel, let loose, enjoy life. I don’t know if it’s a direct reaction to the army, if it’s ants in our pants, or just a yearning to leave our tiny country and “see world,” as we would say in Hebrew. Aviv Geffen (yes, there is a relation to Yehonatan from the first song, it’s his son, and talent definitely runs in that family) writes about his life journey in this song (and many others), and is a voice for a whole generation of Israeli youth. Shirat HaSricker – The bumper sticker song In the HaDag Nahash official website, their music is described as “fresh Hip Hop, rock, reggae and funk sounds … a melting pot of tight grooves with Middle Eastern flavor.” Although the group was established in 1996 in Jerusalem, I never really took notice of them until I came to Omaha. In my presentations to nonJewish teens, I would always play some music samples, to give a taste of Israeli culture; HaDag Nahash was a hit every single time. The really nice thing, though, is that in addition to the cool groove, and upbeat rhythms, the lyrics of their songs are always meaningful, with social or political messages, that really speak to youth and adults alike. If you were to check a young American Jewish teen’s Continued on page 44

To Your Health This New Year

Israeli music that takes me back in time

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Israeli music that takes me back in time Continued from page 43 playlist, you shouldn’t be surprised to find some songs by HaDag Nahash, either, with the Bumper Sticker Song, among those. The song is made up entirely of bumper sticker slogans you would find on the average Israeli vehicle (which tend to have a political agenda), such as: “A whole generation demands peace,” “combat service is the best, bro,” “Let the animals live,” or even the Breslov Hassidic popular slogan about the spiritual leader Rabbe Nachman from Uman “N Nach Nachma Nachman Me’Uman.”

Wishing you a year of health, love and peace, happiness and joy Omaha Chapter of

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Wishing You a Happy and Sweet New Year

Be’simla Aduma U’Shtey Tsamot – In a Red Dress and Two Braids I pick this song to represent my next point in life –

going to college. After years of army service, and travels around the world, I realized that it is time to move on, and start school (I’m already 24, it’s about time…). All

Wishing all our friends a “Shana Tova U’metuka.” May G-d grant us all our most fervent wish - A glorious year in which we will merit the coming of Moshiach. Rabbi Mendel Katzman, Chabad of Nebraska

Peace

through the IDF’s history, music has been a big part of it, the military band and singing groups are THE place to be for your military service if a musical career is what you’re aiming for. Nowadays, not so much so, but during the 50’s and 60’s, Israel’s big names in entertainment all started off their careers in these singing groups – Lehakot. The songs written specially for them are all still very popular today, including this one, about a little girl who stands up and asks: “Why?” In the song, mountains and storms, animals, letters and books are all stumped for an answer. Maybe, only maybe, I’ll get a little closer to finding that answer in the next few years. I encourage you to go online and visit YouTube or Google these songs and artists, and open a door for a wonderful cultural variety of Hebrew/Israeli song and music - there is so much more left to hear.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 45

Married to the military by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT mornings at the Bagel Bin before school started, after For three years, Fran Edwards and her husband Chris we dropped O’Bryen off at Friedel. Or we’d go for lived in Omaha. During that time, they were active parlunch after school ended. We were all very comfortable ticipants in the Jewish community. Together with their and never wanted to leave. We felt we were at home. children, O’Bryen (10), Gavriella (8), Siobhan (4), and When did you hear you were moving to Italy? Malcolm (2), they moved to Naples, Italy in 2008, We first heard we were moving to Italy in January of because Chris is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. 2008. When the military gives you orders, they are verNavy. Where he goes, Fran and the kids follow. bal, and are at about six months before you are due to Speaking with Fran, it’s obvious that Naples is far away move. You don’t get a physical copy of your orders from Omaha, geographically and emotionally, but until about three months before you move. And durmost of all: Jewishly. ing that time, the orders can change. Anyway, we What has life as a military family been like so far? received verbal orders in January with a July/August My husband Chris joined in 1998, and since then we leave window. Well into late May/early June, we still have lived in five different cities. The longest we ever didn’t have orders in hand. And without orders, you stayed somewhere was almost five years in Norfolk, VA, can’t do anything. You can’t arrange for movers, have because Chris did two tours there. Normally, we move the car shipped; we needed overseas medical screenings every two to three years. Making friends is difficult, for the whole family, passports, both tourist and miliboth for the kids and us adults, because we are always tary, as well as a visa for Italy. We also needed airline moving. So we are all very dependent on each other. We tickets, a hotel room for when we arrived... None of it also have always lived at least 12 hours away from our we coulddo. Chris was about to tell them to extend us families. That means our children are growing up within Omaha until December when the orders came in out their grandparents, aunts and uncles, or cousins putting him at various schools along the east coast for around. That really bothers me, because I grew up six weeks. He was to report to Naples in November. So completely surrounded with love from my extended I had to re-enroll the kids at Friedel for the first quarfamily (my dad is the eldest of seven), and my children ter in the fall. don’t get to experience that, except maybe once a year. How long will you be in Italy? When Chris has to be away, either at sea or on a trip We are due to leave here in October 2011. We have somewhere, often we are given only a few days notice, absolutely no idea where we will move to next. Chris so one has to be very flexible married to the military. has to go back to sea with one of the next two upcomAlso, it doesn’t matter to the military what family event ing tours, so he could go to a ship on one of the coasts. is happening; if they need him, he goes. Chris has Or he could take a shore billet and it could put him missed many birthdays, anniversaries, school events, stateside, like in DC. Personally I’d just like to keep The Edwards family: O’Bryen, left, Chris, Gavriella, Siobhan, and and even the birth of our first child. The longest he has hopping around Europe. There are several opportuniFran holding Malcolm. been away from us is three months, and in military ties in England the kids and I are hoping he goes for. time that is very short. We’re very lucky it has only been which is funny, because I did NOT want to move to But that’s just our opinion. Nebraska! Our whole life revolved around the Jewish three months. How do we deal with not knowing? Eh, we’re just so community. My two children at the time (Nos. 3&4 used to it by now. Being in the military has its ups and What was your Jewish life like in Omaha? Omaha is the best Jewish community we have ever were not born yet) were going to the CDC and Friedel downs, but one of the ups is getting to experience life in lived in. It’s truly a strong community, one that holds its Jewish Academy, so I was always on the campus. other places. I never would’ve come to Nebraska had we head high, and I had never experienced such cama- Gavriella also took dance lessons, so I would go to the not been stationed there. And I certainly wouldn’t be in raderie. And the people were amazing! So, so welcom- Kripke Library and wait for her. What a library! I had Italy. But now after 12 years, I can’t imagine living in ing! After about three weeks in Omaha, I told my hus- been wishing for years for such a library, in much larger one place all my life. My friend calls me a Wandering band I thought it was the best place we had ever moved, cities, too, and Omaha had it! Gavriella and I spent many Continued on page 46

Page 46

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Married to the military Continued from page 45 Shabbat, Hanukkah, or Rosh Hashanah, we have some lunchboxes during Pesach. I’ve had to tell the girls they Jew, and she’s absolutely right. I have so much wander- of our non-Jewish friends over so they can experience couldn’t participate in an activity because it clashed with lust in me, it was “bashert” my husband joined the Navy. the holiday. When we used to have a rabbi, we would the Seder or the first night of Hanukkah. Also, in the It’s always exciting when Chris is up for orders and they have something once a month to celebrate whatever hol- summertime, our neighborhood has a block party once give us a list of places to choose from. It has to be excit- iday was up. From a dessert potluck, to a full-blown a month. But it’s always on a Friday night, so we’re ing, because one doesn’t last long in the military if it Seder, the holidays were always at least given mention. never able to go to those because of Shabbat. And isn’t. Now that the rabbi is gone, we have lay leaders who I although those are activities we all want to participate in, How do you maintain your Judaism in Naples? feel have given up. They had a ‘break the fast’ for Yom we choose not to in order to show the kids our Jewish Italy has never been known for having identity is more important than the social function. lots of Jews. Naples is not like the rest of Thankfully the older girls had all those years of Jewish Italy. The Mafia has complete control school, because there is no hesitation in their voices over the city. There is widespread corrupwhen they tell people they are Jewish. tion and crime is high (not violent crime, Have you been able to visit any Jewish sites near mostly burglaries). I really can’t explain it Naples? because you can’t truly understand until We have not been to the synagogue here. It is very you see it with your eyes. Even seeing a difficult and time-consuming to reach, and traveling picture doesn’t tell you the whole story. that far and long on Shabbat is not something I am There is very high unemployment here comfortable doing. Moving to the area was never an as well, so most young people move away option because the military has made certain parts of as soon as they can to the other major town forbidden to live in, and that is one of them. It is cities, like Rome, Florence, or Milan. The the only Jewish site in the area. majority of Jews lives in those middle to What is the biggest difference between Naples and northern cities. Rome especially has a Omaha? very old (since temple times!), and very Besides the language and complete lack of snow? proud community. Naples had a Jewish (BTW, I didn’t wear my winter coat at all our first wincommunity up until the 16th century ter here. Having come from Nebraska, 32 degrees is when they were all expelled. In the 18th not cold, people!) Honestly, Naples and Omaha are century, they were allowed back, but few like night and day. I can’t narrow down just one thing returned. There is a synagogue downbecause everything is different, no exaggeration. But Fran Edwards with two of her children: Malcolm and O'Bryen, at Pompeii, Italy. town, but there are so few Jews left, they the people are wonderful, just like the people in often don’t have enough for a minyan. It is literally a Kippur, and a party for Hanukkah, but that was it. Not Omaha. dying community. even a Seder! So I think I might volunteer my services What do you miss most about Omaha? On base, we had a rabbi, but he moved a year ago. and become the lay leader and actually get some things The most? Gosh, that’s a hard one. Of course we miss Once a month we had Shabbat services in the chapel at going. our friends, terribly, I might add, that’s a given. I think the hospital. There were so few of us, we couldn’t have How do you teach your children to maintain their the kids would say they miss their friends and all the the base chapel for use. I know of three families, includ- Jewish identity? teachers at Friedel. They still talk about how wonderful ing my own, and one couple. I also know two Jewish This has only been an issue for us since we moved that school was and how it was the best school they ever men who are married with children, but they are not here. Our children were always in a Jewish school--both went to. They are constantly comparing their current raising their children Jewish. There is also a Jewish serv- preschool and day school--so their Jewish identity was school to Friedel, and talk about their friends frequentice member who used to come around. Since our rabbi very easy to maintain. But they are going to public ly. I personally miss the Bagel Bin and hope they rise is gone, we have lay leaders, but there has been no com- school for the first time (they go to the American school from the ashes very soon! I have great memories of munication from them since December. So at the on base) and it is now something we have to work hard going there with Gavriella before school when she was at moment, we are on our own. The commissary does have at. For example, O’Bryen was in an Italian immersion the CDC. I also miss Bag ‘N’ Save and the aisles of matzah at least at Pesach. I still have to have my dad class this year, which meant her homeroom class spent kosher food. I have never seen so much kosher food at a send me things from Cincinnati, because the commis- the first half of the day entirely in Italian. So they have neighborhood grocery store in my life! Our military life, sary will only ever have matzah, but nothing else kosher learned about Italian customs and holidays, and at although being the sole reason we were in Omaha in the for Passover. Thank goodness for the US Postal Service. Christmas time, sang some Italian songs. I told O’Bryen first place, was completely secondary to our Jewish life. It has been very difficult for us Jewishly, mainly because, I didn’t want her singing them because they were about I can’t think of Omaha without thinking of the entire say Purim comes around, and we will all sigh and say “If Jesus and that would be inappropriate. It turned out Jewish community: Chabad, Temple Israel, the CDC, only we were in Omaha, we could hear the Megillah at O’Bryen was glad not to sing them anyway because they Friedel, the Kripke Library, the Federation, the JCC all the synagogues...” It’s difficult because it’s lonely. were making her uncomfortable, and her teacher was itself--all of it was part of our life in Omaha. And if I How do you celebrate the holidays? actually very understanding about it. were to pick the thing I miss the most about Omaha, it The kids and I pretty much do it together. Although They’ve taught their classmates and teachers how to would be the life we led there and the people who every time we celebrate something, whether it be spin the dreidel. They also take matzah to school in their shared it with us.

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There is a world of opportunity between Israel and America by GARY JAVITCH Toronto), Mexico, and of course many Noam Margalit has a lot going for her. parts of Israel, including the Sinai. She is first and foremost a poised and Last year, Noam had another inspiring positive young lady. Born in Israel, the travel experience. She and her family, Central High senior speaks English and including her two sisters, Tal, 14, and Hebrew fluently and is working to devel- Doron, 8, spent a month in Australia. “I op her command of Spanish. really appreciated the opportunity I had Adding to her profile, she has a very to spend time with my family, while expebroad range of academic interests. At one riencing another culture and a beautiful end of the spectrum, she enjoys the social part of the world,” she related. sciences such as History, and at the other Noam and her family left Israel when end, the quantitative sciences like Math she was five. She has dual citizenship, really fascinate her. She is also taking and the family still maintains a home in advanced placement courses in Spanish. Atzmon, a communal settlement in the Perhaps she acquired such solid aca- Galilee. They go back to Israel frequentdemic talents bely and that expecause her parents rience makes her are so well educatvery open to ed. Her mother, another postRuti, and her graduation possifather, Eyal, are bility: The Israel both physicians at Defense Force. the University of It is a requireNebraska Medical ment that all Center. Among Israeli youth many other medserve their counical areas, her try after high mom helps train school. If she med students in elects to join the humanistic skills army, then foland to help them lowing her twobecome more senyear service, she sitive to and more might also take communicative time off to see Noam Margalit with patients. Her and experience dad is an ophthalmologist and Director more of the world. That is a pretty comof the Retina Service at the med center. mon thing to do for students there. Whatever the reason she excels academThe Future Choice ically, it does literally put the world at her One dilemma for Noam is the perfingertips. ceived cultural differences between her And that brings her to a question that Israeli and American counterparts over she must confront. What will she do after the issue of going to college immediateher graduation from high school? ly after high school or delaying her attenTravel dance. Noam has many experiences that have “The mindsets are different,” she said. helped shape her life. This past August, “Here in America, it is often frowned for example, she returned from a nearly upon if you do not go to college right three-week stay in Costa Rica, which gave away. Life is just more fast-paced here. her an opportunity to sharpen her That is not the case in Israel, mainly Spanish language skills. because of the army experience.” She and 17 other students about her Another alternative for her is a Tzofim age from around the world immersed Garin Tzabar program. This program has themselves in a service project helping been formed for the sons and daughters build and remodel communal kitchens to of Israelis living abroad and for young improve the lives of local villagers. They Diaspora Jews who wish to move to also performed other small projects. Israel and to serve in the IDF. The “In Costa Rica,” Noam said, “I had group arrives in Israel together, lives opportunities to meet people who are together on a kibbutz, and its members different than I am. I also had the chance serve in various army units. (Adapted to hike and see a huge amount of wildlife, from Masa.org catalogue on the interincluding monkeys, wild pigs, and hun- net.) dreds of birds, such as toucans and humThis program would have certain mingbirds.” advantages to Noam during her two “I found this project online and years of service. “While I wouldn’t live researched it thoroughly. I liked the way directly with a family,” she said, “I would it gave me a chance to put myself in get to meet an Israeli family and I would someone else’s shoes and see how they enjoy a close relationship with them. lived and what they valued.” That would make the process of joining This was not the first time Noam was the army much easier, and I would have involved with humanitarian projects. She a place to go home to on weekends or has also participated in B'nai B'rith Youth when I get time off.” Organization projects like the ShiputzAfter living in the US for 12 years, the nick–Teen Mitzvah Day, where she and transition to Israel would be much easier other Omaha teens worked on “Tikkun for Noam because she has family there. Olam” (Repair the World) programs. And, of course, the teenager has many Shiputznick was formed as a communi- friends, some of whom are also in a ty-wide teen program in the fall of 2004 Tzofim program. to get Jewish youth involved in commuAlthough she has given it plenty of nity service projects around Omaha. thought, Noam hasn’t yet made her In her effort to help others, she has par- post-graduation choice: “I am incredibly ticipated in Central High’s diversity club grateful for all of my traveling experiand this year will also be a co-president of ences. I have done and seen more things that organization. In addition, she helped than many other 16-year olds. I hope to launch a human rights coalition club. use the experiences to better humankind Widely traveled, Noam has done camp- and myself. I won’t let what I learned go ing and cross-country. Domestically, she to waste.” has lived in Baltimore and visited many Indeed, at this stage of her life, the talplaces in the US. Internationally, she has ented Central High School senior has a been to Canada (Vancouver and world of opportunity awaiting her.

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by OLIVER B. POLLAK had crashed on August 31, 1997. That was curious and I remember London in the early 1950s. There were interesting but tugged less at the heartstrings. gaping holes in the ground where buildings once stood, London and Paris are peppered with memorials to before they were destroyed by German bombers in the those who gave their lives in the two world wars and blitz. World War II, like most wars, was distinguished by other engagements. Westminster Abbey and the timing, location, perpetrators, and survivors. However, Pantheon list legions of heroes. They are emblazoned on at the end of the day, for the victims, death is death, tot the lintels like a giant mezuzah. At the University of is tot, and mort is mort. Provence in Marseille, the buildings that house the facThe Appeasement of the ulty of Chemistry, Natural 1930s and the genocide of Science, and Physics listed the 1940s created a watchthe students who did not ing brief. “Never again”: it return to university after the applies to Jews, ethnic war. groups, minorities, nonThese older battles encourcombatants, mothers, and age reflection. Where children. would we be but for their Potential victims today sacrifices? Arches of tristill live in fear that they are umph are also symbols of next. They could be roundloss and humiliation. ed up by a latter day Napoleon, who brought Gestapo. They could be the with him a cult of personalnext victims of Pol Pot, the ity and imperialism, target of the Janjaweed in brought only transient and Sudan, or the Hutu victims Above: Oliver B. Pollak standing in front of statute of fleeting victory and hegeMahatma Gandhi in Tavistock Garden. Below: Sympathy- mony. of the Tutsi in Rwanda. condolence-memorial message card sent by Iranian donor Today France is a nation at Suicide bombings in Iraq, attached to flowers honoring the July 7, 2005 victims. Afghanistan, Pakistan, New peace with a correspondYork’s Twin Towers, ingly lower defense outlay, London and multiple addialthough squads of armed tional locations are virtually soldiers in battle fatigues daily events covered by patrol the Louvre and railnewspapers, radio and teleway stations. vision. The ugliness appears Back in London, my eyes to have no near term alleviteared up as I read the mesation. Airports are under sages attached to the dozen perpetual orange alerts. or so bouquets. I wiped my During our nine July days eyes with my shirtsleeve. in London we trudged Parents, brothers, sisters, between hotels, museums, friends, and first responders concerts, parks, markets expressed their loss by placand restaurants. We maning flowers and written aged fatigue and longer distances with the help of pub- statements at the site of the bombing. lic transportation and Tylenol. There is a rising green Terrorism is not state-sponsored genocide. It is the bicycle culture, but that was not an option. infliction of havoc by non-government rogues against On July 11, 2010 with only an hour left in London, the entire civilized, democratic, capitalist, Judeoand a block from our hotel, we spied a flower display on Christian-Moslem community. It brings disruption, fear, Woburn Place, next to the British Medical Association. and destruction to a virtually defenseless and unsuspectAbve it was a blue plaque indicating that Charles ing civilian population. The deluded aggressors couch Dickens had lived nearby. their actions in pseudo-spiritual justification. We had walked this way several times in the previous During WW II, Ideologically and demonically driven days, but there were no flowers. We crossed the street monsters sought out Jews, Communists, gays and gypand to our sorrow the flowers marked the site of the July sies or Roma. They justified their bestiality with their 7, 2005, the 7/7 suicide bombing in London. On that pseudo-scientific Aryanism. day, four British Moslems, to demonstrate their opposiAcross the street from the London bus massacre is tion to the Iraq War, conspired to blow up three under- Tavistock Square Gardens, established in the 1820s. In ground trains and one red doubledecker bus. the center is a statute of Mahatma Gandhi, dedicated by A total of 56 people, including the suicide bombers, Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1968. Gandhi, a were killed. Seven hundred people were injured. The Hindu, the preeminent advocate of non-violent resistplaque attached to the iron fence listed the names of the ance, was himself the victim of a fellow Hindu’s assasthirteen bus victims, which included Miriam Hyman and sin’s bullets. Anat Rosenberg as well as English, Middle Eastern, and Taking the particular and generalizing to the whole, Asian sounding names. simplification and demonization are errors of logic. Al Attached to the flowers were grieving sentiments: Qaeda and Jihad represents a throwback to Crusade “Remembering all those we could not save & all those we mentality. A hatred and intolerance for the non-believer, did, with love + kindness, David Waxman; In loving perceived grievances, social and political alienation crememory, Nuna Abu Odiom; Never forget, Never Forgive, ate uncertainty and chaos for the vulnerable. R.I.P., March For England; Life goes on, but I still rememWe should cherish the memory of the fallen innocent ber and I will never forget. I hope you are all at peace. victims. We should make their memory a blessing, and Steph – a commuter; Dear Aunty, I love you so much and scrutinize the balance between security, over-reaction, miss you more and more every day. Thank you for watch- and the erosion of civil rights. Britain has thousands of ing over me. I will never forget you. I love you. Love always, unobtrusive strategically located surveillance cameras. Shona xxxxxx; Dearest Shayanu, Memories of you are ours On July 14, 2005, at a Trafalgar Square vigil, Chief to treasure, And you will live in our hearts forever. Uncle Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks urged the gathered to have Karuna, Gnana Anta & Shayan; and In memory of “the courage not to give terror the victory of making us Anat. Your laugh and smile are sorely missed. From all of angry and in our anger lose the values that make us what your colleagues at Action four Children. we are. Let that courage unite us now.” A few days earlier we were in Paris, driving along the On July 7, 2009, Prince Charles added to the prodiSeine. Our cab driver indicated we were passing the tun- gious British inventory of memorials by dedicating a nel where Princess Diane and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed permanent memorial in Hyde Park.

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L’Shanah Tovah from the ADL by THERESE VAUGHN-WEINER Anti-Defamation League Plains States When the Anti-Defamation League has a busy year, it often signifies a troubled time of economic uncertainty and increased bigotry. But while the nearly 100-year-old civil rights agency has been combating the recent rash of anti-Semitism, extremist threats, racism and xenophobia, the ADL also works proactively to inoculate against hate in all its forms. Such has been the case for the ADL Plains States Region over the past year. “The High Holy Days offer a positive occasion for us to reflect on the successes of the last 12 months and plan for the challenges of the next,” said ADL Regional Director Alan Potash. From the Midwest to the Middle East, the ADL has been on the move – standing strong against antiSemitism and prejudice on all fronts; advancing civil rights and promoting respect in the public square; educating students, teachers and families about bullying and

bias, and supporting Israel. One of the year’s most notable highlights was the passage of the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act (HCPA). As hate crimes continue to harm families, neighborhoods and entire communities, ADL’s experts have been joining law enforcement officials and community leaders in training on the new law, which enables the federal government to help state and local officials with the investigation and prosecution of bias-motivated crimes. Thirteen years in the making, HCPA was the direct result of ADL’s leadership in this area. It was signed into law during a time of increased extremist activity across the nation. The most serious threats included the shooting attack on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum by a longtime anti-Semite and white supremacist; a thwarted plot by four Muslim converts to bomb synagogues in Riverdale, NY; an alleged intent by the Hutaree Militia to kill police officers and spark an uprising against the

government and several other far-right extremist incidents. “While there is no way to legislate away racism, antiSemitism, homophobia and other forms of hate, the new law provides an important tool to confront criminal activity spurred by prejudice,” Potash said. ADL also continued to prevent hate before it takes root through its nationally-acclaimed education programs and diversity initiatives, including a dynamic No Place for Hate® campaign in schools throughout the region; cyberbullying prevention training for educators, students and parents; Confronting Anti-Semitism on Campus®; the annual Prejudice Elimination Workshop and Moral Courage Essay Contest; as well as education on religious freedom and interfaith sensitivity. “We know that our work this past year would not be possible without the interest and support of our community,” Potash said. “On behalf of the ADL, we wish everyone L’Shanah Tovah!”

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

A tapestry of wisdom

ROSH HASHANAH M ESSAGE RABBI JONATHAN GROSS Beth Israel Synagogue At a little after one in the morning, the lobby of the Newark, New Jersey, Marriot was still pretty crowded. The hotel was hosting the annual convention of the Rabbinic Council of America, and after a day of programming the hotel staff provided coffee urns and cake for those who wished to linger a bit before going to bed. While I certainly enjoy the formal daytime sessions that the conference offers, for me, the real draw of the conference that keeps me coming back every year are these latenight schmooze sessions with the other rabbis. Give a rabbi some coffee and cake and you never know what interesting stories and wisdom will emerge. On this particular night, the rabbis were swapping stories about Jews who had truly gone off the derech – strayed away from their Jewish roots. Some Rabbis told sad stories about teenagers who had descended into a downward spiral of drugs and crime. One Rabbi told an unusual story about a Jew who joined an obscure religious cult, only to discover that the cult guru was himself a Jew. There was the young lady who, in an effort to completely suppress her Jewish identity, had plastic surgery done specifically to get rid of her “Jewish nose.” She literally cut off her nose to spite her faith. Why is it that Jews run away from Torah and Mitzvot? Objectively, our Jewish tradition is perhaps the most beautiful and ornate tapestry of wisdom,

morality, and meaning that the world has ever known. The Bible is still the alltime best selling book. Our tradition has positively influenced all of mankind for millennia, and our ancestors were so deeply attached to their beloved heritage that they were time and again willing to fight to the death and lay down their lives against those who sought to separate them from the Torah. Yet, despite that, the statistics tell us that Judaism is currently being threatened not from persecution, but apathy and indifference. Could it be that the Torah that was so relevant to the world for so much of history has run its course and no longer speaks to the average person as it once did? Perhaps the rabbis should be pointing their fingers at nobody but themselves. Perhaps if they were more innovative in their presentation of the Torah to the masses then more people would be flocking to learn the Torah and observe mitzvot. Wherever the blame lies, pointing fingers is not going to solve the problem. All of us who love Torah and mitzvot and are proud to be Jewish have to take action. Every passionate Jew needs to be reaching out to those Jews whose souls have not yet been ignited by the light of the Torah. This year, look for opportunities to invite a fellow Jew to join you for Shabbat, or to learn some Torah, or to help with a particular mitzvah. By finding creative ways to share our love for Torah and Mitzvot with others, we - everyone can help to ensure that our beloved Jewish tradition will continue to thrive and positively influence the world.

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Fixing Ourselves, Fixing the World

ROSH HASHANAH M ESSAGE RABBI MORDECHAI LEVIN Beth El Synagogue In the town of Berditchev, where the famed Rabbi Levi Yitzhak (17401810) lived, there was a poor shoemaker. The man was so poor that to find customers he had to walk all over town looking for people who needed their shoes fixed. One day, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak was standing in the doorway of his house when the shoemaker passed by. The man cried out, “Rabbi, do you have anything that needs fixing?” Upon hearing these words, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak began to cry and said “Oy! Rosh Hashanah is coming and I have not spent time fixing my own soul!” Fixing our souls and our lives is a central idea of the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provide us the opportunity to take on this repair work, through reflection and repentance. This is the time to fix what must be repaired in our personal lives. Just as we spend time weighing the important factors of buying a new car or house or taking a new job, we must also consider what is important in our life. This is the time to look back on what has been and look ahead to what lies before us. So let us ask ourselves some questions before Rosh Hashanah. First: Have we lived our lives to the fullest, or have we wasted our time? Have we perhaps been prisoners of negative habits? Have we concentrated too

much on what we lack instead of what we have? Have we taken for granted the blessings we enjoy? Have we been chained to resentments and hatreds, petty thoughts and harsh words? Rosh Hashanah is our opportunity to repair ourselves, and to refine and improve our character. Second: Have we been readily available when our loved ones and friends needed us? Have we hurt others by being unkind or unfair? Have we mistreated people who work for or with us, criticizing them in a hurtful manner, or perhaps blaming them for something that was not their fault? Have we misled, cheated or humiliated others? Rosh Hashanah is our opportunity to repair our relationships with others. Third: Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel (1907-1972) wrote that there are three paths that lead to God. “The first is the way of sensing the presence of God in the world, in things; the second is the way of sensing God’s presence in the Bible; the third is the way of sensing God’s presence in sacred deeds.” Jewish religious services; the celebration of Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot and other Jewish holidays; the study of Torah and Judaism, and acts of lovingkindness are bridges between each individual and God. Do we sense the presence of God? Have we tried to cross these bridges? Rosh Hashanah is our opportunity to repair our relationship with God. Judaism does not suggest that we are perfect or that we are innately sinners. It Continued on page 51

September 3, 2010

The foxes in our vineyard

ROSH HASHANAH M ESSAGE RABBI ARYEH AZRIEL Temple Israel This season, the period of The Days of Awe, is about paying attention to the little foxes in our vineyards. Little matters are not unimportant obstacles on the path of a better life. In the “Song of Songs,” there is a verse about the little foxes that spoil the vineyard. The vineyard owner did not fear the lions. He could repel them for they made their presence known. But what of the small foxes that came in through the crack in the fence and spoiled an entire vineyard and ruined the work and toil of many months? The little foxes are more to be feared than the lions. The little foxes symbolize the little things that whittle away at our spirits. It is the little foxes that we have to be concerned about. Many of us have strength enough to resist the large temptations. Most of us would never commit a major evil act. We would never set fire to anyone’s house. I do not think we would allow our hostility to drive us to violent acts. It is the small temptations, the little hypocrisies, the minor duplicities, which destroy character and distort our values and our lives. Take the matter of religion. Most people do not reject religion entirely. Religion is not expelled from our lives with a huge blowout or explosion. No. We lose our religion by small leakage, day by day, because we do not relate ourselves to it. Because we allow weeks to pass without religious thought or a religious act. It seeps out in small droplets until there is nothing left. We come to the end of the year depleted. We have allowed our many small neglects to dissolve our faith. We give a nod to religion only in high dramatic moments and remove it from our daily lives by abandoning its disciplines, its symbols, its rituals, and its time of inspiration. What religion has to fear in our country is not dishonor. Religion is respected everywhere. I have not yet heard a candidate for political office admit that he had not been to church recently. Indeed, the frequency with which public officials and political candidates attend religious services work a hardship on photographers who must be there to photograph them in the transfigured pasture of worship. No, religion will never lose out in this country for lack of respect. Nor will it lose out because of any conflict with science. We know that there are limitations to science. We know that in addition to our skill and ingenuity in exploring space and in remodeling the landscape by great inventions, we need

values. Religion is superficial in America because our daily habits are based on entirely different, almost contradictory backgrounds. Day in and day out our behavioral patterns stem from other than religious values and traditions. Thus, when we come to moments of prayer, the service leaves us cold. There can never be significant public worship when our lives are essentially uninvolved with private devotion, personal prayer, home worship, and the habitual cultivation of the religious spirit. And so it is with character. When we allow ourselves a little lie, a seemingly harmless fabrication or twisting of the truth, we establish a destructive pattern. We call it a “white lie.” Or we say, “It really does not hurt anybody.” But do you know what happens? We strengthen our resistance to the truth. We tell a half truth. But a half truth is often a whole lie. We adjust ourselves to the seemingly inconsequential lie. We are promised atonement during this season. Our tradition says though our sins will be as scarlet, they will become white as snow. A forgiving God will forgive our major sins. God knows how frail is the flesh, how weak and prone to evil is the human being. God knows we sometimes become overwhelmed by a great tidal wave of temptation and then surrender our will and judgment to our appetites. Though our sins are as scarlet, however, they will be forgotten and forgiven. During this sacred time, I worry about sins that are gray, that are not very vivid and do not stand out like mountains. Little sins that are dull, prosaic, unsensational. What of these small sins? A man in a jungle once prayed, “Lord, deliver me from the flies. I can take care of the elephants.” I think we manage well with the elephants in the jungles of our lives. But what about the little hypocrisies, the lies of evasion, the insignificant polite lies, and the little resentments that poison our souls with hostilities by gossip. We are too civilized to go out and fight with someone. But we do nurse grudges. We are vindictive. We nourish a little jealousy and prejudice and it grows so big that it devours us. I am not worried about what we may do to another, but about what these little surrenders do to us, constantly weakening us, digging away at our character. Let us at this season, on the eve of 5771, each in the privacy of his or her heart and mind, think of the little foxes that destroy the vineyard. By arming ourselves against these minor evasions, perhaps we shall achieve a major triumph of character and of human dignity. L’Shanah Tova Tikkatevu.

Fixing Ourselves, Fixing the World Continued from page 50 asserts that we have two inclinations: One, to do good, and the other, to do bad. And through the Torah, God gave us instruction (the literal meaning of “Torah” is “instruction”) to help us control our bad inclinations and to cultivate our desire to do good. We cannot expect ourselves and others to be perfect. But we must demand from ourselves and others that we all do everything possible to avoid or to repair any damaging or hurtful behavior. One night, Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883) was returning home very late. As he walked through the streets, he noticed that a light was still burning in the home of the shoemaker. He

knocked on the door, entered the home and realized that the shoemaker might have trouble repairing the shoes in the dim light. “Why are you still sitting and working at such a late hour?” asked Rabbi Salanter. The shoemaker replied: “As long as the candle is still burning, there is still time to fix things.” Those words made a great impression upon Rabbi Salanter, and from then on he repeated them many times. “Do you hear?” Rabbi Salanter would ask. “As long as the candle burns, it is still possible to repair! As long as a person is alive and his soul is within him, he can still rectify his deeds.”

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 51

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September 3, 2010

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Being Jewish

ROSH HASHANAH M ESSAGE RABBI YITZCHAK MIZRAHI Beth Israel Synagogue Lighting Shabbat candles on Friday night; sitting around the Seder table crunching matzo and singing dayenu; hearing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah; celebrating a Bar/Bat Mitzvah when coming of age… All of these events are part of Jewish life as we know it. Take that away and we would not be able to identify our lives as Jewish. These elements of Jewish practice are some of the landmarks of a Jewish life, and without these tangible and very physical expressions of our tradition many of us would not feel the same Jewish vibe. But what does it really mean to be Jewish? There must be more to it than baking challah and throwing breadcrumbs into water on Rosh Hashanah! After all, three millennia of tenacious perseverance and sacrifice for the sake of keeping the tradition demonstrates that our ancestors found great meaning in this tradition, and not just for the food. I don’t have to be Jewish to eat a bagel with lox and cream cheese. And what’s with the pickled herring? I don’t even like that stuff! It is not for Shabbat afternoon naps either. Believe it or not, people who are not Jewish also sleep late on Saturday. So what does it mean to be Jewish? Granted, the holidays are very important. The practices we keep and the holidays we share create feelings of unity and likeness between one Jew and the next. The common elements of Judaism forge a family-like bond, providing familiarity and comfort wherever in the world a Jew may end up. However, even this falls short of defining the essence of being Jewish. We are facing something of a crisis of Jewish identity these days on a global level, and we need to confront it and redefine what it means to be Jewish. I need to know why I should care if my children remain Jewish. I need to know, more than that, why I, myself, should remain Jewish! In the last few centuries Jews have been at the forefront of new movements and revolutions. Jews have been the greatest proponents of change when it comes to world order and progress in societies and countries. Every new movement or ideology, for better or for worse, conspicuous-

ly has Jewish names in its highest levels. When it comes to changing Jewish tradition, however, it is easier to push a reluctant elephant uphill. The film Fiddler on the Roof portrays throughout its scenes that it is tradition, and no more than tradition, that makes Jewish communities behave and function the way they do. But it doesn’t explain why that is the tradition. Tevye, the dairyman, is a character who has some basic knowledge of Jewish tradition but no deeper understanding of the reasons behind those practices. “On the other hand,” Tevye struggles mightily to uphold the tradition. Professor Jaroslav Pelican of Yale University wrote: “Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” Our faith demands that we understand why we do what we do. We do not believe in blind faith and we are not a superstitious religion. Our tradition is not a dead tradition. We have a religion of questions. We accept nothing without a logical explanation. Our Passover Seder demonstrates this better than anything else. Why is this night different from all other nights? This is the theme of the Seder and this is the theme of the Jewish faith in general. The most important question that can be asked is “why.” At the same time, we must keep an open mind for understanding those answers and explanations. The great rabbi of Kelm, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, noted that “For the one who believes there are no questions and for the one who doesn’t there are no satisfactory answers.” What he means by that quote is that the believer will not allow his questions to affect his faith. The believer honestly and legitimately seeks the answers. He will not use the questions and his ignorance of the answers as an excuse to drop the faith. An intellectually honest person will not form any conclusions before researching a matter. Even then, if one fails to understand a piece of our tradition, and it is not for lack of trying and seeking, it will not undermine one’s entire faith. We don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. I don’t offer answers here to the meaning of Judaism. A righteous person will live according to his faith. I do, however, challenge everyone to search and explore Judaism to find its meaning. It certainly has a lot more to it than meets the eye.

I hate bagels

ROSH HASHANAH M ESSAGE RABBI ERIC LINDER Temple Israel I’m going to confess a secret. I hate bagels. I also don’t like lox or cream cheese. Don’t even get me started on gefilte fish. My parents are embarrassed. My dad is from Buffalo, and Mom grew up in Brooklyn. Their only child, THE RABBI, hates bagels? The shanda! If I’m feeling particularly confident, I might share this peccadillo with someone. The Family-Feud-Number-one response to my dietary preference confession is: “Are you sure you’re Jewish?” The bagel is holy (pause for the eye roll). It is the Torah of culinary custom for us Jews, binding us together along with Woody Allen, Sandy Koufax, and Chinese Food on Christmas. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are

coming up. (And yes, I promise not to speak about bagels on Yom Kippur.) During our collective voyage through the Machzor, I will invariably think of these wise words. I apologize to Mrs. Solomon; my Children’s Choir director taught me to sing them, but the powerof-the-written-Microsoft-Word does not allow me to insert musical interludes into the margins of the Jewish Press. Not yet, anyway. Here it is (achem achem): Jewish is more than a bagel. Jewish is more than a knish. Jewish is more than a matzah ball floating around in your soup. THIS is Torah. It was wisdom that seeped right into my squeaky-voicesinging soul. Since learning this pearl of Talmudic wisdom, I have gone to Hebrew High School, Jewish summer camp and Continued on page 53

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 53

Jewish Spirituality

ROSH HASHANAH M ESSAGE RABBI ILAN EMANUEL Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple, Lincoln Growing up I never considered myself a spiritual person. I was always Jewish and always considered myself a religious Jew. But spiritual? No. But some time before entering rabbinical school, I changed my mind. I realized, perhaps just in time to explain why I was so drawn to pursue a new path in life and become a rabbi, that I was in fact a spiritual person and that spirituality was an integral part of Judaism. Spirituality is an ever-present concept in Jewish life today. Jews, young and old, and of every stream of Judaism, are seeking spiritual meaning in Jewish practice. And many synagogues and other Jewish institutions are providing programs to satisfy their needs. But for many, the idea of spirituality is an uncomfortable fit with Judaism, an import from Buddhism and Christianity that is being foisted on Judaism, a square peg in a round hole. And some worry that spirituality is narcissistic and encourages us to see G-d as a source of personal pleasure or wish fulfillment. But perhaps the problem is that we do not have a particularly good working definition of spirituality. At its essence, spirituality is about “connection” and “meaning.” In seeking spiritual experiences we are looking to connect to something greater than ourselves. Such a

connection also provides meaning. Connecting to something greater means that we are not alone. It means that our lives have purpose and direction. It means that our existence matters by dint of the connection we have made to a higher being or cause. In the words of Rabbi Joseph Lookstien: “No person is alone when he can cling to a chain of tradition in which he is the latest link.” Both connection and meaning are found in abundance in Jewish thought and practice. Through prayer, ritual, study, pursuit of social justice and acting in keeping with the ethical mandates of Judaism, we connect to G-d and give meaning to our lives through that connection. But Jewish spirituality is distinctive in several ways. We generally think of spirituality as an individual pursuit. It is something we do for ourselves and often by ourselves to fulfill our personal spiritual desires. While Jewish spirituality is certainly about personal meaning, such meaning is inextricably linked to one's connection with others. We seek individual meaning in the context of the larger whole and find connection to each other and to G-d through belonging to and participating in the life of a Jewish community. To pursue Judaism as a solitary path makes as much sense as playing a solo game of baseball. Just as players on a team are defined by being part of the whole and find purpose in advancing the team's goals, Jews find meaning in relationship with our congregations and communities. We also tend to think of spiritual seeking as reflecting a primacy of feeling -- the calm of Buddhist meditation or the ecstatic joy of a revival meeting. This is certainly a part of Jewish tradition -- the joy we feel when singing

I hate bagels Continued from page 52 youth group retreats. I became a bar-mitzvah, got confirmed, and learned to lead services. I went to college, studied philosophy and history, and somewhere along my thirteen year stint of playing the how-many-student-loans-can-I-amass (I was quite good at it), I decided to apply to rabbinical school. Throughout all of those Jewish experiences … nary a bagel was eaten. I am being wholly honest (I’ll pause longer this time.) In Omaha, we love our Jewish community, and we love our bagels. Thousands of us (myself included; just sayin’) are active members of the facebook group: ‘Save the Bagel Bin!’ Bagels bring us together. B’nei mitzvah celebrations, weddings, funeral luncheons, birthday parties. Baby namings (Please at least agree with me that there is some discomfort about noshing on a schmear immediately after a bris?) God might bring the bread forth from the universe, but the bread certainly brings the Jews. As a professor of mine used to quip,

“Feed the Jews – fill the pews.” But the song goes, Jewish is MORE than the bagel. Well, if everyone’s eating bagels all the time, what is it? I don’t know what “it” is; I think back to the movie City Slickers, when the rabbi-of-western machismo (Jack Palance) tells Billy Crystal that the secret of life is ‘this one thing,’ as he lifts his finger. Crystal says, “Your finger?” I can’t define it for you, but I can tell you that … well … it’s more than a bagel. I mean, heck – I don’t like bagels, and I’m a rabbi for God’s sake! (pun intended) Mrs. Solomon taught me an important lesson early in my Judaic life. Jewish IS more than a bagel. Culture is important. We need our bagels, our songs, and the Fiddlers that play on our roofs. But, our culture has to be infused with some knowledge, some sort of intellectual rigor. The high holidays, with its praying, its apologizing, and certainly its fasting, provides us this opportunity. Otherwise, like the bagel, it’s just empty calories.

together in worship, the sadness of a memorial service, the quiet calm of silent prayer. But Jewish spirituality is found as much in the intellectual as it is in the emotional. For a Jew, spirituality is as much about understanding why we feel what we feel as it is about the feeling itself. It is about questioning and probing our feelings and about knowing the history and meaning of the practices that evoke them. In a famous poem by Edmond Fleg called “I am a Jew Because,” Fleg declares, “I am a Jew because the faith of Israel requires all the devotion of my heart.” But he also declares “I am a Jew because the faith of Israel demands no abdication of my mind.” We also tend to see spirituality as being concerned with the inner life of the soul, about distancing ourselves from the mundane and the material to attain a higher level of spiritual consciousness. Not so in Judaism. In Judaism the inner life of the soul is reflected in our mundane deeds and enhanced through our actions in this world. It is as much, if not more, about our behavior, about how we affect the world around us and how it affects us as it is about spending time in quiet contemplation. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner explains that “Judaism sees only one world, which is material and spiritual at the same time. The material world is always potentially spiritual…” Judaism is a tradition that is filled with authentic spirituality and that provides countless opportunities and tools for spiritual connection and meaning. As we approach the Days of Awe we are reminded that this is a season of spiritual change and renewal. The rest of the year we are mired in our regular lives, unable or unwilling to take stock and change direction. The High Holidays are an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are, to strive to be better than who we have been, and to commit to greater spiritual growth for the rest of the year. Shanah Tovah

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

For every season, there are Jewish holidays by GLORIA SHUKERT JONES Unlike secular holidays which always occur on a fixed date, our festivals and observances fall on different days of the month each year according to the Jewish calendar, but always within the same season. Some of our holidays last eight days; others only one or two. Some holidays are festive; others are serious and somber. Still others give us the opportunity to reminisce and regenerate our spirit. All are rich in tradition and their origins date back to Biblical times. And it is interesting to note that with the major Jewish holidays, there is some connection or emphasis on food or the avoidance of same. So it is either feast or fast, but food does play an integral part in our festivities. We begin our year of celebration in autumn, when we observe Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, which marks a new beginning for us. Apples and honey seem to be the food of choice for this holiday. Following ten days later is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, a time of asking G-d for forgiveness, fasting, and remembering dear departed loved ones. One year our hearts went out to Hurricane Katrina victims, wandering like the nomadic tribes of old, seeking divine direction in the process of rebuilding their lives. Recently, it has been the earthquake survivors in Haiti and Chile who have been aided in their recovery through faith, volunteers and generous donations. Judaism teaches us that despite the destruction in the world, there is also continuity and recovery. While much that we hold dear may be lost, it can be regained through our connection with one another and with G-d. The High Holy Days are followed by Sukkot. On this special occasion we adhere to the message of the book of Ecclesiastes concerning the brevity of all things, and the seasons when they are appropriate. We also build a sukkah, a little hut or temporary home that is disassembled after the holiday, which again perpetuates the idea that some things, like our seasons, are short-lived and fleeting, whereas the cyclical return of the seasons is everlasting. While the etrog and lulav may not actually be edible, they are still plants of the earth and used symbolically. Sukkot is concluded by the celebrations of Shimini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, joyous holidays that focus on a Jew’s connection to the Torah. The winter months herald the festival of lights, or Chanukah, a holiday children especially enjoy, as they receive money or gifts for eight days, spin the dreidel, light the menorah and eat potato latkes. But Chanukah also brings an additional example of endurance, alluding to that ancient time following the destruction of the temple, when a day’s supply of oil in the temple miraculously burned for eight days.

Tu B’Shvat is a late winter holiday, although it celebrates the new year of the trees, or when they first begin to form buds. In observance of this special day, Jews all over the world eat seven foods indigenous to those of the Holy Land and cited in the Torah, which include grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives and dates, as well as the grains. In the spring, a time of rebirth of all growing things, Pesach and Purim are festive and eagerly anticipated. These two holidays did not start out happily, but like the lyrics of a song I learned in choir: “In every age, a hero or sage came to our aid.” In those days, the hero and heroine at the time of the first Pesach and Purim were Moses and Esther, respectively. Purim represents the liberation of the Jewish people in Persia, who were saved from Haman’s plot to annihilate

them. Thanks to the intervention of Esther, who later became the wife of King Ahasuerus, Haman’s plot backfired, and he was put to death instead. Purim is celebrated by the reading of the Megilah, and feasting on Hamantaschen, triangular-shaped fruit or poppy-seedfilled pastries, which are supposed to represent Haman’s hat. This is a holiday of merriment and masquerade parties, and an exchange of treats, such as fruit, candies, nuts and other goodies. Pesach is an eight-day holiday, commemorating the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and begins on the first two nights with a seder that reenacts the exodus from the bondage in Egypt. The familiar items on the seder plate, especially matzah or unleavened bread, are symbolic of the hurried flight to freedom, when there was no time for bread to rise in the heat of the desert. Following the reading of the Haggadah, asking the four questions, and hiding the

L’Shanah Tovah RehabVisions wishes you a good year and good health.

Afikomen, we indulge in the Passover feast. In the ensuing week, we eat no bread or items with leavening or “chometz”. Lag B’Omer occurs in late spring/early summer. This is a festive holiday and often a time for weddings, parties and B’nai Mitzvah celebrations. It dates back to the early second century. Summer holidays include Shavuot, which means “weeks”, and signifies the seven weeks in which the Jews prepared to receive the Torah from G-d. The customs of this 3000-year-old holiday include decorating one’s home with flowers, Torah readings and eating dairy foods. It’s a holiday where you can have a guiltless excuse to indulge in such delights as creamcheese-filled blintzes and cheesecake. Also in summer we observe Tisha B’av, a sad commemoration of the destruction of the first and second temples, a day of fasting and prayer. Other tragic events in Jewish history have occurred at about the same time, one several years ago, when Jewish settlers were ousted from the Gaza Strip and West Bank in Israel. That summer I volunteered for the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, poring over past issues of the “Jewish Press” to select front-page headlines for their exhibit. I came across an editorial written in the early 1940’s, that compared the maltreatment of Jews by the Nazis to the exodus of the ancient Jews from Egypt. The author profoundly observed that history always repeats itself. Little did he know at that time that the worst (the Holocaust) was yet to come. Another article dating back to the beginning of World War II tells about the first trainload of Jewish refugees taken to concentration camps. These events occurred right around Tisha B’av of that year. The week I read these old articles coincided with the then current disengagement in Israel. I couldn’t help but note that history was indeed repeating itself once again, and unfortunately, once too often for the Jews. When we are young, we think things and people will last forever, but we soon learn that is not the case. We suffer losses and disappointments, trials and failures, but we always recover, and manage to recoup much of what has been sacrificed. Our traditions uphold both the idea of transcience, where nothing stays the same, and endurance where centuries-old traditions still prevail. In Judaism and its tenets there is an indestructible force that can never be swept away by storms or earthquakes, diminished by death or displacement, or obliterated by despots or terrorism. Indeed, for everything there is a season; for every season, there are sacred occasions upon which we variably reflect, rejoice, or reinforce the spirituality, family cohesiveness, and permanence of the Jewish religion.

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Page 55

5770 Year in Review

5770 in Israel: Diplomatic crises, but economic prosperity by LESLIE SUSSER JERUSALEM (JTA) -- For Israel, the Jewish year 5770 was characterized by ups and downs in relations with the United States, a virtual stalemate in Middle East peacemaking and growing international alienation. Last November, after months of intense U.S. pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a temporary freeze on new construction building in West Bank settlements -- a move designed to create conditions for a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians. But the freeze was only for 10 months, did not include some 3,000 units already started and did not apply to construction in eastern Jerusalem. The Palestinians, convinced that President Obama would exert even heavier pressure on Israel on the core issues of dispute -- borders, Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and the nature of a future Palestinian state -without their having to negotiate, highlighted the lacunae and rejected calls to return to the peace table. As a compromise, special U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell proposed indirect negotiations under U.S. auspices. By early March, both sides had agreed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;proximity talks,â&#x20AC;? with Mitchell shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden travThe U.N. report on the Gaza eled to the region to war by Richard Goldstone announce the breakfound Israel guily of possible through, but during his war crimes and became a visit an Israeli Interior diplomatic headache for the Ministry planning comCredit: U.N. Jewish state. mittee approved plans for 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem on the east side of the pre1967 border -- what most of the world still considers the West Bank. The move prompted the Palestinians to retract their agreement to participate in proximity talks and infuriated the Obama administration. U.S. officials blamed Israel for what they saw as a deliberate slight calculated to torpedo their peace efforts. In an angry 43-minute telephone conversation, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reprimanded Netanyahu, insisting that Israel freeze the Ramat Shlomo project and agree to discuss all the core issues in the proximity talks. Netanyahu explained that the planning committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s announcement had taken his government by surprise as much as it had the Americans, made it clear that there would be no building in Ramat Shlomo for at least two years, and agreed to put the core issues on the table. Parallel to the U.S.-led peacemaking endeavor, the Palestinians stepped up unilateral efforts to create a framework for statehood, focusing on law and order, economic viability and institution building. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad made no secret of his intention to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;a well-functioning state in just about every facet of activityâ&#x20AC;? by mid-2011, whether or not any peace agreement with Israel had been reached. After weeks of bickering, the proximity talks finally were launched in early May, after the Palestinians received the go-ahead from the Arab League. Neither side expected to achieve much. It seemed both had agreed primarily to engage to avoid American censure. With ties strained between Washington and Jerusalem, Obama invited Netanyahu to the White House for a meeting that was to patch up the strains in the relationship and provide a positive image in contrast with an earlier, low-profile meeting in March that included no public component or photo op. The meeting was delayed several weeks due to Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commando raid aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla from Turkey on May 31. But when the two leaders finally met on July 6, the two projected a public display of warmth. The meeting resulted in no new pressure on Israel. Rather, the Americans exhorted the Palestinians to move from proximity talks, which were not making headway, to direct negotiations between the parties -the position favored by Israel. The meeting also cleared up earlier tensions over Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presumed nuclear weapons program. In late May, the United States had backed the final commu-

nique of a monthlong Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference calling for a nuclear-free Middle East and calling specifically on Israel to sign the NPT. In their meeting, Obama assured Netanyahu that despite his long-term vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, the United States would continue to back Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy of nuclear ambiguity under which Israel does not confirm or deny possession of nuclear weapons or sign the NPT. Although Israel and the United States were in agreement that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, Israel was skeptical about the international communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will to take significant action to prevent it. In mid-February, the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, came to Israel to underline Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opposition to a pre-emptive Israeli strike

on Iran. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I worry a great deal about the unintended consequencesâ&#x20AC;? [of an attack against Iran], Mullen said. The prospect of an Israeli strike, however, significantly diminished following the adoption in early June of new, tougher sanctions against Iran by the U.N. Security Council. Perhaps the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prominent development was a major erosion of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international standing. The downward trend began with the Goldstone report on the Gaza war, released in September 2009, which accused Israel of possible â&#x20AC;&#x153;war crimesâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;crimes against humanityâ&#x20AC;? in its war with Hamas in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. Although the report was widely dismissed as biased and deeply flawed, the damage to Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s image was Continued on page 64

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

What being Jewish means to me BERT’S EYE VIEW

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You know the words that are recited just before the four questions are asked at the Passover seder? The ones that mean “why is this night different from all other nights?” No, I don’t have my holidays mixed up. I know it’ll soon be erev Rosh Hashanah, but my question still is relevant, because it leads me to ask “How are we, as Jews, different from others?” Or, for that matter, are we? Since we love discussion and differences of opinion, and, truth be told, a little gentle arguing, let’s try to take that as a serious question. I don’t think we’re really different, but we do have our differences when compared to others. People everywhere and from all backgrounds love books and reading; or maybe we should narrow that down to education. Nobody would disagree that as Jews we hold education in a very high place on the list of things that matter. From the most serious attitude all the way to jokes.....or insults. As in “when my people were studying Scripture and philosophy, yours were still swinging in the trees!” The other side of that coin reminds me of the very old shtetl tale, the one that tells how on the first day a small child is introduced to school, a drop of honey is placed on his tongue. Why? So that he may associate learning with a sweet taste in his mouth. Folklore? Maybe. Who’s to say it wasn’t a usual practice - were you there to confirm or deny? Ah yes....education. Certainly we can claim the truth in the pronouncement that Jews revere education. Period. More than others? Since I don’t know how to measure that, I’ll go on to the next thought on the subject. Let’s talk about humor. Do we tend to laugh at ourselves more than our non-Jewish friends? How come so many successful, professional comedians are Jewish? Is that a coincidence, or is there something about us that makes it easy to stand up in front of a crowd and make outrageously funny remarks about anything even vaguely connected to Judaica? The professionals like to find all sorts of psychological reasons why we can do that. Some bring in the centuries of anti-Semitism - we’re accustomed to slurs and insults being hurled at us, after all these centuries. So why not move into the driver’s seat, and take charge. After all, if there’s going to be a spotlight shining on us, why shouldn’t we decide where to aim the bright light? Far-fetched? Maybe. Another little tidbit to mull over, while remembering that since the beginning of organized entertainment, Jews have certainly kept pace with non-Jewish fellow artists. I guess it would be possible to keep going with example after example of the things that either make us stand out as different, or to illustrate the sameness between Jews and non-Jews. But of course, it’s the differences that most interest me. Let’s talk about family.....of course we can picture everything from three generations gathered around a seder table to a beautifully lit dining room table graced with a big Easter ham (excuse me) as the centerpiece. The family gathered around the latter

will certainly look like they’re feeling as blessed as any other. But wait a minute.....does the great-grandpa presiding over the Easter dinner kvell like the one at the seder? I mean the one who’s looking at the beloved child, about to ask the four questions? I don’t know.....it depends on which table you’d be most apt to take your place. Maybe that’s going too far to make a point, except for this: Who can argue about the joy with which we Jews embrace our families? Yes, of course everyone feels pride and love and devotion to family, but check out the expression on the face of the parents, standing on the bimah next to their 13 year old son! I’m reminded of a bar mitzvah I attended some years ago, when the Dad was so overcome with emotion he was nearly unable to speak the words he had painstakingly composed, words that spoke of his wishes for his son as he approached manhood. Well, it’s easy to get carried away when sentimentality enters into the discussion. And I have to admit, tears aside, I really don’t know if being born a Jew has had a great impact on my life. I don’t think any other set of parents could have instilled the kinds of feelings in me that have made me the kind of woman I am. We Jews really do go a little nuts when it comes to making our kids the best they can be......or would you say all good parents do that? The ones that make the kids get up early Sunday morning to go to church undoubtedly care as much as the ones who see to it that the camp isn’t just any camp, but rather that it’s a fine Jewish camp. Again, when trying to compare notes between “us and them”, it’s such a nebulous area. But there are differences. How is it that most of us could find ourselves in a gathering of some hundred strangers and somehow, before long, find another member of our tribe? Do we automatically drift toward each other? Why? All I know is this. Such things have happened to me more times in my life than I can count. Somehow we do feel the presence of another person with whom we might have more in common than one could imagine. Why is that? Are you rolling your eyes at this point? I understand. I just know what I know. And that’s simply the fact that we can find each other in a big group. I don’t have any special radar, nor does anyone else. Except for our Jewishness. I’ve written all these words without once using that one: Jewishness. I don’t even know if the newest dictionary acknowledges it, but it’s very apt, and so I’m using it. Maybe that’s the word I’ve been trying to come to terms with, Jewishness. It’s something that enables us to be in a strange city many thousands of miles from home, and find somebody with whom we’re soon comparing notes on any subject. Somebody with whom we feel a comfortable kinship, somebody we know we could soon call a friend. What is that? May I test your patience and tell you a story I’m sure I’ve told you in the past? I hope you don’t remember, because it so perfectly illustrates what I’ve been trying to say, and it’s worth retelling. It’s about an incident that occurred some years ago, when my late dear husband and I were in Italy. We were enjoying the trip as a gift to ourselves for our 50th anniversary, and were doing a lot of sightseeing. While strolling in a busy neighborhood, I noticed a small shop that appeared to sell antiques and Continued on page 57

September 3, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 57

Jewish Organizations B’NAI B’RITH HENRY MONSKY LODGE #3306 President, Gary Javitch; Treasurer, Alvin Abramson; Sgt. of Arms, Gerald Meyer; Breadbreakers Co-Chair; Marty Ricks; Banquet Chair, Howard Shandell; Trustee, Steve Riekes; Mike Abramson, Rich Juro and Aaron Weiner. FRIEDEL JEWISH ACADEMY President, Bruce Potash; Past President, Susan Witkowski; Secretary, Ruti Margalit; Treasurer, Jerry Gordman; Board Members: Joel Alperson, Harry Berman, Bonnie Bloch, Saundra Clarke, Debbie Denenberg, Tippi Denenberg, Donald Gerber, Josh Gurock, Cookie Katskee, Alan Kohll, Erika Lucoff, Yaffa Podbilewicz-Schuller, Lloyd Roitstein, Susie Shyken, Jeff Stein, Julie Stein and Harry Weiner; Ex-officio: Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Mordechai Levin; Principal: Ron Giller. L.O.V.E. (LEAGUE OFFERING VOLUNTEER SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY) President, Judy Brookstein; Immediate Past Presidents, Eileen and Miles Remer; Fundraising: Committee; Membership, Leslie Kully; Recording Secretary, Kathy Weiner; Treasurer, Esther Wax; Directors: Phyllis Aron, Doris Alloy, Harry Alloy, Audrey Epstein, Beth Friedman, Dora Goldstrom, Gloria Goodman, Denise Ipock,

Ilse Kahn, Howard Kaplan, Judy Katskee, Mark Kazor, Renee Kazor, Wendy Manvitz, Jim Polack, Iris Ricks, Natalie Rubin, of Blessed Memory; Tootie Simon, Sheila Tomps, and Jim Wax.

Cari Green, Kelly Kirk, Rocky Lewis, Sonia Tipp, Holly Weill; Nominating Committee Chair, Sandy Epstein, Immediate Past Presidents: Nikki Kirshenbaum and Andee Scioli.

MAINSTREETERS COMMITTEE MEMBERS Harry Alloy, Doris Alloy, Ida Banner, Jack Noodell, Ilene Pachman, Rose Pitlor, Susan Rothholz, Tootie Simon, Suzanne Singer, Rocky Stern, Linda Abrams-Tederman and Jim Wax. Executive Director Jewish Social Services/RBJH, Mike Silverman; Director of Activities and Outreach Programs, Maggie Conti.

NEBRASKA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY President, Debbi Josephson; Vice-President, Beth Staenberg; Secretary, Rocky Stern; Treasurer, Don Dandy; Past President, Ira Nathan; Ex officio, Louise Abrahamson, Bob Belgrade, Joanie Bernstein, Midge Bowers, Helen Epstein, Lois Friedman, Oliver Pollak, Helen Rifkin; Advisor, Oral Histories, Ben Nachman; Advisor, Exhibits and Archives, Doug Hartman. Board members: Ron Brodkey, Beverly Fellman, Michael Gendler, Sue Millward, Gary Javitch, Nan Katz, Rocky Lewis, Vicki Perlmeter, Caryn Rifkin, Dick Rochman, Larry Roffman, George Shafer, Sissy Silber, Honorary Member, Max Neiden, Executive Director, Renee Ratner Corcoran.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMENOMAHA SECTION Presidents, Beth Friedman and Wendy Raffel; Vice-Presidents of Community Service, Kate Kirshenbaum and Michelle Hoberman; Vice-Presidents of Fundraising, Jan Fischer and Melinda Graham; Vice-Presidents of Membership, Jaime Nogg and Melissa Shapiro; Vice-Presidents of Public Affairs and Education, Sara Juster and Nancy Skid; Vice-President of Public Relations, Tippi Denenberg; Treasurer, Iris Ricks; Corresponding Secretary, Lori Kooper-Schwarz; Financial Secretary, Julie Martin; Recording Secretary, Lisa Lucoff; Parliamentarians/By Laws, Debbie Friedman and Dottie Rosenblum; Directors: PJ Feinstein,

OMAHA CHAPTER OF HADASSAH CABINET President, Georgia Ann Steinberg; Treasurer, Esther Wax; Secretary, Myrna Grumer; Trees, Bette Kozlen and Madelyn Katzman; Life Membership Chair and Newsletter, Harriet Klopper; Publicity Coordinator, Gloria Shukert Jones; Chapter Greeting Cards and Courtesy, Maxine Noodell and Sandy Kohll.

What being Jewish means to me Continurd from page 56 various oddities. We wandered in to just look around and quickly realized we were the only customers. The proprietor was a woman of a certain age, as the smart set might say, and she stood in a dim corner, watching. She didn’t greet us or even nod, though I think I spoke to her. She just watched as I looked around, picking up this chotchke or that. Then, all of a sudden I noticed something familiar on a wall - it was a JNF Blue Box, or as some might call it, a pushkah. I nudged Leonard and pointed “with my nose” to the blue box, thinking the tough old Italian lady hadn’t noticed. Much to my surprise, she suddenly came to life. She walked over to us, smiled, and said: “Shalom!” All of a sudden, we were ok....we were fellow Jews. All was friendly from that point, and while I don’t remember buying anything, we left the shop with a warm feeling for a total stranger.....a

Jewish woman we’d never seen before and would never see again. It’s a true story, and although it happened some 15 years ago, I’ll always remember it. I still can’t give an intelligent definition of the word ‘Jewishness’, nor do I know if it’s acceptable as a real word, but I find it very useful when trying to describe a certain something. Personally, I love being a Jewish woman. I love so many things about it.....I love the traditions and the customs, I love Yiddish as a language that can sometimes be the only way to say something! I love the humor and the built-in chutzpah we all recognize in each other. I love remembering how it was when I was a child and was fortunate enough to have two sets of grandparents....all of whom spoke mostly Yiddish. I love remembering how it was to sit in shul between my mom and my Bubbe, knowing I had to sit quietly and not squirm. I don’t

know what I love most of all, but if I had to choose one memory, it would be of a Thanksgiving that turned out to be the last one for my late Father. He and my Mom, my brother and his family, and my husband and our children were around our table. My Dad looked around and said “let’s say a Shehecheyanu.” I know he was feeling a very special moment of gratitude...of thankfulness for his family around him. I remember swallowing hard and blinking back tears, because I was feeling the same sense of pleasure....of family. I’ll leave you with that little vignette, hoping it illustrates what I’ve been trying to put into words. In addition, I offer you my good wishes for a healthy and happy new year. Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis39@ aol.com.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: Talmudic Trivia and Midrashic Miscellany STAYING IN TOUCH by OZZIE NOGG It’s probably acceptable for a layman to write about minor Jewish festivals and fast days. Explaining Tisha B’Av or 17 Tammuz, for instance, takes no special knowledge. And a person can’t get into deep trouble discussing Purim, Hanukkah or Passover, even if that person has no Ph.D. in Judaic Studies. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, on the other hand, should be approached with caution, and we amateurs who choose to write about sin, repentance, judgment and forgiveness, risk committing grievous theological or philosophical gaffes. So I’ll stick to the relative safety of Talmudic trivia and midrashic miscellany, plus the customs and folklore that surround the Jewish New Year. Use any or all of the following to enhance your understanding of these awesome days. • • • • • For openers... Is Rosh Hashanah really the birthday of the world? Well, the Hebrew letters in the word bereshit (in the beginning) can be rearranged to form the words 1 Tishri -- the date of Rosh Hashanah -- so who needs more proof?! Then again, another midrash says the world was created on 25 Elul, which means Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishri) falls on the sixth day of Creation -- the day God

made man. The logic? The beginning of humanity marked the real beginning of Creation. • • • • • We can’t discuss the New Year without discussing the shofar, said to echo the conscience-stricken human voice. Think about it. Tekiah is a deep moan. Teruah, a wavering sob. And Shevarim, a broken groan. According to folklore, these sounds -- one hundred in all -- are tenderly carried to God by special angels. • • • • • Don’t eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah. Why? Because the Hebrew word for nuts (through some Gematric wizardry) has the same numerical value as the Hebrew word for sin. And why eat apples and honey? Because God’s presence, according to the Zohar, is like an apple orchard. When making tzimmis, cut the carrots in rounds so they look like coins. This will bring a sweet, prosperous year. And the challah served on Rosh Hashanah should be round, too, so your year will roll smoothly with no bad bumps. • • • • • To give tzedakah before a holiday is important. To give tzedakah before Yom Kippur is imperative. Charity, along with prayer and repentance, is central to Yom Kippur. So pick your favorite cause and send a check. • • • • • Remember, if a person comes to you before Yom Kippur and apologizes for a wrong he committed against you, you must forgive him. Don’t hold grudges and don’t seek vengeance. If you don’t forgive those who did you wrong, your

prayers will not be heard on Yom Kippur. According to tradition, only one who forgives will have his own sins forgiven. • • • • • You can even ask forgiveness of the dead. Simply go with ten men to the grave of the injured party and ask forgiveness while you walk around the grave three times (barefooted, preferably). If the grave is too far away for you to visit, you may send others to offer your apology. All of which proves it’s never too late to make peace with neighbors and family. Try it. • • • • • For any of you unfamiliar with schlogging kappores, here’s the simple formula. On the day before Yom Kippur, swing a live hen or rooster around your head three times while saying, “This is my substitute, my atonement. This bird will die but I will live a long, pleasant and peaceful life.” Having thus transferred your sins to the fowl, you slaughter the bird and give its meat to the poor. The Hebrew word, gever, means both rooster and man, so the fowl does seem a logical scapegoat. Today, charity money wrapped in a handkerchief is commonly used instead of the rooster, but without the flying feathers the whole ceremony looses most of its charm, if you ask me. • • • • • Kol Nidre. The prayer that stirs our souls and psyches is really just a legal statement releasing us from all vows and obligations made from this Yom Kippur to the next. Rabbis have long debated the merits of Kol Nidre, fearing its intent can be misunderstood by Jew and nonJew alike. Does Kol Nidre allow us to

New Year Greetings

blithely make promises we don’t intend to keep? Do the words mean Jews can’t be trusted? How can we vow “unwittingly”, and how can Kol Nidre cancel vows made to this One but not to that one? There are rabbinic explanations for all of this, of course, but maybe we should just follow the advice of the Talmud and not vow at all. • • • • • Al Chet (for the sins) is one of the most important prayers of Yom Kippur. Interestingly enough, the word chet doesn’t mean sin, but to miss the mark. In other words, we’re not wicked. We’re just a bit off target. • • • • • And finally. It’s customary to start building your sukkah immediately after you get home from Yom Kippur services. Just hammer in one nail. This act shows that our devotion to God never stops and that our observance of His mitzvot is continuous. • • • • • So. L’Shanah Tovah Tikatev. May you be inscribed for a good year! And Gemar Hatimah Tovah. May the final verdict be a favorable one! And, next year in Jerusalem, or -- lacking that -- may you find yourself in a warm, dry place with family and friends around you. Peace, peace, everyone. To the far and the near. Ozzie Nogg’s features take a slightly offbeat look at the history and observance of Jewish holidays, festivals and life-cycle events. For a peek inside her book -Joseph’s Bones: A Collection of Stories -visit her website -- http://www.rabbis daughter.com.

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Synagogues

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE BOARD OF TRUSTEES President, Beverly Fellman; Vice-Presidents, Jon Jabeinis, Janie Murow and Lloyd Roitstein; Secretary, Sharon Brodkey; Treasurer, Allan Noddle; Past President, Steve Pitlor; Stan Edelstein, Glen Fineman, Sandee Friedman, Margie Gutnik, Mark Kelln, Jeffrey Kirshenbaum, Bruce Kutler, Sheldon Lerner, Steve Levy, Lisa Lieb, Adeev Potash, Roni ReiterPalmon, Juliana Reno, Joel Rich, Ari Riekes, Judy Rubin, Linda Saltzman, Beth Schlossberg, Wayne Schwarz, Ben Shapiro, Alan Shulewitz, Scott Simon, Marcie Spivack, Mindy Tene, Alan Tipp, and Jan Wayne. MEN’S CLUB: President, Steven Levy; Finance, David Finkelstein; Religious, Glen Fineman; Social, Mark Kelln; Membership, Michael Schop; Secretary, Andy Raffel; Past President, Scott Simon; At Large, Jason Hoberman, Kevin Saltzman, Matt Shapiro SISTERHOOD: President, Marcie Spivack, Treasurer, Heather Kelln; Boutique, Susan Witkowski; Past President, Caryn Rifkin USY: President, Adeev Potash; VicePresident/Israel programming, Noam Margalit; Membership/Kadima, Brad Kutler; Religion/ Education, Ari Brodkey; Social Action/Tikun Olam, Lilly Phillips; Communications, Naomi Zipursky; Treasurer/Purim Carnival, Aaron Zipursky. B’NAI MITZVAH Ethan, son of Julie Potash Alyssa, daugther of Karla & David Cohen Benjamin, son of Sheri & Gregory Dietrich Andrew, son of Janet & Harry Klein Jenny, daughter of Marina & Dmitriy Libov Samuel, son of Lisa Lieb Maddie, daughter of Felicia & Mark Weaver Jessica, daughter of Diane & Howard Shandell Elissa, daughter of Audrey & Richard Wiener Sarah, daughter of Nancy & Howard Kutler Alec, son of Laurie & Jeffrey Epstein, and Ellie & Alexander Fields Ben, son of Jane & Michael Snyder Zachary, son of Julie & David Stein Alexandra, daughter of Rachel & Michael Pichik BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS President, Guy Matalon; Vice Presidents, Alex Grossman, Alan Kricsfeld, and Bruce Goldberg; Treasurer, Joshua Gurock; Secretary, Rachel Kanner. Board Members: Howard Gendelman, Lesley Gendelman, Julee Katzman, Bette Kozlen, Debbie Kricsfeld, Susan Polack, Bruce Potash, Zoë Riekes, Dani Shrago, Susie Shyken, Jeff Stein and Harry Weiner. All past presidents who are members in good standing are members of the board. SISTERHOOD CABINET MEMBERS: President, Tobye Swichkow; Executive Committee: Shirley Goodman, Julee Katzman, Bette Kozlen, Susie Shyken, and Debbie Kricsfeld. All past Sisterhood presidents are members of the Board. B’NAI MITZVAH Max, son of Kathy & Harry Weiner Max, son of Susan and James Polack CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN BOARD MEMBERS President, Marc Shkolnick; Vice President, Sue Schreiber; Secretary, Maureen Lobb; Treasurer, Mark Intermill; Kevin and Stacy Balter, Tracy Gordon, Nancy Intermill, Eleanor Shirley Kirkland, Fishel Liberman, John Mosow, and Lori Schwartz. B’NAI MITZVAH Rachele, daughter of Lori Raphael and Andrew Merliss Rachel, daughter of Stacy and Kevin Balter

TEMPLE ISRAEL BOARD OF TRUSTEES President, John Lehr; President-Elect, Sally Kaplan; Vice-Presidents, Mike Norton and John Waldbaum; Secretary, Stacey Rockman; Treasurer, Katherine Finnegan; Assistant Treasurer, Jordana Glazer; Past-President, Jon Meyers; Board Members: Sharon ComisarLangdon, Alan Fredricks, Edward Friedland, Marlen Frost, Mike Halsted, Jill Idelman, Jordan Jensen, Judy Josephson, Gary Kaplan, Dan Marburg, Paul Miller, Susie Norton, Magda Peck, Paul Rabinovitz, Rob Reiss, Jane Rips, Susan Rothholz, Howard Shrier, Michael Silverman, Mimi Silverman, and Dorothy Spizman. OMAHA TEMPLE YOUTH GROUP: President, Jordan Jensen; Programming VicePresident, Zane Fletcher; Social Action VicePresident, Sam Burrell; Religious/Cultural VicePresident, Hannah Perry; Membership VicePresident, Morissa Miller and Rachel Scheet; Communications and Visual Vice President, Sophie Goldberg; Special Projects Coordinator, Sophia Miller; JYG Liasion, Hannah Budwig WOMEN OF REFORM JUDAISM-OMAHA: President, Susie Norton; President-Elect, Mimi Silverman; Past-President, Danielle Gordman; Vice-President of Membership, Marlen Frost; Vice-President of Development, Rosie Zweiback; Vice-President of Religious Action, Mary Wampler; Vice-Presidents of Programming, Joi Brown and Kate Kaminsky; Vice-President of Finance/Treasurer, Erica Rubin; Vice Presidents of Public Relations, Sherrie Saag; Vice President of Young Family Programs, Dana Kaufman and Theresa Kramer-Ruback; Vice Presidents of Religious Living, Stacie Brodkey and Jennifer Miller; Director, Bonnie Leiserowitz B’NAI MITZVAH Jacob, son of Jill and Bruce Baron Will, son of Mona Jones and Ron Beach Courtney and Madison, daughters of Mary Wampler and Phillip Bierman Hannah, daughter of Larry Budwig and the late Kirsten Budwig Sara, daughter of Marla and Robert Cohen John, son of Teresa and Lewis Eirinberg Madison, daughter of November and Steve Eisenberg Maxwell, son of Tamara Field and Larry Gendler Jack, son of Katherine Finnegan and David Gilinsky Eden, daughter of Julie and Bennett Ginsberg Danny, son of Jennifer and John Glazer Shaylie, daughter of Kerry and Michael Hollst Hannah and Leah, daughters of Lori and Michael Miller Spencer, son of Karli and Jody Newman Armand, son of Nancy Nogg Justin, son of Susan and Michael Norton Sarah, daughter of Karen Schliefert and Michael Prescott Brooke and Tyler, daughter and son of Heidi and Scott Schneiderman Abigayle, daughter of Sarah Schondelmeyer Max, son of Martha and David Slosburg Rachel, daughter of Cindy and Brian Stoneking Jacob, son of Wendy and John Vann Katelin, daughter of Amee and Ted Zetzman Zane, son of Linda and Todd Zimmerman TIFERETH ISRAEL BOARD MEMBERS President, Lou Halperin; Vice-President, Ken Bloom; Secretary, Lucy Bowers; Trustee’s, Pinkie Neiden, Marlon Weiss, and Rifka Keilson; New Member Chair, Jeffrey Payne; Treasurer, Howard Feldman; Allan Hersch, Nancy Coren, Dan Friedman, Dennis Kornbluh B’NAI MITZVAH Rachele, daughter of Lori Raphael and Andrew Merliss Sarah, daughter of Cindy and Dennis Kornbluh Marina, daughter of Alisa Kushner and Benjamin Kushner Zoe, daughter of Jamie and Jerry Watch

Page 59

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Page 60

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Births in 5770 Chana and Avraham, twins of Aviva and Yosi Applebaum Max Charles, son of Deb and Matt Baum Esther Rose, daughter of Katie and Chris Bauer Delilah Marie, daughter of Shannon and Russell Bennett Ari Rhys, son of Chris and Matt Blumkin Jacob Alexender, son of Misty Murphy and Aaron Bowers Brynn Olivia, daughter of Nava Halpern and Chris Clymer Elisheva Bracha, daughter of Elchon and Chaya Rochel Emanuel Eli Louis, son of Stephanie and Rabbi David Eshel Oliver Hershel, son of Cristi and Kevin Finkel Asher Lior, son of Rebecca and David Finkelstein Evey Sarah Rose, daughter of Ruth and Dan Friedman Kal-El Aurelio, son of Renee and Andy Garivay Miriam Ellis, daughter of Eliva Stephnova and Mike Ginsburg Jacob Wayne, son of Laura and Eric Givner Zoe Ann, daughter of Becca and Derek Groothuis Raya Liba, daughter of Miriam and Rabbi Jonathan Gross Judah David, son of Sara and Ari Kohen

Joshua Lewis, son of Elizabeth and David Kulakofsky Samantha Nicole, daughter of Sarah and Tim Lake Miriam Aviva, daughter of Amanda Fisher and Naomi Leiserowitz Isaiah Lee, son of Marci and Derek Mainus Nachum Marcovitz, son of Tziporah and Max Marcovitz Kooper David, son of Robyn and Chad Menin Audrey Isabelle, daughter of Jamie and Troy Meyerson Yael, daughter of Rabbi Yitzchak and Talia Mizrahi Owen Abraham, son of Leslie and Todd Mogil Liam Riekes Parcel, son of Carin and Andrew Parcel Eliyahu Tzvi, son of Jean and Phillip Paley Estella “Estee” Vivienne, daughter of Katy and Joe Platt Leo George, son of Marti and George Poulos Eliezer Zacharia, son of Dr. Jessica Kalender-Rich and Adam Rich Shmuel Dov, son of Shani and Yosef Richtman Sophie Pearl, daughter of Elisa and Marc Ricks Alex Evan, son of Marcy and Kevin Saylan

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Alex Jacob and Matthew Bradley, twin sons of Caryn and Marc Scheer Grace Stella, daughter of Debra and Trey Schillie Evi Marlene,daughter of Rachel and Michael Schneider Aliza, daughter of Gary and Liat Shyken Sterling Mason, son of Sarah and Shawn Schroeder Julian Frederick, son of Betiana and Todd Simon Mae Shinlan, daughter of Qian Wang and Eric Sokol Brody Thomas, son of Rebecca and Rory Sudbeck Ella Rose, daughter of Lauren and Seth Topek Erin Rosalie, daughter of Dana and Dave Wear Naama Chana, daugther of Ilana and Rabbi Yaakov Weiss Mollie Helen, daughter of Sarah Raful Whinston and Rabbi Josh Whinston Ilan Yair, son of Marilyn Laves and William Wiesman Emunah Menucha, daughter of Jessica and Dr. David Zalkin

Marriages in 5770 Alissa Manvitz and Matthew Arbeiter Allison Gutnik and Ashish Mani Aryal Estie Katzman and Leibel Baumgarten Yael Richtman and Israel (Srully) Cohen Jessica Kahle and Shane Cohn Tamara Meyers and Jared Draeger Laura Ann Tufly and James Ryan Epstein Melissa DeBruin and David Estaver Lindsay Gershon and Michael Fineman Jessica Levine and Andrew Finkle Cori Freed and Robbie Hoffman Kisha Nicole Waldon and Jason Aron Itkin Elizabeth Anderson and Alex Katz Nikki Jo Romanik and Benjamin James Martin Daria Auciello and Kyle Newfeld Laurie Simes and Jeremy Passer Stephanie Butcher and Steve Roitstein Jennifer Gayle Friedman and Robert Todd Roth Jessica Sarah Belmont and Clifford Mark Smolinsky Sierra Gendelman and Jason Tobias Nicole Yanks and Doron Weiss Katie Schroeder and David Mellen

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Page 61

Jewish Federation of Omaha JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA President, Jody Malashock; Past President, Bob Lepp; Vice Presidents, David Gilinsky and Stacey Rockman; Treasurer, Ian “Shami” Jacobs; Secretary, Keith Josephson; Board of Directors: Debbie Denenberg, Bruce Friedlander, Wendy Raffel, Andy Ruback, Jeffrey Schrager, Anthony Scioli; UJC National Board: Joel Alperson; Agency Presidents: Jim Farber, Jewish Social Services; Jonathan Rockman, Community Relations Committee/ADL; Toba Cohen-Dunning, Center for Jewish Education; Bobbi Leibowitz, Jewish Press; John Glazer, Jewish Community Center; Jay Noddle, Foundation Chairman; Stacey Rockman, Budget and Allocations Chairman; Mark Martin, Building and Grounds Chairman; Brett Atlas, Community Development Chair; Jamie Friedland, Young Leadership Chairman; Lisa Epstein, Partnership Committee Chairman; Senior Rabbis: Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, and Rabbi Mordechair Levin; Campaign Leadership Team: Ellie Batt and Norman Sheldon; Presidential Appointments: Sheldon Gallner and Marica Pitlor; Executive Director: Jan Goldstein. ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE/ COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL President, Jonathan Rockman; Past President, Richard Evnen; Financial Officer, Michael Levine; Executive Board: David Gilinsky, Carol Bloch, Laura Crosby, Danielle Gordman, Jeff Gordman, Belinda Vacanti, Aaron Weiner, Irv Yaffe; Board Members: Michael Alley, Ellie Batt, James Blasingame, Bob Bleicher, Katherine Finnegan, Ted Friedland, Herb Friedman, Bruce Goldberg, Gary Javitch, Patrick Jensen, Rich Juro, Sara Juster, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Dan Marburg, Jaine Merliss, Gary Nachman, Bob Nefsky, Brian Nogg, Alan Parsow, David Phillips, Susan Rothholz, Jan Schneiderman, Melissa Schop, and Tom Vann; Advisory Committee: Bucky Greenberg and Sylvia Wagner; Executive Director: Alan Potash; Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education: Beth Seldin Dotan. CENTER FOR JEWISH EDUCATION President, Toba Cohen-Dunning; Vice President, Bonnie Bloch; Vice President, Patrick Jensen; Treasurer, Susan Langnas; Board Members: Karen Cohen, Sharon ComisarLangdon, Hillary Fletcher, Janet Kohll, Bruce Kutler, Julie Phillips, Michael Shrago, Dorothy Spizman; Executive Director: Guy Matalon; Library Director: Gary Katz.

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER President, John Glazer; Immediate Past President, Kimberly Robinson; Past President, Michael Miller; Board members, Stacie Brodkey, Jason Epstein, Sheldon Gallner, Kevin Gilinsky, Cindy Goldberg, Danielle Gordman, Jay Gordman, Mark Javitch, Steve Levinger, Mark Martin, Scott Meyerson, Shayna Ray, Tom Rice, Stacey Rockman, Michael Siegel, Dana Wear; Executive Director: Jeffrey Aizenberg. JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA FOUNDATION President, Jay Noddle; Secretary, Don Goldstein; Treasurer, Andrew Robinson; Board Members: Steven Bloch, Paul Epstein, Michael M. Erman, Jordana M. Glazer, Joseph Kirshenbaum, Allan Murow, Murray H. Newman, Carl Riekes, Larry E. Roffman, Harley D. Schrager, Ted M. Seldin, Frederick J. Simon, Suzanne Richards Singer and Norman Veitzer; Executive Director: Marty Ricks. JEWISH PRESS President, Bobbi Leiboiwitz; Vice President, Andy Ruback; Treasurer, Eric Dunning; Past President, Howard K. Marcus; Board Members: Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey, Phyllis Brown, Jason Epstein, Mel Epstein, Scott Farkas, Michael Kaufman, Jamie Meyerson,

Michael Sigmond, Jim Simon, Dorothy Spizman and Nancy Wolf; Editor: Annette Van de KampWright. JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICES/ ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME President, Jim Farber; Past President, Bob Belgrade; Vice President, Paul Epstein; Vice President, Howard Epstein; Secretary, Carol Bloch; Treasurer, Cliff Levitan; Executive

Committee Members: Joan Bernstein and Justin Cooper; Directors: Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Ellie Batt, Judy Brookstein, Ted Friedland, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Alex Grossman, Richard Jacobson, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Susan Lehr, Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Lisa Lewis, Harold Mann, Nancy Noddle, Steve Nogg, Larry Roffman, Harriet Singer, Suzanne Singer, Dorothy Spizman and Andi Willensky; Executive Director: Mike Silverman.

Of blessed memory: deaths in 5770 LaReine “Toots” Abrams, Doris R. Abramson, Eleanor Alexander, Samuel Alloy, Roman Amster, Sare Riddell Aresty, Muriel Arck, Harvey Aronson, David “Buddy” Bear, Elizabeth Beauchaine, Adell Robinson Bernard, Rubin “Ralph” Biniamow, Susan Bloch, Marian Sharf Bookey, Sally Braman, Bess Brodkey, Garet Allen Bromley, Deborah Jeanne Brookstein, Marvin S. Brookstein, Christina “Tina” Brown, Milton Cackin, Dr. H. Marvin Camel, Robert (Bob) Chandler, David M. Chapman, Truman Clare, Don Cohen, Anna Lee Cohn, Victor Cukier, Marion Hume Dalton, Herbert Denenberg, Julie Anne Durmaskin, Margaret M. Egermayer, Rosaline Epstein, Arthur G. Epstien, Elaine Fieman, Geraldine Fineberg, Dr. Arthur Frederic Fishkin, Rose Frank, Eilene Friedman, Mania Friedman, Rose Garber, Robert Gerelick, Gloria Gershun, Donald Girard, Vicki Lynn Goodman, Frances Gottlieb, Hilde Mayer Gottlieb, Esther Spar Graetz, Larry (Stuart) Green, Mina Greenbaum, Mort Greenberg, Anna Guss, Pauline Guss, Marie Ham, Clara Beardmore Harding, Norma Harris, Lawrence Hasslinger, Amy Ardell Herzog, Phyllis H. Hoffman, Justin David Horwich, Eugene A. Hutton, Minnie Ivers, Bret Morris Kahn, Armon E. Kamesar, Eugene Kaplan, Alan “Al” Katskee, Ruth

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Katzman, Shirley A. Kirshenbaum, Dr. Burton Klein, John W. Kostitch, Bernard “Bud” Krasne, Abram Kukawka, Alan Kulakofsky, Anita Kulakofsky, Bennett Kutler, Sheldon Kushner, Arthur Lacey, Tom Lamal, Leland Larson, Gerson Leber, Milton Lehr, Jack M. Levin, Esther B. Lewis Lewin, Leonard Lewis, Minda Friedman Liberman, Jerry Lohrman, Lillian Lustgarten, Robert Lutz, Lisa Kahn L/Ruxer, Sonia Maisel, Irving “Marc” Marcus, Milton Marcus, Jess McHenry, David Meyers, Rabbi Elihu Milder, Marian Miller, Diane Helene “DeDe” Minowitz, Robert “Bob” Moran, Bede Ostrow, Sidney S. Pearlman, Johannes Pfrenger, Lola Reinglas, Lewis Romagnano, Dolores A. Redler, Kyle Reno, Ronald Rosenberg, Rita Rosenblum, Natalie Comen Rubin, Suzy Blumenthal Rubin, Lillian Bernstein Sager, Hans Salomon, Bernard Sax, Craig Saylan, Maynard Saylan, Phillip Gerold Schrager, Harry Schulman, James Shamberg, Jean Shapos, Nathan Shukert, Gail Silverstein, Miriam Rubnitz Simon, Myra Sivin, Shirley Sorkin, Norma Spector, Edith Stein, Eli Stone, Lorraine Susman, Patrick Susman, Brandon Michael Thomas, Isidore Tretiak, Selma Rose Tretiak, Ethel Kerson Wald, Caroline Weiner, Jay Weiner, Lucille White, Ernest Wintroub, Joe Wolfson, Marcy Lou Wolpa.

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Page 62

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

Candlelighting Friday, Sept. 3, 7:36 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, 7:27 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, 8:26 p.m.

Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org

Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org

Neighborhood Prayer Group 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609

Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org

Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org

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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m., Annette van de KampWright speaks about “Community.” Apples, honey and sweets to follow. THURSDAY: Services, 10:30 a.m., Dr. Deana Liddy addresses “My Jewish Community.” Lunch following services sponsored by Nancy and Phil Wolf in honor of the recent marriage of their daughter, Hannah Wolf Schmidt to Michael Schmidt. All services led by Jeffrey Taxman. Saturday, Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m., Yom Kippur concluding service and Break-the-fast potluck. Please call 323.8885 to RSVP and let us know what dish you’d like to bring.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Minha/ Ma’ariv, 7:45 p.m.; Selichot, 9 p.m., program and service. Havdalah will be observed, followed by a presentation by Nancy Rips, author of High Holiday Stories: Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur Thoughts on Family, Faith and Food. Following a dessert reception, Rabbi Levin will make a presentation about the new mahzor and Cantor Schlossberg will perform several musical selections leading into the service. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m. BESTT: No classes on Sept. 5, 6 and 8; classes resume Sept. 12. SPECIALTY CHALLAHS: Pick-up of Rosh Hashanah challahs will be Sept. 7, at the synagogue. WEDNESDAY: CSA pick-up for shareholders, 4:30 p.m. at the synagogue. Note: Due to Rosh Hashanah this week’s pick-up is different. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. THURSDAY: Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Alternative Service, 9:45 a.m.; Tashlikh, 4:45 p.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 6 p.m. FRIDAY, Sept 10: Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

THE MYSTIQUE OF JUDAISM: New adult-education class, led by Andy Greenberg will be held monthly on Sundays, 10 a.m., beginning Sept. 12. The class will explore angels, ghosts, potions, witchcraft, golems and other psychic phenomena about Judaism. Cost: $36 for Beth El members, $45 for non-members. To register, contact synagogue office, or programming@bethelomaha.org. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; “Guard Your Tongue,” “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up), one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 7:15 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 8:34 p.m.; Selichot, 11:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast; Sunday Night Dinner BBQ, 4 p.m. for playground and socializing with dinner served at 5 p.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. Synagogue office is closed. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 6:45 a.m. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Selichot, 6 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m. The office will close at noon; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:27 p.m. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Torah Reading, 9:30 a.m.; Sermon, 10 a.m., followed by Shofar blowing; Kiddush sponsored by Fishkin Family; Mincha, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, Sept. 10: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Torah Reading, 9:30 a.m.; Sermon, 10 a.m., followed by Shofar blowing; Kiddush sponsored by Sisterhood; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:24 p.m.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. Mini-Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush lunch follows. Join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets,

UNVEILING A stone setting for the grave of Bella Eisenberg will be on Sunday, Sept. 12, 1:30 p.m., at Beth El Cemetery, 84th & L Streets, followed by a reception at the Rose Blumkin Home.

EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed on Monday, Sept. 6, for Labor Day and Thursday and Friday, Sept. 9 and 10, for Rosh Hashanah; the deadline for the Sept. 17 issue is Tuesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 334.6448.

and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Morning Minyan, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Shofar Service, 11 a.m.; luncheon to follow services; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m. FRIDAY, Sept. 10: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Shofar Service, 11 a.m.; luncheon to follow services; Rosh Hashanah Program (Shofar Blast), 2:45 p.m. at Reming ton Heights; Tashlich, 4 p.m. at Meadowbrook; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Oneg hosted by the Gordon Family in honor of Grant’s Bar Mitzvah, 6 p.m.; Early Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with participation by Grant Gordon. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Grant Gordon led by Rabbi Emanuel, with Kiddush luncheon following services; Slichot service featuring the South Street Temple, 9 p.m. TUESDAY: LJCS Teachers meeting, 5:30-7:30 p.m. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Evening Service, 8 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by the Board of Trustees. THURSDAY: Morning Service, 10 a.m.; Children’s Service, 11:15 a.m.; Tashlich service, 3 p.m. at Wilderness Park.

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP FRIDAY: Minyan, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. There will be no services starting Sept. 10 until after Simchat Torah. Services will resume Oct. 9.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Mainstreeters members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

led by Alan Shulewitz; Selichot Services, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Evening Service, 7 p.m., led by Andrew Greenberg. THURSDAY: Morning Service, 9 a.m., led by Andrew Greenberg. FRIDAY, Sept. 10: Morning service, 9 a.m., led by Miles Remer. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend Services at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, Preparing for Elul, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Sehlichot Service, 7:30 p.m. followed by a chocolate Oneg. TUESDAY: CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30 p.m. at South entrance; Kol Rina Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Evening Service, 7:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel, Rabbi Linder, and Cantor Shermet. THURSDAY: Tot Service, (preschool age and younger) and Children’s service, 9 a.m. (suitable for K-3) led by clergy; Sitter service (age two through third grade), 9:45 a.m.; Morning service, 10:15 a.m.; Tashlich at Elmwood Park immediately following services.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. at South Street Temple celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Grant Gordon followed by Kiddush luncheon. ROSH HASHANAH WEDNESDAY: Services, 8 p.m. THURSDAY: Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Tashlich & Mincha, 6 p.m. at Holmes Lake. FRIDAY, Sept. 10: Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Mincha, 7 p.m.; Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. An unveiling ceremony for the grave of Leelo Sommerhauser will be on Sunday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m., at Mount Carmel Cemetery.

MEMORIAL SERVICES Sunday, Sept. 5 Mount Carmel Cemetery in Lincoln, 10:30 a.m. Golden Hill Cemetery, 5025 N. 42nd St., 11 am Beth Israel/Mt. Sinai, 78th & Crown Point, noon BHH/Fisher Farms, 8900 S. 42nd Street, 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12 Oak Hills/Bikhor Cholim, Council Bluffs, 10 a.m. Beth El Cemetery, 84th and ‘L’ Sts., 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 Temple Israel Cemetery, 6412 No. 42 St., 1 p.m.

September 3, 2010

New Conservative Israeli siddur aimed at all Israelis by SUE FISHKOFF SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) -- When Israel’s new Masorti prayer book hit No. 4 on the country’s bestseller list for non-fiction last January, no one was more surprised than members of the country’s Conservative movement. The prayer book, “Va’ani Tfillati: An Israeli Siddur,” enjoyed an aggressive ad campaign from co-publisher Yediot Achronot. “The ads said, basically, if your grandfather is from Lithuania and your grandmother is from Morocco, this is the siddur for you,” said Miriam Hershlag, a member of Havurat Tel Aviv, a lay-led Conservative congregation in Tel Aviv that purchased the siddur last March after its publication in December. “The ads did not mention its feminist, alternative nature,” she noted wryly. The siddur includes several newly written blessings, including one for making aliyah, or immigrating to Israel, and one for enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces.

It includes a healing prayer for a woman who obtains a previously refused get, or religious writ of divorce, and another for adopting a child, with separate versions for a couple and a single mother. It also includes a blessing for a new convert. That is “extremely significant” in Israel, where non-Orthodox conversions are not recognized, said Rabbi Tamar EladAppelbaum, former vice president of the Israeli Rabbinical Assembly and member of the siddur project committee. The siddur is an update of a version published in 1998, which users often described as not relevant to contemporary Israeli life. “We want people to see the sanctuary as a place where we do not deny what goes on in society,” said Elad-Appelbaum. Like Lev Shalem, the North American Conservative movement’s just-released High Holidays prayer book, Va’ani Tfillati aspires to be both accessible and spiritually inspiring.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 63

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Advertiser Page Horizon Dental Center ................................................ 3 Howells, Nebraska Catholic Chruches ...................... 26 Hy-Vee ...................................................................... 29 I-Go Van & Storage .................................................... 18 Ideal Pure Water ....................................................... 20 Industrial Packaging Corporation .............................. 39 Institute for Holocaust Education .............................. 44 Interim Homestyle Services ....................................... 11 Jacobson Fish Co., Inc. ............................................ 30 Janine McClintock Studios .......................................... 9 Javitch, Gary Family .................................................. 15 Jetlinx ........................................................................ 19 Jewish Community Center ........................................ 60 Jewish Federation of Lincoln ..................................... 47 Jewish Federation of Omaha .................................... 25 Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation .................. 61 Jewish Press ......................................................... 2, 24 Jewish Social Services .............................................. 51 Jewish Women International ..................................... 44 Johanns, Mike Senator ............................................. 27 John A. Gentleman Mortuaries ................................. 52 Julio’s ....................................................................... 48 King Fong Cafe ......................................................... 36 Kohll’s Pharmacy & Homecare ................................. 43 Lakeside Dental ........................................................ 47 League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly (LOVE) ..... 44 Leisure Life Sports .................................................... 10 Lerner Company ....................................................... 14 Lifeline by Immanuel ................................................ 52 Lion’s Automotive Upholstery .................................... 18 Louie M’s Burger Lust ............................................... 48 Lynn Roberts International ........................................ 16 Malashock Jewelry ................................................... 20 Malbar Vision Centers ............................................... 32 Marathon Real Estate ................................................ 21 Marathon Ventures ..................................................... 8 Mark Sanford Group ................................................. 10 Marks Clare & Richards ............................................ 22 Marriott Regency Hotel .............................................. 21 Max I. Walker Cleaners .............................................. 11 McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. ....... 5 McGrath North ......................................................... 46 Meehan Drywall .......................................................... 6 Mercedes-Benz of Omaha ........................................ 53 Mid Con Systems Inc. ............................................... 38 Mid-City Jewelry & Loan ............................................ 39 Midwest Box Co. ....................................................... 37 Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat, PC ............................... 58 Montemarano Landscapes, Inc. ............................... 40 Mulhall’s ................................................................... 26 N. Pitlor & Son, Inc. ................................................... 19 Nan C. ...................................................................... 40 National Council of Jewish Women ........................... 44 Nebraska Cancer Specialists .................................... 34 Nebraska Democratic Party ...................................... 14 Nebraska Furniture Mart ............................................. 8 Nebraska Jewish Historical Society ........................... 44 Nebraska Press Statewide Classifieds ....................... 63 Nebraska Warehouse & Cannonball Express ............ 51 Nelson, US Senator Ben ............................................. 9 No Frills Fresh ........................................................... 26 Nobbies .................................................................... 42 Noddle Companies ..................................................... 3

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

September 3, 2010

5770 Year in Review Continued from page 55 But since the war with Hamas in Gaza, Turkey, a key Iran also tried to supply Hezbollah by sea. On Nov. 3, devastating, and critics of Israel used the Goldstone regional power broker with an Islamist government, had 2009, Israeli naval commandos intercepted a cargo of report to hammer away at its reputation. been vehemently critical of Israel while ostensibly mov- more than 3,000 Iranian-made rockets destined for The Israeli military refuted some of the report’s cen- ing away from the West and edging closer to Iran. Hezbollah on the Francop, an Antigua and Barbudatral accusations, but the perception that Israel used disRelations between Israel and Syria, Iran’s closest ally, flagged vessel sailing from the Iranian port of Bandar proportionate force to quell the rocket fire from Gaza oscillated between hopes for a resumption of peace talks Abbas. remained embedded in international public opinion. and fears of war. French President Nicolas Sarkozy tried In the face of the growing threat from the Iranian axis An early manifestation of new boldness among Israel’s his hand at mediation, hosting both Netanyahu and -- Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas -- Israel significantEuropean critics came last December, when Swedish Syrian President Bashar Assad at a multinational confer- ly augmented its missile and rocket defenses. In January, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt the Iron Dome system led an initiative to have the designed to intercept shortEU recognize East Jerusalem range projectiles passed final as the capital of a Palestinian tests, and in June Israel state -- a move eventually launched the Ofek 9 spy satelquashed by Israel’s European lite, enhancing intelligence allies, with France, Germany gathering over Iran. and the Czech Republic playMoreover, despite the politing dominant roles. ical differences, IsraeliIsrael suffered another American defense ties major PR setback when remained strong and intimate. agents believed to be from the For example, in late October Mossad intelligence agency 2009, the two armies jointly were accused of using forged tested the interoperability of The Israeli Navy, seen here approaching one of a flotilla of President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin foreign passports in the their highly sophisticated Gaza-bound ships, clashed with Turkish activists aboard Netanyahu met in the Oval Office of the White House in January assassination in Dubai defense systems against one of the ships. Credit: Moti Milrod/Pool/Flash90/JTA Washington. Credit: Amos BenGershom/GPO of Mahmoud Mabhouh, a incoming ballistic missiles. senior Hamas official involved in arms smuggling. ence last November. But the two never met, and by early Despite its diplomatic difficulties and strategic chalSeveral countries expelled Israeli diplomats. Israel has April Sarkozy had given up, complaining to Israeli lenges, Israel’s economy prospered, with the most draneither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the President Shimon Peres about Netanyahu’s lack of matic development -- the discovery in June of a huge assassination. cooperation. natural gas reserve off the Israeli coast. The field, called The year’s worst PR disaster for Israel came in the May The Syrians had insisted that Netanyahu first commit Leviathan, is estimated to contain about 15 trillion cubic 31 flotilla incident: Nine Turkish citizens were killed to Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights as a basis feet of gas, nearly twice as much as the adjacent Tamar when Israel intercepted a ship carrying aid material for negotiations, a demand the Israeli prime minister field discovered the year before. bound for Hamas-controlled Gaza, which was under rejected. Tensions flared in early February, with Assad According to Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, Israeli blockade. Though Israel released videos showing accusing Israel of leading the region into war, and then Israel now has enough gas to supply all its needs “for the its soldiers were attacked when they boarded the ship, a again in May, with Netanyahu charging that Iran was next 50 to 70 years.” Experts have described the finds, worldwide storm of protest erupted. The anger against trying to drag Israel into war with Syria. which could contain as much as one-fifth of America’s Israel resulted in the first-ever Israeli commission of Despite Assad’s talk about “strategic” readiness for known gas reserves or twice that of Britain’s, as a poteninquiry with an international presence and the easing of peace with Israel, the Syrians continued to transfer tial geopolitical game-changer. Israel’s blockade of Gaza. sophisticated weapons to the Shiite Hezbollah militia in As a mark of its increasing economic power, Israel was The main diplomatic casualty of the flotilla affair was Lebanon. Of particular concern to Israeli military plan- admitted in May to the OECD, which incorporates the Israel’s already strained strategic relationship with ners was the supply of GPS-guided M-600 missiles, world’s most developed nations. Netanyahu described Turkey. In 2008, the two countries had been close which for the first time gave Hezbollah the capacity to Israel’s admittance as a “seal of approval” that would enough for Ankara to mediate between Israel and Syria. pinpoint specific targets in Israel as far away as Tel Aviv. attract investors.