June 25, 2010

Vol. LXXXIX No. 40 Omaha, NE

Celebrating 89 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa

13 Tammuz 5770

June 25, 2010 2 Sections

Temple volunteers pitch in on first responders appreciation day by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Firefighters and police crowded into the Qwest Center on June 10, but there wasn’t an emergency. They and their families were being honored by the city and its citizens.

Jerry Hoberman, left, U.S. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrence Galner and Ray Somberg. Jerry Hoberman and Ray Somberg first envisioned the Firefighters and Police Appreciation Day about two years ago. By the time the day arrived, they had enlisted a board of directors and ten honorary cochairs along with 200 volunteers to help plan and carry out the event. U.S. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrence Galner was the keynote speaker at the luncheon which was attended by numerous dignitaries including Governor Dave Heineman. Among the volunteers, members of Temple Israel handed out boxed lunches to first responders participating in rescue and pursuit simulations at the Qwest Continued on page 2

Civics organization honors Sam Fried for HHEF efforts by MARY BORT Education programs are held at the Freedoms Heartland Holocaust Educational Fund Foundation’s campus in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Sam Fried, Auschwitz survivor and founder of the There are more than 30 volunteer chapters, including Heartland Holocaust Educational Fund (HHEF) was the Omaha Chapter. Chapters recruit and finance stuhonored on Flag Day, June 14, by the Omaha Chapter dent education programs, coordinate awards programs of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for his and organize events to promote responsible citizenship efforts on behalf of the and community service. HHEF. The award cere“I am truly honored mony took place at the by this award,” stated Omaha Press Club, where Fried. “The work that we Fried received the prestiaccomplish through the gious “Certificate of Heartland Holocaust Merit” for 2009 from the Educational Fund is not Chapter President, Glenn only a moral imperative Freeman. for us in that we never Fried was nominated forget the lessons learned for the award by Bill from the atrocities of the Ramsey, who serves on Holocaust, but is also the HHEF Board of critical to our future surDirectors. “I nominated vival as a free people. We him for his tireless leaderare making sure that colship and work on educatlege students and future ing our youth about the leaders are educated horror of the Holocaust about what happened in and its impact in today’s the Holocaust and the world,” said Ramsey, who Sam Fried and Glenn Freeman, President of the Omaha Chapter of responsibilities that we is a long time board the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. have as members of member of the Omaha Chapter of the Freedoms humanity to be vigilant so that the atrocities of the Foundation at Valley Forge, a past president, and has Holocaust and other acts of genocide never happen been a member of the organization for 40 years. again.” According to their website, the Freedoms Foundation In addition to financing Holocaust education courses at Valley Forge is a national non-profit organization “… at the college level, the HHEF also supports the that provides a wide range of educational and awards Nebraska Holocaust Memorial at Wyuka Cemetery in programs for students, teachers and citizens to gain a Lincoln. If you would like to learn more about the greater awareness and appreciation of the principles and HHEF, please call 402.334.6459 or email mbort@ responsibilities of a free and democratic society.” holocausteducationfund.org.

Rubashkin acquitted of labor charges by JOSH NATHAN-KAZIS NEW YORK (Forward) -- Supporters of former Agriprocessors executive Sholom Rubashkin are hailing his acquittal in Iowa state court of child labor charges, saying that the jury’s decision offers a measure of vindication for the embattled kosher slaughterhouse manager. Rubashkin, son of the founder of Agriprocessors and former chief manager at the company’s kosher meat plant in Postville, Iowa, was acquitted June 7 of 67 misdemeanor counts of child labor violations. Rubashkin is still awaiting sentencing in federal court, where he was convicted of bank Sholom Rubashkin fraud. “I would hope that this is at least one small step in terms of at least giving the public some pause when they reflect upon who Sholom Rubashkin is,” said Alyza Lewin, an attorney who is representing Rubashkin in an effort to appeal the federal conviction. “He was painted as public enemy No. 1, as a person who was really truly evil. And I think that this decision, this verdict, begins at least to show the public that that’s not who he was.” The appeal in the federal case has not yet been filed. The state court’s verdict is the latest development in a saga reaching back to 2006, when a report by the

Inside Op-Ed Page: see page 8

Forward drew attention to working conditions at the Postville plant. The controversy surrounding the Postville plant spurred an intense, and often contentious, Jewish communal debate over ethical standards in kosher meat production. In May 2008, federal immigration authorities mounted a massive raid in which more than 300 people were arrested, drawing national attention to Postville. Rubashkin was found guilty in 2009 of bank fraud in federal court. Charges against Rubashkin related to the employment of illegal immigrants at the plant were later dropped by federal prosecutors. The recent state trial stemmed from an investigation of the plant by the Iowa Division of Labor that was launched before the immigration raid. Rubashkin was eventually tried on 67 misdemeanor child labor charges regarding 26 minors, all illegal immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala and formerly employed by Agriprocessors. The misdemeanor charges included the employment of a minor at the slaughterhouse and the employment of a minor in the vicinity of dangerous chemicals. In the case of those minors who were under 16 at the time of their employment, the charges also included the employment of a minor in the operation of power-driven machinery and violations of the maximum allowable working hours per day and per week. The jury’s foreman, a member of the City Council in Waterloo, Iowa, where the trial was held, told the Forward that he believed that the workers had been underage when employed by Agriprocessors, but that Rubashkin himself had been unaware of their age.

“We didn’t see any direct connection that the defendant actually had a conversation about there actually being minors in the plant, and if there was conversation it showed that they were immediately being fired,” said the foreman, Quentin Hart. The chief prosecutor on the case, an Iowa deputy attorney general, Thomas Henry Miller, said the state’s contention had been that Rubashkin knew of the violations of child labor law. According to state law, Miller said, one cannot claim ignorance of something if a reasonable person would have inquired into it. “We felt it was unreasonable for the CEO of a slaughterhouse, who received accusations of child labor from senior employees, supervisors, from the Iowa [Division of Labor], and directly from his own eyes when walking the plant -- given all three sources of very obvious notice to him that he had children working in his plant … under those circumstances it was not reasonable for anyone in his position not to inquire as to the fact of the matter,” Miller said. But Hart pointed to defense testimony that sought to establish the difficulty of determining the ages of the minors, referring to testimony by an immigration official who had been unable to identify minors in a series of photographs of people arrested during the federal raid of the plant. Hart called that line of argument “very, very critical to the case.” Miller disagreed that the ages of the minors were inscrutable. “We flatly reject the notion that was repeatedly urged to this jury, that white adults should not be expected to Continued on page 2

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Hornstein Scholarship awarded Page 3

Next Week: No July 2 Jewish Press Summer’s Bestsellers are at the Kripke Library Page 4

In Venice, a Jewish disconnect between locals and visitors Page 12

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 25, 2010

Malek apology questioned

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by DEBRA RUBIN WASHINGTON (Washington Jewish Week) -- Fred Malek again has apologized for counting Jews in the Nixon White House, but at least one Jewish group says the apology rings hollow. Another group, however, is standing firmly behind Malek, a controversial appointee as the chair of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Commission on Government. Malek was the White House personnel chief in the early 1970s when he counted the number of Jews working at the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the request of President Nixon, who was concerned about a “Jewish cabal” at the department making him “look bad.” “Over my five decades of career, I’ve made mistakes. That was the biggest one I have ever made in life,” Malek said while speaking to reporters last week in Richmond, Va. “I think I’ve apologized and atoned for it. I’ve learned from it and it’s time to move on.” Some of the employees were reassigned, although Malek has said he never knew any personnel changes were made based on his figures and would have refused to move employees if he had been asked. Recently released documents and transcripts, however, seem to tell a different story. For example, in one July 1971 memo, first reported by Timothy Noah of Slate, Malek recommends the transfer of five of the 13 Jews he has identified. That September, Malek followed up with a memo to White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman saying that Harold Goldstein would be reassigned, and that Peter Henle and Leon Greenberg would be transferred. All three men were Jewish. Malek in 1988 had told The Washington Post that he did not take part in moving anyone out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, saying that “If I had even been peripherally involved or asked to alter someone’s employment status, I would have found it offensive and morally unacceptable, and I would have refused.” Until the recent reports Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, had accepted that apology. Now, however, he says it’s not enough. On June 4, prior to Malek’s apology that afternoon, the NJDC called on Malek “to truthfully apologize for his role” in providing Nixon with information on Jewish employees in the Labor bureau “because of suspected ‘disloyalty.’ “ The NJDC also urged candidates for public office to return or refuse money from Malek. Asked Monday about Malek’s latest apology, Forman

remained firm. “As far as I can see, Fred Malek has never walked back from his earlier assertion that his role was limited,” Forman said. “He should apologize for that larger role.” Forman went on to say that Malek “should come clean on the total extent of his record, and then let’s move on.” Other Jewish organizational leaders took a softer stand. “There is the concept in Judaism of repentance,” said Ron Halber, the Jewish Community Relations Committee’s executive director. “He has apologized repeatedly, and actually has been involved in the Jewish community. At a certain time, enough is enough.” Halber also said that “If it’s true that he played a larger role than he indicated he has, he has to come clean.” Melanie Maron Pell, who directs the American Jewish Committee’s Washington area office, said that defenses of Malek should not be minimized, yet “if there’s other information that’s been withheld, it needs to be acknowledged and discussed.” Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League’s national director, may be Malek’s strongest defender in the Jewish organizational world. In a statement released by the ADL, Foxman said that “Fred Malek has been deeply supportive of the Jewish community, and there is nothing in his record of the last 39 years to suggest that we would have any reason not to accept his apology.” Neither the ADL nor a spokesperson for Malek would say if Malek contributes to the organization. Malek sits on the American Israel Friendship League board. A Virginia lawmaker who is Jewish and has vocally opposed Malek’s appointment since McDonnell announced it more than a month ago takes a stand similar to Forman’s. “His apology is meaningless,” Del. David Englin, a Democrat, said in an interview. “If he would come forward and openly admit the full scope of his activities in government, then we could move forward.” Malek spokesman Mark Corallo dismissed the criticism as “the politics of personal destruction.” Malek, he said, “has apologized for his mistake. He has taken responsibility for his mistake. He has atoned for his mistake.” Asked to detail the mistake, Corallo said, “the mistake of acquiescing to his boss’ orders.” This article first appeared in The Washington Jewish Week.

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Continued from page 1 judge the age of brown children,” Miller said. F. Montgomery Brown, who represented Rubashkin in the trial, said that he “never used the word ‘brown children’.” But he said that he did argue that the ages of the workers were impossible to establish simply by looking at them. “We certainly did make the argument that large numbers of Latino workers essentially was a curtain,” Brown said. “Their ethnicity was a factor in helping them infiltrate the plant.” Miller said that Judge Nathan Callahan had barred his team from arguing that Rubashkin’s employment of illegal immigrants made him necessarily culpable for the hiring of minors. “Our intention was to present that evidence and point out that when the only evidence of age is the date of birth on a document that you reasonably know to be a forgery, that you are at least willfully blind as to the age of your workforce,” Miller said. Miller added that he was not criticizing the judge, but that the ruling had damaged the state’s case. Meanwhile, Rubashkin’s defenders called the acquittal a victory. “I don’t believe that Mr. Rubashkin wanted minors in the plant, not only because it was illegal but because it served no financial benefit,” Brown said. “And I believe that the verdict does reflect some form of vindication that he didn’t intentionally want minors in his father’s plant.” Lewin said the acquittal could have an impact on Rubashkin’s sentencing in the bank fraud case, which is scheduled for June 22. “She’s allowed to consider not only the case that’s

before her but any and all other allegations and issues that may have been raised, proven or unproven,” Lewin said of the judge in that case, Linda Reade. Rubashkin’s defenders have argued that federal prosecutors are seeking a sentence that is disproportionate to the crime of which he was convicted. Six former U.S. attorneys general had signed onto a letter harshly criticizing federal prosecutors’ initial request that Rubashkin be sentenced to life in prison. Since then, prosecutors have revised their request downward and are currently seeking a 25-year sentence, a penalty that Rubashkin’s defenders say is still unfair. Meanwhile, state investigations are continuing into what happened at the Agriprocessors plant. Miller said that most of the 26 former Agriprocessors employees who were witnesses at Rubashkin’s trial will return to Guatemala and Mexico. That could be a problem for any prosecutions stemming from investigations of alleged extortion and sexual abuse at the Agriprocessors facility. The suspects in those investigations are currently fugitives, Miller said, but he added that he does plan to prosecute the cases if he has the opportunity.

Temple celebrates first responders appreciation day Continued from page 1 Center and tee-shirts to their families at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village in the evening. Next year, Hoberman and Somberg, who are members of Temple Israel, plan to see the event observed statewide followed by nationwide in five years.

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June 25, 2010

Film offers an unexpected ending

by BETH SELDIN DOTAN Director, Institute for Holocaust Education Plains States Office of the ADL On June 13, the Institute for Holocaust Education hosted over 100 community members at the screening of the documentary Four Seasons Lodge. The Institute for Holocaust Education is a local organization that develops and distributes educational resources and provides programs to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and their applications to society today. members Audience watched in suspense as a colony home to Holocaust Survivors for decades was threatened to be closed. As in the lives of the heroes of our film, sometimes in life the unexpected happens. With fewer than ten minutes left in the film, technology failed and the movie was cut short. We appreciate everyone’s kind patience the other day for those who attended the showing of the Four Seasons Lodge film. While the ending of the film was missed, there was so much depth throughout the film to think about. The discussions held during the reception were very important to gain perspective on the documentary. The film stopped just as the colony members gathered for a meeting to discuss the future of the lodge. The residents understood that they had to close down the Four Seasons Lodge for the season but there was a vote in favor of trying to reverse the sale of the colony. At the final banquet, Hymie, the ever dedicated colony president, eloquently read a letter to the group in Yiddish.

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among other things he says, “So dance my brothers and sisters. Be happy, forget all your worries. Let’s ask God for a healthy year and a joyous tomorrow.” As the members of the lodge close up the bungalows, everyone has a bit of a tearful goodbye. But there is a final scene with everyone back at the Four Seasons Lodge the following summer, as their vote indeed provided the necessary action to reverse the sale. In this last scene, they are dancing the hora in the social hall with klezmer music, while also memorializing three of the people who were in the beginning of the documentary. An announcement during the celebration proclaimed that the Four Seasons Lodge would stay open for hopefully some years to come. This film came with a gamut of emotions. It helped viewers learn about the on-going struggles of the individuals who made up the colony. Community members watching the film were faced with the coming “truths” of the near future to help us prepare for a time when our precious Holocaust survivors will no longer be among us. The film also brings to life the resilience of this amazing group of people who created their own extended family in the Catskills. All of these emotions spark an important conversation among our own community,” remarked Dotan. “We have an awesome responsibility to continue to honor the incredible successes of those who survived the Holocaust – who raised beautiful families and built business of their own – right here in our own community!

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Hornstein Scholarship awarded

years, was a passionate advocate of the by MARY BORT rights of those who could not afford a Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Andrew J. Zimmerman has been award- lawyer. After his battle with cancer and ed the Bennett G. Hornstein Memorial untimely death at the age of 46, his famiScholarship for aspiring law students. He ly established the Bennett G. Hornstein Endowment Fund in partreceived his undergraduate nership with the Jewish degree from the University Federation of Omaha of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a Foundation. This fund promajor in political science and vides an annual scholarship a minor in international relafor a law student who will tions. This fall, Zimmerman carry on Hornstein’s comwill begin his second year at mitment to working for the Creighton University those members of society School of Law. whom no one else wants to Zimmerman is a student help. This is the fifth year member of the American Bar for the scholarship. Association and Creighton Andrew Zimmerman The criteria for selection Public Interest Law Forum. He is a volunteer student advisor for are those qualities that Hornstein exemSarpy County Teen Court, participates in plified: a high standard of academic the Creighton Law Ambassadors pro- achievement, an adventurous spirit and a gram, and was a semi-finalist in the Client desire to take on an active role in service to the community. Applicants must also Counseling Competition. Prior to attending Creighton University be attending law school at the University School of Law, Zimmerman was an aide of Nebraska or Creighton University. The scholarship selection committee is to Nebraska State Senator Abbie Cornett, providing constituent interaction and headed by Hornstein’s son, Joe, of case management. He also was a research Denver, Colorado, and includes assistant to Nebraska State Senator Bill Hornstein’s daughter, Jill Goldstein, Avery on the Help America Vote Act attorney for Kutak Rock, as well as other committee. Zimmerman has served as an attorneys from the Omaha area. For more information about the election organizer and a director for a Bennett G. Hornstein Endowment Fund number of political campaigns. The late Bennett Hornstein, assistant and annual scholarship, please visit Douglas County public defender for 20 www.bghendowment.org.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 25, 2010

Summer’s Bestsellers are at the Kripke Library

by SHERRIE SAAG Center for Jewish Education It wouldn’t be summer without the ever popular book lists in mainstream magazines touting “best beach reads” and “books for summer sun.” Everyone looks to these lists as instant recommendations for great reads. The titles below have been seen on numerous media lists and are now available at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library. “Summer, 2010 is proving to be a great season for enjoyable, easy-to-read books that are getting great reviews in popular magazines and national daily newspapers. It’s a great coincidence that these bestselling books follow the Kripke Library’s guidelines and we are able to include them in our collection,” said Gary Katz, Library Administrator. Visit the Library and check out the books everyone will be reading this summer! The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. Recently included in National Public Radio’s weblist Soaring “15 Summer Reads”, The Postmistress connects 2 professional women on either side of the Atlantic during World War II whose professional decisions have a profound impact on those around them. This novel weaves a haunting story around the following questions: What if the postmistress decides not to deliver a letter and the reporter decides not to turn in a story? Secrets of a Jewish Mother by Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler and Gloria Kamen. This is the book everyone will read but then won’t admit they did! Jill Zarin is an original star of Bravo TV’s hit series, The Real

Housewives of New York. She is cresting on the wave of her show’s current popularity by authoring a book that furthers the popular “Jewish mother” stereotype. Her advice is nothing that hasn’t been written before, but good advice always bears repeating. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. This is a poignant tale told through the narration of 9 year old Rose Edelstein. Her mother makes her a lemon cake with chocolate frosting, a practice run for her birthday cake, and Rose tastes far something beyond the basic ingredients. She can taste in every bite of food the emotions of each person who has grown, harvested, and prepared it. In the lemon cake, she tastes hollowness and associates this with her mother’s empty loneliness. Both the beauty and sadness lies in the universal theme of a parents wish to shield their children from pain and sorrow. The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman. A five-star review by Amazon fueled this memoir to the New York Times Bestseller list last month. The acerbic comic writes an appropriately-titled memoir that details, among other things, her persistent childhood bedwetting problem. Her father takes center stage in her hilarious recounting of family drama, 60’s style. She bravely describes her studies at NYU and her move into the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy and makes no apologies for her questionable behavior. While Silverman certainly never shies away from poking fun at herself, her stories of personal struggle are moving and relatable.

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It’s a MATCH! Chabad wedding to be community event by TIPPI DENENBERG for Chabad House Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman recently announced the August 17, 2010, wedding of their daughter Estie Katzman to Leibel Baumgarten, son of Rabbi Yossi and Lieba Baumgarten of Johannesburg, South Africa. On Wednesday June 30, at 10:45 a.m., please come to the Chabad House for a quick coffee and nosh to hear all about the wedding and to be a part of it. This will be an Omaha first: a community-celebrated Chassidic wedding with all the customs and traditions. Whether you are an artist at heart, a designer, a planner, a greeter, a cook, or you were just moved by the wedding scene in “The Chosen”, join us; this is going to be a huge event and volunteers are needed. Instead of transporting the rapidly forthcoming event to Brooklyn where there is a large Chassidic population and the planning is routine, the Katzmans are holding this event in Omaha. When asked

“why”, Shani Katzman said that though it is true she could easily accomplish the planning in Crown Heights with “five phone calls”, she feels that her family and Omaha are so intertwined that they “can’t imagine doing a major lifecycle event elsewhere.” From the separate receptions for the bride and groom (Kabolas Ponim), to the veiling (Badeken), the moving Chupah, and the concluding celebratory dinner and dancing (Simchas Chosson V’kallah), Estie and Leibel have chosen to share their special day with us. Shani Katzman explained that the Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory) who brought them to Omaha taught that every personal experience should be a life lesson for everyone to take part. He wanted every event to benefit and educate as many people as possible. It’s coming fast; don’t miss the chance. More info at 402.330.1800.

IN THE NEWS Nancy Rips, author, bookseller, and book reviewer, has been elected President of the Omaha Public Library Board of Trustees. She has served on the board, by appointment of Mayor Jim Suttle since 2007, and was Vice President last year. Ms. Rips is a bookseller at the Bookworm in Countryside Village and is a regular segment contributor talking about new books on KMTV, KGOR-FM, and KCOR-AM. She has also done spots on Radio Disney and KKAR-AM. She speaks at local schools and libraries promoting libraries and books, and does regular story times at schools, libraries, and the Lydia House. She developed a book giveaway program for Juvenile offenders as part of their rehabilitation

process, and organized a community rally and effort to save Swanson Library. She also served as past president of the Kripke Federation Jewish Library, and has been a member of the board of the Omaha Public Library Foundation and the Board of the Friends of the Omaha Public Library. She has been honored as Volunteer of the Year at the Jewish Community Center for Jewish Education and the Kripke Library, and for her volunteer work at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. This summer her second book, High Holiday Stories (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2010), will be released, following her first book Seder Stories (Cumberland House, March 2008).

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Beth El annual meeting filled with reflection, celebration by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator Taking stock of the past year, looking toward the future and applauding dedicated volunteers was the order of the day as Beth El held its annual meeting on June 13 at the synagogue. Out going board of trustees president Steve Pitlor was thanked for his leadership dur-

many lessons. All people must be treated with respect and dignity. Reaching excellence requires effort and persistence. Positive encouragement goes further than complaints and negativity. If we reach out to others, they will respond. Teacher and parent are on the same side – the education of the child. The common denominator: cooperation.”

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

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Out-going president Steve Pitlor, left, congratulates his successor, Beverly Fellman ing the past two years, and in turn, he welcomed his successor, Beverly Fellman. Citing Fellman’s “phenomenal job” as chairman of the Beth El Synagogue Talmud Torah (BESTT) board, he remarked that “I can’t think of a better person to assume the role of president.” Pitlor thanked the congregation for “the opportunity to serve Beth El for the past two years. It was a very rewarding time and I’m pleased with our accomplishments.” Rabbi Mordechai Levin also spoke to attendees, listing the many programs, educational opportunities and activities offered by the synagogue; in addition, he welcomed Fellman as president, citing her “wise leadership.” Following her installation, Fellman noted that “it is a great honor to be asked [to be president], and a greater privilege yet to serve.” A retired public school teacher, she emphasized the importance of working together, saying, “From my 25 years in public education, I learned

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

From July 1, through August 11, Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts gallery is showing the work of Julie Omaha artist Phillips. Her paintings, titled ‘Veil Aqua, Blue, and Red’ are part of the exhibit “Styleheads/Ornamentalschmentalism/Exoticaschmatica, or Who’s afraid of Pattern and Decoration?” The gallery is located at 526 West 26th St., Suite 605, New York, NY. For more information, call 212.463.8500, or visit www.kathleencullenfinearts.com.

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Rabbi Mordechai Levin, with award winners Susan FellmanWitkowski, Sharon Brodkey and Marcie Spivack. Not pictured: Jon Jabenis. During the meeting, congregational awards were also presented. Marcie Spivack received the President’s Award, given to a non-board member for exceptional volunteerism to the synagogue; Sharon Brodkey was honored with the Selwyn Roffman Award for religious growth; Jon Jabenis was given the Earl Siegel Memorial Award for outstanding service as a board member; and Susan Fellman-Witkowski received the newly-established Emerging Leader Award. In addition to Fellman, the following officers and board members were elected and installed: Lloyd Roitstein, Jon Jabenis and Eric Phillips, vice presidents; Allan Noddle, treasurer; Sharon Brodkey, secretary; board members Mark Kelln, Jeff Kirshenbaum, Bruce Kutler, Linda Saltzman, Jan Wayne, Stan Edelstein, Sandee Friedman, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Juliana Reno, Ari Riekes, Scott Simon, Ben Shapiro and Mindy Tene.

IN THE NEWS Edward Jones Financial Advisor Mike Sigmond of Omaha recently received the Jack Phelan Blue Blazer Award for his outstanding business building skills and client service efforts over the past year. “When you work for a firm that is known for its outstanding service,” Sigmond said, “it’s quite an honor to be singled out for your service record.” James D. Weddle, Edward Jones’ managing partner, added, “Mike is an outstanding member of the Edward Jones team who personifies the ideal financial advisor, someone who is 100% dedicated to serving the financial needs of his clients. I am very pleased to present this well-deserved award.” Only 147 of the firm’s more than 12,000 financial advisors received the Jack Phelan Blue Blazer Award.

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Page 6

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 25, 2010

Visiting the family of the Hamas terrorist who tried to kill my wife

by DAVID E.H. GERSHON PITTSBURGH, Pa. (JTA) -- What should I buy for the children of the Hamas terrorist who tried to kill my wife? I’m sorry, some context is needed. Let me explain. In the summer of 2002 Hamas, targeting both Israelis and Americans, struck a cafeteria at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The blast, triggered by an innocuouslooking backpack, threw my wife, Jamie, across the blood-streaked linoleum floor and killed the two friends with whom she David E.H. Gershon, whose wife was sitting. Years later, after return- was injured in a 2002 bombing, ing to the United States, I visited the bomber’s family in embarked on a psycho- eastern Jerusalem in a quest logical journey that led to for closure and understanding. eastern Jerusalem and the childhood home of the terrorist who set everything in motion. Not out of revenge. Out of desperation. It was never my intention to become a reconciler, to become one of those victims intent on meeting with the perpetrator. In truth, after the bombing -- as Jamie was tortured by doctors treating the burns that covered portions of her body -- I refused to face what had occurred at Hebrew University. In my mind it remained passive and impersonal, as though it was the inevitable consequence of some larger political struggle. It was safer that way. “Nobody tried to kill her,” I thought to myself. “It just happened.” This is the thought to which I clung as we rebuilt our lives in the United States, lives full of therapy sessions and mangled recollections. None of which allowed me to move on, to move beyond what had occurred. I was a mess. Then, one evening, while digging through archived news clips, engaged in a desperate attempt to overcome the terrorist attack by understanding it fully, I learned his name: Mohammad Odeh. And suddenly he was human, this murderer. And then I found something strange in an Associated Press article on Odeh’s capture by Israeli police in 2002: Odeh told investigators he was sorry for what he had done since so many people died in the university attack. Upon reading, I thought, “This is a misquote, a typo.” Hamas terrorists are not remorseful. They are not sorry. They are programed to hate. They are robotic, marching, guns raised in the air, faces wrapped by folds of dark cotton, chanting their drone-like mantras: Death to Israel. Death to the Zionists. May the martyrs be praised. And I knew one thing: I needed to learn if this was true, if Odeh had indeed expressed remorse.

So this is the story: Five years after the bombing, I found myself slack-jawed in a Jerusalem Toys “R” Us looking at plastic squirt guns and Hebrew-talking Elmo figures thinking, “What do I buy for the children of the man who tried to kill my wife?” A visit had been arranged with the Odeh family by my Palestinian translator, Mariam -- the family had invited me to their home in East Jerusalem, which is why I was wandering the aisles. I needed an offering, something to demonstrate that I was not coming for revenge. When Mariam picked me up, I was holding a Rubik’s Cube and a stencil set. She eyed them and smiled. “Not necessary,” said her expression as I opened the door to a silver Peugeot. What she didn’t know is that I was also carrying a knife. And though I had told myself, while placing the knife in my pocket, “Not necessary,” I had brought it anyway. Just in case. When we arrived at the house, I was served spiced tea. With Odeh’s mother, brother and children watching, I took a sip, ceremoniously burned my tongue and smiled. Mariam nodded. They wanted me to speak. “I’m not here for revenge,” I said. “I’m simply here to meet you and try to understand what happened. That is all.” There was silence. And then, suddenly, a flurry of Arabic as Mohammad’s mother and brother began speaking simultaneously, Mariam doing her best to keep up: “His mother says, ‘We didn’t know what he was doing, we would have stopped him if we only knew.’ “ “His brother says, ‘He broke. He would watch Palestinians being beaten on the news. He used to sit in front of the TV for hours.’ “ “His mother says, ‘When they told us what Mohammad did, we were in trauma. We didn’t believe it.’” “And then, the words I had come for appeared as Mariam turned to me and said, “Mohammad has told them he is sorry, that if he could turn back time and change everything, he would.” I nodded internally, understanding nothing as his brother looked at me and said, “We don’t understand why you have come without a gun. Why don’t you have a gun? If it were me, I’d be angry.” “This may sound cliche,” I said, “but I’m sick of the violence. I’m sick. I just want understanding and, perhaps, peace.” “I want peace, too,” he said. “We all do.” As he spoke, a toddler -- his daughter -- plucked a photo album from my backpack. She began flipping pages, giggling at pictures of my daughters as the Odeh family squawked for her to return my property. I pulled out an orange rubber ball, rotated it before her eyes and gently pulled the album from her grip as she grasped the toy. The family clapped. And I realized, I would never get my ball back. The author has written a memoir about his experience titled “Shrapnel.” For excerpts and information, visit http://shrapnel-memoir.com/.

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Speaker to be announced for Wednesday, June 30, noon and for Wednesday, July 7, noon at the Blumkin Home. An optional buffet lunch costs $13; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to be placed on the emial list contact Jenny a 334.6443 or bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. NEBRASKA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society annual meeting will be held on Sunday, July 18 at 3 p.m. in the JCC auditorium. The Mary Fellman Award will be presented

to the Roz and Ike Friedman Foundation, the Shirley Berman Volunteer Award will be presented to Helen Rifkin and a new oral history documentary by Dr. Ben Nachman, Memories of Yesterday, will be shown. The event is open to the entire community with a dessert reception to follow.

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June 25, 2010

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

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July FRIDAY, JUNE 25 Birthday Blessings, 6 p.m. at Beth El SATURDAY, JUNE 26 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JUNE 27 Bagels & Beit Midrash, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Men’s Club Softball Series Beth El vs. Temple Israel, 10 a.m. at JCC Fields Living in Season with Miriam Gross, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel JCC Maccabi Games Host Family Orientation, 10:30 a.m. Mainstreeters Summer Picnic, 1 p.m. Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Open House, 1:30 p.m. JCC Maccabi Games Host Family Orientation, 5 p.m. TUESDAY, JUNE 29 Fast of the 17th of Tammuz Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. Eye on Israel, noon with Dr. Guy Matalon BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30 Katzman Wedding Volunteer Meeting, 10:45 a.m. at Chabad Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JULY 1 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel SATURDAY, JULY 3 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 4 Bagels & Beit Midrash, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Living in Season with Miriam Gross, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel Sunday Night Dinner, 6 p.m. at Beth Israel TUESDAY, JULY 6 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 7 Breadbreakers Luncheon/Speaker, 11:45 a.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel

THURSDAY, JULY 8 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Mainstreeters Dinner & Baseball Game, 5:15 p.m. Rosenblatt Stadium Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel SATURDAY, JULY 10 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 11 Bagels & Beit Midrash, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel JCC Maccabi Games Venue Director Meeting, 10 a.m. Living in Season with Miriam Gross, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel LOVE Game Day, 11:30 a.m. JCC Maccabi Games Volunteer Orientation, 1 p.m. MONDAY, JULY 12 Rosh Chodesh Av Holiday Camp Sabra Campers Departing, 8 a.m. IHE Governance Council Meeting, 11:30 a.m. Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group, 7 p.m. at Gloria Kaslow’s home TUESDAY, JULY 13 Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 14 Breadbreakers Luncheon/Speaker, 11:45 a.m. Women’s Book Group, 3:30 p.m. at Beth El Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JULY 15 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Center for Jewish Education Board Meeting, noon JCC Maccabi Games Host Family Orientation, 7 p.m. Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JULY 16 Mainstreeters Joslyn Tour & Lunch, 12:30 p.m. SATURDAY, JULY 17 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 18 Bagels & Beit Midrash, 9 a.m. at Beth Israel Living in Season with Miriam Gross, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel JCC Maccabi Games Host Family Orientation, 10:30 a.m. JCC Dance Open House, 1 p.m. Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Annual Meeting, 3 p.m. Reception for NJHS Annual Meeting, 4 p.m. Tentative JCC Maccabi Games Host Family Orientation, 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, JULY 20 Tisha B’Av Holiday Parsha Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. Main Streeters Committee Meeting, 10 a.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. at Temple Israel Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 21 Breadbreakers Luncheon/Speaker, 11:45 a.m. Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. at Beth Israel THURSDAY, JULY 22 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

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All events held at the Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted. This calendar does not include all community events. For a complete listing, visit the Federation’s website: www.jewishomaha.org (click on calendar). To keep calendar accurate, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of the above events.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 25, 2010

Good Neighbors

by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Editor of the Jewish Press Some of us have children at Friedel and the CDC. We make library visits, attend board meetings, participate in adult education, sign up for ballet sessions, yoga classes, and have a variety of other things to do in and around the Jewish Community Center. Because of the myriad of reasons to visit the JCC campus, many of us have been in the position to watch the Blumkin Home transformation up close. We, the community members, navigated a torn up parking lot, while some of us turned an entire wall into art because, according to Mike Silverman, “it had to come down anyway.” We got lost in the ever changing hallways, and found our way again, we had our children decorate tiles for the new playground, smelled the fresh paint, and watched a most ambitious project take shape before our eyes. Anyone who has ever lived through a renovation knows that it is not an easy thing to do. Somewhere along the way, when you’ve gone too far to turn around, you start second guessing whether you should have started at all. Yet, the Blumkin staff never gave that impression, kept smiling while playing musical chairs with their offices, and continued to take excellent care of the residents. Seeing the project completed, and experiencing the end result makes it clear that this has become a home for the entire community. The amount of donations, involvement, and care; it all points to a level of ownership that this community can be extremely proud of. Nobody who walks in here has to feel like a stranger, as familiarity is part of the building’s very fabric. The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, in conversation, is quite often referred to simply as ‘the Home.’ Believing this is by no means an accident, I decided to answer the question: ‘what makes a home a home?’ I did this by Googling it, since it was 12:36 am and Mike Silverman surely wasn’t available for a chatty phone call. I received over 2 billion hits, and learned a lot. Time Magazine explained that Pittsburgh was better than San Francisco, and Ezine told me

‘a real estate agent can sell you a house, but he can’t sell you a home.’ MB.com said that “the beauty of the house relies upon the one who is looking,” which may or may not be true; one website even argued that home is where there is family, and that therefore even homeless people are ‘at home’ as long as they are together. Apparently, this was not an easy question to answer, although I do have to admit, I didn’t sort through all 2 billion answers. Out of sheer desperation, I clicked on an Oprah link, and in spite of my suspicious attitude towards the queen of daytime (honestly, she can’t know everything), I hit pay dirt. “The feeling of being ‘at home’ can’t be bought,” the article stated, “because it comes from an intimate relationship between us and our most personal place. We lavish not only our money, but also our time and creativity on our homes, and in return, they give us comfort, pleasure, and sanctuary.” That intimate relationship doesn’t just exist between the Home and its residents, it includes the entire community, as evidenced by the fact that even the youngest members have a place to go in the newly added playground. It is also evident in way the many people have donated their time and money, not to mention the many meetings, committees, plans and visions that led to the final product.

Completing a project of this magnitude proves, once and for all, that when members of a community decide to work together toward a common goal, they can achieve miracles. Had that ‘intimate relationship’ between those members not been there, we might not have ended up with a home this magnificent. We at the Jewish Press are pleased to offer you a glimpse of what this all means, and we hope you will enjoy our special issue. Thanks to our wonderful staff, Allan Handleman, Emily Giller, Lori Koop-Schwartz, and Richard Busse, you now hold in your hands a very special edition that took many hours to put together. In addition, Richard Busse designed and took the photographs for the front cover of the special section. Of course, the best way to experience the total effect of our neighbors’ renovation is to walk inside and take a closer look at what’s been done. If and when you do, you’ll find that the new Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is much more than brick and stone: it is, indeed, a true home. Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Open House is Sunday, June 27 from 1:30-4:30 p.m.

FOCUS ON ISSUES by GARY WEXLER LOS ANGELES (JTA) -The bottom-line marketing success: Israel is now perceived as the pariah nation and the Palestinians and its supporters are the cause of good. This enormous, growing international accomplishment is a marketing professional’s dream. As one of those professionals, I want to know everything I can. I want to duplicate it for my clients. I want to hire its strategists. I want to be invited to breakfast meetings with its creative thinkers. I want to pick their brains, acquire their talents, meet their teachers, sit in their concept meetings and work with their suppliers. I want to know how they evaluate their successes and failures, what they learn from them and how they apply those lessons to the next bigger and even better job. More than anything, I want to know how their big brilliant ideas evolve and understand the insights and capabilities of their implementation teams. Whoever these people are, they should be the agency that wins all the awards, is focused upon and hired for every new venture. They are superstars. As a marketer for 30 years, I must always be in tune with my colleagues and competitors. In that time I have acquired an inherent sense to

Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Eric Dunning, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Past President; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Phyllis Brown; Jason Epstein; Mel Epstein; Scott Farkas; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Michael Sigmond; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman; 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 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: editor@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.

What we can learn from anti-Israel activism recognize when there exists a marketing team of excellence behind the effort. I would bet my entire professional career that in this case, there is indeed such a team. These actions don’t come about helter-skelter. They are of the same consistency and excellence time after time. It is a clear mark of the same people or a rigid discipline being transferred from group to group. The team is coordinated across the world. It pulls off each action with precision and prediction. And it is anonymous, not vying for recognition, credit or visibility for its members’ own individual personas. This team has its pulse on trends in the marketing field and recognizes that marketing is no longer media driven but idea driven. The media follow the idea and the celebrated figures connected to the implementation. It is no longer a day of buying ads and other media and then building your case through incessant verbiage. It is an era of creating powerful, big ideas resulting in images, reactions and stories that move virally within hours across the globe. Just like the flotilla. Just like naming the next ship the Rachel Corrie. Just like all the recent spate of Rachel Corrie media products. Just like Apartheid Week. The list of this team’s brilliant media ideas and the media products it pumps out is endless, and its output improves with each new invention. These media people see themselves as soldiers and have their pulse on changes in warfare. The enemies of Israel and the Jewish people have switched their strategy of combat from terror to media ideas. By closing shop on their terror war and moving the battle front

(Founded in 1920) Bobbi Leibowitz President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Managing Editor Allan Handleman Advertising Manager Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Managing Editor Barbara Kirkpatrick Bookkeeper Emily Giller Press Intern

for legitimacy to the world media, they are accomplishing what their strategies of terror never could. They appear as victims with growing international support, including the overwhelming support of a new generation. And they are winning. Which means we are losing. Allow me to say that again. They are winning. We are losing. They have managed to take this great Jewish nation -- a place of dynamism, creativity, humanity, innovation, celebration, warmth, spirituality, miraculous history, mystery, culture, vibrancy and fun, albeit with many, many flaws, tensions and wrongdoings -- and turn it on the world stage into a country and people wholly perceived as illegitimate, criminal, fanatic, rigid, frightening, hateful and unjust. That is quite an accomplishment. And an even greater success on this team’s behalf is that many of us Jews -- certainly the next generation -- are now coloring the Zionist and Israeli enterprise with their hues. This brilliant team also recognizes change and acts upon it in a way we Jews, Israelis and Zionists do not. In an ever evolving, technological world, the battlefront for Israel’s security and legitimacy is as dependent upon its media war as much as it is upon its ground, air and sea strategies. If we lose the media battle for the hearts and minds of the world and a new generation, can Israel survive the political, military and economic manifestations of that loss? Through its ideas, this team has created the Continued on page 9

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: editor@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced 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 email to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.

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Page 9

Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, we re-tweet! FOCUS ON ISSUES by EMILY GILLER

As a journalism student I know all to well the evolution of what we now call “social media.” Being a good writer is no longer good enough; to succeed I have to know everything about the Internet. Twitter, Facebook and linkedin are just several of the social networks that businesses are expected to become familiar with in order to reach a larger demographic. Fine. I will accept this new form of information gathering because there is no choice. Do I like sitting in front of a computer screen jumping from one social network to another, updating my life in the form of 140 characters? Not particularly. Inevitably though, this is what the world is evolving to. So we now have access to this amazing power source: the Internet. Information can be collected with just one click, however, the Internet is open so anyone can post anything online. Not only that, but information has to be processed quickly to keep up with the ever changing

web. Social media is focused largely on younger generations who can easily be influenced and persuaded. Which is why a lot of news sources are now “tweeting” their breaking news headlines and making Facebook fan pages. However, with all this fast-paced online commotion, it’s sometimes hard to form a personal opinion. Especially with stories pertaining to the Middle East, readers may become desensitized to all the politics and fighting. When a story breaks about a suicide bomber, most readers have probably already seen at least two stories similar to that the day before. It becomes routine. So how do social media break away from the routine? They take a new angle, which isn’t always for the best. For example, when news broke about the Israeli flotilla raid, news sources blamed the Israelis for the deaths of several people. Nonetheless, without even looking into the situation and waiting for the complete investigation, the Internet was buzzing with criticism toward Israel. According to Dan Fletcher from Time, Twitter formed a new group called @IsraelGlobalPR, which has turned Israel into the target of “scathing Twitter

satire.” Although the unknown comics of @IsraelGlobalPR display a darker humor than expected, it lends a little laughter to a controversial situation. For example, after Ireland threatened there would be “consequences” for Israel if any Irish captives were harmed, @IsraelGlobalPR responded with, “Ireland, we consider your threat an act of provocation, prepare to be boarded.” This is the perfect example of how news is changing and social media is becoming predominant. Even before the flotilla raid, Twitter was flooded with posts about Rahm Emmanuel having his son’s bar mitzvah in Israel and about Netanyahu meeting with President Obama. Despite hesitation toward new technology, we have to be adaptable to social media. But with that, we also need to remember to take everything with a grain of salt. Anyone can be a journalist nowadays. And although it is still young, social media is here to stay. So for all the social media out there, to Facebook, to MySpace, Twitter, Linkedin, Foursquare and all the others, I retreat, or “re-tweet” (much to my reluctance) to your ever-growing importance in our everyday lives.

What we can learn from anti-Israel activism Continued from page 8 public framework and we follow. It leads and we react. We chase. We are playing inside the media frame that this team has established for us. We are squabbling among ourselves after each of its successes. We publicly accuse one another before the international media. We play out our internal issues of “Do we act with democratic values or a victim’s mentality? Do we believe in our legitimacy as a nation or do we need to debunk Zionist mythology?” Strictly from a marketing perspective of people on the losing side of a battle, when marketing is the battle, these are all strategies of failure. But there is another aspect to those strategies of failure. As Israel is now on the losing side of a critical battle, every action the country takes will be under a media microscope and scrutiny. In this environment, Israel must be certain that the product it is marketing is indeed a solid, good one for media consumption. If media is among the determining wars, then Israel will have to revise some of its policies -- particularly ones that in media will overshadow its good characteristics, no matter what the defenses of that policy are. Each action Israel takes today must consider the media war and how it plays. The days of saying “Who cares what the world thinks?” are over. What the world thinks matters for Israel’s security and future. There is no right or left here. There is the media war

and what plays and what does not. In marketing, that must be the consideration. Is recognizing that Israel’s existence is threatened and its legitimacy under media attack -- and that Jews should not weaken the country’s image by playing out their internal wars on the international front -- a right-wing strategy? Is recognizing that in order to battle against the winner that Israel may have to change some of its policies to a left-wing strategy? Categorizing and boxing in our thinking, and then defending our naive positions, is part of what has led us to be the loser. As a marketer, I see a long list of losing strategies that we Jews have been following. They are coordinated. We are not. They have someone or some team in charge. We do not. In the Jewish world, as we say, even in this crucial battle, every Jew is making Shabbos for himself. It’s a cute, heimishe characteristic, but a very losing strategy. The Israeli government has its role. The Israel Foreign Ministry’s Israel Branding has its role. AIPAC has its role. AJC has its role. CAMERA has its role. The Israel Project has its role. Israel 21C has its role. The federations have their roles. The foundations have their roles. The campus organizations have their roles. The left has its strategies. The right has its strategies. We’re in a serious, life-threatening battle and there is no coordination of the troops. There is little communication between them. There are egos of all the organiza-

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tions, and its generals each discount the value of the other one and ultimately want to be the Moshiach and King and Queen of the Jews. Their team has big, coordinated creative ideas that capture world media attention. We Jews are a people of ideas. Where are our big, coordinated ideas? Where is our mechanism to create them? Who are the people in charge of creating those ideas? Who are the implementers? Can we as a group ever listen to a team in charge and play a role that supports a group effort? This is the most difficult strategy we would have to follow. If we cannot learn to do this, we will continue to lose. In this case, if there is not unity of effort, we cede the ground to the other side. Each organization may be winning some individual battles, but are we as a group winning the war? Have we succeeded in the big picture? As of today, the grand word here, painted across all our aggregated marketing efforts in the world arena: LOSER! We are in a very dangerous situation. We have created it, not them. The competitive spirit in me as a professional marketer combined with my Jewish and Zionist passions will not allow me to sleep nor slumber. Let’s begin the real work. Gary Wexler is the owner of Passion Marketing, consulting with some of the largest nonprofits in the world, including many in Jewish life. He is a JTA board member.

Basketball Tournament Saturday July 31st, 2010 St. Patrick’s in Elkhorn, NE 204th & Maple St. Boys & Girls 3rd gradeRegister online at Adult Competitive www.elkhorn3on3.com

Page 10

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 25, 2010

Candlelighting Friday, June 25, 8:44 p.m. Friday, July 2, 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 Prayer Group 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

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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services 7:30 p.m. guest speaker, Toni with Goodman, on Charity and Loving-kindness followed by an Oneg sponsored by Toni and Steve Goodman. The community is invited. FRIDAY, July 2: 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 service, 9:30 a.m.; Minha/ Ma’ariv, 8:55 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Bible Study Discussion Group, 10 a.m. MEN’S CLUB: Softball series with Temple Israel continues on Sunday, June 27, 10 a.m. at the JCC ball fields. FRIDAY, July 2: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY, July 3: Morning service, 9:30 a.m.; Minha/ Ma’ariv, 8:55 p.m. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP: Will meet on Monday, July 12, 7 p.m., at the home of Gloria Kaslow. Topic: “Parenting Adult Children: The Gifts and the Challenges.” RSVP to Kaslow at hkaslow@cox.net, or 391.3486; or co-host Marti Rosen-Atherton, at rosenath@cox.net, or 391.3423. WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB: Wednesday, July 14, 3:30 p.m. All Beth El classes and programs are open to everyone in the Jewish community.

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 by Donald Gerber in honor of Audrey’s completion of a year of study in Israel at Midreshet Moriah; “Guard Your Tongue,” “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up), one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY-Fast of the 17th Tammuz: Fasts begins, 4:04 a.m.; Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m.; Fast ends, 9:43 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m.; Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. Follow the Kollel at www.omahakollel.blogspot.com. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbis

Around the World, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, July 2: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, July 3: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush is a sheva bracha for Kyle Newfeld and Daria Auciello sponsored by their friends; “Guard Your Tongue,” “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up), one hour prior to Mincha every Shabbat; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Seuda Shlishit; Havdalah, 9:52 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m. TUESDAY, July 6: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, July 7: Rabbi Weiss’s Weekly Class, 7:30 p.m.; Advanced Halacha Kollel, 9 p.m. Follow the Kollel at www.omahakollel.blogspot.com. THURSDAY, July 8: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbis Around the World, 7:30 p.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: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. Mini-Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush lunch follows. Join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. THURSDAY: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad.com with any questions or to receive a guest pass. FRIDAY, July 2: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY, July 3: Shabbat Minyan, 10 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. Mini-Mensch title will be awarded. Kiddush lunch follows. Join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m.; W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 12:45 p.m. SUNDAY, July 4: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. WEDNESDAY, July 7: Gan Israel Morning, campers will learn about Leah, the third of the four Matriarchs and will do signature Gan Israel activities, 9-11:30 a.m. Full day care is available. Contact our office for details. THURSDAY, July 8: The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 3:50 p.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad. com with any questions or to receive a guest pass. All programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Peaceful Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi

Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by Eleanor and Jeff Kirland. SATURDAY: Celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Kornbluh, 9:30 a.m. at Tifereth Israel; Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. FRIDAY, July 2: Oneg, 6 p.m.; Early Family Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg. SATURDAY: Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. MONDAY, JULY 5: Temple office closed for Independence Day holiday. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS, 7 p.m. Intro to Hebrew, led by Rabbi Emanuel starting July 6 for a four-week session. Please contact the Temple office, 402.435.8004 if you are interested in attending. There is no charge for the classes, but a $5 donation per session is appreciated to cover the costs of materials. LJCS Camp Israel 2010 co-sponsored by Soul Train on July 19-30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel for children entering Kindergartenfifth grade. Please contact Andrea Halpern at 402.217.2631 or Tracy Gordon at 402.477.0388 for more information.

Torah: Sam Magavern - Author of Primo Levi’s Universe: A Writer’s Journey. Followed by a BBQ,. $10 per family, $5 for individual. Please contact office, 556.6536 or mkube@templeisraelomaha.com, to make a reservation. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. THURSDAY: CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30 p.m. at South entrance. FRIDAY, July 2: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Eric Linder; D’var Torah: Beth Katz How I reconnected with Judaism through Interfaith work. SATURDAY, July 3: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. THURSDAY, July 8: CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30 p.m. at South entrance. Shabbat Service followed by a BBQ, Friday, July 9, 6 p.m. $10 per family, $5 for individual. Please contact office, 556.6536 or mkube@templeisraelomaha. com, to make a reservation.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Services conducted by lay leader Nancy Coren. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning service celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Kornbluh, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch and Talmud study. LJCS Camp Israel 2010 cosponsored by Soul Train on July 19-30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tifereth Israel for children entering Kindergarten-fifth grade. FRIDAY, July 2: Light Nosh, 6:15 p.m.; Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY, July 3: Morning service, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush lunch and Talmud study.

FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to the Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Temple Israel Members. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg. SATURDAY, July 3: Services, 9 a.m.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Comes to You at Blumkin Home, 2:30 p.m. led by Rabbi Linder; Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Cantor Shermet; D’var

NEIGHBORHOOD PRAYER GROUP FRIDAY: Minyan, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.

TIFERETH ISRAEL

Komen Race for the Cure to be run in Israel by JACOB BERKMAN NEW YORK (JTA) -- The world’s largest breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is partnering with Jerusalem, Hadassah: The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, health advocates and scientists for a week of breast cancer-related events. The Komen organization is launching the Israel Breast Cancer Collaborative, a partnership with nongovernmental organizations in Israel, to enhance advocacy, awareness, screening and treatment of breast cancer in Israel during the week of Oct. 25-29. A series of events will include a think tank on breast cancer, a mission to Israel and Komen’s famed Race for the Cure, which will be held just outside Jerusalem’s Old City. Komen has deep Jewish roots:

Nancy Brinker started the organization in 1982 after her sister, Susan Komen, died of breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has invested more than $27 million in funding for international breast cancer research and more than $17 million in international community education and outreach programs. Komen has partnered or funded programs in more than 50 countries. While most of the money raised by Komen goes to general breast cancer causes, the organization has given $2 million for research in Israel through the Weizmann Institute of Science, Hebrew University-Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Beit Natan and Life’s Door. This article was adapted from JTA’s philanthropy blog, Funder mentalist.com.

June 25, 2010

The Power of the Word

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Balak Most of our Sidrah deals with the famous “prophecies” about Israel by Balaam, a Midianite prophet. He had been commissioned by the Moabite king, Balak, to curse Israel. But only blessing and auguries of good poured forth from his mouth. He maintained (as Hebrew prophets did) That none of this was his own: all that he spoke was the Lord’s own message. The Midrash offers a significant insight into this famous story: In the first place, the rabbis say, Moab and Midian, traditional enemies, united together in a common fear of Israel. (We are perforce reminded of traditional enemies, Syria and Iraq, Syria and Jordan, Iraq and Iran, etc., etc., all united in happy hatred of modern Israel.) But the Midrash also points out its understanding of where Judaism and Jews excel. Why didn’t Moab send its army against the ragtag refugees in the desert? Why this extraordinary hocuspocus of cursing them? The elders of Midian, the rabbis concluded, understood that Israel’s strength lay in the Word. So only a man of the Word—Balaam—they concluded, could really harm them. The rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash are often

accused, erroneously, of being law-ridden. It is a common, mistaken cliché that they saw “salvation” only in following the letter of the law of Torah. This is obviously false to anyone who has ever read rabbinic literature, even in modest depth. And our Midrashic comment is clearly in point. Israel’s real strength is in the Word. Not numbers, not hordes of armed men, not horses and chariots (or, in our day, not endless tank battalions and saquadrons of planes) describe Israel’s might. Israel’s might lies in a fearless proclamation of religious truth, in a faithfulness to moral duty, in a devotion to human values. Not to “law.” To human values. We Jews take a certain pride—justifiably—in that the most effective armed force in the world, man for man, is the IDF. But understanding Jews find a certain reluctant shame in this too, that Jews in Israel have been obligated by obscene forces to use force in response. This is not the way of the Children of Israel. Our people have given a heritage of the Word to mankind. The Hebrew Scriptures—our Tanakh—were cherished by the rabbis of Talmud and Midrash, first of all. But, happily, not only by them. Fortunately for mankind, these treasuries of insight into man’s predicament and man’s opportunities have become the cherished possession of most of mankind. Armies become obsolete, tanks rust, planes fail. Nations rise and fall. But the Word of the Lord, as the prophet told us, endures forever. Hitch your wagon to the Word… Editors Note: this column was reprinted from Rabbi Kripke’s 1988 book, Insight and Interpretation.

DEATHS BRET MORRIS KAHN Bret Morris Kahn passed away on May 10 in Las Vegas at age 50. He was preceded in death by his parents Roland & Gloria (Dolly) Kahn; grandparents, Benjamin and Sarah Kahn; and sister Lisa Kahn Ruxer. He is survived by his Life partner, Jacqueline Hebert; daughter, Asianna Lee Kahn, age 3; sisters Kim and Melanie; (all Las Vegas) Uncles and Aunts, Allen and Esther Kahn; Stewart and Marlene Kahn of Olathe, KS; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials to the American Cancer Society. ABRAM KUKAWKA Abram Kukawka, passed away on June 15 at 100 years old, in his beloved JCC Health Club. Graveside services were held June 17 at Beth El Cemetery, 84th & L Streets. He is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Ron Wolfson of , CA; grandchildren, Havi and Dave Hall and Michael Wolfson. He was Born in Slawiticze, Poland on April 10, 1910, survivor of the Holocaust, Abe was admired for his incredible drive to live, outrunning the “angel of death” through his motto: “Keep moving.” Abe and his late wife Hilde, along with late brother George, and daughter Susan arrived in Omaha 1951. Upon retiring in 1975, Abe dedicated himself to fitness, inspiring the members of the “J” with his extraordinary commitment to exercise. With the loving care of the staff at the Blumkin Home, Abe continued his fitness routine until the day he died. Generous in spirit, he will live in our hearts forever. Memorials to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and the Jewish Community Center. MINDA JANE LIBERMAN Minda Liberman passed away in Santa Monica, CA,

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 emailing: avandekamp@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.

on June 17 after a prolonged illness. She was 93 years old. She was preceded in death by her husband of over 40 years, Isadore “Cappy” Meyer Liberman, and son, Robert. She is survived by her daughter, Jann Liberman Meyers; son and daughter-in-law, Keith Liberman, MD and Kathleen Liberman; and son Andrew Liberman and his companion Katherine McTaggart; grandchildren: Greg and Jessica Liberman, Matthew Liberman, Jocelyn Meyers Mayer and Randy Mayer, and Bradley Meyers; and great grandaughter, Hannah Liberman. She attended Omaha Central, and graduated from Omaha University, in the early l960’s, with a degree in photo-journalism. She went on to become one of the first women contractor builders in Nebraska, as she continued in real estate while living in Nebraska. LILLIAN BERNSTEIN SAGER Lillian Bernstein Sager passed away June 20 at the age of 92, at her home in Westlake Village, CA. She was the last survivor of the ten children born to Tuvia and Zlata Bernstein. Her siblings were Dave Bernstein, Joseph and Isadore Bernstein, Charles Bernstein, Sam Bernstein, Gladys Bernstein, Sally Waszgis, Freda Stoller, and one infant who died in Poland. She is survived by her son, Alan Sager and daughter Zoe Kramer. The family resided in South Omaha until some moved to California.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 25, 2010

In Venice, a Jewish disconnect between locals and visitors

by RUTH ELLEN GRUBER VENICE, Italy (JTA) -- It was a Friday afternoon in the heart of the historic Venice Ghetto, and I was chatting with the city’s chief rabbi, Elia Richetti, when his cellphone beeped. “It’s a text message from Gam-Gam Goodies, the Chabad-run pastry shop around the corner,” said the bespectacled Richetti, whose wispy white beard spills down to his chest. He read me the message, a reminder that there were still some chocolate, poppy-seed and cream-filled kosher pastries left -- and still time to pick them up before Shabbat. “They really know how to use technology,” Richetti said, smiling. Many of the circles that make up Jewish Venice converged in that moment. Richetti, who is also the president of the Italian Rabbinical Assembly, was speaking with me in the wellstocked Jewish bookstore and kosher cafe that form part of the Venice Jewish Museum, an institution founded by the Jewish community in 1953 that encompasses several of the ghetto’s centuries-old synagogues. Jews have lived in Venice since the Middle Ages; the old Jewish cemetery on the Venice Lido was founded in the 1300s. Venetian rulers established the ghetto as Europe’s first enclosed place of Jewish segregation in 1516 on the site of an old foundry -- or getto, in the Venetian dialect. The museum draws nearly 70,000 visitors a year, and locals say the annual number of Jewish visitors to Venice far exceeds that. But the Venice Jewish community itself numbers fewer than 450, only a handful of whom live in the ghetto area. Only a few local Jews seek contacts with the tourists, other than as customers in their shops or bodies to make up a minyan. “There is a paradox here,” said Shaul Bassi, who heads the Venice Center for International Jewish Studies, an institution founded last year aimed at fostering intellectual and cultural interaction between Jewish visitors and Jewish Venetians. “The Jewish community as such is eroding, and many are unaffiliated or disaffected,” Bassi said. “But at the same time the ghetto has never been so famous. There has never been such a profound interest in the ghetto as

a site of memory.” Picking up the slack, as far as foreign tourists go, is Chabad-Lubavitch, which in two decades of activity here has become the most prominent public face of Judaism in Venice. There is a Chabad house and yeshiva on the main ghetto square. In addition to Gam-Gam Goodies, Chabad runs a popular kosher restaurant, Gam-Gam, which provides Shabbat hospitality, including free Friday-night meals for tourists. Sometimes hundreds attend and spill out into the street singing and dancing. “Join us for candlelighting, join us for dinner,” urged Shachar Banin, the American-born wife of Chabad’s Venice director, Ramy Banin, when I stopped in at GamGam Goodies after my meeting with Riccheti.

Chabad yeshiva students gather near the Chabad House on the main square of the Venice Ghetto. Credit: Ruth Ellen Gruber I didn’t buy any pastries, but I did get drawn into a lively discussion with four or five visiting American Jews about the role of women in the Torah and in the home. Along with a dozen other visiting women, I lit Shabbat candles that night at Gam-Gam. The next morning I attended services led by Richetti in the centuries-old Spanish synagogue. Only about 15 of the 80-member congregation were locals. “Chabad understood before anyone else that Jewish Venice is not just a local place but an international one,” Bassi said. “They clearly are the ‘real’ Jewish Venice on the Internet. And paradoxically, they are the most Orthodox -- and the most open.”

The relationship between Chabad and the resident Jewish community has been rocky over the years, with local Jews accusing Chabad of trying to usurp the community’s position and undermine its activities. “Before they came, no one here knew what Chabad was,” Anna Vera Sullam, a member of the local Jewish community leadership, told me. “Our traditions are very different.” After two decades a truce -- or at least a modus vivendi -- exists, but frictions are still apparent, both in Venice and in cyberspace. If you Google Jewish Venice, for example, the Chabad website is the first to come up -- and it includes no mention of Richetti, the historic Spanish synagogue where regular services are held or, aside from the museum, any of the other local Jewish institutions. Likewise, on the local Jewish community’s own website, Chabad and its activities are not mentioned; even the notable presence of Gam-Gam is ignored. Only kosher establishments under Richetti’s supervision are listed. Bassi, whose family has lived in Venice for generations, hopes his new center can foster a concept of Jewish community that will harness the dynamics of centuries of Jewish tradition in Venice with cultural and intellectual input from abroad. “The future can’t rely on the continuation of the Jewish community as such, nor on the presence of tourists,” he said. “The only real future community is one made up of Venetian Jews and a rotating community of international Jews who come to live here but also to do something cultural that is internationally viable.” It’s far from certain how much impact such a program might have, given the demographic decline of the local community and the overwhelming presence of tourism. “In theory it’s a beautiful idea,” said Riccardo Calimani, a Venetian-born novelist and historian who has written widely about the ghetto and Venetian Jewry. “But in practice, who knows -- it’s a road to take that has not yet been taken.” Ruth Ellen Gruber’s books include National Geographic Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to Eastern Europe, Letters from Europe (and Elsewhere), and Virtually Jewish: Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe. She blogs on Jewish heritage issues at jewish-heritage-travel.blogspot.com.

2 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

from the RBJH Executive

Director

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home really doesn’t need me to be its spokesman. The new facility speaks for itself. Visitors walk through the doors of the building and they get it. They see what we’ve done and understand why we did it. During the years of planning and construction, everyone involved put their hearts and souls into this project. The residents, their families, the Blumkin Home staff, the lay leadership, the construction crews. There were some pretty hectic times with multiple moves and relocation of offices and resident rooms, but everyone kept their focus, their cool and their sense of humor, which was no small thing. In the end, we did it. We observed the commandment to honor our fathers and our mothers. We performed deeds of loving kindness and linked one generation to another. Together we created a warm, welcoming Jewish environment for the people we’re entrusted to care for. Recently, a member of the community sent me this house blessing from an ancient text. The words sum up my wishes for the future of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. May this home be a place of happiness and love, of joy, companionship and hope. Bless all its rooms and corners, and may those who live here and those who visit find contentment and peace. Mike Silverman Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Executive Director

from the JSS

President

I remember, as a teenager, visiting the Dr. Phillip Sher Home. At the time, I didn’t think about the residents or what kind of care they were receiving. I focused on the building, which struck me as a gloomy place -- more like an institution than a home. Time passed and, to be honest, I didn’t think about nursing homes. I -- literally -- didn’t go there. But years later, my father spent his last months at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, and that experience turned me around. Visits with my dad helped me understand that we have a responsibility to change nursing homes from a ‘warehouse’ environment into homes where residents can live in comfort, surrounded by beauty, engaged in activity. That moment started me on my journey to help complete the circle of life, in whatever way I could, in as positive a way as possible. This is a landmark day for the Jewish community of Omaha. Today we once again affirm our commitment to care for those who gave us life, toiled to keep us safe, guided us to productive adulthood, and now need our help. It is an honor to be part of Jewish Social Services at this

important time, to recognize and thank our Board and those who came before us for the work they did to make this day possible. Jim Farber President, Jewish Social Services Board

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 3

Shehecheyanu Blessed are you, Lord, king of the universe who has kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this special time.

Front cover photography Richard Busse | Graphic design and layout Richard Busse | Copy editor Ozzie Nogg Our thanks to these RBJH staff and community volunteers for their help Bert Benson, Joanie Bernstein, Erin Burn, Shelly Cash, Maggie Conti, Shelly Fox, Phyllis Gentry, Mary Heiman, Adrienne Kitagawa, Don Nogg, Eadie Tsabari

4 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

How lovely is your

dwelling place.

Happy are they that dwell in your house.

Psalms 84

Clockwise from top: In 1917, five residents lived in Omaha’s original Jewish Home for the Aged at 2504 Charles Street; visitors and residents of the Dr. Philip Sher Home in front of the building on 52nd and Ames circa 1948; The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home main entrance from the day it opened in 1982 until 2010; cornerstone for the 1990 addition.

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 5

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home

The House That Mrs. B Built MRS. B always believed in taking care of

those who matter most in our lives: our parents. One of her greatest joys in life was making her Nebraska Furniture Mart customers happy. In that same spirit of service, Mrs. B helped to open The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.

ROSE BLUMKIN Louie & Fran Blumkin, Irv & Susie Blumkin, Ron & Chris Blumkin, the entire Blumkin family, Nebraska Furniture Mart and Floors Incorporated would like to commend the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home on completion of spectacular renovations and additions. These wonderful upgrades will continue the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s tradition of creating a vibrant place for residents to be active and spend time with their loved ones. The

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6 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

from the Federation Executive

Director

Every time I walk into the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home I am reminded that this facility is much more than bricks and mortar. The Home is a testimony to the strength, vitality and commitment to the values of our Jewish community. We care deeply about our seniors and those in need of services. We are committed to providing Jewish experience for individuals and families through all stages of life. Our Rose Blumkin Jewish Home brings people of all ages and stages together and it belongs to us all. This project didn’t happen overnight. I remember being asked to come to Howard Kooper’s home one Sunday morning nearly six years ago to meet with him and Harlan Noddle. We three knew then that the moment had come to begin the serious business of actually raising the dollars to make the community’s dream a reality. I am personally so grateful to our community over the past decade, including those who sadly are no longer with us, for their vision, passion, resources and commitment that made this possible. Each one of us is the beneficiary of what so many worked to accomplish. Jan Goldstein Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Omaha

from the Foundation Executive

Director

During my twelve year tenure at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, I have used the Blumkin Home as a regular path to the JCC mailroom. For the last three-and-a- half years, I have witnessed day-by-day the rebirth of the outstanding facility from its “tired” status to a 21st century state-of-the-art, esthetically beautiful structure. This new building will not just cater to our esteemed elders, but also to the entire Jewish community -- allowing various organizations to utilize the exceptional meeting spaces, to B’nai B’rith for its weekly luncheons and (the frosting on the cake) the very spe-

cial indoor playground for the kids of the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center and for unorganized play dates for all our younger children and their parents during Omaha’s inclement winter weather. The Omaha Jewish community is notorious for taking care of its constituents from birth to death and all ages in between. First-time visitors to our campus are overwhelmed. I know this warmth and friendliness is a Midwestern phenomenon; however, Omaha has exceeded even the Midwestern reputation in its accomplishments, especially in this expanded and remodeled nursing/rehab facility. As for the many donors to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home New Beginning. You have opened your hearts and your wallets to provide the very best for Omaha’s Jewish aged. All of you deserve our thanks for your unending generosity. Martin C. Ricks Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 7

You shall rise and

show respect to the aged. adapted from Leviticus 19:32

Clockwise from top left: Joanie Jacobson, left, and Nora Zoob with the late Roz Zoob; RBJH resident Betty Goldstrom, center, with her sons Mark, left, and Larry; Volunteers Lisa Epstein, left, and Judy Jacobson with the late Rose Fine; RBJH resident Louise Martin and her daughter, Pam DePorte; Shirley Kulakofsky and her mother-in-law, Helen Kulakofsky, affectionately known as ‘Honey Kay’. Honey was a Blumkin Home resident until her death at the age of 103.

8 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

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The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 9

Wisdom has

built her house...

Proverbs 9:1

Top: New Beginning blueprints; clockwise from left: metal support ribs on Main Street; deconstructing the old Blumkin Home entrance; a welder at work; Tom Lindstrom, RBJH New Beginning construction boss; we did it, despite rain delays.

10 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

the Steering

Committee

For me, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home New Beginning was always about the residents. Their dignity, their comfort, their view of the outside world and their ability to remain as independent as possible. This feeling came from personal experience, having watched my in-laws move from the old Sher Home into the original Blumkin Home in 1982. My mother became a resident in 1986. Through the years, on an almost daily basis, I saw the loving care they received there. But I also saw how the Blumkin Home’s physical plant began to let the residents down. By the late 1990s, it was clear that what was stateof-the-art in 1982, when the Home first opened its doors, no longer met the residents’ needs. More residents were in wheelchairs and using walkers, so it was hard for them to move independently around the small bathrooms. The closets were too tiny for more than one week of clothing, the windows were too high for residents to see what was going on outside, and the place resembled a hospital more than a home. The hallways were so long, some staff members quit because they couldn’t stand to do all that walking. By 2001, the Blumkin Home Board knew it was time for a change, and change we did. The first breath of fresh air was the day Michael Silverman walked in the door. The second miracle came when four members of the Jewish Community accepted my invitation to join me and Mike on a Steering Committee to examine how we could rebuild the Blumkin Home. I’ve thanked them before, but now it’s time to thank them publicly. The late Harlan Noddle -- who said he’d do anything I asked of him – solicited and received the first million dollars from Frances Batt. After Harlan’s death, Howard Kooper grabbed the reins, pointed us in the right direction and raised additional monies with help from his friends. Bob Lepp, an attorney whose practice deals almost entirely with Nursing Homes, provided us with invaluable legal and practical advice. And my gratitude goes to Bob Belgrade, whose friendship and partnership has inspired me for years. There’s no way the job would have gotten done without these men. In 2010, we did it. You, the community, did it. The staff of the Blumkin Home did it. Most of all, Mike Silverman did it with his ‘unique vision and tireless effort to provide a warm and loving Jewish environment for all generations.’ Those words are on a gift presented to Mike on behalf of the Board of Directors of Jewish Social Services. Mike fixed everything and more. Today, residents and their families can’t stop smiling as they walk down Main Street in the ‘house that Mike built.’ He is a gift to this community, and so is the new Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Thank you to everyone who helped in any way. We can all be proud of every inch of the RBJH, and happily show it off to everyone in the USA. Yes, there’s truly no place like home -- our Home. Joanie Bernstein

Working constructively with so many quality people has been a very rewarding part of this undertaking for me. We really utilized the varied talents, wisdom and experience of our lay and professional leadership in designing and building the new Rose Blumkin Home. It truly is a Jewish environment -- from the structure, the activities, to the philosophy that guides us. The new RBJH is more than just a collection of attractive resident rooms and social spaces. Updating the facility has, from the beginning, been focused on the quality of care we provide for the residents and their families. We are, and will remain, constantly aware of our goal -- to bring the best services to residents, their families, their guests and the community as a whole. We asked all of you to make an investment for the residents of the Blumkin Home. I believe we have delivered a quality outcome, both in the structure and in its operation. It’s important to me that our donors feel the same. That they feel their contributions have been utilized wisely for the benefit of our entire Jewish community. Bob Belgrade

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 11

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12 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

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For nearly 25 years, RehabVisions has been providing Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy for the residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. RehabVisions therapists, like long-time employee Sherri Judah, OT, have helped thousands of residents with their therapy needs. Through our partnership, the therapy department has grown to a vibrant part of the facility with state-of-the-art equipment and space. Congratulations to all of those involved in the renovation process. We are proud to have partnered with the Blumkin Home for all these years and look forward to our future together.

Learn more at www.RehabVisions.com

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 13

the Steering

Committee

It’s been a long journey. The entire community responded and supported this project -and that level of support shows that our community is made up of people who would settle for nothing less than a world-class facility to take care of our elderly. That describes the new Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. World-class. Back in 1946, my dad, Bob Kooper, was in charge of construction at the Dr. Sher Home on 52nd Street. I remember going with him on weekends to check on the building site. I was seven years old, but my memories of those inspection trips are still clear. When the Sher Home was finished, everyone involved felt such a sense of accomplishment. The entire community was so proud. But when the building eventually needed work, the leaders at the time made the wise decision to not rebuild on 52nd Street, but to relocate the Home on the JCC campus. That was a good move on their part. When I look back, it feels like the role my dad played in the Sher Home and the role I played in the Blumkin Home construction are both part of a big circle. The whole generation to generation thing. Today, when I walk into the Blumkin Home I can feel the warmth and the welcome. It’s great to watch our kids and grandkids having fun on the Playground, and to see residents, their families and visitors interacting in the Sports Lounge, the sunrooms and other public spaces. There’s always some activity -- a luncheon, a bingo game, a sing-along -- going on in the new auditorium. The building is full of energy. It’s full of life and love. My friends and I realize we’re getting older. And in spite of the fact that most of us would rather not face the prospect of actually living in a nursing home, we recognize how lucky we are to have the Blumkin Home here for those who need it. Of all the projects I’ve been involved in, this ranks among the top. I’m very proud of what all of us did here. It’s good, and it just keeps getting better. Howard Kooper

Being the spokesperson for my late husband, Harlan, isn't easy. He knew how to articulate his ideas to help people understand their responsibility and their place in our Jewish community. When it came to the Blumkin Home building project, he would share some of his thoughts with me and I am happy to share some of how he felt about the Home with you. First of all, my Dad -- Harold Farber -and Harlan's mother -- Edith Noddle -were both residents of the Blumkin Home. During that time, Harlan spent many hours there, and he wanted our parents’ experience to be as comfortable as it could be for them and for all the other residents. When Harlan learned that there were rumblings about a new, or upgraded home in the works, he wanted to be part of it. Making the facility a real home was very important to him. He became attached to the nurses, the administrative staff and everyone else that made the facility work so well. They, too, needed a new and better facility. It is true that Harlan was instrumental in securing some of the gifts, and -- as you might imagine -- one of his strong suits was dealing with architects and contractors. He and Joanie Bernstein, Bob Belgrade, Bob Lepp and Howard Kooper were the original Steering Committee, and they had a vision. Deciding how best to proceed took an enormous amount of creativity on everyone's part. Cooperation and compromise, too. Happily, they all worked well together. Finally, I have to say that Howard Kooper has done a yeoman's job, along with his committee and, of course, Michael Silverman. The new Blumkin Home is a reality. A reality more beautiful than some of us, perhaps, thought possible. I know Harlan would be thrilled with the facility, and not at all surprised that we pulled it off. He believed in the community. He knew we could do it. Nancy Noddle

When I was asked to serve on the Steering Committee, it was truly an honor for me. I was going to be a part of an historic undertaking that would have a lasting impact on our community for years to come. Furthermore, I would get to learn from Harlan Noddle, Howard Kooper, Bob Belgrade, Joanie Bernstein and Mike Silverman -- people I respected so much and who were so committed to this project. While we had our disagreements and doubts about what was needed, and we had our starts and stops along the way, today I know we all agree that it was well worth the effort, and that we have built a beautiful facility of which we can be proud. I recently attended a Federation Budget & Allocations meeting in the new conference room at the Home, and got my first chance to see the project which was now completed. I could not believe my eyes. On every break we took, I would walk into Main Street and look around; I was truly amazed! We had done it and on a scale I could not have imagined years ago when our efforts initially began. Indeed, as someone who works extensively in the nursing home industry, I can honestly say the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is beyond compare. Once again, it demonstrates the strength and commitment of our community and upholds our reputation of providing only the highest quality care to our seniors. Bob Lepp

14 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

from the RBJH Residents

Council

My wife Marge and I have lived at the Blumkin Home for six years, so we’ve watched this project from its infancy through today. How they took the place the way it was and transformed it into this, is amazing. Awe inspiring. It’s like coming into a new building.

When they opened up Main Street -- when they took down that curtain -- I couldn’t believe it. We walked around with our mouths open. The place is astonishing. A work of art. So bright and airy. You look up -- it’s unbelievable they could even conceive of such a thing. During the building process, Marge and I changed rooms three

times and never had to lift a finger. The staff was wonderful. Whatever was taken off the walls in one room was hung in the right place in our new room. The nurses, the aides, the administrative staff, they all moved residents’ beds, dressers, clothes and made sure the residents weren’t disturbed. Each time, it was such a smooth operation. Unbelievable. And all through the process, Mike Silverman gave residents the opportunity to voice our opinions. He’d ask, “What would you like to see that we might have overlooked?” I said the rooms should be four feet wider and Mike listened and they kicked the walls out four feet. He’s very open-minded. There were delays, so the residents had lots of questions, but Mike has the patience of a saint. Recently, our 3 1/2 year-old great-grandson visited us and he didn’t want to leave the playground. Before, he used to just jump on our beds -- where else could he play -- but at the playground he went up and down the slides. He had a ball and so did we. We see the expression on people faces -- a feeling of belonging. The staff is happy. The residents are happy. There are so many activities going on you almost can’t keep up with it. We can sit in the courtyards and enjoy the day, enjoy the sunshine, have a snack outside. Everything is bright and cheerful and beautiful. The thought and effort that went into the new Blumkin Home is unbelievable. I don’t think they missed a trick here. What city could surpass us? Norm Lincoln Chairman, RBJH Residents Council

Congratulations from

(League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly)

Congratulations! You Did It!

Board of Directors

A Shangrila amongst nursing homes. Caring with love, hope and peace. Rose Rosenberg, Larry Kaufman and Ellen Sue Kaufman

Sheila Rosen

Congratulations to all the great people who provide amazing care at the Rose Blumkin Home.

Congratulations, The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is an amazing, beautiful place and we are so appreciative! Ida Herzoff, Nancy Herzoff Denise, Ron, Marissa, and Amanda Ipock

Edith Epstein and Family

Congratulations Mike. We applaud your extraordinary vision and accomplishments! Liz and Shelley

Kol HaKavod Y’all

To Ilse and Marcel Kahn for your dedication to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Judy Felsenstein

Lis & Hugo Kahn

For all you do for the community – Thanks for being a great partner!

Congratulations and Best Wishes from Malbar Vision Centers Barbara & Stanley Malashock Jody & Neal “Buzz”Malashock Diane & Larry Malashock

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 15

Plans succeed through many

advisors.

adapted from Proverbs 15:22

Clockwise from top left: Mike Silverman and Joanie Bernstein during construction phase; Bob Belgrade and Howard Kooper; Indoor Playground Mural Design Committee: Stacey Atlas, left, Laurie Epstein, Danielle Gordman and Sarah Yale; Interiors Committee: Kim Noddle, left, Nancy Noddle, Silvia Roffman, Ducky Milder; Marty Ricks and Steve Bloch.

16 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

Good people leave an

inheritance to their grandchildren. Proverbs 13:22

Clockwise from top left: Judi Goldstein, left, A. David Goldstein and the late Lillian Ban; late resident Mollye Rimerman holding Norah Moriarty; Charlotte ‘Sis’ Adler and her late husband, Art, who was a Blumkin Home resident; Evie Mitchell, left, and her late mother, Lee Greenbaum; Blumkin Home beauty shop operator Pat Inserra, left, with the late Pearl Herzog.

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 17

Mazal Tov! Rose Blumkin Jewish Home

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The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 19

It is

a totree of life those who hold fast to it, and all who support it are happy.

Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace. Proverbs 3:17-18

Clockwise from top left: Rabbi Jonathan Gross, left, and Rabbi Myer S. Kripke; the Erman Family Ark designed by Valerie Spellman Batt; Sylvia Jess with the Torah mantle she needlepointed and donated to the new RBJH Chapel; Rabbi Yaakov Weiss; Rabbi Mordechai Levin, left, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel and Rabbi Jonathan Gross.

20 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

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ON BEHALF OF

THE ENTERPRISE BANK FAMILY WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE RENOVATIONS TO THE ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME.

Enterprise Bank Your dedication to the community is truly an inspiration. We are excited for your continued success, and wish you all the best in the future. Enterprise Bank N.A. | 12800 W. Center Rd., Omaha, NE 68144 | (402)330-0200 | www.enterpriseebank.com Member FDIC

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 21

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6

Clockwise from top left: resident Ester Siref with Lillian Cohen, left, Mira Dennison and Hannah Leff; RBJH resident Norm Lincoln with Iliana McNamara and Isaac Dennison; the late Julius Bernstein, left, and Blumkin Home RN Darlene Golbitz with her grandson Carter Eades; resident Sarah Kaplan, left, and Sam Kricsfield; resident David Dvorkin reading to CDC students.

22 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

Congratulations

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home We are happy tohavebeen part of making this dream come true.

HILLER ELECTRIC COMPANY Residential & Commercial CompleteElectrical Service

402-339-0524

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home

Congratulations

on your remarkable new facility.

The Jewish Press | June 25, 2010 | 23

The light is sweet and it is a

pleasant thing for the eyes

to see the sun. For if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all. Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

Clockwise from top left: the late Mara Levitz with Yente the parrot; Sarah Kaplan with her Purim mask; the late Sarah Lohrman mixing matzah balls at the RBJH; RBJH resident Harvey Thornby in a Hawkins construction hard hat; the late Eli Stone.

24 | June 25, 2010 | The Jewish Press

We are proud to have helped the Jewish community realize their dream.

2516 Deer Park Blvd. | Omaha, NE | 68105 | Phone: 402.342.1607 | Fax: 402.342.3221