June 4, 2004

Vol. LXXXIII No. 40 Omaha, NE

Federation Annual Meeting to Include Genetic Testing Sign-Up by PAM MONSKY Federation Communications Director The entire Omaha Jewish community is invited to the Jewish Federation’s Annual Meeting on Monday, June 7, 7 p.m. in the Theater at the Jewish Community Center. The year’s outstanding community volunteers will be honored and Federation Executive Officers along with new agency Presidents will be elected to their respective terms of office. The Volunteer of the Year Awards, given in recognition of outstanding service to the agencies of the Jewish Federation of Omaha will be presented to Harry Berman and Jay Gordman for the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Rose Frankel for the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, Jennifer Glazer for Jewish Educational and Library Services, Barton “Bucky” Greenberg and Melissa Medvin for the ADL/CRC, Scott Meyerson for the Jewish Press, Michael Miller for the Jewish Continued on page 11

Celebrating 83 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

15 Sivan, 5764 June 4, 2004

Beth El to Celebrate 75th Anniversary with Event-Packed Year of Festivities by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Beginning this fall, the entire community will be invited to take part in a full year of joyous celebrations and special events commemorating the 75th anniversary of Beth El Synagogue. From sentimental tributes and worldrenowned guest speakers to a gala celebration and Beth Jim Fried El-style musical revue, this festive year will go down as one of Beth El’s most memorable, according to Joanie Jacobson, who, along with Jim Fried, is general cochairman of the anniversary activities. Events during the year will include: Oct. 30-31: The anniversary’s kick-off event, “A

Weekend with Ron Wolfson,” featuring presentations by this Jewish educator and former Omahan who is the Director of the Whizin Center for the Jewish Future at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Wolfson, author of The Art of Jewish Living series, is widely known for his passionate and engaging presentations, and will lead Joanie Jacobson a spirited Shabbat celebration with the community (event chairmen are Bob and Sibby Wolfson and Bruce and Pam Friedlander); Nov. 13: The 75th Anniversary Gala, including music, fine dining and fun galore, will be held at the Continued on page 10

Goldsteins Donate Struggles of Colonies’ First Jews Presaged Later U.S. Jewish History $100,000 to Support by JONATHAN D. SARNA (Editor’s note: At its 101st Annual Meeting this Monday evening, the Jewish Federation of Omaha will kick off a year celebrating “350 Years of Jewish History in America.” Jewish Educational and Library Services as well as several Omaha synagogues will also be presenting programs geared to this theme. This article will be the first in a year-long series, provided by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.)

WALTHAM, MA (JTA)--About 350 years ago, in 1654, a small vessel named the Ste. Catherine, or St. Catrina, sailed into the port of New Amsterdam. Most of the ship's passengers--“twenty-three souls, big and little,” according to an account at the time-were bedraggled Jewish refugees from Recife, Brazil, who had been expelled when the Portuguese recaptured the South American colony from the Dutch. The refugees were not the first Jews to arrive in North America. In 1585, a Jew named Joachim Gaunse served as the metallurgist and mining engineer for the ill-fated English colony on Roanoke Island. Thereafter, a small number of other Jews, mostly intrepid merchants bent on trade, made brief stops at American ports to conduct business. However, the “big and little” refugees from Recife differed from the Jews who came before them. Though economically ruined, they sought to settle down and form a permanent Jewish community in North America, to “navigate and trade near and in New Netherland, and to live and reside there.” Much can be learned from the experience of America's earliest Jews. For one thing, they displayed political savvy in fighting for their rights and illustrated by personal example their principle that “all Israel is responsible for one another.” Helped by their fellow Jews back in Amsterdam, among them “principal shareholders” in the Dutch West India Company that controlled New Amsterdam--

Inside

which later became known as New York--they succeeded in overcoming a series of legal and political obstacles, including fierce opposition from the colony’s anti-Jewish governor, Peter Stuyvesant. Over Stuyvesant’s objections, they won the right to set down roots in New Amsterdam, specifically the right to “travel, trade, live and remain,” provided that “the poor among them shall not become a burden to the company or to the community, but be supported by their own nation.” No less important a theme from 1654 is the fact that the Dutch authorities, forced to choose between their economic interests and their religious sensibilities, voted with their pocketbooks in allowing Jews to remain--a significant sign of modernity. The Jews’ usefulness--the fact that they might help to enrich the colonies-proved far more important to the Dutch than the fact that they were not Christians. The Dutch West India company feared that a heavy-handed and restrictive colonial policy would diminish the population, discourage immigration, and scare off investors. New Amsterdam’s Jews also extended the boundaries of American religious pluralism. Stuyvesant, an elder in the Dutch church and the son of a minister, sought to promote morality and social cohesion by enforcing Calvinist orthodoxy and clamping down on competing faiths. One of his many reasons for denying Jews rights was that, “Giving them liberty, we cannot refuse the Lutherans and Papists,” as Catholics were then known. He understood that the decision about admitting Jews to New Amsterdam was, at the deepest level, a decision about the social and religious character of the young community. Over his objections, the Dutch West India Company extended limited rights to people of different religions. Its advice to Stuyvesant in 1663 became, in time, the policy that distinguished America from other countries around the world. “Shut your eyes, at least [do] not force people’s consciences,” the company wrote, “but allow every one to have his own belief, as long as he behaves quietly and legally, gives no offense to his neighbor and does not oppose the government.” Continued on page 6

This Week: Father’s Day/Graduation Special Issue A World War II Vet Remembers: Page 3

Omahan now a ComputerLiterate Shepherd in Israel: Page 7

Transplant Research at UNMC

by JENNIFER ARNOLD University of Nebraska Foundation While the number of Americans awaiting a life-saving organ or t i s s u e transplant grows by one every 16 minutes, at least 10 potential recipients die every day. T w o years ago, Ann Goldstein and Cheryl Cooper Omahan Ann Goldstein was one of the 80,000 persons nationwide facing these circumstances. Fortunately, the unwavering kindness of a friend saved her life. For years Goldstein suffered from inherited polycystic kidney disease--a disease that claimed the lives of her mother and brother. In 2002, she was tested for a kidney transplant, and shortly thereafter her name was added to the national list for donor organs. Goldstein said her physicians indicated it would take time. “I understood it could be years and that patience counts, so I adjusted my mind-set accordingly,” she said. As Goldstein’s health continued to fail, family members and friends were tested as possible donors. Her close friend, Cheryl Cooper, was found to be a match. On May 3, 2002, the husband/wife transplant surgeon team of R. Brian Stevens, M.D., Ph.D., and Lucille Wrenshall, M.D., Ph.D., directors of UNMC’s kidney and pancreas transplantation program, successfully performed the transplantation at UNMC/The Nebraska Medical Center. Now, two years later, Goldstein says she has “absolutely returned to a full life.” She also says it’s difficult to find the words to express her gratitude to a friend who was willing to share life. “It seems so trite to say, but true; it truly was a gift of life,” she said. Continued on page 2

Coming Next Month: Healthy Living Issueon July 9 Salute to the Class of 2004: Pages 11-12

KC Rabbi Performing Conversions in Spain: Page 24

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

I P

SATURDAY, JUNE 5 Century Celebration Reception, 6 p.m., Dinner, & 7 p.m. at B’nai Israel Synagogue TLC Shabbaton with Rabbi Marcus, 9 a.m., S followed by lunch, 1313 N. 58 Street A V E

SUNDAY, JUNE 6 OTYG Event, 7:30 a.m. at Temple Israel Bible Study Group, 11 a.m. at Beth El B’nai Mitzvah Parents Meeting, 11 a.m. at Beth El Century Celebration, 2 p.m. at B’nai Israel Synagogue RBJH Recognition Tea and LOVE Installation, 2:30 p.m.

C L I P & S A V E

MONDAY, JUNE 7 YES Program, 10 a.m. Federation Annual Meeting, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, JUNE, 8 Beth Israel Sisterhood Meeting, 12:30 p.m. BBYO Pledge Night, 6 p.m. C Executive Committee Meeting, 7 p.m. at Beth El L I WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9 P Adult B’nai Mitzvah Classes, 7 p.m. at Beth El & S A V E

C L I P

& THURSDAY, JUNE 10 Walk-in Drop-in, 10 a.m. S Adult Education, 10 a.m. at Temple Israel A Crash Course in Hebrew Reading - Beginners, noon V Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. E Weekly Torah Portion Class, 7:30 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)

by DAN BARON JERUSALEM (JTA)--Israel’s justice minister has become the country's most important mediator. Yosef “Tommy” Lapid, head of the centrist Shinui Party, has been shuttling between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a bid to keep the two old rivals from tearing the government apart and jeopardizing Israel’s standing with the United States. At the heart of the dispute is Sharon's revised disengagement plan from the Palestinians, which the Cabinet was meant to approve on Sunday. But the new fourstage program to remove all settlements in the Gaza Strip and some in the West Bank did little to mollify doubters led by Netanyahu, who said the plan would put Israel’s national security at risk. “You do not have a monopoly on concern for the country’s defense,” Netanyahu was quoted as telling Sharon during Sunday's stormy, seven-hour Cabinet debate, which adjourned without a vote on the plan. The ministers are to reconvene next week. Lapid wants the Cabinet to commit to the first stage of the plan--the removal of Gaza’s Netzarim, Morag and Rafah Yam settlements by early 2005--with a more general understanding that the rest of the evacuations will follow on a looser schedule. But political sources said Sharon was balking at the proposal, having already been forced to revise the U.S.backed plan after his own Likud Party rejected it in a May 2 referendum. In a bid to keep the Bush administration on his side, the prime minister dispatched his chief aide, Dov Weisglass, to Washington for talks with the White House’s national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, on Tuesday. The Bush administration took a political gamble by offering Sharon strong support for the plan, and was flummoxed by Likud’s subsequent rejection of the deal. Weisglass reassured Rice that Sharon remained committed to the plan as it was outlined to Bush.

Rice, for her part, reportedly told Weisglass that Bush supported the plan only in its original version and would not settle for watered-down versions of it, according to Ha’aretz. The Americans attach a lot of importance to the plan's progress: Bush’s whole Middle East retinue was present at Tuesday’s meeting, and the Americans probed Weisglass about Sharon’s plans to negotiate with his Cabinet ministers, an extraordinary level of U.S. interest in Israel’s internal party politics. If the Israeli Cabinet fails to approve the disengagement plan, it “would mean, to some degree, compromising the standing of the United States in the international sphere,” Daniel Ayalon, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, told Israeli Army Radio. “There is no going back. Even if the government does not adopt the plan, whether today or tomorrow, it will not disappear.” The Bush administration is anxiously awaiting results of the Israeli debate. (JTA Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas contributed to this story.)

Two Israeli police officers check an ambulance near Jerusalem, May 25, that was found to be fake and suspected of being used to transport Palestinian security officers and terrorists into Israel. Police uncovered the network that smuggled Palestinian Authority officers, including members of Yasser Arafat's elite Force 17 personal protection unit, into Israel in fake ambulances. Credit: Brian Hendler/JTA

Transplant Research

CLIP & SAVE

FRIDAY, JUNE 4 Visions Board Meeting, 9:30 a.m. at Blumkin Conference Room Adult B’nai Mitzvah & Service, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Israel TLC Shabbaton with Rabbi Yaakov Marcus, 7 p.m., C followed by dinner, 1313 N. 58 Street L

Cabinet Vote Deferred after Battle on Shape of Disengagement Plan

Continued from page 1 Goldstein also extends her gratitude to two other individuals who made a significant gift as well--one she believes will have long-term benefits for transplantation medicine. On the anniversary of Goldstein’s transplant, her inlaws, Leonard and Shirley Goldstein, made a $100,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation to support transplantation research. The Goldsteins said the donation was a gesture of appreciation for the physicians who “gave Ann back to us.” “We were so grateful for what they did, that the least we could do was make a gift to the University’s transplant research program,” Leonard Goldstein said. “We feel Omaha has a jewel in the Medical Center and its research programs. Medical progress has been so great in the last few years, and it’s all due to research.” The funding presently supports the work of Dr. Stevens and colleagues who are conducting diabetes research in the development and use of xenogenic (animal) tissue for islet transplantation. Preliminary results have provided data that someday could help eliminate the two greatest obstacles in transplantation medicine. “The most important challenge to transplantation

today is the lack of organs,” Dr. Stevens said. “The other is that today we have to rely on anti-rejection drugs to make a transplant successful, and anti-rejection therapy is toxic.” Dr. Stevens said the Goldstein gift enabled UNMC researchers to conduct experiments showing that pancreas tissue from juvenile pigs (the animal most suitable for supplying grafts for humans) can be matured into islets--clusters of specialized insulin-producing cells-and transplanted successfully into diabetic experimental animals. “This fund has been extraordinarily important for our program,” Dr. Stevens said. “It provided us with support for performing these initial experiments, and now it appears we are one step closer to doing xenotransplantation (putting animal organs or tissues into humans). The animals we studied no longer require insulin therapy, and we achieved this without pancreas transplantation or treating them with anti-rejection drugs. If confirmatory studies prove our initial observations correct, it will represent an extraordinary breakthrough.” For more information on how to support transplantation research at UNMC, call the University of Nebraska Foundation in Omaha at 595.2302.

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June 4, 2004

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 3

A Vet Remembers World War II supervised the “Final Solution” of the Jews during World War II. Runquist was a “radio man,” a communications specialist who not only carried a 38-pound radio, but a Thompson submachine gun--known as a “tommy gun.” “We were on the southern part of ‘The Bulge,’” Runquist said in the Gallery last week after he and his wife watched an hour-long film, Trail of the Rainbow, of the liberation of Dachau. “We’d have to string wire in the foxholes” at every camp, he explained, “so we could communicate with commanding officers as well as with other troops.” Every night, he and the other communications specialist would comb the foxholes and check on the perimeter, look-

by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of The Jewish Press Ralph and Rina Runquist subscribe to The Badge, a newsletter of the 222nd Rainbow Division of the United States Army. So when they read about a very special exhibit at the Pennie Z Davis Gallery for Holocaust Education, they just had to come to Omaha. The exhibit--Liberating Perspectives-shows the first days of liberation at the Dachau Concentration Camp just outside Munich, Germany. And Ralph Runquist was there. His rifle company was among the first group who liberated Dachau. In fact, the 222nd was in a ferocious gun battle with the SS, the ruthless German unit that

Rina and Ralph Runquist drove up to Omaha from Assaria, KS, just to see the exhibit, Liberating Perspectives, at the Pennie Z. David Gallery for Holocaust Education. Runquist’s rifle company was among the first to liberate the Dachau concentration camp.

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ing for gaps in the wire that would hamper their ability to communicate. “We fought our way into Dachau,” he recalled. “When we crossed the moat” and encountered prisoners “at the concentration camp, I remember them just looking at us.” The infantrymen kept asking the inmates if they were okay. Finally, when one of them realized their liberators were Americans, one inmate asked, “New York Yankees?” Runquist admitted that his fellow soldiers were shocked by what they saw. “There were piles of bodies in the crematoria,” he said, “Some of the men couldn’t take it; they ran outside and vomited.” The couple, now retired, drove all the way from Assaria, KS, a small town outside Salinas, when he learned about the exhibit. In fact, the father of the editor of The Badge, fought alongside Runquist in the 222nd. He and his wife attend most of the division’s twice-a-year reunions and have been back to Dachau several times. “There’s an interesting story from our last trip to Europe,” Ralph told Beth Seldin Dotan, Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education, the organization which sponsored the exhibit. After the war was over, Runquist stayed on and was billeted in Vienna, Austria. With his duties as a a radio man over, Runquist took up a position as a drummer in one of the Army bands. When he and his wife checked into a hotel in Salzburg one year, he mentioned to the innkeeper that he had been stationed near there after the war and played drums in morning flag raising ceremonies.

The woman told Runquist she remembered the band and he agreed to send her photos. Not surprisingly, she recognized herself in one of the pictures! Runquist originally wanted to be a musician and attended Bethany Lutheran College in Kansas for a short time after the war. But the college wasn’t right for him, he admitted, and when the bank owner in Assaria told him he had “a place” for him, Runquist jumped at the opportunity. He stayed for 46 years, working his way up and finally buying the bank and building a new building. He sold it in 1982 and retired in 1988, but keeps an office in the old bank building. When asked why he and his wife would drive all the way from Kansas in one day just to see a World War II exhibit, Runquist replied, “I saw photos in the exhibit I’d never seen before. I was there. The men shed many tears” when entering Dachau. “We were just numb.” And he told Dotan that the Rainbow Patch on display in the exhibit was “only half the patch.” “During World War I,” Runquist explained, “the men of Rainbow Division cut their patch in half and left half in France as a remembrance of their fellow soldiers killed there.” This summer, the Runquists are taking their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren to Munich--and to see Dachau. Sunday is the 60th anniversary of DDay, the Allied invasion of Europe that lead to the end of World War II and the surrender of Germany. Sunday, Ralph Runquist will be thinking back to what he witnessed in a suburb of Munich. (The exhibit’s stay at the Museum has been extended through June. For more information, call Dotan at 334.6575.)

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

Don’t forget your Dad on June 20, Father’s Day! 1986 Toyota Passes 200,000 Miles

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THE HISTORIAN’S F OOTPRINT by OLIVER B. POLLAK Do cars reflect their owners? Do owners become emotionally attached to their cars? When is it time to give up old dependable and purchase a new car? America is driven by the auto industry. Is the almost five decades ago adage “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country” still valid? Or, as Toyota becomes the number two auto manufacturer should we say, “Oh what a feeling, Toyota?” As immigrants to America my father’s first car was a used 1951 Chevrolet. It had three flat tires in the first month and he took it back to the dealer. My wife’s parents won a 1950 Studebaker. We also owned a 1955 Chevrolet, a 1957 Ford purchased at a Water Company auction complete with the curious looking front door where the utility company logo had been removed. Other notable cars included a Comet and a Rambler. Karen purchased a 1961 Fiat that surrendered to a 1966 Ford Mustang when we married. Ampmeters were standard equipment. There were no safety head rests. “Seat” belts came in the mid-1960s. More elaborate and effective harnesses soon followed. Karen’s first foreign car was a 1961 Fiat. Our first foreign car was a 1970 Volkswagen station wagon picked up in Wolfsburg, Germany, taken to England and ultimately unloaded in Lorenzo Marques, Mozambique, and driven inland to Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. When we left Central Africa we sold the car, for more than we paid for it. When we came back to the States my in-laws loaned us a reliable Dodge Dart. We soon purchased our first Toyota, a 1974 station wagon. It made it to 104,000 miles but the rust and the struggle up slight slopes on Dodge St. rendered it unsafe. I purchased my 1986 Toyota Corolla in September, 1986, for $11,261 at 10.5% interest. It had four doors, a 1587 cc. four cylinder engine, a five speed manual transmission, front wheel drive, sunroof, air conditioning with freon, and fabric seats. All it lacked was power windows and remote entry. Sixty oil changes later, it recently turned 200,000 miles, equal to driving around the globe eight times. Its service record includes sustained stays in Omaha, Wisconsin and California. A lot of automotive history has occurred since I purchased this car. The brake light in the middle of the rear window was still an innovation. Air bags were not yet standard equipment. Tape decks had not yet been eclipsed by CD players. Information Technology was

still a new word. During the week leaving the house at 8:00 am, school drive time, my small car is frequently preceded and followed by half a dozen behemoth SUVs, a vehicle not even on the drafting board in 1986. My son, Aaron, used this car when he went to the University of Wisconsin. He gave it back to me with 170,000 miles. It is on its third set of tires, third clutch and takes a quart of oil every 400 miles. What should replace it? Jaguar was comfy, prestigious yet affordable but it takes super. The Hyundai Sonata I saw in Council Bluffs was alluring and it lived up to the advertising, “It’s more car for the money.” The glossy VW Passat was a possibility. I owned a 1970 VW wagon, 1970 VW bus and 1970 VW Karmen Ghia. I got VW out of my system over 30 years ago. A Beemer was too much like everybody else’s, almost ubiquitous. My wife thought a Mercedes appropriate. I wanted something reliable, familiar and understated. And I did not want to spend that much money on something that depreciates. In addition to the 1974 Toyota station wagon we have owned a 1981 Tercel, 1986 Toyota Corolla, 1990 Toyota Corolla and 1999 Toyota Avalon, a canary yellow 1981 Datsun, renamed Nissan, and a 1990 red Mazda Miata that accumulates about 2,500 miles a year, and since sitting in the JCC parking lot during a hail storm is thoroughly pebbled. My son Noah had a 1995 Toyota Corolla and a 2003 Toyota Corolla. Old Mill Toyota, established next to Westroads in 1971, has benefited from our purchasing pattern. At least three trips to the Toyota dealer, demonstrating marital auto-discord in public, I stuck to my desires--manual transmission and no stinking spoilers. I conceded to Aaron the side airbags. Our long time car dealer passively pushing pricier better profit margin Camry’s finally said to Karen, “let him have what he wants.” So the special order went in earlyDecember for delivery in mid-March of a partially American manufactured Mineral Green Toyota Corolla LE, with leather seats, 1800 cc stick shift, sunroof, ABS brakes, and side airbags. An impossible combination unless specially ordered. Only five per cent of Toyotas come with a manual transmission. Bill coaxed me into alloy wheels $390 above the ordinary. My 1986 Toyota was made in Japan, the 2004 mostly in the USA. “Oh what a feeling, Toyota.” What to do with an inch thick file of automobile service record? Oliver Pollak, a local attorney and history professor, can be reached at: OBPOMNI@aol.com.

Genealogy Conference in Jerusalem Next Month by MARTHA LEVINSON LEV-ZION for the IAJGS International Conference The International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies’ 24th annual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, which will be held between July 4-9 in Jerusalem. Lectures by the world’s foremost experts on Jewish communities from around the world and indepth studies on Jewish onomastics and the origins of Jewish names in different communities are on the agenda. Learn to read Solitreo and other archaic scripts in order to unlock the secrets of original archival sources or about the historical forces that caused our ancestors to emigrate and the routes of their migrations throughout dif-

ferent periods of our history. Prominent archivists in Israel will illuminate their archives and how to navigate them. There will be a group of “how to” workshops dealing with different aspects of genealogy, writing and publishing family histories and newsletters, to creating family and village webpages. The Conference will take place at the Jerusalem Renaissance Hotel with special room rates of $40-$48 per adult in a double room, including Israeli breakfast and all service charges and taxes. El Al is offering a 10% discount and is waiving requirements for a minimum stay. For more information and online registration, go to www.jewishgen.org/jerusalem2004.

June 4, 2004

Wondering How to Reach Young Jews? Online Venture Tries Magazine by JOE BERKOFSKY NEW YORK (JTA)--For years, young Jews have voted with their feet after their Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, with about half of those in non-Orthodox synagogues’ religious schools leaving before the 12th-grade confirmation. Some synagogue schools are starting new, nontraditional programs to bring teenagers back to tradition, but one media company thinks all they need is a good magazine. Despite declining Jewish ties among young Jews and the financial risks of magazine startups, Jewish Family & Life Media, a non-profit organization based in Newton, MA, is launching a print version of its Web site Jvibe, which is aimed at Jewish teenagers between 13 and 16 years old. “Jvibe is supposed to help kids maintain a Jewish connection with the community, post-Bar Mitzvah, through pop culture, by weaving in Jewish values and morals,” says Stewart Bromberg, the group’s director of development. A year ago, Jewish Family got a $125,000 grant from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund of San Francisco to do market research on these teenagers to figure out what they thought about Jvibe. The same fund gave $75,000 to help bankroll Jvibe in the heady dot-com days of 1998. At a time when teens hardly are considered people of the book, a series of focus groups conducted over the past year revealed a surprise. “What came out is that they wanted a magazine, something portable so they could share it with friends, read it on the bus or in bed at night,” Bromberg says. That comes as other publications backed with private money or public funding have struggled to find an audience. Now a group of young Jewish philanthropists in Los Angeles, the Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund, has awarded Jewish Family $125,000 to redesign Jvibe’s website and launch a print version as a pilot program. The site currently attracts 20,000 to 25,000 visitors a month, but Bromberg says the new online version will be linked thematically to the magazine. Jvibe “seeks to create relevant and entertaining content that inspires a connection between Jewish teens and the Jewish community,” Bromberg says.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 5

Kripke Library Offers Books to Read Way Through 350 Years

LINES FROM THE LIBRARY by GARY KATZ Kripke Library Director Happy Anniversary! This year we mark the 350th anniversary of the first Jewish community in the United States. Celebrate this special milestone with a year-long reading fest. I will share books to guide your romp through our history as Jewish Americans, starting from the top. Ellen G. Cole, Librarian at the Levine Library, Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, CA, wrote the following-“Colonial History Through Mystery,” which follows. “What was it like to be a Jew in New Amsterdam? New York? New Orange? New York? (aha! you thought it only changed hands once!) Four novels by Maan Meyers, pen name of husband and wife team Martin and Annette Meyers, introduce you to the Jews, Dutch and English of colonial New York. “Their mysteries burst with a sense of place, time, people. All are equal in historical tidbits based on sound research in solid libraries. Jewish issues are varied and valid. Judaic custom is stretched only twice in four volumes, literary license to advance plot. The novels are similar in their clear narration, evocative description, energetic dialogue by characters fictional and real, and chronological organization of dirty deed and detection. The books sport maps or family trees, reassuring you where you are, with whom, and when. “The first in the series, The Dutchman, has the best plot and pace. Authors smoothly include the 1654 arrival of the Jews to background the mystery set in 1664, a year that held excitement of its own: arrival of the British, sailing to grab the Dutch colony. Three historical characters signed primary documents still in existence in Holland’s archives. “The first fictional character is dead: victim of murder or suicide? An additional body in a Jewish backyard brings Pieter Tonneman, the Dutch schout (sheriff) into contact with the exotic Jewess, Racqel, whose status of

widow or aguna remains undetermined. The plot twists on current politics and Jewish practices, especially levirate marriages.You track clues with the schout, share a budding romance and enjoy yourself from nasty start to lovely end. “The sequel, The Dutchman’s Dilemma, is set in 1675 in Britain’s new colony of New York. The novel opens dynamically with a gory incident which jumps starts wild detection. Though good, the details of this mystery are less sharp than the first, but, note! a quirky clue to those hot on the trail includes Deuteronomy’s commandment on the red heifer, slightly embellished or plot device. “How can you not love a fiction that skillfully includes esoteric halakha? This clue, recognized as one only by Racqel, validates her sleuthing ability and sets up Racqel and Pieter as a 17th century Lazarus-Decker team. This is a fun read and a fair mystery solved by warm and appealing characters. “The last two novels flaunt interesting history, but suffer messy plots. The characters are not as captivating. Colonial New York Jewish life remains engaging. The Kingsbridge Plot includes a 1776 historical attempt against George Washington in an increasingly Loyalist town. Set against Revolutionary politics are B horror-flick serial murders solved by John Tonneman, an unsympathetic young descendant of Racqel and Pieter. “The High Constable captures the crazy mix of cultures in 1808 New York chafing under the Jefferson Embargo Act. The history is less well known than that in its prequel; the murder plot is more vicious. Detective John is no more appealing as an old man than as a self-assured youth. Historically, the first high constable in New York was the Jew Jacob Hayes, credited with inventing the art of criminal investigation which figures charmingly here. Additionally, the authors snatch the chance to introduce Italian lessons from historical figure and Jewish immigrant Lorenzo da Ponte, Mozart’s librettist.” Try one; try all. They’re in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library next to wonderful books to help you “Celebrate 350”.

Page 6

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June 4, 2004

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Struggles of Colonies’ First Jews Continued from page 1 For long, lonely stretches as Dutch rule waned and Having received the right to settle, the most difficult the rest of the Jews departed for colonies with more challenge facing New Amsterdam’s nascent Jewish sun and promise, Levy’s was the only Jewish family in community--a challenge American Jews would confront town. The inventory of his estate suggests that he restime and again over the centuries--was how to preserve olutely observed at least the principal rituals of his and maintain Judaism, particularly with their numbers faith, including the Sabbath and Jewish dietary laws, being so small and Protestant pressure to conform so within the precincts of his home. great. Levy’s life epitomized both the hardships entailed in From the earliest years of Jewish settlement, a range being a Jew in early colonial America and the possibilof responses to this challenge developed. ities of surmounting them. At one extreme stood Solomon Pietersen, a merchant Over the next three and a half centuries, millions from Amsterdam who came to town in 1654, just prior more Jews crossed the ocean to America. Like New to the refugees from Recife, to seek his fortune. In Amsterdam’s first Jews, a large number came as 1656, Pietersen became the first known Jew on refugees seeking a new home. American soil to marry a Christian. They also faced the same central challenge that New While it's not clear that he personally converted, the Amsterdam’s Jews did: to preserve Judaism in the face daughter that resulted from the marriage, named Anna, of pressures to assimilate. Even religious liberty was not was baptized in childhood. Like the descendants of many subsequent Jewish immigrants to America’s shores, she vanished into the Protestant mainstream. Asser Levy stood at the opposite end of the spectrum. An Ashkenazi Jew from Vilnius who briefly had sojourned in Amsterdam and perhaps Brazil, he arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654 totally impoverished but deeply committed to maintaining his Jewish faith. In 1655, he protested when Stuyvesant and local officials required Jewish males ages 16 to 60 to pay a special tax in An engraving depicting the New Amsterdam colony in 1654. lieu of guard duty. Credit: Courtesy American Jewish Historical Society. Stuyvesant had cited “the disinclination and unwillingness” of local residents something that they could ever take for granted. They to serve as “fellow-soldiers” with the Jewish “nation,” remained ever-vigilant, perennially concerned lest their and “to be on guard with them in the same guard- hard-won freedoms be lost. house.” Levy insisted, however, that as a manual laborTo look back upon this history in this anniversary er he should be able stand guard like everybody else. year is to recall the theme of human potential, the abilInitially thwarted, Levy succeeded within two years in ity of American Jews--young and old, men and women standing “watch and ward like other Burghers.” alike--to change the course of history and transform a Thereupon he promptly petitioned for burgher rights, piece of the world. or citizenship. Again he was thwarted, but backed by American Jewish history, properly studied, is not just wealthier Jewish merchants who had immigrated a record of events; it is the story of how people shaped months before from Amsterdam and recalled the prom- events--establishing and maintaining communities, ises made to them by “the Worshipful Lords” of the responding to challenges, working for change. Dutch West India Company, the decision was reversed That, perhaps, is the greatest lesson that 350 years of and Jews’ rights to “burghership” were guaranteed. American Jewish life teaches, the lesson that we too Of course, local records still denominated Levy as “a can make a difference, that the future is ours to create. Jew,” ensuring that this characteristic would define him. Nevertheless, he enjoyed considerable success as a Jonathan Sarna is the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun butcher--“excused from killing hogs, as his religion Professor of American Jewish History at does not allow him to do it”--merchant and real estate Brandeis University and author of the recentlyentrepreneur. published American Judaism: A History (Yale Among the Jews who immigrated to New Amsterdam University Press), from which some of this article in 1654, Levy was the only one who stayed, maintain- is drawn. ing a home in the city until his death in 1682.

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An Often Forgetful America Honors a Dwindling Band of WWII Veterans PAUSE AND REMEMBER by JONATHAN S. TOBIN My father, of blessed memory, spent the better part of three years serving with the 8th Air Force in England during World War II, and later in Germany during the occupation. My mother spent this same period working in New York City’s Department of Health. Yet the stories that she told of life during World War II were far more vivid than those of my father. Among the best was the tale of how she had traveled across the country via train--no mean feat during wartime--to meet my dad for a brief visit in Indianapolis before he was shipped overseas. Even better was the dramatic recollection of how she had wept uncontrollably as she saw the pictures of the first troops hitting the beaches of France on the cover of the daily papers after D-Day. The recollection of pain and grief of watching from afar as the fate of a loved one--and so many other Americans--remained unknown can still bring tears to her eyes. The story, which was often told and retold in our home, spoke of my mother’s near hysteria and how her normally stern boss had reacted with sympathy, comforting her the promise that she would be granted a vacation the moment my father came home. That memory was inevitably followed by another retelling of the happy day when he did return and surprised her by showing up at my grandparents’ apartment sooner than expected after their long separation. When asked what he had done that day, my father had no colorful tales. For him and for most veterans, there was no Shakespearean flourish about a “Band of Brothers” or those abed in America envying their part in the great crusade for freedom. He would merely say that he and his fellow crewmen spent that time working virtually nonstop for more than a week as they strove to keep the planes in their P-51 fighter-bomber squadron aloft as they supported the landing and battered the counterattacking Nazis. As an afterthought, he would sometimes add that he fell ill as a result of exhaustion and spent weeks in the hospital recovering from pneumonia--and that some SOB in the Army Air Corps hospital stole his wedding ring while he was being treated. He had done a job and gotten sick. He then went back to work doing his job. Eventually, he got to go home. End of story. Like most of what we now call “The Greatest Generation,” Dad took the experience in stride. It had been, for him and most of the millions like him, the great adventure of his life. But he didn’t think of it as heroic. And like a lot of veterans I’ve met, he had little nostalgia for the war, and even less patience for those who reveled in their memories. He had been a small part of something monumental and was proud, but primarily, it had been an interruption of his life. As far as he was concerned, the big story was more personal: how a boy like him, who had been raised in an orphanage, could grow up to lead a productive life, marry the woman he loved, own a home, and see his children go off to college and on to pro-

fessional careers. In what was perhaps his only flight into rhetorical fancy, he would sometimes say, in his later years, that he had lived the “American dream.” And that, for those seeking to understand the dwindling band of veterans that America is honoring on the 60th anniversary of DDay, is what that generation was all about. The opening of the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., has set off a sea of bubbling rhetoric of praise for the veterans. But the gap between the heroism of the veterans--and the culture of the babyboomers who followed-- isn’t often articulated, but has to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue. I can’t help but wonder what kids today will make of all this fuss since for most of them, D-Day is as remote as Gettysburg. Surveys of students have shown that most have trouble identifying who America’s allies and foes were, and have little notion of the events, let alone the chronology, of the war. Unlike the popular culture of today, which regards anything that happened the day before yesterday as ancient history, the America that I grew up in during the early 1960s was pretty much obsessed with World War II. Those few television shows that weren’t about cowboys in the Old West were about soldiers, sailors or airmen--not just the dramas like “Combat” but also comedies such as “McHale’s Navy.” As the times changed, heroes turned to anti-heroes, and the spirit of patriotism and glorification of the American military altered radically. The politics and the foreign policy of the 1950s and ’60s was about trying to avoid a repetition of the appeasement of totalitarian governments that had led to World War II, while a subsequent generation worried a lot more about not getting into another Vietnam. As the reaction to the ups and downs of the

American campaign in Iraq has shown, it isn’t clear whether the pendulum has swung back. But as much as some pundits would love to tie up the nostalgia for the 1940s with a prowar stance or to contrast the generally united American people of that time with our current political divisions, it would be a mistake to get too caught up in this rhetorical box. Every generation has its own tests. If our lot is easier than that of our fathers, it’s not because we are weak. It is precisely because my father’s generation was strong enough to do what had to be done that the world they created was passed down to us. And let’s not forget that despite the relative ease and comfort of contemporary lives in this country, the America of 2004 has new tests to pass.After all, despite all the blackouts of the 1940s, the New York my mother lived in during the war was never attacked by the enemies of freedom. Those who live there now cannot say the same. With each advancing anniversary associated with the war, the number of veterans around to tell us to stop making speeches and stick to the business of making a better America and ensuring its safety is getting fewer and fewer. Too many of them, like my father, are gone now, like the hundreds of thousands who fell on the battlefield and did not get to experience the American dream they sacrificed to preserve. May all of their memories be for a blessing. And may we and those who follow us be worthy of their legacy. Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia. He can be reached via e-mail at: jtobin@jewishexponent. com.

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June 4, 2004

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by CLAUDIA SHERMAN “We couldn’t have reached this amount without Temple Israel Communications Coordinator heartfelt participation--no matter what the dollar As of May 25, Andi Willensky, project coordinator, is amount--for this important project,” Willensky emphapleased to announce that Temple Israel families have sized. “And we’re not done yet!” donated $5,210 to Hineini: Embracing Our People, To illustrate how many Temple Israel families have Building Our Future. Proposed by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, joined in the Hineini effort, Lee Needelman and Ducky president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), at the Milder created a visual display in the main hallway at Union’s Biennial last November, the project will Temple. Needelman photographed the Israeli flag strengthen connections to Reform Judaism throughout showing it at rest and then held it in one hand while the world. taking pictures with her other hand, in sunlight and Every Reform congregation in North America was shadows with light on the flag and coming through it. asked to demonstrate its commitment to Reform “After two rolls of film, I felt that I had captured the Judaism by adopting a project in a growing Progressive spirit of the flag,” she said. Jewish community in Israel or the former Soviet Union Mounting the best photographs on blue foam, they and Eastern Europe. The projects, which include sponsoring Reform rabbis in Israel, building Progressive synagogues in Israel, and bolstering Progressive Jewish leadership in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, is intended to strengthen Reform Jewish life in these communities today and for the future. In February, Temple Israel’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to join other Reform congregations throughout North America that are participating in this dynamic initiative. There are The photo depicts the display that Lee Needelman and Ducky Milder created for the Hineini approximately 100 URJ conproject. gregations committed to Hineini. Each household has been asked to contribute were arranged “in a kind of tumbling order in two $18 this year and next year to help the Israeli congre- framed pictures on either side of the central Hineini gations build a home. piece,” explained Needelman, “to help the flag appear Specifically, the funds donated by Temple Israel fam- to be moving.” ilies will be used to construct synagogue buildings for These two pictures flank an enlarged photograph of two Israeli Reform congregations. Kehilat Yozma and one of the flag pictures which was divided into nearly Kehilat Mevasseret Zion are both led by young, ener- 100 two-inch squares. Each square represents four getic female rabbis and have shown dramatic growth Temple family units who have committed to the since they were established. Hineini project by pledging a donation. As more famiTo date, we are approximately halfway to our goal of lies participate in the project, “the picture will grow,” enlisting 50 percent of our congregation, reported said Needelman. Willensky. She is grateful to the families who have “Lee and Ducky came up with something beautiful already sent in their checks and pledge cards for their that creatively represents the two synagogues in Israel,” generosity. “The average contribution to Hineini is Willensky remarked. incredibly in the $36 category,” she said. Temple’s There are extra pledge cards by the exhibit in the Middle/High School Social Justice Club is also partici- hallway at Temple for anyone who would still like to pating in Hineini. be part of Hineini.

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Yiddishe Pappas (Father’s Day) PEOPLE OF THE

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A few weeks ago, there was a run on flower stores across the continent as mothers (including Yiddishe Mammas) got their day in the sun. Sunday, June 20, fathers everywhere will unwrap boxes with ties and open up new bottles of cologne. That means it’s time to give Yiddishe Pappas their due. Father’s Day was first observed in the United States almost a century ago, [www.holidayorigins.com/html/fath er_s_day.html] but Judaism long before commanded Jewish children to honor and fear their parents. In his essay “Must I Obey My Parents” Rabbi Michael Gold explains the importance of the well-known mitzvah of honoring your father and lesser-known commandment prohibiting children from sitting in their father’s chair. (As to whether Judaism requires them to obey their parents, you’ll have to read the essay.) [www.rabbigold.com/faq3.ht-ml] So what does the Jewish father owe his children? Here’s a sampling of the responsibilities the rabbis have put on the shoulders of Jewish fathers: • A father should be careful to keep his son from lies, and he should always keep his word to his children. (Talmud Sukkah 46b) • A father must provide his daughter with appropriate clothing and a dowry. (Code of Jewish Law, Even haEzer 71) • A father once came to the Baal Shem Tov with a problem concerning his son. He complained that the son was forsaking Judaism and morality and asked the rabbi what he could do. The Baal Shem Tov answered: “Love him more.” (Hassidic Tale) [www.uscj.org/item96_ 99_462.html] Rabbi Bruce Dollin of Denver’s Hebrew Educational Alliance quotes the famous statement that directs a Jewish father that he is “bound regarding his son to circumcise him, redeem him, teach him Torah, take a wife for him, and teach him a craft. Some say, to teach him to swim as well.” Rabbi Dollin points out that nowadays, the Jewish father has delegated most of those responsibilities to others (the mohel, the teachers, the swimming instructor, etc.) In actuality, he says the statement points to deeper truths. For example “maybe teaching our children to swim is really a metaphor. Fathers are obligated to show their children how to swim, perhaps, in the sea of life. Fathers serve as a model how to enjoy life’s blessings when the seas are calm, and how to work through the hard times when life’s inevitable storms arrive.” [www.headenver.org/Sermons/Nass

o_5760.htm] I have come across several moving essays in which Jewish children remember their fathers. I recommend A Story of Jewish Fathers, Angels and Poinsettias by Sara Levinsky Rigler [www.spiritualsisters.com/messages/518.html], Father’s Day and Raw Eggs by Jenna Tasky and A Face in the Window in which Rabbi Yaakov Salomon remembers his teary father peering through the window of his summer camp bus just so that he could savor one more glimpse of his son. [www.aish.com/family/heart/] For a look at some fictional Jewish fathers, the Jewish Heritage Video Collection recommends Phillip Roth’s Goodbye Columbus (1969) and Chaim Potok’s The Chosen (1982). [http:// makeashorterlink.com/?N1F4516C4] Not surprisingly, one of the films mentioned is Fiddler on the Roof (1971) in which Topol brought to the screen Tevye, that most famous Jewish father of five daughters. [http://us.imdb.com/ Title?0067093] For a different taste of Tevye, you can listen to Walter Matthau read Sholem Aleichem’s “Chava” in which the father tries “to make sense of his beloved daughter Chava's break with the only way of life he understands.” [www.kcrw.com/jewish/frames/jss1. html] In “Honoring Our Fathers, ” Rabbi Daniel Brenner of CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership has these thoughts for Sunday. • Honor your father’s history. What events shaped his life? • Honor your fathe’s outlook. What have you learned from him? • Honor your father’s dreams. What of his hopes for you, whether realized yet or not? [www.beliefnet.com/story/ 81/story_8168.html] Rabbi Brenner says “On Father’s Day, we honor our fathers not by comparing them to some ideal but by acknowledging them for who they really are. We pause to reflect on their history, remember the challenges they faced, and meditate on what they taught us along the way. In that, we truly live by the words ‘Honor thy Father’… This Father’s Day, reflect on the contribution fathers have made in sharing their love and guidance from one generation to the next. And if you have the opportunity, get him a bow tie-- hear they’re coming back.” Mark Mietkiewicz is a Torontobased website producer who writes, lectures and teaches about the Jewish Internet. He can be reached at: highway@rogers.com.

Remember Your Dad Father’s Day is June 20

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 9

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Jewish Press Looking for Simcha Stories by CAROL KATZMAN Editor of the Jewish Press Last August was the first ever “Simchas“ issue of the Press. It featured stories and how-to information on planning weddings, B’nai Mitzvah, baby namings and britot and other Jewish celebrations. Our second Simchas issue will be published on Aug. 6, and we’re again looking for stories and photos from our readers. Did your family celebrate a wedding or B’nai Mitzvah last year? Did your parents celebrate a milestone anniversary? Do you have a special story about a brit milah you’d like to share with our readers? If so, please send your story, single-

spaced, typed in the body of your e-mail to me at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. Please include any photos and send them as attached .jpg files or mail the originals to us at the Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. We’ll scan the photos and you can pick them up after publication of the issue. If you’d like to advertise your service or product in this issue, please call Advertising Manager Allan Handleman at 334.6451 or Account Representative Ray Pred at 334.6559. The deadline for stories, articles and ad reservations is July 15. For more information, call me at 334.6450.

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June 4, 2004

Volunteer Honors, Report on Site Search Highlight Temple Israel Annual Meeting

Beth El Celebrates 75th Anniversary

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN half years as director of youth and informal education. Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Lynne Jensen, a member of the congregation, was At Temple Israel’s Annual Congregational Meeting on announced as Grossman’s replacement. May 23, several congregants and staff members were Rabbi Aryeh Azriel spoke of the importance of the honored for “their devoted service” to the congrega- professional-volunteer relationship at Temple Israel. tion, and a report was given about Temple Israel’s “Building a partnership is based on mutual respect,” he progress in locating a potential new building site. said and has resulted in accomplishments that are “a John Waldbaum, chairman of the Building and great source of pride” at Temple and “the secret of a Grounds Committee, said the search for a new site continues. The goal was to find a site not too far west and within the parameters, established by the Board of Trustees, corresponding with where the Temple population lives and the growth of the community. “Our committee is working on different opportunities that continue to come up almost everyday,” he said. In his annual report, Waldbaum reported that “with at least one option in hand, the committee will continue to search for sites that are in areas that are already well developed.” Wendy Goldberg received Stephanie Grossman, outgoing Director of youth and informal education at Temple Israel, the Presidential Award for left; Janet Baack, outgoing OTYG President; and volunteers Cheri Ginsburg, Joan Marcus, Volunteer Service. Other and Wendy Goldberg were honored at Temple Israel's annual meeting. award recipients were Janet Baack, outgoing president successful congregation.” of Omaha Temple Youth Group; Cheri Ginsburg who Kaplan was elected to serve another one-year term has used her artistry in calligraphy as a volunteer at along with President-Elect Dennis DePorte; Wendy Temple; and Joan Marcus, recognized with the Social Goldberg and Andi Willensky, vice presidents; Jon Justice Award. All were commended by Temple Meyers, treasurer; John Lehr, assistant treasurer; and President Gary Kaplan. In addition, Rabbi Craig Rick Fox, secretary. Dr. Ed Malashock, Ducky Milder, Marantz gave a farewell tribute to Stephanie Grossman Vicki Perlmeter, Stacey Rockman, Sally Kaplan, and who has been on the staff at Temple for six and one- Barbara Rips were installed as new Board members.

Continued from page 1 synagogue (chaired by Cheryl Cooper and Ann Goldstein); Dec. 12: “A Tribute to Beth El” will feature an evening with Rabbi Harold Kushner, plus the unveiling of “Living an Ageless Story,” Beth El’s four magnificent 75th anniversary quilts, lovingly designed and created by a group of Beth El congregants (chairman: Vicki Sanford); Feb. 6, 2005: Cantor Gastón Bogomolni will work his musical magic during the 75th Anniversary Cantor’s Concert (chairmen: Larry and Diane Malashock); March 19: A new twist on Purim merriment--for adults only--the Beth El “Pour-‘em Shpiel” is sure to “raise the roof and lower the bar,” according to Jacobson, who pegged the event as “one whacked-out night of fun!” The community is invited to enjoy the shenanigans of Shushan, as well as spirited roasts and toasts. (Margie Gutnik and Roxanne Kahn, chairmen); June 5: The anniversary year celebration will end with a bang, as a dynamite musical revue entitled, “The Best of Beth El” will fill the synagogue with singing, dancing, and touching reminders of what makes the Beth El family truly great (Chairmen: Bobbie and Bob Epstein, and Melissa and Michael Schop). Additional events will include the “Newcomers Shabbat” and “Generations of Beth El Families Shabbat,” which will be celebrated with synagoguesponsored Kiddush luncheons in honor of these congregants. Dates will be announced in the near future. A remarkable year is being planned to pay tribute to this much-loved synagogue and its vibrant history during the past 75 years. Please mark these dates on your calendar, and be a part of this Beth El milestone.

Summer Hours for Kripke Library by Jewish Press News Service The Kripke Jewish Federation Library will be open during the summer on: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., and Sundays, 1-5 p.m. The Library is closed Saturday.

Our Team Never Loses! Thanks to the generosity of Bettie and Stuart Muskin, and the families and friends of Al Clayman, Jack Saferstein, Johnny Rosenblatt, Jay Parsow, and Ernie and Adalynn Nogg, endowment funds were set up with the Jewish Federation Foundation to support athletic teams at the Jewish Community Center. Just like these winners on the court, on the diamond, and in life, kids today are involved in sports on JCC teams where everyone plays and learns about teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-discipline. In honor of your husband, father, grandfather, or another special person in your life, you can establish a new fund • to purchase youth sports equipment, • to purchase youth sports awards, • for youth sports special events, • for special coaching/learning clinics, • to support an award for the Jewish high school Athlete of the Year, • to support JCC Maccabi team awards. Call Marty Ricks, Executive Director of the Foundation of the Jewish Federation, at 402/334-6440, to join our winning team!

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June 4, 2004

All Good Things Come to an End

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT by STEVE PITLOR, President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha It seems like only yesterday when my inaugural column appeared in the Jewish Press shortly after I was installed as President of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. That was almost two years ago and I now find myself presenting my final literary contribution to the Jewish Press as upbeat as ever towards the future of our Jewish Community here in Omaha. As I relinquish the reins of my Presidency of the Federation I think back and attempt to identify the highlights of the last two years. Was it the many awards that our agencies received, maybe the overwhelming success of the JCC Macabbi Games two summers ago, or the continued impressive results of our annual campaign, possibly our Federation event featuring Dennis Ross or possibly the unprecedented gains made by our Foundation? The conclusion I arrived at was although we accomplished some quite impressive things, it was not out of the ordinary for this community. Omaha’s Jewish community has never built its reputation on any one event or accomplishment. We continually offer a quality product to our community members on a day-in day-out basis. That’s what makes Omaha, Omaha!

All good things usually come to end and my term as President has pretty much been all good things with the usual challenges mixed in. That tells me it’s time to let the next person experience the pride and honor of leading this community. That person will be Zoë Riekes, whom I know will be a strong and effective leader. I would like to thank the many people who contributed these past two years to making our Jewish community a shining jewel amongst any Jewish community in North America. This includes our Federation board members, our agency board members and executive directors, our entire Federation staff and the rabbis of our community. A special thanks goes out to Jan Goldstein, Federation Director, and Julee Katzman, Assistant Federation Director. These two talented and passionate individuals contribute so much to our success and provide the leadership that sustains our Federation infrastructure on a constant basis. I can happily report that our Federation is steady as an Oceanliner steaming across the Atlantic and firm as a Bullet Train gliding on its tracks heading in the right direction. Through the devoted and hard work of all of our volunteers and professionals the Jewish community of Omaha is as vibrant and healthy as ever. Thanks to all of you for your support.

Federation Annual Meeting Continued from page 1 Community Center and Ilene Pachman for Jewish Senior Services. Three teens will receive the 2003 Jewish Teen Leadership Awards: Janet Baack, Alana Kinarsky and Robert Mosenkis. The 2003 Community Service Award will go to Shop Shalom, a Federation sponsored event that brought 30 Israeli artists and shop owners to Omaha for a three day Israeli shopping spree All proceeds from Shop Shalom benefited the merchants and other victims of terror in Israel. Finally, the Community’s most prestigious award, the Humanitarian of the Year, will be presented to Howard Kooper. Those attending the Annual Meeting will also have the opportunity to learn more about current research into genetic diseases that affect many Jews. The Greater Omaha Committee for Jewish Genetic Testing is sponsoring “Jewish

Genetic Impact,” a program designed to increase awareness of genetic diseases that affect Jews of Ashkenazi descent. The group is encouraging the Jewish community to sign up for genetic testing on Sunday, July 11, or Wednesday, Sept. 1, at the JCC. The carrier testing will be conducted-free of charge--by Boys Town National Research Hospital and will test for Tay Sachs, Canavan, Cystic Fibrosis, Niemann-Pick, Gaucher, Familial Dysautonomia, Bloom Syndrome, Fanconi Anermia, Usher Syndrome and another related hearing loss gene found among Ashkenazi Jews. For more information about the testing, call Jean Duitch at 393.1141. A dessert reception will immediately follow the Federation’s 101st Annual Meeting in the Gallery at the JCC. For more information, please contact me at 334.6431 or e-mail pmonsky@jewishomaha.org.

Your heritage may be fading away. Let’s face it. Mom and Dad

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 11

Personal Graduation Congratulations Congrats J.J. Great job on the Senior Year balancing act. The time is now for a new chapter to begin at D.U. Love always, Dad, Mom, Alyson

Mazal Tov, Forrest!

We are so proud of your incredible talents. May life continue to be a joy in learning. Make the world a better place. Love, Mom, Scott, Max, Cleo and Isaac

The Majority Decides! Get Out of Gaza, Start to Talk On May 2nd, in a closed party referendum, around 60,000 hard-line Likud members defeated Prime Minister Sharon's proposal to evacuate settlers from all of Gaza and four West Bank settlements. On May 15th, more than 150,000 Israelis rallied in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to give their reply. In the clearest possible terms, they said that a majority of Israelis supports evacuating Gaza and returning to peace negotiations - that a tiny minority of settlers and right-wing fanatics should not be allowed to determine the destiny of the Jewish State. The Israeli Peace Now movement is proud to have helped organize this massive demonstration in support of settler evacuation and a return to peace talks, along with the Labor Party, the Meretz-Yahad Party, the One Nation Party, the kibbutz movements, the Geneva initiative organizers, youth groups, and the Forum of Bereaved Parents. Poll after poll shows that a solid majority of Israelis - including Likud voters wants out of the settlements. Peace Now and Americans for Peace Now are working hard to give voice to this majority. Join us in making sure that the voice of the majority gets heard.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

Salutes...

the Class of 2004!!! Bradley Abramson

Brian Seth Altman

Janet Baack

Jessica Belmont

Alexander Bloom

Ryan Blumkin

Adam Daniel Boomer

Ally Bowers

Amy Blanche Bresel

Lauren Colick

Daniel Davidson

Samuel Ben Edelstein

Talia Eisenberg

Ben Epstein

Marissa Epstein

Jennifer Dyann Finkle

Alex Elizabeth Freeman

Ian Micah Fried

Jacob Joseph Friedman

Jeffrey William Gates

Benjamin Edward Gerber

Cory Gilinsky

Emily A. Gordon

Joshua Grossman

Daniel Jacob Gutman

Daniel A. Hersch

Megan Jodis

Kate Josephson

BRADLEY ABRAMSON Sheri and Mike Abramson

Millard North Indiana University

DANIEL DAVIDSON Helena and Issac Davidson

BRIAN SETH ALTMAN

SAMUEL BEN EDELSTEIN Ellene and Stanley Edelstein

Debra and Dennis Baack

JESSICA BELMONT Jill and Mark Belmont

ALEXANDER BLOOM Rebecca and Brent Bloom

RYAN BLUMKIN Susie and Irv Blumkin

ADAM DANIEL BOOMER Cheryl and John Boomer

ALLY BOWERS Lucy and Kirk Bowers

AMY BLANCHE BRESEL Marge and Jim Bresel

LAUREN COLICK Marilyn and Gary Colick

BENJAMIN EDWARD GERBER Burke Maggie and Donald Gerber Indiana University

Millard North University of Kansas-Lawrence

CORY GILINSKY

Westside

EMILY A. GORDON

Westside

Francee Altman and Paul Altman Ohio State University

JANET BAACK

Burke Derech Institute, Jerusalem

Millard West University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine

TALIA EISENBERG

Millard North University of Kansas-Lawrence

BEN EPSTEIN

Central University of Denver

MARISSA EPSTEIN

Burke University of Nebraska-Lincoln

JENNIFER DYANN FINKLE

Lincoln Southwest University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ALEX ELIZABETH FREEMAN

Lincoln Southeast Drake University

IAN MICAH FRIED

Westside Creighton University Scottsdale, AZ University of Arizona

JACOB JOSEPH FRIEDMAN

Pam Kohll and Robert Einsenberg Mary Mount College

Lisa and Gary Epstein

Harriet and Ronald Epstein

Judi and Dr. David Finkle

Teresa and John Freeman

Lindy and Jim Fried

Linda and Harry Gates

Genevieve and Peter Gordon

Burke University of Wisconsin

JOSHUA GROSSMAN

Burke University of Texas-Austin

DANIEL JACOB GUTMAN

Millard North University of Texas-Austin

DANIEL A. HERSCH

Millard North Mira Costa College

MEGAN JODIS

Westside USC Film School

KATE JOSEPHSON

Millard North

Suzanne and Thomas Friedman University of Denver

JEFFREY WILLIAM GATES

Jeannie and Rick Gilinsky

Westside University of Nebraska-Omaha

Mary Sue and Alex Grossman

Cathy Fogarty and Vic Gutman

Donna and Alan Hersch

Susan and Tom Jodis

Judy and Keith Josephson

Burke University of Florida Burke University of Tampa Creighton Prep University of Nebraska-Omaha Central American University Lincoln East Washburn University Skutt Catholic University of Kansas-Lawrence Burke University of MinnesotaMinneapolis

June 4, 2004

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 13

Aliya Kastkee

Alana Kinarsky

Libby Kohn

Inga Konfisakhar

Erika Kraft

Stephen Lercher

David J. Martin

Sarah Anne Meiches

Stephanie Millward

Robert Mosenkis

Emily Muskin

Molly Needleman

Aron H. Neesman

Daniel Ocanto

Stephanie Michelle Olesh

Yuri Paskar

David Phillips

Sara Elizabeth Rips

Forrest Rogers-Marcovitz

Marissa Ashley Sadofsky

Aleksander Salkin

Laura Rachel Shkolnik

Rebecca Ann Smedlund

Micha Solomon

NOT PICTURED

The Jewish Press has run seven ads since March 5 and an editorial requesting information and pictures from Graduating Seniors. Synagogues also gave notice. We are not responsible for those not included. If you’d like to submit a graduation announcement for In the News, we will run it when space is avail-

KYLE BAINES SARA COWAN Allison and Ken Cowan

Central Grinnell College MICHAEL EASTERDAY MATT KELBERG LeAnn and Larry Kelberg

Millard North Hastings College MARGARET TERRY MICHAEL TOMPKINS Brittany Sukiennik

ALIYA KASTKEE Sindie and Jerry Katskee

ALANA KINARSKY Yulia and Leo Kinarsky

LIBBY KOHN Cindy and Rick Kohn

INGA KONFISAKHAR Marina and Leo Konfisakhar

ERIKA KRAFT Joan and Marc Kraft

STEPHEN LERCHER Dr. Minnie Abromowitch and David Lercher

DAVID J. MARTIN Julie and Mark Martin

Pavel Tsyrlin

Hannah Wolf

Burke Southern Illinois University

EMILY MUSKIN

Burke Loyola University-Chicago

MOLLY NEEDELMAN

Lincoln Southeast University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ARON H. NEESMAN

Westside Pomona College Central University of Nebraska-Lincoln Burke University of MinnesotaMinneapolis Burke University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Mary Beth and Bruce Muskin

MARISSA ASHLEY SADOFSKY Papillion-LaVista Kelli and Paul Sadofsky University of Nebraska-Omaha

Westside

ALEKSANDER SALKIN

Westside University of MissouriKansas City

Dr. Lourdes Secola and Dr. Romer Ocanto

Boys Town Creighton University

Sue and David Millward

ROBERT MOSENKIS Anna and Igor Mosenkis

Millard North University of Kansas-Lawrence Burke University of Nebraska-Omaha

LAURA RACHEL SHKOLNIK Lynne and Jerry Shkolnik

Debi and Jeff Smedlund

MICHA SOLOMON Ardyne and Jeffrey Solomon

STEPHANIE MICHELLE OLESH Central Donna and Dr. Robert Olesh Rhode Island School of Design

BRITTANY SUKIENNIK Marlene and Hyman Sukiennik

YURI PASKAR Clara and Gary Paskar

Millard North University of Nebraska-Omaha

PAVEL TSYRLIN Jane and Gregory Tsyrlin

DAVID PHILLIPS

Brownell Talbot George Washington University

SARAH ANNE MEICHES

STEPHANIE MILLWARD

Trudy and Mike Salkin

REBECCA ANN SMEDLUND DANIEL OCANTO

Julie and Dr. Eric Phillips

Millard North Mary Beth and Daniel Meiches University of Nebraska-Omaha

Central Miami (of Ohio) University

Lee and Dr. Howard Needelman Washington University-St. Louis

Maria and Steve Neesman

TeenAge Editor: Lori Kooper-Schwarz

Kylie Zacharia

HANNAH WOLF Nancy and Philip Wolf

SARA ELIZABETH RIPS Jane and Harlan Rips

Central Sarah Lawrence College

KYLIE ZACHARIA Terri and Dick Zacharia

FORREST ROGERS-MARCOVITZ Fremont Mimi Rogers-Farkas and Scott Farkas, and Michael Marcovitz

Washington University-St. Louis

Millard North University of Nebraska-Omaha Millard North Kishwaukee Junior College Millard North University of Kansas-Lawrence Millard North St. Petersburg College-Florida Millard North University of Texas-Austin Burke Emory University Millard West Grinnell College Central University of Wisconsin

Page 14

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

The Origins of the Final Solution by Christopher R. Browning. University of Nebraska Press and Yad Vashem, $39.95 While Browning provides solid documentation about the Einsatzgruppen and the surprisingly large number of doctorates held by many within those special Reviewed by ARNOLD AGES units, he suggests that their role in the University of North Carolina scholar Holocaust was relatively minimal when Christopher Browning has come to the compared to the murderous efficiency of measured conclusion that the systematic the Waffen SS, the Order Police, the murder of six million European Jews Security Police, Lithuanian and was not initially part of Nazi Germany’s Ukrainian collaborationist elements and official policy in the early stages of other such quasi military groups which, World War II. in total, counted among their Jewish vicBrowning has sifted the available doc- tims 10 times the number of victims creumentation--Nazi communiqués, diplo- ated by the Einsatzgruppen. matic exchanges, military briefings, field The story of how mass murder led to commanders’ orders, official letters, the genocide of the Jews under Nazi commissioned studies, minuted note- control occupies many of the intellectubooks, personal correspondence by al exertions undertaken by Browning. German soldiers--with a punctilliousness He provides the names of the companies that reflects a deep knowledge of the which produced the gas, the architects German language and a commitment to which designed the concrete bunkers ferreting out the complete truth about a and gas chambers and the work details complex historical event. drawn from both Jewish and In his analysis of the other ethnic groups which sources, Browning has turned were involved in the conup a rich mine of information struction of the gates of hell. which nuances and enhances And what of the order of our understanding of the varcommand which led to histoious stages which accompary’s greatest crime? nied Nazi Germany’s thinking Given the evidence availabout the disposition of the able, no smoking gun has Jewish communities it found turned up in terms of a direct under its control after the order from Hitler or any of conquest of Poland. In this his subalterns to annihilate all context, his discussion of the of European Jewry. Orders Madagascar Plan within the directing the murder of speThird Reich’s “demographic engineer- cific Jewish targets are copious in numing” strategies is pertinent. ber and despite the doublespeak used in The available documentation from other directives, the intended Jewish vicwhich Browning quotes copiously in tims are clearly indicated. English translation, with snippets of the By the time the Nazi leaders met at original German, seems to show that Wansee outside of Berlin on Jan. 20, after the victories in Poland, France and 1942 to discuss the “Final Solution of the the expectation of the same over Jewish Problem” Heydrich, the official England, the Nazi leaders from Hitler conveneer of the meeting and the invitdown envisaged the future deportation ed guests were well aware that the of all Jews from the German sphere of destruction of European Jewry, however influence once all of Europe had been disguised in the euphemisms much pacified. favored by the Nazis, was the major This “demographic engineering” point on the agenda. Moreover, would be possible because Germany Browning makes it clear that the Wansee would thereafter have access to the colo- Conference merely imposed an imprinial territories of the conquered nations. matur on what was already occurring in The correspondence and private Nazi-occupied Europe, the genocidal papers of Heydrich and his subalterns slaughter of Jews. like Franz Rademacher point to serious One of the haunting questions that consideration of the French island of Browning poses in his important book is Madagascar of Africa as a suitable ware- how the civilized German population, house for the deposit of almost six mil- which was embarrassed, for the most lion Jews. part, he claims, by the depredations of Himmler, himself, the principal archi- Kristalnacht, had already, by 1941 and tect of the Holocaust, exhibited in 1940 1942 become the willing executioners of an interest in the Madagascar Plan, not- a million Russian prisoners of war, and ing that he wanted “erase the concept of an equal number of Jews. The answer Jews through the possibility of a great which Browning provides--“a change in emigration to a colony in Africa or else- time and place,” that is to say, the war where.” situation in Russia and the need for loyIn a bizarre and ironic addendum, the alty to one’s homeland taking preceSS chief contrasted the humane dence over individual morality, is a plauapproach of the Germans to the odious sible answer but not one which is totalBolshevik practice of physically extermi- ly convincing because it does not fully nating people “out of inner conviction.” explain the satanic magnitude of the Browning observes that Himmler per- crimes which the Nazi leadership was sonally presented his six-page briefing to able to place on the shoulders of ordiHitler two weeks later and received nary Germans. praise for it. Browning has made an heroic effort to The agents for the killing campaign explain the inexplicable and if he has were drawn from several sectors includ- faltered in this attempt this does not, in ing the Wehrmacht, the SS, and the any way, detract from what is arguably Einsatzgruppen (Special Units). the best book to appear yet on the Browning makes it clear that the success Holocaust. And it’s available at the of these groups in murdering thousands Kripke Jewish Federation Library. of Jews in the initial stages of the invasion came from the close support they Arnold Ages is Distinguished received from regular German army Emeritus Professor of French units, although in isolated cases German Language and Literature, University officers in the regular army corps, made of Waterloo and the Scholar-inpolite objections to the brutalities they Residence at the Beth Tzedec witnessed against Jews and ordinary Synagogue, Toronto. He can be Russian civilians. reached at: sages@ca.inter.net.

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Big America

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 15

JNF Offers Free Trip to Israel

JOURNAL ENTRY FROM ISRAEL by TEDDY WEINBERGER I recently spent a week in the States. It so happened that the bris of my sister Marissa’s baby was postponed to Sunday May 16--the same day as my Yeshivah of Flatbush 25th high school reunion, so I flew in for both simchas. Quite by chance, a major theme of my trip was bigness. Marissa took me to a Costco near her house in Washington, D.C. The place is huge, selling everything from toothpaste, to major appliances, to fresh meat and produce, to clothing--with a full-service eye-care center thrown in for good measure. Then I worked out at my sister’s fitness center, which features 15 treadmills, 15 elliptical machines, dozens of Nautilus-type weight systems, and about two dozen stationary bicycles--many of them equipped with individual screens where you can watch television, surf the net, and check e-mail. And my sister’s synagogue, Adas Israel, is the largest Conservative congregation in the D.C. area, with a cavernous main sanctuary (made more cavernous, I must say, by sparse attendance). Of course, problems arise with all of this bigness. The first magazine that I picked up in her house included the following article: “10 ways to raise a leaner child: Dr. [William] Sears shares his secrets for stopping weight problems where they start--in babyhood.” All of this bigness got me to thinking about one paradox of Jewish existence in America versus the State of Israel. In America, where Jews represent less than 2% of the population, absolutely no one that I met was worried about being swallowed up in all of America’s vastness. In Israel, where Jews represent 80% of the population, everyone is concerned with numbers and fertility (of the Arabs, or of the ultra-Orthodox--or both). It’s not hard to understand the concerns of Israeli Jews. The greater the proportional number of Arabs in Israel, the greater their political power, and the more

danger to Israel’s democratic Jewish state. What’s not so clear at first glance is the calmness of American Jews. But when you come to think about it, this stance is completely justified. On the religious rights front, Jews are protected by America’s key democratic documents (including a constitution, which Israel still does not have). On a more personal level, it turns out that a primary concern of some America Jewish leaders, namely intermarriage, turns out not to be experienced by many lay people as a problem at all. The attitude today toward intermarriage is one of outreach and inclusion. Your child’s marriage to a non-Jew will not prevent that child--or your grandchildren--from participating in a Passover Seder, lighting candles on Hanukkah, or eating apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah. And these Jewish customs will continue at least for your whole life if for no other reason than your children and grandchildren will want to respect you. So the actual final assimilation, if it does take place, will not occur during your lifetime. What all of the above most proves is that as soon as my feet touch down in America, I find myself compelled to think about the intermarriage/assimilation issue. Call it a sickness if you want. I hate myself for fixating on this ultimately boring, intellectually sterile issue. Lucky for me that in Israel our issues are so much more “exciting.” In spite of myself, however, I’d like to end here with a different image of America’s bigness. It so happens that my sister lives within earshot of the bells of the Washington National Cathedral, and on Saturday afternoon, their clanging drew us in for a visit. The Cathedral, the sixth largest in the world, is a magical place, with much of its stained glass consisting of colorful designs meant to inspire people of all faiths. Indeed, the Cathedral’s motto is “a national house of prayer for all people”--just as America itself has provided a welcome home for millions of people from all over the world. It would be wonderful if Israel could be home to all who are drawn to our land. Perhaps one day, in the distant future. Teddy Weinberger lives in Givat Ze’ev, Israel and can be reached at: weinross@netvision.net.il.

by Sarina Roffé JNF Director of Communications New York--Individuals who visit www.jnf.org and subscribe to JNF’s monthly electronic newsletter are eligible to win a Grand Prize of a trip to Israel. “We always want to connect people with Israel and our work there. What better way to learn about JNF’s work than by visiting Israel or through today’s technology, electronic newsletters?” said Russell F. Robinson, JNF’s Chief Executive Officer. A person can be entered for the contest more than once. Here’s how: • Send the page to friends and get additional entries for each referral who registers • Get an additional entry each time someone enters your name as a referral in their contest entry. • Get an automatic entry by purchasing 8 or more tree certificates in the same order • Get two automatic entries by signing up for or replenishing an E-Z Tree™ account at www.jnf.org. Note: Referred e-mail addresses will not be automatically signed up. Instead, they will receive a JNF introductory email with an invitation to subscribe. E-Z Tree™ account holders can plant trees in Israel for just $10 per tree, as opposed to the regular price of $18. Every $100 placed in an EZ Tree account allots ten trees into the account that can be used at any time. The Grand Prize is a choice of: • Free airfare for two from either JFK or Newark Airport to Israel and two free nights in a hotel in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Travel must be for a minimum of six days and a maximum of 21 days between Aug. 16 and Sept. 22, or •A completely free trip for one on any JNF Mission (airfare and accommodations are included in the cost). Second Prize is two nights free hotel in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Three people will receive E-Z Tree accounts ($100 value per winner) as a prize for referring the most people to the promotion. The contest drawing will be held on July 1. Winners will be announced in the monthly e-newsletter. Employees of Jewish National Fund are not eligible. For more information, call 1.800.542-TREE (8733) or visit www.jnf.org.

Our Fathers are King for a Day

Happy Father’s Day

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home

Page 16

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

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It’s a Miracle They Survived! by GARY JAVITCH and meals during the day, preparing them herself. When you see the picture of Rabbi Gideon Despite being battered, bruised, and broken, Rabbi Menahem’s car, you can easily see that the good Lord Menahem remains unbowed. Faced with the conseintervened to save him and his wife Shely that stormy quences of this life-altering accident, he struggles to be night their car crashed into that tree. energetic and upbeat. Still, there are many difficult While Shely was able to escape almost immediately moments. And just a few days ago, the rabbi underfrom the mangled car, her husband was not as fortu- went another surgery to stem an infection. In a few nate. And when emergency workers came to extricate months, he must endure another surgery to remove the him, they were initially unsuccessful. Their Jaws of Life stabilizing ring device. proved ineffective. Despite the rescue squad’s best These painful situations have been compounded by efforts, Rabbi Menahem remained trapped. their legal status. As new immigrants to the country, Bleeding and in great pain, with bones shattered in Shely is not permitted to work. And, of course, the both legs, Rabbi Menahem was rescued only after a Rabbi cannot. helicopter was called to his aid. But not in the way you A number of community members have jumped to might imagine. The rescuer chopper had to hoist the their aid and formed the Menahem Caring Committee. mangled wreck off the ground and cut him out from The committee, joined by others in the community, is the bottom of the car to free him. coordinating efforts to raise funds to handle some of Once liberated from the wreck, the helicopter flew the overwhelming expenses the Menahems that have the badly injured couple to a Des Moines hospital. incurred. While Shely has quickly recovered from her head Though Chabad of Nebraska has opened a special injuries, the outlook is neither as good nor as certain account at Pinnacle Bank, additional donations of for a speedy return to good health for her spouse. financial assistance can be sent to the Federation’s Contrary to earlier reports Rabbi Menahem’s conva- Jewish Family Service/Health Assistance Fund. lescence will not be short. The rabbi was transferred to Bergan Mercy Hospital, where he has since undergone multiple surgeries to piece together the splintered bones in his ankles. An external ring device with a pin that pierces his right ankle helps to stabilize and support his leg. His left leg and ankle remain in a cast. The young Israeli couple faces a lengthy recuperation period. Presently, Rabbi Menahem is confined to bed and will be unable to put any weight on his legs for at least four months. Throughout, Shely has remained at his side, helping him with his prayer books and ensuring that he gets kosher snacks Pictured above is the Menahem car--after the crash near Des Moines.

Jewish Groups Rally to Deal with Looming Refugee Assistance Deadline

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by MATTHEW E. BERGER WASHINGTON (JTA)--Jewish groups are leading a coalition to prevent refugees from losing benefits for food and housing. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society has been joined by several other Jewish groups and federations in pushing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would extend a benefit deadline for refugees, asylees and other humanitarian immigrants who are elderly, disabled or blind. HIAS estimates that 8,000 refugees from the former Soviet Union have lost or could lose their benefits because of a provision in the 1996 welfare reform law that capped Supplemental Security Income benefits at seven years for non-citizens who arrived in the United States after 1996. The organization estimates that more than 950 refugees from the former Soviet Union lost benefits in 2003, and many more are expected to lose them this year. HIAS estimates that 90 percent of the FSU refugees who arrived since 1996 are Jewish. The SSI benefits provide a cash payment of more than $500 per month for a single person and $800 for a couple. Most immigrants aren't eligible for the aid, but refugees and other humanitarian cases are. “For many refugees, that's their only form of cash assistance,” said Gideon Aronoff, HIAS’ Vice-president for government relations and public policy. “Either the person is going to be destitute or the community will have to act.” Current rules allow for permanent benefits for those who were receiving them before Aug. 22, 1996, or who

entered the country before that date and later became blind or disabled. For residents who came after Aug. 22, 1996 or came before then but later turned 65, benefits are capped at seven years. Refugee groups say the cap cuts off aid to a needy population and makes it almost impossible for refugees to keep their benefits. “The Jewish community has had a strong commitment to seeing the refugees through the process until a person becomes a citizen and has a stable future in America,” Aronoff said. “The group eligible for SSI, the elderly and disabled, these are the people that need more of a hand than your average refugee.” While it’s technically possible for refugees to get citizenship within seven years, Aronoff said that logistically it's all but impossible. Refugees first must become lawful permanent residents for five years before applying for citizenship. But because only 10,000 asylees receive that status each year, the backlog can extend for up to 15 years. Those who receive permanent status must fight processing delays in the Department of Homeland Security, which now oversees immigration issues, to naturalize within a two-year window. In addition, elderly and disabled refugees often have difficulty learning English, a requirement for citizenship. Jewish groups are working with refugee organizations, such as Refugee Council USA and the National Immigration Law Center, on the issue. Other partners include Florida’s Cuban and Haitian communities and the Southeast Asian community.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Makeovers Are Not Forever

IF YOU DON’T ASK, A DON’T GET IT! Y by BERNIE MEYERS I have it from good sources (my instincts as well as my usual unreliable rumor mill) that plastic surgeons are busier than Wal-mart with Blue Light Specials. I know. I know. Blue Light was KMart, and they’re gone--like past plastic rehabs. Many remodeling surgeons are opening Boutique Botox Bars, hiring off-duty traffic cops to control the crowds, and training illegal aliens to do routine small jobs--under $50 grand-like rebuilding a face--or making me look like Artie Johnson or Michael Jackson. What’s the deal? I can remember when plastic enhancement of features--otherwise known as a face lift--was somewhat frowned upon and whispered about in conservative (you should excuse the expression) Midwest homesteads. A person--most often a female-would mysteriously disappear for a couple months. When he or she returned, it was with rigid clenched jaws--skin pulled back so tightly the eyes could not blink nor the nose blow, ears pulled slightly forward of the tightly wound chin--and the mouth opening just wide enough to take nourishment through a thin straw. That, my friends, was a FACE LIFT. And it was kind of comparable to having a child out of wedlock, cheating in a game of Scrabble, or robbing a bank. Today, it’s all changed. A plethora of Reality TV shows have made face and body enhancement the “in thing” by featuring some really ugly people transformed from pathetic to looking a like clones--swishing and swirling before the TV cameras--while their friends and loved ones mutter, “Wonder how long I’m going to have to put up with this nonsense. She had a big head and huge honker before the make over. Now, she’ll be impossible to live with!” And all it takes is heart surgery, a lobotomy, face peel, tummy tuck, needle injection of myriad poisons into the body and face, and mega bucks. Cost per makeover? Nothing. The TV network pays for it, and the plastic surgeon gains immediate world wide fame and renown. Street cost? About 897,000 bucks and lots of hurt. That’s what really turns me off about surgery--of any kind. PAIN. I do not like pain, and see no good reason to elect to subject myself to its stings and arrows for the sake and wallet of a guy with a medical degree and lots

of sharp knives. Call me fuddy duddy, but rest your assurance that I firmly believe one should do everything reasonably possible to retain youth, beauty, vitality, and a sense of well-being. But, give us all a break. There are miracles and there are impossibilities. Some things ain't just not gonna happen. Take my face. That’s like the old bromide by the Catskill Comedians. “Take my wife--please!” I happened to glance at a mirror the other day. We usually keep our mirrors covered with black drapes, but Roie must have been washing windows that day--and pulled the drapes back. (What size bridge would you like to buy from me the day my lovely spouse washes windows.) I really did not particularly care for what was superimposed on the mirror as I passed through another dimension. “It’s not pretty,” I thought to myself. “So what can you do about it?”self asked. “Damned little,” self answered. Look at it philosophically--very very philosophically. My two adult grandchildren think I’m adorable, but you don’t think they’re going to be objective? They could be thinking about what the old guy’s gonna leave them. Roie still uses me as an escort if she has a semi-fancy party to attend, and she has no other choices. And the faces and bodies of ALMOST every person with whom I have contact--like talking or breathing--look not much better than I. Would I do a lift? Nah. There’s too much character (lines and jowls) in that face. It has a look exactly commensurate with the number of years it’s been carried around on my neck. Do I like that face? Hey, we all gotta deal with reality. Suck it up and smile or is it laugh? I honestly believe that my lovely spouse, Roie, looks like she’s still 16-years-old, when I met her. And I assure us all, she is a bit more mature than 16. So, if beauty and appearance are in the “Eyes of the Beholder”--from the movie of the same name--come on beauty lines and sagging belly belt buckle. I’ll take you one a day at a time. Remember the people who used to sneak away for secretive whatsoever? Most of them have sagged a bit, and look no better than they did when they did that. Mea culpa. Don’t to listen to me. Have your lifts. I’ll still love ya’.

Page 17

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

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Opera Omaha announced the schedule of productions for its 2004-05 season, starting with the first of 22 free monthly Opera Insights programs on Sept. 21, designed to enhance the public’s understanding and enjoyment of the four operas planned for next year: Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera on Oct 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10 at Creighton University’s Lied Center for the Arts; The Tender Land by Aaron Copland, Nov. 19, 19 and 21 at the Orpheum; Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, April 6, 8, 10 at the Orpheum; and Guiseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, May 4, 6 and 8. Subscriptions and single tickets for The Threepenny opera can be purchased online at: www.operaomaha.org or by calling 346.7372. Brochures for the Lied Center for Performing Arts 2004-05 season will be available this month and season ticket orders (four our more events) may be placed at that time. For a free Lied Center brochure, please call the box office at 402.472.4747 or sign up at www.liedcenter.org. Beginning with the world premiere of the new Philip Glass piano concerto commemorating the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, this is a season dedicated to exploration—of the arts, of different cultures, of ourselves. The 15th season features Broadway smashes such as Mamma Mia!, Chicago, The Full Monty, and 42nd Street as well as the return of Lied favorites Rent and Riverdance. Among the celebrity guest artists will be Bobby McFerrin, Emmylou Harris, Lou Rawls, and Ravi Shankar. There are also dance companies visiting the Lied this year, ranging from the traditional Russian ballet of the St. Petersburg State Ballet Theatre to modern dance favorite Pilobolus Dance Theatre. The season also features world-class orchestras such as the Prague Symphony Orchestra, world music from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and others, and Lied Family Series events including Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus. The Omaha Public Library presents a free concert at the JCC: From the Shtetl on Tuesday, June 8, 7 p.m., featuring Tuffy’s Klezmorim, with Tuffy Epstein, Steve Thomas, Dan Cervany, and special guest Cantor Gastón Bogolmoni of Beth El Synagogue. The concert program is distinctively Jewish, klezmer music--a product of Eastern European Yiddish culture--the shtetl communities that inspired much of Singer’s work. A dessert reception follows.

Beth El Rosh Hodesh Group to Explore “The Power of Music: Food for the Jewish Soul” by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Director “The Power of Music: Food for the Jewish Soul” will be the theme for the upcoming Beth El women’s Rosh Hodesh meeting, to take place in Beth El’s front courtyard on Monday, June 21, 7 p.m. The month of Tammuz will be welcomed by hosts Susi FrydmanLevin and this writer, as they explore Judaism’s musical heritage, share favorite composers and songs, and of course . . . sing! “Whether we sing, play an instrument or listen to the radio, music plays such an important role for all of us,” Susi said. “Songs remind us of loved ones, take us back to special times in our lives, and have the power to fill us with joy or sadness. We hope everyone joining us will share their favorite songs with us: we’ll sing, we’ll talk, and we’ll enjoy a joyful, music-filled evening!" Reservations for the get-together are needed by June 16, and may be made by e-mailing Susi Levin at Susifrydman at levin@cox.net, or me at BeanK2@aol.com.

Transformations Exhibit Opens in JCC Gallery Transformations, an exhibition of textile art featuring fabric painted and dyed by Michele M. Eakins, Karen Stiehl Osborn and Virginia A. Spiegel, opened June 2 at the Jewish Community Center Art Gallery and will be on display through August. An artists’ reception will be held Sunday, June 13, 2-4 p.m.

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TORAH LEARNING CENTER Rabbi Tuvia Hoffman will teach the following classes, on Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Jewish Philosophy, ongoing discussions on Jewish philosophy and self-growth. Wednesdays, noon, Hebrew Comprehension, at the JCC; at 7 p.m., Advanced Hebrew Reading Comprehension, at the TLC Beis Midrash, 1313 No. 58 St. Thursdays, noon, Beginner’s Hebrew Crash Course, at the JCC; at 7:30 p.m., Weekly Torah Portion, learn insights to the weekly Torah portion at the JCC. Rabbi Yaakov Marcus will speak on the mystical insight of the Hebrew alphabet at a Shabbaton at the TLC House on Friday and Saturday, June 4-5, during Friday night dinner and Shabbos day lunch. Reservations for the meals are closed, but the community is welcome to come hear Rabbi Marcus during services. New home-study groups and classes and individual study sessions are available at the Torah Learning Center. Please call Rabbi Hoffman at: 981.0569 for more information. 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 the “YES Talk” at 11 a.m. Following lunch at noon, come meet Rivkah Sass, Director of the Omaha Public Library. For transportation call Dee Dee at 330.4272. WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going on the Mystery Trip on Thursday, please meet at the JCC main entrance at 9:45 a.m. For transportation call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. Call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638 for information. VISIONS Join us for a tour of the Henry Doorly Zoo’s new Hubbard Gorilla Valley on June 30, 10 a.m. Lunch follows at Piccolo Pete’s at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $18 per person includes entrance to the zoo, lunch, tax and tip. If you are a member of the zoo the cost is $9.75 per person. Make check payable to Visions. Mail reservations to: Sandy and Fred Bromley, 13419 Marinda St., Omaha, NE 68144 by June 21. JEWISH SENIOR SERVICES JSS presents the Iowa Western Community Band on Tuesday, June 15, 7 p.m., in the JCC auditorium. The theme will be Patriotic and Klezmer Music. Iowa Westem Community Band is a concert band composed of students and community members. The band has performed in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area for 25 years. A sessert reception follows the free performance. Call Maggie Conti for reservations at 334.6521. Sponsored by Iowa Western Community College and the City of Council Bluffs. B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Dr. Steven Hinrichs will speak at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, June 9, noon, at the Park Inn Regency, according to chairman Gary Javitch. Dr. Inrich is the top bio-terrorism expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Cost is $10 for lunch and $2 for beverage service only. Breadbreakers is open to the community.

June 4, 2004

Page 19

Grilling

IN THE NEWS

by Louise Pickford (Ryland, Peters & Small, $19.95)

The 15 members of the first graduating class of the American Hebrew Academy (AHA) in Greensboro, North Carolina, have received college acceptances from 43 prestigious colleges and universities across the nation. The acceptances included over $500,000 in merit-based scholarships. According to Lexi Eagles, Director of College Counseling at AHA, the success of the senior class reflects both the level of academic rigor of the school’s curriculum and the hard work of the students. Omahan Emily Friedman, daughter of Sandee and Howard Friedman, just completed ninth grade at the school. The SilverStone Group, a local consulting firm, has teamed up with “Chicken”, an over-30 basketball team at the Jewish Community Center of Omaha, to support Make-A-Wish of Nebraska. According to Scott Simon, an Associate of SilverStone, the firm gave each of its associates $50 and challenged them to find creative ways to donate the money to a charitable organization. Simon then asked his basketball teammates to each contribute $50 to Make-A-Wish, which SilverStone group matched, for a total of $1050. Members of “Team Chicken” include: John Glaser, Bruce Goldberg, Joe Goldstein, Barry Rubin, Mike Schop, Wayne Schwarz, Scott Simon, Michael Silverman, Tom Weigant, and Adam Yale. Sheila Fitzgerald and Emily Melingagio have opened Bloom’s floral designs in Rockbrook Village, at 108th and West center Road. The two women are experienced in all types of floral arrangements and provide a full range of services from celebratory events to special orders. The Central High School Class of 1964 will hold its 40th Reunion July 30-31, beginning with a casual gettogether on Friday, a tour of the school on Saturday morning and a concluding dinner on Saturday evening. For more information, contact Ann and Don Goldstein, 391-1050, or visit the reunion website at: www.chs1964.com. After 13 years as Executive Director of the Council Bluffs Senior Center, Chuck Arnold has announced his retirement. According to Francis Clark, President of the Board, “Arnold said his love of working with older adults brought him to the Center. It will be difficult to find someone as enthusiastic and committed as Chuck has been to this organization.” Prior to his tenure at the Senior Center, Arnold served as Health and Physical Fitness Director at the JCC of Omaha for 28 years.

Dining

Out

R EAD IT AND EAT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN From down under comes an Australian (the Australian author has written a dozen cookbooks) take on barbecue. Before you roll out a gas, charcoal or electric grill, read all about grilling practicalities...picking the type best for you, how to use the different types and some equipment suggestions for summertime chefs. Begin with Little Dishes for the Grill which can be appetizers or entrees...some grilled bread as in Bruschetta, Garlic Bread Skewers, Grilled Rosemary Bread and Grilled Pita, and include salads, vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, rubs, sauces, salsas and end with Sweet Things and Drinks. Most of the 60 plus recipes serve four, are one-to-a-page, have easy to follow instructions and are accompanied by a lovely color photograph. Party planning suggestions and safely tips follow. Enjoy summertime...get out there and grill. Here’s a dish for Father’s Day! ORZO SALAD WITH LEMON AND HERB DRESSING 8 oz. Cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 8 oz. Orzo or other tiny soup pasta 6 scallions, finely chopped 1/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, dill, mint and parsley grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes Preheat the grill or broiler. Thread the tomatoes onto the soaked wooden skewers with all the cut halves facing the same way. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill or broil for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly charred and softened. Remove from the heat and set aside while you cook the orzo. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for about nine minutes or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet, add the onions, herbs and lemon zest, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the orzo, then add the grilled tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well and let cool before serving. Serves four.

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Page 20

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

Opinion The Blame Game It’s your fault. Better get used to hearing that phrase because now everything from high oil prices to the war in Iraq has, apparently, been caused by the Jews. Of course, that’s old news, since we also control the banks and the the world press, as well as Hollywood film studios and the Council on Foreign Relations. Oh, and the Jews’ ultimate goal is control of the world. Beats the hell out of feeling like a victim, doesn’t it! But it’s just as anti-Semitic as painting swastikas on a synagogue or calling someone a “dirty Jew.” No matter that the accusations are ridiculous; it’s always easier to blame someone else for what’s wrong in the world than to accept responsibility for your own actions. Case in point: last month a Saudi Arabian prince blamed “the Zionist entity” (that’s Israel) for a shooting spree in a small city in the Western part of that country. Of course, anyone who has an Israeli stamp in his passport would be refused entry into the Islamic kingdom, but according to the prince, somehow “Zionists” manage to infiltrate his country and and kill seven people. Last Saturday, gunmen (ostensibly tied to Al-Qaeda) stormed the headquarters of Aramco--the Saudi/American oil company, took hostages and killed 22 others. While the Saudi army did successfully rescue the remaining hostages, the gunmen are still at large. It remains to be seen if the Saudis finally realize that much of the unrest in the world today can be attributed to their policies...“do as I say, not as I do.” That attitude of literally paying off the gunmen to cause chaos in other countries is finally coming home to roost. Al Qaeda has espoused for years its hatred of the Islamic

(Founded in 1920)

kingdom and the corruption of its royalty. Blaming Israel and the Jews was the easy way out...just as Hitler blamed the Jews for economic depression in Germany after World War I; just as the Palestinians blame the Jews for their woes instead of ousting their corrupt so-called leader Yasser Arafat. Who’s next in this blame game? Can Democrats blame Jews for their losses in the last two election cycles? Or will Republicans, if they lose the White House in November? Will it be our fault if global warming really does materialize as a world-wide threat to civilization? How ‘bout blaming the Jews for AIDS? (Whoops, some African countries already do--accusing Jews and Zionists of manufacturing polio vaccines with the AIDS virus!) And who do the Jews blame when things go wrong? Why, each other, of course! We’re not i m m u n e from playing this dangerous game either. After all, it’s much easier to pretend that “outside forces” are in control than examine the internal mistakes in an organization or community. If attendance is lower, it must be due

to “demographics.” If enough trained volunteers are not available, it’s because more women have gone back to work. If an organization can’t attract top professionals, it’s because Omaha can’t compete with larger cities. Excuses are silly--and not productive because nothing changes. We can’t stop the rest of the world from blaming us for their bad government, but we can drop the blame game from our repetoire and look at fixing problems instead of finding scapegoats for what’s wrong. Blame might work for a while, but in the end, the accusers will still have to solve their internal problems.. (Hint: Saudi Arabian princes should take another look at Hitler and the Nazis and note that the 1000-year Reich barely lasted a decade.)

Post-Zionism...New Zionism

OUR MAN IN ISRAEL by CARL ALPERT Haifa--Original dissension over Zionism within the Jewish fold was characterized historically by those who believed in the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, and those, known as non-Zionists, who opposed. Splinter movements appeared almost immediately in both schools of thought. Some Zionists believed the state should be based on socialist or extreme leftist economic principles. Some advocated a state structured and conducted on the basis of the theological framework of the Jewish religion. Even the non-Zionists were divided in their opposition. Some opposed the very idea of Jewish nationhood, maintaining that Judaism was only a religion, parallel to other religious faiths. And on the other extreme were those who insisted that only the Almighty could recreate the Biblical state. Those who were taking the initiative into their own hands were blasphemers. The several schools of thought had divergent degrees of followers. Despite all the differences, the state of Israel, as we know it, was created. Few raised any objections based on the existence of Arabs in the area. In more recent times a new definition of Zionism has begun to emerge. A Zionist is one who elects to take personal part in the development of the state by making his home in Israel. The others, who choose to remain in the Diaspora, may approve of the existence of the state and may even support it, financially or otherwise, but

they are only friends of the movement, but not Zionists in the same sense. Most do agree that Israel is the center of Jewish life, and feel that entitles them to be called Zionists. There are always degrees of definition, but in recent years there has emerged a new school of thought, identified as Post-Zionists. It has been afforded liberal space in the press, though the discussion has been confined mainly to academic circles. Post-Zionism is the identifying term adopted by a small group of Israeli intellectuals who began to question Jewish neglect of Arab rights. They challenged what they called the blind mythology of Zionist history.

Most do agree that Israel is the center of Jewish life, and feel that entitles them to be called Zionists. The heroes of Israel’s War of Independence, they said, were not necessarily heroes. They were cruel to the Arabs and allegedly committed war crimes. But many of Israel’s fighters are still among the living, and they indignantly refuted the charges. The so-called new historians were said to have falsified “evidence”. The debate continues, largely in intellectual and academic circles. The sensation-loving press has provided the publicity on which the Post-Zionists and their pro-Arab views have flourished The new postulations have gone beyond a review of the past. The fact that Arabs constitute about 20 percent of the population of

the country, and demographically growing, say the New-Zionists, indicates that Israel can no longer continue existence as a state which is both Jewish and democratic. A new approach to Zionism is required, taking into consideration the existence of a Palestinian people. More recently, the outbreak of particularly vicious Arab terrorism has to a degree stultified the activity of the Post-Zionists. Further, two of their leading spokesmen, Ilan Pappe of the University of Haifa and Prof. Benny Morris, of Ben-Gurion University, have split sharply over history and definitions, accusing each other of personal political prejudices. Pappe goes so far as to support a single binational state. Morris does not. The outcome of the internal referendum conducted by the right wing Likud party, rejecting Premier Sharon's proposal to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, though it represented only a very small proportion of the population, has stirred a rightist swing, sometimes called the New-Zionism. The issues around which the next national election will be held, are being sharply defined. Journalist Yosef Goell, once summed up his views thus: “At the current stage of Israeli and Jewish history....when our existence and wellbeing are still under very real threat from external enemies, I am very much in favor of an unabashed pro-Israel and pro-Zionist social science.” He criticized the tendency of the press to sensationalize the critics. “A country that is still under siege has the right to expect that the people who set the tone in its media will not adopt a stance of seeming objectivity between themselves and the enemy.” Carl Alpert can be reached in Israel at: alpert@techunix.technion.ac.il.

Joanie Jacobson Chairman Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Ray Pred Account Executive Timothy J. Ketelsen Bookkeeper Lori Kooper-Schwarz Production Assistant Jewish Press Committee Howard K. Marcus, Vice-Chairman; Bobbi Leibowitz, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Finance Chairman; Steve Simon, Treasurer; Fred Tichauer, Immediate Past-chairman; Jean Duitch; Penny Endelman; Kip Gordman; Stanley Mitchell; George Quittner; Linda Saltzman; Joey Shyken; Nancy Skid; and Melanie Weinstein. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Educational and Library Services, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press and the Foundation are constitional committees of the Jewish Federation. 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. Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, noon, eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For more information, contact Carol Katzman, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $31 per calendar year U.S.; $35 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132nd St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.

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Page 21

In Push for Amended Pullout Plan, Sharon Faces Tough Political Battles

NEWS ANALYSIS by LESLIE SUSSER JERUSALEM (JTA)--Facing a crucial Cabinet vote this week on his amended disengagement plan from the Palestinians, Ariel Sharon is facing as much pressure as he ever did as a general on the battlefield. On the international front, the Israeli prime minister has weathered scathing criticism of Israel’s latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, which left more than 40 Palestinians dead and dozens of homes demolished in the Rafah refugee camp. At home, a rebellion is gathering steam in Sharon’s Likud Party by opponents of the planned withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. But Sharon is determined to press on. Just as his crossing of the Suez Canal turned the tables in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Sharon hopes that Cabinet passage of his amended disengagement plan will disarm critics in his party and improve Israel’s tarnished international standing. “I have been at the front for 60 years,” Sharon told a gathering of veteran soldiers last Sunday. “You know me and you know that when I fight for something that is right and just, I do it.” Earlier in the day, a resolute Sharon told the army’s top brass that he “didn’t want their opinions of his plan”--just their input on how best to carry it out. Sharon says he will closely coordinate the withdrawal plan with the United States, Egypt, Jordan and Europe. This, he hopes, will help create a fount of international goodwill toward Israel. Meanwhile, the prime minister’s aides predict that the new political dynamic will marginalize Sharon's hawkish critics in the Likud. But it’s not that simple. International goodwill will depend on successful implementation of a complicated withdrawal plan that includes evacuating Jewish settlements. The Israeli army's top brass hasn’t been fully behind the plan, the confrontation with the Likud rebels could split the party and threaten Sharon’s political career, and Sharon first will have to get the plan approved in the Cabinet, where opinion is split. The decision last week to send Israeli troops into Rafah, in southern Gaza, came after reports that Iranian arms, including Katyusha rocket launchers and antitank weapons, were about to be smuggled into Gaza through underground tunnels leading from Egypt. The army leadership long has argued that if Israel

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withdraws from Gaza, it would need to widen a strip along the Gaza-Egypt boundary, known as the Philadelphi route, and maintain a presence there to prevent future arms smuggling. But international condemnation of Israel’s destruction of Palestinian homes to find smuggling tunnels and widen the Philadelphi route, thereby making future tunneling virtually impossible, led to a revision of the military’s thinking.

Ironically, despite the international criticism and the Israeli and Palestinian casualties in Gaza, Sharon found himself in a political win-win situation. The generals realized they wouldn’t be able to widen the Philadelphi route as much as they had planned, strengthening arguments against maintaining any Israeli military presence in Gaza. The Shinui Party’s Avraham Poraz made that point to Sharon in a meeting last week. Israel, he said, should forget about trying to seal the border and prevent arms smuggling but should create a deterrent balance like the one with Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border: If Palestinians shell Israeli civilians after a withdrawal from Gaza, Israel can hit back tenfold without breaching international norms, Poraz said. Ironically, despite the international criticism and the Israeli and Palestinian casualties in Gaza, Sharon found himself in a political win-win situation. If the army succeeded in establishing an efficient hold over the Philadelphi route, the army leadership then could back Sharon's disengagement plan. If it failed to do so because of international and domestic pressure, it would have to rethink its overall Gaza strategy in line with Sharon’s longer-term evacuation plans. The Likud challenge to Sharon is more serious. The main difference between Sharon's amended plan and the one Likud voters rejected in a May 2 referendum is that, under the new plan, withdrawal will be implemented in stages. The withdrawal will begin with three isolated settlements in Gaza; phase two will see the withdrawal of four settlements in the northern West Bank; phase three will involve 15 settlements in Gaza's Gush Katif bloc; and phase four would focus on three settlements in northern Gaza. The idea is to evacuate the more vulnerable settle-

ments first, proceeding from one stage to the next only after the government is satisfied that the previous stage has created a more favorable security situation. Sharon’s Likud opponents say that’s only a cosmetic change from the original withdrawal plan, which party members resoundingly rejected. In proceeding, Sharon is in breach of party discipline, they argue. Several Likud legislators, led by Uzi Landau, a Cabinet minister who oversees Israel’s secret services, say they will do whatever they can to block Sharon. In the Cabinet, they will try to influence other Cabinet ministers; in the party’s parliamentary caucus or the Knesset, they have pledged to vote against the prime minister. This group claims to have the support of more than half of the 40 Likud legislators in the Knesset, and the group clearly poses a serious threat to Sharon. Another strategy might be to put only the first phase of the plan to a vote, and have the Cabinet merely “note” the plan as a whole. Sharon's hopes of political survival could depend on whether he is able to forge a political alliance with Labor. Labor could join with Likud in a coalition that pushes the disengagement plan through the Knesset. Sharon also could form an electoral alliance with Labor and Shinui by running on a disengagement ticket in new elections that would be seen as a sort of national referendum on withdrawal. (Leslie Susser is the diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Report.)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: There was a standing room only crowd of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and friends in the JCC Theater on May 21, as the class of 2004 sang, danced and received a “graduation key” to the CDC so that each child would always feel that he/she could back and visit. The CDC staff are to be highly commended for the exceptional job that they have done with all of our children this past year. Our children are lucky to have been in such a nurturing environment. May the CDC continue to go from strength to strength and may the class of 2004 continue to succeed in all future endeavors and may they grow up to be the policeman, fireman, pokemon master, doctor, teacher and mommy that some of them declared that they wanted to be. We are very proud grandparents! Susie and Jim Silverman

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Advertiser Page Elliott Moore Enterprises ....................................... 16 Exquisite Landscaping ........................................... 9 Eye Essentials ........................................................ 8 Friedman, J.J. ...................................................... 11 Foundation of the Jewish Federation .................... 10 Genzyme Corp. ...................................................... 3 Golf USA .............................................................. 16 Hampton Inn ......................................................... 2 Honeyman Rent-All .............................................. 21 Hy-Vee .................................................................. 24 Industrial Packaging Corporation ........................... 6 Jade Garden ........................................................ 19 Jewish Family Service ............................................ 8 Jim’s Dodge Country .............................................. 6 Julio’s ................................................................... 18 Katzman Anniversary ............................................. 4 King Fong ............................................................. 18

Advertiser Page Kohll’s Pharmacy and Homecare .......................... 2 Lafata’s Caffe Italiano and Bakery ........................ 18 Lakeside Dentistry .................................................. 4 Lakeside Hills Apartments ................................... 23 Lewis Art Gallery .................................................... 8 Maple Crest Care Center ...................................... 16 Marriott Regency Hotel ........................................... 9 Mediterranean Bistro ............................................ 19 Mulhall’s .............................................................. 16 Nebraska Jewish Historical Society ....................... 17 O’Daniel Honda ..................................................... 9 Omaha Trans Video ............................................... 8 Paley Landscaping ................................................. 6 Park Plaza Regency Lodge ................................... 17 Parsow’s ............................................................... 14 Prudential-Joe John ............................................... 7 Pulverente ............................................................ 23

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Synagogue Listings B’nai Israel Synagogue 618 Mynster St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

Beth El Synagogue Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Omaha, NE 68154-1980 492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org

Beth Israel Synagogue Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific St. Omaha, NE. 68154 556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org

Chabad House An Affiliate of the Worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Movement 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 nebraskajudaism.com email: chabad@aol.com

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 S. 20th St. Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 435.8004 jewishnebraska.org

Offutt Air Force Base SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway Offutt AFB, NE 68113 294.6244

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

Temple Israel Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132-2651 556.6536 templeisrael-ne.org

Tifereth Israel Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

If you’re looking at this space, so are others! YOUR AD CAN GO HERE... to reserve space, call Allan Handleman, 334-6451, or Ray Pred, 334-6559.

June 4, 2004

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Special Oneg, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Centennial Reception and dinner, 6 p.m. SUNDAY: Centennial Concert featuring Rick Recht, 2 p.m. The concert is free and open to the entire community.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning Services, 9:30 a.m., Kiddush sponsored by Don Klein in honor of his grandson, Mitchell Sanford, becoming Bar Mitzvah. K’tantan (kindergarden-second), 10:45 a.m.; Evening Services, 8:50 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sunday, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Weekdays, 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. SITTER SERVICE During Friday night and Saturday mornings services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAY, 11 a.m. Adult Bible Study Group, with Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, continues with The Book of Samuel, in the library. WEDNESDAY, 7 p.m.: Adult B’nai Mitzvah class with Cantor Bogomolni. SPECIAL PROGRAMS COME & DANCE! Israeli Dance Lessons Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. For information, contact Cheryl Lerner, 334.8430 or cldancer@ aol.com. PATTER (Toddlers & Parents Torah, Exercise, Recreation) session with Helen Epstein, Wednesdays, 10:45 a.m. SUNDAY, June 13, 1 p.m.: Beth El Annual Meeting, including installation of officers and

new Board of Trustees members. Outgoing Board of Trustees members will be recognized, the President’s Award, Earl Siegel Memorial Award, Selwyn Roffman Memorial Award, and the Freeda and Abe Gendler Award will be presented. Following the meeting, join us for a Volunteer Appreciation party, and the “Artists of Beth El” art exhibit.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m-noon. (These office hours are effective through June). Services conducted by Rabbi Howard Kutner. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Services, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Junior Congregation, 10:30 a.m.; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. and Havdalah, 9:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Evening Service, 7 p.m. Weekday Morning Service, 7 a.m.; Weekday Evening Service, 7 p.m..

BEYT SHALOM

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Rabbi Debbie Stiel will be in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays, all day. You may reach her 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays at 416.2321 (local for Lincoln), or at rabstiel@aol.com. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. Led by Rabbi Stiel with Oneg to follow; Sermon/Study Topic will be on “Reform Judaism’s Beginnings-Enlightenment and Emancipation.” SATURDAY: Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. TUESDAY, 7 p.m.: Board of Trustees Meeting ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS: Beginning Hebrew Prayers, using the book Hineini, 5:45-6:45 p.m. Please call the office to sign up. UPCOMING EVENTS Friday, June 11, 6 p.m. Potluck dinner at Pioneers Park, Shelter #1, followed by outdoor services at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, 7 p.m.: Training for Service leaders.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Monday-Friday, Morning services, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Mamarim class, 9 a.m.; Services, 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY: Services, 8:30 a.m. Mishneh class, 9:30 a.m. MONDAY Halacha Intermediate level, 7 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.; led by Andrew Greenberg.

Candlelighting Friday, June 4, 8:35 p.m. and Cantor Wendy Shermet will officiate. Rabbi Marantz will give the sermon along with the members of the Adult B’nai Mitzvah class. Temple Israel offers a mazel tov to Jennifer Glazer, Jill Adelman, Allison Latenser, Ellen Long, Lacie Morgan and Ellen Platt on their B’not Mitzvah. The community is invited to the service to share and celebrate their accomplishments. SATURDAY: Bagels and Sacred Books, 9:30-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE SUMMER SCHEDULE During the months of June, July and August, Sitter service will be available at each Friday evening service. Please check the Temple Tidings worship page, the Temple website www.templeisrael-ne.org, or The Jewish Press for service times. Please make a reservation through the Temple office. Cost is $2 per family. Sorry, there are no facilities for infants. ADULT EDUCATION THURSDAY, June 10: “Adult Study with the Clergy” with Rabbi Marantz, 10-11:30 a.m. SHABBAT COMES TO YOU FRIDAY, June 11, 4 p.m.: Rabbi Craig Marantz and members of the Omaha Temple Youth Group will lead a Shabbat Service at Remington Heights.

TIFERETH ISRAEL TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Tot Shabbat, 6 p.m. A short service of song and prayer, followed by cookies and juice. Toddlers through children in the primary grades are encouraged to bring their families. Come enjoy songs and a story; Shabbat Evening Service, 7 p.m. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Craig Marantz

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. WEDNESDAY: The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m.

B’NAI MITZVAH Alec Lerner, son of Cheryl and Gary Lerner, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, June 12 at Beth El Synagogue. Alec is a seventh-grade honor roll student at Beveridge Junior High School. He participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. He plays select team soccer, basketball and also plays baseball. He enjoys almost any sport that involves a ball, listening to music, spending time with friends and family, and making people laugh. For h i s mitzvah project, he has volunteered t i m e w i t h Yachad, a program for Jewish Omaha youth and young adults with disabilities. Alex has an older sister, Nicole, and two brothers, Michael and Matthew. His grandparents are Ethel and

Jerry Lerner of Creve Coeur, MO and the late Anita and Philip Kapell. Molly Lenore Aronson, daughter of Allison and Bob Aronson, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah Saturday, June 12, at Temple Beth Haverim, Agoura Hills, CA. Molly is a seventh-grade honor roll student at Lindero Canyon Middle School. She enjoys biking, rollor blading, as well as taking care of her many pets. She also has extensive computer training and abilities. This summer she will be a CIT (Counselor In Training) at Camp Kinneret in Agoura Hills. For her Mitzvah project, she collected food and clothing for the victims of the fires last fall in Southern California, and

she delivered the items to the local fire department for distribution. Molly has an two older brothers, Tom Aronson of New York City and Jon, a student at Indiana University. Her grandparents are Phyllis and Harvey Aronson, and the late Lenore Aronson, and the late Jackie and Alvin Senter. Abraham Clayman, son of Jennifer and Jeff Clayman will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, June 5, at Hebrew Educational Alliance in Denver, CO. Abe is a seventh-grade stu-

dent at Hamilton Middle School. His interests include baseball, hockey, and skateboarding. For his mitzvah project, he volunteered at the Alliance preschool over two summers. Abe has two brothers, Cassy and John. His grandparents are Sally Clayman and the late Albert Clayman, and Rich and M a r i l y n Zaporowski.

To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements Announcements of children becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah will be printed on the synagogue page of The Jewish Press one week prior to the event if submitted eight days prior to publication. The following information may be included: name, name of parents, grandparents and/or greatgrandparents (including late parent[s] and/or late grandparent[s]), names of siblings, date and location of event. In addition, the school which the child attends, honors and hobbies may be includ-

ed, if space permits, as well as the name of the child’s Mitzvah Project and a short description. A clearly identified photo is welcome if it is easily reproduced. Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues or by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448.

June 4, 2004

Trust in Hashem

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by ROCHEYL SIMON Parashat Beha’alotekha At the end of Parashat Beha’alotekha, Miriam speaks against Moshe to her brother Aaron. Because of this she is stricken with tzara’as, a Divinely-imposed skin disease which is the punishment for Lashon Hara. It takes seven days to become purified from tzara’as, and she was to remain outside of the camp for this time. The Torah tells us that the Jewish People were ready to continue traveling when Miriam was still outside the camp. But they waited until she was brought back in. The Mishnah in Massekhes Sotah (1:9) says that the Jewish People waiting for Miriam was a direct reward for a time when Miriam waited a different time. In Parashat Shemos, Pharaoh decreed that all Jewish male babies be killed. Yocheved takes her young son, Moshe, and places him in an ark into the Nile River, hoping to save him. The Torah tells us that his sister, Miriam, waited by at the bank to see what would happen to him. The Mishnah says that because Miriam waited for Moshe, she was rewarded by having the entire Jewish People wait for her. This beautiful idea seems a little unclear. Why did waiting to see what would happen to baby Moshe deserve such a great reward? Why did taking a short time to follow his ark downstream merit the delay of the entire Jewish People? This answer may lie in a midrash (Sotah 12-13; Shemos Rabbah 1:22). The midrash says that Miriam had prophesied that her mother would give birth to the redeemer of Israel. When Moshe was born, Miriam’s father praised her, “Your prophecy has come true.”

But when Yocheved had to place Moshe in the ark to sail down the Nile, Yocheved tapped Miriam on the head and said, “Where’s your prophecy now?” Why was it Miriam who waited to see what happened to Moshe? Why didn't Yocheved, his mother, follow behind? After all, it is common knowledge that a mother loves her son more than a sister loves her brother. It could be that when Yocheved placed Moshe in the ark, she thought, “there is no way that he will be saved naturally. An Egyptian certainly will not want to save a Jewish baby, and a Jew will not be willing to risk his own life by rescuing a baby boy.” Yocheved did not believe that Miriam’s prophecy would come true. Miriam, however, continued in her bitachon--in her trust that Hashem would save Moshe. She waited by the side of the Nile not to see whether Moshe would be saved, but how he would be saved. She waited to see how her prophecy would continue to unfold. It is because of Miriam’s continued trust--believing against all natural reality that Moshe would be rescued --that she merited the entire Jewish People waiting for her for seven days. There is much in our personal lives and national lives that seem beyond repair, beyond hope and beyond redemption. Miriam teaches us that bitachon--trust in Hashem--is most important at a time when reality seems to indicate that redemption is impossible. Right now we must have complete bitachon--trust--that Hashem will protect us and redeem us, as our greatest prophets have foretold. Now is the time to wait and see, not if redemption will come, but how Hashem will bring it about. Rocheyl Simon is an educator and the wife of Rabbi B.P. Simon, Beth Israel Synagogue’s NCSY Director and youth educator.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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DEATHS BEN HEISLER Former Omahan Ben Heisler died in Skokie, IL, at the age of 93. Services were held there May 28. He is survived by his wife, Eve Heisler, formerly of Omaha, now living in Skokie, IL; daughter and son-inlaw, Susan and Howard Stein of Skokie; sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Norman and Allison Heisler of Overland Park, KS, and Drs. Sidney and Sarah Heisler of West Bloomfield, MI; grandchildren, Sima and David Neiger of the Bronx, NY, David Stein, Skokie, IL; Yoni, Tami, Dafna and Shira Hesiler of West Bloomfield, and Alex, Zachary and Ilana Heisler of Overland Park. Memorials to charity of choice. MARTIN WEBER Martin Weber died in New York on May 27. Services were held at Cedar Park cemetery in Paramus, NJ, on May 28. He is survived by his wife, Selma, of Queens, New York; daughter and son-in-law, Lynne and Errol Saltzman; son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Pati Weber of Philadelphia, PA; grandchildren, Evan and Rebekah Saltzman of New York City; Scott Saltzman of Queens; Brent Saltzman of Omaha, and Matthew Weber of Philadelphia. Memorials to the Friedel Jewish Academy. SAM BERMAN Sam Berman died at the age of 95. Services were held May 28 at Temple Israel Cemetery. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Esther and Bob Katelman; son and daughter-in-law, Henry and Mary Berman of San Antonio, TX; grandchildren, Debbi and Jeff Smedlund, Steve and Roberta Katelman of Fairfax, VA; Margaret Berman, San Antonio; and three great-grandchildren. Memorials to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. LOIS BARISH Former Omahan Lois Barish died May 17 in Chicago at the age of 83. Services were held in Los Angeles. She was preceded in death by her sister, Shirley Barish Miller and brother Harold “Bud” Barish. She is survived by her nieces and nephew, Rabbi Jay Miller of Los Angeles, CA, Gay Miller Sprung of Israel and Laurie Periera of Chicago, IL. Memorials to the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society or the American Heart Association.

LOUIS SINGER Louis Singer died away May 26 in Los Angeles at the age of 89. Buriel was at Hillside Mortuary in Los Angeles, CA. A long time Omaha resident, he was President of the Little Giant-O.P. Skaggs-Corporation. He was preceded in death by his wife, Reva Gorelick Singer, and son, Edward Roy Singer. He is survived by his daughter, Edie Singer; son, Robert Singer; sister, Esther Diamond Seltzer; and brother, Dr. Herbert Singer; grandsons, Edward Michael Singer and Steven Guilford, and a great-grandson, all of Los Angeles; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Zena and Bennett Fishbain of Las Vegas, NV.

Group Collects for Flood Victims (JTA)--The American Jewish World Service is collecting relief for flood victims in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Funds can be sent to the American Jewish World Service, Haiti/DR Flood Relief, 45 West 36 St., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Donations also can be made by phone, at 800.889.7146, or on the web at www.ajws.org. More than 2,000 people have been killed by devastating floods and mudslides in the Caribbean nations.

To Submit an Obituary Notice: Send full name, age, date of death, location of service and burial site to the Jewish Press via e-mail: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; fax, 402.334.5422; or mail, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68114. Survivors shall be listed, including names of surviving spouse, sisters, brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren and their places of residence; the numbers (but not names) of greatgrandchildren, as well as the name of the spouse or children who preceded the deceased in death. In cases where confusion might arise due to people of the same name either being the deceased or a survivor, maiden names or middle initials shall be added, if known. Nieces and nephews shall be listed when there are no surviving children or grandchildren. Friends of the deceased (companions or life partners) shall be listed. Other pertinent biographical information (including honors or the serving as an officer in a Jewish organization) may be included at the Editor’s discretion. Memorial suggestions are acceptable to any bona fide, charitable organization; addresses will be included to out-of-state non-profit organizations, if provided.

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Page 24

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 4, 2004

Reform Rabbi from Kansas City on Mission for Conversion in Spain by JEROME SOCOLOVSKY MADRID (JTA)--As airplanes rev their engines in the distance, the rabbi from Kansas City stands on the balcony of his airport hotel room holding a Torah scroll in his arms, and welcoming his latest convert to Judaism. Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn is on a mission to convert people to Judaism in Spain, the land of the Roman Catholic Inquisition where untold numbers of people have some Jewish ancestry. But the Reform rabbi's efforts aren’t exactly appreciated in Madrid, where the active Jewish population numbers about 5,000 and all but one of the synagogues are Orthodox. “We can’t be like the Catholics and think that with a drop of water you’ve become Jewish,” says Jacobo Israel Garzon, president of Madrid’s Jewish community. Cukierkorn’s latest series of ceremonies was conducted during a layover at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport following correspondence courses with the candidates that take at least one year to complete. In total, Cukierkorn has converted 20 Spaniards to Judaism--most of them in Madrid, where there is no Reform temple. He also has performed dozens of conversions in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and the United States, and has written a guide to Judaism to help potential Spanish-speaking converts. “There’s nothing I can do as a rabbi that is more transcendent than conversions. This has a future impact on Judaism,”

Cukierkorn told four and five, circumJTA in an interview cised as well. He in the cafe of the approached the Jewish airport hotel. community about formal Cukierkorn is conversion, but says rabbi of the New their demands “basically Reform Temple in meant having an Kansas City, MO. Orthodox rabbi in my He says he has a kitchen, and I couldn’t long interest in demand that of my wife. “lost” Sephardic After all, she did not Jews that may marry an Orthodox Jew. stem from his “The Internet was my own personal hisonly option,” he adds. tory: Born in Several weeks ago, Brazil, some of Ariel and his entire famhis ancestors ily underwent a converRabbi Jacques Cukierkorn performs a conwere Spanish sion ceremony led by version ceremony on the balcony of the airJews who immiCukierkorn. port hotel at Madrid’s Barajas International grated to Poland. Cukierkorn claims Credit: Jerome Socolovsky/JTA Airport. Most converts Jewish communities in find him via his Web page. He says he Spain are turning away a great number performs conversions only in locations of people who could be a benefit to where there is no Reform rabbi. Judaism. “These people are drowning in In interviews for this story, the con- a sea of indifference,” he says. verts asked to be identified only by their A Conservative leader in Spain disagrees. adopted Hebrew names, citing wide- “We are not leaving anybody by the wayspread anti-Semitism in Spain. side,” says Felipe Crasny, President of Bet Ariel, a civil servant from Madrid, El, Madrid’s only Conservative synagogue, traced his family’s roots back to Jews which is affiliated with the worldwide who were forced to convert during a Masorti movement. pogrom in 1391 in the northeastern Bet El, which has about 60 member Spanish city of Lerida. families, has no rabbi, but Crasny said He began reading books about several people are taking conversion Judaism and studied Hebrew in college. classes with the congregation’s spiritual But after his two sons were born, he director, Mario Stofenmacher, and probasaid, he “realized I had to recuperate my bly will end up converting abroad. Jewish heritage for their sake.” Israel Garzon, the Jewish community Ariel was circumcised by a urologist president, also denies Cukierkorn’s allefriend, and he then had his sons, aged gation. He says the community accepts

“sincere” converts, and about a dozen people become Jewish every year in Madrid. They take classes in Spain, but must go to Israel for the final ceremony performed by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Jews started trickling back to Spain in the 19th century after the Inquisition was finally abolished. But the community started to grow only after the establishment of the State of Israel, when Sephardic Jews from neighboring Morocco--many of them descendants of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492-- moved back to Spain fleeing antiJewish sentiment. Jewish immigrants in recent years have come from Latin America, and they have tended to be largely Conservative, Reform or non-practicing. Israel Garzon has sought to open up Madrid's Jewish community to them-and one of his policies has been to propose a fast-track conversion finalization process for people who already have become Jewish under Reform or Conservative procedures. Israel Garzon concedes that there’s nothing he can do to keep outsiders like Cukierkorn from conducting conversions in Spain. “But what bothers me is that he leaves people with the feeling that they’ve converted, and then they’re surprised when they’re not accepted by everyone,” Israel Garzon says. He notes that his own wife is a convert, “and it took her years and years” to undergo the conversion. For his part, Cukierkorn sees what he’s doing as a divine mission. “God has guided me this way,” he says.

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