A N AG E N C Y O F T H E J E W I S H F E D E R AT I O N O F O M A H A
The Jewish Press WWW.O M A H A J E W I S H P R E SS .CO M
INSIDE
Funding an Excellent Education Page 2
Prologue — The Yid in the Mid Page 3
Merz warns that Jews are not safe in Germany Page 12
REGULARS6
Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life Cycles
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WWW. J E W I S H O M A H A .O R G
SPONSORED BY THE BENJAMIN AND ANNA E. WIESMAN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND
OCTOBER 2, 2026 | 21 TISHREI 5787 | VOL. 106 | NO. 48 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 6:46 P.M.
2 | The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026
FROM THE FRONT
Omaha Jewish Film Festival Lineup and Hosts
SHARON BARGAS JFO Community Engagement and Education Associate he Jewish Federation of Omaha announces the film lineup for the 24th Annual Omaha Jewish Film Festival, and this year's slate promises something for everyone: a documentary that will have longtime Catskills fans reminiscing, a harrowing true story out of Israel, a German drama confronting the weight of history, and a New York romantic drama-comedy. The festival runs Oct. 18 through 21, 2026, at the Staenberg Omaha JCC, each night at 6 p.m. The festival gives the community a reason to gather, watch, and talk. Organizers say the films selected for 2026, chosen with input from a community trailer screening earlier this year, reflect the full
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range of what Jewish cinema has to offer, from history to heartbreak to humor. What sets this festival apart is not only the films, but what happens after the credits roll. Each screening is followed by a discussion led by members of the Omaha Jewish community with a personal, professional, or deeply felt connection to the story on screen. “Film has always been a passion of mine, not just watching or collecting, but analyzing and discussing,” said Jared Berezin, Chair of the Festival. “I feel honored to serve as the Chair of the Festival this year and to help bring this curated selection of films to our community.” Opening night, Sunday, Oct. 18, belongs to We Met at Grossinger’s, an immersive documentary that revives the world of the Jewish Catskills and the iconic resort that inspired Dirty Dancing. Berezin
hosts the film, having spent months shepherding this year's selection process to the final four. On Monday, Oct. 19, the festival turns to The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, following retired Israeli general Noam Tibon and his wife on a ten-hour journey across a country under siege to save their family, a rescue story and a look at Oct. 7. Community Shaliach Itay leads the discussion, on the film and share his expertise on the film’s key themes. The festival continues Tuesday, Oct. 20 with Rosenthal: The Great Showman, based on the true story of Germany's most popular television host of the 1970s, forced to confront his traumatic past and his country's. Dr. Marat Grinberg, Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University hosts the discussion, guiding the audience through the film's questions of memory and reckoning. The festival closes Wednesday, Oct. 21 with Fantasy Life, a smart, New Yorkset romantic comedy with Matthew Shear as an anxious law school dropout who babysits his psychiatrist's three grandchildren and builds a relationship with their mother, played by Amanda Peet. Hosts Hailey and Alex Ronen close the week with a conversation as warm and easy as the film itself.
Beyond the films, festival goers can enjoy drinks from the J Bar, candy and complimentary popcorn each evening. Festival T-shirts will also be available for purchase. This year's film festival is made possible by: the Special Donor-Advised Fund of the JFO Foundation, the Foundation Grants Committee, the Foundation IMPACT Grant, the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund, the Etta & Harold Epstein Security Fund, the Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund, the Klutznick Custodial Fund, the Miller Film Fund established by Lindsey Miller-Lerman in memory of her parents Avy and Roberta Miller, B'nai B'rith Henry Monsky Lodge, and corporate sponsor First National Bank of Omaha. Watch film trailers and prepurchase festival passes by scanning the QR code or visiting — https://www.jewishom aha.org/community-engagement/ film-festival/ For questions, contact Naomi Fox, nfox@jewishom aha.org, 402.334.6424, or Sharon Bargas, sbargas@jewishom aha.org, 402.334.6458.
might otherwise be out of reach. “The Annual Campaign helps us to fund a large portion of the gap between tuition and the cost of educating our students,” Cohen said. The school also raises money for its Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides aid to families facing hardships such as illness or job loss. Assistance can help cover tuition, meals, uniforms and school supplies, helping families maintain stability for their children during difficult periods. Endowed funds provide another source of long-term financial support. The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation has helped donors establish endowments that generate dependable annual income. Through the end of 2026, the Foundation
is offering a matching program for new or increased endowments. “Endowments are crucial for our organization’s long-term financial security,” Cohen said. Friedel’s food service is a newer source of revenue. The school provides daily breakfast, lunch and snacks for students, lunch for ELC students and campus staff, weekly Thursday night takeout meals and an online kosher market. Information and ordering are available through the “Kosher Market” link on Friedel’s website. “We are so grateful for the community’s ongoing support,” Cohen said. “It helps us to fulfill our mission: providing the educational foundation to develop inquisitive learners who confidently engage with the world through Jewish values.”
Funding an Excellent Education SARA KOHEN Friedel Jewish Academy Director of Advancement Like other private schools, Friedel Jewish Academy does not rely on tuition alone to cover the cost of educating each student. Keeping tuition affordable for families across the community means finding additional sources of support. Scholarships from the Jewish Federation of Omaha ( JFO), local synagogues, the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Omaha, as well as assistance from Friedel itself, is one important piece to assist families with their tuition responsibility. Community support helps close the gap between the total income from tuition and the total it costs to educate a student. Grants from the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and other local and national charitable foundations provide funding for designated components of the curriculum and educational experience. Friedel’s Annual Campaign, endowments income and food service are other income streams that provide funds. “We feel very fortunate to be part of a community that values education and making Jewish experiences available to all children,” said Beth Cohen, Friedel’s Head of School. “Grants from funds at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation make a big difference to Friedel.” Recent grants have supported music
classes through the Omaha Conservatory of Music, the middle school travel program, and Friedel’s annual science fair
A Salute to Jeff Taxman and speech contest. Last year, the Lieutenant Irving Cohen Memorial Endowment funded the speech contest, in which each middle school student interviewed a Jewish war veteran, researched the veteran’s wartime experience and presented the story in a five-minute speech. Friedel’s Annual Campaign provides another significant source of operating support. The campaign funds help the school recruit and retain outstanding teachers, maintain updated curricular materials and offer experiences that
B’nai Israel Synagogue in Council Bluffs will present a celebration of Jeff Taxman’s life and his extensive contribution to B’nai Israel and the entire Omaha community. He served as our lay leader for the High Holidays for over twenty five years. Jeff ’s cousin, Mark Sanford, will be putting together a musical tribute that will feature songs from the musicals Jeff was in throughout his life. This program is in collaboration with the Taxman family. Please join us for a wonderful evening filled with memories on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. for services. We ask that you use our website, cblhs. org, to make a reservation.
The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026 | 3
Prologue - The Yid in The Mid ShalOmaha. My name is Seth Feldman. And I am a "Yid in the Mid." No, you didn’t stumble on a Jewish Anonymous support group. Although it could very well be. “Yid in the Mid" is the title of my long, winding Jewish jour- SETH FELDMAN ney. I chose it because " Yid in the Mid" takes on a bunch of relevant meanings. The obvious one is that my Jewish journey led me to Omaha, best known as "someplace in the middle of America," thanks to the '90s rock band Counting Crows. And how fitting that the lead singer, Adam Duritz, is Jewish. This will be the recurring theme — how many of the world's 16 million Jews have found their way into this column. My journey also begins in "The Mid," my birthplace of Des Moines, Iowa. But despite being born there and now living two hours down the road, I still haven't gone to the Iowa State Fair and marveled at The Butter Cow. Tragic, I know. I'm also a Yid in the Mid when it comes to the spectrum of Jewish observance. To my less observant friends, I'm "Super Jew," going to shul almost daily, keeping a kosher home and doing my best to keep Shabbos. However, other friends, FFB's, as we call them, "Frum from Birth," see me as an enigma — eating "conservative" kosher with the dreaded "Table K" hechsher, stopping in random garages on the way home from Shabbos lunch to catch a bit of college football, and occasionally "cutting Shabbos short" when there's a Saturday night event, I'm not comfortable missing. Some of you are thinking, no big deal, you're "Conservadox," or "Traditional," or "Ultra-Modern Orthodox Lite." Ok, I made the last one up. There is no Jewish label to describe me, nor do I believe any Jew should be labeled. As any Chabad rabbi in America will remind you, "labels are for clothes." So, I'm going to stick with "A Yid in the Mid." It speaks to who I am. If you've ever run a 5k or a half-marathon, or any road race, you know the two most exciting parts are the beginning and the end. At the beginning, everyone is happy-go-lucky, but they haven't even broken a sweat. At the end, they may be vomiting Gatorade, but they finished the race and have a fake gold medal hanging on their neck. Then there are those still in the middle of the race. They sprinted when they heard the starting gun; they
know there's a finish line — but they can't make it. They reach a point where it's, I gave it my all; I'll try again, but it's not today. That's what my Jewish journey is like. I'm well into the race — with the goal of being fully observant, officially Orthodox. I want so badly to get to the finish line. But after 55 years, I still have a big fat DNF hanging over my head. DNF stands for "Did Not Finish." When you see race results, most runners have a finish time next to their name. But the last few pages — those names — have no times. Just a DNF. Those are my people. Many stories that I'll share will strike a chord for other Yids in the Mid, or anyone who was a Yid in the Mid at a point in their life. Like when I was ecstatic to find a vegetarian special at a local restaurant in Little Rock. Because like many Yids in the Mid, I kept a kosher home but ate "dairy and fish" out of the house. So imagine my disgust when I choked on a massive piece of bacon hiding in my Brussels sprouts. I ran to the counter — "Hey, if this is vegetarian, why did I just spit a slab of bacon halfway to Bentonville?” Manager: "Don’t worry. It's vegetarian; it's Brussels sprouts." Me: "Bacon is not vegetarian." Manager: "Brussels sprouts always have bacon. Why else would you eat them?" Fighting a losing battle, I did what any Yid in the Mid would do. I called my Orthodox rabbi in New Jersey. Told him my dilemma and asked the obvious question — "Do I still need to wait six hours before dairy?" True story. Pretty funny. But if you remember one thing from the book, here it is:
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.
ROOFING
SIDING
GUTTERS
It is beyond awesome when someone begins their Jewish journey, doing one small mitzvah — wrap tefillin, go to the rabbi's house for lunch, light candles, shake a lulav. Beautiful. It's also incredible when someone makes it all the way and goes "all in" to a life of Orthodoxy and Torah observance. But don't forget, somewhere out there is a Yid in the Mid, seriously struggling but also loving every second of the journey. That's me. Enjoy the ride. Seth Feldman is an Emmy Award-winning television producer and a Jewish content creator who moved to Omaha five years ago with his family. He's currently writing a book about his lifelong Jewish journey that led him to Omaha. As he completes each chapter, he's sharing it with the Jewish Press.
4 | The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026
JCRC and Henry Monsky Lodge Breadbreakers continue election-year forums HEIDI HEILBRUNN JCRC & IHE Program and Communications Manager The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Omaha, in partnership with B’nai B’rith’s Henry Monsky Lodge Breadbreakers, kicked off its Candidate Forum series with Sara Kohen, candidate for OPPD Board, and Brett Lindstrom, candidate for Governor. The series will continue through the end of October. These lunch-hour forums, held every Wednesday at the Staenberg Omaha JCC, provide opportunities for the Jewish community to hear directly from candidates, learn more about their platforms, and ask questions that matter to them. The forums are open to the community and can be attended in person or virtually. Registration is required. Similar to JCRC’s previous midterm election series featuring candidates running for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, the 2026 forums are held Wednesdays from noon–1 p.m. UPCOMING CANDIDATE FORUMS: • Sept. 30: Lynne Walz, Candidate for Governor • Oct. 7: Gov. Jim Pillen, Incumbent Candidate for Governor
Sara Kohen, left, speaks during the Breadbreakers Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Sept 16. Brett Lindstrom, right, speaks during the Breadbreakers Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Sept 23.
• Oct 14: Bob Krist, Candidate for Secretary of State • Oct 21: Christian Mapes, Candidate for OPPD Board • Oct 28: Scott Petersen, Candidate for Secretary of State To register for these forums, visit the Action and Im-
pact section of the JCRC website: https://www.jewish omaha.org/inspire-change/jcrc/action-impactupdate/ In addition to the forums, JCRC invited candidates for a range of offices to complete a questionnaire addressing issues of importance to the Jewish community. JCRC is reaching out to candidates for Governor, State Senate, County Commission, Sheriff, State Board of Education, UNL Board of Regents, local school boards, OPPD and MUD boards to help Jewish voters better understand each candidate’s positions and priorities. The candidates featured in the 2026 Jewish Voters’ Guide are those who submitted responses. Any candidate not listed did not respond to JCRC’s request. To maintain fairness, responses are presented in alphabetical order, by race, and are published unedited. View the 2026 Jewish Voters’ Guide on the JCRC website and check back often as additional responses are received and added.
Join the Jewish Federation of Omaha as we launch the 2027 Annual Campaign JESSICA COHN JFO Donor Relations Manager The Jewish Federation of Omaha invites the community to launch its 2027 Annual Campaign on Monday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m. at the Omaha Performing Arts Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement. Beginning promptly at 6:15 p.m., the evening will feature a moderated conversation with Jewish advocate Tessa Veksler and celebrate Jewish pride, resilience and collective impact. The event is chaired by Jamie and Troy Meyerson, Jenny and Scott Meyerson, and Heidi and Scott Schneiderman, whose leadership reflects the generosity and community spirit that drives the Federation's Annual Campaign. “We are proud to co-chair this year's Kick Off event with our siblings. The Federation keeps our community strong and connected, and we're excited to help launch the Campaign under the leadership of the Fellman and Sullivan families” said Jenny and Scott Meyerson, Event Co-Chairs. Featured speaker Tessa Veksler has become a nationally recognized voice for Jewish pride, student leadership and the fight against antisemitism. A 2024 graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Veksler served as student body president during a time of unprecedented challenges for Jewish students following Oct. 7, 2023. Her leadership on campus drew national attention and is featured in the documentary Oct. 8, which examines the rise of antisemitism on American college campuses and in public life following the attacks. Since graduating, Veksler has traveled the country sharing a message of resilience, advocacy and the im-
portance of empowering the next generation of Jewish leaders. “We are honored to bring Tessa Veksler’s story to the Omaha Jewish community. As parents of daughters who have faced antisemitism firsthand, her courage reminds us that Jewish pride grows stronger when we stand together” said event cochairs Jamie and Troy Meyerson. The conversation will be moderated by Stacy Feldman, Chief Impact Officer of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, and Campaign Co-Chair Josh Sullivan, who will explore Veksler's experiences, the challenges facing Jewish communities today and the role each of us can play in building a stronger future. Guests will enjoy an exceptional culinary experience provided by Star Catering, Friedel Kosher Catering, and Omaha Performing Arts Catering service. Food offered by Star Catering and Friedel Kosher Catering will be prepared under the supervision of the Vaad Hakashrut of Omaha. Additional kosher-style catering offerings from Omaha Performing Arts will enhance the culinary selections. The dairy and pareve buffet stations will feature chef-inspired small plates and unique tastings designed to present something to satisfy every palate. Complimentary valet parking will be available. Guests who self-park may use the Omaha Park Eight garage, located at 13th and Dodge Streets, with a second entrance at 12th and Capitol Avenue. The Jewish Federation of Omaha is grateful to Union Bank & Trust, Sampson Construction and Max I. Walker, corporate sponsors of the evening, for their partnership and commitment to strengthening our community.
Event Co-Chair Heidi Schneiderman shares, “We hope the kickoff event brings our community together and reminds everyone of the strength we have when we come together around a shared purpose. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the generosity, connection, and sense of responsibility that make our Jewish community so special. We hope people leave inspired, more connected to one another, and excited about what we can accomplish through this year’s campaign.” The Annual Campaign is more than a fundraiser; it is an investment in Jewish life in Omaha, Israel and around the world. Every gift supports vital programs and services that strengthen our community today and build a vibrant future for generations to come. Powered by community, driven by purpose, the Annual Campaign brings us together to make a meaningful difference. Join us for this inspiring evening as we launch the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s 2027 Annual Campaign and celebrate what we can accomplish together. Register today at jewishomaha.org.
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ADVERTISE IN THE JEWISH PRESS Reach the Jewish communities in Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs, and surrounding areas. Contact Claire Endelman | 402.334.6559 | cendelman@jewishomaha.org
The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026 | 5
Helen Epstein to speak at Schwalb Center
OMRI SENDEROWICZ UNO Assistant Professor of History and Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies Director The Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, together with UNO's Department of History and School of Communication, will host journalist and author Helen Epstein for a public lecture, Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for Her Mother’s History, on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. in Community Engagement Center Room 231. Drawing on her acclaimed book of the same title, Epstein will discuss her search for her family’s past and the challenges of reconstructing history when documents are scarce and memories are fragmented. Her work traces three generations of women while exploring the history of Czechoslovakian Jewry and the lasting impact of the Holocaust. The talk will also examine how journalists and historians piece together family stories from oral testimony and personal recollection. Epstein is the author of several influential works, including Children of the Holocaust, Where She Came From, and The Long Half-Lives of Love and Trauma. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The New York Times and The Jerusalem Post, and she previously taught journalism at New York University, where she became the institution’s first tenured female professor of journalism. The event is free and open to the public. Food and drinks will be provided, and limited complimentary parking will be available in Lot E on the UNO campus near the Bell Tower.
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Every Canvas Tells a Story
Cara
David
Grace
During the month of October, Jewish Family Service will feature the art of David Silver as well as several talented Yachad participants in the Staenberg Omaha JCC Eisenberg Gallery. The exhibit will hang on the small wall near the dance department; a closing reception is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. Snacks will be provided. The paintings featured in this exhibit include works created by Yachad participants Cara, Grace, Jill, Lisa and Noah during a Painting with a Twist outing this spring, alongside David Silver. A self-taught artist who began painting during the COVID pandemic, David works primarily in acrylics, drawing inspiration from Judaism, human connection, animals, landscapes, and abstraction. His bold use of color and expressive style bring a distinctive voice to the exhibit. The display will remain on the small wall in October.
Jill
Lisa
Noah
From Nov. 2-6, the artwork will move to the upper sitting area near JCC Member Services before traveling to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, where it will remain on display for the rest of November. Yachad means "together" in Hebrew. The program is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish individuals with disabilities and their families by enhancing their participation in the Jewish community and strengthening their connection to Judaism through social and educational programs and support services.
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6 | The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026
JCC The JCC’s second inclusive sports camp was a great success and included basketball, volleyball, hula hoop, and an obstacle course. Participants were paired with student coaches from Play it Forward and progressed through activities according to the participant's choice. A big thank you to Play It Forward NE and the continuing support of The Violet Hour Foundation.
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.
RBJH
RBJH celebrates Grandparents Month with the feel-good rock band Daybreak! The audience was so hyped they broke out into dance. Check out David Silver’s moves! Earlier in the day, Bev Macek won our Spelling Bee championship and even got her photo taken with the band. At RBJH, we believe grandparents deserve more than just a day, so we celebrate with a special concert each year throughout the month. This year’s celebration was made possible through the generous support of the Sheldon and Lorrie Bernstein Endowment, Betty Studna and Seymour Lee Endowment, and the Chester & Phyllis Lustgarten Endowment Funds of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation. More details about Grandparents Month to come!
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
DAY OF CARING Staff from the Jewish Federation of Omaha volunteered at the Heartland Hope Mission for this year’s Day of Caring. Day of Caring is a community event organized by the United Way of the Midlands. It coordinates city-wide volunteer efforts into a day of meaningful action. This year’s event coincided with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, bringing special meaning as both a day of service and remembrance. Our staff unboxed and organized pallets of donated goods including food, clothing, hygiene and household products. We are proud that these simple acts of service will help support Heartland Hope Mission as it assists individuals facing difficult circumstances.
RBJH celebrates the dedicated professionals who work behind the scenes to keep our care environment safe, clean, and welcoming every day. A special thank you and kudos to our incredible EVS team for all that you do for our residents, families, and staff!
The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026 | 7
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EXPERIENCE ANTISEMITISM? If you experience antisemitism, there are ways to report an incident or hate crime: IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, MOVE TO A SAFE AREA AND DIAL 9-1-1 CALL 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
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News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D
Checkout and Fauda’s spy stories
STEWART AIN JTA Is there still an appetite for Israeli spy stories? That is one question being tested by two different productions arriving in the United States this month: Checkout, a dark Israeli comedy about an aging Mossad operative, and the fifth season of Fauda, the Israeli action thriller about undercover counterterrorism agents. The two projects are seeking audiences in a challenging climate. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in March found that 60% of Americans had an unfavorable view of Israel, compared with 37% who viewed the country favorably. And Israeli cultural exports have faced increasing scrutiny abroad over the country’s conduct since Oct. 7. Yet Fauda has returned to Netflix with considerable international attention, while Checkout opened in Manhattan to a sold-out audience. “It’s hard for Israeli movies right now to find an audience because everything translates to, you know, the ‘P’ [Palestinian] problem,” Jonathan Dekel, the writer, director and executive producer of “Checkout,” said in an interview. “It’s problematic.” Checkout opened Sept. 17 to a sold-out audience at the Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village, which Dekel described as a “stalwart of indie cinema.” Dekel has said the film’s six-year production was almost as difficult as the journey of its protagonist. They shot in Ukraine in November 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and barely escaped with the film’s hard drive after the set was bombed when Russia invaded. They had just finished editing when Oct. 7, 2023, arrived, and Dekel was called up for military service. Dekel knew that the movie would debut in a world transformed by the war and its aftermath. “Trying to find a good time to put out a movie, a satire — a dark comedy about the Israeli special forces — was very, very touch and go until we finally decided to go for it,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Checkout is not a conventional spy thriller. Its protagonist, Dov, is an American-born New Yorker who moved to Israel and is now about to retire from the Mossad.
“The day he checks out of his hotel to retire, someone else checks in and it turns out it’s Mossad’s number one target — an arch terrorist [code-]named Gilgamesh,” Dekel said. “The entire movie is this weird weekend in a hotel where these two middle-aged men, spy-versusspy, try to figure out who they are. They’re trying to find out about each other, but they find themselves.” Josh Pais, who plays Dov, said his character is a man searching for meaning in his life — and comes to believe he can find it by tracking down and stopping a terrorist. “He is possibly stepping into delusion,” said Pais. “What was appealing to me was that this is a story of what really happens to spies. So many movies tap into, you know, the James Bond of being a spy. Those movies are awesome, but this movie is about what it’s really like to be sent to a distant land, to be on location and to pretend that you’re someone else. Over a certain amount of time these guys start to lose touch with reality because, in truth, the vast majority of time as a spy nothing happens.” That idea — of intelligence work as something more complicated than heroic missions and exotic adventures — also runs through Fauda, though in a much more conventional action-thriller format. The Israeli series has been an international success since its Netflix debut in 2016, and its fifth season is now testing whether audiences will follow its characters into a story shaped directly by and set two years after Oct. 7. Lior Raz, the show’s creator, co-writer and star, said last month that he was genuinely surprised by the show’s reception in unlikely places: previous seasons of the show hit No. 1 in popularity in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, and it was No. 2 in Qatar. Season four ran in 2022 in Israel and early the next year on Netflix. The show’s creators had originally begun writing a different fifth season. But after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Raz said, those scripts were discarded. The new season deals directly with the aftermath of the attack and what Raz described as the nature of revenge. This story was edited for length.
Upcoming Events
Are you 55+ and looking for programming to connect you to your community? The Staenberg Omaha JCC and Jewish Family Service are excited to introduce a new program called Next Chapter. Next Chapter events are a great way to meet new people, learn new things, and keep moving! These monthly events are open to the entire community and will feature a diverse range of topics and activities. Tai Chi, Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 1-2 p.m. JCC Members: FREE | Non Members: $5 Whether you’re brand new to Tai Chi or a pro, the practice is a great way to improve balance, stability, and focus. Using slow, controlled movements and breathing, experience a new way to connect the mind and body.
Tea Workshop: The Mindful Tea Experience Monday, Oct. 12 | 1-2 p.m. JCC Members: $5 | Non-Members: $8 The Mindful Tea Experience is a monthly gathering where we explore unique tea blends. Each month, we'll learn about the featured blend, its origins, flavors, and wellness benefits, while practicing simple mindfulness techniques designed to help us slow down, ground ourselves, and restore balance. Sip slowly. Breathe deeply. Leave restored.
LOL presents: Willie Farrell Sunday, Oct. 18 | 2-3:30 p.m. Willie is a sure bet when it comes to laughter. He’s played almost every showroom on the Vegas Strip including The Tropicana, Sahara and Riviera Casinos. And closer to home at Omaha’s Funny Bone. Now, you can hit the jackpot of good times at the Staenberg Omaha JCC. After the show, you’ll get FREE food, goodies and a chance to chat with Silly Willie! Sponsored by the Meyers Family LEGACY OF LAUGHTER ENDOWMENT FUND of The Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.
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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 Advisory Board David Finkelstein, President; Margie Gutnik, Ex-Officio; Toby Dresdner, Andrea Erlich, Dana Gonzales, Mary Sue Grossman, Hailey Krueger, Avery Lubin, Sara Rips, Seth Schuchman, Stewart Winograd and Bob Yaffe. 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 (IHE), Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), Nebraska Jewish Historical Society (NJHS), Jewish Press, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home (RBJH), Jewish Family Service (JFS), Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center (JCC). 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.’ The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial E-mail editorial material and photos to: jpress@jewishomaha.org and avandekamp@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: wfischer@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes signed Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org.
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The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026 | 9
Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Advisory Board, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.
We are here
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor FBI agents recently arrested Jonathan Kramer, a 21-year-old man from Valencia, Pennsylvania, in a hotel parking lot in Cranberry, PA, the Justice Department said. They seized a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines, a rifle bipod and scope, a total of 190 rounds of rifle ammunition and about 30 knives following a search of him, his house and his hotel room. (JTA) Kramer had been on the FBI radar since 2023, when he was sent to juvenile detention; at the time, he was planning a mass shooting. This time, his plans included poisoning food at synagogues in support of the Islamic State. Kramer’s alias is “Hamza Al Rashid.” He made that name up. Whether he is actually affiliated with ISIS is not clear; so far, he appears to be a lone wolf. It’s chilling to read about the ones caught before they can act. We’ll never know how many people around the world are planning mass murder, and it’s not a good thing to dwell on. Then why did I decide to write an op-ed about this guy? What am I doing?
After almost 17 years in this job (how many op-eds is that?) I still haven’t learned to focus on happy and light news when it comes time to write for this page. Granted, the world we live in doesn’t always make it easy—but I really should be better at finding decent things to write about. On the heels of Yom Kippur (I feel forgiven) I am making a resolution. From here on out, at least 50% of my op-eds will be optimistic, happy or even funny. There; I wrote it down, now I have to make it come true. That also means I will not be writing about Ed Sheeran, the shooting in Ontario, or antisemitism in Sweden. “By combatting brutally tough times with joy and happiness, we can spread light and defeat darkness,” Eric Golub wrote for the Jewish Journal in December 2023. And in January of this year, Brad Goverman blogged this for the Times of Israel: “It has been a brutal stretch. The kind of news cycle that does not just inform, but exhausts. The kind that leaves you doomscrolling at midnight, wondering whether the world has lost its mind or just finally stopped pretending it ever had one.”
He continued: “So this week, I want to do something radical. I want to pause the outrage, lower the blood pressure, and take stock of something unfashionable but real. If you can get beyond the headlines, there is good news for the Jews out there. Not spin. Not denial. Not a ‘both sides’ sedative. Just concrete reminders that Jewish life did not freeze on Oct. 7 and that history, once again, is failing to cooperate with the predictions of our enemies.” It’s obvious I am not the only one who is struggling with the concept. What I have noticed is the conclusion that many of us draw, and the phrase I keep seeing: “We are still here.” The meaning of that phrase is deeper than it initially seems, because we are here as active, engaged and committed Jews. We show up, we lean in. We don’t stop being Jewish just because it’s hard. We don’t change our convictions because a loud minority screams that we should. We celebrate our holidays, light our candles, we argue and pray and cook big shabbat dinners. Whether we are in Helsinki, or Amsterdam, in Jerusalem or Johannesburg, we seek community. We are here, active and together. We are here busy organizing, we are here talking, we are here building a sukkah and we are here studying. The bad news and the hate may continue, but so will we. We’ll just bring a lot more light with us when we do.
Real repair doesn’t work that way RABBI MATTHEW ANISFELD JTA We live in the age of the strategic apology. A politician apologizes when an opponent surfaces uncomfortable dirt. A CEO issues a lawyered “I take full responsibility” when a product is recalled. A public figure, cornered by a surprise video, expresses regret for an act of infidelity. The apology arrives not when the offender finally understands the harm they caused, but when the calendar, the news cycle, or the PR firm says it’s time. We’ve become fluent skeptics of these statements. We spot the passive voice (“mistakes were made”), the conditional remorse (“if anyone was offended”), the timing that reeks of strategy rather than sorrow. We know, instinctively, when an apology is just an act of selfpreservation. Long before apologies became a feature of crisis communications, Jewish tradition was asking a deceptively difficult question: What makes an apology an act of repair rather than an act of self-relief ? This Yom Kippur, Jews around the world were in a season that puts personal reconciliation at the center. Jewish law stipulates that the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, cannot bring atonement for the ways we’ve wronged each other unless we’ve first gone to the people we hurt and made it right. Before you can be forgiven by G-d, you have to face the person. Over the centuries, this condition of our atonement transformed into a custom: seeking forgiveness specifically on the eve of Yom Kippur, the one day before the holiday when the pressure to clear your conscience peaks. And yet two old rabbinic stories traditionally associated with this practice tell a more complicated story. One tale, recorded in the Talmud, tells of Rav, one of the towering rabbis of the 3rd century, who had let a rift with a local butcher fester for
months. Finally, on the eve of the holy day, he decided the time had come to make peace. Another sage, Rav Huna, saw him on his way and warned him that he was acting recklessly. He was right. The butcher looked up from his work, recognized Rav, and said he had nothing to say to him. Moments later, in a fateful twist, a bone fragment flew up and killed the butcher. The reconciliation never happened. The very next passage of the Talmud is just as unsettling. Rav had a falling-out with a fellow sage, Rabbi Hanina, and for more than a decade showed up on the eve of the holy day asking to be forgiven. Every year, Rabbi Hanina refused him. The Talmud doesn’t praise Rav’s persistence. Instead, it registers discomfort, even citing a teaching from Rabbi Yose bar Hanina that one should not ask for forgiveness more than three times. Past that point, the tradition suggests, the question is no longer simply why the injured person has not forgiven, but what the apologizer is seeking in continuing to ask. Nothing in the text suggests Rav’s decade of requests was hollow; his persistence reads as evidence of genuine feeling. The problem was that even heartfelt contrition, repeated on the same fixed night every year, can devolve into a private ritual rather than an act of attentiveness to the other person. Asking earnestly, on your own schedule, year after year, is still asking on your own schedule. Read plainly, these are strange stories to build a ritual around. Why would anyone extract “you should definitely do this” from two tales in which the apology fails, and fails badly? A more honest reading may be that they were preserved as warnings, not instructions. They dramatize what happens when an apology is driven by the apologizer’s timeline instead of the wronged party’s readiness. It lands as hollow, it can backfire, and sometimes it doesn’t land at all, no matter how much the apologizer means it.
This dynamic isn’t unique to Judaism. It reveals how human apologies actually work. When an apology stems from a desire to clear your own conscience, even a well-meaning one, the recipient can often sense that selffocus. An apology built around the apologizer’s timeline rather than the injured party’s readiness doesn’t heal anything. It performs healing, on a schedule convenient for the one who caused the harm. This cuts against almost everything our culture rewards. We live in a world that treats apology as crisis management, something to be issued quickly and then be put behind you. Speed is treated as sincerity. “At least they said something” has become the bar.But reconciliation doesn’t run on a news cycle. It runs on the injured party’s readiness to be approached, their capacity to hear it, their sense of whether the apology is for them or for the person delivering it. None of this means timing never matters. A fixed occasion can be the nudge that finally gets someone to pick up the phone after months of avoidance. For some people, the only apology they’ll manage is one pushed by an approaching deadline. That apology can still matter to the person receiving it. The danger isn’t having an occasion for reflection. It’s mistaking the occasion for the substance, treating the deadline as the goal rather than the chance to finally face the person you hurt. The test, then, isn’t when an apology arrives, or even how sincerely it’s meant. It’s who it’s actually for. An apology built around the offender’s need for absolution tends to be sensed as such, and rejected, as it was by the butcher and by Rabbi Hanina in those old stories. An apology built around genuine attention to the other person’s pain has a chance of actually working, whatever day it lands on. Rabbi Matthew Anisfeld serves on the faculty at the Hadar Institute.
Synagogues
10 | The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026
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
B’NAI ISRAEL A Salute to Jeff Taxman, Friday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. a celebration of Jeff Taxman’s life and his extensive contribution to B’nai Israel and the entire Omaha community. Our service leader is Larry Blass. 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 board members: David Alloy, Renee Corcoran, Rick Katelman, Gail Kenkel, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Ann Moshman, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon, Sissy Silber and Jenn Tompkins. Handicap Accessible.
Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:50 p.m. FRIDAY-Oct. 9: Torah from Omaha, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/ Candlelighting, 6:35 p.m. SATURDAY-Oct. 10: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah, 5:32 p.m.; Mincha, 6:20 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 6:50 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:33 p.m.
SUNDAY-Oct. 11: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Calm in an Uncertain World, 9:35 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:40 p.m. Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
CHABAD HOUSE BETH EL Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Gil Ezring. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY: Shmini Atzeret/Shabbat Morning Service with Yizkor, 10 a.m.; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. Beth El & Live Stream followed by Simchat Torah Celebration; SimTot Torah, 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Simchat Torah Morning Service, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Brachot and Breakfast, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El and Zoom. TUESDAY: Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El and Live Stream. WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.; Exploring Torah, 6 p.m. with Rabbi Abi Taylor-Abt. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 7 a.m. at Beth El and Zoom; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El and Zoom. FRIDAY-Oct. 9: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream. SATURDAY-Oct. 10: Shabbat Morning Service and Bat Mitzvah of Addison Blumkin, 10 a.m.; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 7:25 p.m. Zoom Only. SUNDAY-Oct. 11: Morning Minyan, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El and Zoom; BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; Torah Tots (Ages 0-PreK), 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:30 p.m. at Beth El and Zoom. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
BETH ISRAEL FRIDAY: Yizkor, 10:15 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Candlelighting, 6:47 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Yizkor, 10:15 a.m.; Musaf, 10:30 a.m.; Mincha/Suedah Shlishit/Simchat Torah, 6:20 p.m.; Ma’ariv/ Hakafot, 7:20 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Simchat Torah, 10 a.m.; Kiddush, 11 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:45 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:43 p.m. MONDAY: Torah from Omaha, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:50 p.m. TUESDAY: Torah from Omaha, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Smichat Chaver Men's Class, 6:10 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:50 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Torah from Omaha, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 1:30 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 6:50 p.m. THURSDAY: Torah from Omaha, 6:45 a.m.;
Join classes via Zoom. Go to 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.; Candlelighting, 6:46 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Candlelighting after, 7:43 p.m.; Hakafot, 8 p.m.; CYP: Simchat Torah Live, 8 p.m. SUNDAY: Morning Services, 10 a.m.; CKids Club: Simchat Torah Game Park Lifesized, 10:30 a.m., ochabad.com/club. MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m. with Shani; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6-8 p.m. with David Cohen. TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Aramaic Grammar, 10 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with David Cohen. WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with David Cohen. THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10 a.m. with David Cohen; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon-1 p.m.; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with David Cohen; Code of Jewish Law Class, 7 p.m. FRIDAY-Oct. 9: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Lechayim, 5:30 p.m. go to ochabad.com/lechayim to join; Candlelighting, 6:34 p.m. SATURDAY-Oct. 10: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 7:32 p.m. SUNDAY-Oct. 11: Sunday Morning Wraps, 9 a.m.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Services led by Rabbi Benjamin Sendrow. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options. FRIDAY: Sukkot Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at SST followed by an Oneg; Shabbat Candlelighting, 6:48 p.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret Morning Service (Yizkor), 9:30 a.m. at TI followed by a Kiddush Lunch; Torah Study, 12:15 p.m. led by Rabbi Sendrow at TI; Simchat Torah
and LJCS Consecration, 6:30–8 p.m.; Havdalah, 7:46 p.m. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes this week; Men's Bike and Coffee Club, 10:45 a.m. The Mill Coffee & Bistro at Nebraska Innovation Campus, 2021 Transformation Dr #1350, Lincoln. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Justice in Action Meeting, 1:30–4 p.m. at SST. TUESDAY: SCKC Rehearsal, 7–8:30 p.m. at SST. WEDNESDAY: LJCS Hebrew School, 4:30 p.m. FRIDAY-Oct. 9: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6:30–7:30 p.m. at SST followed by an Oneg; Shabbat Candlelighting, 6:37 p.m. SATURDAY-Oct. 10: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at TI followed by a Kiddush Lunch; Torah Study, 12:15 p.m. on Parashat Bereshit led by Rabbi Sendrow at TI; Havdalah, 7:35 p.m. SUNDAY-Oct. 11: LJCS Classes, 9:30 a.m.– noon; Men's Bike and Coffee Club, 10:45 a.m. The Mill Coffee & Bistro at Nebraska Innovation Campus, 2021 Transformation Dr #1350, Lincoln. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
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.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
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, 9 a.m.; Simchat Torah Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom; Congregational Dinner, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Temple Israel Office Closed; Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Service and Yizkor, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom. SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m.; Temple Tots, 10:45 a.m. TUESDAY: Mah Jongg Made Easy, 1:30 p.m. InPerson. WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person; Grades 3-6, 4:30 p.m.; Mah Jongg Made Easy, 5:45 p.m. In-Person; Hebrew CHAI: Grades 8-12, 6 p.m. Offsite. THURSDAY: The Zohar: Thursday Morning Class, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Sharff — In-Person & Zoom. FRIDAY-Oct. 9: Drop-In Mah Jongg, 9 a.m. InPerson; Shabbat BBQ Dinner with Tish, 6 p.m. RSVP Required; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY-Oct. 10: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. InPerson & Zoom; Shabbat Service with Bat Mitzvah of Cici Margo, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom. SUNDAY-Oct. 11: 2nd Sunday Breakfast Service — Stephen Center, 9 a.m.; Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m.; Kindergarten Parent Meeting, 10 a.m.; Enjoy a succulent planting activity at The Makery with Rosh Chodesh, 1:30 p.m. RSVP Required. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
Did you Know... ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Shemini Atzeret (“The Eighth [Day] Gathering”) comes after 7 days of Sukkot. On it, we celebrate Simchat Torah (“The Joy of the Torah”), since it is the day when we finish the annual Torah-reading cycle and then start reading from the beginning. On our calendar this year, Shemini Atzeret is October 3, and Simchat Torah on October 4.
It’s one day in Israel, but two in the diaspora: first, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah the next day, although there are those in the diaspora who combine it into one day. On Shemini Atzeret, we still sit in the sukkah, but we do not say the blessing. Also, no lulav and etrog are used. We do light candles and say shehecheyanu. There is Yizkor, which is a solemn moment, after which we celebrate with lots of dancing.
In the middle east, this is when the rainy season begins, so we start to mention rain, but we do not actually ask for it until later in the year. In some communities, traditional food on Simchat Torah is filled and rolled-up cabbage leaves, because it reminds us of the torah scroll. And who doesn’t remember the pretzel stick and fruit roll-up combo in Hebrew school? In Israel, one of the go-to snacks is a caramel apple.
Life Cycles
The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026 | 11
Pulverente MONUMENT CO. Over 60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials
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German city bans “Stolpersteine”
On the other hand, some Jews, albeit a minority, object TOBY AXELROD to the memorials because they say it’s disrespectful to JTA A decision to bar the “stumbling stone” memorials to place them where they can be walked on and covered victims of the Nazis has touched a nerve in one small with leaves or trash. The stones have also been targets German town, and beyond. of vandalism, they note. At issue is a motion – passed Sept. But the Heidenau motion is not for 25 by the city council of Heidenau in the sake of victims; rather it’s a the former East Germany – to stop “transparent maneuver by the exinstallation of such memorials in tremists of the AfD” to suppress Gerlocal sidewalks, calling them disremany’s remembrance culture, said spectful, and to use the town’s North Charlotte Knobloch, who has sucCemetery instead. A Stolperstein commemorating Nazi cessfully opposed the placement of Set into the ground, the small, en- victim Paul Gröger is embedded in Stolpersteine in her home city of Mugraved brass “Stolpersteine,” or stum- the sidewalk in front of City Hall. nich, in the state of Bavaria. bling stones, are meant to make Credit: Robert Michael/picture alliance “Removing places of remembrance pedestrians stop and think about the via Getty Images from the cityscape, as has now hapfate of former residents. There are currently some 116,000 pened in Heidenau, is absolutely the wrong approach,” said such stones laid in 1,860 municipalities across Europe, Knobloch, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor, who heads mostly in Germany, according to the project’s website. the Jewish community of Munich and Upper Bavaria. A curious aspect of the Stolpersteine is that they are In a statement issued to the press Friday, Knobloch opposed by both Germany’s right wing, which view added that she was “appalled” that the CDU “would lend them as detracting from national pride, and by a vocal itself to supporting” the move.“ minority of Jews who feel they don’t do enough to uplift The joint opposition to the project by the AfD, the the memory of victims. mainstream CDU and a local activist group creates a The effort to block the memorial stones in Heidenau dilemma for Stolpersteine opponents like Knobloch who was sponsored jointly by the center-right Christian also abhor the AfD. Democratic Union (CDU) and the far-right Alternative Heidenau, in the state of Saxony, is not the first town to for Germany (AfD) party. The town’s current mayor, act against the project. The city of Munich in Bavaria voted Conny Oertel, is independent. as early as 2004 not to allow the installation of the stones The city council’s decision comes as the AfD gains sup- in public spaces, siding with Knobloch. In the city of Pulport in German elections nationwide. The party’s sup- heim, in North Rhine-Westphalia, the project was blocked port for banning the project in Heidenau has sparked in 2011, but eventually the municipality reversed course concern about potential moves to suppress official pub- and allowed the first installations to take place in 2022. lic commemoration of the Holocaust. Heidenau is home to 17,000 people. Though the The AfD is known for challenging Germany’s culture wartime local Jewish population was small, there are five of Holocaust remembrance in general. Bjoern Hoecke, such stones in the town already. An application for 12 who leads the party in the neighboring state of more had been submitted by the Alternative Cultural Thuringia, once even called Berlin’s Holocaust memorial and Educational Center (Akubiz), including for Fritz a “monument of shame” that detracted from German Goldstein and his wife Martha, who were expelled to pride. In protest, an artist collective built a replica of the Poland in 1938 and survived the war. memorial outside his home. This article was edited for length.
Volunteers needed at RBJH
The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is in need of volunteers for assistance during Saturday morning service. Volunteers come on a regular basis on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m., meet with service leaders and assist residents to the chapel, sit with the residents and assist during the service, and escort them back after the service is over (about 11 a.m.). Interested volunteers must go through the volunteer onboarding process first; this includes application, background checks, and orientation. If you are Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Jewish Press. 2. Publication No. 275-620. 3. Filing Date: 09-18-26. 4. Issue Frequency: Weekly, since 1920. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 50. 6. Annual Subscription Rate: $50.00 US, $72.00 foreign. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198, 402-334-6448; Contact Person: Annette van de Kamp-Wright. 402.334.6450. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Creative Director: Publisher--Jewish Federation of Omaha, 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198; Editor--Annette van de Kamp-Wright, 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198; Creative Director-William Fischer, 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198. 10. Owner: Jewish Federation of Omaha, Inc., 333 South 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at special rates. The purpose, function and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt for federal income tax purpose: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Jewish Press. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: 10-2-24. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months--a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run): 2,600. b. Paid and/or requested Circulation: 2200 (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscription (Include Advertiser’s Proof and exchange copies) 95 (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) 2105. (3) Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution--0 (4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--0. c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)--2200 d. Free Distribution by Mail: (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free)-64. (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form--3541-0. (2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541-0. (3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--0 e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means)--0. f. Total Free Distribution (Sum of 15 d and 15e)--64. g. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15f)-2264. h. Copies Not Distributed--336 i. Total: (Sum of 15g and h)--2600 j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15g times 100)--97.2%. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date--2,600. a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run): 2,600 b. Paid and/or requested Circulation:2,198 (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions (Include Advertiser’s Proof and exchange copies) - 98. (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies)-2100. (3) Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution--0. (4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS-0 c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)--2198. d. Free Distribution by Mail: (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free-51. (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541-0. (2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541-0. (3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS--0 e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means)--51. f. Total Free Distribution (Sum of 15 d and 15e)--51. g. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15f)--2,249 h. Copies Not Distributed--351 i. Total: (Sum of 15g and h)--2600. j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15g times 100)--97.7% 16. Statement of Ownership will be printed in the October 2, 2026 issue of this publication. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner. Annette van de Kamp, Editor, 10-4-2024. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties).
interested, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Sabine Strong at sstrong@rbjh.com, or call 402.334.6519.
CORRECTION In our Rosh Hashanah edition, Sept. 4, 2026, we included an excerpt from the upcoming Beyond Kugel book, titled Jews, Chinese Food and the Taste of Belonging, by Seth Schuchman. Hal Senal has co-credit on this chapter. The Jewish Press regrets the oversight.
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12 | The Jewish Press | October 2, 2026
News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D
Merz warns that Jews are not safe in Germany
TOBY AXELROD JTA German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s warning last week that Jewish life in his country “is no longer safe” reflects concerns voiced by some Jews in Berlin. They are alarmed by the success of the left-wing socialist Left Party in the recent municipal election, which coincides with the rising power of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in several state elections last month. Leaving the Left in charge of the country’s capital would be “like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse,” Berlin Jewish Community President Gideon Joffe said in an email press statement this week. The Party “bears a special responsibility for the consequences” of tolerating Islamic extremism, left-wing antisemitism and what German authorities call “clan crime,” organized criminal activity involving extendedfamily networks in the capital, said Joffe, who represents some 9,000 registered Jewish community members, out of an estimated 30,000 Jews in the nation’s capital. He spoke out after the Left received 25.7% of the votes in Berlin’s municipal elections, more than Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which garnered 18.8%, followed by the AfD with 16.3%, the Greens with 14.3% and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 12.1%. Berlin is a city of contrasts and deep political divisions, a city that has always been oppositional. It saw street fights between Nazis and communists in the 1930s, and similar face-offs in the 1990s after unification. It is also the German city where the most Jews were hidden and saved by non-Jews in defiance of authority during the
Holocaust. Thus it was not surprising that in Berlin, as the rightwing AfD is growing in popularity nationwide, the Left might be the strongest opposition to that development.
Elif Eralp, center, lead candidate of the leftist Die Linke, celebrates on September 20, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Nadja Wohlleben/Getty Images
Mainstream parties, such as Merz’s CDU, which had tried to block the far-right, are flailing. The anti-immigration AfD, in contrast, took the lead in two former east German states: Saxony-Anhalt, on Sept. 6 with 43.8% of the vote, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania on Sept. 20 with 38.2%. The Left’s platform, which was adopted in 2024, takes an egalitarian approach: It supports Israel’s right to exist alongside a future Palestinian state and disavows antisemitism alongside other societal plagues. “For The Left Party, lived antifascism is linked to the fight against warmongering, antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and national arrogance,” the platform reads in part.
The Party grounds its stance in the post-war slogan, “Never again war, never again fascism.” Some affiliates on the extreme left hold anti-Zionist stances; the Party has been criticized by Jewish leaders and mainstream parties for not forcefully distancing itself from those elements. In 2010, prominent Party members took part in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which the Israeli military intercepted in an operation that killed 10 activists. German Left politicians were among those arrested and deported home. At its convention in 2025, the Party adopted the “Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism,” which rejects the notion that some anti-Israel expressions are antisemitic, as put forward in the working definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The Party said that the IHRA definition “paves the way for authoritarian state action” by Israel. More recently, during the Party’s Berlin campaign, “calls were made for the Intifada and the death of Israeli soldiers, and the audience sang and danced along,” said Josef Schuster, chair of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, in a statement released Sept. 22. Berlin resident Anetta Kahane sees parallels between the extreme parties on the left and the right. “It is a big shame that the AfD is winning, and it’s a big shame that the Linke Partei is winning,” Kahane, 72, who grew up in the former East Germany, said in a telephone interview. “Because both are very deeply antisemitic. And I don’t want to be governed by antisemites.” This article was edited for length. Read the full story at www.omahajewishpress.com.
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