Vol. LXXXI
No. 41
Omaha, NE
UTammuz, 5762
June 21,2002
SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN SOWA FOR 81 YEARS
Argentine Jews Head for the Exits as-Country's Economic Crisis Persists by FLORENCIA ARBISER -
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BUENOS AIRES (JTA), ' ; , ' * . .;, : the recent combination - A gray winter weighs ., s . j " <j of inflation and financial heavily on the streets of ";j*-~ - "•'-. devaluation ruined Argentina—a sadness • -"J" • Pendeti's business as an electronic materials that stems from living in salesman. a country suffering from seemingly unmanageable The family has been liveconomic problems. ing without medical Exacerbated by the insurance, and Zouvi's parents have been prostunning failure o viding them with approxArgentina's national socimately $110 a month. cer team to advance past the first round of this Daniel Pendeti and Silvia Zouvi, with their sons, Asked about the vioyear's World Cup, the Guido, 13, and Gianni, 3, in Argentina shortly before lence in Middle East, melancholy can be heard moving to Israel. Photo by FtorenciaArbiseMJTA Zouvi --a shorthand clerk in the country's pizzerias, move theaters and homes. and former bank employee-answered that "terrorism For many of Argentina's 200,000 Jews, the ongo- exists in Argentina too; it is economic terrorism." ing economic crisis, which thrusts an estimated Their son, Guido, 13, is less sanguine about the 25,000 people into poverty each day, is increasingly move: "There is a war" in Israel, he says. provoking thoughts of emigration. In fact, on the day JTA interviewed Guido's famiFor one married couple, Silvia Zouvi, 41, and ly, the largest Argentine daily paper, Clarin, feaDaniel Pendeti, 43, the economic crisis was the last tured a front-page photograph of a terrorist attack straw. "Israel for us is the No. 1 choice, the only in Israel that killed 19 people. Despite Guido's qualms, the family moved to place that can give us the opportunity now," Pendeti told JTA. "Although I have Spanish and Israel last week-and they are not alone. During the 1990s, between 300 and 1000 Italian roots, I could not wait for four years until I Argentine Jews left for Israel annually. Last year, could get visas and work." The couple and their two sons have been grap- that number increased to 1400. (Continued on page 2) pling with economic problems for several years. But
Part IV
Tears of Terrorism by PAM MONSKY, Federation Communications Director
" Tears of Terrorism" documents real-life personal accounts of Israelis and how they are affected by the wake of unrelenting terrorist attacks. These stories are glimpses into how some Israeli Jews who face extraordinary circumstances. Contributions to the Jewish Federation of Omaha's Israel Terror Relief Fund will provide aid and services to victims and survivors of terrorist attacks in Israel. But like ripples in a pond, the effects of every suicide bombing radiate from the ruins of every explosion, growing wider as it reaches further, encircling innocent people caught in a senseless chain of events. In the wake of increased terrorism, tourism to Israel has become non-existent, creating another wave of victims—the thousands of people who have lost their jobs as scores of hotels, shops and restaurants are forced to close their doors. As patient loads soar, the ripples of terror are felt in the hospitals. There is not enough money to buy the latest in modern, life-saving medical equipment, and as a result, the standard of patient care begins to suffer. Schools can't afford to outfit their buses with bulletproof glass or install protective fencing around their playgrounds, leaving the children vulnerable to attacks. The ripples continue to expand across the land until every Israeli, indeed,every Jew, is touched by terrorism. The Israel Terror Relief Fund has a goal of $1 million. To contribute, please mail your donation to: the Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or call 334-6432. What follows are real stories of real Israelis-these are not fictionalized accounts. On the evening of April 3, the seventh and final day of Passover, Dr. David Zangin, a senior pediatrician at Hadassah Hospital, gave his wife and children an extra long hug and an extra kiss goodbye before leaving his Jerusalem home for Jenin. Just half an hour earlier, his company commander had appeared at his door with a T s a v 8" (emer-
gency mobilization) letter in his hand. Entering Jenin that night, David's IDF unit helped to launch Operation Defensive Shield in what was to become the most brutal battle of the military operation.
Dr. David Zangin, a senior pediatrician a t Hadassah Hospital, was called to Jenin with the IDF. David, a veteran of the Lebanon war who has spent countless hours in Hadassah's ER treating victims of terror attacks, was affected very deeply by what he saw in Jenin: "We had so many terrible casualties, and I was responsible for treating the wounded. As my friends~men my age with families at home~would enter the crowded center of the city, going from home to home searching for terrorist cells, I trembled with anxiety." Having spent difficult days watching IDF soldiers confront the daily threat of suicide bombers and booby-trapped homes in Jenin, David was immensely frustrated by the attitude of the media. (Continued on page 8)
Twenty Years Together is a Generation Blessed by OZ2IE NOGG —
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On May 19, more than 600 people joined together at Beth El Synagogue for "An Evening to Remember", in honor of Rabbi Paul Drazen, his wife, Susie and their children, Gila and Yoni. The tribute was Beth El's way of saying todah rabah (thanks) to the Drazens for the remarkable 20 years they gave to the congregation and to the Omaha Jewish community. Like most events of this type, the evening included speeches and the awarding of plaques. Jokes and tears. But-because music and parody and show-biz are part of the Beth El spirit—the evening was also filled with songs. The lyrics were written by Joanie Jacobson and Andee Scioli. I thank them for their words which have been freely and shamelessly lifted for this article—O.Z.
The Drazens a t Camp Ramah. Packing boxes were stacked against the walls and a few shelves were already emptied of books when I sat down in Rabbi Paul Drazen's office a few weeks ago to talk with him and his wife, Susie. Paul's office is a multi-purpose room where he's taught Bar and Bat Mitzvah kids, held counseling sessions for congregants, presided over Beth El staff meetings. But today, the office was more like a living room where three old friends could sit and reminisce about the Drazens' 20 years at Beth El, and talk about how they felt, just a few weeks before their scheduled move to the Twin Cities. So, what were their thoughts after 20 years in Omaha? How did it feel to be leaving? Never one to pull her punches, Susie said, "It's like I'm being exiled from my homeland. It's scary and wrenching—like going off to college." Paul stared out the window. "To a great extent," Susie continued, "Paul and I grew up at Beth El Synagogue. When we came here, Paul and I were kids. Gila was only 18 months old. The other day, I was packing up the photo albums and I stopped to look through some of the pictures and I came to one snapshot and I said to myself, Why is Gila holding that baby?' And then I realized it wasn't Gila holding a baby. It was a picture of me holding G i l a - . . . " . . . . Reluctantly, Paul added, "I've spent more time in (Continued o n page 10)
COMING NEXT WEEK: In honor «f the Fourth of July? "LaoiS <.J* Opportunity", an essay written by tr.t; late Maurice Katz. An interview with Bob Greene, author of Once Upon a Town, the story of the North Platte Canteen, and Omahan BAorrie Shapiro, who was there. An interview with comedian David Brenner, appearing in Omaha June 28-29.