June 19, 2009

Vol. LXXXVIII No. 42 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 88 Years of

Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

Will Bibi’s speech be enough for Palestinians, Americans? by LESLIE SUSSER The White House called JERUSALEM (JTA) -the statement "an imporAfter two months of tant step forward.” intense American presThe initial signs that sure, Israeli Prime Netanyahu’s speech Minister Benjamin would spur renewed Netanyahu finally uttered negotiations were not the magic words: two promising. states for two peoples. Chief Palestinian nego“In my peace vision, tiator Saeb Erakat comthere are two free peoples plained that by taking living together side by core issues like Jerusalem side in our small land, and refugees off the table, with good neighborly the new Israeli leader had relations and in mutual closed the door on peace respect -- each with its talks. own flag, its own national “Netanyahu will have to anthem and its own govwait a thousand years to ernment,” Netanyahu find a single Palestinian declared in a much-anticwho will cooperate with ipated speech Sunday at him on the basis of his Bar-Ilan University. Bar-Ilan speech,” Erakat The question is, will the declared. speech be enough to Egypt’s President Hosni kick-start a genuine negoMubarak, whose views tiating process with the carry considerable clout Palestinians? in the Arab world, said Netanyahu set numerNetanyahu’s demand that ous conditions for a the Palestinians recognize Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a landmark address Israel as a Jewish state was Palestinian state. The Palestinians first at the Begin Sadat Center at Bar-Ilan University Sunday evening to “destroying the chances would have to recognize outline his policy for dealing with the impasse over the move for peace.” Israel as the state of the towards peace between the Palestinians and Israel. The speech, Some Israeli analysts Jewish people; Jerusalem which was delivered in Hebrew, was a direct reply to the address suggest that the strong would remain Israel’s to the Arab world by President Barack Obama in Egypt on June 4. U.S. pressure on Israel in Credit: ISRANET recent weeks has lulled undivided capital; a solution for Palestinian refugees would have to be found the Palestinians into thinking that President Obama will outside Israel’s borders; and the United States would deliver Israel for them. have to guarantee that the Palestinian state would So the next key move is Obama's. He will have to remain demilitarized and not sign treaties with countries decide whom to pressure now: Netanyahu to make furhostile to Israel. ther concessions, or the Palestinians to engage in peace “If we get this guarantee for demilitarization and nec- talks on the basis of Netanyahu's acceptance of the twoessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the state model. Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish In his speech, Netanyahu studiously avoided saying people, we will be willing in a future peace agreement to anything about freezing building in existing West Bank reach a solution of a demilitarized Palestinian state settlements or removing illegal outposts. Obama had Continued on page 2 alongside the Jewish state,” Netanyahu pledged.

70 Sivan 5769

June 19, 2009

Trustin sign unveiled at Missouri riverfront

Earlier this month, legendary political figure Harry A. Trustin was memorialized with a street sign at the south end of Omaha’s Riverfront Drive. Above, his daughter, Barbara Taxman, and son, Col. Yale Trustin, a retired Air Force officer of San Antonio, TX, unveiled the street sign along the Missouri River. Trustin entered Omaha’s political scene in 1933 when a new slate of city commissioners was elected to succeed the previous government. He went on to serve on the commission, later the City Council, for 10 terms, and was elected vice president of the City Charter Convention. Trustin also served as City Engineer. He was named a fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers for his outstanding service in support of the development of the Pick-Sloan plan for the creation of dams on the upper Missouri River. In order to secure funding for the project, Trustin appeared before Congress and met with President Harry Truman. Trustin was also active in the Jewish community, serving as president of the Jewish Federation of Omaha and receiving a citizenCredit: Jim Hughes ship citation from B’nai B’rith.

Special “Eye on Israel” session focuses on current Middle East events by SHERRIE SAAG Administrative Assistant The Center for Jewish Education On Tuesday, June 30, 12-1 p.m., join Dr. Guy Matalon for a special “Eye on Israel” session in the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. Dr. Matalon, executive director of the Center for Jewish Education and Jewish Federation of Omaha Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of NebraskaOmaha, will offer an up-to-the-minute discussion of the latest in Israeli politics. Fresh from a six-week stay in Israel, he will share his latest perspectives on current events in the Jewish state. Israeli political leaders are very disturbed by the tone and pressure from the White House and there is much talk as to what to do. Matalon will discuss different

Inside Opinion Page see page 8

Dr. Guy Matalon, executive director of the Federation’s Center for Jewish Education, strolls through the Kotel Plaza with his twins, Ori and Eli this month in Jerusalem.

This Week: Chabad donors burn the mortgage: Page 12 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’

Experts: Islamic and right-wing extremism threats: Page 2

reactions to President Obama in Israel from cab drivers, students, political leaders and pundits. The new elections in Lebanon and Iran and their impact in the Middle East will also be covered. “Having recently been ‘on the ground’ in Eretz Yisrael, I am returning to Omaha with new perspectives on the latest news. I look forward to sharing new opinions and thoughts from the Holy Land,” said Matalon. “Eye On Israel” is an interactive forum and audience participation is encouraged. This program, which is open to the public, is presented by the Federation’s Center for Jewish Education and is provided free of charge. For more information, call 334.6445 or e-mail mgrossman@jewishomaha.org.

Coming Next Week: Senior Living Federation calls for nominations for awards: Page 3

Photos from Omaha’s young adult mission in Israel: Pages 6-7

Page 2

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 19, 2009

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By ERIC FINGERHUT WASHINGTON (JTA) -- After years of worrying about the threat posed by Muslim terrorists, is the recent shooting attack on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum -- coming soon after the murder of prominent abortion doctor George Tiller -- a signal that the Jewish community should be ratcheting up its concern about right-wing extremism? Those who track extremism and security threats in the Jewish community say that a variety of current factors -such as the poor economy, the first black president and increased immigration -- make the prospect of terror attacks from the right something to watch carefully. “The real threat is lone wolves with extremist views from the right or left,� said Paul Goldenberg, national director of the Secure Community Network, an initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Goldenberg said the common denominator is that they all target the Jewish community. In the case of the Holocaust museum shooter -- James von Brunn, an 88year-old U.S. Navy veteran -- law enforcement officials found a note in his car declaring that President Obama was “created� by Jews and does what his “Jew owners tell him to do.� The museum shooting on June 10 revived a national debate over a report released and then withdrawn by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this year warning that the “economic downturn and the election of the first African-American president present unique drivers for right-wing radicalization and recruitment.� In particular, some GOP lawmakers objected because the report pointed to veterans as possible recruits for such an attack. But with the museum and Tiller shootings, liberal commentators and organizations have been arguing that the DHS report’s basic thesis was correct and the promised revised version should be released as soon as possible. While most Jewish organizations have not jumped into the debate, they have been pointing to a string of recent plots hatched by anti-Semitic masterminds as evidence of an increasing danger posed by extremists of all stripes. In recent months, a Jewish Wesleyan University student allegedly was killed by a man who was carrying a copy of the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion�; four Muslim men were arrested for plotting attacks on Bronx synagogues; and a Muslim man who was charged with killing a soldier and injuring another at a military recruiting center in Arkansas was found to have been researching Jewish sites. Also, in April, a Pittsburgh man who allegedly shot and killed three police officers was found to have been a frequent poster on extremist right wing websites. Both the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center said that they had previously tracked von Brunn. Jack Levin, a Northeastern University criminologist,

pointed to the election of a black president with Jewish advisers as one explanation for the museum shooting.

Bullet holes in the entrance to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum n Washington after the shooting on June 10. Credit: Eric Fingerhut. “Jews and blacks in the White House -- that’s threatening to someone who believes that blacks are subhuman and Jews are the children of the devil,� Levin said. “The Obama effect," he added, has “generated a backlash of white supremacy.� Kenneth Stern, director on anti-Semitism and extremism for the American Jewish Committee, said that while lone wolves are a major concern, he had yet to see a major uptick in organized right-wing extremism such as during the mid-1990s, when the citizen militia movement grew in the Midwest. Stern noted that many of the prominent leaders in the movement over the last 10 to 15 years have died or are in jail. Some media outlets and advocacy groups have been linking the museum attack with Tiller’s murder on May 31, describing them as two specific recent examples of right-wing extremism. The National Council of Jewish Women, for instance, issued a statement the day after the museum attack deploring the “latest episode of hate violence.� “Following so soon after the murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in his church during Sunday services, this latest attack cries out not only for condemnation by public officials, but a commitment to do everything in their power to prevent such incidents from multiplying, including common-sense gun regulations,� said NCJW President Nancy Ratzan. But others in the Jewish community said the attack on the Holocaust museum and Tiller’s shooting should not be isolated from the others, and that a wider net must be cast.

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Will Bibi’s speech be enough? Continued from page 1 insisted on a freeze for two reasons: to win Palestinian confidence and press Netanyahu into making the more significant two-state concession. By making the two-state commitment, Netanyahu now hopes to gain wiggle room over the timing and scope of any settlement freeze. When former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert engaged in a vigorous peace process with the Palestinians -- and George W. Bush was president -- Israel was allowed to build in Jewish settlements west of the security fence on the grounds that they almost certainly would remain in Israel proper under the terms of any final peace deal. Netanyahu will want to negotiate something similar, at the very least. The new American administration has been playing a strong carrot-and-stick game with Israel, trying to give it the confidence to make concessions while leaning on it heavily to do so. In practice, this has meant reemphasizing America’s unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security and clarifying its support for Israel as the Jewish state, while pressing Netanyahu on settlements and the two-state model. Netanyahu emerged from his mid-May meeting with Obama shaken by the American president's dispassionate resolve. Twice the prime minister dispatched highlevel emissaries in an effort to mollify the Americans, but to no avail. At a recent meeting in London, an Israeli delegation led by Cabinet minister Dan Meridor got no change

from special U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell, and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak returned from a recent trip to Washington with a message from the Americans that they “meant business.� What made the American stick even more effective was the fact that it was backed by an ambitious peace timetable: Obama reportedly has informed the Israelis that he intends to announce a full-fledged American peace plan in July, and hopes to achieve peace between Israel and the Arab world, including the establishment of a Palestinian state, within two years. In sync with the American timetable, the Egyptians have given the rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, until July 7 to reach a national unity agreement. In making his Bar-Ilan speech, Netanyahu was trying to keep Israel ahead of the curve. In the speech, Netanyahu entered into a subtle dialogue with Obama over the causes and justification for Israel’s establishment. Contrary to what the president implied in his June 4 Cairo speech, Netanyahu argued that Israel was not a result of the Holocaust and that Jewish suffering was not the main justification for its creation. Rather it was a case of an ancient people returning to its homeland, over which they have inalienable and millennia-old historic rights. This argument may help Netanyahu placate the more right-wing elements of his party and his governing coalition. If Netanyahu’s speech helps kick off renewed negotiations with the Palestinians, however, the challenge of keeping together the coalition may grow.

June 19, 2009

Federation calls for nominations

by BOB GOLDBERG Communications and Young Leadership Director In recognition of the Omaha Jewish community’s many wonderful volunteers and programs, the Jewish Federation of Omaha invites community members to submit nominations through local Jewish organizations, synagogues or agencies of the Federation for the following awards: • Community Service Award, creative new programs under the sponsorship of a local Jewish organization, synagogue or agency of the Federation which they feel have made a significant impact on the community, between July 2008 and June 2009. The award is not necessarily given each year. The Federation Executive Committee will select the winning program from the submitted nominations. • Bruce Fellman Memorial Young Leadership Award is given annually to honor a young man who has demonstrated personal commitment, dedicated involvement and exemplary leadership qualities in rendering service to the Jewish and general community. • Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Award is given annually to honor a young woman who has demonstrated personal commitment, dedicated involvement and exemplary leadership qualities in rendering service to the Jewish and general community. A committee composed of past honorees will select the winners of the Fellman and Schrager Young Leadership Awards. Candidates who are nominated but not selected will be automatically submitted for one more year provided the candidate still meets the award criteria. • Humanitarian Award is given to an

Omahan, who need not be Jewish, who has performed an outstanding service of humanity. Evaluations of the candidates will be made based on (1) the contributions they have made throughout their lives to promote human welfare and advance social reform, and (2) the commitment given in time and energy “beyond expectations.” The Federation Executive Committee will select the honorees from the submitted nominations. This award is not necessarily given every year. • Phil and Terri Schrager Spirit of Federation Award is given annually to honor one man and one woman who have demonstrated personal commitment, dedication and leadership to the Federation and/or its Agencies. A committee named by the Federation Executive Committee will select the winners. • The Volunteer of the Year awards are selected by each agency and the Federation from among their volunteers. Nomination forms are available at the following website, where you can either submit nominations online or download a copy of each nomination form: http:// www.jewishomaha.org/page.aspx?id= 200328 Please read the nomination guidelines carefully and make sure the forms are filled out completely. All nominations are due by Friday, Aug. 7. Award winners will be featured in the Jewish Press; there also will be a reception in their honor on Monday, Oct. 12 immediately following the JFO board meeting. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance at 334.6431 or bgoldberg@jewishomaha.org.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Reel Talk: Kripke Library hosts a summer film discussion group by SHERRIE SAAG Center for Jewish Education If you like watching movies but love talking about them even more, join Gary Katz, Library Administrator, for the new summer film discussion group, Reel Talk at the Kripke Federation Library. “Based on the success of our book discussion group, now in its 30th year, and the popularity of our extensive film collection, marrying the two into a film discussion group seemed natural,” said Katz. The evenings will begin with a screening of the film, followed by a guided discussion led by Katz. Summer’s relaxed setting is a perfect opportunity for the community to share their thought and ideas on Jewish social and cultural trends as depicted in film. “To ensure a lively conversation, we want everyone to bring their opinions and observations into the mix,” he added. Reel Talk will meet on Monday evenings June 29, July 13, July 27 and

Aug. 3, 7-9 p.m. in the Kripke Library. Reel Talk is free of charge and open to the community. Registration is kindly requested by calling 334.6462. The schedule for Reel Talk is: June 29, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an unlikely friendship between two eight year old boys -- Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer and Schmuel, a prisoner in a concentration camp. July 13, Crimes and Misdemeanors, the 1989 Woody Allen film nominated for 3 Academy Awards. July 27, The Survivor episode from the Curb Your Enthusiasm television series, features generations colliding and hilarity ensues at a dinner party when a contestant from the television show “Survivor” and a Holocaust survivor butt heads. Aug. 3, Defiance, directed by Edward Zwick, this 2009 film about the Bielski Brothers tells their tale of joining the Russian resistance fighters deep in the Belarussian forest.

Jerusalem’s ‘big dig’ nears the end

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 19, 2009

Beth El kids make summertime Jewish connections

by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator For a group of Beth El kids, summertime means making connections with Judaism, through summer camps or special trips to Israel. And these choices, according to the synagogue’s Education Director, Judy Rubin, are strong factors which influence Jewish identity and commitment to the community during their adult years. “Living in an open and free society such as we do, there are many distractions to living a complete Jewish life. The secular American society is very seductive,” Rubin said. And while “there are no magic formulae for creating committed and observant Jews,” she noted that attending Jewish residential camps and participating in teen trips to Israel -- along with attending Shabbat/holiday services and religiousschool classes --are among those activities which help to insure a “new, strong generation of young Jews.” The summer camp experiences have been shown to be beneficial in a variety of ways, she added. “From an educational standpoint, what can be accomplished in a summer Jewish experience at a residential camp often surpasses what can be achieved in an afternoon or weekend classroom. It is also an indication of parental commitment to Jewish learning and living to send a child to a Jewish summer experience. “Evidence indicates that the kids love their camp experiences and they come back energized by learning about Judaism

and act as great role models for their fellow students who did not participate. There is also great camaraderie among the campers/students who often sing their competing camp versions of prayers, blessings and songs.” Among the Beth El youths enjoying Jewish summer experiences are Herzl Camp attendees Alyssa Cohen, Kylie Kirshenbaum, Brad Kutler, Sarah Kutler, Alexandra Pichik, Natalie Pichik, Adeev Potash, Ezra Potash, Ethan Potash, Brooke Shulewitz, Chad Shulewitz, Ethan Spivack, Jacob Spivack, Elissa Wiener, Samantha Wiener, Aaron Zipursky, Naomi Zipursky, Sammy Lieb, Alyssa Kirshenbaum, Lauren Kirshenbaum and Ygal Schuller (counselor); Ari Brodkey, who is at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin; Sabra Camp participants Tomer Palmon, Chelsea Kavich, Lydia Stern (counselor), Shir Palmon (CIT), and Effie Tsabari (counselor); Yonatan Dotan and Dayna Cohen, who are traveling on USY’s Israel/Italy Pilgrimage; Beber Camp participants Maddie Skolkin, Cameron Stern (CLTC); and Rachel Meyer, Marlee Skolkin, Jeff Libov, Ryan Kirshenbaum, Mitchell Raznick, Jesse Reno, Anna Grossman, Alex Kirshenbaum, who are all a part of this year’s Artza trip to Israel. “We’re so pleased with our students who are taking advantage of these terrific summer camps and programs,” Rubin said, “and we look forward to having them share their enthusiasm and experiences this coming year with their friends at BESTT.”

Nourish by Scott Uehlein & Canyon Ranch (Viking, $40)

READ IT AND EAT Reviewed by LOIS FRIEDMAN Guess who’s back in town? Scott Uehlein, who conducted the fabulous Joslyn Art Museum Cookingschool a few years ago. So, if you need to brush up on what you learned in his classes, haven’t been to Canyon Ranch lately, or just want to cook more healthy, wholesome recipes, this cookbook offers the latest from the award winning kitchens and chefs from the various Canyon Ranch locations. The first chapter, Basics, covers a balanced approach to eating well, selecting locally grown, organic when possible, ingredients-think real, fresh and clean, reading labels, cooking techniques and the direction “don’t eat anything your great grandmother didn’t”. Noruish covers Canyon Ranch culinary philosophy and their nutritional and culinary standards. The next 11 chapters from Beverages & Snacks to Desserts have over 200 recipes

created to balance the elements of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (“savoriness”). Easy to follow stepby-step numerical instructions, Chef and Nutritional Notes, nutritional analysis and convenient measurements are included in this one recipe to a page format. Awesome color photographs are generously scattered throughout the chapters as are sidebars detailing specifics like the use of salt, sweeteners and more. A Table of Conversion and list of Gluten Free recipe index are useful. This protein-packed snack is easy to whip up and have on hand. ROASTED EDAMAME 1 pound frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Preheat the oven to 400º. Lightly spray a baking sheet with canola oil spray. Thaw and drain the edamame in a colander. Pat dry. Toss the edamame, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread the edamame evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until golden. Makes six 1/4-cup servings. Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@yahoo.com.

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IN THE NEWS Rachel Sarah Fitz, daughter of Peter Fitz and Jeri Falk of Ruxton, MD and granddaughter of the late Max and Betty Falk, received a Masters of Social Work degree at commencement at Washington University in St. Louis, last month. She will begin working this fall with refugees in Israel and central India through the auspices of the Leadership and International Fellowship Experience. In 2008, Rachel earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from Washington University and was chosen by the Chancellor as one of 10 winners of the Ethan Shepley Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership and Service to the Campus Community.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Board of Counselors elected officers for 2009 at its recent annual board meeting. Officers are: Rick Kolkman, chairperson, North Platte; and Don Goldstein, vice chairperson. The group, 62 community and business leaders from across the state who advise UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., on health care issues of importance, welcomed nine new members at the meeting held at the Sorrell Center for Health Science Education on the UNMC campus in Omaha. New board members include Robert Belgrade, partner of Belgrade Company; and continuing on the board are Henry Davis and Larry Kavich. Earlier this month, former Omahan Yosef Abrahamson received the 71 Precinct “Commanding Officer Award” for the second consecutive year, and the last time he will be eligible to enter the yearly contest. Yosef will graduate from the Darchai Menachem Yeshiva this year after earning national and international acclaim for the Crown Heights Yeshiva last year for his essay, “If I Were Police Commissioner for a Day.” He is the son of Dinah Abrahamson.

The State Board of Health is seeking members of the public and of certain professions to serve on several professional boards that are responsible for granting license privileges to health care providers. Public representatives or professionals are needed to serve on the following boards: Athletic Training (athletic trainer); Cosmetology, Electrology, Esthetics, Nail Technology, and Body Art (nail technician, licensed instructor, electrologist); Registered Environmental Health Specialists (environmental health specialist, public member); Funeral Directing and Embalming (funeral director and

embalmer); Mental Health Practice (certified marriage and family therapist, public member); Optometry (optometrist, public member); Pharmacy (pharmacist); Physical Therapy (physical therapist, public member); Podiatry (podiatrist, public member); and Psychologists (psychologist, public members). Professionals who are actively engaged in the practice of any of the above professions will be appointed to fill vacancies on the boards. Individuals who can represent a consumer perspective and are not licensed in the particular areas that the board serves will be appointed to fill public member vacancies. Persons interested in serving on a board can obtain an application and documents related to the appointment process at http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/crl/Board_ Vacancies.htm. To receive an application by mail contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit, P.O. Box 95009, Lincoln, NE 68509-5007; by email at mon ica.gissler@nebraska.gov; or by phone at 402.471.6515. Completed applications must be received by Aug. 1. Betsy Goodman graduated from the College of Natural Sciences at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff last month with a BS in environmental studies. She is currently in Washington on a grant from PermaCulture, studying and growing herbs and plants. She is the daughter of Tom Goodman and Suzy Zorinsky, and the granddaughter of Dee Goodman, and Lee White of Washington, D.C. Ali and Mark Doyle graduated Medical School from Ross University on June 5 in New York City. Ali graduated with High Honors and will be starting residency July 1 in OB/GYN at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. Mark graduated with Honors and will begin in July at the University of Utah Medical Center in the surgical department, doing research until he rotates into his residency program. Ali is the daughter of Martha and Dick Lerner; Mark is the son of Jackie Doyle and the late Patrick Doyle.

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Scott A. Meyerson, a partner at the law firm of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, was among the 31 graduates of the 2009 class of Leadership Omaha. A former member of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, Meyerson now serves on the board of the Jewish Community Center.

VISIONS Join us at at Mahoney State Park to see “Goodnight Goodhart” on Wednesday, July 8. Cost is $30. Depart

from the JCC at 4:30 p.m. (be at the JCC by 4:15) to arrive back by approximately 8:30 p.m. Send reservations to Betty Sanford, 9205 Western Ave. #127, Omaha, NE 68114. Make check payable to Visions. LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish brings us closer to our roots! Come join us every Thursday, 1-3 p.m., at the JCC. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638. JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICES Reminder: Iowa Western Community Band presents Sensational Summer Sounds at the JCC on Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m. There is no admission fee.

To order a gift subscription to the Press... Send a check for $20, made out to the Jewish Press and prorated for the year, to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154. For more information on how to connect your out-of-town relatives and friends, call 334.6448.

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B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Dr. Patrick Brookhouser, the founder of the Boys Town National Research Hospital, will discuss advances in treatment of speech and hearing problems and the new west campus hospital on the National Headquarters site at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, June 24, noon at Regency Lodge. All men and women in the community are invited. The program is free. An optional buffet lunch is $13; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to get on the email list, contact Iris at 334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 19, 2009

June 19, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

Omaha’s young adult mission arrives in Israel, visits Jerusalem first Photos from left: Young Ethiopian immigrants joke around with Dan Slusky at the Mevasseret Zion absorption center; with the help of a Haredi Jew at the Kotel, Jason Levy puts on tefillin. On page 7: With the Old City of Jerusalem behind them, the group stops at the Haas Promenade, front row: Sarah Lopez, left, Mike Kaufman, Daniel Levitt, Jamie Friedland, Robyn and Chad Menin; second row: David Lopez, Dana Kaufman, Jason Levy, Ted Friedland, Susan Langnas, Dan Slusky, Toby Schonfeld; in back: Guy Matalon and James Blasingame. Not pictured: Steve and Carrie Fingold, Karen Klingberg, Rabbi Eric Linder. Mike and Dana Kaufman and Jamie and Ted Friedland enjoy a walk through Machane Yehudah. See more photos online at www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press’.

Rabbi Hillel said

“If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” These words remind us that though self-interest is our right, we also have a duty to care for others. Today. For nearly a century, Jewish Family Service of Omaha has focused on providing crucial aid to individuals, couples and families facing challenges in their lives. Between July, 2008 and June, 2009, our efforts have been sustained by the following contributors who chose to balance their own needs with the needs of others.* Grants

Endowments

Members of our community deserve to live with dignity. These grants provide financial assistance, counseling services, YACHAD activities and other critical programs that strengthen Jewish family life.

Richard “Pete” Lee Memorial Endowment Fund Ruth and Otmar Liebenstein JFS Financial Assistance Endowment Fund Jerome J. and Frances O. Milder Endowment Fund Ruth and Bernard Raskin Endowment Fund Leo and Frances Rodick Memorial Endowment Fund Harry and Fannie Stock Rothkop/Theodore Rothkop Fund Rosalie and Milton Saylan Endowment Fund for JFS Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth Mark and Sophie Sturm Immigrant Education Fund Howard and Judy Vann Family Education Fund Jake and Mary Wine Fund Yachad Endowment Fund

Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging (ENOA) Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP) Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation Herbert Goldsten Trust Samuel & Delma Goodman Youth Fund Hadassah Harris Family Endowment Fund The Kavich Family Charitable Foundation National Council of Jewish Women Murray and Sharee Newman Supporting Foundation Phillip and Terri Schrager Supporting Foundation Lazier L. Singer Memorial Fund for Youth Ruth Somberg Krantz Fund Special Donor-Advised Fund

Endowments Tikkun Olam -- repairing the world -is a moral obligation. Through these endowments, JFS continues to help people build lives of hope and joy. Paul Alperson Endowment Fund Pennie Z. Davis Family Life Education Fund Ike Friedman JFS Financial Assistance Fund Glazer Family Endowment Fund Edith and Paul Goldstein Endowment Fund Paul and Joy Grossman Family Endowment Fund JFS Discretionary Fund Kutler Dental Fund

Friends of Jewish Family Service The Talmud says, “A good friend is a tower of strength. To find one is to find a treasure.” Friends of JFS help families in crisis receive guidance to put their lives back in order. Anonymous (22) Jeffery and Susan Aizenberg Leon and Eleanor Alexander David and Carol Alloy Bernie Altsuler Phyllis Aron Rabbi Aryeh and Elyce Azriel Harry Berman and Beth Cohen Tom and Mary Bernstein Steve and Carol Bloch Larry and Judy Brookstein Scott Burger Frederick and Molline Cassman Jack Cohen Larry and Ida Cohoon Judge and Mrs. Sam Cooper

Friends of Jewish Family Service

Friends of Jewish Family Service

Friends of Jewish Family Service

Contributions & Tribute Cards

Contributions & Tribute Cards

Harvey and Rose Cooper Justin and Joan Cooper Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Cooper Rose M. Davis Drs. Steven and Tiffany Denenberg Jean Duitch Audrey Epstein Paul and Sandy Epstein Arnold “Tuffy” and Helen Epstein Edith Epstein Gary and Lisa Epstein Howard and Sharon Epstein Mel and Lois Epstein Joe and Ruth Erman Dick and Bev Fellman Cantor and Mrs. Leo Fettman Dr. and Mrs. Paul Fine Joshua Follick Jim and Jill Folsom Sam and Frances Fried Lloyd and Lois Friedman Beverly Gilinsky Don and Ann Goldstein Howard and Jan Goldstein June Goodbinder Dee Goodman Alan and Gloria Goodman Jerry and Linda Gordman Barton and Caryl Greenberg Andrew and Carole Greenberg Alex and Mary Sue Grossman Jeff and Karen Gustafson Mace Hack and Rosie Zweiback David and Phyllis Hoffman David and Nancy Jacobson Gloria Jones Richard and Fran Juro Dr. Fred J. Kader Marc and Kimberly Kahn Marcel and Ilse Kahn Howard Kaiman Gary and Sally Kaplan Beatrice Karp Howard and Gloria Kaslow Michael and Carol Katzman Kavich Family Charitable Fund

Joe and Maxine Kirshenbaum Jeff and Sharon Kirshenbaum Donald Klein Milton and Marsha Kleinberg Harold and Alice Kosowsky David and Shane Kotok Leonard Krasne Stan and Angie Krieger Gary and Robbi Kudym Leslie Kully Marshall and Barbara Kushner Dr. and Mrs. Sol Kutler Rabbi and Mrs. Mordechai Levin Dr. Michael Levine Cheryl Levine Dennis and Lisa Lewis Leonard and Bert Lewis Marilyn Lewis Dr. and Mrs. Larry Malashock Dr. and Mrs. Neal Malashock Justin and Marilyn Manvitz Drs. Ruth and Eyal Margalit Maury and Rosalie Meiches Scott and Jenny Meyerson Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Moshman Stuart and Bettie Muskin Dr. and Mrs. Howard Needelman Murray and Sharee Newman Nancy Noddle Jay and Kim Noddle Steve and Patty Nogg Dr. and Mrs. Bob Olesh Don and Ann Osborne Cori Oxman Ella Patkovsky Mike and Barbara Platt Merle and Ruth Potash Andy and Amy Raffel Miles and Eileen Remer Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Rennard Phil and Diane Rich Marty and Iris Ricks Dorothy Riekes Carl and Zoe Riekes Nancy Rips Dr. and Mrs. Blaine Roffman

Dr. and Mrs. Larry Roffman Rose Blumkin Foundation Sheila Rosen Susan Rothholz Faye Ruback Ernest and Lynne Saltzman Milt Saylan Drs. Dan Schuller and Yaffa Podbilewicz-Schuller Mr. and Mrs. Natan Schwalb Larry and Sherry Shapiro Dr. and Mrs. Norman Sheldon Marc and Claudia Sherman Lisa Shkolnick Howard and Sissy Silber Dr. and Mrs. Peter Silberstein Esther Silver Mike and Mimi Silverman Fred and Eve Simon The Todd and Bettiana Simon Foundation Joie Simon Scott and Jill Simon Suzanne Singer Suzanne Richards Singer Donor-Advised Fund Harold Siporin Slosburg Family Charitable Trust Ray and Susan Somberg Cari Sommer Dorothy Spizman Bud Studna Stewart and Judy Tully Norman and Joodi Veitzer Arthur and Mary Lou Walker Dr. and Mrs. Michael Walts Helen Weber Harry and Kathy Weiner Ben and Anna Wiesman Andi Willensky Leon and Sally Wintroub Philip and Nancy Wolf Bernice and Alan Wolfson Irv and Annette Yaffe Michael and Alla Zinkov Morley and Charlotte Zipursky

Donations in honor and in remembrance of family and friends help meet the emotional and financial needs that accompany unexpected medical problems or the loss of employment.

Jon and Denise Meyers Joe and Tina Meyers Alvin & Sharon Milder Butch Murray Nancy Noddle Jay and Kim Noddle Mr. and Mrs. Alan Nogg Steve and Patty Nogg Sarah “Babe” Nogg Rita Novak Alan and Carol Parsow Fefe Passer Merle and Ruth Potash Marty and Iris Ricks Gary and Caryn Rifkin Jonathan and Stacey Rockman Isaac Rogers & Family Debbie Salomon Vicki Sanford Milt Saylan Rabbi and Mrs. Maximo Shechet Helene Shrago Jeff Shrier Bruce and Stacy Simon Suzanne Singer Temple Israel Men’s Club Temple Israel Religious School Temple Israel Women of Reform Judaism Mary Wampler Andi Willensky Bernice and Alan Wolfson Visions

Anonymous (2) 39 Forever Bag N Save Tom and Mary Bernstein Beth El Synagogue Beth El Synagogue Pre-K class Beth El BILU USY Beth El L’Chaim Chapter of Hazak Beth El Men’s Club Beth El Sisterhood Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group Albert Bloch Steve and Carol Bloch Louie and Frances Blumkin Henry Monsky Lodge/B’nai B’rith Barry Carnine Gilbert and Rachel Dysico Audrey Epstein Arnold “Tuffy” and Helen Epstein Tom and Sue Friedman David and Shirley Goodman Alex and Mary Sue Grossman Jeff and Karen Gustafson Hadassah David and Phyllis Hoffman Jewish Funeral Home Inc Arnold and Sheryn Joffe Larry and Andi Kavich Joe and Maxine Kirshenbaum Tom and Kate Kirshenbaum Jerry and Gail Kohll David and Janet Kohll Kohll’s Pharmacy David and Shane Kotok Marty and Joanie Lehr Todd and Wendy Manvitz Van and Judy Marcus Don McCoy David and Sue Meyers

Project Dreidel At Hanukkah, JFS volunteers bring toys to children. Through this active intervention, the fundamental human needs of others are met. Tom and Amber Baker Bag N Save Jim and Robyn Belgrade Terry and Joanie Bernstein Beth El BILU USY Beth El L’Chaim Chapter of Hazak

Project Dreidel

Project Dreidel

Project Tzedakah

Beth El Men’s Club Beth El Sisterhood Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group Albert Bloch & Fefe Passer Steve and Carol Bloch Henry Monsky Lodge/B’nai B’rith William and Becki Brenner Marc and Stacie Brodkey Sherman and Sandy Brodkey Nancy Burkhart CDC/Miss Barb’s 4 yr-old preschoolers Travis and Jennifer Cohn Teresa Drelicharz Arnold “Tuffy” Epstein Hillary Fletcher Jim , Jill, Adam and Alec Folsom Ted and Jamie Friedland & Family David Gilinsky and Katherine Finnegan & Family Rick and Shelly Fox Kevin and Patty Gilinsky Bennett and Julie Ginsberg William and Beth Ginsburg Jeff and Danielle Gordman Jeff and Karen Gustafson Hadassah David and Phyllis Hoffman Richard and Joanie Jacobson Sharlene Kass Nanci Kavich Adam and Nikki Kirshenbaum & Family Matt and Jenn Kirshenbaum & Family Jeff and Sharon Kirshenbaum Joe and Maxine Kirshenbaum Tom and Kate Kirshenbaum Kohll’s Pharmacy Gary and Robbi Kudym Lance and Traci Kugler Wayne and Carole Lainof Marty and Joanie Lehr Lisa Lieb and family Todd and Wendy Manvitz Milton and Joan Marcus Van and Judy Marcus Don McCoy David and Sue Meyers Joe and Tina Meyers

Jon and Denise Meyers Jenny and Jake Meyerson Alan and Linda Muskin National Council of Jewish Women Sandy & Alan Nogg Michael and Susie Norton & the Boys Fefe Passer Hap and Suzanne Pocras Marty and Iris Ricks Jonathan and Stacey Rockman Isaac Rogers and Family Sheila Rosen Susan Rothholz Vicki Sanford Les and Jan Schneiderman Scott and Heidi Schneiderman Rabbi and Mrs. Maximo Shechet Lisa Shkolnick Jeff Shrier Mike, Mimi, Adam & Jeremy Silverman Bruce and Stacy Simon Suzanne Singer Temple Israel Men’s Club Temple Israel Religious School Temple Israel Women of Reform Judaism Steve and Joye Wees Ted and Amee Zetzman & Family Norm Zevitz

CDC Students Jerry and Janey Dann Brian and Leslie Eades Rick G. Eirenberg Arnold “Tuffy” Epstein Hillary Fletcher Friedel Academy Ted and Jamie Friedland & Family Kevin and Patty Gilinsky William and Beth Ginsburg David and Shirley Goodman Jeff and Karen Gustafson Richard and Joanie Jacobson Sharlene Kass Nanci Kavich Adam and Nikki Kirshenbaum & Family Matt and Jenn Kirshenbaum & Family Milton and Marsha Kleinberg Gary and Robbi Kudym Lance and Traci Kugler Lisa Lieb and family Harold and Linda Mann Milton and Joan Marcus Stacey, Samantha and Meredith Matz Jenny and Jake Meyerson Jennifer Miller Alan and Linda Muskin National Council of Jewish Women Murray and Sharee Newman Supporting Foundation Sandy & Alan Nogg Hap and Suzanne Pocras Al and Joan Rieder Susan Rothholz Milt Saylan Les and Jan Schneiderman Scott and Heidi Schneiderman James and Susan Silverman Mike, Mimi, Adam & Jeremy Silverman Visions Mary Wampler Dr. and Mrs. James Wax Steve and Joye Wees Andi Willensky Norm Zevitz

Project Tzedakah Each year, during Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover, JFS supports the less fortunate with holiday food baskets. Giving to others is an act of social justice. Bagel Bin Jim and Robyn Belgrade Beth El Synagogue Marc and Stacie Brodkey Stacie, Benjamin and Julia Brodkey Sherman and Sandy Brodkey Aleia Budwig Scott Burger Burke High School Students Nancy Burkhart

Jewish Family Service is able to do its work because members of this remarkable community genuinely care about one another. Thank you for your generous support.

*All contributions are as of June 1, 2009. We apologize if your name was omitted from this list. Please call JFS at 330-2024.

Page 8 Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 19, 2009

Will Jews EVER be safe? After last week’s shooting at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., in which a museum guard was killed, a number of political pundits are blaming the right. Citing the shooter’s ties to the Aryan Nation, a white supremacy group in Idaho, the Daily Kos linked the National Rifle Association to the shooting, stating, “They can either support measures to enforce the law and stop people like James von Brunn from acquiring firearms, or they can defend the right of white supremacist felons to arm themselves.” The website, run by Markos Moulitsas, who says he is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, added, “It’s also important to point out that James von Brunn was an equal opportunity hater. He may have targeted a museum primarily focused on a Jewish experience, but he ended up killing an African-American man.” (And, by the way, just how did this nutjob get a gun? He was a convicted felon!) Robert Spencer, who runs the website Jihad Watch, had a different point of view: “Real white supremacists do not resist the Islamic jihad. In fact, they support it. The AP story says of Von Brunn that ‘public records show that in 2004 and 2005 he lived briefly in Hayden, Idaho, which for years was home to the Aryan Nations, a racist group run by neoNazi Richard Butler,’ and that he bewailed the demise of the ‘Aryan gene-pool.’” But, “The Aryan Nations has stated: ‘Islam is our ally, and the 1500 cults all claiming to be ‘Christian’ are our opposition.’ Note also that white supremacist David Duke has traveled to Syria to express his support for the jihad against Israel.” It also turns out that von Brunn had the address of the Weekly Standard on him. So if he was a “rightwinger”, why target a conservative publication? And, the FBI has discovered that von Brunn used his website where he frequently bashed “neocons” -- the (mostly Jewish) conservative advocates in President

George Bush’s administration. So who’s right? Is the Holocaust Museum shooter part of the extreme left or extreme right? Or is he just crazy? Has it occurred to anyone that maybe there’s no difference? Haters -- whether they come from the left or right side of the political spectrum -- still hate humanity. One problem with reporting today is that there’s a rush to judgment. In the “olden” days of news reporting, journalists were required by their hardened editors to get confirmation from two other sources before rushing the story into print. Now with not only a 24-hour news cycle on the cable networks, but hundreds of bloggers engaged in “citizen journalism” are posting “news” without verification. Even Matt Drudge, who runs the Drudge Report, admits that 60% of the stories he posts are accurate. But that means 40% aren’t. So are there more attacks on Jews now than in previous years? Just a few weeks ago, four Muslim converts planned an attack on a synagogue in Riverdale, NY. And a stalker killed a young Jewish student at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. But, according to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents are actually down three years in a row: “The League’s annual Audit of AntiSemitic Incidents, issued June 1, counted a total of 1,352 incidents of vandalism, harassment and

physical assaults against Jewish individuals, property and community institutions in 2008, representing a seven percent decline from the 1,460 incidents reported in 2007.” That’s certainly good news. But perhaps “attack” is the wrong word. In Nebraska in recent months, several speakers at local colleges and universities have used the platform to defame Jews and Israel. One, a woman who purports to be the granddaughter of survivors, spends her time defending Hamas and attacking Israel. Others, representing dictatorships in the Middle East, render opinions on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, but never answer charges about the treatment of women, “unbelievers” and gays in their own countries. And, of course, the Phelps group came here to spew their version of hate as well. All these incidents are reminders that Jews -and the leadership of the Jewish community -still have to be on guard. It’s a sad state of affairs, to be sure, but one, unfortunately, with which we have been familiar for centuries.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES by ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN

In an otherwise insightful and balanced address in Cairo, President Barack Obama made one egregious error which plays into the hands of the most extreme elements of the radical Muslim world. In the course of his remarks, the President, appropriately, addressed a number of issues about Israel and Jews which Muslims need to deal with. Included were references to antiSemitism, to Holocaust denial, and to terrorism against Israeli civilians. He also called on Muslims to accept Israel’s legitimacy, in my view, one of the most important things the President had to say. Unfortunately, in doing so he did it in a way that, ironically, gave fodder to the many in the Arab world who argue against the legitimacy of Israel. He said, speaking of America’s ties to Israel, that it is based on the “recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.” He then went on to talk about anti-Semitism in Europe for centuries which “culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust.” It is good that the President addressed these themes but it sends the wrong message to base Israel’s legitimacy simply or essentially on this suffering. The Arab world for decades has argued that Israel was an illegitimate entity imposed on the Arab Middle East by the Europeans who, they claimed, were trying to

... when the Zionist movement early in the 20th century was considering other options for a Jewish home, all were rejected because Israel was the true Jewish home and only a movement aspiring to build a modern Jewish state in the Holy Land could gain the support of the Jewish people ... In other words, there was Herzl before there was the Holocaust. It is no accident that when the Zionist movement early in the 20th century was considering other options for a Jewish home, all were rejected because Israel was the true Jewish home and only a movement aspiring to build a modern Jewish state in the Holy Land could gain the support of the Jewish people

Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Michael Sigmond, Secretary; Michael Siegel, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Immediate Past-chairman; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Eric Dunning; Jason Epstein; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman. 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 jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, 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 an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., 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.

Obama in Cairo: an error of omission atone for the murder of six million Jews on European soil. The Arabs argued, “Why should they pay the price for what the Europeans did to the Jews.” It is a phony argument which is not sustainable because the Jewish claim to Israel doesn’t rest on the Holocaust, even if that tragedy played a role in the climate surrounding discussions about the idea of a Jewish state. Israel’s legitimacy rests on the unbroken connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, a physical connection, a religious connection, a cultural connection, an existential connection. It is hardly too much to say that the Jewish people would not exist today as a people had we not held hope alive for 2,000 years about the return to Zion.

(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Carol Katzman Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper

and could be sustained through an uphill struggle. So here it was, that unique moment where the President of the United States had the ear of the Muslim world in a way that few, if any, have ever had, and he failed to drive home the critical point that, in fact, Israel was legitimate because it is the historic essence of Jewish peoplehood. If he had stated that clearly and honestly, that would have gone a long way toward addressing so many of the Muslim claims which are used not to accept Israel, not to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, not to see Israel as a permanent part of the region but as a colonial implant. All of this comes at a time when the antiIsrael forces in the world see a window of opportunity, based on their reading of the changes in American Middle East policy, to transform the discussion about Israel in America the way they have succeeded in Europe and elsewhere around the world. That is why it is particularly disappointing that the President did not use this unique moment to clearly state the essence of why the Muslim and other attacks on Israel’s legitimacy are false. The President spoke very well when he said that, “America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known,” and “This bond is unbreakable.” He’ll need now to find another occasion to make clear that Israel is legitimate because of the Jewish people’s historic connection to the land, not because of Jewish suffering in Europe. Abraham H. Foxman is National Director of the Anti-Defamation League and author of The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control.

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 it 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. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. 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 information, call the Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $35 per calendar year U.S.; $72 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. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.

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June 19, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 9

‘Tough love’ for Israel would pain pro-Israel peace camp

FOCUS ON ISSUES by DAN FLESHLER NEW YORK (JTA) -- A new Zogby International poll shows that 71 percent of Obama backers think the United States should “get tough with Israel” in order to stop settlement expansion, while 26 percent of McCain supporters feel that way. Eighty percent of likely Obama voters also agreed with the statement, “It’s time for the United States to get tough with Israel,” in contrast to most McCain supporters. No doubt many Israelis and their right-wing American backers are mortified by the fact that President Obama’s base wants him to do something about the settlement enterprise and to impose costs on Israel if it does nothing. No doubt the far left and other attackers of all things Israeli will rejoice at these poll numbers. In contrast, while I am in the camp that wants Obama to have the political wiggle room to take a fair, evenhanded approach to the conflict, I hope that Netanyahu will NOT put Obama in a position where the U.S. president is forced to “get tough” with Israel. Like others on the pro-Israel left, I believe there is no chance to unravel the Gordian knot of the Israel-Palestinian conflict without bold American diplomacy, and the U.S. must insist that the settlements project comes to a dead-stop even as it presses for an end to Palestinian violence and incitement. But that doesn’t mean that I and my fellow travelers in Americans for Peace Now, J Street, Israel Policy Forum, Ameinu and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom will be happy if the U.S. is forced to exercise tough love. If a bitter public confrontation has to happen, so be it. But it will hurt, in the same way it hurts to argue bitterly with a recalcitrant family member. Israeli pundits on the right do not seem to understand this. Nor do they understand what the pro-Israel peace

camp in the U.S. is advocating. They seem to believe we would be delighted by a confrontation and are rooting for it because of our hostility to the very idea of Israel, and our ardent desire for it to make one-sided concessions. A column in the Jerusalem Post on this topic by Lenny Ben-David was titled “Rapture over the Rupture.” A diatribe from Isi Liebler calls us “fake Zionists” and expresses outrage at “the favorable media exposure provided to fringe groups … whose prime objective is to ‘balance’ AIPAC activities by lobbying the Obama administration to force Israel to make further unilateral concessions.”

Like others on the pro-Israel left, I believe there is no chance to unravel the Gordian knot of the Israel-Palestinian conflict without bold American diplomacy, and the U.S. must insist that the settlements project comes to a dead-stop even as it presses for an end to Palestinian violence and incitement. The Jewish right finds it inconceivable for us to believe what we believe and still worry about Israel’s security and well-being. In fact, we are taking our cues from experienced Israeli diplomats and other international experts who understand it is fruitless for a well-armed, occupying power to negotiate the terms of a viable settlement with an almost defenseless occupied people unless a third party mediates and presses both sides to take politically unpopular steps they otherwise might not take. In my book, a whole chapter is devoted to interviews with a broad range of Israelis who favor various forms of interventionist American diplomacy, including former diplomats and officials such as Shlomo Ben-Ami, David Kimche, Daniel Levy and Ephraim Sneh. None of them want the United States to sell Israel down the river by compromising its core security requirements or forcing it to make unilateral concessions. All of them want

America to stop both sides from taking steps that will destroy the possibility of a two-state solution and to come up with creative proposals to bridge the gaps between them. But even if Israelis feel that way, we are not permitted to, according to the Israel-must-be-left-alone crowd. Moreover, the fact that we are Americans who believe it is in our own nation’s interests to bolster the forces of moderation in the Middle East is an inconvenient truth they don’t even mention. While the Jewish right denounces people in my camp for turning our backs on Israel, much of the international left despises us for having emotional ties to Israel and/or Israeli Jews. Believing that Israel is an evil empire with no redeeming characteristics, they can only abide Jews who reflexively find everything about it to be contemptible. Any other sentiment is considered “Jewish particularism,” a synonym for vile and unjustified tribalism. Essentially they object to our desire to belong to something that is larger than ourselves and smaller than the entire human race. Sorry, universalists, tough love for Israel will be tough for me to bear because my identity as a Jew is bound up with Israel and I am emotionally and spiritually connected to it. Sorry, supporters of the status quo, if I endorsed Israeli behavior or policies that I believed were deplorable and misguided, if I stopped trying to help progressive Israelis who are trying to fix what is broken in the Jewish state, that would be turning my back on Israel. If my camp’s sentiments and ideas are mercilessly bashed by both the Jewish right and the far left, it is a good sign that the sentiments are justifiable and the ideas have merit.

Dan Fleshler, a media and public affairs strategist, is the author of Transforming America’s Israel Lobby -The Limits of Its Power and the Potential for Change (Potomac Books, May 2009). He is on the advisory council of J Street and is a board member of Americans for Peace Now and Ameinu.

Why the European Parliament does matter

NEWS ANALYSIS by PHILIP CARMEL

BRUSSELS (JTA) -- Last month, I spent two days in the European Parliament in Strasbourg in an attempt to ensure that the EU legislature supported the rights of the Jewish community to shechita, the killing of animals for meat according to Jewish law. By no means was the task straightforward. Alongside other representatives of European Jewish organizations, we were asking the Parliament to back measures voted by its own agriculture committee but against the advice of that very committee’s chairman and rapporteur, both vociferous opponents of shechita. But we did succeed. The two major blocs in the European Parliament, representing the twin ideologies that have governed much of western Europe since the war -- those of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left Party of European Socialists (PES) -- voted en masse in support of Jewish rights. They provided an attentive ear and understood our concerns, and we are grateful for their efforts. Since these two groups prior to last week’s elections held some two-thirds of the voting power in the European Parliament, the result was that we won all the votes with large majorities. To the right of the EPP and to the left of the PES, nationalists, communists, neo-fascists and Trotskyists all voted against. So did the European Greens and most of the European Liberals.

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The twin ideologies of European Christian democracy and social democracy reflected in the EPP and the PES lie at the heart of the postwar reconstruction of Europe, and they have provided a home for Jewish communities on this continent despite the devastation and trauma of the Shoah. In last week’s elections, these broad center-right and center-left blocs saw a slight reduction in their strength at the expense of groups that in general are not supportive of issues close to the hearts of Europe’s Jewish communities. As we saw on the shechita issue, the rights of religious minorities are not a priority for many of these fringe groups, while many of their number are openly antagonistic to the very concept of religious freedom and anti-racism. Similarly, in their relationship to the Jewish state, these groups generally adopt positions deeply critical of Israel’s actions and often of its very existence. Even more troubling was the entry into the European Parliament of fascists from Hungary and even from Britain. Europe’s proportional system of voting can enable extremists to enter Parliament even when their percentage vote is small. We are right to be worried when our democratic institutions are sullied by the presence of such groups. The victory by Europe’s Jewish community in the European Parliament in the fight to preserve shechita rights has been critical in fending off some of the most extreme threats to shechita. But it may not be enough. Current EU laws give the Parliament only consultative rights in areas of agricultural policy. Ultimately, the decisions over shechita will be taken by the governments of the member states.

This situation will change when the Lisbon Treaty, restructuring the governance of an enlarged and increasingly powerful European Union, is ratified, which seems increasingly likely. The treaty will give greater powers to the Parliament, and as Jewish citizens of Europe, we will ignore this at our peril. Philip Carmel is the international relations director of the Conference of European Rabbis and is based in Brussels.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To the Editor: The Lincoln Jewish community is delighted to see so many Omaha high school seniors choosing to come to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We welcome the opportunity to invite all UNL Jewish students to join our congregations for Shabbat worship and also the High Holy Days as well. We know it is not a far drive home to Omaha, but if we can include you in our congregations, we are happy to do so. Contact either B’nai Jeshurun or Tifereth Israel to get on our communication list so you will know what is happening in our community. We look forward to having you join us during the upcoming school year. Sue Schreiber for the Board of B’nai Jeshurun

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Page 10

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 19, 2009

Candlelighting Friday, June 19, 8:43 p.m.

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

Chabad House An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 S. 120th St. Omaha, NE 68144-1646 330.1800 www.OChabad.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 southstreettemple.org

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

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 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

The Neighborhood Minyan 1317 No. 57 St. Omaha, NE 68132 551.6609

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

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m. Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:55 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP: Monday, June 22, at the home of Pam Friedlander, 1376 So. 137 Ave. Bring a special piece of Judaica that is meaningful and share stories about it. Social hour, 7 p.m.; meeting, 7:30 p.m. RSVP to Friedlander at pfriedla@cox.net, or 334.8773. USY/KADIMA: On Sunday, June 28, noon-2:30 p.m., join us at a pool party at Papio Bay Aquatic Park, 815 E. Halleck St. in Papillion. Cost: $4. RSVP by June 26 to Robert Mosenkis in the office or at youthdir@bethelomaha.org. BESTT CHAVERIM: Gaga and pool party at the JCC on Sunday, June 28, 3-5:30 p.m. No charge to attend; RSVP by June 26 to Robert in the office. COLLEGE STUDENTS’ POOL PARTY: Reconnect with old friends and make new ones on Thursday, July 2, 7-9 p.m. All college students in the Jewish community are invited to a pool party at the Cambridge Villas’ pool, 166th & Davenport Plz. No charge to attend; RSVP by June 30 to Robert in the office. POOL PARTY FOR 20s & 30s: On Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m. (See full story on page 11.) SHABBAT ON THE GREEN: A special outdoor Shabbat celebration is planned for Friday, July 10, 5:45 p.m., beginning with a picnic on the synagogue’s back lawn; outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat services will be held at 6:45 p.m. Dinner is adults, $6.50 (Beth El members), $8.50 (non-members); kids 6-12, $4 (members), $6 (non-members); no charge for

children five and younger. To RSVP or for information, contact Margie in the office, or at programming@bethel-omaha.org. YOUNG FAMILIES’ SHABBATON: Aug. 7-9 at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center in Nebraska City, open to all families in the Jewish community with children ages eight and younger. To register or for information, contact Margie in the office.

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by the Gross family in honor of the aufruf of Rabbi Gross; “Guard Your Tongue”, “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Reading the Rambam, 9:45 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:45 p.m. TUESDAY: The Path of the Just, 7:45 p.m. with Rabbi Mizrahi. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; Kiddush lunch follows; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer is on break this week and will resume June 30. THURSDAY: Jewish Thought,

12:45 p.m. FRIDAY, June 26: Service, 7 a.m.; The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 79, 10 a.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com to receive a guest pass. All events and programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Snacks, 6 p.m. provided by Eleanor Kirkland; Early Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel; Game Night/Potluck, 6 p.m. The Holocaust Commemoration held at the State Capitol is being shown on Channel 5 Mondays at noon and Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS, 7 p.m. Intro to Hebrew, led by Rabbi Emanuel beginning July 7. The Lincoln Jewish Community School is currently seeking additional Judaic and Hebrew teachers for the 2009-10 school year for fifth through seventh grades on Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 9:30 a.m.-noon. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact Andrea Halpern at: halperns@ine braska.com or call 402.217.2631

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Rabbi Maximo Shechet.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbinic Intern Nicole Luna and guest soloist Jeff Schweid; Summer Speaker Series: “How Rabbis are Made: Reflections on

My HUC-JIR Rabbinical Training.” SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. TUESDAY: WRJ Board Meeting, 7 p.m. at Susie Norton’s home. THURSDAY: “Adult Study with the Clergy” with Rabbi Eric Linder, 10 a.m.; CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at South entrance. WRJ Book Sorting, Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m. and Tuesday, June 30, 6:30 p.m. Please plan to pitch in with book sorting and the book sale; it’s a major fundraiser for many worthy projects. Questions? Contact Wendy Goldberg, 556.6536, or Linda Sadofsky, 398.1595.

NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. MONDAY and THURSDAY: Minyan, 9 a.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch and Talmud study. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group will meet at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Contact Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066. Moving sale on June 19 and 21. For more information, please call Jan Breslow at 450.6659 or Barb Seglin at 489.7901. The Holocaust Commemoration held at the State Capitol is being shown on Channel 5 Mondays at noon, and Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m.

Prayerbooks Available for Visually Impaired The Jewish Heritage for the Blind announced the availability of the High Holiday Machzor in large print and in Braille free of charge for those who need them. A doctor’s note stating necessity is required. To receive a complimentary Machzor, contact our office at 718.338.4999; or fax 718.338.0653; or e-mail to Jewishheritage@gmail.com.

Beth El’s USY members celebrate annual banquet, board installations If you’re as members will be treated to a by JILL BELMONT looking Beth El Publicity Coordinator swimming party on Sunday, June Members of Beth El’s USY 28, noon-2:30 p.m., at the Papio at this space, youth group got together so are recently for their annual others! banquet, Your ad can go here... to reserve space,

call

Allan Handleman, 402.334.6451

enjoying a breakfast-fordinner menu, installation of new board members, a slide show, award presentations and speeches. USY’s fun will continue this summer

Flanked by out-going Youth Director Robert Mosenkis, left, and his successor, Jason Rich, right, newly-installed USY board members: Yonatan Dotan, Brad Kutler, Ryan Kirshenbaum, Ezra Potash, Adeev Potash, Noam Margalit and Ari Brodkey.

Honors during the evening were presented to Dayna Cohen, left, who received the Joe Ginsberg Mensch Award, given to an upperclassman who has shown steadfast dedication and volunteerism to USY; and Brad Kutler, right, awarded the Jack Molad Ruach Award, given to a freshman who has displayed exceptional enthusiasm and commitment to the youth group. Bay Aquatic Park, 815 E. Halleck 26. Contact Mosenkis at Street in Papillion. Cost is $4 and 492.8550, or youthdir@bethelreservations are needed by June omaha.org.

June 19, 2009

The Scouts

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Shelah Lekha Like any good leader who is responsible for an invasion of a strongly-held territory, Moses sends spies (“scouts” is a kinder word) to see what lay before the Children of Israel entering the Promised Land. The scouts were to return with a report, giving an appraisal of the land and its people -- whether the cities were protected by walls -- whether the people were tough and militaristic or not -- and whether the land was welcoming to a people that had been in the wilderness for 40 years. The scouts did bring back a report, but there was only a minority that said that the proposed invasion would succeed. The majority told Moses that they could not take this land from its strong people, nor it is worth taking. Unpleasant as it is, the people would have to retrace their steps through 40 years in the wilderness and go back to Egypt, even though it means they will have to be slaves to the Egyptians once again. Only a minority, only two, only Caleb and Joshua said that the land is good and will reward us. We will be able to overcome any resistance by man and nature and the land will be ours. Fortunately, as history has it, the minority report was accepted and the Israelites did enter the land, which was to become the Land of Israel. The Israelites became a people and those who left later in history to people Europe and the Americas are today called “Jews”. All of this quite remarkable story is told in an unremarkable way in our Sidra. Jewish tradition actually calls a “minyan” as 10 after the pessimistic 10 scouts that Moses sent to explore the land, which is not to say that a minyan of worshippers is not optimistic. A number is only a number! We cannot avoid the thought that this is somehow reminiscent of the Allied attack during World War II at the “Fortress Europa” which Hitler (yemah sh’mo -may his name be blotted out) said would last for a thousand years. The ancient Israelites were perhaps more surprised than we are that their invasion of the land was successful. More important, however, is what followed. These Israelites became the People of Israel, among whom were the writers of the Bible, which brought to all of mankind the lessons of brotherly love, morality, ethics, and a sense of honor for our common humanity. As we think of it, who could have envisioned at the time that important, indeed, important to the world, the results of the invasion presaged.

Swimming, snacking, schmoozing for 20s/30s

Make a social splash during Beth El’s pool party by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator If you’re a Jewish adult in your 20s or 30s (married or single), Beth El Synagogue invites you to end the Fourth of July weekend with an afternoon of friends, food and fun during a special pool party on Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m. at the Cambridge Villas pool, 166th and Davenport Plz. All young Jewish adults in the metro area are welcome to join in the fun. Munchies, dinner and non-alcoholic beverages will be served, and guests may also bring a bottle of wine or spirits to share. Cost to attend is $10. To make a reservation, please send a check -- made payable to Beth El -- to Beth El, 14506 California St., Omaha, NE 68154. This year, the holiday fun doesn’t end on the Fourth -- grab some friends and plan to party!

CORRECTION The name of Anthony Bannon, director of the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, was incorrectly written as George Bannon in last week’s front page article about Stan Lipsey’s new book of photography. The Jewish Press regrets the error.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE The Jewish Press will not publish on Friday, July 3, due to staff vacations and computer upgrades.The deadline for all articles, photos and ads throughout the summer for all issues is on Thursdays, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication.

DEATH EDWARD ROSENBAUM Former Omahan Edward Rosenbaum, whose book A Taste of My Own Medicine, inspired the film, The Doctor, died in Portland, OR, at the age of 94. Services were held at Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland. A rheumotologist who was diagnosed with throat cancer at the age of 70, Rosenbaum wrote the autobiography to teach doctors what it was like to be a patient. He is survived by his wife, Davida; four sons, six grandchildren and a great-grandson.

Iranian unrest prompts calls for more U.S. pressure on regime by JTA Staff WASHINGTON (JTA) -- With unrest mounting in Iran over official claims of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection, U.S. Jewish organizational leaders were calling for more American support for the protesters and more international action to stop the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Since Ahmadinejad was declared a landslide winner June 13, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in protest. As the first signs of a violent crackdown came Monday, some Jewish communal officials -- including Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League and Malcolm Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations -- questioned whether the United States should be doing more to show solidarity with the demonstrators. Foxman said he had “not heard America embrace” Ahmadinejad’s main challenger, former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Moussavi. Hoenlein said he understood why the United States “doesn’t want to become a factor” in the process, but added, “When do the young people feel they’ve been abandoned” by the West? Talking to reporters Monday, Obama said “it is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran’s leaders will be” and the United States wants to avoid “being the issue inside of Iran.” “What I would say to those people who put so much hope and energy and optimism into the political process,” he added, “... the world is watching and inspired by their participation, regardless of what the ultimate outcome of the election was.” The protests and crackdowns in Iran are likely to reignite the debate over the best way to stop Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and support of international terrorism: Negotiate a deal with the country’s current Islamic rulers that helps prolong their political survival, or ramp up support for forces seeking to topple the regime? While Israeli officials and Jewish organizations have yet to weigh in strongly, they have been asserting that it doesn’t matter whether Ahmadinejad or Moussavi is president because the final decision-maker is the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- and by most accounts he is a strong backer of Iran’s nuclear policies and support for terrorists Hamas and Hezbollah. The Jewish community in Tehran canceled social and educational programs out of safety concerns during the current unrest. Sources close to the Jewish community in Iran confirmed Tuesday in an e-mail to JTA that there have been no injuries or threats to Jews or Jewish property, but said the measures were taken as a precaution following days of demonstrations in the wake of last week’s voting that re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “There really is no problem for the Jews,” said the source, who asked not to be named. “There is only a problem for those who want to take part in the rallies.”

To Submit Announcements to the Jewish Press: Announcements may be e-mailed to the Press with attached photos in .jpg or .tif files to jpress@jewishomaha.org; faxed to 402.334.5422, or mailed to 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154 (with photos we will scan and return). Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. Readers can also submit other announcements -- births engagements, marriages, commitment ceremonies or obituaries -- online at the Jewish Federation of Omaha website: www.jewishomaha.org. Click on “Jewish Press” and go to Submit Announcements. Deadlines are normally eight days prior to publication, on Thursdays, 9 a.m. Check the Jewish Press, however, for notices of early deadlines prior to secular and Jewish holidays.

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Page 12

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 19, 2009

Chabad honors supporters and burns the mortgage

by CAROL HUTCHISON talk to. You’ll see -- if you have a problem wonderful place.” well. He says, “They make humanity a betfor Chabad of Nebraska … there’s a death in the family … I hit a Gary Javitch, a Chabad devotee pre- ter humanity. They make the city a better Joy bubbled over at the Chabad House speed bump this year and one of the first sented a gift to the Kleinbergs. He city. Their being [in Omaha] has lifted our in champagne cups, beating hearts, and people who made contact with me was described some recent Chabad events community, whether you know it or not,” flowing chocolate as more than one hun- him. Distance doesn’t inhibit him from which “call to my attention how very as he presented a gift to the Fellmans. dred assembled earlier this month to pay doing what he feels needs to be done; he important Chabad is.” The varied gamut of attendees inspired tribute to Tom and Darlynn Cori Oxman to add,” This is Fellman, Milton and Marsha really a tribute to the work of Kleinberg, and Phil and Terri Chabad -- dedication and comSchrager. mitment to strengthen our The occasion? Mortgage debt Omaha Jewish community. in the amount of $123,000 Jews affiliated with all moveerased! ments and affiliated with none Late in October of 2008, the attended. Our new mayor and Kleinbergs invited a handful of several former mayors’ wives people to their home and spearparticipated as well.” headed this effort to erase Rabbi Mendel Katzman’s mesChabad’s mortgages. sage was universal: “The Rebbe “Especially in these difficult taught, ‘Do more Mitzvos.’ Do economic times, we must ensure whatever you can to spread the that valuable resources go light. There are so many differdirectly where they are needed. ent ways that it could be done. A mortgage dissolves these Sometimes we tend to focus too assets,” he reasoned. “We must much on the immediate but we get rid of them.” need to look at the bigger picPhil and Terri Schrager ture. In reality, you know what it offered matching funds and means -- that we have to broadTom and Darlynn Fellman en our horizons and be embracjumped in with donations. ing of everyone and everything A heartfelt presentation was - all the good things, obviously.” made to the Schragers by Jill All donors will be recognized Sideris, whose father, Jerry on a permanent display currently Rosen, initiated the Chabad being designed. This event conHouse building campaign in cluded the first phase of the proj1998. She said she, “felt honored Photos from t op left: Mushka Katzman and Jill Sideris, daughter of the late Jerry Rosen who began the mortgage ect. The ultimate goal of this to thank Phil and Terri for com- campaign, present a gift to Phil and Terri Schrager; Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, left, joins Marsha and Milton Kleinberg campaign initiated by Kleinberg pleting the project Dad started” to celebrate the burning of the Chabad House mortgage; Bottom left: Phil Schrager addresses the crowd at Chabad is to wipe out the remaining and expressed the sentiment that as his wife Terri looks on; while Denny Lewis, right, honors Tom and Darlynn Fellman for partnering with Chabad. $73,000 of Chabad’s second Chabad is firstly a “House,” where every- goes wherever he’s needed. Religion is Milton, who literally burned the mort- mortgage to enable all of Chabad’s funds one is always embraced and helped. not necessarily a boundary for him, gage papers added, “I’m not an observant to be translated into direct assistance for Phil Shrager explained his connection either. He helps people in all walks of life Jew… born a Jew, always a Jew and very our community. For more information or to Chabad. “Whenever there is some- … It’s a pleasure for Terri and me to be happy to be part of this place.” to participate please contact him at thing, Rabbi is always the first person you able to do whatever we can to help this Denny Lewis partners with Chabad as 397.3311 or Rabbi Katzman at 330.1800.

What we did Omaha Does it Again! THAT summer!

B”H

Pioneers Tom and Darlynn Fellman, Milton and Marsha Kleinberg, Phil and Terri Schrager shirked financial fear and joined forces to rally the community and wipe out Chabad’s mortgages. These trailblazers prove that “a little light dispels much darkness” and that Tzedaka given in dark times, burns especially bright. Partial list of participants who helped burn the mortgage and fan the flames include:

Michael Albert Jack & Judy Baker Dennis & Catherine Blackman Ronald Budwig Randall Burns Samuel & Shirley Cemaj Debbie Denenberg Norman & Eunice Denenberg Dr. Lourdes Secola Stanley & Ellene Edelstein Robert Eisenberg Carole Forsman Samuel & Frances Fried Morton & Janet Glass Jim & Jordana Glazer Bob & Kim Goldberg Bruce & Cindy Goldberg Manny & Carol Goldberg

Leonard & Shirley Goldstein Don & Nancy Greenberg David & Nancy Jacobson Richard & Joan Jacobson Howard & Gloria Kaslow Bassheva Katzman Chani Katzman Michael & Carol Katzman Mushka Katzman Jarold & Gail Kohll Marvin & Sandra Kohll Bruce & Pam Kutler Jay & Bobette Lerner The Lerner Company Dennis & Lisa Lewis Rabbi Eli & Leah Lipsker Sheldon & Sally Masnek P. J. Morgan P.J. Morgan Real Estate

Rabbi Brett & Cori Oxman Eric & Julie Phillips Nancy Rampey Marty & Iris Ricks Jerry Rosen Joel & Nancy Schlessinger Dan & Yaffa Schuller Natan & Hannah Schwalb Gus & Jill Sideris Howard & Sissy Silber Harry & Bethaviva Silver Bruce & Stacy Simon Harold Siporin Alan & Kim Stoler Charles & Louri Sullivan Jim & Deb Suttle Tom & Elaine Urban Michael & Paula Weekly Hannah Wolf Phillip & Nancy Wolf

THANK YOU! Don’t be left out.To help complete phase 2,call now to participate. Mr.Milton Kleinberg at 397-3311 or Rabbi Katzman at 330-1800.

Where were you when the Israel Air Force rescued the hostages from the Palestinian hijackers in Entebbe in July of 1976? Maybe you recall when Israeli and Jordanian officials signed the Washington Declaration in the desert between the two countries in the summer of 1994?

alem’s s at Jerusof 2005. y a r p n August rty Warre ahan Ma a trip to Israel in m O r e m ing For Wall dur Western

Did you get married one summer? Become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Maybe your son or daughter was born during the summer and you celebrated a bris or baby naming -Or maybe you recall summers at Camp JCC, Herzl, Sabra, or Beber? Were you on a Federation or synagogue mission to Israel one summer? Or did you go first as a teen — with ARTZA, NFTY, NCSY or USY?

If your most memorable Jewish events occurred during the summer — any summer — THAT summer — we’ll publish your stories and photos in our Sept. 18, 2009, Jewish New Year’s issue:“What we did THAT summer!” Even it’s just a photo and caption from camp,Israel,a wedding or a car trip across the United States for a family reunion -- we need it no later than Aug. 1. Send all articles and photos to the Jewish Press,333 So.132 St.,Omaha,NE 68154 or e-mail them to ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. If you need more information — or want help putting together your story, call editor Carol Katzman at 402.334.6450 Or e-mail her at ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.