December 9, 2011: Hanukkah Edition

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

Congregants get involved This in new Temple Israel’s art Week December 9, 2011 13 Kislev 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 13 2 Sections

Celebrating Hanukkah Starts on Page 17

Can Israel become a center for fashion? Page 16

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN been invited to reply to an online Temple Israel survey several weeks prior to the Bemis Center event. Among the Communications Coordinator questions, congregants were asked In Genesis, as the biblical Jacob to list the most meaningful tradidreamed, God said, “The land on tions they’d like to see in their new which you lie I will give to you and building. From the survey, to your descendants.” When Jacob responses included words such as awoke he said, “Surely the Lord is “warmth, community, spirituality, in this place; and I did not know it.” relationships, comfort, welcoming, “This is Jacob’s place!” exclaimed peace, serenity, belonging, shalom, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel at a new buildinviting, and awe” among others. ing focus group for members of Simon then asked the audience to Temple Israel at the Bemis Center participate in an interactive exerfor Contemporary Arts on Nov. 29. cise “much of it being emotion and “That Torah portion works very feelings,” he pointed out. well with this event,” he said. Congregants, sitting at tables of six, Referring to the land at Sterling Joi Brown, left, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, and Deb Marburg were among the crowd of were asked to tell their Temple Ridge that Temple Israel will purnearly 70 who attended the New Building Focus Group event at the Bemis Center Israel stories to the people at their chase in a closing at a title company to discuss a shared vision for Temple Israel’s new synagogue. tables, beginning with “once upon a transaction on Dec. 8, Rabbi Azriel proclaimed, “This is the place that all the necessary infrastructure such art, colors, and the feel of the new time.” Each person then had to conas lighting is in place. Temple before experts begin work- dense his or her story to one word. will one day be a home for us.” Budget specifics remain a prime ing on the actual designs. Many of the stories were emotionThe Bemis Center is developing Temple Israel congregant Todd al. Two of them referred to Sept. 11, an art plan for the new synagogue concern as the Building Council which will assist the architects and works to identify the specifics of the Simon facilitated the focus group of 2001. A couple of stories elicited designers in making critical deci- new building. Now that the final 60 to 70 people. He explained that laughter. Janey Dann talked about sions regarding the placement of phase of fundraising is in progress, the work being done today is how when she was a child in riding a street design elements, the floor plan, and attention is turning to the environ- “we’re creating a living document” car in Omaha during World War II. Another passenger insulted Dann and various uses of the new building’s ment of the building, giving congre- that will inform the entire process. Members of the congregation had Continued on page 3 spaces. The plan will also ensure that gants a voice in the design, layout,

Pump up the volume: Music propels the way to a rededicated Jewish life by DASEE BERKOWITZ NEW YORK (JTA) -- My 3-yearold son is obsessed with showing people his room, sidling sheepishly over to guests and asking, “Can I show you my room?”

Dreidel games Page 20

One’s Own,” in Virginia Wolff ’s words. Our rooms make us feel secure and anchors us. (Just ask a teenager how important that is.) A room enables us to recharge before heading out into the world to do our

Star Deli offers a feast on the Festival of Lights by OZZIE NOGG Mark your calendars for Tuesday night, Dec. 27, when the Star Deli serves up a Special Hanukkah Brisket Dinner accompanied by traditional potato latkes

braise everything for three to four hours until the meat is fork tender and the flavor is full and rich.” Potato Latkes a la Aparo are a tweaked version of various recipes he’s been given by community

and apple sauce all for just $12.99. The entire community is invited to dine from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. RBJH Director of Food and Environmental Services, Mike Aparo, says that after working at the Home for so many years he’s developed the perfect brisket recipe. “I sear the brisket, saute celery, onions and garlic, cover the brisket with the aromatic vegetables, fill the pan with balsamic vinegar and beef stock and then

members. “Creamy on the inside, crisp on the outside,” is how he describes them. A very special aspect of the Special Hanukkah Brisket Dinner is the dessert -- Festive Fruit Blintzes -- each one made-to-order in the Auditorium, right before your eyes, on the Home’s new induction range cart. “This remarkable gift was donated to us by National Council of Jewish Women, Omaha Section, in memory of David J. Meyers,” said Josh Continued on page 2

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

12 14 15

Next Month Senior Living See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

The Maccabeats, Yeshiva University’s a cappella group, with their 2010 YouTube sensation “Candelight” freshens up the Hanukkah story. Credit: Jewish Community Center of Paramus, N.J. My son reminds me how important our “place” is -- “A Room of

work, and contains the objects, pictures and music that entertain us, occupy and preoccupy us, and evoke memories of another time. I’ve been thinking about this room metaphor, especially as Hanukkah nears. Hanukkah means dedication. What we are celebrating is the courage of the Maccabees to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, the center of our Jewish lives, after it was defiled by the Assyrian Greeks in 164 BCE. They re-established the Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

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Netanyahu issues warning by EDGAR ASHER 9.7% in the European Union countries and 9.1% in the US. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, speaking Nov. 28 at a The Prime Minister was clear to point out that despite Likud Party faction meeting at the Knesset, issued a firm Israel’s strong economy; she would always be dependent on warning on the Israel economy. continuing growth if Israel’s trading The Prime Minister said that Israel partners were themselves in a good must restrain itself from overeconomic condition. Eventually Israel would be affected if the recesspending. If Israel does not pay sion in the United States and the heed to the shakeup in many of the Euro zone became even deeper, world’s leading economies, it will which seems very likely. pay a very high price. Netanyahu’s This week the Bank of Israel cut warning follows the adjustment downward of the 2012 Israeli the interest rate by .25% to 2.75%. growth forecast to 2.9% from the This was seen an indicator of falling previous forecast issued six export demand due to the world months ago of 4.7%. recession and the continuing strenDue to careful fiscal measures, gth of the shekel which has affected Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu being escorted Israel has to a large extent so far exporters’ earnings. Another indiby security personnel to the Likud Party faction managed to ride out many of the cator of the Israel economy is the meeting at the Knesset on Nov. 28. Credit ISRANET problems besetting the Euro zone fact that house prices began to fall economies and the United States. The Israel unemployment for the first time in almost four years. The indication is that rate is currently 6.4%. This compares with an average of prices will fall a little further in the coming year.

Pump up the volume Continued from page 1 room for the Jews to do their sacred work in the world. What would it mean for us to dedicate a space and to make room for Judaism in our own lives? More specifically, what does our “Jewish room” (read: Jewish identity) look like? What are the objects and pictures in it? What is the ambiance of our Jewish room? Is it a place that we feel like ourselves, or do we feel stiff and formal in it? Is our Jewish room more like a closet tucked away, a place that is in desperate need to be organized, the dust cleared away and precious gems of our past revived? Is it a place that we feel a tinge of guilt each time we pass because it has fallen into neglect? Hanukkah is an opportunity to do a little rededication of our Jewish rooms and Jewish lives. But what aspect of Jewish life do we want to rededicate? Classic and contemporary Hanukkah music can help answer the question. We all know how central music is to enlivening a room. (My 3-year-old loves to croon away to his favorite kiddie rock on his new CD while bouncing off his bed and clutching his little ukulele.) One of my favorite Hanukkah songs is Al Hanisim, literally Of the Miracles. Traditionally inserted into the standing silent prayer, or Amidah, the blessing after meals and sung throughout the holiday, it praises God for the “miracles, and for the salvation, and for the mighty deeds, and for the victories, and for the battles which You performed for our ancestors in those days, at this time.” It clearly affirms God’s centrality to the story of Hanukkah and for the miracle of oil that lasted eight days, and renders less central the military victory of the Maccabees. Another classic, Maoz Tsur, or Rock of Ages, written around the 13th century in Europe, is a brief recounting of Jewish history and also focuses on God’s centrality: “Rock of ages, let our song/ Praise Your saving power;/ You, amid the raging foes, /Were our sheltering tower. /Furious they assailed us, /But Your arm availed us, /And Your word, /Broke their sword, /When our own strength failed us.” In a world in which we think that our own power/strength and ambition is the cause of our success, how do we let the realm of the spiritual/God/that which isn’t known/ is out of our control, into our lives when “our own strength fails us”? A more contemporary Hanukkah song, Mi Y’malel, or Who can Retell? has an opening line that goes, “Who can tell of the heroic deeds of Israel? ...Yes in every generation a hero arises to save the people.” The Russian-born Zionist Menashe Ravina plays here on the words from Psalm 106:2, “Miy’malel g’vurot Adonai .” (“Who can tell of the mighty acts of God?”). The song places human strength and know-how at center stage. It is not surprising that the Zionist take on the Hanukkah story emphasizes human agency over heavenly intervention. After all, the Zionists created the “new Jew,” who left the beit midrash (house of study) to work the land. This Hanukkah, how will you rededicate yourself to understanding Israel and its story better? Peter, Paul and Mary’s 1983 folk song Light One Candle casts the particular story about the Maccabean struggle for religious freedom within a universal context, and links it to other movements of defiance and protest that bring about a more just society. With the closing stanza comes the charge to use the memory of the past as a clarion call to do justice. They sing, “What is the memory that’s valued so highly,/That we keep it alive in that flame?/ What’s the commitment to those who have died?/ We cry out ‘they’ve not died in vain’,/ We have come this far, always believing,/ That justice will somehow prevail;/ This is the burden and This is the promise,/ This is why we will not fail!” This Hanukkah, how does our particular centuries-old

struggle against the Assyrian Greeks to win religious freedom help motivate us to help others with their struggles? Of course, some contemporary fare is a bit more lighthearted. Debbie Friedman’s Latke Song doesn’t let us forget that our holiday celebration would be nothing without traditional foods with lyrics like “I am a latke, I’m a latke, and I am waiting for Hanukkah to come!” The song reminds us how important traditional food can be to help us create rich associations (and full bellies) during the holiday. What traditional recipes will you try this year? How might you spice up your repertoire with some contemporary cuisine - sweet potato and ginger latkes anyone? Matisyahu takes a different tack. The hip-hopping Chasid’s Hanukkah tune Miracle on Ice sets up the opposition between Hanukkah and Christmas. It confronts us with the threat facing Judaism in a majority culture that seduces us to participate and our need to look heavenward for support. He tells us, “born to struggle and fall but my strength does comes not from man at all. Eight nights, eight lights, and these rites keep me right/ Bless me to the highest heights with your miracle.” While it is easy to morph December into one big “holiday season” (who doesn’t like the egg nog latte at Starbucks?), what are the ways that you want to draw distinctions between your identity and practice and those of your Christian neighbors? How can you turn the discomfort of “difference” into a source of pride? Yeshiva University’s a cappella group the Maccabeats with its 2010 YouTube sensation Candelight (a take-off of Taio Cruz’s No. 1 song Dynamite) and the Israeli group the Fountainheads from Ein Prat with I Gotta Feelin’ Hanukkah (a spoof on the Black Eyed Peas hit I Gotta Feelin’) present us with a final challenge: How can we make traditions and stories that we tell from year to year fresh, dynamic and fun? The Maccabeats in particular retell the story, singing “I’ll tell a tale/Of Maccabees in Israel/ When the Greeks tried to assail/ But it was all to no avail/ The war went on and on and on/ Until the mighty Greeks were gone/I flip my latkes in the air sometimes sayin ayy ohh spin the dreidel/ Just wanna celebrate for all eight nights singin ayy oh, light the candles.” So this Hanukkah season, crank up the volume in that Jewish room of yours. Play the music loud, even wake the neighbors and discover the power of rededication.

Star Deli Continued from page 1 Gurock, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Facilities Coordinator. “Next week’s Jewish Press will more fully describe how the Home came to receive the induction cart, but I want to take this opportunity to thank Dave’s family and friends for their generosity.” During the Special Hanukkah Brisket Dinner, traditional Star Deli menu items -- corned beef, pastrami, egg or tuna salad sandwiches along with ever-popular salads and sides -- will also be available. “Dinner at the Deli is a wonderful way to celebrate the Hanukkah with family and friends,” Gurock said. “We look forward to a big turnout on Dec. 27.” The Star Deli on Main Street is open every Friday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 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 Dan Stewart, Catering Coordinator, 402.334.6530 or Mike Aparo, 402.334.6522.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 3

Congregants get involved in new Temple Israel’s art Continued from page 1 said the evening “had a purpose. It moved along, and I think her sister, who held their Religious School books in their laps, some good things came out of it.” for not giving up their seats to non-Jews. Even as a ten-yearCheri Ginsburg added that the focus group defined the old, Dann mentioned that instead of being intimidated, she felt purpose and gave direction to the vision of a new building. pride in being Jewish. “I thought the stories were absolutely amazing,” commented Simon who then asked participants to post the words, into which they had condensed their stories and written on cards, to a poster in the front of the room. Rita Paskowitz said it was “easy to connect to other people’s stories.” Icons, symbols and images to be included in the new building was the next interactive exercise. Responses included connections to Clockwise from above: Chris Blumkin, nature such as light from out- left, and Cindy Goldberg participate in doors as well as joy, music, one of the interactive groups to identidrama, the tree of life, fy the feelings as well as the icons, Judaica, art work created by symbols and images they’d like to see Temple Israel artists, sculp- in the new Temple Israel; Stephanie tures of spirituality, associa- Grossman, left, Cat Rawlings, tions to the rest of the world Katherine Finnegan, and Todd Simon, and the Holocaust, memorial who facilitated the focus groups, post plaques, and justice. their responses on a board designed Described by Simon as “a to prioritize members’ input and vallogistical nuts and bolts exer- ues to develop a plan for the new syncise,” the next task involved agogue’s environment; Congregants participants indicating their enjoyed an appetizer buffet prior to preferences for historical articreating a plan for the role of art in facts; items from the existing the Temple Israel of the future. Temple; new, original, and professional art work; art created by the Temple community, “It’s a start,” said Barry Grossman. “I think it was worth kids, and classes; significant, iconic, commissioned works; getting together and talking. It’ll be interesting to see how the and exterior works.” information gathered tonight will be processed and used.” “It was a lot better than I expected,” said Debbie Finnicum Tom Friedman described the event as “very interesting, who attended the event “because I didn’t want to end up very unusual.” He was pleased to see the turnout and how with a building that I could have impacted (but didn’t).” She “everyone is involved.”

His daughter, Alyson Friedman, an art major and recent graduate of Denver University, thought “parts of the event were successful -- the community involvement, listening to what the community had to say about the artwork.” She suggested that the generations who will be enjoying the art for the greatest amount of time, including teens and Religious School students, also be brought into the discussion. Simon said he was pleased about the number of people who attended. “I was really impressed with how the exercises worked in a larger group. Everyone was really involved and engaged.” He explained that the Bemis will format the information into a report for the building planners, including the architect, interior design team and Temple Israel staff to create a mission statement for the campus. The process will involve coordinating small groups for discussing the need for art beyond ritual art and defining zones within the new facility for art. The plan will also incorporate the display of religious artifacts and artwork. As she brought the meeting to a close, Temple Israel Program Director Wendy Goldberg, referring to all the material gathered that night and pointing to the wall where everyone’s shared work was displayed, said, “This is us. We’re all in it together.” Others who wish to get involved can contact Wendy Goldberg at wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536.

4 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

No parents allowed: Retreat for teens only by SHERRIE SAAG Communications Specialist, Jewish Federation of Omaha Any parent of a teenager, myself included, is aware of all that the Omaha Jewish community offers its young adults. Hardly a week goes by without snail mail, e-mail or social media announcing the latest opportunity to be involved in the Omaha Jewish Chai School, B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy, or our communities’ four excellent Jewish youth groups. It’s hard to pick and choose, and often teenagers are torn between events based upon which ones their friends are attending. Well, that won’t be an obstacle this winter. Every Jewish teen in Omaha, that’s right, all of them, regardless of synagogue or youth group affiliation, is invited to participate in the first-ever Community Teen Retreat, taking place Feb. 10-12 at the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City. In part to support the One Community initiative, the Center for Jewish Education, an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, is joining forces with B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO), North Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), and United Synagogue Youth (USY) to host a Shabbat weekend for all teens in the city. The Omaha Jewish Chai School is spearheading the retreat’s planning and organization. The president of the school’s board, Sharon Comisar-Langdon said, “We want to engage, inspire, and motivate teens in the most effective way possible. We want to introduce and impress upon them the concepts of community building. For us, that meant planning an event outside traditional weekly meetings.” “It is our hope teens take this opportunity to not only strengthen individual relationships, but bond as a group as well, identifying themselves as a part of the greater Omaha Jewish community,” she added. It may seem counter-intuitive, but leaving your familiar surroundings of home, school and neighborhood is actually a very effective community building tool. It’s why our high school teens regularly leave Omaha for Denver, Kansas City

and St. Louis for youth group retreats throughout the school year. “Retreat weekends allow teens time with friends on a different level. I have never taken a teen to a conclave who didn’t return with at least one new friend. As an advisor, it’s great to watch the kids plan and create programming addressing issues important to them,” said Amy Katz, Temple Israel Youth Group Advisor. Staffing will be provided by each of the participating organizations. Miriam Gross, Omaha Jewish Chai School Director, is tremendously excited about the retreat. “Our focus is Jewish self and communal identity. Every workshop, activity, performance and meal is planned to facilitate Jewish community building. We have some great things scheduled, including workshops and a performance by The Bible Raps Project, popular Jewish hip-hop artists,” Gross said. “I think it’s wonderful that the entire population of Omaha Jewish teens is gathering for an event like this. Although each youth group operates with its own distinct philosophy, there is an incredible respect and appreciation for one another. Working together on this retreat highlights the sacred union of a family made up of different individuals with common values and goals,” said Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi, Beth Israel Synagogue. Financial support of the Teen Retreat weekend has been generously provided by the following: Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund, Herbert Goldsten Trust, Dan Gordman Fund, Morton Richards Youth Program Fund, Murray H. & Sharee Newman Supporting Foundation, the Center for Jewish Education, and the Special Donor-Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. Registration information has already been mailed to every teen in Omaha. The cost of $90 includes round trip transportation from the Federation campus, two night stay in Lied Lodge, and all meals and programming. For more information, contact the Center for Jewish Education at 402.334.6443.

Debunking the myths by SHANI KATZMAN for Chabad House Join the JLI course of Fascinating Facts: Exploring the Myths and Mysteries of Judaism presented Monday evening from 7-830 by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Each class addresses another facet of Jewish life, such as the evil eye, whether angels have wings, why artists have depicted Moses with horns, and more. Designed to be a fun and insightful overview of Jewish heritage and promote Jewish cultural literacy within the community, this is not to be missed. This week’s feature: It’s All Hebrew to Me: From abracadabra to kippa and Yom Kippur, this lesson dives beyond semantics into the depths of Hebrew etymology. We’ll

uncover insights into seemingly arbitrary Hebrew names, and discover words that offer perspective into the heart of key Jewish concepts. The course is $79 and includes class book and materials. A 10% discount is offered to two friends who register together. (Contact us for make-up sessions for those who missed a class.) Refreshments are served. For more information, call the Chabad house at 402.330.1800.

There will be no Jewish Press on Dec. 30 due to staff vacations and a need to upgrade computer equipment. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

Beth El to sponsor Hanukkah cooking class by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator With the Festival of Lights on the horizon, Beth El Synagogue’s Open Arms Initiative, a group dedicated to growing the role of interfaith couples and families in the Jewish way of life, will sponsor a special taste-of-the-season cooking class, featuring Hanukkah fare, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Guest chef Howard Shandell will treat attendees to a cooking demonstration of kreplach, traditional potato latkes, plus all the trimmings – and of course, everyone will have an opportunity to sample the finished products!

Howard Shandell leading Beth El’s recent High Holidays cooking class. This class promises to be fun and informative for everyone in the Jewish community -- novice and veteran cooks alike -- so reserve your spot today. Cost to attend is $10 per person; to RSVP, send a check – made payable to Beth El Synagogue – to Open Arms Cooking Class, Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California St., Omaha NE 68154. For more information, contact Program Director Margie Gutnik in the office, 402.492.8550, or at programming@ bethel-omaha.org.

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Congressman Lee Terry will speak on Wednesday, Dec. 14, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; 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 To know Yiddish is to become an artist with words and a master at describing the foibles, the quirks, and the strengths of human character. Yiddish is the best way to understand the soul of the Jewish people. We meet every Thursday, from 1-3 p.m., at the Rose Blumkin Home Board Room. Come join us and enjoy meeting your soul mates. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 5

November 29 and the Shlichim Convention come together

From our Shlicha NA’AMA KEREN, Community Shlicha On Nov. 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution, which adopted the plan for the partition of Palestine, recommended by the majority of the UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP). Thirty three states voted in favor of the resolution and 13 against. Ten states chose to abstain. UNSCOP had been appointed seven months earlier after Great Britain, which ruled the country on the basis of a League of Nations Mandate, decided that in light of the growing Jewish resistance and violent opposition to its rule, it was unwilling to continue on the existing basis. The British then handed the whole issue over to the UN. The UN Committee reached the conclusion that the Mandate for Palestine should be terminated. Most of the committee members recommended the establishment in the territory of a Jewish state and an Arab state, while internationalizing Jerusalem. The partition map proposed by UNSCOP allotted the Jewish state only a small part of Western Palestine. Despite this fact, the Zionist Organization and the institutions of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael agreed to accept the plan since it recognized the right of the Jewish people to a state rather than simply a “national home” as had been stated in the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the 1922 Mandate for Palestine. The adoption of the partition resolution by the General Assembly was received by the Jewish community with great joy. Thousands went into the streets to celebrate even though it was clear that the Arab states and the Palestinian Arabs would embark on a relentless war against the establishment of a Jewish state. Nov. 29 is a day mentioned in Israel each year in nearly every part of Israeli society. Some political parties even want to officially declare this a National Day of the Zionist Movements. For me, Nov. 29 is always a very special

day. Each year I am reminded that it was not always obvious that the Jewish people should have a land. It was not always obvious that Israel had a right to exist. The United Nations put this right into existence. The United Nations decided that the Jewish nation needed a homeland. It is our right to be, to live and to protect our land. Though I was in Omaha on Nov. 29, for several days earlier in the month I participated in a five day shlichim conference, held in Hudson Valley, New York. Participating in the conference impressed upon me again the importance of Nov. 29 in our shared history. The conference included 250 young and senior shlichim from communities throughout North America. The group quickly became a single delegation. We had the chance to hear about the many Jewish communities and Hillels in the U.S. and Canada represented by the shlichim. We shared our experiences in our communities to date, brainstormed about program ideas and talked about a few challenges. We also had the chance to meet with all the heads of JAFI - the Jewish Agency for Israel. The JAFI representatives spoke about the changes being made. These changes will keep JAFI the leading and critically important organization for the Jewish world, just like the organization was on Nov. 29, 1947, leading the vote for a Jewish state. The conference again reminded me of the very special role each shaliach serves. The meaning of the word shaliach is emissary and means a person who is sent to deliver an official message, especially from one country to another, or to perform a special task. My mission as a shlicha (the feminine form of shaliach) is to bring Israel - with all of her complexities and challenges - to the Omaha community. For me, the role of the shaliach is a mirror of the decision from Nov. 29, 1947. Just as the 1947 decision brought the Jewish people together to live in their own land, being part of the Shlichim institute is helping the Omaha Jewish community “live together” with Israel. Even if the “living together” is not concrete, I will work to help the Omaha community make a connection to Israel and help everyone know that Israel is our home. It is why I choose to do this.

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Who Knows One? Fun Songs for Jewish Kids & Teens Review by CHUCK PENINGTON Musical Conductor for Mannheim Steamroller Karen Sokolof Javitch has created an entertaining, educational and very fun CD, titled Who Knows One? Fun songs for Jewish Kids and Teens. Using catchy tunes as a medium, she has presented a wide range of historical events and theological themes relating to Jewish culture. Karen has a consistent ability to write melodies that stay in your head after hearing them. The 13 songs on her new album will be a really effective teaching tool because these

songs will live in your students’ or childs’ head for months, perhaps years after listening to them. I have arranged many collections of Karen’s songs and musical theatre pieces, and this CD clearly represents her best work to date, both in concept and songwriting. Jewish singers on the album include Dani Burr, Dacia Jabenis, Mia Vinci, Karen Javitch, Cantor Wendy Shermet and shofar blower, Leonard Burrell. Note: Karen’s CD can be found at your synagogue’s gift shop, or by calling 402.393.3893. It’s a great Hannukah gift!

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6 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

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Season with Sage now on sale by ELLY GORDMAN Season with Sage, a cookbook whose profits will be donated to the Brandon Michael Thomas Culinary Arts Memorial Scholarship fund at Metropolitan Community College, is now on sale. The cookbook was created by the students and faculty at Metro’s Institute for Culinary Arts. Books can be purchased for $24.95 plus tax at the Sage Bistro at the Institute for the Culinary Arts (call 402.457.2328 for hours of operation), the Bookworm, Blue Sushi Sake Grill-Old Market, Category One, Lo Sole Mio Italian Restaurant, Slattery Vintage Estates and online at http://resource.mccneb.edu/Bistro/ season.htm. Brandon, the son of Andie Gordman and grandson of Bob and Elly Gordman, was a student at the Institute for the Culinary Arts. He was 21 years old and a few credits shy of completing his culinary degree when he was fatally injured in a traffic accident in 2010. Born in Boston and a graduate of Omaha’s Millard North High School, Brandon had a zest for life and a deep passion for food and cooking. He helped in the kitchen as a child and was for years the head cook for his family’s annual Thanksgiving feasts. He worked in several Omaha restaurants and was among the most promising students in his culinary classes, beloved by instructors and students alike

for his lively sense of humor and his early grasp of both the big picture and the finer points of cooking. In his memory, his family has established a scholarship and underwritten the printing of Season with Sage. Recipes in the cookbook are categorized under the four seasons of the year and include appetizers, main meals and desserts. Some of the recipes include instructions and photographs to show how to prepare the dish. Compiling the cookbook was a learning experience for the students who created, tested and photographed the dishes. The cookbook showcases the Sage Student Bistro and all of the talented people who work at the Institute for Culinary Arts. “For a long time, the staff of the Institute for the Culinary Arts has wanted a student-produced cookbook to sell at the Bistro,” said Andie Gordman. “Our family combined that goal with our objective to raise money for the Brandon Michael Thomas Memorial Culinary Arts Scholarship fund. The end result of this project has exceeded our family’s expectation. We never could have dreamed this many people would benefit from this project and that the end result would be a book that could stand up to any cookbook on the market. This book is a fitting tribute to Brandon and a perfect reflection of what the Institute has become.”

Temple High Schoolers attend HUC retreat on Cincinnati campus by CLAUDIA SHERMAN “My trip to Cincinnati was very fun and interesting,” Temple Israel Communications Coordinator remarked Alex. “Going to it, I really had no idea what to Two teenagers, active at Temple Israel in Omaha Temple expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.” Pointing out that the Youth Group (OTYG) who also attend the Omaha Jewish retreat was scheduled for Halloween weekend, Alex said Community Chai School, were selected to attend “Are Jew there was discussion on “mysticism and the Jewish stances Afraid of the Dark?” Sponsored by the American Jewish on the traditions and mystical creatures and beings associatArchives and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of ed with Halloween. I was surprised to find that there are refReligion (HUC-JIR), “Are Jew Afraid of the Dark” was the erences to spirits and demons in the biblical texts and stories. first of three high school leadership retreats in Cincinnati on Not only did we learn about the mysticism in Judaism, but the HUC-JIR campus. we also had tours of the hisHannah Radler, 16, and toric campus and a part of the Alex Pachman, 17, visited the Jewish Archives. But we also campus at a time in their lives got to do lots of fun activities when they are considering like pumpkin carving of bibliwhat college to attend. cal demons and monsters.” He Joining a select group of stualso mentioned that “we got dents from Jewish communito be present for one of the ties throughout the United student’s final services before States, Hannah and Alex were officially becoming a rabbi, able to explore topics relating and to sing Jewish melodies Hannah Radler, third from left, relaxes with new friends she to the American Jewish expealong with their composer.” met at a high school retreat at Hebrew Union College. rience. As they took part in a “There were high school weekend of learning, skills building, and leadership devel- students of all ages there from all over the United States and opment with HUC world-renown faculty who led discus- Canada,” added Hannah. Rabbinic students who conducted sions and workshops, the Omaha teens also connected with the workshops “were actually very good,” she said, “they other future Jewish community leaders. were detailed.” The best part of the experience for her “was “We looked at Hannah’s and Alex’s interests and their interacting with new people and meeting people from all involvement at Temple,” said Lori Bennett, Temple Israel over.” As the social action vice president of OTYG, she said Religious School Director. She also considered how students there are probably ideas she’ll share with the group. who didn’t attend the retreat could benefit from Hannah’s “It was a great experience,” Hannah concluded. “Everyone and Alex’s experiences. “Could they bring something back?” should go. I’m actually considering being a rabbi now.” Bennett asked herself. For example, “both Hannah and Alex are very involved in OTYG. Going to the retreat could stimulate some new programming ideas.”

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Kids and adults alike enjoyed Beth Israel’s 8th annual Thanksgiving Day Football Game. Pictured with Dr. Guy Matalon, left, Dr. Howard Gendelman and Rabbi Jonathan Gross are Aden, Ori, Eli and Talia Matalon, Brad and Zoe Berman, and Leo Kohll.

FREEMAN/SILVERSTEIN Robyn and Bob Freeman announce the engagement of their daugher, Allyson Freeman to Geoffrey Silverstein son of Renee and Sam Silverstein of St. Louis, MO. The bride-to-be graduated from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism with a BS and is currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania, completing a Masters of Public Administration She is the granddaugther of Joanne and Jerry Freeman, and Barbara and Tom Burke. Her fiancé graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He also earned his Masters in Business Administration from American University. He is the Associate Dean at American University’s Washington Semester Program. He is the grandson of Edith and the late Rubin Silverstein of Atlanta, GA, and Sandy and Mendel Rosenberg of St.Louis, MO. A wedding is planned for Aug. 26, 2012 at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7

From High School to Law School

Journal entry from Israel TEDDY WEINBERGER At the end of October, my daughter Ruthie (21) began law school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In one fell swoop, therefore, Ruthie leap-frogged past her American peers, who had had a 3-year jump on her. Ruthie graduated from high school in 2008. While her American peers were going through their first 3 years of college, Ruthie did her two years of mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces (as a Hebrew teacher for new immigrant soldiers), studied for and took the university entrance exam, and then went on a three-and-a-half month trip abroad. But now, while her American peers are in their senior year of college, Ruthie is already in law school. In light of Ruthie’s situation, I decided to write the following to a few of my lawyer friends in America: “I’d like you to reflect on the American system and consider whether the four years between high school and law school are best spent in college. Did you really need all those years in order to become ‘well rounded’?” Several of my respondents felt that the American system was just fine. For example, Alicia C. wrote: “The French would say that the American college system is ‘une utopie.’ For four years someone else supports you while you explore different subjects and interests. What is wrong with a utopia? What a luxury!” Andrew K. sees no reason why law should not be studied at the undergraduate level. Speaking for himself and his wife (also a lawyer), he wrote: “Pat and I have always felt that law school was at least one year longer than it needed to be. If the study of law were condensed a bit, it could easily become a university degree, eliminating the need for three postgraduate years of study.” Bruce A. strongly challenged the current system. He writes: “The purpose of a liberal arts education was supposed to be to teach critical thinking to a leadership stratum of society. That is not at all what we do today... There is no perceptible value to sitting through enough classes in racial

and gender studies to earn a C- average from a third-rate school. We would be much better off with a system that preserved liberal arts education for those genuinely willing and able to grapple with the challenges of critical thought. For everyone else, a training that integrated skill acquisition and application (i.e., interweaving classroom teaching and internships) would be preferable.” Where do I stand on all of this? I did my undergraduate work with Bruce at Columbia University. Columbia prides itself on a rigorous undergraduate core curriculum, and I read widely in the humanities as well as took required courses in art and music. I believe that liberal arts courses do have a place in expanding a person’s horizons by introducing them to a wide range of human experience and expression. I therefore regret the fact that my children’s higher education will largely be devoid of the liberal arts. However, it does seem to me that four full years of liberal arts study (as is common among future law school students) seems excessive. A number of my respondents spoke positively--both for the growth of the young person and for American society--of the importance of national service. I too think that it would be a wonderful idea to institutionalize a year of service between high school and college, and if need be turn the utopian undergraduate experience into a three-year one. So there you have it: my own personal survey concerning an aspect of difference between Israeli and American higher education. For the record, the very first response to my survey was from my lawyer brother-in-law Ben Rosenberg, who wrote: “Teddy enough of your [expletive deleted]. Nobody is ready to go to law school at age 18 straight from high school. You should know better. If there were mandatory military service in the U.S. then it would be different. Because those 2-3 years of military service are a liberal arts education unto itself.... If you must write another one of those columns trumpeting the perfection of the Israeli system, fine. But 234 years of the U.S. system, which made it the richest most successful country in the world are the proof in the pudding.” Teddy Weinberger made aliyah in 1997 with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. Their oldest three, Nathan, Rebecca and Ruthie, are veterans of the Israel Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@net vision.net.il.

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Guy Matalon is Beth El Sunday Scholar by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beth El’s monthly Sunday Scholars Series continues on Dec. 11, as the synagogue welcomes guest speaker Dr. Guy Matalon, who will explore Sources for Jewish Law. During the 11 a.m. presentation, Matalon, the Jewish Federation’s Scholar-in-Residence, will focus on a variety of texts that serve as the sources for rabbinic decisions, as they pertain to religious questions. In addition to classical sources, he noted, “We will Guy Matalon look at some recent halachic decisions by leading Conservative rabbis, to explore how exactly decisions are made.” The series is open to everyone in the Jewish community, at no charge. For more information about the program, contact Beth El Program Director Margie Gutnik in the office, 402.492.8550, or at programming@bethel-omaha.org.

In the news Paul and Gary Epstein were included in the 2011 Omaha Restaurant Association’s Hospitality Hall of Fame at the annual dinner and induction ceremony on Oct. 16. Paul Epstein began his career at Foley’s Department store in 1971, where his brother Gary also got his start. Paul became President of Nebraska Wine and Spirits in 1985, and worked side by side with Gary, Senior Vice President. Both were instrumental in the company’s growth.

The armest anukkah reetings from s to ou.

W H G U Y

8 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

Daniel Gordis at Schwalb Center

Fun promised for everyone at Beth El’s Hanukkah celebration by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator On Monday, Dec. 26, at 6 p.m., all families in the Jewish community are invited to join together at Beth El for a special Hanukkah dinner and celebration, sponsored by the synagogue’s Men’s Club. Promising fun for families of all ages, the evening will feature games and activities for children, as well as a traditional holiday dinner with chicken, latkes and all the trimmings. “Hanukkah is always such a fun, muchanticipated holiday for families, and our

On Nov. 16, the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center presented Dr. Daniel Gordis as part of the Ruth and Phil Sokolof Lecture Series. Above: Iris and Marty Ricks, left, Nate Schwalb, and Mary Bernier; right: Gary Javitch, left, Dr Daniel Gordis, and Mark Javitch. The lecture, titled 2048 will Israel reach its 100th? was attended by over 280 people. Dr. Gordis explained that Israel allows all Jews to see themselves not as victims on call, but like all other nations in the world with their own homeland. He also talked about Iran's nuclear weapons program and its effect on Israel. The Gordis lecture brought together members of the community, UNO students, faculty and the Jewish Chai School students at the UNO Campus. The standing room only crowd was engaged in Dr.

Men’s Club is excited to offer this festive party to celebrate the Festival of Lights,” said Michael Schop, the organization’s president. “We’re all about bringing the community together, and we invite everyone – young and not so young, single or married – to join the fun on the 26th.” The cost to attend is $5 for non-members, and free for Beth El congregants. Reservations are needed by Dec. 9, and may be made by contacting the synagogue office, 402.492.8550, or emailing programming@ bethel-omaha.org.

Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan plays down Dubai flap

Gordis’ compelling case as to the importance of Israel in the 21st Century. He explained that Israel is much more than just the Arab Israeli conflict. The lecture will be available online in the very near future; details will be available in the Jewish Press. The lecture will also be televised on COX 17 and Qwest 12 on Jan. 3, 2012 at 6 p.m., on Jan. 9, 2012 at 10:30 a.m., and on Jan. 24, 2012, also at 6 p.m.

by JTA NEWS STAFF In keeping with Israeli policy, he neither JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Former Mossad confirmed nor denied involvement in the director Meir Dagan played down the con- incident. But Dagan asked the interviewer, “Have you heard of anyone who troversy around Israel’s was arrested as a result of the alleged assassination of a publication of these images that Hamas commander in Dubai. were released in Dubai?” She Dagan, a retired army gensaid no, and Dagan shrugged. eral who stepped down as The Dubai suspects used head of Israel’s foreign intellicloned passports from Britain, gence service in January after France, Ireland and Australia in an eight-year tenure, recently the operation, prompting outgave a rare television intercry in those countries against view. Israel. Asked on Channel Two “The basic demand of Mossad about the killing in early 2010 Meir Dagan activity, that it be conducted in of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in his hotel room, and the furor that ensued a state of zero foul-ups, in a reality where you when the UAE published passport photos operate with conditions changing all of the and security camera footage of the alleged time, I think this is justified,” he said, but assassins, blaming the Mossad, Dagan was added that “Everyone understands that it is unperturbed. not realistic.”

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Barney Frank leaves as he served: With a sharp wit by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Barney Frank’s talk of retirement was anything but retiring. The veteran Jewish congressman’s recent announcement that he would not seek re-election was replete with the same caliber of verbal bombs -- lobbed and received -- that characterized much of his career. Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, attributed his decision not to run in 2012 in part on what he said was the Republican polarization of the legislative process. The House GOP caucus, he said at his news conference, “consists half of people who think like Michele Bachmann and half of people who are afraid of losing a primary to people who think like Michele Bachmann,” referring to the GOP presidential hopeful and conservative Minnesota congresswoman.

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U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, shown addressing the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January 2010, was influential in advancing gay rights and on economic reform. Credit: World Economic Forum via Creative Commons “That leaves very little room to work things out,” said Frank, 71, who has served in the House of Representatives since 1981 and in 1987 became the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay. Frank also cited the redrawing of his district that made it more conservative as a reason for his decision. His critics -- among them a phalanx of Jewish conservatives -- are not necessarily shedding tears over his impending departure from Congress. Some assailed his role amid the financial crisis as chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Finance Committee from 2007 until January of this year. Frank is “a quick wit -- all too rare on the left,” Joel Pollak wrote on the conservative website Big Government. “Yet,” Pollak added, “his most damaging legacies -- the housing crisis, the financial ‘reform’ that bears his name, and the hyper-partisanship to which he eagerly contributed -- outweigh Frank’s positive contributions. How unfortunate that his constituents did not eject him much sooner.” Frank at his news conference at the town hall in Newton, Mass., where he lives, pushed back against such claims, saying that much of the groundwork for the economic crisis was in place by January 2007. But answering the reporter who asked him if he regretted his role, Frank expanded his answer to say that he did have regrets about his time in Congress. And they were substantive. Frank said he rued his vote against the first Persian Gulf War in 1991, as well as approving restrictions on the Internal Revenue Service that he now sees as impeding tax collection. He was no stranger to public regrets. In 1989, Frank expressed contrition when it was revealed that a man he once paid for sex and later hired to do chores and errands had run a prostitution service from the congressman’s Capitol Hill apartment. Jewish community professionals who dealt with Frank said that his ability to self-correct -- the flip side of his acerbic wit and his unwillingness to suffer fools gladly -- made him valuable: He was willing to be swayed by good arguments. “Barney was willing to admit when he was wrong,” said Nancy Kaufman, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, who for years dealt with Frank in her previous job as director of Boston’s Jewish Community Relations Council. “If he stepped out too far on an issue, he would call the Jewish community leaders to apologize,” she said. “If he didn’t understand all the ramifications, he would check in.” Rabbi David Saperstein, who directs the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, recalled a few hair-raising encounters with Frank. “He could be scathing in his critique of your view,” he Continued on page 11

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Seeking Kin: ISO orphaned former Tel Aviv flatmates by HILLEL KUTTLER birthday in March 1950: a View Master and BALTIMORE (JTA) -- The Ellbogen chil- its distinctive, hand-sized cardboard wheels dren, Edna and Michael, nearly became whose slides featured colorful children’s stoMordechai “Moti” Malkin’s adopted siblings ries. Shortly thereafter, perhaps also in 1950, in early 1950s Israel. Six decades later, the Moti thinks, Alice died of cancer. 66-year-old Herzliya resident wants to know Alexander and Evgenia asked the chilwhat’s become of them. dren’s aunt if they could adopt Edna and When Paul and Eliza Ellbogen fled Michael. Moti remembers Evgenia telling Vienna in 1940 and settled in prestate Israel, him that Alexander later quashed the adopthey lived with Malkin’s parents, Alexander tion idea because of the financial strain it and Evgenia, who had emigrated in 1933 from Riga, Latvia. The couples hadn’t known each other but formed a partnership of financial necessity during austere times. The two-bedroom apartment that the Malkins already were renting at 4 Pilon St., centrally located near Tel Aviv’s zoo, came to house eight people upon the births of Edna and Michael Ellbogen (in 1942 and 1946, respectively) and Avraham Paul Ellbogen is the first name appearing on this monument “Avik” and Moti Malkin (in to 23 soldiers killed in a battle near Modiin on Sept. 24, 1935 and 1945, respectively). 1948 during Israel’s War of Independence. The death of his In those years, Alexander wife a few years later left their two children as orphans. worked as a truck driver for Credit: Avishai Teicher the Yachin produce conglomerate, and Evgenia was a nurse at Hadassah would cause. He also recalls hearing that the Hospital on Tel Aviv’s Balfour Street. The aunt gave up the children to two Christian Ellbogens owned a bookstore in town. families for adoption. When revenue was down and the Ellbogens Moti, a human resources specialist for couldn’t pay the rent, they invited the teachers employed by ORT Israel, wonders Malkins to select several books from their what has become of Edna and Michael. He shop. has no direct memories to go on, though. He The couples got along well and enjoyed was a baby when the Ellbogens moved out one another’s company. Late at night, an and 3 years old when they left for America. adult grabbing a sandwich would be joined His parents continued living in the Pilon at the kitchen table by the other three par- Street apartment until their deaths ents for a shmooze session. They all “lived (Alexander in 1970 and Evgenia in 1980), like one family” and enjoyed “a very close but they never spoke much about the friendship,” Moti Malkin said. Ellbogens, and Moti didn’t think to ask. After six years together, the Ellbogens In the past couple of years, Moti has conmoved to their own apartment in nearby tacted an association of Austrian immiRamat Gan, but the families stayed in touch. grants to Israel and a U.S. immigration Early in Israel’s War of Independence, Paul agency hoping in vain for leads. In early Ellbogen, then 39 years old, was drafted into October, he was interviewed by the Israeli what was dubbed the Old Persons’ Corps. radio program “The Bureau for Searching He was killed in a battle near the Maccabees’ for Relatives,” which attempts to reunite graves by what is now the central town of long-lost people. Modiin. A marker there includes his name. “You get to a certain age when you wonder The next year, 1949, Eliza and her chil- what happened to so-and-so,” he said. dren left Israel and moved to New Jersey, “These kids could have been my sister and where her sister lived. Eliza, by then known brother.” as Alice, mailed Moti a gift for his fifth

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Barney Frank leaves as he served Continued from page 9 said. “It didn’t mean he was always right, but he would push you hard to defend your position. If you didn’t come really prepared, you’d find yourself in deep trouble. When you came prepared, he respected that.” Frank was one of the few Jewish lawmakers who would push back against what he saw as the excesses of the pro-Israel lobby. At the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Washington, he attended what the American Israel Public Affairs Committee calls its “breakfast with mishpocha” -- a get-together with the unofficial Jewish congressional caucus. AIPAC’s then president, Bernice Manocherian, pressed Democrats in the room, according to those who attended, on how the lobby could better make its case to the left -- a constituency with which Manocherian was concerned that Israel was losing ground. The lawmakers politely demurred, insisting AIPAC was doing fine -- until Frank spoke up and blasted AIPAC for insisting that Jewish lawmakers back bills they might otherwise object to. He cited a Republican funding bill from the late 1990s that slashed funds to Africa; AIPAC had insisted on passage because of its Israel funding components. Slowly, as the other lawmakers saw Manocherian nodding and taking notes, they joined in, backing up Frank’s complaint. In 2008 and 2010, Frank accepted the endorsement of the dovish J Street’s political action committee. “On particular Jewish concerns,” like Israel and Soviet Jewry, “he was as front and center as he was on our broad agenda,” Saperstein said. That included gay rights, hate crimes and financial reform. Frank did not often invoke his Jewishness, although he reveled in pushing back against

Israel critics by noting that the Jewish state had been more advanced than the United States for years when it came to gay rights. More recently he took up the cause of clemency for Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy serving a life sentence since 1985. “Last year, Congressman Frank played a vital role in spearheading a key Congressional letter to President Obama which called for a commutation of Jonathan’s sentence, and he has been a vocal supporter and an outspoken advocate for Jonathan’s release ever since,” Esther Pollard, Jonathan’s

wife, said in a statement to JTA. “We are extremely appreciative of Congressman Frank’s efforts to free Jonathan, and we are confident that he will continue playing a leading role in the fight for clemency in the weeks and months ahead.” When Frank did bring up being Jewish, it was often as a witticism. When a woman at a town hall meeting in 2009 called President Obama’s health care proposals “Nazi policy,” he famously said, “I’m going to revert to my ethnic heritage and answer your question with a question: On

what planet do you spend most of your time?” “It’s a loss of a sense of humor” that will be keenly felt, said David A. Harris, president of the National Jewish Democratic Council. “A rapier wit.” It was the loss of a reason to enjoy Congress that drove out Frank, the NCJW’s Kaufman said. “He was depressed, watching what was happening in the Congress of the United States, with Ted Kennedy’s death and the lack of people talking across the aisle,” she said. “It’s not been fun, and it has to be fun.”

Celebrating with the Kosher Butcher’s Wife by SHARON LURIE (Struik/IPM)

Read it and eat Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN Whether celebrating rest on Shabbat, the New Year on Rosh Hashanah, the miracles of Hanukkah or life itself, join Lurie in her second cookbook as she shares memories, anecdotes, minhag (tradition), and more. This book begins with the end of the week and the lebbedik (lively) preparations for Shabbat. Go for the quickest Challah recipe in town, Some Like It Hot Salmon Salad, Aunty Min’s Kichel and several more favored by this Cape Town, South Africa, author who celebrated her family as well. The beautiful color photographs of lovely table settings and food are by her little brother, Michael.

The vibrancy, color, customs, happiness of each chag (holiday) is expressed in food – traditional as well as the contemporary twists of recipes of this self proclaimed meshuga, who is OTT (over the top) in preparations. She uses the Three Principles: Plan, Prepare and Place for all the details to gather ‘round the dining room table with family and friends to share and create memories. Chapter and headnotes add personal touches ... the 3-in-1 Roasted Butternut Soup is an “On Special” recipe that’s almost as good as less 75%. There is a conversion table and you’ll need to substitute some ingredients... she used her homemade apricot chutney which was made before the monkeys ate all the apricots! Pages of recipes and comments for Pesach, Shavout, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot follow and Purim follows Hanukkah, which falls over the summer in South Africa. The recipes are for each of the eight nights from Beachroot Soup, a couple of

latkes: Pastrami and a Zucchini/Mushroom (with Za’atar Aioli), sausage wraps, Italian Salami Tart, several meat and chicken ideas, a couple of desserts and this finger lickin’ good dish... L’Chaim! GLAZED STEAKHOUSE RIBS 3 racks smoked steakhouse beef ribs (about 7 ribs per rack) Glaze: 1 cup apricot jam 1⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar 1⁄2 cup tomato sauce Cut each rib individually. Combine all the glaze ingredients and paint on each rib. Barbecue or roast the ribs – as they are smoked already, they are cooked. All you need to do is heat them through and crisp them. Serves 6-7 (3 ribs per person, but if it were my sons and their friends, 1 rack per person!) Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@ yahoo.com

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Point of view

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In defense of going overboard

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press The reason this issue is bigger than what you are used to: Hanukkah is almost here. Are you ready? Yeah, me neither. Getting ready at our house means making lots of lists: for groceries, for guests, and most of all, for presents. My daughter’s wish list is extensive and detailed: it has chapters and sub chapters, with alternative options for each item on it. She edits the list on a daily basis, so it is always up-to-date. There are enough wishes to last us ten years, so what she gets will be a surprise. And imagining which things will eventually make it from the store shelf to our house is almost as much fun as the actual unwrapping. My single-minded son’s list, on the other hand, contains only one thing. He wants a wind-up toy hamster, and nothing else. I can remind him until I’m blue in the face that there are eight nights of Hanukkah, and so he can add a few things, but no. “Maybe you can give me eight hamsters,” he reluctantly admits. But his heart is not really in it. What if his busy and distracted parents buy eight other presents, and forget the coveted hamster? Then where would we be? Oy. Two very different approaches to this holiday: for one, the sky is the limit, and life can never be too large; for the other, things are simple and straightforward, surprises are unacceptable, and a controlled outcome is essential. Of course, this holiday isn’t really about presents; it’s about overcoming adversity, about doing what’s right, about standing up for what you believe in. It’s about being grateful that we can openly celebrate our beliefs and our heritage. It just so happens that for many young children, that heritage right now means presents. Do we do them a disservice by shamelessly feeding into that? It depends. In 2007, Sharon Duke Estroff, in her book Mom, Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah? famously wrote: “How do you deal with Santa envy-let alone the entire month of December?”
 Since it’s unlikely I am the only parent who goes a little overboard with the gift giving, we have to ask: is that what this is? Santa envy? And while we’re on it, what exactly is ‘Santa envy’ anyway? We can take the term at face value, and treat it as something that our children suffer from every time a Christmas commercial pops up. Those toys and lights look fantastic,

and that Barbie doesn’t care whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. The only question she asks is: “Don’t you want to own me?” To which my daughter certainly knows the answer. In other words, our kids can become a little jealous when confronted on a daily basis with the superficial side of Christmas. Or, we can look at the deeper possible cause, and think of ‘Santa envy’ as a wish to be more like everyone else. That is a whole other problem. Now we’re talking about the possibility that they are so blinded by tinsel that they forget they already belong somewhere. Hanukkah is a time when we commemorate how once upon a time a brave band of fighters stood up to this sort of thing. How, no matter how fancy the Greeks thought they were, there were Jews who remained firm in their beliefs. And that even under great pressure it is possible to remain true to yourself. Maybe, if Hanukkah fell in July, we wouldn’t have this discussion. But it doesn’t, and with the truly American enthusiasm for holidays, our children will be confronted with this part of the majority culture as long as they live here. So they may as well get used to it now, and learn how to deal with it. One way to do that is by showing them that, no, Hanukkah is not a “Jewish Christmas,” and yes, it is okay to celebrate it for eight wonderfully over-indulgent days. Spin those dreidels, stink up the house (it’s amazing how many things you can find to deep

fry when you really think about it), and wrap those presents. Eat Sufganyot until your stomach feels queasy, invite your friends and family, and have the annual applesauce vs. sour cream debate. Loudly. Act like a Maccabee. And while you do all that, light the candles, sing your blessings, and have a ball. There’s something to be said for allowing young children (and ourselves!) some pure, unadulterated joy during the holidays. Because at the end of the day, among the many things important about Judaism, is joy. And that’s worthy of passing on to our children, even if it takes the form of a hamster. Happy Hanukkah! On a completely different note, the Jewish press is gearing up for the 2012 Passover issue. I know, Hanukkah isn’t even here yet, but that’s how it is. This time, the topic is “Jewish art and Jewish artists.” If you have a great story idea or would like to be featured in the upcoming Passover issue, please call me at 402.334.6450, or email me at avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. We can’t wait to hear your ideas!

A Jerusalem embassy creeps closer toward becoming law

Focus on issues RON KAMPEAS Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), appointed to his job when his predecessor John Ensign resigned in scandal, faces a tough election battle next year against Rep. Shelley Berkley (DNev.). His is one of only two likely Dem pickups (the other is Massachusetts). Now he’s got a Jerusalem bill that, barely noticed, just might become law. One of Berkley’s fortes is her uncompromising pro-Israelism. Which may help explain (I’ve asked Heller’s office for an interview) his decision in September to introduce a bill that would move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Aha, you say, but there already is such a law. The difference is that Heller’s proposed bill would strip the existing law of the waiver every president since Clinton has used, citing national security considerations. The idea is that recognizing Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem absent a final-status deal with the Palestinians would set off a Muslim world firestorm and would kill the peace process. Heller’s bill, as initially proposed, would have also cut by

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50 percent State Department funding for maintaining embassies until the embassy is moved. The proposed bill went virtually unnoticed; It has only three co-sponsors, Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Tom Coburn (ROkla.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas.). The bill is not nuanced; it makes no bones about Jews settling wherever they like in the city: Every citizen of Israel should have the right to reside anywhere in the undivided city of Jerusalem. This goes beyond the policy of Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, whose spokesmen have told me in the past he is working to allow non-Israeli Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem to be able to live in Jewish neighborhoods anywhere in the city. Heller’s bill flags only “citizens of Israel.” The bill also doesn’t leave much room for ceding Arab neighborhoods to a Palestinian state. The President and the Secretary of State should publicly affirm as a matter of United States policy that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the State of Israel. Aha, you say again, this is par for the course -- why, as we speak, there are three similar bills pending in the House, and past Congresses are littered with same. Yes, except none of them has been proposed as amendments to the Senate’s Defense Authorization Bill, which is

assured passage. This happened on Nov. 18. Heller’s bill was rewritten as an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill and cosponsored by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn), (giving it the patina of bipartisanship, because Joe caucuses with the Dems). As far as I can make out, the threat to cut State Department funding has been removed, but otherwise, the language remains the same. (CORRECTION: In fact, the amendment refers to the original bill, which includes the 50 percent cut -- so the “stick” remains in.) Now, the amendment could be put to debate and removed. I’ve spoken to a couple of pro-Israel types. No one believes that will happen, not in an election year. The likelier event is that it will be killed, quietly, in House-Senate conference. But that brings this potentially Mideast-roiling language within a hair’s breadth of passage. UPDATE: The Senate just voted cloture (an end to debate) on Defense Authorization; according to Americans for Peace Now’s Lara Friedman, via Twitter, that means non-germane amendments (such as Heller’s) are dead.

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December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 13

The Assault on Israel’s Vibrant Democracy

Behind the headlines ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN, National Director of ADL There are many reasons why the recent spate of domestic legislation in Israel – regarding non-governmental organizations, the media, Israel as a Jewish State, the Supreme Court – is disturbing. In many of these cases, the Knesset is addressing real and challenging problems. But it is doing so in the wrong way. The truth is that a number of foreign governments and non-governmental organizations have been funding activities in Israel that go beyond representing a diversity of viewpoints about Israel’s political and security situation. The truth is that it is important that the Palestinians and the Arab world finally acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish State. The truth is that there is a perception that the media seems to be tilted to the left in Israel, as in so many other countries. The truth is the Supreme Court may have rushed too hastily to assert a stronger position in Israel’s political system, frightening many on the right. All of these matters are legitimate subjects for public debate. When, however, laws are passed that stifle free expression, seek to undermine the independence of the judiciary and, in the name of defending a Jewish state, seek to undermine the rights of Arabs and other minorities, then the very democratic character of the state is being eroded. This is bad for Israel internally. The modern state of Israel was founded on the principles of democracy and pluralism. Moreover, on a practical level, democracy has been the glue holding together a disparate community. And it will hurt Israel externally, particularly at a time when delegitimization campaigns are rampant and when so much of the international community sees Israel as blocking peace efforts. Israeli democracy and the perception of Israel as defending democratic values are crucial to Israel’s good name. Most significantly, the efforts by some on the right to paint

these laws as consistent with Likud ideology are egregiously off the mark. Indeed, those who initiate these laws are doing great damage to the nationalist cause they espouse. A little history is in order. When Ze’ev Jabotinsky, and then Menachem Begin created and built Revisionist Zionism, they were often accused by the Zionist establishment as not only being extreme nationalists but of being anti-democratic. Some suggested they were Zionist "fascists" in the making. Indeed, when Begin was elected prime minister in 1977, there were those on the left who implied that Israeli democracy was at risk. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. The very fact that Likud came to power after 30 years of Labor’s dominance of the Israeli political system was a sign of Israel’s democracy strengthening and maturing. Whatever one thought about their broader nationalist views, and clearly, the arguments about territory continue to this day, the charge that the Revisionists, and later the Likud leadership, were anti-democratic was inaccurate and insidious. Prime Minister Begin, consistent with the views of his mentor Jabotinsky, did everything to strengthen democratic values, free speech, free courts and free expression. For decades, Likud, representing the mainstream right, has been a living example that nationalism and democracy can co-exist in a healthy and harmonious relationship. Indeed, as strong defenders of Israel’s democratic values, the right was more able to make its case for nationalist foreign policies. Whether one agreed with them or not, the case could not be made that they were undermining democracy at home at the same time. While the left may have claimed that nationalism and anti-democracy were linked, they had no basis for that assertion. Now the introduction of a series of laws that in their totality have the feel of restricting democratic values is making the early politicized criticisms of the left seem relevant. Much of the legislation is being introduced by Yisrael Beiteinu, but the fact is that these bills could not progress without the approval, tacit or otherwise, of Likud. In doing so, they are potentially tainting legitimate expressions of hawkish security policies. There are so many reasons why this movement should be resisted. Likud members and cabinet ministers Benny Begin and Dan Meridor, and at times opposition leader Tzipi Livni

-- heirs to the Revisionist tradition -- have made it clear that these laws violate the democratic principles that underlay Revisionism. It is clear that people on the left will oppose such legislation. What really ought to happen, however, is that more leaders from Israel’s rightist camp should be standing up against efforts to undermine Israel’s judicial, press and speech freedoms. They must assert that not only is democracy an essential component of Israel’s very being and a potent constructive force throughout Israel’s history, but that the defense of Israel’s vibrant democratic traditions are a core value for those on the political right. The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. This article originally appeared in a Jerusalem Post Blog on November 29, 2011

White House statement following ambassador’s comments by ADAM KREDO The White House has distanced itself from the American ambassador to Belgium, following his declaration that Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians has stoked global anti-Semitism. “We condemn anti-semitism in all its forms, and that there is never any justification for prejudice against the Jewish people or Israel,” the White House said in a statement that was sent tonight to Jewish leaders and others. A copy of that statement was forwarded to the Washington Jewish Week. At least one source close to the Obama campaign implied that the administration must take concrete action. “Anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism,” said the source. But “if the Obama administration’s rebuke of its Belgium ambassador is to be taken seriously, we expect greater action than a statement.”

14 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Emily Giller, Jewish Press Intern on Experience at the Jewish Press and Jewish Community. The community is invited.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by members of the USY and Kadima youth groups. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (2-7), 10 a.m.; Yoga/Tai Chi Shabbat, 10:30 a.m. led by Cantor Schlossberg and Beth Staenberg; Shabbat is for Study, 12:15 p.m. led by Cantor Schlossberg; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: First grade BESTT students will be honored during Family Assembly, 9:45 a.m.-10:15 a.m.; Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Sunday Scholars Series, 11 a.m. (see full story on page 7). TUESDAY: Open Arms Cooking class, 6:30 p.m., led by guest chef Howard Shandell. (see full story on page 4). SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE: Next weekend, Beth El welcomes renowned theater artist Jonathan Adam Ross as the synagogue’s Leon Fellman Scholar-in-Residence. On Friday, Dec. 16, during 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services, Ross will share the story of Shlomo ha-Levi Alkatetz, author of Lecha Dodi;” then on Saturday during 9:30 a.m. Shabbat services, he will present a theatrical portrayal of the week’s Torah portion. Following services, everyone is invited to join Ross during a “biblical tea party.” On Sunday, Dec. 18, at 4 p.m., he will perform “God of Our Fathers,” his comical examination of modern religious life in America. (Note: this presentation is not appropriate for children younger than 14.) Free babysitting will be available – RSVPs are needed by Dec. 15. A dessert reception will follow the performance. There is no charge to attend this special weekend. For more information, contact Margie Gutnik in the office, or at programming@bethel-omaha.org. CONGREGATIONAL HANUKKAH DINNER: A special Hanukkah dinner is planned for Monday, Dec. 26, at 6 p.m. Sponsored by Men’s Club. (see full story on page 8). 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, 4:37 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 by Tamar Schiller and Ian Yellin; The Laws of Shabbat, 2:30 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 3:30 p.m.; Rabbi Gross’s Twitter Topic Class, 3:30 p.m.; Mincha, 4:30 p.m., followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 5:42 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30

Bat Mitzvah Allyson Rae Kavich, daughter of Nanci Kavich and Jeff Kavich, became Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Chabad House. Allyson is a seventh-grade student at Westside Middle School. Her interests include art and tennis. She has a sister, Chelsea. Grandparents are Andi and Larry Kavich, Joyce and Dan Rudman and Howard Neuman of St. Louis. Great-grandparents are Helen and Leon Gross of St. Louis.

a.m. with Rabbi Gross. Contact the office for information on how to call-in to the conference call; New Monthly Women’s Class, 7:30 p.m. led by Ilana Weiss. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Mizrahi at the Blumkin Home; Board of Commissioners Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross.

CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Special Kiddush luncheon will follow to celebrate the special aura of the month of Kislev and holidays. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. followed by breakfast at 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Farbrengen to mark 19th of Kislev - Day of Liberation of Rabbi Shneur Zalmen of Liadi from imprisonment in Czarist Russia, 7:30 p.m. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Maureen and Dale Lobb. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Vayishlach. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Board of Trustees, 1 p.m.; Book Club, 1 p.m. at Marcia Kushner’s home and will discuss Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and Ritual Bath by Fay Kellerman. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS, 6:30 p.m. Intro to Judaism led by Rabbi Lewis. The cost is $50 to cover course materials. Register by calling the Temple office at 402.435.8004 or email stemple@neb.rr.com. TUESDAY, 7:15 p.m. Jewish Theology Part 3 of 3, led by Rabbi Lewis and Nancy Coren. THURSDAYS, Beginning Hebrew, 6 p.m. and Intermediate Hebrew, 7 p.m. The cost is $50 to cover course materials. For more information call the Temple office at 402.435.8004 or email stemple@neb.rr.com. Note: Please contact Rabbi Lewis if the cost for a class creates a financial hardship. Tot Shabbat with Ms. Jennifer, Friday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel preceded by dinner at 5:45 p.m.

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

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 4:37 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Hadassah Members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Jim Polack. 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: Scholar-in-residence Joseph Telushkin: Human Rights Shabbat with Words that Hurt, Words that Heal, 6

Candlelighting Friday, December 9, 4:37 p.m.

p.m. followed by a congregational dinner. SATURDAY: Be a good person in a complicated world, 9 a.m. Aaron Noddle, son of Kim and Jay Noddle, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. SUNDAY: OTYG Breakfast at Stephens Center, 7:30 a.m.; OTYG Baking for the holidays, 8 a.m.; Teacher Meeting, 9 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.; Scholar-in-residence Joseph Telushkin: The 50 Best Jewish jokes and what they tell us about the human condition, 10 a.m.; Grade 3 meet at Kripke Library, 10:15 a.m.; Religious School Steering Committee Meeting, 12:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6-8 p.m.; Grades 7-8, 6-8 p.m.; The many voices of Israel, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Linder. THURSDAY: Adult Study with the Clergy with Cantor Shermet, 10-11:30 a.m. Newcomes are always welcome. To register, contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg, wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536. Tot Shabbat - Hanukkah, Friday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m. Cost of the dinner is $5 for adults and no charge for children. Please contact the Temple Israel office at 402.556.6536, to make a dinner reservation. Latkes, Dreidels, Singing and Justice!, Friday, Dec. 23, 6 p.m. Shabbat Worship Service followed by dinner and dessert. Please bring your menorahs to set on the holiday tables. Cost is $9 for adults; $5 for children in sixth grade or younger; free for second graders and younger kids. Contact the Temple Israel office, rsvp@templeisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536, by Monday, Dec. 19, to make your reservation.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Shabbat Services, 6:30 p.m. followed by a dairy potluck dinner at 7 p.m. at the home of Cindi and Marlon Weiss. SATURDAY: Study Session on Pirkei Avot, 9:30 a.m.; Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch. SUNDAY: LJCS Gan through Grade 7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple; Book Club, 1 p.m. at Marcia Kushner’s home and will discuss Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and Ritual Bath by Fay Kellerman. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Board Meeting, 7 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, 7:15 p.m. Jewish Theology Part 3 of 3, led by Rabbi Lewis and Nancy Coren. Tot Shabbat with Ms. Jennifer, Friday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel preceded by dinner at 5:45 p.m. Tifereth Israel and Congregation B'nai Jeshurun are holding a pre-Chanukah bash on Sunday, Dec. 18, at Tifereth Israel. Beginning at 11 a.m. adults will gather in the social hall for a short learning session based on the book, A Different Light. The session will end at 11:30 a.m. and be followed by entertainment presented by the members of the Lincoln Jewish Community School. Please call the office to RSVP by Dec. 11.

NIF campaign says ‘women should be seen and heard’ JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The New Israel Fund wants Jewish women to send in photos of themselves holding a sign reading “women should be seen and heard” as part of a campaign to prevent women from being marginalized in Jerusalem. The photos will be used to create posters that will be hung in Jerusalem, NIF said on its website, as part of a series of initiatives that the organization says it will take to address the issue. Bowing to demands of haredi Orthodox groups in Jerusalem, images of women have been dropped from advertising in the city, including for clothing companies and a ballet studio. Billboards with photos of women have been vandalized throughout the city, according to reports. “We can’t let women be erased from the public eye,” NIF said on its website. “That’s a dangerous erosion of the status of women. And it’s a slippery slope.”

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 15

Jacob and Esau meet

In memoriam ARTHUR WALKER

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Vayislach The motto of the American Boy Scouts is “Be Prepared.” Jacob also thought he had better be prepared, when he was about to meet his brother Esau. It had been reported to him that Esau was coming with 400 armed men. Jacob therefore prepared flocks of sheep and herds of livestock for gifts to Esau, hoping to appease him. Each of the leaders of the flocks and herds was told that if Esau asked: “Whose property is this flock and that herd?” they were to reply: “These are gifts from Jacob to his master Esau.” Esau, of course, understood that Jacob feared him. When they met, Esau told Jacob: “I have plenty myself, and I need no gifts.” The brothers fell upon each other, with their arms around each other; they reached out and kissed. The Midrash Agada suggested that Esau wanted to bite Jacob’s neck so severely that his blood would leave him, and he would die. The Torah itself, quite different from the rabbinic Agada, sees Esau as a gentleman of good character, who has been neither harming nor wishing to do harm, but is only generous and good hearted. When the brothers met, Esau suggested they go on together. Jacob, still suspicious, suggested that because of his children, they would have to proceed slowly, thus delaying Esau. Esau understood that Jacob was still suspicious of him. He therefore gave in to Jacob’s wish, and departed from him. Thus, the two brothers left each other, and went their ways separately, and without bloodshed. The Sacred Text seems eager to get to Joseph, whom I have elsewhere described as the hero of Genesis. But we will have to be patient. In good time, we will meet Joseph again.

In the JCC Gallery... by LYNN BATTEN JCC Publicity Associate Dec. 230: Rebbe Artwork f r o m Stephen Henderson Rebbe is a series of paintings done by Connecticut artist, Stephen Henderson. In this colorful series of work, Henderson’s main character Rebbe, explores what life was like in the shtetles of Eastern Europe during the late 19th and 20th centuries. This truly remarkable exhibit is one that you won’t want to miss!

Arthur Walker passed away peacefully Dec 3 at age 86 while recuperating at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Graveside services were held Dec. 5 at Beth El Cemetery, with full Military Honors. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Lou (Meehan) Walker; son and daughter-in-law, David and Debi Walker; daughters and sons-in-law, Denise Walker Gooden and John Gooden and Roxanne Walker Kahn and Bob Kahn; grandchildren: Ben, Jeremy, Jake, Jonah, Becky and Joe; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Sam and Tina Meehan Harvey, Sharon Meehan, Fred and Dina Meehan and Raydelle Meehan; along with many other relatives. Born in Omaha, he grew up in Omaha and Queens, NY. Art enlisted in the Navy during WWII and also served during the Korean War. He began his automobile career in 1955 and became a new car dealer at Bellevue Motors, selling British Leyland, Jaguar, MG, then Datsun and Nissan. In 1986, Art and David opened Bellevue Nissan, which they operated until 1994. Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home or Beth El Synagogue.

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Clinton’s criticisms of Israeli democracy raise hackles by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli lawmakers rejected U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s criticisms of Israeli democracy made during a closed forum in Washington. Clinton reportedly rapped two bills making their way through the Knesset that would restrict funding to leftleaning human rights organizations, as well as the marginalization of women in Israel, citing the examples of religious Israeli soldiers leaving programs that feature women singing and women sitting in the back of the bus on some religious bus lines. She reportedly made the comments, which were reported in the Israeli media, during a closed session Saturday of the Saban Forum attended by American and Israeli political figures. “Israel is a living, breathing liberal democracy,” Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said at the start of Israel’s weekly Cabinet meeting. “The issue of the exclusion of women and separation is unacceptable and must be stopped, but to claim there is a threat on Israeli democracy is a big stretch.” Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan called on “elected officials around the world [to] examine their domestic problems first.” He added, “I hope that government steps will demonstrate our commitment to equality between men and women.”

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Can Tel Aviv become a center for fashion? by JESSICA STEINBERG 1983 at her own factory in Tel Aviv, showcased her spring women’s collection to the United States and Europe, was conTEL AVIV (JTA) -- For Israeli fashionistas, last week’s collection during Fashion Week. spicuous in his absence from Fashion Week. He said the timinaugural Tel Aviv Fashion Week proved what they’ve ing wasn’t good -- he’s already working on next winter, and known for years: Israeli fashion is creative, current and the shows focused on spring 2012 -- and he acknowledged worthy of worldwide attention -- and, hopefully, sales. a certain amount of ambivalence regarding the concept. “I wanted to help my business and help my country,” said “Here in Israel, we don’t do shows in order to get orders organizer Ofir Lev, deputy CEO of the Israel Textile and -- there’s just a link missing,” he said. “Department store Fashion Association and a former model. “I wanted to buyers aren’t going to come here to order our clothes show that there is fashion and creativity in Israel.” because we don’t have a long enough track record, we don’t Lev drew on his extensive contacts abroad to bring have the standards necessary. I just didn’t know if it was together foreign fashion writers and Italian star designer worthwhile.” Roberto Cavalli in Tel Aviv for the three-day fashion fest. Designers had to spend some $7,000 each on runway While the Israeli fashion scene has been around for shows, and some of the younger designers split the costs, decades, starting with Lea Gottlieb and her Gottex with each sharing a half-hour show with one or two others. swimwear empire, it has been many years since there was Lev estimated that the week cost about $2 million, includany kind of public fashion extravaganza. ing costs for flying in Cavalli and the fashion writers, and In the 1970s, a fashion week was held twice a year at the putting them up at Tel Aviv hotels. He did snare some Tel Aviv Hilton, recalls designer Gideon Oberson, who is sponsorship, including from Maybelline USA and several also known for his swimsuits, and buyers came from the Israeli companies, such as the women’s magazine HaIsha United States and Europe. But the Israeli manufacturing and retailer Renuar. Israeli designer Dorit Bar Or, center, acknowledging applause with industry then was quite different, with at least a dozen fashStill, it wasn’t easy. The city of Tel Aviv-Jaffa did not offer models at the close of her show at Tel Aviv Fashion Week, Nov. 21, ion companies manufacturing entire collections for export. any financial assistance, except for free space at 2011. Credit: Meir Partush/Flash 90 “Now we don’t have companies doing fashion, but we HaTachana, the recently refurbished Ottoman-era train have solo designers, at least four or five talented ones emergFor Sasson Kedem, a creator of artsy, architecturally styled station in Jaffa. Lev likes to compare Israel to Denmark, a ing each year,” Oberson said. “I think this fashion week was pieces for women who also served as a mentor on the one similarly sized country that sponsors a 2 million euro fashcreated to offer information, to create a bit of a hubbub and season of Project Runway Israel, said Tel Aviv Fashion Week ion week each year. make some noise.” -- referred to here as TLV FW, in Fashion TV style -- was an “The growth of the Israeli design industry was 8 percent And, of course, to generate orders and positive media cov- opportunity to show the world that “we’re not just about last year; that’s something,” he says. “That’s a lot and I want erage. But does Tel Aviv have any chance of becoming a bombs.” to show it off.” major stop on the fashion circuit? “We’re very clever,” Kedem said, referring to his fellow Lisa Armstrong, a journalist for the British Telegraph, Lev says he’s already planning another Fashion Week for design colleagues. “But we are different because of this place. wrote about Israeli soap star and designer Dorit Bar Or, the next April. He’s intent on getting Israeli-American Elie We have passion, and we have to grab our opportunities designer of Pas Pour Toi. Tahari as well as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Italian design- because no one can take our inspiration from us.” “Israeli editors declared the local flavour of her collection er Miuccia Prada and fashion luxury house Dolce & Lev and his partner Motty Reif, a producer known for a bit parochial,” Armstrong wrote. “To outsiders, it was exotGabbana on board. Everyone is just “two phone calls away,” Beverly Hills Fashion Week, say Israel’s security situation is ic: entirely black (despite the enviable climate, they’re not Lev says. part of what encourages Israeli fashion creativity. exactly embracing The New Colour), with impeccably exeThe challenge is to get everyone to Israel, and the coun“It’s not an easy life here, it pushes us to be very creative, cuted gold embroidery, a lot drawn from Arab designs -try’s reputation as a dangerous place -- albeit undeserved -- makes us think differently and improvise,” Lev said. “We’re and gorgeous gold earrings in the shape of leaves that curved makes it an uphill fight. brave because of the situation we live in.” up the lobes.” “We have to battle with a Wild West existence,” said A handful of well-known Israelis already are established in That’s the idea, says Kedem: Israel is not Paris, but Israeli designer Dorit Frankfurt, who heads a well-established the fashion world, including Alber Elbaz from the Parisian designers excel at “translating the land.” Israeli label that exports overseas. house of Lanvin and designer to the stars Yigal Azrouel. “You see the Mediterranean in our clothing,” he said. “We Frankfurt, who has manufactured her collection since Well-known Israeli designer Ronen Chen, who exports his do intimate clothing that offers the feel of our country.”

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Hanukkah in Israel: Sufganiyot on the streets, burning lights and family fun by MARCY OSTER kindergartens put on pre-Hanukkah extravaganzas with JERUSALEM (JTA) -- They’re making sufganiyot on the song-and-dance presentations for parents. Families get streets of Israel; Hanukkah must be near. together to light candles and fry latkes in celebration of the Actually it started feeling like Hanukkah here about two miracle of the oil. days after Sukkot, when the first vendors started frying the Our extended family gets together every year for delicious and caloric doughnuts in vats of oil in front of bak- Hanukkah, though coordinating the event becomes more eries and on the street in towns throughout the country. difficult each year as more of the nieces and nephews marry, As malls in America rush the Christmas season by putting move away from the community and have children of their up decorations right after own. One of the highlights Halloween, some vendors of our party is the family in the heart of Jerusalem sing-along, which begins were making sufganiyot in with songs for Hanukkah, the middle of Sukkot. moves on to well-loved I spend the weeks until national Israeli songs and Hanukkah checking out finally moves into a differthe sufganiyot offerings -ent realm -- Simon and jelly, chocolate, custard, Garfunkel and show tunes. you name it. At a rumored There are plenty of 1,000 calories each, I can public lightings of the only allow myself one or chanukiyah -- in the two throughout the whole Knesset, on army bases, at season, so they had better the Western Wall. The be good. president and the prime One of the highlights of minister travel to signifimy family’s Hanukkah is cant spots throughout the our annual venture to a country, and sometimes fancy coffee shop for sufthe world, to kindle the ganiyot and hot cocoa (for Hanukkah lights. A woman on King George Street in Jerusalem appears perplexed the kids, coffee for me). Also, as in the United picking from the array of sufganiyot choices for Hanukkah. Last year’s offerings States and throughout the Credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90 world, Chabad is a palpaincluded sufganiyot filling with flavors such as champagne, taffy and pistachio. ble presence in Israel during Hanukkah, with their But Hanukkah in Israel is not all about sufganiyot. With chanukiyot sprouting in town squares, public parks and on the kids out of school for a week, family fun rules. the backs of cars. In our own community, the local Chabad Workplaces mostly stay open, but stay-at-home moms and lights a tall chanukiyah in the middle of our open-air mall, parents who manage to get some end-of-the-year time off inviting children to come each night to sing the blessings do not want for kid-friendly activities during Hanukkah. and enjoy sufganiyot. Cities throughout Israel offer many cultural extravaganzas Perhaps the best part about being in Israel during during the holiday. There are musicals and plays for chil- Hanukkah is walking down the streets of many cities and dren, often starring some of the best known old and new seeing Hanukkah lights burning, often in special glass conIsraeli television and music personalities. Malls feature chil- tainers, outside next to the front door. With the mezuzah on dren’s programming like arts and crafts stations, or they set one side and the Hanukkah lights on the other, the home is up stages with visits from jugglers, singers and often charac- surrounded by mitzvot, according to tradition. And since ters from beloved Israeli children’s shows such as Yuval everyone lights their own chanukiyot, it is not uncommon Mibubal (Yuval the Confused) or Kofiko (a monkey with very to see a home with dozens of lights burning in the window. human traits). It truly makes Hanukkah feel like a national celebration. One of our favorite happenings in recent years featured candle dipping. Others included demonstrations of making JEWISH PRESS NOTICE olive oil and pita (and eating). There will be no Jewish Press on Dec. 30 due to staff There are also plenty of Hanukkah parties to attend in the vacations and a need to upgrade computer equipment. evenings, either public or private. Like in America, synagogues, schools and other institutions host parties, and Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

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In tough times, relying on the Jewish community for help by PENNY SCHWARTZ BOSTON (JTA) -- In August, in the heat of the summer, a Boston-area mother of three began to worry about how she would pay for Hanukkah gifts. Across the country in San Francisco, a 33-year-old Russian-born mother of six said that thinking about this Hanukkah made her cry. Both women -- Lauren of Boston and Lilya of San Francisco (they asked that their last names not be used) -are struggling in a down economy to provide for their families. Still, they are hopeful that with support of Jewish organizations, they will find meaningful ways to celebrate the eight-day Festival of Lights. As American Jews prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, which this year begins on the evening of Dec. 20, Jewish social service agencies across the country are gearing up to help the growing number of needy American families. In the five boroughs of New York City, the magnitude of Jewish need is huge, according to William Rapfogel, CEO of the New York-based Met Council, a Jewish anti-poverty agency. Even before 2008, when the recession hit, Rapfogel estimated that one-third of the 1 million Jews living in New York City live at or near poverty. Since ‘08, more middle-class and upper-tier earners have experienced job loss and other financial crises. “There now really is no unaffected group, except maybe the very top income earners,” Robert Moffitt, a professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University, told The Associated Press. “Recessions are supposed to be temporary, and when it’s over, everything returns to where it was before. But the worry now is that the downturn -- which will end eventually -- will have long-lasting effects on families who lose jobs, become worse off and can’t recover.” At Hanukkah, Rapfogel expects his agency to distribute 15,000 to 20,000 toys. In New York, kosher pantries serving those in need will offer Hanukkah food, he said. Understanding the growing need for families, Lauren began calling Jewish groups in the summer hoping to get a head start to arrange for her three young sons to receive Hanukkah gifts. She has tried to manage the gift-giving expectations, but admits it’s stressful. Three years ago, her middle-class family faced an unpredictable crisis that left Lauren to raise her children on her own. Lauren sold her home and is living in a smaller house

with the financial support of her family. She is juggling four separate part-time jobs, from caring for an elderly blind woman to office work for a seasonal service company. Her children participate in the Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters program in New England, which provides some gift cards and will host a Hanukkah party for its families.

staff members at Jewish Family and Children’s Services in the San Francisco Bay Area have helped with everything from resume-writing assistance to emergency funds and supermarket vouchers. “I don’t feel alone,” she said. Jewish Family and Children’s Services in the Bay Area over the last several years has seen an increase in families who had never utilized a social service agency, said Gayle Zahler, the agency’s associate executive director. She said her agency will see a 15 percent increase in the number of families seeking help, with a total of 3,000 families in some kind of economic distress. At Hanukkah, people feel more isolated, Zahler says. Her agency maintains five regional food pantries, including one at the San Francisco office. For the High Holidays it collected a record 11,000 pounds of non-perishable food. The office is gearing up for a similar drive for Hanukkah, she said. Rapfogel says the proximity this year between Hanukkah and Christmas on Dec. 25 has an impact on how the holiday is observed. Even in predominately Jewish neighborhoods, Christmas ornaments and decorations are on full display. “It’s a fact of life. There’s pressure on families to buy gifts,” he said. For retailers, that proximity provides some optimism. Naftoli Versch, who directs Internet marketing for Rite Credit: cherishedbydesign.com Lite, a large manufacturer of seasonal Judaica, told JTA Lisa Cohen, a licensed social worker and vice president of that when the two holidays fall at approximately the same programs and services for the organization, says the pro- time, retailers can market the holidays together. gram is inundated at Hanukkah time. “There’s a lot more excitement,” he told JTA. “We anticipate a lot of tough stories this year,” she told JTA And Hanukkah already is the biggest season for Rite Lite, in a phone interview. Noting that the hard times have hit which this year is offering 50 new products for the holiday. middle-class families, Cohen said, “We hadn’t experienced Expected to be among the most popular are home-related that as much before.” items such as Hanukkah cupcake kits and environmentally Hanukkah once was Lilya’s favorite holiday. She had “green” products, including organic vegetable wax candles immigrated to America in 1993 at the age of 14 with her par- in a biodegradable box. ents and siblings. After she married, she would decorate her The economy plays an important role in how Americans home and host a large family gathering, setting a table with celebrate Hanukkah, according to Dianne Ashton, whose special Hanukkah dishes. book Hanukkah in America will be published next year. At But last year, Lilya ended a difficult marriage and now is the end of the 1800s, when Christmas became more childthe sole support of her children. She is struggling to find centered and sentimental, the rise of department stores led work. to gift giving for children for both holidays. Lilya, trying to make significant changes in her life, says Continued on page 20

Best wishes from our family to yours for a holiday filled with love and light!

20 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

Dreidel Games by SYBIL KAPLAN “I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay, And when it’s dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play!”* S’veevon, sov, sov, sov (spinning top, turn, turn, turn) Hanukah hu chag tov (Hanukkah is a good holiday). Both of these songs underscore the most popular game for Hanukkah--dreidel (Yiddish) or s’vivon (Hebrew), which means spinning top. In Hanukah: Eight Nights, Eight Lights, Malka Drucker writes that the game evolved 2,000 years ago when the Hanukkah story took place, at a time when Antiochus ruled over Judea in ancient Israel. “Groups of boys who had memorized the entire Torah would secretly study together until they heard the footsteps of the Syrian soldiers. Then they would quickly pull out spinning tops... and pretend to be playing games,” she writes. Whether this is true or not, we do know that by the Middle Ages, the game became more complicated, as rules were borrowed from a German gambling game. According to the Encyclopedia Judaica, during the long nights of Hanukkah, while the lights were burning, it became customary to pass the time by spinning tops and playing the ancient “put and take” game. This was in fulfillment of the commandment that the Hanukkah lights should not be used for any utilitarian purpose; “they are only to be seen.” Playing cards and games were prohibited by the rabbis over the years and were deplored as frivolous because they took away from Torah study. However, the custom continued. In Medieval Germany, dice were used for the game, and they were inscribed with N, G, H, and S. N stood for nichts or nothing; G stood for ganz or all; H was for halb or half; and S meant stell ein or put in. All players would hold an equal number of nuts, raisins or coins. Each player put one in the middle, and the first player would spin the dice. Each letter stood for a move in the game--putting in or taking out nuts, raisins or coins, according to where the dice landed. Later, boys carved tops or dreidels out of wood or poured hot lead into a form to make a spinning top. The letters were then changed to Hebrew and said to stand for nun, gimmel, hey and shin. The rabbis were less reluctant for boys to play because the letters were interpreted to stand for the phrase, Nes Gadol Hayah Sham--a great miracle happened there. In modem Israel, the Hebrew letter shin is replaced by a

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peh, standing for poh, meaning here--a great miracle happened here. The rabbis felt even more comfortable about the game when it was also realized that when the Hebrew letters, which had numerical value, were added together, they totaled 358, the same number of letters as the word for Messiah. (Nun is 50, gimmel is three, hey is five and shin is

all the characteristics of man. *The origin of the song was the subject of an interesting article a few years ago in Hadassah Magazine by Melanie Mitzman. She wrote that Professor of Music and Jewish Studies at Northeastern University, Joshua Jacobson, claimed the song was originally in Yiddish and the opening line was “I made it out of lead.” Samuel Grossman is said to have penned the English lyrics, and Samuel Goldfarb, a Jewish liturgical composer employed by the Bureau of Jewish Education between 1914 and 1929, wrote the melody for the English version. Goldfarb’s granddaughter, Susan Wolfe, recalls telling her public school class that her grandfather had written The Dreidel Song, but they did not believe her. How to play Put and Take On the sides of the dreidel are four letters. They stand for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham – A great miracle happened there. To play the game, each player puts in one or more nuts or coins as agreed. Spin the dreidel. If it falls on N, the player does nothing. If it falls on G, the player gets all. If it falls on H, the player takes half. If it calls on S, the player takes the whole pot.

300.) The letters of the word Messiah or mashiach in Hebrew are mem which is 40, shin which is 300, yud which is 10 and chet which is eight. Since the Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, this would show the way for a miracle. Another mystical interpretation of the Hebrew letters is described by Philip Goodman in The Hanukkah Anthology. He writes that nun stood for nefesh (Hebrew for soul); gimmel stood for guf (Hebrew for body); shin stood for sechal (Hebrew for mind); and hey stood for hakol (all) implying

Endurance All players spin the dreidel at a given signal. The player whose dreidel spins the longest is the winner. Play for Score Each Hebrew letter of the dreidel has a numerical value. N = 50, G= 3, H = 5, S = 300 Players agree on a definite score or definite time in which to play. Each player spins the dreidel. Score keeper credits each player with numerical value of letter on which his dreidel falls until score is reached.

Relying on the Jewish community for help Continued from page 19 By contrast, in the 1930s, during the Depression, the Jewish women’s magazine Women’s League Outlook featured paper cutouts for a headband for kids that had paper candle holders, like a Hanukkah menorah. Throughout American history, Hanukkah has offered Jewish families the opportunity to shape celebrations that are meaningful to them in their own homes, Ashton said. “It will continue to be shaped by American Jews as they wish to shape it,” she suggested. Last year, Lilya didn’t decorate her house. Her 14-yearold daughter told her that it didn’t feel like a holiday. That

saddened Lilya, so this year she intends to bring her children to community Hanukkah programs. “I do have hope,” she told JTA. For Lauren, Hanukkah is a time to slow down her family’s hectic pace to celebrate the holiday, using homemade menorahs and dreidels her sons made in Hebrew school -- the local Chabad congregation provided a scholarship that allows her sons to attend Hebrew school and summer camp. Lauren sees a positive outcome from the upheaval in their lives. “This has brought me closer to Judaism,” she said. “My boys wouldn’t be in Hebrew school.”

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 21

The making of a Hollywood Maccabee wannabee by EDMON J. RODMAN LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- Who would have projected that Hanukkah could be billed as the festival of lights, camera, action? Mel Gibson, for one, who in the fall announced that he was working with Warner Bros. on producing a movie about Judah Maccabee. Not seeing this as a boffo idea was Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, who was quoted on CNN as saying that “Judah Maccabee is one of the greatest heroes in Jewish history. Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite. He has made antiSemitic remarks in the past. I don’t know what Warner Bros. was thinking.”

al major films, such as Street Fighter and the Laura Croft series, were adapted from games and had grossed $100 million or more. That was the ticket. I speed-dialed a board game manufacturer I knew in Long Beach, CA -- Flaster Siskin, owner of FlasterVenure -- to see if he wanted in. I had checked out his Maccabees board game online and saw that he had commissioned a dramatic cinematic illustration: a Greek Seleucid battle elephant being attacked by Maccabee insurgents. I instantly imagined the movie poster. With the Maccabees very much in the news, and with an inventory of Maccabees games, I thought Siskin would be ready to deal. Not so fast. Before entering the gaming business, Siskin had tried his hand at screenwriting. He warned, “Working in Hollywood is difficult. A lot of scripts get optioned but never get made.” “The guy who’s spearing the elephant, is that Judah?” I asked, trying to draw him in. “No, that’s his brother, Eleazar,” Siskin answered. “Would we need to change script, then, keeping Judah as the film’s only action hero character?” I asked, thinking about the costs of two stars plus an elephant. Judah Mac, the Movie, coming to cable soon -- elephant and “It doesn’t need a major all? Credit: FlasterVenture LLC rewrite. You want to keep A few months later, the Hollywood Eleazar in the picture,” he answered. Reporter made it known that others in Siskin began to warm to his plot outline. Hollywood had taken note of Hier’s criti- “The first act would show how a change in cism when it announced that producer Seleucid leadership brought about oppresBruce Nash was planning on making a com- sion of the Jews,” he said. peting Maccabee movie or TV miniseries, The Eleazar and elephant scene would be and had even hired a screenwriter. the end of the second act. “It was the turnWith two Judah movies in production, I ing point of the war,” Siskin noted, adding began to wonder: Was there room for a that “Unfortunately, Eleazar, who is under third? A low, low-budget cable version that the elephant, dies too.” would exploit the publicity of the other two? Ouch. For a holiday film, everyone wants I knew just the guy to do it -- me. After all, a happy ending. I had worked for two weeks as a special “But then, Judah and his warriors take effects assistant on China Syndrome eons back the country,” Siskin said, rallying for ago, and live in sight of the Hollywood sign. the film’s third act. Inspired by the Hasmoneans, I would “And the climax?” I asked. strike quickly and stealthily against the pop “The two miracles,” he answered. “The cultural foes, freeing the box office. But military victory and the oil burning for eight without a bankable star -- in fact without days.” anything even remotely related to a bank -Now we moved to casting. I needed a miracle: an alternative way of “Who plays Judah?” I asked. drawing some attention to my prospective “I would rather see a comedic tough guy production. like Adam Sandler than Mel Gibson,” he What about springboarding my produc- answered. tion off a best-selling game? After all, sever- Continued on page 22

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by SYBIL KAPLAN In the Temple of Jerusalem stood a sevenbranched candelabrum or menorah, which was lit each day by the High Priest. There were also other candelabra for ornamental purposes. When Antiochus removed the Temple menorah, Judah Maccabee had a duplicate built (called a candlestick with lamps upon it, in one Apocrypha translation), and he lit it, although there is no mention of oil to light it. When the Second Temple was destroyed, the menorah was said to have been carried to Rome, and a replica, being carried by Jewish slaves, was carved on the inside of the Arch of Titus. Lighting a chanukiya or eight-branched candelabrum with one to serve as the shamash (one who lights the others) is a popular Hanukkah custom. Originally, eight individual ceramic or stone lamps with wicks were lit with olive oil. Jews from Yemen and Morocco also used rough stone lamps with scooped-out places for the wicks and the higher one for the shamash. At some point, people began the custom of hanging their lamps on the left side of the door, opposite the mezuzah because Jews were commanded to affirm the miracle in public. When it became dangerous to display the chanukiya out of doors, people began lighting them inside the house, frequently by a window. A wide variety of those chanukiyot, in diverse decorative styles and materials, have been preserved throughout the years. As early as the 12th century, replicas of the menorah with the two additional holders were found in synagogues, so that poor people and strangers could still benefit from lighting. Eventually, this design was used for home chanukiyot, but some people criticized the custom of lighting in the home. At some point, discussions ensued on which wall to place the synagogue chanukiya; by the 16th century, lighting in the synagogue became established as an addition to lighting at home. Chanukiyot, dating back to 13th century Spain and southern France, display a straight row of holders with a backplate. One can also find chanukiyot made of bronze, from the time of the

Renaissance (14th century), depicting Judith and the head of Holofernes. According to Michael Kaniel in A Guide to Jewish Art, in Morocco in the 11th century, the chanukiya was the most widely used ritual object, and it was often made of gold, silver, brass, bronze, iron, lead, glass, wood, glazed ceramics, terra cotta, bone, pomegranate shells, walnut shells and bark. Then the brass style became popular with

North African Arab designs using flower, foliage, fruits and animals. Those from Iraq often used the hamsa, the open hand symbol against the evil eye. European chanukiyot, mostly after the 17th century, were made in brass with animals symbolic of Jewish folk art. Later on, they appear in silver and were commissioned from silversmiths. European artisans often created chanukiyot from silver using plant designs. An 18th century lamp from Germany depicts the prayers for lighting the candles. A 19th century lamp, either from Libya or Morocco, is made of ceramics. Twentieth century designs in Morocco were of silver and used animals and plants in the design. Originally, wicks and oil were used, but in the 18th and 19th centuries, many people replaced these with candles. Traditional Jews, particularly in Jerusalem, still use wicks and oil and hang the chanukiya outside the home in a glass-enclosed container. Electric chanukiyot atop public buildings are also customary in Israel as are homestyle chanukiyot of all varieties lit in stores, offices and public places. The primary rule for a “kosher� chanukiya is that all eight holders should be at the same level, and the shamash should be higher than the others.

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Continued from page 21 “We could even have Sandler sing Eight Crazy Nights,� I suggested, feeling the showbiz buzz. “And could we update the title. What about something more box office, like Judah Mac?� “Very hip,� Siskin responded. Now that my concept was a go, I needed to audience test it with the Jewish establishment. Since Holocaust museum folks like Hier seemed to be the go-to guys for Jewish reaction these days, I turned to Mark Rothman, director of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, who also was a film school graduate. For starters, Rothman wanted me to know of his “deep suspicion of Gibson’s telling the Judah story with any Jewish sensitivity,� he said. Then, thinking of how to draw the largest draw for my production, Rothman told me to be mindful of the film’s potential Christian audience. “This clearly has to be a crossover,� he said. To cut costs, Rothman thought I should restrict the battle scenes to guerrilla-type actions. “Something like sabotaging chari-

ots,� he suggested. Suddenly worried that this was sounding too much like a war movie, I asked Rothman if I needed a love interest. Ever the film school grad, he quickly outlined how I could write in a female warrior who gains acceptance by fighting off several enemy attackers. Then I hit him with my projected title. Judah Mac excited him with tie-in possibilities. “Maybe Apple will come out with a new laptop, or McDonald’s a new burger,� he said, laughing at his cleverness. However, when I told him about the planned dramatic moment when Eleazer impales the elephant, Rothman blanched. “You’re only going to get in trouble from PETA and the ASPCA,� he warned. There went my second act. “Making Judah Mac is going to be much harder than I thought,� I said, frustrated by the new complication. “Welcome to Hollywood,� said Rothman. Edmon J. Rodman, who lives just a couple of miles from Hollywood, writes a JTA column on Jewish life. Contact him at edmojace@gmail.com.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 23

Seen... on the Israel scene: Reconstructing 64 years ago by SYBIL KAPLAN speeches from the balcony. Throughout all my A cardboard replica of a 1947 radio broadyears of Zionist cast the final vote; youth groups, some in involvements in dance costumes, performed dances in the Young Judaea, Student plaza. meanwhile, a news boy distributed a Zionist Organization, newspaper showing old photographs of the crowds on the same balcony in 1947, people Junior Hadassah and dancing, and old newspaper articles. Hadassah, one monuLarge cardboard figures of pioneeers mentous occasion has adorned the gardens. A multitude of televibeen the old films sion cameramen and journalists moved showing Israelis suramong the crowd, interviewing and filming. rounding radios, lisA declaration was read that from this year, tening to the countrythis day will be celebrated each year. by-country vote at the Background note: On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations on Above left: Cardboard figures of pioneers from 1947, right, Citroen bringing in actors portraying chief rabbis. Credit: Sybil Kaplan UN General Assembly voted on a partition Nov. 29, 1947 and the An actress, who looked and acted nothing like Gold Meir plan and adopted Resolution 181, recognizing that the Jewish subsequent jubilation when the State of Israel was created. except for the hairstyle and shoes, walked among the crowd people deserved the Jewish state in their historic homeland; the What must it have been like to be there? The World Zionist Organization decided to stage a first and then later read a speech she made from the balcony of resolution called for a Jewish state and an Arab state; the Arab population refused to accept the resolution indicating they did for Israel’s history--a reconstruction of the Nov. 29, 1947 the Jewish Agency building. Two actors, dressed as the chief rabbis of the time, rode to not wish to establish their own state if it meant allowing a day, at 1 p.m., in the plaza where the Jewish Agency, Jewish the plaza in 1947 Citroen limousines and later made their Jewish state. National Fund and Keren Hayesod sit, on King George.

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The word on new Hanukkah books for kids by PENNY SCHWARTZ BOSTON (JTA) -- Judah Maccabee, meet the Golem of Prague. And Rebecca Rubin, Engineer Ari, and Nathan and Jacob, two brothers who are part of a modern American Jewish family. They are among the characters who take center stage in this year’s crop of new children’s books for Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights that begins this year at sundown Dec. 20. The lively mix includes the recent release of an ebook version of a popular chapter book and a dazzling work of design by a renowned paper artist.

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah! Illustrated by Olga and Eleksey Ivanov Marshall Cavendish ($12.99); ages 1-4 A brightly illustrated book version of the popular song features double-page paintings of a family -- and their smiling pet dog -- celebrating each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Sing along as they light the menorah, dance the hora, eat latkes and play dreidel. An end note explains the origins of the Hebrew and Yiddish versions of the song, a mainstay of the holiday. Music and lyrics are provided. A PJ Library selection. Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap Deborah Bodin Cohen, illustrated by Shahar Kober Kar-Ben ($7.95); ages 4-8 Board a Hanukkah train ride set in Israel, the latest addition to the award-winning series of Engineer Ari books that will especially delight train-loving kids. A stubborn camel provides the obstacle as Engineer Ari heads home with a trainload of Hanukkah treats and toys. A Bedouin farmer named Kalil comes to the rescue, and together they celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Lively cartoon-like illustrations animate the fun and hopeful story. An author’s note explains the building of the first railway line between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles Tami Lehman-Wilzig with Nicole Katzman; illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau Kar-Ben ($7.95); ages 4-8 “Is it Hanukkah? Is it Hanukkah?” Jacob’s big brother Nathan repeats the question, and many others, again and again, annoying Jacob. Jacob tries to understand that his brother’s autism causes him to think and act differently, but some-

times Jacob loses his patience. Jacob is embarrassed in front of new neighbors when Nathan blows out the Hanukkah candles as if it were a birthday celebration, but he defends Nathan when a new friend makes fun of his brother. The family’s creative response brings everyone together in a fun-filled Hanukkah celebration. The story tackles a serious issue without being heavy-handed. A PJ Library selection.

Chanukah Lights Michael J. Rosen, Robert Sabuda Candlewick Press ($34.99); ages 5 and up This gift book, a stunning collaboration between awardwinning writer and poet Michael J. Rosen and master pop-up artist Robert Sabuda, is one that kids might have to pry away from their parents -or they can enjoy together. Rosen in simple language traces the history of celebrating Hanukkah and its aspiration for freedom from ancient times to today, from the ancient Temple to the desert, across oceans, to shtetls and the cities of immigrant families, to an olive grove on a kibbutz in Israel. Sabuda’s mesmerizing paper creations emerge miraculously from the folded pages. The artwork is outstanding in both its detail and the simplicity of the images it evokes. The Story of Hanukkah David A. Adler, illustrated by Jill Weber Holiday House ($14.95); ages 4-8 Who was that guy Judah Maccabee and what does he have to do with Hanukkah? Parents and educators seeking an informative and engaging book about the historic origins of the holiday will be attracted to David Adler’s signature straightforward style. Adler, the award-winning and popular author of more than 200 books for children, including The Kids’ Catalog of Hanukkah, is skillful at enlightening readers unfamiliar with the two-millennia-old story of the great military victory of the Maccabees over religious persecution by their Greek rulers and the miracle of the oil. Jill Weber’s illustrations

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evoke ancient times with the golden glow of the Temple and dramatic battle scenes of mighty Greek warriors on horses and elephants. The story ends with a modern family celebrating Hanukkah. Back pages include Weber’s recipe for latkes and instructions for playing dreidel.

The Golem’s Latkes Adapted by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Aaron Jasinski Marshall Cavendish ($17.99); ages 4-8 Master storyteller Eric Kimmel delivers a deliciously mischievous Hanukkah spin on an old world legend of the Golem of Prague, a kabbalistic creature with magical powers to help the Jewish people. When Rabbi Judah of Prague leaves his new housemaid Basha with a long list of chores for the holiday celebration, he cautions her not to leave the hard-working golem alone in the house. The only way to get the golem to stop working is to tell him, “Golem, enough!” Kimmel writes. Kids will delight in the inevitable hilarity when Basha takes off to visit her friend and leaves the golem alone making latkes. The fried potato pancakes pile up higher and higher, out the windows, and take over the city streets. A festive ending gathers the whole city for a latkes-eating Hanukkah celebration. Jasinski’s memorable illustrations show the fantastical golem painted more like a Gumby-style robot than a frightening ghoul. Double-page spreads place readers in the action, from the cobblestone streets of Prague to the mountain-high towers of golden potato latkes. In an e-mail, Kimmel, author of the popular Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, told JTA that he was inspired by earlier versions of the Golem story by children’s writer David Wisniewski, the classic story by renowned Yiddish writer I.B. Singer and the tale of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. “Ghost and goblin stories make for good storytelling,” Kimmel wrote. “That’s why they’ve been around for so long.” A PJ Library selection. Candlelight for Rebecca Jacqueline Dembar Greene, illustrations by Robert Hunt American Girl (6.95 paperback/e-book available for Kindle and Nook readers) Ages 8 and up Set in 1914, Jacqueline Dembar Greene’s historical novel is the third in a series of six popular American Girl books featuring Rebecca Rubin, a Jewish girl who lives with her family on New York City’s Lower East side. Originally published in book form in 2009, it is newly available for electronic reading devices. Rebecca is uneasy when her class is assigned an art project to make a Christmas table decoration because her Jewish family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Continued on page 26

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Frying high: Keeping known, lesser-known culinary traditions by SYBIL KAPLAN JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Latkes and sufganiyot, the jelly-filled doughnuts especially popular in Israel, are well-known Hanukkah fare made with oil to signify the holiday tale. Lesser known is the tradition of cheese and the story of Judith.

1 1/4 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder Confectioners’ sugar Preparation: 1. In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil. Set a large wire rack over a baking sheet, top with paper towels and position near the saucepan. 2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Add flour and baking powder and beat until just blended. 3. Using a very small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons, slide 8 walnut-size rounds of batter into the hot oil. Fry over moderate heat until deep golden all over and cooked Hanukkah mini-doughnuts are called ponchiki in Russian through, 3 to 4 minutes. Using and ponchik in Yiddish. a slotted spoon, transfer the Like the Hanukkah story, which is part of fritters to the rack to drain. Continue frying the Apocrypha -- books not incorporated in the remaining fritters in batches of 8. Arrange the Bible -- the book of Judith tells of a beau- the fritters on a platter and dust well with tiful widow whose town was under siege by confectioners’ sugar. the army of the Assyrians and decided to Makes 8 servings. visit the commander in chief of the army to ask him not to overtake the town. As the PARADISE PONCHEKES story goes, she gives him wine, he gets fall- Here are recipes by Ruth Sirkis for the mini down drunk and falls into a stupor. Judith doughnuts called ponchiki in Russian and beheads the king and saves her people and ponchik in Yiddish that were brought to the town. Israel by Polish immigrants, as well as sevLegend has it that Judith fed him cheese to eral types of latkes. make him thirsty, and since she lived in the Ingredients: same period as the Maccabees, Jews of vari- 1 cup water ous communities instituted the custom of 4 ounces margarine eating cheese dishes in honor of her hero- 1 cup flour ism. 4 eggs On my cookbook shelf is a a classic writ- Oil ten in the 1970s -- A Taste of Tradition by Preparation: Ruth Sirkis, the “Julia Child of Israel.” Sirkis 1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. has written numerous cookbooks and was Add margarine and continue boiling until it the food editor for a major Israeli women’s melts. Add the flour and mix with a wooden magazine; she also had a popular radio spoon until the mixture forms a ball and show. leaves the sides of the pan. A Taste of Tradition covered all the Jewish 2. Remove from heat. Beat in the eggs, one holidays; below are some of her Hanukkah at a time. recipes. Plus to celebrate Judith, some 3. Heat oil in a pot for deep frying. When cheese recipes are included from various oil is hot, drop in pieces of dough from a teasources. spoon. Let puff and turn as needed to assure even browning. CHEESE LATKES 4. Remove from oil with slotted spoon. This recipe is from “Spice and Spirit, The Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with warm Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook of the sauce. Lubavitch Women.” CHOCOLATE SAUCE Ingredients: Ingredients: 3 eggs 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup milk 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1 cup drained cottage cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine 1 teaspoon baking powder Preparation: 1/2 teaspoon salt 1. Combine syrup and chocolate in a 5 tablespoons sugar saucepan. Heat over low heat until the choco1 teaspoon vanilla extract late melts. 1/2 cup oil 2. Remove from heat, add vanilla and marPreparation: garine. Mix well. Serve warm. 1. Place eggs, milk, cottage cheese, flour, ORANGE SAUCE baking powder, salt, sugar and vanilla in a Ingredients: bowl and mix until smooth. 1 cup orange juice 2. Heat oil in a frying pan (if using nonstick 1/2 cup sugar pan, use less oil.) Drop batter by spoon into 1 tablespoon cornstarch hot oil. Fry until brown on both sides. Drain Juice from 1 lemon on paper towels and continue until all batter 2 tablespoons orange liqueur 2 teaspoons grated orange rind is used. Keep warm until serving. 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine Serve with sour cream or applesauce. Preparation: 1. Mix orange juice, sugar and cornstarch VANILLA RICOTTA FRITTERS This recipe comes from a Chicago chef Gale in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Gand, who got it from her mother-in-law. 2. Remove from heat and let cool. Add Ingredients: lemon juice, orange liqueur, orange rind and Vegetable oil margarine. Mix. Serve warm. 3 large eggs 1/4 cup sugar Author’s note: You can also sprinkle confec1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract tioner’s sugar on ponchikes instead of sauces. Continued on page 26 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

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Kids’ Hanukkah books Continued from page 24 Rebecca grapples with timeless, universal questions about acceptance and religious freedom that resonate with readers from all backgrounds. In an e-mail, Dembar Greene told JTA that Jewish readers tell her that they enjoy having their traditions reflected in a series of books. One of the more memorable letters, she said, was from a thirdgrader at a Catholic school who said that she was amazed to discover so many similarities between the values and social concerns of the two religions.

Playing Dreidel with Judah Maccabee A play by Edward Einhorn Theater 61 Press ($14.95); ages 12 and up Edward Einhorn is the artistic director of a New York-based theater company who served as the director of the Festival of Jewish Theater. Einhorn’s play is a fantasy that travels in time between a modern-day synagogue and ancient Israel. As the young Jonathan spins a dreidel, singing the familiar dreidel song, he is startled by the appearance of an old man dressed in armor. The conversation between Jonathan and Judah Maccabee starts out like a comedy routine, each questioning who the other is, but over eight days a warm relationship develops between the young adolescent and the ancient battle-weary warrior that sheds a contemporary light onto the long arc of Jewish history and ritual. Educators may find this a unique play for performing or reading aloud.

Frying high Continued from page 25 MODERN POTATO LATKES Ingredients: 1 cup mashed potatoes 2 ounces margarine 1/2 cup flour 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt Dash white pepper 1 teaspoon dehydrated onion flakes Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare mashed potatoes according to packaged directions, substituting water for milk or boil and mash 1/2 pound fresh potatoes. 2. Add margarine, flour, eggs, salt, pepper and onion flakes. Mix well. 3. Fill a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip with potato mixture. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Press out latkes on cookie sheet to resemble a 3-inch long ladyfinger. 4. Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Bake latkes for 15 minutes. They should puff a little and have a golden color. Serve immediately. Makes 16-20 latkes. TRADITIONAL LATKES Ingredients: 2 pounds peeled potatoes 1 small onion 1 small apple 2 eggs 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Oil Preparation: 1. Grate potatoes on a coarse grater. Peel and grate onion and apple. 2. Beat eggs lightly. Add potatoes, onion and blend well. Add salt, flour and baking powder, and mix thoroughly. 3. Pour one inch of oil in a large skillet and heat. Drop pancake mixture by tablespoons into the hot oil. Fry and brown on both sides. Serve hot with sour cream and applesauce. Makes 20 latkes. Note: You can also use an electric blender for grating. Cut each potato into 8 pieces, put in blender and cover with water. Close lid and blend at medium speed for 5 seconds. Drain through a sieve. Put potatoes in bowl and proceed.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 27

Hakoah soccer makes a comeback -- in New Jersey by ADAM SOCLOF NEW YORK (JTA) – Even in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Ron Glickman stands out with a navy hat and sky-blue jersey both adorned with Stars of David. Glickman, 28, doesn’t always dress this way – his day job is in sales for El Al Airlines. But when he’s getting ready for a game, this is his uniform. Glickman is one of the key players behind the New Jersey revival of a century-old legendary Jewish soccer club, Hakoah, which started in Vienna before World War I and was shuttered by the Nazis on the eve of World War II. Now, more than half a century later, the Hakoah name has been revived by Glickman and his brother with SC Hakoah Bergen County, a team comprised of Jewish and non-Jewish players playing its first season in the North Jersey Soccer League. Glickman, a native of New Jersey, first learned about Hakoah on a visit to the Diaspora Museum, Beit Hatfutsot, in Tel Aviv during a trip to Israel. The Hakoah athletic club was established in 1909 in the Austrian capital in part to dispel myths of Jews as physically inferior. Its teams competed in a variety of sports, including a renowned water polo team. At its peak, the Hakoah soccer club was a leading team in international play. “I was shocked to find out that a Jewish club was so dominant in Europe in the 1920s,” Glickman said. Ever since, Glickman dreamed of starting his own Jewish soccer team with the Hakoah name. He made aliyah after high school and served in the Israel Defense Forces but later returned to the United States. About two years ago, Glickman began work in earnest to put together a Hakoah

team. With guidance from his older brother, Dov, Glickman procured a field at New Jersey’s Farleigh Dickinson University. They navigated insurance, registration and other logistics for the North Jersey Soccer League, and procured sponsors to help defray costs. The iconic Hakoah Star of David crest that

according to John Sealy, the league’s COO and a veteran player from around that time. “From my recollection, they were always a team to contend with,” Sealy said. In fact, this isn’t the first Hakoah team to play in America; the original Hakoah team from Vienna came to the United States on a

SC Hakoah Bergen County players huddle ahead of the kickoff against Waldwick S.C., Oct. Credit: Ron Glickman 5, 2011. adorns the upper right corner of the team’s jersey also bears the logo of Glickman’s employer, El Al. SC Hakoah Bergen County isn’t the first Jewish soccer team to play in an amateur league in New Jersey. From the late 1970s through the early ‘90s, a team called the Fair Lawn Maccabees played in the league,

tour in 1926. Glickman later learned that his great-grandfather was among the tens of thousands of fans who turned out to see Hakoah play during that visit. “Finding out my great-grandfather was one of those people who went to the Polo Grounds to see Hakoah when they came on tour here in New York, and knowing how

big of a soccer fan he was, it just felt right,” Glickman said of his starting a Hakoah team. “It felt like destiny.” By the 1920s, Hakoah had become so famous that President Coolidge received the squad on its U.S. visit. Ironically, the U.S. visit was blamed for the team’s dissolution, as some star players left Europe for more lucrative offers in the United States. Some of those players helped assemble the New York Hakoah team. The original Hakoah club in Europe was formally shut down by the Nazis in 1938. In recent decades, Hakoah clubs have cropped up in several countries, including Israel, Argentina, Switzerland -- and Austria. But the international prestige of the original club’s heyday has not been matched. That hasn’t stopped Glickman from taking his role on SC Hakoah Bergen County seriously. For Glickman, it started with the choice of a league -- he did not want to play in a Jewish league but in one with more challenging competition -- and extended to recruiting. First, Glickman tried to woo expats from Israel’s professional leagues, albeit unsuccessfully. Glickman caught a break when Harel Nahar, a former player for Israel’s Hapoel Herzliya, noticed a recruitment flyer for Hakoah in Tenafly, N.J. Nahar’s ballhandling skills and success recruiting a few other Israelis to the team earned him team captain honors. Glickman then went in search of Jewish college talent, looking for Israeli or Jewish family names on college rosters. That’s how he found forward Omri Lifschitz of Hunter University in New York. “My father grew up in Ramat Gan, and Hakoah Ramat Gan was his club,” Lifschitz told JTA. “His friends used to play there. Continued on page 29

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28 | The Jewish Press | December 9, 2011

In Detroit, Jewish resurgence led by young aims to transform city by DAN KLEIN DETROIT (JTA) -- Blair Nosan grew up in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield, attended the University of Michigan and then, like thousands of other young Jews from the beleaguered state, moved away. Though she grew up in a heavily Jewish area, Nosan, 26, had felt disconnected both from her Jewish identity and the nearby city, which was undergoing its own debilitating population drain. Over the last decade, 25 percent of Detroit’s residents have taken flight. Some 5,000 young Jews left Michigan between 2005 and 2010, according to a 2010 survey by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. But then Nosan came back. In 2009, she moved to Detroit to work in its burgeoning urban agriculture scene, eventually starting her own pickling company, Suddenly Sauer. Nosan was startled to learn that she was part of a significant migration of young Jews to the Motor City -- a young Jewish renaissance that has been as unexpected as it has been successful. It’s evident not just in numbers but in a resurgence of Jewish activity and vitality in the heart of Detroit, including among Jews who had never been Jewishly active. “I did not expect to find a Jewish community at all,” Nosan told JTA, echoing the sentiments of many of Detroit’s new Jewish residents. “Most of the Jews were living in Detroit as participants in the Jewish community, but with their Jewish identity in mind were trying to fill in the blanks of this long history we had had in the city but weren’t raised with.” Over the last few years, a slew of new programs from the institutional to the grass roots and from suburb to city have blossomed in the Detroit area.

Detroit’s first Moishe House opened in June in midtown, and its occupants -- five from the suburbs of Detroit and one from Los Angeles -- have been holding five or six Jewish events a month. The most recent was a sauerkraut workshop taught by Nosan that attracted 16 people.

remaining synagogue in the city. Detroit once was a major hub of Jewish life, with 44 synagogues. But after race riots in the 1960s and economic decline, most of the city’s whites -- Jews included -- left for the northern suburbs, repeating a pattern taking place in cities across America.

Blair Nosan, foreground right, founder of Suddenly Sauer and chair of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue’s Education and Social Action Committee, teaches a sauerkraut workshop at Detroit’s recently opened Moishe House, Nov. 20, 2011. Credit: Dan Klein At a bar in Royal Oak, a suburb near Detroit, Rabbi Leiby Burnham began a weekly program in 2007 called Torah on Tap to talk about Judaism in a bar setting, with the drinks paid for by an anonymous donor. Starting with seven people, the event now draws as many as 100 per week. The most striking example of the transformation of Jewish life in Detroit is at the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, the last

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In 2008, the 90-year old conservative shul was in dire straits -- open only once a week, often unable to assemble a minyan and without a rabbi (the last one had died in 2003). The board was considering packing it in and selling the historic four-story building. “Some didn’t think we had a future,” said David Powell, who has attended Isaac Agree for decades. “We continued to plod along

until reinforcements came.” Starting a few years ago, those reinforcements began to come in the form of young social activists and entrepreneurs who were drawn to the city by its growing arts scene and revitalization programs that offered subsidized rent and unique employment opportunities for social justice work. Many of the Jews among them came to the synagogue, in the process changing it. They began running services, serving on the board and organizing events of the sort that the old shul had never seen: Israeli film screenings, potluck dinners, Israeli folk dancing. Community activists also used it as a gathering place. “The synagogue wasn’t meeting the needs of the city, and it was struggling,” said Oren Goldenberg, a filmmaker and prominent activist in the community. “It needed to adapt.” Isaac Agree became more and more popular. Services were held three days a week rather than one. Events were organized to celebrate all the holidays. The synagogue started offering Hebrew lessons and even conversion classes. And now every Friday night it hosts a Shabbat dinner. “I liked Isaac Agree because it stayed; it’s been here the whole time,” Nosan said. “That’s a poignant point of entry for the community -- what’s already here and been here, and figuring out new energy that’s being brought to the table.” In the past few years, Isaac Agree has more than tripled its membership households, becoming the only conservative synagogue in Michigan not to suffer a decline, according to the 2010 federation survey. “There are definitely more Jews here than there were a year ago,” said Goldenberg while having coffee in Avalon International Continued on page 30

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Hakoah soccer makes a comeback Continued from page 27 Most of my friends, their parents used to be Hakoah supporters, so it’s like I’m keeping the tradition. It’s very sweet for me.” Another recruit was defender Joshua Pransky, a recent Yeshiva University graduate. “I actually went to Yeshiva so I could play NCAA sports. Once I left the NCAA,” Pransky said, “I wasn’t really interested in just playing around, I wanted to play in something more serious, and this is it.” Despite the team’s obviously Jewish character, half its members are not Jewish. Among them are Saeed SulemanaBaba, a Saudi-raised Ghanaian midfielder who played

Division I soccer for Western Michigan University, and Saah Hali, a devout Christian and a Liberian refugee whose family’s story was detailed in a 2006 article about his half-brother, NFL linebacker Tamba Hali of the Kansas City Chiefs. Seven languages are spoken among Hakoah team members: French, Hebrew, Norwegian, Swedish, Arabic, English and Spanish. Still, the team does not play on Jewish holidays and Shabbat, unlike its Viennese namesake, which played matches on Saturday. However eclectic, the team gels well on the field. In a recent game against Emeralds FC, Hakoah teammates were quick to identify their opponents’ weaknesses, scoring in the

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fifth minute. Capping off a 6-2 victory, the players reveled in a light-hearted exclamatory post-huddle “Shabbat Shalom!” Advancing to the highest level of the league, the World Division, would require Hakoah to finish at the top of its current U.S. West Division or win the league’s annual cup. In the league cup tournament, Hakoah had a strong showing, tying World Division team Ramapo FC 3-3 after overtime before the game had to be suspended during penalty kicks because the stadium lights went out. Now that the team is doing well, Glickman is thinking about his next big undertaking. “After I moved to the Upper West Side,” he said, “my mom gave me an ultimatum: two years to get married.”

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Continued from page 28 Breads, a bakery co-founded by Jackie Vicks, a 20-year resident of the city who joined the synagogue last year. “I live here. When things change, I know it.” Some of the new Jewish revitalization programs, including Torah on Tap and Detroit’s Moishe House, are receiving support from CommunityNext, a program started by one Detroit returnee based on the idea that creating cultural activities and a strong cultural center is as important as jobs to retaining and attracting young adults to Detroit. “Young Jews are not going to move to suburbs, they’re going to move to cities,” said Jordan Wolfe, the Detroit native who launched the program in 2010 after returning to the area in 2007 following a stint in California’s high-tech sector. “They’re willing to take jobs as a waiter if there’s something to do.” CommunityNext’s strategy is to support both Jewish culture and Detroit’s revitalization. The program, which was funded in the first year by $60,000 from two anonymous donors and another $40,000 from Detroit’s Jewish federation, organizes Jewish events and offers Jewish entrepreneurs small business loans and free office space. CommunityNext also supports nonsectarian Detroit revitalization projects such as Come Play Detroit, which helps organize intramural sports leagues. In its first year, Come Play Detroit created 27 leagues in nine sports involving 4,500 people. “We’re building community, but the larger agenda is Detroit,” said Rachel Lachover, CommunityNext’s associate director. “People are moving back. People are talking about Detroit.” In August, the federation teamed up with Come Play Detroit to set up fundraising sports tournaments across the country, raising $100,000 for 25 rent subsidies to help people move to Detroit on the condition that they hold community events once a month -- the Moishe House model. “I’ve enjoyed becoming part of the Detroit Jewish community,” said Allie Gross, an L.A. native now living at Moishe House. “It’s changing as a lot of young people move back in. There’s a sense of urgency. People are excited about what Detroit’s offering. It’s very exciting.”

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by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel said it has no imminent plan to attack Iran after the United States voiced doubt it would be consulted on such a strike. “We have no intention, at this time, of taking action, but the State of Israel is far from being paralyzed by fear,” Barak said recently when asked about speculation that the Netanyahu government was preparing to hit Iranian nuclear facilities pre-emptively. Speaking on Israel Radio, Barak said the country “must act calmly and quietly. We don’t need big wars.” The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, said Jerusalem might not share Washington’s confidence in the efficacy of sanctions designed to curb Iran’s nuclear program. “And because they don’t and because to them this is an existential threat, I think it’s fair to say that our expectations are different right now,” he told Reuters. Asked whether Israel would alert the United States ahead of time if it chose to attack Iran unilaterally, Dempsey said, “I don’t know.” The same day Chairman Dempsey spoke with Reuters, Israel’s Civil Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said: "We have our ability, which is essentially the ability in terms of airpower and early intelligence-collection, to hit launch sites everywhere -- from a range of a few kilometers in Gaza and Lebanon to a range of hundreds of kilometers deep in Lebanon and Syria." Then he added: "And beyond that, at far greater ranges, including if we find ourselves involved in the matter of Iran." Vilnai made the comments at the the annual Israel Aerospace International Conference and Exhibition in Jerusalem. Missile expert Uzi Rubin, who also spoke at the conference, estimated that Iran has around 400 Shehabs, a capability amplified by the shorter-range rockets of Tehran's terrorist proxies Hezbollah and Hamas. A recent precedent, Israel’s 2007 strike on a Syrian desert site that the United States described as a fledgling nuclear reactor, would suggest such doubt is not well-founded. Former President George W. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, wrote in their memoirs that while their administration did not “green light” the Israeli raid, they were made aware by then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that it was likely.

December 9, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 31

Netanyahu pulls ad campaign for Israeli expats that angered U.S. Jews by JTA NEWS STAFF NEW YORK (JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is canceling an ad campaign aimed at luring Israeli expatriates home that some American Jews have found offensive. The ads, produced by Israel’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, attempt to convey the message that the children and families of Israeli expats will not have Israeli identities if they stay in the Diaspora. This week, the Jewish Federations of North America called the ads “insulting,” and the head of the Anti-Defamation League said they were “demeaning.” “The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption’s campaign clearly did not take into account American Jewish sensibilities, and we regret any offense it caused,” Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement. “The campaign, which aimed to encourage Israelis living abroad to return home, was a laudable one, and it was not meant to cause insult. The campaign was conducted without the knowledge or approval of the Prime Minister’s Office or of the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Prime Minister Netanyahu, once made aware of the campaign, ordered the videos immediately removed from YouTube, and he ordered that the billboards be removed as well. The prime minister deeply values the American Jewish community and is committed to deepening ties between it and the State of Israel.” Though the ad campaign, consisting of billboards and three videos running on YouTube and on some Israeli sattelite TV channels, is more than two months old, Jewish organizations appear to have been galvanized by a report on The Jewish Channel that was highlighted by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg in a blog post titled “Netanyahu Government Suggests Israelis Avoid Marrying American Jews.” Goldberg called the ads a “demonstration of Israeli contempt for American Jews.” The Jewish Federations then said it was sending a letter to Netanyahu protesting the 30-second spots and asking that they be pulled. In one of the ads American Jews complained about, the young daughter of Israeli expats sits with her parents while video chatting with her grandparents in Israel, who have a lighted menorah in the background. When the grandparents ask the girl what holiday it is, she says, “Christmas!” The tagline: “They will always be Israeli. Their kids won’t.” In another ad, a dozing Israeli expat father is deaf to his son’s calls of “Daddy!” until the kid finally says “Abba!” The tagline: “Before ‘Abba’ turns into ‘Daddy,’ it’s time to come back to Israel.” “While we recognize the motivations behind the ad campaign, we are strongly opposed to the messaging that American Jews do not understand Israel,” Jewish

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Federations leaders wrote to their board of trustees. “We share the concerns many of you have expressed that this outrageous and insulting message could harm the IsraelDiaspora relationship.” The Anti-Defamation League’s national director, Abraham Foxman, told Haaretz the ads were “heavy-handed, and even demeaning.” According to the Haaretz report, Israeli’s Foreign Ministry consulted with the Absorption Ministry after receiving several complaints from American Jews and was told that the feedback from Israelis who live in the United States was positive.

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British lawmaker questions Jewish ambassador’s ‘loyalty’ by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- A British lawmaker came under fire for suggesting the country’s Jewish ambassador to Israel is biased because of his religion. Paul Flynn, a Labour parliamentarian, claimed last week that Britain’s ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, “was serving the interests of the Israeli government,” The Associated Press reported. “I do not normally fall for conspiracy theories, but the ambassador has proclaimed himself to be a Zionist and he has previMatthew Gould ously served in Iran, in the service,” said Flynn, who has served in the House of Commons since 1987 and represents the Welsh district of Newport West. Challenged to defend his comments by Britian’s leading Jewish newspaper, the Jewish Chronicle, Flynn said that the ambassador to Israel should be “someone with roots in the U.K. [who] can’t be accused of having Jewish loyalty.” Flynn’s comments were widely condemned by British officials, including the Foreign Office and parliamentarians from across the poliitcal spectrum, the Jewish Chronicle reported. Flynn denied the comments were anti-Semitic.

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