Vol. LXXXVIII No. 2 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 87 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
Klutznick-Harris Symposium to focus on “Rites of Passage” by LEONARD GREENSPOON Jewish Sacred Practices. Chairholder, Klutznick Chair She has a special interest in in Jewish Civilization, Creighton University ritual innovation. In describReaders of this newspaper are ing her own personal familiar with notices of births, bar involvement, she says, “It and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and was my engagement with deaths scattered throughout almost the Jewish healing moveevery issue. This is one of the ways ment that really opened my that our community celebrates and eyes to the many aspects of commemorates important events in our lives that didn’t have a the lives of individuals. Jewish response, but actually These rites of passage are also the could.” topic of this year’s Klutznick-Harris Professor Ochs asks, “What Symposium, the 21st in the longif we could enter into medrunning series: “Rites of Passage: ical treatments or mark their How Today’s Jews Celebrate, completion with greater Commemorate, and Commiserate.” hope by studying Jewish texts, focusing on Jewish The keynote speaker for this year’s Vanessa Ochs meditations and saying Symposium is Dr. Vanessa L. Ochs, a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the Jewish blessings that were either quite traditional or sufUniversity of Virginia. ficiently rooted in traditions? So I began to see ritual Professor Ochs’ address, titled “New Jewish innovation in a freer way than before -- it was about Traditions: The Ones That Stick and the Ones That expanding Jewish expression.” Don’t,” will take place on Sunday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., As a result, people have turned to Ochs to help them in the theater at the Jewish Community Center. in constructing and observing innovations. Her new Professor Ochs is exceptionally well qualified to talk book chronicles many examples of this. Her engaging about this topic. Her most recent book, published last style as a writer is matched by her warmth as a speaker, year by the Jewish Publication Society, is Inventing and she is frequently on the road, appearing before both Jewish Ritual, for which she received a prestigious popular and academic audiences. On a personal note, Vanessa Ochs is married to theNational Jewish Book Award. She has also authored or co-authored other well-received volumes, including ologian Peter Ochs. Together, they “tend a garden of Sarah Laughed, The Jewish Dream Book, and The Book of Continued on page 3
OU threatens to suspend supervision PETA video costs Agriprocessors support of animal welfare expert by BEN HARRIS shared knowledge that NEW YORK (JTA) -Agriprocessors employed Following the filing of undocumented aliens,” criminal charges against said the affidavit filed owners of the kosher meat Tuesday in Allamakee producer Agriprocessors, County District Court. “It the Orthodox Union says was likewise shared knowlit will withdraw its kosher edge among the defencertification of the compadants that many of those ny within two weeks workers were minors. The unless new management is company’s hiring practices hired. encouraged job applicants “Within the coming to submit identification days, or lets say a week or documents which were two, we will suspend our forgeries, and known to supervision unless there’s contain false information new management in as to resident alien status, place,” said Rabbi The Agriprocessors kosher meat plant in Postville, Iowa age and identity.” Credit:Ben Harris The alleged violations, Menachem Genack, the O.U.’s head of kosher supervision. which date back to September 2007, are each punishable Genack’s comments came just hours after Iowa’s attor- by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of between $65 and ney general filed criminal charges against Agriprocessors $625, the attorney general’s office said. and its owner, Aaron Rubashkin, for child-labor violaAgriprocessors has been under the gun since a raid on tions. May 12 resulted in the arrest of nearly 400 employees on On Sept. 9, the attorney general’s office charged illegal immigration charges. Following the raid, employRubashkin, his son Sholom, and three human resources ees alleged they were shorted on pay, forced to work long employees with more than 9,000 violations of Iowa's hours and were the targets of sustained sexual harassment. Child Labor law, according to a statement from the attorIn May, the company announced that the Postville ney general’s office. plant’s manager, Sholom Rubashkin, would be replaced. Former workers had alleged child labor violations at Months later, Rubashkin is still a regular presence at the Agriprocessors almost immediately after a massive immi- plant and no replacement has been named. gration raid at the plant in Postville, Iowa, the country's The attorney general’s complaint represents the first largest kosher meatpacking plant. The company has criminal charges to be brought against the company’s denied having knowingly hired underage workers. owner and senior management. “All of the named individual defendants possessed Continued on page 4
Inside
19 Elul, 5768
September 19, 2008
Jewish ritual as therapy?
Rabbi/psychotherapist tells the grieving how by OZZIE NOGG for Jewish Family Service Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW, author of Mourning & Mitzvah: Walking the Mourner’s Path, will bring her message to Omaha on Thursday, Oct. 16. The presentation -- Transforming the Wilderness of Grief -- will run from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center Social Hall. On Friday, Oct. 17, 8:3011:30 a.m., Rabbi Brener will hold an inservice workshop for clinicians, social workers and mental health professionals in the JCC Social Hall, and includes a continental breakfast sponsored by Omaha’s Jewish Funeral Home A Los Rabbi Anne Brener Angeles-based Spiritual Director, psychotherapist, writer and teacher, Rabbi Brener is an authority on the relationship between psychotherapy and spirituality and assists institutions in creating caring communities. She also trains psychotherapists to integrate spirituality and Judaica in their clinical work, and helps Rabbinical students to engage the therapeutic impact of Jewish ritual and practice. Rabbi Brener is a faculty member of the Academy for Jewish Religion, Hebrew Union College/ LA and holds graduate degrees in Social Work, Communications, Hebrew Letters and Jewish Communal Service. In the preface to Mourning & Mitzvah, Rabbi Brener explains that the book began with her own struggle to deal with losses she suffered while still in her early twenties. “Among these,” she writes, “were the suicide of my mother, followed three months later by a car accident that killed my nineteen-year old sister -- my only sibling.” These tragedies led Brener on a personal search for ways to ease her pain. “That my search for healing has led me to the path of my ancestors speaks of the wisdom of the ancient Jewish mourning traditions. They can be as effective today as they were 2,000 years ago,” she explained. According to Karen Gustafson, LMHP, director of Jewish Family Service, “Rabbi Brener offers therapeutic tools that can empower us as we confront bereavement and the grieving process. Her presentation will benefit everyone who has experienced loss and is searching for a healing path guided by Jewish tradition. We encourage you to attend this very meaningful presentation.” Two follow-up sessions designed to help participants process personal loss are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 13 and Thursday, Dec. 11, 7-8:30 p.m. in the JCC Community Room. Facilitators are Gustafson, Shelly Fox, MSW, and Shane Kotok, CSW/MS. The program, under the auspices of Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Services, is free and open to the community thanks to the support of the Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. Co-sponsors of the event are Beth El, Beth Israel and Temple Israel. For more information about the community event or the follow-up sessions, call JFS at 334.6490.
This Week: Monthly Calendar for October: Pages 10-11 Coming Next Week: New Year’s issue: “Jews and Politics”
See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’ Opinion Page see page 16
Former Pakistani Ambassador meets with local religious leaders: Page 2
Family cookbook recalls the past with New Year recipies: Pages 8 & 12
ADL looking for a new generation of leadership: Page 15