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Jacob’s Story Summer Intensive at KCDC Page 5
2024 Annual Campaign: Sunday Night Give with Rachel Dratch Pages 6 & 7
JACOB KAHN here are two common reactions I get from sabras (Israeli-born Jews) when they find out I made aliyah from America. The first is the shock that someone would give up the material comforts of two-day Amazon shipping and 24-hour Walmarts, for a country where, if you arrive within 30 minutes of a supermarket’s closing time, they will physically keep you from entering. The second is a playful
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Our tremendum Page 12
The impact of trauma
REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles
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TERESA DRELICHARZ, LIMHP JFS Interim Executive Director Since the Hamas attack on Israel Oct. 7, 2023, the devastating impact has been felt all over the world. The war has flooded news and social
around the combat zone. Though the trauma is dramatically heightened for those residing in the war-affected areas, anyone, anywhere can be strongly impacted by vicarious trauma. Defined by the American
media with stories and images of tragic human suffering, as well as excruciating uncertainty about the well-being of innocent lives in and
Counseling Association as “the emotional residue of exposure to traumatic stories and experiences of others; witnessing fear, pain, and terror that others have experienced.” Vicarious trauma is likely what many of us in the community are feeling as we see or hear of the horrific events unfolding in the middle east. Others in our community, however, may be suffering on a more visceral level, one that actually affects the nervous system. According to Rachel Yehuda, Professor of Psychiatry and See The impact of trauma page 2
mocking that inevitably ends with being labeled “chai b’seret” - living in a movie - as they believe I made aliyah intoxicated by the idealism surrounding the concept of an indigenous population being repatriated with their ancestral homeland. Maybe I am a glutton for navigating the notoriously frustrating Israeli bureaucratic system as an oleh chaddash (new immigrant). Maybe I am someone who tends to see the glass half full and does his best to judge each person and See Jacob’s Story page 3
Promoting Empowerment in our World
Students participate in anti-bias activities Credit: Mark Kirchhoff
PAM MONSKY JCRC Assistant Director The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) recently hosted 110 tenth grade students from 13 different metro area high schools for the 36th PEW, Promoting Empowerment in our World, a day-long workshop focusing on anti-bias training and introspection.
For 36 years, PEW has brought together students from different school districts, backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, races, and cultures for an intensive one-day, interactive workshop designed to heighten students’ awareness of stereotyping in their own environment and enable them to recognize See PEW page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | November 10, 2023
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PEW
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The impact of trauma Continued from page 1 Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, trauma and stress can be transmitted from generation to generation via epigenetic processes. “Epigenetic processes alter the expression of a gene without producing changes in the DNA sequence and can be transmitted to the next generation.” In short, an individual’s neurological stress response today can mimic the traumatic stress response in the nervous system of their family member who experienced traumatic stress directly in the past. Dr. Yehuda’s research was based on studies of Holocaust survivors and their children born after the Holocaust. Click here to read the entire article: https://www.resea rch.va.gov/currents/1016-3. cfm#:~:text=She%20and%20 her%20colleagues%20
showed,survivors%20and%20their%20 adult%20chidren. During this incredibly difficult time, Jewish Family Service would like to offer a few coping strategies: 1. Self care is extra important in stressful times. Remember to eat healthy, get ample sleep, exercise, and limit use of alcohol and drugs as stress relievers. 2. Reach out to friends and family. It’s mutually beneficial, especially in hard times! 3. Limit your consumption of news. Turn off the TV, radio, and internet occasionally to lower the risk of vicarious trauma. 4. DON’T HESITATE TO ASK FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP!!! JFS is available for crisis counseling, and will attempt to schedule appointments within 24 to 48 hours!
Trade scholarships available
An anonymous donor in our community has created two trade school and/or cosmetology school scholarship opportunities, up to $5,000 each, to go towards the 2023-24 academic year. Not every student who advances into higher education signs up for a four-year curriculum. Some high school graduates seek job training that lasts a year or two and then places them in the workforce. Such opportu-
nities include, but are not restricted to: Information Technology, Construction, Industrial, Transportation and Horticulture. It is not too late to apply for this upcoming school year! Qualified students who have unmet needs regarding tuition for either a two-year trade school program or a trade certificate program can contact the Jewish Press at avandekamp @jewishomaha.org or jpress@jewishom aha.org for more information.
PRESENTS
Kristopher Goldsmith Founder
Above: Students at breakfast and right: Bob Goldberg, Sharon Brodkey and Zoë Riekes address the students. Credit: Mark Kirchhoff
Continued from page 1 and overcome biases in themselves and their peer group. The students, along with their school chaperones and 22 trained facilitators began the day at Temple Israel with a breakfast and welcoming remarks from JCRC Executive Director Sharon Brodkey. Students are carefully selected by their teachers and guidance counselors to participate in the workshop. The day consists of small group activities designed to examine biases that exist within ourselves and throughout the community. After going through the activities, the students reunite with their schools and discuss ways to combat discrimination and injustice within their school communities. During lunch, Dr. Mark Adler, former superintendent of Ralston Public Schools, talked to the students about his son Reid, who took his own life as a victim of intimidation and cyber bullying. Dr. Adler challenges students to stand up for each other
and not allow any type of bullying or inappropriate treatment between students. In addition to the students, teachers and facilitators, a number of volunteers were on hand to make sure the day ran smoothly. PEW is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Murray H. & Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, the Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, Speedy & Debbi Zweiback, Zoë & Carl Riekes and Ideal Pure Water.
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS
Wednesday, Nov 15 | 7 p.m. Staenberg Omaha JCC Light refreshments to follow the presentation. RSVPs are required. Email your reservation and questions for Kris to pmonsky@jewishomaha.org.
Kris is a Jewish veteran and leading expert on white power, facist street gangs and how these groups target American troops and veterans for recruitment.
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Community Conversation sponsors: Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, Anything Grants – Staenberg Family Foundation, and Special donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.
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Jacob’s Story Home Appliance
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402-391-4287 Continued from page 1 situation favorably. What the sabras don’t always understand is that my decision to upend my life, leave all forms of familiarity behind, and begin to carve out a future 7,000 miles away didn’t stem from such superficial attributes. My Jewish pride and love of Israel were greatly nurtured and strengthened in the years I spent living in Omaha. From working as a youth director for Temple Israel to co-chairing Young Jewish Omaha to collaborating with our Partnership2Gether project with our friends in Hungary and the Upper Galilee, I found my Jewish voice in the roles, friendships, and experiences the Omaha community provided. When I left Omaha to pursue a career in medicine, I became acutely aware of how special our Jewish community is. I could not find that same sense of Jewish pride and strength I had become so accustomed to. As the years progressed, I had many opportunities to spend meaningful time in Israel, falling in love with the land and all of its people. Beth Israel’s Rabbi Dembitzer once said “if I can’t live in Israel, second best is Omaha.” When the opportunity to study medicine at the Technion in Israel presented itself, I knew I wanted to experience the other part of that sentence. Up until Oct. 7th, I was just a third-year medical student with all of the associated stressors, hopes, and aspirations. The reality of every Israeli was shattered when we came out of Simchat Torah to the horrifying news of a meticulously planned, large-scale attack that left over 1,400 dead and 200+ hostages brought into Gaza. Israeli news and social media were flooded with first-hand accounts of survivors and the video footage of the unspeakable atrocities published by Hamas. In the first days, there was no respite from the onslaught of tragedy. It permeated every channel, every conversation, and every thought you had trying to navigate daily life. Those first few days were simply survival as we sent our friends, family members, classmates, and professors off to war. We sent them south. We sent them north. We sent them east. We sent them not knowing when the next time we would see them again would be. Every Israeli I knew was going to the supermarkets, military surplus stores, and pharmacies to create care packages for those called up for service as well as those affected and displaced by the war. As Israelis, we have to believe that this chesed, these acts of kindness, do not only nourish the bodies of those around us, but nourishes their souls. When putting together my own care packages for soldiers and reservists that I knew, I wanted to make sure I purchased what was relevant for them. I was shocked to learn how many units were missing basic items- thermal underwear, bandages for blisters, tactical gloves, and more. With nothing more than a borrowed car and social media, I helped to create a network of immigrants, sabras, IDF commanders, and non profit leaders to solicit donations, purchase supplies, and physically drive them to where they were needed most. At time of publication, I’ve been able to raise over $15,000 to support those most in need. One of my first supply runs was to a classmate’s unit located
on the Lebanon border. Immediately upon arrival to their encampment, the sirens blared and I quickly found myself at the bottom of a trench surrounded by my classmate and his unit. Almost instinctively, my classmate put his vest on me to provide protection at his own risk. I quietly recited the Shema to myself and waited face down in the cold dirt for whatever would come next. I’m still processing that incident, as the war forces all of us to compartmentalize and concentrate on what we can do in the moment. However, this experience reminded me of two relevant lessons from our tradition. The first lesson comes from the Rambam’s teachings that we as a people must strengthen our hearts to the atrocity of war. We must be brave and ready for the difficulties, destruction, and death that follow. The Jewish people, no matter where they are, have answered this call in many forms. We have shown that, at great risk to our own well being, we have collectively decided to not remain silent, speak up against terrorism, and find solidarity in places it did not exist before. The second, and more relevant lesson for me personally, is that the Rambam writes that we are expected to expand our compassion for each other during war. We see examples of this everywhere as well. Secular and charedi leadership in Israel meet to determine how best they can work together; volunteers across the world send supplies and well wishes to Israelis they’ve never even met; and my classmate putting my life before his are all examples of how we, regardless of ideology, religiosity, or nationality stand shoulder to shoulder as one Jewish people. We as a Jewish nation know no borders, no difference between Ashkenazim or Sephardim, and no divide between secular and religious when our right to exist is challenged with calls of global intifada and bloodshed. For me, this resonates loudly with the love and support I have already received from my Omaha community, the greatest place to call home outside of Israel. In whatever way you can, I only ask that we, a beautifully diverse and enriching community, do not lose sight of what has been shown to us in one of the darkest tragedies in our living memory. In whatever way you can, I hope that we all can continue to support each other, both in and outside of Israel, to the best of our abilities. For it’s this determination to live and see past the challenges in our own communities that will allow us to get through these dark times as the generations before us did. We have faced times like this before. We have overcome times like this before. Am Yisrael Chai. Jacob Kahn is a third year medical student at the Technion in Haifa, Israel who is balancing his responsibilities related to his medical education and his volunteer work to support IDF and humanitarian causes in Israel. Jacob is collaborating with a New York-based 501c(3) nonprofit known as Fountain of Kindness. He is requesting that any person looking to support his work donate to this organization at FountainOfKindness.org. In the additional information section, please write “for Jacob’s projects” so that your donation is earmarked for the projects Fountain of Kindness and Jacob are currently collaborating on.
Reading recommendations from The Kaplan Book Group SHIRLY BANNER JFO Library Specialist On Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will gather for their monthly meeting. Group members have the choice of meeting either in person in the Benjamin and Anna Wiesman Reception Room in the Staenberg Jewish Community Center, or via Zoom. This month they will be sharing what books they have been reading and recommend. New participants are always welcome. In the past they have read a wide variety of genres and had lively discussions of these works. In November the group will share what they have read lately or highly recommend one should read. The next meeting, Dec. 21, they plan to host Israeli mystery writer Jonathan Dunsky via Zoom. He will discus his novel Ten Years Gone. Stay tuned for more details about this meeting in the next few weeks. Please feel free to join us on Nov. 16 in person or via Zoom
and share what you are reading or recommend others should read. The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. New members are always welcome. The Group receives administrative support from the Community Engagement & Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For information about the group and to join in the discussion, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewishomaha.org.
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch our email for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com.
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Tri-Faith Initiative, USDA work to equip faith leaders
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COREY OLDENHUIS Tri-Faith Communications Manager As part of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, the Tri-Faith Initiative, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture and its Center of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the American Jewish Committee and the Islamic Networks Group, presents a special interagency webinar: Practical Strategies for Assessing and Countering Antisemitism, Islamophobia and Related Bias. This collaborative webinar aims to assess the state of antisemitism and highlight effective strategies to counter antisemitism, Islamophobia and related forms of bias, centered on building solidarity across faiths. It will also serve as a preview for a multi-day, in-person summit slated for Spring 2024 (originally scheduled for Fall 2023); Tri-Faith Initiative and its program partners mutually agreed to reschedule the in-person summit due to immediate difficulties facing each organizations’ respective communities since the outbreak of war in the Middle East. USDA first announced the summit at the end of September in a press release regarding actions taken by eight Federal agencies in the Biden-Harris Administration to clarify in writing for the first time that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics in federally funded programs and activities. This includes certain forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and related discrimination and bias. Tri-Faith Initiative and its program partners believe the local impact of foreign affairs underscores the urgency to equip U.S. communities of all sizes with the tools necessary to recognize, address and prevent hatred on a systemic level. “As an experimental co-location of a synagogue, a church, a mosque and an interfaith center on a 38-acre campus in America’s Heartland, the Tri-Faith Commons represents the only interfaith collaboration of its kind in the nation — and a prime incubator for systemic change,” said Wendy Goldberg, Executive Director of Tri-Faith Initiative. “To counter antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of hate in rural America. We need
to build bridges precisely where most people think it’s impossible. We have always believed that communities of all sizes in the Heartland can — and must — be empowered to lead efforts against hatred and bigotry, and that’s why Tri-Faith is thrilled to provide what is sure to be an impactful experience in partnership with USDA, AJC and ING.” “With more than 100 concrete actions spelled out in the National Strategy for the federal government to pursue to counterantisemitism, AJC is proud to work with our partners like USDA and Tri-Faith Initiative to help ensure that the White House action plan becomes a reality in ways that will keep the Jewish community safe, secure, and strong,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “Hate does not exist in a vacuum, and interfaith partnerships to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bigotry help us to create safer, more inclusive communities. Recognizing the unique challenges in rural communities, AJC has also already begun work with USDA on a guide to help rural universities address antisemitism as well as a specialized Translate Hate resource that focuses on the terms and tropes most commonly found in these areas.” “Islamic Networks Group (ING) is pleased to partner with Tri-Faith Initiative, the USDA, and AJC to engage with community partners in rural America about how we can counter Islamophobia and antisemitism together,” said Maha Elgenaidi, Founderand Executive Director of Islamic Networks Group. “Since 2007, ING has been working closely with Jewish and Muslim speakers to deliver panels on antisemitism and Islamophobia for schools, community centers, healthcare facilities, law enforcement and government agencies, and other organizations. We cannot counter anti-Muslim racism and bigotry unless we also work to combat antisemitism and other forms of bigotry in solidarity with Jewish Americans, other marginalized communities, and all allies who care about building a more inclusive and peaceful society.” The webinar will be hosted and recorded via Zoom; registration can be found at Tri-Faith Initiative’s website: trifaith.org/usda-webinar.
JCRC launches Rekindle: A Black Jewish dialog
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SHARON BRODKEY Executive Director, JCRC Rekindle, a Black Jewish dialog project presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is launching in Omaha. The mission of Rekindle is to create meaningful social change by bringing leaders from the African American and Jewish American communities together for friendly and challenging dialogue, face-to-face interactions, breaking down barriers, and building new relationships. Inspired by the strong relationships and collaborative action between the Black and Jewish communities that were built during the Civil Holly Pearlman Rights Movement, we can accelerate our collective impact and increase equity in Omaha. Born out of friendships made during a Chamber leadership program in Cleveland, OH, Rekindle has graduated five cohorts totaling 88 Rekindle Fellows, who represent a diverse mix of professional roles, including philanthropy, media, business, economic development, and more in Cleveland. “With more cohorts underway, Omaha asked to bring the program here, and we were fortunate to be awarded a generous seed grant to start the program,” said Sharon Brodkey, executive director of the JCRC. “This is fantastic opportunity to take the relationships we have been forging through our partnerships with the North Omaha Empowerment Network and member organizations to the next level.” Rekindle strengthens, invigorates, and opens doors to new connections between our Black and Jewish communities, leading to impactful and meaningful social change. “Our intention is both to educate these communities about racism and antisemitism, find issues of common concern to build allyships around (like equity in education and employment, affordable housing, voting access, and common sense gun legislation) and work together to strengthen the bonds between
people by engaging together in a civic action project,” Brodkey added. Leading the inaugural cohorts of Black and Jewish changemakers are Bobby Brumfield and Holly Pearlman. A leader in the Black community, Bobby is a former Omaha Police detective, Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Streets Task Force member, and retired U.S. Marine. He also owns a security consulting firm. Bobby has dedicated his life to influencing those around him in a positive and uplifting way. In addition to being a licensed professional clinical Bobby Brumfield counselor, Holly is a Melton Fellow and has a Masters in Holocaust and Genocide studies. As a Jew of mixed race, she was especially excited to co-chair Rekindle. After Holly and Bobby had their first meeting, Bobby said, “I couldn’t have asked for a better co-chair.” Pearlman described the program, “Each cohort will consist of equal numbers of participants with diverse identity expressions and backgrounds who are passionate about social justice. The program will consist of five three-hour facilitated conversations with opportunities to collaboratively develop and implement a civic engagement project.” Recruitment begins soon. To learn more or apply to be a participant in the inaugural cohort of Rekindle Omaha, please visit https://www.jewishomaha.org/rekindle. The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is dedicated to working in common cause to enhance cooperation with other religious, racial, ethnic, and civic groups to foster a just, democratic and pluralistic society as well as promote the security of Israel and Jews everywhere. Guided by Jewish values, the JCRC is a nonpartisan agency that advocates, educates, collaborates, and mobilizes action on issues important to the Jewish Community and the greater community.
The Jewish Press | November 10, 2023 | 5
We are Fabulous at 40! STACIE METZ Program and Stewardship Administrator, JFO Foundation Happiness is found in helping others and giving is better than receiving. When people give to charities it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust. Ice cream is also known to trigger positive emotions in the human mind and activates pleasure. During the month of November, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation is partnering with eCreamery for the benefit of our Jewish community. The Foundation has created a “flavor of the month”, Fireside S’mores (marshmallow ice cream with chocolate chunks and graham crunch!). Proceeds from every pint sold will be donated to Jewish summer camp scholarships. The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation strives to assure the stability and continuity of Jewish life and to support communal services in the Omaha area. The goal is to remain a vibrant and secure Jewish community. Pick up a pint in celebration of The Foundation’s 40th Anniversary. And, save the date- Thursday, Nov. 16, is The Foundation’s Scoops of Support Day - 10% of all sales on this day will be donated to The Foundation. Stop by eCreamery at 5001 Underwood Ave or call ahead for pick up at the eCreamery HQ at 13630 Industrial Road for your pint of Fireside S’mores!
INFORMATION ANTISEMITIC/HATE INCIDENTS If you encounter an antisemitic or other hate incident, you are not alone. Your first call should be to the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in Omaha at 402.334.6572, or email JCRCreporting@ jewishomaha.org. If you perceive an imminent threat, call 911, and text Safety & Security Manager James Donahue at 402.213.1658.
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Summer Intensive at KCDC PENNY SCHULZ JCC Dance Training Company Member This summer I had the opportunity to go to Israel with other dancers from the JCC. Being able to go to Israel was a wonderful experience. I grew so much in my dancing abilities in my time at KCDC. Learning to dance in different ways and with different styles definitely made me a better dancer overall. I now know how important it is to learn different techniques and styles of dance to help make me more successful as a dancer. But it wasn’t all about dance. I made many friendships on this trip that will hopefully last a lifetime, and not only that but old friendships also became stronger. Partnership weekend was the most fun I have had in a long time. Being able to just hang out with our host families and experience Shabbat dinner was something I will never forget. The most fun I had
the whole trip was meeting up at the beach with our host and the other hosts as well. They did a great job of showing us around and showing us the best parts of Israel. I didn’t realize what a beautiful country Israel is, and we didn’t even see that much of it. I can’t even imagine how beautiful all of the other parts of Israel are. I have never really wanted to go out of the country before, but now I find myself wanting every day to go back and visit all the new friends I made. I am so grateful to the donors who made all of this possible. Thank you so much for helping me have the best summer ever. This program was heavily funded by the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation, the Staenberg Family Foundation, the Kiewit Companies Foundation, The Foundation Grants Committee, and the Special Donor-Advised Fund. Thank you for your generosity!
PJ Library hosts December events with Chabad of Nebraska and Beth El HEIDI HEILBRUNN JFO PJ Library Coordinator The weekend of Dec. 2 and 3 will be full of child-friendly events. Gather the children in your family, put on your comfy pajamas and register for the second annual Havdalah in Pajamas party. The event, hosted by PJ Library Omaha and Chabad of Nebraska, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6:15 p.m. This year’s program theme, learning about Israel, will include a kid-friendly Havdalah service, book reading, Israeli-themed kosher snacks and an Israeli dance party. Please bring a new or gently used toy to donate to children in Israel. Then on Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. until noon, PJ Library Omaha and Beth El Synagogue will host a new and exciting PJ Library Book Swap. Whether it’s your child’s favorite book
to share or ones they have outgrown, bring five PJ Library books to exchange. Children will decorate their own canvas book totes before swapping their old books for new ones. The book swap, sponsored by David & Shiri Phillips and Becca Aron & Ryan Downey, is open to all PJ Library families regardless of synagogue membership. Both events are free to attend, but PJ Library Omaha, Chabad of Nebraska and Beth El Synagogue ask that you please register for each event, so enough supplies are on hand for everyone. Programs are supported in part by generous donors, including: The Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund, Foundation Impact Grant, Anything Grants Staenberg Family Foundation and Kiewit Companies Foundation.
2024 Annual Campaign: Sunday Night Give S
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unday, Oct. 29, The JFO held its Annual Campaign Community Event at the Staenberg Kooper Fellman JCC. A New York-inspired Deli dinner in the Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Community Engagement Venue was followed by Keynote speaker Rachel Dratch’ keynote in the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater.
Column 1: JFO Board Co-President Nancy and Joel Schlessinger; Susie and Irv Blumkin; Kim Simon, Rachel Dratch (RD), and Jim Simon; Margo Parsow and Community Shlicha Mika Mizrahi; Mike and Sheri Abramson; Daniel and Rachel Grossman, David Martin, RD, Lindsey Grove, Julie and Mark Martin; Jeff and Sharon Kirshenbaum, and CEO Bob Goldberg; and Dennis DePorte, RD, and Pam DePorte. Column 2: Phil and Jan Wayne; Carol Parsow and RD; Pam and Ron Feldman; and Rabbi Steven Abraham and Pamela Berkowitz. Column 3: Zoë Riekes, RD, and Carl Riekes; Ethan Kilstrom, Julia Raffel, Brandon Raffel, Amy Tipp, Michael Raffel, Asher Tipp, Sonia and Alan Tipp, Marilyn and Steve Tipp; Carol and David Alloy; Pam Cohn, RD, and Jeff Cohn; Jennifer Gittelman, RD, and Larry Gittelman; Pam Friedlander, RD, and Bruce Friedlander; Nate and Hannah Schwalb; and Ari Kohen, RD, and Sara Kohen. Column 4: Jan Goldstein, Norm and Suzy Sheldon; Gary Epstein, RD, and Lisa Epstein; Michael and Melissa Schrago, RD, Michelle and Stu Kazor; Staff hands cheer before the event; and Lisa and Phoebe Shkolnick, RD and John Thompson. Column 5: Baden Brumbaugh, Matt Ray, RD, Shayna Ray, and Leo Ray; Jon and Densie Meyers; Josh and Louri Sullivan; Bruce and Margie Gutnik, and RD; Tiffany and John Milone, Abby and Adam Kutler; Jaime Mason, RD, and Marissa Abramson; and Kim Stern and Kelly Kirk. Column 6: Jamie Friedland, RD, and Ted Friedland; Bonnie Levinger, Jennifer Glazer, Leta and Steve Levinger; Helen Epstein and RD; Michelle Whyte, RD, and Chad Whyte; Kori, Lisa, Chuck and Makayla Lucoff; Howard Shandell, RD, and Diane Shandell; and Iris Ricks, RD, and Marty Ricks.
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Above, below and right: Healthy Habits Week at Friedel Jewish Academy means an abundance of inspired outfits and hairdos!
The JFOF Omaha Jewish Alumni Association’s reunion in Kansas City was a big success! Thank you to everyone who came. Top: Michael and Megan Kricsfeld, Sam Kricsfeld; above left: Lindsey Fineman and Erin Berger; above right: Michael Fineman and Amy Bernstein Shivvers; below left: Lisa Epstein and Jody Malashock; and below right: Katie and Trevor Gershon.
SP O TLIGHT
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.
Above and below: Temple Israel religious school students make Mogen Davids and sent messages of support to our friends and family in Israel.
Above: After reading the story If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the first and second graders created puppets and performed a puppet show retelling of the book! Below: The JCRC hosted a law enforcement meeting for local media, discussing protocols in place to keep our community safe.
Above left: Melissa Hegarty and Sharon Hansen, co-owners of Nothing Bundt Cakes, sent some fabulous treats, with a warm-hearted message: “To our friends at the JCC, thinking of you during this difficult time. God Bless You.”
Above right: Thank you to everyone who participated in our 24-24-24 challenge. Together, you helped raise $190,576, well surpassing our goal of $24,000. Jordana Kurtzman was the winner of the iPad!
The Jewish Press | November 10, 2023 | 9
Voices The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920) Margie Gutnik President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Howard Kutler Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Sam Kricsfeld Digital support Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein; Andrea Erlich; Seth Feldman; David Finkelstein; Ally Freeman; Mary Sue Grossman; Chuck Lucoff; Suzy Sheldon; Joseph Pinson and Larry Ring. 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 JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $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.
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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.
One Matzo Ball or Two? ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor While there is war, it can be difficult to decide what to write for this page. I honestly don’t know if I can handle reading one more article about the situation in Israel, antisemitism, Hamas sympathizers or struggling Jewish students-let alone write about any of it. But then, I received an email from my friend Joey’s daughter, Daisy, whom I’ve known since she was seven years old. She wrote a timely film which aims to spread stories of Jewish joy. Would I help promote a project? “I hope that you have been enjoying the fall weather and are finding some peace amidst these difficult times,” the email started. Well, no. Not peace, but how about a shameless plug? “I am beginning pre-production on my next narrative short film,” she wrote, “called One Matzo Ball or Two? The film follows Noa as she attends her family’s Passover Seder on the Upper West Side for the first time after being put on a feeding tube due to a gastrointestinal disorder. There she is confronted with pushy family members, malfunctioning medical devices, and a room full of food she can’t eat. After an altercation at the Seder table, Noa is forced to grapple with the legitimacy of her Jewish identity.” If you know Daisy Friedman, you know she’s a force of nature. Her directorial debut film, As You Are, has won awards at multiple film festivals including, Narrative Short Grand Jury Special Mention at Outfest, the Emerging Filmmaker Award at
NewFest, and The Best Film at the Superfest International Disability Film Festival. In spring 2023, she won The Colin Higgins Youth Foundation Grant at the Frameline Film Festival, awarding her with $15,000 to make One Matzo Ball or Two? We’ve written about her story in previous editions of the Jewish Press, and she’s one of us. If you attended her
Joey Hoffman and Daisy Friedman
Bat Mitzvah, you know how amazing she is at conveying truths we all need to hear. The project is special to Daisy because it tackles intersectional Judaism, which is rarely seen in film. “It highlights what I love about our community,” Daisy said. “Family, food, tradition, and how these holidays exist as a way to feel connected, not only to where we came from but to who we are and
where we’re going. What happens when someone is unable to participate fully in tradition? The film is based on my personal experience as a multi-organ transplant recipient and former feeding tube user. Growing up in the Omaha Jewish Community, I always felt welcome regardless of my health needs. I want to remind people they can engage with family traditions unconventionally; it doesn’t make them any less tied to their culture. My Jewish identity is very important to me. It is something I take an incredible amount of pride in because of the way the community has always opened its heart to me, so I make sure to pay it forward as an active Jewish community member at Barnard College and advocate for other people with chronic illnesses in the Jewish community. “Especially with the rise of antisemitism in America, “ she wrote, “it is important, now more than ever, to tell stories of Jewish joy.” We ask you to support Daisy. As a Jewish filmmaker, she provides authentic representation on screen for all the different ways Judaism lives and thrives in traditions, from generation to generation. While our community is under threat and in pain, we have to remember what we are all defending. What better way to live than to support one of us, especially if she spreads stories of Jewish joy? There are many ways to support this film both financially and with in-kind donations. If you know anyone willing to support this project, please let Daisy know. Daisy Friedman (she/her) is a film student at Barnard College of Columbia University and can be reached at daisyfriedman8@gmail.com.
College leaders must act to protect students ADAM LEHMAN Imagine being a Jewish college student on campus today. You wake up on Saturday, October 7, and learn of the most violent and murderous attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In those first few hours during which the extent of Hamas’s atrocities are still becoming known, you log on to social media and see fellow students posting a laudatory graphic of a Hamas terrorist on a paraglider — the same paragliders that were used in an attack to gun down Jews your age at a music festival. In the days that follow, you leave your dorm to attend a vigil for the 1,400 Jews who were slaughtered, but your mourning and grief are interrupted by pro-Hamas protestors. You arrive at class for a required course where the professor asks all the Jewish students to remove their backpacks and belongings and huddle together in a corner so they can feel what it’s like to be a Palestinian in Gaza. You see that a Hamas leader has called for “a global day of jihad” against Jews around the world. And this is all within 72 hours of seeing graphic images of thousands of Israeli civilians – people to whom you feel connected or may even know – being slaughtered, raped, taken hostage or maimed. And through all of this, you hear silence from many you would expect to speak up and express outrage at what is happening, including faculty who lead your classes and administrators who lead your institutions. These are just a few of the very real and horrifying examples of what has been happening on campuses nationwide. And when you hear it, it’s easy to understand why Jewish students are scared. In fact, based on our survey of Jewish college students last week, more than half (56%) report being scared, isolated, angry and sad. Worse yet, a quarter of Jewish students surveyed said there has been violence or acts of hate committed on their campus since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. That’s one in four students subjected to violence on campus in the span of three weeks in what should be a safe space. That should be alarming to everyone. We can’t allow it to go unnoticed or unaddressed. College and university leaders need to do more. Even with the efforts of those administrations that
have spoken up about the initial Hamas atrocities everything within their powers to ensure the welland the subsequent spike in antisemitism, only 41% being, safety and support for all of their students, of the Jewish students we surveyed reported feeling including their Jewish students. satisfied with support from their university leaders. Adam Lehman is the President and CEO of Hillels around the world are doing all they can to Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus provide additional security, community space, pro- organization in the world. gramming, wellness support and advocacy on beThe views and opinions expressed in this article are half of Jewish students. However, Hillel professionals and student leaders can’t solve this problem alone. They need — and Jewish students deserve — campus administrators to continue speaking up, showing up, and standing up for their Jewish student communities, which does not in any way preclude them from doing the same for Palestinian-Americans or other students being impacted by the war. In particular, university administrations must address faculty and staff who use their platforms and resources to traffic in biased and discriminatory agitation that Students from Ohio State University Hillel gather to express alienates, silences and marginalizes sig- support and solidarity with Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, nificant minority communities on their attack by Hamas on Israel. Credit: Hillel International campuses. I understand the needs and protections for academic freedom and free speech, but those freedoms are not a license to create an environment of harassment, bullying and threats for Jewish students, or for any students. Even amid this degrading campus climate for Jewish students, there is a basis for hope. We’ve seen Jewish students and Hillel communities show up with courage and resilience in mourning for the victims of the Simchat Torah massacre, and in showing compassion toward the continuing civilian victims of the war — both Is- Students and community members from Michigan State Uniraeli and Palestinian — even as they versity Hillel hold a vigil after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on understand that it is Hamas who has put Israel. Credit: Hillel International all of those victims in harm’s way. those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the Jewish learning and tradition teaches us to bring views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media. light even, and especially, into these darkest moThis article was sponsored by and produced in partments, and our students exemplify that tradition. nership with Hillel International, the world's largest While students have a role to play in repairing Jewish campus organization. At 100 years, Hillel conwhat’s broken in their campus communities and in tinues to uplift Jewish students and offer them safe, supthe broader world, that does not absolve the uni- portive communities on over 850 campuses globally. versity administrators, faculty and staff from doing This story was produced by JTA's native content team.
Synagogues
10 | The Jewish Press | November 10, 2023
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
B’NAI ISRAEL Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Rita Paskowitz. Our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel! For information about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail. com or any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
BETH EL Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m.; Junior Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:45 p.m. Zoom Only. SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Hebrew Reading for Adults, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan; Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 11:15 a.m. with Hazzan. MONDAY: Women’s Book Group, 7 p.m. and will discuss Kantika by Elizabeth Graver. TUESDAY: Pirkei Avot, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m. THURSDAY: Turkey Donations Drop Off, 10 a.m. FRIDAY-Nov. 17: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. with Miriam Anzovim: Jewish Texts as Jewish Identity; Our Shabbat Tables Rainbow Connection, 7 p.m. at Beth El. SATURDAY-Nov. 18: Shabbat Morning Service, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Kiddush Lunch with Miriam Anzovin on How to Encounter Jewish Texts Using the Miriam Anzovin Method; Junior Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:40 p.m. Zoom Only. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:52 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Kids Kiddush and Tehillim, 11:15 a.m. with Rabbi Tal; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChayim’s Teachings, 3:49 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 5:10 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m.; Beth Israel Tribute Dinner, 5:15 p.m. MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Monday Mind Builders, 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 6:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m. THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 4:50 p.m.; Parsha Class, 5:10 p.m. FRIDAY-Nov. 17: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 4:46 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 18: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Kids Kiddush and Tehillim, 11:15 a.m. with Rabbi Tal; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChayim’s Teachings, 3:43 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:30 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/ Kids Activity, 5 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:47 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
CHABAD HOUSE All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Candlelighting, 4:51 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:51 p.m. SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Writing Hebrew Script and Vocabulary Practice, 5 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Parsha Reading, 10 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Nov. 17: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ocha bad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 4:45 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 18: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 5:46 p.m.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL
teleconferencing options. FRIDAY: Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. followed by Oneg Shabbat at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:55 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Chayei Sarah; Havdalah, 5:55 p.m. SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. in the Conference Room at Rock 'n Joe (5025 Lindbergh St.). For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Safety Classes: Countering an Active Threat and Stop the Bleed, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play can text Miriam at 402.470.2393. If there are enough interested people; we will play in the Social Hall at TI. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30-6 p.m.; Adult Ed Movie Night: Anita, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at SST. FRIDAY-Nov. 17: Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 6:30 p.m. followed by Oneg Shabbat at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 4:49 p.m. SATURDAY-Nov. 18: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Toldot; Havdalah, 5:50 p.m.
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FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME
The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service with Bat Mitzvah of Isabel Vik, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m.; Grade 5 Date Ceremony and Parent Meeting, 10:15 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person.; Grades 36, 4:30-6 p.m.; Grades 8-12 Teen Lounge Night, 6-8 p.m. THURSDAY: Conversations in Difficult Times, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom. FRIDAY-Nov. 17: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Tot Shabbat, 5:45 p.m. In-Person; Shabbat B’Yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom. SATURDAY-Nov. 18: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or
Beth El to host TikTok’er Miriam Anzovin ROBBY ERLICH Beth El Engagement Coordinator Beth El is pleased to host visual artist, writer and content creator, Miriam Anzovin on Nov. 17 and 18. Miriam will speak on the juxtaposition of pop culture, nerd culture and Jewish culture. The weekend is generMiriam Anzovin ously sponsored by the Dr. Leon Fellman Scholar-In-Residence Fund. Some of her popular short-form video series include #DafReactions, #ParshaReactions, #JewishHolidayReactions, #JewishBookReactions, #AVery JewishMakeupTutorial, the “Elder Millennials of Zion” and more content focused on Jewish ideas. In the #DafReactions series, Anzovin shares her practice of daily study of the Talmud in the Daf Yomi cycle from the viewpoint of a formerly Orthodox,
now secular, Millennial feminist. Daf Yomi translates to “page of the day” and is a daily regimen of learning Oral Torah and its commentaries. Anzovin’s videos are her genuine reactions, with commentary both heartfelt and comedic, putting ancient dialog in direct communication with modern internet culture, pop culture, and current events. Her website states: “Her role in her work is not as a teacher, nor as a rabbi, but rather as a fellow learner, a fellow traveler, on the path of Jewish discovery. Through her videos, writing, and art, she invites others to walk beside her on this journey and connect with Jewish teachings in ways that are relatable and personally meaningful to them.” Miriam will be speaking on two topics; Friday during Kabbalat Shabbat services: Jewish Texts As Jewish Identity where Miriam will speak openly about how her life experiences as a formerly Orthodox woman, and now secular Jew, and what led her to deep emotional engagement with Jewish text study. She will discuss her spiritual journey, Daf Yomi, the start of her #DafReactions TikTok videos,
and being a “Talmud Influencer” in the public eye. The Saturday topic at Shabbat Kiddush lunch will be How To Encounter Jewish Texts Using The Miriam Anzovin Method. In this workshop, Miriam will walk participants through her unique 4-step method of encountering Jewish texts in a dynamic, engaging, and personal way. This is the method she uses in her own learning and in creating her TikTok videos. After sharing how one can utilize these steps in their own learning, Miriam and participants will learn and react to a text together. Rabbi Abraham is particularly excited to host Miriam in mid-November. “The first time I saw Miriam teach, I was amazed at how she used a brand-new medium to bring our texts to life. I cannot wait to learn from her and with her and hope everyone can join us for this amazing weekend.” Anzovin can be found on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. For additional information, please visit www.bethel-omaha.org. Questions can be directed to Robby Erlich, Engagement Coordinator at rerlich@bethel-omaha.org or 402.492.8550.
Life cycles BAT MITZVAH ISABEL VIK Isabel Vik, daughter of Jennifer and Erin Vik will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Temple Israel. Isabel is a seventh grade student at Westside Middle School. Isabel is in Westside Connection Show Choir and is a member of the JCC Dance Training Company. Her interests include going to Camp Sabra in the summer, reading, baking and spending time with friends. For her Mitzvah Project, Isabel volunteered at Munroe-Meyer Institute Winter Camp. Munroe-Meyer has been an advocate and ambassador for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Grandparents are Lynn and Daniel Rubin of Omaha, the late Jeri and Eric Mason, and the late Marlyn Vik, Jr. Great-grandparents are the late Elaine and Richard Bernstein, the late Elliot (Bus) and Betty Rubin, the late Emma Jane and James Laughrey, and the late Marion and Marlyn Vik, Sr.
IN MEMORIAM ELAYNE STOLLER Elayne Stoller, passed away on Oct. 29, 2023, at age 98 at her residence at Keelson Harbour in Spirit Lake, IA. A private family graveside service was held in the Lake View Gardens Cemetery in Okoboji. A public celebration of life will be held on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, from 2-4 p.m. at the Oakwood In in Spirit Lake. She was preceded in death by parents; husband, Leonard; son, Larry Stoller; and sisters, Dorothy White and Geraldine Burstein. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Jeff Schwarck of Spirit Lake; grandchildren: Alex and Sophie Schwarck, Austin and Bailey Schwarck, Brandon and Whitney Stoller, Sam Stoller and Summer Stoller; great-grandchildren: Ivory Schwarck, Everly Schwarck, Presley Schwarck, Aubrey Stoller, Jace Stoller, and Duke Schwarck; and many loving relatives and friends. Elayne was born on April 22, 1925, in Harlan, IA, to Ben and Jennie (Saltzman) Cohn. She graduated from Harlan High School in 1942, and went on to receive a liberal arts degree from the University of Iowa. Elayne was united in marriage to Leonard Stoller on May 31, 1953, in Omaha, NE. In her free time, she enjoyed golfing, tennis, needlework, and spending time with her family. She was a member of the American Bridge Society. Memorials may be made to Lakes Regional Hospice or the organization of your choice in Elayne’s name. Arrangements are under the direction of the Robinson Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Online condolences may be left at www. spiritlakefuneralhome.com.
TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- www.omahajewishpress. com/site/forms/. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.
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Help us tip-off the Annual Campaign and the Creighton Men’s Basketball season on Thursday, Nov. 16! Event Chairs Steve Levinger, John Glazer and Jeff Kirshenbaum invite you to join them and Creighton Assistant Coach Ryan Miller at the Let It Fly sports bar in Downtown Omaha. Coach Miller is widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation. The Jays enter the season with the highest preseason ranking in their history. Starting the year in the top ten, this is a great way to start the season. Let It Fly is Omaha’s newest and nicest sports bar, and the first two-level facility of its kind in the area. Cost is $18 p.p. and appetizers and drinks are included. The event starts at 5 p.m. We can’t wait to see you there! Scan the QR code to register for the event.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Frightening times particularly as the anniversary of Kristallnacht approaches. The last few years showed a strong global increase in antisemitism. The recent overt explosion of world-wide vehement antisemitism brings to mind the necessity to quote two sources. The first source is my mother who survived Auschwitz. In her USC Shoah testimony she recounts the gradual and progressively worsening antisemitism in Europe with its ultimate explosion of Kristallnacht. She states: “All it took is just a spark to bring all the hatreds out.” The second comes from the superb book by Doris Bergen entitled War & Genocide, third edition, page 13: “In order for a house to burn down, three things are required. The timber must be dry and combustible, there needs to be a spark that ignites it, and the weather has to be favorable—not too damp, perhaps with some wind.” It is imperative that the civilized world always remains vigilant to this danger. The failure to do so is at our collective peril. STEVEN J. WEES
French Jewish woman stabbed, swastika found on her door GABE FRIEDMAN JTA French police are searching for a man who stabbed a young Jewish woman in her home in Lyon on Saturday. A swastika was found scrawled on her door, and police said they are investigating whether the symbol was connected to the assault. The woman, who was stabbed twice in her stomach after opening her door to the attacker, is recovering in a hospital and is not in life-threatening condition. “This act could have antisemitism as its motive,” said the Lyon prosecutor’s office, according to Agence France-Press. Lyon Mayor Grégory Doucet called the attack “unspeakable.” “All my support to the victim, to her loved ones,” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel’s subsequent response in Gaza, antisemitic incidents have spiked across Western Europe. France has seen more antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7 than in the entire past year — more than 850, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said last week,
The Jewish Press | November 10, 2023 | 11
after dozens of Stars of David were found graffitied in Paris and a few of its suburbs. The local branch of the CRIF, the representative council for French Jewish institutions, said the stabbing has “prompted great concern in the Jewish community.” Some outlets reported that the woman was known to be Jewish in her building and local community, and that she had a mezuzah affixed to her door. In July, a 13-year-old boy wearing visibly Jewish garb was pushed against a wall and threatened in Lyon, a city of over half a million people in southeastern France. French President Emmanuel Macron has lent his support to Israel in its war with Hamas but has also repeatedly pushed for a “humanitarian truce” and condemned Israel’s attacks that have led to the deaths of thousands of civilians in Gaza. “The civilian population of Gaza does not have to pay for Hamas’ crimes,” the French foreign ministry wrote in a statement on Friday. “We must avoid at all costs the trap set by Hamas and extremists of all stripes who want to breed hatred for future generations.”
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12 | The Jewish Press | November 10, 2023
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Our tremendum
This was no ee’roo’a . This is our tremendum. Israelis know how to deal with terrorist incidents. We mourn the victims, we comfort their families, we draw some conclusions concerning how to improve security, and life goes on. Indeed, with typical Israeli black humor, the very same Hebrew word used for a terrorist “incident,” ee’roo’a, is the word used to describe a family TEDDY “event” (typically, a life-cycle celebra- WEINBERGER tion). What happened on Oct. 7, however, was terror on such an enormous scale that “ee’roo’a” cannot contain it; we feel what happened as our tremendum. What is a tremendum? A little over a 100 years ago, a German Lutheran theologian named Rudolf Otto wrote a book called The Idea of the Holy in which he refers to the holy as “mysterium tremendum,” both terrifying and fascinating. Horrific evil, just like astonishing goodness, can be perceived as “other worldly,” and borrowing from Otto, Arthur Cohen (19281986) in The Tremendum: A Theological Interpretation of the Holocaust (1981), used the phrase to describe the Nazi death camps. We in Israel are now dealing with our own tremendum. Jews have been abused and slaughtered at different times in different places throughout our history, with Jewish pregnant women being particularly singled out for sadistic torture. But for this to occur in the Jewish State? For this to happen in the one place on earth that is supposed to be a haven for Jews? That’s an existential contradiction for us; that’s the awe-ful power of evil entering our existence; that’s our tremendum. If something is experienced as a tremendum, then life cannot return to normal afterward. It fell to a different Jewish theologian to articulate this change for post-Holocaust Jewish life. For Emil Fackenheim (1916-2003) a divine command is-
sues forth from the Holocaust to proclaim: “Thou Shalt Not Hand Hitler Posthumous Victories.” He called this Elie and his very young son Itamar (born “The 614th Com- Sept. 9) during one of Elie’s “afters.” Culmandment” and tural note: For some reason, the army said: “We are, first, uses the English word “after” to describe commanded to a short leave. survive as Jews, lest the Jewish people perish.” Has something on the order of a Commandment emerged for us after Oct. 7, amidst our tremendum? I think it has, and it is this: Israel shall no longer tolerate competing national stories within our midst. There are three corollaries to this “Commandment.” The first is that after our tremendum Israel can no longer make space for a “Palestinian Israeli” identity. When one remembers that the United States put over 100,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps during WWII, one can only wonder what would have happened to any of these people had they proclaimed that they were “Japanese citizens of America.” And yet this is the situation in which Israel finds itself, where many people speak of themselves as “Palestinian citizens of Israel.” I am not suggesting that Israel cannot tolerate dual identities (such as being American Israeli), but I am saying that our tremendum argues for an end toward tolerating allegiance to a competing identity. The American experience is also instructive concerning the second corollary for our new world: An end to any Israeli observance of our Independence Day as the nakba (“catastrophe”). Up until now, it has been taken for granted in liberal circles that it makes sense for Arab Israelis to mourn Yom Ha’Atzmaut, and yet, why do Native Americans not go into mourning on the Fourth of July? After all, their lands were
taken, their cultures decimated, and their peoples killed by the United States of America (so that Native Americans now represent just a little over 1% of the population; in Israel, one fifth of the population is Arab). For Native Americans, the Fourth of July is celebrated with tribal gatherings and by honoring Native American military veterans. A situation where the Fourth of July was treated by Americans as a “catastrophe” is unthinkable. Yom Ha’atzmaut as the nakba by Arab Israelis should also be unthinkable. The third corollary, like the second, has wider implications than for just Arab Israelis (i.e., ultra-orthodox public demonstrations of indifference on Israel’s national holy days must also stop). Our tremendum mandates that there be national service for all. Neither Arab Israelis nor Haredi Israelis will be excused any longer from serving their country. While military service might not be appropriate at this point for Arab Israelis, national service is. All Israelis will now be expected to serve their country upon the completion of high school. Only after the destruction of European Jewry, only after the tremendum, did Christians conduct a serious reassessment of Christianity’s antisemitic roots and of how the Nazis built upon that. I am not sure whether or not the Muslim world will ever truly accept Israel in the Middle East, but I do know this: Israel will not allow itself to be destroyed so that Islam can then take stock and reassess its basic theological positions regarding non-Muslims. In the United States, whatever one’s religion, whether or not one even has a religion, “God Bless America” is a touchstone of American identity. Israel needs to get to a point where all of its citizens will react similarly to “God Bless Israel.” Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@gmail.com.
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