Vol. LXXXV No. 1 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 84 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
12 Elul, 5765 September 16, 2005
Israel Aids Gulf States After Hurricane Katrina
Magen David Adom staffers prepare cartons of bottled water as part of an 80-ton aid shipment for victims of Hurricane Katrina on Sept. 7 in Tel Aviv. In addition, an Israeli Defense Forces delegation, led by the army’s chief medical officer, left Israel to coordinate the delivery of Israeli aid to New Orleans. Credit: MDA/BP Images/JTA
A ZAKA volunteer boats through the submerged streets of New Orleans last week to remove the body of a Hurricane Katrina victim. ZAKA’s teams, trained to identify and handle bodies, often assist in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Israel. Credit: ZAKA Archives More stories and photos on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on pages 6-7.
Live from NY’s 92 Street Y Broadcast Series Returns for Fall 2005 Season by RACHEL BLUM JCC Program Director This fall promises to be an exciting time for the Jewish community, as we gear up to begin the “Live from NY’s 92nd Street Y” satellite broadcast series. The 92nd Street Y in New York City has set the standards for cultural programming, bringing in some of the most intellectual thinkers and Alan Dershowitz speakers of our time. Through the latest in satellite technology, the JCC is able to bring these lectures, discussions, and readings to the Omaha Jewish community at a minimal fee. We will kick off our 2005 Season of “Live from NY’s 92nd Street Y” with “Peace in the Middle East,” an interview with Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz and Israeli Minister Natan Sharansky on Sunday, Sept. 25, 6:30 pm. In the wake of events that raise new hopes for peace in the Middle East, Dershowitz and Sharansky, interviewed by Foreign Affairs Magazine editor in chief, James F. Hoge, will discuss the possibilities and pitfalls that lie ahead. Prof. Dershowitz has been described by Newsweek as
Women’s Division Co-Chairmen Answer, “Why Do We Do This?”
“the nation’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights.” More than 50 of his articles have appeared in the New York Times Magazine Book Review, and Op-Ed Pages. He has also published more than 100 articles in magazines and journals such as The Washington Post, The New Republic, Saturday Natan Sharansky Review, The Harvard Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. Dershowitz is the author of The Case for Peace, the sequel to his best-selling The Case for Israel. Sharansky is the Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs and a former Soviet dissident and political prisoner, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom for his struggle against tyranny. He is the author of the bestseller, The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom To Overcome Tyranny & Terror. James Hoge, who will interview Dershowitz and Sharansky, is editor of Foreign Affairs Magazine, the premier journal on international affairs and foreign policy. Continued on page 5
Shlicha Arrives from Israel for New Position at JELS by MARY SUE GROSSMAN JELS Administrator For the first time ever, Jewish Educational and Library Services has hired a shlicha (literally translated as “messenger”). Rachel Ochana will work with congregational religious schools to develop city-wide programs for students, provide teacher training, serve as an adult education instructor, Rachel Ochana and develop other community-wide programming for the agency. Ochana, a native of Israel, will serve as shlicha for JELS for the next two years. She has a master’s in education and a bachelor’s degree in educational counseling. She has worked as a counselor and teacher for more than 10 years and most recently as Vice-principal, homeroom
Inside Opinion Page see page 8
teacher, and parent instructor of Mamad Torani at Ramat Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem. “Thanks to our relationship with the Jewish Agency for Israel, we were able to bring to our community a highly trained Jewish educator.” states Guy Matalon, JELS Executive Director. “Rachel will help us provide high quality Jewish educational opportunities for all ages. Working with Beth Israel, Beth El, Temple Israel and Friedel Jewish Academy, she will be able to support all of the educational institutions that make up our vibrant community.” Ann Goldstein, JELS Board Chairman, said, “We are so glad Rachel is here and she will truly help enrich our educational opportunities to both teachers and the community.” Reflecting on her first few days in Omaha, Ochana said “I am very happy to have the opportunity to know a new community. In the two weeks since I’ve been here, everyone has been so kind, warm, and welcoming. I will do my best to meet all the expectations!”
This Week: Continuing Hurricane Coverage: Pages 6-7 Recipient Selected for Keiser/Stoms Scholarship: Page 3
Selichot Concert Features Music of Israeli Artists: Page 5
by OZZIE NOGG During the summer of 2002, Marcia Pitlor and Jody Malashock co-chaired the JCC Maccabi Games in Omaha. Their job description required them to set the tone and vision in welcoming over 1500 athletes, coaches and delegation heads to our community. The pair recruited hundreds of volunteers, oversaw every aspect of the event and, for their efforts, they were named 2000-2001 JCC Volunteers of the Year. In 2005, as Federation Campaign Event Co-Chairmen, the two women planned and coordinated seven community parlor meetings, featuring visits by active-duty Israel Defense Force officers. “Maybe the Maccabi Games and the IDF soldiers were an audition for our current assignment,” Marcia says with a grin, referring to the role she and Jody have assumed as Women’s Division CoChairmen in the 2006 Federation Campaign. “We’re more than ready,” Jody Malashock and Marcia Pitlor Jody added. “In fact, with the help of our dedicated division leaders and workers, this should be a piece of cake.” “There was a time when we asked donors to give until it hurts,” Marcia continued. “This year’s campaign theme, ‘Live Generously’, seems so much more positive to me. It’s a message that people can accept without feeling pushed. We know that Omaha women make their pledges voluntarily, and their contributions to the total campaign are measured in far more than dollars.” Both Marcia and Jody are passionate about helping the Omaha Jewish community, but realize not everyone shares their degree of commitment. “There’s sometimes a disconnect in our age group,” Marcia explains, “and when people can’t see a concrete result that’s beneficial to them, they don’t feel it’s real important to give.” Jody acknowledges that, “Some women say, ‘I don’t work out at the JCC. I have no one in the Child Development Center or the Blumkin home. My kids are grown and out of town, my grandchildren live far away. So why should I keep contributing to Campaign?’ In those cases, we try to remind women that a Jew is a Jew wherevContinued on page 2
Coming Sept. 30: New Year’s Issue More Op-eds on Hurricane Aftermath: Pages 8-9
KC Arts Festival Features Rick Recht and Josh Nelson: Page 12