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The Jewish Press AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA | WWW. JE WISHOMAHA.ORG

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DECEMBER 18, 2020 | 3 TE V E T 578 1 | VO L. 1 01 | NO. 1 0 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 4:39 P.M.

WE CARE The impact of JFO

Tha past repeats itself over and over and over again Page 4

JAMIE SKOG-BURKE JFO Director of Development our support of the JFO Annual Campaign makes an impact on the local, national and global level. The annual campaign is at the heart of any strong Jewish community and allows our agencies to plan for the future. The funds raised this fall and winter will set the amount that is available to support Jewish Omaha’s programs and agencies into the next fiscal year.

The support of those who contributed to last year’s Annual Campaign ensures that we CARE for Jews locally, in Israel and beyond; we EDUCATE & ENGAGE our community; we INVEST in our Jewish agencies and community partners.

This year, our world was turned upside down. Jewish Omaha answered the call, thanks to the donors who raised over $300,000 to support COVID-19 emegency relief work.

Approximately 40 new senior clients received home-delivered meals from See We Care page 2

Y

Thanking our community educators and caregivers Pages 6 & 7

A short film offers new perspective on Birthright Page 12

Kate Kirshenbaum: A dynamic leader

REGULARS

Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

8 9 10 11

DANA KAUFMAN It is no secret Kate Kirshenbaum has a passion for service. In fact, she has been serving the Jewish community most of her adult life. What started as a way to engage with other like-minded Jewish women, has turned into a lifelong commitment.

“I joined NCJW because my friends were members. I was looking for a way to connect with other Jewish women and do good for Omaha. I wanted an organization that focused on Jewish values but which also served the greater community. NCJW checked all those boxes for me,” Kirshenbaum said.

Kate Kirshenbaum

Since 1985, Kate Kirshenbaum has served as a member, volunteer and board member of NCJW. In 1992, she took the helm as board president, an office she held again in 2004. She, along with Linda Novak, chaired the first R.A.F.T. (Resources Available for Teens) in 1991, and chaired the NCJW Thrift Shop in 1996-1998. Additionally, Kirshenbaum has led the teacher See Kate Kirshenbaum page 3

Spokesimals for the Holidays ties grow and do business, anANNETTE VAN DE KAMPnounced a new initiative to build WRIGHT support and understanding for Jewish Press Editor Jewish Family Service was re- mental health, in partnership with cently asked if they could help facil- PGP (The Public Good Projects).

Now more than itate finding a ever, mental family who may health has become be dressing up a top priority their pet for across the country Hanukkah so with almost 40 that the Jewish percent of Americommunity can cans now showing be represented, signs of clinical as well as other anxiety or depresholiday pets, in sion. In Nebraska, the continuing that number is 30 effort to edupercent. cate others and The project took decrease the a unique digitalstigma about Max Dunning forward approach mental health, by using pets as the... Spokesimals!!! using the power of animals, shared Max, pet of Toba, Eric, Eleanor and stories and social media to not only Teddy Dunning, was one of the pets spark the conversation about menwho rose to the occasion. tal health, but also address what The Wellbeing Partners, a local keeps many people from seeking organization focused on building help---stigma. Stigma wellbeing into the way communi- See Spokesimals page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020

News

Spokesimals

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WE CARE

Continued from page 1 Jewish Senior Outreach. This increased monthly deliveries by over 275 meals, adding an additional cost of almost $3,000 per month.

There were 145 requests for COVID19 emergency assistance, totaling $44,093 as of 12/4/2020. Since the start of the pandemic, the needs of 95 families in our community have been answered

by JFS. The $66,500 in tuition assistance from the JFO COVID-19 Relief Jewish Educational Scholarships has ensured Jewish learning remains accessible to families impacted by COVID-19.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE Jewish Family Service professionals help our community members during their most difficult times. JFS and its impact have always been vital, but now its importance has risen to a new level.

Last November, 53 individuals received a Thanksgiving meal thanks to JFS and holiday food baskets that were delivered to 229 individuals throughout the year. Additionally, Project Dreidel gifted $4,637 in Hanukkah presents to children from families in need. Eleven new children were part of JFS’s ‘Back to School-’ program, bringing the total up to 29 youth who started the school year off right, thanks to your support. $13,290 was needed to sustain JFS’s

Food Pantry. Between July 2019 and March 2020, there were 333 visits to the food pantry. Since the close of the physical location in March, JFS staff have adapted and answered 171 calls for groceries assistance with electronic grocery cards.

JFS PROGRAMS In total, 949 therapy sessions conducted by JFS therapists have reached 132 clients. Between March and June, JFS staff conducted over 180 of those virtually. Finally, this year JFS staff conducted 10 Home Studies for prospective parents, a record high for the agency.

As of Nov. 3, 2020, the JFS office has returned to virtual again until early 2021 or when the high rates of COVID-

19 decrease enough to see clients safely in the office.

Our impact begins with YOU! The power of the collective is that together we made these amazing things happen.

Please help us do it again. Individually, we each give as we are able, but together, our contributions create immeasurable success. Did you know that 52% of the JFS operating budget comes from the JFO Annual Campaign? This is why your campaign contributions are essential to all JFS programs and services.

Gifts of all sizes provide the vital operating funds that allow our communal goals to be reached. Your annual contributions allow the JFO to expand their See We Care page 3

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Continued from page 1 is cited as one of the top reasons why individuals avoid or abandon treatment. In fact, less than half of adults with mental health conditions receive treatment.

The initiative included the creation of Spokesimals Midwest, an educationbased campaign inspired by unconditional love and understanding that animals provide. The campaign invites community members to submit pictures of their animals and/or pets, which are then paired with simple messages of encouragement, supCharley Scheer port and facts about mental health. These messages are for everyone, not just people who have an interest in mental health or live with a mental health condition. The more people know about mental health, the less society will allow mental health conditions to be stigmatized. There is no better source of unconditional love and understanding than our animals.

That’s why Spokesimals Midwest features vibrant digital content inspired by them, along with unique, fact-based messages in support of mental health. Each animal featured is a true-to-life pet or animal from the local community.

If you want to submit a photo of your animal or pet, you can still do so at www.Spokesimals.com.

This campaign is a partnership between The Wellbeing Partners and the public health nonprofit PGP (The Public Good Projects) and made possible by funding from the Sherwood Foundation, Mutual of Omaha, CHI Health and Region 6. Additional supporters include: the Douglas, Sarpy/ Cass, and Pottawattamie Health Departments, the Metro Area Planning Agency (MAPA) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.

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The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020 | 3

JFO Scholarships DIANE WALKER Fund & Scholarship Administrator, JFO Foundation Let’s look ahead to 2021 and begin planning for next year’s adventures! Are your kids ready to get back to camp? Do you have little ones at the CDC or Friedel?

College students? Thanks to the generosity of our community, a variety of funding sources are available to Omaha’s Jewish families to help with the financial burden of residential camp, JCC summer camp, Israel programs, the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center, Friedel Jewish Academy and youth group activities. Assistance is also available for undergraduate, graduate, vocational, technical, professional or yeshiva studies.

Grant programs, funded by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, are available to any Omaha Jewish family meeting the program requirements, regardless of the family’s financial situation.

JEWISH EXPERIENCE GRANTS provide up to $2,000 for Jewish children in the metro area to attend a residential summer camp. Grants are paid over two years with no more than $1,000 per summer.

ISRAEL EXPERIENCE GRANTS provide up to $1,500 to students in grades 9–12 or young adults aged 18–25 for an Israel peer program. An additional stipend of $1,000 is provided for the bi-annual community teen trip to Israel.

Scholarships, awarded by the Financial Aid Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, are funded by a number of endowments established through the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, outside entities and through the Federation’s Annual Campaign. Scholarships are available for JCC summer camp, residential Jewish summer camp, Israel peer programs, Friedel Jewish Academy, the Child Development Center, and youth group programs. Jewish students, who are residents of the Omaha metropolitan area, can apply for scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, vocational, technical, professional or yeshiva studies. While the majority of scholarships are based on financial need, some college scholarships are merit-based.

The revised 2021 Scholarship and Grants booklet and applications are available on the Jewish Federation of Omaha

Tritz Plumbing Inc. 402-894-0300

website. The deadline for applications is Monday, March 1, 2021. The 2021 Scholarship and Grants booklet will be available as an insert in the Dec. 25 issue of the Jewish Press.

I would like to highlight a few new funds:

WE CARE Continued from page 2 impact and engage more community members to enhance today’s vibrant community and ensure that Jewish Omaha has the security to grow into the future Thank you to the donors who have already supported this year’s 2021 Imagine Tomorrow Campaign. Your donations allow us to dream for the bright future to come! We hope others in the community will be inspired to give. Here is how to donate: DONATE ONLINE at www.jewishomaha.org/donate TEXT TOMORROW to 91999 CALL in your pledge to 402.334.6430 For more information, please call Michelle Johnson at 402.334.6430

repair • remodel

commercial • residential

family owned and operated since 1945

MIKE AND LINDA FITERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION has pro-

vided funding for need-based scholarships for Omaha area Jewish youth to attend Jewish residential summer camp for summer 2021.

RANDY AND MARVIN GILMAN SCHOLARSHIP is designated for a

Jewish student in need of financial assistance at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, Mr. Gilman’s alma mater. Sadly, Mr. Gilman passed away earlier this year, but he generously provided a bequest to fund scholarship awards for the next three years.

STANLEY & BARBARA MALASHOCK CAMP SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND was established to enable Jewish youth

under the age of 18 residing in the Omaha metropolitan area to attend Jewish summer camps. Preference shall be given to children with learning disabilities or other developmental challenges. Secondary preference shall be financial need.

CARL & ZOË RIEKES SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND

was established to enable Jewish youth from families residing in the Omaha metropolitan area who are in need of financial assistance to attend the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center. Should the funding not be needed for the CDC, it shall be available for need-based financial assistance for Omaha metro Jewish youth to attend Jewish residential summer camp or to take organized trips to Israel.

Several scholarships outlined in the 2021 Scholarship and Grants booklet are outside the realm of the Financial Aid Committee. These include Sokolof Honor Roll scholarships, Fellman/Kooper scholarships, A.A. and Ethel Yossem scholarships for Creighton University and the Bennett G. Hornstein Endowment Fund.

Omaha’s Jewish families are encouraged to take advantage of these funding opportunities. All financial information is kept completely confidential. For any questions, please call Diane Walker at 402.334.6551 or via email at dwalker@jew ishomaha.org.

Kate Kirshenbaum

Continued from page 1 mini-grants committee, which provides $7,000-$9,000 in grants each year to OPS teachers. Kirshenbaum received the Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and the Hannah G. Solomon Award in 2016.

“I have enjoyed serving the community through NCJW. I really enjoyed working on so many rewarding projects and knowing I was making an impact,” said Kirshenbaum. “Through NCJW I met a fantastic group of women and made lifelong friendships. In fact, some of our Thrift Shop committee still meets for lunch every week.”

To call Kate Kirshenbaum a “force” would be an understatement. With her leadership, NCJW continues to serve the community through social justice and political awareness programming, and unique activities like reading pups, delivering backpacks to OPS elementary students and more.

“Kate and NCJW are synonymous,” said NCJW President, Jennifer Koom. “When you think of NCJW, Kate Kirshenbaum immediately comes to mind. She has not only served as a leader for our organization for many years, but she is also a mentor for many young Jewish women in our community. We are all grateful for her service.”

Kirshenbaum embodies the spirit and core values of NCJW.

www.tritz.com

NCJW is pleased to honor Kirshenbaum this month as an esteemed member.

“I care about Omaha and enjoy seeing the impact our organization makes when working together toward a common goal. It has been an honor to work on these projects. That is why I do what I do for NCJW. I hope every Jewish woman in Omaha will join me in ensuring we can continue to serve our community for years to come.”

For more information about NCJW Nebraska, email NCJW eventsNE@gmail.com Or find us at https://www.ncjwnebraska.org.

IN THE NEWS Omaha native Colin Belmont, an account supervisor at VMLY&R in Kansas City, has been honored as Ad Age's 2020 Creativity Awards Account Manager of the Year. Ad Age is a global media brand that publishes analysis, news and data on marketing and media. The award recognizes an account team member who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in helping to shape creative ideas that dramatically impact a client's business. Colin has been instrumental in implementing innovative social and digital campaigns for his client, Wendy’s, and has helped to keep the brand culturally relevant with its younger consumer base.

Colin is the son of Jill and Mark Belmont.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith is pleased to announce the resumption of its award-winning speaker program via ZOOM. Although the Home auditorium remains temporarily closed, we’ll continue presenting an outstanding lineup of thought-provoking keynoters. For specific speaker information and/or to be placed on the email list, please contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com or leave a message at the BB JCC office 402.334.6443.

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4 | The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020

The past repeats itself over and over and over again

When to buy? When to sell?

How do I prepare to buy or sell?

Can I show or see a home during Covid?

What is my home worth?

What are the market trends?

Is investing in real estate safe? How do I begin?

During these uncertain times, there are many unanswered questions.

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I have the knowledge and experience to guide you, because home is now more important than ever.

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In Alexandria, Egypt, Judah and his brothRAMI ARAV The awkward title of this article requires ers studied in Alliance, the Jewish French some clarification. I think my family story il- chain of schools. These schools are active lustrates the reality quite well. today. French was the language taught at From 1827 to 1875, the eminent British Jew, Sir Moses Haim Montefiore, made seven visits to Jerusalem. After his first visit, he reported finding 90 Jewish families in Jerusalem and 200 widows.

During his second visit, he made a census of all the Jews living in Israel.

This was not a simple task, since Turkish Ottoman laws prohibited cen- The Arav Family at Ilania 1939. Ahuvah, left, Shulamit, Miriam, (my sus. Also, he had to uncle’s wife Shlomo, he took the picture), my grandparents Rose and comply with the Jew- Yehuda, Sarah and my father Avraham. ish customs of not counting people. A legend school. Judah spoke Hebrew, Arabic, Ladino, was created whereby Montefiore gave every French and learned Italian from his neighperson a dollar bill and counted the leftover bors. In those days, Alexandria was a bustling in his pocket to determine the population. cosmopolitan city with communities from all Whether this story is true or not, we will over the world. There was even a substantial never know. One thing is sure, Montefiore left American community. a very well documented census report. He Upon graduation, Judah wanted to keep on visited everyone, recorded their origins and studying. The Dreyfus Affair that erupted in professions.

1894, motivated him to return to the Land of In his census, he mentioned a person Israel. He made his “Exodus” and went to the named Joseph Arav, the grandfather of my school called Mikveh Israel. This agricultural grandfather, and his 8-year-old son Abraham, school, located a few miles east of Jaffa, is simmy grandfather’s father. Joseph was recorded ilar to Boys Town in Omaha, but built much as having a bookstore in Jerusalem. earlier, in 1870. The founder of the school was Years passed by and when Abraham was 18 the French Jew Charles Netter. Funds for the years old, he married Sarah. Traditions in our school came from the organization Netter family say that she was one of the most beau- himself founded, All Israel Friends Alliance. tiful girls in Jerusalem. Abraham felt im- Mikveh Israel (a source of hope for Israel) is an mensely proud, and with a strong epithet for God (Jeremiah 14:8). The school reself-confidence wanted to open a business of mains an educational institution to this day. his own. He suggested to his wife they move to In November 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Hebron where a small Jewish community ex- Emperor of Holy Roman Empire of the Geristed. After some deliberation, our family tra- man Nation, went on a pilgrimage to dition continues, the young couple moved to Jerusalem. Theodor Herzl, the founding father Hebron, the town of the Jewish Patriarchs, of Zionism, saw this as a great opportunity to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Sometime later, meet with the Emperor in the Holy Land and Abraham received a message: his father, to repeat his request to receive a franchise Joseph, was a victim of an epidemic in from the Turkish Sultan to permit a Jewish Jerusalem. Sarah was pregnant and when their state under German auspices. The meeting son was born, they named him Joseph after was set to take place at the gate of Mikveh IsAbraham’s father. Their second child, Judah, rael. All the kids of the school, including my my grandfather, was born in Hebron in 1880. grandfather, gathered at the gate. The emWhen Abraham’s wife gave birth to the next peror arrived, stopped for a short while, never child, she passed away. As customary among dismounted from his horse, greeted Herzl Jewish communities, when the mother dies at with, “It is a hot day today, isn’t it?” To this birth the surviving child is named Benjamin, Herzl replied, “Yes, drink a lot of water.” Withto emulate the biblical story of Rachel and out saying any more, His Majesty, the EmBenjamin. peror of the Holy Roman Empire of the The death of his wife devastated Abraham. German Nation, continued on his way.

He buried his wife in Hebron (not in the A year later, in 1899, my grandfather gradMachpelah cave of our patriarchs and matri- uated from Mikveh Israel. Together with a archs) and lamented her for the rest of his life. small group of students, he leased a piece of Ten years later, he passed and was buried in land, located a few miles east of Nazareth.

Hebron next to her. Abraham and Sarah’s There they established Ilania, the first Jewish three children struggled to survive in Hebron. colony in the Lower Galilee.

Joseph, the oldest, told his siblings they For the first two years and until their farmshould move to Egypt, join family relatives houses were built, they rented housing in an and seek better opportunities. Joseph went Arab village. The Arab villagers were curious down to Egypt and a few months later he sent about the newcomers and asked questions. a letter to his siblings calling them to join him. My grandfather told them: “We just graduSo, the children of Abraham and Sarah, ated high school, studied agriculture and we Judah and Benjamin, left Hebron and went come to practice what we have learned.” down to sojourn in Egypt and join their The Arab villagers were stunned. “You mean brother Joseph who could secure their liveli- to tell us that in order to become peasants you hood. On the eve of Pesach 1895, Judah made went to school? We never heard of this before.” his exodus from Egypt.

Baron Hirsch, the landlord, assigned an By now, some of my readers smile, and I can agronomist to guide them in their initial even read their minds: “Are you telling us your stages. The agronomist, Haim Bouskilla later family story or a story from the Bible?” This is became my great uncle. He took his land surprecisely what I meant in the title of this veying equipment and to his surprise he disstory; there is no future in the Middle East, covered a spring gushing water at a higher the past repeats itself over and over and over elevation than the farmhouses. Soon, they again. Who knows how many times a similar laid water pipes and the settlers had running story reoccurred in this region?

See The past repeats itself page 5

The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020 | 5

News

Reflections ROCHI KATZMAN Forgive for the missed mornings. The missed meetings. Missed opportunities.

Forgive the anger, the resentment, the venom. Clear out the space. Make room for love. Lots of love. Make room for all kinds of people, because everyone has something to give.

Forgive my judgment of people’s ability to perform. Forgive myself for saying yes when I should have said no. When I meant to say no, every part of my body, my belly to my head said no, besides for my guilt. My lips surrendered to the guilt and mouthed yes.

The rest of my body yelled so loud that it wanted to burst out of itself.

Forgive this body that I have betrayed, time and time again. Forgive this spirit that yearned for more. That wanted to soar, that was trapped in the confines of (its) grasp.

Forgive the rule follower for taking the lead of other judgers, who judged – this is a good friend, she will not do well – fell short of the lead of my inner voice, my intuition that gently squeezed and then fell back into the shadow, throwing a few small butterflies into the belly just before falling into the abyss. Forgive the lost opportunities of connection, due to following the lead of judgers.

Forgive the zealot in me who wanted to see change and then lied about her performance abilities, skill sets. Forgive the zealot in me who then led the team blindly to no better place than they started.

Forgive my stress engines for clouding my mind, my sense of direction in the heat of the meeting. Forgive my righteousness that masked insecurity and neediness.

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The ripple effects of gratitude KAREN GUSTAFSON Executive Director of JFS During this time of hunkering down and staying at home more, Jewish Family Service ( JFS) began a m o n t h l y newsletter with the intention of reaching as many community members as possible with some helpful resources during this unprecedented time. We developed a theme for each month, working to tie the theme into the next holiday or time of year.

In November, our theme was Gratitude in honor of Thanksgiving. We also developed a Gratitude Challenge, to engage those in the ‘act of Gratitude’ if they were interested. Well, here’s where this story becomes interesting and is the exact positive consequence of such a selfless act as taking the time to show or express your gratitude.

Below is a transcript of a letter written in 1944, by then 13-year old Doris Noodell Alloy, less than one month before the U.S. invaded Europe. Which, by the way, awarded Doris with the grade of A++. (Letter was retyped by Doris’ daughter, Shelly Fox).

Doris read the article that JFS wrote about Gratitude and wanted to share her letter. In my opinion it was too precious to keep to our-

It’s not just what they know.

It’s who they become.

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selves and proof of how gratitude truly does grow exponentially. With Doris’ permission, we share her letter of gratitude (such a wise young woman!).

DORIS NOODELL May 11, 1944 | English 8a My Own America When I look out of my school window I see the houses and all the people going about in their own fashion, in their own way... not afraid to speak of the things they see, read, or hear. When

I walk home from school I can go the way I wish or talk to anybody. I see children running and playing, happy and gay. I can come home to a house where I will be sure of finding my parents.

I can eat the things I want. I can think and play the way I want. When it comes time to go to church, I can go to the church of my belief. On top of all these, I have the radio, newspaper, books, mail, telephone and all the things I like. I have a teacher who teaches nice things and not hatred that is taught in German schools. When I go to bed at night I have the feeling of security and safety. When I awaken in the morning I do not find my house burned down or destroyed. I have never been in an air raid shelter or had the horror of bombs falling on me. I do not have to watch people I love be killed. We are soon going to invade Europe, but I for one minute don’t think that we will not end victorious. I have faith in the brave men defending my country.

Yes, all this and much more is “My own America.”

The past repeats itself Continued from page 4 water in their homes. The Arab villagers living near the spring never thought to measure the elevation of the spring, never had running water in their homes and continued for centuries to draw water from a well.

My father and his cousin, the son of Benjamin, were called Abraham after their

grandfather. One of my nephews is called Judah. My siblings and I were born in this village. I always present myself to my Christians friends as: “The Man of Galilee was my neighbor.”

As the title implies, in the Middle East the past does not want to go away; it repeats itself over and over and over again.

6 | The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020

The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020 | 7

We are SO GRATEFUL for our community’s educators!

E CDC Jade Allen Breyah Badgett Brianna Baker Bethany Bonacci Sheri Burcaw Ashley Campbell Hannah Carden Kristina Cheung Lisa Cooper Angela Costello Heather Cuva Becky Daeges Leigh Emas Barb Giller Cindi Godden Bernie Hoffman Courtney Hoskins Janice Hoyt Jeanine Huntoon Katelyn Jennings Robin Johansen Shannon Johnson Abby Kaufman Keeley King Yulia Korol Deborah Kronick Lauren Kugler Pam Kutler Shannon Liedel Kellie McNeil Anh McNulty Abbey Milder Debra Monestero Iris Moo Courtney Moore Margaret Neilsen Barb O’Neill Christine Olsen Ann Osborne Ariana Ovono Sarah Piper Jen Roberts Ashley Salguero Leesa Schmitt Cami Schramm Erin Schramm Michele Snyder Christina Sokolof Elvira Stepanova Rebecca Stone Lupe Telule Jordi Terry Meghan Vieregger Mary Vogel Danielle Wesson Leah Woods

ducators as well as caregivers have brought great creativity and stamina to keep our children learning through the pandemic. The Jewish Federation of Omaha apologizes in advance for anyone we might have missed (including community members who teach our children in the public school systems – we thank you as well!).

Please email a photo and caption to avandekamp@jewishom aha.org if you’d like to be included in future editions of the Press.

PLEASE NOTE: Some photos were taken pre-pandemic and do not reflect current remote learning or in-person protocol for masks and physical distancing.

FRIEDEL Ashley Barrow Denise Bennett Emily Coffin Beth Cohen Shiran Dreyer Dani Jackley Sindie Katskee Joyce Miller Lori Morrissey Hadar Nachman Rabbi Moshe Nachman Mercedes Obora Renee Pritchett Julie Shelburne Anne Twedt BETH EL Eileen Clignett Amy Dworin Robby Erlich Becky Kahn Hazzan Krausman Laurel Krausman Zev Krausman Emily Kutler Zach Stein Eadie Tsabari Elissa Wiener Gabby Witkowski Deborah Kronick BETH ISRAEL Shiran Dreyer Rabbi Yoni Dreyer TEMPLE ISRAEL Sophie Budwig Mindy Burroughs Daniel Christensen Eileen Clignett Vikki Crystal Naomi Fox Marlen Frost Dora Goldstrom Dani Howell Jill Idelman Natasha Kraft Carmela Kramer Aliyah Lasky-Ruf Bonni Leiserowitz Ben Mazur Ariella Rohr Becki Smedlund Diana Williams

8 | The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020

Above and below: RBJH staff prepared for Hanukkah with sparkly blues, silver, and wintery whites!

Above: While the building remains closed to the public, Jeannette Gabriel and Ben Justman are researching and organizing the Temple Israel archives.

Above, below and bottom: ADL’s Walk against Hate.

Left: Amy Cooper Rabinowitz knows how to dress for Hanukkah.

SP O TLIGHT PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Right: Feigy Katzman cuddles her brand-new niece Chana, daughter of Mushka and Eli Tenenbaum and the granddaughter of Shani and Rabbi Mendel Katzman.

Above: Bonnie and Steve Levinger’s grandson Asher Pechart was born Nov. 30. He is the son of Allison and Adam Pechart of Pittsburgh, PA and the great-grandson of Leta and Chuck Levinger of Omaha and the late Sue and Bert Kwasman of Scottsdale, AZ.

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

Voices

The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920)

Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Michael Ivey Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen, David Finkelstein, Candice Friedman, Bracha Goldsweig, Margie Gutnik, Natasha Kraft, Chuck Lucoff, Eric Shapiro, Andy Shefsky, Shoshy Susman and Amy Tipp.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations Committee, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Social Services, and the Jewish Press.

Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: wwwjewishomaha. org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020 | 9

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Is there still a war on Christmas?

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Back in 2013, Daniel Denvir wrote the following for Politico: “Henry Ford was an avid proponent of the idea that someone -or more precisely, some group- was waging war on Christmas.”

Ford addressed this in his anti-Semitic writing, asserting people had trouble finding any Christmas cards mentioning Jesus’ birth because of, you know, the Jews. Something about a small minority telling millions of Christians what to do.

Ford was not alone: the John Birch Society in the 1950s and, more recently, Bill O’Reilly claimed there’s a war on Christmas. Sarah Palin even wrote an entire book about it. I’m not making that up, it’s called Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas.

Much of this modern-day Christmas paranoia stems from people replacing traditional Christmas greetings with the more inclusive “Happy Holidays,” although, Business Insider writer Mark Abadi claims most people “don’t give two sugar plums about your choice of season’s greeting.”

Let’s look at some dates in history when Christmas was actually under fire.

The Puritans in England banned Christmas in 1647 because they were eager to purge the Anglican church from Catholic influences. The celebration of Christmas was viewed as lacking any basis in scripture. As a consequence, there were massive riots in London, Norwich and other places; proChristmas citizens in Canterbury even took over control of their city.

Because of these same Puritans, observance of Christmas was outright banned in Boston until the year 1659.

The Revolution in France had bad consequences for both Marie Antoinette’s neck and the holidays: Christmas was renamed “dog day,” churches were shut down, priests were murdered and bakers were no longer allowed to name pastries after the three magi.

During WWII, the Nazis celebrated alright, but rewrote Christmas carols to celebrate National Socialism as their ‘savior,” instead of Jesus. They also emphasized the holiday’s pagan roots; whether that is all that different from today’s Christmas trees, I don’t know. If you believe in the ‘war on Christmas,’ are the trees good or bad?

Here’s the thing: if you live with Nazis who change the words to Silent Night, or if you find yourself suddenly in the middle of a really bloody Revolution where heads are being chopped off, you have every right to complain. If, on the other hand, you live in the 2020 United States, you are going to be just fine where Christmas is concerned. Honestly,

those of us who don’t celebrate don’t actually care to stop you. And we really do hope you will have a merry time.

What is real is the pandemic. If there is anything that will disrupt Christmas (or any holiday, for that matter) it’s an infectious disease, not Christmashaters.

“This year that fake war, with nary a single true victim, is running straight into another culture war, one with fatal potential,” Jennifer Weiner wrote for The New York Times. “Some of the very people who see anti-Christian bigotry in the words “happy holidays” have now located the same dark intent in Covid-19-related restrictions. Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, warned: ‘They tried to cancel Thanksgiving. Didn’t work! They’re coming for Christmas next’ .”

You’d think this year the pundits have bigger worries than whether some people are plotting an allout assault on Christmas.

Is there a war on Christmas? There is not.

But wait...

Remember when the biggest issue was whether the Starbucks to-go cup was Christmassy enough?

Maybe, just maybe, it would be sort of nice to go back to a time when our main problem was not hundreds of thousands of dead around the world, but the color of a paper cup.

Maybe the pundits who are currently bringing back the war on Christmas get that, as a nation, we need a break, we need to hit the pause button and worry about something ridiculous and infantile because real life has become too difficult. Maybe a temper tantrum over ‘Merry Christmas’ versus ‘Happy Holidays’ is exactly what we need right now.

Although, what we really need is a holiday from ourselves.

My mom is Japanese and my dad is Jewish. Their love is not a punchline.

HANAH BLOOM A version of this article originally appeared on Alma.

I’m the daughter of a white Jewish-American dad and a Japanese immigrant mom, and I grew up in Alabama. As you can guess, this made life growing up in the American Deep South quite interesting. Amid the external anti-Semitism and racism I faced, the internal joke within the Jewish and Asian communities that my parents were meant for each other hurts the most; it translates into a gross invalidation of my parents’ love. Although it could be plausible that the two groups can bond over shared minority experiences, the more nefarious explanation for this socalled “perfect match” is the model minority myth.

My parents met in a “meet cute” fashion of situational fate. My mom won the opportunity to tour the Yokosuka naval base twice as a civilian. Who was the handsome American sailor serving as the tour guide both times? My dad. The family joke is that my mother “won the lottery twice.”

After the two fell in love, I was born in a U.S. naval hospital in Italy with an Italian birth certificate, a Japanese birth certificate and an American birth certificate. After my dad retired from the Navy, we moved to an area with an infamous history of hostility toward people of color and non-Christians: sweet home Alabama.

Growing up, I experienced “othering” from the white and Christian communities in my hometown of Montgomery. When I was a Hebrew school teacher for my synagogue, a police officer was stationed every week to ensure that we could meet safely. Students in elementary school would invite me to their mega-church services and try to “save” me from my impending doom in hell. My mom packed what other kids would call “smelly” lunches and gawk at the bento box items that I thought were far better than their Lunchable pizzas. Many people assumed I was great at math, but after asking me for help, they quickly realized otherwise.

I’ve been called “exotic looking” and have heard a variety of attempts at the ethnic guessing game.

Every so often, even outside the South, I get a confused stare. People try to decipher my mixed identity by just … staring at me, hoping to identify what isn’t normal, what isn’t white.

While the racism and discrimination I faced was painful, the lasting pain has come from the communities I call my own. Time after time, I hear from both Asian-American and Jewish-American com-

A family walks into the sunset on the beach with their daughter. Credit: Getty Images

munities a joke that the two groups are so similar; that my parents come from two extremely “learned” communities; that my parents are such a perfect relationship match. A worse joke is how “Jewish guys have a thing for Asian chicks” — straight-up fetishization. When we take the time to unpack the reactions to this match, we arrive at the deeply planted American model minority myth.

When I was applying for colleges, a counselor (who was Jewish) advised that I focus my entrance essay on my Asian and Jewish identities because the two communities “highly value education, and others just don’t.” I was taken aback, but it was only recently that I’ve been able to identify why that remark made me uncomfortable. The implication behind my college counselor’s statement is rooted in the model minority myth: that Asians and Jews are somehow smarter or more “learned,” and that other minority communities (Black, Latinx, etc.) aren’t. Embracing the idea that Jews and Asians achieve higher economic success in the U.S. from a “pull yourself by your bootstraps”

mentality is weaponized against other minorities.

The obvious difference between the story of the African-American community and the AsianAmerican and Jewish-American communities is clear: Black people came here enslaved. Jews and most Asian people did not. Yet white people and other minorities consistently fail to make the connection of how the history of slavery in this country forever shapes the Black American experience in entirely harsher and more systematic ways. On top of this, both Asian Americans and Jewish Americans often fail to address their anti-Blackness.

To begin to rectify this, we must dismiss the notion that the American minority experience is monolithic.

By comparing experiences of minorities in the U.S. based on “economic success,” which unfortunately decides the assessment of overall “success” in this country, the premise perpetuates the false notion that if you simply adopt a strong work ethic, you will “succeed.” It buys into the myth that the “American dream” is a tangible goal that supposedly ignores barriers formed by race, gender, faith and other identities.

We must stop holding up Asian and Jewish communities as examples of “success” while ignoring the systemic barriers facing other minority communities.

The intersection of my identities doesn’t create the ideal student/worker/contributor to a capitalist system. My parents don’t love each other because they’re supposedly smarter or supposedly harder workers. They don’t love each other because they’re learned individuals who relate to one another on some shared value placed on education. They love each other because they make each other laugh.

Hanah Bloom is an honors first year student majoring in political science and philosophy at Miami University of Ohio. She’s on the pre-law track and loves green tea, cute dogs, and southern fried chicken. Hanah is a 2020-2021 Alma College Writing Fellow.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Synagogues

10 | The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. for evening services. Our service leader is Larry Blass.

Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

VIRTUAL MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m. and Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Virtual Cooking with Chef Mike, 10 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:40 p.m.

SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m.; No BESTT — Winter Break.

MONDAY: Jewish Law with Rabbi Abraham, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY: Biblical Literacy with Rabbi Abraham, 11:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: No BESTT — Winter Break; No Hebrew High — Winter Break; Grateful Goodies Drop Off, 10 a.m.; Coffee and Conversation with Rabbi Abraham, 2 p.m.

THURSDAY: Grateful Goodies Sorting, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel.

FRIDAY-Dec. 25: Office Closed — Christmas; Grateful Goodies Delivery Day at Temple Israel; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 26: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 5:40 p.m.

Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

Classes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah on Zoom, Whatsapp or Facebook Live. On site services held outside in Sukkah, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required.

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha, 4:40 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:44 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Jewish Law in Depth, 9:45 a.m. with Rabbi Moshe; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9 am. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:40 p.m.

FRIDAY-Dec. 25: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Mincha/Can-

CHABAD HOUSE dlelighting, 4:43 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 26: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha, 4:50 p.m.; Havdalah, 5:48 p.m.

Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Due to Coronavirus, all services and classes have moved online. For schedules and more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.org or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Lechayim, 4:30 p.m. with Rabbi Blotner; Candlelighting, 4:39 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Ends, 5:44 p.m.

SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.

MONDAY: Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Professor David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Mystical Thinking, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Professor David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Professor David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Minyan, 7 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Professor David Cohen; Talmud Class, noon with Rabbi Katzman; Fun with Yiddish, 1 p.m. with Shani Katzman; Kids in the Kitchen, 4 p.m. with Mushka B. and Bubby.

FRIDAY-Dec. 25: Lechayim, 4:30 p.m. with Rabbi Blotner; Candlelighting, 4:43 p.m.

SATURDAY-Dec. 26: Shabbat Ends, 5:48 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Virtual services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch.

FRIDAY: Candlelighting, 4:43 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Felch via Zoom; Torah Study on Parashat Miketz, 11:30 a.m. via Zoom; Havdalah (72 minutes), 5:47 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Gan-Gesher, 10-11:30 a.m.; via Zoom; Adult Ed: Intro to Judaism with Rabbi Alex, 11:30 a.m. via Zoom; Jewish Book Club, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom and will discuss Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz.

MONDAY: Makers of Jewish Things, 7 p.m. via Zoom.

TUESDAY: Synagogue Staff Meeting, 10 a.m.; Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Classes.

FRIDAY-Dec. 25: Candlelighting, 4:46 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex and Elaine Monnier, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

SATURDAY-Dec. 26: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex via Zoom; No Torah Study; Havdalah (72 minutes), 5:51 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE All services canceled until further notice.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander.

DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.

FRIDAY: Tot Shabbat, 5:30 p.m.; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.

MONDAY: Jewish Law & the Quest for Meaning, 11 a.m.

TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Mindful Meditation with Margot, 9 a.m.

FRIDAY-Dec. 25: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.

Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Hanukkah goblins and jelly doughnuts spires the goblins to become Jewish and proMAYA MIRSKY J., The Jewish News of Northern California via Hanukkah. Armed with powerful tools like the gun that shoots doughnuts (or sufganiyot, a traditional JTA Here’s something to do during the long nights of Hanukkah treat), as well as “the babka of persuaHanukkah under lockdown — become a goblin sion,” a good-luck hamsa and more, players create with a jelly doughnut launcher.

That’s one option if you play Hanukkah Goblins, a tabletop role-playing game by the indie game designer Max Fefer that made its debut on the first night of Hanukkah. Some of the proceeds will go to charity.

Fefer said the game, created during the pandemic, is all about finding a way to let your imagination run free while using the framework of the holiday to welcome everyone, Jewish or not, to celebrate the Festival of Lights.

“This is rooted in real Jewish tradition,” he Credit: Art/Kali Hayes, KH Illustration said.

Fefer, a 26-year-old Oakland resident, was in- the story of the game through their interactions. spired to come up with the game after attending a In tabletop role-playing games — the best known party last year that featured a reading of “Hershel is Dungeons and Dragons — the players aren’t conand the Hanukkah Goblins” by the award-winning strained by a predesigned plot, as in a video game, author Eric Kimmel. In the classic 1989 book, a nor do they have to follow a host of rules like a man named Hershel comes to a village plagued by board game, Fefer explained. Instead, Hanukkah goblins who won’t let its residents celebrate Goblins is more like a framework that’s used to tell Hanukkah. Hershel uses his smarts to defeat them, a communal story. Players decide the kind of goblin finally trumping the goblin king himself. they are through a series of prompts included with “I grew up reading that book,” Fefer said. “My the game. There are scenarios to get the game mom and dad, they read that book to me.” started, and players have the option to use dice to But his game takes a different slant: Hershel in- create uncertainty.

“It’s all there to help you tell a story,” Fefer said.

Fefer’s take on the tale is different from the original, and not just because the players are Jewish goblins. (Players don’t need to be Jewish, of course, and plenty of resources are included to explain the holiday for non-Jews.) He wanted to delve into the subtext of the book and use it to create something that subverts stereotypes about Jews and helps people think about othering and exclusion, all wrapped up in a story.

Fefer, who is queer, said tabletop games are great both for exploring new identities within the game and examining your own.

“Role playing is a way to kind of figure things out,” he said.

The ability to take a story wherever it wants to go is something that drew Fefer, who grew up in the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael and attended synagogue at Temple Or Rishon, to gaming in high school. Beyond the Hanukkah theme, the new game is deeply Jewish, with multiple prayers and rituals incorporated as ways for the goblins to score extra points.

All ages can play the game, whether over Zoom or as a family, and no experience is needed in tabletop gaming. There will also be a live play-through on Twitch, the game-streaming platform, on Dec. 15 (Fefer will link to it on Twitter). The game can be preordered; it will cost $8 for an electronic copy of the instructions and $18 for a book version.

Life cycles IN MEMORIAM NANCY MICHELLE (ROBINSON) RECH Nancy Michelle (Robinson) Rech passed away on Dec. 8 at age 62. Private graveside services were held on Dec. 10 at Beth El Cemetery.

She was preceded in death by father, Burt Robinson.

She is survived by daughter, Brigette Rech; mother, Frances (Robinson) Fried; brothers and sisters-in-law, Mark Robinson and Helen Nordan and Andrew and Kimberly Robinson; numerous nieces and one nephew; and Gene Rech.

Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

MARVIN LEWIS (BLACKIE) RICHARDS Marvin Lewis (Blackie) Richards passed away on Dec. 7 at age 97. Whenever the world is safe from covid, the awful disease that stole him from us, we will celebrate his life with family and friends!

He was preceded in death by parents Hymie and Rose Richards, brother, Sonny, sisters and brothers-in-law, Celia and Nate Cooper and Joan and Bennett Raduziner, and son-in-law Joe. He is survived by wife, Roberta (Bobbi), daughter, Marlee Kopecky, son and partner, Mike Richards and Dave Frost, grandchildren: Jeff and Molly Bailey, Mike and Lacey Bailey; great granddaughter, Dylan Bailey; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Michael and Marsha Skolnik, nieces and nephews, five granddoggies, and many friends.

He was a fixture of Omaha, Marv opened The Interlude Lounge in 1966. He was loved! Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society or Alzheimer's Association.

JOSEPHINE “ JOIE” SIMON Josephine “Joie” Simon passed away on Dec. 7, 2020 at age 94. Private family services were held and officiated by Rabbi A. Brian Stoller.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ray R. Simon.

She is survived by her longtime companion Mort Zuber; and her sons, Jay Simon and Michael Simon of Omaha.

She played an active role in the Omaha Jewish community as past President of the Temple Israel Sisterhood, a board member of the Nebraska Chapter of The National Council of Jewish Women, and as a co-founder of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. She also was an active member of Joslyn Art Museum.

Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress @jewishomaha.org; or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at www.omahajewishpress. com/site/forms/. Deadlines are normally nine days prior to publication, on Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Please check the Jewish Press, for notices of early deadlines.

BAT MITZVAH PAULINA MADELINE LEWIS Paulina Madeline Lewis, daughter of Andrea and Brian Lewis of Elmhurst, IL, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 19, at Temple Shalom via Zoom.

She has a sister, Harper Jillian.

Grandparents are Barbara and Michael Apter of Plantation, FL and Rocky Lewis of Omaha.

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12 | The Jewish Press | December 18, 2020

News LOC AL | N ATI O N A L | WO R L D

A short film offers new perspective on Birthright STEPHEN SILVER JTA Israeli filmmaker Inbar Horesh met Russian actress Nataliya Olshanskaya on the latter’s birthday, so they ordered a bottle of wine. Olshanskaya proceeded to tell Horesh the story of how she immigrated to Israel after taking a Birthright trip.

Horesh was so inspired that she eventually turned a version of that story into a short film, with Olshanskaya playing a character similar to herself.

“It actually started quite by coincidence,” Horesh said.

The resulting 25-minute short, titled Birth Right, has played at several Jewish film festivals this fall and will stream at the Other Israel fest, which is run by the Marlene Myerson Jewish Community Center in New York. Horesh, a 32-year-old Jerusalem native who has directed several short films, says she’s at work on the screenplay for a feature-length version.

The film depicts a Birthright-style trip to Israel by a group of Russian speakers, focusing on the part of their visit to a Bedouin Arab village. Olshanskaya’s character, Natasha, banters with other young women on the trip and later bonds with a male Israeli soldier who also is of Russian heritage.

Eventually it becomes clear that Natasha, who plans to stay in Israel after the trip, is the child of a non-Jewish mother and doesn’t particularly identify as Jewish, and that her decision to emigrate has more to do with escaping a bad family situation than a sectarian desire to live in the Jewish state.

Under Israel’s laws, she’s eligible for citizenship — but once there, she will not be considered Jewish under the Chief Rabbinate’s rules on matrilineal descent.

For Horesh, the issues raised in the film speak to innate inequalities inherent in those laws.

“As an Israeli, what blew my mind was to realize that she doesn’t consider herself Jewish, and she didn’t grow up as Jewish, and yet she was approached by the Jewish Agency, invited

to a trip, completely encouraged to emigrate to Israel, because she has Jewish heritage,” Horesh said. “To me it was surprising because I think as an Israeli, we have an image where we are the Jewish state, and we are not aware of the fact that actually the government is encouraging non-Jews to move to Israel — and my first instinct is to think that if the government is offering citizenship to non-Jews from outside of Israel, why not give citizenships to the non-Jews that already live in Israel?”

Nataliya Olshanskaya plays Natasha in Birth Right. Credit: Ilya Marcus

The film also tackles the sexualized undertones of Birthright trips, including the tradition of female participants having their pictures taken with gun-toting male soldiers. Jon Stewart joked about it in a 1996 stand-up routine, and a 2016 episode of the Comedy Central series “Broad City” depicted Birthright as a thinly veiled scheme to pressure young Jews to couple off, hook up, and eventually marry and reproduce.

“I was surprised to realize that one of the many ways to lure participants to join these types of trips is by creating this myth that these trips are full of sexuality, and [they’ll be] meeting young soldiers,” Horesh said. “And when you go out to a trip

like this, you really realize that this is a very big part of the experience, that people are actually coming on these trips so men and women can meet each other. It’s actually part of the agenda in a very formal way.

American audiences may be familiar with the American views of Birthright, but Horesh’s film presents an Israeli perspective, and one that focuses on a Russian person rather than an American. She says the film isn’t particularly meant as a takedown or broadside against the Birthright program itself.

“I have no specific criticism of the Birthright organization,” Horesh said. “I feel that as an Israeli, that doesn’t touch me so much. For me, my main interest is to look at Israeli society and to examine how we define our identity. What does it mean to be Israeli?”

Birth Right was filmed in a “Bedouin camp for tourists” in the Negev, long before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and it was produced with the assistance of the Israeli Film Council and the Ministry of Culture and Sport.

While the film was shown in theaters at some festivals in Israel prior to the pandemic, it’s mostly been relegated to virtual festivals. It’s won awards, including the 2020 Moulin d’Ande Award at Cinemed: Montpellier International Festival of Mediterranean Cinema, and the award for Oscar-Qualifying Best Live Action Over 15 Minutes Award at the Palm Springs ShortFest.

There aren’t any specific plans yet to roll out the film for non-festival American audiences online, but Horesh hopes viewers eventually look beyond surface commentary on whether the film portrays Birthright as “good” or “bad.”

“I live in Israel, I grew up in Israel, I deal with Israeli issues more than with Jewish issues on a global scale. And for me,” she said, “the main idea is to help the people in Israel to realize that these definitions of who is Jewish and who is not, and who is allowed to be a part of the Jewish state, are not Godgiven, they are man-made.”