Vol. LXXXV No. 23 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 85 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
Acclaimed Ushpizin Comes to the Omaha Jewish Film Festival by GARY JAVITCH “Ground breaking ... a joyful affirmation of unshakable faith” -Stephen Holden, New York Times Following its wellreceived U.S. release at the end of 2005, the Omaha Jewish Film Festival is very pleased to announce it will show the critically-acclaimed and award -- winning Israeli film Ushpizin. “The movie has won ‘Best Movie’ and ‘Best Actor’ awards and has become ‘the talk of the Jewish film world,’” according to Gary Katz, the Kripke Federation Library Administrator. The 60-minute film will be shown Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25–26, 7 p.m., in the Jewish Community Center Theater. On Saturday evening after the movie, the Sundance award winning short film (seven minutes) The Art of Farwell will be shown. However, at the Sunday showing, a panel discussion sponsored by B’nai B’rith will be held in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Panelists include Marty Shukert, Guy Matalon, and Rabbi Jonathan Gross. As usual, audience participation in the discussion is encouraged and welcome. That discussion will take place in the Kripke Library. Ushpizin, shown with English subtitles, is beautifully set in Jerusalem during the Succot festival. Moshe and
NJHS Exhibit on Jewish War Vets Closes Next Week
his wife Malli (real-life spouses Shuli Rand and Michal Bat-Sheva Rand), are penniless and facing the prospect that they will be unable to build a succa (the temporary holiday dwelling) or buy enough food to observe the seven-day festival. Accordingly, they do what any religious Jews would do in their situation: They pray for a miracle! To complicate their poverty-stricken lives further, old friends of Moshe come to visit, just as the holiday is to begin. Still, while the arrival of unexpected guests brings chaos to the couple’s life, it also provides an opportunity for unforeseen blessings. Mixing comedy and drama, the movie represents a “rare collaboration between secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis,” noted Stephen Holden in the Times. The actor Rand wrote the film and Giddi Dar directed it. Tickets for Ushpizin, the second in the series selected by the film committee, are $5 each. For tickets or information, call the Kripke Library at 334.6462. The Avy L. and Roberta L. Miller Foundation by Lindsey-Miller Lerman and the Center for Jewish Education sponsor the Film Festival. Upcoming films include Watermarks (March 25–26) and Turn Left at the End of the Universe (April 8-9).
19 Shevat, 5766 February 17, 2006
Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez Headlines B’nai B’rith Sports Banquet By HOWARD BORDEN Legendary Badger head football coach Barry Alvarez will be the featured sports celebrity at The 52nd Annual B’nai B’rith Charity Sports Banquet on Wednesday, May 10. “He was selected for four reasons,” according to banquet chair Gil Cohen. “He is the winningest coach in Badger history, the holder of many major Big 10 coaching records, a former Nebraska gridiron standout, and a dynamic speaker.” Coach Alvarez will also help the Lodge honor the Metro area’s most outstanding high school senior male and female student-athlete. The honorees will receive the Lodge’s prestigious Bert Render and Earl Siegel Memorial Awards. In addition, each athlete will garner a $1500 scholarship provided by NRG Media. Continued on page 2
Wisconsin head football coach Barry Alvarez
Omaha Federation Exec Elected to National UJC Position Goldstein and Other Local Leaders Emerge on National Scene
An expanded exhibit, “Hometown Heroes”, contains the photo/biographies from the original exhibit, plus dozens of additional photos submitted by veterans and their families. Several military uniforms are on display as well as medals and other memorabilia. The exhibit, co-sponsored by the Omaha synagogues and the ADL, closes Feb. 28.
Inside Opinion Page see page 12
by OZZIE NOGG described Valley Girl--walked into the Jewish Federation Executive Director Omaha JCC in 1970, almost by acciJan Goldstein’s responsibilities go well dent. “I was actually looking for galbeyond the local arena. Last year, leries and restaurants,” she says, “and Goldstein was chosen by her profesfound Mark Zalkin instead.” Zalkin, sional peers to head the Intermediate then the Director of the Cultural Arts Cities Executive Directors Committee Department, needed an assistant, and of the United Jewish Communities. Goldstein’s background in art history This office puts her on the board and made her the perfect hire. When Zalkin moved away in 1974, Goldstein took Executive Committee of UJC where over as Cultural Arts Director, a post she represents the 56 Intermediate she held for four years. Cities in the UJC system. “After that, I took time off to raise my Goldstein is quick to explain that kids and worked at various part-time she’s just one of several Omahans who serve on the national level. “Omaha is jobs. But I was always involved as a volJan Goldstein a model intermediate-sized city. We’re unteer with Women’s Campaign. I took strong, with experienced leadership, and we can feel cards and wrote Campaign articles for Joanie Jacobson, tremendous pride as more of us are emerging on the Federation’s PR person at the time. When the position national scene.” of Women’s Campaign Director opened up in 1991, I As examples, Goldstein points to Joel Alperson, said, ‘I can do this job.’ I may not have all the answers, National Chair of UJC’s Network Communities and but I know the people to ask.” board member of the American Jewish Joint Six months later, Goldstein--who had never been to Distribution Committee; Joe Kirshenbaum, a Trustee Israel before--organized her first mission. To date, she’s on the United Jewish Communities Board; Jan made more than 40 trips. Goldstein was named Schneiderman, member of the UJC Domestic Affairs Omaha’s Federation Assistant Director in 1997, and in Committee; and Zoe Riekes, chairman-elect of the 1998 inherited the Executive Director position. “It was Partnership with Israel Midwest Consortium. “We have a leap of faith on the part of the Board to put someone so much to offer and share,” Goldstein says. “I’m proud with little experience in this job,” she says. “When I first and grateful to be a part of, and a product of, the sat in this chair I was scared to death. My first goal was Omaha Jewish community.” to simply get all of us to play in the sandbox together.” Raised in Southern California, Goldstein--a self- Continued on page 4
This Week: Sisters and Best Friends on page 8 Israel’s Channel 2 Anchor Speaks After Documentary: Page 3
Gubernatorial Candidate Dave Hahn Speaks to Breadbreakers: Page 7
Next Month: Home & Garden Special Issue on March 10 More Olympic Coverage of Jewish Athletes: Pages 10-11
Visiting Beth Israel Scholar Talks on “Jews at the Zoo”: Page 16
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
PRINTING, COPYING and DIGITAL NETWORK
Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group Offers an Evening of Kid-Friendly Fun
3706 South 132nd Street • 402/330-5050
by JILL BELMONT arts and crafts teacher extraordinaire, Julie Phillips; Beth El Publicity Coordinator Helen Epstein and Eadie Tsabari--two of the best teach“Fun Jewish Things to Do with Kids and Grandkids!� ers of Jewish children ever; and Esther Katz, our new That’s what’s in store for Saturday morning Tot Shabbat leader. These creBeth El women and their ative and energetic women guests at the next Rosh will present a few proven Hodesh meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., successes of their own!� the JCC’s Child at “Everyone’s ideas will be Development Center. compiled in a booklet and “I’m always looking for distributed to Beth El famifun things to do with my son lies with children still living Jack,� said Andee Scioli, coat home,� Scioli noted, host with Joanie Jacobson. adding the booklet may be purchased by non-Beth El “This program is perfect for members for $4.� women of all ages--especially new brides, new moms, new Getting together to share, grandmothers and grand- Joanie Jacobson, Andee Scioli and her son, Jack, have a lit- learn and have some fun--all mothers-to-be; and for this tle fun with “Mr. Shabbat� (aka Cookie Monster!) while they for the sake of our Jewish one special night, Beth El plan Beth El's upcoming Rosh Hodesh meeting, “Fun Things kids. What could be better? members are welcome to to Do with Kids and Grandkids,� scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Light refreshments will be Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center. bring guests.� served. Reservations are Jacobson outlined the evening. “We’ll share a favorite requested and may be made by contacting Scioli at ascifamily activity, custom or tradition and get some great oli@fslf.com, or Jacobson at ohjoan413@aol.com or ideas from our ‘experts,’ including Miss Patty (Nogg); 554.0500.
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Senior NCSY Planning for “Steak and a Movie�
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by MARY BORT for Beth Israel Synagogue Beth Israel Synagogue’s Senior National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) will gather on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. to enjoy a “Steak and a Movie.� All high school students are welcome to attend and the cost is only $5 per person. Brooke Shrago, Beth Israel’s NCSY Director, stated that the movie they will watch is a “surprise.� “It is definitely hilarious,� she said. “I’d describe the movie as a cult-classic comedy that the Senior NCSYers
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18 BESTT Primary Grades Havdallah, 7 p.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Living Hebrew Class and Bible Study, 10 a.m. at Beth El Jewish Potpouri, 11 a.m. at Beth El C Community Lecture with David Kotok, 1:30 p.m. C L Basketball Awards Ceremony, 4 p.m. L
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will enjoy.� The group will first meet at Beth Israel, to cheer on the synagogue’s Decathlon backgammon team. Then, they’ll go to the home of board member Shami Jacob, for dinner and the movie. “We’ll have steak and potatoes and much more,� stated Shrago. “We’re so lucky to be able to hold this event at Shami’s house. He has the coolest movie room, complete with a wide-screen TV.� For planning purposes, reservations are required by Feb. 22. For information and to RSVP, contact Shrago at 556.6288 or NCSY@OrthodoxOmaha.org.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 JSS Senior Luncheon, 10 a.m. Hadassah Board Meeting, 1 p.m. BEAM Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El Derech Torah Class, 7:30 p.m. JFS Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Youth Commission Meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Beth El
I P & S A V E
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Women of Worth Prayer Circle, 9 a.m. at Chabad The Guy & Bob Show, noon BBYO Chapter Elections, 6 p.m. BESTT Board Meeting, 7 p.m. A History of Israel 7 p.m. Board of Trustees, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel WEDNEDAY, FEBRUARY 22 JELS Adult Ed. Class “Bad Girls of the Bible,�
C 6:30 p.m. L I NCJW Board Meeting, 7 p.m. P
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 & Adult Education, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel
Rabbi Levin Study Class, noon at Beth El S Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. A Basic Judaism, 7 p.m., at Temple Israel
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S A V V E All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not E responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)
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Continued from page 1 Noddle Development, Grubb Ellis Pacific Realty and Omaha Beef Football will help underwrite the charity event as major sponsors. In addition, the Lodge will raffle off a $1000 cash prize. Cohen announced another highlight for the event: “The popular Omaha media personality, Otis XII, will reprise his insightful and humorous role as Master of Ceremonies.� Barry Alvarez just completed his 16th season at the helm of the program he transformed from a perennial second-division finisher to a nationally respected powerhouse and frequent bowl contender. His overall Badger record was 118-73-4. Following his Citrus Bowl victory over Auburn on January 2, he retired as Head Coach. He continues as Athletic Barry Alvarez is the featured Director, a position speaker at the B’nai B’rith Sports he picked up in April Banquet on May 10. 2004. Alvarez amassed a remarkable list of accomplishments while at Wisconsin. Besides his first place position in the school’s football victory column, he coached the Badgers to three Big Ten and three Rose Bowl championships. Moreover, Alvarez was the only Big Ten coach ever to win the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons (1998 and 1999). His overall bowl record is an impressive 8-3. Barry Alvarez’s Coaching Awards include the American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year (1993), Bobby Dodd Foundation National Coach of the year (1993), College and Pro Football Newsweekly National Coach of the Year (1993), College Sports Magazine National Coach of the Year (1993), and the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year (1993). He received other awards, too. They include a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of
Nebraska in May 2003. (Alvarez earned a B.S. in 1969 and an M.A. in 1971 at UNL.) In 2001, Hispanic Business named Alvarez one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics.� And under his tutelage, his players achieved success, as well, with three of them earning five national awards: Ron Dayne (Heisman, Doak Walker, Maxwell), Jamar Fletcher (Jim Thorpe) and Kevin Stemke (Ray Guy). It seems that much of what Coach Alvarez touched has turned golden: a number of his Wisconsin assistants have gone on to success on the professional and college level. Among that illustrious group are Bill Callahan (former Oakland Raiders head coach, now head coach UNL), Kevin Cosgrove (former Wisconsin defensive coordinator, now Nebraska’s defensive coordinator), Jay Norvell (former Oakland Raiders tight ends coach, now quarterback coach with Nebraska), Brad Childress (Minnesota Vikings head coach) and Jay Hayes (Cincinnati Bengals defensive line coach). Alvarez and his wife Cindy have two daughters, Dawn and Stacy, and a son Chad. They have five grandchildren. Appreciative of all that they have been blessed with, the couple endowed a football scholarship at the University of Wisconsin in the spring of 2000. “Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith will hold the banquet at the Holiday Inn Convention Center on May 10,� Cohen said. The cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m. with the dinner following an hour later.� Individual tickets are $110; for tables of 10, the cost is $100 each. Special VIP reception/dinner tickets are $150 each. Tickets and information can be obtained by calling the B’nai B’rith Office at 334.6443. Previous banquet speakers have included Howard Cosell, Lou Holtz, John Madden, Joe Paterno, Barry Switzer, 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 and last year, Ron Jaworski. 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 Jewish service organization distributes a portion of the proceeds to local charities and their youth programs.
February 17, 2006
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Film 10 Days in Gaza to Be Shown at JCC Discussion with Moshe Nussbaum, Israel Channel 2 Anchor and Special Correspondent the theater of the Jewish Community Center. In addition to the viewing of this powerful film, attendees will have the added bonus of hearing directly from a Channel 2 news person present during these events. Following the showing, Moshe Nussbaum will discuss the coverage of an event that divided a nation and gave Jewish soldiers the difficult task of evicting Jewish settlers from their homes. Nussbaum, Channel 2 anchor and special correspondent, is a veteran news reporter, known throughout Israel. He will provide a unique perspective for those who watched from afar. This event is open to the community at no charge. For any questions, please call the CJE at: 334.6445.
by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Administrator, The Center for Jewish Education Soldiers forcing people from their homes. Settlers throwing rocks at soldiers. Children crying. Orange verses blue. Dark smoke billowing overhead. Shouting, tears, protests, and confrontations. All of these images and so many more come to mind when remembering the recent upheaval in Israel when the Gaza settlements were evacuated. During the dramatic evacuation of Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip, Israel’s Channel 2 had more than 20 news crews on the ground covering the historic events. The compilation of that coverage pulls together 10 chapters some of the most compelling footage from the controversial evacuation and withdrawal. 10 Days in Gaza, a 90-minute film in Hebrew with English subtitles, will be presented by the Center for Jewish Education on Wednesday, March 1, 7 p.m., in
Ten Commandments to be Topic Of Beth El’s Alternative Shabbat Service by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator The entire community is invited to spend Shabbat morning at Beth El on Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m., and experience the synagogue’s innovative alternative Shabbat service. The service in the chapel is highlighted by an always-lively informal Torah discussion led by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, and offers more English readings, singing and instrumental music. Attendees explore contemporary applications of the Torah, and have the opportunity to share personal interpretations and thoughtful perspectives of the week’s parasha. According to Rabbi Levin, the morning’s discussion on the 18th will revolve around the parasha of Yitro, which speaks of G-d’s revelation and the Ten Commandments. “We will discuss why the Ten Commandments are important and if they should be placed in public buildings, as certain groups of Americans would like,” he said. “We will also explore ways to understand G-d’s revelation. Does G-d reveal His will now as he did then?” Teens and adults of all ages will enjoy this engaging and thought-provoking service; all are welcome to attend, so call your friends and family and plan to spend a special Shabbat morning at Beth El.
At left, a scene from 10 Days in Gaza, showing protestors gathering outside the fence at one of the Jewish settlements in Gaza, where Israeli soldiers were called in to evacuate Jews who had not already left voluntarily.
The Federation and Synagogues… Working Hand in Hand to Get the Job Done
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT by ZOË RIEKES, President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha It is truly amazing how much we can achieve when we all work together. On a monthly basis the Federation Executive Director, Jan Goldstein, and I meet with the three senior pulpit rabbis and their Presidents. The strength of this partnership between the Federation and the synagogues has been invaluable in identifying needs and accomplishing so many meaningful projects. I’d like to share some examples with you. The rabbis approached the Federation in 2004 with a vision to send our teens to Israel. The JCC undertook the direction of this ambitious project, and two years of work towards this goal has really paid off. ARTZA ’06 is this summer’s four-week teen trip to Israel. To date, there are 22 high school students registered for ARTZA--an experience that is sure to have a profound impact on each of their lives. Jewish Senior Services and Jewish Family Services worked with the synagogues to address the need to assist individuals and families faced with healthcare and endof-life decisions. In the fall of 2005, the “Peace of Mind” program was implemented. This program is an important community resource, and knowing that you
can go to your rabbi for guidance and information is a critical component. In addition, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home has taken the responsibility to house private documents dealing with these issues for community families. In February 2005, the rabbis identified the need for a community based Introduction to Judaism class. This class was developed and implemented in the fall of 2005 by the Center for Jewish Education. Taught by Guy Matalon, this course, Derech Torah, is designed for people interested in converting to Judaism as well as Jews wishing to strengthen their knowledge of Judaism. Fourteen people are enrolled this term, with a new session to be offered each fall. The National Jewish Outreach Program presents “Shabbat Across America” annually, to encourage Jews to celebrate Shabbat and learn more about Judaism. This year, Omaha’s synagogues are joining forces for Shabbat Across America for teens. Each year, a different synagogue will host the event for the entire community, giving our teens the chance to get together as one group, and experience the unique culture of each Omaha synagogue. This year’s event will be March 3 at Beth Israel. Each of these success stories was made possible only through a team effort. I am so pleased to live in a community that works well together with such wonderful results, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish next!
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
Federation Exec Elected to National UJC which to advocate for Omaha and other the number of gifts we receive is outstandsmall and intermediate communities, a ing,” she insisted. “You can count on us to personal mission she first undertook dur- be strong and steady. We’re raising dollars-ing her years as Omaha Federation among the highest per capita in the countryMission Director. -and we’re also raising committed young “On those people. Those trips, I always facts and that made it a message are point to visit still viable the Jewish today. Smaller in Agency Federations Jerusalem. like Omaha I’d explain are vital to our surthat Jewish smaller size vival. The our means UJC national challenges are system needs different, our to hear from benchmarks us.” are different. Her frequent I stressed that visits to variwe Jan and Howard Goldstein visit with an elderly Russian ous UJC cities what struggle with woman on a recent mission to Kiev. lets Goldstein in Omaha is important because we’re a compare Omaha to other like-sized Jewish microcosm for understanding the prob- communities. “We’re way ahead of what I lems in Jewish society as a whole. I’d see in other places,” she says. bring the latest concerns of our commu“For one thing, we have a broad donor nity, discuss what we were thinking, pass base and longtime volunteers who are out copies of our ‘Jewish Press’. always there for us. Our community is “I said, ‘Yes, we’re small in population, built on commitment and shared values we don’t have the biggest Campaign, but that are passed from one generation to the next. Sometimes our young people move to another city. Sometimes they The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism return here to live. In either case, they (USCJ) seeks an observant and knowledgeable continue to participate in Jewish life,” she Conservative Jew with extensive experience in synagogue life and activities to serve as Executive added. “They don’t walk away. Director for the Mid-Continent Region. The director provides consulting services to member congregations for “We also have a group of newcomers the entire spectrum of synagogue life, from programming ready to step in and create the personalito operations and staffing. Experience demonstrating skills in administration and high tech communications, ty of this community. From a demoability to supervise staff and interact with lay leadership, motivate volunteers, interpersonal/public relations, working with a Board of Directors graphic standpoint, Omaha is described and leadership development is a must. Travel is required. Competitive compensaas a mature, transitional city. For some tion. Submit letter of interest and resume to: Executive Director Search, Mid-Continent Region communities that spells trouble, but not The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for us. We have young talent eager to 4820 Minnetonka Blvd #410, Minneapolis, MN 55416 Email to: midc@uscj.org EOE serve, and that alleviates our biggest fear-will there be somebody to carry on our work?” she wondered aloud. “Of course, we can’t sit back and relax. We need to Annual appreciate our veteran volunteers and recognize our longtime donors while cultivating new leaders.” Goldstein believes the interagency comity within the Omaha Federation is also unique. “Marty Ricks, our Foundation Executive Director, partners with us in FRD--financial resource development--a collaboration between Annual Campaign, Planned Giving and Endowments, Supplemental Giving and other streams of philanthropy. That degree of professional cooperation is another example of the Omaha Jewish community’s special nature.” Goldstein considers herself a person behind the scenes. “The professionals don’t own this community,” she says. “It belongs to the lay leadership--to their policies and visions. My role is to help them be the best they can be. I try to pro-
Continued from page 1 That goal remains at the heart of Goldstein’s managerial style. She’s passionate, positive, and loves people. “For me, this job is all about creating stronger Jewish commitment through relationship building. That means fostering mutual respect and understanding between the Federation and its agencies, and between Federation and the religious institutions and other Jewish organizations in Omaha. Mark Zalkin taught me to listen to everyone, to gather collective information. On our Federation agency boards we strive for representation from all segments of the community. We create opportunities for dialogue. That’s not always the case in larger cities. Omaha is a model for others to emulate.” United Jewish Communities, formed in 1999, serves 155 Jewish federations and 400 independent communities across North America. The organization offers new models for volunteer work and philanthropic giving, and is pledged to safeguard Jewish life by strengthening Jewish values and identity, embracing diversity, and enhancing connections to Israel and Jewish communities around the world. Goldstein’s new position within UJC gives her added visibility and a venue in
Executive Director
Mid-Continent Region
4th
Jewish Omaha Film Festival
vide good information and lend my judgment, time and support. As I always say, in the end it’s about building trust and relationships. It’s about the professionals getting along with one another, the lay leaders getting along with one another, the lay leaders getting along with the professionals. Bottom line, we’re all good people--we all care.” Goldstein acknowledges the help she’s gotten from her dedicated staff and from Federation’s lay leadership. “I know my limitations. I’m lucky to have had the right people around me. There are so many Omaha men and women who’ve been my mentors, it would be impossible to name them all, but they know who they are,” she acknowledged. “They’ve given me tremendous support, made me feel safe, empowered me and given me courage. “Occasionally someone will say to me, ‘I wouldn’t have your job for anything,’ but in Minsk and Kiev and in the Negev people say, ‘Thank you’ for what we’re doing,” she smiled. “I wish everyone could have the pleasure of hearing how grateful people are. The Ethiopians, the Soviet Jews, the Israelis. We’re making a difference in the quality of their lives, and sometimes that difference is between life and death. “Frankly, I think asking for money is holy work, and every day I feel lucky to be able to do it, lucky to be part of this exceptional Jewish community.” For Goldstein, the years between 1970 and today have been a mix of professional accomplishment, introspection and self-discovery. “When I first walked into the Omaha JCC I was very young, and like most young people I hadn’t yet examined my beliefs about Judaism or my place in it. In Omaha I am still growing as a Jew. “Here, I have found my place in Jewish communal life, and experienced how newcomers can fit right in and make a difference. I discovered a passion for the Jewish people through my work. Omaha has taught me about Jewish responsibility, that we have to care for one another and try to make the world a better place,” she noted. Goldstein is married to Howard Goldstein, a native Omahan. Their children include: Rabbi Baruch and Ariela HaLevi of DesMoines, IA, Rebecca and Brian Rosen of Denver, CO, Zachary Perelman, and Holly Goldstein of Aspen, CO; grandchildren are Yehuda and Maya HaLevi and Jakob Rosen. “It’s possible that if I hadn’t come here, I might still be in L.A., trying to figure ‘it’ out,” Goldstein smiled. “I’ve had a love affair with this city since the day I got here. Any success I’ve had or recognition I’ve received is because of this community. “Omaha makes me look good.”
Beth El Quilt to be Featured in USCJ Calendar
February 25 & 26 7 p.m. • JCC Theater
Panel Discussion February 26 Co-Sponsored by B’nai B’rith 90 minutes. Hebrew with English Subtitles
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Watermarks
Turn Left at the End of the World
March 25 & 26 • 7 p.m. April 8 & 9 • 7 p.m.
Sponsored by Avy L. and Roberta L. Miller Foundation by Lindsey-Miller Lerman
Presented by
Jewish Community Center • 333 S. 132nd Street • Admission $5.00 For more information call 334-6462
The United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism recently announced that it will feature a photo of “Miriam and the Women,” a wall-hanging created by Beth El congregants Susi Frydman-Levin and Ozzie Nogg, in next year’s USCJ calendar. The quilt, created last year as part of “Living an Ageless Story,” Beth El's 75th anniversary quilt project, is on permanent display in the synagogue’s social hall.
February 17, 2006
Bicycle Memories
THE HISTORIAN’S F OOTPRINT by OLIVER B. POLLAK In Umberto Eco’s The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana (2005), an antiquarian bookseller has lost his memory and can only recall what he has read, much of which is stored in his attic. It is overlong, parts are a delight, especially when the reader, author and protagonist identity merge from having read and remembered the same book. Some is lost on the reader, as the bookseller and Eco dwell on Italian literature published between 1933 and 1946. But what a great idea, to link reclaimed memory, an homage to Marcel Proust. What if you lost your memory and all you could remember was triggered by the bicycles you had owned, ridden, and the old cycling magazines you kept. Dane Stickney at the Omaha World-Herald asked readers to send in stories on bicycles as Christmas gifts. For 10 years, I have written for the Omaha Peddlars Newsletter. The World-Herald request was an opportunity to exercise diversity and suggest that Hanukkah gifts are generally not that big. During my childhood in London, I had a tricycle that I rode on the sidewalk and in the park. I have pictures to verify it. I remember a bicyclist about 1951 doing a header in front of our London row house. My parents were very protective and did not think a bicycle was safe in London or America, what with all the cars and traffic. Or perhaps a bicycle was not in the budget. We arrived in bustling Los Angeles in the mid-1950s. Somehow I got a bicycle and delivered the Los Angeles Times. With canvas saddle bag either over my shoulders or over the back wheel. During my teens I went through a hulky Schwinn with simulated gas tank, and a foreign import, a Raleigh with Sturmey Archer three speed gears. In the early 1970s, I taught at the University Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and rode my “African” bicycle along the flat terrain to campus and the archives. I
purchased it at an Indian owned store. The front and rear brakes imitated carburetor linkages rather than flexible Bowden cables invented in the late 1890s. Back in the states in 1974, I rode a 10-speed Gitane, my brother-in-law’s Motobecane, and in 1983 treated myself to a blue 12 speed Trek. There followed a red Trek mountain bike purchased in Laguna Hills, a purple Trek hybrid purchased in Lincoln and finally a Celestine green Bianci from Olympia Cycle in Omaha, with matching shirt, water bottle and bottle rack. We repeatedly read to the children George the Monkey Rides a Bicycle and Bears on Wheels by Stan and Jan Berenstain. My son graduated from big wheels to a children’s two-wheel bicycle. Noah had a white and red Czech bike with thinnish tires, no gears, and front and back fenders. It came with training wheels. He took to it like a duck to water. It was purchased used from a bike store on Leavenworth or in South Omaha. I do not remember how we disposed of it, probably $5 in a garage sale. Most likely the children received the bikes as birthdays presents (March and May), or when I thought they were ready to ride; I pushed them. Aaron remembers his “pretty cool” blue bicycle with a banana seat. Then he got a Huffy and chipped a tooth on the handlebar. They went off to college with new bikes. The three of us have ridden together in Italy, with Karen sagging. Other family riding includes Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and of course California. One time on BRAN (Bike Ride Across Nebraska), I wussed out by staying in bed and breakfasts rather than the campground. I look forward to the day that I ride with my grandchildren. On special occasions, not Christmas or Hanukkah, but as a reward, or an incentive to exercise I will think about, or even purchase a new bike. Karen has a couple of bikes that fit into an age of longing. Bikes are memory benchmarks that evoke nostalgia, rites of passage, and a continuing source of pleasure. What does the future hold, perhaps a recumbent, a tandem, or an electrically assisted bike.
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Recipe for Recovery
BERT’S EYE VIEW by BERT LEWIS It’s flu season. So nu, I can hear you saying, what do you want me to do about it? Well, the alleged experts would have you stocking your shelves with all the home remedies, plenty of sneeze tissues and stuff to rub on chapped lips. Personally, I recommend that you be sure to have all the necessary ingredients for a good, home-made chicken soup. Be certain there’s chicken in the freezer and carrots, parsnips, celery (plus the leaves) and parsley in the vegatable drawer of the fridge. Be prepared, so that at a moments notice or the sound of the first “oy, do I feel terrible,” you can get the best rafooah known to civilized man (and Jewish mothers) started cooking on the stove. And if you don’t know what a rafooah is, go find somebody with a yiddisha vocabulary and ask. It’s really not a joke, this business about chicken soup being good for respiratory problems from a cold to the flu. Medical science has even come over to the side of Jewish mothers and agree that it really is beneficial. When my own doctor reminded me (alright, so she’s a Jewish mother too, so what?) I had to take the information to heart. In fact, I’m remembering when I wrote about this very thing many years ago, I heard from a doctor at the Med Center. He wrote me a lovely note telling me science was on my side, and gave me some logical reasons why. Nice guy....Jewish fella of course, whose name escapes me now. Doesn’t matter. The point is, while we all know of many home remedies for pesky, non fatal illnesses, chicken soup always is at the top of the list. I made some for a dear friend recently, who suddenly found herself a victim of the real flu. When I asked her husband (on the phone) what I could do, he said not to worry, he was just making her some soup and they’d be fine. Knowing his talents in the kitchen didn’t go much beyond the ability to open the cookie jar and/or the
fridge, I asked, “Are you opening a can?” He admitted he was. That’s when I started checking on all the necessary ingredients and in no time had the soup cooking. When I called him later and told him to come over at 6 p.m. to get the soup, he thanked me and was there promptly. I think one of the great things about feeding this old favorite to a sick person is the nice feeling enjoyed by the cook, who takes pleasure in providing a little comfort food. And when all is said and done, who needs all the discussion? It’s a known fact; chicken soup is darn good medicine and tastes better, too. There are lots of other home remedies of course. Like the mixture my mom used to stir up for a bad cough. A simple little combination of honey, lemon juice and whatever kind of “schnapps” she had handy. I’m here to tell you I didn’t appreciate the benefits until I got a little older, but when the fancy-shmancy perscription stuff doesn’t do the job, mom’s elixir does--and it tastes waaaaay better too! My paternal Zayda had his own favorite remedies. If his stomach hurt, for whatever reason, he’d hunt up the pickle jar and have a healthy swig of the brine. Claimed it always fixed him up. Of course, he also believed if you smeared petroleum jelly on anything that hurt, it would soon be fine. All I can tell you is he made it to 94 without too much bad stuff bothering him. I find it interesting that today, with all the fabulous tricks of science and medicine, there’s a great deal of interest in simple home remedies. People write books about such things and there are frequently articles in our papers about how to cure this or that, without the input of the doctor. Which is not to say I’m ready to eliminate the doctor....hardly. But just the same, when you have a bad cold it seems that hot tea with a spoon full of jelly in the bottom, tastes better than hot coffee. Why is that? Both are basically hot water, but still, something about that tea is better whe you don’t feel well. Okay, enough on this entire subject. Just don’t forget to always been prepared to cook a pot of chicken soup. You never know when somebody is going to need it! Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis39@aol.com.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
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Who’s Who in Hamas? A Look at the Palestinian Group’s Leaders Haniyeh has spoken again and again in favor of violence against Israel. Last year, he called Hamas’ success in municipal elections proof that a majority of Palestinians endorse jihad, or holy war, against Israel. Commentators found marginally positive elements in a by GIL SEDAN recent hardline interview Haniyeh gave to Israeli televiJERUSALEM (JTA)--Ever since the targeted killing sion, in which he talked about “resistance according to the of Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin in March 2004, interests of our peopleâ€?--which some took to mean that the big boss of Hamas is Khaled Meshaal, head of the violence could be suspended, under certain circumstancesHamas political bureau, in exile in Damascus. -and the wish “to work in cooperation and coordination • Meshaal, 50, was born in the West Bank village of with all the Palestinian people,’’ indicating Hamas’ desire Silwad near Ramallah. Following the Six Day War in to form a national unity government with Fatah. 1967 he emigrated to Kuwait, where he studied and Haniyeh, 44, was born in the Shati refugee camp in taught physics at the University of Kuwait. He moved to Gaza. He began studying Arabic literature at the Islamic Jordan in 1990, where he served as head of Hamas in University in Gaza in 1987, shortly before the outbreak that country. In 1996 he was appointed head of Hamas’ of the first intifada. He served three years in jail shortly political wing. after Hamas’ founding the next year. Meshaal was the target of an abortive assassination He was among 400 Hamas activists deported to attempt that was one of the Mossad’s biggest publicized Lebanon in 1992, who eventually were allowed to fiascos. On Sept. 25, 1997, return. P.A. security forces arrestLocal Hamas leaders tried to assume a ed Haniyeh in December 2001, Mossad agents in Jordan accosted Mashal on the street and man- relatively pragmatic guise during the but released him a short time aged to inject him with a toxic later. recent election campaign, but Meshaal substance, but Jordanian authoriHaniyeh returned to Gaza and ties discovered the assassination declared that “we will not enter a new was appointed dean of the Islamic attempt in time, arrested the truce, and our people are preparing for a University. In 1997, after Yassin agents, pressured Israel into turn- new round of conflict.â€? was released from jail, Haniyeh ing over the antidote and saved was appointed chief of his office, Meshaal’s life. a position he kept until Yassin’s death in 2004. But there was more: As a quid pro quo, Jordan forced • Second in rank in the territories is Dr. Mahmoud alIsrael to release Yassin, Hamas’ founder and spiritual Zahar, Yassin’s personal physician and close friend. He leader, in exchange for the helped Yassin found Hamas Mossad agents involved in the shortly after the outbreak of the attempt on Meshaal. first intifada in 1987. Two years later, in November Al-Zahar, 61, was born in 1999, Meshaal was deported Gaza to a Palestinian father and from Jordan to Syria. an Egyptian mother. He studied Although Meshaal was instrumedicine at Cairo’s Ain Shams mental a year ago in reaching University, specializing in general Hamas’ “tahdia,â€? or calmingsurgery. It was in Cairo that he down agreement, with was influenced by Egypt’s oldest Palestinian Authority President and largest Islamist organization, Mahmoud Abbas, he is known the Muslim Brotherhood, whose for his tough, uncompromising ideology nourished Hamas. stand toward Israel. Al-Zahar also was among the Local Hamas leaders tried to 400 Islamic activists deported by assume a relatively pragmatic Israel to Lebanon in 1992. Back guise during the recent election A Hamas activist holds an election flier with a in Gaza, al-Zahar soon clashed campaign, but Meshaal declared photo of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, top, with Palestinian authorities. He last month in Damascus that “we at a polling station Jan. 25 in the West Bank vil- was arrested several times by P.A. will not enter a new truce, and lage of Hawara, south of Nablus. Hamas emerged security forces and at one stage our people are preparing for a victorious in the Palestinian parliamentary elec- spent seven months in a tions, winning enough seats to form a government. Palestinian jail. new round of conflict.â€? He made similar statements Credit: Brian Hendler/JTA On Sept. 10, 2003, only three after Hamas’ victory in the Palestinians’ Jan. 25 parlia- days after a failed attempt to kill Yassin, Israel bombed mentary elections, but did come up with a proposal that al-Zahar’s home in Gaza, destroying it completely. Alsome saw as a reasonable solution for the present stale- Zahar survived the attack, but his 25-year-old son, mate in the Palestinian balance of power. Khaled, and a bodyguard were killed. Meshaal suggested forming a Palestinian army that Following the killing of Abdel Aziz Rantissi in spring would unify all militias, theoretically ending the present 2004, al-Zahar emerged as his successor. state of anarchy and defusing demands on Hamas to disAl-Zahar was influential in reaching the informal truce arm and renounce violence. He also said Hamas would with Israel and in arranging Hamas’ participation in the abide by the P.A.’s current agreements with Israel “as recent parliamentary elections. long as it is in the interest of our people.â€? • Dr. Mousa Abdel Marzuk, 55, is second-in-com• The most senior Hamas personality inside the terri- mand to Meshaal in Damascus. He headed Hamas’ tories is Dr. Ismail Haniyeh, the most likely candidate to political bureau from 1992-’96, but was deported from head the first P.A. government under Hamas. Haniyeh is Jordan in 1995. He was arrested in the United States in considered more pragmatic than Meshaal; like Meshaal, 1997 but was released after King Hussein of Jordan perhe too escaped an Israeli attempt on his life. mitted his return, only to deport him two years later to Along with Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar, Haniyeh led Damascus. Hamas in the territories after Yassin’s death. He is Mohammed Deif, 40, is one of the commanders of the among those who pushed Hamas to participate in the Izz a-Din al-Kassam Brigades, the military wing of elections, and headed the party in both municipal and Hamas, and top on Israel’s most wanted list. Deif is parliamentary elections. believed to have been behind many of the suicide bombIsrael placed Haniyeh on the targeted-killing list fol- ing attacks of 1996 that soured Israelis on the peace lowing a suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus in August process and paved the way for the ouster of the Labor 2003. Two months later, the Israeli air force bombed a government and the election of the Likud Party’s house in Gaza while Haniyeh, Yassin and leading Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu. bombmaker Mohammad Deif were there. None of the Israel attempted to kill Deif several times, to no avail. three was hurt, however.
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
American Jewish Writers II by JEWISH PRESS NEWS SERVICE The “American Jewish Writers� series continues with Instructor Gary Katz, Library Administrator and former Adjunct Professor at Creighton University and Metropolitan Community College. Part II begins Wednesday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m.-noon. The class will consider the contributions of contemporary Jewish novelists, short story writers, and poets to
the American literary scene, including the writings of Allegra Goodman, Nathan Englander, Michael Chabon and others. Classes conitnue on March 1, 15, and 22 in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Tuition is $18. (Please note there will be no class held on March 8.) To register, please contact Mary Sue Grossman at 3346445 or via email at mgrossman@jewishomaha.org.
February 17, 2006
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
Stagnation and Decline? A Candidate Says Nebraska Can Do Better are more of a political ploy for votes than anything else. We need to deal with foundational tax issues instead of talking about tax relief that will bring $100 of tax relief over three years. “Taxes are what we, as citizens, decide to pay for the goods and services of the state--roads, education, supby JOAN K. MARCUS port for the elderly, services for people with disabilities. Fifth generation Nebraskan David It’s what we decide to make it be. What you’ll see me Hahn may well be one of our state’s best-kept secrets. At focusing on is tax reform or a more modern tax system.� age 55, he has filed to be a Democratic candidate for the As an attorney, Hahn has been innovative among legal gubernatorial nomination. This will be his first attempt professionals, using computer technology in conjuncat running for office, however, he feels his candidacy will tion with sound legal practices. Records show he has be good for Nebraska. He will oppose Tom Osborne, saved 85% of the family farms and ranches he has Dave Nabity or current governor Dave Heineman. defended. His interest in technology has taken him into Following the primary, Hahn will ask his opponent for more direct work in emerging technologies and he has eight debates so that people can see a real clash. And he become the CEO of New Digital Group, an Internet plans to run a “spirited� campaign that will include good development company based in Lincoln. campaigners and communication people. “You will start He invested early in the Internet and jokes, “After I hearing from me long before the primary occurs!� invested, it went up and then it went down. So, I know Hahn grew up in Stromburg and Schuyler, communi- what it means to make a fair amount of money, losing it ties where rural ideals cemented his appreciation for and realizing what it takes to pull a business forward. I Nebraska’s core values and traditions. created a number of compaEarly in his career, he defended familynies. For example, we run owned farms and ranches and worked to the largest network of colprevent their dissolution. Today, he lives in lege and university newspaLincoln with his wife, the former Ruth pers on line--schools like Davidson. New York University, At an address to B’nai Brith Columbia, NYU to universiBreadbreakers last week, Hahn said he has ties in California. thought long and hard before challenging “We’re now in all 50 statesthe Republican candidate--whomever that -including the University of may be. “I’ve talked to my business partAlaska. We have over four ners and they said that they support� my Howard Epstein, left, chats with gubernatori- million readers of our newsal candidate David Hahn candidacy,� he said. papers and circulate about “There is no question that this state is in what can best 2500 stories a day; we’ve become one of the largest be described as ‘stagnation’. In the worst case, it could advertising venues for people trying to reach college and even be described as ‘decline’. For the last 10 years, university students.� we’ve been in the bottom third in the nation in ecoHis company has also created software to help schools nomic growth. In 2003-04 (the measurement year), the communicate with parents. “There are very few things gross state product tied with Michigan, which is losing we can’t achieve together if we get the bright thinking tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs. So, we’re out and collaborate, get the ideas out and make things 49th--dead last in growth. move forward! Now is the time to leverage the technol“There are pockets that are growing, such as technol- ogy and communication ability. Some businesses won’t ogy. But, overall, we’re not,� Hahn added. “As a busi- relocate in Nebraska unless they can get the access they nessman and student of history, the role of economics need; it’s simply how business is done these days.� and political well-being, I understand that growth is Hahn cited the current controversy in the Omaha area essential to a forward-thinking, tolerant society. about the possible merging of the school systems. “It “You have to figure out where there is wealth. We have comes down to resources and money. We simply have to a strong background of business, innovation and growing get away from our reliance on property taxes. Until we things. Wealth can be created, not only for my family, but crack that nut, we aren’t going to be able to do a lot in for others. That’s an important part of my tradition and solving this problem. an important part of what I’ll bring as governor.� “There are a number of things that we can do with He admits he has entered the gubernatorial race technology. A University of Nebraska professor is because he doesn’t see the other candidates addressing involved in a project called the Access Grid, interactive the issues of decline and stagnation. “Issues of tax relief communication that allows teaching, training and col-
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laborative environment--on the Internet. It would allow a teacher (for example, in calculus) to teach students as if they were there,� he insisted. “This isn’t far-fetched or ‘Star Trek’.� B’nai Brith member. Buddy Goodman asked Hahn about the numerous counties and school districts in Nebraska. Goodman wondered why two million people needed this many services. Hahn answered, “You need to think about efficiency and how to make things happen without compounding cost. What kind of efficiencies could we have by adding technological resources to those counties?� Breadbreakers Chairman Gary Javitch, asked Hahn about the use of embryonic stem cells for research. He answered, “The research should go forward! I’m not afraid of science; I have a deep and abiding faith and I don’t think research will take us anywhere that we don’t want to go. I have three children and my oldest son, Alex, has autism. I know what kind of impact this can have on a family. I also know that the only way to deal with it is with research. While I understand the arguments, I’m firmly in favor of research going forward.� On the abortion issue, Hahn said, “I’m in favor of a woman’s right to choose. I certainly understand the sentiments of those who have a different view. However, I don’t think that it’s the place of government to be involved in that decision. I think it’s for a woman, with God and her family to make that important decision. I get a little upset when those who have a different conviction than I do, paint me as ‘pro death.’ I’m all for life!� We asked candidate Hahn to comment about the theory of Intelligent Design, the controversial assertion that certain features of the universe and of living things exhibit the characteristics of a product that results from an intelligent cause or agent. He answered, “I believe that God created the earth and life. As a Christian, I don’t understand why somebody wants to demote creation to something as deluded as Intelligent Design. The question is what we teach in school? “I think that it would be fine if there were a course on the various theories on the existence of the world--just like we teach world religions. But, when you get close to mandating a certain belief, I think that’s where the constitution provisions come into play. “We should try to stay away from religious mandates in public school. There’s no greater thing than to see a young mind grow, question and come to its own conclusions. That’s the best kind of faith!� In closing, candidate Hahn said, “The things that I’ve talked about aren’t far in the future. It’s right now and I believe that I’m the only candidate with the vision, the experience and the connections to make these things happen in the State of Nebraska. I will demand that we talk about real issues and be specific about the resolutions that will solve the problems in our state.�
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
Sisters and Best Friends Forever! by JOAN K. MARCUS “We lived together with another family in a two-bed- kind of related and our dad insisted that we marry Mollie Franklin, Lena Kaplan and Sarah Kaplan have room house with an outdoor bathroom. There were five them.” been daughters, mothers, grandmothers and great-great of us children sleeping on feather beds on the floor. A A third prospective son-in-law, Morris Franklin, came grandmothers. However, they’ve always remembered cousin, Harriet Leviton Cohen, came to live with us, to Columbus to deliver kosher meat to the family. He they are sisters first. too. Her mother had died in childbirth and we became married Mollie and they returned to Omaha to live in When Mollie celebrated her 93rd birthday party on her ‘adopted’ family.” South Omaha. Although Mollie was separated from her Jan. 20, she was thankful that both of her sisters, now There were six Jewish families living in Columbus at sisters, the families often traveled back and forth living in the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, were there the time and a man whom they called a “shoychet” came between Columbus and Omaha for holidays. with her. Mollie’s two daughters, Renee Kazor and Helene The three sisters were born in Eubrick, Lithuania, to Shrago, remember holidays they spent together at the Ida and Harry Kaplan. Ida’s mother heard that a war South Omaha shul on 25th and ‘J’ Streets. was going to break out in Poland; Poland and “Everybody came--Aunt Sara, Aunt Lena, their husLithuania were part of Russia then. Ida was worried, bands, and each one of them had two sons. so she contacted her brother, Morris Cramer, who “We all stayed in the same house and walked back lived in McCook, NE. He sent tickets for Harry and and forth to the synagogue. All our food was kosher his nephew, Albert Kaplan, to come to America. and it was a wonderful time for all of us. Sometimes, After arriving in the United States. Harry moved to my dad’s mother and my aunt, Kalah Franklin, came Columbus, NE, where he went into the junk business and stayed with us.” with Ben Novak. His uncle had been in the same busiSarah later moved to Arizona and lived there for ness and Harry felt he knew enough to start his own. many years. Her son, Marty, still resides in Arizona. After four years, the two men parted and Novak venHer other son, Lawrence, died. She has two grandtured into the car business in Omaha. children and two great-grandchildren. They returned Ida and Harry had been married in 1911 and their to Columbus to live in later years. daughters, Sarah, Mollie and Lena, were born in Lena remained in Columbus and raised her two 1912, 1913 and 1914, respectively. When Harry left South Omaha residents Ida Kaplan, and her daughters, Mollie sons, Gene and David. She has one grandchild and for America in 1913, he left his pregnant wife and two (Franklin), age 7; Lena, age 6; and Sarah, age 8, in September 1920. one great-grandchild. Her son Gene has died. baby daughters back in Lithuania. Harry’s duty was to make enough money so that his family could follow him to the U.S. He had to wait five years before he could become an American citizen in 1919. The sisters remember that he sent a paid passport and $50 for their trip to America in 1920. All three women remember watching their grandmother stand on the shore and wave to them. “She was supposed to come to the States with us, but she had problems with her eyes and the immigration service wouldn’t let her enter. She waved to us and then got smaller and smaller,” Mollie said sadly. “We never saw her again.” Sarah remembers the trip. “I had a ball and was bouncing it on the deck of the ship. We were all crowded together and one of the other passengers said that he would play with me. When I gave him my ball, he played with me for a few minutes and then he threw my ball overboard! He tricked me because he didn’t like the noise that I was making.” Sarah added, “The school in Columbus put Mollie and Lena in kindergarten and I was in the first grade. We couldn’t speak any English and we knew nothing about American customs. We spoke many languages, but English wasn’t one of them. They gave Mollie a banana and she had never seen one before so she ate the skin and threw the inside away!
CHRIS KLUG
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Mollie Franklin, left, Lena Kaplan, Sarah Kaplan to kosher the chickens. Trained in ritual kosher slaughtering, the shoychet also taught Jewish youngsters. “We also studied Hebrew with him after school,” said Sarah. The small Columbus Jewish community got together for minyans and special occasions, but they brought the boys to Omaha for their b’nai mitzvah. All three women graduated from high school in Columbus and then Sarah and Lena met brothers, Herman and Louie Kaplan. Their father brought the two young men from Omaha. The boys’ parents had been killed in the Holocaust and they didn’t have any family left. “Our dad brought them for us to marry,” recalled Sarah. “I took Herman and Lena took Louie! They were
Mollie has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She always missed her sisters when they lived apart from one another. All three were reunited at the Blumkin Home in September of 2005. Now, they talk about happy times when Lena drove them all around and went shopping, or to the VFW in Columbus. “Lena had a driver’s license and she came to pick us up,” said Mollie. “We had a great time then and we still enjoy being together.” Mollie carries a deck of cards in the basket of her walker and she is always ready for a “game” with her sisters. Mark Kazor, her grandson, says, “Bubby plays ‘Queen in the Corner’ with us. My brother, Stu, and I come every Monday at 5 p.m. to play cards with ‘the girls’ before they eat dinner. Most of the time Bubby beats us and we joke that we should be playing for money!” Renee adds, “We saw our mother and aunts and the love that they have for each other. At 92, 93, and 94, they have always loved each other and gotten along. They have never fought or been envious of one another.” “That’s what the two of us have tried to do during our lives,” agreed Helene. “Just like the three of them, we’re sisters, born just a year apart. We speak every day and will always be best friends--just like Sarah, Mollie and Lena!”
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IN THE NEWS Former Omahan Amy Frankel, daughter of the late Barbara and Dean Frankel, opened Peak 9 Consulting, Inc., a firm specializing in project management. Frankel, a certified project manager serves as President and lead consultant for the Company. Peak 9 Consulting develops and manages special business needs and requirements that are critically important to your success and growth and are not part of your company’s everyday activities. We focus on your specific business needs, without interrupting the flow of daily business tasks. Log onto www.peak9consult.com to learn more. Ally Milder (posthumously honored) and Cabela’s have been selected as the recipients of the 2006 Grace Abbott Awards, presented by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) to recognize outstanding advocacy for children and families in Nebraska. Recipients will be honored at a banquet on March 16 at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln. For information or tickets, visit www.nebraskachildren.org or call 402.476.9401. The criteria for the awards include exceptional service and commitment to helping Nebraska children and families succeed. Criteria for the business award also include a commitment to helping employees balance work and family life. Milder poured several lifetimes worth of energy into her 50 years, and that fact was reflected in her many careers, passions and achievements: Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in 1990, activist on behalf of Jews living under oppression in the former Soviet Union, director of government affairs for Union Pacific Railroad, mentor to center-city youth in North Omaha and chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley on his Subcommittee on Courts and Administrative Practice of the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee, to name a few. But it was Milder’s powerful advocacy efforts in the Nebraska Legislature on behalf of infants, toddlers and preschoolers at risk of school failure for socioeconomic reasons that most distinguished the last year of her life, and won her the award. Her mentoring work for more than a decade in North Omaha convinced her that the smartest place for public policy to improve equal opportunity is among children at risk in the earliest years of life --not waiting until problems explode in adolescence.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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ORGANIZATIONS Two months before her death on July 7, 2005, she successfully championed a bill in the Nebraska Legislature that made high-quality preschool programs more available to the state’s four-year-olds at risk. The bill passed on a vote of 32-0. “Knowing Ally, she might want us to take comfort today in an old Jewish saying that ‘the only truly dead are those who have been forgotten,’’’ Sen. Grassley wrote in a July 11 tribute to Milder in the Congressional Record. “There is no doubt that Ally Milder will be remembered. She was full of life, bright, hardworking, and someone focused on the good things in life and making life good for those around her. She will be greatly missed,” Sen. Grassley wrote. Daniel Schlessinger, a seventh grade Superior honor roll student at Kiewit Middle School recently received first place in the Metropolitan Reading and Writing Contest. More than 800 students from Nebraska school districts participated in this contest. The students were asked to write a poem about someone who influenced them in the past; Daniel chose his third grade teacher, Diane Vanourney, a significant person in Daniel’s education and one of his mentors. Daniel will be part of a special awards ceremony on March 11.
YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday at the JCC as “Yesterdays Kids” (Barber Shop Singers) entertain us. Lunch begins at noon in the auditorium. The cost is $6 per person. Try your luck with bingo with Eileen Remer at 10 a.m. Exercise will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the discussion group at 11 a.m. Call Dee Dee for transportation at 330.4272. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638. VISIONS Reminder: David Kotok, World-Herald veteran reporter, will speak on Sunday, Feb. 19, 1:30 p.m. at the JCC about his recent experiences in Iraq. A dessert reception, sponsored by Jewish Senior Services, will follow. Visions Luncheon is March 17, 12:30 p.m., at the Venice Inn. Cost is $9.50 per person. Our guests are co-authors Bill Ramsey and Betty Schrier, who discuss their forthcoming book on David Kaufman: Holocaust Rescuer. Send reservations with payment to: Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard, Omaha, NE 68114 by March 10. For information call Jim Wax at 393.4442.
Join us for a great lunch and a show, Don’t Dress for Dinner, at the Mahoney State Park on Sunday, March 19. Cost is $23 per person includes transportation, buffet lunch, theater ticket, tax and gratuity. Depart from the JCC at 11:15 a.m. and return by approximately 5 p.m. Send reservations with payment to: Rose Pitlor, 827 Dillon Drive, Omaha, NE 68132 by March 8. For information call Ethel Goldston at 393-7358. First come, first served! Deadline is March 8. Join our tour to Kansas City, sponsored by Elite Tours, on June 6-7. Cost is $180 double occupancy, per person, or $210 Single. Send reservations with full payment to: Anne Skolkin, 1010 Regency Parkway #302, Omaha, NE 68114 by April 20. Make all checks payable to Visions. B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Tom Goutierre will speak at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, Feb. 22, noon, at the Regency Lodge, according to Gary Javitch, chairman. Goutierre, a professor at UNO, will talk about what is going on in the world. All men and women in the community are invited. Cost is $11 for a complete lunch and $3 for beverage service only.
This year’s winter play at Millard North High School is Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. The play, based on Roald Dahl’s novel, is the sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This story begins with Willy Wonka taking the entire Bucket family on a ride into orbit in his glass elevator. While traveling, the characters must deal with nervous world leaders, a spaceship, evil kings, and their own fears. The cast includes Steve Meyer, Anna Munzesheimer, and Sara Munzesheimer. Director is Jan Fischer. The play will be performed at Millard North High (144th & Pacific) on Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m., and on Sunday Feb. 26, 2 p.m. Tickets, in the form of candy bars, will be available at the door for $6. Valpak of Omaha LLC, locally owned and operated by Scott Farkas and Omaha native Mimi Rogers, has been recognized nationally for their first year success by the parent company, Cox Target Marketing of Largo FL, and recognized in the Cox Enterprises publication Delivery. Cox Target Marketing is a branch of Cox Enterprises of Atlanta, GA.
Shabbaton Explores Jewish Heroes
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Beth El sixth through eighth graders gathered for a group photo during their recent Kadima Shabbaton retreat at Gretna’s 4-H camp. The weekend, themed “Jewish Superheroes: Bringing Their History to Your Future,” offered attendees the opportunity
to explore the lives and deeds of Jewish leaders and heroes from both biblical and contemporary times. The 27 participating students were also treated to a variety of fun and educational activities and games, as well as an interactive Shabbat service.
Tickets are available at at the Holland Center, call 402-345-0606, or Ticketmaster.com and outlets, call 402-422-1212 (Omaha) or 402-475-1212 (Lincoln) Due to the nature of live entertainment dates, times, prices, shows, actors, venues, and on sales are subject to change without notice. All tickets subject to convenience charges.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
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Turin Games Provide Another Home for ‘Wandering’ Jewish Hockey Star slur. by CHANAN TIGAY “That was the first time I heard any of that stuff. I NEW YORK (JTA) -- Mathieu Schneider’s father calls made a mental note that the next time I had a chance, I him “the Wandering Jew.” And while, historically speaking, most Jews haven’t would run the guy into the sideboards. And I did,” he done their wandering on ice skates, it’s not difficult to was quoted as saying on the Jewishvirtuallibrary.org see how the term applies to Schneider: Over the course Web site. of his 17-year National Hockey League career, he’s But outside of that--and one other similar experience played in six different cities. at the start of his career--“there’s never be any kind of Currently a star defenseman for the Detroit Red taunting on the ice since.” Wings, he’s bounced from Montreal to Long Island to In the intervening years, he said, the NHL has instiToronto to Manhattan to tuted sensitivity training for Los Angeles and, most its players, and Schneider recently, on to Detroit. thinks it’s working. “I’ve been fortunate “I think society in general throughout my career to has become a lot more aware play in cities with tremenof it, and the sports world dous Jewish communities,” just kind of caught up,” he Schneider, 36, told JTA. “I said. feel as though I’ve ben a role Schneider, who maintains a model in each city that I’ve home in California and is a played in. There are very few member of the Jewish Jewish hockey players, and Community Center in it’s been a nice role for me Redondo Beach, Calif., said and I’ve really enjoyed it.” that over the years he has In February, Schneider made an effort to sit out on will be suiting up for anothYom Kippur and fast. It’s er trip: this one to Turin, generally not too hard, he Italy, where the “Wandering said, because the High Jew” will strap on his skates Holidays tend to fall as a member of the U.S. during training camp and Olympic Hockey Team. It’s not during regular season the second time Schneider Mathieu Schneider of the Detroit Red Wings and the U.S. play. Credit: Detroit Red Wings will be representing the Olympic Hockey Team. Schneider’s mother conUnited States on Olympic ice--and this time, Schneider verted to Judaism to marry his father. Today, he said, says, he’s hoping to just enjoy the experience. “she’s probably the most knowledgeable of the whole “The first time around there were so many uncertain- family” about Judaism. ties,” said Schneider, a native of New York, says of the Schneider and his wife, who has been in the process of 1998 Games. “It was the first time the NHL went to the converting for the last couple of years, have three chilOlympics. The travel was really tough.” dren--and one more on the way. They are, he said, being Schneider has played in more than 1,000 NHL games raised as Jews. since 1987. “As you get older, and especially when you have a famAlong with Washington’s Jeff Halpern and Los ily, religion becomes more important,” he said. “I was Angeles’ Michael Cammalleri, Schneider is thought to raised as a proud Jew and I believe a lot of the lessons be one of just three Jews in the NHL. He says his reli- Judaism teaches relate really well to family. gion hasn’t been a problem for him on the ice. “In the times we live in, I think it’s very important to Early on in his career, he recalled, there was an inci- give children that sense of guidance,” he added. “Jews dent in which an opposing player unleashed an ethnic have always stuck together.’’
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From left: 2006 Olympic ice dancers Melissa Gregory with her partner Denis Petukhov; Jamie Silverstein with her skating partner Ryan O’Meara, and Ben Agosto with his skating partner Tanith Belbin. Gregory, Silverstein and Agosto are Jewish. Credit: Paul Harvath/U.S. Figure Skating
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Omaha Performing Arts is bringing the sing-a-long children’s show “Hello World!” starring 2006 Grammy Award nominees Red Grammer and Tom Chapin, to the Holland Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2:30 p.m. Both Grammer and Chapin received nominations for Best Musical Album in the 48th annual Grammy Awards. Their concert together will feature uplifting themes, innovative lyrics, and irresistible melodies that draw out the intelligence, playfulness and inquisitive nature of children. Tickets range from $10-$15. For ticket information, call 345.0202
One Week to Deadline for Website Survey by CAROL KATZMAN Readers of the Jewish Press have one week to submit their responses to the website survey. Readers can take the survey online by going to www.jewishomaha.org and clicking on “Take the Jewish Press Website Survey” or they can fill out the insert in last week’s Press and mail it to: Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; or fax it to: 402.334.5422. The Press Committee will analyze the information gleaned from the surveys to determine if an expanded website is warranted. The deadline is Friday, Feb. 24. For additional information or another copy of the survey, call 334.6448.
February 17, 2006
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
Symbol of City Hosting Games Was Supposed to be a Synagogue
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A view of Turin, Italy. Historically, much of Piedmont was ruled by the House of Savoy. Jews were segregated from Christians as early as 1430, and formal ghettos were established in Turin and elsewhere in the 17th and 18th centuries. In many places, Jews were forced to pay special taxes, wear special identifying badges and submit to other severe restrictions. But ghetto life was still less restrictive than in other parts of Italy. Jews could carry out a variety of professions, and there was frequent interaction between Jews and their Christian neighbors. Piedmont was the cradle of the Risorgimento, or unification, movement that led to Italian independence, and
many Jews were active in the struggle, linking their own aspirations for freedom to those of other Italians. In 1848, Savoy King Carlo Alberto issued the landmark Edict of Emancipation that granted Jews The Mole Antonelliana, the symbol of full civil rights. Piedmont Jews Turin, Italy. Credit: M. Klüber Fotografie assimilated into Italian society, so much so that in the decades before World War II, many Piedmont Jews supported the fascist regime. The anti-Semitic laws passed in 1938 devastated the community, and many local Jews became antifascist partisans. About 1,400 Jews lived in Piedmont before World War II. A monument at Turin’s Porta Nuova station commemorates the approximately 400 who were deported to their deaths in Auschwitz. The most magnificent synagogue in Piedmont is in Casale Monferrato, south of Turin. It was originally built in 1595 in the heart of the old Jewish ghetto, but over the following two centuries it was enlarged, redesigned and redecorated in a rococo style. The opulent decor boasts huge gilded chandeliers, and white, cobalt and gold-colored walls on which Hebrew inscriptions are framed by gilded stucco work. The ark, where the scrolls of the Torah are kept, features fluted Corinthian columns and an elaborately carved frieze and cornice. In 1969, after a full-scale restoration carried out by the state, the synagogue was declared a national monument and opened to the public as a Jewish museum, where the tiny local Jewish community sponsors concerts and other cultural events. The Turin Jewish community has an informative English-language Web site with contact numbers to arrange kosher food and information on Jewish heritage sites in the region: www.torinoebraica.it/EN/comunita.php.
o
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Another local Jew, Rita Levi-Montalcini, escaped fascist persecution to the United States and went on to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Visitors to the Olympics can also visit a score of towns and cities in Piedmont where extraordinary examples of Jewish heritage illustrate the sweep of Jewish history in the region. These include former ghetto areas, evocative Jewish cemeteries and splendidly ornate synagogues. Several of the Piedmont synagogues have been restored recently, and a dozen can be visited. An industrial city famed for its Fiat auto works, Turin is the capital of Italy’s Piedmont region, sandwiched between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. Besides Turin, there are two much smaller Jewish communities in the region, in Vercelli and in Casale Monferatto. Jewish history in Piedmont can be traced back to the fifth century.
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by RUTH ELLEN GRUBER ROME (JTA) -- The symbol of the city hosting the Winter Olympics was originally conceived of as a synagogue. The building in question in Turin, Italy, is a towering structure with a steep, four-sided dome and soaring spire. Now called the Mole Antonelliana, it now forms the symbol of Turin, where the Olympics are taking place through Feb. 26. Begun in the 1860s, the building was originally designed to be a synagogue whose lavish proportions would have celebrated the freedom, pride and prosperity of Turin’s newly emancipated Jews. Unfortunately, the ambitious project nearly bankrupted the Jewish community, which ended up selling it to the city in 1877, well before it was completed. A less imposing but still ornate synagogue with four turrets topped by onion domes was built in the early 1880s. Heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II, it was reconstructed in 1949 and is still in operation today. Today, the city’s Jewish community is small, with about 1,000 Jews, said community member Arturo Tedeschi, who called the community “tiny but lively” even though the membership is steadily dwindling. Visitors to the Winter Olympics will be able to learn about the Jewish community, its history and heritage at a major multimedia exhibition mounted as part of a series of cultural events being staged in Turin alongside the Games. Called “Discovering Jewish Life and Culture,” the exhibition explores the music, traditions and sites of Piedmontese Jewry, using projected images and videos, narrative voices and sound alongside displays of documents, ritual objects and pictures. “It is not just an exhibition of photographs or a display of objects, but a real journey through the customs and traditions of the Jewish people,’’ said curator Riccardo Mazza, whose audiovisual installations are centerpieces of the exhibition. The exhibition centers on three key symbols of the Jewish experience in Piedmont--the ghetto, the synagogue, and the life and work of Primo Levi, the Turinborn writer and chemist who survived Auschwitz and evoked the Holocaust and its horrors in his writings.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
Cartoons and Free Speech The Jewish Press is not afraid to push the envelope when it comes to opinion pieces. We’ll say it again; we’re not afraid to print opposing points of view, left and right, on issues ranging from Israel’s security barrier to the war in Iraq to Islamic fascism to reproductive rights to communal topics. In addition to reporting the news, profiling personalities, sharing the simchas of our lives and the sadness, the Jewish Press has an obligation to its readers to act as a forum for the issues of the day. You may not agree with any of the positions taken, or you may like them all (and you, too, have the opportunity to have your opinions printed in this paper). As the only vehicle to reach all Jewish households in Nebraska and Western Iowa, we’d like to think that this unique position enables the Jewish Press to be the town hall, so to speak, of the heartland’s Jewish community. Granted, this right to speak our minds does not allow us to yell “Fire” in the theater at the Jewish Community Center. And, of course, libel laws apply to this paper just like they do to any other media in this country (we do carry libel insurance, but we’d rather not test its effectiveness!). On the other hand, the Press should not back down from an issue just because someone might be offended. Frankly, part of our job is to occasionally offend our readers. Judaism, after all, is not about feeling comfortable; it’s about correct-
ing the wrongs in the world and performing teshuva (asking forgiveness) for our sins, too. It’s a fine line we walk. We try to balance the job of publishing thought-provoking op-ed pieces that will get our readers thinking, talking and maybe even doing, while maintaining a sense of civil discourse that is still respectful. Having said that, we know our readers have opinions. (That’s an understatement!) And we’d like to know what they are. What do you think about the “cartoon controversy”? Do you think rioting, setting embassies afire and killing a dozen (other) Muslims is justified? (Yes, that was a loaded question.) A Jewish student group is asking the same question--but in a different format. They’re sponsoring a cartoon contest to counter an anti-Semitic comics competition in Iran. The World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) announced its international editorial cartoon contest, Fight Hate with Humor, an effort to “stand the Iranians on their heads,”
according to JTA. The Hamshahri daily launched a worldwide contest for cartoons that question the Holocaust in response to the publication by European newspapers of cartoons satirizing Islam’s prophet, Mohammed. Submissions can be made until May 1 at www.wujs.org.il/home/cartoon.php. “The whole thing about the Iranian contest would be hilarious if it weren’t so terrifying,” said editorial cartoonist Edward Margolis, who is backing the WUJS contest along with cartoonist Noah Crissey, whose cartoon is published below. A dozen years ago, there were few Jewish political cartoonists. Today, we are lucky to have an abundance: Stuart Goldman, Yaakov Kirshen’s Dry Bones, Steve Greenberg of California, John Kron of Australia, and the duo of Crissey and Margolis. The Jewish Press is proud to have published works from all these talented cartoonists and will continue to do so. As we stated initially: we are not afraid.
Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha 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.
Cartoons and Islamic Imperialism
BEHIND THE H EADLINES by DANIEL PIPES The key issue at stake in the battle over the 12 Danish cartoons of the Muslim prophet Muhammad is this: will the West stand up for its customs and mores, including freedom of speech, or will Muslims impose their way of life on the West? Ultimately, there is no compromise; Westerners will either retain their civilization, including the right to insult and blaspheme, or not. More specifically, will Westerners accede to a double standard by which Muslims are free to insult Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, while Muhammad, Islam, and Muslims enjoy an immunity from insults? Muslims routinely publish cartoons far more offensive than the Danish ones; are they entitled to dish it out while being insulated from similar indignities? Germany’s Die Welt newspaper hinted at this issue in an editorial: “The protests from Muslims would be taken more seriously if they were less hypocritical. When Syrian television showed drama documentaries in prime time depicting rabbis as cannibals, the imams were quiet.” Nor, by the way, have imams protested the stomping on the Christian cross embedded in the Danish flag. The deeper issue here, however, is not Muslim hypocrisy but Islamic supremacism. Flemming Rose, the Danish editor who published the cartoons, explains that if Muslims insist “that I, as a non-Muslim, should submit to their taboos, … they're asking for my submission.” Precisely. Robert Spencer rightly calls on the free world to stand “resolutely with Denmark.” The informative Brussels Journal asserts, “We are all Danes now.” Some governments get it:
(Founded in 1920) Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Terri Greenwood Advertising Executive Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Jewish Press Committee Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; David Herzog; Jamie Meyerson; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joe Shyken; Michael Siegal; Nancy Skid; Dorothy Spizman; and Melany Weinstine. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press is a constitutional committee of the Jewish Federation.
• Norway: “we will not apologize because in a country like Norway, which guarantees freedom of expression, we cannot apologize for what the newspapers print,” commented Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. • Germany: “Why should the German government apologize [for German papers publishing the cartoons]? This is an expression of press freedom,” said Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble. • France: “Political cartoons are by nature excessive. And I prefer an excess of caricature to an excess of censorship,” commented Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.
Western governments should take a crash course on Islamic law and the historically-abiding Muslim imperative to subjugate non-Muslim peoples. Other governments wrongly apologized: • Poland: “the bounds of properly conceived freedom of expression have been overstepped,” stated Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz. • United Kingdom: “the republication of these cartoons has been unnecessary, it has been insensitive, it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong,” said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. • New Zealand: “gratuitously offensive,” Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton called the cartoons. • United States: “”Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable,” said State Department press officer Janelle Hironimus. Strangely, as “Old Europe” finds its backbone, the Anglosphere quivers. So awful was the U.S. government reaction, it actually won the endorsement of the country’s leading Islamist organization, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. This should come as no great surprise, however, for Washington has a history of treating Islam preferentially; and on two earlier occasions it also faltered in cases of insults concerning Muhammad. In 1989, Salman Rushdie came under a death edict from Ayatollah Khomeini for satirizing Muhammad in his magical-realism novel, The Satanic Verses. Rather than stand up for the novelist’s life, President George H.W. Bush equated The Satanic Verses and the death edict, calling both “offensive.” Secretary of State James A. Baker III termed the edict merely “regrettable.” Even worse, in 1997 when an Israeli woman distributed a poster of Muhammad as a pig, the U.S. government shamefully abandoned its protection of free speech. On behalf of President Bill Clinton, State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns called the woman in question “either sick or … evil” and stated that “She deserves to be put on trial for these outrageous attacks on Islam.” The State Department endorses a criminal trial for protected speech? Stranger yet was the context of this outburst; as I noted at the time, having combed through weeks of State Department briefings, I “found nothing approaching this vituperative language in reference to the horrors that took place in Rwanda, where hundreds of thousands lost their lives. To the contrary, Mr. Burns was throughout cautious and diplomatic.” Western governments should take a crash course on Islamic law and the historicallyabiding Muslim imperative to subjugate nonMuslim peoples. They might start by reading the forthcoming book by Efraim Karsh, Islamic Imperialism: A History (Yale). Peoples who would stay free must stand unreservedly with Denmark. Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and author of Miniatures (Transaction Publishers). He can be reached at: www.DanielPipes.org.
Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, noon, eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For more information, contact Carol Katzman, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $31 per calendar year U.S.; $36 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE or e-mail to: 68154-2198 jpress@jewishomaha. org.
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Dangerous Hypocrisy: World Reactions to the Danish Cartoons alone. Muslim youth rampaged in Nigeria in 2002 and killed 100 Christians and injured 200 others. How can Muslims demand that their sensibilities be respected when they assault other religions and don’t even begin soul-searching to rethink their own intolerby ROBERTA SEID, PhD AND ROZ ROTHSTEIN ance and religious prejudices? Why aren’t Western Westerners are agonizing about whether the 12 Danish democracies consistently denouncing this violent behavcartoons of Mohammed showed unforgivable prejudice ior? Is it because they have double standards and believe against Islam. Enraged Muslims in Europe, the Middle Islam must be treated differently than Christianity, East and Asia are rampaging in protest against the car- Judaism, Buddhism and other religions? Is it because toons, demanding apologies, boycotts, blood and even they have become so secular that they see no reason to beheadings. But in all this, the real outrage is overlooked: defend or protect the historic religions of the West? the sheer hypocrisy of these reactions. Or is it because they are intimidated by the threats of These angry Muslims demand that the violence against them if Why was there no effective protest world honor Islamic symbols and sensitivithey speak out? Do they ties, but adamantly refuse to grant the same when the Taliban destroyed pre-Islamic fear they will share the to other religions. They don’t just draw satir- masterpieces, including the almost fate of the brutally murical cartoons or limit their insults to words 2000-year-old 165-foot statue of dered Theodore Van and discriminatory laws. They have intenGogh or the fate of tionally and regularly desecrated and Buddha? Where was the outrage when Salman Rushdie who was destroyed religious icons, holy sites and Muslims destroyed churches in forced into hiding after a houses of worship sacred to other faiths. Yet Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Thailand, fatwa was issued that the world, including progressive democracies Iraq and Sudan, and 175 Nigerian condemned his novel and whose core ideal is tolerance, has remained churches in 2004? called for his execution? silent about these assaults on other religions. Something far more Why was there no effective protest when the Taliban profound and ominous has been exposed by the cartoon destroyed pre-Islamic masterpieces, including the almost incident. The radical Muslim message is clear: We can 2000-year-old 165-foot statue of Buddha? Where was insult your religions. We can desecrate and destroy your the outrage when Muslims destroyed churches in holy places and kill your co-religionists, but you cannot do Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Iraq and Sudan, something as trivial as publishing satirical drawings of our and 175 Nigerian churches in 2004? sacred symbols. Where was the indignation when armed Palestinian Only our religion should be honored and respected. Muslim terrorists forced their way into the Church of The world must defer to our rules and sensitivities. If the Nativity in 2002 for 38 days and shot bullet holes in you violate them, we will erupt in riots and violence and the walls and used the pages of Christian holy books as call for your deaths. toilet paper? In short, the incident has laid bare radical Islam’s Why was there no outcry when Palestinian Muslims impassioned battle to dominate the West and impose repeatedly attacked Jewish holy sites, such as Rachel’s Islamist values and a radical Islamist world order. They Tomb, or when they destroyed Joseph’s Tomb, burned are trying to get us to respect Islam according to their its prayer books, Bibles and religious articles and con- rules not through persuasion but through intimidation verted the age-old Jewish holy site into a mosque? Why and violence. Those who do not obey will be subject to was the world silent between 1948 and 1967 when a savagery and rage that radical Muslims will unapoloJordanian Muslims destroyed all 57 of Jerusalem’s getically justify in the name of Allah and Mohammed. ancient Jewish temples, libraries and yeshivas and used Anti-Western governments like Iran and Syria and radithe sacred stones for urinals and sidewalks? cal Islamists will cynically fan the flames. The world has been strangely silent, too, when Muslims We are face-to-face not just with hypocrisy, but also have gone beyond attacking holy symbols and have perse- with radical Islamists’ stark bid for religious dominance. cuted and murdered men, women and children for the Let us hope that democracies and moderate Muslims crime of not being Muslim. The Laskar Jihad movement have the clarity, self-confidence and strength to win this of Indonesia has killed 5,000 Christians and made a half- battle of the 21st century. million of them homeless. In Egypt, Copts are persecuted Roberta Seid, PhD is a historian. Roz Rothstein is the and dozens in el-Kusheh were killed in January 2000 National Director for StandWithUs.
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: Paradise Now is a feature film about two Palestinian friends who volunteer to carry out a terrorist attack (suicide bomb) in Tel Aviv condoning their acts. The movie promotes violation of the basic human right to live, intertwined with strong anti-Semitic messages. The movie uses misplaced compassion and rationalizes the irrational. By distributing the movie, Warner Independent Pictures has served notice to society that it sides with terrorism. By handing out a Golden Globe Award to the movie, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has served notice to society it condones suicide bombing.
HOW’S YOUR MOTHER?
SHE’S FINE.
Now we learn that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated the movie for an Oscar. I call upon your readership to contact directly or via influential family members and friends the Academy, and remove the movie’s nomination. As Golda Meir said in 1948, “I beg of you; don’t be too late. Don’t be bitterly sorry three months from now for what you failed to do today. The time is now.” Eli Rohn, Department of Information Systems, School of Computing Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology
SHE’S AT THE FULL CIRCLE SHORT-TERM REHAB UNIT AT THE BLUMKIN HOME, GETTING STRONG ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO HER APARTMENT AFTER BEING IN THE HOSPITAL. BLUMKIN HOME? REALLY?
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 13
Peace in Our Time?
LETTER FROM ISRAEL by HARRY ALLEN Abba Eban once famously remarked that “the Palestinians have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” What was true in past decades now seems more to the point than ever. The overwhelming electoral win by Hamas in the Palestinian elections brings to an end any hopes for a negotiated settlement in the near term. The “liberal” world will now once more drag out the bromide of “we must deal with the root causes of violence” in order to bring peace. Over the next weeks and months we will be hearing much about how Israel should have been more forthcoming with the Palestinians, or how the United States has fomented more terrorism, or how much suffering has been inflicted on the terribly misunderstood Muslim world by the West, by Israel or whomever. And don’t expect the United States, the European Union and the U.N. to strongly reject a Hamas rule for the Palestinians. They will all go wobbly within a few months after the initial shock wears off. If the West cannot halt development of atomic weapons by the crazies in Iran (and they wont) they certainly cannot deal with Islamic fundamentalism among the Palestinians. Ex-president Jimmy Carter has already spoken of the need to funnel large amounts of money into the “Destitute Palestinian authority”. And this the day after the Hamas landslide. How Israel will now proceed is very much an open question and depends in no small measure on the outcome of the March elections. To be sure there will be no negotiation with Hamas as long as they remain committed to the destruction of Israel. If over time the Palestinians come to the somber and sensible conclusion that collecting the garbage, providing a decent economy and living in peace is all more important than the greater glory of Islam, Israel will sit at the table with them. But that is all in the future. What of now. It is likely--but not yet certain--that the Palestinian elections will bolster the hard line parties in Israel to the detriment of Sharon’s legacy, the Kadima party as well as the Labor party. Netanyahu has already made major statements bluntly accusing the Sharon policy of unilateral disengagement from Gaza of convincing the Palestinians that terror pays. It will be a theme that will be bandied about with increasing frequency from now until the elections. Netanyahu, riding the crest of a Hamas victory, may well jockey himself back into power. Ehud Olmert, who thus far has done a very credible job, as acting prime minister will very likely freeze any unilateral disengagement until after the elections, but will speed up the construction of separation barrier, widely supported in Israel. But as the barrier becomes extended it brings the question of settlements front and center. Once we have fully separated do we maintain a military presence in the outlying settlements or do we slowly relocate them? This is a policy question which will bedevil the Israel political scene for years to come. For us as Israelis one thing is very clear. Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” is a long way off. This is a reality to which the world Jewish community must also adjust. No amount of tolerance for radical Islam and the suffering it has brought should be part of the Jewish agenda. Former Lincolnite Harry Allen lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Annie. He can be reached at: hsallen@internet-zahav.net.
I ALWAYS SEND MY HIP SURGERY PATIENTS TO THE FULL CIRCLE REHAB UNIT BEFORE THEY’RE READY TO GO HOME. THAT’S WHAT I TOLD HER TO TELL HER DOCTOR, TOO.
IF WE FINISH UP PRETTY SOON HERE, I’LL STILL HAVE TIME TO VISIT HER BEFORE SHE GOES TO HER CERAMICS CLASS.
Contact us at 330-4272, info@rbjh.com. or http://www.rbjh.com .
Page 14
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
Candlelighting Friday, Feb. 17, 5:42 p.m.
Synagogue Listings
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
B’nai Israel Synagogue
FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
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
Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 nebraskajudaism.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 333 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 Minyan 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.tiferethlincoln.org
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BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE BETH EL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m., in the chapel. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Alternative Service, 10 a.m.; Junior Congregation (3-7), 10 a.m.; K’tantan (K-2), 10:45 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by Beth El; Evening Service, 5:50 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. SUNDAY: Bible Discussion Group, Living Hebrew, Adult B’nai Mitzvah class, and The Blessing of Good Parenting, taught by Stefani Lailari (babysitting is available), all at 10 a.m.; Nashir Choir, 10-11 a.m.; Jewish Pot Pourri Class and From Your Heart to God’s Ears, 11 a.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m./5:30 p.m.; Weekdays, 6:55 a.m./5:30 p.m. PATTER: Wednesdays, 10:30 -11:45 a.m. led by Helen Epstein THURSDAY, noon: Discovering the Talmud: Lessons for Everyday Living with Rabbi Levin. BESTT WORKSHOPS: This series of workshops will focus on ways to identify and intervene in situations of child abuse, bullying and other types of child victimization, Sundays, 12:15 p.m.: Feb. 26, March 5 and 26. There is no cost. To register, contact Judy Rubin at 498.0904, or via e-mail at eddir@bethel-omaha.org. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., at the JCC Child Development Center, to explore “Fun Jewish Things to Do with Kids and Grandkids!” (See page 2 for article.) SISTERHOOD HAMANTASCHEN SALE Available in four flavors, cost is $6 a dozen. Order forms available in the office, or send a check--made payable to Beth El Sisterhood--to: 14506 California St., Omaha NE 68154. Pick-up Sunday, March 5, 10 a.m. to noon, or March 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CANTOR’S CONCERT Thursday, March 2, 7 p.m., featuring Jewish rock icon Rick Recht. The community is invited to attend “Rock ‘n’ Roll for Your
Office Hours: MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free Babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush sponsored by Donald and Maggie Gerber in honor of Benjamin’s 20th birthday; Mincha, 5:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 6:44 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Rabbi Ari Dembitzer will teach Rabbi Gross’s Sunday morning classes. Women’s Chesed Project, 3 p.m.; Contact the office for Mincha/Ma’ariv time. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m; Contact the office for Mincha/Ma’ariv time. TUESDAY: NCSY Latte & Learning, 7 p.m. at Scooter’s, 120th & Blondo; Programming Committee Meeting, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Advanced Parsha Study, 9 p.m.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m., led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg provided by Tracy Gordon. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. SUNDAY: Gan Simcha, grades 2-7, and Hallah High 9:30 a.m.noon, at Tifereth Israel; grades K1, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at B’nai Jeshurun; Purim Spiel Rehearsal, 1-3 p.m.; Winter Lecture Series, 7 p.m. at Unitarain Church, 6300 ‘A’ St.; the topic is “Public Health Issues of China” with guest speaker, Ilan Newman. MONDAY, FEB. 20: Office closed for President’s Day. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew class (grades 2-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAYS, 7 p.m. Intro to Judaism, led by Rabbi Emanuel. THURSDAY, 7 p.m. Kabblah and Jewish Mysticism, led by Rabbi Emanuel (second and fourth Thursdays of the month).
BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE
CHABAD HOUSE
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME
Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Ima & Me, 10 a.m.; Services, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service. SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m.; Torah Studies, 10-11:30 a.m. The Exodus Series, a 10-week course exploring themes of leadership, liberty, law, and growth. WEEKDAYS: Minyan, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY: Women of Worth Prayer Circle, 9 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Kabbalah Circle, 7 p.m. THURSDAY: Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m.; Torah Tots (ages 35), 4:15 p.m. For information about programs or to register for classes, or visit: call the office www.nebraska-judaism.com.
FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9 a.m., led by Steve Riekes.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m.; Rabbi Craig Marantz, and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SUNDAY: No Religious School (K-6). SITTER SERVICE: Available at each Friday evening service, Saturday mornings when there is a bar or bat mitzvah, and Sunday mornings when there is Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation are appreciated. Sorry, there are no facilities for infants. TUESDAY, Feb. 21: Family School and Dinner, 5:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22: Religious School, 3-6, 4 p.m.;
Jewish Book Council Sponsors Birthright Trip by MIRI POMERANTZ In May, the Jewish Book Council will co-sponsor with the Mayanot Institute, the first “Israel in Print” birthright israel trip. The program offers Jewish 1826 year olds--who have not previously been on a organized, peer trip--a free 10-day trip to Israel to experience the country, learn about the history and culture, and just generally have an amazing, fun, whirlwind tour of Israel with their peers. Recently, “special interest” birthright trips have been forming, trips that tailor their itinieraries and gather a group of participants with a similar focus. This new “Israel in Print” is focused on literature, journalism, and writing. It will include all of the standard elements of a birthright israel trip--like
swimming in the Dead Sea, hiking Masada, taking jeep rides in the desert, visiting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tiberias, and Sfat--along with special activities. The partnership between Mayanot and Jewish Boo Council will allow participants to see an Israel that most visitors never do--by meeting with Israel’s most famous authors and journalists, respected, awardwinning writers as well as the hottest up-and-coming young talent. Contact our office or go online to visit www.mayanotisrael.com/jbc. The trip is tentatively scheduled for the end of May, after most universities are done for the year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: 212.786.5157
Informal Dinner, 6 p.m.; Middle/ High School, 7-11, 6:30 p.m. at Temple Israel; Grade 12 at the home of Hollis Glaser, 6:30 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.: Bad Girls of the Bible with Guy Matalon. Cost $18 THURSDAY, Feb. 23: “Adult Study with the Clergy” with Cantor Shermet, 10-11:30 a.m. JEWISH BOOK TALK at Temple Israel on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m. Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska is the second selection in the five-part Jewish Literature Book Discussion Group in partnership with the Council Bluffs Public Library. Register for “Let’s Talk About It,” at lfriesner@ cbpl.lib.ia.us or 712.323.7553, ext. 132. TUESDAY, Feb. 21: Temple Israel Board of Trustees meeting, 7:30 p.m. HAMANTASCHEN BAKING: Sunday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m. in Temple’s kitchen. Last year, 900 triangular treats were made for the congregational Purim dinner. Will you be there to help us make more this year? Contact Allison Latenser at alatenser@yahoo. com to RSVP. Rolling pins not required, but are helpful. CRADLE ROLL: Sunday, Feb. 26, 10:30 a.m. in Temple Israel Milder Center. Parents (and grandparents, too!) are invited, along with their children (infant to pre-kindergarten age) to play and learn together with other families who have young children. In order to make sure there are supplies and snacks for all the children, please RSVP to Ann Osborne, at 933.4954 or annoz13@cox.net by Feb. 22.
NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Minyan, 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Rabbi Royi Shaffin. Minyan, MONDAY & THURSDAY, 7 a.m., followed by breakfast. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. with a Shabbat dinner following. SATURDAY: Parashat Hashavu’a class, 8:30 a.m.; Morning service, 9:30 a.m., followed by Shabbat lunch and Talmud class. SUNDAY: Gan Simcha, grades K, and 4-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon, at Tifereth Israel; grades 1-3 and Hallah High, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at B’nai Jeshurun. TUESDAY: Ladies’ Lunch Bunch will meet at Olive Garden, noon. If you need a ride, call Marcia Kushner, 423.5959; Kashrut Class, call the office for class time. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, at 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew class (grades 2-7), 4-6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24: Shabbat Dinner prepared by Rifka Keilson. Send a check for $10 per person to the office to reserve your spot.
Pulverente MONUMENT CO.
February 17, 2006
Only Ten?
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Yitro It has been noted again and again and again that there is no Sidra that bears the name of Moses. But our present Sidra carries the name of the non-Jewish father-inlaw of Moses. Indeed, he was “priest” of Heliopilos. To be sure, Jewish tradition assumes that after the experience of the Ten Commandments, he immediately became a Jew. The Ten Commandments are nowhere called “commandments.” They are only “Ten Words” or “Ten Utterances.” Note the magnificent assumptions of the Author (Note that I have used a capital ‘A’.) The first of these assumptions is that there is a Universal Power. How else could the Israelites have escaped Egypt? The second assumption is that this Power is moral. Why else would He (or It) have bothered to free the Israelites? And note that the so-called Ten Commandments begins with this introduction, that I am the One Who freed you from bondage. There is a problem for anyone who wants to find precisely Ten Commandments. From the Fourth through the 10th, there is no problem. But how, precisely, do you find three in the sentences beginning the Ten and preceding the Fourth. All that having been said, it is certainly not necessary to remind ourselves that this short TuB’shevat Lauritzen statement has been read, repeated, and cherished by a very large segment of mankind since Man could read. Society without the Ten Commandments seems unthinkable. What more needs to be added? And what could possibly be subtracted? We have a statement, short, precise and commanding--though the word “command” or “commandments” does not appear. The Bible’s magnificent language (whether Hebrew or English) is exemplified in these simple but universal words beyond anything that one might try to include in a short, pithy statement. It was altogether right for teachers to demand that these few sentences should be committed to memory. A living human society can hardly exist without them, whether they are known or assumed. Read them again and again!
DEATHS RACHEL BLEICHER Former Omahan Rachel Bleicher died Feb. 12 at the Cohen Home for Assisted Living in Atlanta, GA. She was 98. Services were held Feb. 15 at Temple Israel. While teaching high school in Flint, MI, she met and married David Bleicher in 1929, and lived in Omaha for most of her married life until his death in 1984. The couple were partners in the insurance and real estate business and built a nursing home at 46th and Redman. Active in numerous civic and Jewish organizations, she served as an officer in the PTA, League of Women Voters, B’nai B’rith Women, Hadassah, and Temple Israel Sisterhood. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Miriam. She is survived by her son, Samuel A. Bleicher of Arlington, VA; son and daughter-in-law, Michael N. and Jeanne Bleicher of Atlanta, GA; sister Helen of Jerusalem, Israel; grandchildren, Lana Cabib and Alon Hagalil of Israel, Elizabeth Raybee of Potter Valley, CA, Philip Barr of Ann Arbor, MI, Shuli Rayberg of Philadelphia, PA, Reuven Anaf Shalom of Moundsville, AL, Gila Rayberg of New Orleans, Helene Rhodes of Wilmette, IL, Laurence Bleicher of Nashua, NH, Benjamin Carmel of Portland, OR, Leo Bleicher of LaJolla, CA, and Zena Carmel-Jessup of Silver Spring, MD; 15 great-grandchildren and two great-greatgrandchildren. Memorials to the David and Rachel Bleicher Camp scholarship Fund at Temple Israel or charity of choice. JUDY SIFF Former Omahan Judy Siff died Jan.17 in Denver, CO, after battling cancer for five years. She was 58. A “Celebration of Life” service was held in the mountains of Conifer, CO, led by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel. Also in attendance from Omaha were Larry Kelberg and Tim Zweiback, close family friends. She was active in the Omaha Jewish community from 1985-96. She was the first Temple Israel Social Action Committee Co-Chairman, President of Women’s American ORT (Omaha Chapter), Co-Chairman of Super Sunday, and was involved in numerous other social action activities. She is survived by her two sons Brian (who resides in Costa Rica), and Elliot (who will graduate from the University of Colorado in May), as well as her former husband of 24 years, Barry, who lives in Boulder, CO. Memorials to Temple Israel’s Social Justice Funds.
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Left: Dr. Adolfo Roitman captivated an audience of 260 last Sunday at Beth El, with his enlightening presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls and their significance to both Judaism and Christianity. Roitman, curator of the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum (which houses the scrolls) in Jerusalem, was Beth El’s scholar-in-residence. Right: Also
on Sunday, Nancy Rips and Cantor Gastón Bogomolni, at back center, served as tour guides as they led groups of spectators through the Lauritzen Gardens and taught about the holiday of Tu B’Shevat. The community-wide event offered Israeli dancing and children’s art activities, and was co-sponsored by Beth El and Lauritzen Gardens.
“Mad Science” Comes to Beth Israel by MARY BORT for Beth Israel Synagogue Crawl through an esophagus as you learn about the human body! Study “slippery science” and create your very own goo! If your youngster (or you!) would enjoy these unique type of activities, then make plans to attend the next Travelin’ Toddlers get-together when Mad Science pays a visit to Beth Israel at on Sunday, Feb. 26, 4:30 p.m. Following Mad Science, the community is invited to a Spaghetti Bar Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Mad Science is free; dinner is $5, but free for children who attend Mad Science. According to Brooke Shrago, Beth Israel’s Youth Director, “Travelin’ Toddlers usually travels to different places, to go out on exciting excursions, and we’ve been having so much fun. But this time, the fun literally travels here to Beth Israel. Mad Science is going to bring lots of exciting, hands-on things for the kids to do. For instance, they are bringing a giant ‘esophagus’ that the toddlers can crawl through. How cool is that?!” Travelin’ Toddlers is a group for children ages two to
five, and their families. Older siblings are welcome to attend. In order to entertain both toddlers and older siblings, Mad Science will put on two age-appropriate programs: “The Human Body” program for two- to five-yearolds, and “Slippery Science” for kids in elementary school. Parents also may attend. “Mad Science is always such a huge hit with kids,” said Shrago. “They offer interactive programs and are able to keep even the littlest kids’ attention. There will be plenty to see and do for all of the children. And thedinner will be fun, too, with choices for everyone and a ‘pudding bar’ for dessert. What’s also nice about this event is that we are able to join with others from the congregation, for dinner. So the kids will have fun and learn a little something about science, and then we can all get together with the community to share in a meal.” To make reservations to attend Mad Science, as well as the dinner, contact the office by Feb. 21. For more information, call Shrago at 556.6288 or e-mail her at NCSY@OrthodoxOmaha.org.
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Page 16
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
February 17, 2006
Beth Israel Visiting Scholar to Present “The Jew and the Zoo” at Henry Doorly
The Blumkin Home Hires Two New “Male Escorts”
by MARY BORT for Beth Israel Synagogue Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, senior of the rabbi Riverdale Jewish Center in New York, will visit Beth Israel to present a unique “The Jew Rabbi Jonathan and the Zoo” proRosenblatt gram at Henry Doorly Zoo on Sunday, March 5. “We are so fortunate to have Rabbi Rosenblatt come to Omaha,” stated Rabbi Jonathan Gross. “He leads one of the largest congregations in New York and has been like a mentor to me. It is an honor to be able to host him.” Rabbi Rosenblatt holds a BA and MA from Johns Hopkins in Comparative Literature and a PhD from Columbia University in Modern British Literature; he was ordained at the Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. He has lectured widely in the U.S., the United Kingdom, South Africa and Israel. Rosenblatt is also the author of a book on the sociology of zoos, soon to be published. His interest started early in life. “Since I was a child, I visited zoos with my father,” he explained. “Ever since, I have visited zoos all over the world.” Whenever an opportunity exists, Rosenblatt makes an effort to visit zoos. “During a layover in Antwerp, Belgium, I only had a few hours before my flight. The Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest and most famous in the world, so I couldn’t pass on the chance to squeeze in a visit.”
by SHOSHANNA SCHECHTER-SHAFFIN and tell my wife how much I enjoy workfor Jewish Senior Services ing here.” From Pictionary and sing-alongs to Ames and France have already become exercises and pet visits, on any given day quite popular with the residents, especialthere are a myriad of exciting activities ly some of the ladies, who love being from which to choose for residents of the escorted to activities by the two handRose Blumkin Jewish Home. Until very some men. “There have been some recently, however, transporting residents crushes,” France admits shyly. “I told the between these different activities has ladies that I don’t think my wife would been a rather complicated task. be too happy if I had a girlfriend here.” “It’s been a real challenge,” says Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Outreach programs. “Between transporting residents, running activities, and completing the requisite paperwork, the three activity directors and I barely have a moment to catch our breath.” In the last month, however, the problem has virtually vanished due to the hiring of two new Transport Activity Aides, Pete Ames and Rick France. Both Rick France, left, and Pete Ames are the Blumkin Ames and France are recent Home’s new “male escorts,” assisting residents to activretirees who were looking for a ities, meals and more. change of pace. Along with transporting residents, “I wanted to help people. I wanted to Ames and France have been delivering do something worthwhile,” says Ames, a mail and newspapers to rooms and, former security officer. Since starting the according to Conti, due to their popularjob four weeks ago, both Ames and ity, Ames and France will soon be helping France have clearly found what they were out more with one-on- one programs. looking for and are enjoying the special For Conti and the rest of the activity atmosphere of the Blumkin Home. department, the hiring of Ames and “Everyone here seems so happy; people France has been “an absolute blessing. just help each other out,” says Ames. I’m not so hyper anymore and it is so nice For France, a former paper buyer, this for the residents. I can finally exhale!” job is much different than any job he has For France, however, the philosophy had before. “Usually you can’t wait to behind his new job is simple, “If I can get home from work and forget about make the residents smile at least once a your job; here I can’t wait to get home day, I know I’ve done my job.”
With his studies of late 19th and early 20th century literature, Rosenblatt knows a great deal about the “golden age of zoos.” “Zoos became an established institution as urban life flourished,” he said. “We see how the view of ‘zoo’ moves from ‘menagerie” to ‘Noah’s Ark.’ The shift is very interesting to me. What man thinks of man is reflected in what man thinks of animals.” Rabbi Rosenblatt will lead tours, showing how a visit to the zoo is a Jewish educational experience for children and parents alike. The morning begins with an 8:30 a.m. minyan and breakfast at Beth Israel. At 9:30 a.m., Rabbi Rosenblatt will hold a toddler program at the zoo, followed by a family program at 10:30 a.m. Meet at the lion statue, at the front of the zoo, for both tours. If you are not a member, Beth Israel will pay the entrance fee if you’ve made your reservations with the synagogue office by Monday, Feb. 27. In the event of inclement weather, meet inside the Wild Kingdom Pavilion. Rosenblatt hopes that attendees will see the zoo through a special lens. “As a rabbi, I want to open a window,” he explained. “My interest in literature and sociology dovetails nicely with my role as rabbi.” Another reason he is looking forward to the event is because Rosenblatt has wanted to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo for many years. “Your zoo is world famous and was a big draw for me to visit Omaha.” Call the office--556.6288--by Monday, Feb. 27 to make your reservations. Funding is by the Esther K. Newman Foundation and an anonymous donor.
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