October 26, 2012

Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

The other side of the story

October 26, 2012 10 Cheshvan 5773 Vol. 93 | No. 6

This Week

Sharsheret encourages Pink Shabbos at Beth El Page 6

Star Deli to feature Election Lunch on Nov. 2 Page 7

The Election Issue See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

Irit, as an attorney, rose through the ranks of the Ministry of Justice to the position of Director of the International Affairs Department. A few years back, they moved from their long-time home in Jerusalem

to Tel Aviv. They have visited Omaha and the US often to see friends and family. They will return next Spring, bringing their young twin grandchildren to the US for the first time to obtain their US citizenship. Irit and

by BETH COHEN Executive Director, the Center for Jewish Life Save the date for a not-to-bemissed night of fun for Jewish families in Omaha. On Saturday night, Dec. 8, the Center for Jewish Life

Inside Next Month

Murrel and Irit Kohn

Murrel are bright and caring people with a most interesting perspective about life in contemporary Israel. I thought their responses to a now disenchanted Jewish AmericanIsrael activist’s concern were quite telling. Given that many of these thoughts are shared by others and given the fact we are now in campaign season, I thought sharing some (or all) of these words with our community would be most worthwhile and well-read. “Knowing how much you were devoted to Israel, it pains me to read what you wrote. As you are aware, there is never a dull moment here. Iran has become a central issue with no solution in sight. Hamas continues to send us messages in the form of rockets and Hezbollah continues to arm to the teeth for the next round. Now the Egyptian border has come alive with terrorists and illegal immigrants. “We could and should do more with the Palestinians, but Abu Mazan put himself in the corner with his preconditions for talks. We just heard about his meeting with Jewish leaders in NY and hope the outcome will enable a restart of talks. Continued on page 3

Children’s Jewish Book Something old, Month event announced something new

Tel Aviv girds for potential missles Page 12

Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

by MURRAY NEWMAN, IRIT KOHN, and MURREL KOHN Allow me to introduce two very dear friends who live in Israel. The husband’s name is Murrel Kohn. Irit is his wife. I met Murrel, who is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, during my freshman year at Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, 56 years ago. Murrel and I were pledge brothers at ZBT. For about 8 years after graduation, Murrel was a practicing CPA in Louisville. Towards the end of the 1960s, Murrel and another friend decided to take a trip around the world. Murrel took a leave from his job and went to Israel where he met Irit. That’s as far as the around the world trip got. Irit, from a multi-generational Israeli family, knocked Murrel off his feet. A few months later they married; Murrel started a new life in Israel. Today, three children and four grandchildren later, Irit and Murrel are theoretically retired. Murrel, now an Israeli CPA, founded a tax accounting firm which he has since sold, but remains in an advisory capacity.

8 10 11

fun family event for kids, parents and grandparents. As part of Jewish Book Month, this special children’s event will feature readings of beloved Jewish children’s books by “famous” Jewish Omahans. We’ll celebrate Chanukah together. And, of course, what event would be complete without great food from Star Catering? The Children’s Jewish Book Month event is made possible through the generosity of the Ann Goldstein Memorial Fund. In addition to the fun of exploring the Omaha Children’s Museum and enjoyCarrie Brown, left, Miriam Gross and Shira Abraham, ing story-time, famico-chairs of the Children’s Jewish Book Month Event, lies can sign up to meet to make plans for this exciting program. participate in PJ will present a multi-faceted event at Library, a family engagement prothe Omaha Children’s Museum. gram that mails free, high-quality This one event brings together so Jewish children’s literature and many exciting components. It is a music to families on a monthly basis. PJ Library is a national program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, made possible through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations. The Center for Jewish Life now administers the program for Omaha, with generous funding provided by the Dorothy and Myer S. Kripke Institute for Jewish Family Literacy. Today, families in hundreds of Continued on page 2

Friedel students Ivan Masyuk, Noah Blair, Sophia Mavropoulos and Jack Cohen enjoy the new location of “their” shul. ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press For the students of Friedel Jewish Academy, going to Shul on Tuesday, Oct. 16 was a very different experience. Instead of saying

their prayers in “their” Shul, mere steps from their classrooms, they had to walk to the front of the Jewish Community Center. Not a problem for the staff and students, as this means they have much Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | October 26, 2012

Berk to speak about U.S.-Israeli Relations in Turbulent Times

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by DR. MOSHE GERSHOVICH Director, Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies American support for Israel has never been as important as now, amid continued upheaval and instability throughout the Middle East. It has also become a hot button topic in the upcoming presidential elections in the United States and the projected elections in Israel shortly thereafter. Anyone interested in the current state and future prospects of U.S.-Israeli relations is invited to attend a special presentation by Dr. Stephen Berk, to be held at the Jewish Community Steven Berk Center auditorium, Friday, Nov. 2, at 8:30 a.m. The lecture is free and open to the pub-

lic. It is sponsored by Rich and Fran Juro, the Sokolof Family Foundation – Gary, Karen and Mark Javitch, UNO’s Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, The Jewish Federation of Omaha and the University of Nebraska Foundation. Dr. Berk will deliver the annual Sokolof Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., at UNO’s Thompson Alumni Center (for more on that event, see my article in last week’s Jewish Press). He is the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College, Schenectady, NY, and the author of Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian Jewry and the Pogroms of 1881-1882 (Greenwood Press, 1985). He has written articles on Russian and Jewish history, anti-Semitism, and the Middle East and has lectured throughout the United States and Canada. He is frequently consulted by the media, including the BBC. Among his many awards, Dr. Berk was designated an Israel Hero in 2010 for his defense and advocacy of the State of Israel by the Jewish Educational Resources of New York.

Reform leaders call for probe into Hoffman’s arrest by JTA NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Reform Jewish leaders are calling for an investigation following reports that an Israeli colleague was roughed up by police after leading a women’s prayer group at the Western Wall. Reform leaders in the United States said Thursday that they have spoken with Israel’s ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, about the incident involving Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Reform movement’s Israel Religious Action Center and chair of the Women of the Wall. Hoffman on Tuesday night was leading a service with more than 200 women marking the start of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan and celebrating the 100th anniversary of Hadassah, which is holding its convention in Jerusalem. She told reporters that as she began singing the Shema prayer, police told her that if she did not stop she would be arrested. When she failed to halt, Hoffman said she was handcuffed and taken into custody for wearing a tallit and disturbing public order. At the police station, she told the Forward, “They checked me naked, completely without my underwear. They dragged me on the floor 15 meters; my arms are bruised.� Hoffman added that she was put in a cell without a bed with three prisoners, including a prostitute and a car thief. She lay down and covered herself with her tallit. Following a court appearance early Wednesday afternoon, Hoffman was released from custody and issued a restraining order from going to the Wall for 30 days.

Israeli police have not commented on the reports. Calling Hoffman “a courageous champion of social justice,� Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said Hoffman's treatment “is deplorable and degrading.� He called on Israel’s police to investigate the matter and “ensure that the right of women to pray at the Wall is protected.� Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, added that “There is no denominational monopoly on the spirituality� of the Western Wall and “it is intolerable that any woman should be arrested for praying at one of Judaism’s most cherished sites.� Barbara Kavadias, acting executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America said, “Anat Hoffman has been arrested for doing what Jewish women all over the world do on a regular basis: pray as Jews.� In 2003, Israel's Supreme Court upheld a government ban on women wearing tefillin or tallit or reading from a Torah scroll at the Wall. Women of the Wall has held a special prayer service at the Wall’s section for women almost each month for the last 20 years on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new Hebrew month. In August, Jerusalem police arrested four women at the Wall for “behavior that endangers the public peace� and wearing prayer shawls. They were forbidden to enter the Western Wall Plaza for the next 50 days, according to the organization. In June, Israeli police detained a woman wearing a tallit at the Wall and later questioned her for four hours after asking her to wear her prayer shawl as a scarf.

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Continued from page 1 more room for learning. “After ten years of consistent growth in the student population of Friedel,� Friedel President Harry Berman said, “we had outgrown the existing Dan and Esther Gordman school building. We were using meeting rooms in the JCC as classroom space, and the Teen Lounge for our music program.� And so, after a summer full of noise and dust and much hammering near our front door, the Riekes Shul and Museum was officially opened to the public on Sunday, Oct. 14. At the same time, this allowed Friedel to add an extra classroom, which the first and second graders currently occupy. “With the help of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Friedel crafted an expansion plan,� said Berman. “Not only does the plan efficiently meet Friedel’s space needs, we worked to help the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society recreate the beautiful Riekes Shul and Museum. In fact, this project involved the cooperation of many. The JCC allowed our plans to change their front entryway, and the Center for Jewish Life gave some of the Kripke Jewish Federation Library space for the museum. It has been great to be part of such an enthusiastic and supportive collaboration that benefits the entire Jewish community.� Steve Riekes is grateful for the decision to move the museum: “Mazal tov to Friedel for making this happen,� he said. “My parents, Dorothy and Henry, were great supporters of Jewish education, and of Friedel in particular. They would be absolutely thrilled to have seen the grand reopening of the Riekes Shul and Museum, and to know that what caused this was a genuine need on Friedel’s part to have more space for their growing student body.� The move of the museum has been a great example of the community embracing the one campus initiative, according to Jewish Federation of Omaha president Jody Malashock.

“Our community thanks Friedel for generously providing the funds that allowed this to occur,� she said. “Our day school provides its students with an exceptional education; and the best part is that the students will continue to use the Riekes Shul for prayer and holidays, enjoy more room to grow, while the entire community will benefit from the museum’s relocation.� Friedel deserves the lion’s share of the credit. The school has made it possible for the entire community to enjoy the gem that is the Riekes Shul and Museum. Those benches and that Bimah have had several homes, this latest one being possibly the best, since everyone in the community can now share the Shul. Thanks to Friedel, this is one time we can have our cake, and eat it too.

Children’s Jewish Book Month Continued from page 1 communities across the United States are able to explore the timeless core values of Judaism through books and music. With over 160,000 subscriptions, PJ Library is on course to mail out their three millionth book in 2013! All Omaha families raising Jewish children from age six months of age through eight years are welcome to enroll. New enrollment will kick off at the Dec. 8 event, and will be available during regular, weekday hours in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library following the event. Details of the Dec. 8 event will be announced soon; but mark your calendar so you don’t miss out on the fun. The event is geared toward families with children ages eight and younger, but older siblings are welcome to attend.

October 26, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 3

Beth El’s Simchat Shabbat returns with ‘Holy Hollywood’ by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator “Holy Hollywood,” a behind-the-scenes look at how biblical stories make it onto the silver screen, will provide drama, laughs and learning during Beth El’s first Simchat Shabbat program of the year, on Saturday, Nov. 3. The synagogue’s contemporary, lay-led alternative Shabbat experience, Simchat Shabbat will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel and will offer creative and original readings, music and spirituality. All adults and children in the Jewish community are invited to participate. “We’re back for a third year and lovin’ it!” said Joanie Jacobson, one of the program’s organizers. “Simchat Shabbat has become a spiritual oasis for those of us who plan, write, and present it, as well as for the dozens of smiling congregants we see on a regular basis.” Describing the upcoming program, Jacobson outlined it as, “Three famous Hollywood producers brainstorm their next box-office hit, ‘Vayera,’ starring Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. “Throw in a few angels to make things interesting and this boffo combo of Midrash and movies is a must-see!”

Simchat Shabbat has drawn over 100 community members to each program; the sense of teamwork and infectious fun shown by planners and Parasha Players alike is obvious to all in attendance. “We try so hard to make it meaningful. Relevant. Insightful. And yes, even educational,” Jacobson said. “We have guest presenters, and we’ll even throw in an original ‘this or that’ now and then. Simchat Shabbat is an alternative Shabbat experience that provides a wonderful opportunity for creativity, humor, music, spirituality, and fellowship. “Bring your energy and enthusiasm. Bring your voice and spirit to this joyous celebration of Shabbat.” Guest presenters on Nov. 3 will include Steve Denenberg,

Jim Fried, Gary Nachman, Jeff Taxman, and Beth Friedman; the regular players, along with Jacobson, include program leader Eadie Tsabari, Helen and Tuffy Epstein, Gloria Kaslow, Ozzie Nogg, Patty Nogg, Margo Riekes, Nancy Rips, and Jill Belmont. Following the program, everyone (including those at the traditional service in the sanctuary, as well as anyone who didn’t attend either service), is invited to stay for lunch at Café Schmooze, a great way to share a relaxing Shabbat meal with friends and family. There is no charge for the lunch; however, for planning purposes, reservations are requested and may be made by calling the synagogue office, 402.492.8550, or by emailing programming@bethel-omaha.org.

The other side of the story Continued from page 1 “As for you personally, whom we know to be intelligent and a social advocate, giving up on Israel is not the way to influence the Israeli government to proceed along the lines that coincide with your political outlook. You must fight for that. “As to the ‘electorate appears passive, self-absorbed and conservative’, allow me to remind you of the significant social protest that took place on our doorstep last summer on Rothschild Boulevard. Although not all aims were accomplished, the government took notice at once, and many demands were translated into action and law. True, the settlers (conservative) are more vocal because they have a lot to lose. “Having unilaterally given up the Gaza strip, only to be thanked by hundreds, if not thousands, of rockets from there, the Israeli public in general has lost confidence that we can reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians, and Hamas in particular. You can’t say after Oslo and this withdrawal that we haven’t given peace a chance. Again, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continue to explore ways toward peace, even an interim agreement at this point in time. “Every coin has two sides.” -Murrel Kohn “I was hurt when I read how you feel about Israel, but wanted to wait a few days before responding. “No doubt that Israel of today is different than the one you used to love, and we need to understand why. Naturally, a maturing nation that absorbs immigrants from diverse coun-

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tries is subject to change. From the outset, Israel has faced external threats to its existence. Therefore, we rejoiced at the signing of the now-defunct Oslo Accords. In the meantime, the left and moderate Israelis learned the truth about the ambitions of the Palestinians and it became very apparent when in return for unilaterally leaving Gaza, which was very painful for many who still live in caravans, we received their rockets on our civilian population in Israel proper, which continue to this day. In addition, reading Palestinian publications’ attitude re: Jews and Israel, we have to question their desire for a peaceful solution to the conflict. “Regarding our mistreatment of the Palestinians, there is no doubt that continuation of the occupation is not a desirable situation. In the past, they have tried to smuggle bombs into Israel, which has made it necessary to subject ALL of their population to body checks before entering Israel in order to protect our population. On the other hand, our hospitals are full of Arabs including Palestinians, who get full treatment from our staff. Palestinians have the right to address all of our Courts on issues where they feel they are being wronged. “The extreme rightwing settlers (mainly from the USA) are indiscriminately attacking Palestinians and the law enforcement agencies, and courts are doing their utmost to bring these perpetrators to justice. To this aim, I have a meeting soon with the Israeli Attorney General. There are many Israeli NGOs who are fighting for the rights of Palestinians, and there are many newspaper articles and TV discussions on the subject.

“As to the extreme religious elements in Israeli society, there have been significant activities against them by the secular population including approaching the Supreme Court. There has been some progress, but much still has to be done. The Reform and Conservative movements continue to grow and are making their mark. No doubt that this will be one of the issues on the agenda during the upcoming elections. “Regarding illegal entrants to Israel, you are probably aware that refugees are recognized only if politically persecuted in their home country, and those seeking employment have no right to enter a country that does not agree to admit them. Hopefully, you are also aware of what these poor creatures endure at the hands of Sinai Bedouins in terms of monetary demands and torture before they reach our border. CNN has been showing a special report on this lately. Just last week, terrorists used these people as a trap to draw in and shoot at our soldiers. So here we are: a country that morally feels that we should be sympathetic to those who cross the Sinai, but we can ill afford to take care of them and allow them to jeopardize our civilian population. As you can see, it is a very complicated subject, and when we look at how other countries are dealing with the subject, including the USA, I feel we are doing as good or better than any other country under the circumstances. “On these complicated subjects, I have only tried to give some highlights. Hopefully, I have hit on some things different then your usual info sources. We look forward to seeing you soon, hopefully in Israel.” -Irit Kohn

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November Community Calendar FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 No School at Friedel Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Junior Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28 BESTT Talmud Torah Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Board of Trustees Retreat, 10 am at Temple Israel Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El Major Gifts Campaign Kickoff, 10:30 a.m. 25th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, noon JYG Bowling, noon OTYG Conclave Planning Meeting, noon at Temple Israel MONDAY, OCTOBER 29 25th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, 8 a.m. Red Ribbon Week begins at Friedel BESTT Monday Moadon, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Tai Chi Class led by Beth Staenberg, 6 p.m. at Beth El Introduction to Judaism, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30 B’nai B’rith Board Meeting, 11:45 a.m. Ethiopian Jewish Culture Assembly, 1:30 p.m. at Friedel BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31 Beth El YAC Playgroup, 10:30 a.m. BESTT Talmud Torah Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Adult Study with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin’s Class, noon at Beth El Becoming a Love & Logic Parent, 6 p.m. USY Lounge Night, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Men’s Club Jews and Brews, 7 p.m. at Beth El Sokolof Lecture, 7 p.m. at UNO WRJ Art Program: Paint and Pour, 7 p.m. at The Art Room FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Sokolof Breakfast, 8 a.m. at RBJH Western Fall Chavurah, 8 a.m. at Temple Israel Friday Learning Series with Miriam Gross, 10:30 a.m. Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Tech Committee Meeting, 3:45 p.m. Friedel Oh Say Shalom to Shabbat & Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El First Friday Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel No host dinner, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Junior Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El Simchat Shabbat & Cafe Schmooze, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 BESTT Talmud Torah Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El JCC Dance Department Open House, 1 p.m. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Adult Education with Rabbi Abraham, 10 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Monday Moadon, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Tai Chi Class led by Beth Staenberg, 6 p.m. at Beth El Introduction to Judaism, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 B’nai B’rith Board Meeting, 11:45 a.m. Friedel Staff Meeting, 3:45 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. JCC Board Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 BESTT Talmud Torah Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El OJC [Omaha Jewish Connections] Event, 6:30 p.m. Religion and Film with William Bizek, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El Women’s Book Club, 7:30 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8 Adult Study with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Friedel Field Trip to Temple Israel, 1 p.m. Maccabi Parent Information Night, 7 p.m. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Student Pictures Retake, 8:30 a.m. at Friedel Friday Learning Series with Miriam Gross, 10:30 a.m. Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Rabbi Levin’s Let’s Do Lunch, noon at RBJH Star Deli Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You, 4 p.m. at Remington Heights SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Junior Congregation, 10 a.m. at Beth El

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 BESTT Talmud Torah Classes, 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Sisterhood’s Annual Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. at Beth Israel BBYO Paint for a Purpose, 2 p.m.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Hanoch Piven Visit, 10 a.m. at Friedel BESTT Monday Moadon, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Tai Chi Class led by Beth Staenberg, 6 p.m. at Beth El Introduction to Judaism, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 B’nai B’rith Board Meeting, 11:45 a.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Friedel WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Beth El YAC Playgroup, 10:30 a.m. at PE 101 BESTT Talmud Torah Classes, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Teen Night, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Soundtrack of Israeli History with Cantor Shermet, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Hebrew High, 6:45 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Adult Study with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel USY Lounge Night, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Friday Learning Series with Miriam Gross, 10:30 a.m. Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel Shabbat’s Cool & Lunch, 10 a.m. at Beth El Shabbat Shul-in Overnight (Gr 3-7), 1 p.m. at Beth El Newcomer’s Havdallah Event, 5 p.m. YJO/Newcomer Havdallah Malave Malke, 7 p.m. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18 BESTT Talmud Torah Classes (K-2 only), 9:45 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El WRJ Meeting, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El BBYO Krazy for Kugel Contest, 12:30 p.m. Temple Israel Interfaith Thanksgiving Services, 5 p.m. at FUMC MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Adult Education with Rabbi Abraham, 10 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Monday Moadon, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Tai Chi Class led by Beth Staenberg, 6 p.m. at Beth El Jewish Press Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Introduction to Judaism, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 B’nai B’rith Board Meeting, 11:45 a.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. BESTT Talmud Torah Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 Friedel Thanksgiving Break Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22 Beth El USY Kinnus Convention thru Nov. 25 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Adult Education with Rabbi Abraham, 10 a.m. at Beth El BESTT Monday Moadon, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El Adult Ed Tai Chi Class led by Beth Staenberg, 6 p.m. at Beth El Introduction to Judaism, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 B’nai B’rith Board Meeting, 11:45 a.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Board of Director’s Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Beth El YAC Playgroup, 10:30 a.m. Jewish Book Month Luncheon with author Janna Yeshanova-Shephen, 11:30 a.m. Magician Assembly, 1:30 p.m. at Friedel Federation Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Hebrew High, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Prayer, Justice, Outreach as a Reform Jew with Rabbi Brown, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel 92nd Street Y Broadcast and Reception, 7 p.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Adult Study with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel USY Lounge Night, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El 92nd Street Y Broadcast and Reception, 7 p.m. Dames and Drinks, 7 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Star Deli, 11:30 a.m. at RBJH Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You at RBJH, 2:30 p.m.

All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Pat Anson at 402.334.8200. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.

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October 26, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 5

Temple Teen Night a success at Temple Israel by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer During the summer, Temple Israel staff and clergy met with lay leaders, parents and students to come up with a plan for the post-B’Nai Mitzvah continuing education of the congregation’s teenagers. The committee knew they wanted it to be something new, something special, and now, less than two months into the Temple Teen Night program, all parties involved say it’s been a great success. “It’s wonderful to have the kids back at Temple Israel on Wednesday nights,” Rabbi Aryeh Azriel said. “We have kids who maybe disappeared from the community high school who are coming back. ...It’s wonderful to see them eating supper, joking with each other and just having a good time.” In addition to the weekly Temple Teen Nights, students also attend monthly activities organized by Omaha Jewish Connection, or OJC. “We encourage all of them to participate in the community high school, which I think is also a great idea and has been providing some wonderful programs,” Rabbi Azriel said. Temple Teen Night begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday night, when the PreK through Grade 6 Religious School classes end. Students and their families are invited to enjoy dinner with the clergy in the social hall, after which the high school students head to their respective classes taught by the clergy; Rabbi Azriel teaches the 10th graders, Rabbi Josh Brown the 9th graders, and Cantor Wendy Shermet teaches the 11th and 12th graders. “The best part for me is the dinner,” Rabbi Brown said. “Kids and their families have started to stay after Religious School because they enjoy the community. The social hall is just overflowing. There’s a lot of energy.” Students are also invited to sit in during Temple Israel’s Adult Education programs, where they can get a taste of what continuing education at an adult level looks like, with discussions about the Middle East and Reform Judaism’s role in social justice. “I like being with the adults and doing the same activities,”

Hannah Budwig said. At 7:30 p.m., students from all the grades come together for what has been dubbed “Beit Cafe,” a half hour of informal, relaxed discussion between the students and the clergy. “I think it’s going very well,” Rabbi Azriel said. “We get together in the youth lounge and we talk about topics of interest. A few weeks ago we talked about the coming election. ...We definitely try to listen to the kids and talk about what they are interested in.” Ninth grader Abby Hack said that Temple Teen Night has been fun and educational for herself and her peers. “The Beit Cafe is actually really nice,” she said. “It’s a good time to give everyone updates on OTYG events and for all the grades to hang out together. It’s a really chill time to just relax.” In addition to Temple Teen Night and the Beit Cafe, other programs, like the upcoming 9th grade trip to New York City with Rabbi Brown, have created a lot of energy and enthusiasm. “There’s been so much enthusiasm that our 8th graders have decided to do a trip at the end of the year,” Rabbi Brown said. “I would call it a contagious excitement. I’m happily surprised how much our teens love Temple. That is beyond my expectations... the kids who are showing up on Wednesday nights, they really want to be there. It’s very energizing for me being around a group of people who really love being at Temple.” But as successful as Temple Teen Night has been, it’s still in its infancy and the clergy, along with the Temple Israel staff, are constantly discussing ways to tweak and improve it in the coming months and years. “We want to work on the programming for our 11th and 12th graders to see how best we can serve them,” Rabbi Brown said. “We have a pretty good system for 8th, 9th and 10th, but we want to treat our 11th and 12th graders with a lot of respect and honor for continuing education past confirmation. We want to figure out how we can best connect our 11th and 12th graders to meaningful Jewish study.”

In the news

Sarah Blattner’s passion by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Sarah Blattner is the founder and executive director of Tamritz, a national digital learning network for Jewish day school students and teachers, where students learn to collaborate, co-create, and co-learn. Teachers gain professional knowledge in new media, 21st century literacy and badge learning. It’s something that she is passionate about, and rightfully so. “Think of the badges Girl Scouts earn, and transfer that to the digital world,” Blattner says. “Students nowadays learn across contexts, from youth groups to online to the classroom. Badge learning captures all the different ways a student learns.” According to Blattner, “Badging is starting to pop up in university enviroments, online courses, and at institutions like NASA and the Smithsonian. It give students a chance to follow their passions far beyond the classroom walls.” Blattner is an educator and technologist with 20 years of experience. Her passion for Jewish education, informal learning and youth leadership began when she was a high school student. Serving as BBYO-girls vice president, among other things, eventually inspired Sarah to pursue a Master of Arts in secondary education at Ohio State University. She then earned a post-Graduate certificate in multimedia and internet-based instruction from Johns Hopkins University. Blattner recently became the recipient of the Joshua Venture Group (JVG) Fellowship. JVG is a non-profit organization, dedicated to reinvigorating and expanding the Jewish community through building the capacity of young ventures and their leadership. She will receive more than $100,000 in grants and developmental support as part of the 2012-2014 Dual Investment Program. Blattner is the daughter of Maneva and Harold Edelman, owners and founders of Gan Eeden Metals, Omaha. She has a brother, Abe, who is co-owner of Gan Eeden Metals.

The Sixteenth Annual Schoolhouse Fiddling Bee in Avoca, Nebraska, took place on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 14, in The Old Avoca Schoolhouse. Musicians competed and jammed with their fiddles, guitars, and recorders, for cash money and prizes. The winners in the Open Division: First Place - Zachary Brom, from Omaha; Second Place - Mike Oneel, from Ord; Third Place - Fiala Peters, from Omaha. In the Singing Division:Devin Cartwright, who was accompanied on the guitar by his grandmother, Deborah Mosier. In the Fee Fi Faux Division: Sharon Roberts-Yuen, from Lincoln. In the Hocus Pocus Division: Hanilla VanKirk, from Omaha. For more information, contact g-s@greenblattandseay. com. Karen Sokolof Javitch was inducted into the Westside Alumni Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Happy Hollow Country Club on Oct. 9. Family and friends shared the evening as she received a plaque like the one which will be displayed at We s t s i d e H i g h School. The plaque she received summarizes her achievements: “In recog- Honoree Karen Sokolof Javitch with Amy and nition of Sandy Friedman your contributions to the performing arts. You have distinguished yourself as a songwriter, playwright and philanthropist, both locally and nationally. It is an honor to have you as a member of the Westside Alumni Association Hall of Fame.”

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by CAIT LEFF Executive Assistant, Beth Israel Synagogue Sharsheret, Hebrew for “chain,” is a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer. Their mission is to offer a community of support to women diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk by fostering culturally-relevant, individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals, and related resources. Every Sharsheret connection is a link that is strengthening the chain of support for thousands of Jewish women and families nationwide. Sharsheret is the only organization of its kind and, since its founding, has touched the lives of thousands of Jewish women and families who have been impacted by breast or ovarian cancer. Sharsheret will have a presence in Omaha on Oct. 27 by providing resource materials for Beth Israel’s first Pink Shabbos. A speaker from the Susan G. Komen Foundation will be sharing her story with the congregation and will also be providing resources for those attending. Komen for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1.9 billion since its inception in 1982. Komen’s promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forev-

er by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all, and energizing science to find the cures. Ruth and Joe Erman are sponsoring this event at Beth Israel. Ruth Erman has successfully battled the challenge of breast cancer twice in her lifetime. A retired mental health therapist and community volunteer, Ms. Erman responded positively to Rabbi Gross’s request for support for this event. According to Ms. Erman, “A cancer diagnosis is often overwhelming and frightening, but education, resources, and support from those who have been through the experience can make a significant difference in how a person recovers.” Patricia Newman, Beth Israel’s Executive Director agrees, “Ruth and I were in private practice together and sharing an office when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. Having Ruth’s support and encouragement made a huge difference to me during that time. It is such a hopeful and happy thing that we are here together working on this program!” According to Rabbi Gross, “It is unbelievable how many families at Beth Israel have lived with and through breast and ovarian cancer. While attending a recent conference, I learned about Sharsheret and the specific concerns of these cancers for Jewish families -- with Ruth’s experience, interest, and support, it seemed like a good opportunity to blend Sharsheret, the information and model that they present, with the Omaha resources of the Komen Foundation.” The community is welcome to attend Pink Shabbos at Beth Israel on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Caring Committee unveils new initiatives to connect Temple Israel community

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Sharsheret encourages Pink Shabbos at Beth Israel

by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Under new leadership, Temple Israel’s Caring Committee is broadening its reach to those in the community whose connection to the congregation has waned. “Temple Israel, like many communities, has an aging population and we feel it is important to try to include them in life here at Temple, whether that means visiting residents of the Blumkin Home or hand-delivering honey cakes for the new year,” said Program Director Wendy Goldberg. “We want our older members to feel cared for and welcome, and the Caring Committee is doing a wonderful job of that.” Led by Co-Chairs Joan Marcus and Teresa Eirenberg, the Caring Committee has a host of new initiatives in the works that they hope will strengthen ties within the Temple Israel community. “We want it to be about people coming together, sharing their own stories [of loss or difficulty], connecting in that way, then reaching out and connecting with other people in the congregation,” Teresa Eirenberg said. “We want to build a community for Temple.” In addition to the aforementioned Blumkin Home visits and honey cake deliveries, the Caring Committee is also planning to begin a regular phone call list, in which Temple Israel members and clergy would take the time to reach out and call not only the more elderly or infirm members of the congregation, but anyone who is going through a difficult time, to hopefully let them know that they’re being thought of. “We want to connect with people at home who don’t necessarily have an illness, but who would welcome that sort of thing,” Eirenberg said. Eirenberg and Marcus were chosen to lead the Caring Committee after previous Chair Wendy Vann got a full time job and had to step down. They both have had experience with the committee’s outreach and wanted to give back to the community. “I am so happy that Joan Marcus and Teresa Eirenberg have agreed to co-chair the Caring Committee,” said Board of Trustees President Sally Kaplan. “Joan is one of the most experienced and committed volunteers I know... when she volunteered for the job I was beyond pleased. ...I have been wanting to get Teresa more involved at Temple for a long time and felt that because of her personal experiences and her kind, caring presence she would be perfect for the Caring Committee.” One of the things the committee would like to do is create a database of people who can be used as resources for those in need, who may be undergoing a difficult time. “All of those individuals are part of a community, part of a congregation, a living congregation, that needs to continue remembering who they are,” Rabbi Aryeh Azriel said. “I think it’s one of the most important goals of Temple Israel,

to be able to continue providing the attention, the care, the warmth to members of the congregation … to be able to continue the connection.” The Caring Committee is also planning to provide training for volunteers in order to teach them how to start a new relationship or provide proper language for those difficult conversations when a member is in need. The committee also hopes to bolster its profile to help members know what resources Temple Israel can and cannot provide, and to provide a resource list of those options not available at Temple Israel. “It should be a pretty neat thing,” Eirenberg said. “I’m excited to be involved. It allows me to meet and visit with a lot of people who I wouldn’t necessarily have met before.” President Kaplan is overjoyed with the direction the Caring Committee is heading and is excited about the new initiatives. “Temple Israel is very lucky to have these two women heading up such an important committee,” Kaplan said. “I hope anyone who is interested in getting involved in our caring outreach will call them and get connected.”

First annual kugel contest by LEORA AZRIEL BBYO/Teen Director Are you Krazy for Kugel? Join us in the JCC auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 18 because BBYO’s MZ Yoshanah is serving you up some savory noodle dishes! Come taste delicious flavors such as potato zucchini, raspberry pecan, cinnamon sugar, apricot, raisin and many more. From 12:30 to 3 p.m., competitors will show off their skills with savory and sweet kugel samples. Prizes will be awarded to the top two kugels. Help us choose the most delectable recipe and join in with friends and family to raise money for BBYO. Admission to this event is $5, which will buy 5 tickets for 5 tastings; additional tastings are only $1. And, if you are interested in being a judge, the entry fee is also $5. Think your kugel is the best? For a fee of $8 you can enter your kugel and find out! For more information and to sign up, please contact Leora Azriel at lazriel@jccomaha.org or 402.334.6404. Please R.S.V.P your kugel with your recipe by Thursday, Nov. 15.

October 26, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 7

OJC Partnering with JFS for Provocative Program by BETH COHEN Executive Director, the Center for Jewish Life The next program of the Omaha Jewish Connections (OJC) for high school students is Wednesday, Nov. 7. The November program will be held at Temple Israel, 7023 Cass Street, beginning with a dinner at 6 p.m. followed by the program from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The OJC is partnering with Jewish F a m i l y Service (JFS) to delve into the Jewish answers to teen dilemmas. Provocative and pertinent questions posed by the students will be addressed regarding peer and academic pressure, body image, sex and dating, and drugs and alcohol. Karen Gustafson, Executive Director of JFS will lead the program which will include the opportunity for small group discussions with the teens and JFS staff. A wrap-up with clergy from Beth El, Beth Israel and Temple Israel will follow the small group discussions. The overarching goal of the Omaha Jewish Connections is to prepare high school students to be knowledgeable, thinking, involved, responsible Jewish adults. Lay and professional representatives from Beth El Synagogue, Beth Israel Synagogue, Temple Israel, and the Center for Jewish Life have been engaged in a series of creative planning sessions to develop what will be a ground-breaking approach to meeting the needs of Jewish high school students offered in concert with the synagogues’ educational programs. In addition to the Nov. 7 program, upcoming events include an overnight at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Saturday night, Dec. 1, and an Israel Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. The OJC is open to all Jewish high school students in Omaha. For more information, contact your synagogue or Beth Cohen at the Center for Jewish Life, 402.334.6446.

We are Star Deli and we approve this message by OZZIE NOGG In honor of the upcoming national election, the Star Deli on Friday, Nov. 2, will feature a Two-Faced Sandwich. “The sandwich will be a hot, open sandwich with one side turkey and the other side roast beef,” said Chef Mike Aparo, Rose Jewish Blumkin Home Director of Food Services. “Just like the candidates’ rhetoric, you can have it both ways at the same time. And you can choose either a red or blue dessert -- either blue-colored cake with blueberries or red-colored cake with strawberries. It might be a difficult choice for independent voters who can’t make up their minds.” Mike Schop, RBJH Assistant Administrator, told this newspaper that a mock election -- not to be confused with mock chopped liver -- is also on the Deli docket. “You’ll see Blumkin Home staff dressed as super heroes,” Schop said, “and everyone who eats at the Deli on Nov. 2 can cast their vote for their favorite hero as they order lunch. We’ll use a large whiteboard to display the vote tally. I’m sure

Josh Gurock will don his familiar Spiderman garb, and Mike Silverman will wear his Space Ghost outfit -- or whatever he calls that get-up.” Schop promises to appear in a super hero costume as well, though the details are as secret as his Presidential choice. “Perhaps we’ll even play I Need A Hero when we announce the winner,” Schop continued. “No matter how goofy we get at the Deli Election Lunch, we can’t possibly behave any goofier than the politicians running for office. Come join in the fun. It’s your civic duty.” The Star Deli on Main Street is open every Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and is a popular lunch destination for chow hounds who enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and the kibitzing factor. In addition, the Deli is happy to host special occasions and will reserve private dining spaces in the RBJH for large groups. For more information on how Star Deli Catering can add spice to your meetings, parties and life cycle events, please contact Chef Mike Aparo, 402.334.6522, or Regan Tinglehoff at 402.334.6523.

Organizations JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL On Nov. 4, noon, Jewish Women International will be hosting its annual Mah Jongg tournament at the Jewish Community Center auditorium (note: the date has changed). Please send your payment of $18 to Esther Wax at 1103 No. 93 St., #350, Omaha, NE 68114. For questions, please call Maxine Noodell at 402.393.7624

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B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Creighton University head basketball Coach Greg McDermott returns to discuss the upcoming season on Wednesday, Oct. 31, noon at the Blumkin Home. RSVP required at gary.javitch@gmail.com. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or

bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH It has been said that Yiddish doesn’t only have words, it also has an attitude. Leo Rosten wrote: “Yiddish never takes its tongue out of its cheeks!” Come join us at the Rose Bumkin Home’s Board room, at 1-3 p.m., every Thursday.

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8 | The Jewish Press | October 26, 2012

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Making waves

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Sick and tired of politics? Can’t stand one more conversation about swing states, poll numbers, the deficit, or the Latino vote? I hear you. So, -- although elections are important, and I think everyone who has the right to vote should exercise that right -- let’s take a break and talk about something completely different, just for a little while. The story I’d like to share with you, in case you missed it, took place a little south of us, at Emory University. Emory is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was founded as Emory College in 1836 by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Newt Gingrich is an alumnus, as is John Chidsey, former CEO of Burger King. CNN contributor Sanjay Gupta is an assistant professor of neurosurgery. Both Jimmy Carter and Salman Rushdie lectured at Emory. The school has nine divisions, running the gamut from law and nursing to medicine and business. It also used to have a dental school, but that closed in the early 1990s. In 1948, John E. Buhler joined Emory’s faculty as dean of the dental school. He would stay in that position for 13 years, was respected by colleagues and students, except for a few important exceptions. Those exceptions happened to be the Jewish students who attempted to obtain a degree from Buhler’s program, and failed. Irving Shulman enrolled the same year Buhler became dean. Just one year later, he flunked out. Perry Brickman came in 1951. He, too, flunked after just one year -- something he found out because he received a surprise letter. They weren’t alone: “Between 1948 and 1961, when Buhler left, 65% of Jewish students either failed out or were forced to repeat up to two years of coursework in the four-year program.” (CNN.com) Those who stayed were submitted to antiSemitic taunts, accusations of cheating and unfair grades.

Buhler would regularly ask them why they wanted to be dentists in the first place, since “they didn’t have it in their hands.” For years, former students, who often, after transferring to other universities, did quite well, kept silent. Faculty members feared for their jobs and didn’t want to rock the boat. Add to that “Atlanta’s infamous Lynching of Leo Frank in 1913, the ongoing activity of the Ku Klux Klan, the 1958 bombing of the city’s most prominent synagogue. Israel was still a fledgling nation. This was also the immediate post-Holocaust era, a time when Jewish people in America were just starting to understand the magnitude of what had happened abroad. (CNN.com) Those who did try to bring attention to the issues were often vilified, even by the Jewish community. One should not make waves. In 1961, these issues came to the attention of Judson Ward, the dean of faculty, he confronted Buhler, and Buhler was forced to resign. Emory’s president at the time, S. Walter Martin, swept everything under the rug; with Buhler out of the picture, people moved on as if nothing ever happened. Buhler moved to a different job, and died in 1976. That all changed when, all these years later, Perry Brickman decided to put together a documentary, detailing what Jewish students had gone through. On Oct. 10, 2012, Brickman’s film, titled From Silence to Recognition: Confronting Discrimination in Emory’s Dental School History, prompted administrators at Emory University to issue a formal apology. We know how badly the actions of a few can taint an entire university. Maybe the reason it bothers us so much has to do

with the fact that these are institutions of learning; places where our children come into adulthood, and do so safely. Where they learn who they are and where they fit into the world, where they practice being adults - before they go ‘out there.’ The story of what happened at Emory is a valuable piece of history. However, it took place years ago, John Buhler is no longer alive, the dental school doesn’t even exist anymore, and Atlanta is nowhere near Omaha. What’s more: Emory as an institution certainly has evolved. For instance, it has developed an excellent Jewish studies program. So why should we care? Here’s why: it is becoming more and more obvious that, with every generation, the idea of antiSemitism is becoming just that: an idea. To many, anti-Semitism belongs only in the history books, and is something we should not be so sensitive about. But anti-Semitism is alive and well, and continues to rear its ugly head. It’s taken Perry Brickman this long to publicly address what happened; what John Buhler did was swept under the rug for more than 60 years. What else have we swept under the rug during that time? What else do we continue to hide? If we treat anti-Semitic incidents as outliers, aren’t we continuing on the same path, believing it’s better to not make waves? Jews who are treated poorly deserve compassion and attention; their story should serve as a lesson and a warning. That’s not paranoia, and it’s not being overly sensitive. And we can certainly look away from all the election noise long enough to pay attention when tales like these hit the airwaves.

Adelson’s Israel Hayom bringing needed pluralism to Israeli press

Focus on issues DAVID M. WEINBERG TEL AVIV (JTA) -- Liberal pundits have coined a new saw: Sheldon Adelson and the newspaper he owns, Israel Hayom, are primarily responsible for the collapse of many Israeli media outlets, and this endangers Israeli democracy. The assertion is wrong on both the business and ideological levels. The imminent failures of Maariv and Channel 10 television, and the deep troubles of Haaretz and other smaller publications, are first and foremost the function of longterm market forces, such as the advent of Internet news sites, that predate Israel Hayom. Maariv’s downward slope began long before Israel Hayom debuted in 2007, which explains why Maariv was bought and sold four times -- at a loss each time -- over the past 20 years. Its consistently terrible management and lack of brand positioning spelled its doom. The same for Channel 10. The same for the Davar, Hadashot and Hatzofe newspapers -- all of which have folded over the past 20 years. Sheldon Adelson had nothing to do with these bankruptcies. Undoubtedly, some readers have moved from Maariv, Yediot Achronot and Haaretz to Israel Hayom because the latter is distributed free. These readers also may have discovered that Israel Hayom is a good paper, with solid editing, experienced reporters, comprehensive coverage and a fine lineup of sharp columnists (full disclosure: including me). But Israel Hayom also has tens of thousands of subscribers who pay for home delivery. And now Maariv and Yediot are distributing tens of thousands of free copies every day, too,

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Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, Caryn Scheer, Bobbi Leibowitz, Past President; Phyllis Brown; Daniel Christensen; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Sandy Friedman; Noah Priluck; Paul Rabinowitz; Mark Senal; Nancy Wolf. The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish LIfe, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishoma

on trains and in shopping malls across Israel. What really irks the veteran Israeli media outlets is that readers have abandoned them for ideological reasons. Readers fled Yediot and Maariv because they became crass, trashy publications dominated by glossy features about models, actors, singers, rich playboys and the “true heroes” of Israel -- journalists themselves. By contrast, Israel Hayom features academics, scientists, pioneers, and Zionist and social activists. It also promotes hiking and travel within Israel, not the casinos in Greece, the restaurants in Rome or the fleshpots of Thailand. Readers also edged away from Maariv, Yediot and Haaretz because of the deep gap that opened between the left-wing ideological viewpoint peddled by these publications and the healthy, increasingly conservative instincts of the Israeli public. These papers idolized Shimon Peres and his “new Middle East,” puffed up Yasser Arafat and promoted the Oslo process long after its failure was clear, and they lionized Ariel Sharon and pumped for Gaza disengagement while ignoring Sharon family corruption. Yediot and Haaretz also regularly dump on Jerusalem, Israel’s largest city, as medieval and backwards, while exalting Tel Aviv as cool and cultured. They sneer at Orthodox Judaism and mock religious Jews. They disparage Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with savage vehemence and fanatical constancy. Not a month goes by without Yediot conjuring up some nasty, cockamamie story about Netanyahu’s wife, Sarah. For Haaretz, Israel can do no right and the Palestinians can do no wrong. There’s more. In the 1970s and ‘80s, Yediot under editor Dov Yudkovsky, and to a lesser extent Maariv under editors Rosenfeld, Shnitzer and Dissenchik, became razor-sharp

media watchdogs, launching one investigative report after another into government and financial sector corruption. They were papers with values and an edge. But under Yediot publisher and acting editor Noni Mozes, and under Maariv’s disgraced and jailed publisher Ofer Nimrodi and current owner Nochi Dankner, the last decade has been dismal. The papers became enmeshed in promoting the financial and political careers of Israel’s liberal, WASPish elites and the vested business interests of the publishers themselves. They often defended corrupt politicians and attacked attorney generals and the system of law enforcement. They came to represent the interests of their owners’ business and political connections, not the public interest. This is a real threat to democracy. It’s no surprise that Israel’s top crime-busting investigative journalist, Mordechai Gilat, left Yediot in disgust after a 30year career there. Gilat now writes for Israel Hayom. Israel’s Ted Koppel, a journalist named Dan Margalit -former editor of Maariv, anchor of Israel’s top TV political debate program and the man who exposed Yitzhak Rabin’s financial misdemeanors -- is Israel Hayom’s senior political and diplomatic columnist. It’s also no surprise that Yediot and Maariv are now running an unabashed, aggressive campaign promoting the return to politics and national prominence of Ehud Olmert and Aryeh Deri, both of whom earned reputations as corrupt politicians and both with criminal convictions. And lo and behold, both happen to share left-of-center political orientations. So Israeli readers have been looking for alternatives. In Israel Hayom, they have found a paper where Israel and Netanyahu get the benefit of the doubt while Israel’s enemies Continued on page 9

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sonal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de KampWright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.

October 26, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 9

Supporting Israel’s media strengthens its democracy

Focus on issues ORI NIR WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Can you imagine Israel without a free, independent, vociferous and diverse media? Can you imagine Israel without Maariv and Haaretz? Without biting commentary, investigative reporting and an open, cacophonous marketplace of views and ideas? Such an Israel terrifies me, and it should alarm you, too. It is not the Israel in which I grew up, certainly not the Israel that we all love to love and be proud of. Increasingly, Israel is heading in that scary direction. The media industry in Israel is alarmingly shrinking. Independent media organizations are struggling to survive, while a daily newspaper that serves as a de facto mouthpiece for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- fully funded by a rich conservative American Jew -- is handed out free on every other street corner and threatens to dominate the public discourse. Not only the commercial, independent printed press is fighting to survive; the electronic media also is in crisis. Sure, online media and narrowcasting are eating away at traditional media organizations in other Western democracies. Newspapers are folding in America as well. Just like anywhere else, the proliferation of Israeli blogs is welcome. But just like anywhere else, personal blogs don’t have the resources that news organizations muster to produce deep, broad, professional and independent reporting. Israel, however, is a special case. Israel’s democracy is fragile, and for the past four years some of its basic tenets have been under attack by its own democratically elected officials. Many of the notorious undemocratic bills and initiatives that ultranationalists in the current Knesset have introduced are aimed at silencing dissent, at weakening Israel’s civil society and at limiting

political expression. Netanyahu and his coalition have been striving -- not without success -- to dominate the public debate. The prime minister strongly believes in the power of words, images and perceptions. He therefore fights his battles, more than any past Israeli leader, in the public domain, using the media. And media organizations, particularly ones that depend on government funding or government control, have been losing their independence. Israel’s Broadcasting Authority, once known as the BBC of Israel, is a case in point. Under political pressure, its management and editorial staff are limiting criticism and dissent, and sticking to a perceived “party line.” I admit, I am an Israeli media devotee. At the age of 6, I severely injured myself while chasing my brother in a fight over a newspaper’s weekly supplement. I later worked for an Israeli daily newspaper for two decades. And recently I helped my organization, Americans for Peace Now, establish a daily review of the Israeli media. We offer it to anyone free because we believe that Americans should be familiar with the facts about Israel and with Israel’s public discourse. When critics attack Israel for its shortcomings as a democracy, I always point out that Israel has an impressively thriving media, and therefore a well-informed public, engaging in open and unhampered debate on issues of supreme importance for their nation. That is still the case. But it may not be for long. There may not be much that American Jews can do about other threats to Israeli democracy. When it comes to the threat to the Israeli media, however, they really can help. Buy a subscription for the electronic edition of an Israeli daily. Give a subscription to a young relative returning from a Birthright Israel trip. Publish ads in the Israeli media. Encourage your local federation or your favorite American Jewish organization to do the same. Get Israeli media apps for your mobile devices and pay for upgraded services. Supporting the Israeli media is a win-win. It will make

Jeffrey Goldberg: ‘Biden downplayed the importance of confronting Iran’

Focus on issues DANIEL TREIMAN Bloomberg View columnist Jeffrey Goldberg pans Joe Biden’s debate performance on the topic of Iran’s nuclear program. He writes: “Romney was handed an additional gift last week by Vice President Joe Biden. Over the past three years, I’ve been impressed with Obama’s seriousness on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, the urgency with which he treats the subject, and the measures he has taken to keep the regime from crossing the atomic threshold. But last week, in the vicepresidential debate, Biden attempted to portray Representative Paul Ryan as a hysteric on the subject, even though Ryan’s seriousness on Iran matches the president’s. “In so doing, Biden downplayed the importance of confronting Iran. Biden said that when Ryan ‘talks about fissile material, they have to take this highly enriched uranium, get it from 20 percent up. Then they have to be able to have something to put it in. There is no weapon that the Iranians have at this point. Both the Israelis and we know -- we’ll know if they start the process of building a weapon. So all this bluster I keep

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hearing, all this loose talk -- what are they talking about?’” “Biden’s statement represents a mostly unnoticed, but dramatic, deviation from the administration’s line on Iran. It was also technically inaccurate. “A country must do three things to have a deliverable nuclear weapon: Enrich uranium; design and make a warhead; and build a delivery system. The Iranians are already enriching uranium, and are moving their centrifuges underground. They already have ballistic missiles. They could design and manufacture a warhead in as little as six months.” “Biden made it sound as if we shouldn’t worry, we have tons of time,” David Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security, told me. He said weapons manufacturing can also be done more surreptitiously than uranium enrichment. “You only need a very small facility,” Albright said. “It poses a greater challenge for intelligence gathering.” Zack Beauchamp on Think Progress counters that Biden was actually right. (As a point of evidence, Beauchamp cites a report that Albright co-authored.) I had argued after the debate that Biden seemed to be staking out new ground for the Obama administration by focusing so intently on the issue of building a weapon and seemingly downplaying enrichment.

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Israel a better democracy and you a better friend of Israel. You will be better informed and more deeply involved. You will have a stronger sense of reinforcing the kind of values that you believe in and would like Israel to follow. An independent, thriving media is an asset for Israel and for anyone who loves it. Letting it perish will serve those who don’t see Israeli democracy as an asset but as a liability. Ori Nir is the spokesperson for Americans for Peace Now.

Letter TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Carl and I would like to thank the staff at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home for their comfort and kindness during this past week. From the minute we arrived at the Blumkin Home, until the passing of Helena Tichauer, beloved mother and mother-in-law, everyone could not have been more concerned for both our emotional and physical comfort. Hot and cold drinks and snacks were provided round the clock and staff took gentle care of Helena to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. Even after her passing, the staff at Blumkin made all the arrangements to assure our family and friends had a traditional Jewish meal following the funeral. I believe we speak for the entire Tichauer family when offering a heartfelt thank you to everyone at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home who cared for our mother with dignity and respect in her last days of life and provided us with comfort and strength during this period of sadness. Carl and Gayle Tichauer Peoria, AZ

Pluralism to Israeli press Continued from page 8 are treated with a bit more suspicion, and where shady characters in the business and political worlds are not coddled. Apparently that suits many Israelis just fine. Israel Hayom is simply doing a better job than Maariv, Yediot or Haaretz of competing for readership in the free marketplace of ideas. Let’s hear it for freedom and pluralism of the press. Israel Hayom certainly has its faults, chiefly that at times it is slavishly and uncritically pro-Netanyahu. But that’s the real reason for liberal attacks on the paper and its owner, not any ersatz concern over Israel’s democratic soul. What truly endangered Israeli democracy was the ideological orthodoxy and conformity that once characterized the Israeli media market. Yediot Achronot, for example, held 70 percent of the readership on weekends, a near monopoly unheard of in any other democratic country. Israel Hayom has brought a modicum of much-needed heterogeneity to the Israeli media, helping to ensure and heal Israeli democracy. For the first time, Yediot has some serious competition, which most democrats would say is a good thing. Think of Yediot as MSNBC and Israel Hayom as (a more intellectual) Fox News. It’s legitimate in the U.S., and it is legitimate (and good) for Israel, too. David M. Weinberg is director of public affairs at BarIlan University’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, and a columnist for Israel Hayom. He blogs at http://www.davidmweinberg.com.

10 | The Jewish Press | October 26, 2012

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885.

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 Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; Mincha-Ma’ariv, 6:15 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Torah Tots, 10:30 a.m. led by Naomi Gaca for preschoolers and their parents; Hebrew Crash Course, 11 a.m. with Susi Frydman-Levin and continues on Nov. 4 and 11, Dec. 9 and 16; The Highly Controversial Laws of the Torah, 11 a.m. with Andy Greenberg; Kibbutz Chaverim, 12:15–3:30 p.m., for children in grades 3-7. We’ll enjoy lunch and bowling; parent volunteers welcome. Pick-up and drop-off at Beth El. Cost, $10. RSVP to etsabari@bethel-omaha.org.. MONDAY: Tai Chi Class class 6 p.m., taught by certified Tai Chi instructor Beth Staenberg and running the following five weeks. Cost is $18 for Beth El members, $25 for nonmembers. Register online at www.bethel-omaha.org. For more information, contact Margie in the office. WEDNESDAY: YAC Playgroup, 10:30 a.m. for dress-up and play time. Bring your own dairy lunch. For more information, contact Caryn Scheer at carynscheer@yahoo.com. THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Ethical and Spiritual Lessons of Pirkei Avot, noon. No charge to attend. All adults in the Jewish Community are welcome; USY Lounge Night, 6:30-8 p.m.; Jews ‘n’ Brews, 7 p.m. at the synagogue. All men of Beth El are welcome. Oh Say Shalom to Shabbat and Tot Shabbat, Friday, Nov. 2, 6 p.m. Dinner follows at 6:30 p.m. Dinner cost: Beth El members, $5; non-members, $7.50. No charge for children six and younger. RSVP online at www.bethel-omaha.org, or contact the synagogue office at 402.492.8550, or programming@bethel-omaha.org. Simchat Shabbat, Saturday, Nov. 3, 10:30 a.m., Beth El’s contemporary, congregation-led alternative Shabbat service returns. Stay afterward for lunch at Café Schmooze. No charge for lunch, but RSVP to the synagogue office, or email programming@bethel-omaha.org. Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, Monday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham. Women’s Book Group, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m., at the synagogue. We’ll discuss In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson. 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: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:09 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 Rabbi Mizrahi, Talia, Yael & Moshe by their friends and in honor of the October Simchas; The Laws of Shabbat, 3:45 p.m.; Dr. Netanel Fisher, Intermarriage and Conversion in Israel: Problems and Challenges, 4:45 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Boys (ages 10 and up), 4:45 p.m.; Mincha, 5:45 p.m., followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 7:08 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast; Children’s Activity, Mezuzot and Shema, 10:15 a.m.; RBJH Connections for Teens, 2:30 p.m. at the Blumkin Home. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Monthly Women’s Dessert and Discussion, Carving out time for yourself, 7 p.m. at the home of Patricia Newman. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross; Weekly Med Center Class, 1 p.m.; Scholars Club

for fourth-sixth graders, 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Mizrahi.

CHABAD CENTER 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: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service. Special tribute to Jewish Moms on the occasion of the Yartzeit of our Matiarch Rachel. SUNDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 8:30 a.m. followed by Breakfast Bonanza. WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. Join as we mark the Yartzeit of Maury Udes. TUESDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m.; Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. Please reserve by calling 402.330.1800. 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: Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Michael Boekstal with guest speaker Amy Ogle, Congregational Network Director for the Central Region of the Union for Reform Judaism, with oneg following hosted by Tracy and Randy Gordon. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Lech Lecha. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Jewish Book Club, 2 p.m. at the home of Marcia Kushner, and will discuss The Invisible Bridge. Please RSVP to Marcia if you plan to attend. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. ADULT EDUCATION THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m.

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ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Services, 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 Service, 6 p.m. led by Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Seth Norton, son of Susie and Michael Norton, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. SUNDAY: Teachers Meeting, 9:30 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Grades 5 Visit Together, 10 a.m.; Grades 5 Family Day, 10 a.m.; OTYG Conclave planning meeting, noon; JYG Bowling Party, noon. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; OTYG Conclave Planning Meeting, 6 p.m. THURSDAY: The History of Judaism in Greece with Cantor Shermet, 10 a.m.; WRJ: Pour and Paint, 7 p.m. at The Art Room, 10818 Elm Street. Join us to explore your inner artist. Grab your friends, family, coworkers or date and make it an evening of art. The ArtRoom will provide all the materials and refreshments. Cost $15 per person. RSVP@templeisraelomaha.com. Sponsored by the Women of Reform Judaism.

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, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by special Kiddush lunch sponsored by Mark Weiss in honor of his move back to NYC. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Jewish Book Club, 2 p.m. at the home of Marcia Kushner, and will discuss The Invisible Bridge. Please RSVP to Marcia if you plan to attend. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. LJCS Spaghetti Feast, Sunday, Nov. 4 after school at Tifereth Israel. The first and second grades will be cooking and serving. Cost is $4 per plate.

Lost Tribes beer company resurrects ancient brews by CHAVIE LIEBER NEW YORK (JTA) – As he weaves in and out of traffic in New York City on a Friday afternoon, David Itzkowitz has two things on his mind: Shabbat and beer. Beer, because Itzkowitz is a co-founder of Lost Tribes, a beverage company that makes microbrews derived from ancient recipes held dear by Jewish cultures from exotic parts of the world. And Shabbat because Itzkowitz, an observant Jew, still has a few deliveries left to make before sundown. “It’s all about the pale ale,” Itzkowitz tells JTA by phone on his way to a delivery in the Bronx. “You need a balance of the perfect amount of hop with a little malt. It needs to tickle your taste buds and have a little buzz, too.” The idea behind Lost Tribes was born in 2009 when three of the company’s five founders ventured to Israel to learn more about the country’s budding microbrewery industry and come up with ideas for their own beer. They spent a lot of time with Jews that some say hail from the 10 lost tribes of Israel -- Ethiopian Jews, said by some to be descendants of the Tribe of Dan, and Indian Jews, said by some to be from the Tribe of Menashe. “We were exploring, looking to find new recipes, and Jews from all these interesting places kept approaching us about their family recipes,” Itzkowitz said. “They were worried that these ancient recipes, which are thousands of years old, would be lost.” The three collected recipes, took notes and, upon their return stateside, began working with a brewmaster to test the recipes and develop the beers for commercial sale. By early this year the group -- Itzkowitz, Allan Farago, Ari Smith, Andrew Septimus and Rabbi Harry Rozenberg, five Jewish childhood friends all under age 31 -- began selling the beer commercially. Lost Tribes now sells to 75 loca-

tions in New York, mostly bars and supermarkets but also by special delivery. The company hopes to go national in the coming months. According to the company’s website, “2,700 years ago, ten of the twelve tribes were sent into exile, eventually settling across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Legend has it that one day the tribes will return home bearing gifts from their lands. We’ve discovered that each tribe holds a unique crew recipe -- we believe that their brews were the gifts they were meant to bring home.” Lost Tribes sells three beer lines: a pale ale they call Shikra, an Aramaic word for alcoholic beverage; Tej, an Ethiopian-adapted recipe of honey and herbs that is kosher for Passover; and a low-calorie option called Light. The beers are made in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and the company’s warehouse is in Queens. The company says it donates a fixed amount of profits to Israeli groups that work with Jews from the ethnic minorities said to be from the lost tribes. One of the company’s next projects -- aside from developing more craft brews -- is to launch a social media website called iTribe, where people from around the world can digitally connect and learn about ancient traditions by sharing photos, literature and recipes. After Lost Tribe’s website went live in 2011, people from around the world wrote in claiming to be part of a lost tribe and offering up their own family recipes, the founders said. “We got an email last week from someone in Japan who said he was part of a lost tribe and has an incredible Japanese whiskey recipe for us,” Itzkowitz said. “We’ve also heard from Lemba, people from South Africa with a Jewish claim, who have their own brew recipe.” Rozenberg adds, “We’re hoping to get to a point where we have an entire set of these ancient beer options.”

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

October 26, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 11

Adventurous Abraham

In memoriam MARILYN LEWIS

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Lech L’cha In our day, one who is about to undertake a journey usually assumes he is coming into a civilized land, protected by law, by those who abide by that law, and by those whose duty it is to see that law maintained. Our Sacred Text says Abraham has the world’s best possible assurance: it is God himself who tells Abraham the time has come to leave. Abraham has to leave his home, his extended family, and his father’s home to undertake a journey to a land that the Lord would show him. The language, “Lech L’cha,” which the Lord uses to tell Abraham it is time to move on, implies this is for his benefit. Even though the land he travels to is unknown, and occupied by unfriendly Canaanites and Egyptians. Abraham raises no objections, and asks no questions. There is, however, a very common and intensely human problem: his wife, Sarah is an unusually beautiful woman. Her attractiveness draws both Canaanites and Egyptians onto the scene. The Egyptian Pharaoh, informed of all this, simply tells Abraham to get going. “Now just take your wife and get out of here,” he says. So Abraham has the advice of two: first, the advice (shall we call it a command?) of the Lord to move on; second, the angry advice of the Pharaoh. And so, Abraham moves on, looking for a place where he may settle peacefully, obeying his Lord, without risking the life of his beloved Sarah.

McGovern’s “mensch” moment

Marilyn Lewis passed away at age 66. Services were held on Oct. 19 at Oak Hill/Bikhur Cholim Cemetery in Council Bluffs. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ida Hoffman Lewis and David Lewis and her uncle, Paul Hoffman. She is survived by numerous relatives and friends. Marilyn was employed by Qwest for 30 years. She was a lifelong Beth Israel member. She is described by her cousin and friends as “a loving human being who will be missed.” Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home or the charity of your choice.

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PHYLLIS LEE WOHLNER SCHWARTZ Phyllis Lee Wohlner Schwartz passed away on Oct. 13 at age 84. Services were held Oct. 15 at Beth El Cemetery. She was preceded in death by parents, Albert and Mollie (Horwich) Wohlner; sister, Corinne (Wohlner) and brother-in-law, Ansel Chapman. She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Sidney Schwartz; sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Rosanne Schwartz, and Robert Schwartz and Leslie Coleman; daughter, Jane Schwartz, and daughter and son-in-law, Laurie and Mark Kirby; grandchildren: Kelly Peters and Dan Conrad, Max Schwartz and Michaela Schwartz, Sarah Schmutz and Bryan Schmutz, and Allison Kirby and Mallory Kirby; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Phyllis was born and lived in Omaha. She was an active community member involved in numerous activities. These included volunteering at the Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop; Beth El choir; and Hadassah. She was a long time Girl and Boy Scout leader; President of the PTA at Washington Elementary; and many other activities enhancing the lives of her children and community. Her greatest joy was spending time with her husband in Marco Island, FL, and she cherished the time spent with family at her lake home in Ashland, NE. Memorials may be made to Asera Care Hospice, 8710 Frederick, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68144; or Madonna School, 6402 N 71 Plaza, Omaha, NE 68104.

by RON KAMPEAS George McGovern died this weekend. I’ll leave the assessments to others, and to his obituary. A weird thing I’ve noted through the years is how many Jewish stories circulate around the campaign for the presidency of a Methodist preacher’s son from the plains. I was 12 in 1972, and so many of my contemporaries remember the campaign -- as I do -as the one in which we first fully awoke to a political consciousness. And so many of my Jewish contemporaries -- again, George McGovern myself included -- rememin Aug. 2009. ber the passions that their Credit: Scott Clarkson parents and elder siblings via CC invested in that election. Recalling my own interactions, and those of my friends, defines “anecdotal,” it’s true -- but in so many Jewish homes, McGovern v. Nixon led to heated and extended dinner table arguments, not just about the Middle East, but about the role of women and other minorities in the polity, the nature of leadership, the ethics of governance. I’ll let others tell their own stories. But we can’t let pass this lovely New Yorker piece, which references its own 1972 item on the then-candidate. After the Garment District rally, McGovern met with community leaders at a nearby Dubrow’s cafeteria. He ordered a chopped-liver sandwich and sat at a table surrounded by onlookers, including a Talk reporter from The New Yorker. “As the candidate was finishing his sandwich,” the reporter wrote, “someone called out, ‘Hey, McGovern, you’re a mensch!’ “ The candidate turned to one of his table companions. “Abrams,” he said, “what is a mensch?” “It’s good, Senator,” Mr. Abrams said. “It means you’re a substantial human being.”

by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel will continue to attack the groups that fire rockets on her citizens, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu’s statement Monday morning during a meeting with Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair came after Israeli airstrikes targeted what the Israel Defense Forces described as “launching squads” in two locations in the northern Gaza Strip. Two Palestinian men were killed in the strikes. Hamas’ military wing claimed one as a fighter and Islamic Jihad claimed the other as a fighter in its militia, according to the Palestinian Maan news agency. At least two others were reported injured. The IDF said the attacks were in response to mortar shell fire at a routine IDF patrol on the border with northern Gaza, near the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Am. “We’ve got Hamas, supported by Iran, firing rockets at us. They’ve fired again. We’re not going to let anyone arm themselves and fire rockets on us and think that they can do this with impunity,” Netanyahu said. “They’re not going to get away with it. We attacked them before, we attacked them after and we’re going to prevent them from arming themselves. This is our policy.” Also Monday, five Kassam rockets were fired at the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, with no injuries or damage reported, according to Ynet. Since the beginning of this year, more than 500 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit Israel, including over 50 during October alone, according to the IDF.

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Israel will continue to target attackers, Netanyahu tells Blair

CORRECTION Milton Saylan’s obiturary did not include the names of his grandchildrens’ spouses. They are Scott and Andrea Saylan, Kevin and Marcy Saylan, David and Courtneay Saylan, Amy Saylan.

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12 | The Jewish Press | October 26, 2012

After two decades of quiet skies, Tel Aviv girds for potential missiles by BEN SALES TEL AVIV (JTA) -- On the seventh day of the Gulf War in January 1991, a Scud missile struck between two apartment buildings on Abba Hillel Street in Ramat Gan. The missile, part of Saddam Hussein’s revenge for U.S. Operation Desert Storm, killed one woman and was one of many Scuds to hit Israel during the war. Although Tel Aviv was a prime target for Palestinian suicide bombers in the 1990s and during the second intifada a decade ago, 1991 was the last time the city experienced missile attacks. Since 2006 it has gone through far less fighting than Israel’s northern and southern regions, which are adjacent, respectively, to the Lebanon and Gaza borders. But Tel Aviv’s tranquility is not expected to last should war break out with Iran. Iran and its proxy terrorist group, Hezbollah, now have missiles -- Shababs and Fatah-110s -- that can hit Israel’s largest metropolis. In a sign of Hezbollah strength, the group managed to fly a drone, financed by Iran, 35 miles into Israel on Oct. 6 before Israeli forces shot it down. To prepare for the possibility of war, Tel Aviv has outfitted several mass underground parking lots to serve as bomb shelters. The city has about 350 shelters totaling more than 10 million square feet - enough to shelter about a million people. Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, like Rambam Hospital in Haifa, can mobilize an underground facility with 1,000 beds in the event of a war. David Aharony, director of Tel Aviv’s emergency and security department, touts his city’s “daily preparedness all year.” Residents can look up bomb shelters on an interactive map provided by the municipality, and a recent citywide mailing advised residents about the shelter closest to their home. Some

could require more than 10 minutes of walking, but Aharony says that’s good enough. Israel also has been preparing for a potential attack since April by distributing gas

municipality will set up 30 spots around Tel Aviv where residents can access running water from reservoirs should the city’s plumbing system be damaged. But Tel Aviv and Israel as a whole also place significant responsibility on citizens to prepare themselves for conflict. The IDF’s Home Front Command recommends that residents buy flashlights, radios, bottled water and a fire extinguisher to take with them in case of evacuation. The millions of tourists who visit Tel Aviv each year can’t Israelis preparing for a potential missile attack during a nationwide make those preparacivil defense drill, March 2007. Credit: Roni Schutzer/Flash90/JTA tions. Aharony said masks to its citizens, with 40,000 new gas the municipality will treat tourists “like any mask kits going out every month. Israelis other resident in any way.” first received gas masks to guard against Officially, the task of keeping tourists safe chemical attacks during the ‘91 Gulf War. falls to the hotels and Israel’s Tourism Now the state has renewed distribution to Ministry, which in wartime attempts to evacguard against potential chemical attacks by uate foreign nationals to their home countries. Hezbollah, which could acquire the bombs While the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv “does from an unstable Syria or Iran. not foresee any call for an evacuation” in the Otherwise, Aharony said, the city will try to near future, embassy spokesman Geoff operate on its normal routine even during war. Anisman said the embassy would contact Public transit is planned to continue as Americans via text message and email in the usual, excluding the immediate areas event of a war. around missile explosions. Service may be Should evacuation be impossible, hotels less frequent than on a normal day, as the have been asked to provide for guests and, if Israel Defense Forces will use some public necessary, to serve as gathering spots for buses to transport soldiers. other tourists. Tel Aviv’s Dan Panorama has While Aharony said the municipality enough bomb shelters to hold all of its would wait until war’s end to repair any guests, and says it has enough food and major damage to the electrical grid, the water for an indefinite period of time.

The main challenge for Tel Aviv in the event of war would be psychological, said Eyal Zisser of Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and African Studies. The city is referred to derisively as “the bubble,” and Israelis outside Tel Aviv often stereotype its residents as detached from the state’s security challenges. Should war reach Tel Aviv, “there won’t be a lot of killing, but the question is whether the public will live with it” psychologically, Zisser said. “They haven’t been attacked. They haven’t experienced it.” Reflecting that attitude, some shopkeepers said they plan to keep their shops open even during a war. Yakov Weiss, proprietor of the Weiss Bakery, called Tel Aviv a “protected city.” But Ricky Danon, owner of the Bella Vintage clothing store, said that any war will feel immediate. “I’m scared to death of war,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll sell clothes during a war. It’s disgusting to sell clothes when boys are dying. I’ll hide under my pillow and pray for it to end.” Tel Avivis have been some of the most vocal opponents of a preemptive Israeli strike against Iran. In mid-August, hundreds gathered in front of the Tel Aviv apartment of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to protest a potential Israeli attack. Speaking at the rally, former Tel Aviv mayoral candidate Dov Khenin, a member of the Arab-Jewish Knesset party Hadash, said a strike on Iran would be “a terrible, horrible tragedy.” Danon said that while many Israelis might imagine Tel Aviv residents relaxing as conflict looms, they are just as immersed in the country’s debates as any other Israelis. “It’s not a bubble,” she said of Tel Aviv. “It looks like people don’t care, but they care. Everyone cares.”

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