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MA R C H 8, 2 024 | 2 8 A DA R I 578 4 | VO L. 1 04 | NO. 2 0 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 6: 0 5 P.M.
What are you fighting for? Creatively captivating: Joe Wees speaks at JBL Page 3
Beth Israel’s Kitchen: Cholent Page 6
SASHA DENENBERG This article was originally published at the Westside Wired and is reprinted with permission from the author. To hear this article in podcast form, go to: https://youtu.be/IizBkVVG NbE?si=BUp-sdNuOj7nY8iS.
Jewish Pride like none other Page 12
WESTSIDE’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Westside has allowed concerning elements of antisemitism to appear on its campus. Biased and inaccurate news articles, student expression of antisemitism, and a failure to educate students adequately about crucial current
PJ Library Purim opportunities
REGULARS Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles
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PJ’s Purim Bash in 2017
HEIDI HEILBRUNN-NEEDLEMAN JFO PJ Library Coordinator PJ Library is excited to welcome
families of young children to the Jewish Community Center’s Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus for two free Purim-themed events in March. While Purim is all about parties and fun, it is also about giving. Bring your children or grandchildren to the PJ Library Pre-Party on Thursday, March 21, 3-4 p.m. Come in costume to pack mishloach manot, gifts of food, for residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, sample hamantaschen, and enjoy a PurimSee PJ Library Purim page 5
events all contribute to the problem. The first article published on Westside Wired about the Israel-Hamas war is titled, Israel-Palestine Conflict Shouldn’t Spread Conflict Among American Education. In this article, a Westside student criticizes New York University’s (NYU) decision to suspend Hafiza Khalique, an NYU student and pro-Hamas activist. Khalique was arrested at a protest where she was videotaped vandalizing NYU’s campus and tearing down posters of hostages who are being held captive in Hamas’s tunnels underneath Gaza. Some of these hostages are children who witnessed their entire families See What are you fighting for? page 2
Jeanne’s Passion: A Jewish life in Omaha her journey came at age 13 when she AMY BERNSTEIN SHIVVERS celebrated her Bat Mitzvah, marking JFO Foundation Executive her formal initiation into Jewish Director Jeanne Blacker Lipsey Rosen- adulthood and lighting the dedicablum’s name is synonymous with a tion candle at the opening of the new Beth El Synadeep-rooted gogue on 49th and commitment to Farnam. Jeanne’s Jewish life in deep connection Omaha. Born in to her faith and 1928 to parents, community was David and Marie evident from an Blacker, who imearly age. Jeanne migrated from was the second Russia, Jeanne’s upbringing was Bat Mitzvah in the steeped in Jewish city of Omaha foltradition and lowing her friend, community inRuthie Kay. volvement from a Her familial ties young age. to Jewish cusStarting her toms ran deep, Jewish education with vivid memoat Beth El Syna- Jeanne Blacker Lipsey Rosenblum ries of Seder dingogue’s Hebrew School at the age of ners at her grandparents’ home eight, Jeanne imbibed the rich cul- where her father would lead the tural and religious heritage of her Haggadah in Hebrew, albeit with faith under the guidance of Julie some lengthiness. Despite the Wolfson. Two pivotal moments in See Jeanne’s Passion page 2