January 21, 2011

Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA

Beth El’s art gala chairmen share love of art, kids and Judaism

January 21, 2011 16 Shevat 5771 Vol. 90 | No. 20

This Week

Mosaic art event this Sunday with artist Calli Cohn Page 4

USHMM Fellow Dr. Joyce Witt to lead educator’s workshop Page 7

Halil Bagalil/Flutes in the Galilee return to Omaha Page 12

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

This Month Women’s Health Coming January 28 See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press

8 10 11

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator They share a love for the arts; they share a love of children and of Judaism; and now, as Carole Greenberg and Daniel Christensen serve as chairmen for Beth El’s gala Cantor’s Concert fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 29, their dedication to these these three things will come together in one unique event. The 7 p.m. event, titled Creativity and Philanthropy: An Art Extravaganza, will take place at the synagogue and will benefit Beth El’s Youth Scholarship Fund, which provides opportunities for youths to attend Jewish summer camps, visit Israel and participate in Jewish youth conventions. An event such as this seems to be a perfect fit for Greenberg and Christensen: both are talented artists in their own right, and both have spent years teaching art to children, at the Jewish Community Center’s Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center and Beth El Synagogue, respectively. Assuring the health of the Youth

Scholarship Fund is important to both artists. “These kids are part of my life, they’re part of the synagogue

“Creativity and Philanthropy” co-chairs Daniel Christensen and Carole Greenberg begin preparations for Beth El’s upcoming art extravaganza and auction, planned for Jan. 29 at the synagogue. life and they’re part of the future of Judaism,” Christensen said. “Anything we can do to foster Jewish education for them, to keep them connected when they’re no longer

Local author knows where the bodies are buried by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press There are many reasons people lose themselves in crime novels, Television shows, or movies. As long as, of course, the good guys win in the end. It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure: you get to experience a very small part of the horror of crime from the safety of your couch, and you can be there while the crime is solved. What better way to indulge than by reading a crime novel that was written by a local author, about local events? Brian Bogdanoff retired from the Omaha Police Force after 22 years of service. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Before his service as a homicide detective, he was an undercover narcotics detective for the city of Omaha. If his name

‘our kids,’ is important. And especially now, with the financial situations for so many families being so

sounds familiar: he is the grandson of Isadore Bogdanoff, the unofficial “mayor” of the JCC, whose photo adorns the hallway between the Cafeteria and the Federation offices. What sets Brian Bogdanoff ’s Three Bodies Burning apart from all the other crime stories out there is that it is based on real events happening right here, told by an actual Omaha detective. When three bodies are found, murdered, the details slowly unfold and we are treated to a complicated story of criminals, drug smuggling, murder and mayhem. The evidence leads the detectives from Omaha across the country, chasing witnesses, and testimonies. “The goal was to give an in-depth look at how comprehensive these investigations are,” Bogdanoff says. “People don’t always have a good handle on how much is involved. We ended up with 30,000 pieces of paper, and served more than 100 subpoenas. We also executed 24 different search warrants on various properties, and so forth and so on.” Bogdanoff intersperses his tale with interesting stories about police life, and about how the various detectives interact with each other. Most of all, he shows how solving a complicated case such as this is Continued on page 2

tight, scholarships allow kids to have these opportunities at a time when they might not otherwise be able to take advantage of them.” Wanting youths to “experience the

ruach and the spirit of Judaism,” Greenberg added that, “Camp provides long lasting impressions on children. Jewish memories are created, friendships are formed and the desire to return year after year instills qualities and values. By supporting this fund, we help families to provide that continuity from generation to generation.” The evening will be exciting, with both oral and silent auctions taking place. Over 50 pieces of artwork will be auctioned off, created by Jewish and non-Jewish artists from Omaha and elsewhere in the country; there will also be pieces created by local Jewish youths. The artwork will represent a variety of media, according to the chairmen: among them, acrylic, oil, watercolor, pencil, sculptures, jewelry, and much more. “From the abstract to the fantasy, there is something for everyone’s taste and budget,” Greenberg said. The upcoming fundraiser will be an exciting evening of color, textures and music. “It will be unique,” Christensen said. “It’s something Continued on page 3

JFStival! fundraising chairs named A family effort for Jewish Family Service by OZZIE NOGG Steve and Patty Nogg will head the fund raising drive leading to the Jewish Family Service 100th

the generosity for which our community is known will be shown during the JFStival! drive.” Andi Willensky, JFStival!

1911 - 2011

JFS Celebrating a century of service

Anniversary JFStival! planned for June 6, 2011. Their sons and daughters-in-law, Brian and Jaime Nogg and Jeff and Kelly Nogg, are also part of the Standing: Jeff, left, Avery, Kelly, Brian, Jaime and fundraising team. Cory Nogg. Seated: Steve and Patty Nogg holding In keeping with Jordan and Riley Nogg. the 100 year milestone, a campaign goal of $100,000 Chairperson said, “Each year, JFS has been set. holds a Friends Campaign that “Patty and I, together with our brings in critical dollars to help kids, are honored to chair the provide essential services from fundraising for the 100th anniver- which so many families benefit. sary of Jewish Family Service,” This year, in recognition of our Steve Nogg said. “Our respect for 100th Anniversary, we’ve comhonoree Gloria Kaslow, JFS bined the Friends Campaign and Woman of the Century, and our JFStival! into one package. The appreciation of the agency’s pro- Nogg family has always been grams and services made us want among our Circle of Friends. By to be part of JFStival! Having JFS assuming the leadership role in as a support system is vital to the our centennial fundraising efforts health of the Omaha Jewish com- - to which they have already conmunity. So many people benefit tributed the lead gift -- Steve, Patty from their work. We’re sure that Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | January 21, 2011

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by JODY MALASHOCK President, Jewish Federation of Omaha Approximately eight months ago, the Jewish Federation Board of Directors created a Planning Committee to examine the challenges facing the Federation and its agencies, in order to assure continued success in our future. The Planning Committee met with a broad spectrum of lay- and professional leaders from our community. On January 24, the JFO Executive Committee will place the following changes before the JFO Board of Directors: 1. Create the positions of JFO Chief Executive Officer and JFO Chief Financial Officer. The CEO shall be responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the Federation and its agencies, and would directly supervise the agency executive directors. The CFO shall be responsible for all financial control, and

internal audits of the Federation, and supervise all financial and accounting personnel of the Federation. 2. Merge the JFO Board Finance Committee with the JFO Budget and Allocation Committee to streamline the JFO Board oversight of Federation’s finances. 3. Create a JFO Board Human Resources and Compensation Committee to administer all compensation and employee development matters for the JFO and its agencies. 4. Create a JFO Board Planning and Community Engagement Committee to ensure appropriate long term planning for the JFO and its agencies, and to establish guidelines for grants and for agency boards. If you have views on these matters, please contact Jody Malashock by calling the JFO office at 1.402.334.6428

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going to happen next,” he says, “or what will give you a Continued from page 1 break. Imagine one hotel receipt: it can lead nowhere, or it tedious work, with long hours and many dead ends. “There is definitely a misconception about the amount of can break the case wide open. It’s a little bit like reading a work involved in an actual investigation,” Bogdanoff says. story: you have to wait and see what the story brings you, “On TV, everything is solved in under an hour. There is a you can’t make the facts fit what you’re already thinking.” It took Brian a year to write his book; he rewrote it severlimit to the duration of the investigation, because it all has to fit neatly. In real life, detective work is long, grueling, and al times, in an attempt to make it sounds less like a straightup police report. Oftentimes, not glamorous at all. For rewrites can create a certain instance, we’ve had cases distance, but that is not the where we dismantled an case here. Brian writes about entire house during a forensic Omaha in a very recognizable search. We ended up looking way, and manages to bring more like construction workthe city to life, albeit not ers than police detectives.” always in a very positive light. Bogdanoff may have writBut then, that is mostly a conten a book about crime and sequence of the subject matpunishment, but humor isn’t ter, and not any lack of skill missing from its pages. “I on the author’s part. Quite the think, quite often, we use opposite, in fact: Bogdanoff humor as a defense mechahas a genuine talent for telling nism,” he says. “It works as stress relief, which, of course, a story; let’s hope he treats his readers to many more you need in this line of work. Brian Bogdanoff, grandson of Isadore Bogdanoff. But also, it has always helped me in having a rapport with thrilling tales. Three Bodies Burning is available from Barnes the bad guys; using my sense of humor is an important part and Noble, the Bookworm, and the Omaha Police Credit Union. Brian has book signings on Feb. 19 from 11 a.m.-2 of interpersonal skills.” Solving a crime, according to Brian, is like taking a jour- p.m. at Blair Book and Supply in Blair, and on Feb. 27 from ney. One with many dead ends, dangerous destinations, and 1-3 p.m. at the Bookworm. For more information, visit surprises around every corner. “You never know what’s www.threebodiesburning.com.

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Continued from page 1 and their children continue to show their compassion, connection, caring and commitment to the agency and to the community.” After 100 years, JFS has plenty to be proud of. Enter here ... It could be argued that the seeds for today’s Jewish Family Service were planted in 1869, when a Hebrew Benevolent society -- the first organized Jewish self-help charitable organization in Omaha -- was formed. In those early days, Jewish refugees from eastern Europe were met at Omaha’s train depot by members of the Benevolent Society, who would then find temporary housing for the penniless immigrants and provide them with food, clothing and jobs. The group’s fundraising activities included concerts, balls and other charity events, and by 1888 a total of $10,000 had been distributed since the group’s inception in 1869. As new immigrants to Omaha prospered, they began to give back. In 1887, eastern European refugees formed the Hebrew Knights of Charity Association “to extend aid and support to any worthy person who may ask its assistance, and to propagate the qualities of good fellowship and brotherly love among its members.” A Young Men’s Benevolent Society was founded in 1895 by another group of recent immigrants who dispensed $467 in charitable donations during its first year of operation. Omaha’s Jewish women also pitched in. The Friday Club, made up of sixteen women, met twice monthly to sew garments for the needy. The Jewish Ladies Aid and Sewing Society of the Congregation of Israel, together with the B’nai B’rith Auxiliary, combined forces to care for the poor, the sick and bury the dead. Newspaper accounts from Omaha’s Morning Bee describe the group as “the two best and most useful benevolent organizations among the local Jews”, and went on to say that the combined organization represented the “upper crust” of Omaha Jewish society. Karen Gustafson, Director of Jewish Family Service, provided more history. “By 1911, every Jewish relief-giving agency of importance in Omaha merged into one Jewish Welfare Federation. The organization hired staff and continued to offer assistance to families, the unemployed, transients and newcomers. But once the problems of poverty

and the absorption of Jewish immigrants became less serious, agency professionals began tackling new social issues, like foster home placement, juvenile delinquency and psychiatric cases that involved Jews confined in state institutions. Over time, more or different services were offered to meet community needs, but the current structure of Jewish Family Service was pretty much in place by 1951.” From its beginning, the agency’s main purpose has been to strengthen and preserve sound family life. “We’ve long understood that family and personal problems need professional attention,” Gustafson said. “Today, as we look forward to our 100th Anniversary, our mission continues to be the same. To serve the Jewish community with the highest quality staff and services available in the Omaha metro area, based on a sliding fee scale.” Jewish Family Service is probably best known for the assistance programs that involve volunteers. These programs include Project Tzedakah -- which offers kosher food and festival items to Jewish families in need at Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover -- and Project Driedel, where volunteer families sponsor those families who might not otherwise receive gifts at Hanukkah time. JFS educational programs, including the agency’s work with Yachad - Omaha’s special needs population -- also are well publicized. “But much of the critical support we offer in the way of emergency financial aid, crisis intervention and family counseling takes place under the radar, with full confidentiality,” Gustafson said. “Because JFS respects our clients’ privacy, we usually can’t put a human face on our work, or reveal names of those who have benefitted from JFS. But we can say, emphatically, that Jewish Family Service has restored dignity, hope and meaning to people whose struggles have seemed insurmountable. Our 100th Anniversary event on June 6 will celebrate that accomplishment, honor Gloria Kaslow for her continued commitment to JFS, and say ‘thank you’ to our many supporters.” Jewish Family Service is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and a beneficiary of the Federation’s Annual Campaign. Future editions of the Jewish Press will carry JFStival! details and stories that shine a light on Jewish Family Service and its acts of loving kindness.

January 21, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 3

Fellman and Kooper scholarships available by JAN ROOS The Robert H. & Dorothy G. Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust has announced the availability of scholarships for the 20112012 academic year. They are based on financial need for Jewish students with ties to the Omaha community who are pursuing their post-secondary education, and are limited to undergraduate studies only and do not include any graduate programs. Robert Kooper had a long history of service to the Jewish community. He was elected B’nai B’rith president in 1929, headed Beth El Synagogue in 1941, was president of Highland Country Club in 1951, and was

President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha 1958-1960. He died in 1961. Mrs. Kooper was a strong supporter and worked with the Jewish Federation and Beth El Sisterhood. She passed away in May, 1995. “Awarding a scholarship to a young Jewish person is a very appropriate way of honoring my parents,� Howard Kooper noted. He and his wife, Sharon, fund the Kooper Charitable Foundation Trust. Tom Fellman also serves as trustee for the Foundation. Applications for the Robert H. & Dorothy G. Kooper scholarship are available by contacting Mr. Kooper’s office in writing at 809 North 96 Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68114;

or email to jroos@broadmoor.cc. The application packet will be mailed out and must be received back in Mr. Kooper’s office no later than April 1, 2010. The Bruce M. Fellman Charitable Foundation Trust has announced the availability of scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year. The scholarships will be based on financial needs of students pursuing their post-secondary education, and are limited to undergraduate studies only and do not include any graduate programs. Bruce, son of Tom and Darlynn Fellman, was a 1982 graduate of Westside High School. He was active in BBYO and served

as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer of Chaim Weizmann AZA. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and was participating in the University of Pittsburgh’s Semester at Sea at the time of his death in 1984. Trustees for the Foundation are Darlynn Fellman, Terri Schrager, and Howard Kooper. Applications may be obtained by contacting Mr. Kooper’s office in writing at 809 North 96 Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68114; or email to jroos@broadmoor.cc. The application packet will be mailed out and must be received back in Mr. Kooper’s office no later than April 1, 2011.

Beth El’s art gala chairman share love of art, kids and Judaism Continued from page 1 different than anything done before, and after Cantor Schlossberg’s success last year with Children of Eden, I think this will be a good follow-up.� To add to the excitement of the upcoming auction, a special preview of the artwork will take place on Friday, Jan. 28, following 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services; everyone is invited to get a sneak peek at the auction items and enjoy wine and appetizers. The following night, a cocktail hour with beverages and appetizers will kick off the event; the evening will also be highlighted by a musical performance by the Salem Baptist Church Gospel Choir, which will perform with Beth El’s Cantor Beth Schlossberg. As a bonus, some of the artists will be on hand for the festivities, Greenberg said, noting that “Seldom do buyers get an

opportunity to meet with the creator of their works. I have come to know some of the artists and look forward to having them display their talent for others to see and appreciate.� It takes a village to coordinate and execute an event of this scale, and the cantor tipped her hat to her chairAmong the works to be displayed at the art auction’s preview event men, as well as the on Saturday, Jan. 28, are, Celebration, by Kurt Swanson, left; and many volunteers Thanksgiving, by Sheri Dietrich. who are making this gala a reality. Among those recognized Larry Budwig, Beth Friedman, Ophir were honorary chairmen Amy and Sandy Palmon, Jan and Phil Wayne, Denise Ipock, Friedman, Ellie Greenspoon, Julie Phillips, Sharon Houchin, Caryn Scheer, Andy

TU B'SHEVAT AT THE GARDEN

Greenberg, Matt Siegel, Becca and Paul Hatfield, Cheryl Lerner, Lisa Epstein, Sherry Taxman, Donna Olesh, Sally and Jim Zipursky, Roxanne and Bob Kahn, Joanie Jacobson, Marilyn Tipp, Sarah Kutler and Alex Pichik. The entire community is invited to attend “Creativity and Philanthropy;� ticket prices and categories follow: Benefactor of the Arts, $5,000 and above; Patron of the Arts, $2,500 – 4,999; Connoisseur of the Arts, $1,000 - $2,400; Art Enthusiast, $500 - $999; Art Sponsor, $250 - $499; Supporter of the Arts, $100 - $249; Art Investor, $50 $99; individual ticket, $25; couples, $45; children (12 and under), $10. Order forms are available at www.bethelomaha.org, or in the synagogue office; tickets may also be reserved by calling the synagogue at 402.492.8550, or by e-mailing reception@bethel-omaha.org. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

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4 | The Jewish Press | January 21, 2011

Temple Israel book club prepares for author’s presentation by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator “When I was in college,� recalled Rabbi Eric Linder of Temple Israel, “a friend recommended the book, The MindBody Problem. With that, I discovered Rebecca Goldstein. The book is an intellectual journey of the protagonist, a college student who is trying to balance her philosophical ruminations with her passion for earthly delights. I underlined many passages as the book underscores some central themes of modern religious living. The character in the book, like many of us, struggles with religion versus secular life, philosophy versus theology, morality versus God, and others.� In anticipation of and preparation for Rebecca Goldstein’s visit to Omaha, sponsored by the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning, on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6:30 p.m., Rabbi Linder will facilitate a book club at Temple Israel on Wednesdays, Jan. 26 - Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. By examining Goldstein’s books which are rich with philosophical issues and storytelling, book club participants will explore the connections between modern life, religiosity, introspection, desire, and a quest for meaning. Goldstein, a novelist and professor of philosophy, has written five novels, and a number of short stories and essays. She’s also the author of biographical studies of Kurt Godel, an Austrian logician and mathematical philosopher who emigrated to the United States to escape World War II; and Baruch Spinoza, a Jewish philosopher of Dutch ancestry

considered one of the great rationalists of the 17th century. Goldstein, a graduate of Barnard College, returned there after receiving her Ph.D., to teach courses in philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, the rationalists, the empiricists, and the ancient Greeks. To her own surprise, she used a summer vacation to write her first novel, The Mind-Body Problem. “To me the process is still mysterious,� she admitted. “I had just come through a very emotional time, having not only become a mother but having also lost my father, whom I adored. In the course of grieving for my father and glorying in my daughter, I found that the very formal, very precise questions I had been trained to analyze weren’t gripping me the way they once had. Suddenly, I was asking the most ‘unprofessional’ sorts of questions (I would have snickered at them as a graduate student), such as how does all this philosophy I’ve studied help me to deal with the brute contingencies of life? How does it relate to life as it’s really lived? I wanted to confront such questions in my writing, and I wanted to confront them in a way that would insert ‘real life’ intimately into the intellectual struggle. In short, I wanted to write a philosophically motivated novel.� Published by Random House in 1983, The Mind-Body Problem went on to become a critical and popular success. More novels followed including The Late-Summer Passion of a Woman of Mind (1989); The Dark Sister (1993), which received the Whiting Writer’s Award; Mazel, the 1995 National Jewish Book Award and the 1995 Edward Lewis

Wallant Award winners; and Properties of Light (2000). Her book of short stories, Strange Attractors (1993), received a National Jewish Book Honor Award. Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt GĂśdel (2005), was featured in articles in The New Yorker and The New York Times. Goldstein’s most recently published book, Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity (2006), won the Koret International Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought. 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, which Goldstein will discuss when she is here on Feb. 16, was published in 2010. Among the 36 arguments are the cosmological argument, the argument from the Big Bang, the beauty of physical laws, cosmic coincidences and personal coincidences, the argument of miracles, a wonderful life, survival after death, free will, holy books, survival of the Jews, and mathematical reality. In an interview about why she wrote the novel, Goldstein explained, “There’s a raging debate about what’s been going on between science and religion. One of the points of my book,â€? she added, is that “religion is much more than the belief in God.â€? Members of the Jewish community are welcome to join Rabbi Linder “as we engage each other in conversation over some of Rebecca’s books,â€? which tell a compelling story as they describe with wit, compassion, and originality the interaction of mind and heart. To register for the book club, contact Temple Israel Program Director Wendy Goldberg at 556.6536 or at wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com.

Don’t miss out: mosaic art Omaha Jewish Chai School gets ready for second semester During second period, students will choose from a wide by MIRIAM GROSS event this Sunday array of electives offered by our community teachers. We’ll Omaha Jewish Chai School Director by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha Join artist Calli Cohn this Sunday, Jan. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the JCC Community Room to create your own oneof-a-kind mosaic flower pot for planting in honor of Tu B’Shevat. This family friendly event is presented, in part, by our Partnership with Israel program. The event costs $10 per child and includes all art materials and a special Tu B’Shevat-themed snack. Space is still available. To reserve yours, please call Nancy Martin at 334.6430 or nmartin@jewishomaha.org. In conjunction with our overseas partners in Israel and to assist in the aftermath of the recent Carmel forest fire, the Federation will be donating a portion of the afternoon’s proceeds to fire relief efforts in our Partnership region. Partnership with Israel is a program of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federations of North America, promoting people-to-people relationships between 15 American Jewish communities and Israel’s Western Galilee through cultural, social, medical, educational and economic programs.

The OJC (Omaha Jewish Chai School) has had a great first have something for everyone. There will be a theater class taught by RESPECT staff, which semester. We’ve studied, celebratwill combine Jewish texts, improv, ed, shared meals and connected acting and ethics. Daniel every Wednesday night for the past Christensen will be teaching a five months. Plans for second mixed media arts class with stusemester are currently underway. dents studying and creating art Wednesday night, Jan. 26, we will based on the haggadah. Jacob host a round table event for curKatzman will be leading a Jewish rent and potential students and film class. For our budding theoloparents to sample next semester’s gians there will be a class using the classes. While most first semester text The Secret Life of God with teachers are teaching again this Andy Greenberg. Glen Fineman semester, the courses are all new. will teach a class about Jewish phiDuring first period, students can choose from the following five losophy and the Jewish self. Please classes offered by our local clergy: Chai Schoolers Lily Phillips and Naomi Zipursky visit our Facebook page to learn Finding Ourselves in the Torah with Rabbi Levin, Biblical more about each of our course offerings. If you have any Anarchy: the Book of Judges with Rabbi Gross, Jewish Legal questions or to make reservations for Jan. 26, please contact Responsa with Rabbi Azriel, Everyday Torah with Cantor Miriam Gross at mgross@jewishomaha.org. Schlossberg, and Judaism 101 with Rabbi Mizrahi.

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January 21, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 5

Exciting, new “Simchat Shabbat” experience is finding a home at Beth El by JILL BELMONT each individual to take with him or her what is most memoBeth El Publicity Coordinator rable and meaningful. We want to touch every mind and every An exciting new monthly Shabbat experience has found a heart that hears and feels what we have to say, sing or recite.” home at Beth El, and will be introduced to the community As people leave the chapel, Tuffy Epstein said he’d like on Saturday, Feb. 5, in the synagogue’s chapel. “Simchat them to have “a sense of spirit and excitement from experiShabbat,” a lay-driven, lay-led initiative, will present an alter- encing the service”; his wife, Helen, added that she hopes joy native celebration at 10:30 a.m., featuring instrumental and spirituality will embrace everyone in attendance. music, poetry, discussions and Readers’ Theater Torah Tales. Beth El’s Rabbi Mordechai Levin also expressed enthusiFor this inaugural service, congregant Eadie Tsabari will take asm about the new Shabbat celebration, saying, “There are the reins as service leader. differing styles of worship “Think of Simchat Shabbat desired by different conas a metaphor for taking Beth stituencies within a synaEl’s Shabbat and dressing it up gogue. Some people find in a brand new outfit,” said meaning in the traditional planning committee member liturgy; others find it in alterMargo Riekes. “Underneath, native services. A growing it is still a Shabbat service, but number of Conservative conit’s colorful, modern and gregations offer several innovative. Most of us love to Shabbat services which vary be dressed in new clothes and in their formality or inforknow how good it feels. The mality, as well as the people best part is that each Simchat who lead the service.” Shabbat will “wear different Rabbi Levin noted that over clothes”. the past years, Beth El has Fellow planning committee added new Shabbat experimember Joanie Jacobson ences for congregants of noted that, “We call Simchat every age, including our Ben Shapiro, readying for his stint as head chef for Beth El’s Shabbat a ‘contemporary Learner’s Service, Shabbat “Café Schmooze” on Feb. 5, promises “food that warms the alternative Shabbat experiTunes & Tales, Junior Consoul and comforts the spirit.” The lunch, part of the synaence’. We chose that word gregation Family Shabbat for gogue’s Simchat Shabbat experience, is free and open to because while it includes families with children in everyone in the Jewish community. parts of the traditional grades 3-7, Say Shalom to Saturday morning Shabbat service, it doesn’t include them Shabbat, and Shabbat School. all. And while it’s reminiscent of the alternative service con“One of the things we are most proud of is the number of ducted by Rabbi Levin and Cantor Gaston a number of years congregants who are able to lead services, present a D’var ago, it’s even more contemporary in its approach. Torah, and read Torah and Haftarah,” he said. “Prayer is not Something new can be very exciting – stimulating and a passive activity, like sitting at the theater and watching engaging with its newness. This is designed to educate, what others do. To be meaningful, people have to take ownengage, and offer meaning and thought.” ership and embrace what they can do to grow their spiritual In addition to Riekes and Jacobson, planning committee lives. Our members do this, and I thank them for this initiamembers include Gloria Kaslow, Helen and Tuffy Epstein, tive.” Ozzie Nogg, Evie and Stan Mitchell, Nancy Rips and Eadie Nogg noted that the community togetherness won’t end Tsabari. Several recently offered their thoughts about the with the service: following each Simchat Shabbat experiupcoming program. ence, congregants are invited for a delicious lunch at Beth Rips said that introducing “Simchat Shabbat” “makes me El’s new Café Schmooze, which is under the direction of feel like I’m part of a vibrant, new, smart Jewish community congregant Ben Shapiro. “All congregants are invited, no within my own synagogue. I think our purpose is not to matter where they’ve spent their morning,” Nogg said. reinvent the wheel, but to revitalize it.” “Whether you attend the traditional service, Simchat Stan Mitchell remarked that, “I hope that those who Shabbat or you’re coming from home, soccer or ballet lesattend -- or who are wondering whether or not to attend -- sons, you’re welcome to share in this spirited and song-filled understand that services can mean different things to differ- meal with family and friends.” ent people and that we welcome participation, innovaFor his part, Chef Shapiro said he plans to serve “lots of tion/creativity and planning from anyone who has ideas on comfort food.” Four additional Simchat Shabbat experiences how to make services more meaningful for them.” are scheduled -- March 5, April 2, May 7 and June 4. Mitchell’s wife, Evie, added that Simchat Shabbat “will During each, the traditional Beth El Shabbat morning servpresent an uplifting service geared to all ages, which will ice will run concurrently in the main sanctuary. include alternative beautiful and meaningful Judaic readings “A great deal of time and thought has gone into creating in English, prayers and songs in both Hebrew and English Simchat Shabbat,” Riekes said. “Because there are so many with traditional and non-traditional tunes, and interpreta- people involved, it has many different elements; therefore, it tions of the parsha that will take on various formats. As an should have a wide appeal. I think there is something for alternative service which is lay-led, we hope to involve fam- everybody, and I encourage people to attend.” ilies. We hope the congregants attending will feel a closeness Jacobson added: “The Conservative Movement has many among themselves, as well as with God.” faces. There is not just one way to be a Conservative Jew in Through this service, Tsabari said she hopes people real- the United States of America. Indeed, it is open to interpreize that “everyone is welcome to our synagogue. If you don’t tation. There is not one service for Shabbat. Not one set of feel comfortable in one service, perhaps there is an alterna- rituals or customs for all Conservative congregations. We tive for you that makes more sense. We want you to learn, are a spirited and diverse people with diverse spiritual and study and be part of the community.” religious needs. That’s a good and beautiful thing. We need After pointing out that even Rabbis Hillel and Shammai to celebrate and respect the diversity within the approached ritual from different perspectives, Nogg said, Conservative Movement so we can grow our population and “We’re presenting a variety of media and formats, and want continue to play a vital role within the Jewish community.”

Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS C. David Kotok, the managing editor for the Omaha World Herald, will discuss the Mayor Suttle recall election and more on Wednesday, Jan. 26, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish words have made their way into every phase of modern life, show biz, law, classrooms, etc. Come join us at our new meeting room (across from the beauty salon) at the Blumkin Home, every Thursday, 1-3 pm. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

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6 | The Jewish Press | January 21, 2011

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Temple Fund removes a worry when a loved one dies by CLAUDIA SHERMAN in Omaha; Mike Fox also lives in Omaha. Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Between them, there are four grandchildren When Dee Fox was in her final days of life, between the ages of 28 and four years old. her four children and her grandchildren Dee Cohen was born in Milwaukee and were able to be with her. “We saw how raised in Omaha. She attended Dundee important it was to have her grandchildren Elementary and Central High School and with her,” said Rick Fox, one then the University of Illinois. of Dee’s sons. “Mom was all She married Philip Fox on about family, and nothing was June 19, 1949, at Beth El more important to her than Synagogue. Philip owned her grandchildren. We were American Upholstery, a furfortunate that we were able to niture manufacturing compahave her family come from ny. In addition to her family, both coasts to be with her. Dee Fox, whose “famous line,” This was a sacred time, and according to Rick Fox, was: having Rabbi Azriel with us “Just call me Dee,” was was a gift that our family can involved with Temple Israel never repay.” Sisterhood as well as volunAfter Dee Fox died in teering her time for various February 2009, her family Dee Fox’s legacy is “all projects at Temple Israel. The established the Dee Fox about family.” Foxes joined Temple Israel in Memorial Fund “for a member of the imme- 1959. “She always worked the Purim diate family who needs to come here for a Carnival when we were kids,” Rick Fox burial, Rick Fox explained. While his sisters recalled. “She also was a long-time volunteer and Dee’s grandchildren were able to come at Planned Parenthood and the National and visit in the last weeks of Dee’s life, “It Council of Jewish Women.” kind of struck us: What if somebody couldPhilip Fox died in 1972. n’t do that because of financial constraints?” Rick Fox noted that “the clergy were very With that in mind, the Dee Fox Memorial attentive to (Dee), especially Rabbi Azriel. Fund was set up “as a way for us to help We wanted to keep her name associated other families be there for their loved ones,” with Temple” which was part of the purpose added Rick Fox. of creating the fund. Anyone can contribute “Thanks to this fund, there’s one less to the fund.” worry for a family in a time of grief,” Anyone wishing to establish a fund at explained Dennis DePorte, executive direc- Temple Israel is welcome to contact Executive tor of Temple Israel. “There’s something I Director Dennis DePorte at 556.6536 or at can offer them which often provides them ddeporte@templeisraelomaha.com. with some relief. The fund removes a bur“I think with the new building in the den for some families in need.” future, there are probably many opportune Dee Fox’s primary priority in life was her areas in need of financial support,” pointed children: Sally Fox Sirotkin who lives in out Rick Fox. “Family and individuals often Burlington, Vermont, with her husband direct their donations towards something Michael; Marsha Fox lives in Pompano that has special meaning to them just as we Beach, Florida; Rick and his wife Shelly live have done.”

Veal Scallopini stars at Star Deli by OZZIE NOGG On Tuesday, Jan 25, the Star Deli turns its spotlight on Italy with a special Veal Scallopini dinner. These thin cutlets of succulent veal are garnished with mushrooms and capers and will be served with your choice of matzo ball or kreplach soup plus mostaccioli in sauce and mixed vegetables. Those in the know say the Veal Scallopini is one of the best entrees to come out of the Star Deli kitchen. Don’t miss this special delizioso dinner. All you need to fork over is $15.99. Regular deli menu options are available, of course. The Tuesday, Jan. 25 Special Deli Dinner will be served from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. And be sure to join the Star Deli Lunch Bunch on Fridays. Upcoming menu specials include: Jan. 28, Chili and Corn Bread; Feb. 4, Chicken Pot Pie; Feb. 11, French Onion Soup and French Dip

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Allan Handleman 402/334-6451 ahandleman@jewishomaha.org

Howard Goldstein 402/334-6559 hgoldstein@jewishomaha.org

Sandwich. Popular deli cuisine -- like corned beef, pastrami and smoked turkey sandwiches -- are always available. You can order your meal and get it in five to ten minutes, a big plus for people who have short lunch breaks. Ever on the hunt for cutting-edge food trends, the Star Deli is now selling deep-fried matzah balls. “It’s our twist on a classic item,” said Josh Gurock, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Facilities Coordinator. “The reviews are thumbs-up.” Additionally, Star Deli is putting together an email list so patrons can receive info on menu specials in advance. Just send an email to tlebahn@rbjh.com and you’ll be put on the list. The Star Deli on Main Street is open for business every Friday from 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. Star Deli food comes courtesy of Mike Aparo, Laura Bair and the RBJH kitchen staff. Wait-service is efficiently handled by RBJH staff personnel.

Arts+Entertainment On Sunday, Feb. 20, Director Steven Soderbergh will be the special guest at Feature III, a fundraiser gala supporting Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater. Soderbergh will appear at Omaha’s Holland Performing Arts Center for a conversation with Kurt Andersen, host of Public Radio International’s Studio 360. Introducing Soderbergh will be fellow Oscar winner Alexander Payne. In honor of Soderbergh’s involvement with Feature III, Film Streams will present a film series surrounding the event. From Feb. 11 to March 24, the series will include

five films directed by Soderbergh. For tickets, and for more information, visit www.filmstreams.org, or call Hallie Sharkey at 402.933.0259 ext. 13. The Holland Performing Arts Center will host violinist David Garrett on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $19 and can be purchased through TicketOmaha. com, by calling 402.345.0606, or in person at the Holland Center’s box office, on 13th and Douglas. For more information, visit www.OmahaPerformingArts.com.

January 21, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7

USHMM Fellow Dr. Joyce Witt to lead educator’s workshop by HILLARY FLETCHER Marketing Assistant, Institute for Holocaust Education There is a challenge within Holocaust education to help people comprehend the number of victims during the war. While learning about the Holocaust, many high school students are misguidedly left with the impression that European Jews did not willfully enough oppose their oppressors. In reality, there were Jews who refused to be victims, many forms of resistance during the war, and less often told stories about Jewish partisan resistance. During World War II, 20,000 to 30,000 Jews, mostly teenagers, escaped from work camps and ghettos and joined hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish partisans to oppose the Nazis. Among these men and women were the Bielski Brothers. Considered among the greatest heroes of anti-German resistance, Tuvia Bielski and his brothers Asael and Zus were in their mid - and early thirties in June of 1941 when the Germans arrived in Belarus, then part of the Soviet Union. During the first months of occupation the Bielski family was able to avoid capture, but by December of 1941 the Germans had killed the Bielski’s parents and two of their younger siblings. The remaining brothers found safety in the woods not far from their home and after moving several times to avoid capture, the Bielskis and their growing band built, effectively, a small town with a blacksmith forge, gunsmith shop and a school, in addition to other operations. The Bielski partisans were unique in their acceptance of all Jews - not just those deemed capable of fighting. Ultimately, the Bielskis and their group, under the leadership of Tuvia, were responsible for saving the lives of 1,200 Jews and for impeding the efforts of the opposition. On Feb. 7, 2011 the Institute for Holocaust Education will present the educator’s workshop, Teaching with Defiance: Jewish Resistance and the Bielski Partisans. This practicum uses the film Defiance, released in 2008 and directed by Edward Zwick, to teach about Jewish resistance during the war. The IHE is very pleased to welcome Dr. Joyce Witt, representative of Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation (JPEF) and a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Fellow, to teach the class. Dr. Witt received her B.A. from the University Of Illinois in the Teaching of History and her M.Ed. from National Louis University in Evanston, IL in the Teaching of Reading. In December of 2000 she completed her Doctor of Arts degree in History at Illinois State University. Her dissertation, “A Humanities Approach to the Teaching of the Holocaust,” received the Helen Cavanaugh Outstanding

Dissertation Award in History in 2001 and she was named the Helen Cavanaugh Outstanding Doctoral Student in 2000. Her dissertation was placed in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Library in July 2001. Witt was chosen as a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Fellow in 1997-98 and was named to the Museum’s Regional Education Corps in 2005. As a museum educator she has presented at the Belfer conference, the National Council for the Social Studies, National Council for Teachers of English, and numerous regional conferences throughout the United States. Of the importance of teaching about resistance, Beth Seldin Dotan, Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education states, “Learning about the Jewish resistance in all forms – even in finding a crust of bread - is an integral part of Holocaust education. It is critical that students under-

stand that the Jews and other oppressed people did indeed stand up to occupation and oppression. This understanding initiates a dialogue of inquiry, reflection, and of what one person is capable of accomplishing in the face of adversity. We are so fortunate to have Dr. Witt in Omaha to share her knowledge with us.” For over a decade, the Institute for Holocaust Education has provided Holocaust educational resources, workshops and community events to Nebraska and surrounding areas ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. www.ihene.org The mission of JPEF is to develop and distribute effective educational materials about the Jewish partisans and their life lessons, bringing the celebration of heroic resistance against tyranny into educational and cultural organizations. www.jewishpartisans.org. For more information on the Bielskis: The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews, by Peter Duffy, Harper Collins, 2004. Daring to Resist: Jewish Defiance During the Holocaust, by Yitzhak Mais (ed), Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2007. If you are an educator and would like to participate in this workshop, please visit www.ihene.org or call 402.334.6576.

Biking for a cause by NOA HARNIK Rasied in Omaha, I attended Westside High School and was an active member of B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. Today, I am in my third year of college, studying psychology and computer science, and continuing my volunteer activities as president of Hillel on campus. As my last truly free summer approaches, I have decided to dedicate it to doing something that I hope will make a big difference in others’ lives: affordable housing. I will do this through an organization called Bike & Build. Bike & Build is a nonprofit organization that organizes cross-country bicycle trips to fund housing projects planned and executed by affordable housing groups around the country. Along with other young adults, I will be biking from Providence, Rhode Island, to San Francisco, California (“P2SF”), this summer. Along the way, we will be making scheduled stops to build houses and educate the communities we work in about the need for affordable housing.

You can check out my personal profile and my trip’s route by going to www.bikeandbuild.org. Simply click on “Routes,” then on “Providence to San Francisco.” To see my profile, click on “2011 Roster” from the current page and click on my name. In order to participate in Bike & Build, each cyclist must raise $4,000. I am hoping for your support in my cross-country Bike & Build endeavor. If you choose to donate, your contribution will be tax-deductible. You can make a contribution via credit card or check, by visiting my personal profile on Bike & Build’s website and clicking the “donate” button. Your donation will have a substantial impact on the affordable housing crisis throughout the country.

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8 | The Jewish Press | January 21, 2011

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

Free, but not too free

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Maybe I’m stating the obvious, but I don’t think 2011 has started off very well. Not that 2010 was so fabulous, with the oil spills and the earthquakes and the boycotts left and right, but still. That first month of the year always looks so pristine, and every time we are reminded that there’s nothing pristine about the world we live in. The events on Jan. 8 in Arizona, in that respect, were no different: they reminded us both of what we have, and what we stand to lose. Bad news often leaves our collective psyche in a somewhat fragile state. It came as no surprise then, that White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs lost his composure on Thursday, Jan. 13, when Andrei Sitov of the Russian Itar-Tass News Agency “pressed Gibbs at his daily briefing about whether "the quote, unquote 'freedom' of a deranged mind to react in a violent way is also American" like the freedom of speech and the right to assembly”. (CNN.com) Of course, Russia has gun violence aplenty, and calling this sort of thing ”American” isn’t going to make this reporter any friends in the White House press room. However, as awkward as Sitovs timing was, it is often those questions that make us the most uncomfortable that deserve an answer. Unfortunately, we would rather forego that answer for another tiff over who said what, and why they were wrong. This time, it would benefit us all to follow up, and wrestle with the issue. After all, we hold the idea of freedom in high esteem, and so we shouldn’t be afraid to discuss it. Allow me to reiterate the question in my own words: When it comes to freedom, is there such a thing as ‘too much’? Is there a tipping point, when freedom becomes so big that it merely leaves some of us adrift, without a moral compass? Is the case of Jared Lee Loughner an example of what happens when we equate ‘freedom’ with ‘moral ambiguity’? Freedom is a right; it must also be a privilege. Without the

presence of mind to make smart choices about how we enjoy that freedom, society would very quickly descend into madness and anarchy. That is why, even though we all love freedom as an idea, we make rules to control that freedom. Most of us agree to follow those rules. Freedom, after all, does not mean ‘do and say whatever you want without consequences’. You can only enjoy driving if everybody agrees to stop when the lights turn red. The Webster Oxford dictionary defines freedom as (among other things) “the exemption from arbitrary, despotic, or autocratic control.” It sounds nice, and it rings true, except for the fact that we’ll never all agree on when control becomes arbitrary or despotic. It often depends on your point of view, doesn’t it? When God gave us free will, he added a caveat: we get to choose, but it’s sort of expected that we choose the moral high road. In the Torah, he gave us a roadmap for good behavior. In secular life, we do the same: we create laws and rules, we hold elections and pull over when a policeman tells us to; we sign contracts and promise to show up from nine to five unless it’s a bank holiday. We all agree that even in the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave, freedom is not an absolute, but a work in progress instead. Still, it’s a catch 22: to enjoy freedom, we have to accept the risk that there are those among us who won’t

follow the rules. Does that mean the rules are bad? Not necessarily. It merely means we need to tweak those rules, be willing to discuss the fact that maybe they are not perfect. Jared Lee Loughner should not have had the freedom to buy a gun. I think very few people would disagree with me there. But hindsight is 20/20; we, as a nation, have to decide once and for all whether we are going to have an honest and fair debate about which rights and privileges actually make us more free, and which we defend simply because we want to. Just for the record: gun control does not mean outlawing weapons of all kinds. It simply means that people are vetted more carefully before they walk out of Wal-Mart with a 20gauge. It would show the kind of responsibility that comes with the privilege of being free. It’s what we have to do if we want to continue to enjoy that freedom in the future.

NGO inquiry committee has wrong focus, framework

Focus on issues JASON EDELSTEIN AND GERALD STEINBERG JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Since the notorious NGO Forum of the 2001 Durban conference, nongovernmental organizations have implemented a coordinated strategy against Israel -- isolation and demonization in the international arena. Influential Israeli and Palestinian NGOs are very active in this strategy, and their claims and agendas should not be immune to criticism and debate in the democratic process. However, the Israeli Knesset vote to open an official inquiry into the funding of virulent political NGOs involved in delegitimization is more likely to polarize than to shed light or encourage informed criticism. The Knesset debate demonstrated the intense political nature of this initiative, as both ends of the ideological spectrum ignored the complex issues. For the right, NGOs that use the language of human rights are portrayed as enemies of Israel, without distinction, while the left paints criticism of their actions as “antidemocratic” and "McCarthyist.” Neither of these ideological responses helps Israel combat the real threat from delegitimization -- in the form of lawfare; the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement; Durban III; and various “mini-Durban” conferences. Instead these divisions, which ignore broad and legitimate centrist concerns, feed the demonization and increase the divisions within Israeli society. The right provides the left

(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Howard Goldstein Account Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper

Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson; Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; Nancy Wolf. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page sto-

with the “out” it needs to avoid criticism and accountability, further constraining the Israeli democratic process, which is highly vulnerable to manipulation from foreign governments. The right’s tactics provide more ammunition for Israel’s most ardent critics to proclaim the “death of Israeli democracy,” further contributing to Israel’s isolation. Attacking the legitimacy of Israel’s parliament and judicial system are common tactics in the Durban strategy, and this inquiry will be yet another example for critics to reference. Among the claims used to justify the Knesset inquiry is the role of Arab governments and terror groups as major funders of the Israeli NGOs involved in lawfare campaigns. If true, this would be a major source for concern. However, the information released to date is limited, while detailed research by NGO Monitor indicates that the vast majority of NGO funding originates in Europe. A group known as Im Tirtzu published claims of Arab funding to the Ramallah-based NGO Development Center (NDC), which gave $5 million to radical Israeli NGOs. But the money to Israeli NGOs comes from European governments (Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland). Arab funding comprises only 5 percent of NDC’s total budget, which goes to Palestinian NGOs. Therefore, in the case of NDC and other hostile frameworks, substantive discussion of foreign funding should begin with Europe. On the left fringe of Israeli politics, the response to the Knesset’s move is an effort to deny the existence of any problems from NGO demonization and secret foreign gov-

ernment funding. Instead of engaging in substantive public debate on the manipulation of Israeli politics, support for BDS and lawfare, and rhetoric of “apartheid” and “war crimes,” these NGOs divert attention through false claims of “McCarthyism.” At the same time, Europe certainly is in no position to criticize the Knesset and the debate on NGOs. While preaching democracy and good government to others, officials blatantly violate the basic rules of funding transparency and open debate. Great secrecy hides all aspects of the processes by which the EU funds groups such as Yesh Din, Adalah and PCATI (the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel), as well as many Palestinian groups. The Dutch government, for example, recently was found by NGO Monitor to be supporting the anti-Israel and antiSemitic actions of Electronic Intifada via a church-based humanitarian framework, ICCO. Electronic Intifada routinely abuses terms such as "apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing,” and its executive director, Ali Abunimah, appears on many campuses to promote BDS and call for a one-state solution, meaning the elimination of Israel. He also compares Israel to Nazi Germany, referring to the Israeli press as “Der Sturmer” -- a weekly Nazi newspaper that was a key part of the Nazis' propaganda machine. Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, upon learning from The Jerusalem Post that his government was fueling the Arab-Israel conflict, said he would “look into the matter personally.” There are many more such examples throughout Europe. Continued on page 9

ries 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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January 21, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 9

It’s time to reject rhetorical violence

Focus on issues SIMON GREER NEW YORK (JTA) -- Sarah Palin did not shoot Rep. Gabriella Giffords. Neither did Glenn Beck. Or Rush Limbaugh. Or even Giffords' opponent in the 2010 campaign, Jesse Kelly. Giffords was shot by a mentally unstable terrorist, who after attempting to assassinate Giffords, kept shooting into the crowd that had gathered outside a supermarket in Tuscon, AZ. Americans reacted with shock and horror, which should tell us something about our expectations. In a world rife with political carnage, in a country whose history is laden with ideological bloodshed, it matters greatly that in 21st century America, political violence is rejected wholesale. Now we have to start rejecting rhetorical violence. The media personalities and politician listed above may not be guilty, but perhaps we should set our bar a little higher. Are they, to borrow a phrase from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, responsible? And what about the rest of us? Language sets a tone, creates an atmosphere and points us toward what’s acceptable. In the months leading up to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Yitzhak Rabin, each man was vilified in the most crass, violent language imaginable, routinely presented as a legitimate target for rage -- rage that ultimately robbed the world of great, visionary leaders. This is why the Jewish tradition has long warned against harmful words. We are told again and again that "lashon hara," evil speech, hurts not only the target but also the speaker, listener and broader community. Indeed, lashon hara is considered a sin on a par with murder. But it’s not enough to simply not engage in hateful rhetoric. If we don’t actively oppose its use, if we don’t replace vitriol with respect and consideration, we perpetuate the dangerous cycle, and each step down in our public discourse paves the way to the step below it. The outer edges of accept-

able behavior are pushed closer and closer to the margins, and behavior that once was considered beyond the pale finds its way in. Palin and Beck specialize in demonizing people and organizations who don’t share their views. Is it difficult to listen to them and not be afraid? “Death panels!” Palin warns. “Death camps!” Beck exclaims. Jared Lee Laughner may not have been a devotee of rightwing talk shows, but there are avid listeners and watchers who have resorted to violence. The most horrifying example is Beck-devotee Byron Williams, who last summer loaded up his car with guns and ammunition and drove to San Francisco. Had he not been stopped and arrested by state police after a highway shootout, Williams might have succeeded in, as he said, “kill[ing] people of importance at the ACLU and Tides Foundation.” His choice of the Tides Foundation was clearly inspired by Mr. Beck’s regular attacks on the otherwise largely obscure institution. Leaders who become victims of smear campaigns are invariably those who have shown courage and resolve, just as Giffords did when faced with scathing opposition to her support of the health care law and comprehensive immigration reform. So, too, we must be courageous, and like Giffords, refuse to bow to the demands of expediency. We must speak out plainly against extremism and provocation, unafraid to hold our media and our politicians accountable, while presenting real solutions to the very real problems facing millions of Americans. We must recognize the humanity of those with whom we disagree and honor the dignity of all our fellow citizens. Rather than frame our differences in the starkest of terms, we must find a way back toward reasoned debate and honest engagement. In short, let us demonstrate the same courage, the same resolve as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. And let us find comfort in the hope that we may yet play a part in healing our nation. Simon Greer is the president and CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice.

Arizona shooter’s online footprint shows distrust of government

Behind the headlines ADL STAFF NEW YORK -- A series of messages written by Arizona shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner reveal a person with a generic distrust of the government and a vague interest in conspiracy theories, according to an analysis of his online writings by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The writings, often disjointed and rambling, offer a window into the mindset of Loughner in the months and weeks leading up to the Jan. 8 shooting rampage in Tucson, in which U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded and six people, including a federal judge and congressional staffer, were killed. Using the screen name “Erad3,” Loughner, 22, returned repeatedly to certain topics, including grammar, literacy and “logic,” his distrust of the government and dislike of religion, according to ADL. The writings appeared on the conspiracy-oriented Web site “Above Top Secret,” a forum dealing with conspiracy theories, which includes anti-government extremists in its membership. “While there is still much we don’t know about Loughner, his online footprint offers one window into his mindset in the months leading up to the killings,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “The writings that have come to light so far suggest someone who probably was not

associated with any extremist group or movement, but who has a generic distrust of government and a vague interest in conspiracy theories.” While few in number, Loughner’s online writings and videos on sites such as MySpace and YouTube reveal an ongoing interest in several topics, including: • Grammar, Literacy and “Logic:” Loughner repeatedly called all sorts of people illiterate. On his YouTube profile, Loughner stated that his favorite interest was reading and that he “studied grammar.” In one of his videos, he seemed to claim that the government was “controlling grammar.” • Distrust of Government: Loughner stated that he couldn’t trust the “current government” because of “fabrications.” In the Erad3 postings, one consistent anti-government topic broached was the notion of NASA faking spaceflights. In one of his videos, titled “My Final Thoughts,” he briefly proclaimed: “No! I won’t pay debt with a currency that’s not backed by gold or silver.” This is clearly a reference to a concept prevalent in the anti-government and rightwing “Patriot” movement that only gold and silver, not paper money, is valid currency. • Dislike of Religion: In one of his YouTube videos, Loughner claimed that he had refused to write a religious preference on an Army recruiting form, and proclaimed, “No! I don’t trust in God.” As Erad3, he repeatedly mocked Christianity and those who believe in it.

NGO inquiry committee has wrong focus, framework Continued from page 8 As a result, the European-funded, NGO-led assault on the legitimacy of Israel, as well as the double standards and the false allegations of “war crimes,” continues. NGOs are a major part of Israeli democracy, yet by receiving funding through secret processes for use in delegitimization campaigns, they are undermining the basic tenets of democracy. NGO double standards and political campaigns also subvert the universality of human rights norms and convert these moral principles into convenient political weapons. These groups exploit universal jurisdiction statutes in Europe, as well as the International Criminal Court, for cynical attempts to label Israeli leaders as “war criminals.” A partisan Knesset inquiry is unlikely to generate significant change, and may increase the political attacks against Israel. Rather, a parliamentary inquiry into abuses of NGO funding would be most useful in the European context,

since this is the source of the money provided for lawfare, BDS and other forms of demonization. Unfortunately, the European officials responsible for these practices have clung to the secrecy and the refusal to confront the critical analyses of their NGO funding policies. Gerald Steinberg is president of NGO Monitor [http://www.ngo-monitor.org/index.php], a Jerusalembased research institution that tracks NGOs that claim to protect human rights in the region. Jason Edelstein is the institution's communications director.

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10 | The Jewish Press | January 21, 2011

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

p.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Advanced Halchic Kollel, 9 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class with Rabbi Gross, 9:30 a.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

CHABAD HOUSE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; Learner’s service, 10:15 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:05 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Jewish Images on the Big Screen, 10:30 a.m. with Susi FrydmanLevin. TU B’SHEVAT AT THE GARDEN: Join us on Sunday, 1:30–3 p.m. for a special holiday celebration at Lauritzen Gardens, 1st & Bancroft St. Learn about Tu B’Shevat; enjoy crafts, seed-planting, cookie-decorating and a special musical performance. No charge to attend; open to the entire community. THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Life Lessons from the Hebrew Bible, noon. Cost is $36 for members and $45 for non-members. Open to all adults in the Jewish community. To register, contact the office. CANTOR’S CONCERT: On Saturday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., gala art auction and musical evening will highlight Creativity & Philanthropy: An Art Extravaganza, a fundraiser to benefit Beth El’s Youth Scholarship Fund. Artwork by local and national artists; musical guests, the Salem Baptist Church Gospel Choir, singing with Cantor Schlossberg. Open to the community; for ticket information, contact the synagogue office. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: After school teen program, 2:40-4 p.m. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com with any questions or to recive a guest pass. All programs are open to the entire community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:10 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Guy, Talia, Aden, Ori and Eli Matalon in honor of Elinor's birthday; The Laws of Shabbat, 3 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 4 p.m.; Mincha, 5 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 6:13 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tu B’Shevat Seder and Israeli Dinner, 6 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. Contact the office to get the dial-in number and access code. TUESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:45 p.m. at the Blumkin Home; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. featuring guest speaker David Arfa, with oneg following hosted by Lori Schwartz. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel (A representative from Shwayder Camp will be present from 9:30-10 a.m.); Gan Simcha-Grade 2, 9:45 a.m.12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at Tifereth Israel; LJCS teachers meeting with David Arfa, 12:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel; Temple Annual Meeting, 4 p.m.; Town Hall Meeting, 5 p.m. to discuss the Rabbi search process. TUESDAY: LJCS Parent-Teacher Conferences, 7-8:30 p.m. at South Street Temple. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 5:10 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1 p.m. led by Chabad; Shabbat Songs, 6 p.m. with Joanie Jacobson and Nancy Rips. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Miles Remer. THURSDAY: LOVE Board of Directors Meeting, 7 p.m.

Candlelighting Friday, January 21, 5:10 p.m.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend Services.

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Linder and Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Leadership Development, noon; Shwayder Camp is Coming to Omaha, 5:45 p.m. Havdalah, at the home of Wendy and John Vann, 2120 Brookside Avenue, followed by bowling at Mockingbird Lanes, 4870 South 96 St. Jodie Abrams, assistant director of Colorado’s Shwayder Camp, will be there. Anyone interested in attending Shwayder is invited to join as Jodie talks about A Summer to Build Your Life On… SUNDAY: Teachers Meeting, 9 a.m.; Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m.; WRJ Book Sorting Day, 10 a.m.; Grade Four at Blumkin Home, 10:15 a.m.; Shwayder Camp Visit, 11:40 a.m. with presentation by Jodie Abrams; Club 56 at Family Fun Center, noon for Fifth and sixth graders. Cost is $4. Meet advisor Leora Azriel at Temple Israel for lunch and a mixer prior to going to Family Fun Center. Club 56 members should be picked up at Family Fun Center at 2 p.m. Please RSVP to Leora, leoraann@aol.com; OTYG Spaghetti Dinner Meeting, noon. TUESDAY: Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4-6 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grades 7-8, 6 p.m.; Rebecca Goldstein Book Club, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Linder. THURSDAY: Adult Study with the Clergy, 10-11:30 a.m.; No Host Planning Meeting for Adult Programming, noon at Pasta Amore, 11027 Prairie Brook Road. Adult Programming Experiences (APEX) is for all adults looking for cultural, educational, social and spiritual experiences. If you are interested in planning an APEX event or have an idea you would like to share, help us create a new Temple Israel affinity group to plan activities. Sound interesting? Contact Dorothy Spizman, 399.9490 or dorothy26@ cox.net, or Wendy Goldberg, 556.6536 or wgoldberg@ templeisraelomaha.com.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Shabbat service, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Learners Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush lunch and Talmud study. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel (A representative from Shwayder Camp will be present from 9:30-10 a.m.); Gan Simcha-Grade 2, 9:45 a.m.12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at Tifereth Israel; LJCS teachers meeting with David Arfa, 12:30 p.m. at Tifereth Israel TUESDAY: LJCS Parent-Teacher Conferences, 7-8:30 p.m. at South Street Temple. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.

Chief rabbi recognizes military conversions by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi reportedly has ordered the recognition of all Israeli’s military conversions after Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said in a letter that the conversions were valid. Yosef, a former chief rabbi, spiritual head of the haredi Orthodox Shas party and president of the Torah Sages Council, issued a letter Jan. 14 declaring conversions under the auspices of the Israel Defense Forces kosher. “Concerning my knowledge of the IDF conversion process, the instructors teaching in it, the rabbinical judges and all those involved in this holy task, and after hearing the [three-man advisory committee], which was formed at my request, I have reached the conclusion that by Halacha, the IDF conversions are valid, according to our holy Torah. And the good recommendations of the rabbis, members of the committee, should be implemented,” read the letter signed by Yosef, which was translated and printed in The Jerusalem Post.

The letter followed the recommendation of a three-member panel of senior rabbis appointed by the current Sephardic chief rabbi, Ovadia Yosef Amar, to investigate whether the halachic standards of military conversions were on a high enough level for him to endorse. The advisory committee reportedly recommended that those being converted through the military study more Torah and Jewish law, and that some of the rabbinical judges employed by the army be replaced. By law, the chief rabbi’s signature is required on all military conversions, which has been lacking since the institution began granting conversions. Some 4,500 soldiers have undergone conversion under the auspices of the military. A military conversion bill sponsored by the Yisrael Beiteinu party is scheduled to be voted on Tuesday in the Knesset Law Committee. The bill would designate the IDF chief rabbi with signing off on IDF conversions instead of the Chief Rabbinate.

David Rotem of Yisrael Beiteinu told The Jerusalem Post that the party would not withdraw the bill, despite Amar’s approval, since the haredi Orthodox Lithuanian community has said it will not recognize the conversions. On Sunday, a haredi Orthodox newspaper, Yated Neeman, considered to be a puppet publication of the leader of the Lithuanian haredi community, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, attacked Yosef for his decision to approve the conversions, calling it “a desecration of God’s name” that will lead to “increased danger of major assimilation among the people of Israel,” Haaretz reported.

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January 21, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 11

The Wise Jethro

In memoriam LINDA FRIEDMAN TILLEY

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Yitro Jethro was Moses’ father in law. Moses had married Jethro’s youngest daughter. Now Jethro came to visit, and he saw Moses sitting in judgment for the people who brought complaints against other Israelites. He sat from early morning until late at night, day after day. When Jethro saw all of this, he said to Moses: “You will wear yourself out, and the people you serve will suffer because of it. “Now this is what you ought to do: choose men whom you know to be wise and set them around the people. Let them hear complaints, and only the serious and most complicated should be brought to you. “In this way, the people will be served and justice will be done, but you will be saved from wearing yourself out, which would do the people no good.” Now Jethro took Moses to Mount Moriah to hear the voice of the KBH (Kadosh Baruch Hu). The people said to Moses that they could not hear the Holy Voice, for it frightened them. They asked Moses to hear the voice of the KBH, and bring it to them. There followed ten Words, or Utterances, which have come to be known as the Ten Commandments. They are each moral-ethical, not ritual. The only one that might be considered ritual is the fourth, about the Sabbath, the Shabbat. But this, though ritual, is ethical as well. The Shabbat serves as a strong and binding contract between the KBH and the people of Israel. Although the events and the conclusion we have just reached occurred long ago, the symbol of the Shabbat has remained with us through hard times, and, presumably, into the future. It is a symbol of the unification of the KBH and the people of Israel. The Shabbat serves as a link, forever strong, between the ritual and the ethical elements of the Ten Commandments. This makes it important for us to observe Shabbat as carefully as we can, in a world where we Israelites (we may call ourselves “Jews” now) are a small minority. Almost an insignificant minority, among the people at large. We know, however, that Shabbat is forever important. Although many are obliged, for economic purposes, to be engaged economically on the Sabbath, everyone ought to observe as much of the Sabbath as he can, even a little part, since that keeps him within the tradition and legacy of his people.

Ehud Barak splits from Labor Party, to form new movement by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has split from the Labor Party to form a new party. Four other Labor lawmakers joined Barak on Monday: Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon; Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai; Deputy Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Orit Noked; and freshman Knesset member Einat Wilf. The new party is expected to be called Atzmaut, or Independence. “We are creating a faction, a movement and eventually a party that will be centrist, Zionist and democratic,” Barak told reporters Monday. Following Barak’s split with the party, three Labor government ministers announced that they would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government coalition: Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog; Minister for Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Benjamin Ben-Eliezer. Barak’s exit from the Labor Party was facilitated by Netanyahu and his officials, several Israeli media outlets charged, citing unnamed sources. Netanyahu already has begun negotiations to keep the new faction in his government. If successful, he will maintain a parliamentary majority, despite the exit of other Labor ministers. Several Labor lawmakers in recent weeks have threatened to quit the coalition over the lack of progress in peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni, head of the Kadima Party, called on Netanyahu to call for new elections, saying that “The Netanyahu government lost its legitimacy today and is living off small political maneuvers. The only way for political opportunism is elections, and Kadima is reiterating its call for elections.”

Linda Friedman Tilley passed away on Jan. 4 at the age of 68. Services were held on Jan. 9 at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edythe and Arthur Friedman. She is survived by her husband, Arthur; sons and daughters-in-law, Chris and Erin Tilley, Dan and Becky Tilley, and daughter and son-in-law, Angie and Mike Dahman; grandchildren: Colin and Mia Tilley, Paige, Brooke and Claire Dahman; sisters and brothers-in-law, Jacki and Steve Saylan, Jill and Terry Chapin; brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Gail Friedman; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bud and Carol Tilley. Memorial contributions may be made to Mederi Foundation, 127 Clear Creek Drive, Ashland, OR 97520, or at www.mederifoundation.org.

Israel offers assistance to flood-ravaged Australia by JTA NEWS STAFF SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) – Israel has offered to help Australia as it continues to battle wild floods that have claimed the lives of at least 18 people. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote to his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard, on Sunday to offer assistance. “I’m very sorry to hear about the destructive floods in Queensland and the loss of life,” Netanyahu wrote. “I understand that the rain has continued non-stop for two weeks and that large parts of Queensland are in danger. If Israel can provide any aid, please do not hesitate to ask.” Dozens of Jews in Queensland were affected by the floods, mainly in Brisbane, but no Jewish community institutions were affected, said Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies President Jason Steinberg. “The really heartwarming thing is the number of Jewish community members who have requested to volunteer and the support from interstate,” Steinberg said. “We’re hoping that communities around Australia will offer their support financially. A lot of people won’t have flood insurance. There will be people affected who will need help.” Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan told the Australian Broadcasting Company that “It looks like this is possibly going to be, in economic terms, the largest natural disaster in our history.”

Jewish talent takes home Golden Globes by JTA NEWS STAFF LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- Jewish talent won some and lost some at the Golden Globe Award ceremonies, auguring a mixed outlook for the upcoming Oscar nominations. Israeli-born Natalie Portman waltzed away from the Sunday evening awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, Calif., as best actress in the drama category for her impressive turn as a tortured ballerina in The Black Swan. The Social Network, the gripping if somewhat skewed story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, won for best drama picture, but its star, Jesse Eisenberg, lost out as best actor to Colin Firth, who portrayed England’s stuttering George VI in The King’s Speech. Social Network won additional honors for screenwriter Aaron Sorkin for best screenplay. Sorkin beat out, among others, Britain’s David Seidler, who provided the inspiration and script for The King’s Speech. Seidler’s paternal grandparents perished in the Holocaust. In the separate comedy or musical category, Paul Giamatti, who is not Jewish, emerged as best actor for his portrayal of the very Jewish producer Barney Panofsky in Barney’s Version. The movie is based on the novel of the same title by Canadian-Jewish author Mordecai Richler. Denmark’s In a Better World won the prize for best foreign-language film. Israel’s Oscar entry, The Human Resources Manager, did not place among the five finalists. For the first time since the end of World War II, no movie or documentary dealing with the Holocaust or the Nazi era was submitted for either Golden Globe or Academy Award consideration. The television musical show Glee was named best television comedy show, and cast members Jane Lynch, who plays cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, and Chris Cofer, who plays gay student Kurt, won for best supporting actress and actor. Brad Falchuk, son of national Hadassah President Nancy Falchuk, is a co-creator, producer, writer and director on the show.

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12 | The Jewish Press | January 21, 2011

Halil Bagalil/Flutes in the Galilee return to Omaha for command performance

It does grow on trees!

by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha When last they visited Omaha, Hagit Rosmarin and Gil Bohadana, the uber-talented duo behind Halil Bagalil, played to a full-to-capacity crowd in the JCC Theatre. The community is fortunate they are returning in a more relaxed way to perform for families on Monday, Jan. 31, 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the JCC Auditorium.

“The instruments and international music promises to get the kids up - moving and dancing. It’s a great opportunity to expose kids to live music,” said Tripp. “Kids of all ages are going to love the energy and upbeat music during the show,” added Schwarz-Mason. The performance will include flutes from India, Ireland, the Far East and the Middle East. Bohadana will play a variety of unique instruments such as the Djembe, Kalimba & Mbira from Africa, Tibetan Bowls, and the Hungarian Zither. “Hallil Bagalil’s concert here three years ago was just incredible, a real delight to the eyes and the ears. The two combine all different kinds of instruments together in ways I imagine most of us have never heard. They relate wonderfully to all age groups,” said Mary Sue Grossman, Director of Operations and Programming, Center for Jewish Education. The pair spent years of studying folk music, crisscrossing the globe, and collecting flutes and exotic wind instruments. Hagit Rosmarin, considered a top flutist in Israel, specializes in contemporary and ethnic music from Irish, Celtic and Arabic origins. Tabletop display of exotic wind instruments used in the Jan. 2008 Omaha performance. Gil Bohadana spent four years The evening’s co-chairs, Sonia Tipp and Joy Schwarz- traveling throughout Australia, Central America and the Far Mason, designed a casual family evening with a kid-friend- East learning indigenous musical traditions. Along with ly pasta dinner, an early start time, and fun entertainment. performing for Halil Bagalil, he is the creator of ECOMUThe show, titled “Flutes Around the Globe,” features tradi- SIC, a project that combines music and ecology and features tional ethnic music and original pieces composed by musical instruments made from recycled materials. Rosmarin and Bohadana. Their music is inspired by both The cost for dinner is $4 per person or $14 per family. their world-wide travels and the sounds of their ancestral Children ages 3 and younger eat free. Reservations are nechome, Israel’s Western Galilee. It is presented to the com- essary by Thursday, Jan. 27 with payment accepted that munity by the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the evening. Call Nancy Martin at 402.334.6430 for your reserPartnership with Israel program. vation.

Peyton Kelln, Sophia Mavropoulos, and Aviva Chana Shyken with Friedel’s “money trees”. Money donated by Friedel Jewish Academy students and their families will go towards planting trees in Israel, on the occasion of Tu B’Shvat. In light of the recent fire, the students are attempting to double their goal from last year.

Chief of Staff begins his farewells

by EDGAR ASHER A special bomb squad protective suit is being demonstrated during the farewell visit to Home Front Command Headquarters in Ramle by the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Copyright: ISRANET Gabi Ashkenazi.

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