“I remember his at their B’nai Mitzvah, when he spoke about wanting to stay involved in the Jewish community after completing his Bar Mitzvah. He planned to accomplish this through BBYO.”
Since then, Ryan has been an active member of his chapter and continues to share his passion through his leadership experiences. During his time as Moreh, VP of recruitment, Ryan has surpassed his chapter’s membership goal twice. He was given the Tree of Life Award, an honor given to Alephs who have played a significant and lasting role in growing the AZA.
His role did not end with recruitment either; Ryan takes pride in teaching new members the history and tradition of BBYO. He welcomes new members with a sincere attitude, and is their main contact for any issues and questions. He is a true mentor.
“Ryan’s efforts have contributed to the strengthening of our Order’s future,” Jacob added. “Tree of Life recipients leave a legacy in their chapters, as they welcome a new generation to love, cherish and preserve the traditions of the Aleph Zadik Aleph and BBYO.”
Not surprisingly, leadership is a word used often when it comes to Evan as well. His growth and development during his five years
at BBYO meant taking on the responsibilities of Mazkir; his goal was to share all programs and events on social media. He helped grow the chapter’s social media following, and served as S’gan for two years because he saw the importance of planning engaging events.
“Evan worked with fellow board members and chapter members,” Jacob said, “and together they came up with a variety of program ideas. Programming was fun for participants, but also built strong culture and a sense of brotherhood.”
As Godol, Evan was in charge of overseeing all aspects of the chapter. In that role, Jacob said, “he helped the board achieve membership goals, maintain high attendance and has served as an excellent role model to younger members.”
BBYO is a family affair for the Kuglers: both Ryan and Evan come from generations of BBYO involvement. Parents, grandparents as well as two older siblings all were multi-year board members. Their younger sister is currently on the board as well.
Please join us on Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m. when the Jewish Federation of Omaha honors Evan and Ryan Kugler at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Annual Meeting & Awards Night.
Continued from page 1
Harris Center stands out as a vital partner in bringing the expertise of leading scholars in Holocaust Education to our local communities.
“The opportunity for IHE to work with the Harris Center is both a personal and professional amazing educational opportunity,” Scott Littky, IHE Executive Director, said. “The ability to provide our communities with scholarship and learning only strengthens our mission of teaching empathy, understanding and how to be an upstander.”
Fall 2024 programming included a Holocaust Education In-service, where educators learned how to integrate resources from Nebraska Stories of Humanity into their curriculum. Nebraska Stories of Humanity “aims to centralize access to the history of Nebraska Holocaust survivors and WWII liberators of Nazi camps in a collection of searchable stories.”
The site contains a wealth of resources, including interactive maps and documents, that help educators and their students bridge the gap between the Holocaust and local communities in Nebraska.
This spring, the Harris Center held its biennial Sommerhauser Symposium on Holocaust Education. IHE partnered with the Harris Center to bring John Q. Barrett, Professor of Law at St. John’s University and speaker at the Sommerhauser Symposium, to Omaha where he gave the Harris Center’s Henry and Gretl Wald Lecture, “Holocaust Discovery at the Post-World War II Nurem-
berg Trials of Nazi War Criminals,” to an engaged audience at the Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center and on Zoom.
Ari Kohen, Director of the Harris Center, said that the ongoing partnership “is a fantastic example of how much more we can do when we work together. The IHE helps us to connect to the broader community and together we’re able to offer exceptional educational opportunities to people across Nebraska. It’s truly a pleasure to work with Scott and Jane Nesbitt.”
The Institute for Holocaust Education extends its deepest gratitude to the Harris Center for Judaic Studies for their continued collaboration and unwavering commitment to Holocaust education. The impact of our shared efforts is felt across classrooms, communities, and conversations throughout Nebraska. We are proud to work alongside a partner whose dedication to historical understanding and education continues to inspire meaningful engagement and reflection. We look forward to building on this strong foundation in the years to come.
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.
Blumkin
This
is
until July 31, 2025! Thanks to two amazing community champions, Tom Fellman and Howard Kooper, for this dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity!
Educators learning about Nebraska Stories of Humanity and other classroom resources during the Holocaust Education Inservice.
The importance of Israel
NANCY COREN
On the evening of May 30th, the citizens of Israel transitioned from Yom HaZikaron, a day of solemn remembrance of Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, to Yom HaAtzmaut, a day of celebration of Israel turning 77 years old. At a transition ceremony held at the Masorti congregation in the center of Jerusalem, I was asked to share my reflections about such a transition. The following is what I shared: My reflection is very much influenced by my early connections to the State of Israel. I was born in 1950, two years after the establishment of the State of Israel, and although I was too young to know about the struggles that went into the actual fight for independence, I was acutely aware from an early age about the significance of Israel in the life of Jews everywhere. For me, growing up at Tifereth Israel in Lincoln, Nebraska, pride in being Jewish was linked directly with pride in having a young Jewish State in our homeland. I vividly remember being a teen during the time of the Six Day War in 1967. Our synagogue members gathered to fervently daven for Israel’s well-being. I remember the pride and excitement we felt when the war ended and we saw pictures of the Israeli paratroopers who had captured the kotel. I also remember the Yom Kippur War of 1973 as a time that I finally understood that fellow Jews were giving their young lives to protect the future of Israel.
As one who made aliyah four and a half years ago, hearing the sirens on Yom HaZikaron and being among those who stand at attention when hearing their plaintive wails, my heart fills with gratitude as well as pain knowing how much others have had to sacrifice so we can live here. Twenty-twenty-three brought trauma to this land. With so many dying at the hands of Hamas we felt the pain, the fear, the grief that ensued. And this past year as well has been full of sadness with headlines announcing those who have fallen while facing terrorists on all sides of our borders who are bent upon our annihilation. For months, hearing the newscasts about the continuing hostage situation in Gaza has felt overwhelming as well.
Yet, as strange as it might sound, observing Yom HaZikaron today, even with all the trauma surrounding us, reminds me of what a miracle Israel’s existence is and how privileged we all are to be able to partake in what was only a dream for centuries. I do not take the existence of Israel for granted and I never have. That’s why I believe it is of the utmost importance that we are coming together tonight to commemorate the memories of those who have died in years past and this year while defending us. Their ultimate sacrifice was given to ensure the continued existence of Israel. Judaism has never promised us that life would be easy or without sadness. It does teach us a way of pursuing meaningful lives even when we are surrounded by trauma. A pivotal event in my life took place at age 18 (a long time ago when I was part of a National Ramah leadership camp.) I was privileged to study with Viktor Frankl, the Holocaust survivor who wrote Man’s Search for Meaning. He impressed upon me the idea that how we assign meaning to the events unfolding around us is extremely important in terms of our own resiliency. That lesson has led me to realize that what we do to reach out to others in need, even when facing sadness and uncertainty as we hear the news is so important. That is part of the resiliency that I have witnessed so clearly in Israeli civil society especially this year. It is the reason we can move into the celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut as we transition from a day of sadness, mourning, and introspection into a day of rejoicing. We have chosen life, chosen meaning, chosen to support one another in times of need, chosen to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for the ability to have on-going life here.
May we always be able to find meaning in our days of remembrance and days of celebration as a nation and as individuals. And please G-d, may the days ahead bring the return of all of our chatufim (hostages) and the safety of all of our chayalim (soldiers). May we come to see a time when once again there is appreciation and understanding of all Jews everywhere about the importance of Israel in our lives.
Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center
Rabbi Geiger’s Weekly Torah Expedition
PARSHAT BEHARBECHUKOTAY
RABBI MORDECHAI GEIGER
Beth Israel
A young woman living in New York once called Rabbi Shmuel Dishon, begging him to give a speech. She explained that her husband was deathly ill. The community wanted to get together to pray for him and she wanted Rabbi Dishon to give words of strength and comfort. Rabbi Dishon usually did not accept such requests; he would get too emotional to speak at these occasions, but how could he say no? Some prominent members of the community heard that the rabbi would be speaking, so they called him to request a topic. They asked that he
talk about the “me generation.” How we live in a time when all anyone cares about is me, me, me. That Thursday night, he arrived to over a thousand women who had gathered to pray for this man. A thousand women on a weeknight! For a man they had probably never met! And so in a beautiful play on words, Rabbi Dishon got up to speak aboutthe “me generation.” He said Me k’amcha Yisrael! This verse begins with the Hebrew word “me,” but it means “who is like Your nation Israel?” Because this love and responsibility that we have for each other is unique to our nation. We are the “me” generation. The generation that is calling out to be noticed for its unique greatness. This week’s parsha points out the necessity for us to follow in G-d’s ways. Just as He cares for us, we must care for each other,
Let’s continue to rise to the occasion!
Shabbat Shalom.
Writing Workshop
“Write With Us,” our small and intimate workshop (no need to be nervous) continues in smaller format. The next workshop is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 5-7 p.m. in the Noshery at the Staenberg Omaha JCC. Register by contacting Jessi at jtaylor@jewishomaha.org or Annette at avandekamp@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 snacks and the writing prompts.
Vita Nova names executive director
JASON KEESE
Vita Nova Maternity Community, a nonprofit serving pregnant women and young mothers experiencing housing instability, has named Jenn Tompkins as its new executive director.
Tompkins brings more than two decades of nonprofit leadership experience to the role, most recently serving as executive director of philanthropy and engagement for the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Her long career in human resources, community development and philanthropic strategy — including her designation as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) — uniquely positions her to guide Vita Nova’s next phase of growth.
the staff carry that vision forward.”
Founded in 2023, Vita Nova Maternity Community welcomes pregnant women in need of support and, through safe housing, compassionate care and strong community partnerships, empowers them to build lives of healing, hope, independence and lasting strength for themselves and their children. The organization addresses critical gaps in maternity care by offering a holistic approach to housing and education across Nebraska, eastern Iowa and the surrounding region.
“I was drawn to Vita Nova because of the mission,” Tompkins said. “This organization provides housing, food, education and services for pregnant women facing homelessness. After talking with co-founder Jessica Jurgensen—who spent 30 years as a nurse and saw the need for this type of support — I was inspired by her passion and commitment to uplifting women and newborns. I’m honored to help her, the board, and
Tompkins holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics and human resources from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Her leadership at Vita Nova will focus on strengthening community collaborations, expanding donor support and ensuring longterm sustainability for programs that offer real solutions to maternity care deserts and generational poverty.
Learn more about Vita Nova Maternity Community at vitanovamaternity.org
Jenn Tompkins
Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebration
EDNESDAY, APRIL 30,
the Staenberg Omaha JCC welcomed the community for the traditional Yom Ha’atzmaut carnival. We had an enormous bouncy house, crafts and games, synagogue and Chabad stalls, face painting, airbrush tattoos and balloon animals (with Penelope, of course!), and the marketing department brought the camel backdrop. Who doesn’t want their picture taken with a camel? There was food, too: kosher pizza and cookies, as well as a popcorn machine.
Meanwhile, B’nai B’rith hosted the Trivia Contest in the Benjamin and Anna Wiesman Family Reception Room upstairs. You can read all about the quiz elswhere in this paper.
We thank the many volunteers and staff who made it happen, and we thank everyone who came! The Yom Ha’atzmaut Carnival was made possible by the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation: Alan J. Levine Program Endowment Fund, Esther K. Newman Memorial Fund, Fran & Rich Juro Endowment Fund, Special Donor-Advised Fund, and Ruth Frisch and Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund. We also thank Ideal Water for generously providing the bottled water.
SINGING BOWL SERENITY
Residents of RBJH experienced a moment of deep tranquility as Sheri Noodom introduced them to the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls. Crafted in Nepal, these unique instruments filled the space with mysterious, resonant sounds, inviting peace and mindfulness.
MARCH OF THE LIVING
YOM HASHOAH
Thank you to everyone who attended our Yom HaShoah Commemoration. Each year, this meaningful event brings together members of our community to reflect, remember, and continue to stand up against antisemitism. A special thank you to all of our speakers and to Dr. Christine Erlander Beard from UNO for her presentation.
DERBY DAY
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
FRIEDEL JEWISH ACADEMY
Above: Yom Ha’atzmaut at Friedel Jewish Academy
Below: In Social Studies at Friedel Jewish Academy, first and second graders talked about why we have rules, why they are important, who makes the rules for different places, and how there are different ways to make rules and ensure things are fair - like by voting! Students then voted individually on two different topics and then in a group, where a leader had to listen to all points of view and then make a final decision based on the voices of the people in their group. It was fun to learn that voting can be a fair way to decide important things both inside and outside of the classroom!
Mace Hack, Rosie Zweiback, Rachel Ring, and Larry Ring attended Derby Day, where Rachel was declared to have the best hat.
Larry Gendler, with sons Max and Nate, participated in March of the Living last week. Their group took a photo shortly before the march started at Auschwitz.
Voices
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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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Tolerance and Acceptance
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
Hanukkah candles in the Passover section at the supermarket. A political candidate tweeting ‘Happy Yom Kippur.’ A temporary NIKE billboard, meant to inspire runners in the 2025 London Marathon, spelling the phrase ‘Never Again. Until Next Year.’ There are endless examples of majority culture “not getting it,” and we can usually laugh them off. Like the Ham-on-sale meme that pops up every Hanukkah. And for a long time, being misunderstood has brought its own comfort level. After all, we don’t really need everyone to understand us. We’re fine over here, while the rest of the world happens over there. Being fully known and understood comes with a price, we suspect. If you’re invited to the party, you’re probably expected to assimilate. And perhaps we just want to be left alone.
For years, there has been public discourse about “otherness.” Usually, we see that concept in a negative light; it’s discrimination, separatism, segregation. But what happens if we feel the need to “other” ourselves? Is it the same as isolation?
Relationships between Jews and non-Jews have suffered since October 7. As much as I despise hanging every thought on that particular date, there is no denying that it has changed everything. Pretending it hasn’t does us no favors. Being sick of hearing about it, talking about it, thinking about it; it can’t be helped. The only thing different today is that the initial shock has worn off a little.
The people who left us, the people we cut ties with, the ones who could not manage to show any
sympathy for the victims of that day, the ones who said “Israel had it coming,” were probably gone by October 8. They were the low-hanging fruit, and they were never our friends to begin with. But what about everyone else? What about the ones who ‘sort-of’ got it, who reached out, who showed empathy during the first days or even weeks? More and more, I’m getting the impression that doors are closing. At the same time, some of my nonJewish friends have been nothing short of amazing and intensely empathetic. That should count for something. Still, I’ve started to categorize people and spaces as ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe,’ and I don’t know how to stop. Friend or enemy, sure, but where is the grey?
is a uniquely tragic irony,” Rabbi Meir Bier wrote for Aish.com. Granted, Rabbi Bier is specifically speaking about people of different religions, but it perhaps also applies to people who have different thoughts and opinions. And it’s hard; we want to be respectful, but when those differences include
Can I watch a movie if the main actress once said something antisemitic? Do I want to shop at this store if it sells products made by a company that supports the BDS movement? Do I want to read that novel if the author has refused the Hebrew translation? And can I keep track of everything and everyone hateful, or -at best- ambiguous? How easy, and how permissible really, is it to simply turn away?
London Marathon, April 27, 2025. Credit: Via X
thinking we as Jews should not exist, not have our own country, not defend ourselves, it becomes problematic to maintain that tolerance. Tolerance, yes, but for what? And at what cost? Where do we draw the line? At what point does “different” become “toxic?”
“Judaism emerges as a shining example of tolerance and acceptance of people of different persuasions. That the Jewish people have been arguably the greatest victims in history of hate and prejudice
Lots of question marks, I know. That’s been another constant since Oct. 7: too many questions, not enough answers. We can say, “We’ve been here before,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean we know how to act. If you have any advice, I’m all ears.
Israel and those who love it are stuck in a hopeless present.
YEHUDA KURTZER
JTA
I’ve always appreciated the present-tense quality of Yom Ha’atzmaut. Coming right after Yom HaZikaron, a day of remembering past losses, it is like a full day of “dayenu“ prayer, a collective recognition of where we are and how far we have come. In Israel, Israelis gather in public parks and in backyards, under their vines and fig trees. I am skeptical of making big meaningful proclamations on Yom Ha’atzmaut; this year I sat with friends on the deck eating corn schnitzel and singing folk songs.
But then the day ends, and the work begins again. This year I can’t shake the sense that Israel — and those of us who support it from afar — are stuck in a hopeless present tied too tightly to the traumas of the recent past. To pause in the present one day a year is a blessing; to live permanently while stuck in the present feels like a curse.
The war in Gaza is unending, and now resumes with a massive call-up. The prime minister continues to define victory as Hamas’ utter defeat, which Hamas will never concede and which may be a “supreme goal” that can never be decisively reached. At earlier phases in the history of Zionism, we celebrated partial victories most famously in the acceptance of the Partition Plan and moved forward toward other attainable goals. Why then do Israel’s current leaders insist on the kind of absolute outcomes that make it impossible to get out of the present morass?
Meanwhile, only the extremists are speaking about the future. In Israel, the empowered right is building horrific plans for settling Gaza and ethnically cleansing its inhabitants; if that leads to the fighting lasting indefinitely, it seems they will be content. Out here in the West, the ascendant fabulist left also talks about a radical new future, through its own dystopian vision for the dismantling of Israel.
Most of us, though, most Israelis, and most of us who support Israel from afar? We are stuck in a state of dreams arrested, waiting for a future that won’t come if we don’t even try to envision it.
We are paying a high cost for this stuckness.
Israeli families are suffering financially, psychically and physically, sending their loved ones again into an unending war, holding up a fraying home front, praying that it — that they — will not be shattered.
Our hostages, not the priority of the country that once pledged to never leave its people behind, are living hopeless lives — so close, so far away. The bodies of hostages who were already killed remain to be buried.
So long as we are stuck in this present, the Palestinian civilians in Gaza too are stuck. They cannot live, heal, recover or mobilize further against Hamas and for better alternatives. Palestinian parents cannot offer their children a better future.
So long as we are stuck in this present, Israel’s visions and dreams of living in a new Middle East, normalizing with its neighbors, thriving in the family of nations, are being held back by its government’s choices.
And so long as Israel is stuck in this present, American Jews are stuck as well. Our institutions are stuck in defensive mode, with far more attention paid to rapid reaction to the news cycle than to the opportunities here to capitalize on the “surge” in Jewish life and other critical priorities. American Jews are stretched to their moral limits by the Israeli government’s intransigence in continuing to fight this war this way. And our community has internalized “war mode” — the fight against Hamas there, the fight against antisemitism here — in ways that are preventing us from doing the constructive pro-democracy work that will stabilize our societies and protect us in the long run.
There are always alternative possible futures than the ones that seem inaccessible when we are stuck in the present. This is a “plastic hour” — a term coined by the philosopher Gershom Scholem to describe historical moments when new possibilities can emerge and that require human intervention and choice in those moments to influence the course of history. Remaining stuck is a choice; the alternative is moral imagination and wisdom that the Israeli government may lack but we do not endorse. It would have been sufficient, at many moments in the past year, to take pride in the immense military successes of the war as a means of declaring victory, to choose to prioritize the hostages even at the cost of continuing the war to allow Israelis to embrace one another and to resume their lives, and to end the war for the sake of both Israelis and Palestinians to heal and to recover. There is only so much loyalty to
the present that can be demanded of people without providing them hope for the future, and we have passed that threshold. This insistence on stuckness is then not just a terrible moral and political choice, but also psychologically corrosive for our people. What will it take for us to get moving again? Those of us who are not in power need to reawaken the possibility of hope — to be the kind of people who will things into being — and we need to ensure the viability of those other possible futures.
This can include investments in Israel’s struggling coexistence and peace-building sectors, and parallel efforts to rebuild trust between Jews and our neighbors here as well. We can push harder for conversations about the future of postwar Israel and plans to rebuild hope and trust for the Palestinian people for the days after Hamas rule. We can accelerate American Jewish conversations about what we’ve learned from these 18 months and what we can now do differently in American Jewish education and American Jewish politics. Building hope, change and sustainability travel hand in hand. And since the political sands will inevitably shift one day, we’d better be among those planning for that future and prepared to seize those moments.
And ultimately, we can simply promote a new discourse about hope for our weary people who see no light at the end of the tunnel. The belief in hope and the trust in incremental process is the Zionist way and the Jewish way. The Talmud tells the story of two sages, Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta, walking through the Arbel Valley at that liminal moment between darkness and light. When the first dawn began to break, Rabbi Hiyya said to Rabbi Shimon: “This is the redemption of Israel: At first it comes slowly by slowly, and as it progresses its light increases.”
Yom HaZikaron, the day of the past, is passed; Yom Ha’atzmaut, the day of the present, has ended. I hope our leaders will look for light instead of doubling down on darkness. These 18 months should be sufficient as the darkest time before the dawn. The future for Zionism, the Jewish people, the Palestinians, and the State of Israel needs to start today.
Yehuda Kurtzer is president of the Shalom Hartman Institute.
Life cycles
LILA ALYSE FINEMAN
Lila Alyse Fineman, daughter of Lindsay and Michael Fineman, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Overland Park, KS.
Lila is an seventh grade honor roll student at Overland Trail Middle School in Overland Park, KS,
Lila enjoys math and performing with the school choir; spending time with her friends and family; and attending Camp Sabra every summer. She has a passion for dance (especially tap) and is a member of the Pulse Performing Arts Center Competition Team.
For her mitzvah projects, Lila wanted to bring the joy she experiences through dance to the community, so she and several friends visited Village Shalom to perform their favorite dance routines for the residents. Lila also partnered with Kansas City Young Audiences, a nonprofit organization to ensure all children can have dance opportunities like Lila has had over the years. She collected new and gently-used dance apparel, costumes and shoes to help reduce the costly and often-prohibitive dance education expenses for children.
She has two younger sisters, Scarlett (11) and Julia (7), and a puppy, Ari.
Grandparents are Janet Gershon and the late Steve Gershon of Overland Park, KS, and Hollie and Glen Fineman of Omaha.
The release of Edan Alexander
PHILISSA CRAMER
JTA
The call went out over email, text and WhatsApp on Sunday night: Come to Huyler Park in downtown Tenafly at 5 a.m. to celebrate — Edan Alexander was coming home.
Born and raised by Israeli parents in Tenafly, Alexander, 21, joined the Israel Defense Forces after graduating from Tenafly High School. He was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, while serving near the Gaza border, along with 250 others. Now, the United States had negotiated his release, in a move that shocked both Israeli officials and his friends and family in New Jersey.
“Yes, it’s early. And yes, it might be a little cold. But we are strong, united, and our love will warm us all,” said the message, which urged parents to let their children participate in the gathering at the cost of going to school: “Let them experience a morning they’ll remember for life.”
that includes Israeli delicacies such as Jerusalem bagels, shakshuka and hummus. And a giant yellow banner reading “Welcome Home Edan” was unfurled.
In Tenafly, many families are Israeli or have a strong connection to Israel. The future of the war would matter to them in ways large and small. But for May 12, at least, the focus was only on their local son, who survived the unthinkable and one
By 5 a.m., the time that initial reports suggested Alexander could be freed by Hamas, which has held him hostage in the Gaza Strip for 584 days, the suburban New Jersey park was packed with friends of his family, members of the local Israeli expat community and hundreds of local residents and officials.
A massive screen and audio system, set up overnight by local companies, broadcast Israel’s Channel 12, where reporters were offering a play-by-play of the preparations for Alexander’s release, the first of any male soldier captured on Oct. 7. At times, the screen showed a broadcast from Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where a similar broadcast showed the crowds in Tenafly.
“We almost, like, created a Hostages Square here in Tenafly,” said Orly Chen, a local community member who is from Israel. “And when, God willing, he’s going to come back to Tenafly, there’ll be a really nice and warm welcome here.”
Local rabbis turned out alongside their congregants, and children came with their parents. Some people brought camp chairs, while many were wrapped in Israeli flags. At one point, men and boys donned prayer shawls and tefillin to offer morning prayers outside Tenafly’s N.J. Transit station. Cafe Angelique, housed in the old train station, opened with its menu
day in the future would be strong enough to come home, where an entire town would be prepared to embrace him.
“We are so blessed,” Chen said. “We are really so blessed to have such an amazing, amazing community.”
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ANNOUNCEMENT
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HELLO NEBRASKA! Introducing www.nepublicnotices.com, a new public notice website presented as a public service by all Nebraska newspapers. Free access, fully searchable – because democracy depends upon open government and your right to know.
BANKRUPTCY RELIEF! Help stop Creditor Harassment, Collection Calls, Repossession and Legal Actions! Speak to a Professional Attorney and Get the Help You NEED! Call NOW 844-215-3629
AFFORDABLE PRESS Release service. Send your message to 155 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details.
FOR SALE – CELL PHONE
SWITCH AND save up to $250/year on your talk, text and data. No contract and no hidden fees. Unlimited talk and text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. For more information, call 1-877-768-5892.
FOR SALE - SENIORS
the JFO’s Safety and Security Team 402-334-6446
EMAIL JCRCreporting@jewishomaha.org
SCAN the QR code below to fill out the Incident Reporting Form
If you experience antisemitism, there are ways to report an incident or hate crime: If you see something, say something. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, MOVE TO A SAFE AREA AND DIAL 9-1-1
PORTABLE OXYGEN Concentrator? May be covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-385-3580.
HELP WANTED
GENERAL MANAGER – Moody County Enterprise
We’re looking for a dynamic General Manager to lead the Moody County Enterprise in Flandreau, SD. This is a jack-of-all-trades role for someone who can write, sell, and lead our local newspaper into a bright future. If you're passionate about community journalism and ready to take charge, we want to hear from you. Interested? Email your resume to bmcmacken@newsmediacorp.com.
HOME SERVICES
DOES YOUR basement or crawl space need some attention? Call
Thrasher Foundation Repair! A permanent solution for waterproofing, failing foundations, sinking concrete and nasty crawl spaces. FREE Inspection & Same Day Estimate. $250 off ANY project with code GET250. Call 1-844-958-3431.
REPLACE YOUR roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-888316-7713.
WANTED TO BUY
WE BUY 8,000 cars a week. Sell your old, busted or junk car with no hoops, haggles or headaches. Sell your car to Peddle. Easy three step process. Instant offer. Free pickup. Fast payment. Call 1-855-910-0760.
WE BUY Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three
