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Resurrection from the rubble
April 8, 2011 4 Nisan 5771 Vol. 90 | No. 31
This Week
Let my people go... to the Star Deli for lunch during Passover Page 5
Beth El third graders shine during consecration ceremony Page 7
A “Storybook Shabbat” awaits Beth El’s young families Page 12
Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam
Next Week The Passover Issue See Front Page stories and more at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on Jewish Press
8 10 11
by DEBBIE KRICSFELD over a year ago, the home was for Friedel Jewish Academy ruined and the country left in The Resurrection Dance shambles. Israel was one of Theatre of Haiti (RDTH) the first countries in the intermade Nebraska their first stop national community to on their six city, one month answer the cry for help and tour, thanks to Lisa and Tim set up a high-tech field hospiStephan. Lisa is the administal that provided invaluable trative assistant at Friedel care to thousands of those Jewish Academy and she wantwho survived. ed to introduce her “Haitian The aftermath of the 2010 family to her Friedel family.” In earthquake destroyed much 2009, Lisa had the opportunity of the country, but the RDTH to go to Haiti to seek an interand the St. Joseph’s Home national mission partner for spirit still thrives. During her church to support. their lively performance at the While in Haiti, Lisa visited JCC, the “Haiti Boys” as Lisa St. Joseph’s Home for Boys likes to call them, showed and fell in love. St. Joseph‘s their native dances, costumes Home for Boys was founded and drums to an audience of by Iowa native Michael young and old. The youngest Geilenfeld in 1985. Geilenfeld member of the dance troupe wanted to provide a warm is Didi. He is ten years old and place for neglected and is touring with his dad, unwanted children, as well as Roland, who is a traveling Friedel Jewish Academy recently welcomed members of the Resurrection Dance Theater of a safe area where they could tutor and plays in the drum Haiti to perform for students and staff at the JCC theater. regain their hope and realize corp. Didi has been a part of St. Joseph’s main facility in Port- the RDTH for six years and proves their own potential and inner beau- be well educated leaders among ty. The RDTH group is made up of their community. The St. Joseph’s au-Prince was their primary resi- to be a crowd favorite. In one of his men who were orphaned as children family includes homes in Port-au- dence and served as the nucleus for acts, he illustrated through dance or who worked as child slaves. Prince, Jacmel and a home for phys- teaching and empowering other what life is like for a child in Haiti. In Because of the St. Joseph’s home, ically and mentally challenged chil- Haitian children through the arts. torn clothes and a shoe-shine box, After the devastating earthquake Continued on page 2 many of these men have grown up to dren in Fermathe.
YJO, Yachad at Together, Inc. Pantry by SHERRIE SAAG with the kids’ enthusiasm. “We have Development Associate, volunteer groups every week, but Jewish Federation of Omaha rarely a group like this with such a Young Jewish Omaha and Yachad wide range of ages all working so created a formidable workforce on a recent Tuesday evening when they gathered downtown at Together, Inc. for a service project. The program was a true multi-generational affair, with young professionals, a newly engaged couple, and kids (even an infant!) working alongside their parents and members of Yachad, all for a good cause. The group of 30 arrived at 6:30 p.m. for a guided tour of the facilities and a brief explanation of its services by Together Inc. by staff person, Angie Remington. She quickly put them to work sorting clothing donations, hanging items, and placing Miriam Gross, left, and daughter Raya Li them on display racks. joined Lina Lander at the YJO/Yachad event Remington was thrilled well together,” she said. In fact, she hadn’t even finished her sentence when Sarah Schop, Lily Goldberg, and Phoenix Mavropoulos ran up asking for more assignments. Founded in 1975, Together Inc. is a cooperative providing the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter to hundreds of struggling families in Omaha. Their services are provided free of charge without regard to family income level.
Temple Israel Deli open for lunch and dinner by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Take a break from Passover preparation on Sunday, April 17, and enjoy some last bites of hametz for a week. Temple Israel’s annual
Linder, and Wendy Shermet feature a classic deli sandwich piled high with corned beef, pastrami, and tongue; a jazzy corned beef and turkey topped with coleslaw; and a vegetarian delight of tuna, lettuce, and tomato all served on
Rabbi Eric Linder left, Jamie, Jessica, and their son Meyer Feinstein enjoying Temple Israel’s Deli Night last year. Deli Night will be served up as Deli Day this year. The first shift is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the second shift begins at 5 p.m. lasting until 7 p.m. Start with authentic matzo balls, kreplach soup and chopped liver, and then indulge in a corned beef, pastrami, tongue, chopped liver or a turkey sandwich. If those entrees don’t please your palate, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are also listed on the menu. Several star combinations including the Aryeh Azriel, Eric
marble bread. These and all the other sandwiches will be served with chips, coleslaw, and a pickle. For dessert, New York style cheesecake will provide the perfect finale. Reservations are not required. Take-out orders can be called in to the Temple Israel office at 402.556.6536. Temple Israel is grateful to Bag N Save, Omaha Compound Company, Omaha Steaks, and Rotella’s Italian Bakery for their donations of products for Deli Day.
2 | The Jewish Press | April 8, 2011
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helped save Jewish families during Holocaust by HILLARY FLETCHER Marketing Assistant, Institute for Holocaust Education The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will honor an Albanian Muslim woman who along, with her family, risked her life to shelter and save two Yugoslavian Jewish families during the Holocaust. In recognition of her courage, heroism and selfless acts, the League will present Deshire KumiVeseli with its Courage to Care Award. The award, which honors rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust era, will be accepted by her granddaughter, Olta Gjoca, during an April 11 ceremony at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in Omaha. Kumi-Veseli currently lives in Albania. Deshire Kumi-Veseli when she Together with her parwas a young girl. ents and four siblings, Kumi-Veseli offered a hiding place at their home in the Albanian village of Kruja to the Mandil and Ben-Yosef families – Jews who had fled Yugoslavia to Albania. “Deshire Kumi-Veseli and her family were people of moral courage and conscience,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor. “They could easily have looked the other way and let these Jewish families fend for themselves. Instead, at immense personal risk, the Veseli family intervened and put everything on the line to save their friends. We are proud to recognize this incredible act of courage and bravery.” Vesel and Fatime Veseli, from the town of Kruja, Albania were the parents of five children: three sons – Hamit, Refik, Xhemal, and two daughters – Hyrije and Deshire. During World War II, Hamit and Refik were living and working in Tirana, Albania’s capital city. At the time of the Nazi invasion in September 1943, Refik Veseli was working in a photo studio. There, he befriended Mosa Mandil, a Jewish photographer who had fled Yugoslavia with his family. After conferring with his own family, Refik made the courageous decision to offer a hiding place to the Mandils, and later to the Ben-Yosef family, also Jews from Yugoslavia. Xhemal led the group of seven Jews on donkeys from Tirana to Kruja to safe hiding at their home in the village. During the day, the adults remained hidden in a room
Eye On Israel Continues in April by ANDREW MALASHOCK Administrative Assistant, Center For Jewish Education Dr. Guy Matalon’s Eye On Israel discussions will continue on April 5 and 12, from noon-1 p.m. plus a special evening discussion on Thursday, April 21 from 7-8 p.m. with guest panelist Dr. Moshe Gershovich. All sessions will be held in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Eye on Israel is a great way to keep up with what’s happening within the state of Israel and surrounding areas, as well as to stimulate thought and debate about current Israeli and American foreign political policy. With events in the Middle East escalating as fast as they are, it is more important than ever to stay informed. “The Middle East is in the midst of a monumental turmoil,” remarks Gershovich, Professor of History at UNO and the director of the “Middle East Project Fund.” “The recent violence in Syria, the terrorist act in Jerusalem, as well as the recent hostilities between Israel and the Hamascontrolled Gaza Strip threaten to get Israel directly involved in that turmoil.” Matalon echoes those comments. “The recent violence in Israel coupled with the escalation of unrest in the region is heightening the anxiety for not only Israel but also for the United States and its allies,” states Matalon. “As the level of concern deepens, the eyes of the world will again be focused on the Middle East.” Matalon is the Jewish Federation of Omaha Scholar-in-Residence, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Professor of Judaic Studies, Department of Philosophy and Religion and the Director of the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Eye On Israel is open to the public, free of charge. For more information, call 402.334.6463 or email amalashock@ jewishomaha.org.
above the Veseli family barn. Deshire, the youngest of the five siblings, was only 10 years old at that time, but did her part in helping the Yugoslavian-Jewish families. When the Germans raided her village, she took the children and wives to a small, dark bathroom in the basement, causing tremendous stress to the young girl. The Veseli men helped to hide the others on their property. The Mandil and Ben-Yosef families stayed with the Veselis until liberation in November 1944. Presentation of the Courage to Care Award will take place during the ADL Tribute to the Rescuers High School Essay Contest awards ceremony. The essay contest asks students to write about an individual or group who have shown moral courage, offering examples from the Holocaust, like the Veseli family. “To present this important award in our region is a testament to ADL’s commitment to Holocaust education and to our impact in the community,” said Alan Potash, ADL Plains States Regional Director. “It is humbling to be in the presence of a family who risked their lives to save members of the Jewish community.” “Besa is the Albanian code of honor and morality faithfully followed by Muslim families in Albania,” added Beth Seldin Dotan, Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha. In 2008, the Veseli family contacted Dotan to share the testimony of Kumi-Veseli. “One who acts according to Besa is someone who keeps his word. Besa is one reason why Albania was the only European country to have more Jews after the war than prior to the war, and it is the reason that the Veseli family placed themselves in constant jeopardy to save these two Jewish families.” Deshire Kumi-Veseli’s parents and older siblings were previously recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. In 1987, the ADL created a unique award to honor rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust era. The ADL Courage to Care Award is a plaque with bas-reliefs depicting the backdrop of rescuers’ exceptional deeds – the Nazis’ persecution, deportation and murder of millions of Jews. The Courage to Care program is sponsored by Eileen Ludwig Greenland. Past recipients of the ADL Courage to Care Award include: Irene Gut Opdyke, Gilberto Bosques Salvidar, Eduardo Propper de Callejon, Khaled Abdelwahhab, Ernst Leitz II, Mefail and Njazi Bicaku, Hiram Bingham IV, Sir Nicholas Winston, Konstantin Koslovsky, Jan and Miep Gies, Aristides De Sousa Mendes, Jan Karski, Selahattin Ulkumen, Chiune Sugihara, the French town of Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, Emilie and Oskar Schindler, The Partisans of Riccione, Italy and Johanna Vos.
Resurrection from the rubble
Friedel Kindergarteners visit with DiDi, who at 10 is the youngest member of the Haitian dance group. Continued from page 1 Didi showed how he was mistreated, pushed around and thought to be burden to his society. In another act, he focused on his love of Michael Jackson music and performed Beat It in a black leather jacket and fedora. After the exhausting performance, Didi, accompanied Friedel fifth and sixth graders to their classroom to catch up on some math homework. Although, Didi’s English is minimal, his infectious smile spoke through his heart and let all those at the performance witness his endurance and the pride he has in his culture. For more information about the Resurrection Dance Theatre of Haiti visit www.htflive.org.
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April 8, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 3
Dr. Ashkenazi to speak on Holocaust and Pop Culture
Campaign 2011 by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha Amidst the changes happening all around the Federation campus, the 2011 Annual Campaign is quietly, yet very successfully, achieving its goal. The 2011 Annual Campaign has seen the largest increase in gifts in the last several years. To date, the campaign has raised well over $2.8 million and Chief Development Officer Jan Goldstein is confident that we will surpass this year’s 3 million dollar goal. “This success will make a significant difference in being able to fund programs in the community that have been scaled back during the past two years,” said Goldstein. We all take great pride in knowing that Omaha is a broad-based community with substantial investments made at all levels of giving. In fact, this campaign has realized an impressive 175 new or recaptured gifts. “As it has always been for the Jewish people, our success depends on the strength of our community. The challenges we face require that we work smarter and more efficiently to build the thriving and sustainable Jewish Omaha we all want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren,” stated Ellie Batt, Co-chair of the 2011 Annual Campaign. “While some years may be harder than others, the fact remains that people do keep returning to Federation with their charitable gifts. Donors give because they believe in our mission and they trust us to do good things with those gifts,” she added. “The economic recession affected everyone. It impacted our Federation and beneficiaries. But through everything, our donors not only stood by this community, but in
many ways have increased their involvement and their giving because they care. That’s what makes this community so special,” said Norm Sheldon, 2011 Annual Campaign Co-chair. Sheldon and Batt announced last summer that Fred Simon would be the Campaign’s first ever Honorary Chair. As Executive Vice President of Omaha Steaks and a lifelong resident of Omaha, Simon is well respected and sets an example in philanthropic leadership. His message, that there is no better investment in Omaha than in the Jewish community, fueled the campaign right from the beginning. “Campaign is always a team effort. This year we sought new ideas, new approaches and took bold steps when necessary,” said Goldstein. “The campaign engaged solicitors in new ways with focused training that prepared them for fresh dialogue. The result was meaningful, substantive conversations that took place for months throughout the community. These talks between campaign volunteers and donors centered on why to give, not just what to give. This made a world of difference and lent credence to our campaign theme, The Gift You Get Back,” she said. Our Federation will continue to take care of the neediest Jews locally, in Israel and around the world. We will continue to support organizations that educate our people and we will continue to fund new and innovative ways for generations to live and thrive Jewishly. May we go from strength to strength.
by ANDREW MALASHOCK working on a book addressing pre-1948 Administrative Assistant, Jewish sport and body-culture in Palestine. Center for Jewish Education Dr. Ashkenazi is in the U.S. this year Never again. These are words that will through AICE, the American-Israeli ring true for any Jew for the rest of eternity. Cooperative Enterprise. AICE is a leading The Holocaust has completely affected near- content provider for students and organizaly every aspect of not just our culture as tions interested in Jewish history, culture and politics, and offers training Jews, but the entire world. Dr. on how to use this information. Ofer Ashkenazi, a visiting The organization is supporting 23 Israeli professor from the scholars this year. University of Minnesota, will be in Omaha for a lecture “Dr. Ashkenazi’s topic is very entitled, The Holocaust in timely, leading into the Contemporary Israeli Popular Community Yom HaShoah Culture. Commemoration on May 4,” Dr. Ashkenazi is a Teaching states Mary Sue Grossman, Fellow at the Hebrew Associate Executive Director for University of Jerusalem and the Center for Jewish Education. the University of Haifa. His “Having scholars through AICE research interests include speak in our community is a wonDr. Ofer Ashkenazi German-Jewish history, derful opportunity to hear a fresh Zionist history and the international peace perspective on a variety of topics.” movement of the interwar years. He The lecture will be held on Thursday, received his Ph.D. in History from the April 28 at 7 p.m. in the JCC Social Hall, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His and is presented by The Center for Jewish numerous publications addressing Zionism, Education and sponsored in part by the Germany and films include the forthcoming Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for book, A Walk into the Night: Madness and Israel and Jewish Studies. The event is open Subjectivity in Weimar Film. Many of his to the public and is free of charge. Please classes address the portrayal of national contact Andrew Malashock at 402.334.6463 identity in films, particularly in Israel and or amalashock@jewishomaha.org with any Germany. Professor Ashkenazi is currently questions.
JEWISH PRESS NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, April 19 & 20 and Monday and Tuesday, April 25 & 26 for Passover; the deadline for the April 22 issue is Wednesday, April 13, 9 a.m.; for the April 29 issue it is Monday, April 18, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
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4 | The Jewish Press | April 8, 2011
Beth El’s Kadima Shabbaton offers fun weekend retreat by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Analyzing leadership, as well as what traits make a leader, will top the agenda as Beth El’s Kadima youth group presents its annual Kadima Shabbaton, to be held May 6-8 at the 4-H Camp in Gretna. A great weekend getaway for Jewish sixth- to eighth-grade students, the retreat will be filled with fun, friendship and engaging learning activities. This year’s focus is “Leadership: Leading the Jewish Way.” Through discussion groups, participants will take an indepth look at the different ways to define this concept. According to BESTT Education Director Judy Rubin, participants will explore, among other things, excerpts from Pirkei Avot (“Ethics of the Fathers”), and the Purim story; attendees will also compare and contrast Moses with contemporary figures such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Moammar Khadafy. Facilitators during the weekend will include Rubin, Andy Greenberg, Youth Director Shiri Tene and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. “‘Leading the Jewish way’ means that Jewish textual information and Jewish tradition will be incorporated into all of our discussions so that the kids will have a perspective with
which to form their opinions,” Rubin explained, adding that role-playing will also be utilized. “We are also excited to welcome the participation of R.E.S.P.E.C.T.T., an organization which through the use of theater, is dedicated to building healthy relationships among children and youth,” she said. As part of the presentation, “students will be participating in role-playing regarding the witnessing of bullying and the leadership skills needed to counter bullying, either as the victim or as the bystander.” During the weekend, attendees will also be treated to high - and low-ropes courses, bonfires (complete with s’mores), interactive learning activities, and a special Shabbat celebration. All in all, a weekend of friendship and fun is promised. On Friday, May 6, children will meet at Beth El at 4:30 p.m.; they will return to the synagogue on Sunday, May 8, at 11:45 a.m. Cost to attend is $75 (scholarships are also available); application deadline is April 13. Applications are available at the BESTT office; they also may be found online at www.bethel-omaha.org. Kadima Shabbaton is made possible by a generous grant from the Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund.
Traditional Seder at Temple Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Beginning on the fourteenth day of Nisan (Monday, April 18), we commemorate the story of the Exodus in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. This year, as we watched the liberation of Egyptians from their own oppression, we are reminded that if our forefathers had not been freed many centuries ago, we might still be slaves in Egypt. On Tuesday, April 19, at 10:30 a.m., the clergy at Temple Israel will lead a Passover worship service. The office will be closed that day. But that evening, at 6 p.m., the congregational family and guests are invited to a seder at the synagogue. One of the most colorful and joyous occasions in Jewish life, the seder table evokes perpetual hope that despite present-day trials and tribulations, there is a brighter future for the Jewish people. Passover is also a festival of spring as we eagerly watch the earth awaken from winter’s slumber. Dinner will include matzah ball soup, chicken, potato kugel, salad, chocolate-dipped macaroons for dessert, and all the traditional favorites such as charoses, gefilte fish -and matzah, of course. Kids are advised to get their detective skills ready to search for the afikoman. Paul and Sandy Epstein attended the seder at Temple Israel last year with Paul’s brother Gary and his wife Lisa. “It’s wonderful to have a place to go with (Chef) John Hattam’s delicious meal and a wonderful service that’s easy
to follow,” Sandy remarked. “When the kids can’t come home, the family is smaller and smaller so it’s nice to be a family among families at Temple!” Reservations are a must! Please call the Temple Israel office at 402.556.6536 or send an email to mkube@temple israelomaha.com by Friday, April 15, to reserve your seats. Dinner for adults will be $23; $12 for children six to 12 years old. No charge for children five and younger. After Friday, April 15, the cost of the dinner is $28 for adults and $17 for children six to 12. A concluding Passover service including yizkor on Monday, April 25 at 10:30 a.m. will bring this seven-day holiday to a close. If you would like to have the names of your loved ones read at the concluding service, please call the Temple Israel office or contact bsullivan@temple israelomaha.com by Friday, April 22.
In the news Holly Weill has opened a new children’s boutique in Omaha. Posh Princess will carry apparel, accessories and gifts for children (including boys). Brands include Mudpie, JoJo Designs, Ann Loren, Axel & Hudson and Posh Princess Originals. The boutique is located at 2522 S. 132 Court and will have its grand opening April 8-10. For more information, please call 402.991.0991.
Let my people go... to the Star Deli by OZZIE NOGG The Star Deli’s first-ever totally kosher-for-Passover lunch menu will be offered on Friday, April 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the auditorium on Main Street at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Mike Silverman, RBJH Executive Director, said, “In order to meet the needs of our community, I want the deli not to close on Passover. On April 22, you’ll be able to order all your favorites, just without the bread.”
Those favorites include matzah ball soup, a brisket special, salami and eggs, matzah brei, stuffed matzah balls, Chef ’s Special Deli Salad plus lip-smackin’ macaroons and candy jelly slices. Dayenu. The Star Deli is a Friday lunch destination for many chow hounds who enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and the kibitzing factor. The Deli’s Passover menu was put together by Silverman, along with Mike Aparo, RBJH Director of Food Services, Josh Gurock, JSS Facilities Coordinator, and Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, the Home's pastoral service coordinator. According to Gurock, “Let all who are hungry come and eat has a whole new meaning this year.” In the spirit of an old-fashioned, many-hours-long seder, a full screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments will run during lunch. Stay for the entire 220 minutes and you’ll win a free Passover dessert. Call it an afikomen, if you prefer.
Organizations B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Creighton University Athletic director, Bruce Rasmussen, returns to update us on upcoming events on Wednesday, April 13, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $10; beverage service is $3. For more information or to be placed on the e-mail list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@ jewishomaha.org. There will not be a Breadbreakers session on Wednesday, April 20 due to the Passover holiday. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish words have made their way into every phase of modern life, show biz, law, classrooms, etc. Come join us at our new meeting room (across from the beauty salon) at the Blumkin Home, every Thursday, 1-3 pm. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.
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April 8, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 5
Beth El third graders shine during consecration ceremony by JILL BELMONT Yael Schuller: “When I think of Creation, I think of life Beth El Publicity Coordinator and the birth of the world.” Showing a lot of heart, thoughtfulness and hard work, This rite of passage in their Jewish educational lives was a Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah’s third-grade class recent- special and significant one for the children, and Rubin noted ly celebrated its consecration, with friends and family mem- their dedication and hard work leading up to the ceremony. “We can all be proud of the bers joining the festivities. third graders’ accomplishThe children, along with ments. They are a very BESTT Education Director thoughtful and creative group Judy Rubin, led the ceremony of students,” she said, also in the synagogue’s sanctuary, thanking the children’s parsharing their thoughts about God, about being Jewish, creents and Hebrew school ation, what the synagogue teachers (Sindie Katskee, means to them, Shabbat and Deborah Kronick and Eadie peace. Tsabari) for their support and Among their musings: guidance. Ari Saltzman: “God wants At the end of the ceremony, us to treat others the way we as Rabbi Mordechai Levin want to be treated.” congratulated the children Michael Raffel: “God and their parents, the celeDisplaying their personalized siddurim are Beth El’s thirdwatches out for us. God is like brants received their own sidgrade consecration celebrants: front row, Spencer a parent.” dur, wrapped in personalized Gordman, Michael Raffel, David Kay, Ari Saltzman, Eleanor Julie Nahimov: “Peace is covers that each child created Dunning, Yael Schuller and Julie Nahimov. Back row, quiet and friendly.” with the help of art teacher Education Director Judy Rubin and third-grade teacher Eleanor Dunning: “Peace Daniel Christensen. The covEadie Tsabari. would allow us to develop ers were made possible by a and research new ideas.” grant from the Riekes Family Fund. David Kay: “The synagogue is special because we learn “The siddur contains the hopes and dreams of the Jewish Hebrew there and it is fun.” people,” Rubin said, noting that, “In some parts of the world, Spencer Gordman: “If you pray, God will listen and help children are taught to hate; it is reassuring to know that our you.” children are learning to express love, peace and tolerance.”
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Keeping Kosher in Nebraska Prisons by SHERRIE SAAG Development Associate, Jewish Federation of Omaha Nebraska’s state prison system is similar in many ways to its counterparts in other states. In one particular instance, the similarity is a shared statistic: a steady increase in the diversity of its inmate population; ethnically, racially and religiously. And, a few short years ago, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services was presented a religious challenge with no easy solution. Or so they thought. Two years ago, a Muslim prisoner at Tecumseh State Penitentiary appealed to the Department of Correctional Services requesting a special diet in accordance with his religious beliefs. Nebraska wanted to comply and did extensive research. It quickly realized a need for a comprehensive program that would appeal to as many inmates’ religious needs as possible. The State found that the laws of Kashrut met the most diverse religious dietary needs of all formal guidelines. Keeping kosher would meet these inmates’ needs while incarcerated. Enter the Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Vaad Hakashrut and Rabbi Jonathan Gross of Beth Israel Synagogue. With a request for assistance from the State, Rabbi Gross began work on a set of protocols to provide kosher food at Tecumseh State Prison. The written guidelines, entitled “Food Service Protocol for Kosher Meal Preparation” became the standard by which the entire Nebraska penal system considers religious dietary requests. Rabbi Gross explains, “This list of rules and regulations allows inmates to observe religious dietary laws. We are fortunate to live in a country and a state that goes to great lengths to ensure the religious freedom of its citizens.” He added, “Everyone who worked on the protocol understood it would affect the daily spiritual lives of many people. I was so impressed with the Department’s staff with whom I worked. Their standards are high and their overriding priority is to make sure inmates’ physical and spiritual needs are met at all times.” Joe Baldassano chairs the Religion Study Committee at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and began the process of instituting religious dietary guidelines in the state prison system. Currently, the Department accommodates over 19 different recognized religions and, according to Baldassano, that doesn’t include Christianity and its many denominations. “Since the original guidelines were instituted in March of 2008, we now prepare over 40 Kosher meals each day for inmates. We don’t approach this service as one of exclusivity. Rather, if an inmate makes a request for Kosher meals based on religious observance, and that observance can manifest itself in many ways, we will grant that request,” said Baldassano. “The guidelines Rabbi Gross prepared for us have been instrumental in our response to inmates’ needs. In fact,
there has been only one instance where we have had to deny a request. And that was only because the Kosher diet was requested for weight loss needs,” he added. “Rabbi Gross has made a major impact on the delivery of religious services to Nebraska inmates. He is an invaluable resource for us that we know we can call on at any time to answer inmates’ religious needs,” said Baldassano. According to Rabbi Gross, he has since received a number of letters from Nebraska inmates whose questions require him to respond with Jewish code of law and responsa. One such letter asked about the need for separate plastic beverage pitchers. Rabbi Gross wrote back and explained why plastic water pitchers need not be Kosher. “On one level, it is important to recognize strict dietary guidelines. On another level, I need to always be cognizant of the correctional staff ’s ability to deliver services and the costs of that delivery,” said Gross. “It is incumbent upon me to consider all factors when crafting an appropriate response.” The inmates in Nebraska’s correctional system have their religious and spiritual needs met, in part, by caring and dedicated members of our community. “What makes this such a great story? It reminds us that there are times when our Jewish community serves a purpose greater than itself. Knowing that those outside of our immediate circle can approach us for help and we are there, more than willing to do whatever is asked. It is a story worth telling,” Gross said.
Open Group Auditions for Seasonal Positions Friday, April 29, 6 p.m. sharp
· You must be 16 years of age or older
· No late arrivals will be permitted
· You must be available to work · weekdays and weekends in summer
· Come dressed to impress
We are looking for outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic, smiling, fun, happy and dedicated staff members. www.ocm.org 500 S 20th St. Omaha, NE
402-342-6164
“Tyler loves to visit his Grandpa Sam at Remington Heights!” – Laurie E.
Woodmen speech contest
Granddaughter of Sam E., a happy resident of Remington Heights
12606 W. Dodge Rd. Omaha, NE 68154 402.493.5807 remingtonheightsretirement.com
Under teacher Denise Bennett’s guidance, Friedel students Sam Kricsfeld, Mira Dennison, and Eliana Schuller participated in the Woodmen of the World annual speech contest. Sam and Eliana will go on to compete in districts on April 12.
6 | The Jewish Press | April 8, 2011
April 8, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 7
Community Happens Because ofYou. to e timt and l l i st r gif act. s i re you imp aum rg e Th ake e an irshenbmaha.o m ak haron Kjewisho 85 4 m tS tac m@ 4.6 Conhenbau 402.33 s or skir
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Please note that this list of Federation donors is complete as of April 5,2011.Every effort is made to ensure that the list is accurate and we sincerely apologize if any name was incorrectly printed or inadvertently omitted.To update information in this donor listing,please contact Nancy Martin at 334-6430.
8 | The Jewish Press | April 8, 2011
Point of view
American Jewish Press Association Award Winner
Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008
Fighting back
by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press When 13-year-old Alye Pollack from Westport, Connecticut, was bullied by her classmates, she initially sat back and watched it happen. Then, when she’d had enough, she took action the best way she knew how: she told the world by posting a video on youtube. Holding up a series of signs, this is what she had to say: “Hi! My name is Alye. I am in eighth grade. Do I look happy? Well, I’m not.” She explains to her audience why: she is being bullied, and one of her signs spells out exactly what sort of names others call her on a daily basis. She’s in therapy, and she’s thought about hurting herself. “Think before you say things,” she adds at the end. “It might save lives.” Then, there was that other video; the one where an Australian tenth grader is seen being punched and taunted by a smaller and younger boy, until he reaches his breaking point and slams his tormenter into the concrete. That video went viral even faster, and the bullied boy, Casey Heynes, has become something of a symbol for bullied children worldwide. Finally, people seem to think, someone stands up for all the victims. He’s even been given a snazzy nickname: Zangief, after the wrestler who originally introduced the fighting move. I don’t know for a fact whether Alye is Jewish, and she isn’t from Omaha. As for Casey Heynes: t’s a long way from Nebraska to Australia, so what do these stories have to do with us? The answer is: everything, if we let them. Bullying, especially in middle school, has been front and center as a topic of discussion the world over. Everywhere people are struggling to find a proper and effective response. It forces us to ask the question: when we tell our kids to stand up for themselves, what exactly do we mean? We often think of the bully/victim culture as one that is stagnant: once a bully, always a bully, and once a victim, always a victim. But the truth is more complicated: many
children switch roles as easily and as often as they change their jeans. For school-age children, experiencing both sides of the issue is more common than we think. It’s one of the things that make the teenage years such a minefield: kids don’t always know what today will bring, and where they’ll be in the pecking order. Popularity isn’t for fun, it’s a matter of survival, and it needs to be defended on a constant basis, or so it seems. As a community, we can’t move forward without paying attention to our youngest members. Years from now they will be this community’s leaders, we hope, and there are many programs in place to prepare them for that day. We teach, we model, we interact; there are a number of pathways between adults and kids through school, synagogue, summer camps, programming, and so forth. But are we really paying attention to how they interact with each other, or do we assume that part takes care of itself? There has been a lot of talk about improving this community. This is an exciting time for many of us, with new ideas and initiatives around every corner. However, a community only functions when all its members function, and the thought that some of our kids may be bullied (or bullying others) is difficult to deal with. And so, we’d rather ignore it at least part of the time. As adults, we have a tendency to look at school culture from the outside in. After all, we’re done with all that, and the notion that kids need to learn to stand on their own two feet is very much ingrained. Isn’t that what growing up is all about?
Except, it is not always that easy: if it were, girls like Alye, so obviously intelligent, would not find themselves in this position. And boys like Casey wouldn’t reach the point where slamming someone into the concrete seems like a viable option. Maybe we are looking at this all wrong. If we truly acknowledge that bullying is a severe problem with severe consequences, shouldn’t we treat it as everybody’s problem? Shouldn’t we stop acting like bystanders, and take it much more personally? If we let children be bullies, that makes us all bullies. If we allow our children to be bullied, we are all bullied. It shouldn’t take a youtube video to teach us that. Alye Pollack’s sobering message can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37_ncv79fLA; you can see the interview with Australian Casey Heynes at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqPs4YBf__E.
Pop Culture is not compatible with Jewish values
Behind the headlines GUY MATALON, The Jewish Federation of Omaha-Scholar in Residence American pop-culture values could be summarized by the words of the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These values served well to create a vibrant, open, and democratic society. However, these values are currently translated into individualism, freedom, and consumerism. One could contend that this is too simplistic or reductionist, but what is undisputable is that at the core of these values, these concepts are present. The concept of relativism in general, and specifically moral relativism, is also at the heart of the values of individualism and freedom. Relativism is the idea that no point of view is absolutely true or valid. Points of view have a subjective or relative value that is dependent upon experience and lots of other factors. Moreover, the notion of the individual as the measure of all things (harking to Protagoras), which serves as the backbone of our pop-culture values, is at odds with the teachings of Judaism. Jewish values begin with the recognition of the Absolute -- God, and hence as such, relativism is rejected. This does not imply that there is a requirement for uniformity of observance or of meaning, but rather that there is a limit to how far one can go -- there are boundaries. In rabbinic literature, such as the Mishna and Midrash, it is quite evident that the rabbis approached scripture from different angles and produced multiple and at times conflicting interpretations that were allowed to and still exist together on the same page.
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Judaism certainly recognizes the importance of each individual through the concept of BeTzelem, that each human being is created in the image of God and hence has intrinsic value. The value that each person has is based upon their ability or potential to live a life that brings them closer to the Divine. The goal of Judaism is not to create individuals that pursue wealth, power and pleasure. One of my professors who taught me about Thomas Hobbes and John Locke said that the idea behind the Social Contract thinkers is the notion that each individual has the freedom of swinging his arms so long as he does not hit someone’s nose. Judaism sees no value in raising a group of individuals that walk around swinging their arms and not hitting anyone’s nose -- a sort of social lassaiz-faire. What it does seek is to inspire individuals to limit their own desire to swing their arms and join arms together for a common cause. King Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, warned us about the values of wealth, power and pleasure. Pursuing such goals or living a life based upon those values is “utter futility.” What is the goal of a life ingrained with Jewish values? The pursuit of holiness -- but not of holiness in itself -- is the purpose of Judaism. Judaism abhors hermits and the monastic life. Holiness must be sought within a community, within a congregation, within a people. God’s purpose of redeeming Israel from Egypt was not for them to become free, liberated individuals pursuing happiness or private property, as John Locke would have us believe. Rather, the purpose of God is in creating a Goy Kadosh – a Holy Nation. Jewish values stand for the centrality of family and community in opposition to the individual. Jewish texts call for
obligation, responsibility and commitment rather than freedom, individualism and consumerism. The concept of Tikkun Olam and Tzedaka are the exact opposite value of consumerism. One way to define consumerism so as to highlight the incompatibility with Jewish values can be the social and/or economic structure whereby people purchase goods and consume materials in excess of their basic needs. Jewish history is replete with examples of Jewish leaders sacrificing an aspect of their personal choice or freedom in order to save, maintain or create a community. There is no community without setting aside our own personal autonomy to come together for a common purpose. This is the idea at the heart of Jewish values. Judaism calls for the creation of a people who will choose freely to limit their own personal freedom to pursue holiness and help others live a holier life. The creation of a community, a people, necessitates pulling together resources, doing with less so that the whole has more. This is what Judaism is all about. The founders and those who continue to support the Jewish community of Omaha believed that in order for a Jew to live a full life as a Jew, there must be a community here. The only way the community will continue to grow and flourish is if we adopt Jewish values as a way of and an approach to life. Before Moses died, he delivered several powerful speeches to us. In one of those speeches, the Torah provides us a choice: “I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life…”(Deut 30.19) If I may use a bit of literary license, I would suggest the following -- I have put before you Jewish values and pop-culture values. Choose Jewish values.
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April 8, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 9
Obama, Libya and the Holocaust RAFAEL MEDOFF WASHINGTON (JTA) -- President Obama and his supporters have defended U.S. military action in Libya by invoking America’s failure to respond to mass murder in Rwanda, Bosnia and even the Holocaust. Do those experiences indeed offer useful lessons for the current crisis? In his national address on March 28, the president pointed out that “when people were being brutalized in Bosnia in the 1990s, it took the international community more than a year to intervene with air power to protect civilians.� White House Middle East adviser Dennis Ross reportedly said at a briefing for foreign policy experts on March 23 that there was a danger in Libya of a “Srebrenica on steroids� -- referring to the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Serb militiamen. National Security Council official Samantha Power, who reportedly played a major role in the U.S. decision to intervene in Libya, has described her unsuccessful attempt as a young journalist to alert the world about the imminent attack on Srebrenica as one of the formative events in her life. Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen cited the Evian conference, in 1938, at which the United States and other countries refused to open their doors to Jews fleeing Nazi Germany.
In fights over depictions of Israel, JCCs must remain big-tent institutions
Focus on issues ALLAN FINKELSTEIN NEW YORK (JTA) -- As central gathering places for the Jewish community for a century and a half, Jewish Community Centers have seen their share of vigorous and even contentious debate about many issues of importance to North American Jews, from education to draft counseling, immigration to religious observance. Throughout that time, the JCC remained the place that all Jews could express their views without fear and expect to be listened to with respect. It has been the living room of the community, so to speak -- the place that complicated and difficult issues could be hashed out, and if not concluded, then at least openly discussed. Now another issue has become the roiling center of debate -- Israel. The debate, however, is not whether Israel should be present in the JCC -- no one contests that -- but what the parameters of the conversation should be. Several JCCs have been loudly criticized recently for presenting art pieces that are unflattering to Israel. The JCC of Manhattan’s Other Israel Film Festival, which focuses on non-Jewish minorities in Israel, and the DCJCC’s Theater J’s presentation of Seven Jewish Children and Return to Haifa have provoked angry responses from some in their communities who accuse the JCCs of implicitly delegitimizing Israel’s right to exist. These people have raised their voices in what no doubt is sincere dismay at what they perceive to be an immediate threat to the Jewish state. But in their insistence on the singular validity of their viewpoints, they misunderstand the role of a Jewish Community Center. JCCs are the original big-tent institutions, opening their doors and welcoming all Jews -not only Jews who act a certain way or look a certain way or think a certain way. Their inclusivity has made them the per-
THINK ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS WITHOUT MUSI
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by JTA NEWS STAFF (JTA) -- Richard Goldstone would have to ask the United Nations on behalf of his committee to rescind its report on Israel’s actions during the 2009 Gaza war to set such an action in motion, a U.N. spokesman said. The U.N. Human Rights Council, which commissioned the report, has not received such a request. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a host of other Israeli officials and organizations have called on the United Nations to cancel the Goldstone Report after the former South African judge wrote in an Op-Ed Saturday in The Washington Post that Israel did not intentionally target civilians as a policy during the Gaza War, withdrawing a critical allegation in the 2009 Goldstone Report. “We know a lot more today about what happened in the Gaza war of 2008-09 than we did when I chaired the factfinding mission appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council,� Goldstone wrote. “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.� Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot reported Sunday that the former South African judge first approached The New York Times to print his Op-Ed, but that the newspaper turned him down. “We do not comment on our editing and reporting procedures,� The New York Times said in response. But Politico’s Ben Smith reported Monday that a “source familiar with the paper’s dealings� said that Goldstone approached the Times a couple weeks ago with a “very different� Op-Ed that did not repudiate the Goldstone Report’s claim that Israel intentionally targeted civilians. Later, Smith said he received an e-mail from Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy: “We did in fact receive an Op-Ed submission from Richard Goldstone on March 22, but that piece bears no resemblance to the one that was published in the Washington Post on Sunday.
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THINK AGAIN. THINKSMARTNEBRASKA.ORG
Goldstone would have to request that U.N. dump report
fect place for the entire Jewish community to gather and celebrate, learn, argue and, more than sometimes, disagree. The JCC of Manhattan and the DCJCC have continued that honorable tradition with great elan, opening their doors to their communities and inviting them in to share views and opinions on a wide diversity of topics, and especially on Israel. They have offered a remarkably rich assortment of Israeli films, performances, exhibits and foods. Theater J also has upheld the venerable Jewish custom of challenging art. It wants to make its audience think as well as laugh or cry. Moreover, JCCs reflect the communities that support them; the Upper West Side of Manhattan and downtown Washington are going to have different conversations than Borough Park, Brooklyn, or Miami, Fla. At a time when our community is increasingly diverse and sophisticated, when so many of our young people (and their elders) are growing more emotionally and intellectually disengaged from Israel, these JCCs are playing a vital role in connecting American Jews to Israel, as JCCs do everywhere. In so doing, they reflect the recommendations put forward by our 2010 Israel Task Force, which saw JCCs as the perfect venues to introduce the vibrancy and diversity of Israeli life and culture to North Americans through the arts and to promote discussion of critical issues relating to Israel. As President Obama urged after the horrific shooting in Tucson that shocked the nation, “at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do -- it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.� American and Israeli Jews have had too much bitter experience with the results of reckless speech, and with the consequences of blacklisting. Despite our deeply held differences, we can still respect each other’s motives and intentions, and keep the JCC as a space free of accusations and reprisals. Allan Finkelstein is the president of the JCC Association.
THINK IT COULD NEVER HAPPEN IN NEBRASKA?
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that another secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, was telling the president that “if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern.� And Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was president during the years when Jews from the (Nazi-occupied) Soviet Union were indeed put into gas chambers, likewise thought it was not an American concern. Today, by contrast, America’s president has declared that the United States has “responsibilities to our fellow human beings.� That “preventing genocide� is “important to us� and one of our “core principles.� And that “some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries, [but] the United States of America is different.� The people of Libya are not comparable to the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust. Neither are the people of Syria or Bahrain. There is no danger of genocide in those countries. On the other hand, based on the historical record in that part of the world, we know the possibility of a dictator massacring thousands of his own citizens is very real. The fact that America’s current leaders recognize a role for historical lessons in shaping policy decisions is certainly a welcome change from the attitudes of some of their predecessors. Rafael Medoff is director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies [http://www.wymaninsti tute.org]. His most recent book, co-authored with David Golinkin, is "The Student Struggle Against the Holocaust.")
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Behind the headlines
“Lives were clearly at stake [in Libya] and something had to be done,� Cohen wrote. “The world could not simply shove its hands in its pockets and stand by as some madman had his way with people in his grip -- in spirit, a reprise of the Evian conference.� “We learned a lot in the 1990s,� U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said in her comments on the Libya action, referring to the importance of not repeating the world’s slow response to the killings in Bosnia and Rwanda. The people of Libya undoubtedly appreciate that they are the beneficiaries of the current administration’s effort to learn from America’s past mistakes. Of course, the people of Bahrain or Syria may be wondering what disqualifies them from U.S. military support. Clinton’s explanation on Face the Nation that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, unlike Muammar Gadhafi, is “a reformer,� probably will not impress many of Assad’s victims. Chinese dissidents, for their part, have been questioning Clinton’s judgment ever since her assertion, during her February 2009 visit to China, that human rights issues “can’t interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis� that she was discussing with Beijing’s leaders. Still, there can be no denying the fact that America’s action in Libya constitutes a significant change from the policies of some previous presidents. It was not so long ago, after all,
Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs features 158 winning photographs, color and black and white, representative of instantly recognizable historic moments from around the world. This exhibit includes the winning images from 1942, the year of the Ăžrst photography award, to present day. For admission, hours, and programming, visit durhammuseum.org. Some material in this exhibition may be too intense for young children. Parental discretion is advised. Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs is sponsored by the Douglas County Commissioners, Mary and John Wilson, and the Omaha World-Herald. Additional support is provided by Midtown Crossing. The exhibition was developed by the Newseum, the interactive museum of news, in association with Business of Entertainment, Inc., of New York, Cyma Rubin, curator/producer.
10 | The Jewish Press | April 8, 2011
Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Richard Fellman, adjunct instructor of Politcal Science at UNO on What would my grandfather think? The community is invited. There will be no Services on Friday, April 22.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Members of Men’s Club will help lead services; Shabbat Tunes and Tales, 11:15 a.m. with Miss Patty. No charge and open to all families in the Jewish communty; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m.; Jewish Images on the Big Screen, 10:30 a.m. with Susi FrydmanLevin; Sunday Scholars Series, 11 a.m. with Rabbi Levin. Please RSVP by contacting the office at 402.492.8550, or programming@ bethel-omaha.org; BESTT Open Assembly, 10:30 a.m. followed by all BESTT seventh graders and their parents to explore Jewish future educational options; Parsha & Pizza, noon with Cantor Schlossberg at Bagel Bin. TUESDAY: Join Rabbi Levin and Cantor Schlossberg at Remington Heights at 2:30 p.m. for a special Pesach program that is open to residents’ family members and friends. WEDNESDAY: Chai School Recruitment, 6–8:30 p.m., all Beth El 8th graders and their parents are invited to a dinner at the JCC to learn about the Omaha Jewish Chai School. THURSDAY: Rabbi Levin’s Life Lessons from the Hebrew Bible, noon. Cost is $36 for members and $45 for non-members. Open to all adults in the Jewish community. To register, contact the office. PASSOVER SEDER: Spend the second night of Passover, Tuesday, April 19, at Beth El’s congregational Seder, open to the entire community. The family-friendly holiday celebration begins at 6 p.m. For early-bird prices, make your reservations by April 9. For more information, call Margie in the office or visit www.bethel-omaha.org. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; The Laws of Shabbat, 5:30 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 6:30 p.m.; Mincha, 7:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 8:41 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate
Bat Mitzvah Michael Militzer, son of Ellie and Paul Militzer, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, April 16, at Temple Israel. Michael is a seventh-grade Principal’s Honor Roll student at Beveridge Magnet School. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and he recieved the Presdiential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence and was selected to participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. His interests include playing football, reading, jazz band, computers and spending time with familiy and friends. For his mitzvah project, Michael has worked with Sarah Care which provides prefessional services in a secure and caring enviroment for older adults with health-related needs. Grandparents are Paul Militzer, Sr. and the late Sandy and Fred Ostrow. Great-grandparents are the late Mae and William Ostrow and the late Minnie and Simon Green.
Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. Contact the office to get the dial-in number and access code. TUESDAY: Scholars Club for fourth-sixth graders, 3:45 p.m. at the Blumkin Home; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.; Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Board of Commissioners Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Advanced Halchic Kollel, 9 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class with Rabbi Gross, 9:30 a.m.
CHABAD HOUSE An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Mini Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush luncheon follows. Join Rabbi Katzman, noon-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com with any questions or to recive a guest pass. All programs are open to the entire community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by Nicole and Adam Wall. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel for Chabad Mock Seder; Gan Simcha-Kindergarten, 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel. TUESDAY: Women’s Lunch Group, noon at Lone Star, 200 N. 70 St. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel. Annual Passover Second Night Seder, Tuesday, April 19, 6 p.m. Please make reservations by April 15 by calling Jean in the office at 402.435.8004. Cost is Adults, $10, children (ages six-12), $7, and five and under are free.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP 1317 North 57 Street | Omaha, NE 68132 | 402.551.6609 FRIDAY: Minyan, 7:39 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Chef ’s Demo, 1:15 p.m. led by Miriam Gross; Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by LOVE Members.
Candlelighting Friday, April 8, 7:39 p.m.
SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Steve Riekes. Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend Services.
TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat A Comes to You at Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Cantor Shermet; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Linder and Cantor Shermet; Midrash Keit: Master Storyteller, Rita Paskowitz. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Monica Siegel, daughter of Andrea and Michael Siegel, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. SUNDAY: Grades PreK-6, 10 a.m. JFS Pantry Collection please bring personal hygiene items to donate; Grade 6 Field Trip to Temple Israel Cemetery, 10 a.m.; Electronic Recycle & Paper Shredding day, 10 a.m.; Grade 2 Very Important Persons Seder, 11 a.m. TUESDAY: Executive Meeting, 6 p.m.; Adult B’nai Mitzvah, 6:30 p.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; School Dinner, 6 p.m.; Family School, 6 p.m.; Grade 7, 6 p.m. JFS Pantry Collection - please bring personal hygiene items to donate; Grade 8 Orientation at Omaha Community Chai School, 6:30 p.m. Director Miriam Gross invites eighth grade students and parents for a tour of classes, dinner and Passover activity; Navigating the Paryer service, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Adult Study with the Clergy, 10 a.m. Tot Shabbat on Friday, April 15, 6 p.m. The cost for dinner is $5 for adults and no charge for children. Please contact the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536 or mkube@tem pleisraelomaha.com, to make a dinner reservation. Deli Day at Temple Israel on Sunday, April 17. (see full story on page 1). Congregational Second Seder, Tuesday, April 19, 6 p.m. Reservations required. Please contact the Temple Israel office, 402.556.6536 or mkube@templeisrael omaha.com, by April 15, to reserve your seats. Cost for dinner is adults $23; children (six to twelve years old) $12; no charge for children five and younger. After Friday, April 15, the cost of the dinner is adults $28; children (six to twelve years old) $17. Passover Seder, Wednesday, April 20, 6 p.m. (see full story on page 10). Traditional Passover Seder at Remington Heights, Thursday, April 21, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel, 12606 West Dodge Road. Reservations are requested by April 15. Contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg, 402.556.6536 or wgoldberg@templeisraselomaha.com, for more information.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Shabbat service, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Learners Minyan, 9:30 a.m.; Morning Service, 10 a.m. followed by a Kiddush luncheon and Torah Study. SUNDAY: LJCS Grades 1-7, 9:30 a.m.-noon at Tifereth Israel for Mock Seder; Gan Simcha-Kindergarten, 9:45 a.m.12:15 p.m. at South Street Temple; Hallah High, 10 a.m.noon at Tifereth Israel. TUESDAY: Ladies Lunch Group, noon at Lone Star, 200 N. 70 St. Contact Stephanie Dohner at dohners@wind stream.net with any questions. WEDNESDAY: Hebrew classes (grades 3-7), 4-6 p.m. at Tifereth Israel.
Temple Israel Clergy to lead Tri-Faith sponsored Seder by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Eric Linder, and Cantor Wendy Shermet, will lead a Passover seder, sponsored by the TriFaith Initiative, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20 at St. Martha’s Episcopal Church (please enter through the west doors, lower level), 780 Pinnacle Drive in Papillion. The TriFaith Initiative is a partnership of Temple Israel, the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, and the American Institute of Islamic Studies and Culture. “The opportunity to share, teach, and experience a Pesach celebration with Christians and Muslims in our community is awe-inspiring,” said Rabbi Azriel. “Three communities in search of knowledge, friendship, and love are coming
together to unfold and clarify the most important narrative in human history -- the journey toward freedom.” Members of all faiths are invited to participate in the seder which is an opportunity to appreciate and learn about the Omaha community, both socially and religiously. “It’s going to be a wonderful dinner and a chance to appreciate Omaha’s community, both social and religious,” commented Nancy Kirk, executive director of the Tri-Faith Initiative. RSVP by Sunday, April 10, to Nancy Kirk at info@trifaith.org or call 402.934.2955. You can also register on-line at www.tri-faith.org. Cost per adult is $15, $8 for children, no charge for children five and younger for whom childcare will be available.
Pulverente MONUMENT CO.
April 8, 2011 | The Jewish Press | 11
Parasitic fungi
In memoriam MARC M. FELLMAN
Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha Metzorah Our Sidrah makes us keenly aware of the infancy of medical science at the time of the writing of the Holy Scriptures. Indeed, I think, in the Torah we only use the word rophé (plural: ro’phim), for physicians. But, in the time the Holy Text was written, the word meant something like “those who prepared a body for preservation over the generations.” We find ourselves, indeed, surveying only the instructions of how to treat various parasitic fungi, which adhered to houses, buildings, furniture, and persons. These instructions were given by Priests, not by any medical officers. We err in assuming medical science to be available at a very early time. Actually, medical science, which became much sought after in Israelite circles, became available only after contact with Greek civilization and sciences, after the time of Alexander the Great. So, we do ourselves a disservice if we continue to understand our word ‘Metzorah’ as it was used in the ancient world.
NCJW goes to Dallas
Marc M. Fellman passed away on March 31 in Omaha. He was preceded in death by mother, Evelyn Zweiback Fellman, and father, Saul Fellman. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Cosentino Fellman; son, Max Fellman of Comstock, NE; daughter, Rebecca Fellman; sisters and brothers-in-law, Dianne and Stephen Schachner of Patomac, MD, and Karen Rubin-Jablow and John Jablow of Shaker Heights, OH. Marc was a pioneer in a family arcade business, owned Gizmo's in the Old Market, worked in gaming industry, managed hotel and casino in Las Vegas, and was a computer technician for the remainder of his life. Memorials may be made to Stand Up To Cancer.
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Morey Landman passed away on Dec. 20 at the age of 91. Services were held at Temple Israel. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dora and Louis Landman; and brothers, Gary and Mike. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Pauline; son and daughter-in-law, Esther and Lawrence Landman of Denver; daughters and sons-in-law, Jacqueline and Dr. John Gay of Minneapolis, and Jennifer and Marvin Huggins of TX; grandchildren: Judy and David of Baltimore, Ahuva and Sheldon of New Jersey, Chani and Sam of Chicago, Debbie and Aharon of New Jersey, Tyler, Benjamin and Forrest; 16 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Maxine and Dr. Milton Simons; nieces, nephews, many friends. He was a veteran of WWII, a Vice President at Mutual of Omaha, and a member of Temple Israel. He volunteered at the Durham Museum, Radio Talking Book and the Omaha Community Playhouse for 50 years. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Association or Radio Talking Book.
NETTA KRIPKE STERN President, Beth Friedman; left, Board Director, Holly Weill; Fundraising Vice President, Jan Fischer and Omaha native, Amy Cotton, Legislative Associate in the NCJW DC office. On March 3-5, hundreds of women from around the country gathered in Dallas, Texas, to speak out and make their mark on the future of National Council of Jewish Women at the 45th National Convention. By voting on resolutions that set the stage for the next triennium, delegates delivered their collective voice and took meaningful action on vital issues, including NCJW’s new campaign, Voices for Reproductive Choices, an emergency action campaign designed to help powerful NCJW advocates speak out against current attacks on women’s reproductive health and rights.
Dan Thrasher exhibit at the JCC gallery by LYNN BATTEN Omaha native Dan Thrasher presents his remarkable photography series on natural beauty from April 1-30 in the JCC Gallery. Upon his recent return to Omaha, Thrasher began a project documenting the natural beauty within the city that often goes unnoticed or is overlooked. Each photo in his series has been taken within a 30 mile radius of Omaha. Dan has had numerous exhibits over the years and has won several awards. Thrasher won “Best of Show” at the Stuhr Museum’s “Wings Over the Platte” exhibit. He also received two Honorable Mention distinctions and a Runner Up award at the Prairie Winds Exhibit that was on display in Grand Island. The public is invited to meet the artist from noon - 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 3 in the JCC Gallery. Gallery Hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information contact Lynn Batten, Gallery Supervisor, at 402.334.6564.
Multi-Media Sales and Marketing Multi-media professional wanted to develop and present sales campaigns to local businesses for community newspaper and web site. In addition to newspaper ad sales, this position would be in charge of developing sales and coordination of digital media including e-mail marketing,social media and mobile.Must have college degree,or successful career track with experience in advertising,marketing,and/or business. Successful candidate will be motivated and organized, with a professional appearance and a strong work ethic. Compensation includes base salary, generous commission plan, bonuses, retirement plan and more. Will build and develop current accounts as well as prospect for new business opportunities.If this sounds like a position that you could build into a successful career, contact: Chris Rhoades, Director of Sales & Marketing, Enterprise Publishing Company. crhoades@blairnebraska.com. Call 402-426-2121 with questions.
Former Omahan Netta Kripke Stern passed away on March 30 at home in Stamford, CT at age 63, surrounded by her loving family. She showed great courage, selflessness and good humor to the last days of her five-year struggle with ovarian cancer. Services were held April 1 at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, CT followed by interment at the Agudath Sholom Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her mother, Dorothy Karp Kripke. She is survived by her husband Yossi Stern of Stamford, CT; son, Gil of Brookfield, CT; and daughter, Tamar of Trumbull, CT; father Rabbi Myer Kripke; brother, Saul and sister, Madeline both of NY; and many cousins and friends. Netta was a graduate of the University of Chicago (1971) and Columbia University, where she recieved a Master’s Degree in Social Work (2000). She was a psychotherapist with the Connecticut Jewish Family Services for eleven years. Netta was a true mensch who loved music and language, and had unique gifts for teaching and making people feel good about themselves. Memorials may be made to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, 323 S. 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68154.
CORRECTION In the April 1st article regarding Yom HaShoah commemoration events, the NEBRASKAland Foundation was incorrectly referred to as the Nebraska Land Association. In addition, the HHEF which oversees the Nebraska Holocaust Memorial, will be accepting the award.
Nebraska STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS ADOPTION: DEVOTED, loving, married couple longs to adopt newborn. We promise a bright, loving, secure future. Expenses paid. Please call Michele & Bob, 1-877-3288296, www.ourfuturefamily.com. BE OUR adopting angel. Nurturing stay-at-home artist Mom and devoted Dad promise to provide loving, beautiful, secure home for your newborn. Deanna & Ian, 888-9089018. Expenses paid. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING works! Place your 25 word ad into thousands of Nebraska homes for $210. Contact the Jewish Press at 402-334-6448 or call 1-800369-2850. BANKRUPTCY: FREE initial consultation. Fast relief from creditors. Low rates. Statewide filing. No office appointment necessary. Call Steffens Law Office, 308-8728327. steffensbankruptcylaw.com. We are a debt relief agency, which helps people file bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code. KNOW A child with bone, muscle or joint problems? Free Screening Clinic - Friday, April 15, 1-4 p.m., Ashland & York. Call 888-333-7764 ext. 108 for information/appointment. www.sesostrisshrine.org. LOOKING FOR the classic car, truck or motorcycle of your dreams? Go to www.midwestclassiccars.com. It’s your Midwest connection to classic vehicles for sale. Need to sell a classic vehicle? For only $25, your ad with photos will run until sold! Call this newspaper today for more information or call 1-800-369-2850. AFFORDABLE PRESS Release service. Send your message to 178 newspapers across Nebraska for one low price! Call 1-800-369-2850 or www.nebpress.com for more details. DISC ROLLING on the farm. Forty years, full-time business. Have new/used carbon steel disc blades. No Boron. Clarence Putnam, Cozad, NE. Call 308-784-3227 or 308325-0590. RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT Outlet; new & used restaurant equipment. See www.Chillmasters.biz for more info; Sioux City, IA, 1-800-526-7105.
To Submit obituaries to the Jewish Press: Email to the Press at jpress@jewishomaha.org; fax to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154, or online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on Jewish Press and go to Submit Announcements.
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12 | The Jewish Press | April 8, 2011
A “Storybook Shabbat” awaits Beth El’s young families by JILL BELMONT Among her family’s favorite activities dur- weekend helped us forge lasting relationBeth El Publicity Coordinator ing the weekend, Kellen said, was a pillow- ships.” A magical, memorable weekend is being case scavenger hunt. “Each family brought a Kelln added, “I think that being connectplanned for children and their parents by pillowcase filled with several random items. ed to the Jewish community plays a big role Beth El this summer, as the synagogue spon- Teams were formed and items were called in one’s connection to Judaism. Being given sors “A Storybook Shabbat,” its a chance to meet new friends and to spend third annual Young Families time with old friends really helps to rekinShabbaton. Scheduled for July dle that sense of community.” 29 to July 31, this fun-filled Reservations are being accepted now for retreat will once again be held at the summertime Shabbaton. Those who the beautiful Lied Lodge and sign up by May 15 will have the opportuConvention Center (www.lied nity to take advantage of the early-bird fee lodge.org), only 45 minutes of $130 per family for Beth El members away in Nebraska City. Co-chairand $155 for non-members (this price men of the program are Heather includes one lodge room, plus all meals Kelln and Holly Weill. and activities). After that date, the cost During the Shabbaton, famigoes up to $155 for Beth El families and lies will be treated to engaging, $180 for non-members. child-centered Shabbat services, Families have the opportunity to become arts and crafts, music, drama, A special Tot Shabbat service led by Holly Weill, left, was just a Shabbaton Sponsor Family, by making a nature, games and much more. one of the highlights of the 2010 Young Families Shabbaton. supplemental donation of $18, $36, $54, or All families in the Jewish community with out at random. Each team then raced to be more. In addition, parental help is requested children from babyhood through sixth the first to bring that item, or something in baking challah, preparing the children’s grade are invited to join in the fun. representative of that item, to the front of services and activities or assisting during the “The Young Families Shabbaton offered a the room. It was so much fun and really retreat. Parents are encouraged to contact wonderful opportunity to meet and connect involved every member of the family.” Beth El Program Director Margie Gutnik in with other families from the Omaha Jewish Tippi Denenberg echoed Kelln’s thoughts, the synagogue office to volunteer. community in a relaxed and fun environ- saying, “We were blown away by the locaRegistration forms are available at the synment,” said Heather Kelln, of last year’s tion. Lied Lodge is beautiful: upscale but agogue or on Beth El’s website www.bethelevent. “We really try to bring that ‘camp’ feel cozy, and only an hour away. A true omaha.org; please send the form, along to the weekend.” Nebraska treasure.” with payment, to Young Families Shabbaton, She noted that the retreat “really does Saying her children “just enjoyed running Beth El Synagogue, 14506 California St., incorporate the entire family. There are amok with the other kids,” Denenberg noted Omaha NE 68154. For more information, games and services and art activities, and as some of their favorites, “the tree house, contact Gutnik in the synagogue office, or at even some social time built in for the adults. the pool and the food.” programming@bethel-omaha.org. We also offer plenty of free time on Saturday For the adults, the camaraderie with felFunding for this special Shabbaton has so that families can have time for rest and low congregants was also a valuable part of been provided by generous donations from relaxation. The Lied Lodge in Nebraska City the weekend. the Herbert Goldsten Trust of the Jewish offers us a beautiful and peaceful place to “We loved getting to know the great peo- Federation of Omaha, and Beth El experience Shabbat.” ple in our synagogue,” Denenberg said. “The Synagogue’s Sisterhood.
“Recycle and Shred” at Temple Israel by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Don’t throw away your old cell phones, ink jet printers cartridges, laptop computers, Apple iPods, MP3 players, digital still and video cameras, GPS devices, radar detectors, Kindle and Sony book readers, handheld game systems, even unwanted, tangled or broken metal jewelry. Bring it all to Temple Israel this Sunday, April 10, between 10 a.m. and noon to be recycled. Most of the equipment will be refurbished and resold. Open to the community, the Electronic Recycle and Shred It Day is sponsored by Temple Israel’s Social Justice Committee and Omaha Temple Youth Group. Shred Safe, a division of Omaha Paper Stock, will shred paper such as blank and cancelled checks, computer printouts, contacts, correspondence and memos, credit card receipts, credit information, deposit slips, employment applications, expired coupons, extra photocopies, financial records, insurance information, legal documents, loan applications, medical records, prescriptions, Social Security numbers, and tax records. The paper will undergo a recycling process subject to federal and state laws required to prevent identity theft. For those who can’t make it to Temple Israel on April 10, electronic waste will be accepted at the synagogue through Earth Day, Friday, April 22.
The Annual Phil and Ruth Sokolof Lecture with
Dan Senor Author of
Start Up Nation: the Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle Thursday, April 14, 2011 8:00 p.m. Thompson Alumni Center, UNO Open to the public, free of charge The Phil and Ruth Sokolof Lecture series is presented by the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and the Jewish Federation of Omaha
For more information, please call 402-554-2139