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SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920 Vol. LXV No. 24 Omaha, Nabr.
Speakers named for Kutler dinner
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AMIT Women has announced the list of participants for the dinner honoring Dr. Sol Kutler with the Humanitarian Award scheduled for March 29 at 6 p.m. in Beth Israel Synagogue. Scheduled to speak are Norman Krivosha, chief justice, Nebraska Supreme Court; Rabbi Myer Kripke, rabbi emeritus, Beth El Synagogue; Kermit Hansen, past president. Suburban Plotary Club; Dr. Benton Kutler. Proclamations are being sought fromCity Councilman Sylvia Wagner and Governor Kay Orr, and presentations are to be made by Beverly Franklin, co-chairman, and Rabbi Isaac Nadoff of Beth Israel Synagogue.
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Once Upon a time Hannah was a young Jewish girl soon to be Bat Mitzvah. Oh, how she longed to wear a new and beautiful dress on that day. Nathan was a tailor—a hard-working Jewish man with a family and a lifelong wish to take music lessons. Pearl'Was a widow, a proud Jewish woman in her 60's recovering from a serious illness. If she could just find someone to help with the housework until she got back on her feet. Well, somewhere between fantasy and reality, between 4hen and nov^, X|MMng4^»m>'^f ^^ named Natl^iah and a womftn Binwiran VDwI have a chance to smell the roses. Imagine... a 13-year-old-girI—lovely and bright, with not enough money to go to a movie. Like most Jewish girls her age, she anxiously awaits her Bat Mitzvah. Everyone will be there. It will be one of the most exciting days of her life. What she wouldn't give for a beautiful new dress and shoes. But Hannah can't afford a fancy new outfit. Hannah can only afford to dream. Nathan had been a tailor for 20 of his 38 years. His father was also a tailor. But Nathan's passion was music. He was a gifted composer with never enough mQney for music lessons. Even today, with only a few hundred dollars in a savings account, how could he afford to take music lessons? Nathan could only afford to dream. Five months after her husband died, Pearl had to go into the hospital. The surgery had gone well but recovery would take time. Family had moved away, incomes were of modest means and she felt uncomfortable asking friends for help. She needed a temporary housekeeper-just until she felt well enough to do for herself. But Pearl was on a fixed income. She couldn't afford a housekeeper. Pearl could only afford to dream. But dreams can come true, and now, in Omaha, Nebraska, they will, thanks to a very special fund administered by the Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. No, it's not for food and rent. Instead, it's been created to offer some of the extras of life—the sunshine, the inspiration, the hope. It was created so that people like Hannah, Nathan and Pearl could have a slice of their <lreams—like a new suit for that important job interview, a manicure after a long iUness, a field trip at school, a set of encyclopedias, a musical instrument, voice lessons, cooking classes, theater tickets, sports-the sunshine, the inspiration, the hope. Why this fund? "Because there's more to life than just food and rent," says the donor. "life needs cultural and personal enrich:, ment... meaningful recreation... the h^h spots. Sometimes we go along and just live a certain way and never know there's anything else out there. We don't ask for mor«. That's the 'why'-because we want to give people a moment and maybe they'll ask for 'more.' If not, they, at least, have a beautiful memory. Who's to say that isn't enouj^? Who's to say? ^ "Our own families come first. But there comes a time when we have to give back to others. We can't be selfish all the way to the grave. We have to think with our hearts. If for just one moment, we can throw a little sunshine on an otherwise dark and cloudy day, it's worth it. "Fifty dollars or five-hundred dollars-it may not seem like a big deal to you. But it's a tremendous thing to the person who receives it. It's comforting to give to others. It feels good. (Continned on Page 3) .•aiaMst^ssfiV'
12 Adar, 5747 Friday, March 13, 1M7
1,000 mourners jam synagogue in tribute to Edward Zorinsky By Morris Maline The nation, state and city have paid their final respects to United States Senator Edward Zorinsky. More than 1,000 mourners—including a contingent from the United States Senate, and state and city political leaders—jammed Beth El Synagogue Sunday afternoon for the funeral service. . They joined in tribute to the Jewish senator from Nebraska who died March 6 following a heart attack. In addition trfhis wife, Gece, Senator Zorinsky is survived by sons, Barry and Jeffrey; daughter, Suzan Goodman; two grandchildren; his mother, Sonia Zorinsky, and sister, Esther Rice. Senator Zorinsky died at Methodist Hospital about an hour after performing a song at the aimual Press Qub show at Peony Park. He was 58. At Beth El Synagogue, the hearse from John A. Gentleman mortuary arrived about 2:30 p.m. Several baskets of flowers were carried into the synagogue lobby, but minutes later most were removed for use at the cemetery and for distribution to local nursing homes. The casket, draped by an American flag, was rolled in soon after. Police in vehicles and on motorcycles blocked traffic on Famam and Dodge streets to prepare for the arrival of dignitaries from Washington. A delegation from Washington had flown into Omaha and was transported to Beth El by Strategic Air Command buses. When Howard Ruback, former Beth El president, and Rabbi Paul Drazen suggested to police that blocking the street was inappropriate, the way was cleared for traffic to resume. Several members of the press including radio, television and print personnel sought out discreet locations to obtain photos. ' • •• The Washington delegation (see box on page 4) entered the sanctuary through the south door near the choir seats. A roped-off section of several rows had been reserved for them. Some 20 minutes before the scheduled start of services, the sanctuary seats holding about 700 were filled. Mourners continued to stream in and ultimately occupied standing space along the entire perimeter of the sanctuary including the upstairs balcony. Several Beth El congregants noted that this was the largest gathering of people to ever attend a service at Beth El. Now, it was quiet, and the quietness remained for several minutes as Cece Zorinsky and her children, along with the Senator's mother, took their seats in the front row near the casket. Cantor Emil Berkovits chanted the 23rd Psalm and Rabbi Paul Drazen referred to the Senator's death as "shock overwhelming" and said the Jewish tradition "teaches us not to be morose," but to "review the life of the departed and learn from it for our own monument of memory." Senate Chaplain the Rev. Richard Halverson said he had not met a "m(K« gentle, more beautiful man in the Senate"
Senator Edward Zorinsky and characterized him as a "one-man army... gentle and tough... frugal and generous." Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, a U^ Be(>ubUcan and a Mormoi^ spoke of his friend Senator Zorinsky aa a "truly great-man, one who stood up when others cowered." In his eulogy, Rabbi Emeritus Myer S. Krq>ke said it was appropriate that a senator and the Senate chaplain should participate. By doing so, the Omaha synagogue had been transformed in a "national House of God," Rabbi Kripke said. Representatives from the military escorted the coffin from the synagogue, and several himdred mourners drove to the cemetery for the final ceremony.
Federation condolence The Jewish Federation of Omaha mourns the loss of Senator Edward Zorinsky, and joins in extending sympathy to Cece and his fandly. His record of achievements on behalf of the people of Omaha and the state of Nebraska leave a legacy for all Nebraskans. Ed brought a realistic approach to all of the problems he faced in whatever politicjEil office he held. He brought deep pride to all Nebraskans, and he will be missed. Mort Trachtenbarg, President Jewish Fedwation of Omaha
Israelis see painful lessons in Pollard case
juvs morawiDS WOULD. WASHINGTON-Former civilian Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard b driven from U.S. District Court March 4 after receiving a life sentence. Mr. Pollard was convicted of selling VS. military secrets to Israel. Anne Henderson PoUard, Mr. Pollard's wife, received two concurrent five-year aentencea for her role hi the espionage conspiracy.
By David Landan JERUSALEM (JTA) - Israeli leaders and Knesset members across the political spectrum have agreed that U.S.Israel relations were seriously damaged by the case of Jonathan Pollard, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a federal court in Washington March 4 for spying for Israd. Pollard's wife, Anne Henderson-Pollard, was sentenced to five years as an accessory. While there was some sympathy here for the couple, the overriding consensus is that Israel has painful lessons to learn from the episode and that it must punish those involved with Pollard in what the government claimed from the outset was a "rogue operation." "The (Pollard) trial was not the trial of a nation, but of an individual," Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said, reacting to the news of the stiff sentences. He noted that Israel luid "made it clear before the trial" that Pollard's case was a big mistake. "The error was big, but it remains an individual case and I would not draw any collective responsibflity from it." He added that he hoped "it would never happen again," and that indeed is the lesson learned from the affair. Pollard, a former U.S. Navy civilian analyst, pleaded guilty to the spying charges after his arrest in 1986. In Jerusalem, Labor MK Abba Eban, diaurman of the Knesset's (Continued on Page 2)