Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA March 8, 2013 26 Adar 5773 Vol. 93 | No. 25
Remembering Louie Blumkin
This Week
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Louis (Louie) Blumkin, born in Omaha on June 27, 1919, son of the late Rose and Isadore Blumkin, passed away February 26, 2013, at the age of 93. He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Batt. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Frances; his sons and daughters-inlaw Ron and Chris Blumkin, Irv and Susie Blumkin, and Steve and Cindy Blumkin; eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and sisters Cynthia Schneider and Sylvia Cohn. Blumkin, along with his mother and brothers-in-law Norman Batt and Jerry Cohn, built Nebraska Furniture Mart into the nation’s largest single-location furniture store. Blumkin worked for the Nebraska Furniture Mart for 75 years. Like his mother Rose, his name was synonymous with the “Mart.” According to the Omaha World Herald, Warren Buffett (who bought a majority of the Mart in 1983) said: “Louie was a great friend, a great partner in business and a great merchant. Beyond that, he was a great teacher. His primary students were his three sons, and they would make any father proud. His legacy is in the
Federation Annual Campaign update Page 3
Incredible experiences in Israel Pages 8 & 9
best of hands.” There was much more to Blumkin, however, than his business. In 1979, the Society of Holocaust Survivors held a dinner to honor veterans who had been instrumental in the liberation of concentration camps during World War II. “Louis Blumkin epitomizes the word “mensch” and was a true “Man of Valor,” said Sam Fried. “In 1945, Louie witnessed firsthand the atrocities of Hitler’s Third Reich as he helped liberate the prisoners at Dachau. He was among the thousands of American and Allied forces who mercifully liberated living skeletons from Nazi slave labor and death camps across Europe in 1945. “Theirs were the faces of hope that we in the death camps had been praying for. The establishment of the Frances and Sam Fried Holocaust/ Genocide Fund along with the
Volcanos, sharks, and molded cheese at Friedel by HARRY BERMAN for Friedel Jewish Academy Shark attack? In Nebraska? At the 2013 Friedel Jewish Academy Science Fair, fossil hunters Noah and Mo Blair revealed that the aforementioned razor toothed
For Chabad misfits, a place to call home Page 16
you could actually feel your hair raise (although that may have been related to the exploration of static electricity and follicular fashion). The Friedel Science Fair started in 2004 under then-principal Cookie Katskee. Cookie saw a great oppor-
Louie Blumkin Frances and Louis Blumkin Holocaust and Genocide Professorship at UNO will be a permanent testament to his generosity and kindness.” During the war, Blumkin served
four and a half years, crossing the Rhine River into Germany with General Patton’s Third Army. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and was hit by shrapnel, which earned him a Purple Heart. After the war ended, he aided displaced persons in reaching Italy. Later, Blumkin and his mother provided employment at the Mart to a number of Holocaust survivors who settled in Omaha. While a student at Technical High School, Blumkin was instrumental in helping the school retain the state diving championship. He won first place in every meet in which he participated, lettered three times during his high school career and made the AllAmerican High School Diving Team. In 1937, the Omaha World Herald wrote: “There isn’t a dive in the books that Louis can’t do with reasonable success.” His high school diving skills enabled him to entertain troops during the war, putting on diving exhibitions in England and in Germany. Continued on page 15
BBYO International Convention
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
12 14 15
Next Week The Passover Issue
Max and Jacob Gurock admire Sophia Mavropoulos’ fabulous volcano.
See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
killing machines roamed in our home. Amid the eruption of volcanos, the glittering of freshly grown crystals, and the molding cheese,
tunity to offer an exciting new learning experience to Friedel students. Open to all grades, including kindergarten, the science fair engages students in fun, hands-on activities with their families and other students, all while learning a little something about scientific method and preparing presentations. Josephine Zbylut-Birky, Executive Director of the Nebraska Association for Middle Level Education, and science and education students from Creighton University serve as judges and have Continued on page 2
Jessica Shandell, left, Cheyenne Janicek, Sarah Thomson, Rachel Sullivan, Rachel Saag, and Kylie Kirshenbaum. by LEORA AZRIEL Teen/BBYO Director Five days, 71 Limmud sessions, 600 social action hours, 1 incredible Shabbat, 1,600 teens, including 14 from Omaha, are home to share their experiences. International Convention began with a BANG! Omaha teens gathered with the Mid-America region to generate Ruach through cheers, dancing, face paint, and red, white
and blue garb! Seniors Gabe Levin and Kylie Kirshenbaum represented Omaha with energy and huge smiles at the start of Opening Ceremonies. It began with a video message from President Barack Obama welcoming BBYO’ers to Washington DC. Ambassador Susan Rice and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz gave incredibly Continued on page 2
2 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
BBYO International Convention
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Continued from page 1 Omaha teens visited sites like the Smithsonian, the profound speeches. “Attending BBYO International Holocaust Museum, and the University of Maryland while Convention was an eye-opening experience. I have been to some were delegates to the BBYO international elections. Israel, but that did not prepare me for experiencing 1,600 Matthew Wiesman commented, “It was emotional to visit American Jews in one place. The enormity of that many the Holocaust Museum with other teens. I felt more conJews gathering together, excited and supportive of the same nected to the Jewish people than I have ever felt before. The mission, was beyond anything I have experienced before. solidarity I experienced made a huge impact on my experiOne region from New York had over 300 attendees. That’s ence at IC.� more than all the Jewish teens in Omaha combined! As the sun set Sunday evening, screams and cheers were President Obama, as well as Congresswoman Debbie heard when popular artists Hoodie Allen and Timeflies took Wasserman Schultz and UN Ambassador Susan Rice, spoke to the stage for Closing Ceremonies. “From Obama’s to us about the importance of taking action and ‘getting it remarks to standing ten feet from Hoodie Allen and done’ and I am ready to take that action,� said Ediar vice- Timeflies, IC 2013 was by far the best weekend of my life. As president Rachel Saag. a senior I’m not ready to say The second day the teens goodbye to BBYO just yet, so used their hands and knowlfor now I will just say see you edge to make a difference. soon!� During Day of Service and Several awards were given to Advocacy, BBYO teens had 22 exceptional Omaha teens. different service sites to The Menorah Pledge and choose from. Jake Baron Cardinal Principle Award was chose Little Friends for Peace given to senior Kylie (LFFP), an afterschool proKirshenbaum in recognition gram teaching children of her time, dedication, and peaceful and nonviolent energy to BBYO. methods to solve their probKirshenbaum truly underlems. Founders MJ and Jerry stands the meaning of sisterPark bring numerous youth hood! The Tree of Life from the DC area to volunteer Recruitment Award was in a garden, read to children, given to senior Matthew Gabe Levin, left, Leora Azriel and Jack Weiss. paint murals, and play games. Wiesman who played a sigBaron explains, “I definitely learned a lot about the DC nificant and lasting role in the growth of his chapter, Chaim community through this experience. I cleaned up and Weizman. He embraces the love and preserves the tradition restored the Peace Garden so children can plant flowers and of being an AZA member. Omaha also received first place in grow their own food. For children struggling to make good the BBYO Connect Growth Award. choices in their lives, Little Friends for Peace provides the Sophomore Max Gendler commented, “I have to say, IC education and resources to do so.� 2013 was one of the best experiences of my BBYO career so Millard North Senior Jack Weiss met international teens far. What an excellent convention to showcase our almost from 18 different countries. “Meeting teens from Bulgaria, 90-year-old movement.� Want to take part in this amazing Estonia, Switzerland, and Israel really made me realize what experience? Become a member of BBYO and build upon the an impact BBYO has on the world. One teen from England extensive success of IC 2013, featuring even more spirit, shared his story about finding BBYO on the internet, and more music, more leadership development, more innovative now he is on the International Board. To experience Shabbat Shabbat services, more community impact and more opporwith so many different customs, prayers, and more was tunities to connect with Jewish teens from all around the amazing!� world – we can’t wait to see you here! Omaha teens engaged in a wide range of programming during the Limmud day of Jewish Learning. Gabe Levin, senior, states, “I had an amazing time at BBYO IC 2013. I am truly impressed at BBYO’s ability to strengthen Jewish leadership and improve Jewish identity; not just with its teens, but also with its professional staff. I thought I was already maxed out on Jewish pride and identity, but IC brought it to new heights.� Limmud topics such as Judaic Akapella taught teens how to incorporate Judaism into their life, identity, and culture. A spectacular Havdalah service with sensational song leading and the smell of sweet spices concluded the IC Shabbat experience.
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by SUSAN GRUBER for the Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston The Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston has announced that Omaha native Larry Denenberg will be honored at the 2013 dance festival Sunday, March 10 as the Festival Honoree of the Year. The Israel Folkdance Festival of Boston is an annual showcase of Jewish and Israeli dance bringing hundreds of performers from across North America to perform at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium. Larry, who is the son of Eunie and Norm Denenberg, has dedicated a tremendous amount of his life to Israeli dancing. Larry performed in his first Boston Festival in 1986 with Screaming Sa’adya and the Electric Camels. Since then, Larry has been a member of several groups, including Zikukim and Neshikat Hagamal, performing in the Boston Festival, the New York Festival, and at NEFFA. In 1988, Larry went to Israel with Bustan Boston, one of four groups that represented North America at the first Karmiel Dance Festival. Of late, Larry has been a regular member of Sucaria, this year performing in it with both of his children.
Gabby, left, Noah, Mo, and Jason holding Ezra Blair. Continued from page 1 been amazed by the scientific inquiries of Friedel’s students. Intricate displays detailing the scientific process are not enough. Each participant, even the kindergartners, give an oral presentation and answer questions from the Creighton judges. The judges marvel each year at the curiosity, knowledge, and enthusiasm of the Friedel students. So much so that, this year, the entire class of Creighton students attended as judges instead of just a select group. In the evening, following the day’s judging, the Science Fair displays were open for community viewing. The JCC Auditorium was filled with nineteen displays by individuals and teams of students investigating the world around us. Mentos and Diet Coke, much better than Pop Rocks and Pepsi. Your Lego race car is slow, don’t blame the aerodynamics. You want to float an egg? The secret is salt. Why was the Very Hungry Caterpillar so hungry? 15 days in a chrysalis is no picnic. And if you are in a crowded room and you have to choose, stand with the coughers, not the sneezers. The Science Fair is one of many examples of how the Friedel Jewish Academy strives to fulfill its committment to educational excellence, integrating Judaic and General studies, into a student centered approach within a warm, exciting atmosphere.
March 8, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 3
A Mission to the Jews of Cuba by RICHARD FELLMAN berships. There are still synagogues, but the congregations are Bev and Dick Fellman were among the 30 participants on miniscule compared to years ago. The Sephardic synagogue the Mission to the Jewish community of Cuba sponsored by has about a hundred families, and the Conservative synaTemple Concord of Syracuse where their son, Daniel gogue connected to the Patranato has about two hundred Fellman, is the Senior Rabbi. This is part two in a series of families. Adath Israel, the Orthodox synagogue, has even articles about their trip. fewer. Maximo’s Home ...There were kosher butcher shops, kosher bakeries, and It was mid-January in Omaha, cold but not uncomfort- kosher grocery stores. Today there is only one kosher butchable, and I was having lunch at Bagel Bin, our only kosher er shop. restaurant, with an old friend, Rabbi Maximo Shechet. Batista was the dictator, corrupt, and in total control. I had called Maximo and Today Fidel Castro, who is told him that Bev and I ill, and his brother Raul, were leaving for Cuba in a run Cuba as dictators. But few days on what was some good has been done called a “Mission to the by them... universal educaJewish Community of tion through 9th grade and Cuba,” a group trip sponuniversal health care, with sored by Temple Concord two outstanding medical of Syracuse, N.Y., where schools and top colleges of our son, Daniel Fellman, is engineering. the senior rabbi. As we began to leave, He organized the misMaximo asked if I had a sion to “assist the Jews of piece of paper. All we Cuba, pursuant to a speciffound was a napkin, and ic license issued by the U.S. Maximo began to write on Department of the it. I kept the napkin, made Treasury,” by visiting the copies, and took it with me remnants of the once to Cuba. thriving Jewish population He wrote: “Calle: Sol 368, and bringing medical and Habana Vieja, Apt 21, entre pharmaceutical supplies Aguacate y Compostela.” which are now in tenuousAnd he drew a small dialy short supply. gram of his second floor Since Maximo was born apartment home and the and raised in Havana, I grocery next door. I took knew he could answer that small drawing to many of my questions. So I Havana, gave it to a taxi began asking. driver, and drove to the ...The weather? Warm, a intersection of Sol and Top: The Havana appartment where Omahan Rabbi Maximo bit cooler in the evening. Aguacate. We stopped Shechet used to live. Bottom: a flower market, also in Havana. ...Clothes? Don’t wear directly in front of “Sol 368.” Photos by Richard Fellman khakis. They’ll think you There it was. Maximo’s are with the military. (I told this to my four adult children, family’s home. and they laughed. “At your age, and at your size and shape, The neighborhood, once all Jewish, today has no Jews. who will think you’re in the military,” they responded.) The street, narrow but clean, had typical Cuban apartments, ...What else? Don’t wear blue jeans. When I lived in Cuba poorly maintained and run-down but the street was filled blue jeans gave a very bad impression. (My observation... with people and cars from the 40s and 50s and motor-bike everyone in Cuba wore jeans. No negative impression. Not taxis. A small bar occupied the location of the grocery these days). But we talked. Maximo remembered. ...When Maximo left Havana to study in Brooklyn in 1951 But as Maximo had drawn on a second piece of paper, a at age 15 (a year younger than I was that year) the Jewish few blocks away the market still stood, open for business. population in Cuba numbered about 15,000; today there are Adath Israel, the Orthodox shul, was locked when I was about 1,500. there but still functioning with a tiny minyan who came ...The major synagogues in Havana then had large mem- from all parts of Havana.
Still, everyone who spoke with us stated there was no antiSemitism in Cuba; Jews could easily get permission to emigrate to Israel; Jewish institutions and synagogues were left alone. Even during years of intense food rationing, Castro allowed the importation of kosher meat for the small Jewish community. But after the Revolution of 1959 through 1961, the vast majority of Cuban Jews left, since in Cuba most were engaged in small business and these, without exception, were nationalized. Real estate (and many Jews owned property) was confiscated. The Jews moved north to America.
All Together Now
by BOB GOLDBERG Director of Strategic Initiatives, Jewish Federation of Omaha We are approaching the goal for our 2013 Annual Campaign, but we need your help to finish. The Federation’s Annual Campaign is about more than raising money. It is about helping people across our community fulfill the mitzvah of Tzedakah - the commandment to act righteously.
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4 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
A passion for Jewish history by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Dr. Benjamin Gampel’s passion for his livelihood is both genuine and infectious. For over 30 years, the professor has inspired his students at the Jewish Theological Seminary, sharing his fascination with medieval and early modern Jewish history. And during the weekend of March 15, he will bring that passion to Beth El Synagogue, when he serves as the congregation’s special scholar-in-residence. Gampel’s future as an historian seemed to be a foregone conclusion, even during his early years. “I was always interested in history from the time I was a young child, and I also had Benjamin Gampel traditional Jewish schooling from elementary school on,” he said. “When I was a history major at Brooklyn College in the late ‘60s, I found a course in ethnic studies and Jewish history. It was a wonderful moment for me, realizing that I could combine my knowledge and love of Judaism with my passion from my earliest years to be a historian -- I thought I was the luckiest fellow in the world!” Gampel’s path to the JTS was paved when he was a doctoral student at Columbia University. One of his teachers was a young assistant professor named Ismar Schorsch, who would later enjoy an illustrious career with JTS, including 20 years as its chancellor. By the time Gampel received his doctorate degree, Schorsch was provost and chief academic officer at the seminary, and he invited his former student to fill an open faculty spot. The rest, as they say, is history, and Gampel now holds the Dina and Eli Field Family Chair in Jewish History at the seminary. For years, he has been intrigued by Jewish history in the 14th and 15th centuries, and in particular, medieval Sephardim, because of “the wonderfully symbiotic relationship Jews had with the cultures that surrounded them – first Islam and then Christendom.”
“I was struck and very taken with the time period when Jews lived by governmental law within their own communities and had to fashion a whole array of social and religious institutions in order to serve the entire Jewish population,” he explained. “Although it was time of political insecurity – and in that sense, really no different than other periods in Jewish history – it did and still does pique my curiosity as to how the Jews negotiated their place within society and attempted to make themselves useful to the government and protected by the government as well. I found those dynamics to be fascinating.” During his visit to Beth El, Dr. Gampel will take attendees on a journey back in time as he addresses Reframing Traditional Judaism: Travels with Maimonides, Nahmanides and Rashi. On Friday, March 15, during 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services, he will offer a brief synopsis of his weekend presentations, including a short overview of Jewish life in the Middle Ages. “The hallmark of the period I’ll be talking about is Jews’ and Judaism’s confrontation with both Christianity and Islam. That’s a subject of perennial interest which takes different shapes in the modern period. I’ll also talk about living with other monotheistic cultures and life under their rule.” Following services, he will lead a special ‘Dinner and Drash’ session, addressing Between Muslim Power and Jewish Survival: The Brilliant Career of Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam). The session will focus on “how Maimonides’ example reframed the traditional Jewish educational curriculum,” Gampel said. “He re-established what it was to be a cultivated and learned Jew living amongst Jews but living under Islam, and took some of the intellectual goals of Islam and transformed them to re-cast traditional Judaism.” On Saturday, March 16, during 9:30 a.m. Shabbat services -- and continuing during Kiddush lunch -- the professor will discuss “The Pioneering Efforts of Ashkenazi Jewish Culture: Shlomo ben Yitzhak (Rashi) and his Pathbreaking Commentaries.” During this discussion, Gampel will use the great biblical and Talmudic commentator’s life “as a prism to look at through which to look at Jewish life in medieval Christian Europe, especially in the aftermath of the Crusades. Rashi re-fashioned traditional Judaism to make it
accessible to Jews who were living in an accepting, yet hostile, Christian environment.” Finally, at 7:30 p.m., between Mincha and Ma’ariv/ Havdalah services, the professor will lead a special study session, exploring The Muslims Fall and the Christians are Victorious: Moshe ben Nahman (Ramban) and the Challenges of Christian Spain. “Moshe ben Nahman -- better known as Nahmanides -was a leader of the Jewish people, a world-class Bible commentator and innovative mystic,” Gampel said. “He lived at a time -- in Christian Spain -- where he had to negotiate both Christian theological attacks on the Jews and what he perceived to be a challenge of increasing Jewish commitment to traditional values. I’ll show how his intellectual enterprise had to be understood against a backdrop of Christian Spain and the evolution of Sephardic culture there.” Beth El’s Rabbi Steven Abraham, one of Gampel’s former students, expressed excitement in welcoming the professor to the synagogue next weekend. “I was privileged to study with Dr. Gampel,” said Rabbi Abraham. “He is just as committed to his students as he is about his field of study, and I loved his lectures because they were entertaining as well as informative. I am thrilled that the Beth El community will get to spend time with this amazing educator.” Gampel’s presentations are open to everyone in the Jewish community. There is no charge for the Saturday lunch; Friday night’s dinner cost is $5 for Beth El members and $12.50 for non-members. There is no charge for children six and younger, and babysitting after dinner will be available by reservation only. Reservations are required for the Shabbat dinner by Wednesday, March 13; after that date, a late fee of $10 will be added. Reservations may be made by visiting www.bethel-omaha.org, or by calling the synagogue office, 402.492.8550. Checks -- made payable to Beth El -- should be sent to the synagogue. For more information, contact Program Director Margie Gutnik at programming @bethel-omaha.org. This special scholar-in-residence weekend is being generously sponsored by the Ilse and Marcel Kahn Endowment Fund.
March 8, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 5
The Four Questions through the eyes of JFS The Second Question: How does JFS help clients gain freedom from financial worries? by OZZIE NOGG The Four Questions are a familiar part of the Passover narrative. In this, and upcoming editions of the Jewish Press, we will reframe the questions asked at our seder tables to reflect current issues in our community -- specifically those relating to Jewish Family Service -- as well as our responses to those questions. During this season that celebrates freedom, we will speak of JFS and describe the ways it helps clients gain the freedom to create new realities in their lives. We will also explore the need to show Compassion, Caring, Connection and Commitment -the four pillars on which Jewish Family Service stands. And just as with the Haggadah, in the telling we will learn. Last week we asked the question: “Why does our community have a Jewish Family Service? What is its purpose, mission and goal?” The answer, simply put: to strengthen and preserve life in the Jewish community and the community at large through financial assistance, counseling and other vital human services. Guided by traditional Jewish values of communal responsibility and social justice, JFS is committed to enhancing each individual’s ability to thrive and realize one’s potential. That goal is often achieved by helping clients gain freedom from financial worries. JFS understands that those in financial distress are slaves to a cruel taskmaster. Individuals or families who call Jewish Family Service for temporary aid have questions, too. They often find themselves in an unanticipated financial bind. They need help, but don’t know what to ask for, or what kind of assistance the agency is prepared to offer. Example: The family of Mr. and Mrs. G., after living from paycheck to paycheck, found themselves in serious debt. The minimum balances due on their credit card payments were off the charts, and there was no way they could stay afloat. When Mr. and Mrs. G. approached Jewish Family Service for help, the staff did a thorough assessment of the case to determine the best way to help the family move forward. First, the staff offered some basic budgeting and money management strategies that would help Mr. and Mrs. G. become -- and stay -- debt free. Next, thanks to community donor gifts, Jewish Family Service was able to give the family sufficient funds to cover their current bills. In return, Mr. and Mrs. G. agreed to dispose of their credit cards and live on the money they earn. Today, the family is self-sufficient and needs no further assistance.
When discussing a case like this, it’s easy to ask, “Why didn’t they make better financial decisions in the first place? Why should I help bail people out who were irresponsible with their money?” Then again, if the shoe was on the other foot -- if we were in a desperate situation -- how would we want others to treat us? The answer to these questions is found in Jewish tradition, which emphasizes our responsibility to one another and to the world. In Judaism, each of us is supposed to think of ourselves as having more than we need. Giving to others is a way to acknowledge the blessings of abundance and to express gratitude for what we have. Furthermore, Judaism teaches that it is not what we have, but what we do that makes for a meaningful life. For over a century, Jewish Family Service has provided crucial aid to individuals, couples and families. And it may surprise you to know that the average age of JFS clients is fifty-eight years old. They are members of our community who may need a utility bill paid, or money for food or gas to help them get to work. The agency sees couples who should be in the ‘glory years of retirement’ struggling to remain in their homes and live on a fixed income while their insurance and medication costs keep skyrocketing. JFS clients are disabled men and women whose disability payments have been cut and no longer offer enough coverage for cost of living expenses. Whatever the financial challenge, Jewish Family Service professional and licensed staff treats these clients with respect, restoring dignity and hope when life’s struggles seem insurmountable. The Haggadah teaches that each of us must feel the personal impact of the Exodus from slavery, even though we were not there. Similarly, we must feel compassion for those with limited resources who live among us today. Deuteronomy tells us: ‘If there is a needy person among you, open your hand and lend him sufficient resources for whatever he needs.’ The true meaning of the Hebrew word Tzedakah is not charity, but righteousness. And the highest degree of aid is that which enables a person to become self supporting. As JFS programs and services continue to grow, we invite you to join our 2013 Friends Campaign. Your gift makes a real difference. To learn more about how you can express your compassion, caring, connection and commitment, call Jewish Family Service. 402.330.2024.
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Sandhills Discovery Experience 2013
ng Spri ration “Abraham Lincoln’s Impact on the Sandhills” t 12th Annual Sandhills Discovery “Experience” s i Reg Ainsworth, NE Topics: Schedule:
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Meet me in St. Louis by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer With OTYG hosting this year’s regional conclave back in November, and several members attending conferences in Denver and Los Angeles, the next generation of OTYG might be feeling a little left out, but their time has finally come. JYG, the NFTY youth group for 7th and 8th graders, is holding its regional conclave March 8-10 at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis. “JYG introduces middle school students to their NFTY region and a much larger Jewish social group,” Youth Advisor Amy Katz said. “High school students write and run the programming so good role modeling occurs and encourages the kids to stay active in high school.” OTYG always sends a few kids to help with that bonding process within our synagogue youth program. JYG Youth Advisor Sarah Sadofsky and parent/chaperone Paul Miller will be accompanying Temple Israel’s middle schoolers to St. Louis, where the kids will have an opportunity to meet their peers from around the region and engage in activities designed to enhance their Jewish identities. “The weekend’s focus is learning about NFTY, learning about their own youth groups, building relationships and making the kids want to come back,” said NFTY-MV Regional Director of Youth Engagement Beth Lipschutz. The middle school kids, including Spencer Arnold, Jack Fletcher, Hannah Goodman, Emily Kazor, Olivia Nogg, Lindsay Osborne, Isabella Radler, Maddie Rauhauser, and Eliana Reiss, will participate in a short social action program and team-building exercises, including a basketball game. Some members of OTYG, President Hannah Perry, Morissa Miller and Hannah Radler, will also be attending to help with the “bonding process within” the Temple Israel youth program, Katz said. OTYG will be returning to St. Louis in April for their own spring chavurah at that city’s Temple Israel, where they will
take part in an educational, social action program and a social, much like the fall chavurah that was held at Omaha’s Temple Israel. NFTY-MV will also hold elections for the next regional board during this chavurah. OTYG seniors will be heading to St. Louis a day early for a special, secret seniors-only function designed by Lipschutz to commemorate their last NFTY youth group event. If kids register by March 14, the cost of the St. Louis trip is $135; between March 14 and 21, $155; and after March 21, it will cost $175 and kids will have to contact Lipschutz at nftymv@urj.org to check if there’s still room, so be sure to register early. For information on financial assistance for these and other youth group activities, visit the Jewish Federation of Omaha website or contact Mary Sue Grossman at 402.334.6445.
Make your friends green with Envy with a little help from Nobbies
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Rabbi Josh Brown from Temple Israel will speak on March 13, noon, at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH The Yiddish language is a wonderful source of rich expressions, especially terms of endearment (and of course, complaints and insults!). Come join us for fun and laughter. We meet in the boardroom of the Blumkin Home, every Thursday from 1-3 p.m. For information, please call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.
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6 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
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!"#$%&''()*++'',' !""#-./'011'2$34$/&'5'16376!89':.9./& '''''''''''''''''''';/.6<"6&%&'6/$'=$><'!9'%=$'011' =$6%$/' ''''''''''''''''???'@.A%='B?C9<'@%/$$%D'E36=6D'FG* !"##$%&'&!$() Special thanks to the Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund and the Ann Woskoff Schulman Memorial Fund for their continued financial support.
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7:00 p.m. Pre-broadcast reception sponsored by Temple Israel’s Women of Reform Judaism. The 92Y broadcast will begin at 7:30 p.m. *+,-./012/94:;2< ! 012#344+7*6%(7'("#86%5+
7:00 p.m. For more info on this special ADL event, please contact Alan Potash, Regional Director Anti-Defamation League Plains Region, at apotash@adl.org. -+=./012/94:;27> ! 9,+,(%#!:#.!-;#<%(=*5=#>?*%5?%#@#A%/*=*!5#
7:15 p.m. Broadcast will feature panel discussion on the coexisting worlds of science and religion with Andrew Zolli, David Eagleman & Reza Aslan. *6+4-./023/027? ! B5%6!*?%;# '7!5#0/%C'5-%(#@#1'5*%/#2,D%+EF"
7:00 p.m. Post-broadcast reception & awards ceremony sponsored by The Phil and Ruth Sokolof Merit Scholarship Fund. Further details will be announced soon.
It’s a Small World after All by SHERRIE SAAG rebuild Jewish community life are creating a Communications Specialist, brand new legacy for future generations. Jewish Federation of Omaha JDC will continue to support them in this Federation Campaign staff had the good remarkable quest, every step of the way.” fortune on a recent Monday morning to It’s important to be reminded of all the meet with Elizabeth Fine, Director of incredible work our overseas partners do International Initiatives for the American with our Annual Campaign dollars. By conJewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). necting to overseas advocates like Elizabeth Fine travels to small and mid-sized Federations to edu- JDC Money Spent Around the World cate and advocate on behalf of FSU (former Soviet Union) Israel JDC’s work assisting Jews Central & Eastern Europe Latin America around the world. Omaha was lucky to be on her itinerAfrica and Asia ary. JDC is one of Federation’s 4% 2% overseas partners and is a beneficiary of Jewish 12% Federation of Omaha Annual 42% Campaign allocations. After leaving an unfulfilling legal career in Chicago, Fine 40% visited Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and Budapest, Hungary, as a lay leader with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. “The Fine, listening to the personal stories and revitalization of Jewish community and learning about the community building daily life I witnessed in both of these cities events happening all over the world, transformed my future,” Fine told us. She Federation professionals, in turn, are in a joined JDC and completed a two and a half better position to relay all that they learn to year tour in the former Soviet Union (FSU) the Omaha Jewish community. in early 2012 and recently returned from an Making every dollar count extensive visit to Cuba. Today, about $60 million of the JDC’s Fine’s stories were told with passion and annual budget of $350 million comes from purpose and served as poignant reminders the national Federated system, of which of the critically important work JDC does Omaha is a part. According to JDC CEO with our donor dollars. Alan Gill, this would suggest a diminishing According to Fine, “in every country value to the Federation dollar, and that’s just around the world there are Jews who live in not accurate. “For one thing, nearly 50 percultural isolation and poverty -- often with cent of the JDC’s $70 million in unrestricted physical disabilities. In remote corners of funds comes from Federations. For another, the earth, we are first responders in places of the JDC leverages its Federation dollars in war and natural disaster.” partnerships with donors, foundations, the She described JDC’s work as similar in Israeli government and the Claims intent to the phrase, Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Conference to multiply every Federation Lazeh, All Jews are Responsible for One dollar by a factor of nearly five.” Another. The organization goes beyond Gill added, “Federation dollars enable us merely providing assistance; they are actively to go to major foundations, the Israeli govworking to create self-sustaining, charitable ernment and restitution sources and say, Jewish communities -- always in partnerships ‘Please be our partners.’ That’s what’s enabled with local or national governments, in places us to grow our programs immensely.” where one would think it wasn’t possible. “I believe donors want funds to follow priFor example, last year in Beijing, China, orities. And our priority #1 is aiding Jews in JDC hosted a first-of-its-kind Limmud (day need with things like food, medicine and of learning). In Cuba, with a population of home care. There are over 200,000 needy about 1500 Jews and no Rabbi, JDC people that we’re now caring for.” arranged for a Chile-based Rabbi to travel Fine was the third visitor to Omaha this monthly to Cuba to celebrate Shabbat. year from our overseas partner agencies. Another first, a Jewish teen dance troupe The visits serve as an important reminder of from Havana is attending the Israeli the impact and reach of every one of our Maccabi games in the summer of 2013. donor dollars. The organizations do great Last year, JDC helped over 160,000 Jews work and are changing lives every day. in the FSU. In a July, 2012, Wall Street Author’s note: Alan Gill was appointed Journal op-ed, Alberto Senderey, JDC’s Chief Executive Officer of the JDC in Europe Director, said, “From street festivals November, 2012. He lived for twenty years to Jewish dance classes, JCC’s and youth in Israel, commuting to NYC as JDC’s Chief clubs to religious and educational program- Fundraiser. Gill grew up in Cleveland, ming, it is nothing short of miraculous that Ohio and was the CEO of the Jewish Poland’s Jews are passionate and dedicated Federation of Columbus, Ohio, prior to his to living Jewish lives today. The efforts to career with the JDC.
Langer’s annual deli lunch
On Feb. 27, Gary Gitnick, left; Sheldon Rips (both former Omahans, now residents of Los Angeles), Mike Erman, Murray Newman, Mel Bergman (friend of Murray Newman, resident of Los Angeles), and Norm Veitzer met for their annual deli lunch at Langer’s in Los Angeles.
March 8, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 7
Mainstreeters march into March by OZZIE NOGG Even if March comes in like a lion -- with cold wind, ice and snow -- intrepid Mainstreeters will brave the elements for these great upcoming programs. Be a lamb and come along, too. Live from NY’s 92nd Street Y. Joy Behar with Judy Gold. Tuesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m. in the JCC Theater. No admission fee. Enjoy a pre-broadcast reception at 7 p.m. hosted by Temple Israel’s Women of Reform Judaism. Then, settle back for an evening of irreverence and hilarity as Judy Gold sits down with Joy Behar, the award-winning talk show host, comedian, writer and actress. Hear anecdotes and highlights from her life and career, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from her new TV show, “Joy Behar: Say Anything!” A reception sponsored by Jewish Social Services follows the telecast. Our very special thanks to the Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund and the Ann Woskoff Schulman Memorial Fund for their continued financial support of the 92 Y Street Live Broadcasts. The Jewish Federation of Omaha encourages all seniors to participate in this free program. We Rock Jazz: On The Rocks lunch with Matt James and Roger Ridley. Monday, March 18, 12:30 p.m. in the RNJH Auditorium. On The Rocks are modern performers of classic American jazz with a touch of old country, rock-n-roll, and soul. They hold to some classy traditions while taking some roguish liberties, and they put it all together for one great show! They’re not your conventional jazz band. Expect something closer to the Rat Pack days of Frank and Dean and Sammy . . . except one performer is tethered to a piano, so also expect some Ray and Jerry Lee and Stevie. For your entree, choose either Chicken Pot Pie or Panco Crusted Cod with Rice Pilaf. Both entrees come with spring salad, fresh fruit, Challah rolls, cookies and beverage. Cost: $11.50 per plate. Make checks payable to Jewish Social Services and send full payment to: Mainstreeters c/o Maggie Conti, 323 So. 132 Street, Omaha, NE 68154. Reservations are appreciated by Monday, March 11. For information call Linda
Abrams Tederman at 402.468.4939. A free afternoon at the movies: Argo. Friday, March 29, 1:30 p.m. in the JCC Theater. No reservations necessary -invite a friend. A Passover salty treat will be served. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Argo -- based on true events -- chronicles the lifeor-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis -- the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On Nov. 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “infiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies. Featuring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman. If you’d like to have lunch -- on your own -- at the Star Deli in the RBJH before the movie, call Maggie Conti at 402.334.6521 to reserve a table. Note: The Star Deli opens for business at 11:30 a.m. and is serving a Special Passover Deli on March 29. “Mainstreeters welcomes all Jewish residents of the Omaha area age 60 plus,” said Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Outreach Programs at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. “It’s wonderful to see so many different activities taking place on Campus. We invite all of you to join in the excitement.”
Birth Elvira Stepanova and Mike Ginsburg announce the Jan. 30 birth of their daughter, Sarah Eve Ginsburg. She has a sister, Miriam Ellis Ginsburg.
THE RESIDENTS OF THE ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME EXTEND A CORDIAL INVITATION TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO SHARE THE SEDERS WITH THEM IN THE BLUMKIN HOME AUDITORIUM Seder 1 – Monday, March 25 at 6 p.m. Leaders Andy and Carole Greenberg
Seder 1 Menu Matzoh Ball Soup Chicken Piccata Herbed Potatoes Garden Mixed Vegetables Matzoh Honey Cake
Seder 2 – Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. Leaders Polack Family Jim, Susan, Max and Josh
Seder 2 Menu Matzoh Ball Soup Beef Brisket Sweet Potato Tzimmes Seasoned Asparagus
Matzoh Mixed Vegetables Fudge Chocolate Cake
Friedel’s Jump Rope for Heart by ASHLEY BARROW
Kudos to our generous and caring Friedel students, staff, and community! Through their efforts and many jump rope activities, $1,212.91 was raised for the American Heart Association through the annual Jump Rope for Heart Day. Students were given the opportunity to raise money to fund research and learn about making heart-healthy choices. When children form smart habits like getting enough sleep, eating super foods, and staying active, they are more likely to perform better in school and have less attendance issues. It is important to create and maintain these valuable habits as a family. Jump Rope for Heart was such a success last year that this year Friedel made it even bigger. The two years combined, students raised $3,824.92. We celebrated our “heart work” as an entire school. In the JCC Gym, the students traveled around to seven stations that each had a jumping activity. We are grateful for the many parents, members of the community, and clergy that supported our efforts and made this event a huge success.
Reservation deadline is March 18. Please call Maggie Conti at 402-334-6521 with any questions. Make check payable to: Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Mail this order form with payment to: Rose Blumkin Jewish Home c/o Maggie Conti, Director of Activities and Outreach Programs 323 South 132nd Street Omaha, NE 68154 Name: __________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ Residents you would like to sit with: __________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ March 25 – Seder 1 Meal
March 26 – Seder 2 Meal
Number of Adults ($21.00) _____ Number of Adults ($21.00) _____ Children under 12 ($14.00) _____ Children under 12 ($14.00) _____ No charge for Residents
Total Amount Enclosed $ _________
8 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
Incredible Experiences in Israel by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Associate Executive Director, Center for Jewish Life Each year, many teens and young adults have the experience of a lifetime, traveling to Israel on a wide variety of programs. The Jewish Federation of Omaha is delighted to support these experiences through the Israel Experience Grant program. The Israel Experience Grant is a one-time gift from the Federation for students in grades 9-12 or young adults ages 18 to 25 for an approved Israel experience. The grant is available to anyone in the Omaha Jewish community who meets the following requirements: 1. The applicant must be a resident of the Omaha metro-
politan area. 2. The applicant, or his/her family, is a donor in good standing to the Annual Campaign of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. 3. The applicant agrees to provide an article and pictures of the experience within one month of return to Omaha for publication in the Jewish Press 4. The applicant will participate in any required preparatory program. Applying for an Israel Experience Grant is a simple onepage application. The applications are available on the Scholarships and Grants page of the Center for Jewish Life on the Jewish Federation of Omaha website at www.jew-
ishomaha.org. Applications may also be requested via email at scholarship@jewishomaha.org. Return completed applications to the Center for Jewish Life, 333 South 132nd Street, Omaha NE 68154. Those in need of additional financial assistance can also apply for financial need-based scholarships. Scholarship applications are available as described in the previous paragraph. For additional information on all grant and scholarship programs, please call 402.334.6445 or email mgrossman@jewishomaha.org. The following articles were written by teens who participated in programs in the summer of 2012 and each was a recipient of an Israel Experience Grant.
Seminar and pilgrimage: A group experience by ALYSSA COHEN after Poland we only continued to become closer. In Poland Poland Seminar/Israel Pilgrimage Second Departure and Israel we took a bus everywhere. No matter how far away Just like anyone who is going on a trip not knowing the a city or destination was we always took a bus that fit all of us. majority of the people who will be in the same group, I was I never minded the bus rides, in fact I loved them because I a bit nervous. Of course when I got my group list, I immeknew that each one diately went to Facebook and started searching would be even more for the other 44 fun than the last. On kids that I would the bus we would be be traveling and singing songs, playing living with for games, listening to our five weeks. That iPods with each other wasn’t the only and just talking in our thing I was nervseats. Bus rides were ous about, though. always a great time to Being in a different get to know someone country from my you hadn’t talked to family for five that much before. weeks definitely Also, sometimes I contributed to my would just sit in a nervousness. I soon window seat and found out that I look out the winwould quickly get to dow to view the know everyone and scenery and enjoy not be as homesick as how beautiful I thought I was going things were. We to be. I had no idea always made museum at the underwater at ok lo to ay what to expect on this things fun no matter w r d Alyssa on thei trip. Yes, I read the Danielle, left, an what we were doing. itinerary and read what the Red Sea. These are friendships that I know will last a lifetime. cities we were going to Our group dynamic was just unbelievable. I could not ask for before the trip, but since it was my first time going to both a better group of people to spend my summer with. Poland and Israel, I could only imagine what everything By the end of the first week in Poland, everyone was emowould be and look like. It was everything and more than I tionally drained and ready to get to Israel. We got to Israel at imagined. about 3:30 in the morning, grabbed our bags and headed to Getting to know my group was definitely a major highlight a bus to load our luggage. Everyone was so tired, but so excitto my trip. Throughout that first week in Poland everyone ed, to be there. We got on the bus and almost every single one just came together and supported each other. It didn’t mat- of us fell asleep. People were lying in the two-foot-wide aisle ter that most of us hardly knew each other. When we were in of the bus sleeping, and others were taking up two seats to lie the concentration camps and someone would start to get down. To wake us up, one of our staff members was on the emotional, not just one person, but many people would come bus microphone singing/playing Akon and Matisyahu’s song to comfort him or her. We hadn’t even gotten a lot of time to One Day. We looked out the windows and saw the most actually sit down and talk and get to know each other yet, but beautiful view. We were driving up a street to our main base with our group, we already felt like a family. And of course where we stayed in Jerusalem, and we were all just amazed.
The view and the feeling of being in Israel immediately brought a smile to my face. That was one of the best feelings I got in Israel. Everywhere you go in Jerusalem there is always an astonishing view. Whenever we would walk places, I would never be in the front of the group. I always chose to be in the back walking alone so I could take it all in and just enjoy every little detail that was around me. Every time I did that one of my staff members would always make fun of me for it, joking of course, but I didn’t care. Everything was just so beautiful. In addition to walking along the streets of the cities, we also took long hikes and climbed up a canyon and Masada. Those hikes were brutal, but every hike and climb was so worth it. Every hike we took had a great view from the top. Getting to the top of wherever we were hiking was one of the best feelings. Knowing that I got to the top and was looking at an amazing view in Israel was always incredible. I had never hiked or climbed a mountain before. I surprised myself at how many hikes I could do. We climbed the Roman path of Masada at 3:30 in the morning to get to the top for the sunrise. It was a little foggy but still amazing. We were there to pray in the morning and eventually took a tour around the top of the mountain. To get down Masada we took the snake path which is over five hundred stairs down the mountain. That was extremely hard, but it was a great experience. No matter how much we complained about hikes and climbs, I would give anything to be back in Israel to do it all over again. Now that I am back home and returning to my usual daily life, when I think back on all of my experiences I had on the trip, I have come to appreciate being Jewish and having such a supporting community. When I talk to my non-Jewish friends about my trip, or even USY events and conventions, they seem to wish they had things like USY to go to. For me, I couldn’t imagine my life without going to Israel, going to USY or camp. The fact that I have a community willing to help make these trips possible makes going even better because I know they want me to have an amazing time and love hearing about it. Without this scholarship I had received, going on this trip would have been difficult to make happen. I had also realized by the end of my trip that not many people get to have the experiences that I did this summer, which makes going even more special.
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NFTY L’dor V’dor: An unforgettable journey by HANNAH BUDWIG This summer I went on a trip with NFTY L’dor V’dor, a five-week program in which 40 teens traveled through Eastern Europe and Israel. The first week was Eastern Europe. We started in Prague for two days. I was the only person from Omaha on this trip, but I went with my good camp friend, Stephanie. Due to last minute flight complications, Stephanie and I had to arrive a day later than everyone else. Two teens making international fight arrangements in the airport -- it was one of the most stressful things I have ever done. The little we saw of Prague was absolutely beautiful. Since we came a day late, we missed going to the more important Jewish sites. The rest of the week was spent in Poland traveling to Warsaw and Krakow. The most powerful and unforgettable thing I experienced on the whole trip was visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau and Auschwitz II, the work camp. We had prepped for going to both concentration camps and talked about whether or not we would feel emotional. I contemplated how I would feel, because unlike some of my new friends, I am lucky enough to have no direct family members who were murdered. While we were there I went numb, I could not get through my head that something so disgusting happened in a place where grass now grows, where deer run freely. It seems so unfair that God would let a place where so many terrible things happen be so beautiful. He was such a small man, but he had a huge impact on our trip, and his name was Magic. He was our bus driver in Poland. My group’s bus was the one to break down. We were traveling from one city to the next, and we were in the middle of nowhere, endless fields on either side of the road. Stranded, in the middle of nowhere, in a country you didn’t know, with stinging flies attacking us in and out of the bus... let’s just say it is a moment none of us will forget. While we were complaining about the heat and bugs, Magic took off his work clothes and climbed inside the engine of the bus to figure out what was wrong. Imagine a little, skinny man inside of a huge bus’ engine. That is dedication. The coolest part of Poland was the night we stayed in Warsaw. We stayed in the middle of the city the night before the Euro Cup Championship game. The city was lit up, similar to New York City. People were everywhere! We did hav-
dallah outside the hotel so we could get a feel for the city. Our next stop was Israel. Imagine about 100 American teenagers flying internationally. I don’t know about the other passengers on our plane, but we had fun! The seats weren’t assigned according to our group so I sat next to two girls from the other group we were traveling with. After this flight, I became close with both of them. The most vivid image in my mind of the whole trip was exiting the airport and breathing Israeli air for the first time. Despite the fact that it actually smelled like car exhaust, because we were near the buses, I found it peaceful. The very first thing we did was my favorite -- going to the Negev desert. We stayed there for four days sleeping under the stars. We were woken up at four in the morning to go on a “hike”. We started off, and after awhile we found ourselves scaling a mountain we later found out to be named Mt. Shlomo. My favorite thing we did in the Negev was go to the sand dunes. We would run and jump off the top of the hill and free fall until we hit the sand, then we would roll down the rest of the way, gaining so much momentum it was nearly impossible to stop. One of the most moving experiences was going to a school for people who have cerebral palsy. At the school, we took a tour and met some of the students who ranged from toddlers to being in their early twenties. The inside of the school was decorated with art projects using recycled materials. Some of these things looked like they had come off of Pinterest. While we were there, we continued to work on a mosaic that was right outside the main entrance of the building. It was heartwarming knowing that parents and students would see this every day before and after school. Of course the things we did were amazing, but the people I met are more than amazing. I can’t describe how grateful I am to have met people like them. It was a coincidence that we all got on the same trip, but everything happens for a reason. I can’t even imagine what it would be like if someone who was in our group didn’t go on the trip. Being such a diverse group of teens, we meshed well. This trip is an experience I won’t ever forget and I feel that everyone should take the opportunity I did and go on NFTY L’dor V’dor. Truly, it changed my life, and I’m sure it would do the same to any teen who goes.
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Beth El Community Seder by JILL BELMONT aimed at retelling the story of our people’s exodus from Beth El Publicity Coordinator Egypt. We’re going to learn For many years, Beth El’s a lot while having a great community Seder has been time.” a much-loved tradition and Dinner selections will a wonderful way to experiinclude brisket, salmon, and ence Passover with loved a vegan entrée. Those makones of all ages. This year’s celebration will be Tuesday, ing reservations by March March 26, at 6 p.m., and 15 -- payment included -everyone in the Jewish comwill enjoy early-bird pricing munity -- regardless of syn(the following prices reflect Beth El members/nonagogue affiliation or nonmembers): adults, $25/$35; affiliation -- is invited to children 7-12, $18/$25; chiljoin Rabbi Steven Abraham dren six and younger, free. and Hazzan Michael After March 15, the cost will Krausman, as they recount increase: adults, $30/$40; the story of the Exodus, celchildren 7-12, $25/$30. ebrating the Jewish people’s journey from slavery to freeTo RSVP, send a check to dom. the synagogue, attention “I am very excited for my ‘Community Seder;’ or sign second Beth El Synagogue up and pay online at Rabbi Steven Abraham, left, and Hazzan Michael Krausman, congregational Seder,” Rabbi www.bethel-omaha.org. Be will team up to lead Beth El’s Community Seder on March 26. Abraham said. “The hazzan sure to make the synagogue and I, along with our entire staff, are looking forward to office aware of any special seating requests, dietary restriccontinuing many of our Beth El traditions, as well as creat- tions or the need for high chairs or booster chairs.For more ing new experiences for our congregants. For the night, information, contact Program Director Margie Gutnik in our social hall will be transformed into a classroom, as the the synagogue office, 402.492.8550, or at programming@ Seder is the greatest experiential learning ever created, all bethel-omaha.org.
To order a gift subscription to the Press... Send a check for $40, made out to the Jewish Press, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to connect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 402.334.6448.
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by SARAH KELEN The Spiel brought together actors and musicians repreThe Jewish community of Lincoln joined together to cel- senting both congregations and all different age groups. ebrate Purim with a family-friendly seudah and Purim Cast member Marcia Kushner expressed grandmotherly Spiel at Tifereth Israel synanaches on being part of a gogue. The kitchen mavens multigenerational Spiel family: “how delightful to see cooked up dozens of grilled my adorable granddaughter, cheese sandwiches and galMarina stroll out, playing lons of vegetable soup for the theme from Fiddler--it kids and adults wearing cosdoesn’t get better!” Cast tumes that ranged from members ranged from seven Queen Esther to a dinosaur. After lunch, almost two to over seventy. hundred people laughed Spiel Director Maria their way through The Cadwallader agreed that the Megillah Takes Broadway, a mixed-age cast brings the musical retelling of Megillat community together in a Esther that featured parody special way: “Our multigenerational Spiel is always fun. versions of show tunes from This year’s biggest challenge Oliver, Les Miserables, was the calendar -- fewer Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Julie Siedband and her daughters Sarah, Sophia, and rehearsals between Jan. 1 Dolly, and more. Spiel newSamantha Aguilar enjoy The Megillah Takes Broadway, and Purim. Luckily we had a comer Don Glaser played Lincoln’s Purim Spiel. great tech crew and a wonEsther, while long-time Purim Spieler Jamie Watch was a ferocious Haman. Rabbi derful group of musicians and players from both South Craig Lewis of the South Street Temple was resplendent in Street and Tifereth.” Longtime Lincoln theatre professiona Marilyn Monroe blonde wig and white dress as one of the al Judith Hart served as the Spiel’s director, and Nathaniel McHargue was the Musical Director. contestants in the royal beauty pageant.
Rabbi Jacobs at Temple Israel by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Temple Israel welcomed Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah, a human rights and social justice advocacy organization, as scholar-in-residence on Feb. 15 and 16. Rabbi Jacobs gave the d’var during the Friday Shabbat service and led the Saturday morning Torah study. She also attended a Social Justice Committee meeting Saturday afternoon after the morning service. Rabbi Jacobs books, There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice Through Jewish Law & Tradition and Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community, focus on the idea that Judaism Rabbi Jill Jacobs by its very nature demands social and political action. She spoke about how the Jewish community must add its wisdom and experience to the public discourse. “The Torah is a political book,” Rabbi Jacobs said Friday night. “She challenged us to make social justice more a part of the foundation of our congregation rather than a project that some people participate in,” Rabbi Josh Brown said. “I was intrigued that she challenged us. She talked about some of the successful congregations in the country that actually hired staff devoted to social justice. Many have made it more of a foundational element of what the congregation does, equivalent to prayer, worship and education.” Dan Gilbert, chair of the Social Justice Committee, would like to see social action become a more central pillar at Temple Israel. “I think the takeaway from the [Social Justice] meeting was that there is continued interest about having Temple become more engaged on trying to reduce violence and for all of us to continue to learn more about how violence intersects with mental health, poverty, and the economy,” he said. Paul Rabinovitz, who also attended the Social Justice meeting and is very active in social action in the community, was quite impressed with Rabbi Jacobs’ message that political action is embedded in Judaism. “[I was] most impressed by her strength and resolve to dedicate her life to the pursuit of justice in our world,” Rabinovitz said. “Clearly there is a big difference between doing a social justice project or activity and living a life based on the principles of justice.” Rabinovitz cited an Omaha World-Herald article about UNO Vice Chancellor Bill Conley, who donates fifty dollars a week not simply by writing a check and putting it in the mail, but by visiting organizations or individuals and personally handing them the money. “I think that we have a long way to go at Temple to create that kind of personal understanding and connection,” Rabinovitz said. Rabinovitz, who volunteers at the Food Bank for the Heartland with his wife Amy, firmly believes that social jus-
tice must be a cornerstone of the Jewish community. “In our busy world it is too easy to forget the reasons for, and the benefits of, tzedakah,” he said. “When acts of tzedakah and tikkun olam are done right and in the right spirit, the giver gains more than the recipient. While programs sponsored by Temple and other faith-based organizations do many great things, I think that we would be better served in the long-run if we had a more dual-focused effort that built a foundation as to why and how we pursue social justice and how it is built into the very fabric of our tradition.” To borrow the old adage, “hook ‘em while they’re young,” Rabinovitz would also like to see more emphasis placed on social action in our religious schools. “I’m a big believer in our youth and the importance of our Hebrew School,” he said. “We need to bring tzedakah, tikkun olam, and justice to our young people, not as just an activity but as a primary foundation of their Judaism. I think that if we do, that most of our other concerns fall away and the future will always look bright.” Rabbi Jacobs left many at Temple Israel with much to think about, both as members of the community and as individuals. “She reminded us that the Jewish tradition is political by nature,” Rabbi Brown said. “By reading the text of the Torah, you can’t avoid being exposed to political stances. The text itself takes stances. Some believe we should try to be as neutral as possible, but her view is that Torah has an opinion, and we have to decide whether we agree with it.” Rabbi Jacobs’ visit was sponsored by the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning.
New Donor: David Phillips by BOB GOLDBERG Director of Strategic Initiatives, Jewish Federation of Omaha Why become a donor now? I am giving back to the community because I’m finally getting old enough to be able to afford it. What’s your hope for the Omaha Jewish community moving forward? I hope the community continues to be welcoming to new members and new people to Omaha. I’m not particularly religious, but I enjoy and respect the Jewish culture that we’ve developed. I hope that continues. What’s your takeaway? I recently proposed to my fiance, who happens to be a David Phillips fellow Jew that I grew up with here in Omaha. It’s proof that building a tight community does indeed pay off! By giving, I get a community and support network that’s priceless.
JEWISH PRESS NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed Tuesday, March 26, for Passover. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
March 8, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 11
Purim around the Heartland
Clockwise from above: The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Purim Queen and King, Louise Abrahamson and Sam Epstein; Eadie Tsabari and Lloyd Roitstein show off their Purim finery during Beth El’s Megillah reading; Young Jewish Omaha (YJO) hosted its 5th consecutive Purim celebration at the One Pacific Place Clubhouse. Rabbi Gross read the Megillah in record time of 15 minutes and 47 seconds, DJ Brooklyn Science (Andrew Boehm) entertained us with music, and the costumes and games were a blast. Thanks to everyone for making it another successful YJO event. At the event were Naomi Fox, left, Rachel Shyken, Sarah Linn, Cari Green; Aryeh Epstein, left, Rabbi Katzman and Igor Mosenkis enjoy some “under water” purim fun at Chabad; Friedel students Rebecca Denenberg, left, Ilana McNamara and Peyton Kelln, right, invade the Jewish Federation Conference Room for a quick visit with Mike Silverman; Beth Israel’s Joe Shyken, Rivkah Shyken and their baby, Akiva Shyken; Temple Israel’s Purim Spiel Megillah Mia was a big, multi-generational success; At Lincoln’s The Megillah Takes Broadway, cast members Tziporah Hamicksburg (jester), left, Deborah Swearingen (Mordechai Gump), Don Glaser (Esther), and Elaine Monnier (King Ahasueras) sing one of the Spiel’s rewritten show tunes.
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12 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
Point of view
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Everything you’ve always wanted to know (but were afraid to ask)
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Community cannot exist without strong relationships. Relationships between lay leaders and professionals, between Presidents and Boards of Directors. Between the Center for Jewish Life and those who borrow from the library and attend the Jewish Film Festival. Between the Anti Defamation League and educators, between the Jewish Press and its readers. Professionals have to work together, whether they work in the same department or not, grade school children have to respect their principal (and vice versa), and those little mini ballerinas we see tiptoeing down the hall have to listen to their dance teacher. We all have to get along -- regardless of what our role is in this community. That is not always easy, but things can go smoother when we communicate (we all figure this out eventually). Most misunderstandings, after all, happen when we don’t listen to each other, when we don’t share and talk and discuss things. To that end, both our lay leaders and those of us who work professionally at the Jewish Federation have worked hard at becoming more transparent. For instance, we ran the “Ask Mike” column in the Jewish Press; it’s also why many of us work hard to update the website and make sure information gets to you. But, sometimes that is not enough, even with a weekly paper such as ours, especially when it comes to details about building improvements and day-to-day operations. For that reason, our Chief Executive Officer, Mike Silverman, began putting important pieces of news in his Community Update. It helps people in our community stay involved and informed. It’s how Mike has been able to share what changes we are making to the building, such as the improvements to the canteen, the BBYO lounge, and the gym, which was painted by a group of enthusiastic employees from a variety of
departments. It’s how he announced to many of you that the Institute of Holocaust Education hired a new Executive Director named Liz Feldstern. She is bringing her family from Israel and will join us on campus later this month. There’s more: through Mike’s emails, you can find out what the budget process looks like (we’re in the thick of it as we speak) and what the timelines are for campus leadership to submit next year’s budgets. Shane Kotok, Director of Admissions and Community Outreach Services at JSS, has been awarded the Association of Jewish Aging Services Professional of the Year Award. The JCC improved their Pilates program. The Federation and its agencies are beginning the board nomination process, more than 45 members have registered for the JCC Fitness Challenge to Change, and Marty Ricks, Chief Development Officer, and Mike Silverman, attended the Development Professionals Institute in February. This is a conference sponsored by the Jewish Federations of North America focusing on how best to establish and maintain the strongest possible relationship with community members (see what I did there?). Relationships are important; our community can’t function without them. Imagine a spider web of connections, many of us tied together in many different ways. We need to make sure none of those lines come under too much stress, and all of them stay whole. While the Community Update goes out to many of you, not everybody is on the email list. We’d like to reach as many of you as we can, so if you’d like to be added, send an email to Margie Utesch at
mutesch@jewishomaha.org. She will add your name, and you’ll be in the loop. Or, you can go to the website at jewishomaha.org, and sign up for E-news (the icon is at the left bottom of the homepage); you can specify which updates you want. The best part about those community upates: You can hit reply, and ask Mike questions. He’s a busy man, but if you assume he doesn’t check his emails, think again. He may not always get back to you immediately, but he will get back to you. I stake my reputation on it. If you sometimes feel as if what we do in this building is shrouded in mystery, it is time to change that. We want to share with you. Let’s continue to build this community together, and make it stronger than ever. Let’s keep the lines of communication wide, wide open.
Engage Russian-speaking Jews on their own terms
Behind the headlines ABBY KNOPP NEW YORK (JTA) -- In 1993, one of the great scholars of Russian Jewry, Zvi Gitelman, noted that “since the 1880s, no group of Jews has migrated as often, in as great numbers, and with such important consequences as the Jews of Russia and the FSU. The mass immigration of Russian/Soviet Jews played a great role in shaping the character of the two largest Jewish communities in the world, those of the United States and Israel. American Jewish and Israeli politics, religion, culture, and economics have been, and are still, profoundly influenced by those who came and are coming from the FSU.” Twenty years later, I read Gitelman’s statement as a reminder of what should be but not of what is. If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that North American Jewish educational and spiritual frameworks -- the places where Jews live and learn Jewishly -- have yet to be profoundly influenced by Russian-speaking Jews who arrived in the immigration of the second half of the 20th century. Why? It's because too many American-born Jews continue to view them as either charity cases or in need of our brand of Jewish wisdom. We still have not figured out how to listen and really hear what Russian Jews are saying about Jewish identity, peoplehood and education, and the Jewish community is suffering and continuing to pay the price of disengagement. With Russian speakers comprising at least 15 percent of the U.S. Jewish population -- many researchers believe the number is much higher -- we need to care deeply about their engagement. To be sure, there are some notable figures from the Russian community who have translated their particular
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language of Jewish identity into successful literary careers, careers in Jewish communal service or even, dare I say, leadership roles on Jewish boards. These individuals often are touted as examples of how successfully Russian Jews have integrated into North American society. But how many others are active in Jewish life -- walking the halls of our JCCs, sitting next to us at our board meetings or sending their children to our camps and schools? Happily, there are success stories -- and more emerging all the time. Great things happen to engage the Russian community when institutions understand that they must invest in hiring Russian-speaking and Russian-thinking staff. As with most communities, a little familiarity goes a long way. The Russian-speaking community will always be more likely to trust and be influenced by someone who understands their history, background and values. Of course, this makes absolute sense. Take overnight camp, for example. Most Jewish camps are filled with the children of those who experienced wonderful summers at camp themselves or grew up hearing such stories from friends and family. These parents have a cultural and social legacy that is suffused with an inherited familiarity of camp. But even Russian-speaking Jews who were born here -- let alone those who arrived as youngsters -- do not have that touch point. Therefore they must, in a very real sense, take a leap of faith and send their children into an unknown environment away from home. Who better to help them feel comfortable with that choice than a peer who understands what they need in order to feel at ease with such a decision? More often than not, once Russian Jews choose a Jewish destination for themselves and their children, they bring along their social network and become great advocates. Even better,
when an institution builds programs with Russian-Jewish cultural inclinations in mind -- and that often must happen to retain them -- the institution itself evolves and grows. Success is easy to demonstrate. Jewish community centers that offer high-level lectures or literary events are seeing a significant uptick in Russian-Jewish participation; family programs that provide high-level arts projects for children and historical or literary context for their parents are succeeding in meeting the needs of Russian-speaking Jews. And camps that add specialties in the arts or dance are doing infinitely better at recruiting campers from Russian-speaking backgrounds than their counterparts. As more Jewish communal professionals and volunteers take notice of the significant opportunity that this population sector represents, our institutions will see growth, expansion and innovation. This was the approach proposed at the first Think Tank on Russian-Jewish Engagement at Camp held recently in New York City. The three dozen camp and community professionals from across North America who attended left prepared to make the right kinds of investments to increase engagement with Russian-speaking Jews. Change takes time. Mainstream Jewish institutions have certainly started to make headway toward engaging this important and still underrepresented group in Jewish communal life. I am heartened because I believe that this is only the beginning of substantive growth in this arena as we continue to work hand-in-hand with Russian-speaking Jews to build our institutions and our programs in such a way that they become more vital and, ultimately, more interesting to a broader audience. The results are what we are all striving for: building a stronger and more vibrant Jewish community. Abby Knopp is the vice president for program and strategy at the Foundation for Jewish Camp.
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March 8, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 13
Seth MacFarlane is a bigot
Behind the headlines PETER DREIER LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- It seems as though the Oscars writers think that Hollywood is so liberal, they can get away with making offensive comments because everyone knows they’re “just joking.” I don’t agree. Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony featured a not very subtle onslaught of sexist, racist, homophobic and antiSemitic “jokes.” At a time when America is facing an epidemic of gun violence and debating how to limit the spread of assault weapons, host Seth McFarlane thought it would be clever to make a joke about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. “Daniel Day-Lewis is not the first actor to be nominated for playing Lincoln,” McFarlane said. “Raymond Massey portrayed him in the 1940’s ‘Abe Lincoln in Illinois.’ I would argue, though, the actor who really got inside Lincoln’s head was John Wilkes Booth.” Perhaps hoping to win an award for “most racially insensitive” comment, McFarlane joked about Lewis’ habit of staying in character during the filming of Lincoln, even when the cameras were off. “If you bumped into Don Cheadle in the studio lot,” McFarlane said, looking at Lewis in the audience, “would you try and free him?” McFarlane also made outrageous remarks about Adele’s weight, gays, women, Latinas and Jews. It would be difficult to pick a winner in the “most sexist comment” category. McFarlane sang a juvenile song, “We Saw Your Boobs,” about movie scenes in which former Oscar nominees were topless. Referring to the decade-long quest to find Osama bin Laden by Jessica Chastain’s character in Zero Dark Thirty, McFarlane said it was an example of women never being “able to let anything go.” To those women who lost weight before attending the Oscar ceremony, McFarlane said, “For all those women who had the ‘flu,’ it paid off. Lookin’ good.” Referring to Latina actresses Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek -- both of whom speak impeccable English -McFarlane said, “We have no idea what they’re saying, but we don’t care cause they’re so attractive.” After singing We Saw Your Boobs with the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus, MacFarlane made a point of explaining that he wasn’t actually a member of the chorus, as if being gay was something to be ashamed of. MacFarlane also observed that the show’s producers had invited the cast of Chicago to perform on the telecast because “the [Oscars] show isn’t gay enough yet.” Perhaps the most offensive comments were made by “Ted,” the talking stuffed bear who bantered (through McFarlane’s voice) with actor Mark Wahlberg about
Hollywood’s domination by Jews. If putting those words in the mouth of a talking bear is supposed to make the remarks cute and cuddly, it didn’t work with me. The set-up was Ted’s desire to gain acceptance with the Hollywood “in” crowd, which he said were the Jews, so he could attend a post-Oscars orgy. Ted begged Wahlberg to tell him where the orgy would be held. Wahlberg finally spilled the beans -- it would be “at Jack Nicholson’s house.” It was a not very subtle -- and not very funny -- reference to a 1977 incident that occurred at Nicholson’s home, where director Roman Polanski raped a 13-year-old girl. Polanski pleaded guilty but fled to Paris before he was sentenced. Remarking on all the talent assembled at the ceremony, Ted said to Wahlberg, “You know what’s interesting? All those actors I just named are part Jewish,” referring to Joaquin Phoenix (who has a Jewish mother), Daniel DayLewis (ditto) and Alan Arkin (both parents were Jewish). “What about you?” Ted asked Wahlberg. “You’ve got a ‘berg’ on the end of your name. Are you Jewish?” Wahlberg explained that he is Catholic. Ted responded: “Wrong answer. Try again. Do you want to work in this town or don’t you?” To gain favor with the Hollywood crowd, Ted claimed that he was Jewish, that he “was born Theodore Shapiro,” and that “I would like to donate money to Israel and continue to work in Hollywood forever.” When Wahlberg called Ted an idiot, Ted responded, “We’ll see who’s an idiot when they give me my private plane at the next secret synagogue meeting.” Ted’s (or, in reality, McFarlane’s) remarks about the “secret” Jewish cabal that controls Hollywood, discriminates against non-Jews and is tied to Israel were not clever and witty. They were anti-Semitic. I’m certain that many film industry folks sitting in the audience were uncomfortable with the barrage of offensive comments throughout the evening. I’m not a prude and I believe it’s OK to make fun of one’s foibles. But the comments by McFarlane and Ted comments did not simply poke fun at specific individuals; they targeted entire groups. Sunday night’s Oscars show crossed the invisible line between satire and bigotry. It was ugly and unfunny. As a progressive and a Jew, I found the comments outrageous, and I’m confident that many of the millions of Americans watching the show on TV also were offended by the bigoted stereotypes about women, gays, Latinas and Jews. Of course, there were no hooded sheets, burning crosses, or N words. But bigotry comes in various shades. Peter Dreier teaches politics and chairs the Urban & Environmental Policy department at Occidental College. His most recent book is The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame (Nation Books, 2012).
The Courts matter: Roe v. Wade
Focus on issues NANCY KAUFMAN, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women Soon to turn 40, Roe v. Wade (1973) is one of the most widely known Supreme Court decisions. Based on a constitutional right to privacy that encompasses the right to end a pregnancy, the 7-2 ruling has been eroded over time as justices hostile to its principles have been added to the court. An ongoing campaign to weaken and eventually overturn Roe has arisen in the states and Congress, accelerating in the last two years. But the retreat on Roe began almost immediately after the decision: 1977: The court upheld restrictions on public funding of abortions, challenging the idea that abortion was a form of health care to which all were entitled. 1989: In a 5-4 decision, the court upheld a Missouri ban on using public employees and facilities (hospitals and clinics) for abortions except to save a woman’s life, as well as a requirement that physicians test for viability at 20 weeks’ gestational age or more. In his dissent, Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote that, “For today, the women of this nation still retain the liberty to control their destinies. But the signs are evident and very ominous, and a chill wind blows.” Only four justices voted to uphold Roe in its entirety. 1991: A majority decided that a federal rule barring recipients of federal family planning funds from providing counseling about or referrals for abortions (“the gag rule”) did not violate either freedom of speech or the right to privacy. Newly appointed Justice David Souter provided the crucial fifth vote for that decision. 1992: The court’s reversal of its basic commitment to protect a woman’s right to choose is on full display in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Most of Pennsylvania’s strict Abortion
Control Act, including forcing doctors to provide statescripted information 24 hours before a non-emergency abortion, was upheld -- only a requirement that a woman notify her husband failed to pass muster. Although the justices split in their reasoning, the standard for evaluating anti-abortion provisions enacted by the states shifted away from “strict scrutiny” of state laws to protect women’s rights toward a weaker “undue burden” standard. 2000: Supreme Court ruled against a state ban on socalled “partial birth” abortion because the language was too vague and the law failed to protect the health of the woman. In 2007, the court upheld a nearly identical federal law. After the 2010 elections: State legislators who won election on a wave of protest over the continuing economic crisis turned to abortion. More than 135 new reproductive health provisions were enacted, of which 92 restrict access to abortion. And a campaign began to have Congress enact the “Sanctity of Life Act,” which would declare that “personhood” begins at the moment of conception, a premise that would overturn centuries of legal precedent and probably millennia of actual practice in human societies. With this proposal, the anti-abortion movement escalates the legal fight over abortion from one waged against the most vulnerable -- poor women who lack funds to obtain a private abortion; women in need of late term abortion to save their own lives and health; teenagers now ordered to surrender their privacy to their parents or a judge; women who live far from an abortion provider forced to return after a coercive waiting period, among others -- to all women everywhere within the US. Nancy Kaufman is the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women. This article was previously published in The Huffington Post and was reprinted with permission.
Seth MacFarlane is not a bigot
Behind the headlines ROB ESHMAN LOS ANGELES (Jewish Journal) - No one sends out press releases to announce that something is not anti-Semitic. That’s why this morning’s media is full of reports that host Seth MacFarlane’s Oscar performance last night was just shy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s U.N. speech. The Anti-Defamation League was first out of the gate, calling MacFarlane “offensive and not remotely funny” -which in and of itself is funny, the idea that the ADL is not just the arbiter of anti-Semitism but of humor. Then came a press release from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, seeing the ADL’s umbrage and raising it to world historical levels. “It is unfortunate that at a time when anti-Semitism is so prevalent throughout the world,” said the center, “that Seth MacFarlane used the pulpit of the Oscars, before an audience of more than a billion people, to contribute to the myth that Jews own Hollywood.” I found these reactions more annoying than MacFarlane’s comments, which varied from the very funny to the remotely funny, but never came close to anti-Semitism. Seth MacFarlane was joking. He was poking fun. He was mocking the widespread understanding that Jews are disproportionately represented in the entertainment business. This fact comes as a shock to exactly no one, and the idea that joking about it “feeds” anti-Semitism misunderstands both the nature of humor and of anti-Semitism. One thing humor does well, even better than press releases, is diffuse prejudice. It does that through mockery, exaggeration and sometimes by just bringing prejudice to light. That explains everything from Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator to Sacha Baron Cohen’s character of Borat, who got dozens of Arizonans at a rodeo to sing the “famous” Kazhakstan folksong Throw the Jew Down the Well. Cohen wasn’t out to whip up Jew hatred, he was out to expose human -- hmm, what’s the word? -- stupidity. MacFarlane doesn’t really believe you have to change your name or give to Israel to make it in Hollywood, he was riffing on the simplistic belief that that’s all it takes. Billy Crystal could make a dozen Jewish references at the Oscars and no one would do anything but kvell. Granted, MacFarlane’s humor is more in-your-face -- but it goes nowhere that Crystal, or Adam Sandler in his Hanukkah Song, or Lenny Bruce in his Jewish/gentile rift, or a hundred other comedians, haven’t gone before. So why the outrage? Maybe because against the backdrop of increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere, Jews are extra sensitive. Maybe because an older generation of Jews is unfamiliar with a newer brand of Family Guy/South Park humor. Even Amy Davidson, writing on the New Yorker blog, took offense -- this from a magazine whose editor David Remnick once wrote a much-deserved, flattering profile of Howard Stern. Stern’s brand of satire paved the way for comedians like MacFarlane. Or maybe the outrage arises because Jews are still uncomfortable with the notion of being powerful. Deal with it. Jews are disproportionately represented in Hollywood. But wait, there’s more: The Jewish state has 200 nuclear weapons and a hegemony of power in the Middle East. Jews are disproportionately represented in government, finance, law, publishing and medicine. Only Jews can read these factual statements and think, Oy! The ADL and the Simon Wiesenthal Center not only miss the point, they are missing the opportunity. MacFarlane’s jokes, like all good humor, can get people thinking, can open a conversation: Why are Jews so prevalent in Hollywood? How does their Jewish identity inform their creative choices? How would Hollywood look if it were composed, disproportionately, of WASPs or Thais, or anti-Semites? Hollywood is one of America’s greatest gifts to the world -- why else would 2 billion people tune in to see Lincoln get robbed of best picture? There is nothing to hide and plenty to joke about. Rob Eshman is publisher and editor in chief of the Jewish Journal. You can follow him on Twitter @foodaism.)
To submit announcements: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Readers can also submit announcements -- births, b’nai b’rith mitzvahs, engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements.
14 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, call 712.323.8885. FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by an oneg with guest speaker, Nancy Wolf, Community volunteer on Ikebana-Friendship through Flowers. The community is invited. Cantor Beth Schlossberg will officiate at all of the Speaker Series Services.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Men’s Club Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m. Shabbat’s Cool (3-7), 10 a.m. Lunch will be served; Kiddush sponsored by Men’s Club; Evening Service, 6 p.m.; Our Shabbat Tables, Saturday, March 9, (Shabbat ends at 7:05 p.m.). Synagogue families will share a special Havdalah in their homes. For more information, contact Margie in the synagogue office. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Group, 10 a.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class, 11 a.m., with Hazzan Krausman; Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group will meet at 10:15 a.m., at the Strategic Air & Space Museum to view the art exhibit “Searching for Humanity: Veterans, Victims and Survivors of World War II.” All women in the Jewish community are welcome. Admission is $11; reservations and payment MUST be received in advance of event. RSVP to Jill Belmont at BeanK2@aol.com, or 402.333.9202, and send checks made payable to Beth El -- to the synagogue. MONDAY: Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham; Tai Chi Class, 6:30 p.m., led by certified Tai Chi instructor Beth Staenberg. WEDNESDAY: YAC Playgroup, 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Caryn Scheer at carynscheer@ yahoo.com. Scholar-In-Residence Weekend, Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16. Guest scholar is Dr. Benjamin Gampel, history professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary. (see full story on page 4.) Congregational Seder, Tuesday, March 26, 6 p.m. (see full story on page 4.) All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Please contact the synagogue for office hours. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:06 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; The Laws of Shabbat, 3:50 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Boys (ages 10 and up), 4:50 p.m.; Mincha, 5:50 p.m., followed by Seuda
Locust swarm crosses from Egypt into Israel by JTA NEWS STAFF JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A swarm of locusts that descended on Egypt has begun to cross into southern Israel. A small swarm of the destructive cousin to the grasshopper was discovered Monday in the Ramat Hanegev region near the border with Egypt. They are expected to be exterminated Monday night or early Tuesday morning, Ynet reported. A black cloud of more than 30 million locusts swarmed over parts of Egypt including Cairo and Giza beginning on Saturday, causing millions of dollars worth of damage, according to Egyptian Agricultural Minister Salah Abad Almoman. A hotline was set up in Israel for farmers to call if they see signs of locust infestation. The locust attack comes some three weeks before the start of Passover, which recalls a destructive plague of locusts, one of the 10 plagues that the Bible says was sent by God in order to free the Jewish slaves.
Shlishit; Havdalah, 7:05 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Daf Yomi: Week in Review, 7:45 a.m. TUESDAY: Women’s Study Group, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Sacred Grounds with Rabbi Gross, 9:30 a.m; Med Center Chabura, 1 p.m. at UNMC; Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Gross.
CHABAD CENTER An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Minyan and Meditation, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush lunch will follow and is sponsored by Marlene and David Cohen in honor of their wedding anniversary. The importance of every individual on a whole. SUNDAY: Minyan, 8:30 a.m.; Breakfast Bonanza, 9:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Minyan and Meditation, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: Dynamic Discovery with Shani Katzman, 10:15 a.m. A class for women based on traditional texts with practical insights and application. Please reserve by calling 402.330.1800. WEDNESDAY: Personal Parsha class, 10 a.m. with Rochi Katzman. Call 402.330.1800 to reserve. THURSDAY: Women’s Study at UNMC with Shani Katzman, noon. Contact Marlene Cohen at mzcohen@ unmc.edu to receive updates. All programs are open to the entire community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m., with oneg following hosted by Tracy and Randy Gordon. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Vayakhel/Pekude. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes. WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes. THURSDAY: Star City Kochavim Rehearsal, 7 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY, 9:30 a.m. Bagels ‘n Brew at Tifereth Israel. TUESDAY, 6:30 p.m. Intro to Judaism, led by Rabbi Lewis. Jewish Book Club, Sunday, March 17, 1:30 p.m. at Karen Coulter’s house. We’ll be discussing The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund DeWaal. For more information please contact Karen at pkarinc_62@yahoo.com.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
Candlelighting Friday, March 8, 6:06 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.
TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Brown and Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Experience Shabbat for Grades 3-6, 9:30 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Temple Trivia Night, 7 p.m. SUNDAY: Teachers Meeting, 9:30 a.m.; Grades K-2, 10 a.m.; Prayer Assembly, 10 a.m. WEDNESDAY: No Religious School; No Family School; No Grades 7-8. THURSDAY: Dilemmas of Faith: God and Spirituality in the Modern World, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel. Naomi’s Table, Thursday, March 21, 6:45 p.m. at Crave, 200 S. 31st Ave, Suite 4103. We invite all interfaith couples, Jews by Choice and anyone who considers their family to be an intersection of cultures and traditions to join us. Appetizers will be provided and dinner can be purchased. Please RSVP to Wendy Goldberg, wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com. Passover Service, Tuesday, March 26, 10:30 a.m. Congregational Seder, Tuesday, March 26, 6 p.m. Menu items for the seder include Matzah Ball Soup, Chicken, Kugel, Salad, Chocolate-dipped Macaroons for dessert and all the other traditional favorites such as charoses, gefilte fish and matzah, of course, according to Dennis DePorte, Executive Director. The cost for adults is $23, $12 for children six to twelve years old. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting the Temple Israel office, lsherrod@templeisraelomaha.com or 402.556.6536. Reservation deadline is Monday, March 18.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 10 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch prepared by Miriam Wallick. SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Crane watching, noon at the Watch Family home in Wood River, NE. Please bring your own dairy sack lunch and drink. RSVP desired by March 8 to the family at 308.382.8123. WEDNESDAY: No LJCS Hebrew classes. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY, 9:30 a.m. Bagels ‘n Brew at Tifereth Israel. Jewish Book Club, Sunday, March 17, 1:30 p.m. at Karen Coulter’s house. We’ll be discussing The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund DeWaal. For more information please contact Karen at pkarinc_62@yahoo.com.
Dilemmas of Faith by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Last summer Temple Israel Rabbi Aryeh Azriel attended a leadership seminar in Jerusalem, the focus of which was ‘faith in the modern world.’ From March 14 through May 23, he will be leading a discussion course to share what he learned. Titled Dilemmas of Faith: God and Spirituality in the Modern World, the course will explore a number of questions about faith in today’s society, such as ‘Do I have to believe in God to be a good Jew?’ and ‘How do we reconcile faith with reason?’ “I think there is a need in Rabbi Azriel modernity, in post-modernity, to look at faith, because Judaism, in addition to rituals and observance, needs to also address and understand the language of faith,” Rabbi Azriel said. “We are living in a world in which we are approached and constantly in touch
with faith communities and I want Jews to feel comfortable with the word ‘faith.’” The course will also examine the need for ritual practices in relation to faith. Does one need to perform these rituals in order to have faith or can one simply believe? “I see faith and practice as one,” Rabbi Azriel said. “We need to talk about faith without practice and practice without faith. It is a challenge. I want to be able to shed light on understanding the challenge of both the faith and the practice.” Rabbi Azriel hopes this course will encourage further discussion of what he knows is a very difficult, yet equally important, topic for many people. “I want them to struggle, to question, to be irritated, uncomfortable,” he said. “I want to introduce a set of values and a set of questions that are important for us to engage in.” Dilemmas of Faith with Rabbi Azriel is part of Temple Israel’s Adult Study with Clergy, which is held on Thursday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. To register for the course, contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg at wgoldberg@templeisraelomaha.com. The course fee is $45 for members and $55 for non-members.
Pulverente MONUMENT CO.
March 8, 2013 | The Jewish Press | 15
In memoriam LOUIS (LOUIE) BLUMKIN Continued from page 1 By the time he returned home from the war, he had given up his dream of diving at the university level. Instead, he said he entered “his mother’s college.” He received an honorary doctorate from Creighton University and helped fund Holocaust and genocide studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha as well as Parkinson’s disease research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In 1984, the National Conference of Christians and Jews cited Blumkin for distinguished service in human relations. His charitable foundation supports the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, the Henry Doorly Zoo, Mahoney State Park and the Ronald McDonald House, among other causes. In 1991, Blumkin headed a fundraising campaign for Youth Care, Inc., a provider of residential group homes for young people with developmental disabilities. He helped launch the campaign by presenting the first check. Blumkin’s primary passion outside the Mart was dancing with his beloved Frances. He also relished his Sunday morning golf game with Norman Batt, Jerry Cohn, and his first cousin, Ike Friedman. Their special foursome began in 1948 and continued for 43 years, until 1991 when Friedman died. “My brother-in-law Louie was my best friend, teacher and mentor. He had a great work ethic and led by example. He was tough and competitive but also kind and gentle. I admired his ability to retain prices of merchandise when we went to the Furniture Market, never needing to take notes. His mind was like a computer! “He made our children feel very important and taught them many life lessons! They loved and respected him, and had a great influence on their development. “Gail was proud of him, and admired the way he treated people, and in turn how people treated him. She admired his military and business career, and the relationship he had with Frannie and his children. “We were fortunate to have had him in our lives for 93 years. He was the most decent human being we will ever know. We have lost a great brother-in-law and uncle, but his lessons and memory live within us,” said Irv, Gail, Lynn, and Tim Veitzer. Blumkin’s son, Steve, from San Diego, California, said, “When I think of my dad, I think of his positivity, how supportive he was and how he always encouraged us in everything we did.” “Louie Blumkin had a big heart,” said Mike Silverman,
A Jewish invention
Jewish Federation of Omaha CEO. “I am grateful for all he was willing to share with this community. He will be missed by many.” Jody Malashock, President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, added: “Louie Blumkin was the embodiment of community and philanthropy. His longtime support and commitment will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.” Services were held Friday March 1, 2013, at Beth El Synagogue. Memorials may be made to the Rose Theatre and the Foundation for Neuroscience Alliance Endowment at UNMC (please call Amy Volk at 402.502.0300).
MARIAN CLAYMAN ABRAMSON Marian Clayman Abramson passed away at the age of 90 in Tucson, AZ. Services were held Feb. 28 at Golden Hills Cemetery followed by a memorial service at Beth Israel Synagogue. She is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Larry Grossman, and son and daughter-in-law, Sandy and Dana Cipinko; and three grandchildren. Marian had a great sense of humor and spirit. She made all who came in contact with her laugh and be at ease. She loved her volunteer work with the Omaha Symphony and the Omaha Community Playhouse. Memorials may be made to the Sienna Francis House, 1702 Nicholas, Omaha, NE 68102 and Beth Israel Synagogue.
C. RANDY ENDELMAN C. Randy Endelman passed away at the age of 65 in Omaha on Feb. 23. Services were held Feb. 26 at Temple Israel. Randy was preceded in death by his sister-in-law, Debbie Krasne. He is survived by his wife, Penny; mother and father, Bob and Lois Endelman; daughter and son-in-law, Jamie and Troy Meyerson; son, Tony Endelman; grandchildren: Ainsley, Aiden and Audrey Meyerson; sister and brother-inlaw, Sue and Paul Blackman; brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Krista Endelman; and brother-in-law, Jim Krasne; many nieces, nephews and close friends. Memorials may be sent to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, the CDC or Temple Israel.
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RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Vayak’hel Jews have had two major institutions for worship in their history. Our Sidrah describes in careful detail the construction of the Sanctuary of the Wilderness, a model for the Temple that was to be from Solomon’s time on. Worship in the Mikdash of the wilderness and in the Temple of Jerusalem consisted largely of animal sacrifice. The complicated directions for the sacrificial system are given in a kind of “manual for the priest” in the Book of Leviticus. We ought not to wonder at this way of worship. Giving gifts of animal life to God among Jews was similar in many ways (and superior in most!) to the all-but-universal practice of animal sacrifice among many people of the ancient world. So sacrifice is not astonishing. What is astonishing is the ancient Jewish invention of a quite different way of worship: the Synagogue. I do not mean a synagogue building. I mean the institution of the Synagogue, a place where people gather to offer prayer and to participate in religious exercise, particularly the study of the Scripture. Here one does not need a priest or any person specifically ordained to offer sacrifice. Here a teacher teaches Scripture and leads his congregation in prayer. The prayer bespeaks the worshiper’s sense of faith, his or her sense of God, and one’s petition for help in attaining the things and the conditions of life he or she values most highly. We may mourn for the destruction of the Temple, but it is a mourning that is historical and formal. It is the Synagogue that satisfies the Jewish soul. It is our well-spring of learning, our focus for religious expression and spiritual yearning, and our supreme institution of self-identity. This week’s Parsha was adapted from Rabbi Myer Kripke’s book, Insight and Interpretation.
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A reunion of the 1967 pledge class of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity at the University of Nebraska (aka The Sammy House) was held Feb. 15-17, 2013 in Scottsdale, AZ. These individuals grew up in Nebraska; and are now in their mid 60s. Mickey Schloff, left, Mark Bernstien, Steve Epstein, Larry Wintroub, Dave Lieberman, Mark Jacobson, Lou Kully, and Todd Greenstone.
To Submit obituaries to the Jewish Press: Email to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.
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16 | The Jewish Press | March 8, 2013
For Chabad misfits, a place to call home by CHAVIE LIEBER NEW YORK (JTA) -- On a freezing Friday night in Brooklyn, a group of 18 Crown Heights residents scurry through the crowds of Jews leaving synagogue and make their way to a second-story apartment on Rogers Avenue for Shabbat dinner. Inside, hippie art and vintage John Lennon photos share wall space with drawings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the late leader of the Chabad hasidic sect, and a yellow “Moshiach” flag, the symbol of the movement’s messianic wing. A large glass table holds the evening’s spread: sauteed vegetables, kale salad, vegan cholent and a challah so perfect, attendees say, “only a gay man could have baked it.” After a ceremonial blessing over wine and bread, the guests get to talking. A disc jockey, graphic artist and rabbi are having a heated discussion about Chabad’s influence on Indian meditation, while a photographer is explaining to a pregnant lady why Mitzvah Tanks, Chabad’s outreach vehicles, are the most brilliant thing to happen to planet Earth since Miles Davis. This is not your typical Shabbat dinner in Crown Heights, the worldwide headquarters of the Chabad movement. While nearly all the participants were raised in hasidic homes, most have strayed from strict religious practice. Yet rather than flee the neighborhood, they have chosen to remain in the heart of the Chabad community. “The way I grew up, you had to either be 100 percent committed to religion or you’re out. There was no picking and choosing,” said Shmuley Toron, the 25-year-old gay man from Cincinnati responsible for the perfect challah. “But there are parts of the religion that I love, which is why we’re still here in Crown Heights. And I know I can be as religious as I want to be without having to
leave completely.” Chevra Ahavas Yisroel, or CAY, led by Rabbi Toron and his friends are part of a com- Chezzie Denebeim, a 27-year-old Californian, munity of Chabad misfits who, while not and his wife, Sima, who pride themselves on fully embraced by the Crown Heights main- creating an environment open to everyone. stream, are beginning to find a place for themselves in an outwardly conformist community. His apartment has gained a reputation as the place people go to party, relax or escape the neighborhood’s rigid social norms -- a situation that is virtually unthinkable in other hasidic communities, which are more likely to shun members that Chevra Ahavas Yisroel, a new synagogue in the Crown Heights secdon’t fully abide by tion of Brooklyn shown here celebrating 2013 Purim, is breaking communal standards. down stereotypes within the Chabad community. “The acceptance Credit: Chevra Ahavas Yisroel fringe members see in Crown Heights is really rare to that commuCompared to a typical Chabad synagogue, nity, and it wouldn’t happen anywhere else,” CAY is revolutionary. Board members are said Hella Winston, a sociologist and author mostly women, who are permitted to lecture of the 2006 book Unchosen: The Hidden and sing along during services, and there is Lives of Hasidic Rebels. “Crown Heights is a no dress code. Social events are coed, withtype of place that is much more tolerant out a mechitzah gender partition. than most insular, hasidic communities. The synagogue has been around for two And their attitude is that they will mostly years and recently purchased its own space, meet you where you are.” despite occasional opposition and criticism One of 14 siblings raised in a Chabad fam- from the community. ily, Toron kept his sexuality a secret through “Our shul breaks the black and white in years of religious camps and schooling, this community. It comes with color,” including a stint in a rabbinical seminary. Denebeim said. “I can’t say that we have an He finally came out to his family four years agenda, I just want each person to embark ago, and still maintains some religious prac- on their own personal journey at our shul. tices -- keeping a full beard, covering his And if they don’t and just come for the head and learning Tanya -- though he does- music, that’s fine, too.” n’t associate with communal institutions. The community around CAY has become He does attend a new synagogue, however: something of a magnet for the wayward
children of Chabad families from across the country. Aviva Bogart, 23, has a partially shaved head and comes from a Chabad family in Massachusetts. She says more misfits have been moving to the area. “This feels like the first time there’s inreach within the community, instead of sending efforts to help those in the outside world,” Bogart said, referring to the global outreach corps of Chabad emissaries. “I think Chabad is beginning to realize how many people are getting lost and losing their religion, and how much of a change they really need. We’re not all completely lost, just because we don’t keep everything.” When Toron first came out as gay, his mother cried incessantly and begged him to go to reparative therapy, fearful of the ostracized life he would live. Today, Toron has a boyfriend and says he is happier than ever. “When I first realized I was gay, I wanted to toss the whole thing,” Toron said. “I felt like an abomination, I was so ashamed. And it’s terrifying, but I’m still trying to figure out where I stand, with my religion and my sexuality. I’m constantly living with one foot in and one foot out, but a part of me knows I can’t let go.” Not surprisingly, not everyone in Crown Heights is embracing the new arrivals. Last week, Bogart said a stranger approached her while she was walking to synagogue and demanded that she pull down her skirt. Bogart said there is an oldschool mentality within the community, but she thinks it will change as CAY grows. “Sure, I’m afraid to mix the pot and change things up, but there’s no other option,” Denebeim said. “Everyone here is status quo and that is a very dangerous thing. “We needed something else because what we have is not working. You have to remember that the rebbe was revolutionary, too, and he taught us to be leaders, not followers.”
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