Vol. LXXXIX No. 19 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 89 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
14 Shevat 5770
January 29, 2010
Left and right join on religious expression statement
Malashock Town Hall to be “hub of the Blumkin Home”
by ERIC FINGERHUT WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Baptist Convention may butt heads over where the line ultimately should be drawn on the separation of church and state, but representatives of both organizations say they agree on where the law now stands -- and with more than two dozen other experts they have come together to help explain it to the rest of the country. After nearly four years of work, the organizational representatives have issued a 32-page document titled “Religious Expression in American Public Life: A Joint Statement of A politically and religiously Current Law.” Written in a question- diverse collection of groups has and-answer format and issued the 32-page “Religious including extensive end- Expression in American Public notes, the document Life: A Joint Statement of explains the state of the Current Law.” law on religious expres- Credit: Center for Religion and Public Affairs sion, answering queries such as “Are individuals and groups permitted to use government property for religious activities and events?”; “May employees express and exercise their faith within secular nongovernmental workplaces?”; and “Does the First Amendment place restrictions on the political activities of religious organizations?” Continued on page 2
by OZZIE NOGG assistant, Phyllis Gentry. Dr. Ed Malashock and Near the Town Hall, his wife, Sally Gross behind their own individMalashock, are longtime ual facades, are the offices movers and shakers in the of Shane Kotok, Blumkin Omaha Jewish communiHome Director of ty. And since a town hall Admissions and Comis often where the action munity Outreach, Bert is, where important comBenson, Director of munal decisions are Social Services, and made, the Malashocks Comptroller, Sasha decided their gift to the Loock. Rose Blumkin Jewish “The Malashock Town Home’s New Beginning Hall and the area around would be the Town Hall it, is the heart of the on Main Street. Home’s business opera“We think the Town tions,” explained Josh Ed and Sally Malashock Hall represents the hub of Gurock, RBJH Facilities the Blumkin Home,” Malashock said, “and all the func- Coordinator,” and will house the general accounting tions of the Home, under the very capable supervision and bookkeeping offices, a copy area and supply room.” of Executive Director, Mike Silverman, radiate out from Gurock went on to describe the Town Hall Conference that hub. When the Town Hall design was presented to Room which is configured for administrative functions Sally and me, we felt it was well-conceived, and our as well as admissions. “The room will serve primarily as recent tour of the construction area confirms that a meeting space for residents and their families during impression.” The Town Hall is named in loving memo- the admission process. The room includes a television ry of Ed and Sally’s parents; Jay M. Malashock and Ruth set complete with a VGA plate that allows admissions Gross Malashock, and Jacob A. Gross and Mollie staff or conference participants to plug into the TV and Muskin Gross. “For the record,” Ed said, “the Gross display information on their laptops. This feature is the families are not related.” latest in digital connectivity.” The exterior of the Malashock Town Hall features a The Malashocks’ participation in the Blumkin Home white stucco facade, shingled roof, impressive columns building campaign was occasioned by their growing and multiple windows. The space gives access to the awareness of the increased need for additional and Blumkin Home’s executive suite, which includes a large improved services at the Home. reception area and offices for Mike Silverman and for his Continued on page 3
B’nai B’rith Sports Banquet to feature legendary NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by Howard Borden B’nai B’rith Special to the Jewish Press Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is considered by many fans and sportswriters to be the greatest basketball player of all time. The 7-foot-2-inch Hall of Fame center, famous for his indefensible skyhook, dominated the NBA for 20 years, first with the Milwaukee Bucks, then with the Los Angeles Lakers. “Abdul-Jabbar is a basketball icon. That’s why we are very excited to announce that a sports figure of this caliber will be the featured guest speaker at the 56th Annual B’nai B’rith Charity Sports Banquet at the Qwest Center Omaha on May 12, 2010,” said banquet chairman Howard Shandell. Abdul-Jabbar will also help the Lodge honor the metro area’s most outstanding high school senior male and female student-athletes. The honorees will receive the Henry Monsky Lodge’s prestigious Bert Render and Earl Siegel Memorial Awards. “Kareem is a unique human being with a broad range of worldly experiences that include sports and entertainment,” Shandell said. “He has also authored six bestselling history books and has spoken widely about the important role Jews played in the Civil Rights movement. “Kareem will share some of these experiences from his exciting UCLA and NBA seasons as the star center and from his personal life,” he continued. “This is our third year at the Qwest, and we are again expecting a fabulous crowd of sports fans for the evening.” In addition, a silent auction will be held, featuring
Inside Opinion Page see page 12
incredible sports memorabilia. The evening will begin with a 5:45 p.m. cocktail hour; dinner will follow at 6:45 p.m. Individual ticket price is $110, or $1,100 for a table of 10. Special VIP reception/dinner tickets are $160 each and include a free parking pass. Tickets and information may be obtained by calling the B’nai B’rith office at 334.6443. Previous b a n q u e t speakers i n c l u d e H o w a r d Cosell, Lou Holtz, John Madden, Joe Paterno, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar David Stern, Mike Ditka, Bob Devaney, Keith Jackson, Bobby Knight, Bill Walsh, Dick Vitale, Bobby Bowden, Joe Theismann, Lee Corso, Terry Bradshaw, Dr. Tom Osborne, Roy Firestone, Dick Schaap, Steve Spurrier, Greg Gumbel, Dan Patrick, Trev Alberts, Ron Jaworski, Barry Alvarez, Colin Cowherd, Bill Self and Grant Wistrom.
This Week: Monthly Calendar Pages 10 & 11 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
PBS documentary spotlights Jewish anthopologist Page 5
Henry Monsky Lodge is part of B’nai B’rith, an international Jewish service organization that promotes brotherhood, fights discrimination and works for community improvement. The Lodge distributes a portion of the proceeds to its youth programs and local charities. The early years From an early age, Abdul-Jabbar began breaking basketball records. He led his high school to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71-game winning streak, and a 79–2 overall record. At the college level under legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, he led the Bruins to a three-year record of 88 wins and only two losses from 1966-69. During that stretch, his excellence on the court contributed to the team’s earning three NCAA national championships. During his college career, Abdul-Jabbar was twice named Player of the Year (1967, 1969), and was a threetime first-team All-American (1967-’69). He was also honored as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament (1967, 1968, 1969), and became the firstever Naismith College Player of the Year in 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he also won USBWA College Player of the Year, which later became the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Remarkably, 40 years later, Jabbar still holds or shares a number of individual records at his college alma mater, including scoring average and field goals. The pro years Over a two-decade-long career with the Milwaukee Continued on page
Coming Next Month: Simchas and Celebrations ADL brings anti-bias education to kids in trouble Page 6
Jewish community rallies to assist Hatians Page 9
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
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B’nai B’rith Banquet to feature Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Continued from page 1 Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player six times, a 19-time All-Star and set the NBA all-time records in nine categories. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, a record that may never be broken. His career might have taken a completely different course had he agreed to accept an astounding (at the time) $1 million offer to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. Instead, he became a first-round draft choice and a rookie sensation with the Bucks, earning NBA Rookie of the Year accolades. It only took a few years for Abdul-Jabbar to bring an NBA championship to the City of Milwaukee. He remained a dominant force for Milwaukee, repeating as scoring champion and NBA Most Valuable Player the following year, and helping the Bucks to repeat as division leaders for four straight years. In 1973, Abdul-Jabbar won his third MVP Award in five years, and was among the top five NBA players in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, and field goal percentage. In 1974, Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles. He became a Laker in 1975, and during his first year, earned his fourth MVP award. As a Laker, Abdul-Jabbar became an instant fan favorite. He began wearing his trademark goggles and ruled the NBA backboards. The Lakers became the “showtime team” of the NBA. In 1979, the Lakers acquired first overall draft pick Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The trade and draft paved the way for a second Abdul-Jabbar dynasty, as the Lakers went on to become the most dominant team of the 1980s. Helped by his skyhook shot, Abdul-Jabbar and the team appeared in the finals eight times and won five NBA championships between 1980 and 1988. Individually, he experienced a number of great high-
light moments: among them, his record sixth MVP award in 1980; four more All-NBA First Team designations; two more All-Defense first team designations; the 1985 Finals MVP; and on April 5, 1984, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record for career points. He retired at the top of his game in June 1989, and seamlessly transitioned into an acting career. His list of credits include Bruce Lee’s 1978 film, “Game of Death,” and his memorable 1980 performance in the comedy hit “Airplane,” as co-pilot Roger Murdock. In other television and film appearances such as “Fletch,” “Full House,” “Living Single,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and “Scrubs,” he often played himself. Abdul-Jabbar has also authored six best-selling history books which highlight the contributions AfricanAmericans have made to American culture and history. His books include Black Profiles in Courage: A Legacy of African-American Achievement; Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes; A Season on the Reservation, which chronicles his time teaching basketball and history on an Apache Indian reservation in White River, Ariz.; and On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance. Since retiring from the game, Abdul-Jabbar has balanced his love of basketball with his love of history. In 2002, he coached the Oklahoma Storm, a USBL team, to a league championship. In addition, since 2005, he has been the special assistant coach for the Lakers, working with their big men, most notably Andrew Bynum. In 2008, he was named the Greatest College Basketball Player of the Century by ESPN. He was also recognized as one of the 100 Top Athlete Scholars of the Century by the NCAA. Time magazine has honored him as History’s Greatest Player. Abdul-Jabbar has two daughters and three sons.
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Left and right join on religious expression Continued from page 1 (The short answers: Yes with restrictions, sometimes, and no.) Members of the 28-person drafting committee say they plan to distribute the document to state and local governments, civic and religious organizations, and other grassroots groups. Having the document as a reference, the members say, can defuse many controversies over religious expression before they ever start. “Frankly, when discussion of religion in public life in America hits the front pages or 24-hour cable shows, it is often presented in a hysterical mode that either a theocracy is being imposed” or that anyone expressing religious beliefs “is being run out of town on a rail,” said Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s director of public policy and a member of the drafting committee. The significance of the document is “showing that there really is a lot of common ground and common understanding” on these issues, said Diament, whose organization favors a lowering of the church-state wall on certain issues. “It has the potential to bring more sanity and civility to this area of the law.” The document also has the backing of the AntiDefamation League, which generally sides with those fighting to maintain a robust separation of church and state. It shows that religious expression “is very much a welcome part of public life, but there are also lines we draw and shouldn’t cross,” said the ADL’s director of legal affairs, Steven Freeman, another member of the committee. The drafting committee included religious scholars; representatives of strict separationist organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American Way; and leaders of a number of religious groups, including Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Christian groups spanning the political spectrum -- from the National Council of Churches on the left to the American Center for Law and Justice on the right. In addition to the ADL and the OU, the panel included representatives from the Reform movement, the American Jewish Committee and the American Jewish Congress. The drafters stressed that the document outlines the consensus on how the U.S. Supreme Court has defined current law, not the law as various groups would like to see it. “There are things in the document that we’re not necessarily pleased with, but they’re current law,” Freeman said. “Sometimes the state of the law is not what we would like it to be, but we agree on what the current state of
the law is,” said drafter Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, which favors a more prominent role for religion in American public life. Land quipped that if the report dealt only with the areas on which the groups agreed what they would like the law to be, “it would be a much shorter document.” Drafter Marc Stern, acting co-executive director of the American Jewish Congress, noted, for instance, a disagreement among committee members about whether the IRS restrictions on the political activities of non-profit organizations are constitutional -- but they can agree that those are the rules the Internal Revenue Service has laid out. And while there was disagreement on how much a supervisor can say to his employees about religion in the workplace, the members could agree on general principles. The wide breadth of drafters should give the document credibility with both the left and the right, participants said. “The drafters are as important as the draft itself,” said Melissa Rogers, director of the Wake Forest University Divinity School’s Center for Religion and Public Affairs. Rogers led the effort after suggesting the idea at a Freedom Forum conference on religious issues in late 2005. The document was modeled after a similar effort to clarify permissible religious expression in the schools that some of the same experts worked on in the mid1990s. It was distributed by the U.S. Department of Education. The committee never met formally in the same room, but exchanged drafts via e-mail over the past four years in a process that members described as cooperative, despite the differences in opinions on the issues. The committee did not have the time to confront every controversial religious question -- the hot topic of federal funding for religious groups is not included, and such heated controversies as same-sex marriage and abortion are not addressed. And some sections of the document may not be entirely clear because the Supreme Court has not been clear, such as its muddled decisions on public display of the Ten Commandments. But, Stern said, having a resource available that offers an informed view on the issues should help to cool the slogans and epithets that often are part of the debate on religious issues. “The impact is not necessarily in a visible way,” he said, but “in the fact that they show people what they’re fighting about may not be worth fighting about” and “a lot of times what seems like a controversy goes away.”
January 29, 2010
Malashock Town Hall to be “hub” Continued from page 1 “We realized that to keep up with current trends, we had to upgrade the facility to meet and surpass what’s available now and in the foreseeable future,” Ed said. “We’re also pleased to see the Home being utilized, to a limited degree, by the non-Jewish community, which recognizes the quality of services provided.” Ed and Sally were born and grew up in Omaha, and the history of both the Malashock and Gross families goes back to the 1880s and ‘90s. “Even then, our folks were active in the community,” Sally said. “We returned to Omaha in 1953 after Ed completed his specialty medical training in urology and served two years as a U.S. army medical officer. It didn’t take long before both of us felt an obligation to the Jewish community, as well as the larger Omaha community.” The couple’s varied activities testify to their sense of obligation. Sally was president of NCJW from 1967 to 1969, and was very involved with the organization both before and after those dates. She worked with the women’s division of philanthropies for several years and served as associate co-chairman in 1966. She was active in the Jewish Historical Society from its birth and for several years after, and has also served on the board of Temple Israel. Ed’s activities include two terms on the Federation board -- 1960’63 and 1967-’70; chairmanship of Jewish Family Service in 1970; and Federation Foundation board from 1989 to 1995. He has also volunteered his time to the Jewish Historical Society Board, as well as the ethics committee of the Blumkin Home. Another organization to which Ed and Sally lend their support is Project
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Prehistoric site found in Tel Aviv
Interfaith. “This organization began a few years ago in the local ADL office with the endorsement of Bob Wolfson,” Ed explained. “Under the leadership of its director, Beth Katz, Project Interfaith has since grown into an Omaha communitywide organization. The goal is to educate people and thereby grow understanding, respect and relationships among members of all faiths and beliefs. Every one of us could benefit from more tolerance for religious diversity.” The important role played by the Blumkin Home was recognized by the Malashocks years ago. Sally’s father, Jacob Gross, was a resident of the Dr. Philip Sher Home, predecessor of the Blumkin Home. Her brother, Elmer Gross, was a resident at the RBJH, as was his wife, Marion. Currently, Pearl Osoff Gross, wife of Sally’s brother, Gerald Gross, is a resident at the Blumkin Home. “The Home is a valuable asset in our ever-changing world,” Ed continued, “and its transformation is very important. The Jewish community can be very proud of the Blumkin Home and of the changes provided by so many generous donors. As Sally and I grow older, we see many friends become residents. It’s reassuring to know that if or when we should require it, the Blumkin Home will be here for us, too. During my years in medicine, I made rounds in the hospital, caring for patients. Now I make rounds at the Home, visiting friends. Years ago, Sally and I lived for relatively short times in much larger cities with much larger Jewish populations. We remain fascinated and impressed by the warmth of this community, and by the high percentage of Omaha Jews who are active participants and willing contributors.”
choosing a place to live. The fertile alluvium soil along the fringes of the streams was considered a preferred location for a settlement in ancient periods.” During the Neolithic period (also known as the New Stone Age) man went from a nomadic existence of hunting and gathering to living in permanent settlements and began to engage in agriculture. Remains of an ancient building that consisted of IAA archaeologists, busy at work at the newly-discovered 8,000-year-old at least three site in Tel Aviv. Credit: ISRANET rooms were Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) discovered at the site. The pottery recently carried out prior to the con- shards that were found there attest to struction of an apartment building in the age of the site, which dates to the Ramat Aviv. Ancient artifacts that are Neolithic period. In addition, flint tools thought to be between 13,000 and such as sickle blades were discovered, as 100,000 years old were also discovered well as numerous flakes left over from there. the knapping of these implements, According to archaeologist Ayelet which are indicative of an ancient toolDayan, director of the excavation on making industry. Flint implements that behalf of the IAA, “This discovery is both are also ascribed to earlier periods were important and surprising to researchers discovered at the site: a point of a huntof the period. For the first time we have ing tool from the Middle Paleolithic encountered evidence of a permanent period. habitation that existed in the Tel Aviv Other interesting finds were also region some 8,000 years ago. The site is uncovered in the excavation: among located on the northern bank of the them a fragment of a base of a basalt Yarkon River, not far from the confluence bowl and animal remains, hippopotawith Nahal Ayalon. We can assume that mus bones and teeth that probably this fact influenced the ancient settlers in belonged to sheep or goat. by EDGAR ASHER Remains of a prehistoric building -the earliest ever discovered in the Tel Aviv region and estimated to be about 7,800-8,400 years old -- were exposed in an archaeological excavation the
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Page 4
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
GOP upset in Massachusetts raises questions about health reform
by ERIC FINGERHUT WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The election of Scott Brown to replace the late Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate has thrown the future of health care reform into doubt. With the Republican’s upset victory last week in Massachusetts, Jewish groups backing comprehensive reform must figure out how to respond. One organization said that passing the Senate version of the legislation is the best possible outcome at this point, but others are undecided. Brown has vowed to be the crucial 41st vote against ending the filibuster on any reform of the U.S. health care sys- New U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, tem, dimming the seen here at a recent news conprospects for passage of ference, has vowed to vote any kind of conference against ending the filibuster on committee deal between any reform of the country's the Senate and House of health care system. Representatives. That has Credit: Dan Kennedy/Creative Commons led some to suggest that the only hope for health care reform is if the House passes the Senate bill without amendments, so the Senate does not have to take another vote on the issue. The associate director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Mark Pelavin, said that such a step would eliminate important provisions that his group backs in the House legislation -- such as the “public option� -- but “it is something we could live with.� Pelavin said that while it may not be the best possible outcome, considering the political landscape it would be an “incredibly significant step� in expanding the access to and lowering the cost of health care because it would cover two-thirds of those now without insurance. Pelavin also said the Senate bill’s controversial language restricting the health insurance coverage of abortion, which a number of Jewish groups have spoken out against, is “troubling.� But, he added, it’s not nearly as restrictive as the provision in the House version that would not allow anyone receiving federal subsidies to buy a plan covering abortion and would not permit plans on the “insurance exchange� formed by the bill to include abortion coverage. Sammie Moshenberg, the director of Washington operations for the National Council of Jewish Women, said the Senate language on reproductive rights is still “pretty bad� because it would allow states to decide
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whether abortion is covered in insurance plans and force women to write a separate check for the portion of their health coverage that covered abortion. As for the overall legislation, Moshenberg said her organization is waiting to see how the negotiations between the House and Senate play out. “Obviously the political dynamics on the ground have changed� and congressional leadership is “going to have to develop a strategy,� she said. “It wouldn’t make any sense for us to decide right now. “There are things in the Senate bill that we like, and things that we don’t like.� B’nai B’rith International also has concerns about the Senate legislation. The organization believes that the subsidies for middle-income Americans are not large enough. Also, the bill allows insurance companies to charge older consumers up to three times as much as younger customers. The House bill’s “age rating� is 2 to 1. “It would be very difficult for the aging community� if the House decided to pass the Senate bill as is, said B’nai B’rith’s director of aging policy, Rachel Goldberg. She also expressed concern about the independent commission that the Senate bill would establish to have authority over Medicare and Medicaid spending. William Daroff, vice president for public policy and head of the Washington office of the Jewish Federations of North America, said his organization would continue to work with the Congress and Senate “in favor of the parts of the legislation we’re supportive of and oppose the parts we’re opposed to.� The umbrella group, Jewish Federations of North America, has declined to take a position on the legislation as a whole, instead focusing on its priorities, which include the CLASS Act -- a government long-term care insurance program that is included in the Senate bill -- as well as increasing coverage for the most vulnerable and protecting Medicare and Medicaid. Daroff was one of a number of Jewish organizational representatives who suggested that Democrats might still be able to sway a liberal Republican -- such as Maine’s Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins -- to vote to end a Senate filibuster and thus be able to reopen negotiations with the House. Whatever the case, Pelavin said his Reform movement constituency is still solidly behind comprehensive reform that makes health care more affordable and accessible. “I don’t think there’s any diminution in the commitment in our community,� he said. The Republican Jewish Coalition, though, said in a statement that Brown’s election demonstrated the electorate as a whole has “serious concerns� about Obama’s health care proposals.
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Deadline nears for Jewish Experience Grant applications
by SHERRIE SAAG Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Education Although Old Man Winter appears to be living quite comfortably in Omaha right now, lots of Jewish families are looking ahead to summer – specifically summer camp registrations for their children. The Jewish Federation of Omaha wants summer to arrive a little early this year, in the form of a wonderful gift to help with the cost of summer camp. That gift is the Jewish Experience Grant. Ask anyone who has attended a Jewish summer camp and they will tell you what a truly life-changing experience it is. Studies show a high correlation between kids who attend a Jewish summer residential camp and those who maintain a strong Jewish identity into adulthood. It is for this reason the Federation made a commitment to help area families by offering this special grant. Jewish Experience Grants are available to everyone in the Omaha Jewish community. It is a non-need based award totaling $1,000, and can be used in a single year or divided into two $500 grants for two summers. The camp must be a two-week or longer summer residential Jewish camp recognized by the Center for Jewish Education. In the past these have included: Camp Sabra, OSRUI, Herzl Camp, Moshava, Shwayder, Ramah, and Camp Nageela Midwest. According to Mary Sue Grossman, director of Operation and Programming for the CJE, “Program requirements are designed to make it very easy for any Omaha family to take advantage of these grants.� These are the following parameters for grant applicants: students must be in grades 3 through 11; students must attend either an Omaha synagogue religious school or Friedel Jewish Academy the year prior to and the year following the grant award; the family must be a contributor to the Annual Campaign of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Applying for a Jewish Experience Grant is simple. The applications are available on the Jewish Federation of Omaha web site at www.jewishomaha.org. Simply print a copy, fill it out, have your family’s congregational rabbi and religious school director sign it and submit it to the Center for Jewish Education office. Payment is then made directly to the camp. For applications or additional information on all grant and scholarship programs, please call 334.6445, or email mgrossman@ jewishomaha.org.
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January 29, 2010
Temple serves Wednesday night menu of adult Hebrew and Judaica classes
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Director Wednesday nights offer a variety of Hebrew and Judaica classes at Temple Israel. In February, two new courses begin: you can improve your prayerbook Hebrew or get involved in a discussion about possible conflicts between the secular and Jewish worlds. Both classes will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m. at Temple. Sponsored by the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning, the classes continue through April 28. Mor Sheinbein, who was born and raised in Tzur-Igal, a small community in central Israel, has been teaching fifth-grade Hebrew at Temple since moving to Omaha in 2007. This is her second year teaching adults at Temple. Prior to moving to Omaha, she was a counselor during the summer of 2007 at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, a Reform Jewish camp in Wisconsin. She worked the Chalutzim session, an intensive Hebrewspeaking environment. She’s been teaching Beginning Adult Hebrew for the Center for Jewish Education going on three years. A student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she’s studying non-fiction writing. “This is the first time I will be teaching Hebrew focusing on prayers and their meanings - literal and beyond,” she said. “This class requires the students to have a min-
imal knowledge of reading Hebrew (with some review as we go along), an open mind, and ‘the want’ to learn. What do we really say when we chant Hebrew during services?” she asked rhetorically. “Asking lots of questions is advised and welcome,” she emphasized. If you’d rather get into a lively discussion in English, Rabbi Eric Linder, along with guests from the community, will lead the discussion, “Is Religion Good?” He’ll include belief in God, ethical vs. ritual behavior and doubt vs. certainty in the conversation. “We'll look at popular writings from Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christoper Hitchens,” he said. Dawkins is a British biological theorist with a background in ethology, the scientific study of animal behavior. A popular science author, he focuses on evolution. An American non-fiction writer, Harris is a neurophilosopher and a proponent of scientific skepticism. He is the author of The End of Faith. The EnglishAmerican author and journalist Hitchens, described as a prominent public intellectual, is a staple of talk shows and lecture circuits. His latest book is entitled God is Not Great. Register for these classes by contacting Temple Israel Program Director Wendy Goldberg at wgoldberg@ templeisraelomaha.com or at 556.6536. Fee is $18 for Temple members, $25 for all others.
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PBS documentary spotlights Jewish anthropologist who redefined ‘blackness’
The film depicts Hershovits as an idealist and scientist by MICHAEL FOX Like many a Jewish child of Eastern European immi- who labored to separate his work from politics. That grants, Melville J. Herskovits spent a good deal of time seems naïve in retrospect, but it’s as if he wanted to influand energy wrestling with what it meant—and what it ence other anthropologists more than the public. He certainly succeeded with the publication of The Myth took—to be an American. His personal answer lay in scholarship, science, accom- of the Negro Past (1941), in which he exploded prevailing plishment and assimilation. Generations of black perceptions that race (and any differences between races) Americans, however, have benefited from the pioneering was the product of biology. Herskovits argued that the anthropologist’s revolutionary view that their ancestors similarity of dance movements between Surinamese men and black Americans, for example, was evidence of a culcarried cultural influences with them from Africa. “Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness,” a dense and fas- tural connection. (Curiously, “Herskovits at the Heart of cinating documentary by Llewellyn Smith, Christine Blackness” mentions the Nazis without citing their pseudo-scientific rationales for Herbes Sommers and determining that every race Vincent Brown, revisits a was inferior to the Aryan man who left both a great master race.) irony and a great controversy While Herskovits’ as his legacy, yet whose work work was and is lauded by is largely unknown (if not black scholars for its critique forgotten) outside certain of racism and its contribucircles. The film airs tions to African American Tuesday, Feb. 2 on PBS’ self-esteem, those same “Independent Lens” series, scholars object to the strongand is well worth checking willed professor’s efforts to out, although it leaves us dominate the field—that is, wanting more detail, depth to exclude blacks from particand debate than its one-hour ipating in the debate. Herskovits (fourth from left), with colleagues length can accommodate. On one level, this is the Credit: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Herskovits obtained grants NYPL/ITVS to establish the first African story of a turf battle in acadeStudies Center on an mia, which may not make your heart go pitty-pat. And the impulse to couch incendiary disputes in high-minded American campus, yet opposed W.E.B. Du Bois’s rhetoric, a trait of our overly cautious public television fundraising efforts for an African encyclopedia. system, lowers the temperature another couple degrees. Of course, anyone can use ideas once they are out in the But listen closely, and read between the lines, and you’ll world. So it was that The Myth of the Negro Past became a be transported back to a time when a fresh idea in the key reference work for the Black Panthers in the fraught social sciences had the power to alter the lives of millions. years following Herskovits’ death in early 1963. Herskovits was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1895, Michael Fox, a film critic, journalist, instructor, and raised in El Paso; there are remarkable photos of him CinemaLit curator and host of Mechanics' Institute, is with Pancho Villa’s troops during the Mexican based in San Francisco. He can be reached at: foxRevolution. He was raised Jewish and had notions of onfilm@yahoo.com. becoming a rabbi, although his yen to travel was already apparent. After enlisting in the Army and witnessing the carnage of the last months of World War I, Herskovits To Submit Announcements reexamined his relationship with God and set out on a to the Jewish Press: new path. Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with He did his postgraduate work in anthropology at attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaColumbia under the influential Franz Boas, and was ha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 attracted to Africa. The film suggests that Herskovits St., Omaha, NE 68154 (with photos we will scan and return). practically had the field to himself when he began travelForms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synaing to the continent in the 1920s and ‘30s with his wife gogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, Frances, taking thousands of photographs and recording or by e-mailing: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. hours of film and audio, and he quickly established himReaders can also submit other announcements -- births engageself as a leading expert. ments, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online The man doesn’t look particularly imposing in his hornat the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomarimmed glasses and bow tie, but it required plenty of ha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit moxie to trek around Africa in those days. When Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publiNorthwestern made him its first Jewish professor in 1927, cation, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Check the Jewish Press, however, for one gathers that it was a mild trial by fire in comparison. notices of early deadlines prior to secular and Jewish holidays.
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January 29, 2010
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ADL Plains States office brings anti-bias education to kids in trouble by THERESE VAUGHN-WEINER Communications Associate, Anti-Defamation League Plains States With teenagers and young adults accounting for over one-third of the country’s hate crimes, the ADL understands that combating bias and bigotry among today’s teens is crucial. This is why the Plains States office has been partnering with the Sarpy County Juvenile Detention Center to provide diversity education to troubled youth. The ADL program is predicated on the idea that because intolerance is learned, it can be unlearned. Yet the curriculum is also designed to help participants develop problem-solving skills, empathy, critical reasoning and appreciation for others who are different. These skills are especially important for teens in the justice system, according to Sarpy County Judge Lawrence Gendler, who first approached the ADL about a possible program. “Many of these youngsters have difficulty with problem solving and are quick to judge others,” he said. “Youngsters who are sensitive to others are less likely to threaten others, engage in fighting or create problems in school.” Last year, ADL conducted four sessions of the antibias training and will be doing more this spring. Most of the teens, ages 12 through 17, either have been courtordered to attend or opt into the program as part of their community service sentence. They come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures, and while their problem behaviors span from truancy and theft to drug/alcohol abuse and assault, the youths all
seem to share a fundamental need to feel respected as individuals and members of a group. “Being disrespected or ‘dissed’ is what fuels a lot of the fighting and conduct problems,” ADL education associate Jessica Gall said. “The kids talk about respect, or the lack of it, as a central issue for them.” While many of the youths have been victims of bullying, they themselves carry many stereotypes and myths about different cultures and religions, Gall continued. “We try to clear up misconceptions and expand their world view, even just a little. For example, one participant assumed Jerusalem was named after ‘Jew,’” she said. Using an interactive workshop method, facilitators help the teens open up and face their own unconscious prejudices, including self-demeaning attitudes. Participants also look at the potency of language to inflict pain and generate conflict. “A lot of the kids throw around the homophobic words like ‘gay’ or ‘fag,’ even if they have friends or family members who might be gay,” said Trumell Smiley, who co-facilitates with Gall. “We try to build awareness that this just isn’t right. At first, most of them don’t want to hear it -- they don’t want to be there anyway -- but they usually end up listening and talking.” Smiley, who works at the Douglas County Youth Center, described a young man in the ADL class who was most resistant to the training. “By the second session, he opened up and led the way for the other kids,” he said. “The reality is that just one person can make the difference.”
Beth Israel to bake hamantaschen for Purim
Chabad goes green for Tu B’Shevat
by ILANA WEISS for Beth Israel “Hamantaschen,” “Oznei Haman,” or just “those funny looking cookies”: these special pastries are almost synonymous with the holiday of Purim. Around the world, Jewish people celebrating the holiday distribute hamantaschen in treat-filled m’shloach manot packages and gobble them down at Purim celebrations. This year, Beth Israel Synagogue will be baking, packaging and selling its own homemade hamantaschen. Available in three flavors - raspberry, apricot, and poppyseed -- they will be sold by the dozen for $6 per package. Buyers can opt for single-flavor packages or an assorted package with four of each type included. The hamantaschen will also be featured at Beth Israel’s Purim celebrations on Saturday night, Feb. 27, after the 7:15 p.m. Megillah reading, and on Sunday, Feb. 28, 5 p.m., at the synagogue’s Purim Seudah. “There is something much more special about homebaked hamantaschen,” said Ilana Weiss, who will be organizing the baking at Beth Israel. “Eating hamantaschen produced on an assembly line that come out of a box just never seems as festive as when they’re made from scratch by people you know.” Baking will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All bakers -- with or without experience -- are encouraged to participate. Beth Israel’s Executive Director, Beth Cohen, is looking forward to having the synagogue prepare its own hamantaschen. “We’re excited to provide this service for the community, “ she said. “Especially after the Bagel Bin fire, we are glad to offer hamantaschen to those who may not know where else to find them.” Orders must be submitted to Beth Israel’s office by calling 556.6288 by Feb. 17. Packages will be available for pick-up at Beth Israel from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, 23, and 24. Those interested in baking may email Weiss at weiss.ilana@yahoo.com.
by SHEVI KATZMAN for Chabad Center On Tu B’Shevat, let your soul go green and treat yourself to a journey of preservation and growth through a special holiday class offered by Chabad Center. Scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, 6:45 p.m., following Havdalah and a Melava Malka dinner, Rabbi Mendel Katzman will lead a discussion about halachic and civil legal issues pertaining to trees, using cases from modern law, Talmudic ethics and Kabbalistic teachings. He will also address how to apply the class lessons to productive everyday living, with the advice, “Maintain your roots, spread your message, bend a little, but always stay connected.”
On this New Year for Trees, the 15th of Shevat, challenge your mind to uncover the metaphor of trees in the spiritual and emotional growth of your soul. Special exotic fruits will delight your palate as you learn about their development. To attend the class, RSVP to Chabad Center at 330.1800, or email www.ochabad.com.
Visions luncheon delights
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT UNO’s Masters and Music series presents “Notes and Brushstrokes,” on Sunday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m. at the Weber Fine Arts Building on the UNO campus. Kenneth Bé, artist, instrumentalist and conservator at the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center, will be the featured speaker. A reception will follow. Admission is $15; free for UNO students with MAV cards. All proceeds benefit the Friends of Art Scholarship Fund. Call Shari Hofshire, 554.2402 for information or reservations.
Members of Visions enjoyed a delightful afternoon during the group’s recent luncheon at the Venice Inn. Musical guest Tom Lucas performed an assortment of humorous folk tunes and song parades. Pictured are Jim Wax, left, Lucas and Harry Alloy.
January 29, 2010
Holocaust survivor to bring message of diversity and hope
by BETH SELDIN DOTAN AND ILANA WEISS for the Institute for Holocaust Education On the heels of an active fall at the Institute for Holocaust Education, with 10,000 students and hundreds of community members attending the Brundibár Opera, the IHE, in collaboration with Westside Community Schools, looks forward to the upcoming visit of Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein to the Omaha community. Klein will speak at Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific Street on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 pm. Reservations are requested to holocaust@jewishomaha.org or by phoning 334.6576. Klein lost her family and witnessed horrible actions against her friends during the war. She recalled that when she was a teenager, Germany invaded Poland, her parents were deported to Auschwitz, and she worked in slave labor camps for six years ending with a 350-mile death march. Klein tells her story with both eloquence Gerda Weissmann Klein and power, and it has been documented in a video which was awarded two Emmys and an Oscar. This video has become the focal piece of an educational kit distributed nationwide. “Any opportunity we have to hear personal testimony from a survivor today is a unique experience,” commented Gloria Kaslow, IHE chairperson. “I have cherished teaching Ms. Klein’s book in my Holocaust classes for our Jewish students throughout the years, and believe her visit to Omaha will be very meaningful for all of us. I encourage everyone to attend.” This event comes to Omaha as community organizations have collaborated to provide an opportunity to learn about the Holocaust. Cyndi Kugler, director of the Center for Faith Studies, where the Feb. 4 event will take place, expressed that, “One of the goals set by the Center for Faith Studies is to give voice to the many who have compelling stories to share, stories that open us up in new ways to be more fully human. “To work with The Institute for Holocaust Education and the other sponsors to host someone like Gerda
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Temple and tri-faith partners team up for annual blood drive
by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Director Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can come only from a volunteer donor, someone who makes a choice to donate. Currently only three out of every 100 people in America donate blood. “Many people cannot give blood due to the physical requirements, but I have been lucky enough to pass the Red Cross qualifications,” said Jerry Freeman, who recalled that he’s been donating since Temple Israel began holding blood drives. In addition to giving at Temple, Freeman tries to go to the Red Cross Center on Dewey Avenue every 60 days. “I belong to the three-gallon donor club,” he said. “Donating at Temple is very easy for me, as I live nearby. Also, I usually know most of the other donors and workers.” He's been told that he has an unusual type of blood (‘A’ negative), “so there is a real need for my efforts.” If you’re in good health, are at least 17 years old, and weigh at least 110 pounds, you can give the gift of life - a blood transfusion -- as long as you haven't donated blood in the past eight weeks (56 days). Donors will have the opportunity to give blood during the Red Cross Blood Drive on Sunday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Temple Israel. For the fourth year, Ron Budwig is chairing the drive on Temple's behalf; Trinity Episcopal Church and the American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture are serving as co-sponsors. Those interested may sign up to donate by calling the Temple office at 556.6536; or visit the Red Cross web site www.givebloodgivelife.org, and click on the following: “State of Nebraska”; red “Donate Blood Now” box; “Search by Sponsor Code”; enter sponsor code 113. After entering the code, fill out the appropriate form on the “Welcome to the Donor Center” page, and schedule your appointment. After donating blood, free cookies and juice will be available, and each donor will receive an “I gave blood today” sticker. Volunteers interested in helping Budwig can contact him at ronbud1@msn.com.
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Klein, with her story and lifetime achievements, her stature and life’s work ... this is indeed an honor.” Other organizations co-sponsoring the program include the Jewish Federation of Omaha; The AntiDefamation League; Project Interfaith; The Conference for Inclusive Communities; Cyndi and John Kugler; J.Gregg Smith & Co.; an anonymous donor from Skutt Catholic for Advancing Holocaust Education in Catholic High Schools; and an anonymous supporter. Klein was initially invited to Omaha by the Dynamics of Global Intolerance class at Westside High School, taught by Jon Preister. More than 700 students have taken the class over the past four years. Preister has participated in numerous classes at the Institute for Holocaust Education and has had local Holocaust survivors such as Sam Fried, Bea Karp and Lincoln survivor Lou Leviticus speak to his class in the past. Another Westside teacher, Charlene Smith and her husband, Gregg, have a personal connection with Klein, assisting the class to schedule the visit. The Institute for Holocaust Education joined the effort to maximize the possibilities for the community to hear Ms. Klein. In addition to the community program, Klein will speak to students at Westside on Friday, Feb. 5. Preister remarked, “Ms. Klein’s visit is such a great opportunity for the students and for me as an educator to hear such a wonderful speaker. We use her book All But My Life as a text in class, and there is no doubt that the students will walk away after the talk with a better understanding of what diversity and hope mean.” Students from surrounding schools including Skutt Catholic High School, Millard South and Millard North will also come to the Westside event. Klein’s visit to Omaha will undoubtedly bring a message of perseverance and optimism. Klein states in her testimony, “During all the years of hardship and deprivation, I never gave up my dream of writing, of telling the world what blind hatred and prejudice can do, but also how acts of goodness and compassion became the crutch that allowed me to survive.”
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
Episodes to begin Feb. 4
“Brooklyn Bridge”: Acclaimed TV series spans generations at Blumkin Home
by OZZIE NOGG Today’s reality TV shows encourage us to be voyeurs of the sensational and seedy. Consequently, many viewers turn the set off in disgust, mourning the loss of clean, old-fashioned family entertainment. But here comes Mighty Mouse to save the day, in the unlikely form of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, where -starting Thursday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. -you can watch original episodes of “Brooklyn Bridge,” the acclaimed TV series that starred a loving, multi-generational Jewish family doing its darndest to handle problems with which all of us can identify. Bringing “Brooklyn Bridge” to the Blumkin Home, and to the community at large, is the brainchild of Andy Greenberg. “The show was always my favorite,” Greenberg said. “When a serendipitous business arrangement brought me faceto-face with Marion Ross, the IrishCatholic actress who played Jewish grandmother Sophie Berger on Brooklyn Bridge, she told me this was her most favorite role, ever. I told Marion how much I loved the show and how desperately I wanted tapes or DVDs. She had two episodes which she loaned me, and my son in Kansas City eventually found the entire series.” Months later, while Greenberg and Nancy Rips were doing their Friday night
Shabbat caroling at the Home, Andy asked some of the residents if they remembered watching the show. “They did, and this got me thinking,” Greenberg said. “That’s when I suggested to Lois Wine, the Blumkin Home’s Director of Volunteer Services, that we show the programs one night a week at the Home. Marion Ross gave us her blessing and here we are.” “We plan to air all 34 episodes, one each Thursday evening, in the Home’s west wing,” Wine said. “It’s free and available to everyone who longs for the wholesome TV programming we once enjoyed.” “Brooklyn Bridge,” which ran on CBS between 1991 and 1993, focuses on a Jewish American family living in Brooklyn in the mid-’50s -- an era when children grew up with an innocence that somehow has disappeared. The program won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding television comedy or musical series after its first season. Critics describe the show as one of the finest family programs ever -- nostalgic, funny, sad, warm, beguiling, entertaining
and intelligent. It’s difficult to categorize “Brooklyn Bridge.” There are wonderfully funny moments, such as when Grandpa meets ball player Gil Hodges after he’d told his grandson that they were teammates back in Russia. There are dramatic moments as well, and Holocaust episodes with guest star Joel Grey are particularly moving. Comic or serious, the stories -- all loosely based on the childhood of executive producer Gary David Goldberg -- are now considered classics. They give an honest, often poignant depiction of how a close-knit family can handle problems with respect for everyone. The episode in which the Jewish and Irish-Catholic families go to a Chinese restaurant is considered, by some, one of the best racial and cultural commentaries ever seen in any medium. Andy Greenberg’s favorite episode involves a dilemma faced by Sophie’s 13year-old grandson, Danny Silver. “He and his seven-year-old brother, Nathaniel, are avid Brooklyn Dodger fans,” Greenberg said. “When the team makes the World Series, the boys get tick-
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ets for themselves and for Katie Monahan, Danny’s Catholic girlfriend. “As luck would have it, game day is also the funeral of a distant relative, and Grandmother Sophie wants to have a shiva minyan at her house. Danny would be the 10th man. Sophie and the family ask him to stay and not go to the game. “His struggle to make a choice is a lesson for all of us,” Greenberg said. “That show is a gem. All the shows are gems, and I look forward to watching them again with residents of the Home, with their families and with others who’ve never had the pleasure of seeing it.” Greenberg recently received an email from Gwen Berohn, spokesperson for Marion Ross. It read, “Marion is thrilled that you’re showing Brooklyn Bridge to such a perfect audience. Please tell everyone at the Blumkin Home that Marion ‘Sophie’ sends her best to all of them, and she hopes they enjoy the series.” The entire community is invited to enjoy the reruns of “Brooklyn Bridge,” beginning Thursday evening, Feb. 4. “The stories about growing up and trying to get along with an extended family are so universal,” Wine said. “The people are real, not stereotypes. They encounter real-life problems, and when each show ends you feel you learned something, too.” For more information on viewing dates, please contact Wine at 334.6519.
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Page 9
Jewish community rallies to assist Haitians following quake
by JACOB BERKMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- The Haitian earthquake has been a major fund-raising boon at the Krieger Schechter Day School in suburban Baltimore. The Jewish elementary school normally collects about $200 per week from its 420 students, and the money goes to various charities. But when the school’s headmaster, Paul Schneider, decided to direct last week’s giving to the American Red Cross to help the Haitian relief effort, the weekly tally jumped to $4,600. “A fair amount of it was from children cracking open their piggybanks,” Schneider told JTA. Over the past several weeks, the American Jewish community has cracked open its collective piggybank as Jewish organizations small and large have raised millions of dollars to help in the relief effort following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12 that shattered Portau-Prince, killing an estimated tens of thousands in Haiti. Dozens of Jewish organizations from the Reform movement to the Orthodox Union have set up links on their web sites for constituents to donate money toward the relief effort. Most have directed their giving to the American Jewish World Service and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee -- two U.S.-based organizations that do work in the developing world -- or to IsraAid, the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid, a coordinating organization for 17 Israeli and Jewish humanitarian groups that has sent a team of rescue workers to Haiti. As of Jan. 19, AJWS had raised an estimated $2.4 million to distribute to the grassroots economic development organizations it already works with in Haiti. The JDC, the foreign aid agency backed by the Jewish Federations of North America, has brought in nearly $1.5 million that it will direct to the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief, which is sending money to the Israeli field hospitals in Haiti. The coalition is comprised of some 30 organizations, including the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, World ORT, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, AJWS and the American Jewish Committee. While some relief efforts have been slow to reach Haiti in the aftermath of the quake, on-the-ground Jewish dollars already are at work. The AJWS says that all of the 10 organizations with which it normally works in Haiti are now in emergency mode and have shifted focus to help in the aid effort. For instance, one AJWS-funded group in the Dominican Republic that normally focuses on helping Haitians in the Dominican Republic has formed a caravan from that country to Port-au-Prince to bring feminine hygiene supplies, diapers and other needed items into Haiti. Aside from providing funding for the IDF and IsraAid field hospitals in Haiti, which Israeli officials say can treat up to 500 patients per day, the money from JDC and the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief is going to organizations such as Heart to Heart International and Partners in Health to provide emergency medical supplies. If past experience is any guide, some of the money the Jewish community raises in the coming weeks for Haiti relief will not be spent for months or even years. In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, B’nai B’rith International raised $900,000, which it spent on relief and rebuilding efforts over the next four years. Similarly, the JDC took five years to spend the $18 million it raised following the tsunami. The immediate days following the earthquake tend to be the most critical for fund raising. About 90 percent of the $18 million the JDC raised for Southeast Asia was raised in the month immediately following the disaster. The president of AJWS, Ruth Messinger, said it becomes more difficult to raise money when the issue disappears from the headlines. “This is when most people get alerted to the situation,” she said. “They want to know who is raising money and who has a plan for what is being raised and what they are doing and who can explain to us what is different and discrete about what we are doing.” Meanwhile, organizations and donors large and small are pitching in. Billionaire George Soros, who is Jewish, gave $4 million to the relief effort through his Open Society Institute. The Workman’s Circle and the New Yiddish Repertory are organizing a benefit concert for later this month with the goal of raising $20,000.
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The swiftness of the response is owed, in part, to the Internet and the flourishing in online giving. By last week, AJWS raised $1.8 million from more
Those involved in the fund-raising effort say the Jewish community’s gifts to the people of Haiti stem from Jewish values. “Here is a vast group of people in desperate need, and we are committed to helping them, and in helping them we are bettering the world,” said the executive director of the Workman’s Circle, Ann Toback. “It combines our cultural identity with our commitment to social justice and improving the world.” Giving also provides a teaching opportunity, said the Krieger Schechter School’s Schneider. “I think some of the older children understand what is happening in Haiti. I have talked to them about it. They are concerned. They wonder how these people are going to survive, what will they eat? Will they still be alive when someone finally comes to An earthquake survivor in Port-au-Prince, who gave birth to a son at the Israeli try to find them?” he said. “We talk to field hospital on Jan. 17, named him Israel as a token of appreciation for the coun- the children all the time about the Credit: IDF Spokesman try that helped her. importance of human life and ‘pikuach than 16,000 people via its web site. The JUF-Jewish nefesh’” – saving lives. “The children know all human Federation of Metropolitan Chicago raised $283,000 in life is sacred, not just Jewish life. This is an opportunity five days from 2,200 donors. Almost all of it -- nearly to teach that.” Donations to the Haiti relief effort can be made via $260,000 – came in online, from 2,058 individuals. UJA-Federation of Greater Toronto raised $173,240 so AJWS at www.secure.ajws.org, and via JDC at www. far, much of it online. jdc.org.
Page 10
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
IN THE NEWS
The Visiting Nurse Association’s 13th Annual Art & Soup fund raiser will take place Sunday, Feb. 21, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 72nd and Grover St. Over 50 artists and 25 restaurants will come together to help the VNA provide public health nursing services to children and adults living in the Omaha and Council Bluffs homeless shelters. A special patron party will be held from 1-2 p.m., featuring signature soups from Sage Student Bistro at the Institute for Culinary Arts. Artists’ specialty items will also be on sale. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door. Patron party tickets are $100. Purchase tickets online at www.theVNAcares.org, or call 930.4170.
“Getting Up with Andy Greenberg,” a weekday radio show on 1110 KFAB, at 5:25 a.m., has been added to Phoenix Broadcasting’s national internet radio line-up. Greenberg, a local motivational speaker and trainer, presents insights and helpful thoughts regarding ways to enhance listeners’ professional and personal pursuits for the day. The show may be accessed at phoenixbroadcasting.net and phoenixbroadcastingtalk.net.
The Creighton University Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Harris Center for Judaic Studies announce the 23rd Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, to take place in Omaha on Sunday, Oct. 24, and Monday, Oct. 25. The theme of this year’s Symposium is “Jews in the Gym.” The Symposium program committee is seeking proposals for papers in a variety of fields and from many approaches, genres, and media, according to Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, who holds the Klutznick chair. “We also hope to cover time periods from the biblical era to the modern world and to incorporate the experiences of different cultures and societies,” he said. For details regarding proposal submission guidelines, visit http://www2.creighton.edu/ccas/klutznick/.
The national service organization OPERA America has announced that Eve and Fred Simon are among the recipients of the 2010 National Opera Trustee Recognition Award. This award honors trustees of U.S. opera companies for exemplary leadership, generosity and audience-building efforts on behalf of their respective opera companies. For nearly 40 years, the Simons’ personal giving and participation in all aspects of Opera Omaha’s activities have ensured the company’s well-being, according to an OPERA America spokesman. This past fall, Fred Simon served as the lead fundraiser for Opera Omaha’s collaboration with the Institute for Holocaust Education’s production of Brundibár, which was attended by 9,000 area schoolchildren. In 2008, in celebration of Opera Omaha’s 50th anniversary, Simon was also the co-sponsor of the production of a retrospective, full-color book entitled Opera in Omaha: The First Fifty Years, which chronicles the rich history of the organization. OPERA America will pay tribute to the Simons, along with their three fellow honorees, at a February dinner and reception in New York City.
Omaha native Rebecca Murow was recently honored as an emerging leader at the Jewish Educators Assembly Annual Conference in College Park, MD. The JEA honored 20 emerging leaders in their 20’s from the greater Washington, D.C. Jewish community. The JEA promotes excellence among educators committed to Conservative Jewish education by advancing professionalism, encouraging leadership, pursuing life long learning and building community. Upon graduation from the University of Michigan in 2006, Murow moved to Washington D.C., to become deputy communications director and director of Chapter Operations for the National Jewish Democratic Council. She is currently a deputy legislative assistant for Nebraska Senator E. Benjamin Nelson.
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Murow has served in a leadership role at the independent, lay-led DC Minyan, a traditional egalitarian Jewish community. She also serves as USY advisor at Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, VA, working with Education and Youth Director Scott Littky, a former Omahan. Littky nominated Murow for the JEA award, saying, “Rebecca is a role model, not only for her peers in their 20’s but also for the teenagers she works with and for the Jewish community at large.” She is the daughter of Janie and Allan Murow. A new corporation has been formed to offer health care “concierge” services to the public and to assist physicians in converting their practices to fit the concierge model. Members.MD will launch its unique service offerings in Omaha in February`. Under the concierge model, an individual pays an annual retainer in exchange for improved access to a primary care physician of his or her choice. Some of the benefits to the individual include direct cell phone access, email communication, same-day appointments and extended visits to discuss health and wellness issues. The primary care physician is able to commit the time to these personalized services because his or her patient practice is reduced to around 400 individuals, compared to the more than 2,000 patients typically seen by a primary care physician annually. Additional information can be found online at www.Members.MD.
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ORGANIZATIONS YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday, Feb. 1, 12:30 p.m., for a funloving program with Johnny Ray Gomez. The cost for lunch is $7 per person. Lunch will be served at noon; the program will begin at 12:30 p.m. Come play bingo at 10 a.m. Call Theresa for transportation at 330.4272. For information call Maggie Conti, 334.6521. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish brings us closer to our roots! Come join us every Thursday afternoon from 1-3 p.m. in the social hall of the JCC. For information call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638. B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Omahan Richard Kronick wll speak about the four years he spent in China teaching English as a second language and studying Mandarin, and how his experiences relate to the Jewish community, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, noon at the JCC social hall. Everyone in the community is invited. The program is free; an optional lunch is $13; beverage service, $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list, contact Jenny at 334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.
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January 29, 2010
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
February SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Sisterhood Shabbat, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El Shabbat Morning LIVE!, 10:30 at Beth El BBG Council Rush Overnight, 7 p.m. SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 Adult Education classes begins, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Beth El Tu’BShevat Celebration, 1:30 p.m. at Lauritzen Gardens Tu B’Shevat Seder & Sunday Night Israeli Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 YES Luncheon, 10 a.m. Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. Portraits in Leadership: Timeless Tales of Inspired Living Class, 7 p.m. at Chabad Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m. NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Wisdom Literature: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes with Dr. Guy Matalon, noon Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. Executive Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at FJA BBYO Night, 6 p.m. BBYO AZA Council Rush, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at FJA JCC Board Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 OTYG Lounge Night, 5p.m. at Temple Israel Secular vs. Religious Ethics, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Adult Biblical Hebrew, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Chabad Teen Ski Trip to Winter Park, CO Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin weekly class, noon at Beth El Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. Speaker Gerda Weissman Klein, 7 p.m. at Countryside Community Church Rabbi Gross’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Visions Board Meeting, 9:30 a.m. Say ‘Shalom!’ to Shabbat! & Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Maccabi Event, 7 p.m. PTO Family Movie Night, 7 p.m. at FJA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Jewish Federation Super Sunday, 8:30 a.m. Men’s Club - World Wide Wrap, 9 a.m. at Beth El Adult Education classes begins, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Red Cross Blood Drive, 10:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Club 56 Campfire Program, noon at Temple Israel Kadima Snow and Game Day, 2 p.m. at Beth El MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. Portraits in Leadership Class, 7 p.m. at Chabad Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Wisdom Literature: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, noon ADL/CRC Board Meeting, noon Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. BBYO Night and Pledge Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 CDC Symphony Performance, 9:30 a.m. AIPAC Nebraska Council Briefing and Lunch, 11:45 a.m. Rabbis & Presidents Meeting, noon OTYG Lounge Night, 5p.m. at Temple Israel Secular vs. Religious Ethics, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Adult Biblical Hebrew, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 ADL Cyberbullying Conference, 7:30 a.m. Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin weekly class, noon at Beth El Center for Jewish Education Budget Meeting, noon Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. Rabbi Gross’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Purim Carnival Worknight, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 FJA No School Teacher In-Service Day Temple Israel Shabbat Comes to You, 4 p.m. at Remington Heights USY Shabbat Dinner, 6 p.m. at Potash Residence SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Shabbat Morning LIVE!, 10:30 a.m. at Beth El JCC Maccabi Games Team Omaha Event, 6 p.m. Javitch Music Fund Concert Winter Festival Orchestra and Reception, 7 p.m. Presidents’ Day Trivia, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Adult Education classes begins, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El Sunday Night Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 FJA No School Presidents Day YES Luncheon, 10 a.m. Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. Portraits in Leadership Class, 7 p.m. at Chabad Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group, 7 p.m. at Beth El Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Wisdom Literature: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, noon Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. JCC Meeting, 4 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel BESTT Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 OTYG Lounge Night, 5p.m. at Temple Israel Secular vs. Religious Ethics, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Adult Biblical Hebrew, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin weekly class, noon at Beth El School Directors’ Committee Meeting, noon Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. FJA Science Fair, 6:30 p.m. Purim Carnival Worknight, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El JOLT Session, 7 p.m. Israeli Movie Club, 7 p.m. Rabbi Gross’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 USY Shabbat, 9:30 a.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Adult Education classes begins, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El BESTT Chaverim Olympics, 2 p.m. at Beth El JCC Maccabi Games Parent/Teen Meeting, 4 p.m. OTYG/JYG Spaghetti Dinner, 5 p.m. at Temple Israel MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Minchah/Ma’ariv & Mishnah, 5:15 p.m. Hebrew 101, 6:30 p.m. Portraits in Leadership Class, 7 p.m. at Chabad Derech Torah: Judaism 101, 8 p.m. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Wisdom Literature: Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, noon Scholars Club for 4th, 5th & 6th Graders, 3:45 p.m. BBYO Night and Chapter Elections, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WRJ Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 OTYG Lounge Night, 5p.m. at Temple Israel BESTT High School & Board dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El Secular vs. Religious Ethics, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Adult Biblical Hebrew, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Levin weekly class, noon at Beth El Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. Purim Carnival Worknight, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El LOVE Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Rabbi Gross’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FJA Purim Student Celebration CDC Purim Program, 11:15 a.m. Shabbat Service - Health Care, 6 p.m. at Temple Israel SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Shabbat Tunes and Tales, 11:15 a.m. at Beth El Purim Family Megillah Reading & Dinner, 6:30 p.m. at Beth El Megillah Reading & Ice Cream Social, 7:15 p.m. at Beth Israel SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Adult Education classes begins, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Adult Education classes, 10 a.m.-noon at Beth El USY Purim Carnival, 11:30 a.m. at Beth El Purim Luncheon, Costume Contest, Megilah Reading, 1 p.m. at Chabad Purim Seuda & Costume Contest, 5 p.m. at Beth Israel
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330-0200 All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.
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Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
House of Israel: Who are we Jews? GUEST E DITORIAL by BOB LEPP President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha We are seemingly always in some sort of crisis, either external or internal, if not both. We are confused at the way the world sees us, because while we have given much to the world, we have often found ourselves victims of oppression. We feel vulnerable because we have always been nomads, forced from one land to another, and now that we have a homeland in Israel, she is constantly under siege. We balance ‘belonging’ between our Jewish and general communities. Are we a nation? A religion? A race? Who are we? In asking these questions and in trying to write this piece, I was drawn to the concept of Jewish Peoplehood, a term that dominated the discussion when I attended the General Assembly in Israel over a year ago. But, as always, the answers to these questions still did not come easily. Continuing to research the subject, I eventually came upon the phrase: “House of Israel.” Indeed, this phrase appears in the Tanakh over 120 times -- not the “Village of Israel” or the “Community of Israel,” but the “House of Israel.” So I asked myself a simple question: Who lives in a house? My answer: a family. The Jewish People are first and foremost a family. We are a family that shares a faith, customs and a homeland. (We also have a language, and it would be great if more of us, including myself, knew it.) As such, we are bound to one another through our shared relation to the biblical history of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- and in addition, by life-cycle events, traditions, holidays, recipes, family photos, stories, morals and ethics. It is the care we feel for our family, however dispersed it may be, however different we become from one another, that ultimately
gives us the ability to sustain Jewish life. Of course, every family is comprised of individuals. As individuals, each of us has our own unique view of the world, our own tastes and needs. These very differences are the ingredients that continually challenge us and add much needed flavor to life. We are ultimately a stronger family because respectful diversity exists. Sociologist Ezra Kopelowitz says, “Jewish Peoplehood is generated in the course of living a rich Jewish life. A Jewish lifestyle might be secular, humanist, religious, socialist, Conservative, Orthodox, or Reform. What matters is that a person lives a Jewish life that goes beyond participation in an occasional event or membership in a particular institution.” Amazing! I had now come full circle as to why I was asking these questions in the first place, especially given my role in the Jewish Federation. Because it is the Federation that provides for this participation in so many ways. We care, we educate, we assist and we connect. We do this by supporting Jewish education at each of the local synagogues, at the Friedel Jewish Academy and through the Center for Jewish Education. We do this with programming like the Partnership with Israel, which connects Omaha’s Jewish community to Jews throughout the consortium of cities in the U.S., and with Jews in Israel and Budapest. We do this by supporting Jews in need, in Israel and around the world, through our overseas partners: The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). We do this by making grants and scholarships available for education, summer camps and Israel experiences. We do this by providing assistance for needy families and care for our seniors through Jewish Social Services. We do this with the JCC’s Artza Teen Trip to Israel, BBYO, the upcoming Maccabi Games and the Israeli Shlicha program. We do this through the work of the
ADL and the Institute for Holocaust Education. We do this by providing assistance for Jewish families for the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center. We do this with our Jewish Press and Kripke Federation Library. We do this through leadership training programs, engaging with the younger generation, and our recent effort to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. We care, we educate, we assist and we connect. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz says, “The Jews are thus the people who belong to this family of old, the House of Israel.” Our family cares greatly for one another and we see it every day with all the activity that takes place on our Federation campus. In short, every time you participate in a Federation program and make a donation to the Federation’s Annual Campaign, you are investing in a vibrant Jewish future. The Jewish Federation of Omaha is the front door to our Omaha Jewish community. Come in -- and welcome home.
BEHIND THE H EADLINES by DANIEL PIPES
Who is the most important European alive today? I nominate the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. I do so because he is best placed to deal with the Islamic challenge facing the continent. He has the potential to emerge as a world-historical figure. That Islamic challenge consists of two components: on the one hand, an indigenous population’s withering Christian faith, inadequate birthrate, and cultural diffidence, and on the other an influx of devout, prolific, and culturally assertive Muslim immigrants. This fastmoving situation raises profound questions about Europe: will it retain its historic civilization or become a majority-Muslim continent living under Islamic law (the Shari’a)? Wilders, 46, founder and head of the Party for Freedom (PVV), is the unrivaled leader of those Europeans who wish to retain their historic identity. That's because he and the PVV differ from most of Europe's other nationalist, anti-immigrant parties. The PVV is libertarian and mainstream conservative, without roots in neo-Fascism,
Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Michael Sigmond, Secretary; Michael Siegel, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Immediate Past-chairman; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Eric Dunning; Jason Epstein; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman. 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 stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: editor@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.
Geert Wilders’ leadership essential for Europe’s future identity nativism, conspiricism, antisemitism, or other forms of extremism. (Wilders publicly emulates Ronald Reagan.) Indicative of this moderation is Wilders’ long-standing affection for Israel that includes two years’ residence in the Jewish state, dozens of visits, and his advocating the transfer of the Dutch embassy to Jerusalem. In addition, Wilders is a charismatic, savvy, principled, and outspoken leader who has rapidly become the most dynamic political force in the Netherlands. While he opines on the full range of topics, Islam and Muslims constitute his signature issue. Overcoming the tendency of Dutch politicians to play it safe, he calls Muhammad a devil and demands that Muslims “tear out half of the Koran if they wish to stay in the Netherlands.” More broadly, he sees Islam itself as the problem, not just a virulent version of it called Islamism. Finally, the PVV benefits from the fact that, uniquely in Europe, the Dutch are receptive to a non-nativist rejection of Shari’a. This first became apparent a decade ago, when Pim Fortuyn, a left-leaning former communist homosexual professor began arguing that his values and lifestyle were irrevocably threatened by the Shari’a. Fortuyn anticipated Wilders in founding his own political party and calling for a halt to Muslim immigration to the
(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Jill Belmont Interim Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper
Netherlands. Following Fortuyn’s 2002 assassination by a leftist, Wilders effectively inherited his mantle and his constituency. The PVV has done well electorally, winning six percent of the seats in the November 2006 national parliamentary elections and 16 percent of Dutch seats in the June 2009 European Union elections. Polls now generally show the PVV winning a plurality of votes and becoming the country's largest party. Were Wilders to become prime minister, he could take on a leadership role for all Europe. But he faces daunting challenges. The Netherlands’ fractured political scene means the PVV must either find willing partners to form a governing coalition (a difficult task, given how leftists and Muslims have demonized Wilders as a “right-wing extremist”) or win a majority of the seats in parliament (a distant prospect). Wilders must also overcome his opponents’ dirty tactics. Most notably, they have finally, after two years of preliminary skirmishes, succeeded in dragging him to court on charges of hate speech and incitement to hatred. The public prosecutor’s case against Wilders opened in Amsterdam on January 20; if convicted, Wilders faces a fine of up to $14,000 or as many as 16 months in jail. Remember, he is his country’s leading Continued on page 13
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January 29, 2010
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 13
Time to end the stereotyping that binds Jewish organizations FOCUS ON ISSUES by SANFORD R. CARDIN, ARIEL BEERY and AHARON HORWITZ
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The computer chip is nearly synonymous with Intel, the world’s leading computer chip manufacturer. Interestingly, this corporate powerhouse came to rely on Israel for its front-line research. As recounted in Start-Up Nation, a book by Saul Singer and Daniel Senor, Israeli engineers had new ideas to build a more powerful chip, but their corporate leadership from abroad was reluctant to forego their old ways. The Israeli engineers prevailed and, as a result, Intel pulled even further ahead in their field. We in the Jewish community can learn a great deal from Intel’s decision to scrap an old process in order to pursue new ways of doing business. This is true across the organizational board: local federations, private foundations and start-up organizations. Primarily we should recognize that like Intel’s management team, we often project our preconceptions of how things “should be” on new opportunities that arise. As such, the way we stereotype institutions according to labels -- “federation” or “foundation” or “start-up” -often leads us to assume both the form they should take in operations as well as their function in the community. We assume that federations are consensus-driven communal institutions that move cautiously and deliberately without creativity, while private foundations are independent entities, and sometimes eccentric, that act quickly and
by fiat, often placing the whims and fancies of their board members ahead of the needs and desires of the community atlarge. We see startups as small organizations that meet the narrow interests of their members, but lack both the capacity and the desire to address basic communal problems. A less insidious but equally problematic stereotyping of Jewish organizations also occurs in terms of function. Many believe start-ups should focus on innovation, private foundations on the research and development of new programs, and federations on sustaining whatever good projects the other two create. The time has come to end this simplistic, unhealthy and unproductive thinking. We must move at once to an “open source” approach to Jewish communal life, one in which opportunity and competence dictate the flow of human and financial resources. Not all start-ups are innovative and anti-establishment, not all federations lack inspiration and flexibility, and not all foundations operate solo. There are caring, concerned, competent and creative people in every corner of the Jewish communal world; we need to unleash and nurture their talent regardless of the kind of organization in which they work. Let’s decide what we want to achieve as a community, how best to attain those goals and how to evaluate our efforts, then turn our attention to who and what are best suited for the task at hand -- a process we expect could yield some surprising results that prove the current
The success of any initiative will depend in large part on the ability of the local federations, foundations, synagogues and other Jewish groups to move beyond their traditional roles and work together to engage and inspire the members of their communities in new and effective ways.
stereotypes very wrong. And then we must act. While the past few years have seen an explosion in the number of workshops, seminars and summits about the Jewish future, many of which have generated good recommendations, even the best ideas are of limited utility or benefit until they are put into practice. The success of any initiative will depend in large part on the ability of the local federations, foundations, synagogues and other Jewish groups to move beyond their traditional roles and work together to engage and inspire the members of their communities in new and effective ways. The early signs are promising, and other communities are watching and learning from these efforts. To lead to this new flexibility, we should engage in discussions about contemporary Jewish life and our dreams for the future, conversations that focus on function before form and empower organizational stakeholders to figure out what set of institutions could best meet those goals. These conversations should focus on the desired impact and the actions needed to achieve it, avoiding the political trap of pre-determining which type of institution is best for the task at hand. At the end of the day, what makes the Jewish people special is the content of our message and the values on which it is grounded. By focusing on the impact new types of computation could have on the personal computer, Intel’s Israeli engineers were able to overcome the inertia of large organizations and their proven business practices. By focusing on the impact we would like the Jewish people to achieve internally and externally, we also may be able to overcome the stereotypes that bind our organizational world and find new ways to function together, working toward common goals. Sanford R. Cardin is president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation and Schusterman Foundation-Israel. Ariel Beery and Aharon Horwitz are co-founders and directors of the Jerusalem-based PresenTense Group.
Pope Benedict extends his hand during visit to Great Synagogue of Rome
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by EUGENE KORN NEW YORK (JTA) -- Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to the Great Synagogue in Rome was by far his most effective gesture to the Jewish people. After misreading his audience during his trip to Israel, Benedict spoke to Jewish hearts and minds at the Rome synagogue. The move came none too soon. Jewish-Catholic relations have had a rocky ride under Benedict’s papacy, leaving Jews and Catholics alike to doubt the future of Catholic-Jewish relations. In July 2007, the Vatican authorized the wider use of the Tridentine Mass with its Good Friday prayer for the conversion of the Jews. In January 2009, the pope lifted the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop, Richard Williamson, and three other bishops of the Society of Pope Pius X. The renegade group rejects the Second Vatican Council’s salutary changes in Catholic teaching toward Jews and Judaism, and its web site featured repugnant anti-Semitic canards. Last June, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement -- later retracted -- that Catholics in interfaith dialogue should evangelize to Jews and extend to them an implicit invitation to the Church. And several weeks ago, Benedict issued a decree advancing sainthood for the Holocaust-era pope, Pius XII, whose record during the Holocaust remains a legitimate historical question, and is the subject of a deep emotional disagreement between some in the Vatican and Jewish leaders. Vatican II’s official document, Nostra Aetate, proclaimed that the Church deplores all forms of antiSemitism, that the living covenant between God and the Jewish people is irrevocable, and that the charge of deicide is utterly baseless. Yet the recent steps taken by Benedict had led some professionals in Jewish-Catholic dialogue to question whether these breathtaking teachings are still operative Catholic theology. Benedict addressed most of these concerns at the Great Synagogue. His visit affirmed -- in word and in deed -- that he wishes to continue the policy of warm relations with the Jewish people established by his saint-
ly predecessor, John Paul II. He stressed that the Second Vatican Council marked a significant and irreversible transformation in the Church’s attitude to the Jewish people and signaled the Church’s irrevocable commitment to a dialogue of brotherhood and mutual understanding with Jews. Reflecting on the terrible history of Jewish-Catholic relations that culminated in the Holocaust, Benedict repeated John Paul’s poignant prayer asking for forgiveness for Catholics who caused Jewish suffering. He also reiterated what he said at Auschwitz in 2006: Because the Jewish people remain witnesses to God’s presence and to divine revelation at Sinai, Hitler knew that to destroy God and God’s moral law, he needed to murder the Jewish people first. This is an enormously significant theological statement, acknowledging that Jews and Judaism continue to play an essential role in the unfolding of God’s plan for humanity. Yet serious pitfalls remain between the Church and the Jewish people. It seems that Benedict still will be forced to choose at times between appealing to arch-traditionalists among the Catholic faithful and strengthening the Church’s new relationship with the Jewish people. Moreover, pursuing Pius XII’s sainthood before the historical record is clarified is certain to cause public disagreement between the Vatican and the Jewish people, and inflict pain on Jews whose loved ones were murdered in the Holocaust. One continuing disappointment for informed Jews and Catholics over the past 50 years has been that the wonderful teachings of Nostra Aetate and post-conciliar documents relating to Catholic-Jewish relations have not filtered down sufficiently to priests and worshipers in the pews. Too many Catholics are still unaware of the depth and beauty of Nostra Aetate. Nor are Jews as aware as they should be about post-Vatican II teachings about Judaism. In light of Benedict’s reaffirmation of the irrevocable validity of these teachings, now would be the perfect time for the Vatican to take positive steps to permanently root the new Catholic-Jewish relationship in the minds of all Catholics. This could be done by implementing the existing mandate to teach Nostra Aetate to all Catholic worshipers and seminarians, promoting the study of Pope John Paul II’s teachings about the Jewish people and Judaism, and instituting a non-conversionary prayer for today’s Jewish people and for the Jewish state on the Feast of St. James, the patron saint of Jerusalem. Jewish leaders also must teach Jews of the significance of Nostra Aetate and later
Vatican documents about Catholic-Jewish relations if Jews are to understand Catholics and their faith. As Nostra Aetate teaches, Jews and Catholics share a common spiritual patrimony. Catholic-Jewish reconciliation is one of God’s great blessings, one that inspires all people around the world. Because if the Church and the Jewish people can make peace with each other after nearly 2,000 years of enmity, then peace is possible between any two peoples anywhere. It is too important for Jews, for Catholics and for the world to allow to lapse, and too important to be spoken about only on special occasions. Jews and Catholics both have responsibility to do what they can to ensure that future obstacles to mutual understanding and respect are overcome, and that the Church and the Jewish people remain living witnesses to hope for a more peaceful future for all God’s children. Rabbi Eugene Korn is the North American director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation.
Wilders’ leadership essential Continued from page 12 politician. Plus, due to threats against his life, he always travels with bodyguards and incessantly changes safe houses. Who exactly, one wonders, is the victim of incitement? Although I disagree with Wilders about Islam (I respect the religion but fight Islamists with all I have), we stand shoulder-to-shoulder against the lawsuit. I reject the criminalization of political differences, particularly attempts to thwart a grassroots political movement via the courts. Accordingly, the Middle East Forum’s Legal Project has worked on Wilders’ behalf, raising substantial funds for his defense and helping in other ways. We do so convinced of the paramount importance to talk freely in public during time of war about the nature of the enemy. Ironically, were Wilders fined or jailed, it would probably enhance his chances to become prime minister. But principle outweighs political tactics here. He represents all Westerners who cherish their civilization. The outcome of his trial and his freedom to speak has implications for us all. Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum and Taube fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, can be reached at www.Daniel Pipes.org.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
Candlelighting Friday, January 29, 5:20 p.m.
Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com
Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org
Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 southstreettemple.org
Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154
Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org
The Neighborhood Prayer Group 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609
Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org
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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, Feb. 12: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Karen Gustafson, M.S.N.C.C. L.M.H.P., on Does It Happen to Us, Too? The community is invited.
and $7.50 for non-members; after that, $10 for Beth El members; $15 for non-members. No charge for children 6 and younger. To RSVP, call the office, or email programming@bethel-omaha.org. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m. Sisterhood members will help lead services; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; Kiddush sponored by Sisterhood; Shabbat Morning Live, 10:30 a.m. for four to eight year olds and thier parents; led by Holly Weill. No charge; RSVP to office; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 5:25 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Beginning Hebrew, with Eadie Tsabari, and Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Jewish Images on the Big Screen, 11 a.m. with Susi Frydman-Levin. Classes open to all adults in the Jewish community. To register, call the office. THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Understanding and Living Jewish Values, noon. SISTERHOOD HAMANTASHEN SALE: Last day to order is Friday, Jan. 29. Cost: $6.25 a dozen; available in poppy seed, apricot, cherry, prune and raspberry. Order forms are available in the office. TU B’SHEVAT AT LAURITZEN GARDENS: Annual community celebration on Sunday, 1:30 - 3 p.m. at botanical center, 1st & Bancroft St. Featuring seed planting, cookie decorating, musical performances. No charge to attend, open to the entire community. TOT SHABBAT/SAY SHALOM TO SHABBAT: Friday, Feb. 5, with 6 p.m. services and 6:30 p.m. dinner; led by Patty Nogg and Susi FrydmanLevin. Open to all families in the Jewish community. For reservations received by Feb. 3, dinner cost is $5 for Beth El members
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, 5:20 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by Miriam Gross in honor of Rabbi Jonathan Gross’s birthday; “Guard Your Tongue,” “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 5 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 6:23 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bagels & Beit Midrash begins with breakfast, 9:40 a.m.; Sacred Text Messages (for teens) with Rabbi Gross, 10 a.m.; Living in Season with Miriam Gross, 10 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:45 p.m. at the Blumkin Home; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s weekly class, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbi’s Gross’s weekly class, 7:30 p.m
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m.; One Shabbat One World, Shabbat Dinner, 6 p.m. To RSVP or for more information email RSVP@ OChabad.com or call the office. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; Kiddush lunch follows; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m.; Soul
BAR MITZVAH Armand “Ari” Reid Rauhauser, son of Nancy Nogg and Neal Rauhauser, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Temple Israel. Ari is a seventh-grade student at Westside Middle School. He has achieved various academic excellence awards. His interests include football, basketball, and playing video games.
For his mitzvah project, Ari participated with the organization, Paws for Friendship, to bring animals to nursing homes. He is also involved in opening more shelves at the Omaha Food Bank for animal food. The community is invited to include cat and dog food for those who need to feed their “best friends” in difficult times. He has a sister, Madeleine. Grandparents are Ruth Rauhauser and the late Robert Rauhauser of Graettinger, IA, and the late Irving and Marian Wolpa Nogg.
Green, a Tu B’Shevat Journey of Preservation and Growth, 6:45 p.m. (see full story on page 6.) SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Mishpacha Mornings Remix, 10:15 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Portraits in Leadership: Timeless Tales for Inspired Living, 7 p.m. Visit www.OChabad.com for more details or to register. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9:15 a.m. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Contact Shevi@ochabad.com. All programs are open to the entire community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Peaceful Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by Tracy Gordon. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. SUNDAY: LJCS Gam Simcha7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel, Tu B’Shevat program by Chabad; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at South Street Temple; Winter Lecture Series, 7 p.m. at Unitarian Church: “Pakistan and Afghanistan.” WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. THURSDAY: Social Action Committee present State Senator Bill Avery, 7 p.m. speaking on 2010 legislative bills. Questions? Please contact Barb Straus. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAYS, 7 p.m. Intro to Judaism, led by Rabbi Emanuel.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg assisted by Zach Bram.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Shira, The Shabbat of Song, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Eric Linder, Cantor Wendy Shermet and the Kol Rina Choir. Commemorating the glorious and awe inspiring event of the miraculous deliverance from the
Egyptians at the Red Sea. The Children of Israel burst forth into a song of praise to God in celebration of their being saved. Each one of us has our own unique set of circumstances, including our own mix of challenges. If that, we don’t give up and we serve God to the best of our abilities, then the challenges can become our song to sing in celebration on Shabbat Shira. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. Jacob Vann, son of Wendy and John Vann, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. SUNDAY: No Religious School; Parent Teacher Conferences: Last names A-L, 10 a.m. and Last names K-Z, 11 a.m.; Teacher Appreciation Lunch, Noon. TUESDAY: Biblical Wisdom Literature: Job, ProEcclesiasters, noon with Dr. Guy Matalon. Fee: $36, discounted to $27 for donors to the Annual Campaign of the Omaha Jewish Federation. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Education. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 46 p.m.; OTYG Lounge Night, 5 p.m.; All School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6-8 p.m.; Grades 712, 6 p.m.; Adult Hebrew, 6:30 p.m. with Mor Sheinbein. THURSDAY: “Adult Study with the Clergy,” 10-11:30 a.m.; Donate Blood to the Red Cross, Sunday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact office, 556.6536, to sign up.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP FRIDAY: Minyan, 5:20 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Friday, 8-11 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch sponsored by Miriam and Mark Wallick and Talmud study. SUNDAY: LJCS Gam Simcha7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel, Tu B’Shevat program by Chabad; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at South Street Temple. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066; Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.
Large print living will available Jewish Heritage for the Blind announced the availability of the large print “Jewish Halachic Living Will”, produced by the Agudath Israel and the Orthodox Union. Forward your request on your formal stationery by fax to: 718.338.0653 or send an e-mail to jewishheritage@gmail.com. Requests must include a phone number to confirm delivery. PERSONAL With great appreciation, I would like to thank everyone for their lovely flowers, donations and kind wishes for my speedy recovery. Mary Saferstein
Pulverent e
January 29, 2010
The Hebrew infinitive
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Beshallah I’m afraid that my knowledge of Hebrew grammar is deficient when it comes to the permutations of the infinitive. I have the impression, however, that Beshallah is not simply, “When Pharaoh let the people go ...” but it probably means when Pharaoh sent them out. To put it plainly -- he kicked them out! He had had enough of this stubborn and uncooperative people and now he just wanted to be rid of them. The Kadosh Barukhu, however, had other plans for the people of Israel. He did not send them to Israel by the shortest route, which was to have been later called Philistia, the land of the Philistines, but instead, sent them into the wilderness, where they spent 40 long years. So this begins now the so-called wandering years. It took 40 years for a trip that should have only taken a fortnight, up the coast of the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. One suggestion (I think it was Rashi; I shall have to look it up) was that it took a whole generation and more to get the feeling of slavery out of the people and to let them grow into the glorious world of freedom. It was this period that gave opportunity for these slaves to become Israel, a free people devoted to serving God and to serving truth, justice and equity. Thus, Pharaoh did not know it, but he was giving opportunity to the whole world to recognize what ethical living should be -- living with truth, brotherhood and freedom of person and thought.
Cold weather doesn’t deter warm-hearted volunteers at Blumkin Home by OZZIE NOGG Many weeks after the December snow and wind made streets impassable -- and driving impossible -- the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home staff is still praising the volunteers who braved the elements and helped them out on Christmas day. “Larry Hasslinger was here at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning, helping in the kitchen,” said Lois Wine, RBJH Director of Volunteer Services. “Larry has volunteered at the Home on Christmas for 10 years.” By now, Hasslinger, a long-time chef, knows his way around the Blumkin Home kitchen. “The cooks are always happy to see me,” he said, “and because I need no direction, they just turn me loose to do what I want.” This year, Hasslinger whipped up 40 pounds of meatloaf for the Blumkin Home residents. Jim Polack and his sons Max, 12, and Josh, 11, along with Harry Weiner, also lent a hand with food prep and meal service. “We figured our being in the kitchen on ‘Switch Day’ meant some of the Blumkin Home staff could be at their homes, celebrating the holiday with family,” Hasslinger said. On the drive back to his house, Hasslinger’s car got stuck in the snow, but he was pulled out by another good samaritan. “I believe in the ‘pay it forward’ concept,” Hasslinger said. “This was a perfect example of my good turn being repaid by someone else.” According to Wine, “On the Saturday morning of the big storm, Jim Polack walked through hip-high snow in the back of the campus to help with Shabbat services. As it happens, Marjorie Brodsky was in town from Boston visiting her mother, Esther Siref. Marjorie plays the piano and was planning to entertain the residents after services, but when the regular service leader couldn’t make it, Marjorie and Jim filled in, and our residents enjoyed a very special, musical Shabbat. We’re so fortunate to have these wonderful volunteers who braved the elements to be here for our residents and assist our staff.”
To submit obituaries: E-mail to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mail to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. The Press does not “pick up” obituaries from other publications. For more information, call 402.334.6448.
DEATH DORIS R. ABRAMSON Doris R. Abramson died Jan. 26. She was 78. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Alvin Abramson; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Sheri Abramson; daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Stuart Giller; brother, Dr. Leonard Rapoport of Chicago; grandchildren, Bradley Abramson and his fiancé Marissa Wiseman; Erin Abramson; Emily Giller; Jamie Abramson; and Abbey Giller. Services will be Jan. 29 at Beth El Synagogue. Memorials may be sent to Beth El Synagogue, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, B’nai B’rith or to the charity of your choice. MILTON CACKIN Funeral services were held Jan. 24 at Beth Israel Cemetery for Milton Cackin. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marian; daughter and son-in-law, Betty and Larry Roitstein; son, Larry; daughter and son-in-law, Debra and Louis Kully; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials to the charity of your choice.
JTA NEWS BRIEFS • The Jewish Federations of North America is moving its annual conference in 2010 to New Orleans, and holding it earlier than planned. The umbrella group of the Jewish federation system had been set to hold its 2010 General Assembly in Orlando, Fla., but decided to change the location for practical reasons and because the federation system raised some $30 million in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild the area. Several thousand lay and professional leaders of the system attend the annual conference. Jewish Federations also said it was changing the venue of its annual women’s philanthropy conference, the International Lions of Judah Conference, to New Orleans from Orlando. The GA is now slated for Nov. 7-9, and the Lions of Judah Conference Nov. 8-10. • The “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign stolen from the memorial at the Auschwitz death camp has been returned. Polish police returned the 16-foot metal sign from the front gate of the camp during a recent ceremony in Krakow. The sign, which means “work makes you free,” was stolen Dec. 18 and recovered across the country 72 hours later. Experts will now try to restore the sign, though they are not certain it will be returned to its place; a copy was placed at the front gate immediately after the theft. The stolen sign had been cut into three pieces. Five Polish men have been charged with the theft, although a Swedish neo-Nazi is suspected of ordering the crime. There are about 450 buildings and remains of buildings at the site, including the ruins of gas chambers, as well as 80,000 pairs of shoes of victims and 3,800 suitcases. Some 1.1 million people, including about 1 million Jews, were murdered at Auschwitz.
Floods hit southern Israel
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A woman was killed and another person went missing last week after their car was swept into a flooded river in southern Israel, as the country battled one of the stormiest days of winter so far. Flash floods trapped many in their cars and several people had to be evacuated by helicopter from the flooded areas; many roads from the Dead Sea area were closed. For a short time, the Red Sea resort of Eilat was completely cut off from the rest of Israel. A bridge in Nitzana collapsed due to the heavy rainfall and floods, but no injuries were reported. Almost two inches of rain reportedly fell overnight in the Credit: ISRANET Negev.
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Page 16
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
January 29, 2010
Have a down-to-earth, Avatar Tu B’Shevat
by EDMON J. RODMAN Yet tree love aside, how many of us would plant one in “Our chestnut tree is in full bloom. It’s covered with LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- Celebrating Tu B’Shevat front of our homes? leaves and even more beautiful than last year.” this year on an alien moon called Pandora? Why not? Two years ago I went door to door trying to persuade The tree is now diseased and requires special care, but As seen in “Avatar,” the 3-D, billion-dollar grossing my neighbors to allow a city-funded group to plant free its descendants, saplings, will be sent out around the movie, it’s definitely a place where trees world to more than 200 schools and locaare revered. tions, including 11 locations in the In the film, bluish people called Na’vi United States that showed, according to a worship ancient trees. Here on earth, a piece in The New York Times, “the conseJewish people who have a “navi” or two of quences of intolerance.” our own (navi in Hebrew means prophet) Trees bring us understanding and friendship between neighbors. My parents will celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the New Year always had a fig tree growing in their for Trees, on Jan. 30, expressing in song backyard in Anaheim, Calif. In the 1990s, and seder a kind of tree love as well. Why? their neighborhood and area progressiveTrees represent a commitment; planting ly saw the arrival of Lebanese and one is just the beginning of a long-term Palestinian households. The local newsparelationship. Isn’t this a kind of love? pers even began to describe the adjoining Certainly the day has become a rallying commercial area as Little Gaza. point for caring for trees and the environAs it turned out, the Lebanese family ment by Jewish green forces, like the who moved in across the street planted its Coalition on the Environment and Jewish own fig tree. My father, Murray, passed Life. But before the greening of the holiaway last year, and after his death I discovday and the fear of rising seas, there was ered that he and the neighbor had a wonunequivocal, Earth-solid tree love. Like Jews don’t worship trees like the N’avi of Avatar do, but they’ll be celebrating the New Year Credit: 20th Century Fox derful relationship, exchanging fruits in the Na’vi, is tree love part of our roots? for Trees, Tu B’Shevat, on Jan. 30. Cedars of Lebanon were harvested as building materi- trees on the parkway in front of their homes. Though their seasons and news of their families. Trees give us a sense of time and a touch of the eterals to help construct the Temple. For the daily sacrifice many were happy to have the tree, I discovered many nal. Somewhere in the White Mountains, near Bishop, practiced there, a secure supply of wood was necessary. others who had a rustling ambivalence toward them. Both Iron Age wealth and military might were dependSome of the objections: trees need to be watered; their Calif., lives a tree named Methuselah. Named for the ent on charcoal as a heat source for smelting silver and limbs and roots block views and sewer lines; and their oldest living person in the Bible, it’s a Bristlecone pine, among the oldest living things on earth. forging weapons. leaves and flowers drop sap on cars. In the 1950s, the forest service did a core sample of The Torah includes an edict against destroying trees Additionally, trees need to be trimmed, watched over even in warfare (Deuteronomy 20:19). The love verses in wind and protected from disease. And like in Methuselah and estimated its age at 4,789 years. It was growing long before Moses. in Shir Hashirim, The Song of Songs, metaphorically “Avatar,” zealous developers see them as obstacles. I visited the Bristlecones one year, gnarled, twisted, compare a couple’s young love in the imagery of trees: So why the love affair? Trees are a lot of work. What ancient. If something can live that long, then so can our “Like an apple tree among trees of the forest, do they give us in return? So is my beloved among the youths, Shade, fruit, sense of place, cleaner air: We know traditions and memories. We love our trees. While we don’t sit around crossI delight to sit in his shade …” (2:3) about all that. Danish modern furniture, olive wood Not a shock, since we are a people whose default Shabbat candlesticks from Israel: We know about that, legged and pray to them, like they did in “Avatar,” we do have a bond, a connection to our memories and metaphor for Torah, for ultimate knowledge and life, is too. “etz chayim,” the tree of life. Trees give us hope -- like the ancient horse chestnut humanity. This Tu B’Shevat, sans spaceships and 3-D specs, creOn Tu B’Shevat, we behold the lovely shekadia, the tree that brought Anne Frank some happiness while in stately almond tree and her white blossoms that we hiding from the Nazis. In her diary on May 13, 1944, ate your own special effect: Pick up a shovel, dig a hole and plant something that will grow into the future. praise in song. she wrote about the tree for the last time:
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