December 10, 2010

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

Fire brings new tragedy to Israel

December 10, 2010 3 Tevet 5771 Vol. 90 | No. 15

This Week

JOLT spotlights Young Leadership with Michael Schop Page 4

NET Television produces NOVA: Secrets Beneath the Ice Page 7

20 Jewish cantors walk into a church Page 12

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

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

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by MARCY OSTER less so far -- provided fuel for the spokesman told the Israeli daily trolling the blaze. Greece and Spain JERUSALEM (JTA) -- In a coun- blaze that erupted in the Carmel Haaretz. “There aren’t enough fire- each sent four planes, while Cyprus try always on guard to prevent the Mountains near Haifa. By the fighting resources in Israel in order sent a plane and a helicopter. next tragedy born of terDefense Minister Ehud rorism or war, an out-ofBarak ordered the Israel control forest fire was the Defense Forces to mobilize culprit in a tragic bus incito help control the blaze dent that left more than 40 and assist in evacuating the people dead in northern wounded. Several people Israel. have been reported missThe bus, carrying police ing. cadets from Israel’s prison Netanyahu called the fire service, became stuck on an “unprecedented disasthe morning of December ter.”

3 among burning trees that “We have known difficult fell on the road, trapping moments and we will need dozens inside who were on to learn many lessons in their way to evacuate prisorder to deal with disasters oners from the fire. Most of this kind,” he said. “But of the bus passengers were right now all of our efforts killed. are directed at saving lives Footage of the burnedand watching over the lives out shell of the bus was of those dealing with the broadcast throughout disaster.”

Israel.

Netanyahu said he would Meanwhile, evacuations declare a national day of spread as the fire raged, Over 40 Israelis have been killed in a forest fire in northern Israel described as out of control. mourning when the fire is Credit: Flash90 extinguished. with more than 12,000 residents told to leave their homes. evening of December 3 the fire had to put out the fire.”

“A horrible disaster has fallen Israelis elsewhere in the country scorched more than 2,500 acres in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin upon us,” he said. “I shall declare it a were urged to take them in. northern Israel.

Netanyahu appealed to the United national day of mourning, but right High winds and dry conditions -“We lost all control of the fire,” a States, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, now we haven’t the time to mourn Israel’s winter has been almost rain- Haifa firefighting services Germany and Russia for help con- Continued on page 2

Jewish Book Month wraps up with Némirovsky

by ANDREW MALASHOCK Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education It’s been a very busy month in the Kripke Library during Jewish Book Month, and things will conclude with the final big event on Thursday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. in the library. Library Ad m i n i s t r a t o r Gary Katz will be hosting a “literary tour,” focusing on the life and literary works of Russian novelist and Holocaust victim, Irene N é m i r o v s k y, known for her bestselling novel Suite Francaise.

Némirovsky was born in Ukraine in 1903 to a Jewish banker. She grew up fluent in six languages and moved to Paris, France, during the fall of the Russian Revolution. Her

first novel was published in 1927 and was later adapted for film.

While Némirovsky was from a Jewish background, some people found her writing, especially her main characters, anti-Semitic.

Némirovsky converted to Catholicism; the anti-Jewish themes in her writing would continue into the beginning of WWII. During the Nazi occupation of France, Némirovsky was labeled a “stateless person of Jewish descent” and was sent to Auschwitz, where she died in the gas chambers.

Némirovsky’s most popular novel, Suite Francaise, was originally thought to be nothing but her diary during the occupation of France.

The notebook, which was inherited

by Némirovsky’s two daughters, remained unread for almost fifty years. Her daughters kept it out of sight because they didn’t want to see what kind of painful things might have been in there. In the 1990s, they decided to give the notebook a look and were amazed at what they discovered. They eventually had it published in France, and after incredible reviews, it was translated Continued on page 2

Temple Scholar Dennis Prager sparks positive argument

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN weekend. “Shul is a place to recreTemple Israel ate oneself,” adding that “ethical Communications Coordinator monotheism is our goal.”

“Happiness is huge. It’s the most On Saturday morning at Torah underrated, important thing there study prior to worship services, he is. It’s a mitzvah,” said Dennis Prager, the syndicated radio talk show host who was Temple Israel’s scholar-in-residence Nov. 19 - 21. “Is it hard?” he asked during worship services on Friday evening. “Yes, it’s hard. It’s work to be happy.”

However, “you’re commanded to be happy on the holidays and festivals.

You are the master of your behavior, not your feelings. Act it,” he urged.

“You’ll feel it.”

“Mr. Prager is a most impressive speaker,” said Jonathan Rockman. “His speech on Friday evening Dennis Prager speaks to a crowd of approxiabout happiness being a mately 125 at Temple Israel on a recent moral obligation was Sunday morning. entirely compelling.”

At a dinner at Temple Israel fol- reminded about 50 in attendance lowing services, Prager, whose res- that “it isn’t enough to study Torah, idency was sponsored by the the prayer (to read Torah) Hermene Zweiback Center for instructs us to engage in Torah.”

Lifelong Jewish Learning, encour- He added that he finds God in aged the leadership of the congre- Torah. Prayer doesn’t necessarily gation to welcome Jews of all polit- work for him, he admitted. ical backgrounds. “Where does “Cursed” as a rational kind of politics start and religion end?” he thinker, he wishes that he was asked. He also suggested that a more mystical. “The Torah teaches synagogue’s role is to promote us to do good. It doesn’t matter God, Torah, and Israel, a theme he how you feel. If you do good, you’ll explored again later during the Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | December 10, 2010

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Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar called a special prayer service for late Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Western Wall. The Chief Rabbinate urged the public to join the worshipers at the Western Wall or pray at home.

Initial reports said that the fire began in an illegal dumping ground. The Israeli Environmental Protection Agency has disputed this claim.

ZAKA, a rescue-andrecovery agency, said in a news release that its volunteers had discovered a pile of about 15 bodies, one on top of another.

“This shocking and horrific sight would suggest that these people, who were on the bus, were trying to flee to safety from the fire and, with nowhere to escape to, embraced and perished,” the statement said.

According to the statement, Hezki Farkash, ZAKA’s operations commander in the Northern Command, reported that four of the agency’s teams were working at the site, and a larger team of volunteers was scanning the mountain to collect the remains of the charred bodies.

Another team completed its work, he said, ensuring that all human remains were removed from the bus itself.

Farkash said the remaining ZAKA volunteers were assisting with identifying the bodies.

ZAKA team leader Abraham Danziger said in the statement that “The terrible smell of the charred bodies which is hanging in the air will remain with me for a long time. Some of the bodies are in a very bad condition, and we are work-

ing hard to identify them.”

Another ZAKA volunteer, Dudi Rosenberg, said it was “the most difficult and complex incident that we have ever had to deal with in the northern region. The volunteers recovered the bodies even as the fire continued to rage. I cannot find the words to describe the terrible sight of people who were burned alive as they were trying to escape.”

“The awful scenes of tens of bodies lined up one next to the other, completely burnt, that reminds me of images from the Holocaust,” said ZAKA team leader Raphael Mant.

“It was extremely chilling.”

Update: By Monday morning December 6, the death toll had risen to 42.

Credit: Flash90 Haifa Police Chief Ahuva Tomer died from burns sustained while trying to save fire victims. Tomer had been police chief since March 2009, and was the highest ranking female police officer in the Israeli police.

Also on Dec. 6, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the finance ministry to provide nearly $700 to each member of the families displaced by the fire. They will be unable to return to their homes for at least a month; the funds are designated for basic necessities such as clothing and school supplies.

Meanwhile, two teenage brothers from the Druze village of Ussfiya, arrested on suspicion of negligence in starting the fire, were unexpectabtly released to house arrest. The teens are accused of lighting a bonfire near their home that sparked the blaze, though Ussfiya residents claim that a fire in a poorly maintained garbage dump was the culprit.

Temple Scholar Dennis Prager sparks positive argument

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Continued from page 1 feel good.”

Prager emphasized the commandment to honor your parents. “Don’t take your parents lightly,” he advised. “It doesn’t say love your parents. It doesn’t say love your kids.” It does command to do the right thing whether you feel it or not.

“Torah is a guidebook,” he explained. “Can you imagine how much better you could use your DVD player if you read the manual?” Comparing Torah to an instruction manual, he strongly recommended reading it.

“I thought he had a good message,” said Bonnie Pfrenger.

“I understand why he has a good following. I happen to be pretty conservative. Talking about religion is important.

Making it personal is important. I think we should have more discussions about that.” She believes it’s a weakness to become too secular. There’s “too much emphasis on social justice and not enough on God and spirituality.”

On Saturday night at the Jewish Community Center, Prager addressed the future of secular Jews. He argued that there isn’t a secular reason to be Jewish. He stated his belief that the Torah was given by God, and that Jews are not only the chosen people but need to commit to the Jewish “trinity” of God, Torah, and Israel.

Todd Simon commented that Prager “is an extremely impressive intellect. I’ve been thinking about some of the things he said since I saw him. I completely disagree that the modern secular educational system creates secularists. I disagree with that. I think it teaches people to think critically and rationally, and as a result, people might choose an alternate path.”

In his concluding discussion on Sunday morning at Temple Israel, Prager presented his view of the “Three Most Valuable Lessons of Judaism” -- behavior, ethical monotheism, and separation (by gender, right and wrong, the holy and the profane, life and death, beautiful and ugly, God and man, and man and animal). As he does on his weekly radio show, Prager took nearly a full hour of questions and answers from the audience.

Cindy Goldberg thought the weekend “was a great community event, because I just love seeing everybody from all the synagogues at one event.”

“I think it was valuable to have (Prager) come to our community,” remarked Dan Gilbert. “I think he challenges everyone to justify their own thinking. I think that’s valuable.” Gilbert thinks that social justice, a main tenet of Reform Judaism according to Prager, “is a strength. Caring about what we do and how we live aligns with what our clergy” advocate.

“I tend to disagree with (Prager’s) feelings concerning gay marriages and his thoughts concerning homosexuality,” said

Howard Kaiman. “I think the Reform movement is much more reflective of my feelings on those issues. I disagree with the literal translation of the Bible,” he added. “I agree with (Prager) on his feelings about happiness. We should all have a positive outlook and try to be happy even when we’re not really feeling happy.” Kaiman also agrees that “behavior is more important concerning a person’s character rather than beliefs.” He thinks it’s beneficial to invite speakers whose views are different. “It stimulates our thought by positive argument rather than negative.”

“It was wonderful that Temple brought Dennis to town,” added Rabbi Jonathan Gross of Beth Israel Synagogue. “I don’t think there was one person in attendance who agreed with everything he said, but I also don’t think there was one person in attendance who left without thinking seriously about something he said.”

George Quittner and his wife Sharon Quittner, former Omahans who now live in Denver, were here to combine “a weekend of visiting with friends and Jewish study.” In noting the themes that Prager developed during the weekend including “the trilogy -- God, Torah, and Israel; the challenge of secularism; and developing clarity in Jewish study and practice, George pointed out that Prager’s messages were delivered “in an often humorous, descriptive, and focused manner. If all Torah study were delivered in this style and manner, perhaps we would all be sages.” He thanked those who sponsored “such an interesting speaker.”

Jewish Book Month wraps up with Nemirovsky Continued from page 1 into 34 languages. By 2004, Suite Francaise was a national bestseller and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. “She is such a literary anomaly and witnessed so much. For her to have such success 60 years after her death is truly amazing. She has an incredible story,” said Gary Katz.

This Jewish Book Month finale will be held on Thursday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library and is free of charge. For more information, please call 334.6462 or email gkatz@jewishomaha.org.

Jewish Book Month is presented by the Center for Jewish Education through the Kripke Jewish Federation Library and is generously sponsored by the Special Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

December 10, 2010 | The Jewish Press | 3

Reform looking at ways to reinvent the movement

by SUE FISHKOFF SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) -- After the Reform movement broadcast online its first session devoted to reassessing itself, in midNovember, the comments poured in.

One viewer suggested that the movement create a network of schools, camps, shuls and seminaries focused on “tikkun olam,” the Jewish injunction to repair the world.

Another said the movement should train five times as many rabbis and cantors to provide more entryways into Judaism through music, social action and prayer.

Another wrote to express concern about the lack of civility in Jewish discourse, particularly concerning Israel. One asked how Jews could use media and technology to create community.

It is exactly the sort of grass-roots input that members of the reassessment team, called the Reform Think Tank, want as they take a hard look at where American Jewry’s largest religious denomination is today and where it ought to go in the future.

“Five years from now, congregations won’t look like they do today,” said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the longtime president of the Union for Reform Judaism, told JTA in an interview.

Yoffie, who plans to retire in mid-2012, is one of the major players in the movement’s reassessment project.

The project is online and offline, top down and bottom up. Each of the three major Reform institutions -- the synagogue movement, rabbinical association and seminary -- nominated 10 members to lead the 18-month discussion, which will be punctuated by four live streaming forums devoted to specific topics. Each is being archived online at urj.org/thinktank.

The first, held Nov. 21 in Los Angeles,

dealt with the impact of social media on religious life. About 300 individual viewers watched in addition to about 50 watching parties at Reform congregations. They could follow a blog and Twitter feed along with the broadcast, and sent in comments and ques-

reinvent this whole thing, what will it look like? We’re not moving from one place to another in linear fashion -- we’re experimenting.”

Demographic changes, financial challenges, new family structures and the changing nature of social media and how people connect to each other are just some of the pressures f o r c i n g change upon the movement. Reform Judaism was founded 200 years ago in Germany, but developed its institutions in N o r t h Rabbi Eric Yoffie, left, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, consults America folwith members of the Reform Think Tank following the group’s online forum lowing World in Los Angeles.

Credit: Morgan Radmall War II, Yoffie tions to help direct the conversation. The said. team received more than 200 comments and Back then, the world and American Jewry questions even before the first forum, an had different needs and interests, he said. organizer said.

“We are primarily a suburban, family-oriThe second forum is scheduled for April ented movement,” Yoffie told JTA. in Cincinnati, a third for Dec. 2011, and the That’s one thing that must change if final for March 2012.

Reform Judaism is to appeal to the next gen“We’ve never done anything like this eration, according to Yoffie. before,” Yoffie said.

“We need more synagogues in the major “It’s kind of scary,” said Steven metropolitan centers,” he said.

Windmueller, a professor at the School of The recent economic downturn already Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union has forced changes, including the dismanCollege-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los tling of much of the Union for Reform Angeles and one of the co-organizers of the Judaism itself, where consultants have project. “Everything’s on the table. If we replaced many staff departments. That was

in the works already, Reform leaders insist; the recession just advances the move and gives more urgency to the reassessment project.

“This is not an ivory tower think tank,” said Rachel Tasch, president of Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, Calif., one of the 33 leaders selected for the Reform Think Tank. “We’re trying to make it a grass-roots thing, so people have a voice.”

Those who want to participate in the project can send in their comments anytime over the next year and a half. Pulpit rabbis involved with the project will take the conversation to their congregations and “take the pulse of the community” before the next forum, Windmueller said.

“Most of the questions we received were in line with the questions we ourselves have,” Tasch said after the first forum. “The nature of community in a world where everything is online; the tension between face-to-face communication and technology; the nature of membership; what does it mean to belong in a world where everything is out there and available?”

Yoffie believes that synagogues will continue to be the foundation of Jewish life in North America but must evolve radically to adjust to how people communicate and relate via technology.

“Social media can be contentious,” he told JTA, “and congregations are not contentious places. It’s where you go for comfort and support. So how do we deal with the contention of modern media while preserving the congregation as a place of menschlikeit and mutual respect?

“The truth is, we have to take risks if we’re not going to be irrelevant.”

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4 | The Jewish Press | December 10, 2010

JOLT spotlights Young Leadership

by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha This is another profile in a series introducing members of JOLT, the Jewish Omaha Leadership Training program.

As an initiative of the Omaha Jewish Federation, JOLT offers its members an opportunity to learn, connect and build strong leadership skills for the future.

Today we meet Michael Schop, a member of the Michael Schop Young Jewish Omaha (YJO) Board of Directors. Professionally, Schop heads the Project Management Office at First National Bank. He oversees the management of high-risk technology projects. In both his professional and philanthropic pursuits, he strives for tangible results that make an impact on the community.

What inspires you?

Those who make something from nothing, despite long odds against them.

No one knows that I…. am a Civil War buff who is fascinated by the conflict that cemented our liberties and freedom.

Who is your Jewish hero and why?

My heroes are the nameless who have been persecuted throughout the ages.

If you could change one thing about our Omaha Jewish community, what would it be and how would you affect this change?

I would increase participation levels within the community. I joined the YJO Board to encourage more participation from younger members. Programs targeted toward young families would be beneficial to strengthening those families and building a sense of community at the same time.

How would you like to be remembered?

To have given back more than I received.

Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies to sponsor Israel trip in May

by ANDREW MALASHOCK Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education The Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at UNO will be sponsoring a trip for students next year in May. Established in 2009, The Natan & Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies' mission is to create, coordinate, and promote an interdisciplinary program focusing on teaching and scholarship in Jewish and Israeli history, politics, culture and society. Their primary goal is to expand knowledge about Judaism and Israel, both on the university campus and in the broader Nebraska community.

The trip will last ten days beginning in Tel-Aviv on May 15, and ending in Jerusalem on May 24. Throughout the ten days, participants will travel all over the state, hitting important sites such as: Tel-Aviv, Jaffa, Haifa, Acco, Nazareth, Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Golan Heights, Old and New Jerusalem, The Dead Sea, and many other historic points. Dr. Guy Matalon, Director of the Schwalb Center, will be accompanying the students and faculty on this trip.

“The idea of the trip is to take community members, UNO

faculty, administrators, and students to experience Israel together. It is a unique opportunity to learn about one of the most fascinating places in the world,” says Matalon. “I am excited that we are able to do this in May and provide generous scholarships to UNO students to be able to come.”

Taking students to Israel on such a trip helps provide a context for news and media reports on Israel and the Middle East. College campuses are places for students to learn about different cultures and places but unfortunately, there are times when the campus is used for other purposes. A visit to Israel led by Dr. Guy Matalon will provide a great learning opportunity for adult students of all ages.

The trip is open to students and non-students alike and costs $2500 plus airfare for the ten days. Scholarships are available to those who qualify on the Schwalb Center website. All applications are due by March 31, 2011. For scholarships, applications and other information, please visit the Schwalb Center website at http://www.unomaha.edu/ israelcenter/ or contact them by calling 402.554.2139 or email unoisraelcenter@unomaha.edu. A virtual tour of Israel is also available on www.eyeonisrael.com.

To order a gift subscription to the Press...

Send a check for $40, made out to the Jewish Press and for the rest of this year and all of 2011, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to connect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 334.6448.

Grocery store deadline

by RENEE CORCORAN All stories concerning “Mom & Pop” grocery stories must be submitted to the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society no later than Wednesday, Dec. 22. Stories received after the deadline will not be included in our next edition of Memories of the Jewish Midwest, The Story of “Mom & Pop” Grocery Stores.

Engagement JUDSON - FRIEDMAN Gail and Steven Friedman and Mary and William Judson announce the engagement of their children, Heidi Marie Judson and Jeremy Isaac Friedman.

The bride-to-be graduated Suma Cum Laude with a degree in Art Education in 2004 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has eight years of experience working in the Insurance industry and also works as a free-lance artist.

Her fiancé attended Tulane University in New Orleans and graduated from Iowa State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a minor in Business. He spent 11 years working in Information Technology field and has recently changed careers to carry on the family tradition as a Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors.

A Sunday, May 29, 2011 wedding ceremony is planned at Beth El synagogue.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE There will be no Jewish Press on Dec. 31 due to staff vacations and a need to upgrade computer equipment.

Questions? Call 334.6448.

Cohen’s Computer Club David M. Cohen, Ph.D., President

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December 10, 2010 | The Jewish Press | 5

Biblical roots explored at Beth El’s Scholars Series

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beth El’s Sunday Morning Scholars Series will turn the clock back to biblical times on Dec. 12, 11 a.m., as the synagogue presents guest speaker Dr. Rami Arav, professor in the Philosophy and Religion Department and the Department of History at the University of NebraskaOmaha. Arav, a biblical archaeologist, will address “Bethsaida, the Capital City: A Forgotten Biblical Neighboring Kingdom of Israel,” examining the rise and fall of the city, the kingdom and its aftermath.

For the past 23 years, Arav Rami Arav has served as the director of the Consortium of the Bethsaida Excavations Project, headquartered at UNO. The project was established after he participated in the excavation of a site just off the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which was determined to be the biblical city of Bethsaida.

Thanks to the modern capabilities of archaeology, the history gleaned from this excavation has been invaluable, and the discoveries are ongoing, revealing much about ancient times.

Friedel’s latke sale

“More than ever we are interested in exploring our biblical roots, and more than ever, archaeology becomes the major engine by which we can provide answers to this quest,” Arav said. “Archaeology today utilizes hard sciences, sophisticated tools and careful scrutiny similar to the Crime Scene Investigations in every police department.

“The archaeology of Bethsaida presents state-of-the-art research of the material culture of the past,” he explained.

“The results from a large variety of disciplines allow us to reconstruct the biblical realities in great details. This fascinating news sheds light on our biblical roots and on the historical context of the biblical narratives. No longer do we need to imagine the environment of our forefathers: in many instances, it is clear down to the minute details.”

Arav called the city of Bethsaida, the capital city of the forgotten Kingdom of Geshur, “a unique tale of a city due to the extraordinary state of its remains. The state of its preservation is remarkable, and in many cases it is without a peer in the entire Land of Israel. This gives us a unique opportunity to see what life in the biblical period was like and how the biblical narratives are interwoven in these realities. The careful research of the city brings back to life the history of this kingdom and illuminates the history of the entire region.”

The entire community is invited to attend Arav’s presentation, at no charge; light refreshments will be served. For planning purposes, RSVPs are requested, and may be made by contacting the synagogue office, 492.8550, or programming@bethel-omaha.org.

In the news Philip Rich, an Omaha dentist and photographer, will be one of the guest artists featuring his unique panoramic pho-

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On Friday december 3, Friedel Jewish Academy hosted its annual latke sale.

From top, left: parent-volunteer Diana Senik served lunch, accompanied by Julie Stein, the driving force behind Friedel’s PTO. As she has done for many years, she again ensured everything ran smoothly; parent-volunteer Eleanor Matalon and administrative assistant Lisa Stephan; Rabbi Gross.

Steven Zuber, M.D., has been appointed chief medical information officer for the Methodist Health System.

Dr. Zuber will serve in the newly created position part-time. He will be responsible for assisting in the development of the Methodist Health System clinical information technology strategy, and the implementation and optimization of clinical information systems.

Dr. Zuber also serves as an internal medicine physician at Methodist Physicians Clinic at Methodist HealthWest, 16120 W. Dodge Road. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and completed his residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

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6 | The Jewish Press | December 10, 2010

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by LAURIE MOSKOWITZ As I was making the post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich, using the one small jar of mayo that I have bought since I arrived in Israel many months ago, it occurred to me that my mayonnaise consumption had radically reduced in the last five months.

And I had barely noticed.

You can find mayonnaise in this country. It’s for sale at all major grocery stores. At Burger’s Bar, a well-known burger chain throughout Israel, one of the great appeals is all the sauces you can put on your burger, and garlic mayo and thousand island dressing are popular amongst them. When you sit down at a classic grill restaurant and there are a variety of small salads put down in front of you, there is frequently one salad involving mayo, although it is never my favorite.

Surely something must be replacing this in my diet and it didn’t take me long to figure out that what had replaced mayonnaise as a spread on sandwiches, or in a salad dressing, and yes even in cakes and on bread in the morning, was tehina.

Tehina is made from ground sesame seeds and has a slightly nutty, sweet taste with a consistency akin to almond or sunflower butter. Generally when you use tehina in it’s raw form you will need to add water to thin it. You’re looking for a consistency that is somewhat akin to a heavy dressing. You want to be able to scoop it up with some bread but not have it be too runny.

The most classic use of tehina is hummus with tehina, which gives much of the hummus in Israel a very creamy consistency, but I’ve found several other favorite uses that I regularly enjoy and would encourage you to try: Green Tehina: Green tehina is a mixture of tehina with herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and mint. Some lemon juice, salt and pepper will generally finish this off nicely. Add garlic if you want it. In Israel, Green Tehina is sold by the container in grocery stores, but it is extremely easy to make and I find the use of fresh herbs really makes a difference. Green tehina can be served atop hummus, mixed with a chopped salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, or served as a stand-alone for dipping pita or other bread.

Ingredients: 1 cup tehina paste 1/3 bunch each - parsley, cilantro, mint 1-2 cloves garlic 1/2 lemon 1/4 cup (approximately) water salt and pepper To Prepare: 1. Thin the tehina with water till it is a creamy consistency.

2. Wash and dry the herbs and remove the stems.

3. Chop and add to the tehina along with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Tehina with Silan: This one is simple but good. Spoon some tehina into a small bowl or dish, approximately 1/4 cup, and thin with water till you get a creamy consistency.

Put an equal amount of silan, date honey, into the middle and stir slightly till combined but not thoroughly mixed.

Scoop up with left-over challah or other good bread for

breakfast time or whenever you need a quick pick-me-up.

You can also do this with regular honey if silan is not available.

Cabbage Salad with Asian Tahini Dressing: This recipe has been a regular at my Shabbat table since I first tried it about two months ago and it’s a crowd pleaser. In this case, the tehina is paired with several other Asian ingredients, giving it a creamy and sweet consistency. I’ve been using it as part of a salad course, replacing a mayobased coleslaw, but it could easily be served as an accompaniment to a meal. The recipe comes from Janna Gur, who is the founder of Al HaShulchan, Israel’s major gourmet magazine and who recently wrote a book called The New Israeli Cuisine, which has quickly become one of my favorites. Her website is terrific; I’ve included the link to this recipe here: [http:// www.jannagur.com/108704/Cabbage-Saladin-Asian-Tahini-Dressing].

Carrot Cake: Yes, I said Carrot Cake. The addition of tehina to this recipe makes this cake super moist and dense. No one will ever know that there is tehina inside, which is a good thing because if I had told my husband that before he ate the cake, he never would have tried it. Instead it got rave reviews! I found this recipe in the book Sweet Secrets by Carine Goren, one of the best selling dessert cookbooks in Israel which has recently been published in English. Ironically Goren first found this recipe on an American website.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed 3/4 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 3/4 cup tahini 1/2 cup flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground allspice 5 medium-sized carrots (2 1/2 cups) coarsely grated 1 1/2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped 1/2 cup sesame seeds to decorate 2 loaf pans To Prepare: 1. Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil and eggs to an even mixture. Mix in the tahini paste.

3. Add both kinds of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Mix only until combined and lumpfree.

4. Fold in the grated carrots and walnuts.

5. Oil the baking pans and place a handful of sesame seeds (approx 2 tablespoons) in each pan. Tilt the pan until it is evenly covered with sesame seeds. Pour the batter 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pan. If you desire, sprinkle a generous amount of sesame seeds on top.

6. Bake for about 45 minutes until the cakes are fragrant, spring back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean (with moist crumbs.)

Laurie Moskowitz hails from Washington, where she is a “professional” home chef and serial entertainer -- regularly hosting both large and small groups of people for Jewish holidays, Sabbath meals, school functions and political events. Laurie is an avid reader of cookbooks, watcher of all cooking shows, obsessive menu planner, and food shopper extraordinaire -- often known to schedule dinner dates just to plan out upcoming menus.

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December 10, 2010 | The Jewish Press | 7

Organizations

NOVA: Secrets Beneath the Ice

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker yet to be announced for Wednesday, Dec. 15, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; beverage service is $3. For more information or to be placed on the e-mail list call 334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

by GARY HOCHMAN It’s the ultimate summer “getaway” -- if by getaway you mean grueling 16-hour workouts in sub-zero temperatures, bone-chilling winds and the driest conditions on Earth.

I’m at the bottom of the Earth with NET videographers Brian Seifferlein and Pat Aylward and soundman Jim Lenertz to tell the intriguing story of how Antarctica’s ice plays a pivotal role in global climate and sea levels. No people live here permanently. So, why should we care about this harsh wilderness? Ice. Antarctica contains 90 percent of the Earth’s ice. If even a fraction of Antarctica melts, it could cause disastrous flooding for coastal cities worldwide. Scientists were shocked in 2002, when an ice shelf the size of Manhattan collapsed in less than a month. And it raised alarming questions. In an increasingly warming world, could Antarctica be headed for a meltdown? Had anything like this happened before?

Investigating these questions are University of NebraskaLincoln geologists David Harwood, Chris Fielding, Tracy Frank, Josh Reed and Richard Levy, who are part of ANDRILL, an international drilling project. ANDRILL aims to detect how Antarctica’s climate past has affected global sea levels and how Antarctica’s climate patterns may play out for Earth’s future.

Antarctica’s secrets are not in the ice, but in the rocks beneath it. Drilling deep through the ice and ocean, and three-fourths of a mile into the sea floor, ANDRILL recovers rock cores that reveal evidence about Antarctica’s climate history and species from a time just a few degrees warmer than today. The team then uses data from the rock cores to create climate models to show how the ice responded.

Shot in Antarctica, New Zealand and U.S. laboratories, NET Television’s documentary NOVA: Secrets Beneath the Ice brings you a behind-the-scenes look at how ANDRILL

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish words have made their way into every phase of modern life, show biz, law, classrooms, etc. Come join us at our new meeting room (across from the beauty salon) at the Blumkin Home, every Thursday, 1-3 pm. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.

MAINSTREETERS Mainstreeters Luncheon is Monday, Dec. 20 at 12:30 p.m. at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home auditorium. Cantor Wendy Shermet and Cantor Beth Schlossberg will take you on a Sentimental Journey. The cost is $10 per person. Send reservation form to Mainstreeters c/o Maggie Conti at 323 S. 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. For transportation call Maggie Conti at 334.6521 and for information call Jim Wax at 393.4442. Make check payable to Jewish Social Services.

Marriage SOKOLOF JAVITCH/JAVITCH Karen Sokolof Javitch and Gary Javitch remarried on Nov. 26 in a private ceremony at Temple Israel, Omaha, with their three adult children, Jenny, Mark, and Rachel in attendance. Cantor Wendy Shermet officiated in the chapel service.

The couple wrote most of the ceremony. As part of her vows, Karen played two beautiful songs that she wrote for Gary. As part of Gary’s tribute to his betrothed, the couple sang a musical selection from Fiddler on the Roof to each other. A family trip to the Caribbean is planned during the winter. Parents of the groom were the late Robert and Mildred Javitch of Cleveland. The bride’s parents were the late Phil and Ruth Rosinsky Sokolof.

Birth Erin and Joe Hornstein of Denver announce the Nov. 2 birth of their son, Bennett Daniel.

Grandparents are Nancy and the late Bennett Hornstein, and Barb and Dan Wochos of Scottsdale, AZ.

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Credit: NET Television like no other on Earth. The NOVA documentary Secrets Beneath the Ice airs Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. CT on NET1 and in high definition on NET-HD. Gary Hochman is an NET Senior producer, and lives in Lincoln.

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Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

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Leak this

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press It’s quite possible that Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, is currently the most despised man on the planet. Leaking 250,000 secret government documents, as he did almost two weeks ago, is not a great way to make friends.

Mel Gibson, move aside; there’s a new sheriff in town.

During the days immediately following the exciting tellall, the world temporarily turned into a giant high school.

The phrase “They said what about us?” was uttered in many a government backroom; not a single nation admitted to any wrongdoing. Instead, Russia fussed about Americans meddling in their business, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called it propaganda, and everybody gleefully pointed out how rude French President Sarkozy had been to the Saudis when he refused to taste their food during an official visit. And, on that same visit, he brought his girlfriend!

They weren’t married! Just like the French, that.

The human race (present company very much included) has always had an Achilles heel when it comes to old-fashioned political gossip. All that’s missing is information about who’s dating whom, but maybe that’s still coming.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded coolly that none of this would pose a problem for Israel. “Usually there is a gap between what is said in public, and what is said in private,” he stated the day the documents came out.

“Regarding other countries, the gaps are extremely large.”

(JTA.com) Bibi did a nice job staying calm, while simultaneously pointing the finger away from his own backyard. Still, he is right; so far, none of the documents seem to betray severe inconsistencies in the Israeli position. If you’re really quiet, you can hear the “I told you so” resonating around the world.

There are other problems though, and they may affect the Middle Eastern status quo in a most uncomfortable way.

More than a few of the leaked documents show evidence of Iran’s waning popularity. Iran should know that positioning yourself as the proverbial playground bully will ultimately result in others talking badly behind your back.

“More and more countries realize that Iran is the central threat, but the countries in the region have a gap because

they publicly are attached to the Israeli-Arab conflict but privately they realize that this narrative is not true,” Netanyahu said. “They realize that the central threat is from Iran and now this has been revealed.” (JTA.com) Of course Ahmadinejad was not amused. He compared the whole deal to psychological warfare, and said: “These games will not affect relations. The documents are valueless.”

(CNN.com) Saudi Arabia, which was implicated as having secretly schemed against Iran, also used the ostrich method: “The documents do not concern the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Nor did the Kingdom have any role in producing them. Nor is it aware of their authenticity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Usama Al-Nugali said. “Therefore, Saudi Arabia cannot comment on them. The Kingdom’s policies and positions have always been clear.” (CNN.com). Plausible deniability is still popular all around, but they may find it’s getting a bit late for that.

Julian Assange, meanwhile, has problems of his own.

Wanted by Interpol the world over, he has arrest warrants out for more than a little information leaking. The man has other hobbies, it turns out; he’s wanted for sexually assaulting two women in Sweden, and thought to be hiding out in London.

Swedish authorities want to question him, British intelligence is said to know his hiding place, the US wants him for possible espionage (a criminal investigation is underway), and -- this just in -- Sarah Palin likened him to an “Al-Qaida propagandist with blood on his hands.” (aolnews.com) Assange has hit back by complaining loudly about the Obama administration: it is a “regime that doesn’t believe in

freedom of the press.” But what Assange has been doing has very little to do with freedom of the press, and a lot with attention seeking coupled with a terminal case of narcissism.

Sure, there’s no direct connection between a rape charge and leaking secret government documents, and it’s understandable that Assange is nervous when people like Tom Flanagan, the former advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Harper, have the bad sense to call for his assassination. But: the sum total makes him look like a sleaze ball.

When Assange started WikiLeaks, back in 2006, his intentions may have been honorable. Overly idealistic and perhaps not very well thought-out, but not entirely evil, either.

However, when you show zero tolerance for the confidentiality of others, you can’t complain when they come after you. Especially if you give them ammunition of the daterape kind: everybody knows that sexual misconduct beats political intrigue any day of the week.

Note: Scotland Yard arrested Assange on Tuesday Dec. 7, on behalf of Swedish authorities.

U.S. Jews must wake up to homegrown terror threat

Focus on issues YEHUDIT BARSKY NEW YORK (JTA) -- While the nation’s attention is again focused on a foiled act of homegrown terrorism, this time in Oregon, the Jewish community has good reason to stay on high guard. A new FBI report on hate crimes shows that Jews are targeted more often than any other religious group in the United States.

While this is nothing new -- since 2000, Jews have consistently comprised the majority of victims of such hate crimes -- the new report reveals that this year, 71 percent of hate crimes based on religious bias targeted Jews, the highest percentage of such crimes directed at Jews in a decade.

According to the FBI, Jews are targeted 8.7 times more than Muslims, 18 times more than Catholics and 24.5 times more than Protestants.

If that wasn’t disturbing enough, al-Qaida now presents a new and more direct threat to the American Jewish community: One of the packages in last month’s foiled al-Qaida cargo bomb terror plot was addressed, accurately, to a Chicago synagogue. The plot is a reminder that al-Qaida, nine years after 9/11, continues to target the U.S. in every possible way. Significantly, this was the first time that alQaida directly targeted Jewish institutions in our country.

Why Jewish institutions? The most recent issue of Inspire

(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper

Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; Nancy Wolf.

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magazine, published by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, explained: “Today we are facing a coalition of Crusaders and Zionists, and we in Al-Qaida of the Arabian Peninsula will never forget Palestine.” It went on to say that Chicago synagogues were targets because they are in “Obama’s city.”

This demonizing of Jews is nothing new for al-Qaida. In February 1998, Osama bin Laden and his associates made al-Qaida’s first public pronouncement, issuing a fatwa in the form of a news release that announced the establishment of a terrorist coalition called the International Front for Jihad against Jews and Crusaders. It called on “every Muslim who believes in God and hopes for reward to obey God’s command to kill the Americans and plunder their possessions wherever he finds them and whenever he can.”

In recent years the Jewish community has been threatened by homegrown terrorists inspired by al-Qaida and like-minded jihadist organizations. The foiled 2009 car bomb plot by four extremist Muslim converts to attack two synagogues in the Riverdale section of New York City’s Bronx borough is perhaps the best-known example. The four were convicted in October.

Less well known is the series of attacks against Jewish targets planned by Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, a selfdescribed jihadist who carried out the June 2009 shooting at an Arkansas military recruitment center, killing a U.S. soldier and wounding another before he was arrested.

Muhammad had an ambitious plan to assassinate rabbis in

Arkansas and Tennessee, and subsequently carry out a series of attacks on Jewish institutions in the Northeast.

In 2005, a Los Angeles homegrown terror cell of extremist Muslim converts calling itself Jamiat Al-Islam Al-Sahih plotted to attack synagogues, the Israeli Consulate and the El Al ticket counter at the Los Angeles airport.

“This cell was closer to going operational at the time than anyone since 9/11,” Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Michael Downing said.

Although Jews are top targets in the crosshairs of Islamist terrorists, many in the Jewish community have been slow to open their eyes to this reality. We are grateful for the responsiveness of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to our security concerns, but American Jews also must take responsibility by instituting training for security awareness at Jewish institutions and working together with the Secure Community Network to introduce Homeland Security’s “See Something, Say Something” campaign within our community.

Failing to address the reality that Jews are being targeted places our community in further peril. As the great sage Hillel said, “If I am not for myself, who am I? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

Yehudit Barsky is the director of the American Jewish Committee’s Division on Middle East and International Terrorism.

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December 10, 2010 | The Jewish Press | 9

New Ten Commandments for the Jewish people

Focus on issues ARCHIE GOTTESMAN Dear fellow Jews, I get so stressed every Sunday morning when I read the wedding announcements in the newspaper, with the Rachel Cohens and Ben Steins being married by Unitarian ministers to John Christiansons and Christine Browns. Oy. Our Jewish future is leaving because we are too damn openminded.

I love being Jewish and I love my Jewish people, but for years we have bent over backward trying to make Judaism fit every taste. It’s clear our openness is working against us. We need some non-negotiables, new commandments. Here’s my version of the new Ten Commandments.

1. Jewish grandchildren You want them, right? Then raise your children to be Jewish. Children do not decide religion; parents do. No matter who you marry, decide ahead of time that the kids will be brought up as Jews. Wishy-washy will get your children joining a church or just not considering themselves Jewish.

If the thought of being invited to your grandchild’s baptism troubles you, do something about it now.

2. Belief in God is not required Enough with Jews opting out of Judaism because they “don’t believe in God.” You do not need to believe in God (whatever that even means) to be a good Jew. Meaningful Judaism can be about values, tradition, culture and community.

3. Hebrew school I didn’t like it. You didn’t like it. Our kids don’t either.

Some creative people are thinking about better, creative ways to Jewishly educate our children. Until they find it, we should send our kids to Hebrew school. I know it will conflict with soccer, fencing or other overprogrammed activities. But in the end, the values, history and character that our children learn from becoming members of the Jewish community will mean much more than being on yet another traveling softball team.

4. Get to Israel It is your responsibility to take your family to Israel. If I have to talk to another wealthy Jewish parent about how

much her daughter enjoyed Birthright, I am going to vomit.

A family who goes on a safari in Africa, takes ski trips to Vail and jaunts to Rome but still hasn’t brought the children to Israel should be embarrassed. Please don’t get huffy about this. I know all of the Birthright arguments and I don’t care.

By the way, Israel is not scary. What is scary is the thought of the Middle East without Israel. It is shameful that because of Birthright, the Jewish community now has to pay the bill for doing what Jewish parents should be doing themselves.

5. End boring synagogue I have attended and practically slept through so many bar/bat mitzvah services wondering not why we are losing so many Jews but why we aren’t losing more. C’mon rabbis!

We are counting on you, and many of you are badly failing us. Would you choose to pray at your synagogue if you weren’t the rabbi? If not, then change it up! Be creative, be humorous, be spiritual. Did you hear about the Easter services in Corpus Christi where they gave away cars, bikes and televisions to people just for coming to services? I bet you rolled your eyes. I did, too -- until I watched the service on YouTube. It was fun, invigorating, inspiring! I stopped rolling my eyes.

6. Give philanthropy to Jewish causes There are millions of non-Jews giving to the United Way, cancer research and Princeton University. While a basic Jewish value is to improve the world, it would be nice if Jews could improve the Jewish world, too. We need to make sure that much of our philanthropy is directed to Jewish causes.

We are the ONLY ones who will support our own. See commandment No. 9.

7. Jewish camp Jewish camp may be the savior of the Jewish people. I am not talking about camp with a lot of Jewish kids, but Jewish overnight camp where they teach Jewish values in a hip way.

Jewish camp will light the spark inside your children that will make them love and identify with their cool Judaism in ways that we just can’t seem to teach at home.

8. Join a synagogue I can hear the complaints already, but this one is important. Judaism is a communal religion. It is very difficult to do solo. If you actually become involved in a synagogue, you might be surprised to find how much you can affect your

own Jewish community. If you are not a member of a synagogue but march in twice a year expecting to enjoy it, you will always feel like a disappointed outsider.

9. Bar/bat mitzvah projects Mitzvah projects, where the celebrant performs a community service project, may be the only positive change that has taken place in the bar/bat mitzvah world in the past 20 years.

Many children, in lieu of gifts, are asking guests to donate to their chosen mitzvah project. What a menschy thing to do.

But don’t forget, while mitzvah projects are good, Jewish/Israel Mitzvah projects are great. This is a Jewish child celebrating a Jewish lifecycle event; raising money for the Red Cross is not exactly taking care of their own. At least half of the project/gift money should be for Jewish/Israel organizations.

10. Shabbat Friday night is family Shabbat -- period. It doesn’t matter if you cook a chicken or order in a pizza. But light the candles, make a blessing over wine and challah, bless your children. If you don’t have challah, make a blessing over a pretzel. Stay home and make this a family night. Will your teenagers sometimes hate you for ruining their lives as you make them miss Friday-night dances, football games and sleepovers? Yes. Deal with it. We all have heard the statistics on how family dinner makes for healthier families. Many of our non-Jewish friends are envious that we have a built-in family night in our religion.

Take advantage. (In our home, we have a negotiated rule: Our daughters can miss three Shabbats per school year).

Honorable mention: Day school My husband and I do not send our children to day school, but many people swear by it, so give it a go.

That’s it folks. You probably have an issue with one commandment or another. Of course you do: you’re Jewish. So write your own column. But remember: We are a people in crisis and we should act like it. Check the wedding announcements if you don’t believe me.

Archie Gottesman, of Summit, N.J., is an owner/executive vice president of Manhattan Mini Storage and Edison Park Fast companies. She is a recent graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program and a board member of the Foundation for Jewish Camping.

The Holy Land Foundation trial and the three Muslim groups

Behind the headlines RON KAMPEAS

by RON KAMPEAS We recently wrote that a federal appeals court agreed with a district judge’s ruling that prosecutors in the case against the Holy Land Foundation and its officers -- accused of funding Hamas -- erred by making public the unindicted co-conspirator status of three national Muslim groups.

The appeals court ordered the district court ruling unsealed, per the appeal of one of the groups.

Josh Gerstein at POLITICO deserves much credit in tracking the case. However, I would disagree with his conclusion that unsealing the district court ruling is a “mixed blessing” for the groups.

Gerstein draws this conclusion because the 2009 decision

by Jorge Solis, the district court judge, presents, as Solis puts it, “ample evidence to establish the association” between the three groups -- the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America and the North American Islamic Trust -- and Hamas, HLF and another group.

In other words, NAIT’s appeal of Solis’ decision, seeking its unsealing and the expunging of references associating it with Hamas, backfired: The appellate court unsealed the ruling, but did not expunge references to NAIT-Hamas associations. (CAIR and ISNA did not appeal Solis’ ruling.)

But I would draw the opposite conclusion: Solis’ ruling more or less vindicates the groups -- and we understand this now precisely because it was unsealed.

Solis rejected the groups’ request that he strike references to them as unindicted co-conspirators, but that’s because the term has two meanings: One is a designation used to abide by federal rules of evidence governing the use in court of conspirators’ statements. The other, Solis says, citing precedent, is used to serve the legitimate interest in “stigmatizing private citizens as criminals while not naming them as defendants.”

Solis slots the three groups in the former category, not the latter -- which is why he faults the government for publicly naming the groups as unindicted co-conspirators, instead of referring to them in public documents as “other persons” or otherwise protecting their identities. (It is also explains, presumably, why he sealed his decision in the first place; the appellate court appears to regard the sealing as having a barn

door effect: Now that it’s out there, better to unseal the decision and make its reasoning clear.)

Say realtor Smith had a partner named Jones who defrauded clients. The government might name Smith as an unindicted co-conspirator under two circumstances: If the government believed Smith was knowingly complicit, but chose not to bring him to trial, it could, under the precedent cited by Solis, publicly name Smith as an “unindicted coconspirator,” because it would be in the public interest to know that Smith knowingly allowed fraud to take place, even if he was not directly incriminated.

Solis rejected the groups’ request that he strike references to them as unindicted co-conspirators, but that’s because the term has two meanings: One is a designation used to abide by federal rules of evidence governing the use in court of conspirators’ statements.

On the other hand, under federal rules, the government could also designate Smith an “unindicted co-conspirator” as a means of using statements by Smith that might otherwise be disallowed as hearsay. Making Smith a conspirator means Jones cannot challenge Smith’s account of an event where Jones was not present, because they were both complicit in the crime, even if Smith was unwittingly so. Smith, for instance, could describe his business conversation with a victim without Jones saying that the conversation did not involve him and is therefore immaterial. The government in this case, under precedent cited by Solis, would be required to do its best to keep Smith’s name under wraps to preserve his Fifth Amendment protection against incrimination without redress.

Solis, again citing precedent, describes being publicly named in the latter case as an “official public smear” -- and that appears to be what he thinks happened here.

Particularly in the cases of ISNA and NAIT, the government designated the groups unindicted co-conspirators because federal rules required the designation in order for their statements to be used in trial.

There does not seem to be a clear evidentiary line according to which one can name and shame an unindicted coconspirator on the one hand, and protect her from embarrassment and harmed reputation on the other; it seems more a case of judgment.

Solis thinks the feds made the wrong judgment. (The government, in the appellate case, ultimately acknowledged its error in naming the groups.) He does not make clear why he thinks CAIR, NAIT and ISNA fall under the protective rather than the incriminative category, but the “ample evidence” he cites suggests some reasons. First, the evidence “largely predates,” he writes, HLF’s U.S. designation as a terrorist group in 2001.

Second, while some of the evidence is associative -- some of the the groups, in the late 1980s, shared officers and office space with HLF -- other evidence appears to be hopeful posturing by the bad guys.

In one case, the government quotes a 1991 paper by a Muslim Brotherhood official on strategic goals in North America. In it, the official describes a “kind of a grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within.” Elsewhere in the document, ISNA and NAIT appear in a list of Brotherhood “organizations and organizations of our friends.” What’s not clear -- at least from the evidence cited by the judge -- is whether ISNA and NAIT knew that they appeared on such a list, never mind whether they appreciated the tip of the hat.

None of this means the groups should not be held to account for this activity, but its context should be made clear (the associations were not illegal at the time), and so should subsequent events in making any current judgment. ISNA, for instance, has since explicitly condemned Hamas and Hezbollah terrorism; CAIR has not. The FBI, furthermore, ended its associations with CAIR in 2008. (I’ve asked, but have yet to get an answer why.) This FBI letter (provided to Fox News Channel by the Investigative Project on Terrorism), is vague.

I’ve found, as a layman reading through court rulings as these, that the plainest statements often come in footnotes, perhaps because it is the one circumstance under which a judge feels constrained not to explain and explain again.

This footnote in Solis’ ruling is telling: “The overwhelming majority of media reports provided by ISNA and NAIT link them to terrorist organizations based on the unindicted co-conspirators list, rather than evidence presented at trial.”

That’s a useful distinction going forward.

10 | The Jewish Press | December 10, 2010

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. guest speakers, Anna and Marcy Cotton, Storytellers, will present Cotton Tales. 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 and Cantor Beth Schlossberg.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; Learner’s Service, 10:15 a.m.; 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: Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Jewish Images on the Big Screen, 10:30 a.m. with Susi FrydmanLevin.

BESTT: Students in K through Second grades will meet their teachers at the Kripke Library on Sunday, 10:15 a.m., for a special activity with Gary Katz. Pick up is 11:45 a.m. at the library.

SUNDAY SCHOLARS SERIES: At 11 a.m., guest speaker biblical archaeologist Dr. Rami Arav of UNO. (see full story on page 5.)

ART WORKSHOP: Workshop for teens participating in the synagogue’s Cantor’s Concert are scheduled for Sunday, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

MONDAY: Let’s Wine About It, 6:30 p.m. meet Cantor Schlossberg at Brix Wine Bar in Village Pointe for a gettogether filled with conversation about anything and everything Jewish. All adults in the Jewish community are welcome.

TUESDAY: Parsha & Pizza, 6:15 p.m. monthly mini course, led by Cantor Schlossberg. Cost is $3 per session for members, $4 for non-members. To register, call the office.

THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Life Lessons for the Hebrew Bible, noon. Cost: $36, members; $45, non-members. To register, contact the office.

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

W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets and Prayer, 12:45 p.m.

SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: After school teen program, 2:40-4 p.m.; JLI class, Medicine & Morals, Your Jewish guide through life’s tough decisions, 7 p.m. Questions? Contact Shevi at 402.330.1800 or JLI@OChabad.com.

THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com with any questions or to recive a guest pass.

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 Ilan Emanuel.

FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, celebrating the conversion of Jayne Draper and Julie Moore, with oneg following hosted by Tracy Gordon.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel.

SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple for Hanukkah Wrap; Gan Simcha-K, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple.

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

Book Drive: Through Dec. 12, South Street Temple and Tifereth Israel are collecting new or gently-used preschoollevel books to donate to Head Start Child Development Center. Bring your items to either the Temple or the Synagogue.

Bar Mitzvah Elias Ginsberg, son of Julie and Bennett Ginsberg, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 18, at Temple Israel.

Elias is a seventh-grade student at Westside Middle School. He is involved in Inclucity Middle Group and plays saxophone in the middle school jazz band.

His interests include baseball, reading, cooking, and surfing.

For his mitzvah project, Elias volunteered with the Food Bank for the Heartland Backpack program.

He has a sister, Eden.

Grandparents are Stan and Felicia Schrier and Marilyn Ginsberg and the late Eddie Ginsberg.

Chabad lights first candle of Hanukkah

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

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, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Joel Alperson and Daphna Pollak in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Margie Alperson; “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) and Shabbat Mishnah Group, Avodah Zarah, chapter 4, one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 4:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 5:42 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.

WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.

MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. Contact the office to get the dial-in number and access code.

TUESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:45 p.m. at the Blumkin Home; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m.; Advanced Halchic Kollel, 9 p.m.; Follow the Kollel at www. omahakollel.blogspot.com.

THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class with Rabbi Gross, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, Dec. 17-Fast of the 10th of Tevet: Fast begins, 6:15 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:39 p.m.; Fast ends, 5:35 p.m.

323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by B’nai B’rith Members.

SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.

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

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: Service, 7 a.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-1 p.m.;

a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple.

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

Book Drive: Through Dec. 12, South Street Temple and Tifereth Israel are collecting new or gently-used preschoollevel books to donate to Head Start Child Development Center. Bring your items to either the Temple or the Synagogue.

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CHABAD HOUSE

Candlelighting Friday, December 10, 4:37 p.m.

Participants lighting the first candle on the 6 foot menorah at Westroads Mall on Dec. 1 celebrate Hanukkah by saying the blessings, singing songs and eating Sufganiyot.

The event was organized by Chabad Center.

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

SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Grade Five Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Teacher Meeting, 9 a.m.; Grades K-6, 10 a.m.noon; WRJ Meeting, 10 a.m.; OTYG Meeting, noon.

TUESDAY: Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; All School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-8, 6 p.m.; 613 Mitzvot, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Azriel.

THURSDAY: “Adult Study with the Clergy,” 10 a.m.; Social Justice Meeting, noon.

Tot Shabbat and Dinner, Friday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m. Cost for dinner is $5 for adults and no charge for children. Please contact the Temple Israel office, 556.6536 or mkube@tem pleisraelomaha.com, to make a dinner 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 service, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Learners minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush luncheon and Talmud study.

SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at South Street Temple for Hanukkah Wrap; Gan Simcha-K, 9:45

Lighting up on Hanukkah

by BEN HARRIS (JTA) -- Before Rabbi Yosef Langer lit the candles on the “Mama Menorah” in San Francisco’s Union Square Wednesday night, he reminded the crowd that Hanukkah kits were available for free, in case anyone wanted to “light up” at home.

What is it with this town?

The big celebration Chabad runs on Sunday is named for Bill Graham, the legendary San Francisco music impresario known for his association with the Rabbi Yosef Langer Grateful Dead and -- less so -- for his role in bringing the enormous menorah to Union Square.

And if the message wasn’t sufficiently clear, when the lighting was complete, the sound system blasted the Moshav Band’s rendition of the Shlomo Carlebach classic, Lord Get Me High.

Oh wait, I know exactly what it is with this town.

Kidding aside, Langer is an interesting character. He is said to be the first Chabad emissary who wasn’t born religious. As a recruitment tactic, he used to pass out free tickets to Grateful Dead shows. He’s known to ride around the city on his motorcycle. And he was buddies with Graham, a German-born Jew who emigrated with his family before the rise of the Nazis.

Pulverent e

December 10, 2010 | The Jewish Press | 11

Israel becomes a People

In memoriam JILL R. FOLSOM

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Va’yigash Joseph has been playing cat and mouse with his brothers.

He recognized them, of course; but they saw in him only a high-ranking Egyptian official.

He has one of his servants put his silver cup in the sack of his brother Benjamin, unbeknownst, of course, to Benjamin.

And now, Joseph accuses his brothers not only of coming to Egypt as spies, but also of stealing his cup. They assure him nothing of the kind has happened. They would surely not steal anything, let alone the Administrator’s cup. But Joseph insists on searching their bags, and lo and behold, all the brothers still have the money they paid for the food, and in Benjamin’s possession is the silver cup.

Joseph now tells the brothers it would be nothing less than unusual for him to have Benjamin executed, and the rest of them imprisoned for life. “But”, he says, “I am a just man, and I will send you back to your father in Canaan. I will keep the thief, your youngest brother, as a slave to me for the rest of his life.”

Judah assumes full responsibility for his brothers and approaches the Administrator. He says: “Please, let me speak to you, I beg you; I know that you are like Pharaoh himself, and will let me speak only because of your personal kindness.”

Joseph has heard them muttering to themselves that ‘this is the payment they have received for their wickedness in sending their brother Joseph as a slave to Egypt.’

Joseph, now hearing their confession to each other that they have wronged their brother Joseph, and hearing how sorry they are, takes pity on them. He obliges everyone except the brothers and himself to leave the room. The Egyptians are ill at ease leaving him alone with these ruffians from Canaan.

Now he tells them: “I am Joseph.” They do not believe him. So he repeats: “I am Joseph your brother.” The Midrash suggests that he pulled aside his clothing to show that he was circumcised. The brothers knew the Egyptians were not a circumcised people, and in amazement realized this was, indeed, their brother Joseph.

Joseph says: “Get back to Canaan in the special royal wagons that I have prepared for you, and bring my father with all his retinue back to Egypt. I have made ready a place in Goshen for all of you, with all the royal servants I can give you.

“You meant it for evil when you sold me off to Egypt, but the good Lord of our father, ourselves, and our children turned it into a vast good. It has made possible the saving of many people from starvation, because there are still five years of famine and drought. Don’t start accusing each other. Simply hurry back and bring our father.”

Thus it is that the children of Israel found themselves in Egypt, where they eventually became slaves themselves. Not only did they become slaves, the 12 tribes became a People.

DiCaprio converting to Judaism?

by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- Leonardo DiCaprio is rumored to be considering converting to Judaism.

The possible conversion by DiCaprio is a sign that the popular American actor and his longtime girlfriend, Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli will marry, the Daily Mail reported Sunday.

"Leo’s sudden intense interest in Israel, its culture and religion is the clearest sign yet that he intends to marry Bar," said an anonymous source quoted in the London newspaper. DiCaprio has visited Refaeli in Israel several times, most recently in November. It has been rumored for months that the couple are engaged.

Jill R. Folsom passed away on Dec. 4 at the age of 49.

Services were held Dec. 7 at Temple Israel, with burial following at Beth El Cemetery.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Folsom; her children, Adam and Alec Folsom and stepdaughter Krista Folsom; parents, Felicia and Stan Schrier; brother, Jeffrey Schrier; sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Bennett Ginsberg; niece and nephews, Isiah, Ian, Eden and Elias; uncles, Harry (Judy) Friedman, Richard Landy; many loving cousins.

Memorials may be sent to Childrens Hospital and Medical Center.

DOROTHY KATZMAN GARSON Dorothy Katzman Garson, 89, a resident of Columbus for the past 44 years, died after a short illness. Funeral services were held Nov. 17 at the Epstein Memorial Chapel with Rabbi Michael Ungar officiating. Additional services were held in Lincoln.

Mrs. Garson was a member of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, where she served as treasurer of the gift shop for 30 years.

She also was a member of Hadassah.

She was born Dec. 25, 1920 in Mglin, Russia and immigrated with her family to the United States at age 2. She grew up in Omaha, where she graduated from Central High School and attended the University of Omaha.

She was preceded in death by her husband Sam Garson.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Arnold and Lynne Garson of Louisville, KY; four grandchildren, Scott and Becky Garson, Chris Garson, Gillian and Kelly O’Hara, and Megan and Jason Hieronymus; and great-grandchildren.

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The Eulogizer

by ALAN D. ABBEY JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Eulogizer is a new column (soon-to-be blog) that highlights the life accomplishments of famous and not-so-famous Jews who have passed away recently. Learn about their achievements, honor their memories and celebrate Jewish lives well lived with The Eulogizer.

Hillard “Hilly” Elkins, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., who went on to success on Broadway and Hollywood, and who championed civil rights and freedom of expression, died Dec. 1 at 81.

Elkins was a Broadway and Hollywood producer who gained notoriety for “Oh! Calcutta!,” which featured graphic nudity in skits written by John Lennon, Samuel Beckett and others, received terrible reviews when it opened offBroadway in 1969, but became a big hit that ran on Broadway for years and helped break down stage taboos, including a then-unthinkable top ticket price of $25.

Despite the notorious production, perhaps fueled by Elkins’ private life, which included a brief marriage to actress Claire Bloom, who left her husband, Rod Steiger, to marry Elkins, his work also included more serious productions. They included “A Doll’s House” and “Hedda Gabler,” starring vehicles for Bloom, the film “Alice’s Restaurant,” and the Clifford Odets musical “Golden Boy.” Elkins changed the lead character of the play from an Italian to an African American (Sammy Davis Jr.), and later brought a reluctant Davis to Selma, Ala., for a civil rights protest at the behest of Harry Belafonte and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Elkins also produced 1970’s “The Rothschilds,” the last by the team that wrote “Fiddler on the Roof ” and which suffered by comparison to that blockbuster.

Philip Roth, another of Bloom’s husbands, described Elkins in a 1988 memoir as one of his “fellow Jewish mischief-makers of the sixties.”

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Personal The family of Judge Samuel V. Cooper wishes to express its sincere thank you for the out pouring of support and friendship in the loss of Sam as husband, farther, Papa and brother. The countless messages we received about how he touched so many lives and that he is remembered so fondly brought great comfort to us all. The numerous contributions that were made in his memory to a wide variety of incredible charitable organizations were great tributes to his life. He truly lived the American dream. He loved his adopted country, loved his family loved the law, and this community.

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12 | The Jewish Press | December 10, 2010

20 Jewish cantors walk into a church -- it’s no joke

by RUTH ELLEN GRUBER ROME (JTA) -- Can Jewish sacred music sung in a Roman Catholic basilica help relations between Christians and Jews?

For the Reform movement’s American Conference of Cantors, the answer is a resounding yes.

Twenty Reform cantors from across the United States traveled to Rome this month for just that purpose, performing a unique concert of Jewish prayers and sacred texts at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, a cavernous church adapted by Michelangelo from the ancient Baths of Diocletian.

“We are here as spiritual emissaries, not political emissaries,” said the president of the cantors’ conference, Susan Caro of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. “We recognize the power of music to transform as well as reach across cultural and religious lines.”

The concert, titled To God’s Ears, was organized by the New York-based Interreligious Information Center in cooperation with Cardinal William Keeler, the emeritus archbishop of Baltimore, who is the basilica’s cardinal priest.

“Presenting music of the synagogue in churches in order to reach the laity could develop into something very, very worthwhile in interfaith relations,” said the Interreligious Information Center’s executive director, Gunther Lawrence.

Lawrence said several cathedrals in the United States and Britain already had expressed interest in similar concerts.

The Nov. 16 performance featured a range of prayers and texts set to both traditional melodies and music by composers dating from the Renaissance to the present day.

In welcoming remarks, Monsignor Renzo Giuliano, the regular priest of the basilica, introduced the 90-minute concert as a journey into the “profundity of the liturgy,” saying it was “very important to be here together and praising our God.” The cantors, about half of them women, hailed from California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Arizona and Texas.

Dressed in black, but each wearing a sometimes colorful tallit, they sang in a vaulted side chapel against the backdrop of a crucifix, flickering candles and a wall-sized painting of the Madonna and child.

Before each piece, a cantor stepped forward to describe the selection, explain its place in the Jewish religious service

and provide information about the musical setting.

“Our goal was to educate people in Jewish culture and Jewish synagogue culture,” said Cantor Roslyn Barak of Temple Emanuel in San Francisco, who helped coordinate the event. “We feel that through music you can heal, make

Cantor Lauren Bandman of Temple Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, CA, introduces the first piece in the cantorial concert in Rome -- Shalom Aleichem by William Sharlin.

Credit: Ruth Ellen Gruber friends, touch people, reach out.”

U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Miguel Humberto Diaz called the initiative “a wonderful opportunity.”

“Any kind of art, especially music, is a way to bring people together for the sake of the common good,” he told JTA. Diaz and the Rev. Norbert Hoffman, the secretary of the Vatican’s commission on religious relations with the Jews, were among the few dignitaries in attendance.

Highlights of the concert included an arrangement of the Adon Olam prayer by the Renaissance Italian Jewish composer Salamone Rossi and a stirring rendition of Sim Shalom by the Berlin-born 20th century composer Max Janowski, which featured Barak as soloist.

The concert also included the world premiere of Mah Ashiv Ladonai-Quid Retribuam Domino, a setting of Psalm 116, with words in Hebrew and in Latin, by Cantor Erik Contzius of Temple Israel in New Rochelle, N.Y. Contzius, a

member of the American Conference of Cantors, did not take part in the concert.

Jewish secular artists have performed on a number of occasions at Vatican events, but traditional cantors probably would not perform in a church. Longtime observers of Jewish-Catholic relations said it was likely that the concert marked the first time that a cantorial group had performed such a concert in a Roman church.

“Italian traditional cantors would not, as far as I know, perform in a church, and I know of no instance when this ever happened in the past,” the Italian Jewish musicologist Francesco Spagnolo, the curator of collections at the Magnes Museum in Berkeley, Calif., told JTA. The concert was the centerpiece of four days of meetings in Rome organized by the Interreligious Information Center for the cantors and more than two dozen accompanying family members and other members of their congregations.

The group met with seminarians at the Vatican’s Pontifical North American College and attended Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly public audience. They also toured Rome’s ancient Jewish ghetto and met with Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni.

That meeting also was a form of religious dialogue.

Italy’s Jewish community is Orthodox, and although there are a few small Reform congregations in the country, the Reform denomination is not recognized by the Italian Jewish communal organization. Di Segni did not attend the concert.

Cantor Claire Franco of Port Washington, N.Y., one of the coordinators of the concert, said Di Segni had been gracious to the group and answered its questions.

“But he was clear that there are boundaries that they won’t cross,” she said. “We are Reform cantors and we are very proud of this. That’s who we are -- and half of us are women.”

Several cantors noted that interreligious matters were part of their hands-on experience as Reform cantors, as many members of their congregations were intermarried.

Franco noted that she was the child of a Christian father and Jewish mother.

“I grew up as one of the few Jews in a small town in Florida,” she said. “I knew what being a minority was, what it meant to have to explain who we are. So I am committed to teaching community.”

One unforgettable show— Five thousand years in the making PERFORMANCE BY Shen Yun is traditional Chinese culture as it was meant to be—a profound study in grace and wisdom distilled from 5,000 years of civilization.

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Shen Yun features one of the most expressive, and also one of the most demanding, art forms in the world: classical Chinese dance.

It is a complete system of dance refined through thousands of years.

The classically trained dancers, musicians, and singers of Shen Yun dedicate themselves to reviving the essence of humanity’s divinely inspired culture. They believe that to create true art, there must first be inner purity. Thus, they are sure to include study and meditation into their rigorous training regimen.

“Brilliant choreography... extravagantly beautiful.”

— BroadwayWorld.com

Ticket Prices: $150, $145, $130, $100, $80, $60

Choreographers find an inexhaustible source of inspiration in China’s many dynasties and ethnic groups. They bring to life tales of well-known legends and time-honored values, displaying goodness and loyalty, courage and tragedy.

DEC 26, 2010, 7:00PM ORPHEUM THEATER ALL-NEW 2011 PROGRAM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

This winter, Shen Yun will again debut a spectacular original production with all new dances, costumes, and music.

Experience the extraordinary.

TICKETS: (402) 345-0606, www.TicketOmaha.com

ShenYunPerformingArts.org

Presented by Nebraska Falun Dafa Association