Vol. LXXXII
No. 28
Omaha, NE
10 Adar 2, 5763
March 14, 2003
CELEBRATING 82 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA
Hundreds of Journalists Climb Aboard Gulf-bound U.S. Aircraft Carrier by JANINE ZACHARIA, The Jerusalem Post USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN--A loud swishing sound, a deafening, pulsating bang, and then heavy arresting cables being yanked onto a metal deck. It is the jolting noise produced by an aircraft landing on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and it is the first thing you notice when you arrive. This noise will be a major part of your stay here. The Roosevelt is one of two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean. Three others are in the Persian Gulf and another, the USS Nimitz, is making its way here to take part in any conflict with Iraq. All of them are joined by a battle group of ships including cruisers, destroyers, supply ships, and submarines. They are all waiting to see what their role will be. But here, the focus is the fighter jets and the fighter pilots who will play a major role in any air campaign. (Continued on page 16)
Crews began deploying U.S.-supplied Patriot anti-missile batteries in the Tel Aviv area. Photo by ISRANET.
Jewish Press Co-sponsors Live from the 92nd Street Y Presentation: “Biased or Balanced? Israel and the Media” by CAROL KATZMAN, Editor Three world-class journalists and a household name in political polling will face off in a panel discussion about news stories about the Middle East. In the sixth in this latest series, Live from the 92nd Street Y, comes “Biased or Balanced? Israel and the Media” on Thursday, March 20, 7 p.m., in the theater at the Jewish Community Center. Appropriately, this presentation Gary Rosenblatt David Makovsky Ethan Bronner is co-sponsored by this newspaper. According to Fred Tichauer, Chairman of the publication was cited in the Pulitzer competition, Jewish Press Committee, “This is a very important which dates back to 1917. Bronner was named Assistant Editorial Page issue for us as Americans and as Jews. So often the Editor of The New York Times in January, 2002. news we hear on television and see in print is Throughout the previous fall, he worked as an ediskewed. tor in the paper’s investigative unit, focusing on the “If we don’t stand up for Israel, who will?” attacks of Sept. 11. A series of articles on Al Qaeda Gary Rosenblatt will moderate a panel consisting that Mr. Bronner helped edit during that time was of Ethan Bronner, Stan Greenberg and David awarded the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory Makovsky. The four will discuss the media’s news journalism. He had been the paper’s education edigathering methods and challenges facing reporters. tor from 1999 to 2001 and a national education corRosenblatt is editor and publisher of The Jewish respondent from 1997 to 1999. Week of New York, the largest and most respected Before joining The Times, Bronner was with The Jewish newspaper in the country. Prior to coming to Boston Globe from 1985-97. He went on to become a New York in 1993, Rosenblatt was editor of the Supreme Court and legal affairs correspondent in Baltimore Jewish Times for 19 years. He has won Washington, D.C. and a Middle East correspondent, numerous awards for his writing from secular and based in Jerusalem. He is the author of Battle for Jewish organizations. Justice: How the Bork Nomination Shook America, His analysis of the Simon Wiesenthal Center of which was chosen by The New York Public Library Los Angeles was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in as one of the 25 best books of 1989. the category of Special Reporting in 1985. The (Continued on page 8) honor marked the first time an article in a Jewish
Inaugural Wintroub-Riklin Lecture Takes the Funnies Seriously by ADRIAN GIBBONS KOESTERS, Creighton University Over the years, readers of comic strips have opened up their newspapers to find a Jewish policeman helping “Dick Tracy” solve crime,a Jewish gal-pal advising the angst- and hormonedriven teenage hero of “Zits,” and “Gil Thorp” coaching an observant Jewish football player! Tens of millions of daily comic strip readers have observed these and similar instances of Jews and Judaism in strips as diverse as “Shoe” and “The Family Circus.” Until now, however, no one has collected examDr. Leonard Greenspoon opens this new annual lecture on March 30. ples of them, considered their significance, or brought them to the attention Kathy Hirshman at 334-6445 by March 24; for more of general readers as well as scholarly researchers. information on the lecture, call the Klutznick Chair Leonard J. Greenspoon, holder of the Creighton office at 280-2303. The series, titled the Wintroub-Riklin Lectures, University Klutznick Chair, is doing just that here in Omaha, as he inaugurates a new annual lecture was made possible by generous gifts to Creighton’s series that will focus attention on some fascinating Klutznick Endowment by the Eve and Louis Wintroub and the Dr. Henry H. Riklin families. aspect of Jews in daily life. “We decided, in consultation with the College of The lecture, “Jews in the Comic Strips,” will take place on Sunday, March 30, 7 p.m., at the Jewish Jewish Learning, to use these endowments to Community Center. The lecture, followed by a devote a lecture series to Jews and popular culture,” Greenspoon said. “Part of our mission in the reception, is free and open to the public. Babysitting will be provided for children aged Klutznick Chair is to further Jewish education in three and up. To make babysitting reservations, call Omaha, and we see this series as a fun as well as
informative supplement to our annual Fall symposium,” he added. For Spring 2004, a presentation on Jews and sports is planned to coincide with the Athens Olympics later that year, he added. Regarding his interest in Jews and Judaism in the comic strips, Greenspoon said, “While I have spoken on the Bible in the comics before, my research now addresses how Jews are popularly portrayed in the comic strips, which I see as a natural extension of my previous work. “I believe my focus is a unique one,” he explained. “It is estimated that 100 million people a day read the comic strips, and although many, if not most, of the readers are children, the issues presented are often very serious ones. “In some respects the comics are like the daytime soap operas of previous generations, dealing with important social issues just below the radar,” he added. “Within the past year, various strips have provided information on alcoholism, asthma, breast cancer, and date rape. Cartoonists have taken stands on issues as controversial as homosexuality and ecology, with results that undoubtedly upset some readers.” (Continued on page 2)
INSIDE: Book-Sharing Project Participants Killed in Haifa Bus Bombing ................................ page 9 Elderhood ................................................ page 11 A Romanian Purim ............................. pages 14
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, MARCH 14 Purim Spiel at the CDC, 11 a.m. SATURDAY, MARCH 15 Out of Sight Saturday Night, 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY, MARCH 16 C L Boy Scouts Blue and Gold Banquet, 3 p.m. I P MONDAY, MARCH 17 &
C L I P &
S Erev Purim Megillah Reading and Ice Cream Surprise, 7 p.m. at Beth El A V Talmud Class with Rabbi Kutner, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel E
S A V E
TUESDAY, MARCH 18 OCTL Purim Seudah, 5 p.m. at the Parkwood Terrace Clubhouse, 93rd & Western Chabad/Beth Israel Purim Program, 5 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. JFS Couples - Interfaith Group, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 Hadassah Board Meeting, 10 a.m. Melton Mini-School, 11 a.m. B’nai B’rith Breadbreakers, noon at the Park Inn Regency Lodge BESTT High School Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth El
C L I P &
S Yiddish Group Meeting, 1 p.m. A JFS Becoming a Love and Logic Parent, 6 p.m. V Live from the 92nd Street Y, Israel and the Media, E
S A V E
6 p.m.
All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated.The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events.To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING,VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)
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RESIDENTIAL 8037 H Street Omaha, NE 68127
(402) 593-1242
Purim Regarding the Megillah, we find an interesting phenomenon. Though Mordechai plays a very interesting role in the story of Purim, the scroll is called the Megillah of Esther, not the Megillah of Mordechai. This is due to Esther’s own innate qualities as a strong and brave Jewish woman. Esther, masking her Jewishness, is chosen to be the heathen king Ahashueros’ bride purely on the basis of her physical beauty. Former queen, Vashti, we are told, is also exceptionally pretty. At first, we respect Vashti’s willingness to defy her foolish husband’s order to parade her beautiful self and dance before him and his drunken friends. We may admire her boldness and pity her banishment. But we learn that she is the great granddaughter of the Babylonian emperor, Nebuchadnezzer, who destroyed Jerusalem and the first Holy Temple-and that she is a Jew hater. Our rabbis state that Vashti forced Jewish women to disrobe and do work on the Sabbath for her. That is why, according to the Megillah, (Ch. 1:10), she is commanded to appear in public without clothing on the seventh day. After Vashti’s exile, Mordechai prevails upon the newly chosen Queen Esther to intercede on behalf of her people before the King to prevent the Jews’ imminent destruction. Esther responds by giving Mordechai a deadly serious lesson in palace protocol, stating even she, the King’s wife, could be put to death by appearing unbidden to Ahasueros. Queen Esther uses her feminine wiles, appears modestly and respectfully, and waits with strength and temerity to be recognized and summoned into her husband’s presence. Only then, ultimately,does she reveal Haman’s evil plot and her own identity as a Jew. For many women, when Esther bravely appears before the King uninvited, this part of the Megillah tells a moving story about female Jewish courage. Though Esther may seem a compliant and “tiptoeing” wife dependent on the King, her behavior is truly exemplary; her reliance on subtle strategies to affect the outcome on these events. She is willing to sacrifice herself for the lives of her people and she uses her God-given talents of grace and virtue to accomplish these ends. Much of her power is in her relationship to her husband who had the might to destroy so many lives, and much of her power is in his love for her. He would do anything to honor and protect her, even by granting any wish. Today we speak about women being powerful without the need or help of men, yet we realize that God put women and men on the earth to complement one another and work together as partners. Here is another lesson that we can learn from Purim: Every Jewish woman is the mainstay of her home. She sets the tone and spirit of her household and bears the responsibility of rearing her children in the traditions of Torah and Judaism. Rini Gonsher is a religious school teacher at Temple Israel and the wife of Rabbi Allan Gonsher. She, the rabbis, and the rabbis’ spouses have been invited to write as guest columnists for this column.
WANTED:
C L THURSDAY, MARCH 20 I P Walk-in Drop-in, 10 a.m. & Kripke Library Monthly Book Discussion Group,
noon
Subtle Strategies by RINI GONSHER
BLUE RIBBON
YES Program, 10 a.m.
SPARKS FROM THE WORD
Adults with experience building with LEGO blocks needed for a special project at the JCC. If this sounds intriguing, call Rachel Blum, JCC Program Director, 334-6404. DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND! The Purim Seudah sponsored by the Omaha Center for Torah Learning has outgrown the OCTL House and has moved to the Parkwood Terrace Clubhouse, 93rd and Western, Tuesday, March 18, 5 p.m. There’s still time to join us for dinner and entertainment--$12 for adults and $7 for children--call 320-8055 by March 16.
DEATHS BERNARD HYMAN NEWBERG Former Omahan Bernard H. Newberg died Feb. 19 in Dallas at the age of 66. Services were held Feb. 21. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Sandra Dee Bass Newberg. He is survived by his wife, Laurie MArks Newberg; sons and daughters-in-law, Stuart and Suzanne and Jeff and Valerie, all of Austin, TX; daughters and sons-in-law, Wendy and Mitch Friedman, Heidi and Jacob Barath, all of Dallas, and Bonnie and Ted Akers of San Antonio, TX; grandchildren, Jared, Adam, Nicole and Ryan Newberg of Austin, Jack Friedman, Ethan and Alec Barath of Dallas, and Riley Akers of San Antonio; brother, Marvin Newberg; brother and sister-inlaw, Alvin and Sandra Newberg. Memorials to the Salvation Army of Dallas, TX, United Jewish Communities, the American Heart Association or charity of choice. CELIA GORLICKI Celia Gorlicki died at the age of 73. Services were held March 10 at Beth Israel Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leon. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Tim Lang; son and daughter-in-law,, David and Shannon Gorlicki of Menifee, CA; grandchildren, Shelby and Brandon Lang and Michael Gorlicki; sisters, Nita Horowitz of CA, and Sandy Stein of CA; and a brother, Al Fellman of CA. LEAH TAIGER Leah Taiger died at the age of 95. Services were held March 10 at Temple Israel Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her husband, Nathan. She is survived by her daughter and sonin-law, Emmy and Mark Krasovitsky; and grandchildren, Vadim and Michelle Krasovitsky. DIANA C. RUBIN Diana C.Rubin died March 9 at the age of 93. Services were held in Chicago. She was preceded in death by her husband, Meyer N. Rubin. She is survived by her daughter and sonin-law, Carrie and Mickey Horn, Milwaukee, WI; son and daughter-in-law, Gordon and Harriet Rubin, Chicago, IL; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Memorials to Rose Blumkin Home or Hadassah. CORRECTIONS Dr. Sommer was a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, not Creighton University’s Medical College, as originally submitted. His obituary appeared in the Feb. 28 issue. Also, the name of Vadim Pesetsky was submitted incorrectly in the obituary for Basya Beckerman in last week’s Press. Zena Fishbain’s name was inadvertently omitted as the sister of from Shirley Gorelick in that obituary in last week’s issue. The Jewish Press regrets the error.
Lecture Takes the Funnies Seriously (Continued from page 1) Although most references to Jews and Judaism in the comics are respectful, there have been some exceptions. For example, in 2001 many readers took offense at the Easter Sunday strip of “B.C.,” produced by creator Johnny Hart (also the co-writer of the popular strip, “The Wizard of Id”). Hart usually includes a religious message in his strips on Christian religious holidays, but this one seemed to cross a line. Greenspoon said the Easter strip featured a seven-branched Menorah, “that, panel by panel, turns into a cross. Many readers took that as a graphic representation of the idea that Christianity replaced Judaism as a legitimate religious faith. “While Hart denied any such purpose, to my mind this is a very persuasive example of the reality that cartoons are not just for children,” he added. Greenspoon plans to use the lecture as an opportunity to acquaint his audience with Dick Tracy’s Sam Catchem, Jeremy’s friend Brittany, and Orthodox football star David Greene. “Having interviewed cartoonists and researched their backgrounds, I firmly believe that what they portray about Judaism is not peripheral, but central, to how Jews show up in popular culture,” he said. “I can’t think of a more ‘serious’ reason to look at the funnies.”
March 14, 2003
SYNAGOGUES
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Candlelighting Friday, March 14 .............................................. 6:11 p.m.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism
7023 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556-6536 templeisrael-ne.org
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
1502 No. 52 St., Omaha, NE. 68104 -5013 556-6288 BethIsrael@novia.net
14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492-8550 WEB--www.bethel-omaha.org
FRIDAY: Men’s Club, 11:45 a.m. All male members of Temple Israel are invited to a weekly informal get together at Spirit World, 7517 Pacific St. Join us for some relaxation and great conversation; Shabbat Evening Service, 7:30 p.m., Rabbi Aryeh Azriel and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate; Rabbi Azriel will give the sermon. The Oneg Shabbat will be sponsored by the Women of Reform Judaism. SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30 a.m., in the Milder Center. Please join us as we continue study of Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries: The Amidah; Morning service, 10:30 a.m. Lindsey Wolpa, daughter of Vicki and Steven Wolpa, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. SUNDAY: Mazel Tov! Part I, 10 a.m., Join the clergy for this “reality show.” See article on page 13. MONDAY, March 17: Box dinner (bring your own dinner, drinks provided) and create your own masks, 6 p.m.; Purim spiel, costume parade, Megillah reading, 7 p.m. Make your reservations for dinner with the Temple office. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY, March 18: Conversations with Rabbi Marantz, noon-1 p.m. Join Rabbi Marantz for an informal BYO brown bag lunch and discussion of current events and issues that affect the Jewish community in Omaha and around the world. WEDNESDAY, March 19: The Jews of Spain: History and Culture, 6:45-8:15 p.m. with Prof. Guy Matalon; Comparison of Jewish Biomedical Ethics with other Philosophies of Religious and Secular Biomedical Ethics, 7-8:30 p.m. with Dr. Howard Needelman. THURSDAY, March 20: Beyond Basic Hebrew, 9:15-10 a.m.; Adult Study with Rabbi Marantz, 1011:30 a.m. SHABBAT COMES TO YOU Friday, March 21: Rabbi Marantz and OTYG will lead a Shabbat service, 3:45 p.m. at Remington Heights. PURIM CARNIVAL Sunday, March 23: Fun for the whole family, noon-2 p.m. Tickets sold at the door, good for both food and games. The carnival, sponsored by the Temple Israel Youth Group, is open to the community.
Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:15 p.m.; The West Minyan is at the home of Donald and Maggie Gerber, at 6:15 p.m. A weekly e-mail update is now being sent out, listing synagogue events. Please e-mail the office to be on the list. SATURDAY: Morning Services, 8:45 a.m. Free babysitting begins at 10 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m., Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood. Mincha, 6:05 p.m., followed by Shalosh Suedot and Ma’ariv; Havdalah, 7:13 p.m. SUNDAY: Services, 9 a.m.; NCSY Shaloch Manot project, noon, come and help make Purim baskets! Evening services, 6:15 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. and 6:15 p.m MONDAY: Fast of Esther begins, 5:20 a.m., Morning service, 7 a.m., Mincha, 6:10 p.m., Ma’ariv and Megillah reading, 6:55 p.m. Come in costume to the Megillah reading and stay to enjoy a free dairy dinner. Make reservations with the office. TUESDAY: Morning service, 6:30 a.m., Megillah reading, 7 a.m., Late Megillah reading, 11:15 a.m. at the Remington Heights Auditorium, 12606 W. Dodge Rd. The community is invited. Purim Suedah at the JCC, 5 p.m., co-sponsored by Beth Israel, Chabad and Hadassah. Megillah reading is followed by dinner, games, a costume contest, clowns, music and more. Make reservations with Beth Israel or Chabad.
FRIDAY: Come join a joyous, musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. A THOUGHT FOR SHABBAT To receive Rabbi Levin’s weekly “Thought For Shabbat” e-mail message, please send your e-mail address to Exec@bethel-omaha.org. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m., Bar Mitzvah of Daniel Canfield, son of Sandra and Richard Canfield. Kiddush is hosted by the Le Roy Canfield in honor off his grandson. Rabbi Levin’s Torah Class, 5:50 p.m. informal discussion and snack, followed by services at 6:20 p.m. SUNDAY: Evening services and study session, 5:30-6 p.m. This relaxed, informal minyan led by Gastón Bolgomolni, explores the structure of daily services and the meaning of specific prayers. MONDAY: The Magnificant Megillah Reading and Incredible Ice Cream Social, 7 p.m. BESTT second grade students will receive individual megillot at this Erev Purim service featuring a Purim Story Slide Show produced by kids in grades K-8. A full Megillah reading will follow at 8:15 p.m. TUESDAY: Shaharit & the Whole Megillah for Early Birds, 6:15 a.m. ADULT EDUCATION WEDNESDAY: Adult B’nai Mitzvah class, 7 p.m., with Cantor Berkovitz. THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Introduction to Judaism Class, noon-1 p.m. The current focus is Uncovering the Deep Messages of the Jewish Holidays. Lunch is available by reservation. PURIM CARNIVAL Sunday, March 23, 11:30 a.m.: The Totally Crazy Purim Carnival is sponsored by BILU-USY and offers food, games and prizes for the whole family.
CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of the Worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Movement
1866 So. 120th St., Omaha, NE 68144-1646 Phone: 330-1800 E-MAIL--chabad@aol.com WEBSITE: www.nebraskajudaism.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Monday-Friday, services at 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m., followed by a Kiddush luncheon. SUNDAY: Morning Service, 8:30 a.m. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAY: Parsha HaShavuah (weekly Torah portion), 7-8:30 p.m., led by rabbinic student Mendel Hecht. To register for any class, please call Jennifer at 330-1800, or e-mail chabadoffice@aol.com.
BEYT SHALOM
An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
3012 S. 119th St., P.O. Box 241130 Omaha, NE 68124-5130 592-4082 http://welcome.to/beytshalom/ FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. at the Rose BlumkinJewish Home Chapel. SUNDAY: Religious Hebrew School, 3:30 p.m. at the JCC. TUESDAY: Religious Hebrew School, 4 p.m. at the JCC; Purim Celebration, 7 p.m., at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 tiferethisraellincoln.org
423-8569
Services conducted by Rabbi Stanley M. Rosenbaum. Minyan, Monday & Thursday, 7:15 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 8 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush. PURIM Sunday, March 16, noon: New and improved USY carnival includes lunch, games and more. Monday, March 17, 7:15 p.m.: Megillah reading. A break-the-fast Purim snack is provided by Julie and David Brockman. Tuesday, March 18, 7:15 a.m.: Megillah reading. MEN’S GROUP Meets at The Knolls every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURAN SOUTH STREET TEMPLE
Member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
2061 S. 20th St., Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435-8004 jewishnebraska.org FRIDAY: Shabbat service, 6 p.m., led by Sara Friedman. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m., David Williss will lead services; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. , led by Robert Friedman. SUNDAY: Hebrew School, 9 a.m.; Religious School, 10 a.m.; Megillah rehearsal, 12:30 p.m.; Gan Simcha at Tifereth Israel, 10 a.m.-noon. Don’t miss the “Megillah According to Stage and Screen”, 7 p.m. MONDAY: Hebrew, 7 p.m. at Temple TUESDAY: Mishna with Rabbi Milder, 7 p.m. THURSDAY: B’nai Mitzvah class, 5 p.m.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway, Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294-6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m..
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m., conducted by Andrew Greenberg. TUESDAY: Purim Celebration, 7 p.m., led by Beyt Shalom Reconstructionist Synagogue. All services are open to the community.
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 Phone: 322-4705 e-mail: doc jeb @aol.com FRIDAY: Evening Service, 7:30 p.m. Oneg will follow.
BAR MITZVAH Matthew Baker Heyman, son of Richard Heyman and Betsy Baker, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 22, at Temple Israel. A seventh grade Distinguished Scholar student at Westside Middle School, Matthew enjoys skiing and snowboarding, sailing, summer camp and reading, as well as spending time with friends and family. He also enjoys music, and plays the cello. Matthew received the 2002 President’s Outstanding Academic Excellance Award. For his mitzvah project, he and his family served meals at the Seina-Francis house and collected donations of clothing and supplies. Matthew has a sister, Chloe. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Jack Baker and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Heyman. Great-grandparents are Dave Krantz and the late Rose Krantz, and the late Abe and Helen Baker.
Page 4
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 14, 2003
A World Upside Down
EDITORIAL Purim is a time to make fun of the world. While we hiss and boo at the mention of Haman’s name during the reading of the Megillah, we are also commanded to drink so much that we cannot tell the difference between the evil Haman, who tried to kill all the Jews of ancient Persia, and Mordechai, who assisted Queen Esther is saving us. Here are a few current items which fall into the topsy-turvy category this year: • Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has put together a coalition that includes both the National Religious Party and Shinui. That’s like having the Ralph Nader and the National Rifle Association agreeing to work together! • According to JTA, Rep. James Moran (D-VA.) told constituents last week, “If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be
doing this,” according to the Virginiaarea newspapers. (He later apologized.) Who knew we Jews had so much power? (Whoops, forgot that according to Arabic newspapers, Jews own the banks and control the media!) • In a BBC broadcast from London last week, a radio announcer noted the date was the 50th anniversary of the death of Josef Stalin, the brutal communist dictator of the USSR, by stating, “Stalin was one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century and is credited with turning a largely peasant society into a modern, industrial state.” That’s an odd description of a man who is said to have murdered 20 million of his own people. • PETA, the animal rights activists, are now comparing concentration camp inmates to penned-up chickens in their latest hare-brained (pun intended) ad campaign. • And finally, this from the
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ, PhD As author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, and a promoter of vegetarianism and more compassionate treatment of animals for over 20 years, I have long argued against some of the tactics of the animal rights movement. Many years ago, I wrote an article, “Toward a Winning Animal Rights Strategy,” which urged the animal rights community to adopt more positive approaches. I have stressed not making simplistic comparisons between the Holocaust and the mistreatment of animals. The Holocaust was a uniquely horrible event in which six million Jews were slaughtered simply because of their religion. It is far better to present the basic facts about the many negative effects of animalbased diets and agriculture, without upsetting Holocaust survivors and their families and others who are disturbed by such comparisons. PETA’s exhibit features eight 60-square-foot panels, each showing photos of factory farm and slaughterhouse scenes side by side with photos from Nazi death camps, to show “how factory farms mimic Nazi death camps.” I soon received many requests from longtime friend and advisors to severely condemn PETA and its Holocaust exhibit. Since the exhibit exists, we should seek lessons that could be gleaned from it that could lead to positive results. While there are of course no exact comparisons, I believe that one important lesson is that the mentality and methods behind the Holocaust, such as "might makes right," the demonizing of various groups of people, and the use of certain types of technology, are similar to those behind the abuse of both animals and people today. Another important lesson is that the blindness of most of the world to the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust should inspire us to move beyond our society’s indifference to active involvement in ending violence against both people and animals. PETA quotes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: “The Holocaust provides a context for exploring the dangers of remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent in the face of others’ oppression.” While the Holocaust was arguably the most horrible event in world history, potential catastrophes now threaten not only all Jews, but all of humanity. The world’s temperature is projected to increase by 2.5 to 10.4º F in the next 100 years; half the world will face chronic water shortages in 30 years; tropi-
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “Israelis Gun Down Two Palestinians.” Apparently one of the Palestinians trying storm a border crossing threw grenades at soldiers and the other tried to infiltrate a settlement.” Isn’t the Israeli response called “self-defense?”
How Should Jews Respond to PETA’s “Holocaust” Exhibit? cal rain forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate; species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history according to some experts; and we are already seeing the effects of global climate change, including the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers. The raising of 48 billion farmed animals for slaughter annually is a major contributor to all the threats to the world's environment. I (became) increasingly aware of the strong criticism that the Holocaust project set off, and decided to approach PETA with the following proposal: PETA should sincerely apologize for the hurt that they had caused some people, explain the reasoning behind their project, and offer to stop their exhibition tour in exchange for the Jewish community working to put mistreatment of animals on the Jewish agenda. In response to my proposal, Ingrid Newkirk, PETA’s leader, indicated she appreciated my efforts, she would be happy to work with the Jewish community, but she felt that any apology PETA made would be improperly interpreted by the media and others, and any closure of the Holocaust exhibit would cause a loss in momentum. She made a counteroffer: PETA would be willing to meet with Jewish leaders to discuss mutual concerns; she would post articles from Jewish leaders critical of Holocaust comparisons on the PETA web site, provided the articles also discussed Jewish teachings on the proper treatment of animals; and PETA would close down the Holocaust exhibit when there was sufficient movement in the Jewish community toward getting the mistreatment of animals on the Jewish agenda. Her counter offer was to enable me to make progress in the Jewish community. She said she could not offer more because of PETA’s previous experience with making apologies and halting projects. Perhaps it is just a dream, but I hope that somehow we can overcome the pain caused by PETA’s insensitive exhibit, and use it as a spur to increasingly apply Jewish teachings on the proper treatment of people and animals, and thereby to help shift the world from its present perilous, inhumane path, and thus to lead to that day when, in the words of Isaiah (11:6), “no one shall hurt nor destroy in all of God’s Holy mountain.” (Founded in 1920)
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May this Purim herald a real world upside down by bringing peace (and freedom) to the people of Iraq (and capture of its leaders), to our family and friends in the Mideast (including our U.S. soldiers) and the entire world. Chag Purim Samayach!
JOURNAL ENTRY FROM ISRAEL Purim: The Long Version by TEDDY WEINBERGER If you receive a decent Jewish education in America, you are taught that Purim in Israel is a two-day holiday, with Jerusalem (a walled city from the time of Joshua) celebrating on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (or Adar II in the case of a leap year, as this year), and the rest of the country (and world) celebrating on the 14th day of Adar. It wasn’t until I got to Israel, however, that I found out that Purim here is actually a four-day holiday--from the 12th through the 15th day of Adar. True, the 13th day of Adar is the Fast of Esther, so I guess that if you’re fasting it’s not much of a holiday, but most Israelis do not fast on this day, and what’s more, with this day children begin their three-day Purim vacation. The 12th day of Adar is special because all the children of Israel come to school in costume. The streets are filled with hundreds of beautiful Queen Esthers, handsome Mordechais, regal King Ahashveroshes, and evil Hamans. Thus, rather than a quick hit-and-run type of Purim, as the holiday was for me in the States, Purim in Israel never seems to end: tiring for parents, paradise for kids, and a big bonus for Israeli skiers who can jet over to Europe and take advantage of low, off-peak rates and short ski-lift lines. On my first Purim in Givat Ze’ev, I was shocked at the large amount of ammunition that was brought in to erase the name of Haman during the reading of Megilat (the Scroll of) Esther. A simple grogger (noisemaker) had no chance of being heard in the tumult let loose in our congregation by cap guns, cap grenades (that explode on impact), colored smoke bombs, and actual firecrackers. Our synagogue has since instituted a policy of ejecting anyone for firepower of crackers and above, although a few daredevils always manage to get off a round or two. All Israeli Jews, religious and secular, celebrate Purim. Many peoples have masquerade-type holidays, and this is Israel’s. The whole country gears up for the holiday. (Continued on page 5)
JEWISH PRESS COMMITTEE Joanie Jacobson, Vice-Chairman; Penny Endelman, Secretary; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Elyce Azriel; Jill Belmont; Jean Duitch; Kip Gordman; Bobbi Leibowitz; Howard K. Marcus; Scott Meyerson; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Melanie Weinstein; Amee Zetzman; George Schapiro (Honorary Committee Member). Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha or the Omaha Jewish Community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.
March 14, 2003
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by AARON B. COHEN, Executive Editor, JUF News CHICAGO--This week (II Adar 14 which falls on March 18) we’ll celebrate Purim, that fascinating Jewish holiday when we recall our reversal of fortune in ancient Persia, when those who sought to destroy the Jews were hoist on their own petard. Purim is fun. Kids dress in costume. People exchange gifts of food (mishloach manot) and give tzedakah. We get rowdy at the reading of the Megillah (Scroll of Esther), drink a wee too much schnapps, and laugh in the face of adversity. Laughing after a close call with catastrophe is an acquired skill, one that the Jewish people have had ample opportunity to practice. Given the world these days, that skill may continue to stand us in good stead. With war and terrorism hanging over our heads, it's too soon to think about scenarios for celebration. It is time, though, to affirm our principles and to confront our adversaries. Two recent episodes--one tragic and one banal-come to mind as emblematic of modern-day Hamanthink. When the space shuttle Columbia came apart during re-entry, killing Israel's first astronaut along with his six American colleagues, there were those in the world who chose to see the tragedy as a kind of divine retribution. “With the fall of the Columbia, a thought arose in my heart Anyone who sought to elevate the Jews on whom Allah has cast humiliation and misery will be struck by humiliation and by divine wrath,” wrote Sheikh Dr. Ali Al-Tamimi, an American citizen, on the website www.alfajr.com (translation by MEMRI.org). How repulsive. Space was not the only venue where antiSemitism reared its head. A recent case of Haman “in your face” on a college campus gave cause to rattle groggers in advance of the Purim holiday. The Daily Illini, the independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
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Champaign, published a crazed, ranting, antiSemitic letter in the Jan. 22 issue under the outrageous title, “Jews Manipulate America,” which the editor herself bestowed. Students, parents, alumni, Hillel staff, faculty, and Jewish community leaders raised the roof; responses ranged from writing letters to the editor, to canceling advertising in the publication, to calling for suspension of its distribution on campus, to reaching out to the Chancellor. Adding insult to injury, Angie Leventis, Editor-inChief, defended the decision to publish based on a pernicious argument. She wrote: “We are committed to giving all people a voice in our publication-even those views we find vile, distasteful or simply ridiculous. It is difficult to read what many feel is racist, hateful or immature speech. But there is also grave danger in silencing these views based on the opinion of the editor or editorial staff. What is hate speech to one member of a society is free speech to another.” Talk about moral relativism run amok. Her rationale brought to mind what Israeli author Amos Oz said in a conversation, published in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, regarding two worldwide waves of extremism-the one exemplified by Sheikh Tamimi, and the other advanced by Leventis. “One form of extremism engenders another,” Oz said. “Either there is only one truth and whoever does not share it must be killed, or everything is true and everyone is equal, so murderers, too, have the right to murder.” The story of Purim certainly teaches us about the danger of the former kind of extremism. It’s something from which we Jews have suffered more than our share, and against which, thanks to the State of Israel and its strong relationship with the U. S., we’re able to fight. How we deal with the second kind of extremism is a whole new megillah, which we now must learn to write.
Several weeks before Purim, radio advertisements broadcast the sorry tale of a harried mother who struggles in vain to come up with costumes for her kids (with a solution provided by the advertiser’s huge selection of Purim outfits). And a month before Purim, all the bakeries of Israel start selling hamantashen stuffed with poppy seeds, chocolate, date-nut filling. In Israel, the process of getting caught up in the Purim spirit is facilitated by the social dynamics of the state. This was forcefully epitomized for me five weeks before Purim, when my 10-year-old neighbor Sarah knocked on our door. She wanted to know if she could borrow my son Elie’s policeman costume for Purim. A perfectly reasonable request, but remarkable since Sarah happens to be Christian (yes, we have a token gentile family on our block, to whom I will devote a separate column in the future). At the same time that Sarah was thinking about what she was going to wear on Purim, tens of thousands of Jews in America were thinking about what they were going to give their sweethearts three days later for Valentine’s Day. For me, then, Purim is one of those test-cases for seeing what it means to live in a country whose majority culture is Jewish. Something unusual happens to me every 12th of Adar, when I see all those children parading around the streets of Israel. It’s easy to be affected by kids in costume, and yet when I see Israel’s Purim kids I don’t just think: “those kids are really cute.” More than on any religious or national holiday, more than when I see all those flags on Israel’s Independence Day, or the many “booths” of Succot, or experience the eerie quiet streets on Yom Kippur, more than all of this, when I see those kids walking around in costume, bringing life to the characters from the ancient book of Esther, I think: Here is Hitler’s real defeat. Here is wonderful, joyful and incontrovertible evidence that the Jewish people lives, that Am Yisrael Chai. Happy Purim!
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March 14, 2002
ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Jay Noddle will speak Wednesday, March 19, noon, at the Park Inn Regency, according to Gary Javitch, Chairman. Noddle will talk about being the owner of a sports team--the Omaha Beef. Cost is $9 for lunch and $2 for beverage service only. Breadbreakers is open to the community. OMAHA CENTER FOR TORAH LEARNING Rabbi Aryeh Blum leads a parasha shiur at the OCTL House, 1313 No. 58 St., March 15, 5 p.m. Torah Tots is Monday, March 17, 10 a.m. with Shari Blum (parents can learn with Rabbi Blum at the same time). Time for Talmud on Monday with Rabbi Blum is cancelled, due to the Purim holiday as is the Beit Midrash on Tuesday. Instead, join OCTL for a Purim Seudah, Tuesday, March 18, 5 p.m., which has been moved--due to overwhelming popularity-to the Clubhouse at Parkwood Terrace Apartments, 93rd and Western. All other classes are at the OCTL house, including the Wednesday Women’s Class on March 19, 7:30 p.m. Join OCTL for the weekly discussion of the Torah portion at Lunch ’n Learn, Wednesday, March 19, noon, at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library; the Wednesday Teen Class meets at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Brooke Shrago, 805 So. 120 Ave. For more information about OCTL or upcoming programs, call Rabbi Blum at 320-8055.
Y.E.S. Members will meet Monday at the JCC. Play bingo at 10 a.m. with Eileen Remer or exercise with Stacey Paskert at 10:30 a.m. Bring articles to share for “YES Talk” at 11 a.m. Join us for the Annual Purim Celebration at noon in the auditorium. The Burke High School Swing Choir will perform. Call Maggie Conti for reservations at 334-6521: Bluffs Run Casino on March 27. WALK-IN, DROP-IN Members will meet on Thursday at the JCC. Exercise and bingo will begin at 10 a.m. in the social hall and lunch will be served at 11:15 a.m.. Experience the magic of the past with “Remembering When with Lois Wine” at noon. For transportation call Maggie Conti at 334-6521. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH The Yiddish Conversation Group will meet Thursday, 1-3 p.m., at the JCC. Call Anne Skolkin for information at 343-1638. REMINGTON HEIGHTS RETIREMENT CENTER All residents are welcome to attend a special Purim Tea in Remington’s social room on Tuesday, March 18, 4 p.m. with a guest appearance by “Queen Esther.” Sponsored by Jewish Senior Services. For information call Shane Kotok, Director of Community Outreach, at 334-6529.
VISIONS Reminder: March Luncheon Meeting is March 21, 12:30 p.m., at the Venice Inn. As a joint project with Jewish Family Service, please bring a monetary donation to purchase Passover food for Jewish families who are in need. Please bring your gift to the luncheon or send a check to: Milton and Doris Parker, 120 So. 70th St., Omaha, NE 68132. Make check payable to JFS. Visions Minneapolis Getaway is July 8-10. Cost is $172 per person based on double occupancy ($252 single occupancy). Tour includes: transportation, two nights accommodations at Mystic Lake Casino (play $10 and get $10), Mall of America, dinner and play at Chanhassen Dinner Theater to see Meshuggah Nuns. Send in reservations with $50 deposit by May 1 to: Betty Sanford, 9205 Western Ave., #127, Omaha, NE 68114. Make check payable to Visions.
BIRTH Tim and Denese Kully announce the Feb. 22 birth of their daughter, Sydney Reese. They also have a two-year old son, Cameron. Grandparents are Leslie and Bill Kully and Sophie and Larry Nicholson. Great-grandparents are Ida and Irving J. Forbes.
Purim Goes to “Outer Space” by DEVRA BRAM Time to boldly go where no person has gone before and “space out this Purim.” “Purim in Outer Space” is a community wide celebration co-hosted by Chabad House, Beth Israel Synagogue, and Hadassah on Purim Day, March 18, 5 p.m., at the JCC. The event will include a festive Purim dinner, prizes for all the children, including a raffle with a surprise grand prize. In addition, children will be invited to don a special “Mordechai Costume” and enjoy outdoor horseback rides led by “Haman”. As a memento, get a free photograph of your child on the horse. There are four mitzvot (commandments) for Purim: eat a festive meal; hear the reading of the Megillah; send Purim baskets to your friends, and give tzedakah. You will be able to do it all at this community event. In addition to the festive meal, you and the family will have the opportunity to
Clowns and games have been part of Chabad’s Purim celebrations in the past.
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experience a multi-media Megillah Reading, and create and send Mishloach Manot (Purim Baskets) and give Matanot L’evyonim (Tzedakah). The space theme is a tribute to Ilan Ramon. “Our previous Purim plans were changed when we heard of the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia,” explained Rabbi Mendel Katzman. “We wanted to pay tribute to our own brother Ilan Ramon--and to his fellow astronauts and to do mitzvahs in their honor. We could not proceed with business as usual,” he added. Cost is $12 for adults, $7 for children and students, and children three and under are free of charge. All are encouraged to come dressed in their finest space suits or as their favorite Jewish hero. For reservations or more information call the Chabad House 330-1800 or Beth Israel at 556-6288 or online at: www.nebraskajudaism.com.
COMMUNITY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Jewish community of Sioux City, Iowa is seeking a Community Executive Director for its population of 375 Jewish people. Duties will include administration of all but the pulpit and education. A strong social service and business background would be important. We seek a person capable of serving as a Federation Director and Synagogue Administrator. The position is open May, 2003. Annual compensation package is $40’s plus, depending upon experience and qualifications. Send resumes to A. Frank Baron, P.O. Box 717, Sioux City, Iowa 51102. Direct questions to A. Frank Baron at 712/277-1015.
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BOOK REVIEW Reviewed by AARON LEIBEL Arts Editor, Washington Jewish Week WASHINGTON, D.C.-Washington’s Ori Soltes insists he didn’t start out to write a book about tikkun olam, the Jewish precept of repairing the world, but the idea flowed from his subject matter. “I wanted to do a book on American Jewish painters whose numbers are proportionately greater than the number of Jews in this country,” said Soltes whose Fixing the World: Jewish American Painters in the Twentieth Century (Brandeis University Press/University Press of New England) has been recently published. “Most of the well-known Jewish painters are in the book, but during the past 10 years, I have become aware of Jewish artists who are not well known, and this was an opportunity to promote their work,” he explained. “Having chosen the artists, it struck me that a theme that ran through most of their work was tikkun olam.” The former head of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum (who has spoken in Omaha as part of the Klutznick Symposium) said he has observed over the years that an inordinately large number of Jewish artists--more so than among nonJewish artists--see their art as promoting a better world. Not everyone in the book sees his or her art that way but most do, says Soltes, who teaches in the fine arts and theology departments at Georgetown University in the District. Among the tikkun olam painters in the book are Ben Shahn, known for his
Fixing the World: Jewish American Painters in the 20th Century social protest paintings; William Gropper, whose canvases slammed American poverty and Nazism in the 1930s and ’40s; Alice Lok Cahana, a survivor who painted her Holocaust experience in semi-abstract paintings; and Joyce Ellen Weinstein, who used her experience in teaching in a predominantly African American school to memorialize the many black students who died young in “The Dead Boys.” Insofar as defining “Jewish” for inclusion in the book, Soltes concedes to not being overly rigorous in his definition. “Every painter in the book was born Jewish--but not necessarily according to halacha (Jewish law),” he added. “And every artist acknowledges that he or she is Jewish.” As for his own background, Soltes was born in New York City in 1951, and grew up in the New York metropolitan area. His father was a Reform rabbi, his mother a Hebrew teacher. He graduated from Haverford College and got a master's in classics at Princeton University in 1973. While at Princeton, he was propelled into studying the arts almost by accident. Translating materials pertaining to slides from French into English led to an invitation to lecture and then a crash self-study course in the visual arts--the subject of the talk. Soltes says he decided to write a book on American Jewish painters “because I have been teaching the subject for 20 years.” This book has been ordered by the Kripke Jewish Federation Library.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
JCC Campus Part of OPPD’s Energy Saving Program by LISA SHKOLNICK, JCC Assistant Director Omaha’s Jewish Community Center plete. has been selected to participate as a “Here at the Center, we are always partner in the Omaha Public Power working to identify areas in which we District (OPPD) energy saving pro- can conserve energy,” said Campus gram, “Rebuild America”. Several Manager, Mike Collier. “Over the past companies submitted an application few years, we have installed several to participate in the program, and the light saving features like motion senJCC was one of 40 buildings selected sors, and purchased more efficient in the Midwest Area to receive the heating and cooling systems. These energy study services. OPPD expects are just some ways we’ve managed to to complete the energy study for all 40 conserve energy, and are looking forbuildings within the next 18 months. ward to the assessment made by The JCC will submit a series of data OPPD to help take us to the next to OPPD for the first part of the study, level.” i n c l u d i n g monthly utility data, mechanical, electrical and temperature control drawings, and a completed building information survey form. Once all information is collected and reviewed, the Rebuild America Team will conduct a site visit, meeting with facility personnel to share the scope of the field measurement from the team. The This aerial photo of the Jewish Team consists of one or two groups of Community Center campus was engineers from the Rebuild America taken last August, when Omaha Program Team. The on site assess- hosted the 2002 JCC Maccabi Photo by AerPicOne. ment can take eight-16 hours to com- Games.
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March 14, 2002
Temple Journey Group to Focus on Christianity’s Jewish Roots by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Springing forth from D a c e y Jewish roots, explained. Christianity shares a “There’s a common ethical system structure but with Judaism. There it’s an open are also terms commonstructure, ly used in both religious because peodenominations that ple bring convey entirely differthings to the ent meanings. table that are John Dacey will lead unexpected. a Jewish Journey We want to Group, “Taking Leave: let them air The Jewish Roots of what they Christianity,” focusing want to air on how Christianity and seek adapts Jewish concepts what they to Christian tradition want to and how Judaism difseek.” John Dacey fers. This is the fourth Dacey is Jewish Journey Group Dacey has working towards a master of science guided at Temple Israel. The group degree in Jewish Studies at Spertus will meet on Tuesdays, March 25, College in Chicago. He has also comApril 1, 8, 22, and 29, 7-8:30 p.m. pleted some graduate work in theoloJewish Journey Groups are an out- gy at Creighton University. Locally, he growth of Synagogue 2000, a program works in private practice dealing with in which Temple Israel has participat- drug and alcohol addictions. He also ed since 1997. The groups share a conducts training workshops on spiricommon structure and seek to foster tuality and on the treatment of addicdeep connections, openness to growth, tions for professionals and for the and an awareness of the Divine state probation office. Presence. Each session begins and Jewish Journey Groups at Temple ends with a moment of prayer in Israel are open to the community, and word, song, or silence. In addition to there is no fee to participate. Please exploring the Jewish theme, partici- register online at: pants have an opportunity to share rzweiback@qwest.net or call what is meaningful in their lives. Temple’s Program Director, Rosie “We try to make it relevant to them,” Zweiback, at 556-6536.
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Live from the 92nd St. Y (Continued from page 1) David Makovsky is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and is director of the Institute’s Project on America, Israel, and the Peace Process. He comes to Washington as an award-winning journalist who has covered the Middle East peace process since 1989. Makovsky is the former executive editor of the Jerusalem Post. In addition, he was the diplomatic correspondent for Israel’s leading daily Ha’aretz and had primary responsibility at both newspapers for covering the peace process. Currently, he is a contributing editor to U.S. News and World Report and has served as the magazine’s special Jerusalem correspondent for the last 12 years. In July 1994, upon the personal intervention of then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Makovsky became the first journalist writing for an Israeli publication to visit Damascus. In March 1995, Makovsky was given unprecedented permission to file reports from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He most recently visited Riyadh in December 1999. He is the author of Making Peace with the PLO: The Rabin Government’s Road to the Oslo Accord. Stanley B. Greenberg is Chairman and CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. He has served as polling advisor to President Bill Clinton and Vice-president Al Gore, and Prime Minister Tony Blair, among others. Greenberg has provided strategic advice and research for companies and associations trying to advance their issues amid shifting social currents. He regularly addresses corporate audiences on the changing environment in which they operate. Greenberg’s research is some of the most widely cited in the national media. He is the author of Middle Class Dreams, published by Random House in 1995, which explores the political challenges of social and economic change. Greenberg is also
author, with Theda Skocpol, of The New Majority: Towards a Popular Progressive Politics (Yale University Press, 1997). Paul Begala explains, “He is a narrative pollster--where others see just numbers, Stan sees stories.” One Republican pollster has said: “Stan Greenberg scares the hell out of me. He doesn’t just have a finger on the people’s pulse; he’s got an IV injected into it. He’s the best.” “The fact that the 92nd Street Y was able to get these four men together was, in itself, a real feat,” added Tichauer. “They have a breadth and depth of experience in reporting from the Middle East. The broadcast on March 20 is so very timely.” Tickets for “Biased or Balanced? Israel and the Media” are $5 for members of the JCC and students, $8 for non-members, and can be purchased by calling JCC Members Services at 334-6426 or online at: www.jewishomaha.org. Future satellite broadcasts from the 92nd Street Y in New York City include: “Jewish-Christian Relations in the New Millennium: from Contention to Cooperation” on Thursday, April 3, 7 p.m. (co-sponsored by the Anti-Defamation LeagueCommunity Relations Committee); Karen Armstrong on the “History of Islam,” on Monday, April 14, 7:15 p.m., and Bernard Lewis on “Jihad and Contemporary Politics” on Thursday, May 22, 7 p.m., (co-sponsored by Jewish Educational and Library Services). Lewis’ most recent book, What Went Wrong? is available in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. The program originally scheduled for March 19 featuring poet Alice Walker has been cancelled, noted Rachel Blum, the JCC’s Jewish Program Director. For more information about the satellite broadcasts or other programs or to co-sponsor an upcoming broadcasts, call Blum at the JCC at 3346404.
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March 14, 2003
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
For the Kids by JON MEDVED “I love you Daddy.” you force yourself to go back to work. You still start These are the words that melt every father’s every phone conversation, every meeting with a refheart. Especially when told to you by your teenage erence to the pigua (attack) but somehow you go on, boy. These were the last words told March 5 by 13- you must go on. year-old Yuval Mendelevitch, to his father. Yuval When the day finally winds down before I go was speaking to his dad on his cell phone, before the home, that is when I get my own special helping of line went dead-cut off in mid-sentence by the sui- Jewish angst. I visit leading websites of the media cide bomber that destroyed the boy and his phone elite--The NY Times, The Washington Post, The LA on Bus 37 in Haifa. Times---to see how the bombing is being portrayed. Nine school kids were among the 15 Israelis How is our story being told? killed. Schools all over Haifa suspended studies so The story being told in this coverage is not my that 13 and 14 and 16 year olds could attend their story; it is not our story. It is science fiction. It is a classmates funerals. A couple of kids died from each bad horror film. The bombing they describe is a school. On TV, you saw dazed kids sitting on the “retaliation” coinciding with an Israeli “offensive” ground, building memorials, lighting yahrzeit (since when does killing terrorists classify as anymemorial candles and talking about how they just thing but a good defense?) saw so and so a few minutes before they got on the They don’t describe the kids, the heartbreaking fateful bus. Other kids telling the stories about how stories, the father and son killed together in each lucky they were that they stayed behind to ask a others arms. teacher a question. Most kids sharing the stories In the NY Times, the headline says the “Bomb about the departed, and Shreds Israeli Bus” as how much they loved life, Letters from Students though there was no played soccer so well, bomber, and the bomb just in the Book-Sharing Project... wanted to be a pilot. came down from the heav(Editor’s note: Beth Seldin Dotan, Director of The stories of the vicens by itself. They don’t the ADL’s Institute for Holocaust Education, tims are almost too tell you that the bomber shared these e-mail letters with the Press. painful to bear. The They’re from students who are currently partic- left a note praising the Hershko family, where ipating in the Book Sharing Project, developed terrorists who brought Moti, 41, the father and by the Ghetto Fighters’ Museum, in Omaha’s down the Twin Towers. Tom, 16, the son, were Partnership 2000 Region. Locally, students They don’t tell you of the both killed as they came from Beveridge Magnet School participate.) unmitigated joy in back from a “special day” Palestinian cities when “...Many people in our class heard the explotogether in order to buy sion because we are living in the same area. the bombing was mom a birthday present. Kamar Abu-Hamed was murdered and yester- announced, where people Abigail Leiter, 16, was an day we went to her funeral. It was very heart- stopped their cars in the American-Christian girl breaking. One mad said, ‘Everyone must have a middle of the streets and active in Arab-Jewish co- wisdom and education from the first day he is honked for joy and passed existence projects. Daniel born until the day he dies. Unfortunately, out sweets. Harush, 16, stayed behind Kamar’s way to the grave was too short.’ What they do fill their while his class was on a Dana, Limor and Tal, Raeli High School, Haifa stories with is ersatz “bal“...Yesterday, while in theology class, our ance”, detailed reports of field trip to the death camps of Poland. Tal teacher Mr. Connelly received a phone call the battles and casualties Kehrmann, 17, and Liz from your teacher informing him of the tragic in Gaza, to offset the hordeath of Daniel Harush. We were all very sad to Katzman,16, were close ror of the bus . They give hear this news...we hope your community is friends who died on their you the famous score card coping well with the loss of Daniel. Our class, way to pick up costumes as well as another involved in the Book of dead; how many for the school play they Sharing Project (at Thomas Aquinas High Palestinians and how were preparing, The Best School in Boston) gathered for a prayer service many Israelis died in the of Friends. in honor of Daniel. We would just like you to period-almost like it’s a The unspeakable pain of know Aquinas is here to support you in this weather report. Like there this all too familiar Israeli time of despair.” is a moral equivalence drama was somewhat forPeter Fornarola and Kenny Bostwick between kids targeted on gotten for much of the “...Hello to you in Boston. We want to talk their way home from past two months. The fact with you about Kamar, our best friend. We lost school, and terrorists that there were no sui- Kamar in this murderous terrorist attack. Out brought down on their cide/homicide bombings friend Hayim Katav lost his lovely sister. way to kill the kids. for the two month period Before Kamar died, she wrote about the grey Sure there have been was not for lack of trying mice and the snow: tragic and innocent ‘We would like to discuss the second passage Palestinian victims during by the terrorists. The IDF thwarted more than 120 (in the Book Sharing project), we chose the the battles against terror. terror attacks in the words mouse and mice because we think mice You have to be inhuman month of February alone. are used as a metaphor for people who are not to share the pain of a racists. The grey mice want to kill the white The odds were bound to Palestinian family loosing mouse only because he is white. catch up with us. We all its pregnant mother under ‘We think all men are born equal and we have knew this. a fallen wall. Yet to fail to to treat them as equal human beings.’” Our young soldiers were context, to Students of Raeli High School in Haifa establish busy every day arresting explain why these battles and eliminating scores of terrorists who were des- are happening in crowded civilian areas because the perately trying to get through and kill Jews. Such terrorists have deliberately set up shop there, is to prevention is effective, but never completely effec- miss the story, to fabricate a false equivalence where tive against implacable blood lust. none exists. I was speaking to a friend in America by phone, on Later that night after the bombing, when I went the afternoon of the bombing and he asked, “How is home and hung out with my family and gave my the situation in Israel?” I hesitated, fearful to jinx kids more hugs than usual, I realized that our realwhat good fortune I felt, and ultimately answered, ity here in Israel is really pretty hard to explain. My “Well, it’s been actually pretty good lately. Believe it kids told me about their days at school, and how or not business is picking up, we have a new gov- much fun they had, before the bombing was ernment, and its been relatively quiet, thank G-d.” announced. Just as I said this, my friend went silent on the It was after all Rosh Hodesh Adar Bet, the new phone and then told me that an e-mail alert had moon holiday, the beginning of the “happiest” flashed across his computer screen about a bus month of the year where the kids go wild in school. bombing in Haifa. The idyll was over, cut off, and I They dance on tables, and play pranks, and in genwas yanked abruptly back to the “reality” of our eral let loose. Each child competed with the other to Israeli situation. tell me the most outrageous hijincks in his class. We all know the drill. You first call your family When one of my kids reflected that some families and friends. Make sure everyone you know is would have a tough time celebrating Purim this alright. Then you hit the web, flip on the radio, go year, we turned off the TV and tucked the kids in. to the TV and get your dose of pain. And only then As I scratched his back, my 13-year-old said, “I can love you, Daddy,” and it melted my heart.
Page 9
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March 14, 2002
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Sharon Pulls Some Surprises with Choice of Cabinet Ministers by NAOMI SEGAL JERUSALEM (JTA)--Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had some surprises up his sleeve as he dispensed Cabinet posts among members of his Likud Party.
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Lectures, Interviews, Panels and Readings Broadcast Live via Satellite from the 92nd Street Y
Founded in 1874, the 92nd Street Y in New York City is one of the oldest Jewish Community Centers in the country and has set the standard for outstanding cultural and educational programming. Through the latest in satellite technology, the Jewish Community Center of Omaha is now able to partner with the “Y” in order to bring the best of their programming to our community.
Biased or Balanced? Israel & the Media Thursday, March 20 7:00 p.m.
Is the news media biased against the Jewish State? Does the media reflect a liberal bias that favors the cause of Palestinian militants or are they simply portraying both sides of the complex reality that is the Middle East? Our panel discusses the media’s methods and the challenges facing those reporting on the current crisis. The panel will include Ethan Bronner, Assistant Editorial Page Editor, New York Times; Stan Greenberg, pollster for the Clinton administration and Barak campaigns; David Makovsky, Senior Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy and formerly of Ha’Aretz. The panel will be moderated by Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher of The Jewish Week. Co-sponsored by Jewish Community Center of Omaha Theater • 333 S. 132 Street JCC Members: $5 • Non-Members: $8 • Students: $5 Seating is limited. To reserve tickets or for information, please contact Rachel Blum at 334-6404.
Newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, left, sits with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, right, and newly appointed Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, during a Knesset session in Jerusalem. Sharon presented his new government for approval in parliament after forging a rightist coalition likely to harden Israel’s line Photo by BP Images/Pool/JTA. against a Palestinian uprising. Likud members, already unhappy over what they viewed as Sharon’s decision to give away choice ministry portfolios to other coalition partners, were further surprised by the Cabinet reshuffle that emerged. In the most prominent move, Sharon offered the Foreign Ministry in the new Israeli government to Finance Minister Silvan Shalom, ousting Benjamin Netanyahu from his current position. Netanyahu accepted the finance portfolio after turning it down a day earlier. His acceptance came after Sharon reportedly promised him expanded responsibilities. According to Israel Radio, in addition to the Cabinet appointment, Netanyahu would be a member of the Security Cabinet. He also wants to serve as acting prime minister in Sharon’s absence. Before a special Knesset session where he presented his government’s guidelines, Sharon made a series of Cabinet appointments, including offering former Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert the Trade Ministry. Other appointments made this week included Dan Naveh as health minister, Tzipi Livni as absorption minister and Yisrael Katz as agriculture minister. Among Shinui members: party leader Yosef “Tommy” Lapid was named justice minister; Poraz, interior minister; Yosef Paritsky, infrastructure minister; Yehudit Naot, environmental affairs minister; and Mordechai Zandberg, science and technology minister. Among National Union members: Avigdor Lieberman was named transport minister and Benny Elon was tapped to become tourism minister. In another appointment, Tzachi Hanegbi won a speculated toss-up among Naveh and Livni for public security minister. Education Minister Limor Livnat was to remain in her position, as was Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who was promised the post by Sharon before the Jan. 28 elections. Natan Sharansky, Dan Meridor, Gideon Ezra, Uzi Landau and Meir Sheetrit will be ministers without portfolios in the new government. During his speech to the Knesset, Sharon confirmed that the coalition guidelines do not require ministers to
“painful compromises” to make peace, but would not concede on essential security matters. “A political process for a real peace has to be based on lessons learned,” Sharon said. He also used the speech to call on Israel’s Arab neighbors to “open a new chapter in relations.” Shalom’s appointment as foreign minister surprised some observers, given his relative inexperience in diplomacy. Shalom, 45, was born in Tunisia and immigrated to Israel in 1959. A Knesset member since 1992, he previously served as science minister and deputy defense minister in the government of then-Prime Minister Netanyahu. A father of five, he has degrees in law and economics. As Sharon met with the Likud ministers throughout the day, representatives from the Likud, Shinui, National Religious Party and National Union presented their signed draft coalition agreements to the Knesset secretary. The NRP Central Committee was planning to meet in the coming days to determine which of its legislators will head the welfare and housing ministries. Sharon’s four-party coalition will command a 68-seat majority in the 120-member Knesset. The hard-line makeup of the new government has raised questions over prospects for any future progress on the Israeli-Palestinian track. Both the NRP and National Union included their objections to a Palestinian state in their coalition agreements. But Olmert said that he hoped additional parties would later join the government. For his part, Shinui Knesset member Avraham Poraz said the unifying element of the parties comprising the new coalition is their sense of “economic responsibility.” Meanwhile, in the opposition, Labor Party leader Amram Mitzna denied a media report that he was considering not running for a second term in the face of stiff opposition from party colleagues. Labor’s devastating defeat in the Jan. 28 general election and Mitzna’s recent decision to halt all coalition contacts with the Likud prompted open and bitter criticism in the party recently.
March 14, 2003
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
ELDERHOOD: The Good Jewish Life MARY FELLMAN, Editor
A Happy Passover to All Seniors AARP Can Help You File Your Income Tax Form As it happens every year, there are changes to the income tax laws in 2002. Are you ready? Do you know about the earned income credit? Can you claim the children and/or grandchildren living with you as dependents? Will you have to fill out a Schedule B to report your interest and dividends? Volunteers with the AARP TaxAide Program are being trained to know about these changes and to help pre-
pare your tax return. Each volunteer gives 40 hours of their time during the tax season to serve middle and lowincome filers age 60 and older. Help is available for both state and federal returns. You don’t need to be an AARP member or retiree to qualify for this free program. Your tax return can be submitted by efile through TaxAide so you’ll be in line for a fast refund.
Here’s to Your Good Health! Know Your Prescriptions
Diabetes Alert
When you get a prescription from your doctor, make sure you ask him or her what it is, what the dosage is and how often to take it. Physicians’ handwriting is so often illegible that pharmacists can make mistakes reading the prescriptions. Then, when you get it filled, check the prescription you got with what you were supposed to get and read the descriptive printout that comes with the prescription. It could save your life.
If you have two or more of the following risk factors, talk to your doctor about being screened for diabetes: 1. Age over 45 years. 2. Family history of diabetes (particularly parents or siblings). 3. African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Island or Latino. 4. High blood pressure. 5. Sedentary lifestyle. 6. High cholesterol.
Go Generic
Stroke Symptoms
Generic drugs typically cost 50 percent or less than name brand drugs. But are generics just as good? Sometimes there are minor differences, such as the flavoring or color, but there are no differences in the active ingredients. The FDA sees to that. Ask your doctor if the generic version is a good idea for you.
Call 911 immediately if you have one or more of the symptoms listed below. Even if the symptoms go away, you are at risk of having another stroke within 48 hours if the symptoms are not evaluated and treated. The sooner treatment begins for a stroke, the more likely longterm disability can be reduced. Here are the major signs and symptoms of a stroke: ♥ Sudden weakness on one side or the other and sometimes on both sides, though that is less common. ♥ Sudden loss of vision on one side or both sides. ♥ Sudden loss of speech or the ability to speak or understand speech. ♥ Sudden loss of balance. ♥ Sudden onset of an extreme headache.
Make Friends With Your Pharmacist Your druggist knows a lot about prescription drugs. Get to know your pharmacist, and make sure that he or she knows your conditions and the pills you’re taking. If you’re not sure whom you should pester with questions—your doctor or pharmacist—ask both.
Avoid Tobacco; Limit Alcohol
Tobacco products damage the arteries and other parts of your body in many ways. While a little alcohol appears to be protective for arteries and may help to prevent stroke, even lower levels of alcohol consumption are associated with the loss of brain cells.
Change Your Toothbrush Dentists say you should replace your toothbrush every three months. New research supports the claim that getting a new toothbrush is an easy and inexpensive way to improve your oral health.
Breast Cancer Awareness Finding a breast lump understandably stirs fears of cancer. If you detect a lump or change in your breast, contact your doctor immediately for an evaluation. However, don’t panic. Most breast lumps—approximately 80 to 85 percent—are benign. If it is cancer, you’ve taken a vital step toward detecting, treating and overcoming the disease. Usually, the earlier cancer is detected, the better the chance of successful treatment.
Early Warning Signs of Cancer 1. Unusual bleeding or discharge from 1. anywhere. 2. A lump or thickening in the breast or 1. anywhere. 3. Any sore that does not heal. 4. Persistent change in bowel habits or shape 1. of stool. 5. Pink or red urine. 6. Persistent hoarseness, cough or sore 1. throat. 7. Persistent indigestion, difficulty in 1. swallowing. 8. Progressive changes in size or color or 1. feeling in a wart or mole. 9. Unexplained weight loss or prolonged 1. fever.
The Yiddish are Coming! The Yiddish are Coming! GARY KATZ, Assistant Librarian
The Kripke Jewish Federation Library has recently acquired four classic Yiddish movies on DVD. The DVDs are: Yidl Mitn Fidl, Purimshpiler, Mamele, and A Brivele Der Mamen. Yidl Mitn Fidl is a story of a young woman posing as a man in a group of klezmer musicians in Poland. The movie provides a warm rendering of Eastern European Jewish life, made all the more fun
and wonderful by the legendary Molly Picon's unequaled ability to amuse and entertain.
is set in the Polish Ukraine and New York City at the time of the First World War. The
Purimshpiler is a romantic comedy about a drifter who wanders from shtetl to shtetl. He finds brief happiness when he falls in love with the shoemaker’s daughter in a small Galatian town. The movie is a likable fantasy about a love triangle and a man's quest for the unobtainable. Mamele stars the remarkable Molly Picon as Khavtshi, the youngest daughter of a widower, who is left with the responsibility of tending house for a helpless family of seven. As such, she becomes their little mother. The film is filled with that special brand of humor and song. A Brivele Der Mamen
film traces the break-up of a family due to stress, the chaos of war and the difficulties of immigrant life. It focuses on one Jewish mother's efforts to keep her family together. These four DVDs help to broaden the scope of the library’s video collection which now consists of more than 50 DVD and hundreds of VHS titles including popular movies, documentaries, musicals and more. All the DVDs are available free for immediate checkout or to arrange a group showing call Harris Finkelstein, Library Director, at 334-6461.
Did You Know? See the Nurse Every Monday in Room #5, see nurse Sandra Keleher. Call Interim Healthcare at 392-1818. It is sponsored by Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.
Transportation to Y.E.S. We offer door-to-door transportation from your home to the Y.E.S. functions? Cost is $3 roundtrip. Call 330-4727. Remington residents pay a dollar for a roundtrip.
How’s Your Yiddish? How is your Yiddish? Join us every Thursday for Conversation Yiddish at 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the JCC Social Hall.
Get in the Swim In our busy lives, we have many distractions, like television, video games and gadgets that can make a sedentary lifestyle hard to avoid. Some of the benefits that swimming offers you are: • Strengthens the heart. • Helps keep arteries and veins • clear. • Strengthens the lungs. • Reduces blood sugar levels. • Controls weight. • Improves energy levels. • Enhances emotional well-being. All are great reasons to sign up for swimming lessons, attend water aerobics or to bring the family to an Open Swim. Come to the pool and Make a Splash. Contact Linda Behounek, Aquatic Director, at 334-6421 for more information.
Exercise Classes Exercise every Monday at 10:30 a.m. Come exercise with our new instructor, Stacey Paskert. Classes are free and all are welcome.
Plan a Family Reunion Family reunions are a terrific excuse for loved ones across the country to come together. In fact, more than eight million people will take part in a family reunion in the U.S. this year. At the end of the reunion when everyone is together, set the date for the next family gathering.
Driving After Dark Did you know that normal vision changes that occur as people age might make driving at night dangerous? According to the National Safety Council (NSC), a 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as a 30-year-old driver. Here are some tips from the NSC to stay safe while driving in the dark: • Keep the headlights clean and properly aimed. You’ll also want to ensure that taillights, signal lights and windows are clean. • Don’t drive too fast for your headlights: This means you should be able to stop safely within the area the headlights illuminate. • Avoid glare by watching the edge of the road and using it as a guide if an oncoming vehicle is using its high-beam headlights (brights). • Drive more slowly and allow more stopping distance between your car and vehicles ahead of you. • Don’t drive tired. Certain medications and alcohol also can cause drowsiness and reduce your ability to drive safely. If you tend to feel unsafe on the road, it may be time to stop driving at night. Family, friends, public transportation and community service programs are all good alternatives.
Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 14, 2002
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Survey: Saudi Arabian Textbooks Filled with Hatred of West, Jews by MICHELLE DARDASHTI NEW YORK (JTA)--A and duties of women new survey speaks voland children, as well as umes about Saudi notions of government Arabian attitudes and society. toward Jews, Christians Given the tight conand the West. trols on information in An analysis of 93 Saudi Arabia, informastate-sponsored texttion for the study was books in Saudi Arabia, gathered with great difconducted by the ficulty, from Saudis who Center for Monitoring want to see the educathe Impact of Peace in tional system partnership with the revamped. American Jewish These are people “who Committee, finds that are tired of seeing eduSaudi students are cation used as propabeing taught that “Jews ganda, and would like are wickedness in its to see some very essence”, “Zionism changes in their own is a nationalist, racist country,” Marcus said. and aggressive moveThe report has two ment” and the West “is objectives, he said: The the source of the past first is to promote and present misfor- Dr. Arnon Groiss of the Center for Monitoring the greater awareness of tunes in the Muslim Impact of Peace (CMIP) holds a book showing the “brainwashing” taking place in Saudi world.” examples from the Saudi study released. “This report is a Photo by American Jewish Committee. Arabia and the second is the construction of an smoking gun,” said David Harris, Executive Director of the educational system “that is more democratic and AJCommittee. “Despite Saudi government state- allows children to think freely" Marcus said. Harris said the study is “creating quite a buzz on ments to the West promoting unity, friendship and tolerance, the report clearly demonstrates a dis- Capital Hill,” with senators asking for copies. The report also was presented to the State Department turbing pattern of hateful language.” For Arnon Groiss, Director of the Voice of Israel’s on the day of its release last month. “Our goal in the end is not to embarrass the Arabic news division and the man responsible for compiling and translating the data in the study, the Saudis,” Harris said. “Our goal is to get the textmost compelling finding was “the extent of the para- books changed.” Yet the report’s backers don’t expect the report to noia the Saudis are trying to instill in their children regarding the West, beyond the expected anti- produce major changes any time soon. Groiss, who has spent 30 years monitoring Middle Semitism and anti-Zionism.” This is the fourth report Groiss has issued for the Eastern affairs, says he recognizes that entrenched center, following two on Palestinian and one on interests in the Muslim world will work to forestall change. One of the few “Western-friendly” excerpts Israeli textbooks. Groiss found was the Saudi denunciation of terrorIn many ways, it could be the most significant. The study comes as increasing attention is being ism. The catch, of course, lies in how the Saudis paid to anti-Semitism in Saudi Arabia, a long-time define terrorism. According to Groiss, “everything that falls within U.S. ally. The Saudis also have come in for criticism since it was found that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the the category of jihad or martyrdom is not terror.” If Sept. 11 terror attacks were Saudi citizens, and that violence can be justified as “for the sake of God”then Saudi money helps fund Palestinian terrorist groups. it is considered permissible, and even is encourAndre Marcus, the founding chairman of the cen- aged, he said. Students are given examples of what ter, which has offices in both New York and constitutes legitimate examples of jihad--including Jerusalem, said the educational system is key, since the struggles over Kashmir and “occupied decisions taken at an autocratic political level don’t Palestine.” Members of the American Jewish community met necessarily make it down to the street. Elsewhere in the Arab world, that disconnect--for with the Saudi foreign minister in September 2002 example, between the Palestinian Authority’s peace and spoke with him about initial findings in the suragreements with Israel and the anti-Israel mes- vey, which was already under way. “They admit there’s some problematic material,” sages in Palestinian textbooks and official media-makes it much more difficult for peace to succeed, said Ken Bandler, a spokesman for the AJCommittee. “But they don’t seem to be doing Marcus said. “Textbooks are a powerful tool,” he said, “I would much about it.” say even more than the media, more than TV.” Attitudes towards the Jewish people and Israel-- which doesn't even exist on Saudi maps--are particularly noteworthy in light of the plan for Mideast peace that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah proposed last year. Marcus points to another reason why a study on the Saudis is so critical: As the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia’s educational system exerts an influence on curricula in other Muslim countries. The textbooks make abundantly clear the Saudi belief that Islam is the only true religion and that followers of other religions can't be trusted or befriended. Marcus characterized the books’ sentiments as “very much against peace and an education of peace.” The study also illustrates the Samples of textbooks used in Saudi Arabia that are critical of Saudi position on the legal standing Jews, Christians and Western nations. Photo by Ron Sachs / CNP
March 14, 2003
THE HISTORY FOOTPRINT
The Pea-Coat
Page 13
Temple Outreach “to Get Real” at Sunday Program by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Temple Israel’s Outreach Committee is sponsoring a “reality show” this Sunday, March 16, 10 a.m. “Real life interfaith couples will share their real life experiences related to life cycle events by telling their real life stories, said Traci Kugler,” Outreach publicity chair. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Craig Marantz, and Cantor Wendy Shermet will join the group for “Mazel Tov! Part I: Birth to B’nai Mitzvah for Your Family” in the Milder Center at Temple. They’ll discuss birth, baby namings, Brit Milah, the consecration ceremony, religious school, and B’nai Mitzvah.
Outreach provides opportunities for members of the community to explore their relationship with Judaism and seek guidance and support in resolving questions of religion and identity in their lives. Outreach programs address the impact of ethnic, religious, and emotional issues. All Outreach events are open to intermarried couples, those considering conversion, unaffiliated members of the community, and any other interested individuals and couples. Children are welcome and child care will be provided. For more information, call the Temple office, 556-6536.
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Ciardi did not have access to google.com. Within 0.39 seconds I had 53,500 hits. Used coats were less than $100. New coats, American and foreign made, ranged from $109 at the U.S. Navy Memorial; Hugo Boss for $208; and a Louis Vuitton model in Fortune magazine for $1240. And there were pea coats for women by Calvin Klein. Park Ave Paws carries pea-coats for pooches at $129. USS Lexington alumni established the Pea Coat Memorial in 1978 for all servicemen who lost their lives at sea. The prolific writer Paul Fussell published “Uniforms, Why we are what we wear in 2002.” It is an inquiry into the garb of soldiers, sailors, airline pilots, doctors, nurses, priests, nuns, Ku Klux Klan, and many other walks of life associated with a particular dress code. Admiral Elmo Zumwalt (1920-2000), Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in Vietnam, 1968-70, and Chief of Naval Operations, 1970-74, wanted to modernize the white sailor caps, bell bottom trousers with 13 button flaps by introducing more conventional military caps, zippers, and ties. He did not mess with the pea-coat. Women librarians in the Library War Service, serving soldiers during World War I, wore a natural pongee, worn with white batiste roll collar, brown or Windsor tie, brown shoes, and white hat or high necked blouses, ties, skirts, jackets, and Panama hats. Male librarians winter uniform as forest green, army style-style hats, coats and puttees. “Smart appearance, proper bearing, and personal probity were stressed.” I polled 35 UNO students, ages 18 to 23, for their oldest item of clothing. Baby clothes from the early 1980s predominated, and particularly three Baptismal and three Easter dresses outfits (all reported by female students). Also listed were Superman pajamas, an Oscar the Grouch costume, a 16-year-old hat and a sixyear-old prom dress. The evening class has a student in his late fifties. His oldest item of clothing is a 35year-old Army jacket. John Ciardi was an aerial gunner on a B-29 in World War II. I wonder what Ciardi would have said about his bomber jacket. Pollak can be reached at: OBPomni@aol.com
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by OLIVER B. POLLAK Mix memory and curiosity. Search for richness in the commonplace. Fascinating stories emerge from the history of corn, potato, bookshelves, aprons, tobacco, dust and even feces. Explore the creation and impact of the ordinary. Today I pursue clothing. We have heard of The Overcoat by Gogol, Man in the Gray Flannel Suit by Sloan Wilson, and the satirical-comedy Prêt-à-Porter, Ready to Wear directed by Robert Altman. This essay is about a pea-coat. It was cold in late January. I took from my closet my Navy Pea-coat, which had not been worn in years, but it felt appropriate. Fortunately it still fit. The size of my shoulders has not changed since the U.S. Navy pea-coat was issued to me at San Diego boot camp in 1961. The jacket was large on my then high school frame. The almost dangling anchor stamped buttons give sufficient play for my expanding girth. At the restaurant, waiting for a table, I realized the jacket was older than the other couple waiting for a table. It has slash pockets, lined with velvety felt corduroy, but no interior pockets to hold wallet. My son, Noah, recycled it in the 1980s adding colorful braid at sleeve’s end. This has been removed. The only wear is the fraying black silk lining with holes at the wrist. One of my favorite wordsmiths was John Ciardi. He had a weekly five minute National Public Radio program, “A Word in Your Ear” from 1980 to his death in 1986. He would give conventional and technical etymologies of words and expressions. My wife and I looked forward to his program. No one has stepped forward to fill his place. The Oxford English Dictionary under “pea-coat” refers the reader to pea jacket, a term in use as early as 1725. It may have derived from pilot jacket or pilot cloth, a “heavy, course, stout kind of twilled blue cloth with the nap on one side.” A pea jacket is “a stout overcoat of coarse woolen cloth, now commonly worn by sailors.” “Pea-coat” came into use in the midnineteenth century, most significantly in 1862 in one of my favorite Dickens novels, Great Expectations, “We had our pea-coats with us, and I took a bag.”
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March 14, 2003
A Romanian Purim by DR. LEONARD GREENSPOON
A year ago, I heard spends most of his time the Megillah read at in Israel. He was not the Choral Synagogue at the synagogue that in Bucharest, Romania. night. One of the rabThis was not the first bis who was there raced Purim I spent abroad. through the Megillah so One of the benefits of quickly that it was diffiacademic life has been cult to make out what the opportunity to travhe was saying, even el for research, teachmore so to make approing, and even a little priate sounds at each fun. So, in 1993 we celmention of “Haman.” ebrated Purim at What a far cry from Oxford; for 1994, I was the celebrations led by in Dublin, in the comthe many-hatted Paul pany of the Chief Drazen at Beth El or Rabbi, no less! any of the other joyous Before going to Purim nights I had Romania, to teach for spent elsewhere. two weeks in a Masters Frankly, I was getting program at the new a bit discouraged. The Goldstein Goren Center day before, I had with of Hebrew Studies at some difficulty met the the University of leadership of the Jews Bucharest, I had read of Bucharest and that the vast majority Romania. It had not of Romanian Jews who been easy, even with remained in the counpreliminary introductry were over the age of tions made in advance 70. on my behalf. That was certainly Language was a probthe case the Purim lem, but my hosts and I night I was there. The finally hit upon French synagogue, an impresfor our communication. sive and large strucIt worked, if you don’t Top: A dozen or so young people sang during ture, was filled. mind my saying so, très Purim festivities at the Chorale Synagogue in Women were not relebien. Bucharest. Bottom: Costumed congregants listen gated to their usual Unlike Prague (where to the reading of the Megillah. quarters in the balcony, I taught for three Photos by Bruno Cogez. but sat on the right side weeks after Bucharest) (facing the bimah), while males sat on the left. At or even Budapest (where Ellie and I spent several 56, I was at least two decades younger than the days), the three main synagogues of Bucharest are average. There were no children in the congrega- not easily accessible. tion, and the mood was unusually somber, at least Once I passed muster with communal officials, I for me, for Purim. was fortunate indeed to be given quite a grand tour But I had to remember: the history of Romania’s of each (did they mistakenly think my last name Jews, as almost everywhere throughout Eastern was Bronfman or Lauder?). One synagogue now Europe, had not been a happy one over the past cen- houses a Holocaust museum and memorial; anothtury or so. er contains the archives of Romanian Jewry. The The modern country of Romania is a fairly recent third is the Chorale, which still functions and where development, but Jews have been there since our Purim celebration was taking place. Roman times, when the land was called “Dacia”. For a celebration was in the offing, although I didAlternately welcomed and expelled, well-treated n’t yet know it. After the all too quick Megillah and exploited, Jews had managed to establish reading and a few words from another rabbi in footholds in the major cities and many villages of Romanian and Hebrew, I feared that the evening Walachia, Moldavia, Transylvania, Bessarabia, and was over. Bukovina. Social and economic parity with their Christian, largely Christian Orthodox, neighbors was rare; political rights, often promised, were grudgingly granted, if at all. Romanian Jews suffered heavily during the Nazi period; the post-War period, under the joint dictatorship of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, was equally oppressive, although without the particular indignities Jews suffered in earlier decades. In one respect, the Jews of Romania were better off than most others in Soviet lands; their Chief Rabbi, Dr. Moses Rosen, managed to gain and preserve for them substantial communal autonomy. Almost every Jewish child received at least rudimentary religious education, and many synagogues were preserved, even when few Jews were left in a particular locale. Emigration to Israel was permit- Several rabbis filled in for the 90-year-old ted to an unusual degree, and vast numbers of Jews Chief Rabbi, Dr. Moses Rosen, who was unable availed themselves of the opportunity. to attend. Photo by Bruno Cogez. Thus, it is not surprising that most of the hundreds of faces I saw that Purim were old and rather Boy, was I in for a surprise! worn-out. It had been nearly 13 years since the For the next 90 minutes, Romanian Jews treated Ceausescus were deposed when I was there, but me and themselves to what they are (I later these years have not brought much prosperity or learned) justly famous for: an assortment of entereven stability. tainment, ranging from singing and dancing to oraSome nationalist parties single out the Jews for tory and comedy (little of which, I admit, was comcriticism or worse, although the head of Bucharest’s prehensible to me). Jewish community assured me that his fellow Jews As befits any proper Purim celebration, the highwere well treated by the government, which, by the light of the evening was the children. Yes, there way, counts the Jews as an ethnic, not religious, were children, about two dozen of them, and they minority. sang with gusto in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Romanian. These days, Rabbi Rosen, who is very old by now, (Continued on next page)
March 14, 2003
A Romanian Purim (Continued from previous page) I had attempted to take The Jews of Romania some pictures with the dishave a present, but that posable camera that I carry present is an aging one, with me when I travel with more Jews living in (being notoriously absentnursing homes or similar minded, I don’t leave home settings than in private with expensive cameras, apartments or homes. etc.). It was difficult, The Jews of Romania given the brightness of the have a future, or at least I sanctuary, the result of hope they do. The chilhundreds, if not thousands, dren I saw at the synaof lights a-glowing. But I gogue will grow up somedesperately wanted picwhere. At the moment, tures, and I looked around the future is bleak for all for someone who might Romanians; the remainhave taken some and could ing Jews, at least the provide me with them. young ones, have the I noticed a young man in option of going to Israel or his 20s, who was actively elsewhere. snapping shots of perIt is a sign of hope for formers and congregants Jewish continuity that a alike. I assumed he was a philanthropist established parent and approached the Goldstein Goren him, somewhat concerned Center. But the reality is because Romanian Jews that only one of the dozen are not immediately or so students I taught accepting of outsiders, there is Jewish. even Jewish outsiders. So much is happening Among the tombstones in this Bucharest It turns out he was an cemetery is one with the name, Solomon these days in Israel and outsider himself, Bruno Juster, perhaps a relative of Sorin Juster of elsewhere that makes Cogez, a Parisian who was Omaha, a native of Romania. news. At the same time, teaching in the French Photos by Bruno Cogez. there are many other school of Bucharest. Jews for whom being Although not Jewish, he had set himself the task of Jewish is a daily struggle, not a given. Their lives documenting Bucharest’s Jews (and, he hoped, and stories don’t regularly make news, but they are Jews elsewhere in Eastern Europe). We spoke in no less significant for that reason. French, and ended up having dinner that night, at Perhaps they are all the more significant in that which time he explained his project to me. It is his their lives, not heroic but potentially filled with digpictures that accompany this article. nity and accomplishment, are ultimately not all The Jews of Romania, in common with others that different from ours. All Jews--yes, all Jews-throughout Eastern Europe, possess a rich past. are indeed one family. This past is especially visible in the communal “The Jews of Eastern Europe” will be the theme of cemeteries. At one of Bucharest’s Jewish cemeter- the 16th Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium, in ies I came across a tombstone with the family name Omaha, which will take place Sept. 14-15. As part “Juster,” and felt immediately re-connected with of that event, we will be organizing an internationthe Juster family, Sara and Sorin, of Omaha’s al photographic competition on this theme. Jewish community.
READ IT AND EAT
Dip It by Rick Rodgers
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 15
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1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons poppy seeds Combine the raspberries, vinegar, orange juice, sugar, mustard and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the processor running, gradually pour in the oil to make a thick vinaigrette. Strain through a fine sieve (remove the raspberry seeds) into a bowl. Stir in the poppy seeds. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. Whisk well to recombine. Pour into a small serving bowl and serve chilled or at room temperature.
IN THE NEWS Caroline Juster received one of two Awards of Excellence presented at the Omaha Public Schools Architecture Expo. More than 200 OPS fifth and sixth graders competed. Participants designed a floor plan, created a model, wrote a description of their project, and were interviewed by a panel of local architects. Caroline also received second place for her written description and fifth place for her scale model of the “Silver Pine mountain Grill.” Caroline, a fifth grader at Columbian Elementary, is the daughter of Sara and Sorin Juster. Michael Silverman, Executive Director of Jewish Senior Services, was elected to the national board of the Association of Jewish Aging Services of North America at its recent convention.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
March 14, 2003
Jewish Time as a Spiritual Discipline:
Gulf-bound Aircraft Carrier (Continued from page 1)
Former Education Director of Livnot U’Lehibanot to Speak in Omaha by RAE TRAYNOR What is “time” and why is there always so little of it? Can “time” be Jewish? Can spiritual growth be acheived by comtemplating your watch and your wall calendar? Rabbi Yehoshua Kahan, Dean of Students at the Bat Ayin Yeshiva and former Educational Director of Livnot U’Lehibanot in Tzfat, will explore these questions and others when he comes to Omaha next month as part of his United States speaking tour. The Omaha Center for Torah Learning will host Rabbi Kahan on Tuesday, April 1, 7:30 p.m., at the OCTL House, 1313 No. 58 St. His talk, “Leap Months and Pregnant Years: Jewish Time as a Spiritual Discipline”, is free and open to the entire community. Livnot, as it is popularly known, is a program for college graduates. The Livnot program is based on touring and hiking, studying, community service and Shabbat, all within a warm and open environment of learning, sharing and creating community, Existing for almost seven years, the Bat Ayin Yeshiva has established itself as a unique place of serious Torah learning and Jewish growth and has begun to create a name for itself in the world of Jewish outreach. Often described as a “contemporary Hassidic yeshiva,” Yeshiva Bat Ayin combines the intensity and spiritual
depth of the Hassidic tradition, the intellectual approach and textual focus of the traditional yeshiva world with openness to and engagement of modern society. The yeshiva’s program of study is based on classical Jewish texts while encouraging students to see their lives, talents and experiences as critical components of a student's spiritual search. Rabbi Aryeh Blum, Director of OCTL, described Rabbi Kahan as “an engaging teacher who presents original and fascinating insights mined from classic Jewish texts in an warm, engaging, accessible manner.” Rabbi Kahan has been active in Jewish education in various settings for 20 years. He was raised in Los Angeles, CA, and attended UCLA, where he received a degree in physics. He, his wife and five children live in Bat Ayin, Israel. The following week, Rabbi Noah Orlowek, Mashgiach (Dean of Students) at Jerusalem's Yeshiva Torah Ohr and author of several books on educating and raising Jewish children, will speak in Omaha. OCTL will host this electrifying speaker on Monday, April 7 , 7:30 p.m., also at the OCTL House. For more information about Rabbi Kahan or Rabbi Orlowek or other OCTL programs, please call Rabbi Blum at 320-8055.
I arrived Sunday afternoon on this floating city of 5,500. I am one of more than 600 journalists being placed with forces in the region, or “embedded” as the Pentagon calls it, in anticipation of a war with Iraq. It is an unprecedented effort to give reporters an upclose look at what happens in the battlefield, or in my case, on one of the largest sea vessels on earth; a vessel equipped with 75 aircraft including F14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters, surveillance planes, and helicopters. I arrived with roughly 15 colleagues on board a C-2A Greyhound, or “COD” as it is commonly called here: “Carrier On Board Delivery.” It is a twinengine cargo aircraft. But it feels nothing like the twin-engine jet one would take on a short skip across the US. You sit backwards. You wear helmets. Cords dangle from the walls. In our case, a visiting admiral and his staff of three joined us. No special treatment for the VIPs. Flight time to the ship was roughly 45 minutes, the takeoff point, like the ship’s exact location, cannot be disclosed for security reasons. I was able to recline. Suddenly the smooth ride came to an end. A COD crewman shouted: “Here we go.” The COD turned 180 degrees to decrease speed, and came to an abrupt landing in only 400 feet-from flying speed to zero in only two seconds. To understand how amazing that is, the entire flight deck is 1,092 feet, about one-tenth the size of an airport runway. After the COD’s back hatch opened we
barely had time to look around the massive flight deck, packed with aircraft and colorfully dressed crewmen, before being whisked away below deck. People go days without seeing daylight here, much like on a submarine. I was assigned an escort to guide me around the ship’s 4.5 acres of corridors, all of which look identical. Treacherous metal staircases are everywhere. I am fortunate that my “berthing,” or room, has only one other person, an officer. The men are in one joint space of two dozen. After a brief rest and dinner in an officers’ dining room, I met Senior Chief Philip Farley, who oversees security on the ship. “We really don’t know what we are going to be doing tomorrow. We’re here if President Bush says we need the Theodore Roosevelt,” he said. I ask him how security procedures have changed since terrorists attacked the USS Cole in Yemen. He says most have remained the same, but people take them, perhaps, more seriously. The threat level is low in the Mediterranean, and Farley says he worries more about the terrorism alerts issued back in the U.S. “Right now the big concern is all of us who have family back home,” he said. I asked him what people are talking about these days regarding the war. “The biggest discussion is listening to people who are back home now protesting, demonstrating,” he said. He wishes people could understand better what the troops are doing each day. Perhaps they would be more sympathetic to the effort then.
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