June 8, 2012

Sponsored by the Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Endowment Fund AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA June 8, 2012 18 Sivan 5772 Vol. 92 | No. 38

CJE reimagined: The Center for Jewish Life

This Week

by SHERRIE SAAG Communications Specialist, Jewish Federation of Omaha The goal, to celebrate Judaism, at first seems lofty yet logical for the newly expanded and re-envisioned Center for Jewish Life. Formerly the Center for Jewish Education, an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the Center for Jewish Life is under the leadership of Agency President Bonnie Bloch and a professional staff including Executive Director Beth Cohen and Mary Sue Mission Statement Grossman, Associate Execu- The Center for Jewish Life strives to maximize involvement of tive Director. Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and In January 2012, a task force was charged with conceptual- meaningful Jewish experiences. izing changes for the agency. Cohen explained, “We were Bonnie Bloch, Board President; Beth Cohen, Executive Director; and Mary Sue asked to look beyond the Grossman, Associate Executive Director. Center for Jewish Education’s pri- exactly what we had the opportunity talked a lot about ‘experiences,’ mary function of ‘traditional’ educa- to do and it was so exciting to be a about getting community members tion; to re-imagine what services part of it,” said Agency President together, not just for Jewish content programming, but also just for the and programming we could provide Bonnie Bloch. That is the reasoning behind the sake of Jews being together. We disthat would reinvigorate and engage as many members of our communi- name change. “Of course Jewish cussed how to make gateways for ty as possible. We always kept in education remains at the core of people to become involved in the mind that education happens at any what we do, but the re-direction of Jewish community and ways to furage, at any time, in any situation, so the agency means we can put our ther engage those who are already energies into many new and exciting involved,” added Cohen. every idea was on the table.” Bloch went further, saying, “Too “To say we were ‘thinking outside things,” Cohen said. “At the task force meetings, we often, our community invests the box’ sounds so cliché but it is

Lloyd Roitstein becomes Beth El’s new president Page 3

Gentleman, start your ovens! Page 7

resources in a program that doesn’t touch as many people as we’d like. We want to build program coalitions, to capitalize on campus activities and to maximize our community’s resources. We will regularly participate in the Federation’s monthly meetings of synagogue rabbis and presidents. The Center for Jewish Life will help make the communal slate of programming more robust and successful.” While change can be unpredictable, Bloch assures everyone that many of the great programs and services the agency is known for will remain the same. For example, the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, the Annual Jewish Omaha Film Festival, Jewish Book Month, adult education classes and Partnership 2Gether will remain the foundation of the newly named agency. “Our renewed efforts will focus on expanding what is already successful and collaborating with other agencies and Jewish organizations in Omaha to ensure that we are all as successful as possible in reaching as many people as possible,” Bloch said. Task force members included Joel Alperson, Bonnie Bloch, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Jody Malashock, Julie Phillips, Mike Schop and Stacey Rockman. Also included Continued on page 2

RBJH’s week-long party Mystery, Murder, and Mitzvahs by OZZIE NOGG This past May 13-19 marked National Nursing Home Week, and the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home celebrated with activities based on

themed sing-a-long,” explained Maggie Conti, RBJH Director of Activities and Outreach Programs. “We also held a Name that Tune Theme Song and an Old

Jewish and Navajo spiritual leaders speak of sacred lands Page 12

by MARK KIRCHHOFF The Kripke Jewish Federation Library continually updates its collection, responding to the wishes of its patrons in providing interesting and informative material that embraces Jewish culture and heritage. Consider these three recent additions:

of them making the New York Times bestseller list. There are now over 20 million copies of her works distributed around the world. Her latest, Gun Games, was published on Jan. 3, 2011, and is available in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library – not to sit on the shelf, but to be checked out and enjoyed by

MYSTERY. If you had earned a BA in mathematics, a doctorate in dentistry from UCLA, and had conducted research in oral biology, would the next logical step in your career be to write a series of mystery novels? For Faye Kellerman it has been. Beginning in 1986 with her groundbreaking first novel, The Ritual Bath that won the Macavity “Best First Novel” Award from the Mystery Readers of America, Kellerman has crafted equally intriguing, gripping novels – twenty-seven in all, with twenty

you. We believe that without this book, only 19,999,999 Kellerman works would have been distributed. Kellerman was born in St. Louis, MO, and grew up in Sherman Oaks, CA. When she began her writing career, she held with the sage advice of “writing what you know about.” To this, she added her own axiom, “Write what is important to you.” For her, what was important was very clear: family, children, and Judaism. Kellerman is a practicing Continued on page 2

Inside Point of view Synagogues In memoriam

8 10 11

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Darlene Golbitz, left, Charge Nurse in the Blumkin Home SW unit, and Marcy Jones, Director of Medical Records, were recognized for their thirty years of service to the RBJH. popular television shows. “We offered TV themed bingo and a TV

Commercial Contest plus a Fashion Show with staff dressed up as characters from TV programs. At each of these events we recognized and gave gifts to staff who had reached special milestones at the Blumkin Home. It was all great fun.” The RBJH staff honorees included: Mike Aparo, Vickie Bruno, Kwadjo Djondo, Alain Gunubu, Josh Gurock, Ann Hansen, Bonnie Johnson, Victoria Mihinto, Cherita Nyamedi and Saira Zuniga: five Continued on page 2

2 | The Jewish Press | June 8, 2012

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Mystery, Murder, and Mitzvahs Continued from page 1 Orthodox Jew, as is her husband and novelist, Jonathan Kellerman. They have the distinction of being the only married couple ever to have their separate works simultaneously appear on the New York Times bestseller list. Son Jesse is also an acclaimed novelist. Faye’s writing weaves Jewish themes into the framework of the traditional mystery. Gun Games finds LAPD lieutenant detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina, willingly welcoming the teenage son of a former friend, now somewhat troubled, into their home. While they think they understand teenagers very well, suspicious suicides, stolen guns, and a group of nasty privileged children cause them to question the involvement of Gabe, their teenage resident. MURDER. More sobering than the fanciful intrigue of Kellerman’s mystery novel is Munich 1972, the investigative account of the “Munich Massacre,” the execution of eleven Israeli Olympians and coaches by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. Forty years later, David Clay Large recounts this tragic saga with accuracy, a penchant for detail, and a sometimes caustic commentary on the failures and misplaced priorities of the modern Olympic movement. John Merriman of Yale University has acclaimed Munich 1972 as “an excellent, haunting book, one that matters even more now.” Large, professor of history at Montana State University, appears to be the right person at the right time to produce this work. Having previously written Nazi Games: The Olympics of 1936 that recounts the ominous underpinnings of horrors that were to come, Large understands the context of the 1972 Games. The Munich Olympics were taking place only thirty-six years after Berlin with the hope of presenting a Germany that was radically “un-Berlin” like. But they were taking place in the tumultuous times of the 1960s and early ‘70s. These Games were to be held with the backdrop of racial tensions, cold war politics, disruptive threats of boycotts, protests of the American involvement in a war in Vietnam, and a full spectrum of global concerns. These pressures played against the intense desire to present a peaceful, harmonious environment for the enjoyment of the athletes and to display the best of German society to the world. Large asserts that while the Munich security experts were not unmindful of the threat posed by the Black September arm of the PLO Fatah group – whose members became the assassins – tragically “the ‘Palestinian problem’ constituted at best a small blip on the security planners’

radar screens.” In his book, Large is not looking with the wisdom of hindsight to wrangle apologies, but to examine closely what went so horribly wrong in an environment that held such noble goals for participants and viewers. In the process of doing so, he presents the reader with incredible insight into what takes place behind the scenes of this world-wide event. MITZVAHS. Many a blessing comes out of sorrow. And no matter how prepared one might be, sorrow is always present with the death of a family member. Suddenly a person is gone and your entire world has changed. When Linda Cohen’s father died, she committed herself to her own healing out of depression and to honoring his memory by performing one thousand acts of kindness. And she has recorded them. Some will bring a smile, some a knowing nod, and others an appreciation of the wisdom coming from one who has dedicated her life to finding opportunities to make small positive differences in the lives of others. The book may be enjoyed by reading it chronologically with its cleverly organized chapters, Food for the Body, Nourishment for the Soul, Change the Toilet Paper, Volunteer with a Vengeance, and more. But many of us will likely page its contents and settle on a section that happens to catch our eye. The book is more than a list of good deeds. It is the telling of a personal commitment of one individual to give back, to make life better for others, and to honor a loved one. Each mitzvah recounted includes a personal observation from Linda, sometimes the inclusion of the words of others, and always a directive concerning the essence of the mitzvah. You will come to appreciate how Linda Cohen has accomplished her mission of preserving and honoring the memory of her father. You likely will turn back to the dedication page once, twice, or several times and reflect, “Peter Rabow is someone to remember,” as are all our loved ones. And where better to have them remembered than in the lives of those we touch. The Kripke Jewish Federation Library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It costs nothing to register as a patron and it pays back so much. The library collection includes books for adults, young adults and children plus a large collection of DVDs and CDs. And check out the sale table, too. So come in and enjoy a cup of coffee, browse and check out several items that pique your interest.

The Rose Blumkin Home’s week-long party Continued from page 1 years. Erin Byrne, Mississe Legonou and Mike Silverman -- 10 years. Steffanie Betki-Cevik, Angela Jones and Nakia Martin - 15 years. Shelley Cash, Mary Jennings, Olga Trembath and Lois Wine -- 20 years. A special Tea Time was held for Darlene Golbitz, Charge Nurse in the SW Memory Unit, and Marcy Jones, Director of Medical Records, both of whom have devoted thirty years of service to the Blumkin Home. Jones said, “I’m very fortunate to have been on the RBJH staff for so many years. The elderly are so very special, and the overwhelming number of caring people who have touched my life through the RBJH -- staff, residents and families -- are so important to me. I certainly have met some very memorable characters. And as a bonus, I appreciate that I have had the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the Jewish faith. How incredibly fast the time has gone.” Golbitz also feels it’s been a privilege to work at the RBJH. “I’ve met so many special families, and I feel fortunate to have been entrusted to care for their loved ones during their stay at the Blumkin Home,” she said. “I’ve worked alongside fantastic staff members during the past thirty years, through many changes, and am very proud to be part of this nursing home team.” The RBJH Nursing Week Fashion Show gave Project Runway a run for its money. Strutting their stuff were Shelly Fox as I Love Lucy; Jean Peyton as Leave It To Beaver; Terry Bernstein as The Sopranos; Maggie Conti as Mary Tyler Moore; Bert Benson as Sponge Bob; Shelley Cash as Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island; Josh Gurock as Fonzie from Happy Days; Michael Schop as Kramer from Seinfeld; and Natalie Osborne and Jeanne Snyder as Laverne & Shirley. The RBJH Activities Department dressed as The Dukes of Hazard; the Therapy Department represented Happy Days and the Southeast Wing hid behind their Where’s Waldo? disguises. Darlene Golbitz from the Southwest Nurses Station sported a poodle skirt in a nod to American Bandstand.

“At Blumkin, we try to include intergenerational projects as often as we can,” Conti said, “and National Nursing Home Week let us connect residents with Friedel 3rd and 4th graders. Together they made murals based on kid TV shows -- Sesame Street, Sponge Bob, The Brady Bunch, The Waltons, The Mickey Mouse Club and the Lone Ranger were on the list. The murals were awesome.” A slideshow that chronicled the past thirty years at the Blumkin Home was also part of the week-long fun-fest. The video was created by Joanie Bernstein and Phyllis Gentry. “Natalie Osborne, Nurse Manager, found photos from TV shows and pasted pictures of employees in place of the stars’ faces. This game involved all disciplines of the Home and got lots of laughs.” During National Nursing Home Week, skilled nursing centers across the country plan events to honor the lives of the people they care for and the staff who serve them. “The national theme this year was Celebrating the Journey,” Conti said. “Our goal is to make sure that Blumkin Home residents receive loving attention and experience life to the fullest during each day of their journey.”

The Center for Jewish Life Continued from page 1 were Federation professionals Mike Silverman, Julee Katzman, Beth Cohen and Mary Sue Grossman. “While we are thrilled to announce the new name and mission, now the real work begins,” says Bloch. “We will be striving to bring people together, collaborate across the spectrum of our community, and to truly celebrate Judaism in all that we do.” Author’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series announcing the new Jewish Federation of Omaha agency, The Center for Jewish Life. Look for more information in next week’s issue of the Jewish Press.

June 8, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 3

Rashi comes to Omaha by RABBI JONATHAN GROSS At Beth Israel, where every Shabbat is a shabbaton, on June 14-16 we welcome the greatest scholar-in-residence of all time -- Rashi! Born in Troyes, France, in 1040, Rashi was a scholar, a Jewish leader, and mostly a teacher in the popular Yeshiva that he started in his hometown at the age of 25. Based on the many penetrating questions from his students, Rashi composed a commentary on the Torah that became one of the all-time best sellRashi, Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitskhak ing Jewish books. The Credit: Chaim Freedman beauty of his commentary is that it can be learned and understood on any level -from eight-year-old school children to the most advanced Torah experts. Over 300 commentaries have been written and published on his commentary, and his words appear in the margins of every standard printed edition of the Torah. This

Ulpana activists march to Jerusalem by MARCY OSTER JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Hundreds of settlement activists began marching Monday from the Ulpana neighborhood on the outskirts of the Beit El settlement in the West Bank toward Jerusalem. The protest march is against plans to raze five apartment buildings in Ulpana, which are on land claimed by Palestinian families. Some 300 supporters of Ulpana waving flags and carrying signs set out from the neighborhood to march to a protest tent in Jerusalem located outside of the Supreme Court, where hunger strikers have been sitting. The marchers are supporting a bill to be voted on in the Knesset on Wednesday that would override a Supreme Court decision to remove the Ulpana buildings. The legislation would retroactively legalize buildings built on contested land if the owner does not challenge the construction within four years. Israel's Supreme Court ruled in September that the neighborhood should be razed, siding with a lawsuit filed by Palestinians who said they owned the land. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a threepoint plan to physically move the buildings to land that is not claimed by Palestinians, build new housing and vigorously defend the neighborhoods in future litigation. The plan requires the approval of Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein.

year Beth Israel has been engaged in the Great Rashi Initiative through which we study from Rashi’s commentary every Shabbat in services. So who better to be our scholar-in-residence than Rashi himself? Unfortunately, booking Rashi is very difficult these days and we were unable to arrange for him to spend Shabbat with us in person. Instead, we will be hosting Rabbi Yisrael Herczeg, author of the Sapierstein Rashi Translation, published by Art Scroll, as well as Patterns in Rashi and many other books in Hebrew and English on Rashi and other Torah related subjects. Rabbi Herczeg is considered a world authority on Rashi’s commentary and has written extensively on how to learn Rashi with extra sensitivity to find hidden meanings in subtle nuances like a peculiar question or a word that seems unusual or superfluous. Rabbi Herczeg will lead us in a weekend of intense Torah study that will leave us with a new appreciation for Rashi and the Torah. The weekend begins Thursday night, June 14 at 7 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. The Center for Jewish Life will be hosting a lecture by Rabbi Herczeg on The Strangest Rule in Rashi. Beth Cohen, CJL Executive Director,

Celebration tops the agenda during Beth El’s annual meeting

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Welcoming new board members, thanking outgoing board members, and applauding outstanding congregants topped the agenda during Beth El’s annual meeting, held last Sunday at the synagogue. The event was chaired by Jan and Phil Wayne; around 125 attended the celebration. Left: Outgoing President Bev Fellman welcomes Lloyd Roitstein as her successor; above: Bev Fellman congratulates winners of this year’s congregational awards, from left, Joel Rich, Beth Friedman and Caryn Scheer (not pictured: Joanie Latchaw).

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explains, “The Center for Jewish Life is excited to partner with Beth Israel to bring such an amazing scholar to Omaha. Beth Israel’s ‘Rashi Initiative’ of the past year has engaged many in Torah study, and we hope this series of lectures will involve even more.” The program continues at Beth Israel Synagogue over Shabbat with a number of learning opportunities. On Saturday June 16 Rabbi Herczeg will give the sermon at Beth Israel at 11 a.m. during Shabbat morning services. After services everyone is invited to a kiddush lunch, followed at 12:45 p.m. by a workshop on Rashi 2.0: The Next Level of Understanding. At 6:15 p.m. there will be an advanced class on Rashi’s Approach to Talmud. All are welcome but the class will be most appreciated by those who have a background in Talmud study. At 7:15 p.m. will be the keynote lecture: Uncovering the Hidden Meaning of Rashi. While Rashi cannot be with us in person, welcoming an eminent modern scholar of Rabbi Herczeg’s caliber is a great honor for us. This Shabbaton was made possible by a donation from an anonymous donor who loves Torah and is constantly trying to elevate his own level of Torah study and that of Beth Israel and the Omaha Jewish community.

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4 | The Jewish Press | June 8, 2012

Temple Israel installs new President at annual meeting by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer As Temple Israel President John Lehr took to the podium one last time, he looked out toward the gathered congregants and smiled. “Your life,” he said with a laugh, “is about to improve.” On Wednesday, May 23, Temple Israel ushered in a new era at its annual meeting as Lehr’s two and half year reign as congregation president came to an end. Under his watch, which began in 2009, Temple Israel raised funds for its new building, and Lehr oversaw the groundbreaking ceremony in April. “I feel good, as we all should, about our new building,” Lehr said. “Temple was an incredibly vital and effective organization when I began, and at only 141 years young, it remains so today. It has been my honor and privilege to serve, and it will be my pleasure to hand the gavel soon to Sally.” Incoming President Sally Kaplan praised Lehr’s leadership and pledged to continue his work as construction on the new building continues. In addition to Kaplan taking over as president of the congregation, new Executive Committee members were also installed at the annual meeting: Mike Halsted, President Elect; Paul Rabinovitz, Vice President; Rosie Zweiback, Vice President; Katherine Finnegan, Secretary; Alan Fredricks, Treasurer; Jeff Schweid, Assistant Treasurer; and incoming trustees Andie Gordman, Cat Rawlings, Matt Ray and Louri Sullivan. Being invited to join the board was “an honor,” Cat Rawlings said. “It’s a way to give back to the community.” Andie Gordman, who has been attending services at Temple Israel since she was five years old, echoed Rawlings’ enthusiasm. “This is an exciting time,” Gordman said, referring to the new building. After a lifetime of memories at the current Temple Israel building, she’s looking forward to “creating new memories” at the new location. To further illustrate that an era is coming to an end, departing Rabbi Eric Linder was honored for his six years of service to the Temple Israel community. He was presented with a gold leaf on the Temple Israel Tree of Life. Rabbi Linder also received a standing ovation from the congregants.

Also receiving a leaf on the Tree of Life was former Communications Coordinator Claudia Sherman, who worked at Temple Israel for 11 years. “I was really surprised [by the leaf],” Sherman said. “I was so honored. It was very emotional.” Sherman said she is going to miss being on the “Temple team,” and that she is “grateful” to the congregation for allowing her into their lives. “I think back to when I was interviewing

Midtown Crossing offers Outdoor Summer Movie Nights by SUZANNE GIBBS Greater Omaha’s award-winning urban development is set to premiere its latest community event -- “Midtown Crossing presents Monday Night at the Movies in Turner Park sponsored by Midtown Marcus Cinema.” “Summer nights, a beautiful outdoor venue, and some of the greatest sports movies ever made – we have all the elements of a real blockbuster, family-friendly event here. We’re looking forward to some fun evenings and some fabulous turnouts,” said Jessica Sumner, General Manager of Marcus Midtown Cinema. The 26-foot big screen is designed for crowds of up to 5,000 people. “This is an ideal setting for friends, families and co-workers to get together and enjoy all Omaha has to offer,” said Molly

Skold, marketing director for East Campus Realty, the Mutual of Omaha subsidiary that owns Midtown Crossing. “It’s what summer is all about.” For the convenience of its guests, Midtown Crossing offers three hours of free garage parking ($1 for each hour thereafter, with a maximum fee of $6). Onstreet parking is also free after 5 p.m. The events are free and open to the public, and will feature popular, sports-themed movies projected onto a 26-foot screen in Turner Park. Showtime is 8 p.m. on Monday nights, June 11-Aug. 13. For a complete list of selected movies and dates, please visit www.midtowncrossing.com. For more information about Midtown Crossing, please visit www.midtowncross ing.com or contact Molly Skold at 402.598.9676.

In the news Temple Israel Immediate Past President John Lehr passed the reins to incoming President Sally Kaplan. for the job,” Sherman said. “Rabbi Azriel told me it was more than a job, he said it was a calling. And he was right. I learned about being Jewish. I felt like I was really contributing a little bit to my own people, to my temple and the Jewish community in general.” Also honored for her hard work and dedication to the Temple Israel community was recent graduate Jordan Jensen, who served as president of Omaha Temple Youth Group for the past three years. “I’m kvelling,” said Lynne Jensen, Jordan’s mother. “She’s an overachiever. NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) has been very important through her entire high school career.” Jordan has also served on the Temple Israel board since she was a high school freshman. Three additional awards were presented at the annual meeting: the Harriet Sperling Caring Award went to Wendy Vann; the Social Justice Award went to Magda Peck; and Sharon Comisar-Langdon was honored for her efforts over the past year as chair of the Religious School Steering Committee and with the community high school.

Connor Daniel MacNabb recently graduated from PapillionLaVista South High School and he will be attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the fall. He is the son of Kaffi and James MacNabb.

The Loess Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross invites you to join them for Wine and Jazz 2012. The annual fundraising event will be held Saturday, June 9, at 7 p.m. at the Mid America Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs. This year’s honorary chairs are Jan and Mick McKinley; the emcee is Dave Webber of WOWT. For more information or to RSVP for the event call Cindy Pfennig at 712.435.5671 or email cindy.pfennig@redcross.org.

Engagement MUROW-KLEIN Janie and Allan Murow are excited to announce the engagement of their daughter, Rebecca, to Joshua Klein, son of Janet Kolodner and Michael Klein. The bride-to-be graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Political Science and Judaic Studies. She is currently the health and education policy advisor for Senator Ben Nelson. She is the granddaughter of Ruthie and Merle Potash and Estelle and

Richard Murow. Her fiancé is a graduate of Brandeis University, and received his Master’s of Science in Environmental Science from American University. He is a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. The couple met at DC Minyan in Washington DC, where they are both active in the leadership. A November wedding is being planned in Omaha.

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June 8, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 5

The Book of Dad

Bert’s eye view BERT LEWIS This is the season to focus on Dad. You know, June and Father’s Day. Ok... let’s talk about your dad. Was (or is) he the kind of guy who wore a suit and tie to work every day? Maybe he was more likely to be wearing shirtsleeves and washable pants to work. If you’re really young, you may remember your father in blue jeans and T shirts and no socks with his Nikes. Styles as well as dads seem to change with great regularity. But there are many things which remain constant, no matter of which generation we speak. We all grew up with certain expressions ringing in our ears. Who could forget the sound of dad’s voice as he walked into the garage, took one look at his car and yelled “What happened when you had the car last night?” And won’t you always remember thinking to yourself “oh geez, he’s gonna kill me!” I believe it doesn’t matter if your dad was president of a bank or worked behind the counter of a store - those are words engraved in everyone’s DNA! Those whose dads were the laid back and relaxed types probably can remember playing “catch” in the back yard with him, or perhaps going to his workplace to meet him for lunch on occasion. Everyone should have a special compartment in the memory file marked “special times with my dad”. Some may have ended in a semi disaster, but you still remember them, don’t you? Was your dad the kind who taught you to drive? Or was he the busy executive who reminded you to sign up for Driver’s Ed? Was he the type who went nuts if there was a fender-bender involving the family sedan? Or was he the dad who first asked “is everyone alright?” Oh yes, there are lots of that kind too. We call them the cool dads, and blessed are the children of such guys. (They’re the same ones who will snap “get up and go help your mother.” Come to think of it, they’re also the same ones who “help mother” when the kids aren’t around.) I don’t think it’s difficult to figure out what most dads are all about. Regardless of how they earn what it takes to provide for the family, generally their first responsibility is just that: providing for the family, fretting about future needs, and what area of town is best to live in, for close proximity to good schools. If dad is deeply committed to the practice of his religion, he’s usually going to lean a little on the kids, pointing them in the direc-

tion of the nearest bimah. Especially the children who are pre-bar and bat mitzvah ages. After all, dad still remembers his own bar mitzvah, and I think that’s what he pictures when he’s dozing in the recliner. Maybe not, but I suspect it is anyway. Dad is the same guy who responds to the news of the invitation to the black tie affair with an irritated “I am not going,” and of course not only goes, but is one of the last to leave. Sometimes it’s not easy to figure out somebody like that, but it’s not impossible. That reluctant party goer will get up before the sun for a very early tee time at his favorite golf course. He’s also been seen huddled in his seat in the stadium, bundled in a warm parka, boots, and not just gloves, but hand warmers slipped into the gloves. What for? The big game, of course! So what if the temperature is 27 degrees with a wind chill of 5 above... it’s the big game!! Wait. I take it back. It is hard to figure out some dads. One thing that’s clear is the difference between a dad and a son, and a dad and a daughter. I’ve been a witness to examples of both so I feel qualified to speak with some authority. I know a son somehow fits into a different category when speaking of a man’s children. Not being a male I can’t be more specific, but I’d swear under oath that’s true. As a daughter to one of the world’s best dads, and as a mother to daughters, the last two pieces to make the mosaic of our family complete, I know! A man cradles his new baby boy in his arms and pictures a grown boy, carrying enough sports equipment for a team. That same proud papa cradles the baby girl when she looks at him, and smiles so sweetly it brings tears to his eyes, even if she then spits up on him. She’s Daddy’s girl from that moment until right up to the chuppah! That boy is dad’s pride and joy. The girl? Only as important as the sunrise in the morning. But we aren’t here to compare a man’s offspring. The idea was to give dad a little note of appreciation. Lord knows he deserves at least that much. So my suggestion is simple. One of the nicest gifts is yourself. Go spend some time with him... talk to him. Better yet, listen while he talks to you! And you might remember one other thing: these days, it’s entirely ok for sons to give dad a kiss along with that big male hug. Girls don’t have to be told. We know there are fewer kisses sweeter than the ones dad plants on a cheek. And here’s one more small morsel of truth: It doesn’t make a dime’s worth of difference how old any of the participants are! HAPPY FATHER’S DAY everybody. Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis39@aol.com.

Marriage STERLING/PITTMAN Lanie Sterling and Lance Pittman were married on May 5, 2012, at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Leigh Anne Brown of Austin, TX, daughter of Omahans Debbi and Speedy Zweiback and former Omahan Jonathan Brown, officiated at the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of former Omahans Bob Slutzky and Jaynie Smeerin of Los Angeles and Connie and Ted O’Connor of Irvine, CA, and the sister of Scott Slutzky of Los

Angeles. She is the granddaughter of Florence Brody of Omaha, the late Jack Brody, Charlotte Slutzky Koom of Omaha and the late Dr. Ben Slutzky. The groom is the son of Nancy and David Reeds of Walnut Creek, CA. His daughter Aleashea Preston served as the Best Woman and Lanie’s mother Connie served as the Matron of Honor. Following a wedding trip, a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, the couple resides in Chandler, AZ.

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Speakers reminisce about Temple Israel by DAVID GOLBITZ Temple Israel Staff Writer Now entering its sixth year, Temple Israel’s Summer Speaker Series began as a way to showcase the history of Omaha’s Jewish community through the diverse experiences of its members. “It is an exciting time in the life of Temple Israel,” said Program Director Wendy Goldberg, “and it is very important that we capture the incredible story of our history at our Cass Street home before we prepare to move to Sterling Ridge.” From June to August, various congregants will share their memories each week during Friday night services. Silvia Roffman is looking forward to sharing her family’s long association with the congregation. Her family has been part of Temple Israel for five generations. “I hope to make it pithy, quick and entertaining,” Roffman said. “With such a diverse community, we hope to weave together our personal histories,” Goldberg said. “Our goal is to learn more about each other, where we have come from, who we are.” When Rosie Zweiback moved away from Omaha after high school, she searched for a Jewish community like the one she left behind, but she never found one. “Temple Israel has had a profound impact on my life and that of my parents, my brothers and my children,” Zweiback said. “I was honored to be asked to participate in the summer speakers' series and look forward to sharing some insights.”

Organizations

The list of speakers is a veritable who’s who of Omaha Jewry, beginning with Joanne and Jerry Freeman on June 15. The following week, on June 22, Mel Epstein is going to discuss the religious studies he has undertaken at Temple Israel. And closing out the month is Ted Seldin, who will speak about his memories of when Temple Israel was hit by a tornado in May 1975 and the subsequent efforts to rebuild. July kicks off with “Cass Street Champions,” a collection of interview clips with various Temple Israel members who are unable to attend in person on July 6; new Temple Israel Rabbi Josh Brown will speak about coming to Omaha from North Carolina on July 13; Howard Friedman, Tom Friedman, Sue Millward and Anne Shackman will talk about their memories of Temple Israel on July 20; and Angie and Stan Krieger will discuss their “Cass Street Memories” on July 27. Temple Israel will welcome Sandy Nogg as the “Gift Shop Lady Tells All” on Aug. 3; followed by Silvia Roffman and Suzanne Singer on Aug. 10; Rosie Zweiback will have a presentation titled “The Promised Land of Cass Street” on Aug. 17; and the summer series comes to a close on Aug. 24 with Miriam Brooks, daughter of Jane and Sidney Brooks. She will show interview clips of her mother, as Jane recalls the transition from the previous Temple Israel building to the current one, “From Park Avenue to Cass Street.” These summer stories will be part of Temple Israel’s 6 p.m. Friday night services in the Livingstone Chapel; all are welcome to attend. Please check Temple Israel’s weekly eTidings for updates as dates and speakers are subject to change.

NCJW update

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Tom Warren, former chief of police and now the Executive Director of the Urban League of Nebraska, will discuss his program successes and challenges in North Omaha on Wednesday, June 13, noon, at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $11; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the email list call 402.334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH How much Yiddish do you know? Probably more than you think. Some English words have made their way into Yiddish. Many Yiddish words are commonly used in English. Every first Thursday of the month, we will be playing Yiddish Bingo. This will give you a chance to show off the Yiddish you didn’t even know you knew. Everyone is invited! We meet every Thursday from 1-3 p.m., in the Rose Blumkin Home Board Room. For information call Anne Skolkin at 402.343.1638.

NCJW Donor chairmen Terri Zacharia and Jamie Friedland urge all who have not yet sent in their Donor check to do so by June 15, the end of the fiscal year.

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June 8, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 7

Gentlemen, start your ovens!

Read it and eat Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN Cook-offs, throw-downs, competitive cupcakes, top-chefs all conjure up images of men cooking and competing in food careers in kitchens all over town. In a recent Wall Street Journal article I read of the Generation X author’s opinion, “Men of Generation X are all but elbowing women out of the kitchen these days. We don’t own the stove outright – yet- but we’re well on our way.” Whether a sous chef, everyday or occasional chef, butcher, baker or ice cream maker, and whether the elbowing is gathering momentum, and since Fathers’ Day is in June, these cookbooks are of interest to all and especially the men in charge of the indoor and outdoor ovens. The Art of Fermentation By Sandor Ellix Katz (Chelsea Green, $39.95) Be a fermento! This “fermentation revivalist”, who was an early pickle lover fascinated by the taste, demystifies the process and concepts and adds history. Discover or rediscover the ancient art of fermentation. Everything bubbles over with wonderful information – a packed read. My dad’s attempts would have benefited from this book: mysterious pops from bottles of brew in the basement and every year his jars of pickles grew bigger and more puckery. Try the descriptions to see what happens to vegetables, beverages, grains, beans, meat, eggs and more. “Anyone, anywhere can ferment”. FRUIT KVAAS Pick out a combination of fruit, berries, and fresh herbs or spices that you think would go well together, and get started. In a 1-quart/liter wide-mouth mason jar combine the following (be sure to use organic ingredients for the best fermentation results): A big handful of berries One sliced “core” fruit” (such as apple or pear) A tablespoon of grated ginger 1/2 cup/125 ml raw-milk whey Enough filtered water to fill the jar Combine all ingredients, top off with water, place a weight of some sort on top of the fruit to keep it submerged, and close tightly. Keep on the counter in a warm-ish place for three days before transferring to the fridge. You can top off the bottle with filtered water and a splash of whey when it gets low, until the fruit is all used up. This recipe can be varied by using different fruits, citrus juices, fresh herbs or even vegetables. Saveur The New Comfort Food Edited by James Oseland (Chronice, $35) Glorious color photographs of people, places, foods and how-tos, over 100 eclectic recipes for comfort food from around the world from this award winning magazine

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editor and cookbook author extraordinaire. The book is based on the simple premise that this is food to satisfy the soul. Terrific headnotes and sidebars are packed with information. Matzo Ball Soup, Matzo Brei with Mushrooms and Asparagus, Golden Potato Latkes, Lindy’s Cheesecake (like our beloved Omaha Reuben Sandwich, both Lindy’s and Arnold Reuben of Manhattan Deli claim this creation). Another NYC recipe from the bartenders at Union Square Café using heirloom tomatoes from the nearby farmers’ market. HEIRLOOM TOMATO BLOODY MARY 2 large ripe heirloom tomatoes 2 oz. vodka 1 oz. fresh lime juice 1 tsp. freshly grated horseradish Tabasco, to taste Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste Cherry or grape tomatoes, for garnish Push tomatoes through a potato ricer or a medium sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Refrigerate juice until chilled. Stir in vodka, lime juice, horseradish and Tabasco and season with salt and pepper. Fill a highball glass with ice and add tomato juice mixture. Garnish with a wooden skewer threaded with tomatoes. Makes 1 cocktail The Gardener & The Grill By K. Adler & J. Fertig (Running Press, $23) The bounty of the garden meets the sizzle of the grill. The taste of freshly picked veggies enjoyed year ‘round. Savor over 100 vegetarian recipes. Grow in pots, “potager” (raised in beds in a pattern) or thrill of fresh this and that at farmers’ markets. Appetizers to desserts. Try grilled fruits, brie or this quick and easy recipe with added blue cheese. GRILLED PEARS WITH HONEY-CINNAMON CRÈME FRAÎCHE 1⁄2 cup sour cream 1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons wildflower honey 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 4 pears, halved and cored In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, cream, honey and cinnamon. Cover and let stand for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours until it thickens. Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill. Place the pear halves cut-side down on the grill. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until the pears are tender and blistered. To serve, place 2 pear halves in each bowl and spoon the crème fraîche on top. Serve warm. Serves 4 From the Ground Up By James Villas (Wiley, $22.99) Over 200 global recipes for an around the world food experience bite by bite, meatloaf by meatloaf, chili with and without beans, ground dishes of every size and shape. But wait, there’s more. This is the go-to book for ground beef, chicken, turkey and seafood from Avgolemono Soup to Zarela’s Chipas. Headnotes, clear instructions, Gefilte Fish and this recipe - feel free to experiment with chopped or minced olives, capers, anchovies, lemon rind and the like.

SMOKED SALMON-STUFFED EGGS 8 large hard-boiled eggs 1⁄4 pound smoked salmon 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Small dill sprigs for garnish

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, press the yolks through a sieve into a bowl, and reserve the whites. In a food processor, grind half the salmon to a puree and scrape into the bowl with the egg yolks. Finely chop the remaining salmon and add to the bowl. Add the cream cheese, chives, minced dill, and salt and pepper and stir till well blended and smooth. Connect a star tube to a pastry bag, fill the bag with the salmon mixture, and pipe it evenly into the egg white cavities. Garnish the tops of each egg half with a sprig of dill. (Makes 6 to 8 servings) America’s Best Ribs By A. Davis & P. Kirk (Andrews McMeel, $19.99) “The best rib is the rib you like.” The goal of this book written by two great, award winning KC BBQ kings/ribmasters is to help you cook your personal best ribs... make that championship-caliber ribs judged by backyard aficionados. Helpful tips, headnotes and sidebars. Memories and stories like which bulls to avoid and which bulls to eat! Read of grilling, smoking, sops, mops, brines, slaters and rubs. Six chapters, over 100 recipes covering ribs, sides and desserts. In a two-page spread, Omahan Mason Steinberg recalls in the 25th and Q area in 1949 his introduction to BBQ, the rib sandwich and the taste of rubs and hickory smoke. Try this dry rub on beef back ribs. RUB 2 tablespoons granulated garlic 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons mild chili powder 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons coarse or restaurant grind black pepper 3 tablespoons sea salt 1 tablespoon cayenne Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and blend well. Season the ribs all over with the rub. Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@ yahoo.com

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8 | The Jewish Press | June 8, 2012

Point of view

American Jewish Press Association Award Winner

Nebraska Press National Newspaper Association Association Award winner 2008

When in Rome

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press I don’t know what it feels like to be independently wealthy, but I believe it has perks. Buy (most of) what you want, whenever you want. Have a nice house, and don’t worry about your children’s college funds, or nasty car-related surprises that always tend to occur during the Monday morning commute. But of course, there are also drawbacks. Imagine, for instance, that you’re a 28-year-old creator of a very popular social networking site. You are Time Magazine’s man of the Year. They make a movie about your life. Not a very nice one, but still: any publicity is good publicity, right? Your company goes public, and you make billions of dollars. Even when the stock takes a plunge after mere days, you know you’ll never have to work another day. So what if people give you a hard time about your refusal to put on a three-piece-suit, or the New York Observer calls you “Pasty.” It’s all good; you take a deep breath, and take your lovely new wife on a well-deserved honeymoon trip to Italy. The problem when you are wealthy is that everyone else knows exactly how you should spend your money. And when you break the (unwritten) rules, you get tarred and feathered. Mark Zuckerberg found this out when the American media reported last week on a dinner he had with his wife in Rome. “Honeymooning Zuckerberg stiffs Italian wait staff,” the headline read. The story offered the following details: “Newspapers ran pictures of what they said was the billionaire couple’s bill at the Nonna Betta restaurant -- Jewishstyle artichokes and fried zucchini flowers (both Roman Jewish specialties) as starters; one order between them of ravioli stuffed with artichokes and sea bass; tea and water. The total came to just 32 euro – about $40 -- including the cover charge for bread that is normal for restaurants in Italy. Staff at the restaurant were quoted in newspapers as saying

the couple did not leave any further gratuity. Media reports said the couple went on to Capri after Rome.” (Source: JTA) I can’t blame them. Two questions: 1) This is news? And 2) Why are so many of us obsessed with other people’s money? The first question is easy to answer: it isn’t. Or, more to the point: it shouldn’t be. It’s nobody’s business whether Mark Zuckerberg tipped his Italian waiter or not. If the story has any truth to it, which we have no way of knowing, it would be justified in retrospect. No restaurant owner who blabs to the press about a guest - and allows copies of said restaurant bill to be circulated on the web - deserves sympathy. I don’t care how rich and famous that guest is. Also, we don’t need to know what every well-known Jew around the world is doing or eating at any given time. The second question is a little more complicated. This is not merely about the anti-Semitic stereotype of a Jew who jealously guards his money - although I have no doubt there are those who would accept the inadvertent invitation to leave hateful comments. “Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Poor Tipping the Reason Italy Hates Jews?” read a headline on Gawker.com. Oh please, let’s not go there, not even tongue-in-cheek. It’s anything but funny. There is a larger financial storm brewing in the world, one that goes far beyond the Jewish community. However, between the com-

plicated tax discussions (what goes where and who pays what?), the continuing economic difficulties many people face, and the never-ending budget shortages many countries have to deal with, it is easy to get frustrated, and simply get angry at the millionaires and billionaires instead. Sometimes that anger is justified, just as often it is not. Let’s face it; at the end of the day this is a story about massive income inequality. When we talk about how capital is divided, we should talk about the real issues and try to come to an understanding about how to solve them. We should not, in other words, worry about whether the Mark Zuckerbergs of this world tip their waiters, but worry about the fact that we live in a world where it is legal to pay wait staff so little they have to rely on tips in the first place.

U.N. Me documentary makes Borat-style attack on world body

Behind the headlines BEN HARRIS NEW YORK (JTA) -- Call it Michael Moore meets Sacha Baron Cohen. A pro-Israel activist is hoping that his documentary on the United Nations -- to be released nationwide on June 1 -brings focus to what he says is the world body’s global ineffectiveness. One of the more rambunctious scenes in U.N. Me comes from a lull in deliberations at the controversial 2009 Durban Review Conference in Geneva, a parley headlined by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and boycotted by Israel, the United States and others because of its obsessive focus on the Jewish state. In the clip, an American in a dark suit and tie mounts the podium and seizes the microphone. “You people should be embarrassed and ashamed,” filmmaker Ami Horowitz announces to the handful of delegates scattered about the hall. “You have squandered the opportunity the world has given you. This is a perverse example of what it was meant to be.” The conference already had been somewhat of a diplomatic zoo, with myriad protesters -- a disproportionate number of them Jewish -- disrupting the proceedings and causing a ruckus in the hallways. With security heightened, Horowitz was whisked from the room within seconds. But standing in the near-empty press gallery was Horowitz’s partner, Matthew Groff, who captured the inci-

(Founded in 1920) Andrew Ruback President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Shiri Tene Advertising Executive Jessie Wees Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper

Jewish Press Board Eric Dunning, Vice President; Jason Epstein, Treasurer; Bobbi Leibowitz, Past President; Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Daniel Christensen; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Michael Kaufman; Paul Rabinowitz; Caryn Scheer; Mark Senal; Nancy Wolf. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press. Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishoma-

dent on tape. The footage now forms the climax of the scathing documentary written, directed and produced by Groff and Horowitz. Horowitz’s Geneva stunt is a move plucked from the playbook of the documentarian Moore, whose screen persona of the everyman trying to get straight answers from the powerful pervades his critically acclaimed work in films such as Bowling for Columbine and Roger & Me. But will the left-leaning Moore’s trademark style wow viewers of a documentary taking aim at an organization that has long been a punching bag for the right? Horowitz, a former investment banker and avowed conservative, says the film is neither liberal nor conservative. Indeed, in what may wind up being a savvy directorial decision, the film never mentions what many consider one of the most egregious examples of the U.N.’s moral blindspot: a relentless focus on Israel. Instead, Horowitz keeps the lens trained on U.N. failures in areas generally cherished by liberals: peacekeeping and human rights. He travels to the African nation of Cote d’Ivoire, where he reports on a little-known incident in which a contingent of French U.N. peacekeepers fired on protesters. He interviews Nobel laureate Jody Williams, whose report on Darfur for the U.N. Human Rights Council was nearly blocked by the very body that commissioned it. And he reviews the details of better-known examples of U.N. wrongdoing, such as sexual abuse allegations by peacekeepers and the atrocious Oil for Food Programme that served mainly to enrich Saddam Hussein. “Almost anybody who is a liberal thinks it’s a liberal

movie, and everybody who is conservative thinks it’s a conservative movie,” Horowitz said. “People don’t know [U.N. reform] is a conservative cause.” If Horowitz’s style owes much to Moore -- a man he describes as his “friend” -- he also acknowledges a debt to another character of the big screen: Borat, the fictional and clueless Khazaki journalist made famous by Cohen. Horowitz routinely presents himself as a credulous buffoon, eagerly accepting the assurances of an Iranian official that his country is not making nuclear weapons and agreeing with U.N. disarmament chief Sergio Duarte’s assessment that despite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated hostile declarations against Israel, the Iranian president’s true intensions cannot be divined. The routine succeeds, Borat-syle, in making several interviewees look silly. In a segment on the U.N’s failure to stop the killings in Darfur, Horowitz asks Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations why Sudan stones gays after the first offense but lesbians only after the fourth. “No, no, no,” the ambassador corrects him. “Woman, if she is married, she will be stoned immediately.” Earlier in the interview, Horowitz informs the ambassador that before learning of the situation in Darfur, he had thought the Janjaweed was a strain of Sudanese marijuana. Horowitz says he was moved to make a film about the United Nations after watching Bowling for Columbine, Moore’s documentary about guns and violence in America. “I saw his movie and [I thought], if I want to get my point across, this is the best way to do it,” Horowitz said. Continued on page 9

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June 8, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 9

Sustaining a day school education, financially and morally

Behind the headlines ARYEH KLAPPER (Jewish Ideas Daily) -- There is a lot of hand-wringing these days about whether the rising costs of Jewish day schools are sustainable. The discussion has been about money, but this misses the point: The largest costs of day school tuition are not financial but moral, and the key to solving the financial dilemma is to address the moral problem. What are the moral costs? Imagine that someone proposes a new Jewish practice that would have these outcomes: • Parents take second jobs, or work longer hours, that deprive them of almost all weekday contact with their children and leave them too exhausted to make Shabbat meaningful. • Nearly half of households are transformed for years from community contributors to charity recipients. • Children aspiring to intellectual, creative or service work, such as teaching (especially Torah) or other helping professions, are told that these are not options because they will not produce enough money to sustain a committed Jewish lifestyle. • Families choose to have fewer children for purely economic reasons. We would consider such a practice stunningly irresponsible. Yet these are real-life consequences of current day school tuition, even as day school education is increasingly seen as vital in successful Jewish child-rearing. Should we therefore undo commitment to broad-based day school education? No; we can address the moral issues and, in doing so, the financial ones as well. Many of the moral challenges come not from the amount that families must pay but from the system that determines the amount. Under the current financial aid system, families have no guarantee of how they will be affected by tuition hikes or whether the school will take account of a job loss or extra income from a second job. Unable to plan and chronically dependent on the decisions of others, they are deprived of economic dignity. Furthermore, financial aid applications require families to state their expenses in often humiliating detail, so that an anonymous committee can sit in judgment of their priorities. A family that eats pasta all month so it can go to a movie risks an aid cut because it spends on entertainment. Yes, the price of poverty is often loss of privacy and dignity. But these are evils; they must be minimized. The current system maximizes these evils by forcing otherwise self-supporting, even wealthy families to apply for charity because “full tuitionâ€? is unaffordable even for many households EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE The Jewish Press office is closed Wednesday, July 4, for Independence Day; the deadline for the July 6 issue is Wednesday, June. 27, 9 a.m. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

earning more than $200,000 per year. A model like that of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston offers great potential. Put simply, here’s how it might work: Basic tuition is a fixed percentage of gross income set at approximately the percentage that the current financial aid process tends to charge middle-income families. High-income families can choose to pay a fixed amount, approximately what is now called “full tuition,â€? in order to lower their tuition, and families unable to pay the fixed percentage could, as now, apply for financial aid. This model corrects many of the current system’s moral deficiencies: • It makes the tuition-setting process transparent and predictable for many more families. • It moves many middle-class families off the charity rolls and minimizes the schools’ intrusion into their affairs. • It defines day school education as a public good to be communally supported instead of an individual good privately purchased. • It makes clear that the rich, even when they pay the maximum tuition, are assessed a lower percentage of their income than the middle class. What impact will this model have on the financial bottom line of schools? At the simplest level, none; the percentage of income required as tuition can be set so as to produce approximately the revenues that schools receive now. But more thoughtfully, it offers exciting possibilities for increasing revenues, enrollment and fiscal accountability. Here are

Letter

just a few of them: • Dan Perla of the Avi Chai Foundation argues cogently that setting school payments as a percentage of income during a recession is an excellent investment, as when times improve, revenues will rise much faster than costs. • Families who now avoid day school because of the uncertainties and indignities of the financial aid process may now enroll. • Wealthier families may donate significantly more when they see their tuition payments as reflecting a discount. • Administrators will have a much clearer sense of revenues, and the entire school community will be more accountable for designing the school so that it remains within the financial ambit of its constituency. • The fiction of a “financial aid budgetâ€? that can be “used upâ€? leads many schools to forego revenues that would be almost pure net profit. Students who pay a significant portion of gross family income as tuition generally contribute more than the marginal cost of their education. This new model requires elaboration and customization, but it can redirect the community’s conversation and efforts toward a model of day school financing that is financially and morally sustainable. Rabbi Aryeh Klapper is dean of the Center for Modern Torah Leadership and teaches rabbinic literature at Gann Academy, a pluralistic Jewish high school in Waltham, Mass. This article was first published by Jewish Ideas Daily www.jewishideasdaily.com and is reprinted with permission.

U.N. Me documentary

TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Mazel Tov to Marty Ricks on receiving the Jody and Neal Malashock Award for Professional Excellence. The Omaha Jewish Community has been blessed by the extraordinary service he has provided us. Marty is the epitome of what a Jewish Professional should be. He understands and has shown that the highest form of leadership is set by example. Marty’s involvement goes far beyond office hours and business meetings. He is everywhere that Jews are or ought to be. He is at synagogue services and events, at celebrations and funerals, at lectures and performances, and minyans and banquets, and is an active volunteer for a multitude of Jewish organizations. He encourgages others to participate, because he participates. Added to this, Marty’s leadership is infused with warmth, kindness, compassion and caring. No one in our community deserves more tribute than Marty Ricks. Shalom, Steven J. Riekes

Continued from page 8 Financed in part by the conservative telecommunications executive Howard Jonas, U.N. Me premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2009. Jonas also helped Horowitz penetrate the halls of power. Horowitz screened the film for Dick Cheney at the former vice president’s home in Virginia, and for media executives Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes in New York. According to Horowitz, Murdoch liked the film and wanted to distribute it, but Ailes warned him that supporting the film would be tantamount to declaring war on the United Nations. Murdoch, Horowitz recalled, replied that Ailes’ FOX News is already at war with the world body. “The whole idea of the movie is based on the idea of activism,� Horowitz said. “I’m not trying to tell an impartial story. The only thing I’m responsible for is the truth. I have no responsibility beyond that. I don’t have to show both sides of anything. I have a point of view and I’m trying to prove it.�

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10 | The Jewish Press | June 8, 2012

Synagogues B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 618 Mynster Street | Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 | 402.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com For information on our historic synagogue – dates and times for Friday night services, please call 712.323.8885.

SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. followed by Breakfast Bonanza. WEEKDAYS: Minyan, 7 a.m. WEDNESDAY: A Taste of Yeshiva-Chevruta style Beit Midrash study, 6:30 p.m. All programs are open to the entire community.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California | Omaha, NE 68154-1980 | 402.492.8550 www.bethel-omaha.org Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin, Rabbi Steven Abraham and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Let’s Do Lunch with Rabbi Levin at the Blumkin Home’s Star Deli, noon. RSVP to him by Thursday, June 7, at rabbilevin@bethel-omaha.org; Kabbalat Shabbat Service, 6 p.m.; Reception for Cantor Schlossberg, 7 p.m. (following services), Beth El will host a reception honoring Cantor Schlossberg. The entire community is invited. SATURDAY: Shabbat Services, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:50 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Torah Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m. MONDAY: Wrestling with Rabbis of the Talmud, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Abraham. THURSDAY: Jews and Brews, 7 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, contact Michael Schop at 402.445.4004, or chopper17@me.com. Dinner and Drash, Friday, June 15, 7 p.m., following Shabbat services. Rabbi Abraham will lead the discussion. Dinner cost, $8. RSVP by visiting www.bethel-omaha.org, or contact Margie in the office or at programming@bethelomaha.org. All classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street | Omaha, NE. 68154 | 402.556.6288 www.BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Free babysitting service begins at 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes begin with Torah Parade, 9:45 a.m.; Understanding the Prayers, 10 a.m.; Kiddush is sponsored by Sisterhood; The Laws of Shabbat, 6:30 p.m.; Advanced Parshah Study for Kids (ages 10 and up), 7:30 p.m.; Rabbi Gross’s Twitter Topic Class, 7:30 p.m.; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:48 p.m. SUNDAY: Gemara class, 8 a.m., learning tractate Kiddushin; Shacharit, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Weekly Teleconference Mishnah Class, 10:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross. Contact the office for information on how to call-in to the conference call. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Gross; First Lecture of the Great Rashi Shabbaton, The Strangest Rule in Rashi, by Rabbi Yisrael Herczeg, 7 p.m. at the Kripke Library.

CHABAD CENTER An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street | Omaha, NE 68144-1646 | 402.330.1800 www.OChabad.com | email: chabad@aol.com Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Minyan, 7 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service.

To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewish omaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, by e-mailing the editor at: avandekamp@jewishoma ha.org or online at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press.’

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN South Street Temple | Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street | Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 | 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org Services conducted by Rabbi Craig Lewis. FRIDAY: Shabbat Evening Service, 7:45 p.m. with oneg following hosted by Maureen and Dale Lobb. SATURDAY: There will be no services at South Street Temple this morning; Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Jack Halperin; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. on Parashat Beha’alotecha. SUNDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 1 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE SAC Memorial Chapel 301 Lincoln Highway | Offutt AFB, NE 68113 | 402.294.6244 FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME 323 South 132 Street | Omaha, NE 68154 FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by LOVE Members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. SUNDAY: LOVE Game Day, 11:30 a.m. at the JCC.

Candlelighting Friday, June 8, 8:38 p.m.

Services will be held in the Chapel. Members of the community are invited to attend.

TEMPLE ISRAEL Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 7023 Cass Street | Omaha, NE 68132-2651 | 402.556.6536 www.templeisrael-ne.org FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to Remington Heights, 4 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel; Shabbat Worship Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Azriel and Cantor Shermet. SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.; Max Goldberg, son of Cindy and Bruce Goldberg, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard | Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 | 402.423.8569 www.tiferethisraellincoln.org Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m. followed by a desert oneg in honor of Jack Halperin SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 9:30 a.m. as Jack Halperin is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah followed by a Kiddush lunch in honor of Jack sponsored by the Halperin family. The unveiling of the monument dedicated to Lorraine Teller will take place on Monday, June 18, 11:30 a.m. in Hastings, NE. For further information please contact Nancy Coren.

B’nai Mitzvah Tziporah won an award for the Elinor Whitman Book Dahlia Beth Hamicksburg, Illyana Marie Hamicksburg, Tziporah Peggy Hamicksburg, daughters of Nanci and Appreciation contest. Her interests include reading, British science fiction, ridJames Hamicksburg, will ing her bike, and become a B’nai Mitzvah on hanging out with Saturday, June 16, at Tifereth friends. Israel in Lincoln. For their mitzvah Dahlia, Illyana and project, Dahlia, Tziporah are all graduates of Illyana and Tziporah Friedel Jewish Academy and repaired children’s will be seventh-grade stubooks for the dents at Pound Middle Tifereth Israel School in Lincoln in the fall. library. Dahlia won an award for Dahlia Beth Illyana Marie Tziporah Peggy They have a broththe Scholar’s Club Bible Hamicksburg Hamicksburg Hamicksburg er, Michael. knowledge contest. Her Grandparents are Beth and Lyle Hamilton, Peggy O’Neil interests include reading, ballet, singing, British science fiction and hanging out with friends. and the late Peter Rivenburg, and the late Marie Sowa Illyana’s interests include reading, horses, British science Waters and Jim Hicks. fiction, and hanging out with friends.

Shabbat, Unplugged and Uncovered by MARK KIRCHHOFF Administrative Assistant, Center for Jewish Life Ahad Ha’am (8/8/1856 – 1/2/1927), essayist and one of the foremost pre-state Zionist thinkers wrote, “It is not the Jewish people that keep the Shabbat, it is Shabbat that keeps the Jewish people.” If you believe that Jewish traditions exist for a reason, you will appreciate how Ha’am has presented this concept. You will hold fast to the belief that Jewish people exist today in part because of these traditions. In conjunction with the announcement of the “reconceptualized” agency, the Center for Jewish Life, Miriam Gross Executive Director, Beth Cohen, is excited for the agency to offer a three week class conducted by our well-known educator and community leader, Miriam Gross. “Shabbat is so integral to Jewish life, family, and community that this course is the right topic at the right time to reflect on its meaning to all Jewish people,” commented Cohen. Shabbat, Unplugged and Uncovered will be held June 15, 22, and 29 from noon–1 p.m. in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Gross explains that the Jewish idea of Shabbat is a gift. By its presence, this gift has enhanced many other religions

and cultures. Yet even as the concept of rest from technology and the burdens of our overcommitted lives serves a promising respite to the body and soul, this gift may sometimes be taken for granted or treated as just one of those necessities of life. “The fundamental appreciation of ‘keeping Shabbat’ can be very different from the nitty-gritty practice,” says Miriam. “The detailed rules are actually complex and thoughtful recipes for building community, enhancing family life and setting the stage for a just and kind society.” Join Miriam as she explores the depth and consideration that went into some of the stranger sounding Shabbat laws. Miriam will discuss the now famous Omaha eruv, the prohibition on cooking, and why you can move a heavy couch on a sweltering summer’s day and still call it rest. The final class will conclude with a Shabbat dinner cooked and hosted by the course instructor herself! To register for Shabbat, Unplugged and Uncovered on June 15, 22, 29 in the Kripke Library from noon–1 p.m., contact Mark Kirchhoff, Administrative Assistant, at (402) 334-0643, mkirchhoff@jewishomaha.org, or stop by the library and register directly. The total fee for all classes is $26 discounted to $21 for members in good standing with the Annual Campaign. Checks should be made payable to The Center for Jewish Life. Cash is welcomed as well. The Center for Jewish Life is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha that strives to maximize involvement of Omaha’s Jewish community in imaginative, compelling and meaningful Jewish experiences.

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June 8, 2012 | The Jewish Press | 11

A light to the nations

Sparks from the word RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parsha B’haalot’cha Jews have always taken seriously what is implied in the symbolism of the lights of the sanctuary. There was not only the physical light to be considered. Light was also the inner light of the spirit, the illumination of religious truth. Isaiah of the Exile called for Israel to be a “Light to the Nations.” It is not hard to see that human history has been permanently and ineradicably influenced by the Torah. It is no exaggeration to say that the two main distinctive influences on western

civilization are the influence of classic Greek culture on our scientific and aesthetic selves, and the influence of Hebrew civilization on the moral insights of western civilization. In this sense, what is illuminating in Christianity and Islam rises from Judaism, and the two are “daughter religions” of Judaism. It was our ancestors who first saw man as his brother’s keeper and who first identified the connections between love of God and love of man: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself; I am the Lord.” We have kept the symbolism. Every synagogue has an “eternal light.” But the world has turned its back, except for lip service, on the illumination that came from Zion. Our world is a world of mankind’s belligerence and brotherly hatred. Jews ought not to give up their insistence on human values. Rather they must stress these ancient insights and keep the inner lights of morality ablaze.

In memoriam ROSALYN G. ZEFFREN Rosalyn G. Zeffren, 94, formerly of Rock Island, passed away on Friday, May 18. Services were held Sunday May 20 at Hebrew Cemetery, Rock Island, Ill. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Andrea Zeffren Alter; her husband, Jerome; and her sister, Gerry Geifman. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Joan and Paul Sher of Portland, Ore., Barbara Alter of New Milford, N.J., and Shane and David Kotok; grandchildren, Meridee Alter, Eric Alter, Matthew and Elizabeth Sher, Andrew and Halla Sher, Lawrence and Jessica Sher, Joe and Kandie Alter, David and Camelle Alter, Andrea Kotok, Seth and Kattie Kotok, Stephen and Mehreen Kotok; and nine

great-grandchildren. She was a longtime owner with her husband Jerome of Gendler's, one of the Midwest's first exclusive wine and gourmet shops in Rock Island. Rosalyn and Jerry were married for 69 years. She was born and raised in the QuadCities, and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois at Champaign. She held leadership positions in B'nai B'rith Women, Hadassah, PTA and volunteered with children at the Rock Island Public Library and served as a docent at the Davenport Art Museum. Memorials may be made to the Zeffren Scholarship Fund at Beth El Synagogue, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, or to the Kripke Library.

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CORRECTION In the June 1 issue, Sam Munzesheimer’s information on the Salute to High School Seniors spread was incorrect. He is a graduate of Millard North High School and will be attending Millard Young Adult Program in the fall. The Press regrets these errors.

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Formats. Through her work, Pasarew strives to illustrate an industrial era of huge greasy gears, while providing a striking contrast by using delicate and tiny objects. Her sculptures are jewelry turned inside out and displayed in abstract forms, the delicacy preserved behind glass. Her charcoal drawings illustrate her materials and give the object weight and mass, throwing them back towards their dirty origins. Together they are separate personae, but one body of remarkable work. Gallery Hours are Mondays-Thursdays 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Fridays 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For questions please contact Lynn Batten, Gallery Manager, at 402.334.6564.

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Tribal understandings: Jewish and Navajo spiritual leaders speak of sacred lands by EDMON J. RODMAN “portal to the Navajo Internet,” “It was one of the four places Several audience members also spotted similarities in LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- A Reform rabbi, a Navajo medi- where Navajo medicine men go with their woven water bottles experience and ritual. cine man and a professor walk into a museum. to get water for the ceremony that is held for abundant rain.” Navajo Lydell James saw a connection between his tribe’s It sounds like the opening of a joke, but on a recent May Adding emotional attachment to Window Rock is the Long Walk and the Holocaust. The Long Walk, known as Shabbat at Window Rock, Ariz., capital of the Navajo “Bosque Redondo,” was an 1864-66 forced relocation of Nation, it’s the beginning of a cross-cultural discussion the Navajo from their historic tribal lands to an area that pondered the question “What makes land sacred?” around Fort Sumner, N.M. The dialogue featuring the spiritual leaders of two tribes, Laura Jijon, who is Jewish and works with the Navajo as an Navajo medicine man Johnson Dennison and Rabbi Harry adult education administrator at the University of New Rosenfeld of the Reform Congregation Albert in Mexico Extension in nearby Gallup, N.M., cited a similarity Albuquerque, N.M., was held at the Navajo Nation Museum. to the spiritual significance that Dennison placed on the four Anthropologist Gordon Bronitsky moderated the event directions and the six directions that Jews wave the lulav on with an audience of more than 40 Jews and Navajos. It was Sukkot. the second in a series of Navajo-Jewish exchanges. As to the generational challenges facing each group, the The first program was held in November at Congregation rabbi and medicine man acknowledged that their respecAlbert, where the duo wrestled with how each group mantive people’s commitment and sense of holiness about their aged living in “Two Worlds” -- one of tradition, the other lands could be at risk. of contemporary life. “We don’t own the land,” Dennis said. “It’s a Western conOpening the discussion with “Shabbat shalom,” Rosenfeld cept of marking the land and water. It becomes a property. explained that the Hebrew word for “holy” was “kadosh,” In the future we could lose sight of the sacredness of the and that the word for profane, “chol,” was the same as the land. Window Rock in Arizona, where the spiritual leaders of two tribes word for “sand” -- something, an audience member later “Is something inherently holy? Only if a community met at the Navajo Nation Museum to talk about sacred lands. pointed out, that both groups had seen much of. takes it as such,” said Rosenfeld. “Fifty-nine percent of Credit: Edmon J. Rodman “The biblical land of Israel is sacred land for the Jews,” American Jews have not been to Israel.” Rosenfeld said. “It is sacred because God promised it.” Navajo Code Talkers Memorial at the base of the arch. The Historically, Navajos and Jews have long had some ties. For Dennison, a medicine man with a master’s degree in Code Talkers, made famous in the film Windtalkers, were a In the 19th century, Solomon Bibo, a Jewish immigrant educational administration, Navajo land is both a homeland group of Navajo-speaking U.S. Marines who during World from Poland and New Mexico trader, “was the only white where he found “harmony and beauty” as well a place where, War II devised a Navajo-based code that the Japanese were man ever to be the chief of a Navajo pueblo,” Bronitsky said. he related later, his family could raise a flock of sheep and a unable to break. Bronitsky believes it was unlikely that the Navajo had their herd of goats. As for the Jews’ attachment to their holy land, Rosenfeld own term for Jew. “There is a spiritual and emotional connection to the pointed out that “you don’t have to live on it.” Now they do. land,” he said. At the same time, he stressed -- quoting Psalm 137, “If I Touring Eastern Europe with a Navajo choral group, Dennison defined Navajo land as lying between “four forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither” -- Jews Bronitsky had worn his kippah during side trips to sacred peaks” that “were established by the holy people as are not allowed to forget their attachment. Holocaust memorials. the cornerstones of Navajo country”: Blanca Peak to the Both speakers saw rays of sacredness emanating from the At the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, awaiting the flight east, Mount Taylor to the south, San Francisco Peak to the east. Dennison remarked that the traditional Navajo home, home, he wondered if the singers could come up with a west and Mount Hesperus to the north. the hogan, was to this day oriented with its entrance to the word for a Jew. The Window Rock for which the area is named -- a east. “Bich’ah yazhi dineh’eh,” was the phrase one of them windswept, red rock opening that stands about a half-mile “The tip of light of where the rising sun first strikes is con- coined, “people who wear little hats,” he recalled during the from the museum -- illustrated the connection. sidered sacred,” he said. “First light enters our whole being.” Shabbat discussion. Taken at its physical geographic description, Window Rock Rosenfeld saw “spirituality coming from the east,” east Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on is simply a 200-foot-high natural arch of Middle Jurassic Bluff being the symbol of Jerusalem. “Jews face east when they Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at Sandstone. But as a sacred place, according to Lapahie.com, pray,” he said. edmojace@gmail.com.

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