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Celebrating More Than 75 Years of Service VoLLXXTV
No. 27
5Adarn,5757
Omaha, NE
March 14,1997
Rodionova to give encore performance at JCC ADL: anti-Semitic incidents by Lynda Mirvish decline, Internet new threat by Daniel Kurtzman Last December, the Omaha Symphony WASHINGTON (JTA) - The number of anti,, ••"':. *' ^<u: " Chamber Orchestra feaSemitic incidents reported in the United States turing soloist Svetlana has declined for the second straight year, accordRodionova introduced ":^<~ "'• "'i. ing to the Anti-Defamation League's annual audit. this Russian immigrant In 1996, 1,722 incidents were reported to the. pianist to the JCC ADL - 121 fewer than in 1995; signifying- a 7 perTheatre stage. The soldcent drop. -? 'iout Hanukkah presentaBut while harassment, threat or assault declined : ^" i ' >-'? !'» tion, part of the from 1,116 incidents to 941, about a 15 percent • !-rj drop, the number of acts of anti-Semitic vandalism Symphony's Stained Glass Series, was greeted increased from 727 incidents to 781, a 7% jump. enthusiastically by audiADL officials read good news into the numbers, ence and critics alike. which show anti-Semitic activity to be at its lowest K •^ Omaha music lovers level since 1990. will have another opporThe two-year drop, moreover, marks the first tunity to hear Ms. multiyear decline of anti-Semitic incidents in 10 Rodionova in a solo years. It represents a significant shift since 1994, recital of music by when anti-Semitic activity reached a record high *•: '"'• Jewish composers at 3 • of 2,066 incidents. •.')•'• p.m. on Sunday, April 13. "It tells us that the combination of law enforceIn his review for The ment action and educational outreach is an effec• i Jewish Press, Morris « tive one-two counterpunch that is reaping results if Maline wrote, "And in the traditional arenas where anti-Semites are 1 [ there's no doubt that active," said- Abraham Foxman, ADL National when the word gets out about her skill and talent, Korsakov State Conservatory. Considered one of Director. . . the solo piano concert that she is scheduled for on the leading young musicians of her city, she perThe report, however, said the proliferation of April 13 at the JCC will be sold out early." formed at solo recitals and chamber music con- hate activity on the Internet had made it more difThe program includes music by Jewish com- certs there as well as on official tours of the then- ficult to track and quantify ant^Seitiitism. "Electronic hate is the dark side of technology, posers of many countries and historical periods. Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. After declining the offer of a professorship at the and anti-Semites have particularly takenHo the Rodionova will open the recital with the "Romance _.... et Tarantelle Brilliante" by"rgria^zTVIoscKele^,''a'""epT]servatoryrRodionova chose to emigrate tdihe. .medium," Foxman said. • Rabbi Abraham Cooper,^associate dean of the religious Jew from Prague who was a contempo- West, settling first'iri Barcelona wh"ere"Bh'e served' rary of Beethoven and Chopin. The program will •as Professor of piano, Escbla.de Muscia Virtelia. It Simon Wiesenthal Center, said the past year has continue with works by Fanny Mendelssohn was there she met her future husband, Matt seen an "absolute explosion of hate sites on the Hansel (Felix's sister), Moritz Moszkowski, Anton Patton, and in 1993 she and her daughter, Internet." His organizations now count more than Rubinstein and a Rondo Capriccioso by Felix Anastasia, moved to Omaha to join Matt, who 400 websites. "We're looking, at the emergence of a subculture . plays the French horn with the Omaha Symphony. Mendelssohn. In addition to the Hanukkah concert, Svetlana of hate on the Internet, and that unfortunately . Compositions for the piano by Ernest Bloch, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Wanda Landowska, Rodionova has given several recitals including means that the potential pool of young people into Itzak Dunayevesky and Darius Milhaud round out Bagels and Bach at the Joslyn Art Museum and these particular groups is much broader," he said. In its report, ADL distinguishes between acts of the second half of the recital which will conclude the Artists' Cooperative Gallery iri May. with works by George Gershwin. Tickets for the 3. p.m. recital ($8 each; $6 for vandalism and those of harassment, threat and Rodionova began her performing career in her seniors andstudents), may be purchased in assault: While acts of anti-Semitic vandalism home town of St. Petersburg, Russia, while work- advance by calling the JCC Members Services increased in 1996, attacks against Jewish institutions actually declined by 20 percent — a phenomeing toward a doctoral degree at the. Rimsky- office, 334-6426. non that Foxman attributes in part to the "security consciousness" of the Jewish community. .' .: Of the 781 reported acts of anti-Semitic vandalism, 407 involved defaced public property. Only by Carol Katzman 117 were attacks against Jewish institutions, and When Jonathan Nix was a member of his synathe remaining 257 were directed against private gogue's art committee, he didn't like the submisJewish property. sions for a proposed project and thought "I can do Foxman said that last year's increase could be better than these." He resigned from the art comattributed to the enhanced security at Jewish mittee and submitted his own drawings for a set of institutions, making vandals more likely to deface Torah covers. The designs were accepted and he other property. .'.'".:.".• • '• added a hew dimension to his growing graphic arts (Continued on page 6) business...ornamental Hebrew calligraphy. , Nix was displaying several pieces at the Council Federation annual meeting of Jewish Federation's General Assembly in Boston last year when Marty Shukert, designer of award nominations due Beth El's building addition, 'discovered' him. Nomination forme have been distributed for the Shukert immediately recognized the role Nix could play in enhancing the addition's skylit courtyard, Jonathan Nix touches up the center panel of awards to be presented at the Jewish Federation of Omaha's annual meeting, scheduled for June 3. west of the enlarged social hall. . the Five Books of Moses, installed at Beth El. Award categories are: Humanitarian of the Year, The architectural plans and a computer renderWhile there is no literal connection to each book, ing were sent to Nix at his studio in the Berkshire "the beholder is free to interpret quotes in the rim Community Service Award, Jewish- Teen Mountains of Massashusetts, but 'Nix never actu- and look for their own moments of drama," said Leadership Award, Justin Greenberg Memorial•• ally saw the spaeiTuntil he arrived in Omaha last Nix, "For example, the quote above Bereishit is Young Leadership Award and the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award. •week to install^he five panels. 'God called to Abraham and he answered "Hineni," Nomination forms have been sent to all Jewish Painted in acrylic with gold leaf on wood, each of I am here.' That's certainly aimed at all of us, too." organization presidents, synagogue rabbis, youth the panels represents a book of the Torah. A borAfter installing the five panels, Shukert , directors and youth commission chairpersons, der of Hebrew calligraphy curves around the top arranged for Nix to speak last Sunday about his BBYO advisers and Federation agency directors half of each semi-circle, each one stating a verse art and the Beth El project. Nix returned to the and presidents. . from one of the Five Books. A background of inter- Berkshires where he is working on a proposal for The forms must be submitted to, the Federation woven strips creates additional design elements Torah covers and showing his paintings at a local office by Mar. 31. For more information! contact from half a six-pointed star in'the BereiShit gallery. He hopes to. again visit CJF's General Pam Monsky, Communications Director, 334-6431. (Genesis) panel to half a 12-pointed star in another. Assembly in IndianapoliB next November. •
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Artist installs panels in Beth El's new addition