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SPECIAL SECTION ON TAX TIPS **•**•*-*•*****•*** + * * * • * * * * * * * * * * * * £ _ Q]_l",

NE HIST SOCIETY 1500 R ST LINCOLN HE 68508-1651

Vol. LXXV

No. 20

10 Shevat, 5758

; :

•

February 6,1998

Community responds to Yachad plea for funds by Carol Katzman

As a result of a front-page story about the needs investment opportunities for tourism in that area. for funds for Yachad, more than $100,000 has been by Carol Katzman From there, the group reunited with doctors from raised from several foundations and families. In a whirlwind six-day trip to Israel and Minsk, the Western Galilee Hospital who visited Omaha According to Joe Kirshenbaum, the Milton S. and Corinne N. Livingston, Herbert Goldsten, Phillip G. Omahans Joe Kirshenbaum, Bob Kully and Jan last summer and visited an Ethiopian absorption and Terri L. Schrager, and Murray H. and Sharee Perelman, Federation Executive Director, discov- center, where a planeload of new immigrants had C. Newman Foundations have designated funds ered the harsh reality of life for young Jews in the just arrived the previous night from Addis Abba. < that "will ensure Yachad's mission of providing ser- former Soviet Union. Some 18,000 teens and vices and programming to mentally and physically young adults identified challenged Jewish teens and young adults." In addition, several families who wish to remain themselves as Jews in anonymous have also contributed to the creation of Belarus by taking an this new endowment. The interest from Yachad's 'entrance' exam in 1997 endowment will be used to pay for the continued for the aliyah program. development, coordination and staffing of pro- Some of them only discovered that fact in 1990 grams and services. Started in Omaha some six years ago by Rabbi after the collapse of the Mark Urkowitz with help from Milt and Joan Soviet Union. Alex, a 16-year-old who Marcus, Yachad is a national program under the auspices of the National Jewish Council for the accompanied the group of Disabled of the Union of Orthodox Jewish 80 UJA Federation leadCongregations of America. Omaha is the smallest ers during their short city in the country to sponsor Yachad; other cities stay in Minsk, told how include Houston, New York, Chicago, Miami and his parents, both Jews themselves, informed him Los Angeles. According to Allan Gonsher, who took Yachad of his heritage. "He cried for three under his leadership as NCSY youth group adviser, "Two families have approached me since that days," recalled Joe Kirarticle appeared to put the future possibility of , shenbaum. "All he had group housing for their children as our next goal." " -over heard aboot"J and Judaism was nega- ^ * t n e synagogue in Minskjwiere the Jewish Agency runs classes for (Continued on page 2) yve potential immigrants, Joe Kirshenbaum speaks to a young Jewish "And suddenly, Alex woman, who is preparing for aliyah to Israel. had to change his perception about Jews overnight," he added. Now Alex is preparing to make aliyah to Israel Twenty members of Young Jewish Omaha begin their exploration of Israel today from Haifa to with his parents. Out of the 18,000 total, approximately 12,000 qualified for this major step (after , Beersheva and from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Participants include Lisa and Todd Ephraim, interviews, exams and preparation), but the State Tiffany Franklin, Patty and Kevin Gilinsky, Julian of Israel can only accept 3,000 this year. "Why?" was the question asked by Kirshenbaum and Lisa Leopold, Deb and Dan Marburg, John and Kathy McGauvran, Nadine Ostrow, Thor and Julie and Kully to Danny Allen, Executive Director of Rosenquist, Rabbi Debbie and Steve Stdel, Jill and United Israel Appeal (and former Lincolnite, the Bill Swanberg and Allysdn and Chris Wilczewski, son of Harry and Anne Allen and nephew of Mary along with Federation Executive,Director Jan Fellman). Allen told the group that there are funds availPerehnan. able for only one-quarter of these young Jews who want desperately to live in Israel. "These kids are coming to us," said Bob Kully. 1998 "They want to learn more about their heritage, culUJA/Federation ture, customs and religion. They been denied that Campaign Update Shimon Peres, third from left, former Israeli information for so long and they're hungry for it." $3 million According to the Jewish Agency, however, per- Prime Minister, traveled with Bob Kully, left, sonnel have decreased from 2145 in 1995 to just Jon Perelman and Joe Kirshenbaum. Pledged to date; $2,500,000 814 in 1997 due to a lack of funding. "It certainly required extra effort to assimilate It is the responsibility of this smaller number of the Ethiopians," Kully said, "but the process is con$2.5 million' staff to serve a growing number of newly-identified tinuing. Goal: $3,000,000 $2 million Jews in the former Soviet Union. They are the Israel has added 20% to its population in recent ones in charge of interviewing potential candidates years. "That would be like adding 50 million people and preparing them for aliyah (teaching history of to the United States," he added. "Considering the $1.7 million the Jewish people and Israel, language, and basic challenge, amazing results have been'accomWe 're almost there, information about Israeli life). $l';5million plished," Our goal is in sight! Due to a lack of funding, the Agency's budget The second day of the trip concentrated on the We needyour cards has been reduced by $100 million, from $450 mil- complex pluralism issue,, Rabbi Uri Regev, a freTo end up right! lion in 1995 to $350 million last year. The result is quent visitor to Omaha and boyhood friend of that fewer immigrants can be assured of making Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, addressed the group, along aliyah this year. with Rabbi Ehud Bendel from Masorti (the The trip began in Israel with observations of how Conservative arm in Israel) and Rabbi Nachim UJA/ Federation funds are used. Rabinovitz, representing,Orthodoxy/" No Gift Touches i'$1'million. First stop was the Western Galilee, Omaha's In response to uiresqluMon submitted last June Partnership 2000 region. Overlooking the to the Jewish Agency assembly from.the federaMore Lives. Mediterranean Sea at Rosh HaNikra on the north- tions in *£he UnitecTiStalej^-allocatibnB were dou,V$500,000 , ern border with Lebanon, the threesome: "• ble.d to programs.s'pariaor.ed by, the religious Kirshenbaum, Kully and Perelman, heard about - 'streams in Israel". In 1998/JAFI will grant $5 mil1998 UJA/Fedcration Campaign investment opportunities for tourism in that area. lion directly to the .three groups: $2,081,000 to the The Jewish Federation of Omaha

YJO Mission arrives in Israel today

(Continued on page 12)

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 6,1998

Sparks from the Word

Bury me not... Parashat B'shallaJi ShabbatShira

JEANETTE BAN Services for Jeanette Ban were held Jan. 30 at by Rabbi Myer S. Kripke Beth El Cemetery. She died Jan. 28 at the age of =LOCKSMITH8 89. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam. Many of us remember the long, slow train ride Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Doris from Boston to Arlington Cemetery for the burial Alan Friedman Company of JFK Some of us were reminded of the grand and Robert Cohn; sons and daughters-in-law, procession from Egypt to Canaan, to the Cave of Arnold and Shelly Ban and Dr. Justin and Rita Alan H. Friedman Ban; grandchildren, Pamela and Ted Myers, for the burial of Jacob. : President ' • Machpela, Jacob had charged his children and grandchil- Jeffrey Fox, Hubert Ban, Melinda and Michael Graduate Gemologist: : . dren not to bury him in Egypt, but to bring him Casidy, Tracy and David Greenberg, Amy and 9107 Wilshire Boulevard. Suite 320 back to the family burial plot in the "homeland." Donny Altbach, Moe Ban, Joel Ban and Lili Myers; Beverly Hills, California 90210 ".a When the military-civilian cortege arrived in sisters-in-law, Sophie, Rose and Lillian. 888»489»4545 r Fax 310»278»5449 Memorials to donor's choice. Canaan, the local people remarked to each other, Member of West Coast Diamond Club . . . "This is a solemn mourning for the Egyptians." Estate Jewelers Association of America : DORIS GERBER • Why dp people want.to. be buried where they •'••:> American Gem Trade Association " Services for. Doris (Dory) Gerber were held Jan. came from? What difference does it make? Many older, people know from personal observa- 30 at Temple Israel Cemetery. She died Jan. 29 at . ... tion that after a single generation, at most two, the theageof72. • medicare Survivors include her. husband, Marvin; daughgraves are no longer visited. That's'why we all Certified want "perpetual" care. ^ ^ . . • . . • , ter, Judith Feigin; son and daughter-in-law, Gary • Rain'a Symptom There was'the man,'we 'all know,'who lived in' and-Connie Gerber; granddaughters,:Lauren; many places. When his children dared to ask him Feigin and Jackie Johnson, all of Omaha; sister; • Spiritual/emotional ': "Where do yd'ii wantto b"e:buried?"'he replied; Rhea Polsky.of St. Joseph, MO; other family mem-, bers, Marilyn and Yale Kaplan and Janet Jones'. " S u r p r i s e m e . " " • •••'•••''••••'• <•"'<'•' ••:;.-. . '•- ••'••••"• • * Assistance vrftlL. -Pfeferred Choice, Inc.' Joseph asked his family to take him with them, * Memorials to the American Cancer Society or personal core when they would be repatriated to' Canaan.' When Temple Israel.. r': • • ; 407 So. 27th Ave. Available 24 would that be? Whenever! So Joseph was Omaha, NE 68131 . hours per dfly . LEAHH.SEREF . . \ .• embalmed, placed in a casket in Egypt, and held ;346-2273 > for burialif.-wheneverl - - Services for Leah H. Siref were held Jan. 29 at ;NowHhe;questi6n;!:Wly; didn't Joseph ask; .as GoldenHills Cemetery. She was .71.., Jacob did, to JOB taken fcaek -to Canaan*: now for She-was-preceded:in;death\by her huaband,, burial? The answer, is obvious: it-would have left Julius, and .sister,. HarrietLewis.-Levi.. . . ..,,,;; .,. WB brothers-«nd'all .the Israelites-in-a.vulnerable SUrvivors.inclu.de aons and daughters-in-law,-. Johnand Maiy:Siref;;Mark;.Siref;'Steve:and: Ellen j*What are all these fprejgngrg doing, living here Siref; grandchildren, Larry,cSJbawn.and.Michael; ' "Specializingincoiip%etit\gj'§rj~ Siref, all of Omaha; and'br6ther and sister-in-law,

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DR. JACK D. GQRDONr ,r.:;ij s.r:.;«•') I Dr. Jack GorSM'/fbrmBEljf of JGMfricil Bluffs, has idied in San Francisco at the;agte'«tf.3%(3>;'I>HI5iV/ I Survivors ijn?Jw.4'eij&is:.wi£'6,!.Dpr(3tihy»iand!(S;o_n, Alan, both of San FranoisppirfSpd'^jiBigsja-n^d

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Community i responds

:i.' PhtraoETTnally Ha'd they be^'g^b^SB^Jc'lii^ÂftiR'pflîi' eenjând.?agir;pjlj^§l.,^Her4ÂiW-<WS^JPilr and enslaved all Egyptians through his corneriflgf,

Gonsher added, "Its has created a«tewisKi fr.hpRp .ynnng ppnplp nnrl fillpH n gap in t.Vip

Israel Preparatory Class, 1 p.m. —IcmpleJsracI Mon' ! J 10 a.m., at Temple, s SBethElUSYPrograM,;

th)s unorganized Tnassjof formersTaves^^ into the w e , as a communit^.^!}y49KtoittlS@)ecial group. -jWiJderness^Moses looke-dld fteJones of Jpseph.,. Yachad means [Jflgethej^f&ebfiew. Its mission |. . . . , . , . . fHMWogâônn™. j st o prfiv^jg^pgqr^pit|^Sj8,QCi8J^jngva^4"learnjng i •.. jWell, iWoll whVrvA't-BiWV.ThiBffli-'iw !th4 J wljere, as long as it was'ftoôhger Egypt? Or better 'in a Jewish-«mtext»H ,;i:;,:;f,<: J r-Kl'iVS'xoii'.'.?.•: I • still, at Sinai?"WlT5TTOld|W|a^tbfftterttiairtha(j? -. ; Yachad recently hosted; ainnyie party and has sev- j : No? all th,e,\vay'b.'a'cfe', fiirOUgfrdlf'jflie w'ayjBnci'alr eral eventfi;Bchedu'led..fc«;il;he',upcami'ngim;onths. i J Scouts,Tp.m. ii.iciHJ "•'' '• ? the' years' and all !th6' 'Wars';~b£jpk'.$o_ Canaun, 'attd AdviserLinda-Novak.a certified "special education—-' : .'; aXrESDAY;gEBKKAHY1.0 • specifically^ back (^'''Sh^chînl gJie'chfeW'XcirJDijtan,' teacher, announced that Yachad members'-wilf paf; Beth Israel Sisterhood fibiirdMafcing.& ; a little to* tl\e, north) was WhiferS. .tH^'jbrdth'ers 'had ticipate'int a'ceramics Workshop at: the Rose'tilumkih • 10:30 a.mM at Beth Israel *' , . j ; 7 j : t: -"iîULi-jJi.''"^-'^' ahd"sblii -" : i '~'' Jewish Home'this1-month and attend the';Megillah • Temple: Israel Torah on Wheels, noon, i .. „ , , ; . , ••---->-rf:-.-,Tr"7,,"."P.-~T --- r:y~.~,-;r ~-.-,-.-.---'-•irjI Beth Ei "Adult Lunch and Learn," nopri, af B.etb.*,ET"', ; the'Tshmaelite; traders: What_a tidy 'rtilrid up to' reading for Purim a t Temple Israel in March':1' - ; '••• : •CDCC Meeting, 7 p.m. ••/ ' :1 ' ' "' ° "", " ' :I the the HtorviBSck story;rBacktb'.the'plac'e he; wasiast'i'n tKe'Holy tb'ffie oJace hte'toaglast in tHe HoW •' "We'Ve" been ; getting' 96%; participation in Our • Tu %V3Hevat Seder for.Rpaaians, 7 p.iii.V at Beth tfl"": : ^Li|«ar.-A satisfyingBnd;toitall/ :'"'"~~' Z^7'..'' \; eventsy" noted"N0vak,-^but we're1 always '-on'the''' ; gfitli'Spiecutive CpnupitEee'^Meeting, "" ; '' -'•'•• : r ; ^ ; 3 0 J i r a ^ a t B e t h ' P • S ; r ; S S : : ; S '">--:l••••-•

; assume "had dragged" this" casket thrQugh*. all'.lffie; ;years_.,,Qn a,.cart?.!Or,fourrjrp,bust.nien,"pri'"'!L'LV" '*'-" : shifts'? Joshua'2'i!32'has It''thaV*TKe'; a Joseph, which t h e Israelite's (not Moses); had

9:30 a.m., at Temple Israel Temple Israel Religious School Committee Meeting, 6 p.m., at Temple Israel

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my home.... And yet, in the mobile society in of « ^ E^t-iSiere i,,, in the United States, very, very- many ....-.-,., --.. . . - of us f

lookout for ne& members to joiri'us."' f •.' •'" • - -> •1 Other events scheduled for" the •spring'' include;-' Yom Ha'AtsariaUt; a'Shabbatprograrii; arid a 'imp tb" DesMoines.

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All" thbse'involved 1 witH 'Yachad^ EirsbfeiibSunVj j Gonsher and Novak, expressed th&aiiitaze^neW?a| ; how quickly the community responded•fti'tfieii'plea i for funding-,-"^We-are-sctgrateful," said Novakrilhe , ' generous funding^ntfiirtlfers 'of-iSJJuHteer help and !

p ^ a V ^ S ^ ;For infonh^ii^aSotrtiS&chad'-pMgrams and 63V ^ Novak at 493-8575. Ya$fia3-'ii£-tapen to any Jewish

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February 6,1998

Jewish Press , Omaha, NE

Page 3

CANDLELIGHTING: 5:28 p.m. TEMPLE ISRAEL Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations 7023 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132' 556-6536 FMDAY: Tot Shabbat service, 7 p.m. A short service of song and prayer, followed by cookies and juice, will be held for toddlers through children in the primary grades and their families. • Klezmer Shabbat service, 8 p.m. Rabbi Azriel and Hazzan Contzius will officiate. The Kol Rina, j - M'shor'rim and Temple Tones choirs will particiI pate, along with Tuffy Epstein on clarinet, Becky Hinks and Naomi Leiserowitz on violin, Jon Bleicher on tuba and upright bass, Alan Josephson on guitar, Glenn Wigodsky on drums and Julie Sandene on keyboard. The Oneg Shabbat, with- dancing, will be 6pdnsoredby thteTempte-Sisierhood;1 ••••>'••''- i <!*•'• •••'•• SATORbAYS:Shabbat'mdriun^service,1^0ajn,. Simcha;frStfabbat--AtV'informal>Sh'abbat service-that included Study" and:diBcussiori<t>f ^ a W e t y

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

-BJETH EL SYNAGOGUE.

Member of the Union of " - •••' Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 1502 No. 52nd St., Omaha. NE 68104 ' 556-6288"

Member of United Synagogues^ - •; " * o f Conservative Judaism 14508 California; Omaha, NE <j8154" < s '-/r.'} *.% ;.-, -492-8550- ">""^ »i-" WEB"http^/omahafreenet.org/hethel Office Hours: Monday-through Thursday,l9'i4J»n. to 5]p.m.; Friday,,9-a.m:."ta4-p.m. . i,-' 1 Service,s.are conducted^by; Rabbi Paul PriVfen and Cantor EfmilBjerkpyits.t ,, _. " ',!" ,FRDDAY:"Services^6^! "" ' :SATUliDAY: Se'rvi^ . Kiddus^'followh services;' Sitter senrtte/10 a.m.; TSS^Torah ihg Siddur Skills'),, i'0 ajnv;'SJbisibbkSfery Tiwl'first and thirdSaturday,-llam4 ICtantan, second'andiburth Saturday,. 11 u,m.; Minha-Ma'ariv setivices,,5:35pjn.Ji"" " """ S,UNDAY:!Ser«ice:3, »^. WEEKDAYS: Services, s!"' ^ ^ S C E and KaSerabTwill spons A-lThon on SafiEgSSJFeb. 14, f night.

Services conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner. Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8i'a.m.' to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8'alrii. to 2 p.m. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat service, 5:30 pan. SATURDAY: Morning services, 8:45 a.m. Little People's Service, 10:15 'ajn. Jr. Congrfegation, 10:30 a.m. Kiddush sponsored by Rubin Ratner in memory of his wife, Dorothy. '' , Chumash class with Rabbi Kutner, 4:50 p.m., | " Minpha, 5:20 pp'.m'^ followed by^Shalosh Seujdot, Ma'ariv and Havdalah. § ••^.t. ..„.....,.-., •. SUNDAY; Services jat 9 aaiJ,) AdulJ; Education,,7:30 pim.:T^nfjcqdwtioaJ,'tp(i the Talmud" with Rabbi Kutner; 8:JiO. u

SUNDAY-: Sunday 'morninig'Ctiapel prayer; BBVvice, 9:15 a.m. This service gives members JofI the congregation an additional opportunity to pray and WEEKDAYS: Services at 1Ufa. and 5;35;p.m:.;,,. recite Kaddish. '•"1'H.« .K-itA:Ui ill • > • "' ' i , _ 1 i i . 1 1J . • > . ' ,1'IJX.K; ! > > f i <> > < ! • Men's^luWBrtsttchj^lO'-alm.'j-in the^Milder Center. Dr Bruce Buehler; Professc* of Pediatrics CONGREGATION B'NAI JESHURUN •:y and Pathology and'Director of the Monroe-Meyer ' SOUTH STREET TEMPLE ' ' Institute for Genetics and-Rehabilitation, will Member of the Union speak on "The Future of our Children's Health • of American Hebrew Congregations Care. Traditional lox and bagels will be served. 2081S. 20th S t , Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 Cost is $3 for non-members. 435-8004 TOW Services officiated by Cantor Michael Weisser. Torah on Wheels (TOW) will be held Tuesday, FRIDAY: Services, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 10, from noon-l:15 p.m., at Noddle SATURDAY: Services, 10 a m . Development, 1125 So. 103rd St. Murray Newman SUNDAY: Hebrew and Religious School, 10 ajn. is the host. Reservations are required. Call the Temple office at 566-6536. CHAB AD HOUSE ADULT EDUCATION An Affiliate, of the Worldwide „ WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11; Chabad-Lubavitch Movement Adult B'nai Mitzvah. class, 10 a.m. to noon. i!923 Pacific, Omaha, NE 68144 . THURSDAY, Feb. 12: Phone:697-1124 , Sisterhood Adult Education: 9£0>l 1:30 a.m.E-MAIL-chabad@aol.com Hazzan Erik Contzius will teach "The World of Jewish Music." 7:30-8:30 p.m.-Beyond Midrash, SATURDAY; , . . ' led by Don Schwartz. Services, 9:30 aan. Kiddush following services. ' TUB'SHEVAT SEDER Mesibos Shabbos, fun for kids, led by Chaya Friday* Feb. 13, 6 p JB. Join us in the celebra- Arnold ahd Hencbi Goldstein, 3^0-5 p,m. tion of the new year of trees. Cost is $7.50 for • WEDNESDAtT: Mitzvah Munchkins1 class, 10 ajfl> adults, $4 for children. RSVP to the Temple office noon ", - - • ' . , by Monday, Feb. 9. THURSDAY: Talmud Class, noon. " ''. •• \ ^•

BEYTSHALOM

celebration continues Beth El Synagogue's Annual Cantor's Concert is part of this year's special celebration to be held Sunday, Feb. 2 2 , 7 pan. Cantor Emil Berkovits, with the assistance of the Beth El Choir, as well as the Youth Chorus, will present old and new selections that evening. Shir I'Shalom, "The Last Song of Yitzchak Rabin," will be sung by the choir. A new composition, A Prayer for Peace, written by Cantor Berkovits and arranged by Tuffy Epstein, will also be premiered. T h i s concert will be presented for the benefit of our Youth," said Cantor Berkovits. "They deserve the opportunity for Jewish experiences, such as appropriate summer camps, Israel trips as well as the many USY activities." A reception will follow. Cfeneral admission is $10 ($16 at the door); students 18 and under is $3 ($5 at the door). Concert Patrdns and Sponsors are $100 and $36 respective- ' ly and each comes with two tickets. ' .

OFFUTT

Jewish Recongtru.ctiojilst Federation P.O. Box 241130, Omaha, NE 88124-5130 768-9233 http://pwl.netcom.coin/~6almim . FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat services with Rabbi Freitag, 7:30 p.m., at 3012 S. 119th St. in Omaha. SATURDAY: Learner's service, 9 a.m.; Morning service, 10 a.m.; Adult education with Rabbi Freitag at 824 Parkwood Lane, 7 p.m., subject: "Heschel and Martin Luther King, Jr." SUNDAY: Religious School and board meeting at the Jewish Community Center, 10 ajn. TUESDAY: Religious School at the JCC, 4 p.m. FRIDAY, Feb. 6: Tot Shabbat, 7 p.m.

TJFERETH ISRAEL

;Men'a:GlubVSiliSp(aisor a breakfasf Sumiay, Fip. lSjaJKawlKgae-isrices. Rabbi C h a r l g s 1 ^ ^ ^ th6 FederaKofi of Jewish Men's Club

Member of the United Synagogue, tf C i l ' J d i i

Services are conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan on Monday and Thursday at 8:15 ajn. FRIDAY: Services, 8 pan. SATURDAY: Services, 9:30 a.m. Havdalah, 7 p.m., at the home of Nanci Rivenburg and James Hicks.

25th and Capehart, Omaha, NE ,294^051 Service's conducted''by Rabbi Ira Flax. Office hours: Monday-Thursday, -7:30. a.m.4:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. FRIDAY, Feb. 6: Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m., followed by Shabbos dinner and discussion. SATURDAY, Feb. 7: Lunch and Learn, 10-^0 ajn. For. information and reservations, call 651-9058.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Shabbat services,' led by Mark Levy, 9 a.m. Kicdush will follow. B'NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE OlBMynsterSt;, Council Bluifs, Iowa.51503 "/• 322-4705 . ' . • E-MAIL: docJeb@Suno.coni, •' '• ,

Rabbi Aryeh Azriel shaved his beard Sunday at Temple Israel, as did Hazzan Erik Contzius, as part of a dare to raise funds for Camp Rainbow. OTYG raised more than $1,300 from Rabbi'B promise and another $1,000 from the dinner and auction, all to benefit the camp for ill children.

FRIDAY: No services.

Pulverente . PERSONAL

To all my wonderful friends-Words cannot express my complete and utter gratitude for all of the outpouring of love, prayers, calls, flowers, meals, donations and visits from all of you during my recent surgery and recuperation. My sincere thunks and love go out to all of you. Lcnora Lancaster

Frank L. Ciciuija; Jr. •Locsl CsringCouns&ora 'Slmplo Membership Pmcees • Frisndty Professional Sinrico • Honajr-Bsctc Guarantee

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60 /ears Experience

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E d i t o r i a l Whoreads Jeep-age anyway? The Jewish Pije^g.jmbJiBhes^T'een-a^e.o.'n the first Friday of every month, except1 ft#w3y-"ari<T August/. The resp"6h¥e~nas"Deeii' very favorable, especially, from those jadultaiwho wprk.with J^ens on a regular basis: rabbis, youth group.;advjs£rs and teachers!'. „. . ..,,:.We; hope .that teens, are rgading^his fiill-page compilation of prig-'.,, • Hiai storifis, poems, essays, art and photos, too. ".'.'.', : .... •"",.,,' ; ;,,;ParentsjcanheJp.ensure t h a t t h e y d o i . , . ^ . This month, readers will notice a 'dotted line' around Teen Age on ..page J.9.; .Please cut out tliepage and tape it. to'the bathroom mir-. .. ror .or yqu>, teen's bedroom door. Let them see what other students their age are thinking and 4oingi • ! ' , , '.' ; . ..VVe.vvant to hear from, yo.u; when Teen, Age editor^Joanie' . Jacobson calls, please answer!., . ; „ . . .

tax tips and the Jewish Press ; ••'-.' This'issue also contains' our annual Special'Section on Tax-Tipsit : •'Each'year the numberlbf'page8'an'dadvertisers'.has grown, thanks7 ' fo' the;persistent efforts:'of ourTAdvertising'Sales Manager,'Larry: "-A^elro'dy-and outsideifepresentatlvea'Barbara Frankel, Rocky :

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- Bdit6fiai.informationy"to'assist; our readers, in financial planning aiidJ't&jJ-'»eturn>prepara.tion;'h&s:be'en,;flupplied by The Jewish Federation Foundation -'and the'InternabRevenue Servicei Sheldon; '--Bernstein' and GlaUdia'ShePman of'the'Foundation;; and Donna 'Magaizi ttnd Jeanne Mack bfthe IRSwereprompt^hHlpfuland 1 courteous in providihg us with'these well-written materials. •-'

The Jewish press flourishes in many countries.

Our mart' ; in Israel

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Explaining Jewish environmental action

by Carl Alpert :

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by Mark X. Jacobs.

Haifa - When Mikhailo Frenkel, editoi of the • -.'On the'very Oftho'dox;- "Don't call them ultra or NEW YORK (JTA) - I can imagine that 50 years Call them vigorously from now, while enjoying our annual Tu B'Shevat Jewish paper, Hadashbt, in the Ukrairie; met in extreme Orthodox. : Jerusalem with Nunu Macadar, editor of Kalanit, ^ O r t h o d o x . " •>'• ,:- . : : : r . . - ' : :• •••..-. „ • . - ...-.•.•• - ; celebration, my teea-age grandchild might ask: : •'•'• the'JeWish magazine in :Bii'enos Aires, &nd the two •••:-'• On thet teen age vi8its;to-Israel; known as The IWhatdid the Jewish.cpnimunity-do at.the.end of • '•>6P th-eni''met with Cdrl 'Alp'ert; who represented' the •Israel Experiehceii Only 2% of available American the last century when-yon learned that.the. burning .".:::;•-..•: ••• 'Jewish-Press;>they''had'hiany!commbn interests, ; "Jewish -ybUte take the trip... ; . - fossil fuels was. probably.causirig global warming?" '•• The1 editor -of The^ Jerusalem Post, queried about 7—Ybu have to understand,.I will. tell, her, that envi" b'iitalas, they had fioioriimbn language., • •' •' : 1 i : ) i: : •Thii' o<!casiort was'' tHe Seventh International •"•the policy-of tlie- paper,-which had swung'fronV left .rojnimentalissues,w,ere,new to.us then. Today,,niany ;i ; <Jonfei%nce of the'Jewish'Media1, spoh'sofed'every to right,-and-then..-.1., maintained; that it; is- now in Jews, are-mpyed Jby J.ewiah^teachings tolp,ursue.envius 'two'years by the'Jevvish''Agency land stone;half a '•' the'center,-andhehripe3:to'keepitthatiway.; //pnijxen!^jsustetoabiiityandJ p j x e ! ^ j . i b i y , , a n d J , U ,U?p ? p ; - - - -' • ; 1 •'dbzBridther conference parthe'i's." Abouti30repre- •'•- 'Onpolitics and religiotitlhe Jewish.peopleintro- ., Backiij the; :19.90s, how.eyej;,!J<3w;s}); institutions seiifcaiiiviSs of Jewish preWand^radid/TV^frbm" 32 ••'• auced'ttionotheisrirtoithe worlds; andthat one-God djd-not connect,tjie.histj'ori'c.^^Jewish CQmmitme|j| to i>: countries we're-iK'atfcdndanc'ei • Simultaneous V- is'today re'pi'eseirted'Jn:theJ{nes'set by.fivepolitical pursue social justice with concerns! aftoyt Jfie'envi: ""-' trakslatSons at 'all'sessiorisi wiade-it-possible for;the p a r t i e s . • " > " • :•:<?.':>;;*.'. '.v.: i v j v / v i ' ! - . - - • . ' n •.:.-•-.•...i> .. One speaker referred to Isra.ejj,a.3-"fl)a armed t. Like mosit ArnericaiisJiWewere-ignoranit oirtne cpneditors from AzerbaijaxLanxLArgentina, .from ; sequenciey of our'aciiohs'teta^ •i.-"Pinltod ond the U.S. to follow the proceedings. 1 J : pf ûng'êw£r^k~ujp|'il^d^(K[p:^l Here and there one could hear a halting Hebrew • ^:,:''Faisal Husseini <«unft with. twp,flse>rtg:and.^three . ' 'thousands being spoken by delegates from exoiU>land&«Will h k b d d H l d h A b f ::•-• the'.time come'when"albparticipaiits 1 will know >i--wantedâffirroation: of-their; rjlghli;tgi,rp)twp>g'ust; to the atmo'sphe*^with'1 SOOT •'<fcBOWi;;'He.reasSuredihiajaudience.that.tJ»ey:,won'ting oil ihk'coîh^'^hki'ih^êd\^6nat\aal -ii... Recognizing the .importance of; the gathering,-top . : T e t u r n > - . . !•; • • • •••;;;;.;;..'. -,.. '. ;-.-.••;,•/.•.• •.;;':j I . ;-.:,. greenhouse- effect' that keej)s: oui^ planet habitable. .''' Israeli 'personalities addressed* the group and sub- - .;• . Observation: Has' any representative .of Israel SdentisteagTeed that such warming might lead to a jected themselves to the searching and sometimes ever been invited to present the Zionist.point of dramatic rise' in 'sea level, the disruption of agricul'•'•• embarrassing questions 'which the.: press know to .view, at a Palestine Authority gathering?,, ..: ture;, increasing floods, droughts and forest -fires ' directlmtheirVictim's. : i :•*;.:.. „ • •.•;••• -.•:..:-. • '• The editors;hit the.road as welL.One. thinks of arid the disruption of ecosystems. * •''[-•;•••'•: '•1 i'Speakers included • Netanyahu^Peres,: Avraham the Dead.Sea only as a geographic curiosity or as a ' "God's' creation waBin' danger!'It must have been • Burg,'Ehud Olmert, Faisal Hussoini o f t h e health and vacation resort;.- The journalists visited frightening: Wh'at did "the Jewish community do?" 'Palestinian Authority.'Ehud-Barak and many oth- . several settlements in the area, Ahnog, Ein Tamar my granddaughter will ask.'"' •;' '•' : . - : . - . .. ' erSj all of whom said what was expectedof them', and Neot Hakikar, which exploit the warm climate Some people argued that'efiforts. to address global ; What did the editors talkabout? , to raise vegetables and get them to the European Warming would detract from other' pressing Jewish • Not about circulation.or'advertising. They were • markets well; in advance of the usual season - com- public affairs issues.. Now that we are applying eco'more; interested-in establishing their identity as manding prices accordingly. . - : . * : ; - •.;..logical intelligence tboureconomy,-we1 have created ••••••Jewsj, and'flocked' to sessions dealing with such The hotels are there. Today there are 3500 hotel solutions-that are good for the environment, save '• subjects-:as "JewisKness: and- Israeliness", rooms, but when the bulldozers and cranes are money, and create new jobs, such as solar and wind •'"Preserving Jewish Continuity";, •'Respect for '• -through, there will be 4500 by next year.; After all, power, mass transit and ecological architecture; who else' can boast that'320 days a year'are cloud• » Dialogue-How Can We Live Together". We hadi a choice: To act prudently to ensure our -•'-.•; And well they might. Who could have believed less? descendants' security by creating a cleaner econo--(Jiat.today there is a flourishing Jewish press, in There was also a most interesting visit to the my, or to continue to pollute the planet at the peril • Moscavrand St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg; in Negev development town of Yerucham. We. shall of: God's children and creatures. We also had to : Uzbekistan, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Moldova, report on that later, i :. .-: \'-. ' •":•'. -• -,. :•.-•. . clean up our own houses. Jewish homes and instituBelarus, Turkey, Sweden and Italy among others. But back to journalism on the home front.. In tions reduced energy consumption. It is now instincMost of the participants took notes furiously and 1995 Israel had 1121 newspapers, periodicals, tive for us to consider the effects of our technological presumably are reporting back to their readers. magazines, journals etc. Of these, more than half and economic choices. • What did they hear? A few snippets from my were in Hebrew, 289 in English, 60 in Arabic, 37 in "Zayda, it makes me so proud to be Jewish," my granddaughter might smile and say, "so very proud." own notebook: On the problem of Jewish education Russian, and 22 in Spanish. ••..,. So may it be. everywhere: "Who ever heard of Jewish parents The number in Yiddish has shrunk considerably. Mark X. Jacobs is director of the Coalition on the • saying they would like their children to grow up. to The number'of Hebrew dailies went down from 11 . . become Hebrew teachers?" ' in 1996 to seven in 1995. ; Environment and Jewish Life.

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Mew York Times twists Oslo by Andrea Levin

'Comply with Oslo or face the consequences. That by governments and reporters. The Cabinet said was the Israeli message to its Palestinian negotiat- . any further Israeli withdrawals were therefore con- To the Editor: The Jewish Press editorial on the abortion ing partner when it issued a detailed account of the ditional on the Palestinians' fulfilling what Israel Palestinian Authority's. stunning failure to adhere -described as their 'commitments' under the issue in light of th§ Roe vs. Wade ahhiveMary American note." • •• j , attempted to give' an impartial overview. It fell to the landmark accords, ; "' ..•. •:>.,.:: . .,i.i It was not some; "position adopted" by the Israelis ' s h o r t ! '•••-'••"''•• ' -.' -'.-•••.'• i ^ i - . ' ? : : • • • : , : : • The response, from the world press was convulv(j ^ tiie jfewish Pi-iedS:;is jumping onthe sive—and distorting-. Correspondents and editors ' to require reciprocity or toinvoke Palestinian com- j thunderously deplored the Israeli position; character- mitments to the accords—this was the specific lan- 'band wagon of numerous Omaha Jewish' organizaizing the insistence on Arab compliance as an outra- guage of the Note for the Record, which states that, tions affiliated with the Pro-Choice movemertt. Your! editorial' implied that a malformed fetus, geous injection of new demands and tough conditions. "...the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Nowhere .did the ire take a more revealing turn implement the Interim Agreement on the basis of severe economic worries Or marital strife'were jus;..,•'. tificatioafbr'aborticm:*?' • •''• fl* • , : . ' : :"V .than in the pages, of the New York Times.,There reciprocity..." At issue here is something more than journalistic ,:: ' As Mona Charon* herself a Jew and a natipnallyOslo has long been transmuted into a manual of Palestinian entitlements—with Israel regularly oversight. It is a blunt turning away from the . syndicated columnist writes, "The views of most admonished for footdragging and exhorted to be - truth; and the same posture is apparent in the American Jews on abortion: are wildly, at odds with forthcoming, while Arab breaches of the agree- assertions and actions of Times editors in New traditional Jewish teaching on the issue. Jewish ments are passed over in silence. The newspaper York who oversee the reporter's work. A "correc- sources are quite clear that abortion is permitted has never provided readers a full accounting of • tion" was issued one day after the gaffe, but it actu- only in very rare circumstances. It is sheer- relially injected new error. . . : gious counterfeiting for Jews to call their pro-aborcompliance by the respective parties, • ' It read: "An article yesterday about an Israeli tion stance a 'Jewish' position.." . Bureau Chief Serge Schmemann's front-page story of Jan. 14, announced, "The Israeli Cabinet Government declaration setting conditions for a As someone who has counseled women at a crisis decided today that Israel would make no further further withdrawal from Israeli-occupied territory pregnancy center, I can assure you that the final withdrawal from the West Bank unless the in the West Bank misidentified the diplomatic doc- decision is not in the hands of the pregnant Palestinians satisfied a series of stringent condi- ument cited by Israel as authorization for such con- woman, as your editorial states. Often, a young girl or woman who wants to put tions. The conditions included some— like extradi- ditions. The document, a 'note for the record,' was tion of Palestinian prisoners to Israel—that Yasir prepared a year ago by Dennis Ross.the Clinton up her child for adoption cannot do so because the Arafat, the Palestinian leader, is most unlikely to Administration's chief mediator for the Middle father of the baby, will not sign away parental East, as an attachment to an accord on a partial rights. His signature is not needed for an abortion. accept." "Stringent conditions*' Arafat is "most unlikely to Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank town of So the mother can forever be tied to the father, Hebron. who, often, she is not married to, or abort accept? Some'choice.' ' .- • I t includes general obligations that the Israelis The Palestinian leader explicitly did accept the Perhaps the Jewish organizations that belong to obligation to extradite those involved in anti-Israel now say will be met if the Palestinian Authority complies with the new, specific demands.. Another the Coalition for Reproductive Choice could throw violence when he signed Oslo 2! That Schmemann would not know this, or would document issued at the time of the Hebron . ; their weight around and try to make it just as easy deliberately misrepresent it, is striking indeed. accord—a letter signed by former Secretary of for a single woman to put up a baby for adoption as Moreover, the Israeli Government Press Office has State Warren Christopher—clearly does not autho- it is to abort it — without the father's signature. Since there'is not consensus among the Jewish consistently disseminated to Israel based journal- rize such demands and was not at issue." The Times did not simply "misidentify" a docu- community regarding the abortion issue, I am a litists passages of the Oslo agreements relatedtothe extradition issue along with lists of names of ment; it radically distorted the content of the Note tle baffled as to why so many local Jewish organiPalestinians implicated in terrorism and sought for for the Record and the respective obligations of the zations get involved in the abortion issue at all. Israelis and Palestinians described therein. From trial by Israel. And, to Jewish groups- who espouse to represent ,,Most startling in Schmemann's article was the that error flowed all kinds of nonsense about minorities, what about the so-called "minority" of correspondent's extraordinary factual blunder. At I s r a e l i a c t i o n s : J < ••/ ••' • • - • i r ^ • > ' i » ' - . . 7 . , . - ^ ' ; \ o • ;'•;. . Jews who oppose abortion? Don't they count? Moreover, consistent with the Times perspective . • - ' i i i • : • . ' - . ; • • - ••-•••;'• : >• •• / ' . ' • ' • . • < . , . J a n e t K o h l l one point the reporter disputes a government statement regarding the "Note for. tjie Record," an offi- that only Israel has formally 'incurred specific \ U V ::::<..y ,,, cial document that accompanied the Hebron obligations'uiider Oslo' and related accords,-the cor-: T o t h e E d i t o r : ::;;:•;; •-:-•;::;••.:•.!. -,.. 1 ' Pr^toe«rr,.a^eements.gpverntog.Israei'8. January rectiOn erroneously claims' the Note Includes gen- • : ::-l want to thank.you.for:prihting the cartoon; on eral obligations'that the Israelis now-say will be Dec. 12, 1997, that showed ;an'obvious'Ameritan ^TOTwitijdrawal^^ .'...; y; •ipradi.official^; hail cited, the Note as, the"most met if the Palestinian Authority complies, .with the ; tryingtdgetthe'goat, Israel, to backup just one spe- : more stepwhich would cause Israel to fall over the recent legal restatementof major obligations of the neWi'Specificdemands." • There are no "new, 1 M i p r e d p i c e i ; : : : - , • : ; ; ! i i i - ' - : . ' i ! ' i - " i ! f . < : ••••:;• :•:::} '.!•'<•>•>[ : Palestinians,, But .the Time? reporter .apparently cific demands.":;: ::•:.•:•'•"; :••; l.-.fivo; no-; •;••'•••« Reporters'and editors appear: to believe the. : .••(That is .a very good representation :ofithe,United believed he knew better; he claimed that although Israel had issuedI."a long,gerie&ofjdemandB/jjn fact agreements are a sham, an expedient cover for States requiring Israel to giveiUp thellands.it.won the invading Arabs.' I believe that thaf. is the ?;..the 'note for .the record' signed. by,/Warren Israel's ceding land;to'the Palestinians.as quickly! -from : : Christopher—who was Secretary of .State at the •as possible:and-doing so regardless 6f Palestinian:. only time I have; seen anything in the Jewish • conduct. ;Wheh Israel resistssuch;thiriking>and. . Press, that correctly shows the bias in the United time—included none of theserequirements, . :: Warren Christopher's letter.and the Note for the calls instead for. attention to the actual letter and States! demands that Israel give up the much needRecord, which was signed by Ajjnerican envoy spirit of the agreements,: the New York Times ed security that those lands give it. ;:.;:.-: ' ' Dennis Ross, not Christopher, are, in fact, two dif- Bureau'Chief distorts the documents, and his col- - • I look and find that there are some 20.Arab - states in the region that can take in any Arabs, that ferent documents. Indeed, Christopher's letter .does leagues in America collude. • • • . • • : : : • not list: the'outstanding obligations of the - : For America's "newspaper of record", it is a sorry • need help. In fact,- many could give these newcomrecord indeed. . : • •; • ?•••' ers the homes and businesses that the Jews left Palestinians, but the Note most certainly does. : Andrea Levin iii National President of. CAMERA, behind when they were ousted and went to Israel. T h e error i s telling. • V • •-•:. •• '•/.;-:*•.••,••. .-••.Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in Arthur Dutky The Note for the Record has been cited endlessly ' America ;

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February 6,1998

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Y.E.S. Members will meet Monday at the JCC. English class starts at 10 a.m.; bingo and exercise both start at 10:30. Bring articles to share at the "YES Talk" discussion group at 11. Following lunch at noon, Rabbi Azriel will speak. For transportation, call 330-4272. The next trip to Winnavegas is Feb. 26. Cost is $5 (check payable to Jewish Senior Services) plus an extra dollar for the buffet lunch, payable at the casino. Make reservation with payment by Feb. 19 to Maggie Conti. The Mah Jongg Club will meet Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Room 5 at the JCC. For information, call Charlotte Kaplan at 551-5658. ;

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WALK-IN, DROP-IN '•• ! Membersvwill meet Thursday : at the JCC. .English .Glass starts,at 10 a.m.; exercise at 10:15 i and bingo at 10:30. Bring a dairy Back lunch to eat' at.,lli30.;At!nopn> come enjoy the comedyLidr, Mar, in !_thq;Blumkin/Home auditorium'.'Popcorn .wilibeseryjB4i.!F,OT.franspprtation,cali 330-4272. ri;-Prt;KJ8r^yr,01it?ky will speak.on;S"TKe Ten1 Most I^npg>r(;arj,t Rules;, for Growing' Older?- ion' Feb.; :19. There is no,<jiarge.for.ithe prb'gramiiA'browri'bag lunph: is u available.f.or $4 for YES members. Deadline for reservations is Feb. 12 by calling JSS at 3304272. Transportation is available. '' '

Visions members return from cruise

RELOCATION SERVICES are available to: ,• locate'. appropriate houRing • coordinnte the mnvp • puck nnil unpack. e<M GOHUMCMU also offers the ElderCare RESOURCE HANDBOOK. Cost is $12.50. To order, call 398-1848 (Mention this ad to receive a $2 discount)

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VISIONS UNO Theatre presents My Other Heart by Martha Boesing at the Weber Fine Arts Building on Wednesday, March 4 at 8 p.m. Cost is $3. For reservations, mail form by Feb. 16 to Maurice and Rosalie Meiches, 5036 Parker Street, Omaha, NE, ; 68104. Make checks payable to JSS. '

BREADBREAKERS Bill H o p p n e r will s p e a k a t B r e a d b r e a k e r s on Wednesday/ according to Steve' Riekea: Hoppner is • seeking: t h e Democratic 'nomination for- governor.': Bi'eadbreakers meets every Wednesday at 1 nboa-at' • H i g h l a n d Country Gliib. T h e program i s open to the community. Cost-is $ 7 . 7 5 . ' ' • ' " " ! : • • ' • ; -'..".';. •••:

-BETH ISRAEL SISTERHOOD " : Beth Israel Sisterhood's monthly-luncheon1 meeting will be held Tuesday; Feb: 10,12!30 pirn.; in the ' synagogue: social hall.: Beverly Franklin,-' program : chairman, will be the "caller'': for a bingo party. Those wishing to play cards or Mah-Jongg, please bring your own cards or sets. For reservations, call Bernice Cohen at 558-3423. HADASSAH A special life membership campaign will be : launched in honor of the founding of the State of . Israel. The regular Life Membership dues of $25Qis now. reduced by $50; the campaign ends May 1. For information, contact Hadassah at 1-800-664-

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RUSSIAN CLUB The next Russian Club will meet Friday, Feb. 13 at the JCC. All are welcome to. join the exercise class at 10 a.m. in the adult lounge. Lunch will be served in room 10 at 11 a.m.. At noon, Anja Sapir will read poetry. For transportation, call Lydia Linde at 697-9169. r

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JEWISH WAR VETERANS •• : Jewish W a r Veterans-Epstein Morgan Post #260:!will,meet; Sunday,,Feb.. 15, 10:30 a.mij inithe cortference room at the Jewish Community Center,,,! Attendance is appreciated. :, ••...<Visions wfid started just five years ago when a small group decided there was a need to plan programs and outings for new retirees; it now has 340 members, Every other month, Visions hosts a luncheon meeting at a local restaurant. The Mitzvah Committee collected $740 for Jewish Family Services Hanukkah project. Dues are $5 per year; age is 62-78. For information, call Wally Elkon, Executive Chairman, 551-6656, Lois or Gerald Bernstien, 496-2527, or Maggie Conti, Adult Program Director, 334-6521. Visionaires returned recently from a Caribbean cruise. From left: Sally and Sheldon Masnek, Florence Kricsfeld, Sol and Cherie Kutler, Peggy and Jay Chasen, Frieda Krizelman, Phil and Babe Ratner, Rosalie and Maurice Meiches, Maggie Conti, Rose and Jacob Rosenberg, Doris Shukert, Sylvia Shapiro, Audrey and Morris Shapiro and Nate Shukert.

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USY will rock 'n roll on Feb. 14 from 7 pim.midnight at Beth El Synagogue. USVers and Kadimaniks will get pledges to see how long they can dance. The community is invited to watch and join the USY'ers. This year's theme is "Decade." > Each hour, a professional DJwill play music from a different decade, beginning with the '50s. Guests should come dressed from their favorite decade. Michael Fineman, dance Co-chair, stated, "All funds raised will go to support USY International charities." "We hope the entire Jewish community will help support this fun-filled evening," added Co-chair Courtney Rabb. . Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children eight and under. To make a pledge or reservations, call Holly Friedman at 492-8550, ext. 157.

February 6,1998

Yampolsky protege to conduct "Israel 50" concert The artistic influence of Omaha But from 1994-96, Arnold was the Symphony Music Director Victor Assistant Director of Orchestras at Yampolsky spreads further than Northwestern University under simply the musicians of the Omaha Yampolsky. He is also working with Symphony or music lovers in the Yampolsky towards his Doctorate in midlands. Orchestral Conducting. As a conductor and teacher, "Certainly, Victor has touched Yampolsky has touched thousands of many musicians, who are the stars of students since his arrival in America tomorrow," said Omaha Symphony five years ago. president Gary L. Good. "Mitchell One such student, Mitchell Arnold, Arnold has already demonstrated his Resident Conductor of the Sheboy- extraordinary talent before the gen Symphony Orchestra, will guest Omaha Symphony, and we expect conduct the Omaha Symphony for a nothing less than an amazing concert special concerthonoring the anniver- from him in February^ . sary of the establishment of the "This is a very special celebration... State of Israel 50 years ago. that the Omaha Symphony, has creat-, Hatikvah-The Hope,^sponsored by. ed with our friends at the JCC,".he1,' the Jewish Cultural Arts Council as added. "It is important for all of us to one of the "Israel,at 50".celebrations, remember that Israel stands as a tespremieres Feb. 7 at 7,pm. at the tament to hope and faith: It is our Jewish Community Center. ...-.', wish that the Hatikvah concert Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira will remind all of us about the power of • be the featured soloist in a concert h o p e . " - ' • •' ' . ' - \ . '.; . . :•..,".•. that includes music written specially Tickets are available at the Omaha for him. . Symphony box office, 342-3560, Qr Arnold, who guest conducted the from Member Services at the JCC, Omaha Symphony during the 1995- 334-6426. 96 season, also serves director ;•, Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for Northern Illinois University , students and seniors. JCC members Philharmonic. . can get tickets at $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. • ' : :

Concert to feature hew ballets Live performances of new music, the premieres of two new ballets, and guest performers from Omaha's [Japanese sister city will highlight the Omaha Theater Company Dancers' Confetti '98 concert on Feb. 20 and 21. Performances will be at 7 p.m. at jiThe Rose, 2001 Farnam Street, in : 'downtown Omaha.v The OTC Dffricers Will perform' three works: • *Balletof Life, a new piece choreographed by artistic director Robin Welch in collaboration with composer Chuck Penington of Mannheim Steamroller, with live accompani- . ment by the Intergenerational Orchestra under Penington's direction; • -.* The Angel Dances, a new ballet by Welch based on a Japanese folk legend, set to a commissioned score by former Omaha Symphony resident compose^Matthew Naughtiri; and with Omaha Symphony princi-

pal percussionist Ken Ypshida as feahired accompanist; • and Konservatoriet, staged by Welch based on August Boumonville's famous 1849 ballet about the training of a dancer, with onstage accompaniment by concert pianist Svetlana Rodionova, who has also performed at the Jewish Community Center. Featured guests will be the Maeda "Ballet and the Morimoto Ballet, companies from Omaha's Japanese sister city of Shizuoka, whom the OTC Dancers met while performing In the Shizuoka International Ballet Festival last year.' The Japanese : companies will perform three works. The same group which produced and performed in Coppelia last fall are involved in'CJonfetti '98 this month. Proceeds will benefit the Brodkey Endowment Fund for the performances of ballet in Omaha. Reservations are available by calling the theater box office at (402) 345:

4849.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

Brown and Noyes exhibit Images at JCC by Gloriann Levy, Director, Jewish Cultural Arts Council

Jo Brown and : Julia Noyes, two buildings. Her inspiration was the Nebraska artists,- will be exhibiting, •; State. Capital in Lincoln. She became their work, Images" 1 at the Jewish' • interested in buildings at night, the Community Center through March 1.',: effect of lights, beacons, and the patVAjoyful interplay of color fills this-.-terns that silhouettes create. -,.,-."• ...'. exhibit. Both women enjoy working in Both:-women'like to travel, study," mixed media and usually construct - and-work in-the regions they: visit.; their work with intricate layers :'of. Noyes.has/traveled to Chinia^Jtaly, : color and glazes. . and Ireland; Brown recently returned Brown's images are part of her from Central America where.she "Earthworks: Twilight" series. Where spent time in Belize and Guatemala. she lives and works has influenced Julia and her husband, Rick, own the her images and she has said, "There Noyes Art Gallery in the Lincoln is no place quite like'Nebraska. The Haymarket area. Brown has a worklight, space and horizons' are ele- ing art studio in the Burkholder progant." ."•'"• / . , , ject jn the Haymarket and is foundHer paintings are not meant to be ing ;cooperative artist at the:Noyes literal, realistic representations of a Gallery. specific place. Instead, the soft, magi- ; •• - - j p C Gr.allery..hours: cal images are intended to convey the Thursday, 8 a:m;-10 p.m.;;JFriday,'" essence of a time or the essence of a 8 a.m.-5 p.m.;.Saturday, 1-7 p.m.; , place. Sunday, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ' ..!•"' • For more.information ple^6e!'call • The series of "Cityscape" paintings by Noyes are from real and imagined 334-6403.

Kaplan Educational Centers, along with co-sponsor Creighton University Career Services, will give practice tests for GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, CPAand GRE under "virtual" conditions at Creighton University on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 8:30 a.m. , Students must make a reservation by calling 1-800-KAP-TEST. ..

Saturday at 7:30 pan. Cast members : include Jeff Shyken, son of Paul and -• Susie Shyken, and Betsy Farber,;'* daughter of Jim and Judy Farber. Tickets are available at'the door.

Rachel Shukert plays the part of Suzanne in the Omaha Community Playhouse production of Picasso at the Ldpin Agile, tonight through Guys and Dolls is appearing at" March 6. For ticket information and Westside High School tonight through reservations, call 553-0800.

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Horowitz to speak on ancient Babylon

Interfaith Council hosts premiere

The Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies will sponsor two lectures by Wayne Horowitz. He is the Associate Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Hebrew University. On Friday, Feb. 13, Prof. Horowit? will speak on "The First Generations of the Jewish Community of Babylon," from 9 30 to 11a.m. On Sunday, Feb. 15, he will deliver a lecture on "Ancient Israel and Babylon- Allies in Arms," from 3 30 to 5 p.m. Both lectures are in Burnett Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

The Lincoln Interfaith Council will present a public television special, The Hating Pot, on Sunday, Feb. 22, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 3219.Sheridan Blvd., at 2r30 p.m. B'hai Jeshuran is also a part of the Interfaith Council. Directed by Liz Swados, the film depicts the breaking down of racial, religious and cultural barriers. It will be' followed by a panel discussion of Lincoln teenagers, moderated by Daniel Neiden, EMMY award-winning actor, cast member of the Hating P(ot and Lincoln native. , Admission is free. For information, call 423-8569.

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College of Saint Mary to celebrate women's history month

, t SLUSKJ7GERSHONI Jerry Slusky and Harriet FiBhel announce the_ engagement pf their daughter, Jodf Lynn Slusky, tj> Yo'av Joseph Gershoju, son of Mr and Mrs, Amnon Gershoni of Tel Aviv, Israel The bnde-to-be is a graduate of the 'University of Texas and is currently an associate at the communications.' firm of Greer, Margohs.t. , •*. '••... Mitchell, Burns and Associates in Washington, DC, Her fiance graduated from, the University, of •Maryland and is President of Global Medical, LLC, in Gaithersburg, MD. . ., A Nov. 7 wedding is planned at Temple Israel in [ Omaha. ; ' : -

Family seeki hg. relatives Svetlana Galievskaya, a student introduced to Joe Kirshenbaum, Bob Kully and Jan Perelman on their recent trip to Israel and Minsk, is looking for the relatives of Gru'na Khaykin(a). " '-'•' •' Gruna Itzkovna Khaykina was born on June 8, 1907 in Rogachev, Mogilev District, Belorussia. Her father was Itzka Khaykin; mother was KhaySora Ioselevna Slavina.

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College of Saint Mary will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the women's rights movement during its annual Women's' History Month activities'in March 'Nationally known speakers, wdrkshops and1 theatre will be highlights df the month's events' • The celebration begins Feb. 23 "with a public lecture by Sister Helen Prejean at 7 30 p m in the Lied Pitriess Ceriter on campus. Sr Prejean wrote the book Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States;-, Which" was- developed1 into the < 1996 movie 'Dead Man)Walking: 1 Tickets;are not required;;but a donation will be taken at the.door.: n :; • >;:-, v^;, •i .IGreating a. Climate for .Successful Aging^ will be the focus of a workshop and,research day on March ISI at 8:30, a.m. in the College Center. Cost for the. workshop is.$10 for the public ($15 for continuing education). -. ..I -..j . .; ,. : , Bjigit Saint Brigit, Theatre will make women in history come alive, through."Voices of Women— Portraits of Strength",on March 14 a]t 6:30 p.m. hi" tiie Gross Conference Center. Tickets are $i2. ' The final events revolve around mystery author Miriam Grace Mohfredo. She will speak and answer questions on April,2 at noon in the Hillmer Art Gallery (cost for the luncheon is $7). She will also lecture on 'Writing Women Back into History" that evening at 7:30 p.m'. in the : College'Center (admission is free). Her appearance is co-sponsored by the Omaha Public Library. • For reservations and other information,- please call (402) 399-2400. College of Saint Mary is locat; ed at 1901 S.72nd: St. • •'

Your Jewish birthday matters! '•;. ,dlialw^H6uiseJ)s^ , , In conjunction with^Tu B'shvat,: the New Year for Trees,.Chabad H^use.will sponsor a. Jewish Birthday Awareness Contest..,...,,... . . .'. :;. |Tu B^hvat.the fifteenth' day of the. Hebrew month of Shvat, is a celebration of the many ways that "Man is tike a tree in the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19) and this year corresponds to Feb. l i . To participate in the contest, please send your Hebrew birthday date, if you know it, to Chabad House, 11923 Pacific, Omaha, NE 68154. If you don't know your Hebrew birthday and would like to participate, please send the month, day, year and approximate time of your birth. The Hebrew birthday will be calculated and you will be notified and entered into the drawing. Contest ends Feb. 27 and is open to the entire community. For information, call 697-1124.

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February 6,1998

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 0

New immigrants celebrate Tu B'shevat by Bert Lewis

I have no proof'of this statement,' but 'I have a stfong hunchjthat the'first titne'a joke was1 told, the teller wa^Adarii and pUe tolled .was Evei'People have always' loved to' ejxcWahge Wniiy stories, whether or hoi they cpulct'be called "jokes": ' •,'*•" Ordinary fojks, like yov\ and'me, get a'Siji ch'arge out of being able to^say'ito's'omebody^have'you heard the one about. . I#I then lauricliing into ai tale about when the hiatchinake^wja^ looiqng'for a groom for the queen, or perhaps a story which denigrates certain'professionals. We just get a'big kick out of telling somebody's6me mishago'ss that makes them laugh heartily. ,•,,,-;,'; ;i '-••.-.•. 'V, Of course, the art of standing before an audience and doing j u s t t h a t has become a marvelous American career choice, and some of the best of those "stand-up comics" happen to be Jewish. Why do you suppose that is? Could it be because we, as a people, have always known how to laugh at ourselves, how to make a tough situation a bit easier by tying a giggle to it? None of that is particularly relevant (unless you have time to listen to an old Myron Cohen joke) but I thought Fd mention it. This entire subject came to mind when I received a very long letter by e-mail recently. The heading told me that many, many others had also received this message and I noticed all had Jewish names. What's going on here? When all the recipients had been duly noted, the narrative finally showed up. The first two lines read "Twas the night before Xmas, and we being Jews. .." and it went On from there to plagerize the old story and turn it into a modern satirical version. I read it, laughed, and 1 acknowledged its arrival from my friend in Arizona : who sent it. I This isn't (and wasn't) an unusual experience. Every^now arid then, my eldest sends' along something he picked up off the Internet, which he found 'amusing. Lots of people do that, and hence, have Some of them (the stories) are so convoluted'and Seemingly endless, I wonder if the people sending • them have enough to do! . ,, ;,. ... .., Maybe it's just the opposite-maybe.these are the breaks taken by very busy people who are trying to remain calm and rational during a regular work day. Anything is possible in the computer world. This makes me wonder how many people are using e-mail for those annual holiday letters they send to friends? Come to think Of it, what could be easier than cranking all that boring stuff into the computer then punching the c.c. button and voila! It's done; it's cheap (no postage) and i f s certainly the easiest method ever invented to communicate with lots of people.. ' >t Well, this hasn't anything to do with jokes or. funny stories, but I thought I'd just throw it in anyway. The bottom line is still the same: The computer now is apt to bring you'.an'hysterically funny story, just as it brings everything else under the sun to your life. ., .. . / .:.'.,. . ,. •Besides, very few people have access, to a micro: phone, as opposed to the jjia.iy^many who haye a computer in front of them! , .: ;;; • ;,

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An Evening of Enchantment at For Roman Rabinikov, from the the former Soviet Union, Tu B'Shevat traditions bring a | new meaning to his life in Israel. He is currently a student at Boys Town Jerusalem. The "Birthday of the Trees," is another name for Tu B'Shevat It marks the first blossoming of the almond trees in spring. Special dishes containing Israel's seven species: dates,1 figs,' grapes, pomegranates, olives, wheat and barley, are eaten. ' •

by ElyceAzriel, Director, Temple Israel High School

Temple Israel will present its second workshop for high school, students and their, parents on Teb. 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring author and lecturer RabbiKerry Glitsky.., l,,.. iU j q . . ;;,., ,, „ ,;., Entitled "A Journey into, Addiction,"; the work-' shop is an opportunity'for parents and teens to gain knowledge, perspective, understanding and support. It will allow participants to address the world of substance abuse, a concern to families and societytoday. . • Several students have already shared their thoughts on this subject "It is just incredible that some kids think drinking is cool." "Why do some people use drugs?" "They may think drugs will make them feel better-or be better. The problem is, people who try drugs are taking huge risks; they're risking their health and sometimes, their lives." Substance abuse, which includes alcoholism and both legal and illicit drug addiction, is a problem thatposes a challenge to our Jewish community. Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, D.H.L.; is Director of the School of Education at Hebrew Union College and National Dean of Adult Jewish Learning and Living. He has been a leader in developing training' programs for clergy of all faiths, especially in the area of co-dependence. ; The program has been funded by a grant fiom the Ike and RozPriedman Foundation. The program is free and open to the Jewish community. For more information, contact Temple Israel, 556-6536.

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February 6,1998

Junior NCSY convention coming to Omaha Some 150 youngsters in grades 5-7 will converge on Omaha for a Junior NCSY Shabbaton, March 20-22 at Beth Israel Synagogue. Arriving from Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago, the students will meet up with members of NCSY in Omaha. In January the group met in Skokie, IL, for winter convention. According to advisor, Allan M. Gonsher, "NCSY has developed a creative arid innovative mix of music, song, games and learning with fun. It leaves the kids excited and positive about their Jewish identity." For more information about the event or other NCSY activities, call 330-4014 or 558-2767.

Nebraska Press Association announces scholarships Preference for these $1000 a year scholarships is given to students enrolling in a college or university print journalism program. The selection is based on scholastic ability, financial need, and good citizenship in school "and community. Preference will be given to students who will be attending schools in Nebraska. For information and application form, contact Allen Beermann, c/o Nebraska Press Association, 1120 K Street, Lincoln, NE 68508, or phone: (402) 476^851 or (800) .369-2850. '•. ! v Deadline for applications is Feb. 27. , , t , , ..•.;;'•

Jewish Community Center offers unique camping programs by Beth Cohen, JCC Youth Services Director

A variety of camp programs for youth who will be age two through those entering eighth grade in the fall of 1998 are available from Omaha's JCC. Camp Shalom is a half-day day camp for children age two through five years old. Camp Chaverim is a full-day day camp for students entering kindergarten through second grade. . Camp Chai is a full-day day camp for kids entering third and fourth grade, and Specialty Camp is. a specialized day-camp program for youth entering fifth through eighth grade. . While each of the day camp programs are unique, they all offer the opportunity for children to grow and develop physically, intellectually and emotionally in programs emphasizing Jewish culture and values. All of our campers will also spend time each week with our shaliach, or Israeli counselor, in addition to enjoying sports activities, art, nature and swimming. All day camps are open to JCC members only. Nodedim, or travel camp, is for JCG members entering fifth through eighth grade. This year, Nodedim will travel to US Space Camp in Florida from June 28 through July 3; 1998. At Space Camp, campers will experience zero gravity, build and launch their own model rocket, see an IMAX movie, tour Kennedy Space Center, and take off in a simulated Space Shuttle launch. The JCC will not be offering a two-week overnight camp this year as in the past as a camp facility was not available for rental during the s u m m e r .

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Describing the play as "a series of dramatic readj ings and midrashim about the Holocaust," Sparber finds it a compelling piece. "It parallels biblical texts to contemporary accounts of the destruction of European Jewry," he noted. "It's an attempt to understand the Holocaust using the Jewish tradition of referring back to older sources, seeing what traditional commentary has to offer." While the Yom HaShoah service will be hosted by Temple Israel, Sparber explained, it is .a community-wide event and the committee (under the authority of the Jewish Cultural Arts Council) is looking for broad participatiom Casting for the play will begin this month and teens interested in auditioning should call Sparber at Temple Israel for information, 656-6536^ extension 31. Rehearsals will be on Sunday afternoons for several weeks'. The final production will be attended by all the Jewish high schools and open to the community, as well. "There are a lot of parts," he added, "and we've got room for almost anyone who's interested." •Sparber has been involved with theater for almost 11 years and currently has two original plays in pre-production in Omaha. The first, "Minstrel Show," tells the tragic story of the 1919 lynching of William Brown outside the Douglas Country Courthouse. It is being produced by the Blue Barn Theater and opens in March. His second play, "Boy Elroy," is lighter1 fare; it's a series of monologues describing the private life of television cartoon characters. According to Sparber, the Shelterbelt Theater has expressed interest in producing this play in!April or May. Sparber has also written for film-and television and worked for several years as a staif writer fpr a program begun by Shelly Winters in Hollywood. His script, "Kishinev," about the infamous 1904 pogram in White Russia, was a semi-finalist in the Don and Gee Nicholl's Fellowship contest.

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This year's Yom HaShoah commemoration on Wednesday, April 22, will include a production of "Night Words," a play by David Roskies. It will be directed by Max Sparber, Omaha Temple Youth Group adviser, who hopes the play's 36 roles will be filled with teenagers from the Omaha Jewish community. .

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Camp brochures will be mailed to the community in the middle of February. Registration for summer camp opens on Camp Day, March 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Campers registering prior to March 6 will receive an early registration discount. > The JCC's full-day day camps, Specialty Camps • and Nodedim are accredited by the American Camping Association, which assures parents that JCC camps have met the highest standards in the camping industry in ; t h e areas of prpgram, safety, personnel, facilif ty and administration. '' ' ' -'. For information on summer camp programs, contact me at . i 334-6409. Staff positions are also available, for all camps.

OTYG adviser to direct Yom HaShoah play

Words by David Roskies. Teenagers from throughout the Omaha Jewish community aro invited to participate. Rehearsals:

Sunday afternoons March 8-April 19 Commemoration:

April 22 at Temple Israel Participants will bo required to attend all rehearsals and memorize dialogue. Night Words has 36 speaking parts, drawing from eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust, as well as Biblical and Rabbinic sources. Call Max Sparber ' Temple Israel: 556-6538, art. 31 Home: 343-0857 ; .' (No later than Feb. 20)

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by Travis Lewis

W h c i the 747 I "ally touched down on and we decided our best bet would in Osaka, Japan my home-away- be to ask for help. The five of us spoke from home last summer, I knew I passable Japanese, and, working was in for some great adventures. I together, could hold a conversation. had no idsa how soon they'd come. - Unfortunately this plan fell through My 30 new friends and'two "lead- when we-could find nobody who had ers from tho Experiment in ever heard of "Enmanin Hoterii"—the International hotel where we were staying. Living—tho We regrouped. "Plan B" was to head summer lanwest toward the mountains. We all guage study agreed that we had started out closer and immerto the mountains than we were now. sion proUnfortunately, the closer we got to the gram wet Chugokus, the farther they seemed to were o n — i be, and before we realized it, we had hopped onto climbed an entire mountain and still our chilsai had no idea where we were. However, (tiny) "Japfrom this vantage point we could see anese-size" where we thought we should be headbus and ing. We started off again into the dark drove to OtJapanese night. su, the small Travis By now it was well past 10. p.m. It town where we would be living.'By was our first day and we were already thetime we got acquainted withour in troubje. Luckily, we were still togethhotel.and pur immediate surround- er arid thus had a better chance of surings, it,was dark and we were curi- viving. After a lengthy period of time, ous. We were given,aJO p.m. curfew we started seeing landmarks that we by the leaders. Five of us went out recognized: Maybe it was our sleepon our own. . . . deprived eyes playing tricks on us, or :. My four new friends and I took off maybe it was something or someone •without looking back. This was proba- watching over us, but miraculously, we bly our first mistake. We walked all made it back to our hotel. Our relentaround the city of nearly 250,000 trying less watches were just striking mayonto learn what Japan was really like. We aka (midnight). . ' V had seen all the movies, but we were Surprisingly^ our group leaders were still curious. The five of us somehow quite understanding. They believed our managed to take every back road in story and let us go to bed. Had they the city. The problem was, even the known this was Simply a fraction of main streets looked like back roads. what they were in store for from the :• For being as far advanced overthe five of us, they would probably have U.S. in technology as they are sup- sent us home immediately. posed to be, the Japanese are certainNevertheless, .my; tomodachi ly lacking in city planning! Even the (friends) and I learned a valuable lesmajor roads have barely enough room son. When you go to a foreign country for two cars to pass. r> •-••; -.-.,••• ,-.',• r< -with new but unfamiliar friends in a tiny . As our jet-lagged eyeballs noticed but poorly laid-out town where no one bur unaffected watches quickly tick- speaks your tongue, think ahead. The ing towards 10 p.m., we decided purchase of a city map may not have, been a bad Idea. Or better yet, don't we'd better begin looking for home. I pride myself on never being able to get'lost on your first night out and end get lost. I was lost. All I knew was that up coming back late for curfew. It's a since Lake Biwa (the largest freshwa- bad sign If you're not atama no ii ter lake in Japan) was to our right and (clever enough) to wait for morning to the Chugoku mountains were to our do your exploring. left—we were walking north. We walked down one narrow road Travis Is a senior at Westsldo,a memand followed another. Time droned bor ofAZA #1 and Tempio Israel.

by Cory Epstein , Ttie/ehas never been anyone fresher, Retch truly defines grace underpressure. He looks In all the right places to find the dough, He Is six foot nine with the afro, With laughter you will ring. After he assures us that Sammy will not sing. It may seem that he knows not what to do, But he Is Just getting a bird's eye view.

0 0 0

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How do I explain no one cares to even think about it we liave lowered to meet the dense society we live in

, '.

His friends on the beach appear rather scummy, But never underestimate the power of Gummy. While playing tennis, Fletch does shank, But while at work he takes instructions from Frank. Fletch and his identities are all considered playaz, You may ha ve read his story, "Off-track betting In the Himalayas." Around the city, Fletch is for hire, You can always find him In his Lakers attire. twin is in a constant search, Whether it be in a factory or in a church. He writes his articles under Jane Doe, But his true Identity, we will never know.

Cory la a Iroahman af Wp9fe/(fe>, a member otAZA 91, OTY& end Temple ferae/.

no one understands me let alone why we exist anymore tliere is no purpose if everyone portrays hatred toward the kind and innocent let them choose their way to go they don't realize that they are the ones getting hurt can't you see we 're losing it all us crying out won't bring it back it will never be the same as long as we keep it the way it has never beenwe deserve nothing less than to start over from the beginning,,.

by Anelise Ocanto

Darkness of the clouds in my head Fury builds up by the rumbling of thunder Anger breaks out as lightning destroys Water pours as eyes clinch shut' All hell has broken loose A gentle wisp, of wind calms the skies "" Rays, ofwamness give tlie earth it glow A& longer is there tension int her.. The wrongness of his mistakes have weakened

THUNDERSTORM by Anelise Ocanto ' Anelise- Is o sophomore at Westsldo, a member of USY, MZ Yoshanah BBG, NCSY and Beth El Synagogue.

A COLLEGE ESSAY by Rachel Shukert — — — — — The most universal and quintessential human experience is the neverending search for meaning that to some.degree all of us participate in. What are we looking for? An elusive beam that at times of rare understanding glimmers faintly, teaslngly, in the distance, promising that final moment of illumination when the search is done? Literature is full of symbolic journeys, or as the genre named them itself, odysseys, and they often have Ironically futile endings. Godot never arrives, the Holy Grail remains ever lostfmlllions of dollars inadvertently go up in flames in Ocean's Eleven. , But this, too. Is the way of the world. The purpose Is not in the prize, but in the race, and this pattern repeats over and over again in love, in life, probably in death. Writing this essay as I am applying to college Is not easy for me. I am notoriously evasive when asked to reveal things about myself, preferring instead to compose diatribes of generalities on the seemingly nobler topics of "the essence of humanity" and "the universality of mankind," but as of late I am realizing how incredibly pretentious that is. I am 17 years old What do I know? Anyway, this essay, with apologies for my incoherent, pseudo-existentialist opening, was supposed to be about a work of art that has changed my life in some way, or the way I view myself. , The answer to this, though unoriginal, Is simple. There Isn't one. They all • have. Every novel I have ever read has' added a new dimension to my life, every play I have ever seen has stimu-

lated some kind of reaction, every painting or sculpture, well, you get my drift. This is not to say that I have liked everything, in fact quite the contrary. A critical but discerning eye is essential in the art world, as everywhere. But even sitting with your grandmother through - the most repugnant community theater revival of Hello Dolly! warrants a response whether it be a fervent prayer Rachel to a higher being that your own acting career might turn o u t . . .rather differently or a more constructive resolve of how to apply the lesson of the mess you just saw to your own work. Another view of art that I have developed over the years is that the really good stuff does more than merely entertain or please me aesthetically. It makes me feel, more vividly than real life does.. .certain songs that recall the tender pangs of first heartbreak, movies that make me long for experiences I may never have. Things that are so beautiful and so true that they make me cry. But the very best of all is art that Inspires and forces you to create yourself. ' Rachol la a senior at Central, a member of WZ Yoshanah BBG, USY end Beth El

Synagogue, i

'J\~.Js^*

2-CARAT MARQUIS DIAMOND RING

Needs in former FSU

Book report contest winners receive awards

American Heart Association-'

(Continued from page 1) Conservative movement; $2,083,000 to the Reform; and $836,000 to the Orthodox. In addition to these separate direct allocations, an additional $16 million Was granted to programs devoted to promoting Jewish unity and religious diversity, fpr a total oi; $21 million of the United Israel Appeal allocations (funded through, the UJA/Federafion sysjtem, from gifts made to local annual campaigns). , ,, ,, . The group's flight.to Minsk,left Tel Aviv at 5:20 a.m. First, on the itinerary waa a visi| to Vapa.a memorial to 5^000 Jews killed in 1942 by Nazi sympathizers. ,, ,

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Winners of-the'annual Elinor A. Whitman Book Appreciation Contest received their prizes at a ceremony and reception on Sunday. The event .was sponsored by the'Jewish1 Federation Library andi Omaha-area religious Bchools as part of Jewish Book Month. Jean Ann Krupinsky, President, of the library Board, made the presentations. Judges were Deirdre Evans, Hollis Glaser, Marsha Greenhill, Judy Josephson, Frances Juro, Nadine Kutner, Lois Wine and Martin Wolf. The contest memorializes Elinor Whitman, who served on the Library Board for many years. Pictured above: winners in the book jacket contest were, kindergarten: Lev Nachman, Molly Goldberg and Emily Newman; first grade: Rebecca Crabb, Avery Hannah LehT; second grade: Benny Nachman, Matthew Heyman, David McCartney; third grade: Seth Rich, Michael Crabb, Holly Walts; fourth grade: Chelsea Taxman; fifth grade: A wreath was placed at the site of the synaJason Rich; sixth grade: Molly Needelman, gogue where Peres's grandfather and family Rebecca Clark; seventh grade: Rebekah Phillips. perished in a fire set by Nazi sympathizers. "We stood overlooking a pit that was the grave for this horrible tragedy," recalled Kully. "Sadly, Minsk was 50% Jewish at that time; today, Jews represent a mere, one-percent." ; From there, the group saw examples of the Hunger Relief Program, in which Jewish Agency staff deliver monthly food parcels to Jews in need. At the home, of 85-year-old Basia, the Omahans learned she received the equivalent of $38 a month, of which $8-$10 iB spent on heat. She lives in a slum-like building, and spoke of her constant loneliness, a problem common to the 300,000 elderWinners of the book report contest were, first ly Jews of the-fprmer Soviet Union grade: Daniel Klein, Rachel Martin, Zach Spooner; second grade:.Bobby Newman, Joe Goldberg; Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen; third grade: Leslie Graul, Taylor Sanford; fourth grade: Lindsay Belmont; fifth grade: Jordan Eenik, Jonathan Gates, Adam Skog; sixth grade: Hannah Wolf, Steve Patton, Rebecca Smedlund; eighth grade: Brandon ' Rich. '

Whizin Prize to be awarded on Jewish business ethics The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) announces the Third Annual Whizin Prize for the best new essay on Jewish business ethics. A $500 award will be given to the grand prize winner. Suggested topics include Jewish attitudes toward social responsibility of corporations, advertising, competition, the ethics of profits and prices, investment and consumer responsibility, and management responsibility to employees according to Dr. Dawn Robinson Rose, Director of RRC's Center for Jewish Ethics. "Our tradition can be opened up to speak to moral issues in contemporary business. This competition can be a living bridge to gaining increased awareness of Judaism and engagement,with Jewish tradition," noted Rabbi David Teutsch, RRC president. ) All entries should be between 350 and/2500 words, typed double spaced. To allow for anonymity of judging, entries, should have name, address, and phone number on a separate piece of paper. •Mail'to The Whizin Prize, Reconstructionist RabbinicarCollege, 1299 Church Rd., Wyncote, PA ' J9095-189{J.-tentries must? be postmarked by May 10. The prize will be awarded in June. ' ',"/ I ..< T|or questions, call (215) 576-0800 Ext. 43 or email cheshicliferrc.edu •• • •' The' "tyhjzin Prize iB'part of the College's Center ifor Jewish"Ethiqs, founded in 1994, which address- ea the need for" contemporary guidance rooted in Jewish values and the demands of contemporary life. The Center trains future rabbis to be teachers c and ethical guides for the Jews they serve; develops resources and study guides; and provides a "think tank" on Jewish ethical issues.

J o e Kirshenbaum (left), and Bob Kully explored the cemetery where Peres' grandfather is buried. Many of the stones were dam: aged or overturned. . A special visitor had'joined the mission on the flight from Israel to $Iinsk. Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres had another goal in mind when he agreed to serve as scholar-in-residence. On the second day iri'Minsk, Peres led the group to the small towns of yolojin and Vishnyova, where they visited the site of Peres' birthplace and the grave of his grandfather. ^'';' Peres' birthplace no.longer exists and the cemetery is overgrown with,weeds and unkempt. Many of the stones are overturned;, due to erosion, names of those buried there, are difficult to read. The yeshiva where Peres! studied as a boy has been replaced by a'market. There are only 12 Jews left in a community wher.e 1500 once lived. ; When rth'e"fascists'came in 194?, .they ordered Peres' grandfather, the rabbi of the community, into the synajjogu'e, along with; 600 pf the1 town's Jews and set the shul afire. All perished, including Peres' family. "We walked through the streets," recalled Jan Perelman, "dirt, mud, unpaved roads-it looked like an Appalachian shanty town. (Continued on next page)

seei

Weeds in former FSU (Continued from previous page) "We saw an old man here and an old couple there," she continued, "and Peres stopped to them; they did remember his family. , • . "At what remains of the Jewish cemetery, we held an emotional memorial service, realizing how short distance from Chernobyl, site of the largest mcredibleitwasthatwewereheretddoso^* '•'Perelman noted that Minsk is located only a short distance from Chernobyl, site of :thB largest nuclear disaster in this1 century: The' group'discovered that high levehrof radiation'We still present in the soil, contaminating local fruit -and'- vegetal bles. Water must still be boiled from bacteria present since World War II. At the local community center, the OmahanB spoke to a couple, both university professors, who wanted their child to go to Israel, because "there is no future for him at Belarus. "They fear increased anti-Semitism," noted Perelman. "Local politicians today include all kinds of remarks about 'the Jews' and Jewish influence on economics as the situation grows worse each year. "These parents desperately want a better life for their children," she added, "They depend on us to make t h a t possible and the Jewish Agency depends on our dollars to make it happen." In speaking about his childhood home, Peres recalled, "I never knew the sky was blue until I arrived in Israel at theagebflO. .1 K=, .. ,;;-••: •"Iorilykflewgrayrhesaid-'aadly'.' "i-ji,, IF

'overwhelming'

Though officially no longer communist, the citizens of Belarus still behave the same as they did before the fall of the USSR. At the hotel in Minsk, babushkas, older women, sit in glass boxes on every, flptfr and watch everything., Just outside the hotel rooms, guardB sit' in military uniform, all

with'their parents within three years, "The'students get settled first and..then the parents join them, but the rest may never see their families again."

. •'•'

.•.•..^...•.>'!'

, -•• \

Kully recalled his own family's background from a shtetl not far from Minsk! • ' • • - . B!??* J8 ?srael and I was named after

VTp;date, .the. Jewisjii Agency: has rescued and resettjed S0jn^?5'0;q00 Jevys froflr5yie;f&n|e)P: Soviet l^nion and the plan is,to have resettled one

>iiey from Russia in J890," he recalled. "Only now!

continue wet need to create a; reason for; then),;to wantto'comejitovhavejhope thatthere is another life; We give them that'hope through.knowledge; ttiponi(intensive;Hebrew classes), Jewish 'd.ay schools and'summer camps,/are all-building blocks for those who,will one, day leave;" b;;.:c;I ; w.-.-ii.! ->rb . "I'veitbld. HUB1 story. 20hiime»,since Omaha,"sald, Joe iKirshonbaum.vjiI'jttJ . more emotional* now.than.thaniWhen I

well. Barb and Mike Platt aqd Julee and Rick; at^âre;îsi6^;dhairlpften. & V! •• : ':• t^'âre;îsi6^;dhairlpften. ' r^-.u:,.&• \ Omaliahswill haVe'Hhe opportuhiyr tfi'siae the, ^situation i.nr.jthe.îjrîer gpyiet Uônj for theini :selves whjenr^-.MtfAaMissiqn visifs j^lpscow and 5 Israel- from -Nov.- 7-23, as part of the continuingjceljebrationsoflBraerS'SOihlanmyersary. 5 \ Leaders pf that tnVMon'^'are Joe and Maxino :Kirshe.nba'um ajnd Jan and Les Schiije^cler.man. |

n i g h t Ior4g»:; --

•• ••"•:'''. r ' ^ i - :*>.+'.'''^

Kully'agreed, "Every, timie I) talk about it,'I'm 1 more-'committed.'We have* to-do everything-we can tohelp theseyoung people remain Jewish."'. • . < . ' iKirshenbaum noted that 67.9^-of • the, teens and. young adults', are .reunited -

»-• •-

The next day, Sveta's Jewish grandmother,'right, burst into tears when Bob Kully (standing next to her) handed her the photo of her granddaughter. This photo was taken at the home of Sveta's mother (second from left) between Jan Perelman and Joe'Kirshenbaum. Sveta's other grandmother stands between Joe and Bob.

Dinner in Tel Aviv included a 15-year-old Jewish girl,from Minsk, (seated next to J a n Perelman, left): Svetlana, or 'Sveta' as she called herself. She had scored well enough on the exam to qualify for the Jewish Agency program that brings young people to Israel, without their parents. A photo of her with the group was taken {6 M f £

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 6,1998

Taxpayer Relief Act makes first changes in 15 years

New tax law benefits are far reaching, unevenly distributed

American taxpayers were promised federal tax relief, and Congress and President Clinton came The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (TRA '97) will through for them. affect the way we Americans invest, operate our However, the new law, the Taxpayer Relief Act of businesses, and plan our estates., 1997 (TRA '97), distributes tax benefits unevenly, TRA '97 includes the first major change to gift so some individuals fare better than others. In and estate taxes in more than 15 years. For many addition, the changes go into effect in stages so the Trenton B. Magid contributors and friends of The Foundation of the full impact of the law's many provisions won't be John L. Bilby Jewish Federation of Omaha, the changes mean realized for several years. Timothy J. Kushner reduction or elimination of federal estate taxes. Finding your way through this massive document Bradley Ruth Your will, living trust, and other estate plans is no simple matter. Tax analysts maintain that the may need to be amended to take full advantage of new law may represent one of the more complex Scott Mounce the new opportunities. Tax cuts may enable you to tax statutes Congress has ever enacted. make a larger bequest to 1 The Federation ; , : > SALES 'LEASING, „ Older Americans fare better than some other taxFoundation than might otherwise have been possi- payers under TRA '97, but they are not the only ; • •: PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ble. Our office can show you ways to incorporate winners. Middle-income'jparents of children who >:••• 'PROJECT MANAGEMENT gifts to The Federation Foundation in your estate ' are 16 years old or younger will receive a $400 tax -'•-••-••••INVESTMENTS ' plans that will save both income and estate taxes - credit (for each child) to be applied against the famat modest cost to your other beneficiaries. ily's federal income taxes.' . ' ••'•'•'-'•'.., 362 North 114th St. • Omaha, NE j The Federation Foundation has compiled this Credits are better than deductions because credreport on TRA '97 from various sources to assist its are written off directly against tax. The credit (402)697-8899 you in understanding the changes and require- rises to $500 per child in 1999. But the credit phasments of the new tax law. es out once a family's modified adjusted gross For further information, contact your attorney, income tops $110,000 on a joint return and $75,000 accountant or The Foundation office at 334-6440. on a single return. Middle-income families with college-bound chilNew law trims federal dren also benefit. For example, the law created a Hope Scholarship Credit of up to $1,600 for higher taxes for. heirs Residential Mortgage Services, Inc. The Taxpayer Relief Act (TRA '97) trims the education expenses incurred in the first two years. YOUR LOW COST-FULL SERVICE MORTGAGE LENDER A number of changes will directly affect older amount of federal taxes heirs will have to pay on Americans including a lower capital gains tax and • I D A Y NO COST PRE-APPROVAL! sizable estates they inherit. Under the new law, each taxpayer receives a uni- a change in the way gains from the sale of a home • NEW CONSTRUCTION - LONG TERM RATE LOCKS WITH fied tax credit equal to a $625,000 exemption on are taxed. Taxpayers nearing retirement and those REPRICING AVAILABLE I F RATES GO DOWN! estate taxes owed. The exemption continues to still saying for it will benefit from many changes > MORTGAGES WITH NO DISCOUNT POINTS. increase until it reaches $1 million in 2006, not the law makes in individual retirement accounts. NO ORIGINAL FEES - NO CLOSING COSTS! But not everyone walks away a winner. adjusted for inflation. And the largest increases • NO-COST T.L.C., A TRU-LOCK COMMITMENT©. Taxpayers will see little change in their tax situaare almost totally limited to the last three years. ALLOWING YOU TO LOCK A RATE WHILE YOU ARE SHOPPING FOR Family-owned businesses that qualify also tion if they don't have children, don't own a home, HOME OR LOCKING A RATE WHILE YOU MARKET YOUR HOME TO PROSPECTIVE BUYERS. . receive an estate tax break. The $600,000 estate and put their savings in a passbook account or 1 SPECIAL FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER FUNDS. tax exclusion increases to $1.3 million in 1998 if invest in certificates of deposit. Some Americans will pay more in taxes. Smokers the family business and its owner meet some of the > 100% LTV EQUITY LINES OF CREDIT, SECOND MORTGAGES AND and frequent air travelers, for example, will end up most complex provisions in the law. 100% LTV EQUITY ADVANCES TO BUY YOUR NEW HOME! Also, if the heirs either sell the business or do not paving more because the law increases taxes on cig'LOW COST FIXED RATE, ADJUSTABLE RATE AND . materially participate in it for five of any eight arettes and extends the excise tax on air travel. BALLOON MORTGAGES! Overall, the tax breaks in TRA '97 are many. So years during the 10 years following the owner's CALL GARY NACHMAN -, death, they will be liable for what is known as take some time to see where you might benefit. FOR YOUR RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE NEEDS recapture of the taxes avoided, plus interest. In 333-7900 Tax relief after disasters addition, the heirs will be liable for taxes on.' any Other Offices: capital gains on the sale. The last thing people think of after a disaster is Bellevue (292-7900) Lincoln (423-8885) J taxes. But the IRS says some losses can be recouped through federal income tax breaks. Daniel T. P8eiss "Losing personal or ., business property due CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT to a fire; flood; hurricane, theft or other sim-. 399 No. 117th.§t. OFF. (402) 333-2133 ilar event is devastatSuite 400 FAX-(402) 333-2214 ing. People who suffer a Omaha, NE 68154 RES. (402)431-9267 casualty loss or theft .The new Roth IRA differs from the traditional IRA in • may be able to deduct •.'fundamental ways. Qualifying withdrawals can |>e •,..•• the loss when they .taken tax free. But, contributions to the Roth IRA are itemize deductions on ..not tax deductible. their tax returns. by Sheldon A. Bernstein, Endowment Director

Roth IRA vs. TraditionariM ;;—Which Is Best For You?

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So, which IRA is best for you? Should you convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 1998when you're permitted to spread the tax burden over four years? We've been helping people plan their financial . _ futures for over 70 years. Our experienced investment professionals can work with your tax adviser to determine which plan is right for you. Then, we can open a new IRA or convert an existing IRA, whatever works best in your situation. For more information, contact Cheryl A. Clark, Vice • President and Branch Manager, at 402-392-7879. ;

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February 0,1908

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 15

Fewer home sellers will pay capital gains tax The new Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (TRA '97) anytime afterward. The old rules apply for homes pay tax on the gain, assuming the gain is less than $500,000. makes a major change in the way capital gains are sold before that date. Under the old law, taxpayers age 55 or older were treated when taxpayers sell their principal resiKeep in mind that this change in the tax law stipable to sell their primary residence and not pay fed- ulates that taxpayers who have accumulated more dence. Married taxpayers, filing a'joint tax return, can eral capital gains tax on the first $125,000. That than a 500,000 gain in selling their homes will be now exclude up to $500,000 of the gain from the was a once-in-a-lifetime tax break. In addition, pay- required to pay capital gains taxes on any amount sale of their home. A single filer can exclude ing any gain on thesale of a home could be avoided, over $500,000. This situation might occur if the if within two years of the sale, a new home was price of the home has gone up substantially over $250,000. •. . ' The exclusion on the sale is permitted as long as purchased that was of equal or greater value than the years or if profits were, continually rolled over the seller has owned, and used the property as a the.old home. ,,•-., from previous home's and the total rolled-over profit The new tax benefit is not limited to one-time use is more than the limit. principal residence for at least two of the last five ' years. .... ' . r \ ."..'.',; \."...;; ]..:'\ " , ' 'V :' and there is no longer an age requirement. The change is seen as beneficial for homeowners For married couples filing a joint return, just one Taxpayers who- have a principal residence and a . because fewer will end up,paying capital,gains tax spouse has to meet the ownership requirement, but vacation home they plan, jto live in when, jhey retire \ on the sale 6f their principal residence. In addition, both^spouses must meet the use requirement to '; may find' this provisionespecially, appealing. ,,. .;•., . the change simplifies the recordkeepihg requirW. qualify for the full exclusion. '], •',.','",'. Her.e'S; why:: They .can.sell, thpir, .principal,resj - ,. ments that existediinder; the old law, because itis The new provision went "into ^ffec'f on May 7, , dence and 6tart Jiyip& in their vacation home ,and; not rilejessary to keep elaborate records to doc^i. 1997, and inapplicable (to homes sotfl WtWt'ijlay or after; two years time, sell, a vacation home and not men|J|e:?faxlbaBi3i'ior costiofla home;5u>M £3K B$,

Tax credit for some workers ;

Tji'e Earn'ed income Tax dreditîEITC) can'add to . ered.to.liye in the.Um'ted Spates during that;duty the income of some workers. Here's1 how, ' ''\'' '' ' periodiiandjinay be ^bje.tft get the;i}ITC,as long.as .,,. The. EITC reduces the tax some workers otye and ' they meet all the other rules. However, workers may give them refunds even if thêy. don't awe any r who are nonresident, Miens for any p'art of the year tax. It could be worthJa few dollars"or as much as." ' cannot claim the credit ûnless they, are married to $ 3 , 6 5 6 , . " ' ; • •;'•; '. ;•'.•.• • • • • - . • • \ ^ ' \ ••'•• a U.S. .citizen orTesident and chMose to be treated : Even people who have never filed a tax return as V resident alien for the'entire year. ••••••• : before,, and who don't earn enough income to file yAll workers must have earned'income from '; wages or self-employment. Then- income must be one this year, could get the credit. "For those who qualify," the IRS says, "all it less than $29,290 if they had two or more qualifying children, less than $25,760 if they had only one takes is a tax return to get their EITC refund." The credit is based on income and the number of qualifying child. A worker without a qualifying qualifying children the workers have living with child must earn less than $9,770, be at least age them in the United States for more than half the 25 and under 65, not be eligible to be a dependent year, or for the whole year if they have foster chil- and must have a main home in the United States dren. Workers who do not have a qualifying child ' for more than half the year. No one with more ; than $2,250 in investment income, such as interest may also get a credit of up to $332. Those who are in the U.S. military on extended or dividends, niay'cl'aim the EITC. "Working families may'be able to get extra money active duty outside the United States are considi

in tKefr pockets now," the IRS says. Those wtuT' will earn less than the 1998 income limits and have at least one qualifying child may get part of their-EITO-added to their*paychecbs:-Details are..,' ori Form W-5, "Earned.Income Credit Advance Payment* Certificate^- Whiri^ they?must giyelp' theu- employers. Based, on the employee's earnings, the' employer adds'a certain amouht of inotiey, which is actually part of the EITC, to the employee's pay. ThisadvanceEITC option gives'a: worker some additional money throughout .the year,• rather than getting it all in a lump sum after filing t h e r e t u r n .

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; Anyone who fraudulently claims the EITC won't . get it for, the next 10 years.. This is a result, of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997; It also prevents people who recklessly or intentionally disregard EITC rules and regulations from getting1 the : credit for two years. For information, call 800-829-3676i :M:-.-;

RETIREMENT PLANS TIIATI^EPUP RETIREMENT PLANS. No matter what your future holds, First National Bank of Omaha can help make sure you're prepared.

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$95,000 to $110,000 ($150,000 to $160,000 on a joint return). Unlike the other two IRA types, Roth IRAs allow people to contribute after they reach age 70, and don't, require. ,any mandatory withdrawals. , ,, ,!•' Those with AGI under $100,000 can roll over a non-Roth IRA into a Roth IRA. They will have to pay tax as though they had withdrawn the funds, but there is no early withdrawal penalty. If the rollover takes place in 1998, the taxable amount is spread out over four years. That is, one-quarter of the taxable rollover is included in income in 1998, 1999, and so on. Married couples filing separate returns can't roll over into a Roth IRA. The.Taxpayer Relief Act also created an "Education IRA," which is not a retirement savings vehicle, but one used to pay for qualified higher education expenses of a designated beneficiary. It features nondeductible contributions up to $500 a year per beneficiary, with no tax on the earnings when used for higher education expenses. The beneficiary must be under age 18 when the contribution is made. The limit is phased out for a contributor as that person's income increases, with the same phase-out range as for the Roth IRA. For people who want to tap into their non-Roth IRAs to help pay for qualified higher education expenses, the Act allows them, to do so. And firsttime home buyers can withdraw up to $10,000 from their IRAs. In each case, they'll pay tax on the amount withdrawn, but no penalty. Publication 690, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), gives more information on IRAs, including how to compute and report deductible and nondeductible contributions, when to start withdrawing money, the new rules beginning in 1997 and what actions will result in penalties; Publication 553, Highlights of 1997 Tax Changes, discusses hew tax law. Order them by calling 1-800-829-3676. f

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The Internal Revenue Service has revised Form 1040*8 Schedule D, used to report capital gains and losses, to reflect changes made by the Taxpayer ; Relief Act of 1997. The law'generally cuts1 the top tax rates for net capital gain 'for' transactions — including installment payments received - after May 6, 1997, on property held more than one year.'For transactions after July 28,1997, the first two rates apply only to property held more than 18 months. The rates are: - "' 20 percent for most gains, but 10 percent for gains that would otherwise be in the 15 percent • tax bracket;' 25 percent on non-recaptured Section 1250 gain, which results from the depreciation of real estate; and 28 percent, for gains on collectibles and for gains after July 28, 1997, on property held more than one year but not more than 18 months. "We've distilled an extensive set of capital gains rules into a form that takes taxpayers line-by-line through the computations," the IRS says. "While this results in a longer form, it's one that works for the taxpayer." The new Schedule D for individual returns incorporates a 13-line maximum capital gains tax worksheet that had been in the instruction book and expands it to account for the various rates established by the new tax law. The extra lines for listing transactions, which had filled page two of Schedule D, will be on a separate Schedule D-l, as they were prior to 1993. The IRS has also revised the capital gains schedules for S corporations, partnerships, and estates and trusts, to accommodate tax law changes. For more information on capital gains, get Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses. It's available through the IRS Web site at www.irs.u8treas.g6v, or by "phone at 1-800-8293 6 7 6 :

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Invest in an IRA These days, people havetoplan ahead and inv wisely to provide for a more secure retirement. I many, setting'up an individual retirement arrani ment (IRA) can give that extra peace of mind. Anyone who has taxable compensation, such wages, tips, commissions and taxable alimony, a who1 will be under age 70 at the end of the year, c set upari IRA: Money can be put into anIRA a time during the year or by the due date of the t return for that year, 'hot including extensions.' Contributions must be in tlie form of money, su as cash, check or money order. Property does count. Many people can deduct part or all of th contributions. And the earnings generally are i taxed until they are withdrawn from the account The most a person can contribute for any year $2,000 or taxable compensation, whichever smaller. Married couples who both work can ea invest up to $2,000. And beginning in 1997, a cc pie may put $2,000 into each spouse's IRA even one spouse has little or no taxable compensate Previously, their combined contributions were 1L ited to $2,250. Starting in 1997, the 10 percent additional tax early withdrawals from an IRA doesn't apply to d tributions up to the amount paid for non-reii bursed medical expenses that are more than 7 p< cent of adjusted gross income. Also, the 10 perce tax may not apply to distributions up to tl amount people pay for medical insurance for thei selves, their spouse and dependents. However, c< fain conditions must be met. The Taxpayer Relief Act adds some new IRA pi visions beginning in 1998. One is a new IRA Invest in. The "Roth IRA" features nondeductit contributions, with tax-free distributions if th< begin at least five years after the initial contrib tion and the taxpayer is at least age 59, or disable or a beneficiary, or the proceeds are used for a fin time home purchase.

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For older ;Am.ericans,fsomEi-legislative changes $7,800. The limit for a married couple filing a joint may affect theirfax planning; and some tax bene- return is $13,000 if only one; spouse is; (SB, and fits are still available.'Here's the.scoop. • $13,800'if both are 65; or older. For a qualifying ' < Putting off filjng.yoi^,,toreturn?.((ipuld-ypu;use . New law has replaced the orice-in-a-lifetime tax widow(er) with a dependent child, the amount is some professional tax:help?The answer;rina break when people age 55or older sell-their, person- $10,3^0. And for a senior head: of household, it's close as your own neighborhood. '.'.' • •;!} i ;IRS-traine<j;yplunte0rs from VIT^. "*' al residence. Under the old law, they could qualify $9,700. ^ .'. ' ": ''• ' ' r:! ' ' ' for an exclusion of up to $125,000 of gain on ahome Those who don't itemize deductions get a higher •' Income Tax Assistance) will prepare, sir, p sale. And they still, can, if they, sold their home standard deduction when they reach 65. And those and. state tax, returns for low-income,, elderly ,an(J disabled taxpayers.an^ for.people \?hpi^pn'tpppak who are blind get an extra added amount. before May 7,1997. . . ; , . The Taxpayer Relief Act, signed .into law on Seniors or people with disabilities may qualify for English. VITA sites are located in librariesipost offices Augusttr,5, 1997, allows people ? 1997/ll l regardless dl of f age tto thecredit for the elderly or the disabled; TWs credit and shopping mails throughout Eastern Nebraska.,, .exclude up. to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 pn a joint is based on age, income and Cling Btatus, ahd can ::",; AccQiding to,.Robert ,E.,Bj-azzil, pir/eqtpfupif the , rejtjurn).from uie sale of a personal residence after reduce the amount of.taxes owed. Tiioseiinder 65 •IRSiMidwest^pistrict, tb.e. IRS helped, more, than May 6, 1097. Unlike the': one-time exclusion, this !couldbe eligible if (hey.retirfewitft total and penria- f: 36,000 taxpayers, ^jt,more |han 300 sites jqc^.ted and one i s a l l o w e d o n c e e v e r y t w o y e a r s , b u t o n l y i f t h e «°«+'jUaotiiiitw-aiirii hnvn inivimo fem than- amnintt. •'*• ^ l pther,âxpayers rpceiypd jiejp;at person used the home as a principal residence for y er because of that disabffiiy. at le'ast.iwo oii't of thefive years before the sale. " ' The iRS'Honsiders persons tobe'ageeSbri'the spme .80QQ sitesaround the nation. i; ti>l;ilI , )(i ^ People n . — , .age ' ^ - t55 c ôr v .older u ^ . -who i i . sold . - . j . their ! . . ^ homes i . ; i _ - -after ^--' 'a^before'tjieir^$bu^^ May 6 and before August 6, 1997, may choose born on J a a r i ; i93'3,'aê; afe 65*0^ fieci 3l;;l'997,il': Brazgil paid, " ^ ' t a f f p r d ^ n a , , ^ !!:A _; ; ^ q|, t ^ ' e i t h e r e x c l u s i o n : ; : '' •'•'•••'•*•• ''••v- • - ' • : • . -.'•:and can'claim tax jjeiiefits'delated:•$&that!age on';' i,...VITî ivolunte,er8!\vjnicpmplete the^p (and.^ '•r The"Act'-also' inakes" availablea' hew'individual th'eir m r r e t u r n s . ; ; ; ; , ; ; ;: ^ [ d retirement arrangement'(IRA)-starting in 1998. ' For' more information, get Publication' 554;! 6lder • h ) f d l .i.,T!9,1l This new "Roth'IRA" features norideductible contri- Americans Taxfctuide,and Publication' 9lO; Guide Form 1040 with Schedules A, BlLSqhpd)ile,.J3 butions,'with tax-free distributions if they begin at to Ftee'Tax Services; ball 1^00-8&9-&6'feZ'' r ' ; : ''( E d I G ^ J d F ^ f f i least five years after the initial-contribution and • iingi the Child. Gare'CJre.dit, land the stfttgjequiyajent the taxpayer is at least age 59,. or .disabled; or a !:-0f these forms,^(Fprjjnprp QQmplex,,tax:retur|ns)or beneficiary, or the proceeds are used for afirst-time i'for.'forms ixotiliste^dj Jtiererip).ease see;^^Dôêssional home purchase. People, can contribute after they [.: Different, tax rules -can applytP-military personi,tax,pi-eparer for assistance.) ., ;,,,;!,.-,, >,„... ; reach age: 70, and they don't have to, make mandanel that don't apply to civilians, The Internal To obtain h?lp from a VITA volunteer, tjipng the tory withdrawals Revenue Service has a publication that explains , IRS package booklets and forms, any ^yT2yearrend One benefit that is stijl around for older people is these rules, such as the combat zone exclusion, earnings statements, 1099 forms (interest eairnmg Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). It's available extension of time ito file income tax returns and statements) and other jmportant tax document^ A to people age 60 or older who need help with their tax what to include in gross income It also discusses social security number pi dependents, asfwell as returns Through TCE, volunteers from many organithe tax relief provisions for troops involved in or in thp taxpayer, is mandatory. ^ i fl(> zations provide free tax information and guidance support of the peaoe keeping efforts jn Bosnia ,and ,,, Fpr,more information 'or, itp locate a YLTA/pite, Local IRS offices have information on locations Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia call the I/RSjTaxpayer Education, Qffic,e3in Seniors age 65 or ojder may not have'to file a tax For details get IRS Publication 3, Armed Forces' iyiilwa,ukee, a-4;4-29,7r33021 or call the IRS nationreturn if their income is less than a'certain amount For 1997, that amount for single seniors is Tax,G\nde Write, to the IRS Forms Pistnpution al office,, Monday thrpqgh Saturday, at Center, F.QuSox 85627, Richmond, YA ?3285^5627 I

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Page 18

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 6,1998

New estimated tax threshold for 1998

New tax benefits for education

Learning can pay off when it comes to paying and the Hope Scholarship credit for their child's . ..,-;'.••:'••.•. M . , . I . , taxes. The Taxpayer Relief Act provides new tax s e c o n d y e a r i n c o l l e g e . In addition to these new credits,.people will be While most people pay their federal income taxes benefits for qualified education' expenses, but only able to deduct interest paid after.1997 on higher through payroll withholding, others must make for amounts paid after 1997. The Hope Scholarship credit will let people claim education loans. The maximum deduction is. $1,000 estimated tax payments throughout the year. The a credit up to $1,500 a year for'a qualified student's in 1998, increasing $500 a year until, it reaches Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 raised the individual first two years of post-secondary education-expens- $2,500 in 2001. People can take the deduction for, estimated tax threshold from $500 to$l,QOQ, beginw t h the 19?8 1 9 ? 8lax ) ^ yyear.. e a r .This This means that those. those es. This amount is based on 100 percent of the first interest paid on education loans for.themselves,' iling with $1,000 of tuition and fees (not books) and 50 per- their spouse or dependents, but only for the first 60, who expect to owe less, than $1,000 -- after taking : into account withholding and tax credits -,- will no months pftloan payments. • . •. . . . . cent of the next $1,000. ,••', '•.• ; ' 'People can-claim the credit for each eligible stu- ; ; Tjie edujcafion loan interest deduction is phased longer have to make estimated payments.! Estimate^ tax is the way to pay tax pn income dent in their family. The student must be enrolled out for incomes of $40,000 to $55,000 (for-married that is' .not covered by. withholding, such as selfcouples filing jointly, \ $60,000 to $76,000). atf least half-time for one academic period during the year for the expenses to qualify. The'credit.is> Dependents and married couples filing, separate employment income, interest, dividends,, alimony, rents and awards. Generally, if the income tax denied for any academic period the' student is conf returns can't take the deduction, ' To find out more about these educational tax. ben-., withheld from wages, pensions or other income is vi^ted of felony drug possession :6r,distribufidn. "'•?The credit is phased out for incomes of $40,000 to efits, call 1-800-829-3676; and ask for Publication , less than 90. percent pfstije, total. ,tax due, and the $50,000 (for married couples filing a joint return, 553, Highlights of 1997 Tax Changes. Information balance due is $j,90p qr more, .then, peopl^«houid<; $8^0,000 to $100,000). is,..fl}ap^r-available on t]be jJ[.ntern,et,.;. at- make estimated tax payments. .„.. •kvailable after June 1998,' 'tfye'L'ifetime^Bining 'ww\v.i^Ms{xea8.gov -,,,,includesvaj-Yt fi§we the.amounts,... cr idit lets people claim :^0MpeVcen!i:vol'"1;h'e>Wrsi''i)l " '' '"' '•"•' .$9,000 of post-secondary education exp^n£&;#acK-1''' -'Awd -mov Thftfifat-fiStimated i ye u*. The education includes graduate courses and .People can pay the whole year's estimated tas~at arty training to get or i,niprovfijob:sk^llst;V/oi>I;,J ,„, i,., rUj .i, : uof/W Unlike the Hope S,d)olarship.^ct?dit,.,Deoplg pan ,j,ri i a i

claim the Lifetime Leading &eA0ofanMinlimitep

C n Q Q S J n q 3 f a X D r e P a f e r ••"" > the y<W-«'Ehe other iinstallmenb due dates:are'June'

3 mjmber of years HoweVer,'tne'>sfnibuilttdffchWEred1-^'-'1f i J ~ " ' " ~ ; W ; eV,IT, •)., |f,:;.,-, .,r .;.;,. V 15, Sept.45,.find4taOiil5of.the,nextyear.r- r it floesn't increase with additional eiigiDfektiideh't8i'';'iSW?l?ing'tbr an incomeltaxprepsrer.thatîutt a,,,,. Mo,r i înformayt.»,abQut,estiinated tax.is,inH T$& Withholding and Estimated-family. It, is isphased out at the same income person's particular needs can t e quite a task, ô^, ;,,[ Publicatipn.;505, ! l e l e l s a s t h e H o p e S c h o l a r s h i p c r e d i t , a n d - c a n n o t h e l p m ^ e t h e b e s t c h o i c e j p e o p l e s h o u l d a s k t h e m : Tax. Call i-800-829>3676cto order Forml04Q-ES b e claimed for s t u d e n t s ' e x p e n s e s d u r i n g periods .selves these questions: , ,.... . . . . .,.... . and the publication. Or get them from the IRS Web • - • • • •credit • • • • • is • • claimed , « - . for . . . . . . • ' H o w c o m p l i c a t e d - i s m y t a x s i t u a t i o n ? D p I k n o w site at www.irs.ustreas.gov when the Hope Scholarship others who have gone to the preparer and can tell those students. ' Dependents and married persons filing separate me about the preparer's service? Does the preparer returns can't claim either credit. Both credits offer the electronic filing and payment options I might be claimed in one tax year, but not for want? Will the preparer be there later in the year, expenses related to the same-person. For example, or in a year or two, to answer questions on my qualifying parents might claim the, Lifetime return? The answers to these questions will help in the Learning credit for. their own educational expenses search.

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February 6,1998

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 19

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Be alert for additional taxbenefits Some of the changes in the Estimated tax payments: TRA Taxpayer Relief Act (TRA '97) provide '97 requires self-employed individuattractiye tax opportunities for tax- als, who owe at least $1,000 in federpayers. Some of the lesser-known al taxes for the year, to make quarchanges include: • terly payments of estimated taxes. Mileage r a t e for c h a r i t a b l e Employer-provided educational work: Beginning in 1998, volunteers assistance programs: According to are entitled to a charitable deduction the new law, expenses paid by an of 14 cents a mile for using their per- employer for courses started before •' sonal cars to do charity work. That's a June 1, 2000, can be excluded from two-cent increase. • •• the employee'^ income.' The)' amount Home-office deduction: Starting of tuition and fees that can be excludin 1999, home office administrative ed is limited to $5,250 per individual and managerial expenses can be per year. This provision had expired deducted if no other fixed location is for courses beginning after June 30, used to perform these activities. 1997. The exclusion covering all of Health-insurance deduction'for last year is also extended: ' ~ ' the self-employed: Self-employed taxpayers can deduct. 45 percent of .' The information for1 this report teas : the cost of their health insurance pre- compiled by the Foundation of the iniums in 1998 arid 1999. By 2007, Jewish Federation of Omaha from the percentage will gradually various sources, including the R&R increase to 100 percent. NewkbtandtheAAIIPBuUetin.

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Some non-resident aliens get 'EZ' tax form :

The Internal Revenue Service has • than $50,000, and comes only from •• a simpler tax form1 for nonresident i-» wages, salaries, tips, refunds of state aliens with simpler tax reporting andlocal income, takes, arid sch'olar-V requirements. Its Form 1040NR-EZ, ship or'fellowship grants '. ''-, .' ; ' "U.S. Income Tax Return for Certain i! They ^ e not claiming any itemized ' Nonresident; AlienB-f!Withf No;••- deauctidns other than state and local Dependents." '••"•'•:^'>''!;'«-iiricdme'taxes pSidrcre'd'its^or'^ny^1! Besides having no ^dependente^ exclusions from:^cioffiel'dther iian 1 '' nonresident^ienft'mu|&mgestS«er« r^6"^fership and'Tellowsllip1 ;gra'nts?:V tain other c o n a i ^ S g ; ^ > - ' t^l <m&mwe no "other taxes'^1!'liir<RCi •'"•'

' "If j;du .don't want to gotoMcPottald's,, perhapsithere's^ojther^lway.^toiiaye., , •.. your break. For.exampie... • , J If you started an endowment fund, y6u can benegt from major income, gift; and estate !, ^^fax breaks madeimore: attractive by the Taxpayer^^ReliefActof 1997. i ;,; ,;•, ••-,.

•,,,';';'.'': JlfygftB^vp a jbh^an'tteo^icfund; ydii'1 """ " ''"^"'""b'reaKs includihgan, ' a.; .no-; )/iimmediate tax deduction. iction. Assets in aa arejiott subject taihen-

1 They c a n n 4 * l P ' t ^ e | S ^ ^ f f ^ ^ r m s and instfut&oHs.^te'lo' '' ; ! v dependent o ^ s ^ e / ) a ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ) ^ w i g h i ^ ® Forms Distr'rbu'flb'h lfie £ter', '" They are ^^$Mm63^^f^0.,^^W^Rpx 85627, Richmond, VA

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William Jfr Sweet, C.P.A.

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trust, thS-full present value of.your deferred interest is immediately deductible for income ••tta^j>.iH^nfiftSrAmott.nlrR»fiai4toJiaa^skaaes-- -, often quah'fjtforfevorable^fcaxb^e^ks. The trust itself isJboOT^ecd|r taxlxemlt a & the trust can save thousands of dmlare in ',. endoweda supporting foundation, wliich also avoids^prwatejpund^jpn status, your fund is e u ^ s M w ^ w l w x breaks.

incoifleikki Bettdciibn in an amount «iJ . )nrpyighlyie,(j^y^pt,to the cash surrefiflej* value of the policy at the time of the gift. 7^30 Pacific. Street ':• .. Phone: (402) 397-8811 Omaha; NE 68106 < - : ; Fax: (402):k397-3051 ;

made a chaijtab^gJ^egpesTtJdn your will, your estate, qualifies, for reductions in -i

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lts estate tax liability

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it's not too late for 1998! For details'SHa more information, please calf :j

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Jewish Federation Foundation 0H8T-S8S-80£

i f the Jewish Federation of Omaha

Page 20

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

February 6,1998

Residents abroad have continuing tax obligation

Filing faxes, is easy -.with the IE-File

—• Every year, more people are putting away their United States citizens living outside the country pencils and tax forms and reaching for their comhave a continuing federal tax filing obligation to puter keyboards or telephones to file their taxes. the U.S. American citizens and resident aliens who Why? Because e-filing a tax return through live abroad may have to file U.S. income tax TeleFile, a tax professional, or the On-line Filing returns. People with permanent U.S. resident sta- Program is the fastest and easiest way to file tus are subject to tax on their worldwide income taxes. E-fling also results in faster refunds — about just the same as U.S. citizens. half the time it takes for paper- returns. Being out of the country does not change the U.S. Nearly 41,000 Nebraska taxpayers filed, their resident status of green card holders. They are still income taxes using TeleFile last year, according to liable for filing U.S. tax returns and could end up the IRS Midwest District Office. The IRS expects with sizeable penalty and interest payments if they even more of the 183,000 Nebraskans filing this don't file and pay their taxes due. year will use TeleFile. . However, the foreign earned income exclusion This interactive computer program figures and can provide some relief to taxpayers living and files your taxes in about ten minutes. Using the working in a foreign country. To qualify for the keypad on your phone to enter information about exclusion, they must have a tax home in a foreign yourincome found on your'W-2 form, TeleFile calcountry and be a resident of that country or meet a culates your tax and informs you of the amount of physical presence tax test. • your refund or the amount you must pay by the Those who qualify can subtract up to $70,000, for April 15 filing deadline. each taxpayer, of foreign earned income from their Filing your return with. TeleFile also means U.S. gross income. U.S. government employees are you'll get your refund faster - - i n about three not eligible for the exclusion, but some independent weeks. And if you. choose direct, deposit,;-you miy ':• contractors working for the U.S. government may, • receive your refund in as few as seven to ten days. :••' qualify. <The foreign earned income exclusion will Only taxpayers who receive' the. special TeleFile i! be increased by$20QQ .each,year, .starting. a t ; booklet in the : mail, hoWever, are'eligible to use H $72,000 in 1998 and reaching $80,000 in 2002 and TeleFile. That booklet cannot be replaced, so if you S thereafter. „ don't receive a TeleFile booklet, but-still want a fast *• To.claim the exclusion, file Form 1040 and attach ' and easy way to file your return, try e-filing through 4 Forjn.2555,:"Foreign Earned Income ," or 2555EZ, a tax professional who offers electronic filing. ,' "Foreign Earned Income Exclusion." Those who are Most tax professionals who offer tax preparation , latein filing may still be able to claim the exclusion also offer electronic tax filing, many at no additionfor. prior years, provided that they file before 'the al cost. Taxpayers who e-file through a tax profesIRS discovers their failure to elect the exclusion. sional can have both their federal and state ;' /The necessary forms and IRS Publication 54, Tax returns e-filed at the same time in one transmis•Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens sion to the IRS. Abroad, are available by writing to the IRS Forms Nearly 71,000 Nebraska taxpayers e-filed their Distribution Center, P.O. Box 85627, Richmond, returns through a tax professional last year. To VA 23285-5627, USA.

find tax professionals who participate in the IRS efile program, look for the "e-file" logo in their ads. Another e-file option, which is gaining popularity among taxpayers, is IRS's On-Iane Filing. This program allows taxpayers to prepare and file their returns through their personal computers using a third-party transmitter. Last year, three times as many taxpayers filed their returns on-line as in the previous year. To file on-line, taxpayers must first prepare their return on a computer using IRS-approved software. It can be found in computer stores or downloaded from an on-line service offering electronic filing. Taxpayers can then use the modem on their computer to send tax returns to the on-line filing company which transmits the return file to the IRS. Within 48 hours, the IRS notifies the taxpayer1 (through the on-line filing company) as to whether or riot the return has been accepted. The taxpayerv then mails any W-2 forms to the IRS along with a signed From 8453-OL. The IRS does not charge anything for On-line filing, but the on-line filing company may charge a transmission fee. You can get a complete list of companies enrolled in this program through the IRS home page at: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov

Child fax credit for'98 1

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 creates a new credit for people with children. Although not available for 1997 tax returns, some people can count on a child tax credit of $400 in 1998 ($500 in following years) for each of their qualifying children under age 17. This credit is reduced by $50 for every $1,000 of adjusted gross income above certain thresholds. To get the credit,,the name and Social Security number of each qualifying child must be on the tax return.

Use IRS e-file--and get your tax refund in half the time it usually takes. Evenfaster with Direct Deposit. IRS e-fite is simple and secure. There's quick proof your return is accepted. And it's so accurate, there's less chance you'll get a letter from the IRS.

AVAILABLE AT CUSTOMER SEfeVICE " ' ' CLICK, ZIP, FAST ROUND TRIP. Transmitted by Electronic Pro Inc., Cerdar Falls, IA.,

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