Issuu

Vol. LXXXIX No. 15 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 89 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

Women defy court order at Kotel About 200 members of Women of the Wall, including Anat Hoffman, right, arrived at the Kotel (Western Wall) Friday to take part in the Rosh Hodesh (new Jewish month) prayers, and to protest the previous arrest of their fellow member at the site. Ultra-Orthodox worshipers shouted abusive slogans at the women when they were seen putting on tephilin (phylacteries) and tallitot (prayer shawls) and carrying Torah scrolls. Women of the Wall said the group’s actions were not intended as a provocation. Credit: ISRANET

8 Tevet 5770

December 25, 2009

Residents’ handpainted tiles add beauty to Blumkin Home by OZZIE NOGG Art history uses the word graffiti to describe creative work produced by scratching designs into a surface with a sharp object, chalk or coal. Think prehistoric cave paintings and pictographs, the figure drawings found on walls of ancient ruins, or the late-Roman period artisan who scribbled joyous graffiti from Isaiah on the Kotel in Jerusalem.

Still working, award-winning senior couple represents family values by JOAN K. MARCUS At the time of her public Even though Sally and Dr. high school graduation, Maryland schools only had Paul Fine have reached what 11 grades. And, since Sally’s most of us call “the golden parents wanted her to get years,” they still gaze into one more year of high each other’s eyes like a couschool before applying for ple of teenagers. Their comcollege, she finished another mitment to their careers and year at the Bryn Mawr High to each other is evident. School in Baltimore. They traveled from different She went to Bryn Mawr parts of the country to finalCollege, for women only, ly settle in Omaha and fall in outside of Philadelphia. She love. majored in psychology with a They’re winners of prestiminor in sociology. She clasgious awards from the sifies herself as “an average National Association of student” who didn’t know Social Workers, Nebraska what she wanted to do with Chapter, and they’re still the rest of her life. working! Sally was born an Sally and Dr. Paul Fine are winners of prestigious awards “When I was in college, I Episcopalian in Baltimore, from the National Association of Social Workers, Nebraska had done summer work on the playgrounds in Frederick Maryland, in 1932. Her Chapter, and they’re still working! father was a physician and her mother was a nurse. Sally, working with kids. I was fairly good at it,” she explained. an only child, and her parents later moved to Frederick, “I graduated in 1949; it was the time of women having MD, where her father established himself as a general lots of children and staying at home. Bryn Mawr women surgeon and her mother stayed at home. She remembers who were highly motivated went on to academic careers, a childhood filled with extended family members and professions in medicine or something related.” Continued on page 10 neighborhood friends.

Isidore Tretiak dies at 98 by JOAN K. MARCUS Services were held Dec. 20 at Temple Israel Cemetery for Isidore Tretiak, a legendary Omaha businessman and a past Federation president. He came to the United States from a shtetl in Ukraine when he was 10-years-old. When his son, Kenneth, was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 1978, Is stepped down from the presidency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, paving the way for Mary Fellman to become Omaha’s first woman Federation president in 1979. Tretiak’s father, Samuel, left Is, his sister, Ann Gitnick Hahn, and their mother to come to this country to earn enough money to bring the rest of his fam-

Inside Opinion Page see page 20

ily. After coming to Omaha, Is worked delivering The Omaha Bee newspaper and then as a delivery boy for Robinson’s Drugstore. However, he always had the dream of owning his own business. In order to learn about retailing and merchandising, he worked for many years at Omaha Jobbing Company before earning Continued on page 23

This Week: Senior Living begins on Page 12 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’

Monthly calendar for January 2010: Pages: 10-11

Blumkin Home resident Marge Lincoln shows off her newly painted tile, now hanging as part of a display in the Home. Enter Bonnie Cohen, a ceramic artist from Akron, OH, whose colorful wall installations featuring incised Judaic symbols, biblical scenes and Hebrew lettering follow the mark-making tradition and adorn synagogues and communal facilities around the country. Cohen recently visited the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home to guide the residents and staff through the process of making tiles that soon will become part of the Home’s decor. Along with tubes of colored glazes, rubber stamps, sponges, stencils and special marking pencils, she also brought her considerable people skills to the workshops. “Bonnie related to the residents exceptionally well,” said Maggie Conti, RBJH activities director. “She was so kind and patient while showing them the process. Many residents insisted they weren’t artistic, but Bonnie’s encouragement and positive attitude empowered the residents to do their best.” The residents were surprised, and pleased, at how well their tiles came out, added Conti. “The project gave them a feeling of pride, both as individuals and as a group, because they created objects of beauty that help make the Home a real home.” For Cohen, the principal of hiddur mitzvah -- the sacred obligation to make ritual objects and special places beautiful -- is central to her work. “Many of the themes and images I use in my artwork are inspired by Torah texts,” she explained. “My very favorite portions describe the building of the mishkan -- the portable tabernacle. I love to read about the colors and design details. The most amazing part of the mishkan story is that the Jews were not trained artisans, but somehow they found the spirit within themselves to create the beautiful structure according to God’s commandments.” She added, “I believe that if we take the time and effort to make our environments beautiful, they become more meaningful. The Blumkin Home residents, by adding their individual tiles to this project, participated in the commandment of hiddur mitzvah.” Continued on page 12

Coming Next Month: Women’s Health Issue on Jan. 15 A not-so-average Joe tells his Holocaust survival story: Page 13

No Jewish Press next week on Jan. 1; next issue is Jan. 8.

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

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By DANIELLA ASHKENAZY household and made a snap decision: Rather than taking JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel is not just the place of whatever he could find of value, he scribbled "Nothing stories about settlement freezes and army operations. to repossess" on his form, opened his wallet and handed This unique country of seven million people has its fair the head of the household $25. share of zany tales; here are a few from 2009. The Loose Cannon award is a toss-up among a group The prize for weirdest move taken by Israeli politicians of overzealous religious residents in Ashkelon. Several in 2009 probably goes to Netanya’s city elders, who in months after the end of the Gaza war in January, they August decided to dress up the city center with a fresh decided to let everyone in their neighborhood know of coat of bright purple paint on the main thoroughfare. Shabbat’s arrival by sounding private sirens from their By October the pricy paint job had faded in the Middle balconies minutes before sundown on Fridays -- causing Eastern sun, reverting to black asphalt. widespread panic by residents who mistook it for an airA close runner-up in the category goes to the Hadera raid siren. municipality, where a $5 million facelift for the city’s One story that really takes the cake involved the trend of congested central traffic circle added not just entry and turning birthdays into full-scale productions. A Netanya exit lanes, but planned to have traffic lights playing resident decided this would be a lucrative sideline and Hebrew songs. offered his business premises as a venue for kids’ parties. The award for the strangest Supreme Court case goes The problem: the venue in question was a pistol range. to an Israeli named Shlomo Avni, who petitioned the Fliers promised target shooting with live ammunition -- up high court for the right to be eaten by wild animals after to 51 .22 caliber bullets per child -- at $20 a shot. his death, saying he was only repaying a debt to nature The prize for nutty motorists is given to the fellow as a lifetime consumer in the food chain. pulled over for zigzagging down the highway to Petach In their 772-word decision, three Supreme Court Tikvah at 5:30 a.m. Not only was the driver three times judges wished the 80-year-old plaintiff a long life and above the amount of alcohol permitted while operating unanimously rejected Avni’s petition. The justices quot- a motor vehicle, he also was engaged in an activity with ed Jeremiah 9:21 and the his passenger that is usually prophet’s warning of dreadreserved for the back seat. The ful times when “carcasses of driver argued -- to no avail -- that men fall as dung upon the he was zigzagging only because his open field.” Avni said he’d lady friend had blocked his field of take his case to the internavision. tional court at The Hague. From the religious world, a prize The best item related to goes to the competition between Israel’s water crisis goes to the two sons of the former the residents of a north Tel Sephardi chief rabbi, Ovadia Yosef, Aviv apartment building who argued over what blessing who found themselves payshould be recited over the popular ing huge water bills that kids’ peanut snack Bamba. were 10 to 100 times those In the category of Israeli ingenuof similar dwellings. After ity, one Israeli created a DNA test investigation, it was discovfor steer that could track a stolen ered that an underground Daniella Ashkenazy collected offbeat snippets of daily animal even if it already had been Credit: Avi Katz reduced to hamburger. connection from the apart- life in Israel in 2009. ment house was watering an adjacent municipal park. The most incredible dilemma of 2009 came during the While 2009 demonstrated no shortage of silly two-bit Gaza war last January: How do you feed two frightened crooks and goofy cops -- including one nearsighted spec- and famished lions solely with battle rations? As an army imen who ticketed a driver because her Saint Bernard unit hunkered down near an abandoned Palestinian zoo wasn’t wearing a seatbelt -- the strangest theft occurred amid the fighting, its brigade commander frantically at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital. sought to move the lions out of the war zone or find a The hospital staff was puzzled when a huge oil paint- way to feed them. ing by a well-known Israeli artist vanished from the walls The Israel Defense Forces has some weird posts -of a well-trafficked corridor. Before they could canvas including two stand-up comedians and a full-time magithe hospital for the missing canvas, another large paint- cian -- but who thought the army would need a lion ing by another well-known Israeli artist disappeared, and keeper? One idea was to mobilize personnel from the then another canvas 24 hours later. Ramat Gan Safari into the IDF, then embed them with Security cameras revealed that the same middle-aged the infantry unit on special assignment. woman had nonchalantly been taking down the canvasNobody knows exactly how the IDF did it, but by the es and coolly walking out the front door, no questions time the army pulled out of Gaza the lions were in their asked. She hung the works in her nearby apartment. cages and doing fine. One candidate in the Softhearted Sabra category stands out among many. A court re-possessor who (This column was adapted from a submission by Chelmknocked on the door of a poor family in the western on-the-Med, which culls the incredible snippets of daily life Galilee took one look around at the impoverished reported in the Israeli press.)

HOLIDAY CLOSING & EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press will be closed Friday, Dec. 25, and Friday, Jan. 1. The deadline for all ads, articles and photos is Wednesday, Dec. 30 for the Jan. 8 issue. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 1 due to staff vacations and a need to upgrade computer equipment. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

To Submit Announcements to the Jewish Press: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154 (with photos we will scan and return). Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing: editor@jewishomaha.org. Readers can also submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Check the Jewish Press, however, for notices of early deadlines prior to secular and Jewish holidays.

Jill Belmont steps in as interim editor of the Press

by BOB GOLDBERG Federation Communications Director When Carol Katzman retires on Wednesday as editor of the Jewish Press, there will be a new, but familiar face at her desk. Jill Belmont, long time freelance writer and publicity director for Beth El Synagogue, will serve as interim editor until Katzman’s full-time replacement is hired. A reception for Katzman is slated for Sunday, Dec. 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Gallery of the Jewish Community Center. Bobbi Leibowitz, president of the Jewish Press board of directors, expressed her confidence in Belmont and noted that the Press’ search committee is continuing to interview candidates to replace Katzman, who has served as editor since July of 1996. Belmont, a native Omahan who graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Journalism, will work part-time while continuing her position at Beth El. Since there is no Jewish Press next week on Jan. 1, due to staff vacations and a need to upgrade computer software, Belmont’s first issue as interim editor will be the Jan. 8 issue. She can be reached at the Press office at 402.334.6450 or at editor@jewishomaha.org.

December 25, 2009

Elinor A. Whitman Book Contest is underway

by GARY KATZ Library Administrator This annual contest is divided into two categories: Book Jackets (kindergarten through second grades) and Book Reports (third through sixth grades). Students can pick up forms from teachers or the education director of their school. All entries must be submitted by Jan. 30, 2010. All participants will be listed in the Jewish Press and receive a certificate of participation, and winners will receive beautiful books as prizes. An awards program will be held at the individual religious schools. This annual contest, which first started in 1991, has been made possible by the Elinor A. Whitman Book Appreciation Fund created by Norman Whitman, the

Kripke Jewish Federation Library, and The Center for Jewish Education. The contest was created to perpetuate goals that Mrs. Whitman had during her lifetime of devoted service to the youth of the Omaha community. She served for many years as a member of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Library Board and on the faculty of both Beth El and Temple Israel Religious Schools. Mrs. Whitman had been interested in promoting Jewish literature for children and the contest is dedicated to her memory. This year, the Book Appreciation Contest is presented by the CJE and sponsored by Beth El, Beth Israel, Friedel Jewish Academy, and Temple Israel. For more information please contact me at 334.6462 or gkatz@jewishomaha.org.

New class brings new educator

by SHERRIE SAAG Administrative Assistant Center for Jewish Education “Tough Jews” takes a completely unique look at a unique group of Jews -the tougher, the better! This three session course will meet Wednesdays, Jan. 13, 20, and 27, 7-8:30 p.m., in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. The first week examines “Jews of the Old West”; week two is “Tough Gangsters”; and the final week looks at “Tough Jews Today.” Jeremy Wright, a therapist in private practice, has taken his personal interest in the topic of “tough Jews” and developed a curriculum around it. “I have been interested in the idea of ‘tough Jews’ for quite a while” said Wright. “In the 80s and 90s, Jewish characters were usually fast talking New York types -- Woody Allen or Billy Crystal, for

example. But we know Jewish history isn’t just made up of one type of person. I started reading stories about Jewish gangsters, Jews in the Old West, and Jewish athletes. I began to realize that young people today aren’t brought up with the same ideas about what ‘Jewish’ is.” Wright taught a class focused on the “tough Jews” topic at Temple Israel last year and his wife, Annette, a Center for Jewish Education board member, suggested the topic be continued through the agency. Wright is looking forward to the opportunity to continue exploring this subject with people throughout the Omaha Jewish community. Tuition is $26, discounted to $21 for donors to the Federation campaign. Preregistration is required. To register or for information, please call 334.6445 or email mgrossman@jewishomaha.org.

EF Carol Katzman

You are cordially invited to attend a Light Brunch honoring

For her many years of dedication and outstanding service to

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 3

Millard West senior named Beth El Sisterhood’s teen award recipient

Cohen, Dayna has also been involved in by JILL BELMONT BBYO, and is a past president of MZ Beth El Publicity Coordinator Dayna Cohen, a senior at Millard West Yoshanah BBG. High School, has been named the 2009 She has also lent a hand to Habitat for recipient of Beth El Sisterhood’s Teen Humanity, National Honor Society, Award. This award, along with $100, is Shiputznik, Brush Up Nebraska, elepresented to a Beth El teenager who has mentary school carnivals, and various proven himself or herself to be a dedicat- events in the Jewish community. ed synagogue volunteer. “It has been amazing to Cohen has been an watch Dayna mature into active presence at Beth El a great leader, thanks to for a number of years. the leadership programs She has volunteered for she has attended through Sisterhood in a variety of both USY and BBYO,” capacities, including said Caryn Rifkin, hamantaschen baking, Sisterhood past presihelping out during dent. Boutique and High Cohen said she was surHolidays honey sales. prised to receive the Teen The synagogue’s BILU Award. “There are so USY youth group has many great teens at Beth also benefited from her El and I was so honored enthusiastic participato be selected this year,” tion: Cohen has worked she said. on committees, taken on “Honestly, I've helped Dayna Cohen a variety of chairmanout with Beth El because ships and has held offices including the volunteer opportunities are usually executive vice president and president. things I enjoy doing anyway. Helping She currently serves on the regional bake, package honey, work bake sales board as BILU USY Emtza Region’s and things like that are all fun, she executive vice president/Israel Affairs added. vice president. Cohen also expressed gratitude to Her other involvement at Beth El Sisterhood for helping her to attend includes serving as the BESTT School conventions and other youth group proBoard high school representative, partic- grams. “The leadership positions that I ipating in the school’s Merit Scholarship have held and hold now are due to program, plus helping out with the attending regional programming which BESTT Chaverim and Kadima youth Sisterhood has helped me go to,” she groups, Shabbatons, and numerous syn- said. “Helping out at their functions is agogue events. the least I can do to give back to their The daughter of Karla and David organization.”

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

College students return to Temple to reveal Jewish campus experiences

first year medical student at Northwestern University by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Feinberg School of Medicine. As an undergraduate stuTemple Israel Communications Coordinator “After going to Millard West High School with only dent at the University of Chicago, he had “many Jewish five other Jewish students, it’s a completely different friends there. A very liberal campus with many Jewish students,” experience here,” at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, said Amanda Bucher, a freshman at KU. “It’s described Jordan, it was “rare to hear anything negative so nice walking around campus and seeing so many of associated with religion, race, etc. happening there.” He my Jewish friends from Hillel,” noted the pre-pharmacy added that he was “very excited” to visit Israel on a major who became a Bat Mitzvah at Temple Israel and birthright trip with his sister this month “and meet some young Jews from around the country.” was confirmed there last May. Matt Blodgett joined Temple in 2006 as he studied to Along with Amanda, Charles Parsow, a freshman at convert to Judaism, which he Tufts University near Boston, accomplished earlier this year. will provide a taste of Jewish A junior at the University of experiences on campus during Nebraska at Omaha, he the Shabbat service on Friday, helped start a Jewish student Jan. 8, 6 p.m., at Temple Israel. A former Temple group there. Religious School student who “I’m also very active at celebrated his Bar Mitzvah Temple and attend services and confirmation there, whenever I can.” In addition, Charles will talk about conhe’s attended a couple of nections he’s made with other UNL’s Hillel events. Prior to attending UNO, Jewish students on a personal level and with Jewish organi- Amanda Bucher and Charles Parsow will talk about Matt went to Iowa Western “Being Jewish on Campus” at Temple Israel at Shabbat Community College for two zations he’s joined. years. “I became friends with Sharing glimpses of their services on Jan. 8. experiences on campus, LaShanna and Ashley Bernstein, an Arab Muslim girl from Qatar. When she found out I sisters who attend the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, was Jewish, she actually turned to me and asked if I was are both involved in UNL’s Hillel. LaShanna was just going to harm her. I looked back at her and quickly said elected president of the organization this month. “The no. It took me a minute to realize that that is the impresmajority of the Jews that I’ve met at UNL are members sion many Arabs have of Jews. Their governments brainof Hillel,” she said. “I love being active with Hillel. We wash them into believing such horrid things. I became do so many dinners and events together. It’s just a great better friends with her and helped her realize that that way to spend time with fellow Jews and relax!” negative stereotype is very wrong.” He added that “for Ashley has also “made many Jewish friends” at Hillel the most part, people have been really understanding and has taken an introduction to Jewish history class. and actually rather curious to learn about Judaism.” “Hillel and its members are like a second family for me. The Jan. 8 service is expected to reveal more insights We are always busy, eating good food, playing games, about Jewish college life today, how it compares to your and hanging out,” she declared. “Being Jewish at UNL own experience, and what to anticipate for younger chilis amazing!” dren. Both girls, who were confirmed at Temple Israel and Following services, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Eric are now college sophomores, find people to be Linder, and Cantor Wendy Shermet will host dinner at intrigued, interested in knowing more about Hillel and Dario’s Brasserie, 4920 Underwood Ave., for all college in joining them at Hillel events. students. To attend, RSVP to the Temple office at Another Temple college student, Jordan Kenik, is a 556.6536.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Omaha Performing Arts presents internationally acclaimed dance troupe Pilobolus at the Orpheum Theater’s Slosburg Hall on Saturday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m. Hailed by New York Newsday as “a mind-blowing troupe of wildly creative and physically daring dancers who leap, fly, intertwine and break all the rules,” Pilobolus is hardly a hot new sensation. Formed in 1971, Pilobolus began as an outsider dance company, and quickly became renowned the world over for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration. But now, nearly 40 years later, with three artistic directors and more than 25 full and part-time dancers, Pilobolus’ collaborative choreographic process and unique weight sharing approach to partnering have garnered the group critical and popular acclaim from around the world. Tickets may be purchased through Ticket Omaha online at TicketOmaha.com, by phone at 402.345.0606 or in person at the Ticket Omaha Box Office inside the Holland Center, 13th and Douglas streets. Tickets for Pilobolus are priced $19-$45. MetLife Foundation is the official tour sponsor of Pilobolus Dance Theatre.

BroadStreet Theatre Company, well-known for staging productions with a female flair, does it again with the Omaha premiere of “That Takes Ovaries -- Bold Women, Brazen Acts”, a riveting, inspiring, and empowering array of true stories -- from playful and profound, serious to sassy -- written by women from all over the world. The show runs for two weekends, Jan. 15-24 at the OM Center (Healing Arts Center) located in the heart of Omaha’s Old Market, 1216 Howard St. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and students. For tickets, call 402.344.3257 or purchase online at www.BroadStreet Theatre.com. Note: This production contains adult language and content.

BIRTH

Lauren and Seth Topek of Houston announce the Dec. 5 birth of their daughter, Ella Rose, named for her paternal great-grandmother, Ella Carshon, and maternal great-great aunt, Rosie Weitz. She has a sister, Nora Evelyn, age 3. Grandparents are Susan and Dennis Paley, and Barbi and Stanley Topek of Houston. Great-grandparents are Joan Rips, and Sayde Maye Garsek and Helen Topek, all of Houston.

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December 25, 2009

ADL regional leader reviews year, here and abroad

by THERESE VAUGHN-WEINER Anti-Defamation League Plains States Region “It was a year bordering on rage,” Richard Evnen, ADL Plains States Regional Board Chair said, noting the general themes that emerged from the ADL’s national meeting in New York, NY. “While overt acts of anti-Semitism are receding, there is still a pent-up frustration, related to economic concerns.” Representing the Midlands Richard Evnen states of Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, Evnen joined ADL board chairs from 29 regions throughout the United States on his third trip to the League’s 2009 annual meeting. Participants heard from an array of experts on issues spanning from antiSemitism, racism and extremism in America and abroad to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, the Iranian nuclear threat and international terrorism, as well as key ADL organizational and operational matters. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was the keynote speaker for the event. While he addressed the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and prospects for peace, Mr. Ki-Moon said little to allay ADL’s concerns about the Goldstone report, which criticized Israel’s defensive operation in Gaza. Among other high-profile speakers, New York Governor David Paterson praised the ADL for its work, at home and abroad, “You have led demonstrations in the streets and revolutions in the legislature; you have brought justice to criminals and comfort to victims; and you have put the world on notice that hate and intolerance are intolerable,” he said. Evnen remarked that while the financial crisis has resulted in ADL budget cuts and staffing reductions, “our workload is increasing at the same time…As we head into 2010, I think the increase in extremist language and anti-government sentiment presents a challenge across domestic

and international issues, issues that directly relate to Jews and Israel and issues involving health care, immigration reform and the economy,” he said. Striking a positive chord, ADL leaders discussed results from a new survey of anti-Semitism in the U.S., which found that 12 percent of Americans hold antiSemitic views, a drop from 15 percent in 2007. Another recent ADL survey presented at the meeting affirmed American support (67%) for Israel as an important ally. While those polled widely support a twostate solution, 56% said that it won’t happen until the Palestinians end the violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist. “We’re interested in how people in the United States and around the world respond to what’s happening in Israel,” Evnen said. “It’s important that Israel’s actions are understood through a clear lens of facts.” Following the annual meeting, Evnen joined the League’s Executive Director Abe Foxman and other ADL representatives on a mission trip to Israel. “We didn’t go to advocate or take a position, but instead to listen and learn about the current situation in Israel and the Middle East,” he said. The ADL delegation heard from Avigdor Lieberman, the current Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Israel; Tzipi Livni, Israel’s former foreign minister in charge of Operation Cast Lead; an advisor to the Palestinian Authority; and several key IDF and security officials. “There is a sense that’s it only a matter of time until Hezbollah or Hamas launch another offensive,” Evnen said. “Current negotiations seem to be stalled because of the very difficult political situation with the Palestinian Authority and Hamas and they’re not in a position to make peace.” The ADL leaders also listened to an Arab Israeli member of the Knesset discuss the status of Arab Israeli citizens. “As a civil rights agency dedicated to fair treatment for all, the ADL is concerned with ensuring Arab Israelis are treated equally and get their fair share of resources,” Evnen said. “We are committed to these citizens as well.”

MARRIAGE FRIEDMAN/ROTH Wedding attendants included sister of Jennifer Gayle Friedman and Robert Todd Roth were married on Sept. 6, the bride Angela Friedman, Melissa Josephson, Marina Mayer, 2009, at the downtown Mara Prendergast, and Hilton in Omaha. Rabbi Rachel Mintz. Aryeh Azriel officiated at the 6 p.m. ceremony, folThe groom, also a graduate lowed by a reception, dinof Bradley University, is the ner and dance. son of Rosalie Roth and Sid The bride is a graduate of Roth, both of Chicago. He Bradley University. She is was attended by his brother, the daughter of Debbie and Jeremy Roth, Matthew Lyon, Scott Friedman, and the Bradley Lerner, Jeremy Lieb, granddaughter of Lois and Jordan Mayer, and Mark Lloyd Friedman and Julie Anon of Schwartz. Cheyenne, WY, and the late Norman The couple resides in Chicago, IL. Anon.

Bring Gilad home! Last week, in overcast and cold weather, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, together with Jewish and Arab children, came together at the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem to release homing pigeons to symbolize the future homecoming of Gilad Shalit from his captors. Credit: ISRANET

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

New kosher cookbook serves up Southern classics

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by RACHEL TEPPER MEMPHIS (JTA) -- Southern food, a deep fried country cuisine eponymous with bacon fat and crawfish, is hardly something one would expect to find on a kosher plate. But a Jewish day school here is hoping to change this perception with “Simply Southern: With a Dash of Kosher Soul,” a new cookbook chronicling the history and recipes of Southern kosher cooking. Four-and-a-half years ago, the Margolin Hebrew Academy initiated a project that aimed to collect kosher recipes unique to the southern United States. Originally intended to be a modest fund-raiser, the venture far exceeded the school’s expectations by eliciting more than 1,500 responses from Jewish families in the South. The book’s editors, Dena Wruble and Tracy Rapp, said the project started with an ad requesting recipes and personal stories placed in The Hebrew Watchman, the Jewish newspaper for the Memphis community. A team of volunteers recruited by Wruble and Rapp prepared about 500 individual recipes before settling on a mix of 300 dishes ranging from time-honored Southern meals, including fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, to traditional Jewish fare with a distinctly Southern twist, such as latkes with parsnips and chives. The chosen recipes belong to Jews of varying ages and backgrounds, symbolizing the vibrancy of Jewish cuisine below the Mason-Dixon Line. Wruble and Rapp said their inspiration for the new book was multifold. “Our community has been known for our Southern hospitality and great food,” Rapp said. “But there really isn’t a comprehensive Southern kosher cookbook out there.” She said the Margolin Hebrew Academy’s new cookbook will fill that void. Rapp said interest in a kosher cookbook for Southern cuisine was fueled particularly by the community’s reaction to a one-time offer presented by Corky’s BBQ, a venerated Memphis barbecue establishment. Upon acquiring a new smoker, Corky’s prepared sev-

eral pounds of kosher barbecue before using it to smoke the restaurant’s usual pork-laden fare. Corky’s owner, Don Pelts, is a member of the Memphis Jewish community and organized the event as a fund-raiser to benefit the Margolin academy. The event raked in a staggering $147,000 in orders, which Wruble and Rapp felt illustrated a dire need within the Jewish community for more opportunities to enjoy Southern cuisine. “We don’t have kosher restaurants here,” Rapp said. “Everyone cooks.” Now, she said, the new cookbook will give the chefs in kosher homes the chance to enjoy Southern classics and still adhere to kashrut. Accompanying the recipes in “Simply Southern” is a series of stories and anecdotes about Jewish life in the South. Wruble says the cookbook “tells a story within the pages,” examining the culture of kosher food through the experiences of Southern Jews. Rapp said the histories were drawn from the experiences of several Southern Jews who contributed to the project, including grandparents of many Margolin students. “They all had stories about keeping kosher,” a feat that often was difficult in communities with few Jews, she said. Above all else, Wruble stressed, the cookbook’s most appealing feature is its implicit reverence for Southern generosity and great food, plain and simple. “I think that always appeals to people,” she said. “It appeals to us!” The Margolin academy -- formerly the Memphis Hebrew Academy -- was founded in 1949. In its early days the school could afford to hold classes for only a handful of students in kindergarten and first grade. Despite the odds, the school prospered and merged with the Yeshiva of the South in 1987. Today it offers classes from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Simply Southern became available for purchase on Dec. 10 through the book’s website: www.simplysoutherncookbook.net or by phone at 866.715.7667.

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” is more than Kermit the Frog’s refrain. Focusing on the sermon delivered by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), at the URJ’s Biennial last month in Toronto, Temple Israel’s Social Justice Committee Green Team will present its own version of “It’s Not Easy Being Green” at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10 at Temple. Promoting awareness of environmental considerations and responsibility, the Green Team members are Mimi Silverman, Kim Noddle, Kelly Streit, Hillary Fletcher, and her son Zane Fletcher. Along with Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, they’ll emphasize integrating Jewish values, learning, and actions that promote conservation and green ways. Silverman, who attended the Biennial, described the sermon as “interesting and exciting.” The Jan. 10 event “will be the beginning of a discussion as to how we should move forward with Rabbi Yoffie’s initiative.” We plan to discuss an idea about “Omaha going green” using a green recycling program that Toronto has implemented, she said. Rabbi Yoffie added, “...this is an area where we can make a difference. Our carbon footprint is largely determined by the energy that we use to heat our houses, get us to work, and produce the food that we eat. There is only so much that we can do to reduce our heating bills and shorten our commutes, but we can eat in a different way.” He also pointed out that “we have obligations to our own health and well-being. Created in God’s image, we are obligated to maintain our physical vigor so that we may bring honor to the Divine Presence.” He advocated beginning a discussion on finding “a way to eat that is right for farm workers, right for the planet, right for our bodies, and right for our souls.” He urged Reform Jews “to elevate every bite that we place in our mouths and make it a taste of the divine.” Sponsored by the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning, “It’s Not Easy Being Green” is open to the community at no charge.

Sgt. Steve Cerveny lights the shamash at the police horse barn in downtown Omaha.

Some of the participants at the completion of the parade are, back row: Harold Siporin, left, Rabbi Mendel and Rebbetzin Shani Katzman, Tippi and Steve Denenberg, Joshua Follik, Howard Shandell; front row: Danny Denenberg, Devorah, Feigy, Zalmen and Zelig Katzman, Michael Denenberg, Max and Susan Polack, Cynthia Follik, and Jessica Shandell. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 1 due to staff vacations and a need to upgrade computer equipment.

December 25, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

For seniors heading west, Jewish life becomes a build-it-yourself activity by AMY KLEIN SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (JTA) -- Jean and Arnold Palestine are glad to be back home -- an attached condo unit overlooking the craggy red mountains of the Arizona desert. Having just returned from a winter visit to Florida, the octogenarian New Yorkers are pleased that they chose to retire to the arid Western desert in 1992 rather than move down south. “There were so many ‘old’ people there,” said Jean, at age 80 slightly shorter than the 6 feet of her youth. “What did we see, Arnie? Old people with walkers, walking slowly, eating their early-bird dinners. I felt as though they had given up.” Once it seemed almost a biblical requirement for Jewish seniors to retire to Florida, particularly Miami Beach. Collins Avenue, after its Hollywood/Mafia heyday in the 1920s and ‘30s, and before its South Beach revival in the ‘80s and ‘90s, became a veritable Grandparents Row with daily shuffleboard, mah jongg games and the discount dinners. Miami and the burgeoning Boca Raton community nearby remain prime destinations for Jewish retirees and snowbirds -- retirees who winter away but return to their home states when the frost thaws. But Jewish seniors are also beginning to move West -- to western Florida and to the real West in places such as Arizona, Palm Springs, San Diego and Las Vegas. “American Jews, like Americans in general, spent the latter part of the ‘90s moving generally south and west,” said Lawrence Kotler-Berkowitz, director of research and analysis at the United Jewish Communities. Like younger Jews who leave the New York metropolitan area and find a different kind of Judaism, seniors find out that Jewish life is harder to come by -- but often better -- when you have to build it yourself. “Jewish life is what you make of it,” said Yaacov Rone, a Conservative rabbi who has worked on both coasts and just spent his third winter in Palm Springs, Calif. “There’s the time-zone change, the no direct flights -many [East Coast] people see that as an obstacle. We don’t.” For Cecile Siegel, moving from Long Island, N.Y., to Scottsdale forced her to become more Jewishly active. “The feeling you got was that we didn’t have to be Jewish in Long Island or New York -- even the Italians were Jewish,” she said. Siegel and her husband retired to Arizona, following their son, and she became “a Temple person rather than a Hadassah person” -- two common avenues for senior Jewish women’s involvement. After years of involvement at Temple Solel, a Reform congregation in Scottsdale, Siegel joined a breakaway group that founded a nondenominational independent congregation, Kehilla of Arizona.

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“I think it’s a wonderful community for Jewish people -- there’s so much to offer, and there’s a warmth and they are together on many things,” she said. But moving from a large Jewish center to a smaller community is difficult, and in communities with many seniors, it’s even more challenging. “For many people, ‘home’ is somewhere else,” said Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman of Kehilla of Arizona. That often means their donations and time go to their “home” communities. “Phoenix is only beginning to put down its roots despite its long Jewish history,” said Sharfman, whose parents followed her to Arizona and are very involved in the community. (Her father runs the Yiddish club.) “The community is rapidly changing, and there’s tremendous potential we haven’t fully explored.” With its dry heat, vast mountain ranges and lush golf courses, the Palm Desert region is similar to Arizona, but without the cacti. Of the 18,000 Jews in the region (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indio), only 18 percent are affiliated. “It’s a growing community that is still very much in the time frame of building itself institutionally,” said Alan Klugman, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area. “The actual institutions [like] the synagogues are defining what they want to be, how they service the community and how they reach out to community members.” In seniors-heavy Jewish communities such as Palm Desert or Phoenix, another challenge for community builders is seniors who self-affiliate, either living at country clubs or seniors-only residences such as Sun City (which some call “Disneyland for Seniors” ), and the tight, fixed-income budgets of many seniors. “We find the same challenges of membership -- if you have 20 percent affiliation rate, that’s great,” said Rabbi Shelley Moss of Temple Beth Shalom and Jewish Community Center of the Northwest Valley, a Reform congregation with 400 member units in Sun City, Ariz. “I’ll bump into people all the time who are Jewish who don’t hesitate to show up for High Holiday services but don’t join the congregation.” Many Jewish seniors who live in Sun City communities also join chavurot -- groups that are less stringently religious and more social that feature low membership costs. Sometimes, though, trends reverse, and the young follow the elderly. Though it hasn’t been the case in Palm Desert, in retirement meccas such as Florida and Arizona, younger people are beginning to recognize the beauty of living in warm-weather climates, too. “We’ve just gone multi-generational,” Moss said, noting the recent opening at the temple’s religious school for kindergarten to eighth grade and b’nai mitzvah training. “And I bet within five to seven years [the region] will grow deep Jewish roots.”

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While there is scant information on national trends for Jewish seniors -- the National Jewish Population Survey is a decade old and covers the 1990s -- anecdotal evidence suggests that many are moving west either to be near their children or because they come from the West and the Midwest. “Almost no Jews have moved to Florida from the West Coast,” said Ira Sheskin, the director of the Jewish Demography Project of the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Jewish Studies at the University of Miami. “Less than 2 percent.” And nearly all the Jewish seniors who move west are looking for a change from what once was the inevitable Miami migration. “Like all New Yorkers, we thought we’d have to beat the winters and go to Florida,” said Arnie Palestine (his name is a relic of ancestors who had moved to prestate Israel). But after a few visits to Phoenix, the couple realized that despite their family on the East Coast, they would rather move west. “There’s no humidity here, there’s dry heat. There’s more culture here,” he said, noting that the Scottsdale community has grown significantly since they arrived in 1992. (There’s a new 12,500 square-foot, Jewish starshaped JCC with 6,000 members, 40 percent seniors.) “We have Broadway here, we have music, we have art, we have opera. We have everything you’d want.” With one son in Northern California and a daughter back east, it was a tough call for Lorraine and Ira Kurtze to pick Las Vegas over Florida for retirement. But 3 1/2 years ago, the Long Island couple moved to Sin City. “I personally don’t like the people in Florida. I find them to be crotchety old people, very into themselves, not very friendly,” Lorraine Kurtze said, attributing it to clannishness of too many New Yorkers in one place. “Here we find people go out of their way to be friendly,” she said. Ironically, many of her friends are Jewish New Yorkers who also relocated to Vegas. She also likes Las Vegas’s culture. Living in Sienna, an upscale retirement community 20 minutes from the strip, the Kurtzes often go to live shows (often free to locals), and ‘50s-style dancing, as well as to dinner with new friends -- and old friends visiting from the East Coast. They visit their children in California and New York. Rone says in Palm Springs there are “very few” East Coast Jews. Mostly the residents are from Minnesota, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles. It doesn’t matter to Rone. “We love the desert. We love the ambiance, we love the topography, we love the geography,” he said. “We came here many years ago on business and fell in love with the place. We decided when we retired it would be here.” Continued on page 8

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Page 8

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

Snowstorm forces rescheduling of Bible Quiz by JENNY GORDON B’nai B’rith Henry Monsky Lodge Because Old Man Winter made an earlier than normal entrance to the community, the B'nai B'rith Lodge was forced to reschedule the 24th Annual Sen. Ed Zorinsky Bible Quiz. The new date is Tuesday evening, January 5, 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. The Lodge will also pay tribute to the late Lois Epstein, the 23-year veteran staff member who passed away last May. This will be the first formal event opportunity to honor her memory. She had been instrumental in organizing the quiz during her tenure. The community is invited to the combined memorial tribute and the bible quiz. If you have any questions, you may call me at 334.6443 or send an email to bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. Additional information may be obtained by calling Mr. Riekes at 333.8498 or 492.9800.

ORGANIZATIONS WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going to Ameristar Casino on Dec. 31, please meet at the JCC by 8:45 a.m. For information call Maggie Conti at 334.6521. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish brings us closer to our roots! Come join us every Thursday, 1-3 p.m. at the JCC. For information call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.

JEWISH SCOUTING The annual Scout Shabbat will be held Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, 6 p.m. At Temple Israel. This year, all Jewish Eagle Scouts will be honored, and everyone is encouraged to attend this wonderful Shabbat celebration. All current Scouts who have earned a Jewish religious award during the past year will also be honored. Steve Pitlor and Gary Nachman will receive the Shofar Award in recognition of their service and promotion of Scouting among Jewish youth. Questions may be directed to Jeff and Sandy Passer, 330.4289 or Lloyd Roitstein, 431.9272.

YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us to celebrate the New Year with Johnny Ray Gomez on Monday, Jan. 4. The cost for lunch is $7 per person. Lunch will be served at noon and the program will begin at 12:30 p.m. Come play bingo at 10 a.m. Call Theresa for transportation at 330.4272. For information, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.

Beth El domstrates rugelach For seniors heading west at Blumkin Home’s Chef Demo Continued from page 7

The warm, sweet aroma wafting through the Blumkin Home’s new kitchen area was irresistible several weeks ago, as Beth El congregant Howard Shandell offered residents a special rugelach-making presentation. Shandell, along with several members of the synagogue’s Caring Committee, were at the Home as part of its “Chef Demo” program; residents, staff and visitors were later treated to the fruits of the guest baker’s labor.

Retirement is a good time to start investing by RUSS KAPLAN President of Russ Kaplan Investments Retirement does not mean the end of your investment life! In fact, it can be one of the best times to invest in the stock market. There are many kinds of risks in investing, but for those of retirement age there are different challenges then what faces other age groups. An appropriate one is longevity risk, the risk that you will outlive your money. According to census figures, the average 65 year old man can look forward to nearly 20 years of life expectancy and the average 65 year old woman can live even longer. In anybody’s book that is long term. Many senior citizens whose money ran out before they died, did so because of low risk investments that had very low yields. For example, the yields on T Bills and short term certificates are virtually zero. One hobby that you may want to consider is learning more about investing. One group you may want to join is the “Bagels and Finance” group sponsored by Russ Kaplan Investments. This group discusses economic issues of the day and stock recommendations. Living till at least 75 years is a long-time. And that is why senior shouldn’t be afraid to invest long-term. I think a certain percentage of stocks in the senior’s portfolios is a good investment.

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But with only one son in Seattle and the rest of the family on the East Coast, the Rones only stay in California for the winter. “Family’s the only reason we’re not here all year,” he said. With the faltering economy, predicting where anyone will move is difficult, including Jewish seniors. On the one hand, with stock, pension and housing prices tumbling, Sheskin said “people might be reluctant to move.” “On the other hand, if you could downsize from a five-bedroom house in New York to a two-bedroom condominium in Florida” -- for those who can sell at a decent price -- “that may have its advantages,” he said. But some East Coast Jews are actually not moving south at all -- unless you count south as southern New Jersey. According to the 2008 Jewish Community Study of Middlesex County, in the central part of New Jersey, many Jews are moving to southern counties and not out of state. Actually, Sheskin said, in the general population 95 percent of Americans at age 70 are living in the same house as they did at 65. And while Jewish seniors may move and migrate at a higher rate -- he estimates about 80 percent to 85 percent -- many people stay home. “We’ve always been under the impression that when people turn 65 they retire and move,” he said. “I’m trying to dispel the impression that every Jew in New York is moving to Miami. They’re not.”

Folk dancers entertain at Blumkin Home

During the week of Hanukkah, the residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home were captivated by the magnificent performance of the Omaha International Folk Dancers. The residents enjoyed special stories about the dances and costumes. Performers were David Nichols, left, Jean McIntosh, Lorraine Duggin, Jennifer Forbes-Baily and Ophir Palmon, a member of the Jewish community.

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December 25, 2009

Temple volunteers help bring Shabbat to Remington Heights

passed away. I enjoy doing it. I don’t always get to servby CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator ices, and this is a nice way to observe Shabbat. It makes Four volunteers meet once a month on Friday after- me happy.” Shelly Fox, who works at the Rose Blumkin Home, noons at Remington Heights to set up for an early Shabbat service for all Jewish residents of the retirement said Shabbat Comes to You “is well received by home. A clergy member from Temple Israel arrives prior Remington residents.” When Fox was chair of Temple’s to the 4 p.m. worship service to kibbitz with the resi- Caring Committee a number of years ago, Canar headdents before beginning to read from a Shabbat prayer ed the volunteer corps which orchestrated Shabbat booklet. Comes to You at Remington Heights, Livingston Plaza, “I think it’s wonderful of them to come. We appreci- and the Blumkin Home. “Esther was always there and ate that,” said Sylvia Davis, who lives at Remington had beautiful, appropriate holiday treats, knew all the Heights. She attends “because I like the Shabbat serv- people, and took it very seriously,” Fox recalled. ice. I enjoy it!” she emphasized. Brody took it over after Canar died. Now all the syn“There’s always a d’var agogues -- the Caring Torah, and the clergy always Committee on behalf of tries to get residents Temple -- as well as the involved,” pointed out L.O.V.E. auxiliary group, Sheila Tomps, one of the and Visions take turns hostvolunteers. “They always say ing Shabbat Comes to You. the Mi Shebeirach, motzi, Fox estimated it started at and the kaddish,” she least 15 years ago. added. “The Mi Shebeirach Beverly Gilinsky said she is important to the resican’t remember how long dents.” At the conclusion of she’s been volunteering at the 30 to 45-minute service Remington Heights’ Shabin the auditorium, Tomps, bat services, but it’s been along with the other volun“quite awhile. It’s an importeers, Beverly Gilinsky, Ruth tant thing. I just like to be Oruch, and Florence Brody, Bernice Cohen, second from left, gets lots of attention from there to help and visit with serve a snack. “It really volunteers Florence Brody, left, Ruth Oruch, and Beverly these people. Having a means a lot” to the 30 to 40 Gilinsky at Remington Heights every month. Sheila Tomps Shabbat service brings all who attend the service (not pictured) is also part of the volunteer team. the Jews together. It’s a “when the clergy come early or stay a little later to commonality. It makes me feel good being a part of the visit,” Tomps said. Sometimes, Omaha Temple Youth service and being with the people. It’s hard to put in Group members add to the volunteer ranks. words, but I’ll do this for as long as I possibly can,” said Tomps, who has been visiting residents at Remington the Temple congregant. Heights for about ten years, had been going there prior “Honestly I don’t know how long I’ve been coming,” to joining Temple Israel about seven years ago. When pondered Ruth Oruch, also a member of Temple Israel. she learned that volunteers were assisting at the month- She estimated it’s been about eight or nine years. “I ly Shabbat worship services, she decided to join them. enjoy going. The Shabbat is so lovely. The people She continues visiting on other days, too. “It’s really appreciate it so much.” worthwhile,” she added. “These ladies work really hard,” noted Tomps. “I “Remington Heights is very nice about having us think they should have a pat on the back. They do it in there. We keep our ‘supplies’ there.” Candlesticks and a a quiet way, and they do it because they enjoy it.” kiddush cup are stored at the senior living community. “It’s very much appreciated. It’s excellent. It’s someThe volunteers bring challah and apple juice. thing we look forward to,” said Sylvia Summer, a “Temple really tries to reach out to all,” noted Remington Heights resident. “I go all of the time.” Tomps, including “children, families, the elderly.” She Bea Appel, who also lives at Remington, likes to go to has coordinated the logistics of the service with the the service, because she enjoys feeling part of the Jewish Remington Heights activity director and the clergy at community at the retirement home. “It’s very nice, and Temple for the last couple years. She does it simply, I enjoy going to see familiar faces.” because “there are so many Jews at Remington Heights, “Our volunteers at Remington do a mitzvah of the and because it’s a way of “serving the whole Jewish highest order,” according to Rabbi Eric Linder of community.” Temple Israel. “They donate not just their time but Florence Brody, a member of Beth El Synagogue, their full selves. They bring a sense of humaneness and guessed she’s been helping at Remington Heights for love to the Remington residents, and it helps to make about 16 years. “I used to do it with Esther Canar, who the Shabbat celebration that much sweeter.”

Start planning now to cope with estate taxes

by MICHAEL SIGMOND for Edward Jones investements Throughout your life, you strive to provide financial security to your family. And your efforts can extend beyond your lifetime -if you work to control estate taxes. It’s always challenging to create financial strategies that are somewhat dependent on tax laws, because these laws are always changing. In 2009, your estate could have passed up to $3.5 million to your heirs before incurring federal estate taxes at a maximum rate of 45 percent. In 2010, the estate tax was scheduled to be repealed, but in 2011, it was supposed to return, with a maximum exemption of $1 million and a top rate of 55 percent. But this may change, as Congress is considering extending the 2009 exemption and tax rate figures into 2010, 2011 and possibly even further. Virtually every asset -- your home, cars, life insurance policy, IRA and 401(k) -- may be included in your taxable estate. These assets could push your estate over the exemption amount, costing your heirs a substantial amount in estate taxes. To help address this potential problem, you might want to think about some of the following estate considerations. For example, if you owned a $1 million dollar life insurance policy, and it was subject to an estate tax rate of 45 percent, your beneficiaries would receive a death benefit of just

$550,000. But if you established an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) with a new insurance policy, the trust would own the policy and distribute the proceeds to the beneficiaries you’ve chosen. Another estate planning consideration is a charitable remainder trust, which might be useful if you have a sizable amount of assets, such as stocks, that have significantly appreciated since you bought them. If you kept these assets in your estate, your heirs would inherit them on a “stepped-up” basis, which, in plain English, means the value of the stocks would be the same as their fair market value on the date of your death. (This may change beyond 2010.) All stocks, and especially those that receive step-up treatment, could add to your heirs’ estate tax burden. But you could remove the stocks from your taxable estate by placing them in a charitable remainder trust. Furthermore, you could receive an income stream for life once the trust sold the stocks. Before making any decisions related to estate taxes, consult with your estate planning professional and your tax advisor. Vehicles such as life insurance trusts and charitable trusts are complex and don’t lend themselves to “do-it-yourself” solutions. Start thinking soon about estate tax issues. By putting your estate plans in order early, you could be helping your loved ones far into the future.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

Still working, award-winning couple represents family values

Continued from page 1 the suggestion of a guidance counselor, he then went on Much like many women of her generation, Sally mar- to Alfred University in upstate New York. He finished ried her high school sweetheart who was going through college in three years and then attended medical school pilot training in Texas. They moved on to Roswell, New in Syracuse, New York. Mexico which was quite a change for Sally, born and “What happens in medical school is that you typically bred in the east. catch one disease in each of the specialties that you go She remembers, “The landscaping looked like some- through,” he laughed. “Then, you want to specialize in thing on the moon to me. However, I grew to love the that field. However, since my brother was in clinical psydark beauty and I settled down to raise a family there.” chology, I was competing with him when I became Roswell was the birthplace of Sally’s three children, interested in psychiatry.” Stephan, Michael and Elisabeth. Sally’s husband, then an Paul did his psychiatric training in Chicago, at Michael Air Force pilot, was transferred to Portsmouth, New Reese Hospital’s Institute for Psychiatric Research and Hampshire, in 1958. “The housing was new, small and Training. By that time, Paul had also married his high cramped and I had three children. The winters were school sweetheart and they had two children, Kathryn cold, but we adapted and learned to ice skate and play and Steven. hockey.” A two-year stint in the Air Another move for the famForce helped Paul to finish medily was when Sally’s husband ical school. Interestingly, he was was transferred to The Air sent to Brooks Air Force Base -Command and Staff College the United States Air Force for up and coming officers School of Airspace Medicine -which was in Montgomery, where he worked on astronaut Alabama. “That was another selection. year until we were transResearch later led him back to ferred to Turner Air Force Chicago and back to Michael Base in Albany, Georgia, Reese and then into the neighwhere we lived for about five borhoods of Chicago where he years.” was a community psychiatrist Still another move was to where President Barack Obama Air War College which prelater became a community ceded a tour to Vietnam. A organizer. later assignment was to Because he was then divorced Therapists Sally and Paul Fine both won major awards Offutt Air Force Base in and wanted to be near his chilthis year. Omaha in November of dren, Paul returned to 1969. Sally remembers, “It was about that time that my Philadelphia. He lived in the neighborhood of gang viohusband and I separated; I wanted to grow,” she said. lence and murders. “In 1970, there was an ad for a “I had gotten married right from college and I didn’t director of children’s services at Nebraska Psychiatric have work experience. In many ways, I hadn’t grown up Institute in Omaha. And, that’s how I came to Omaha,” or been very worldly. But, with my background, I was he recalled. able to volunteer at the old Nebraska Psychiatric “I worked at five out-patient clinics, three group Institute. That was a turning point for me.” homes and a day hospital. And, I taught at Creighton She added, “I volunteered in recreation and helped the and the University of Nebraska Medial Center’s training patients to gain social skills. I took them bowling and we psychiatrists. In addition to that, I saw patients.” all loved it. It was at that point that I began thinking But it would be years before Paul met and married about going to work. But, what was it that I could do?” Sally. She looked around, applied for and was accepted as a Today, Sally continues to work at Kids, Inc., as a thercaseworker at Douglas County Social Services. She apist for children with mental and emotional problems. worked in South Omaha and, as the packing houses One of her areas of responsibility is to write tests used for closed, with mothers who were unable to get other jobs the licensing of social workers. And last October, she because of their lack of education. was honored by the National Association of Social Sally knew she needed more education in order to fur- Workers, Nebraska Chapter, with a Lifetime ther her career. She soon earned a Master of Social Work Achievement Award for clinical work and teaching! from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Later, she Paul is professor emeritus at Creighton University. In received an M.A. in developmental psychology and has 1994 and he and Sally moved to Macon, GA, where he done work on her Ph.D. taught at Mercer University for six years and Sally was a Eastern Nebraska Mental Health hired her to work on clinical instructor. a grant in mental health for children and adults. The But even during their stay in Macon, Paul returned grant was written by Dr. Frank Menolascino and admin- regularly to Omaha to treat people at the Omaha Indian istered by Dr. Paul Fine, a psychiatrist. Reservation in Macy, where he continues to consult. During her work, Sally had encountered a child who Presently, he works with children and adults doing counhad mental retardation and behaviorial issues. She was seling. He works with families at Kids, Inc., Family referred to Dr. Fine who treated her client using family Strategies, Lutheran Family Service, and Carl Curtis therapy. Her first encounter was strictly professional., Health Center. but she was impressed with his warmth and caring but Last year, Paul also received an award from the went on with her work. Nebraska Chapter of Social Workers. The Public Citizen Later, she went to work at a mental health clinic in of the Year Award is the only award that is given by the Bellevue where Dr. Fine came in as a children’s consult- group to someone outside the profession of Social Work. ant. He taught a class and did case reviews. According to the award citation, “Dr. Fine’s work “I was single and worked in the child and adolescent reflects the values and ethics of the Social Work profesprogram first at Nebraska Psychiatric Institute and then sion.” later at a combined training program at Creighton and According to Allan Gonsher, president of Kids, Inc., Nebraska Universities. By that time, I was a faculty “Sally and Paul have been a tremendous asset to Omaha. member and instructor of social work,” she recalled. Their commitment to families and to helping the underSally was always impressed with Paul’s family values dog is fantastic. Paul has insight into problems that none and she consulted with him on various cases. “We were of the rest of us have. He can look at a situation and size together at parties and started going out together. After it up in just a few words. Sometimes we have some realdating for four or five years, we married in 1992 when I ly tough cases and he never loses his cool.” was 65 years old,” she smiled. “I had a lot of anxiety He added, “Sally compliments Paul and it seems as if about getting married again. I had been single for a long she completes his mission. She is a fine lady in her edutime!” (Rabbi Aryeh Azriel performed the marriage cer- cation and in her commitment to Paul and to the people emony after Sally had converted to Judaism.) she serves. I have known them both for 30 years and I Paul was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1933. still consider myself to be one of their students.” Unlike Sally, Paul came from a blue collar working family who lived in a two-bedroom apartment with three To order a gift subscription... children. His father was a pattern maker in the garment Send a check for just the low price of just $35 for 2010 industry who went to high school for one year. His (we did not raise our price from 2009!), made out to the mother didn’t go at all. But, said Paul, “They were both Jewish Press, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For very bright and educated people.” more information on how to connect your out-of-town relaAfter attending P.S. 86, Paul attended the Bronx High tives and friends, call 334.6448. 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December 25, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 11

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January FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 JCC Health & Fitness Open 9-5 Movie, Nosh & Family Shabbat, 4 p.m. at Beth El Family Shabbat Dinner, 6 p.m. at Chabad SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 Asara B’Tevet - Fast of the 10th of Teveth Adult Education classes begin at 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30 Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 Women of the Torah, 9:30 at Beth Israel Rabbi Levin’s Weekly Class, noon at Beth El Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. JCC Closes at 7p.m. New Year’s Eve Game Night, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Rabbi Gross’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 New Year’s Day JCC Closed SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 Adult Education classes begin at 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El MONDAY, JANUARY 4 FJA Classes Resume, 8:30 a.m. YES Luncheon, 10 a.m. Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. Bible Quiz Dinner, 5:30 p.m. Executive Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at FJA BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at FJA Edward Zorinsky B’nai B’rith Bible Quiz, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 BESTT classes resume, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El OTYG Lounge Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel Tri-Faith 101, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JANUARY 7 Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin’s Class, noon at Beth El Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. YJO Meeting & Happy Hour, 6 p.m. NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 Shabbat Dinner, 5:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Being Jewish on Campus, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel Say ‘Shalom!’ to Shabbat!, Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10 BBYO Staff Conference in Baltimore Adult Education classes begin at 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Mini-Love & Logic Parenting, 10 a.m. at Beth El It’s Not Easy Being Green, 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Beth El Kadima Ice Skating, 4 p.m. at Mahoney MONDAY, JANUARY 11 IHE Governance Council Meeting, 11:30 a.m. Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Chaverim Board Meeting & Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Eye on Israel, noon Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. BBYO Weizmann Council Pot Luck, 6:45 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13 Rabbis & Presidents Meeting, noon OTYG Lounge Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel High School dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El God Talk, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel “Tough Jews” with Jeremy Wright, 7 p.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin’s Class, noon at Beth El Center for Jewish Education Board Meeting, noon Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Israeli Movie Club, 7 p.m. A Jewish Critique of Racism, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 FJA No School Teacher Work Day In-Service Chabad to bake Rugalach, 1 p.m. at the RBJH Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You, 4 p.m. at Remington Beth El USY Shabbat Dinner, 6 p.m. at Jason Rich’s Home SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 Adult Education classes begin at 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El No BESTT classes - Beth El Mini-Love & Logic Parenting taught by Karen Gufstafson, 10 a.m. at Beth El Beth El Chaverim Snow Day, 2 p.m. at Memorial Park Visions & 39 Forever Seminar on Health Care Reform, 2 p.m. MONDAY, JANUARY 18 FJA No School Martin Luther King Day YES Luncheon, 10 a.m. No BESTT classes - Beth El Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group, 7 p.m. Jewish Press Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m. TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. BESTT Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 NJHS Board Meeting, 3:30 p.m. BESTT Tu B’Shevat Gr 3-7, 4:15 p.m. at Beth El OTYG Lounge Night, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel Values That Guide Our Lives, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel “Tough Jews” with Jeremy Wright, 7 p.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin’s Weekly Class, noon at Beth El WRJ Women’s Issues, noon at Temple Israel School Directors’ Committee Meeting, noon Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. JOLT Session, 7 p.m. A Jewish Critique of Racism, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 BBYO Kallah at Camp Rivercrest 22 & 23 Tot Shabbat and Dinner, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 Temple Israel OTYG Tri-Faith Program Adult Education classes begin at 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education Classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El WRJ Board Meeting, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Mini-Love & Logic Parenting, 10 a.m. at Beth El Hazak Sunday Lunch & Cinema, noon at Beth El RBJH presents “Heartland Philharmonic,” 1:30 p.m. Beth El USY at Creighton Basketball, 4 p.m. MONDAY, JANUARY 25 Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Federation Executive Board Meeting, 6 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. Federation Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m.

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All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.

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Page 12

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

Residents’ handpainted tiles add beauty to Blumkin Home Continued from page 1 our God, King of the Spirituality also guides Universe, who has sanctified Cohen’s work. When asked us and given us the desire to if she considers herself a enhance and beautify Your Jewish artist or an artist who commandments. May it be is Jewish, she replied, “That Your will that the work of distinction, if there is one, our hands and the meditaalways interests me. My tions of our hearts be a sign background as a graphic of gratitude, reverence and designer includes fifteen praise.’” years of packaging and sigCohen passes out copies of nage design for companies the prayer in all her worklike Smuckers and Sherwin shops. Williams. I started making “Bonnie’s spirituality really ceramics as a hobby. After impressed me,” Maggie our rabbi’s wife asked me to Conti said. “The prayer with do a few Judaic pieces for a which she began the session Sisterhood convention we touched my heart. Saying it were hosting, I started enter- “Art can open a door to a person’s heart,” said ceramic is a commandment, a mitzing shows and then enrolled artist, Bonnie Cohen. “By asking the right questions you can vah, to make this world a in the ceramics program at connect with people of any age, and in the end, surprising more beautiful place by surthe University of Akron to creativity comes out of each individual. How that happens is rounding yourself with beaugain more technical skills. At truly magical.” Cohen’s intricately detailed artwork has been ty is such a lovely thought.” the same time, I became included in galleries, juried shows and museums around the The tile project designed more active in our syna- country. Using a combination of hand carving, sculpting and by Cohen consists of four gogue because of our two press-molding she creates rich, dimensional surfaces in clay 4x6’ units, one for each of sons, and eventually I that incorporate 24k gold accents and lustrous recycled the Home’s different neighlearned to lead morning glass mosaics. Her work was also accepted into the Spertus borhoods. International Judaica Competition. minyan and read Torah.” “Each neighborhood will Cohen’s Jewish growth and artistic growth became have its own theme,” Cohen said. “I wanted the artwork one path. “The more I learned, the more I wanted to to be simple, recognizable and meaningful, so we includlearn, and that inspiration spilled over into my ceramic ed a menorah, a kiddush cup, candlesticks and a dove work.” with an image of Jerusalem. Those four images are comEventually, Cohen started teaching a class at Akron’s bined with Hebrew words -- kiddusha, holiness; Community Hebrew High School. “Our projects were menucha, rest; shalom, peace; and hachma, wisdom.” based on the Hebrew alphabet, so to put us all in a quiet Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, the Home’s pastoral service coorand meditative mood, we began each class with the dinator, gave Cohen input on the Hebrew text. “It was prayer for scribes -- ‘Praised be He who has taught my nice to look at the images each resident chose and examhand to scribe the letters.’ I still say that prayer whenev- ine that subject’s relevance,” Rabbi Weiss said. “One er I do Hebrew calligraphy on my work.” woman chose the challah and candlesticks, and we talked But Cohen yearned for an even more personal prayer. about how she used to bake fresh challah for Shabbat “I was frustrated that there was no prayer for artists, so many years ago.” I asked Rabbi Alan Lettofsky of Cleveland to write one The images were offered as a starting point from for me. The English translation is: ‘Praised are you, Lord which participants could create their own designs.

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“The resident tiles will be highly personal artistic creations,” Cohen said. “In my workshops I try to help participants talk about themselves, to recall fond memories and emotions. That dialogue helps them create art that includes images that relate to their own unique stories, along with symbols of our rich Jewish heritage.” She explained that, “at the Blumkin Home my primary goal was to provide a project that would accommodate every ability level and provide the residents with the techniques and inspiration to carry through their ideas. My second goal was to create four beautiful, bright, interesting walls that would have a bold impact from afar and draw people closer to enjoy all the intricate details. Hopefully, the handmade resident tiles combined with my artwork will have an uplifting, joyful effect on all who live, visit and work at the Blumkin Home.” In addition to designing the artistic components of the installation, Cohen also devised a system for framing her four center tiles with the residents’ tiles. “The biggest challenge was to visually tie the elements together so the finished work looks unified and not overly busy -- ungepached. The back of each resident tile is magnetized, so they can be moved or changed as needed,” she said. Welch Architectural Signage Company of Scarborough, Maine, fabricated the structural elements of the wall system which were shipped to Omaha to be installed by local contractors. Kathrine Davis, Vice President of Welch, said, “Bonnie designed these four pieces to recognize the residents of the Blumkin Home and all the people who love and care for them. The work is very colorful, which is important in a facility for elderly. The tiles are a sensitive, touching reflection of what the Home is all about -- its heart and soul.” In addition to Maggie Conti and Rabbi Weiss, Blumkin Home staff who helped with the tile project include Mary Heiman, Linda Fitzgerald and Adrienne Kitagawa, Activity Directors; Rick France and Mary Ann Blair, Activities Assistants; and Lois Wine, Volunteer Coordinator. “I think visitors will stop in their tracks when they see these meaningful additions to the Home,” Conti said. “Each small piece represents a part of the Blumkin community. They truly are living walls.”

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December 25, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 13

A not-so-average Joe tells his Holocaust story of survival

knows, too, it’s his obligation to bear witness. by LEO ADAM BIGA Born Joachim Boin, he was the only son of Arthur and It’s not as if Joe Boin hadn’t spoken about his Holocaust survivor tale before. He shared his story for Bianca Boin, an educated Orthodox Jewish couple the Shoah Visual History Project. He’s told it to school whose roots were in Germany and Poland, respectively. groups. He helped form Nebraska Survivors of the Joe’s father was a World War I veteran who fought in the Holocaust to raise awareness and to commission public German Army. He had his own accounting firm. Joe’s younger sisters, Ruth memorials as reminders of what happened. and Gisela, soon folBut until now the Berlin, Germany native lowed. never laid out his story for publication. The The family lived in a time seemed right. The 87-year-old widower mixed district of Berlin resides at the Rose Blumkin Home, where he where Jews and scoots around in his motorized wheelchair Christians lived and did with aplomb, American and Go Big Red flags business together. Next affixed to the back. The amiable man makes door was a Christian friends easily and lives a credo of looking family, the Kruegers, ahead, not back, but the searing memories who were old friends. never dim. Alone with his thoughts, his They took an active odyssey is always near. hand in helping the His wife Lilly, a fellow survivor he met and Boins once the Nazi’s married after the war, passed away 14 years anti-Jewish laws took ago. A Vienna, Austria native, she told her effect. They even ended survivor tale in her 1989 book, My Story. RBJH activities director Maggie Conti spots up hiding Gisela during Everyone close to her died in the Shoah. Remarkably, Joe’s entire immediate family Joe Boin tooling around the Home in his wheel- the war. Before the rein of termade it out alive. His parents are long gone chair decorated with the Husker flag. and his only two siblings live in Israel. Palestine is where ror, Joe’s early childhood was idyllic. “It didn’t last long Joe, Lilly, his sisters and eventually his folks migrated but it gave me a taste of what life could be or can be,” after the war. Joe and Lilly’s two children, Heni Alice he said. “I had dreams but it became impossible for me and Gustav Daniel, were born and raised in Israel. Joe to even follow them after Hitler came -- that all went.” Growing up in Berlin, Joe witnessed the fascist fervor suffered wounds in the fight for Israel’s independence. The couple’s children preceded them to America and in its huge rallies and parades that kindled the worst kind of nationalism. The mass public displays included viruJoe and Lilly followed in 1966. After hopskotching the country to be near their chil- lent anti-Semetic screeds, all meant to sway the Aryan dren, Joe and Lilly made it to Nebraska in the late- citizenry, to inflame hatred, to intimidate Jews and other 1970s, residing first in Lincoln before settling in Omaha. supposed enemies of the state. The Nazi regime tapped Today, Joe lives for his children, grandchildren and the fears of a shaken people by offering security and great-grandchildren. He sees them when he can but they scapegoats. “Like everywhere in the world Germany was in a very all live out of state. He’s spending Hanukkah and New deep depression, people were out of work and they had big Year in Phoenix with his daughter and her family. Joe insists his story is nothing special. “I’m not too families,” noted Joe, “and so Hitler came and said, ‘Well, interesting,” he says through his thick accent. “I’m not if you elect me as your leader I will put bread on your table important.” But Joe knows better. He knows that while and I will make sure you have enough money to pay your every survivor story shares certain commonalities, each is bills and rent.’ Of course, everybody went for it.” its own wonder, even miracle, of fortitude and fate. He Continued on page 14

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“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art”

by OZZIE NOGG Ceramic artist Bonnie Cohen recognizes that most people feel they lack talent. So during her recent tiledecorating workshop at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, Cohen’s goal was to help residents gain confidence in their ability to create works of beauty. “When faced with a ‘blank page’ we often don’t know where to begin,” she explained. “To ease the residents into the project, I designed some stencils of familiar Jewish symbols that they could use as inspiration for their own personal designs.” Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, RBJH pastoral service coordinator, was one of the staff assisting with the project. “It was interesting to hear B o n n i e ’ s approach to creativity and then see in action, the concept that there’s no wrong way to design your own tile. Each one came out beautifully despite some res- Left: Rabbi Yaakov Weiss assists Myrna idents’ initial hes- Diamond. Right: Artist Bonnie Cohen itance and desire to just start over.” The chance to ‘color outside the lines’ gave residents free rein to express themselves. Maggie Conti, RBJH activities director, worked with resident Ida Herzoff. “Ida picked out three elements of Shabbat to put on her tile -a challah, candles, and a kiddush cup with the words Shabbat Shalom. Ida’s tile represented what was precious in her life. This project had great meaning for her.” Another resident, Lucille Paskowitz, decorated her tile with birds. “They remind me of the blue birds at the feeder in our old yard. I like birds and flowers. Here, inside, I’m happy to be able to see what’s going on outside.” Resident Myrna Diamond chose the word mazel for

her tile’s main symbol. “My life has been filled with mazel,” she explained. “I had MS for 60 years and one day it picked up and left. I’m the luckiest person living at the Blumkin Home. They are so good to us here.” Through years of experience working with clients of all ages and abilities, Cohen developed special techniques for those who have trouble holding a brush. “Before I visited the Home, my calls to staff helped me understand the residents’ capabilities. I made sample tiles with 12 different glazes so residents could choose their favorites. For bold color areas, I had them use sponges to apply the bright glazes evenly. This is a wonderful technique for those who don’t have a steady hand,” she explained. “I tried to anticipate the residents’ needs and adapt their abilities to the project. Everyone seemed comfortable with the process and I was so pleased with admires Lucille’s Paskowitz’s work; she the outcome.” later added beautiful calligraphic script. Joe Boin, a resident and Holocaust survivor, chose to make four tiles. “This is my vision,” Boin said. “One tile, a large flame, represents Auschwitz. The second tile, hands, symbolize the survivors. The third tile is a menorah and on the fourth tile I’ll put the word chaim. Life.” Cohen was very moved by Boin’s story. “He came back to the ceramic room and stayed all afternoon, working. Joe’s painting techniques and colors were extraordinary and stunning.” Cohen’s main Judaic tiles are currently up in each of the Blumkin Home’s four neighborhood wings. When the 90+ residents’ tiles are completed, they will be added to the final installation.

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Page 14

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

A not-so-average Joe

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Continued from page 13 For Joe, the nightmarish incident To the Christian majority Hitler marked the end of his boyhood innoappealed to widespread prejudice in cence and the start of a cruel new reality blaming the Jews for Germany’s decline based on instinct, chance and survival. since World War I. For most Jews, the “My life as a child (ended). I had two rhetoric and restrictions aimed at them years of high school before Hitler kicked us seemed nothing they hadn’t seen or out.” From then on out, life was a harrowheard before. “In the very beginning when he was elected he organized the political police and then when people found out what really was going to happen it was too late, they couldn’t do much about it,” said Joe. A strapping, athletic young man, Joe competed as an elite Maccabi club tennis player, boxer and gymnast, yet Jews like him were ostracized from German national teams and games by the Nazi regime’s racial policies. This Back row: Joe, right, his nephew Yehuda Salomon, left, niece exclusion was a bitter pill to Rachel Kominsky, and sister, Ruth; front row: Arthur and swallow for Jewish athletes Bianca Boin and a nephew between them, Jerusalem, 1953. when Berlin hosted the 1936 Olympics. ing affair. “We were treated like animals, “It was pretty painful, I’ll tell you that.” not as human beings, we had to walk on Amid unprecedented propaganda and the street, we couldn’t walk on the sidepageantry the Nazis attempted to gloss walks, we couldn’t go into certain stores.” over their campaign of hate against Jews More and more, Jews found themselves and while some observers saw through targeted, isolated, marginalized. Then, in the facade most of the world did not. As 1939, the year Germany invaded Poland far back as the Berlin Olympics, Joe’s and Czechoslovakia and instigated World family was warned of the impending dan- War II, the family was forcibly split up. A ger facing them. band of Nazis came to the Boin home, “In 1936 my mother’s brother, who this time demanding only Joe come with lived in Berlin, too, came to my dad and them. He described what happened: said, ‘Arthur, now is the time to leave this “At midnight they knocked on our door, country.’ My dad looked at him and said, ‘I shouting, ‘We want your boy Joachim.’ I was in World War I, I pay my taxes, I have came to the door and asked, ‘What do you a legitimate business, why should I leave?’ want?’ ‘We have come for you,’ they said, If anybody had any idea what was going to and they grabbed me and hit me and put happen, they would have left,” said Joe, but me on a truck. ‘Where are we going; do I the Boins like most people could not con- have to take something?’ ‘No, where we’re ceive that what seemed another pogrom going you don’t need nothing.’” would become the systematic genocide The ominous reply presaged the known as The Final Solution. unfolding horror of the next six years, a Until the fall of 1938 things were toler- black time when he and his family were able. Jews couldn’t go where and when separated from everything they knew, they pleased as easily as they once could, including each other, as each endured his owing to growing restrictions on their or her own survival odyssey. Joe, his movements and activities, but they didn’t father, his mother and his sister Ruth all fear for their safety. Clearly, though, life ended up in either labor or death camps. was far from normal and things were getOnly his baby sister Gisela was spared. ting more tense. Roving gangs of Nazi She was hidden by the Kruegers in the Brown Shirts were becoming a menace Christian family’s Berlin home, where for and the mere fact of being a Jew, identi- three-and-a-half years she passed a secretfied by a Yellow Star, made you a target of ed-away life that if discovered would have these thugs. meant certain death for her and her beneThe Kruegers, the Christian family who factors. lived next door to the Boins, became a “My dad always said to them (the lifeline. “Our neighbors were very nice Kruegers), ‘You know, if the authorities people and they supplied us with some find out they’re going to kill you too,’ food and so on, sometimes without tak- and they said, ‘We are responsible to ing payment, so that we could live a lit- God, not to him (Hitler), and we feel if tle,” said Joe. there’s any way to help somebody and to When he was 15 he and his family do something that prevents anybody moved to a town, Cottbus, where Joe’s from getting killed, we do it.’” father felt they would be more insulated This courageous attitude struck a chord from the Nazi grip. They did find there in Joe, who has tried living up to the some kind Christians who lent aid just as kindnesses people bestowed on him and the Kruegers had. his family. “Like everywhere else there were won“It’s amazing in a situation like this that derful people that were kind to Jews, that you find people that have a different way tried to help,” said Joe. of thinking and they feel it’s immoral for But there ultimately was no escaping others to be killed or whatever just the threat. Things took a turn for the because they’re Jewish. People helped worse on Kristallnacht, Nov. 9, 1938. even though they knew if they got caught Nazi goons came to the Boin home to they would get shot. Despite the risk, take Joe and his father away to the town they said, ‘No, we have a responsibility to square where other Jewish residents had God, but not to Mr. Hitler, and whatever been rounded up and their homes and happens, happens,’ and that’s why quite a businesses vandalized. few Jewish people had a chance to live.” “They took us to a marketplace where From the time Joe was taken away in the they had us surrounded by Nazis and by middle of the night to the war’s end, six private citizens and they put dogs on one years passed before he was reunited with side and they gave us a spoon and we had his family. He would survive six camps in to pick up the crap. We got beaten pretty four countries, counting the displaced bad. A lot of people got killed there, too. persons and refugee camps he ended up in They put bodies in the synagogue and after the war, before the ordeal was over. afterwards they burned it.” Continued on page 15

December 25, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 15

A not-so-average Joe

Continued from page 13 “The first camp I was in was Sachsenhausen -- it was a concentration camp close to Berlin where all kinds of political prisoners, religious people were together, gypsies too. Just a very, very interesting group of people, and then from there they distributed them to the other camps.” He didn’t know anyone at Sachsenhausen. “I didn’t want to know anybody because in a situation like this it’s very difficult to trust people you don’t know. Sometimes you had to, but unfortunately you had a lot of Jewish people who tried to inform the Nazis of what was going on, hoping they might have a better life, which didn’t happen.” Upon his arrival, Joe was consumed with anger over the injustice of it all. “I was 17-years-old and the only crime I’d committed was I was born to a Jewish mother. That’s why I could never understand why I had to go through all this. I wasn’t thinking about anything else but why I’m here. I didn’t steal anything, I didn’t murder anyone -- why am I here, what’s the reason? Why couldn’t I get my education so I could become somebody and get further on in life later? Why? -- because I was Jewish. I could not get over that.” Then some things happened those first 24 hours in camp to change his outlook. “I was so mad that when we came in the barracks in the evening I said, ‘I think if I ever by any chance come out of this

Left: Lilly and Joe Boin and their children, Gustav Daniel and Heni and a neighborhood place I will kill every German that comes in my way.’ Somebody tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘No my son, if you do this you’re not any better than the Nazis.’” It started him thinking. “The next morning we had to stand in a roll call and an elderly man fell down and, of course, I bent down trying to help him and one soldier came and shoved this rifle in my back and so I fell down, too. We were carried into the barracks and the older prisoners told me, ‘If you want to stay alive you don’t see anything around you.’ Well I was a person that wanted to see what life was all about and I was trying to live a little longer if I could, and so I followed this advice.” Joe was also befriended by an elderly Catholic priest whose selfless example

child in Tiberias, 1953; right: Joe and Heni ride a donkey in Ein Kerem, 1953. made a big impact on him. When the meager bread ration was given out, Joe said, the old priest gave away his portion to Joe and other young people. “He told us, ‘You need it more than I do, I have nothing to look forward to, it’s God’s will.’ It taught me there are people who really care for other people.” After two years at Sachsenhausen Joe was transported to Buchenwald in 1941. “Buchenwald was horrible for me because I was delegated to be on the railroad platform as trains came in from Holland and Belgium. I would pick up the suitcases and possessions people carried. The hardest thing for me was seeing women come with little children in their arms and the children, some not even a year old, were taken away and thrown on

the platform. Some guards did much more worse -- they used them as target practice. I still have nightmares about this.” It took all of Joe’s self-discipline to not respond, not intervene, not retaliate. “I was strong enough I could probably have killed some guards but that wouldn’t do me any good because two minutes later people would be shot on the spot. It doesn’t help me or nobody else either. It was a hard decision to make but unfortunately that’s the way it worked.” Living conditions were abysmal in every concentration camp, but he said the treatment by the Buchenwald guards was particularly harsh. “The guys that watched us were much more brutal in Buchenwald than they were in Sachsenhausen. They got a bottle of whiskey in the morning to drink to get them in the mood of tormenting us. They were specially trained, they had only one thing in mind, make sure the people don’t get out of here alive.” As part of the Nazi program of humiliating prisoners, he said, inmates were given absurd tasks meant to break their mind and spirit. “We had to do idiotic things, like they had a room that needed to be cleaned and they give us a toothbrush to clean the walls. It made you feel degraded. This is the evil of the world -- to not treat us like human beings. They didn’t want you to feel as a human being anymore -- well, they didn’t have any luck with me.” Continued on page 16

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

A not-so-average Joe

Continued from page 15 “I was there three weeks and then some officer came and Death, hunger, toil and beatings became every day he saw me and put me to work in the stone quarries on occurrences. the Polish-German border, near Hindenburg. There was “In our barracks we had bunk beds, with maybe four a big forest around us. We slept in tents.” or five people laying there in a clump, and very often In early 1945 the quarry camp came under bombardwhen you woke up in the morning somebody was dead. ment from advancing Russian forces and Joe and some It took me a long time to get over those deaths,” he said. fellow prisoners used the cover of chaos to flee. Hardening himself to his reality became a necessary “There were about 10 of us and we said, ‘Let’s go, no thing. “I always thought a little bit different -- that I’m in a situation where I have to do certain things and I’m looking for a loophole maybe somewhere to improve my situation. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. I was able to be pretty open with the people that were surrounding me in trying to explain how important it was for our little group here to hold together and not go to the Nazis, that we had to stick together and try Above: Joe visits his sisters, Gisella, left, and Ruth in to improve our lives -- that Netanya, Israel, in 1984. Right: Ruth tends the gravesites of was the only way to make it their parents, Arthur and Bianca Boin, Netanya, 1978. happen. Some of them did and some of them didn’t. matter what.’ We escaped in “Some didn’t have the will (to live) anymore. One guy the big forest there. Some of told me, ‘What difference does it make?’ Some people us were pretty weak. We were afraid the guards might set had a little bit of sense left. I had the will to live. I prayed their dogs on us, so we tried to put as much distance to God, ‘I know if you want you will give me the between us and them, but most of the guards had fled strength to fight back in a way to keep my mouth shut -- they didn’t want to get in the Russians’ hands.” when I should,’ instead of saying something that would After foraging on the road for six or seven days Joe and give them the opportunity to beat me or to restrict food his mates were liberated by Russian Army troops. “We from me.” were lucky,” he said, “there was a Jewish major in their That resolve and restraint, he said, “was not very easy ranks who spoke Yiddish and he warned us not to eat the because when you work hard 10-12 hours a day with uncooked bacon the Russians spread out to feed us. He nothing to eat your mind is mush. I tried to get rest as said after what we’d been through it would kill us.” much as I could because I knew that’s what I needed. The major didn’t warn about the bottled drinks the Somehow I still kept on going.” Russians offered. He kept alert for work details that might provide a “It looked like water to me, I was so thirsty, so I drank scrap more food or be out of harm’s way. “If somebody and I almost died -- it was 100 percent vodka,” said Joe, was really weak I jumped in and told them, ‘I’ll do it.’” who can smile about it now. That may have saved his life when he got to AuschwitzJoe weighed 82 pounds when rescued. He spent two Birkenau in late ’44. months in a Russian military hospital. Once he regained “I ended up in Auschwitz,” whose dark reputation, he his strength, he made his way to Holland, mostly by said, preceded it -- “somehow it went from camp to hitching rides with G.I. transports. His family had camp what happened there. I knew if I would stay there agreed to meet there if they were ever separated during that would be it. My strength was down, we were beat- the war. His mother’s brother had fled there. He hoped en every day, we had no good food, we had to work. I his family had survived but he had no real expectation of wasn’t Superman, I just was a simple human being who seeing them again. can take only so much. I was lucky to get out of there.” Amazingly, he said, “we all came out of it. We were It just so happened a work detail was formed and Joe lucky. Slowly but surely everybody made their way to was in the right place at the right time to be assigned it. Holland.” His mother had survived as a laundress for the

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German military, his father escaped a camp before being pressed into duty making military roads, Ruth worked in a labor munitions camp and Gisela remained hidden. The Boins spent the next year in a D.P. camp, where Joe met the woman who became his wife, the former Lilly Engelmann Margulies. She was a survivor of Theresienstadt (Terezin). Having lost her husband, parents and siblings, Lilly was all alone and the Boins became her protectors and friends. There was a considerable age difference between Joe and Lilly but the attraction was mutual. “We liked each other. Then, of course, I asked her one day ‘will you marry me?’ and she looked at me and said, ‘no,’ and I didn’t take no for an answer, I wanted an explanation. So she told me, ‘Well, I’m 14 years older than you,’ and I said, ‘So what?’ So we got married in Amsterdam and we were married 50 years.” With no prospects or permits for starting a new life in war-ravaged Europe, the couple, along with Ruth and Gisela, embarked on an epic journey to reach the promised land of Palestine. Traveling with no visas, they made their way to France and Belgium. Out on the Mediterranean Sea they risked being turned back by authorities or being turned in by mercenaries, but enough angels helped their cause. Making the trip more hazardous was Lilly’s pregnancy. They arrived in Haifa on a Turkish coal boat in 1946. Among the early Holocaust survivors in Palestine, their testimony of the genocide they witnessed fell on deaf ears at first. “When we first went to Israel, our own people didn’t believe us. They said, ‘Oh you just want sympathy,’ until some of their relatives came and told them. It’s something people couldn’t imagine, that human beings can do this to other human beings, and to children.” Like many survivors Joe was angry the world largely turned a blind eye to the plight of millions. He said while some lost their faith, he did not. “Many people said, ‘Where was God? I don’t believe in God anymore.’ That’s your privilege, but let me tell you something, it had nothing to do with God -- people are the ones who did it, you can’t blame everything on God. What happened, happened, I cannot repair it, I have to go with what I have now. You have to live with it and you have to make the best you can to keep on living.” He joined the Israeli Army and was shot in the stomach during a rescue mission. A doctor told Lilly he wouldn’t make it. Continued on page 17

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December 25, 2009

A not-so-average Joe you. I will never forget what happened, but I am a person that looks forward, I don’t want to look back. I learned not to hate anymore. It gives me more of a reason to try to see that other people are treated like human beings,” he said. “Try to help whoever you can because you never know - someday you might need help and they will help you. I love life, I love people. I believe in live-andlet-live. Enjoy life as much as you can and do good as much as you can. If you’re a good person and trying to live in the world you have to respect other people’s beliefs, and I try to do that.” The Kripke Library’s copy of Lilly’s book contains an inscription Joe could have written hmself: “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” He’s written his own Holocaust reflections, including a prayer: I am thankful that I could see life from every angle. I learned how to be rich and how to be poor, Joe’s sister Ruth, right, visits Joe and Lilly Boin in Omaha in how to give orders and how 1991; they’re pictured in front of the newly opened Beth El to take orders, how to live Synagogue. in a big family with a lot of He’s dismayed atrocities still go on friends and how it is to be completely alone. around the world. “People killing in the I learned to appreciate health, so I could name of I don’t know what. How is that endure pain. I met the ugly, so I was able to possible? Why didn’t people learn and see enjoy the beauty. I know how to live in a what comes out of this? You have to sit mansion, but be content to live in a bathdown with people and talk to them -- room ... to own a Mercedes and to walk there always is a way if you have the will barefoot the dusty, stony road. When I was in prison I realized the value of freedom ... to do it.” I have met people who found consolation. A supporter of Omaha’s TriFaith Initiative, Joe counts Christians and In helping those who could not help themMuslims among his friends and he selves they had put their own life in danbelieves the more interfaith, multicultural ger...I saw goodness at its best and bestiality dialogue there is, the less likely it is geno- at its worst ... I got the taste of almost cide will occur. He does not allow his sur- unbearable disaster and I was blessed to vivor past to define him but instead uses have again a wonderful family, who the experience to practice and preach tol- brought so much happiness into my life ... Thank you God ... for all the experiences I erance. “You know, the memories are fading had in two ways of life. away, but this is something that’s inside

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 17

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Page 18

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

Temple and partnership to sponsor Taste of Tri-Faith by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Learning what Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have in common as well as their distinctions, participants in Taste of Tri-Faith at Temple Israel will begin by studying the basics of each faith’s sacred book, the Torah, the Qur’an, and the New Testament at the first of four sessions in January. Co-sponsored by the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning and the Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha, the course begins on Jan. 6 and continues every Wednesday, in January, 6:30-8 p.m. The Tri-Faith Initiative is a partnership

of Temple Israel, the American Islamic Institute of Studies and Culture (AIISC), and the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska. “This is an opportunity for all three faith groups to learn how we differ and how we’re the same,” explained Jon Meyers, immediate past president of Temple and a member of the Tri-Faith Initiative Board. At each session, “you’ll get a taste of how all three faiths deal with the same topic although we each may approach it from “a different angle.” This will be “a friendly environment for people of all faiths” to become informed together, he added. Tri-Faith 101: Who Are We? on Jan. 6

Keeping your money and leaving a legacy BY ROB A. RANDELS, CFP®, MBA, CHFC Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management The number one fear all people have when entering retirement; no matter how much money they have is running out of money. A second concern for most is how they can leave something for their children or grandchildren after they are gone. A relevant concern in today’s economy is how an individual can receive a good, safe rate of return on their money. This seems to be a concern/question I hear on almost a daily basis. An idea many have found interesting would generate a 4-5% plus yield on a deposit payable back to the individual for the rest of their life no matter how long they live. This addresses how to get a good, safe rate of return and helps with the fear of running out of money. This solution is “AAA” rated by all four of the independent rating services. Next, what about leaving a legacy for a loved one? This same solution would continue to pro-

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will introduce ritual practices, traditions, and customs as well as the role of each religion’s sacred book. Bob Freeman, chair of the Tri-Faith Board, will welcome the speakers Cantor Wendy Shermet from Temple Israel, The Very Reverend Ernesto Medina of St. Martha’s Episcopal Church in Papillion, and Naser Alsharif representing the AIISC. At the second session, God Talk, on Jan. 13, common themes of prayer such as praise, gratitude, and worship of each of the Abrahamic faiths will be explored by Temple Israel’s Rabbi Aryeh Azriel; The Right Reverend Joe Burnett, Episcopal bishop of Nebraska; and Abul

Sabur Hassani from AIISC. Participants will have an opportunity to study some prayers from the three ancient faiths. Values that Guide Our Lives on Jan. 20 will focus on ethical teachings such as helping those less fortunate which is emphasized by all three faiths. There will be discussion highlighting how each faith tradition guides our lives, determines how we interact with others, and shapes life in our community. Rabbi Eric Linder of Temple Israel will be joined by The Reverend Jason Emerson of the Church of the Resurrection, and Dr. Syed Mohiuddin from the AIISC. Continued on page 20

Appetizing starters for New Year’s Eve by SYBIL KAPLAN When the girls were small, our home became the place for friends to gather on New Year's Eve. Most of the time it was dips or spreads and pita chips or crackers around 9 p.m., a nice light supper around 10:30 p.m., watch New Year’s Eve in New York on TV at 11 p.m. our time and dessert and champagne just after midnight. If you like that pattern, you are welcome to use it! Here are some new dips and spreads to start off your evening. DEVILED EGG SPREAD I just got this from the Food and Wine website by Katie Lee, and thought it was a great idea to copy with modifications! 12 hard boiled eggs 1 cup mayonnaise 1 T. Dijonaise paprika Cover eggs with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 25 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Shell eggs and halve. Coarsely chop half egg whites. Place in a bowl.

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December 25, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 19

Senior â€œtricksâ€?

BERTâ€™S EYE VIEW by BERT LEWIS

First of all, if youâ€™re going to talk about senior living, it must be assumed youâ€™re a senior. In order to qualify to be called a senior, you must have already celebrated many, many birthdays. Thatâ€™s the first requirement. The second is easy: you must be able to one-up any other senior, no matter how dramatic the story. For example, when the guy sitting next to you on the bench at the bus stop says â€œthe doctor said I nearly diedâ€?, you have to be able to respond, â€œthatâ€™s nothing. The doc said I did die, but he brought me back.â€? Thatâ€™s really one upping like a professional, and only a bona fide senior can do it. Plus, you need to be able to do a convincing organ recital, which has nothing to do with music. A real pro can do an organ recital which covers his entire last physical, including CT scans and complete blood work-up. I donâ€™t even want to think about what beats that! So the real story about senior living has a lot to do with health ...Thatâ€™s what concerns us, thatâ€™s what weâ€™re constantly attending to, and thatâ€™s whatâ€™s the usual topic of conversation when seniors are talking. With plenty of time devoted to which doctor is best for what problem, and which one wouldnâ€™t be allowed to treat the aged poodle in the neighborhood -plus things called little out-patient stuff. That category includes anything which

can be called a procedure by a doctor, but isnâ€™t given much importance because it doesnâ€™t require overnight in the hospital. Trust me ... I know what Iâ€™m talking about. Iâ€™m a card carrying professional myself. and while I donâ€™t like to toot my own horn, I could tell you stories you wouldnâ€™t believe. In fact, let me tell you about the very latest experience which had (and still has) me reeling. After listening to and/or ignoring my adult children for some years now, I finally said uncle and went to have my hearing tested. I was pretty sure it was a wasted trip -- I hear everything except when people mumble, and I notice more and more do that all the time. Anyway, I went, and foolishly, allowed one of my kids to accompany me. Better I should have left him at home, because he was a witness to everything that smart alec ear maven told me. To make a long story short, according to the alleged expert, the test showed that I have a very discernable loss in not one, but both ears. I was assured it was no big deal, but rather a problem that would respond successfully to a pair of hearing aids. Ok, maybe. Iâ€™ll think about it. Donâ€™t call me -- Iâ€™ll call you. But no, I couldnâ€™t do that because my son was with me and I knew heâ€™d never let me get away with doing that. So I heard the sales pitch, listened carefully, and while I wouldnâ€™t admit to anyone else, I began to think maybe I did need a little help in the hearing department. After a lot of talking, questions and answers and general pontificating on the advantages of hearing aids, I said ok. Iâ€™ll do it. A week later the ear maven called me and said my hearing aids were in, would I

please come in and do a little tutorial and learn all about them. Sure, I said. Iâ€™m a good sport, why not? Easy enough, with the guy right there to help with this or that. All done? Uh huh. I got out my checkbook, paid for them, wished everyone a nice day, and left. Then the fun started. I got into my car, put the key in the ignition, and suddenly there was a shrieking sound that nearly split my eardrums. Turned out it was the chirp I was accustomed to hearing, which urged me to fasten my seat belt. But it was so loud! Awful. As I drove, I reallized something terrible had happened to the car while I was getting my new ears. It was so noisy I couldnâ€™t believe it. It kvetched all the way home, and when I got out of the car in my own garage, I slammed the door and thought it sounded a lot like a sonic boom. But no, it was just the car door. Since when did it make all that noise? In the house, I found other strange disturbances. First, I couldnâ€™t believe how much creaking and sqeaking my wood floors were making. When did that start? I turned on the light and the loud cracking sound of the switch sounded like a small firecracker! I picked up the newspaper and the sound it made when I folded the page, was a bit like a big fire, crackling as it burned. I began to feel like a cartoon character, with all kinds of odd things happening, until I realized that the moment I put in those tiny little aids, my world changed. Ok, go about your business and try not to notice, I thought. Iâ€™ll start dinner, but that necessitated some handling of cooking pans and cutlery. I donâ€™t think I actually slammed the pan down on the stove, but it sounded like it. And when I turned on the water, I thought that must be

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what Niagara Falls sounds like! When I set the table, I discovered I had the noisiest dishes on the planet. You must have figured it out by now, especially if you happen to wear hearing aids. Of course, especially if you happen to be a senior you know darn well how those little things amplify every sound. Now please donâ€™t misunderstand. I donâ€™t have anything against those clever devises that really are a godsend to people with hearing loss. And now that I have my own, I will have to admit I often felt deaf as a post, before I got them. But it does take some time to become accustomed to them, and a lot of patience too. Alright, the subject was senior living. Having said all of the above, I still maintain we seniors occupy a great deal of our time talking about health, seeing our doctors, getting medicine from the druggist, exchanging stories with our contemporaries about the latest flu epidemic and any other health related subject. I think Iâ€™ve covered it fairly completely. If however, you have any questions, feel free to write me or call me (Iâ€™m in the book) and weâ€™ll talk some more. And just one more thing, to you â€œjuniorsâ€™ out there. When you hear some of your elders talking, if you happen to hear something like â€œdid you know Joe has learned to bake bread?â€? and we answer, â€œNo, where did he take Fred?â€? -- donâ€™t laugh. Some day you might be the one who doesnâ€™t always hear exactly what was said. When you start to notice how many people mumble and donâ€™t enunciate distinctly, watch out. You might be the next candidate for those little magic things to stick in your ears. You never know. Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis 39@aol.com.

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Page 20

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

-30When the late Mary Fellman signed her last editorial as editor of the Jewish Press in 1947, she used the old linotype setters’ -30- to sign off. So I’m borrowing a page from the book of the Matriarch of Omaha to do the same. Two weeks ago, I began this last series of editorials with accomplishments at the Press over the last 13-and-a-half years. Last week I noted the challenges facing this newspaper and the community. But now it’s time to express my thanks. Bob Eisenberg gave me this opportunity in July of 1996; he was President of the Press Board and approved of my vision for this paper. As Nancy Rips wrote in a recent note to me, “You had just received the news of your new job and I saw a mixture of enthusiasm and awe and terror. It was great to observe this combination, because I knew these qualities would enhance the Press and the community.” Nancy was right. I was in awe of those who had preceded me, and excited about the possibilities of new features, new columnists, new ideas for income, and eventually a new design (more about that later). But I was terrified; numbers are not my forté and for several years I floundered with the annual budget. Luckily, my predecessor, Morris Maline (on the advice of Press board member Esther Meiches) had hired Larry Axelrod as a new salesman. He increased ad revenue so much -- that no one noticed that I hadn’t calculated FICA tax on commissions! When Larry died suddenly, in February of 2001, outside sales staff Barbara Frankel and Rocky Stern thankfully stepped in to help. And though Allan Handleman had only been hired three months before Larry’s untimely death, he stepped up to the plate to take over as Advertising Manager. Through (mostly) ups and (of late) downs of the economy, Allan has loyally stayed with the Press. We’re lucky to have him, as well as longtime Federation bookkeeper Barb Kirkpatrick who “subbed” at the Press during an emergency -and stayed. She’s worked for this community for more than 40 years now! When my second-in-command moved to Las Vegas, I hired Richard Busse away from our printer, Suburban Newspapers. And when

our production assistant went off to college, Lori Kooper-Schwarz took her place -- and expanded the job. We couldn’t publish the Jewish Press each week without them -- and when we add a new website with more content and functions, you’ll see their creativity and talent there as well. Over the years I learned -- and made mistakes along the way. But supporters and critics helped me grow professionally and personally. Within the first few months on the job, community leaders Silvia Roffman and Suzanne Singer, both former presidents of the Press, took me to lunch. “Don’t let the Press get cheesy,” they admonished me. “Yes, this is a local newspaper, but it’s got class.” They were right. Year after year, these two women continued to offer advice, support and a lot of time. I hope the next editor is as lucky to have friends they can call and ask, “So what do I do about ...?” Joanie Jacobson, Press Chairman 2003-06, challenged me to come up with a new graphic look to match our new content. I resisted (anyone who resists Joanie should know better!). Not only did she improve the design of the paper, but motivated us to do it again several years later. (We’re planning a new look for the print edition when the website launches, too!) Other Press board leaders during my tenure: Steve Levinger, Lloyd Roitstein, Fred Tichauer, Howard Marcus and now Bobbi Leibowitz have offered wise counsel, firm support, and creative ideas, not only in directing each successive board, but in leading the staff as well. Several board members have gone out of their way with help on special projects. One is Scott Meyerson, who oversaw the reworking of our bylaws, the creation of jBay (the Press’ classifieds which later changed to the statewide ad network through the Nebraska Press Association) and the examination of our contracts for digitization and website projects. Another is the late Steve Simon, who

would take me out to breakfast and ask, “So, darlin’, what do you need?” His son, Jim, pushed us toward the creation of a new website and introduced me to several capable local developers. A third is Ben Wiesman, who served as president from 1994-96. Though he has stayed in the background, he is always ready to listen to the tough issues faced by editors everywhere and give timely advice. There are others -- both on the board and off -- who took on special tasks -- especially Penny Endelman, Stan Mitchell, George Quittner, Michael Sigmond, Michael Siegel and Dorothy Spizman, among others, and lent their time and talents to the Press, to the betterment of this publication and the community. Bob Belgrade has no official role at the Press, but has been instrumental in helping us solve technical problems as well as “finding” money for projects. Continued on page 21

BEHIND THE H EADLINES by DANIEL PIPES What importance has the recent Swiss referendum to ban the building of minarets (spires next to mosques from which the call to prayer is issued)? Some may see the 57.5 to 42.5 percent decision endorsing a constitutional amendment as nearly meaningless. The political establishment being overwhelmingly opposed to the amendment, the ban will probably never go into effect. Only 53.4 percent of the electorate voted, so a mere 31 percent of the whole population endorses the ban. The ban does not address Islamist aspirations, much less Muslim terrorism. It has no impact on the practice of Islam. It prevents neither the building of new mosques nor requires that Switzerland’s four existing minarets be demolished. It’s also possible to dismiss the vote as the quirky result of Switzerland’s unique direct democracy, a tradition that goes back to 1291 and exists nowhere else in Europe. Josef Joffe, the distinguished German analyst, sees the vote as a populist backlash against the series of humiliations the Swiss have endured in recent years culminating in the seizure of two businessmen in Libya and the Swiss president’s

Why, the Catholic Church and others are asking, should Christian suffer such indignities while Muslims enjoy full rights in historically Christian countries? “The idea is to be discreet because we don’t want to inflame any sensitivities.” And when the Christians of a town in Upper Egypt, Nazlet al-Badraman, finally after four years of “laborious negotiation, pleading, and grappling with the authorities,” won permission in October to restore a tottering tower at the Mar-Girgis Church, a mob of about 200 Muslims attacked them, throwing stones and shouting Islamic and sectarian slogans. The situation for Copts is so bad, they have reverted to building secret churches. Why, the Catholic Church and others are

Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Michael Sigmond, Secretary; Michael Siegel, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Immediate Past-chairman; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Eric Dunning; Jason Epstein; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press . Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: editor@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.

Swiss minarets and European Islam mortifying apology to win their release. However, I see the referendum as consequential, and well beyond Swiss borders. First, it raises delicate issues of reciprocity in Muslim-Christian relations. A few examples: When Our Lady of the Rosary, Qatar’s first-ever church opened in 2008, it did so minus cross, bell, dome, steeple, or signboard. Rosary’s priest, Father Tom Veneracion, explained their absence:

(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper

asking, should Christian suffer such indignities while Muslims enjoy full rights in historically Christian countries? The Swiss vote fits into this new spirit. Islamists, of course, reject this premise of equality; Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned his Swiss counterpart of unspecified “consequences” of what he called anti-Islamic acts, implicitly threatening to make the minaret ban an international issue comparable to the Danish cartoon fracas of 2006. Second, Europe stands at a crossroads with respect to its Muslim population. Of the three main future prospects -- everyone getting along, Muslims dominating, or Muslims rejected -- the first is highly improbable but the second and third seem equally possible. In this context, the Swiss vote represents a potentially important legitimation of anti-Islamic views. The vote inspired support across Europe, as signaled by online polling sponsored by the mainstream media and by statements from leading figures. Here follows a small sampling: France: 49,000 readers at Le Figaro, by a 7327 percent margin, would vote to ban new minarets in their country. 24,000 readers at L’Express agreed by an 86-12 percent margin, with 2 percent undecided. A leading columnist, Ivan Rioufol of Le Figaro, wrote an article titled “Homage to the Resistance of the Swiss People.” Continued on page 21

Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: editor@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but it should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, call the Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $35 per calendar year U.S.; $72 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

December 25, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 21

-30Continued from page 20 And then there are the volunteers -Jean Duitch, Dottie Rosenblum, Deborah Platt, Suzanne Singer, and the late George Schapiro, who, no matter what the task, always responded with a smile. Freelancers have also been an important component of producing a weekly paper. They’re underpaid, even after three raises in 13-and-a-half-years, but never hesitate to take on new challenges in profiling the many fascinating members (or former members) of our community or covering an event. Among them, past and present, are: Jacob Adler, Avishay Artsy, Leo Adam Biga, Diane Axler Baum, Jeffrey Baum, Jill Belmont, Maureen Borden, Carol Bloch, Al Crounse, Ben Delman, Tony Endelman, Richard Fellman, Caren Friedman, Lois Friedman, Mickey Greenberg, Eliza Richman Halev, Jessica Hasslinger, Joanie Jacobson, Gary Javitch, Gloria Shukert Jones, Sara Juster, Melissa Katzman, Chuck Kuba, Lenny Leffitz, David Leibowitz, Mark Levy, Bert Lewis, Michele Malashock, Morris Maline, Howard K. Marcus, Joan K. Marcus, Bernie Meyers, Lynda Mirvish, Pam Monsky, Rebecca Murow, Anne Muskin, Patricia Newman, Ozzie Nogg, Shana Novak, Susan Paley, Magda Peck, Oliver Pollak, Courtney Rabb, Rebecca Rosen, Mike Salmi, Linda Saltzman, Claudia Sherman, Jennifer Helman Sherman, Shelley Smith, Martin Wolf, Annette Van de Kamp-Wright, Liz Varela, Teddy Weinberger. That’s quite a list! Some of these good writers and photographers are no longer

with us, but we’re proud of how many this little paper has managed to attract over the years! All the teens (and a few parents!) who submitted stories, artwork and photos for the 1997 Teen Age edition of New Year’s as well as the 2006 follow up of the “B’nai Mitzvah Class of 2001”, and the teens and adults who contributed to two special Passover issues highlighting Israel’s 50th and Israel@60 helped to make national and international issues local, by writing in their own voices. As editor, I also turned to my colleagues in this community and on this campus. I sought advice from Jewish Community Center Director Jeff Aizenberg and Jewish Senior Services Director Mike Silverman, especially with budget and employment issues. Marty Ricks, Director of the Foundation of the Jewish Federation, pointed us to new sources of grant funding and always put in a good word to funders. ADL director Alan Potash and before him, Bob Wolfson, have been great sources and could always help me separate fact from hoax. My fellow editors and business managers in the American Jewish Press Association are a tremendous inspiration; I hope they and their publications survive! And, of course, Federation Executive Director Jan Goldstein, has been so supportive of the Press and our efforts to build community while not shying away from important issues. I’m personally very grateful to her, especially when I’ve pushed the envelope! And of course there are the funders and committees that have generously

approved our requests for grants over the years: the Henry Davis Fund, Goldsten Trust, the Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Supporting Foundation, the Milton and Corrine Livingston Foundation, the Murray H. and Sharee C. Newman Supporting Foundation, the Philip and Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation, the Special Donor-advised Fund of the Foundation of the Jewish Federation, and the Wiesman Family Foundation. (At this point, I’m a little worried that I’ve omitted someone; please forgive me if I have -- my memory is not as good as it was when I began work here!) Probably the most important staff on this campus, however, are secretaries, clerical and maintenance workers; they’re the ones who really make this community work -- we should always remember that -- and be grateful! There are former Omahans, too, who have maintained their strong relationships; they subscribe to the paper; they make donations, big and small; they write and e-mail to express concerns or thanks. Stan Lipsey surely is one of those. Usually in Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting (BH owns the Buffalo News, which Lipsey publishes), he occasionally stops in or calls to see “how things are going.” A longtime newspaperman who presided over the Press (and whose late father-in-law owned it!), Stan is a ready source of information about Omaha and the Jewish community. He not only offers advice, but asks what funding is needed; last year, he made a very generous gift of $25,000 for the website and “anything else the Press needs.”

There have been shocking moments -like the unexpected deaths of fixtures in this community, and surprises, too -- the seven million dollar gift of Berkshire stock to the Jewish Theological Seminary from Rabbi Myer and Dorothy Kripke. The Omaha World Herald scooped me on one of my few hard news stories. But I’ve had the good fortune to continue Rabbi Kripke’s long relationship with the Press through his dictation of his “Sparks from the Word” column. Several years before she died, Frances Batt called me to say she was closing a bank account and giving the balance to the Press. My initial reaction was, “Great a couple of hundred dollars just fell into my lap!” I almost fell off my chair when she told me it was more than $17,000. That’s part of what has made this job so much fun. Getting to know vets of WWII, crying with survivors of the Holocaust, laughing at the antics of the teens of the ’50s and ’60s in “Bagel”, discovering hidden talents of young people in our community, nurturing a young intern, and getting feedback on a provocative editorial -those have been among the joys. I’ll miss that, but I won’t miss the weekly deadlines and worrying about funding! I’ll leave all that to the new editor, for whom I have some advice:-- you don’t have all the answers; listen to those you can trust; and learn how and whom to ask for help. As for you, dear readers: give the new kid a break! Carol Katzman, editor,1996-2009

New U.S. anti-Semitism envoy facing formidable task

period and our own era. At the same time, it is important to recognize today’s serious dangers. When Iranian leaders threaten to annihilate Israel -- and actively try to by GREGG RICKMAN develop the weapons that would and RAFAEL MEDOFF enable them to do that -- they should WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Hannah be taken as seriously as anti-Semitic Rosenthal, President Obama’s nominee for the post of leaders in the 1930s should have been taken. special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, cerWhen Arab regimes teach their schoolchildren to hate tainly has her work cut out for her. Jews while glorifying violence and denying the According to the latest report from the Organization Holocaust ever took place, they must be challenged -for Security and Cooperation in Europe, hate crimes especially when the United States is in a position to use remain “a serious problem” its aid and influence with in the OSCE’s 56 member Obviously there are vast differences between those regimes as leverage. states. Yet, incredibly, only the Hitler period and our own era. At the When Holocaust deniers eight of the 56 governments claim that the Nazis’ slaughprovided the OSCE with same time, it is important to recognize ter of 6 million Jews is a data on recent anti-Semitic today’s serious dangers. myth circulated by an interincidents in their countries. national Jewish propaganda Clearly there are regimes that hope to preserve their machine -- that, too, must be recognized as anticountry’s image by whitewashing local anti-Semitism. Semitism. Confronting them will be one of Ms. Rosenthal’s many When extremists cynically manipulate United Nations challenges. forums to blame Israel and “Zionists” for all the ills of There can be no doubt that anti-Semitism continues to the world, they must be denounced. manifest itself across the globe, and in a wide range of forms. In Sweden, a prominent newspaper recently accused Israelis of kidnapping Arabs in order to harvest their organs. In Honduras, political figures and pundits Continued from page 20 are blaming Jews for the country’s political crisis. In President Nicolas Sarkozy was quoted as saying that Hungary and Austria, far-right extremists are exploiting “the people, in Switzerland as in France, don’t want the democratic system to significantly increase their rep- their country to change, that it be denatured. They want resentation in parliament. And here at home, in Edison, to keep their identity.” N.J., a yeshiva student was assaulted by anti-Semitic Germany: 29,000 readers at Der Spiegel voted 76-21 thugs on Rosh Hashanah and a synagogue was daubed percent, with 2 percent undecided, to ban minarets in with swastikas on Yom Kippur. Germany. 17,000 readers of Die Welt voted 82-16 in The position of U.S. envoy to monitor and combat favor of “Yes, I feel cramped by minarets” over “No, anti-Semitism was established in 2004 in response to the freedom of religion is constrained.” frightening proliferation of anti-Jewish hatred around Spain: 14,000 readers of 20 Minutos voted 93-6 perthe world. The late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), later cent in favor of the statement “Good, we must curb joined by Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Rep. Islamization’s growing presence” and against “Bad, it is Chris Smith (R-N.J.), initiated the legislation that creat- an obstacle to the integration of immigrants.” 35,000 ed the position. Lantos, a Holocaust survivor, saw readers of El Mondo replied 80-20 percent that they echoes of a dark past in our own era, both in the spread support a Swiss-like banning of minarets. of anti-Semitism worldwide and the failure of Western Although not scientific, the lopsidedness of these (and democracies to speak out against it. other) polls, ranging from 73 to 93 percent majorities Obviously there are vast differences between the Hitler endorsing the Swiss referendum, signal that Swiss voters

FOCUS ON ISSUES

When fanatics in any country try to mask their antiSemitism as opposition to Israel or Zionism, they must be exposed. The U.S. position on this question, as articulated in last year’s report by the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, is that “the demonization of Israel or vilification of Israeli leaders, sometimes through comparisons with Nazi leaders, and through the use of Nazi symbols to caricature them, indicates an anti-Semitic bias rather than a valid criticism of policy concerning a controversial issue.” Some of the governments that Ms. Rosenthal investigates surely will lean on her to go easy on them in her reports. She may find herself under pressure from U.S. government officials who believe that having friendly relations with a particular regime is more important than speaking out against anti-Semitism in that country. We hope she resists these pressures and stands up for those who were denied such help during the darkest period in human history, the Holocaust. If she does, she will have served her office well and upheld our nation’s noble humanitarian legacy. Gregg Rickman served as the first U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, from 2006 to 2009. Rafael Medoff is director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies.

Swiss minarets and European Islam

represent growing anti-Islamic sentiments throughout Europe. The new amendment also validates and potentially encourages resistance to Islamization throughout the continent. For these reasons, the Swiss vote represents a possible turning point for European Islam. Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. 2009 by Daniel Pipes. All rights reserved. Read more at: www.DanielPipes.org.

HOLIDAY CLOSING & EARLY DEADLINE The Jewish Press will be closed Friday, Dec. 25, and Friday, Jan .1. The deadline for all ads, articles and photos is Wednesday, Dec. 30 for the Jan. 8 issue. There will be no Jewish Press on Jan. 1 due to staff vacations and a need to upgrade computer equipment. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

Page 22

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

Candlelighting Friday, December 25, 4:43 p.m. Friday, January 1, 4:48 p.m.

Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org

Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org

Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org

The Neighborhood Prayer Group 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609

Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org

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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. . SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush sponored by Beth El; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 4:45 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. BESTT: Winter break for classes and Junior Congregation from Dec. 19 to Jan. 4. Classes resume Wednesday, Jan. 6. Friday, Jan. 1: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. Kiddush given by Beth El; Minha/Ma’ariv 4:50 p.m. TOT SHABBAT/SAY SHALOM! TO SHABBAT: Fun-filled, monthly service on Friday, Jan. 8, 6 p.m. services and 6:30 p.m. dinner. Open to all families in the Jewish community. For reservations received by Jan. 6, dinner cost is $5 for Beth El members and $7.50 for nonmembers; after that, $10 for members; $15 for non-members. No charge for children six and younger. To RSVP, call the synagogue office, or email programming@bethel-omaha.org. HAZAK SHABBAT: Saturday, Jan. 9, 9:30 a.m. Members of Hazak will help lead services; the group will sponsor Kiddush afterward. PARENTING MINI COURSE: Each Sunday in January, 10-11 a.m., Karen Gustafson, executive director of Jewish Family Service, will lead a “Love & Logic” course. Cost: $18 for Beth El members, $25 for non-members. For more information or to register, contact the synagogue office.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Synagogue Office Closed; Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:43 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by Sisterhood; “Guard Your Tongue”, “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 4:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 5:48 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels & Beit Midrash begins with breakfast, 9:40 a.m.; Sacred Text Messages (for teens) with Rabbi

Gross, 10 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:15 p.m. MONDAY: Mincha & Mishna, 5:15 p.m., Mishna study with the rabbis along with Mincha/ Ma’ariv services. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s weekly class, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; New Year’s Eve Game Night, 7 p.m. FRIDAY, Jan 1: Synagogue Office Closed; Kabbalat Shabbat, 4:48 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by Josh and Amanda Gurock, and Rabbi Brett and Cori Oxman; “Guard Your Tongue”, “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 4:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 5:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels & Beit Midrash begins with breakfast, 9:40 a.m.; Sacred Text Messages (for teens) with Rabbi Gross, 10 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:15 p.m. MONDAY: Mincha & Mishna, 5:15 p.m., Mishna study with the rabbis along with Mincha/ Ma’ariv services. TUESDAY: Mishnah Club for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, 3:45 p.m. at the Blumkin Home; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s weekly class, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbi’s Gross’s weekly class, 7:30 p.m

hot Kiddush lunch follows; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9:15 a.m.; The Rambam: Judaism and Medicine class, 7 p.m. in honor of Rambam’s yartzeit. RSVP to rsvp@OChabad.com. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, noon. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com. All events and programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Temple office closed; Peaceful Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m. led by David Willis. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes MONDAY: Temple office closed WEDNESDAY: No Hebrew classes. FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Snacks, 6 p.m.; Early Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by David Willis. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN CHABAD HOUSE JEWISH HOME Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m.; Family Shabbat Dinner, 5:308:30 p.m. RSVP to Rebbetzin@ ochabad.com. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; Kiddush lunch follows in honor of the anniversary of Boris Dobin’s immigration to America from Russia, sponsored by David and Marlene Cohen; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; The Fast of Tevet, Laws and Insights discussion, 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9:15 a.m. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, noon. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com. FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; A

FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Beth Israel Members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz. SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg and assisted by Naomi and Aaron Zipursky.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Office closed; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Eric Linder. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: No Religious School. SITTER SERVICE: Available

Wednesday evenings during Family School hours, Friday evenings service except when there is a Tot Shabbat, Saturday mornings when there is a B’nai mitzvah, and Sunday mornings during Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation appreciated. Young children, including infants, are welcome. WEDNESDAY: No Religious School; No Family School; No Middle/High School; Classes resume on Jan. 6. FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Office closed; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 3: No religious school; Classes resume Jan. 10. Wednesday, Jan. 6: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; OTYG Lounge Night, 5 p.m.; All School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6-8 p.m.; Grades 712, 6:30 p.m.; Tri-Faith 101: Who Are We?, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7: “Adult Study with the Clergy” with Cantor Shermet, 10-11:30 a.m. Being Jewish on Campus, Friday, Jan. 8, 6 p.m. Shabbat Service. Charles Parsow and Amanda Bucher will be among college students describing campus experiences from a Jewish point-of-view. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Linder and Cantor Shermet will host a dinner for college students at Dario’s Brasserie, 4920 Underwood Ave., after services. RSVP to the office. (See full story on page 4.)

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP FRIDAY: Minyan, 4:43 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Friday, 8-11 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch and Talmud study. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066; No Hebrew classes. FRIDAY, Jan. 1: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch and Talmud study. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Taste of Tri-Faith Continued from page On Jan. 27, the concluding session will highlight hospitality and welcoming people of all nations, cultures, and faiths, beliefs perpetuated by Jews, Muslims, and Christians throughout their scriptural teachings. Participants will have time to discuss the unique rituals and traditions of each. Wendy Goldberg, program director; The Reverend Jason

Emerson, Church of the Resurrection of Omaha; and Bilal Khaleeq of the AIISC will lead the final meeting. After the panelists speak, there will be time for questions and small group discussions among participants. Contact Goldberg at Temple at wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com or Nancy Kirk, executive director of Tri-Faith Initiative, at 934.2955 if you have questions.

December 25, 2009

The power of words

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Vayigash Joseph, who has been playing cat and mouse with the brothers, now is approached by Judah, who delivers, unprepared, a most eloquent speech. He tells “The Man” about all that has happened to the brothers. There is an old father in Canaan, Judah relates. I have promised him that I would bring Benjamin back. If not, he could have my two sons in his place. As you can imagine, our aged father would not accept this plan and insisted on bring Benjamin back. Now, your Excellence, Judah continues, if I can’t bring the boy back, my life is forfeit. Therefore, I entreat you; please let me serve you for life in return for sending our little brother back to our aged father. Joseph is moved to tears by Judah’s offer to sacrifice himself. He orders all the Egyptians to leave the room. And, now he astonishes the brothers. He orders that Simon, who been held as a hostage, be brought out. Then, the astounding announcement: “I am Joseph.” The brothers did not understand. So now he adds, “I am Joseph, your brother.” You thought to do harm to me, Joseph tells them, but the Lord turned it about for good. We have supplies of food for the entire world (meaning, of course, the Mediterranean Basin, which was assumed to be the whole world at that time). Many people lived, who would have otherwise perished in the drought and famine. The brothers finally accepted this astounding revelation that this was indeed the Viceroy of Egypt, but more importantly, their own brother Joseph. When the rejoicing was stopped by Joseph in order to do something practical, he sends his royal carriages off to Canaan to bring his father Jacob and all his retinue down to Goshen, where Joseph had already prepared a place for them to live and thrive. Now you know, once more, how our ancient ancestors came down to Egypt from Canaan. The unfortunate part of all this is that in Egypt, they were eventually enslaved. Most readers know these Torah parshiyot, thus they have to prepare for the Exodus, which is to follow. So once more: read on, read on, read on!

Wiesel in Hungary

Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom, far right, talks to Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel, third from right, in Budapest Dec. 10, in a meeting arranged by Chabad-Lubavitch of Budapest. This was Wiesel’s first visit to the country of his birth since the Holocaust. Also seen in the picture, from left, Chabad Rabbis Baruch Oberlander and Shlomo Koves, and Wiesel’s wife, Marion. Credit: Emih-zsolt Dememcs/Chabad.org

To submit obituaries: E-mail to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mail to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. The Press does not “pick up” obituaries from other publications. For more information, call 402.334.6448.

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DEATH ISIDORE TRETIAK Continued from page 1 enough money to start Tretiak’s, a store that eventually became one of the largest home decorating businesses of its kind, in the early 1950s. His wish was to eventually filter back some of the money into the community if he was successful. He was grateful to Omaha Jews for welcoming him into the community. Known as an honest businessman, Is took classes through the mail to learn about the paint he sold. He said he didn’t want to fool his customers and he wanted to better himself. Tretiak’s eventually grew to sell floor and wall coverings, varnishes and other household decorating items. The Seidlitz Paint and Varnish Company of Kansas City, soon discovered his reputable business practices and convinced him to start an independent business selling their paint. He was very fond of children and although he had many philanthropic endeavors, he donated a sizeable gift for the refurbishment of the children’s game room at the JCC and was active at the Creche Home for Boys for most of his life. He once sent two young girls to Israel because they couldn’t afford to go on their own After his son’s death, he established the Kenneth Ray Tretiak Memorial Fund to purchase educational materials and games for children to use at the JCC. The fund, established in 1979, also offers help to young people by providing scholarships for educational opportunities. In 1988, the Jewish Federation Foundation invited scholars from Israel, Canada, the Virgin Island and the United States, thanks to Tretiak, to meet in Omaha for a two-day symposium on “The Relations Between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel from 1948 to 1988.” His financial generosity extended to Omaha synagogues, Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Omaha and the Mayo Foundation. Tretiak chaired the United Jewish Appeal in 1963, and was president of the Jewish Federation in 1978. He was co-chairman of the Phase III addition of the JCC that added the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. He also was post commander of the American Legion Benson Post #112 and for many years, he served as a volunteer at Methodist Hospital. He was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of the Federation Foundation of the Jewish Federation and, in 1986, he was the first Omahan to be honored with the Council of Jewish Federations’ Endowment Achievement Award. Is received The United Jewish Appeal’s National Leadership Award in 1964 and the Jewish Community Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 1992, he received the highest non-academic award presented by UNO -- The Order of the Tower, because of his service and financial support that made it possible for the university to address the academic, cultural and economic needs of the people of Omaha and Nebraska. Isidore Tretiak was a quiet man who hated to have to talk about himself. He never had an opporhmity to attend college because he had to work, even while attending Tech High School. So, after his retirement in the early 1980s, he enrolled in classes at UNO and Creighton. He didn’t take the classes for credit but he said, “I love it just for the pure enjoyment of learning.” At the commencement ceremonies at UNO in 1978, Tretiak told the people sitting around him, “The young people graduating are my friends. We have been in class together and I came today to watch them graduate and to see if there’s anything I can do for them!” He was preceded in death by his son, Kenneth. He is survived by his wife of 77 years, Selma; daughter-in-law, Susie Blackman of Kansas City, MO; daughter and son-in-law, Gail and Jerry Kohll; grandchildren and spouses, Baruch and Leora Tretiak of Jerusalem, Andrew and Carla Tretiak of Kansas City, KS, Katie and Ryan Zeldin of Chicago, Alan and Brigitte Kohll, Cindy and Joshua Persky of New York City, Jason Kohll of Houston, and Allison Kohll of New York City; and 11 great-grandchildren. Memorials to charity of choice.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

December 25, 2009

Friedel celebrates Hanukkah with art activities, play, latkes by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT of the holiday. That includes not just There are many ways to experience a cooking, but a sense of community.” holiday: one can eat the right foods, Latkes are fried at the Blumkin Home’s throw a party, invite family and friends, or kitchen, since the school’s population is organize special activities. At Friedel growing fast. “I’ve been told the frying Jewish Academy, the students were able used to happen right here in Friedel’s to do it all. Although the original scheduling of the annual Hanukkah play had to be changed due to uncooperative weather, staff and students weren’t sidelined entirely. Last year’s debacle had prepared principal Ron Giller for the worst, and make-up dates had already been scheduled. Students from the CDC and Friedel were given a special treat the day before Hanukkah began with several visitors from Above: Orly Shai, left, a kindergarten art teacher from Akko visIsrael, courtesy of the its through Omaha’s Partnership with Israel, and meets Partnership with Israel. Partnership Arts Chairman Kim Goldberg, her daughter Lily Under the supervision of Goldberg, and Lily Hamicksburg, students at Friedel. Below: a Orly Shai, Edna Tuff, and whole lot of potato peeling goin’ on with Yael Schuller, left, Orion Aliza Pariski, the children Shnayder, and Jake Lucoff. created beautiful hanukkiahs, and watched a presentation about different menorah designs. In addition, Friedel’s students, staff, and volunteers peeled potatoes, cut up onions, and served many visitors at the annual PTO latke fundraiser. “Food is such a great part of Hanukkah,” Giller said, “and I think it is important that our students enjoy every aspect

Above: appearing in the snowstorm-delayed Hanukkah play are: Aden Matalon, left, Eliana Sasson, Zev Gordman, Abbey Kohll, and Isaac Clarke; below: Sam Kricsfeld, Josh Pollak, and Isabella Wright.

commons area,” Giller continued, “and I can’t imagine doing that nowadays. I am so grateful that the Blumkin staff is generous, and allows us to use their kitchen.” Potatoes, onions, pickles, and everything else needed to put together an oldfashioned Hanukkah lunch, was donated by the Bag ‘n Save family. On Dec. 15, the long awaited Hanukkah play finally took place; this

Friedel principal Ron Giller, dressed appropriately in hairnet and apron -- whips up a batch of latkes.

time no snow or sleet or freezing rain stood in its way. The play was written and produced by Friedel’s Judaic studies teachers Naama Arzi and Eadie Tsabari. The students acted out the story of the Maccabees in front of a full house, and enjoyed Sufganyot afterwards. “Friedel Jewish Academy wants to thank everybody for coming,” Giller said, “because we know it is still very cold out there. We are grateful for all the teachers and volunteers who helped us out, and hopefully will pull this off again next year.” For now, students and staff can relax and enjoy their winter break; the next ‘big event’ at Friedel will be the annual Tu B’shvat celebration at the end of January.

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