October 14, 2011

Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA October 14, 2011 16 Tishrei 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 5

Symposium highlights Jews and Fashion

This Week

by LEONARD GREENSPOON Design it. Make it. Sell it. Buy it.

Wear it. Pass it down. Dispose of it.

For a long time, Jews have been actively involved in all aspects of fashion. Who wears what, when, where, why? And who doesn’t?

JCC pool performs a rescue Page 6

Kerry Wallach The presenters at this fall’s Klutznick-Harris Symposium have the answers to your fashion questions and can provide a timeline for Jewish involvement in fashion. This symposium, the 24th in the series, is titled Jews and Fashion: Clothing, Culture, and Commerce. It will take place over two days: Sunday, Oct. 23, and Monday, Oct. 24.

Thirteen scholars will converge on Omaha for this event. All of the talks will be accompanied by PowerPoint presentations or other visual elements.

OTYG teens prepare for leadership roles Page 7

Sessions begin at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Two scholars, Kerry Wallach, from Gettysburg College, and Nils Roemer, from the University of Texas at Dallas, are scheduled to speak. Both of them

Nils Roemer

Rachel Gordan

will talk about Jews and Fashion during the Weimar Republic, the period in German history from the end of World War I to the rise of Nazism in the early 1930s.

Wallach’s presentation, titled Weimar Jewish Chic from Wigs to Fur: Jewish Women and Fashion in 1920s Germany, highlights the ways in which German Jews actively created their own version of popular styles. In the process they negotiated the tensions between traditions and modernity, modesty and ostentation, poverty and luxury. Roemer’s

Ethiopian aliyah hindered

by RUTH EGLASH MEVASSERET ZION, Israel (JTA) -- It’s a typical Friday morning in Israel’s largest absorption center: A handful of local residents, all immigrants from Ethiopia, mill about examining wares for sale at a small souk.

Charles Mikhail’s visit to Omaha Page 12

within a town. Run by the Jewish Agency for Israel, it is meant to provide immigrants with basic language skills and cultural tools needed for their new lives in Israel.

Though the center is only meant to be a starting point for those lives - immigrants are encouraged to

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

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

8 10 11

Newly arrived Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia attending a rehearsal for a Passover seder at the absorption center in Mevasseret Zion, April 14, 2011.

Credit: Kobi Gideon/Flash 90 Located in Mevasseret Zion, a town just outside Jerusalem, the center has become more like a town

paper, Jewish Photographers and the Body in the Weimar Republic, places emphasis on the contribution of Jewish female fashion photographers during the period. Pioneering developments in fashion photography, Roemer contends, are inextrica-

move out after two years - a growing number of the new arrivals are finding it economically impossible to leave given the high real estate costs in their new land.

“I want to move to Jerusalem or Rishon LeZion,” says a woman named Yeshalem who has lived in the absorption center since her arrival in Israel five years ago. “But I’m a single mother, I have four children and I just do not have enough money.”

Yeshalem says she receives about Continued on page 3

Phyllis Dillon

bly linked to these women.

At the conclusion of this session, at noon, lunch will be served, allowing participants and members of the audience to continue their conversations over food. The Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith is sponsoring this lunch, which is free and open to all.

The second session of papers runs from 1:05 – 3:25 p.m. and consists of three presentations, all of which look at Jews and Fashion within the cultural and historical context of the United States. The first paper in this

session, presented by Harvard University’s Rachel Gordan, is titled, Female Tallitot: Creating American Jewish Women’s Religious Experience through Fashion. Gordan observes that many women wear tallitot that are distinctively female in appear-

Ted Merwin

ance. Such tallitot, Gordan concludes, suggest that their wearers have appropriated a male custom through the medium of fashion.

Following Gordan, Phyllis Dillon, of New York City, makes a presentation on The Evolution of the Jewish Apparel Industry in America: 18401940, which incorporates her work in collaboration with the British scholar Andrew Godley. Together, they show how the long history of Jewish involvement and entrepreneurship in the American apparel Continued on page 2

No more schmaltz

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPsecond husband Sal, the weight WRIGHT stuck around.

Editor of the Jewish Press Merav’s cousin, Mark These days, it is hard to imagine Pinhasovich, was dealing with television without reality shows. similar weight issues. A former Everyone can have fifteen minutes athlete, Mark saw his weight balof fame; all you have to do is swal- loon to 400 lbs after a series of perlow a live cockroach or date some- sonal challenges. Something had one you despise while the cameras to happen, and in an attempt to are rolling. Some of these shows finally lose the weight, the cousins are entertaining, some are annoying, and yet others are plain embarrassing. We all hope none of our family members ever end up on Hoarders.

What we forget is that the people on these shows are real, live, human beings.

Take Merav Fiorella, for instance. She was born in Israel; when she was 11 Merav Fiorella and her cousin, Mark Pinhasovich. years old, the family moved to the tried out for the TV show Biggest U.S. She grew up in New Jersey, Loser. In fact, they tried several went to college in Vermont, got times; in 2010, Mark made it, but married, and had kids. The mar- Merav did not. That did not stop riage was not successful, and Merav her; if anything, it made her more masked her unhappy feelings by determined. eating. “I lived in denial,” she says.

“Mark and I are incredibly com“I knew I was big, but never truly petitive,” she says. “So I decided ‘saw’ myself in the mirror. I dealt right then and there, that I was with comments people made out going to do everything within my loud, and suffered in silence, by eat- power to lose the weight once and ing more.” Although her personal for all.” life improved when she met her Continued on page 3

2 | The Jewish Press | October 14, 2011

Symposium highlights Jews and Fashion Continued from page 1 Yellow Hat, and the Paradoxes of Distinctive industry can be illuminated by an overview Sign Legislation. As Cassen notes, it was in of the specific economic conditions at spe- 1215 that Pope Innocent III first ordered the cific periods. As an illustration, Dillon will Jews to wear distinguishing clothing. The O describe the German Jewish business strategy of peddling, step-by-step migration, community credit, and family networking.

Ted Merwin, of Dickinson College, investigates an entirely different facet of the connection between Jews and Fashion through his presentation, Clothes and the Weaving of American Jewish Comedy.”

He observes that most Jews in Flora Cassen Asher Saleh New York City were employed in the garment trade and show business during the first decades of the twentieth century. From that time until the present -- in forms as varied as Fanny Brice’s classic Jazz Age lament, Second Hand Rose, to recent episodes of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm -- Jewish popular culture has articulated both Jewish and universal themes Steven Fine Lisa Silverman about dressing for success in a competitive capitalistic society. and the yellow hat were especially popular After a short break, visiting scholars and in Italy. Using a wide variety of archival and audience members will gather again for the other sources, Cassen will examine the symthird session, which begins at 3:35 p.m. and bolic meanings of these two marks and their concludes at 5 p.m. Both of the presenta- impact on perceptions of the Jews. tions in this session relate to Jews and Jewish Asher Saleh is from the Bezalel Academy practices in Italy. Flora Cassen, of the of Arts and Design and the Hebrew University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Jerusalem. His presentation is first. Her presentation is titled, The Jewish has the title, How a Rabbi Should Be Dressed: Badge in Renaissance Italy: The Iconic O, the The Question of Cassock and Clerical

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Clothing among Italian Rabbis from the Renaissance to Contemporary Times. He makes use of the progress from lay clothes to the dress of modern Jewish clergy in Italy to

Vienna. At this time, Ella Zwieback-Zirner took over management of her family’s luxury department store. Silverman’s presentation looks at the ways in which these two Jewish women worked together to reshape standards of taste in fashion and other areas of consumption.

The next presenter is Eric Silverman, of Wheelock College, whose talk is titled, Aboriginal Yarmulkes, Ambivalent Attire, and Ironies of Contemporary Jewish Identity.

Throughout history, he notes, Jews have donned and doffed garments to express a wideAdam Mendelsohn Christine Palmer ranging irresolvable tension between Jewishness and citizenship. Today, Silverman argues, Jews continue to mobilize garments to express tensions in a manner that is refreshingly new yet thoroughly traditional.

Immediately after this session ends, at 11:30 a.m., everyone is invited to a deli luncheon. The luncheon, another opportunity for informal interaction, is folEric Silverman Brian Amkraut lowed at 12:20 p.m. by the address questions about the widening gap final presentation of the Symposium. between rabbis and their communities and The speaker, Brian Amkraut, is from the impact of Reform and Emancipation in Siegal College. His presentation has the title, Jewish customs, among others.

Fashioning Jews on the Screen: The Impact of Sunday’s exploration of the connections Dress on Crafting the Jewish Image in Film between Jews and Fashion continues with and Television. Amkraut judges that we canthe keynote presentation by Adam not overstate the importance of the motion Mendelsohn, of the College of Charleston. picture and television industries for characMendelsohn’s talk, which will begin at 7:30 terizing and even shaping the image of conp.m., is titled, Shmattas in the North, temporary Jews -- visual imagery is especialShmattas in the South: The Civil War and the ly powerful. He will offer many examples to Birth of the American Clothing Industry. allow us to assess the nature of “Jewish After his presentation, Mendelsohn will be dress” on film and television even when the available for questions and comments by distinctions are subtle. members of the audience.

In addition to the presentations described Monday morning’s activities kick off at above, an exhibit will be on view throughout 8:30 a.m. in the Ballroom of Creighton the Symposium. It consists of newspaper ads University’s Skutt Student Center. Visitor and photographs from Omaha-area departparking for these events is available at the ment stores and specialty shops that were Lied Center parking lot, 24th and Cass Street. owned by Jews. The Nebraska Jewish The first speaker of the day is Christine Historical Society graciously provided the Palmer, of Hebrew University College, material for this exhibit.

Cincinnati. Her presentation is titled, The The co-hosts of the annual Klutznick‘Disinherited’ Priesthood: A Look into Harris Symposium are the Philip M. and Biblical Israel’s Unshod Priest. The starting Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization point for Palmer’s paper is the observation at Creighton University and the Norman & that footwear is conspicuously absent in the Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies at biblical narratives of ritual dress. To deter- the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Along mine the significance of this absence, with them are Creighton University’s Kripke Palmer will make use of comparative ancient Center for the Study of Religion and Society Near Eastern iconography. and the Jewish Federation of Omaha. From The topic of the second presentation of the within the Jewish community, the Ike and morning, by Yeshiva University’s Steven Roz Friedman Foundation, the Riekes Fine, also reflects the ancient world. Fine’s Family, the Center for Jewish Education, the paper has the title, Costume and Identity in Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith, and the the Dura Europos Synagogue Paintings. The Dr. Bruce S. Bloom Memorial Endowment synagogue of Dura Europos, discovered in also provide generous support.

1932, preserves a number of paintings from The papers presented at each year’s the mid-third century CE. Fine will provide Symposium are published, in edited form, in a close analysis of the use of costume in these the Studies in Jewish Civilization Series paintings within the context of the desert from Purdue University Press. Copies of the region of Syria, of contemporary Persian and just published Jews and Humor volume, Roman clothing, and of rabbinic sources from the 2009 Symposium, will be available from both Babylonia and Palestine. for viewing and purchase at this year’s After a short break, the next session Symposium. begins at 10:05. During this session two preThe full program for the Symposium will senters will introduce the audience to a wide be printed as an insert for The Jewish Press range of issues related to Jews and Fashion. issue of Oct. 21. For further information, The first speaker, Lisa Silverman, teaches at please contact Pam Yenko at the Klutznick the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Chair office: 402.280-2303; pyenko@ The title of her paper is Picturing Vienna’s creighton.edu. Additional features, includNew Woman: Madame d’Ora Meets Ella ing summaries of each paper, can be viewed Zwieback-Zirner. Madame d’Ora was a lead- at the Klutznick Chair website: http://www. ing photographer in early twentieth century creighton.edu/ccas/klutznick/.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE The Jewish Press will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 13-14 for Sukkot, and Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20-21, for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

Questions please call 402.334.6448.

October 14, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 3

No more schmaltz Continued from page 1 says. “In the meantime, popular culture bombards us with The rest is history: Merav lost more than 120 pounds, on her images about how we are supposed to look, magazines offer own, without the assistance of personal trainers or cameras articles on how you can lose 20 lbs in one week, and then in filming her every move. She proved that losing weight is the same issue show you a cake recipe that is simply ‘to die something you have to ultimately do by yourself: “The biggest for.’ Kids need to be encouraged to eat regularly, and focus misconception that people have about what we accomplished on good nutrition and exercise, so they can feel good about is that we needed the show themselves and do better to lose the weight,” Mark in school.” says. “I don’t want anyone Ever since the show finout there to think that they ished, and Merav lost all need some fancy TV prothat weight, she’s been gram to lose weight and be speaking out about her healthy. The change has to journey. “The only way take place inside of you.” people can shed excess It did, for both of them; weight,” she says, “is by while Merav dropped the educating themselves pounds at home (she made about healthy parameters.” several guest appearances That means, she says, not on Biggest Loser), Mark falling for all the gimwon the at-home prize micks. When it says ‘lite’ after being eliminated in on the package, it doesn’t the second-to-last week. necessarily mean ‘healthy.’

He lost 213 pounds.

Through educating herWhen Omahan Howard self, Merav became aware Kutler met Merav and of her triggers: “My relaMark in June of this year, tionship with food Howard Kutler in the company of Mark Pinhasovich and Merav he saw the results: “Merav changed,” she says. “I came Fiorella. Kutler donated four stairmasters to an Arizona school. is a very inspirational to realize that food was my woman,” he said. “Losing 120 pounds on her own is a mag- significant other, it was something that kept me company, I nificent accomplishment.” used it to fill a void, usually during a time of crisis.”

Merav connected with Howard Kutler when she decided to Today, Merav is focused on keeping herself finely tuned. “I ‘pay it forward.’ “I met Merav and Mark when they were was by my cousin’s side, desperate to be a Biggest Loser conguest speakers at the Ollie Webb Gala, which helps to sup- testant. Although the producers didn’t pick me, the show port individuals with learning disabilities in our community. actually delivered a healthier life to both Mark and me.

Merav asked me if I knew of anyone who would be willing to Although I didn’t have the show’s platform the way Mark donate fitness equipment to a school in Globe, Arizona.” did, I ended up developing my own plan and awareness, and Merav’s husband Sal is in the military, and volunteers his I will forever be grateful to those producers for not picking time at the Globe high school. When Merav found out there me. I learned there is no magic pill or potion. It must come was a student who wanted to enlist, but who was too over- from within.” weight to do so, she decided to help. “Merav wants to see this That also means updating that oh-so important Jewish student reach his dreams,” Howard says. “It will take dedica- kitchen. “Schmaltz, for centuries, has been the biggest ingretion, and a dramatic lifestyle change involving diet and exer- dient!” Merav says. “Some feel it’s time to bring it back to its cise.” rightful place. The truth is, most traditional recipes are Howard Kutler donated four stairclimbers to the high handed down from mother to daughter, but times have school, hoping it will not only help the one student, but changed. When I make my grandmother’s chicken patties, I encourage the school as a whole to make exercise an impor- alter the ingredients, and make it healthier. In addition, we tant part of their day. “I feel fortunate to perform a mitzvah Jewish mothers often make the mistake of expecting everyto help these students,” he says. one in the family to clean their plate. Maybe it’s time to focus “Oftentimes, the embarrassment people feel about their more on spending time together, and less on finishing every weight leads to more and more emotional eating,” Merav single bite.”

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Ethiopian aliyah hindered Continued from page 1 $750 per month in government benefits and has not been able to find work. In the meantime, she and her children live in a cramped two-room apartment. The mortgage package provided by the government is not sufficient for her to buy a place of her own, she said.

Supporters worry that the Israeli government’s inability to address the problems not only will harm the integration of Ethiopian immigrants, but could derail Ethiopian aliyah because there is no place to put the new arrivals.

“Come December, there will be no more room and the whole aliyah process will come to an end,” warned Canadian parliamentarian Irwin Cotler, a longtime advocate for Falash Mura aliyah and now acting legal counsel for the Public Committee for Ethiopian Jews.

The Ethiopian aliyah has been dogged by setbacks and controversy. Opponents question the Jewish credentials of the Ethiopians and view the immigrants as an economic and social burden to the state. Advocates of Ethiopian aliyah blame the government for dragging its feet on implementing decisions to bring the Ethiopians, exacerbating the problems for those living in poverty in Ethiopia and waiting to immigrate. More than 6,000 such people are left in Ethiopia, according to aliyah advocacy organizations, about 2,700 of whom have been approved by Israel to immigrate.

Last month, the Public Committee for Ethiopian Jews submitted a petition to Israel’s Supreme Court to ensure that Ethiopian immigration continues at the pace promised by the government. The petition argues that the government’s decrease in the monthly immigration quota contradicts an Israeli Cabinet decision last November to bring as many as 8,000 additional immigrants before ending mass Ethiopian aliyah.

Avraham Neguise, executive director of South Wing to Zion, which lobbies the Israeli government on behalf of the Falash Mura, said those who have been approved for aliyah should be allowed to come immediately.

Neguise said he recently visited Gondar, where the

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Ethiopians awaiting aliyah are served by Jewish aid compounds originally opened by the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry but taken over by the Jewish Agency earlier this year. The compounds provide some schooling, food assistance and employment training. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee also operates a health clinic for the aliyah petitioners.

The solution to the problem is not that simple, said Elad Sonn, a spokesman from the Immigrant Absorption Ministry.

Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver “is well aware of the situation,” Sonn said. “She visited Ethiopia last year and knows the problems the immigrants are facing.

However, in order to absorb all these people effectively, it needs to be done carefully and in stages.”

As for conditions on the ground in Gondar, the Jewish Agency’s representative in Ethiopia, Asher Seyum, acknowledges that they aren’t great but insists that people are getting as much help as possible in preparing for aliyah.

This story was edited for length.

To submit announcements: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha. org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

Readers can also submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Check the Jewish Press, however, for notices of early deadlines prior to secular and Jewish holidays.

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4 | The Jewish Press | October 14, 2011

Nebraska Holocaust Memorial Director volunteers time

by MARY BORT Endowment Assistant/Staff Writer Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation The Nebraska Holocaust Memorial, located at Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, serves as a place for education, remembrance and reflection.

It is designed to preserve the memory of those who were murdered during the Holocaust and to honor the liberators and survivors of the Nazi concentration camps.

Established through the support of many thoughtful donors and the Heartland Gary Hill Holocaust Educational Fund (HHEF) at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, the memorial was dedicated in 2007. The HHEF maintains the

memorial and oversees donations, donor bricks and plaques. Gary Hill is the memorial’s Managing Director and he was a member of the committee that originated the idea to build it. The committee was co-chaired by Yale Gotsdiner and Jerry Kohll. “It was Yale’s idea to build the memorial, around 2003,� said Hill. “He asked me to join the committee because of my background.�

Hill works as a consultant, traveling around the world to deal with countries at war and the people who are imprisoned due to the conflicts. He worked for the U.N. and other organizations, served on the Lincoln Human Rights Commission and is a member of the American Corrections Association. Hill belongs to Tifereth Israel in Lincoln. “The committee chose Wyuka for the memorial site since it is a state cemetery and has so many visitors each year,� explained Hill. “HHEF co-founder Sam Fried and others were on the committee. We worked on the memorial design and fundraising. We held a contest for the artwork featured

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at the memorial and Canadian artist Mort Katz came to create his winning entry.�

Hill’s role as the memorial’s Managing Director, a volunteer position, has evolved over time. “I followed in Yale’s footsteps. After the memorial was established, he checked it frequently, cleaned it and added to it. There are many things that need to be done to maintain the memorial, including repairs, brick installations and so on. After the HHEF became involved, they helped raise money and agreed to provide long-term support. I’m responsible for the day-today operations of the memorial.�

Featured at the site are memorial bricks that list donors’ names and/or the names of friends or loved ones that are being honored or remembered. When a donation of $100 or more is received, Hill orders a brick to be engraved and coordinates with volunteers to place the brick at the site. He catalogs all the memorial bricks and devised a system for visitors to find particular bricks when they visit the site.

The memorial also has a Wall of Remembrance that includes compelling photos and information about the Holocaust. “It really is an outdoor museum,� said Hill.

He emphasized that Wyuka Cemetery is great to work with and does a terrific job with weeding, watering plants and snow removal. Hill and volunteers take care of other maintenance issues. For example, visitors are encouraged to take a stone from a box located at the entrance to the memorial and follow the Jewish tradition of placing a stone on a grave. “In the course of a week there might be 300 stones placed at the memorial,� said Hill. “So a couple of times a week, I put the stones back in the box.�

Hill came up with the idea to add a Butterfly Garden at the site in order to remember the children who were murdered in the Holocaust. “Eagle Nursery donated trees, and a brick pathway was placed by the athletes who were in Omaha to participate in the 2010 Maccabi Games last summer,� he stated. “Then Kingery Construction came and smoothed out the path. Eagle Nursery also planted flowers and students from the Lincoln high schools added bricks and replaced mulch. It was a joint volunteer effort.�

School groups, civic groups and other organizations frequently visit the memorial and Hill often serves as tour guide. Sometimes there are other volunteers who serve as docents. There is a new brochure available at the site, so visitors can learn about the various features of the memorial.

Hill also coordinates with the Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE). The IHE provides educational and community programming at the memorial. “Groups will contact the IHE, who contacts me, and I work with them to help provide a worthwhile educational experience during their visit to the memorial,� he explained. Hill is developing a program for future memorial tours that will include an interactive class on genocide followed by a talk by a county historian and tours of the memorial and Wyuka cemetery.

Another interest is broadening the volunteer base. “We’re always looking for volunteers,� Hill said. “I’ll be happy to train volunteers how to clean the site, to serve as docents for tour groups or to place memorial bricks.� “In conjunction with Sam Fried and the HHEF, we’re in the process of putting together a long-term plan to always have a point-person to coordinate things,� he continued. “Additionally, we continue to work on fundraising as there are always costs associated with maintaining the site, whether it is replacing chipped bricks or updating a plaque.� “The Jewish community and the State of Nebraska greatly benefit from Gary’s tireless work at the memorial,� stated Fried. “We owe him a debt of gratitude for all the time and effort he gives to maintain the memorial and educate visitors.�

For more information about the Nebraska Holocaust Memorial or to make a donation, visit the HHEF website, www.holocausteducationfund.org, or call 402.334.6459.

For general tour information, contact Hill at 402.420.0602.

Teachers interested in arranging educational tours for classes should contact the IHE at 402.334.6575.

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B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, Oct. 19, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; beverage service is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewish omaha.org.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish teaches an optimistic vision that allows us to view the world with joy and hope. Come join us at the Blumkin Home, every Thursday in the board room, at 1 p.m., to reap “The Joys of Yiddish!� For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

October 14, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 5

Welcoming Shira Abraham

by JILL BELMONT BethEl Publicity Coordinator Beth El’s Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group kicks off the new year with a casual meet and greet with Shira Abraham, wife of the synagogue’s new assistant rabbi, Steven Abraham. The gettogether is planned for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, at the One Pacific Place Residences clubhouse, 1365 S. 101st St. (just east of the One Pacific Place shopping center). All women in the Jewish community are invited to attend; hosts for the evening will be Melissa Schop and Joanie Jacobson.

Calling Shira “warm, personShira Abraham able, spirited, genuine and smart,� Jacobson said that, “Melissa and I are very excited about the evening, which will be purely social and laid-back -just the kind of gathering women love so much and do so well.�

She added, “This Rosh Hodesh promises a perfect opportunity to meet, greet and get to know Shira, not to mention a chance to connect or re-connect with each other. For me, the people of Beth El have always been its greatest natural resource, and the women of Beth El continue to enrich our synagogue life in every way.�

Schop noted that, “Over the past several months we all have seen the wonderful energy Rabbi Abraham has brought to Beth El. Shira brings her own amazing gifts to the congregation as well, and this is a fabulous opportunity for everyone to witness that firsthand. I’ve had the great pleasure to get to know Shira and am so excited to give the women of Beth El this chance to see for themselves what an asset she is to the congregation and the community.�

The Rosh Hodesh evening will be one of sharing stories, Jacobson said. “We’ve asked Shira to tell us a little about herself, her family, her Judaism, and we, in turn, will tell her a little about ourselves! It’s all about putting a face to a name and a name to a story.�

Along with the two co-hosts, the guest of honor said that she is looking forward to the Oct. 27 get-together. “I’m looking forward to having this special time to actually get to know people. I love that we’re going to exchange personal stories. Life has been a little crazy for our family -- a new baby who’s wonderful and amazes me every day, a new job, a new city, a new house -- crazy but exciting. Everyone has been so nice. We feel really blessed.�

Reservations for the evening are requested and may be made by contacting Schop at melschop@hotmail.com or 402.319.9609.

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Still in L.O.V.E after all these years

by OZZIE NOGG Good relationships can withstand the test of time. When L.O.V.E. (League Offering Volunteers to the Elderly) marks its 40th Anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 30, the event will serve as a testament to the rock-solid relationship the organization has with the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and the entire Omaha Jewish community. The Anniversary Celebration -- L.O.V.E., Legacy and Laughter -- begins at 2 p.m. in the JCC Theater and will feature Omaha’s First Lady of Humor, Mary Maxwell. Following the program, a dessert reception will be held in the JCC Gallery. “The Blumkin Home is our primary project,� said L.O.V.E. President, Judy Brookstein. “Raising funds to provide needed items from the Home’s ‘wish list’ gives us great joy.� Most recently, L.O.V.E. donated $10,000 that allowed the Home to buy four computers for the med carts that will enable the nursing staff to more efficiently dispense medicine to the residents. In past years the organization has provided funds for the purchase of a crash cart and defibrillator, new patio furniture for the RBJH courtyard, induction cooking systems for the Home’s kitchen, transportation vehicles -- the familiar blue and white Love Buses -- resident cable service, hospice carts, television sets with DVD players for roombound residents, and prayer books. L.O.V.E. also underwrites new resident welcome gifts, supplies for resident manicures, holiday parties, monthly birthday gifts and prize money for Bingo and other game days. “L.O.V.E. sponsors kiddush on Shabbat and on holidays,� Brookstein said, “and our volunteers accompany and sponsor residents’ attendance at cultural events in the community. Basically, we’re here to provide RBJH residents with the necessities of life

while also adding to the enjoyment of their surroundings. It is our honor to take care of those who have taken care of us.�

The Blumkin Home’s Gift Shop is another L.O.V.E. project. The shop carries a nice array of gifts for all ages plus an assortment of items for resident needs as well as commercial greeting cards and all-occasion cards by Ozzie Nogg.

Gift Shop proceeds, as well as monies raised by Tribute Card donations, go to fund L.O.V.E.’s support of the Blumkin Home.

In addition to Judy Brookstein, current L.O.V.E. Auxiliary Board Members are: President Elect, Jim Wax; Membership Chair, Leslie Kully; Recording Secretaries, Beth Friedman and Denise Ipock; Treasurer, Esther Wax. Directors are Doris Alloy, Harry Alloy, Audrey Epstein, Gloria Friedman, Sheryl Friedman, Dora Goldstrom, Howard Kaplan, Mark Kazor, Renee Kazor, Mark Lippett, Wendy Manvitz, Jim Polack, Iris Ricks, Michael Shrago, Tootie Simon, Ricki Skog, Shelley Stern, Sheila Tomps and Kathy Weiner. Marge Lincoln is Honorary Board Member. Lois Wine serves as Staff Liaison.

Wine praised L.O.V.E. for their generosity, not only with their many hours of volunteer service, but also with their financial support to the Home. “As we approach our 40th Anniversary, we are so grateful to the L.O.V.E. Auxiliary for continuing to show a deep commitment to the Blumkin Home residents. We don’t know what we would do without this outstanding group, and look forward to having the L.O.V.E. Auxiliary continue to enrich the lives of our residents. Current L.O.V.E. volunteers assist with many of our programs, but there is need for additional volunteers. Please call to schedule an appointment and visit with me to find your niche.� Lois Wine can be reached at 402.334.6519.

BBQ stars at Star Deli Sukkot dinner

by OZZIE NOGG Most Jewish holidays have a ‘signature’ food. Latkes on Hanukkah. Hamantashen on Purim. Matzo balls on Pesach.

Blintzes on Shavuot. Honey cake on Rosh Hashanah. And on Sukkot? “Bar-B-Q,� said Josh Gurock, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Facilities Coordinator. “We’re pretty sure that our ancestors, during forty years of wandering in the desert, occasionally tossed a lamb or some veggies on the fire outside the temporary shelters -- or booths -- in which they lived. So using this rationale, the Star Deli will offer a Sukkot Special BBQ Dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Blumkin Home Auditorium.�

Featured Sukkot Special Dinner entrees are BBQ Beef Short Ribs or Grilled BBQ Chicken, both served with baked potato and mixed vegetables. Traditional Star Deli menu items -- corned beef, pastrami, egg or tuna salad sandwiches along with ever-popular salads and sides -- will also be

available. The holiday feast includes an outdoor Dessert Buffet of harvest-themed sweet treats, all to be enjoyed in the newly expanded sukkah in the Blumkin Home Courtyard. “You’re invited to eat as much as you can fit in your stomach,� said Mike Aparo, RBJH Director of Food Services.

The Sukkot Special BBQ Dinner is an example of the Omaha Jewish Federation’s emphasis on customer service. “The regular Star Deli Friday lunches on Oct. 14 and 21st aren’t available because we close for the first and last days of Sukkot,� Gurock said. “But we still wanted to serve the community and out-of-town guests during the High Holiday season. The BBQ Dinner, on Oct. 18 during the intermediate days of Sukkot, was the perfect answer. We look forward to a really pleasant evening and hope you’ll join us.�

The Star Deli regular Friday lunch schedule resumes on Oct. 28.

6 | The Jewish Press | October 14, 2011

JCC pool performs a rescue

by SHERRIE SAAG standing facilities and thought it could work Community Development Associate, for our training,” Captain Hildebrandt said.

Jewish Federation of Omaha Scott Alff is the OFD firefighter in charge of Until four years ago, the Omaha Fire water rescue training operations. He made the Department had no water rescue program at call to Sam Bogdan, JCC Aquatics Director. all. None. Now, people living outside of Nebraska might chuckle and say, “There is no water in Nebraska.” But, especially after this summer, those of us who live here know differently - Lake Cunningham, the Elkhorn River, Papio Creek, etc.

In fact, it was the accidental death of a high school student in Papio Creek that prompted one Omaha Fire Department Captain to act. He wanted to create a team of firemen with the training and necessary equipment to perform water rescue in Omaha.

Captain Brad Hildebrandt, Special Operations Coordinator for the Omaha Fire Department (OFD) worked to put all the pieces together.

But, the one factor that proved difficult to secure was appropriate deep water pool OFD diver practicing in the JCC pool. facilities with which to train. His memory Because the program is funded 100% with served him well, however. Captain private donations and grants, the two fireHildebrandt grew up near our Federation fighters hoped to use the JCC pool without campus and graduated from the University cost. The JCC responded yes immediately, of Nebraska Omaha. While a college stu- only too happy to help out our city’s firemen. dent, he worked in the JCC Aquatics “Within one month of my initial conversaDepartment under Chuck Arnold, then the tion with Sam, our divers were in the JCC head of fitness and athletics. pool, practicing required drills for the strict “I was a lifeguard, helped at the summer certification standards we must uphold on a camps, and did general office work for the continual basis,” said Alff. “The size and aquatics department. I remembered the out- depth of the pool is ideal for us to meet the

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state and national criteria. That we can train without incurring additional cost, the funds we do have can be used for equipment, is just a tremendous bonus to us,” he added.

Now, on any given day, the OFD Water Rescue program has ten to fifteen on-duty firefighters available to “run in rescue mode” at a moment’s notice. Training is required twice a month with six sessions to accommodate the diver’s schedules. According to Captain Hildebrandt, the four parts of water rescue training, Surface, Diving, Recovery, and Swift Water, are practiced with complete competency. “I am confident we are getting the practice and skills we need,” he said.

“There are very few pools in the Omaha metro area that are twelve-plus feet deep.

The size and depth of the JCC pool is ideal.

We are grateful for this partnership and so appreciative of the Jewish communities’ generosity and respect for public safety.”

“My memory certainly served me well in this instance. That the Jewish Community Center and its facilities welcomed us is an understatement. I like to call it firefighterfriendly. I invite anyone to observe our training at any time and we welcome questions too,” he finished. Contact Sam Bogdan in the JCC Aquatics Department for the OFD’s training schedule.

ARTZA is Back!

by DIANE MALASHOCK Israel Program Coordinator The Center for Jewish Education through the Omaha Jewish Chai School is bringing back Omaha’s most popular teen Israel experience... ARTZA. All Jewish teens entering 10th, 11th and 12th grades in the fall of 2012 won’t want to miss this incredible opportunity June 17–July 15, 2012 (exact date and price will be determined in Dec. 2011).

Stroll the Jewish Quarter, feel the stones of the Western Wall, explore the Galilee and the Golan Heights, spend a weekend of home hospitality with our Partnership 2Gether community, visit Yad Vashem, uncover history at an archeological dig, ride camels, spend the night under the stars in the Negev, float in the Dead Sea, climb Masada at dawn, rappel the desert mountains, enjoy the beaches of Eilat, check out some of the best shopping on

Ben Yehuda Street, and most of all have the Greatest Summer of Your Life!

Enjoy the fun and friendships, sights and sounds, personal challenges and Jewish journeys in a non-denominational, pluralistic group. It is the perfect blend of fun, meeting new friends, Jewish identity and history.

Join me and Na’ama Keren, Omaha’s Community Schlicha, in this amazing summer adventure, exploring Israel, learning about oneself, and gaining a true understanding of the idea of Jewish community. We guarantee a meaningful experience for all participants!

Mark your calendars for Monday Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. for a Parent/Teen Information Night to be held in the Social Hall of the JCC. For more information or to RSVP contact Diane Malashock, Center for Jewish Education, Israel Program Coordinator at 402.334.6424 or dmala shock@jewishomaha.org.

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Please let the Jewish Press know in advance when you are leaving and when you are returning. Sometimes several papers are sent to your“old”address before we are notified by the Post Office. Every time they return a paper to us, you miss the Jewish Press and we are charged 70¢! Please call us at 402.334.6448 or email us at jpress@jewishomaha.org.

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October 14, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7

OTYG teens prepare for leadership roles

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN fessions. We had a genuine conversation in which everyone Temple Israel Communications Coordinator was included. I had never experienced anything like it.” She For five members of Omaha Temple Youth Group noted that she learned a lot from being exposed to the tra(OTYG), Labor Day Weekend was spent networking within ditions of other regions, but “I got more from the new relatheir own Missouri Valley tionships I built.” She also (MoFTY) Region as well as enjoyed “all the services” with members of other especially the morning ones. regions, sharing Shabbat, “Seeing all these things enjoying mixers, preparing widened my horizons but also for leadership roles, planning made me proud to be a social action programs, and Missouri Valleyite.” praying together. The Omaha Two LTI first-timers, teens attended the Leadership Hannah Radler, 16, and Training Institute (LTI), Maddie Jensen, 15, learned OTYG members and rushees enjoyed a bit of a soggy but fun sponsored by the North about the responsibilities of day at Adventureland in Des Moines in late August.

American Federation of their respective board posiTemple Youth, in Indiana. tions. As the social action vice Jordan Jensen, president of president, Hannah “met a ton OTYG, met with multiple of people. It was really fun. groups in breakout sessions. “I We had a lot of programs, and wanted to go to learn better there were six different how to lead our youth group regions including a youth and how to bring us more group from Canada. The closely together as a group presidents of the regions were this year. I learned a lot about great speakers. I liked how the different perspectives that they worked so well together.” people have in the world and She hopes to be on the board how different leadership styles next year and “go to LTI again work together. I definitely too.” think this will be applicable to Maddie is the membership our youth group, not only vice president of OTYG and with the board, but also with Junior Youth Group co-liaiAt a Tri-Faith cooking event at Temple Israel, OTYG members running events and seeing son. She noticed how the Joe Hack, middle, and Jordan Jensen, right, introduce Jewish how different people interact. mixers “helped kids come out culture and tradition to Muslim and Episcopalian teens.

I definitely gained a deeper of their shells.” Attending LTI understanding of how people’s varying talents can impact helped her “discover how to be a membership vice president. and benefit a group in many ways,” said the 17-year-old.

I learned a lot and practiced meeting a lot of people and Sophia Miller, also 17, is the OTYG programming vice remembering their names.” She especially “loved meeting president. At LTI, “we learned how to do our positions,” she people from all over” including “kids from Canada.” explained. “We also had a lot of time to spend with the other Back home in Omaha, OTYG hosted a Tri-Faith cooking five regions that were there so it was really nice to meet program during which Jewish culture and tradition were everyone. My favorite part was getting to meet all the new shared with teens from the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska people.” Wanting to take “full advantage of my time left in and the Omaha Muslim Youth Association. “We had 28 parNFTY,” Sophia learned “about many new programs that I ticipants from the three faith groups for this event which can bring back to OTYG.” was the first for the year. We introduced traditional Jewish Social Action Vice President/Special Projects Coordinator recipes in a massive cooking effort, making latkes, hamanSophie Goldberg, 16, said, “LTI was an amazing experience. tashen, charoset, knishes as well as 20 loaves of challah, and I met new people from six out of the 19 regions around the Israeli salad and humus. It was a fun, interactive teen-drivU.S. and Canada. My favorite program was the Redefining en event. I think the kids were all very happy to be working Beautiful Project that our own regional board planned. All together in a project that is unique and progressive,” said the girls washed off their makeup, and we all submitted con- Amy Katz, OTYG advisor.

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Sitting in Booths

Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER Living in Israel does not just make traditional Judaism come fully alive - it makes scholarly criticism of that tradition come alive as well. An excellent example of this may be found in the tradition of sitting in ‘booths” for the weeklong holiday of Succot, which begins this year on Wednesday night Oct. 12.

Scholars view the agricultural underpinnings of the major festivals in Judaism as key to the origin of each holiday. Like many peoples, the Jews depended on agriculture for their sustenance, and it thus comes as no anthropological surprise to find that the Jews, just like other peoples, tied their ethnic celebrations to the agricultural calendar. Passover is the Jewish spring holiday, Pentecost is the early harvest holiday, and Succot is the late harvest holiday. What makes each holiday particularly “Jewish” is that, according to scholars, at a certain point in time religious-historical meanings were overlaid onto the national agricultural holidays. Thus the spring holiday also became the holiday to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt, Pentecost also became the holiday to commemorate the giving of the Torah, and Succot also became the holiday to commemorate wandering in the desert.

In graduate school, where I first learned of the scholarly approach to religion, I learned that the tradition of the booths on Succot had an agricultural origin: farmers would build little shacks in order to afford themselves some shade when they rested from their work in the fields. Back when I studied this, such an explanation seemed about as remote from my life as a people wandering in the desert for 40 years.

Since I moved to Givat Ze’ev, however, this agricultural cus-

tom has come alive for me. Arab-worked fields that I pass on the way to and from Jerusalem are a throwback to ancient times (I recently saw a farmer irrigating his crops by carrying buckets of water and pouring the water out by hand).

And wouldn’t you know it, there on those Arab fields, a succah occasionally appears. The whole thing now makes perfect sense. There are few trees around, the sun is scorching, and any small amount of shade provides welcome relief.

The Arab huts look to be pretty ramshackle, made out of any number of materials: stone, wood, cloth, tarp. The huts are not meant to withstand storms, since the year’s farmwork will be over by the time the rainy season comes. The main thing is that the huts produce shade (interesting side point: according to Jewish law, one of the key requirements for a succah is that it contain more shade than sun). After viewing these ancient-yet-contemporary huts, one is urged toward the following conclusion: just as great novelists often make stories out of the raw fabric of their lives, so the Jews utilized their lives as farmers as a basis for their religious imagination.

The scholarly theory of the succah’s origin cannot be proved. But it’s important to note that a person can accept this origin and still keep the tradition religiously, since one thing is in fact clear: unlike the “historical” origin, the conception of Succot as “harvest holiday” (a traditional name for this festival) is open to all. Because let’s not forget: it is only through religious belief that one can imagine the booths of the Children of Israel wandering in the desert some 3,300 years ago. Yet when going home to Givat Ze’ev, no belief is required to see the importance of the succah: you just have to open your eyes and look around. Happy Holiday.

Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest three, Nathan, Rebecca and Ruthie, are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@net vision.net.il.

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8 | The Jewish Press | October 14, 2011

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Pledge with me

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press We’re all happy to have another Shlicha in the building, especially since we went without one for an entire year. Now that Naama Keren is here, the community will have one more way to feel close to Israel. I think we can all agree that that is very important.

It’s pretty cool when you think about it: here is a young woman, who has by all accounts had some very interesting experiences, and she’s agreed to come share those with us.

After serving in the IDF, Naama traveled to India, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand, to name but a few. All these places sound much more exotic than Omaha. Sorry; they just do. And yet, here she is, mingling with the locals. She wants to teach us about Israel, because she absolutely loves it. And with most of the media covering only part of what goes on over there, it is extremely useful to have someone like Naama to talk to.

The great thing is, she’s expecting just as much from us as we do from her. Sure, she’s here to teach, but she’s also here to learn, to find out what exactly life is like for us Diaspora Jews. What makes us tick, what makes our community function so well, how do we pull it off? It’s a more than valid question, and one we ought to answer.

If Naama takes one thing away from her time here, I hope it is this: that Jewish Omaha is full of people who care, and who are committed to keeping this community strong.

And important part of this is (oh yeah, I’m so going there) is making our pledge to the annual campaign. Yes; it is that time of year again.

I’m convinced many of us roll our eyes at the thought: here

we go, we already pay so much left and right, tuition, programming, synagogues, various other charities that knock on our door; do we really have to? Didn’t we just do this?

But bear with me.

Just as the Shlicha program is important to our Israel connection, so are many other programs for our Jewish life. The annual campaign funds so many things, from dance class to the swimming pool, from the Jewish Film Festival to Yoga, and from Eye on Israel to this newspaper. It also funds places like Yad LaKashish is Jerusalem, where elderly in need find a place where they can use their creative talents and make a living.

It helps families in Israel, Hungary, and right here in Omaha when they need it, and it supports the Chai School. In other words, the list is endless, and to describe in detail how much it means if everybody in the community made that pledge is simply impossible.

By pledging your support to the Jewish Federation of Omaha, we say: “Not only are we part of this community, we invest in it, we are part of building it, and keeping it strong.” Granted, talking about money is never fun (yech), but that’s what it takes to keep this awesome community going.

Think about it: with all the fabu-

lous features we have, pledging to the annual campaign shouldn’t be something we ‘have’ to do, it should be something we want to do, something we can’t wait to take part in, a source of pride.

As an important part of campaign season, the community will honor Humanitarian of the Year Buddy Goldstein as well as many other volunteers. Please join us Monday Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. in the JCC Theater. Then, let’s all make that pledge, and let’s show our Shlicha Naama exactly what we are made of.

In Putin’s return, Russian Jews see stability

Focus on issues LEV KRICHEVKSY (JTA) -- Was Vladimir Putin’s carefully choreographed plan to return to Russia’s presidency in 2012 a big blow to democracy or a victory for stability?

It all depends on who you ask.

Most Russian Jews, it seems, say that Putin’s return after a four-year stint as prime minister is good news for stability, and that’s good for the country’s Jewish community. Critics, however, say it’s a sign of Russia’s stagnation.

Echoing traditional Jewish sensibilities, Yevgeniy Satanovsky, head of the Institute for Israel and Near Eastern Studies, a think tank in Moscow, says that Jews do not have to worry about Putin.

“Putin is neither an anti-Semite nor anti-Israel,” Satanovsky said.

For Russia’s Jews, whose estimated numbers range from 500,000 to 1 million, Putin marked a departure from the anti-Semitism of past Communist elites and of the once allpowerful KGB, which he served for nearly two decades.

Putin was the first Russian leader to visit Israel, where he attended an official reception. He also visited a Moscow synagogue, participated in candle-lighting ceremonies on Hanukkah and reportedly had an open door for one of Russia’s two chief rabbis, Berel Lazar.

While human rights groups reported surges in xenophobic attacks at various times during Putin’s presidency, Jews rarely were the targets.

Lazar said Putin should be credited for driving antiSemitism out of Russian political discourse.

Politicians in today’s Russia “would not risk taking antiSemitic or a so-called anti-Zionist stand,” Lazar said. “Any impartial observer should acknowledge Putin’s big role in this.”

As president and prime minister, Lazar said, Putin “paid great attention to the needs of our community and related to

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us with a deep respect.”

But the Putin regime also earned a reputation for intimidating political opponents and journalists, and rolling back democratic reforms. As evidence, critics say one need look no further than the way he has orchestrated his return to power.

The announcement about the next stage of Putin’s rule over Russia came Sept. 24, when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s handpicked successor to the post, said he would not run in next year’s presidential election. Medvedev then backed Putin’s return to the Kremlin. In return, Putin offered Medvedev the prime minister’s chair in 2012.

Putin, the president from 2000 to 2008, was constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive four-year term.

The 2008 arrangement that made Putin the prime minister for four years was widely seen as a sign that Putin would retain control over the reins of power, and his intention to return to the presidency confirms that thinking. With presidential terms extended to six years by Medvedev -- presumably with Putin in mind -- Putin, who turns 59 this week, could serve as Russia’s president until 2024.

His public approval rating is high and he isn’t expected to meet any formidable political challenges.

Putin’s popularity is explained largely by Russians’ yearning for order and a strong hand skillfully wielded by the Kremlin’s political advisers. Over the years of his rule, Putin effectively sidetracked any real opposition, put the brakes on political dissent on national airwaves and turned Russia’s Parliament -- dominated by his United Russia party -- into a virtual arm of his regime.

Liberals find his plan to return to the presidency deeply disturbing.

“I’m honestly shaken by the impudence with which this was all done,” Yevgeniya Albats, a prominent Russian Jewish journalist, told Echo Moskvy radio, one of Russia’s few remaining liberal media outlets.

“We have witnessed how all institutions of the Russian Federation were torn down -- the constitution, the elec-

tions,” said Albats, the editor in chief of The New Times weekly magazine in Moscow.

Critics blame Putin for dismantling many of the democratic achievements of his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin; for failing to implement many substantial economic and social reforms; for nurturing widespread corruption; and for creating a system in which only those with ties to his clan can prosper.

Others argue that Putin’s return, no matter how it was orchestrated, is a fair reflection of realities in today’s Russia.

“It may not be happening all nicely, but democracy is not built overnight,” Satanovsky said. “Putin is coming back to power as a real leader of a large political and economic clan.

Can it change soon? I don’t see how.”

The early years of Putin’s presidency were marked by Kremlin pressure against Russia’s oligarchs -- the once politically influential Russian business tycoons, many of whom were Jews. But in recent years, most leading business figures in Russia have withdrawn from political life, marking a victory for the Kremlin.

Despite the fact that many of those oligarchs were Jewish, Satanovsky notes that Putin never let his political, business and even personal battles “translate into anything anti-Jewish.”

While the Putin era has not been good for democracy in Russia, Jewish life in the country has continued to thrive.

Thousands of parents send their children to Jewish schools and camps, and new synagogues and community centers are being added every year. There even are new museums opening in Moscow.

Despite these gains under Putin and his loyal successor Medevedev, a sense of unease left over from the olden days persists among many Jewish community leaders, who declined to speak on the record with JTA about the perils of Putin’s cavalier approach toward democracy.

“There is a certain frustration in the society,” said one Jewish leader who asked that his name not to be used. “But the revolution is nowhere near. There is no democracy, and life goes on.”

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October 14, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 9

The Jewish Zen of Steve Jobs

Behind the headlines JASON MILLER WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (JTA) -- Social networking sites began buzzing immediately after word spread of the death of Apple Inc. visionary Steve Jobs Wednesday evening.

Rabbis took time out of their busy preparations for Yom Kippur to halt their sermon writing and post personal reflections on what the contributions of Steve Jobs’ creative spark had on them.

Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone of Dewitt, N.Y., posted to his Facebook page, “Is Steve Jobs a hero? If someone who has vision, discipline, passion, and love for what he does is a hero, then yes. It was not about the money or the fame for him. It was about changing the world in a million little ways that improved peoples' lives. And his devices and other inventions have been a major breakthrough in helping people with disabilities communicate and employ the best that technology has to offer.”

Earlier on Facebook, Pepperstone recounted the plethora of Apple computers and gadgets he had used since his first Apple IIe in 1984.

Answering the question “Why Is Steve Jobs Important to Me?” Rabbi Eric Linder of Omaha, NE, explained how Jobs impacted his professional life. On his blog Linder wrote, “In my rabbinate, I have tried to use technology to make Judaism relevant. For Rosh Hashanah we leveraged the power of social media to crowd source answers to the question, ‘What does the shofar call YOU to do?’ All of the technical stuff was done on Apple technology. And the project brought the congregation closer together. It brought people together.”

Over the past three decades, the technological innovation that was inspired by Steve Jobs’ vision had a significant effect on the Jewish community. His genius was in intuiting what would happen when you “strip away the excess layers of business, design, and innovation until only the simple elegant reality remained.”

The ways in which Jewish education and Jewish life have been positively affected by the products that Jobs dreamed of and made into a reality are countless. His iPods made Jewish music and Jewish learning more accessible. His computers brought graphic design to new levels for Jewish institutions like synagogues and day schools. His Facetime application on the iPhone allowed Jewish communities separated by continents to come together and communicate. The geographical distances and borders have become irrelevant thanks to the innovative contributions of this genius. The thousands of Jewish-themed applications from utilities to resources to games were created specifically for the iPhone and iPad. Steve Jobs’ understanding of efficiency and connectivity led to the intuitive devices that have changed the way we work and connect with each other. The Jewish high school that has its students learning Talmud and chemistry on the iPad owes a great deal to the work of Steve Jobs. The father who created a slideshow of memories set to music using iMovie for his daughter’s wedding is indebted to the vision of Steve Jobs. The young boy living in a remote area of the country who is preparing for his bar mitzvah by listening to a New York cantor’s podcast on his iTouch is grateful to Steve Jobs.

Did the devotee of Zen Buddhism have a Jewish spark in him? Perhaps he did. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs had a profound effect on the Jewish world. His dynamic legacy will continue to make the world better as we continue to plug in and connect with each other in just the way he envisioned and using the devices he helped design. If the value of tikkun olam really means leaving your imprint on the world in a quest to make it a better place for all of us, then Steve Jobs possessed that value a thousand-fold.

Jason Miller is an entrepreneurial rabbi and technologist. He is president of Access Computer Techonlogy, an IT and social media marketing company in Michigan. He blogs at http://blog.rabbijason.com and is a popular speaker about the intersection of Judaism and technology.

News of the Duh

by RON KAMPEAS There are two mainstream media blockbusters out there this week that supposedly shine harsh lights on corners of our little Jewish world.

The Daily Beast/Newsweek explores Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s ties with Irwin Katsof, a rabbi with ties to Israel’s government.

It’s true, Katsof ’s weird evasions do merit further attention. Wayne Barrett, the writer, keeps catching him saying he’s not really close to Aish HaTorah/Perry/various investment schemes, and then is able to prove otherwise.

But the rest -- Perry favors the Israeli right in its vision for the country and is likelier than not to agree with Benjamin Netanyahu on policy. We knew this; Perry has told us.

Katsof gets prominent Jewish Republican donors and pols to go to Israel and they make deals that make the donors money and create jobs back home. This is shady? Help Israel, make GOP pols look good by helping them do good, make bucks -- three items I’d imagine top the to-do list of every Republican Jewish Coalition board member. So what?

At Salon, Ken Silverstein rips into Eli Lake (who happens now to be at the Daily Beast/Newsweek) for... what? Taking meals with sources? The only hint of scandal here is that Orion, the pro-Georgian (and pro-Israel) lobbying shop, seems to be listing on its tax forms meals Eli says he pays for.

I tend to believe Eli. So Eli gets sourced stuff from an interested party. Who doesn’t? His reporting does not hew to his source’s preconceptions, and not even to his own. Read deep enough into the Salon piece, and Silverstein acknowledges as much.

Or there’s an example from today: Eli does not shy from expressing his opinion. During the dawn of the Arab Spring, he Tweeted, with approval, Obama administration backing for the protesters. Today he runs a story on what might have been the deleterious impact of that backing on U.S. influence among Gulf states.

But like I said, the color is great. Perry stroked Katsof ’s cheek? And a thousand bucks for a meal at Morton’s? What did they eat, the whole cow?

Don’t answer that.

With the exception of Harry Reid

by RON KAMPEAS The “this weekend in offensive political news” item is Pastor Robert Jeffress’ description of Mormonism as a “cult” at the Value Voters Summit.

Jeffress was taking aim at Mitt Romney. Jennifer Rubin, the Washington Post’s conservative columnist, tip-toes around the offense: “No Republican contender came close to Rick Santorum on whether Mormonism is a “cult”: “Mitt Romney is a true -- he says he’s a Christian. I believe he said Christian.

I’m not an expert on Mormonism. All I know is that every Mormon I know is a good and decent person, has great

moral values and, by and large, with the exception of Harry Reid, by and large, pretty consistent in the values that I share and that things I want to see happen to this country. And that’s what he should be judged on.” Really, is that so hard?”

One would think not, but what stuck out for me was that even though Santorum earns the honorable man mantle in this kerfuffle, he has to make sure to broadcast his contempt for Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader.

Imagine, say, Louis Farrakhan’s “gutter religion” broadside delivered not to a Nation of Islam gathering, but at a colloquium of liberal-left groups, and not in the 1990s, but today.

Imagine Democrats who attended the event tip-toeing around Farrakhan, but imagine one blasting him out of the water, saying: “I’m not an expert on Judaism. All I know is that every Jew I know is a good and decent person, has great moral values and, by and large, with the exception of Eric Cantor, by and large, pretty consistent in the values that I share and that things I want to see happen to this country.”

Rubin is right: Santorum comes out of this smelling like roses.

Relatively.

What’s going on with our political discourse?

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Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Beth Schlossberg.

FRIDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by Marcie and Brent Spivack, in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Jacob; Evening Service, 6:30 p.m.

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; BESTT families with children in Pre-K and Kindergarten will decorate their students’ Torah scroll covers, 10:15 a.m.; Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Sukkah Hop: Community-wide, progressive Sukkot celebration will begin with 12:15 p.m. appetizers at Beth El, followed by lunch at 1:15 p.m. at Beth Israel, 2:15 p.m. snacks at Temple Israel, and sweets and a musical program at 3:15 p.m., at the Blumkin Home. Cost is $5 per person, or $20 per family. For more information, contact Margie in the office or at programming@bethel-omaha. org; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m.

MONDAY & TUESDAY: Shacharit, 6:40 a.m.; MinchaMa’ariv, 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Hoshanna Rabbah, 6:15 a.m.; MinchaMa’ariv, 5:30 p.m.

THURSDAY: Morning Service (Yizkor & Dedication of Plaques), 9:30 a.m.; Students will be honored during Simchat Torah services, with a presentation of miniature Torah scrolls. Minha-Ma’ariv and Hakafot at 5:30 p.m., followed by a spaghetti and salad dinner. No dinner charge for Beth El members who RSVP by Monday, Oct. 17; cost for non-members is $5. After that date, cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. To RSVP, send a check to the synagogue, marked “Simchat Torah Dinner.”

FRIDAY, Oct. 21: Morning Service (Hakafot), 9:30 a.m. and congregants Glen Fineman and Diane Axler Baum will be honored as Hatan Torah and Kallat Bereshit, respectively.

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

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: 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-Sukkot: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored

by Sisterhood; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:27 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored in honor of the October simchas; The Laws of Shabbat, 4:15 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 5:15 p.m.; Rabbi Gross’s Twitter Topic Class, 5:15 p.m.; Veshinantam, a family learning program, 5:30 p.m.; Mincha, 6:15 p.m., followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 7:25 p.m.

SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast;

Candlelighting Friday, October 14, 6:27 p.m.

Wednesday, October 19, 6:19 p.m. | Thursday, October 20, 7:17 p.m.

Community Synagogue Sukkah Hop – 12:15 p.m. at Beth El; 1:15 p.m. at Beth Israel; 2:15 p.m. at Temple Israel; 3:15 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Home.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross. Contact the office for information on how to call-in to the conference call.

TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY-Erev Yom Tov: Scholars Club for fourthsixth graders is cancelled this week; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 6:19 p.m.

THURSDAY-Shemini Atzeret: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; MinchaMa’ariv, 6:25 p.m.; Hakafot for Simchat Torah, 6:45 p.m., followed by a dairy dinner.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY-Sukkot II: Services, 9:30 a.m.; Evening Services, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-Chol Hamoed: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 6 p.m.

SUNDAY-Chol Hamoed: Services, 8:30 a.m.; Soup in the Sukkah, a special women’s only night at 6 p.m. in the Chabad Sukkah.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY-Chol Hamoed: Services, 7 a.m.

WEDNESDAY-Chol Hamoed: Hoshana Rabba Services, 7 a.m.; Hoshanot may be obtained by calling our office; Evening Services, 6 p.m. followed by Kiddush and Hakafot.

THURSDAY-Shemini Atzeret: Services, 9:30 a.m.; Yizkor Memorial Service, 11 a.m.; Evening Services, 6 p.m. followed by Kiddush and Hakafot.

FRIDAY, Oct. 21-Simchat Torah: Services, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Hakafot; Evening Services, 6 p.m.

All programs are open to the entire community.

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

FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m., with oneg following hosted by Nicholette Brackhan.

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

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Community Potluck Diary Lunch, 12:15 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Board of Trustees, 2:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Tifereth Israel under the sukkah. Bring a dairy lunch for yourself. Pop and coffee will be provided, and men are invited to join us.

Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

THURSDAY: Community Simchat Torah Service, 6:30 p.m. at South Street Temple with dessert oneg hosted by Rabbi Craig Lewis.

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

Food, Laughter, and a Bunch of Happy Women

by SHANI KATZMAN for Chabad House Who doesn’t love a bowl of steaming hot soup to warm the bones when the air is chilled?

Is there a better venue for this than a Sukkah brimming with friends and infused with the sweet smell of pine?

The combination is exhilarating! And Omaha’s Jewish women are all invited to join!

Now in its fourth season, Soup in the Sukkah has been providing a grand Sukkot experience for ladies from throughout the community. The brainchild of Nancy Wolf, the evening includes food, (a variety of soups, salads, breads, and desserts), entertainment, some words of inspiration and good old fun. The interactive games will keep you laughing for hours!

This year’s program will feature musical entertainment

by Naava Naslavsky and Anat Cabili, talented vocalists who will be accompanied by Naava on the guitar. They will present inspiring and joyous numbers for participant’s pleasure. “Both Anat and Naava are warm, talented and engaging. Their addition to our program is eagerly anticipated”, said Shevi Katzman, one of the organizers of this event.

A past participant shared, “The food was delectable, the ambiance delightful, the camaraderie heartwarming. I especially enjoyed learning something new that I could share with my family.”

Soup in the Sukkah on Sunday, Oct. 16 will be celebrated at 6 p.m. at the Chabad Sukkah at 1866 South 120th Street. Reservations can be made by emailing rsvp@ocha bad or calling the office at 402.330.1800.

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 There will be no services starting Sept. 30 until after Simchat Torah. Services will resume Oct. 28.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Sukkot Service, 9 a.m. led by Rabbi Maximo Shechet.

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Steve Riekes.

THURSDAY: Shemini Atzeret with Yizkor Service, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Linder; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. Abby Hack, daughter of Rosie Zweiback and Mace Hack, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah.

SUNDAY: Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; WRJ Meeting, 10 a.m.; Community Sukkah Hop, 12:15-4:15 p.m.

TUESDAY: Executive Meeting, 6 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Consecration Service, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Simchat Torah Service & Yizkor, 10:30 a.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

FRIDAY: Mincha, 6:15 p.m.; Shabbat, 6:45 p.m.

SATURDAY: Study Session on Pirkei Avot, 9:30 a.m.; Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Community Potluck Diary Lunch, 12:15 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Tifereth Israel under the sukkah. Bring a dairy lunch for yourself. Pop and coffee will be provided, and men are invited to join us.

Please contact Stephanie Dohner with any questions.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

THURSDAY: Yizkor, 8:30 a.m.; Community Simchat Torah Service, 6:30 p.m. at South Street Temple with dessert oneg hosted by Rabbi Craig Lewis.

FRIDAY, Oct. 21: Services, 8:30 a.m.

Biden agrees to meeting on Pollard

by JTA NEWS STAFF NEW YORK (JTA) -- Vice President Joe Biden has agreed to meet with Jewish communal leaders to discuss the case of Jonathan Pollard.

The New York Times recently reported that during a recent meeting in Florida, Biden told a group of rabbis that “President Obama was considering clemency, but I told him, ‘Over my dead body are we going to let him out before his time.’”

Jewish organizational leaders from across the political and religious spectrum have called on successive presidents to grant clemency to Pollard, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for spying for Israel. In recent months, Obama has received a flood of clemency appeals on behalf of Pollard from members of Congress, former U.S. government officials and Israeli officials.

Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said he asked Biden to give Jewish leaders the chance to make the case for Pollard’s release -- and, in response, the vice president apparently agreed to hold a small meeting in order to have an “open and frank discussion” about the issue.

Biden also agreed that the meeting “would happen very soon,” Hoenlein said. “He takes it seriously and understands there is a concern in the community. I hope the meeting will be soon after Yom Kippur.”

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

October 14, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 11

Basukkot Hoshavti

In memoriam PATTY JOYCE FERENSTEIN

Sparks from the word

Patty Joyce Ferenstein passed away on Oct. 6 at the age of 74. Services were held on Oct. 7 at Golden Hill Cemetery.

She was preceded in death by parents, John and Dorothy Ferenstein.

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RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Sukkot In our day, and for as long as our oldest people remember, the sukkah is little hut, set up ith boards (like 2x4’s) in which one could both eat and sleep. There is supposed to be no complete top.

Around here, many families use cornstalks, from which the corn itself has been removed.

The sun, therefore could shine in by day, the rain ccoulcome in during rainy days; the nights also might be dry or rainy as the weather will have it.

Actually, however, it is not very likely that our ancient ancestors carried with them the wood necessary for the kind of Sukkot (huts) that we have described.

More likely in the wilderness they had what in our days might be called a “lean-to,” a tarpaulin or canvas held up by the stronger part of a bush that might be found in the wilderness.

Indeed, the sacred text states Basukkot Hoshavti et B’nei Yisrael during the time of their making their way in the wilderness.

Boy Scouts could show you how to set up a lean-to and cover it with any loose branches that are available, so that one could sleep and eat partially protected from the elements.

Its is likely that our ancient ancestors set up these lean-to’s close to where they might have gathered some grain, which they hoped would become like flour in their hands and end up as edible food, perhaps in some way like bread.

We can hardly expect that these travelers in the wilderness could have the kind of small huts that we build each year. They had to use the things they could find in the open fields. Nonetheless, we like to think that our ancient ancestors had more usable structures than they did.

Indeed, it is a Mitzvah before eating at the end of the Yom Kippur fast, to go out and perform the first steps necessary for the Sukkah that we are accustomed to building nowadays.

GOOD YOM TOV!

CORRECTION In our Sept. 30 issue, we inadvertently misspelled Mira Dennison’s first name. The Jewish Press regrets the error.

Helen Faith Keane ‘Happy’Reichert dies at 109

by ALAN D. ABBEY Helen Faith Keane Reichert, known as “Happy” since she was a child, a psychologist, radio and TV personality, as well as a university lecturer on fashion, died Sept. 25 in New York at 109. She and three siblings, all of whom lived to be more than 100, were studied in recent years by scientists and researchers for their longevity and lifelong activity.

Several obituaries, including one from the Cornell Sun, which lauded her as the university’s oldest alumna, quoted what they said was Reichert’s recipe for long life: “chocolate truffles, hamburgers, Budweiser beer, cigarettes and New York nightlife. Strictly forbidden were vegetables, exercising, getting up early and complaining.”

“She was the life of the party, the center of attention, and a master entertainer and storyteller who could captivate a space at 9 or 109,” said Vicky Kahn, her great-niece.

Reichert, her sister and two brothers have been studied by, among others, Israeli physician Dr. Nir Barzilai, director of Yeshiva University’s Institute of Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Reichert’s 102-year-old brother runs a firm that manages $700 million in assets, and he spends five days a week in the office.

Reichert was born in 1901 to immigrant parents on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She graduated from Cornell University in 1925, where she was a member of the women's rowing team. She later received a master's degree in psychology from Columbia University.

Reichert taught "Costume History," a course she created, at New York University’s Graduate School of Retailing for more than 30 years. She was a pioneer among women in the fashion industry, founding the Round Table of Fashion Executives for women in 1949. Her TV talk show, "FYI: The Helen Faith Keane Show," won a women’s magazine award.

“She had an incredible vitality, read constantly and had a wonderful sense of humor,” said Cornell vice president Susan Murphy.

Introduction to Judaism—classes begin Oct. 24

by AMBER PARTIN Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education The Center for Jewish Education is pleased to present another introductory course on Judaism, taught by seasoned educator, Dr. Guy Matalon. Introduction to Judaism will offer students historical, spiritual, and cultural insight.

Those who are interested in refreshing their knowledge, or considering conversion, will find this course a valuable tool in deepening their understanding and appreciation of Judaism.

“Introduction to Judaism is a gateway course, specifically designed for anyone who doesn’t know much about Judaism,” explains Matalon. “This course was developed with the area rabbis to provide a single basic Judaism class for our community.” He continues, “This will be my seventh year of teaching the course. The class dynamics that evolve during our many discussions are always unique and I look forward to a new group of students each year.”

Matalon is Scholar-in-Residence for the Jewish Federation of Omaha. He is also the Jewish Federation of Omaha Professor of Judaic Studies and the Director of the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Shelley Smith, a student from last year’s class, beams with enthusiasm about her experience under the instruction of

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Dr. Matalon.

“He did a beautiful job of presenting an overview of Judaism and Jewish life from a historical perspective,” Smith says. “I especially liked the wide variety of sources he selected for the readings, from the Torah and Talmud to current scholarly reviews. The overall collection of notes, readings, and authors that he introduced will be a great resource for further studies. We had a diverse class, including Christians who wanted to learn more about Judaism, Jews who wanted to review foundations of their faith and culture, and students in various stages of the conversion process. Dr. Matalon engaged all of us in learning and discussion.”

Introduction to Judaism will be held on Mondays, 8-9 in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library at the Jewish Community Center from Oct. 24, 2011 through March 26, 2012.

The course is free of charge to members in good standing of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. The tuition for nonmembers is $180 per person. Pre-registration is required by Oct. 17.

To register for Introduction to Judaism or for additional information, please call 402.334.6463 or email apartin@ jewishomaha.org. Registration information can also be found on the Center for Jewish Education page at www.jew ishomaha.org.

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12 | The Jewish Press | October 14, 2011

Charles Mikhail’s Omaha visit

SEWING CENTERS 10144 Maple (Maple Village)

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Guest speaker Charles Mikhail delighted audiences at both the Oct. 4 Cardoza dinner and the Oct. 5 B’nai B’rith Bread Breakers luncheon. Above: Steve Riekes, Gary Javitch, Charles Mikhail, Nathan Schwalb, Moshe Gershovich; below left: Supreme Court Judge Michael McCormick with Amanda Perez and Charles Mikhail; below right: Former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub shakes hands with Charles Mikhail while Steve Riekes looks on.

BUSINESS Guide Israeli among 4 Jewish scientists to win Nobels

by JTA NEWS STAFF of California, Berkeley, was among three U.S.(JTA) -- An Israeli scientist is awarded the born scientists who won the Nobel Prize in 2011 Nobel Prize for chemistry, and Jewish physics announced Tuesday. Perlmutter scientists also took prizes in physics and received the prize for his study of exploding medicine. stars that showed that the expansion of the Daniel Shechtman, 70, a distinguished pro- universe is accelerating. He will receive a fessor at the Technion“coveted” lifetime parIsrael Institute of king permit on camTechnology in Haifa, pus in honor of his was announced as a prize, The Los Angeles Nobel winner for his Times reported. discovery of quaRalph Steinman and sicrystals, mosaics of Bruce Beutler were atoms that form regunamed as Nobel Prize lar patterns that never winners for medicine repeat themselves. on Monday for disShechtman, who coveries on the imreceives $1.5 million mune system. Half of for the prize, also is the prize money was an associate at the awarded to Steinman, U.S. Department of with the other half to Energy’s Ames Labbe split between Shechtman, Daniel oratory and a profesBeutler and biologist sor at Iowa State University.

Jules Hoffmann. Israel National News reportThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ed that Steinman and Beutler are Jewish. said Shechtman’s 1982 discovery of quasicrysSteinman will receive the prize posthutals changed the way chemists look at solid mously; he died three days before the Nobel matter. His discovery had been rejected ini- committee made the announcement. tially by the scientific community and caused Though he was diagnosed with pancreatic him to be kicked out of his research group. cancer four years ago, Steinman was able to “I would like to congratulate you, on prolong his life by using new dendritic cellbehalf of the citizens of Israel, for your based immunotherapy -- the same discovaward, which expresses the intellect of our ery for which he was awarded the prize. people,” Prime Minister Benjamin Only living scientists typically are considNetanyahu told Shechtman in a congratula- ered by the Nobel committee, but because its tory phone call. “Every Israeli is happy today members were unaware of Steinman’s death and every Jew in the world is proud.” when the winning names were released, no Saul Perlmutter, a physicist at the University substitution will be announced.

Appropriators warn UNESCO

by JTA NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee that controls foreign funding warned UNESCO in a letter that it risks a funding cutoff if it gives the Palestinians statehood status.

"Any recognition of Palestine as a Member State would not only jeopardize the hope for a resumption of direct IsraeliPalestinian negotiations, but would endanger the United States’ contribution to UNESCO," says the letter being sent Friday

to Irina Bokova, the director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The letter, initiated by Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), cites existing U.S. law against funding any body that recognizes the Palestine Liberation Organization as having statehood status.

UNESCO’s board this week agreed to allow the full body to vote on whether to recognize "Palestine," drawing criticism from Israel, the United States and a number of pro-Israel groups.

Publishing Date | 11.18.11 Space Reservation | 11.07.11 Camera Ready Deadline | 11.09.11 Contact your advertising representative to advertise in this very special edition.

Allan Handleman 402/334-6451 | ahandleman@jewishomaha.org

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