The Jewish Press
GROUNDBREAKING
The Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home cordially invite the community to join us for a groundbreaking ceremony, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. to the east of the RBJH. We will have signage on campus directing visitors on where to go. This will mark the beginning of the third phase, which means the expansion of approximately 30,000 square feet and the addition of over 30 rooms. This comes on the heels of phase one and two, which have officially been completed.
The first phase included a renovation of the existing RBJH footprint. During this phase, all common spaces, resident rooms, and support spaces were updated to modernize the facility. When selecting finishes for this phase, the current residents were consulted and an architectural firm specializing in skilled nursing facilities was hired to ensure that the space would be a pleasant and comfortable home for those in our care. In addition to updating finishes, this phase included a relocation of our nurse’s stations to ensure that staff are stationed closer to our residents and better able to assist them as needed.
See Groundbreaking page 2
MICHAEL O’CONNOR
In Jewish culture, kosher meals are more than just “nice to have” — they are crucial to religious observance, tradition, and community. Friday evening Shabbat dinners are the start of the Sabbath, the weekly day of rest outlined in the Torah — and the most important ritual observance in Judaism.
You probably know this, Jewish students seek this, and we want to share these traditions with the larger community.
Being a resource for events and holidays that involve meals makes the Kosher Kitchen key for Jewish students to maintain dietary practices
and cultural connections while pursuing their degree.
The recently established Jewish Life Fund will enable the hiring of a staff member to supervise the kitchen and create programming for the university’s chapter of Hillel International.
The Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies will also be able to offer more events (e.g. activities, speakers). Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the center
See UNL Hillel page 3
MORGAN GRONINGER
JCRC Program and Communications Manager
JCRC Omaha proudly invites you to stand with us in celebration and solidarity at Heartland Pride 2025 on July 12, 2025. With our partners from Temple Israel, Beth El Synagogue, B’nai Israel Living History Synagogue, The Jewish Press, and the hardworking people who keep the JFO and JCC Campus humming every day, we honor our shared journey toward equality, visibility, and
community for all LGBTQIA+ individuals — in Omaha and beyond.
This year’s Pride promises to be a joyful, meaningful, and inclusive experience for everyone. Whether you want to march with us in the Pride Parade, cheer from the watch party, or participate in our special Rise & Pride Shabbat service and breakfast, there’s a place for you. We welcome members of our community to share in this vibrant celebration of love, diversity, and human dignity.
See Heartland Pride page 2
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
Continued from page 1
GROUNDBREAKING
While it actually occurred before the first phase, the second phase included all civil prep work necessary to prepare for the third phase. During this second phase we widened the road adjacent to the building, increased parking, and made improvements to our campus’s stormwater management system to ensure that the third phase can be constructed without significant disruption to campus operations or the surrounding neighborhoods.
“June 22 promises to be an incredibly exciting day, and we urge all community members to come and join us,” JFO Bob Goldberg said. “We are making an important investment in the future of care in our community, and it’s equally important that we celebrate occasions like these as a community, together.”
This entirely new wing of the building will feature two floors with one dedicated exclusively to short term rehabilitation. With the additional rooms, we will be able to convert nearly all rooms throughout the RBJH facility to singleoccupancy rooms, which provides greater privacy for our residents. All new rooms will feature dedicated showers and sizeable living spaces for residents.
Our Enhancing Quality of Life campaign aims to ensure the dignity of residents by providing private rooms and
best-in-class care. Data shows that residents’ mental and physical health improves with greater privacy.
Our goal is for the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home to continue to be the facility of choice for members of the community. In addition, we aim to ensure that the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is responsive to the needs of our most vulnerable community members by maintaining our five-star level of care regardless if residents have the means to self-fund their care or not, and that the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home services align with the changing needs of the community.
For 120 years, the Jewish Federation of Omaha (JFO) has proudly cared for fam-
IN THE NEWS
ilies, children, elderly and those at risk. It all began as a dream and vision of Omaha’s Jewish community leaders, and today we continue striving to meet the diverse needs of our community.
Our mission is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. We are also focused on realizing our vision of ensuring every person in Omaha feels welcome on our campus and is inspired to have meaningful and relevant relationships with the Jewish Federation and our agencies.
We are excited to see you Sunday June 22 at 10:30 a.m. as we enter this final phase.
Benjamin Chamberlin, son of Jennifer Kay, z”l and grandson of Helen and Les Kay, was one of 30 students to receive their white coat for DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy on April 4th. The Clinical Commencement Ceremony was held at Walsh Hall on the campus of College of Saint Mary.
The white coat ceremony is a symbol of responsibility, ethics, compassion and oath declaration in transitioning from classroom to eight months of clinical application culminating in a December 2025 graduation.
Heartland Pride
Continued from page 1
Register today to receive important updates on how you can get involved — whether it's volunteering, walking with our group, or helping spread the word. Registration and TShirt orders can be made by visiting the links below. Let’s walk in pride, in memory, and in hope. Together, from Sinai to Stonewall, our journey continues. Join us for Heartland Pride 2025 and show your love, your support, and your pride.
A special thanks to this year’s sponsors: Temple Israel of Omaha, Beth El Synagogue, B’nai Israel Living History Synagogue, The Jewish Press, and JCRC Omaha.
The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home (RBJH) is a crown jewel of our campus and it belongs to all of us. By updating our existing facility and transitioning to all private rooms, we can ensure that the RBJH remains the facility of choice for the Jewish community and that its financial viability is preserved. The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is our safety net. Let’s take care of it together.
Thanks to two amazing community champions, Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, for this dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity!
Registration:
T-Shirts:
Community mourns
THE KANSAS CITY JEWISH CHRONICLE STAFF
Shared with permission from the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle
Community member Sarah Milgrim, 26, was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., while exiting an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capitol Jewish Museum. Milgrim, a University of Kansas graduate and native of Prairie Village, was an employee of the Embassy of Israel to the United States.
Milgrim, the daughter of Robert and Nancy Milgrim, was murdered alongside her partner, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, a research assistant at the embassy. The New York Times reported that Lischinsky planned to propose to Milgrim in Jerusalem. The AJC event, intended for young diplomats and Jewish professionals, was focused on responses to humanitarian crises and had the theme of “Turning pain into purpose.”
“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said. “Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”
At KU, Milgrim was closely involved with both Jewish organizations KU Hillel and KU Chabad. Jay Lewis, current president of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and former executive director of KU Hillel, knew Milgrim as a student.
one another and to honor Sarah’s memory.”
KU Chabad also shared a statement about Milgrim, saying that “she joined us often for Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations and countless Jewish programs, always bringing her warm smile, gentle spirit and deep passion for her Jewish heritage. Sarah was a shining light.”
Milgrim was a member of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, and her parents are members of Congregation Kol Ami; both synagogues shared messages to their congregants expressing condolences and sympathy.
“Her passion for the Jewish community, and her passion for Israel, was just incredible,” Lewis said. “She was as involved in KU Hillel as you can be, from a student leadership role to the board of directors. Her passion for Jewish life and for Israel was unmatched. We are so proud that she was from our community.”
KU Hillel issued a statement on May 22 which said, “Sarah’s bright spirit and passion for the Jewish community touched everyone fortunate enough to know her. In the face of such hateful violence, we come together as a community to support
UNL Hillel
Continued from page 1
administers the interdisciplinary Jewish Studies minor, hosts annual lectures and symposia, and offers several scholarships. “Jewish students are looking for more opportunities to meet one another, to sit down together and to talk about all the things that connect them,” Ari Kohen, director of the center, said. “[Food] immediately reminds students of home, of family dinners, of holidays and celebrations. That’s why it’s so important to expand what we can offer.”
Before the kitchen was launched last year, kosher food wasn’t available for events — approved caterers didn’t offer the option. Then, in April 2024, the Harris Center sponsored a Lunch and Learn with a kosher deli lunch, and attendance quintupled. A Shabbat meal for students was hosted the next month, and catering services and prepackaged meals in campus markets were available later in the year.
Part of the Harris Center’s ongoing educational mission is to invite the campus community to learn more about Judaism, and, under Kohen’s leadership, events continue to increase. By the end of May, the Harris Center will have hosted 14 educational events over the 2024-2025 academic year. These included day-long symposia, lectures by esteemed visiting scholars, and partnerships with the Lincoln and Omaha Jewish communities that brought community members to campus and scholars and students to synagogues and to the
Beyond the Jewish community, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas, posted on social media that his “heart goes out to the family of Sarah Milgrim” and that “people in our area know well the pain of religious-based violence in our country. We pray for its end.”
The Israeli prime minister and the presidents of both Israel and the United States issued statements condemning the murders.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
“This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog shared on X. “Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured.”
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the murders were “based obviously on antisemitism,” and he shared condolences to the families of the victims.
The Associated Press reported that witnesses saw the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, with a red keffiyeh yelling “Free, free Palestine” after police arrived.
Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center (JCC). Last fall, the Harris Center purchased a 16 foot x 16 foot Sukkah kit which the Hillel students built in front of the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center. It was the site for eight events and showcased the weeklong Sukkot festival for campus.
A thriving Jewish presence can send a strong signal to those curious about the culture. Imagine: the Harris Center hosting a spring Passover Seder; the Kosher Kitchen offering fresh food daily; and students connecting in a dedicated Hillel space on campus. It can also act as an educational defense against antisemitism. The Center stands as a ready resource when current events call for context — such as an ongoing series of educational talks that have featured campus experts on the Middle East as well as survivors of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack — and continues to be a hub for Holocaust education: providing professional development for Nebraska teachers, expanding academic offerings for undergraduates, and capturing records digitally for all to read.
With the only Jewish Studies academic program in Nebraska and the aforementioned resources, NU’s flagship campus is poised to offer a supportive “home away from home” for Jewish students and a firsthand, immersive experience for non-Jewish students and the Lincoln community. The picture is one of Husker spirit and Jewish spirit connected in completeness and peace — shalom.
Writing Workshop
‘Write With Us,’ our small and intimate writing workshop (no need to be nervous) continues in the Fall. Upcoming workshops are scheduled for Thursdays June 26, July 24, Aug. 28, Oct. 30, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11 from 5-7 p.m. in the Noshery at the Staenberg Omaha JCC. Register by contacting Jessi at jtaylor@jewishomaha.org or Annette at avande kamp@jewishomaha.org. There is no cost to attend, although donations are always welcome.
If you have wanted to write your family’s story, that great American novel, or you have always wanted to try your hand at poetry, join us! Maybe you are already an accomplished writer, but you would benefit from being in a room with other writers. Perhaps you have convinced yourself you can’t write at all, but would love to try. Everyone, from absolute beginner to professional, is welcome to attend. We will provide the kosher snacks and the writing prompts.
Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. Credit: X
TAPESTRY: A Celebration of Jewish Learning
NAOMI FOX
JFO Director of Community Engagement and Education
“Dynamic, engaging, and nuanced.” These are terms used by community members to describe learning with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer during Tapestry: A Celebration of Jewish Learning. From May 1 through May 10, our Jewish community participated in many different learning experiences through Tapestry. In its second year, the Jewish Federation of Omaha selected Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer to be our extended scholar in residence. Dr. Kurtzer is the President of Shalom Hartman Institute, a leading center for Jewish research and education, dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity, promoting pluralism, and fostering a deeper connection between Israel and world Jewry.
nities like Omaha. He raised important questions about assimilation and whether enough has been done to preserve a meaningful, enduring Judaism within the fabric of American culture. Dr. Kurtzer emphasized the opportunity to continue to shape a renewed American Judaism — one that draws on the powerful ideas of the American experience, including
During this learning period, Dr. Kurtzer taught in more than two dozen settings in collaboration with our host organizations. Dr. Kurtzer engaged with members of our community, including teens and their parents, advisory board members, university faculty and students, synagogue clergy and presidents, Jewish communal professionals, and the broader community.
Although it is somewhat difficult to generalize his many hours of teaching in Omaha to a few key themes, Dr. Kurtzer spoke towards the end of his time in Omaha about his reflections and biggest takeaways.
In his Identity/Crisis podcast episode, “Jewish in the Heartland” he reflected upon his experience at B’nai Israel Living History Museum where he taught about, “Going West: “The Journey” as the Jewish Story.” He enjoyed learning about the region’s unique and deep Jewish history in the living history museum, showcasing one of the oldest synagogues in western Iowa. Dr. Kurtzer said, “A window into the Jewish past opens windows into the hearts of the living Jews who continue to tell its story.”
Dr. Kurtzer discussed hidden ambivalences that our community and the greater American Jewish community might have when asking and discussing the questions related to our safety and the war in Gaza. He spoke at Tri-Faith Initiative about the struggle and possibility of allyship and interfaith learning during contentious times. In his reflections about Omaha’s historical Tri-Faith campus which brings together a synagogue, mosque, and church, as well as an interfaith center, he shared, “The fact that [Tri-Faith] incurs controversy locally is a good thing. Interfaith, when it's done right, is a destabilizing idea. It means that people who hold sincere commitments nevertheless commit to a project of pluralism, which requires some amount of epistemological humility and is therefore a little risky. Little acts of community inside Jewish life, like the ones I witnessed all week in my programs in different institutions [...] are the vital activities of building social fiber. Those who want to insist on dividing us know that those are risky moments when we actually build bridges.” Dr. Kurtzer went on to reflect, “When we sit together, as risky as that sometimes feels, we weave the fibers together into something beautiful.”
During our community’s May 9th Lunch and Learn, Dr. Kurtzer explored the current and historical experience of American Jews in 2025, with particular attention to commu-
democratic values and egalitarianism. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong sense of Jewish peoplehood and a connection to Israel, while embracing the complexity of dual identities amidst the current crisis. He also gave suggestions for our community to continue to thrive by welcoming newcomers, continue to be the ‘best at what you do’, and to not fight the national trends, but remember, “a local community can be built on our own values and commitments. Jewish community can be a place where we are connected to a different set of values and model an alternative.”
As part of this year’s Tapestry program, a community survey was conducted both in person during the May 9th Lunch and Learn and electronically via an email link. Participants were invited to reflect on their experiences learning with Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, whose teachings shaped this year’s series.
The feedback revealed an appreciation for Dr. Kurtzer’s thoughtful and engaging approach. One participant at multiple programs described the sessions as, “Insightful and meaningful commentary rooted in sacred tradition and delivered through a contemporary lens. Also challenging but inspiring; probably the nudge we all need to stay in the game.”
Others praised the balance of intellect, inspiration, and approachability presented during Tapestry: “Every session I attended was thought-provoking, extremely well presented, inspirational, and laced with humor.” Another shared, “Dr. Kurtzer is a great communicator and storyteller who provided insight and thought-provoking sessions.” One poignant piece of feedback summed up the overall sentiment of the series: “[I have] hope for the future of the Jewish people, even as it may change.”
These reflections capture the spirit of Tapestry — an experience that not only educates but uplifts and unites the community through meaningful Jewish learning.
If you would like to listen to Dr. Kurtzer’s Identity/Crisis podcast or watch three of the educational sessions that were recorded during Tapestry this year, you can follow the QR code to the right.
Upcoming programs at the Bak Museum
Saturday, June 14, 2 p.m., Samuel Bak will join Chief Curator Alexandra Cardon via a live Zoom conversation to discuss the Museum’s current exhibition War Games, including Bak’s 2024 series Tools of the Trade. This inperson program will include an in-depth look at how Bak’s works represent his fears for children whose lives and futures are destroyed by war while providing hope through his unending belief in human-
ity’s ability to mend and bring peace. After the 50-minute conversation, there will be a Q&A session. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is required.
Join us for Bak to Basics: Chess for All Ages, a family friendly introductory chess program on Sunday, June 15, 1 p.m. and Sunday, June 29, 1 p.m. This youth program is for ages 10 and above to learn about chess and magical realism in Samuel Bak’s paintings. Participants will engage in a brief history of chess followed by a lesson on how to play chess. This program is designed for beginner players and seasoned chess players who enjoy helping others learn. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is required.
Reserve your spot at unomaha.edu to ensure you don’t miss this opportunity!
Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer teaching during Tapestry 2025. Credit: Heidi Heilbrunn Needleman
Community Lunch and Learn on May 9th. Credit: Mark Kirchhoff
Tepper Foundation helps our Community
JAMES DONAHUE
Campus Safety and Security Manager
In the wake of the horrific October 7 Hamas massacres and the alarming rise in global antisemitism, Jewish communities across the United States faced urgent threats to their safety and institutions. Thanks to the pivotal support of the Tepper Foundation, which provided a $10 million Emergency Security Grant Fund, The Jewish Federation of Omaha was able to swiftly bolster security measures for vulnerable Jewish spaces while fostering critical interfaith partnerships to combat hate.
The grant, distributed earlier this year, directly addressed heightened risks to Jewish early childhood programs — including education centers, day camps, and afterschool initiatives serving children aged 0-5 — by funding six months of additional security personnel for our community. The Jewish Federation of Omaha was able to allocate funds to area synagogues, helping provide security personnel to safeguard congregants during worship services, holidays, and community events. These investments ensured that local Jewish institutions could continue serving as safe spaces for spiritual and communal gatherings amid escalating threats. Beyond safeguarding Jewish institutions, the initiative catalyzed a groundbreaking effort to share the Omaha Jewish community’s security expertise with other faith-based organizations. Recipient Federations fulfilled their commitment to conduct at least two annual trainings or security assessments for
local religious institutions, building bridges with allies and amplifying collective resilience against antisemitism and hate.
The Tepper Foundation’s partnership was nothing short of transformational. The grant’s impact extended far beyond its six-month security funding window. The Jewish Federation of Omaha’s security program leveraged the initiative to deepen relationships with interfaith leaders, creating frameworks for ongoing collaboration. Toolkits, webinars, and guidance provided by the Tepper Foundation supported these efforts, empowering communities to sustain security upgrades and maintain partnerships forged during the grant period.
The initiative also reinforced the Federation’s LiveSecure program, which has expanded critical security infrastructure and community relations work nationwide since October 7. By prioritizing physical safety for synagogues, schools, and community centers — while simultaneously advancing allyship — the grant exemplified the Jewish community’s dual commitment to protection and proactive dialogue.
The Jewish Federation of Omaha would like to express profound appreciation to the Tepper Foundation for its timely and compassionate response to the crisis. From shielding our children to securing our sacred spaces, this partnership has left an indelible mark on our community. It underscored what’s possible when we invest not only in security but in the power of unity.
New Interns at JFS
TERESA DRELICHARZ
JFS Executive Director
Meet Juliette Boehm Smith – Our Summer Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow Intern
ple of helpful projects.
Meet Grant Jabenis – Our New Summer Intern
The Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow (JLT) internship program is designed to connect Jewish young adults with the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its Agencies. Juliette will begin her freshman year at UNO, studying art. She has been actively involved in the Jewish community, including:
• Religious school student at Temple Israel
• BBYO member and board leader for the past two years
• Tzedek Teens participant, engaging in volunteer projects
Juliette shared, “Judaism is a huge part of my life. This is how I connect and look up to so many others who are strong leaders in our community, and we have many!”
Her goal? To strengthen the Jewish community in the best way she can today!
We are so excited to have Juliette as the Jacobson Leadership Tomorrow intern at Jewish Family Service and other agencies on campus this Summer. She will have the opportunity to learn more about the work we all do, and she will be helping us with a cou-
Throughout the course of my education in Child, Youth, and Family Studies at the University of Nebraska, I’ve gained a deep interest in helping professions. Learning about professionals in my field of study has been inspirational, and the work they do is no doubt invaluable. In college, you go through so much self-exploration, and what I’ve discovered is helping individuals and families become the best they can be is something I want to have the ability to do. I feel blessed to be able to start this journey at Jewish Family Services in Omaha. This is a community I care so deeply about, so to shadow and learn from the professionals here, who provide assistance to my community is incredibly meaningful. Throughout my experience at JFS, I’m eager to witness the benefits of the variety of programs we offer, whether this be financial assistance, counseling, meals on wheels, or the Yachad program. I know I want to be a helping professional, and by the time my internship is complete, I feel confident that I’ll find the role I was meant to fill.
Introducing the June Gift Smart
Donor-Advised Drive
AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS
JFO
Foundation Executive Director
This June, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation is making it easier — and more rewarding — than ever to begin your philanthropic journey. We are thrilled to announce the Gift Smart Donor-Advised Drive, a special initiative designed to inspire generosity and broaden community impact through the creation of new Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs).
With an exciting 18% incentive opportunity, donors have the chance to amplify their charitable impact while supporting the Jewish and secular nonprofits that matter most to them.
A Donor-Advised Fund is a charitable giving account that allows you to support the causes you care about, on your timeline. You make a tax-deductible contribution to open the fund, then recommend grants to qualified nonprofits — Jewish or secular — whenever you’re ready. It’s like having your own charitable checking account and The Foundation handles everything for you.
Why Participate?
Make an Immediate Impact
Direct your 18% incentive bonus to a Jewish nonprofit of your choice, and watch your giving go even further.
It’s Fast and Simple
In just 10 minutes, we can prepare a DAF agreement for your review. You’ll be ready to begin granting from your fund almost immediately.
Flexible Giving, Made Easy
Establish your DAF with a minimum of $2,500, and enjoy the convenience of managing all your charitable giving from one account — on your schedule.
Receive a Tax Deduction
You’ll receive an immediate tax deduction for your gift when you open your DAF, giving you both financial and philanthropic benefits.
Important Details:
• This incentive is available only to new DAF holders at the JFO Foundation.
• The incentive is capped at $1,800 per fund.
• Offer ends June 30, 2025, or once the incentive pool is fully distributed — whichever comes first.
Whether you’re new to donor-advised funds, have been thinking about starting one, want to move an existing DAF to The Foundation, or would like to gift a DAF to a family member, there’s never been a better time.
Visit our website using the QR Code to watch our new DAF video and contact me with questions, ashivvers@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6466.
P2GWG welcomes new Director
TAMARA SCHUSTER
Partnership2Gether Western Galilee is pleased to announce that after an exhaustive search, we have hired a new Partnership Director: Ory Rosin. Some of you might recognize Ory’s name. He joined us for the Solidarity Mission in February and has been involved in our Partnership and various programs for 15 years. Throughout the search process Ory stood out among the candidates. He will officially join us next week and our professional staff in Israel are very excited.
Ory, 42, has lived in Akko for the past 20 years as a founding member of the city’s Educators’ Urban Kibbutz. He has been actively involved with the Western Galilee Partnership for over a decade, and until last year served as co-chair of the Young Adults Committee.
Over the past five years, Ory worked as a web developer and manager at “Drorsoft,” a software company he cofounded with fellow kibbutz members. Before entering the tech field, he served as Director of Community Programs in Akko, focusing on coexistence initiatives. Prior to that, he held positions as Youth Director and Community Center Director in the Merom HaGalil Regional Council on Israel’s See Ory Rosin page 7
ORGANIZATIONS
B’NAI B’RITH
BREADBREAKERS
The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch our email for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com
Being Jewish in Germany of Oct. 7
This article originally ran in Jewish Chicago: The JUF Magazine and in the Des Moines Jewish Press.
Not long ago, I took a leave from Chicago and my fulfilling work at JUF to embark on a yearlong sabbatical — a leap into the unknown. I was offered the opportunity to live, study, and work in Germany for a year, through the U.S. State Department and German Bundestag-funded Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange program.
MICHAEL ADATO Solidarität
While it was difficult to leave Chicago — especially for a country I’d never been to before, with a language I’d never spoken—I knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
This opportunity was particularly exciting given my hobby — I create content for two military history documentary studios: Battle Guide and Real Time History. We have YouTube channels with thousands of subscribers, and a large audience interested in learning more about the past. This was a chance for me to learn about Jewish and military history — in person — in the heart of Europe.
My time in Germany began with intensive German language school in Cologne. Along the banks of the mighty Rhine River, I quickly progressed through the basics of the German language and got acquainted with everyday German life. I toured the WWI and WWII battlefields across western Europe, and I familiarized myself with Cologne’s Jewish community.
After two months in language school, I moved in with my host family in Berlin. I took classes about German-Jewish history and helped teach a class at Freie Universität about Adolf Hitler. I spent most of the year researching and writing a documentary about the Israel’s Six-Day War for Real Time History.
Ory Rosin
Coninued from page 6 northern border. Across these roles, Ory has led teams of employees and volunteers and worked with many diverse communities.
In the past year and a half, since being released from military reserve duty, Ory has volunteered helping evacuees from areas affected by the current war.
Ory holds a B.Ed from Beit Berl College and an M.A. from the Ruderman Program for American Jewish Studies at the University of Haifa. He is married to Laura and the father of Galil (9) and Neomi (4).
Ory views the partnership with American Jewry and the broader Diaspora as a unique opportunity: a chance for Israeli society to reflect on its Jewish and liberal values, and a path toward deepening Jewish and community identity for both Israelis and Jewish communities overseas. Welcome, Ory!
I met with members of the German Bundestag and with the American Ambassador to Germany, and traveled to historical sites far and wide.
My moving day from Cologne to Berlin, eerily, coincided with the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The historical implications were not lost on me as I watched the news in horror. I was taking the train to Wannsee — the Berlin Island on which the Nazis planned the mass killing of the Holocaust 80 years prior—on the same day I watched comparable scenes play out in real time in Israel and Gaza.
Thankfully, I discovered something new about Germany: Solidarität/Solidarity. As I watched the October 7 massacre and its aftermath unfold with growing disgust and grief, I was welcomed to Berlin by Germans eager to support me and the Jewish people.
Everywhere I went, Israeli flags fluttered in solidarity, and I heard German politicians make speeches supporting Israel and Jews across Europe and the world. Non-Jewish German friends reached out to invite me to events supporting Israel. Israeli hostage posters hung in German public schools and government buildings. I saw stickers at every soccer match stating emphatically “FOOTBALL FANS AGAINST ANTISEMITISM!” Despite my hyperawareness of German-Jewish history, I found myself constantly thanking Germans for their continued support for me and for our community.
We have come a long way since the evils of the Second World War. Germany’s infamous and dark history with the Jewish people has morphed into a place of brilliantly bright solidarity with our people. I can happily report that the country of Germany and its people — today — are our friends and allies.
Michael Adato is a Strategist for JUF’s Israel Education Center and the son of former Omahan Wendy Dann Adato, and the grandson of Janey Dann.
MAYOR-ELECT
HILLEL
EARLY LEARNING CENTER
Mazal tov to all the Early Learning Center’s graduates! Good luck in Kindergarten next year!
SP O TLIGHT
PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
After 34.5 years at the
JEWISH
HERITAGE MONTH
Governor Pillen joined staffin the Eisenberg Gallery to present the Jewish Heritage Month proclamation. Honorable mention to the cookies.
JCC, our Campus said goodbye to Laura Wine, who is moving to a new position.
The graduation event for UNL Hillel seniors, at which they received their cords to wear at graduation.
Rabbi Mendel Katzman congratulates Mayor-Elect John Ewing. Mr Ewing and Rabbi worked together at the Omaha Police Department.
Voices
The Jewish Press
(Founded in 1920)
David Finkelstein
President
Annette van de Kamp-Wright
Editor
Will Fischer
Creative Director
Claire Endelman
Sales Director
Lori Kooper-Schwarz
Assistant Editor
Sam Kricsfeld
Digital support
Mary Bachteler
Accounting
Jewish Press Board
David Finkelstein, President; Margie Gutnik, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein, Andrea Erlich, Ally Freeman, Dana Gonzales, Mary Sue Grossman, Hailey Krueger, Chuck Lucoff, Larry Ring, Melissa Shrago, Suzy Sheldon and Stewart Winograd.
The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.
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The only option
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
Several times a week, I receive campus updates from the Anti-Defamation League about the protests, the Students for Justice in Palestine, the BDS stuff, you know the drill. They have the ominous name “Campus Crisis Alerts.” To be frank, they are quite depressing, and even though I have to know things and need to be informed in order to do my job, there are days I delete the emails without looking. Sometimes job responsibility fights with mental well-being. It is what it is.
Here’s one I saw last week:
“At Stanford University, several students and faculty have launched a hunger strike calling for antiIsrael divestment and a rollback of campus protest restrictions, as well as support for students facing charges after occupying the president’s office during a previous anti-Israel protest. Stanford has stated it does not intend to negotiate. Medical professionals from Stanford and UCSF are monitoring the strikers’ health. The Stanford action is part of a broader movement across California, with students at San Jose State, San Francisco State, Sacramento State and CSU Long Beach also fasting. Their demands include university divestment from weapons manufacturers and condemnation of Israel.”
Most of the thoughts I have cannot be printed. A hunger strike? Are these people for real?
It never ceases to amaze me, the passion with which otherwise reasonably well-educated people throw themselves into causes they know little about. Of course, I don’t know what they know,
Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.
whether they understand history, whether they have looked at the current conflict from different angles, or whether they have ever visited the region. But I can guess.
Right now, I don’t expect any of these “protesters” to really be informed. I don’t think they want to be. I, at the same time, want to know little about them-I don’t want to learn how they got here, what brought them to this point. I’m tired.
I watched a video recently, where someone born and raised in Gaza tried to explain to an American what it’s really like under Hamas rule. The response: “How much is the Israeli government paying you to say that?” That stuck with me; the level of disbelief, the unwillingness to see the truth, or at least admit a little grey in their black-andwhite thinking, is staggering.
it was orchestrated by the Israeli government for sympathy, plus those claiming these murders were a justified form of protest, I have the most difficult time staying calm. We are frogs, and the water is boiling. The canaries are decomposing. Pick your metaphor.
Credit: Mounir Neddi, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share
Alike 4.0 International license.
But I have to wonder: am I myself still able to see the grey? Do I even want to?
The recent murder of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky cemented the feeling that if there is any room for compromise, I don’t want any part of it. From people refusing to call it antisemitism because Lischinky was Christian, to people claiming
Those who know me personally, know I’m usually a fairly optimistic person- I try to see the bright side, always. Rainbows and unicorns, sprinkled with lots of pink glitter. But it’s getting harder and harder to keep my chin up and my spine straight. I look at the pictures of Sarah Milgrim, and I see my own children. While my son’s Judaism is a quiet, internal kind, held close to his heart, my daughter is active. She attends programming, works at our synagogue, studies and volunteers. It’s what she’s been taught. Am I putting her life in danger, raising her this way? Do I have a choice? I don’t want to ask myself these questions. I’m guessing none of us do; it’s uncomfortable and awkward. But then I think of those Stanford students, going on an anti-Israel hunger strike, and I know the answer, immediately. There is zero doubt: I want my children to be proud Jews. While that may not be the safest option, it is, at the same time, the only option.
My Jewish family is proof that hope is worth mustering
CLAIRE E. SUFRIN JTA
The death of any young person at the hands of a terrorist is horrific. The death of a young couple on the verge of getting engaged to be married reverberates further.
The Mishnah tells us that to destroy any life is to destroy a world, but to destroy the lives of two people about to start weaving their individual lives into a shared existence … well, a world is not a large enough metaphor to capture what has been lost. Getting married, even just planning to get married, is one of the most hopeful things a person can do, second only to choosing to raise children.
When I heard about the murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky outside the Capital Jewish Museum last week, I thought about Matt Eisenfeld and Sara Duker, also a young couple, also friends of my friends, who were killed together in a Jerusalem bus bombing in 1996. I also thought about Marla Bennett, the young woman murdered alongside eight others in the 2002 Hebrew University bombing.
Like Sarah and Yaron, Marla was on the verge of becoming engaged — to Michael Simon, who is now my husband.
For the four years between 2002 and when we began dating, and into the early years of our relationship, her death was the single most defining event of Michael’s life. His pain was immeasurable. And I suffered for those first few years with the pain of knowing our love was built on a foundation of loss. I struggled with feeling that I’d always be a second choice, a consolation prize, and always imperfect alongside the burnished image of a woman who would never grow old, and, no matter what her faults were in life, would never fall short as a wife or mother.
Now, I find myself wondering whether Michael feels that Yaron got off easy, by dying alongside Sarah, and not having to live the rest of his life in the shadow of her death. I will probably ask Michael, to be honest, as, after all this time, we can talk about Marla’s death without dissolving into puddles of pain, sadness, and anger. I know already that the answer will be no. Living, even in grief and with tremendous pain, is always better. Our sons, who are 10 and 14, know about Marla.
Years ago, we spent a day at the San Diego Zoo with Marla’s parents, who treated them not quite like grandchildren but still like very special people. They are friendly with a girl named for Marla, the daughter of her college roommate. I assume that as our sons grow older, they will understand better the horror of that bombing and others for Israel, for the Jewish people, for Michael, for me, and thus for them. For now, though, she belongs to our family’s prehistory, and their childish naiveté and self-centeredness lead them to think that those years don’t matter very much.
Sometimes I wonder: how did Michael and I do it? How did the pain and confusion contract enough that there was space for a new love to grow from fragile to strong, for a good marriage, a true partnership, two sweet children, and lives devoted to serving others? How is it that we argue now about how to load the dishwasher and not about whether we could ever possibly have a future together, whether Michael could have a future with any woman?
I remember the moment I decided I’d give Michael a chance, staring in the bathroom mirror, a little tipsy, at the Jerusalem restaurant where we had our first date in July 2006. It wasn’t particularly rational, and it was more than a little bit risky to take a chance on this broken man. It got a lot harder before it got easier, but eventually it became impossible to imagine my life without him or his without me. With time, I came to see that we were never building on loss, we were building beside it, its relative size diminishing as our relationship grew.
Now, as Sarah and Yaron’s families bury them and as our devastated community looks for a path forward, I believe my family’s experience can help chip away at the question of where to go from here. I want to say that the answer is hope, that there is always hope, that hope is what brings us forward from pain into possibility, and yes, on some level, that is enough of an answer.
But the thing I’ve discovered about hope that I most want to share right now is that it isn’t always something you can sense or something you can recognize or be certain you have. It doesn’t always look like a diamond ring squirreled away in anticipation of an elaborate proposal, a beautiful wedding, and a delightfully shared future. Sometimes
hope looks and feels like plain old foolishness, and the friends who hear about it respond skeptically with worry and warnings.
My story — my family’s story — is a very small piece of a much larger whole, the whole of the Jewish people, and the whole of all humanity, not just existing but persevering. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone as something to replicate, were such a thing possible.
And yet, at a time like this, I am standing up to say: let’s not give up, not now or not ever. We must still believe, always believe, that there is potential for something better, even in the wake of the most difficult, most painful loss and even in the hardest moments when all we want is to crawl into a tiny hole and pretend that none of this exists, not evil, not despair, not any of it. We must continue taking chances, risking our hearts and our lives, and we must nurture whatever little glimmer of potential growth we may spot, not because we know what will be — we can’t — but because we need, in a way we can’t explain, to see how it might flower.
Soon we will mark 20 months since Oct. 7, 2023. It has been a grueling, unbearable time. Marla’s murderer was released from prison in exchange for Israeli hostages in January, as were the masterminds behind the bombing that killed Matt and Sara and dozens of others. Last week’s murders shattered whatever sense of safety we American Jews still had. It is tempting now more than ever to allow our grief to define us.
But if I know anything at all, it is this: pain and despair retreat into tzimtzum, into the sort of withdrawal that makes space for creativity, love, and growth, only when we plant our feet, stick our elbows out, and, like fools, insist that it do so. Without that, we won’t be able to see, let alone pursue, whatever tiny possibility of peace there might still be.
Claire E. Sufrin is editor of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, published by the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and co-editor of The New Jewish Canon: Ideas and Debates, 1980-2015. She lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband and children.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
Synagogues
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766
712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980
402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL
SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154
402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646
402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:
B’NAI JESHURUN
South Street Temple
Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797
402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR
FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123
402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206
402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:
TIFERETH ISRAEL
Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, June 10, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speaker. Our service leader is Jim Fried. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!
For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.
IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:
Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: Kamp Kef, 9 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Services 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services and B’nai Mitzvah of Molly Epstein and Sammie Ray, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream
SUNDAY: Morning Minyan, 9 a.m. Zoom Only.
TUESDAY: Journey Through Grief 6:15 p.m. with Wendy Hill.
FRIDAY-June 13: Kabbalat Shabbat Services 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.
SATURDAY-June 14: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:36 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9
a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 7:45 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos, 9 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:46 p.m.
SUNDAY: Shacharit 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 8:40
p.m.
MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m.
TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 8:40 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m.
THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:40 p.m.
FRIDAY-June 13: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 8:42 p.m.
SATURDAY-June 14: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 7:45 p.m.; Mincha
8:30 p.m.; Kids Activity/Laws of Shabbos 9 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:50 p.m.
Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.
FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5:30 p.m., go to ochabad.com/lechayim to join; Young Professionals’ Shabbat Dinner, RSVP at ochabad.com/CYP; Candlelighting, 8:36 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shacharit 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:46 p.m.
SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.
MONDAY: Shacharit 10 a.m.; Personal Parsha 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
TUESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Aramaic Grammar, 10 a.m. with David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen
WEDNESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m.; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon-1 p.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m.; Code of Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY-June 13: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5:30 p.m., go to ochabad.com/lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 8:40 p.m.
SATURDAY-June 14: Shacharit, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 9:50 p.m.
LINCOLN
JEWISH COMMUNITY:
B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL
Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.
FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Bar Mitzvah of Isaac Weisser, 6:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:37 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Service and Bar Mitzvah of Isaac Weisser, 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; No Services at TI this week; No Torah Study this week; Havdalah, 9:46 p.m.
SUNDAY: Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more infor-
Journey Through Grief: A Safe Space for Healing
STACIE METZ
Beth El Engagement Coordinator
Beth El is honored to welcome Wendy Hill, founder of Fruitful Healing, to lead a transformative six-week series on grief: Our Journey Through Grief. This series is designed to provide a compassionate space for those navigating loss, where shared experiences become a source of strength and healing.
Wendy’s own journey through grief began with the passing of her husband, J.T., on Nov. 3, 2019—a moment that changed everything. In the aftermath, as condolences faded and the outreach quieted, she found herself longing for connection with others who truly understood. Reflecting on her experience, Wendy shares: "After I received my last condolence card and people stopped reaching out, I realized that I desper-
ately needed people who understood—so I set out on a mission to find some. I found some! A bunch, actually, and my experience with my new friends has felt more like a beautiful gain rather than a loss."
Her hope for this group is to provide a safe and validating space where grief is met with understanding and compassion. Conversations unfold naturally, with no pressure to share—only an invitation to be present in whatever way feels right for you.
Grief is not a road to walk in solitude. Together, let’s find strength, connection, and healing.
We hope you’ll join us. You are not alone.
Sessions will be held at Beth El Synagogue on Tuesdays from 6:30-8 p.m., June 10 through July 15. Snacks will be available at 6:15 p.m., with sessions beginning at 6:30 p.m.
This program is made possible with the generous support of the Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund for Mental Health at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to mental health and healing in our community.
For more information or to register, please call Stacie Metz at 402.492.8550.
mation or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group, 12:15 p.m. at HoriSun, 8055 O St. We meet every other Wednesday. Contact albertw801@gmail.com to join and receive updates. Bring your own lunch and beverage
FRIDAY-June 13: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Alex at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 8:41 p.m.
SATURDAY-June 14: Shabbat Service , 9:30-11 a.m. led by Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Behaalotecha via Zoom; Havdalah, 9:50 p.m.
FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander.
FRIDAY: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. In-Person; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Pop Up Shabbat, 5:30 p.m. at First Friday in Benson — In-Person; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom
SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SUNDAY: Second Breakfast, 9 a.m. at Stephen Center — In-Person; Family Day at the Zoo with PJ Library and Friedel Jewish Academy, 9:15 a.m.
WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person.
FRIDAY-June 13: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. InPerson; Village Walking Group, 10 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom
SATURDAY-June 14: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom; Temple Israel Tot Family Fun Day, 3 p.m. In-Person. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
OBITUARY CHANGES
As of January 1, 2025, the Jewish Press will charge $180 for the inclusion of standard obituaries, up to 400 words. Photos may be included if the family so wishes. For many years, we have held off on making this decision. However, it is no longer financially responsible for us to include obituaries at no charge. For questions, please email avandekamp@ jewishomaha.org. Obituaries in the Jewish Press are included in our print edition as well as our website at www.omahajewishpress.com
JCC Events
SUMMER VENDOR MARKET
The Spring Vendor Market will be held on Sunday, June 29 from noon-4 p.m. held in the Goldstein Venue. Admission is free and it is open to the community. There will be raffles and coffee! Beverages featuring mimosas will also be available for purchase.
Interested in being a vendor? Email us at rentals@jccomaha.org
WATERCOLOR WORKSHOPS
Watercolor workshops are led by international and award-winning watercolor artist, Telagio Baptista and held at the JCC on Sunday, Aug. 10 from 1-4 p.m. Program is open to Members & Non Members, ages 18+. All skill levels welcome. Pricing and registration is per workshop. Member: $65 Non: $75 - Register at www.jccomaha. org or 402.334 6419.
100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Save the date! The Staenberg Omaha JCC will be celebrating their 100th anniversary with a community event on Sunday, Aug. 24. Join us for family friendly activities, music, events and more.
B’NAI ISRAEL
BETH EL
BETH ISRAEL
CHABAD HOUSE
Wendy Hill
Life cycles
IN MEMORIAM
ROCHELLE K. "ROCKY" LEWIS
Rochelle K. "Rocky" Lewis passed away on April 30, 2025 at age 78 surrounded by her beloved family.
She is survived by her sons, Brian (Andrea) Lewis and Jay Lewis; sister, Sandy (Paul) Epstein; grandchildren, nieces and nephews; and dear friends who she considered to be family.
Rocky was born and raised in Omaha. She was a lifelong Nebraskan and active Omaha community member. The eldest daughter of Helen and Morris Lipp, Rocky was a resident of the Bagel neighborhood for many years. She attended Central High School, was a member of the BBYO Ediar Chapter at the JCC and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where she was a member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority.
After college, Rocky lived in Kansas City and Los Angeles before permanently moving back to Omaha to have and raise her children. She frequented Highland Country Club, was active in the Temple Israel Sisterhood, served as a Columbian Elementary PTA President and volunteered frequently throughout her life to positively contribute to the Omaha community.
Honoring her commitment and generosity, Rocky received the 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award from the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, an organization to which she donated her time, talent and a portion of her large dreidel collection Memorials may be made in honor of Rocky’s memory to the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, 333 S. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68154.
Eight injured in Boulder, Colorado, firebombing attack on march for Israeli hostages
PHILISSA CRAMER
Eight people were burned in Boulder, Colorado, in a firebombing attack on a demonstration to draw attention to the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.
At least one of the victims, who ranged from 55 to 88, was critically injured, according to authorities.
Police arrested one man at the scene. The FBI identified him as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, and said he had used a “makeshift flamethrower” in the attack, which the agency said it was investigating as an act of terrorism. Soliman yelled, “Free Palestine,” during the attack, according to an FBI agent.
An eyewitness account posted by a pro-Israel X user included video showed a shirtless man, holding spray bottles, yelling, “End Zionists.” Footage shared on social media showed smoke and people on the ground. Screaming was audible.
cific group of people,” he said at the initial press conference. “We understand that there’s a lot of tensions right now and a lot of issues in the United States and everywhere. Once we have a clear motive, we will react accordingly. And if that motive was a group that’s targeted, we will absolutely step up and ensure that additional security, additional presence.”
Local and national authorities as well as Jewish leaders from around the world have condemned the attack, which comes 10 days after a pro-Palestinian activist shot and killed two attendees of an event held at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Last month, a man was charged with firebombing the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to protest what he said was Shapiro’s stance on the Palestinians.
Bomb squads set up a staging area following an incident involving multiple injuries that the FBI is investigating as an act of terror on June 1, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. A suspect is in custody after reportedly throwing an incendiary device at a group participating in an organized walk near the courthouse to show solidarity with hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.. Credit: Chet Strange/Getty Images
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is Jewish, condemned the attack while referencing both the hostages and the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. He also linked the attack to the D.C. shooting.
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Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, said in a statement that the attack “is another example of a wave of domestic terror attacks aimed at the Jewish community.” He urged President Donald Trump and Congress to allocate more funding for security at Jewish institutions.
The incident took place shortly after 1 p.m. on the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder, which hosts the city’s Run for Their Lives. The movement hosts regular runs and walks across the country to draw attention to Israeli hostages. On its website, the group advises participants concerned about their safety to “focus on humanity” in their demonstrations. The Boulder march had been staged weekly, organizers said.
“We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Our Lives walk on Pearl Street,” local Jewish leaders, including rabbis, said in a statement distributed Sunday afternoon by the Boulder Jewish Community Center, shortly before the beginning of the Shavuot holiday. They added, “Our hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.”
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said at an initial press conference that the first emergency call had said people were being set on fire and that multiple people had been transported to hospitals with injuries “fairly consistent” with that description. He said the injuries ranged from minor to severe and potentially life-threatening.
Redfearn confirmed that “a group of pro-Israel people” had been gathered in the area but said it was too early yet to say whether they had been targeted. He said that if an investigation shows that any group was targeted, the police department would seek to safeguard them in the future.
“I cannot confirm right now that this was targeted at a spe-
“As the American Jewish community continues to reel from the horrific antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C., it is unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder, on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot no less,” Polis wrote on X. “Several individuals were brutally attacked while peacefully marching to draw attention to the plight of the hostages who have been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 604 days. I condemn this vicious act of terrorism, and pray for the recovery of the victims.”
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Egypt (1978) and (1984)
RICH JURO
We took two different trips to Egypt years ago. In 1978 we took a “regular” tour of Cairo, Aswan, and the Valley of the Kings. There were 12 on the MaupinTour, including a 20 year old girl, Molly, a college student with her parents. First, we went to the Cairo Egyptian Museum. We were amazed by the mummies and the animal mummies (cats, crocodiles, etc.) that were buried with the owners.
Then we went north of Cairo to Giza, the home of the famous Pyramids. We were told that with a bribe to the guard in the morning, the pyramid would be climbable. The stones are each about three feet tall, so Fran’s too short, so she watched me as I struggled with every step. But I was young then, and in an hour or two reached the top. I remembered that the Passover story recounted that Ramses II used slave Jewish labor to build them. Moses freed the Jews after the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.
Afterwards, we traveled by airplane to the high Aswan Dam. It was several years after the dam was completed and it was still controversial. It produced vast amounts of electricity, and several other positive factors, but several negative results too, including the movement of dead bodies and tombs. The dam remained in place.
We flew down to the Valley of the Kings, where many Pharaohs from the 16th century BCE to 11th century BCE are buried in great tombs. Some of the royal nobles are buried there too. Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, is on the West Bank of the Nile, and Thebes, the ancient capital, is on the Right Bank. Most of the tombs have been looted but King Tutankhamun and his belongings are intact.
Molly, the college student, and I, were fond of making puns. It was a hot summer day about 115 degrees, when Molly said: “The favorite god of the Egyptians was Isis” (pronounced ‘Ices’).
(It was funny at the time.)
The second time we went to Egypt: 1984. It was just after our younger daughter, Keri, had her Bat Mitzvah in the Conservative Synagogue in Jerusalem. We had taken a tour of Israel after the older kids, Kim and Kevin, had their B’nai Mitzvot, so we decided to visit Egypt with the children. The first mistake in the Egyptian customs was that our son, Kevin, went missing. At the time of the passport photo he was 13; now he was 17 with a full beard. He looked like a terrorist. After 5 minutes he came out of the locked room and he said that he “passed”.
Fran was trying to find our son and besides had a walking sub-clavian anti-bacterial machine. When the male Egyptian immigration officers questioned it, Fran offered to show it to them, and put it off the shoulder for them. Mistake! The Egyptian officials showed no concern or interest in the female top of the torso, and let her into the country without delay.
We toured the Egyptian Museum and the kids loved the same mummies and animal mummies as us in the previous visit. Now our guide drove around Cairo. We saw a man selling watermelon slices; unfortunately, he picked his toenails with the same knife as he was cutting the melon. Our kids had the same reaction: “Gross!”
Next we had excursions to the pyramids. While the kids were duly impressed, Kevin and Kim wanted to know why they couldn’t go climb them. At the end of the tour, the Egyptian Tourism official called us. He wanted to know why we had returned to Egypt since so many Americans do not. Fran explained: “There are many spectacular sites in Egypt, but its so dirty.”
The official retorted: “The Middle East is really dirty, and Egypt is no dirtier than other countries.”
Fran’s reply: “Israel.”
The Jewish Press Club
Statue of Ramses II. Credit: Mohammed Moussa, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Pyramids in Giza. Credit: KennyOMG, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.