June 26, 2009

Vol. LXXXVIII No. 43 Omaha, NE

From there to here -and back again by JOAN K. MARCUS In the early 1900s, Harry Fellman fled Ukraine to avoid the pogroms and came to America. This summer, his grandson, attorney Richard M. Fellman, will return to try to find the shtetl where his grandfather lived. Harry, who was drafted into the Russian army, won a medal for being a marksman and them went on a 30-day furlough. He came home, and then went AWOL to come to Omaha where he had an older sister. Dick Fellman, 74, is an Omaha attorney turned professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In late summer, he will travel to Uzhhorod National University in Ukraine to teach for one semester. The university is located in what used to be part of the former Soviet Union near Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The town of Uzhhorod is on the western side of the Carpathian Mountains. It is right on the border of Ukraine and as far west as you can get. Ukraine is the third largest country in Europe and is primarily an agricultural country. Uzhhorod State University was founded in 1945 due to considerable demand for history, philosophy, biology, and medicine classes. In 2000, the school was renamed Uzhhorod National University. Today, the school has 17 departments. It has more than 123,000 students enrolled and its library collection has approximately 1.5 million volumes. Fellman received a degree Richard Fellman from UNL in Political Science in 1957 and went on to get his law degree in 1959. He practiced law for 44 years and retired six years ago. Then, in 2004, he began what he thought would be his “retirement job.” “I have always loved politics,” he explained, “so in the back of my mind, I thought I would enjoy teaching. Political science was always fun for me and I thought that it would be a fun subject to teach. Even though I had a law practice, from 1976 to 1980, I served as a Douglas County Commissioner. In 1973, I was a Nebraska State Senator and I have always been active in Nebraska politics. There were probably 10 to 12 years where I spent most of my time in politics and the law practice was secondary.” As a young man, Fellman worked for mayoral candidate Jim Green, and he chaired a group called Young Citizens for Johnson-Humphrey in the 1964 presidential campaign. In 1995, he was part of the Nebraska Constitutional Revision Commission. In addition, he was nominated for several other offices, and ran for the Second District of the United States Congress. As an adjunct professor, Fellman has been teaching in the Political Science Department at UNO. He has taught American and Nebraska Government classes, Nebraska Politics, Urban Politics and a class which involves political action committees and lobbyists. Fellman made several observations about college students today. “When I went to UNO, I observed that kids today are way more open than they were when I went to college. The first time that I went to observe a class, I came from my law office wearing a dark blue suit. The only other guy in a suit was the dean of the college,” he said. “I had to learn to prepare a syllabus and select texts. It was a whole new world for me. When I began teaching, I made the mistake of telling my students that I was brand new at teaching. One of my classes had a bunch of experienced teachers, and they told me that I had the makings of an excellent teacher once I got more experience!” Continued on page 4

Inside

Celebrating 88 Years ofService to Nebraska and Western Iowa

4 Tammuz 5769

June 26, 2009

Eldercare meets Artoo-Detoo (“NIMBY,” says RBJH) by OZZIE NOGG According to Google, a retirement home in Japan features robotic teddy bears whose sole purpose is to watch over the elderly residents. A less Big-Brotherly robot -- Paro, by name -- is being tested in Sweden to see how (or if) nursing home residents will interact with the seal-shaped furry robot by petting it and talking to it. In the U.S., computer scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University jointly created Pearl -- a robotic nurse assistant that delivers candy to residents, guides them through their environment and reminds them of daily activities. According to Friedel students Ilana McNamara, left, and Isabella Wright work with Blumkin Home Activity its developers, Pearl’s wealth Director Linda Fitzgerald to hang the students’ and residents’ art on the mural at the Home. of artificial intelligence includes speech recognition and almost floor-to-ceiling tree collage on a temporary wall face detection. Particular care has been paid to the in the ‘glass box’ of the RBJH northeast wing. According to Julie Phillips, Kim Goldberg and design of Pearl’s visual appearance, especially its head. Service robots have their place, and perhaps one day Annette van de Kamp -- all of whom teach art at Friedel the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home will employ them. But -- the original idea for a mural came from Mike at the moment, residents of the RBJH don’t need to Silverman, RBJH Executive Director. “Mike decided that the big, blank white wall in the pet, talk or interact on any level with a robot resembling glass box needed a shot of excitement,” van de Kamp a mini-refrigerator, no matter how attractive its head. Instead, residents of the Blumkin Home have ample explained, “so he approached us to solve the problem.” opportunity to visit with real people, many of whom are The three art teachers then brainstormed with Maggie children from the Friedel Jewish Academy. The proxim- Conti and Linda Fitzgerald, Blumkin Home Activity ity of the school to the Home allows for unlimited cross- Directors, and their staff. generational activities, the latest example of which is the Continued on page 11

Ninety-year-old fulfills life-long dream of finally celebrating his Bar Mitzvah by GARY JAVITCH “Never say never.” Just ask Danny Rubin. In awe, he recently watched his 90-year old father climb up on the bimah at the Chabad House to become a Bar Mitzvah. The brief ceremony took place late on the last Thursday morning in May before a minyan of family and friends. It was followed by

a light lunch. That the celebration took place 77 years after Elliot “Bus” Rubin decided to forego the ritual for 13-year olds made it no less emotional. Nor tense. Who knew? It was a surprise to the entire family that the nonagenarian even wanted a Bar Mitzvah. According to his wife Betty, his desire to be Bar Mitzvah was a wish he kept secret these many long years, even from her. The Background Bus Rubin, the founder of Rubin Distributing, may have typified many a young, soon-to-beteenage Jewish boy of his era. He didn’t particularly like after-school Hebrew classes. “Then one day after being disciplined a little too harshly by his teacher, with his father’s approval, the 12-year old just stopped going,” his son explained. Shevi Katzman, a daughter of Chabad Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman, picks up the story. As part of Chabad’s outreach efforts, “Rabbi Katzman was visiting Blumkin Home residents. He asked Bus if wanted to put on tefillin and was turned down.” Bus then sheepishly confessed he never had a Bar Mitzvah and went on to explain that at age 90, it was a little late to brush up on David Cohen, left, Rabbi Mendel Katzman, and Gary Javitch are on his Hebrew. the bimah when Bus Rubin, second from left, has his aliyah. Continued on page 7

This Week: Senior Living Issue starts on Page 10

See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’ Opinion Page see page 16

The Jewish Press will not publish on July 3; next issue: July 10

Friedel graduate wins state speech contest, competes nationally: Page 3

Monthly Calendar for July: Pages 8-9

A precious momento is lost and found, new friend found: Page 13

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

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expenditures elsewhere? Manufacturers such as by EDMON J. RODMAN LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- Red, white and bluish, and American Apparel, whose sometimes outrageous CEO Dov Charney is Jewish, pay their workers a living wage. Jewish, the Fourth of July this year falls on Shabbat. Whether you spend the day in synagogue, at the park, Also, the Progressive Jewish Alliance promotes sweatwith your feet up on a recliner or barbecuing in the yard, shop-free garments through a Kosher Clothes campaign in schools, and publishes “No Shvitz: Your One-Stop you can bring a Jewish spark or two to the day. We know the Jewish words of independence and free- Guide to Fighting Sweatshops.” 6. Many siddurim include a prayer for the government dom are inscribed all about us, notably the inscription from Leviticus on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, or country based on the prophet Jeremiah’s “seek the “Proclaim liberty throughout the land,” and Jewish poet welfare of the city where I have caused you to be exiled,” Emma Lazarus’ words on the base of the Statue of as well as the Pirkei Avot’s advice to “pray for the welLiberty, “Send us your tired, your poor, your huddled fare of the government.” A version in Siddur Sim Shalom, based on a text by masses …” Louis Ginzberg, reads in But what of the words of part, “Teach them insights Jewish composer Randy for your Torah that they may Newman or Jewish Marvel administer all affairs of state comic book writer Joe fairly, that peace and security, Simon? Where is their patrihappiness and prosperity, otic prose and poesy? What justice and freedom may forare their takes on America? ever abide in our midst.” On this day of national Amen to that. unity, what does the siddur 7. Where does that nice have to say about blessing cold slice of July 4th waterour government? Are there melon come from? Just Jewish sacrifices for democthink, in Israel from the time racy that have been overof the Ottoman Empire until looked? Based on our tradinow, growing watermelons tion, are there new opportunities to assure that more With the Fourth of July on Shabbat, it’s a perfect time to has been an important enterprise. Today, including a people benefit from our relax with a few Jewish connections to the day. Credit: Edmon Rodman seedless variety, watermelons union? Here are eight Jewish connections to our national day are grown primarily for seeds for export. 8. Eighteen Jews are among the 3,400 recipients of the of independence. Think about them to light a Jewish Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest fuse this Fourth. 1. Haym Solomon (1740-1785) a Philadelphia Jew, honor for military service. The most recent, Tibor son of a Polish rabbi and a broker, helped finance the Rubin, with whom I spoke recently, received the honor Revolutionary War and supported Washington’s army in 1999 for courageous service during the Korean War. through the sale of Bills of Exchange. He also extended Born in Hungary, and a Holocaust survivor, Rubin came interest-free personal loans to members of Congress, to New York and enlisted in the U.S. Army. “In Korea,” he said, “an anti-Semitic sergeant made including James Madison. 2. Captain America, the red, white and blue Marvel me a hero.” The sergeant sent the 5-foot-7-inch, 135-pound comic book hero, was created by two Jews, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. During World War II this super patriot, Rubin on dangerous rear-guard missions, where he was dressed in the elements of a U.S. flag and wielding a wounded several times, receiving two Purple Hearts. shield that can be thrown as a weapon, stands with the Though recommended for the Medal of Honor by two superior officers, the anti-Semitic sergeant never did the Allies in battling the Nazis. 3. A sky full of colored sparks: Are they simply Fourth paperwork. Later in the war, Rubin was captured and of July pyrotechnics, or can they be bright reminders of repeatedly risked his life by sneaking out of camp to steal kabbalistic thought? As things are popping around and food to bring back for his fellow POWs. Years after the war he was still without the Medal of above, why not let the sparks lift you to the world of the Zohar and its view of the divine sparks that need to be Honor salute for his valor. It was only after several Army gathered in order to create tikkun olam, or repair of the buddies protested and elected officials intervened, as world. well as a petition signed by 42,000 Jewish war veterans, 4. We all know that Irving Berlin wrote “God Bless that the Pentagon belatedly awarded Rubin the medal. America.” Randy Newman wrote the satirical “Follow In his 80s now, he’s not bitter about his earlier treatthe Flag,” as well as “Political Science,” a song in which ment. Rubin speaks across the country, wanting America drops the “Big One” on just about everyone. Americans to remember that in times of war, “Jews were 5. To celebrate this day of freedom, think about wear- there, too.” ing a sweatshop-free T-shirt. Jews have a history of Edmon J. Rodman is a Los Angeles-based writer and working in sweatshops; can’t we direct our clothing designer.

Iran turmoil likely to benefit Israel

NEWS ANALYSIS by LESLIE SUSSER JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Like the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly two decades ago, the outcome of the postelection unrest in Iran could be of major strategic significance for the Middle East and for Israel. Israeli analysts see three possible scenarios: • President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the ruling ayatollahs use force to reassert the authority of their regime. • Ahmadinejad’s presidential rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi, sweeps to power on a wave of popular support and reforms what still remains an essentially clerical regime. • The unrest takes on a dynamic of its own, driving the ayatollahs from power. In each scenario, Israel stands to benefit. Clearly, regime change in Tehran could alter radically the political landscape of the entire region. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Middle East gradually adopted a new but equally bipolar character: Instead of the Soviet Union and its proxies standing against the United States and its allies, Iran has supplanted the Soviet role as the prime adversary. It was Iran that fueled the Arab-Israeli conflict through its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza -- Hezbollah and Hamas, respectively.

If street demonstrations do lead to regime change in Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas could lose their Iranian patron and their major arms supplier, and the prospects for Israeli-Arab accommodation would improve dramatically. A new regime also could put the brakes on the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes even further. “Under a different regime, the peaceful relations we used to have with Iran could be re-established,” he declared in an interview with the German Bild newspaper. Israel and Iran had ties until 1979, when the shah was overthrown and exiled. This best-case scenario, however, is also the most unlikely. More likely, Ahmadinejad and the radical ayatollahs led by Ali Khamenei will remain in power. Even if this is the case, however, they will be seen to have rigged the election and then used force to suppress the popular will. The regime will be perceived more widely as brutally suppressive, will lose international legitimacy and, if it persists with its nuclear weapons’ program, could face a much tougher sanctions regime than otherwise would have been the case. Iran in the future may need to be more attuned to domestic concerns and spend less on outside forces such as Hezbollah and Hamas. This scenario, too, would be favorable for Israel. Continued on page 19

June 26, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 3

Friedel’s Sarah Kutler wins at state in Woodmen of America speech contest by ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT fact that Sarah has made it important to When Sarah Kutler graduated from talk about her grandmother’s life story as Friedel Jewish Academy, she wasn’t quite a Holocaust survivor, will ensure that the ready to go on vacation. Having won world will never forget about the District in the Modern Woodmen of tragedy.” America’s annual speech contest, she delivered her speech again, and won State. “Nationwide, approximately 250,000 students signed up to compete in their own states,” Friedel principal Ron Giller said. “Now, Sarah is one of only 60 students going into the final round. Coming on the heels of Elissa Wiener, who won State last year, we are beyond proud of our students. Also, second place at the Nebraska state level went to Mika Kaplan, who just completed Kit Tingpalpong, Woodmen of America representative,confifth grade.” Sarah is the only gratulates winner Sarah Kutler, and teacher Denise Bennett. student representing the state of Nebraska. This year’s topic asked students to give a speech about a person they feel is an inspiration to them. Sarah chose to speak about her grandmother, Bea Karp, who is a Holocaust survivor and has spoken publicly about her experiences for years. “She touches many lives with her story, and teaches about the terrible things that have happened to so many innocent people,” Sarah says in her speech. “She has spoken to hundreds and hundreds of groups, throughout the United States. She has spoken to numerous schools, churches, teachers, the FBI, inmates, syn- Mika Kaplan, second place; FJA teacher agogues; her life story is a great lesson for Denise Bennett, and winner Sarah Kutler. everyone.” “Choosing to speak about my grandNancy Kutler said her mother “couldn’t mother was something that came easy,” be prouder to see her granddaughter rec- Sarah said. She has touched many lives ognized as a first place winner. But the and has especially been a great influence

in my life. Winning the contest was more than I could have imagined. It gives me the motivation to participate in other contests, and try out for plays at Beveridge Middle School, where I will be starting 7th grade in the fall.” In fact, although Sarah just finished sixth grade, she competed against seventh and eighth graders. Sarah was asked to tape her speech in order to send it in to the national competition. She did so with the help of her parents, Howard and Nancy Kutler, who hired Chad Eacker from Delinea Design to tape Sarah’s speech. “We are grateful to the Omaha Playhouse as well,” Giller said, “because they let Sarah come there and use the venue for her taping.” Sarah’s parents credit Friedel teacher Denise Bennett for helping Sarah along the way. “Sarah would not have been in the position to participate and win the

state speech contest without Denise. For years now, she has made it her goal that the students at Friedel be given a chance to compete by signing up for the Woodmen speech contest,” Nancy said. “Contests like these are important for our students,” Giller said, “because it encourages public speaking and helps them develop leadership qualities. Being successful at the national level puts not only our school on the map, but shows the quality of our students and teaching staff, as well as our curriculum. The fact that a Friedel student has won at the State level two years in a row shows that we are on the right track. And of course, what a great way for Sarah to finish her Friedel career! We are all so proud of her.” Now that Sarah has taped her speech to make the July 1 deadline, all she can do is wait. I feel good about my chances,” she said, “and I am hoping for the best.”

Beth El’s ‘Shabbat on the Green’ offers fun-filled outdoor celebration by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator The weather may be hot, but a cool Shabbat celebration is on tap as Beth El presents a special family event, Shabbat on the Green, on Friday, July 10. The synagogue’s sprawling back lawn will be the setting for the 5:45 p.m. picnic dinner, followed by 6:45 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. “We’ve planned a great evening for everyone in the Jewish community,” said Beth El Program Director Margie Gutnik. “Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, balls and gloves -- and plan on spending a relaxing Shabbat evening with

family and friends.” Cost to attend for Beth El members is $6.50 for adults, $4 for children ages six to 12, and there is no charge for children ages five and younger; for non-members, cost is $8.50 for adults and $6 for children six to 12. Reservations are needed by Monday, July 6, and may be made by sending a check -- made payable to Beth El -- to the synagogue at 14506 California St., Omaha NE 68154. Be sure to specify if you would like a vegetarian dinner. For more information about Shabbat on the Green, contact Gutnik at 492.8550, or programming@bethelomaha.org.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Schragers’ newest project dedicated at Temple Israel Cemetery by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator Phil Schrager told a crowd of approximately 150, gathered to dedicate the new Schrager Memorial Chapel at the Temple Israel Cemetery on North 42nd Street, that he and his wife Terri decided to build the structure “simply because it sounded like a nice idea.” Rabbi Aryeh Azriel opened the dedication ceremony on June 14 with a prayer from Ecclesiastes that began with the words, “For everything there is a season, a time for every experience under heaven.” He went on to describe a cemetery for some people as “a Bet Kevarot, a burial place where...bodies are interred and...remains put to rest.” For others, it is a “Bet Olam, an eternal

“honored to be here to thank Phil and Terri” and introduced Phil Schrager. Standing at the front of the chapel beneath a wall of windows that come to a peak above the engraved words of Psalm 23, Phil Schrager thanked all those who were in attendance and even his father, Jack Schrager, who died about six months ago and “must be smiling down.” Phil Schrager acknowledged “this rare opportunity to be happy at the cemetery.” He thanked and introduced members of his family and added that the project would not have been possible without the architect, Purdy & Slack, and builder, KSI Construction. He also mentioned the support of his assistant Janet Farber and Temple Israel for “allowing us to build this chapel.

Phil Schrager helps Larry Budwig, right, mount a mezuzah he made to the chapel doorpost at Temple Israel Cemetery. Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, left, looks on.

Terri and Phil Schrager were honored at the ceremony in the newly dedicated Schrager Memorial Chapel.

abode, indicating a lasting lineage throughout the ages.” And for those “who lived so well and accomplished so much...their influence is significantly felt...their deeds, character, and personality continue to inspire. For them...the cemetery becomes a Bet Chayim, a house of life. “Standing, as we always do,” he added, “within God’s sacred Presence, we dedicate this space, this generous gift, the Schrager Memorial Chapel, where two worlds meet in a silent embrace, and make of it a Bet Chayim, a house of life for us all.” Rabbi Azriel then introduced Jan Schneiderman, president of the Temple Board of Trustees, who said she was

“I like projects,” said the philanthropist who recalled first introducing the cemetery chapel concept when Jane Rips was president of the Temple Board (1995-1997). In 1998, the Schragers financed the reconstruction of the entrance, the extension of the driveway, and an addition to the grounds of the cemetery. He pointed out that the Board accepted his two conditions to build the chapel: “No committees and no meetings.” After Schrager presented Rabbi Azriel with the keys to the chapel door, Larry Budwig’s crafted glass mezuzot, which he designed to resemble the eternal flame in the sanctuary at Temple, were affixed to the doors with help from many members of the Schrager family.

JEWISH PRESS NOTICE The Jewish Press will not publish on Friday, July 3, due to staff vacations and computer upgrades. The deadline for all articles, photos and ads throughout the summer for all issues is on Thursdays, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.

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From here to there -- and back!

Continued from page 1 He added, “I have a little office with a desk and I get all of the mail. A year or so ago, a piece of routine mail came from the Fulbright organization. The note said, ‘Now is the time to apply for the academic year 2009-10.’ “The advertisement included information that fellowships were available for college professors to teach or do research almost all over the world. It also said that adjunct professors could apply. I thought that they didn’t really mean it so I called and ended up talking to a nice lady in Washington,” Fellman explained. “She said that adjunct professors could apply and that my qualifications looked good. I explained that my family had come from near Vinnylsya and that I hoped to interview people who might have records. She suggested that I apply with some recommendations. The application was involved, but I got recommendations from all kinds of people -- including Senator Chuck Hagel.” Fellman applied and specified the general area where he wanted to locate. “The category where I fit is called American Politics. I began to look for a place in the world where I wouldn’t have to speak the language. Frankly, I didn’t think that I had a chance, but I was playing around with it and having a good time.” Dick remembered that of the Fellman family of 12, five of them ended up in Omaha. And, they had all come from Ukraine. He thought to himself, “If I could teach American Government in Ukraine, I could have free time on weekends to try to find the little shtetl where my family lived. And, even if the Nazis destroyed all of the records, I could begin to reconstruct what it was like then and what it’s like today.” In order to be approved, Fellman’s application had to be passed by a committee of his peers in the United States, the state department of the country where he would be involved, and the country of Ukraine. The final step of his approval was for the government to find a university that would give the assignment. Dick will be accompanied on his “adventure” by his wife of 46 years, Beverly Bloom Fellman. At an age when most men are settling down for retirement, he is looking forward with zeal to learning and studying his roots. His adventure is described by his four adult children and seven grandchildren as being “cool.”

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June 26, 2009

ORGANIZATIONS

VISIONS Reminder: For those members going on the trip to Brownville on Sunday, June 28, please meet at the JCC by 11:45 a.m. Reminder: Dinner and a melodrama at Mahoney State Park is Wednesday, July 8. The cost is $30 per person. Depart from the JCC at 4:30 p.m. (be at the JCC by 4:15) to arrive back by approximately 8:30 p.m. Send reservations to Betty Sanford, 9205 Western Ave. #127, Omaha, NE 68114. Visions luncheon meeting is Friday, July 17, 12:30 p.m., at the Venice Inn, with special guest speaker Jeff Koterba, Omaha World-Herald editorial cartoonist. The cost is $11 per person includes lunch, beverage, tax and gratuity. Send reservations to Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard St, Omaha, NE 68114 by July 10. For questions, call Harry Alloy at 697.8709. For transportation, call Florence Hauss at 571.4583. Make all checks payable to Visions. VISIONS AND 39 FOREVER Join us for the Annual Dinner and Baseball at Rosenblatt Stadium on Thursday, July 30, 5:45 p.m. in the Stadium View Club. The game will start at 7:05 p.m. as the Omaha Royals plays the Iowa Clubs. Send reservations to Harry Alloy, 11317 Harney Plz. Cir., Omaha, NE 68154. For questions, call Judy Katskee at 493.8875. LOVE PLANS ANNUAL GAME DAY LOVE (League Offering Volunteers for the Elderly) is planning its 5th annual Game Day on Sunday, July 12, 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. A donation of $20.00 (checks made payable to LOVE) should be sent to: Eileen Remer at 9804 Nina Street, Omaha, NE. 68124. Names of table mates should be sent along with the registration check. Enjoy playing Bridge, Canasta, Pan, Mah Jongg, Poker or Scrabble for a good cause. Make up your own table and bring you own cards, Mah Jongg sets or games. Great Door Prizes and Refreshments!

All money raised will benefit the Residents of the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Call Lois Wine 334.6519 if you have any questions. YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday, July 6 for a special dance program Ballet Folklórico de México. Lunch will be served at noon and the dance program will begin at 12:30 p.m. Come play bingo at 10 a.m. Call Theresa for transportation at 330.4272. For information, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.

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B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Ninth Annual Awards Luncheon honoring the people who have helped make the year a success will be held Wednesday, July 1, noon, at the Regency Lodge. And join us on July 8 to hear former Omahan Jason Kohll, the son of Gail and Jerry Kohll, talk about his new position on the Houston Rockets staff as the Senior Director of Corporate Development. The programs are free and open to all. An optional buffet lunch costs $13; beverage service only is $3. For more information or to get on the e-mail list, call B’nai B’rith’s new secretary, Jenny Gordon at 334.6443 or e-mail bnaibrith@jewishomaha.org. NJHS & B’NAI B’RITH The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and B’nai B’rith want your recollections of your AZA experience. On Tuesday, June 30, 5- 7 p.m., in the Community Room at the JCC, Ben Nachman will be recording brief interviews to be combined into an oral history video which will shared at our celebration of the 85th anniversary of AZA. Please come by so we can record your thoughts about this special time in your life. Call Renee Corcoran at NJHS, at 334.6442, with questions.

Larry Kramer. Great-grandparents are Shirley and Max Kirshenbaum, and Paul and Marie Ruback.

Celebrating Omaha’s rich culinary heritage

Several residents and staff of the Rose Blumkin Home reminisced about dining in some of Omaha's finest restaurants from “The Pompeian Room” of Brandeis to the great steakhouses. These residents chose to dine at Caniglia’s Venice Inn earlier this month. Eli Caniglia opened the restaurant in 1956 at 69th and Pacific Streets. His sons, Chuck and Jerry, still run the restaurant. Activity Directors Linda Fitzgerald and Mary Heinman said that everyone appreciates the

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Before someone offers you alcohol or other drugs, decide what you are going to say.

LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Yiddish brings us closer to our roots! Come join us every Thursday, 1-3 p.m., at the JCC. For information, call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.

BIRTH Teresa and Andrew Ruback announce the May 3 arrival of their son, Clayton Maxwell. Grandparents are Jayne and Altan Ruback, and Hilda Kramer and the late

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

teamwork of the nursing, transportation, accounting staff and all who make these outings possible. Gathering for a lunch are, front row: Holly Abrahamson, left, Chuck Caniglia, Edith Stein, Betty Goldstrom; second row: Lucille Paskowitz, Justin Horwich, Ruth Greenberg, Aurel Couch; back row: Linda Fitzgerald, RBJH Activity Director; Lauren and Jennifer, wait staff; Mary Heinman, RBJH Activity Director, and Joe Boin.

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Call Allan Handleman at 402.334.6451 or email: ahandleman@jewishomaha.org

Out

Dining

Page 6

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Bubby’s Homemade Pies by R. Silver & J. Bervin (Wiley, $29.95)

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Following his early youthful renegade days of snitching from local fields and patches whatever was seasonal and early mischief in the kitchen, Silver began his career baking pies and finally opened Bubby’s Pie Company in 1990 in New York City in the Meat Packing district, 10 blocks from what tragically would become Ground Zero ... they were able to reopen to serve neighbors, volunteers, NYFD and NYPD rescue workers free coffee and pie in the days following 9/11. With food as the great equalizer and language that everyone shares, the pie business grew and his homey cooking was established with the real passion for pies. Fifteen sweet and savory crust variations are detailed and illustrated with line drawings as is the Fruit Pie Primer. Other chapters are Spring and Summer Fruit Pies, Autumn and Winter Pies, Savory Pies and Pastries, Deep-Dish Desserts: Crumbles, Crisps, Cobblers, Buckles, Pandowdys, and Brown Bettys, Dumplings, Fried Pies, and Pastries, Cream and Custard Pies: Pudding Pies, Chiffon Pies, Custard Pies, and Meringue Pies, Homemade Ice Cream and Ice Cream Pies, and Sauces, Toppings and Candies. The recipes are inspired from grandmothers, accomplished bakers and classic cookbooks and include clear, very detailed instructions for over 100 recipes which are listed in the chapter pages. Headnotes, sidebars, charts and Ask Bubby contain bits of background and other information. Quotations are sprinkled here and there throughout the chapters. Top off your next creation with this recipe. CHOCOLATE GANACHE 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon cognac, rum, vanilla extract, or Cointreau (optional)

Place the chocolate and the cream in a simmering double boiler. Stir the chocolate occasionally to keep it from burning or overheating. When the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, set it aside to cool to room temperature. Stir in the optional flavoring. Use immediately or store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. To reheat the ganache, use a double boiler, stirring occasionally, and allow the ganache to come to room temperature before trying to spread it. (You really need to heat it and let it cool back down to spread it.) Makes two cups. Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@yahoo.com.

From the ‘Lyon’s Den’ by SHEVI KATZMAN

Mike Kirby and Ari Popik, who are interning at a solar farm in Lyons, Nebraska, spent their weekend off in Omaha in search of Judaism. The Jewish interns came to the Chabad House during the second Shabbat in June for services, food and inspiration. “We do as much as we can on the farm,” says Popik, referring to Jewish practice, “but it’s really hard.” Above: Mike Kirby, left, and Rabbi Katzman make plans for another visit to Chabad before the interns returned to the farm.

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The community of Plattsmouth has planned a five-day schedule of events surrounding the visit June 24-28 of “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: America in the Thirties,” the Nebraska Humanities Council’s 2009 Chautauqua program. The schedule includes a “Dust Bowl” exhibit of photographs, a youth day camp and youth workshops. Among the opening-day events is a historic re-enactment of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s October 1936 visit to Plattsmouth. Main events will be held each evening at Rhylander Park at 615 Lincoln Ave. Evening stage performances offer local entertainment and first-person interpretations of historical figures from the era of the Great Depression. For additional information on this summer’s Chautauqua, go to the Kansas-Nebraska Chautauqua website, www.knchautauqua.org, or contact Beth McQueen at 402.474.2131, ext. 108 or beth@nebras kahumanities.org. Opera Omaha kicks off its 52nd season with a new program open to upper elementary and middle school students. One of the Company’s many Community Programs offerings, the “Opera for Kids” workshop is both entertaining and educational. The week-long workshop not only addresses the need for kid-friendly activities in the summer, but also offers an opportunity for kids to try out the many disciplines that make up the art form of opera. The workshop teaches students acting, improvisation, and teamwork as

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they experience first-hand the fun of rehearsing and presenting scenes from classic operas such as Carmen, The Barber of Seville, and Hansel and Gretel. Morning classes focus on the principles of opera, such as dramatic interpretation, dancing and singing. Afternoon classes focus on the history, poetry and musical interpretation of children’s operas such as this season’s Brundibár. The children’s opera Brundibár, produced in collaboration with the Institute for Holocaust Education, has a public performance on Nov. 7, 2009. Hal France, Executive Director of The KANEKO, will conduct this musical fable composed by Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister. Brundibár was first performed by the Jewish inmates of the Terezín concentration camp during World War II and tells the story of how a community united can defeat the bad guy. Classes are taught by professionals from Opera Omaha, The KANEKO and the IHE. Students will also enjoy the live noontime presentations by local professional artists. Parents and family are invited to attend the “Friday Finale” -- a free noontime performance of classic opera scenes by the students. Classes meet MondayFriday. Class sizes are limited. Students must bring their own bag lunch and drink each day, as lunch is not provided. Register by contacting the Opera Omaha Box Office at opera@operaomaha.org or 402.346.7372. Dates: Monday-Friday, Aug. 3-7, 9 a.m.-3: p.m. at The KANEKO, 1111 Jones St., for grades three through eight (Fall 2009). The student performance is Friday, Aug. 7, noon. Cost is $185/per student.

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June 26, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 7

Life-long dream of Bar Mitzvah

was barely audible, reflecting his nervousContinued from page 1 In a separate interview, his son Danny ness. He struggled a little, and his eyes added, “My father never really had a glistened, as did those of quite a few othJewish education, like all of us did. But ers who watched. It was obvious that this two months ago, he came in contact with was a very emotional moment for the Bar the Katzman girls,” he said, referring to Mitzvah boy. The different Rubin generations were Mushka, another Katzman daughter, and all present. There were his wife, his 96Shevi. “At the Blumkin Home, they visited my year old sister Ethel, his son and daughfather quite a few times, which he really ter-in-law Lynn, and his granddaughter enjoyed. Mushka really took the lead and Jennifer and her husband Erin -- all talked to him about a Bar Mitzvah,” observing closely from different positions Danny said. “With Mushka’s visits and in the room. encouragement,” according to Danny, “my dad’s fear gave way and he agreed to have a ceremony.” David Cohen, new to the community and a Chabad supporter, worked with Bus on his Hebrew. Getting to the Podium “Bus is in the Home now because he is too weak to take care of himself and I can no longer help him around the house, especially following his silent heart attack not too Friends Mace Jabenis, left, and Jerry Rosinsky chat before long ago,” Betty related. “So the ceremony. Now, as he stood there, Bus gained having his Bar Mitzvah at the Chabad House also was unusual because he rarely more confidence. He took a breath and leaves the Blumkin Home, except to go pushed on, reciting his portion of the service. Jerry Rosinsky performed a closto the doctor.” At the Chabad House, Bus who uses a ing aliyah and shortly thereafter the walker, was helped to a chair on the Torah was returned to its place of honor bimah. The Torah was removed from the in the Ark. And it was over. It was Ark and brought to the platform table remarkable. The new Bar Mitzvah was both pleased top. Danny had an “aliyah” (“Going up” to the bimah for the honor of reading the and perhaps a little relieved. The family Torah.) So did his nephew John was proud. “At his age, it was very meaningful to him to go through the ceremoRobinson. Then it was Bus’s turn. He was assisted ny,” Danny extolled. A smiling Bus to the Torah and leaned over to read. received his congratulatory plaudits with Gripping the bimah, he began. His voice a sense of pleasure and satisfaction.

A little about Bus “He built his business, Rubin Distributing, from scratch,” according to his wife. He had a great reputation in the community and people like Joe Guss

Betty, Danny, and Bus Rubin thank the guests gathered at Chabad.

Rabbi Mendel Katzman coaches John Robinson for his Aliyah before the ceremony. (now deceased) told me ‘I always enjoyed doing business with Bus, because he was a man of integrity.’ That comment was

echoed by others, too,” his wife added proudly. Bus originally wanted to perform the ceremony in private, feeling a little selfconscious and not wanting to embarrass himself in front of others. He gradually changed his mind on that aspect, too. Thus the ceremony that evolved was more a spur of the moment event, limiting what probably would have been a larger turnout. On such short notice, Bus and Betty’s other kids, Sue and Tom, who live out of town could not attend. “All of us gave Dad a beautiful Kiddush cup,” Danny divulged. Besides those mentioned earlier, nephew Mike Mogil took pictures after his wife Suzi joined the other women. A few other friends like Harriet Singer, Steve Abrahamson, and Mace Jabenis all came to support Bus’s efforts. The couple, married 63 years, have outlived many of their friends, including special ones like Al Nepomnick and Yale Richards. Afterthoughts Having a Bar Mitzvah at 90, is a little different than holding one at 13. Nevertheless, Betty noted that “Bus asked me, ‘Did I do okay?’” And Danny said afterwards, when Bus returned to the Home after the ceremony, he felt pretty good, although he did take a long afternoon nap. “I can’t say enough about how patient Mushka and Shevi were, Danny said. “The rabbi and his kids make a great team. I don’t know how much more time my dad has. And he is one of the least materialistic people on this earth. But after this Bar Mitzvah,” Danny concluded, “I think now my dad feels his life is pretty complete.”

Page 8

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

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SUNDAY, JULY 5 Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JULY 6 JSS Nurse, 8 a.m. YES Luncheon, 10 a.m. Kabbalistic Insights for Women, noon at Chabad TUESDAY, JULY 7 Parsha, Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Mah Jongg, 12:30 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Conflicts & Controversies in the Bible, 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel

THURSDAY, JULY 9 Fast of the 17th of Tammuz Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Center for Jewish Education Board Meeting, noon Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Women’s Book Group, 1:15 p.m. at Beth El JCC Maccabi Games Meeting, 2 p.m. Parsha Club for kids, 3:40 p.m. at Chabad Federation Executive Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. CDC College Class, 7 p.m. Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JULY 10 Visions Board Meeting, 9 a.m. Camp Talent Show performance, 2 p.m. and reception, 2:45 p.m. Shabbat on the Green, 5:45 p.m. at Beth El SUNDAY, JULY 12 Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El LOVE Game Day, 11:30 a.m. MONDAY, JULY 13 JSS Nurse, 8 a.m. ADL Teacher Training in Holocaust Education, 8:30 a.m. Kabbalistic Insights for Women, noon at Chabad Executive Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at Friedel Film Discussion Group, 7 p.m. at Kripke Library Board of Directors Meeting, 7 p.m. at Friedel TUESDAY, JULY 14 ADL Teacher Training in Holocaust Education, 8:30 a.m. Parsha, Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad ADL/CRC Executive Committee Meeting, noon Mah Jongg, 12:30 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Conflicts & Controversies in the Bible, 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 NJHS & Kripke Library celebrate release of Ann Ronell book, 6:30 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 Visions Dinner & Show, 4:30 p.m. at Mahoney State Park Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

THURSDAY, JULY 16 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel ADL Teacher Training in Holocaust Education, 10 a.m. Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group, 1 p.m. Kripke Library Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Parsha Club for kids, 3:40 p.m. at Chabad Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel FRIDAY, JULY 17 ADL Teacher Training in Holocaust Education, 8:30 a.m. Visions Luncheon Meeting, noon

SUNDAY, JULY 19 Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JULY 20 JSS Nurse, 8 a.m. YES Luncheon, 10 a.m. Jewish Book Club Meeting, 10:30 a.m. Kabbalistic Insights for Women, noon at Chabad Jewish Press Board Meeting, 7 p.m. TUESDAY, JULY 21 Parsha, Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad Mah Jongg, 12:30 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Conflicts & Controversies in the Bible, 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Rosh Chodesh Av Holiday JCC Swim Team Awards Banquet, 6 p.m. Beth El Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group, 7 p.m. THURSDAY, JULY 23 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Parsha Club for kids, 3:40 p.m. at Chabad LOVE Board Meeting, 7 p.m. Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel SUNDAY, JULY 26 Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El Dance Open House, 1 p.m. MONDAY, JULY 27 JSS Nurse, 8 a.m. Kabbalistic Insights for Women, noon at Chabad Federation Executive Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. Film Discussion Group, 7 p.m. at Kripke Library TUESDAY, JULY 28 Parsha, Prayer and Prophets, 9 a.m. at Chabad JSS/RBJH Board Meeting, 11:30 a.m. Mah Jongg, 12:30 p.m. BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Conflicts & Controversies in the Bible, 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Mizrahi’s Class, 7:45 p.m. at Beth Israel WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 RBJH Men’s Luncheon & Speaker, 11 a.m. THURSDAY, JULY 30 JSS Walk-in Drop-in, 9 a.m. Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Parsha Club for kids, 3:40 p.m. at Chabad Visions Baseball Game & Dinner, 5:30 p.m. at Rosenblatt Rabbi Gross’s Class, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel

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 below events.

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June 26, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 9

With age, comes wisdom BERT’S EYE VIEW by BERT LEWIS Senior living -- are you kidding? May I say a few words here on that topic? I feel qualified, since heaven knows, I’m a certified senior, but I warn you: I don’t always take it as seriously as I might. I definitely will use the standard answer when anyone asks how I spend all my free time. I’m quick to say: by going to medically related appointments. Plus there’s always the extra trip to go get the new prescriptions. In addition, there’s always the reminder that everything takes longer now than it once did. I mean, who walks as fast as they once did? Certainly not I, or most of my contemporaries. We’re the group that fully understand the reason for those baskets at the grocery store. They really aren’t meant only for food. Of course not. In case you don’t know, they work better than a cane or a walker for the shopper with a bum knee! Senior living huh? Maybe this is a good opportunity to ask this question: How come so many people mumble when they speak? Have you noticed that? And don’t the publishers of printed material know that poor quality paper is harder to read? Add the small print they like to use to save space and it greatly affects a lot of seniors who are trying to read. Sheesh! Let’s have a little respect here is my message to publishers. I’ve got a message for the guy who decides how many handicapped parking spaces should be available when we shop. What’s the message? Closer and More! And as far as I’m concerned, the “checker of the month” can walk from over there and doesn’t need one

of those coveted gimp spots. Yeah, I know how that sounds. Just like a cranky old lady with bad knees. So nu, sue me. On the side of reality without trying for laughs, I should note that seniors today have more wonderful aids and programs and help of every description then ever before. There are organizations too numerous to count and because I’m not a pessimist, I believe eventually there will be an excellent health care system for those of us who aren’t kids anymore. And the rest of you, too. Yes, there’s lots of good stuff out there for those who need extra help or attention. I like to kid about it, but I recognize what’s real. Even though it took me years to admit I’m a member of that group who are called seniors. Oy. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but since I’ve lived in this community for a very long time, a lot of people know how old I am, so what’s the point of pretending otherwise? One of the ways for an older citizen to feel better is to remember, if a person is lucky, with age comes wisdom. I know that isn’t always a fact, but at least we can be sure that with age come experience! Aha, now that has to be acceptable to even you kids out there -- I mean the ones in your 60s! Okay, I give up. I’m a real, honest to goodness senior, trying to live a normal existence on a daily basis. I’m also charged with helping my roommate to do the same thing, so you see, I may be an older lady, but I’m busy! That’s one of the really good things about older people today. Mostly, folks are busy. We’re encouraged to walk, to exercise, to read, to use our brains, to use our experiences. Oh yeah -- it may not all be skittles and beer, but it isn’t all waiting in the doctor’s office either. My message to my contemporaries is the slogan of my friend Velma. She always says, “Keep on truckin.’” Not bad advice huh? and one other thing: Zie gezunt! Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis39@aol.com.

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Dr. Alan Kricsfeld, President and Partner of Diagnostic and Internal Medicine Associates in Council Bluffs, has been appointed as Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine. Former Omahan William Rifkin will join J.P. Morgan in New York City as Vice Chairman of Mergers and Acquisitions in September. Previously Chairman of Global Mergers and Acquisitions at Merrill Lynch and

Chairman of the firm’s Fairness Opinion Committee, Rifkin has worked on a number of notable transactions. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, where he majored in economics, Rifkin earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and was a Baker Scholar. He also is a member of the board of directors of Phoenix house Foundation and Chairman of the Board of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. He is the son of Phyllis and Paul Rifkin.

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by ALLISON NEVES Imagine not being able to read the newspaper, watch television, or drive your car. These are a few of the things many seniors have trouble doing due to various eye diseases. In fact, by the age of 65, one in three Americans has some form of vision-impairing eye disease. However, with the U.S. economy experiencing a major downturn, senior communities on fixed incomes are struggling to pay for health care. In light of this, EyeCare America is reminding seniors, “Don’t Lose Sight of Your Independence.” The national health campaign is intended to remind the senior community about the value of eyesight and encourage seniors 65 and older to call Seniors EyeCare Program to see if they qualify for an eye exam and care, often at no-cost. The three-month promotional campaign runs through

Wed Di ding & S splays upp lies

by CYNTHIA EPSTEIN One strategy, ensuring that the family’s wealth is passed on to the next generation, and removing the value of assets from an individual’s gross estate for estate tax purposes, involves transferring business interests to the family by the use of a Family Limited Partnership or a Limited Liability Company. Parents transfer to their children “discounted” shares in their limited partnership or Limited Liability Company, without giving up control of the business. Historically, the Family Limited Partnership has been used because limited partnership interests were transferred to their children while the parents retained the general partnership interest. Limited partners may not participate in the management of the business. However, today the Limited Liability Company can be used to accomplish the same purpose, but

with all of the owners having limited liability for the business debts. A Limited Liability Company can be structured wherein all the members participate equally in management, or a Limited Liability Company can be formed as a manager managed entity where the managers control the business and the other members act in a capacity similar to limited partners. Parents can transfer ownership interest in the form of non-voting non-manager interest to the children without giving up control of the business. The law firm of Epstein & Epstein can help you in accomplishing effective estate planning for your needs. Please contact me or Irving B. Epstein with regard to any estate planning needs at 402.397.1515. We are conveniently located in Miracle Hills at 11516 Nicholas Street, Suite 202.

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Page 10

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Family still number one priority for these seniors

by CLAUDIA SHERMAN Temple Israel Communications Coordinator It’s a familiar tale. So many of our family trees that took root in Russia were transplanted to America. It’s the story of Harry Alloy and his wife of 57 years, Doris Noodell Alloy. Doris’s father, (also named) Harry, came here from the Pale of Russia when he was 11 or 12 years old, Doris estimated. Her mother, Lillian, was from Chicago. The family, which also included Doris’s two sisters and a brother, lived on 31st and Lafayette, and she attended Franklin grade school and then Central High School. Harry Alloy’s father, Wolf, married in Russia and brought his wife and two children to Omaha. A bricklayer in Russia, Wolf took a job, after arriving here, at a Jewish bakery on North 24th Street, where so many Jewish businesses thrived prior to World War I through the mid-1950s. After his wife died leaving him with two young children, Wolf met Yetta, who would become Harry’s mother. She came from Russia alone when she was in her early twenties. After Wolf and Yetta married, they lived at 1916 Corby Street, “an all-American block of Norwegians, Italians, and Jews,” according to Harry. He went to Lake School “with a lot of Jewish kids,” to Central High School, and then to Omaha University (now the University of Nebraska at Omaha) for two years.

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Harry and Doris Alloy, standing on the deck of their home in west Omaha, are surrounded by the outdoors they enjoy. During the summer of 1950, Harry met Doris on a double date. “But I was the other guy’s date,” Doris teasingly pointed out. She didn’t start dating Harry until returning from her second year of college at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln the following summer. By Thanksgiving that year, the two were engaged. They were married by Rabbi Sidney K. Mossman on May 25, 1952 at Beth Israel Synagogue, 52nd and Charles Streets, the first couple to be married in the main sanctuary. Harry was an accountant at Union Pacific Railroad for two years before going to work for Wilson Meat Packing at 27th and Y Streets. “One of the big four in that industry,” Harry said, he worked there for 36 years. “I was there when the computers came in and became data processing manager.” In addition to 12 to 14 hour days, he’d often get a call in the middle of the night. Eventually renamed Wilson Foods, the company, along with most of the other meat processors in Omaha, moved to small towns. “About six of us remained to staff the marketing center,” recalled Harry who became the office manager. “Technically,” he said, “I retired in the mid-1980s,” although he worked as an accountant for several businesses until 1992 when he “really” retired. Doris had earned an associate’s degree in business at UNL and worked for a year or two at Nebraska Clothing as an office secretary and then at the Corps of Engineers in personnel and payroll. In 1967, when she returned to work, she began a 28-year career at UNO. “I was there for all the changes” as the college became a state university, Doris recalled. Working in the biology department, she witnessed the growth of the faculty from six to 17 Ph.D.s, 17 graduate assistants, and five staff members. “It was exciting,” she admitted. “I loved working there.” One of the “perks” of working there was attending classes for free. Doris was able to complete a four-year degree before retiring in 1995. Continued on page 12

June 26, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 11

Eldercare meets Artoo-Detoo

Continued from page 1 ited to just one hour each. much as they could.� “Working with the residents and seeing “We knew we wanted to collaborate “The residents had their smocks on, For Goldberg’s seven-year-old daugh- them work with us makes me happy. with the Home on a project,� Goldberg ready to go,� said Naomi Teetzel, who ter, Lily, and and her third-grade friend Doing little things like this makes their said, “and the tree idea grew naturally. will enter sixth grade at Friedel next year. Illyana Hamicksburg, “Our favorite thing day. We create memories for each other.� The tree and the background explode “They helped cut leaves, pick out paper about the whole project was singing Friedel staff hopes to initiate future prowith decorative elements, with fabric and fabric. We had a good time, little kids Shabbat Shalom with the Blumkin resi- grams where students and Blumkin leaves and large and small birds of many and older people. It was awesome.� dents.� Home residents will create projects materials. The culmination is an energetic For recent Friedel graduate, Max Working side by side with men and together. and lively mural symbolizing our com- Polack, and Isabella Wright, 7, watching women who could be their great-grandFrom the first day of work on the Tree munity’s oldest and youngest genera- the tree grow was fun. “The residents cut parents gave Friedel students a chance to of Life mural, photographer Ophir tions working together. It Palmon chronicled both evolved into our rendition the artistic action and of the ‘Tree of Life.’� human interaction. “We For Blumkin Home resincorporated Ophir’s picidents, Friedel students tures into the tree,� van and teachers, creating the de Kamp said, “and also mural was a shared joy. had an exhibit at the JCC Kindergarten teacher with larger, framed prints. Diana Zeman said, “The The images are phenomeyoungest kids were widenal and many of them will eyed with excitement. hang permanently at They’re shy with the eldFriedel. Ophir is a great erly, but when residents artist and he captured our reach out to them, they students in such a formirespond with smiles.� dable way. It's nice to Barb Sather, Angie have his photos as a perMass, Denise Bennett, manent record of the Zeeman, and Naama project, especially since Artzi were other Friedel Left: Blumkin resident Myrna Diamond and recent Friedel graduate Max Polack, and right: Lilly Pocras and Margo Roesberg (who the tree is temporary.� faculty members who par- died in April) create art for the temporary mural on a wall in what will become Main Street at the Blumkin Home. Sad but true. When conticipated in the mural project. “The older leaves and kept me company while I get out of the classroom and connect struction begins on the Blumkin Home’s kids have done projects at the Home over painted the trunk,� Max said. with a different generation. Main Street later this summer, walls come the years,� Bennett explained, “and were “We stood on ladders to do the higher “Opportunities like this really expand down and the tree won’t be spared. Its anxious to visit the residents -- the old parts,� Isabella added. “The residents their minds,� van de Kamp said. “And for impact, however, will remain. friends, actually -- that they already know. watched us and were happy.� the residents to see artwork created right “After I finished gluing on some leaves, Of course, they were happy to meet new The Friday art sessions often included in front of their eyes is a great experience. a resident hugged me,� said Lily residents as well.� sing-alongs. “I loved that some of the In addition, this type of project reminds Goldberg. “That was nice.� Friedel Once the ‘seed’ for the mural was plant- younger kids gave impromptu concerts the kids that they’re not ‘only’ Friedel kindergartner Leora McNamara chimed ed, it didn’t take long for the “Tree of after they finished with their art projects,� students, but members of the Omaha in. “When I was pasting stickies and pretLife’ to reach its full height. Teachers and Kim Goldberg said. “It showed they Jewish Community as a whole.� ties on the tree a resident kissed my hand. children worked at the Home on three weren’t there just for themselves. They Twelve-year old Elissa Wiener said the She was really sweet.� consecutive Fridays, with art sessions lim- really wanted to be generous and share as experience is one she’ll never forget. You can’t get that from a robot.

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Family still number one priority

Continued from page 10 Despite long careers, the number one priority in the Alloys’ lives is their family. Their oldest daughter, Wendy, who worked at the Child Development Center on the Jewish Community Center campus and is an active volunteer in the community, is married to Todd Manvitz. They have three children: Alissa, who followed in her grandfather’s steps and is an accountant who is getting married in August; Diana, a teacher in Dallas; and David, a senior at UNO. Daughter Shelly, a social worker at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home, and her husband Rick have one daughter, Naomi, who just graduated from Indiana University, with a degree in education. “Our lives were family oriented,” Harry remarked. The family lived at 58th and Nicholas and enjoyed a Cousins Club that got together for family picnics, breakfast cookouts, and potlucks. “We loved outdoor things,” and they would go to Colorado and Ponca State Park in northeast Nebraska to savor the scenic landscapes. Even after retiring, family life continues to take precedence in the Alloys’ lives. “We’re lucky our children are here and most of our grandchildren, too,” Harry said. Their retirement from employment has been to the benefit of the Jewish community. Seventeen years ago, Harry helped organize Visions, a Jewish social group for the 62 and older crowd. It grew to more than 300 members and in addition to trips to Branson, outings to Royals baseball games, annual picnics, and theater outings, the group meets for lunch at restaurants and invites speakers, vocalists, and other entertainers. In 1991, the Alloys went to Israel with Rabbi Aryeh and Elyce Azriel. “It was a wonderful trip,” they agreed. They joined Temple Israel after that. A B’nai Mitzvah class was starting at Temple, and that was “always something in the back of my mind,” Doris mentioned. Realizing a dream, she became a Bat Mitzvah in 1998. By coincidence -- or not -- she passed by her father carrying the Torah and remembers the pride and happiness on his face. “We both teared up.” Doris was also able to read Torah, “a highlight in my life,” at her granddaughter Naomi’s Bat Mitzvah. “I wanted to keep studying,” she realized. “I think the adult education programming at Temple is outstanding.” She attends Adult Study with the Clergy on Thursday mornings, and on Saturday mornings, both she and Harry are regulars at Sparks Beneath the Surface, the morning study session at Temple, followed by Shabbat worship services. “We like the chapel service on Saturday,” Doris added. “The more intimate gathering” creates “a lot of warmth.” She also sang in the choir at Temple for two or three years. Harry got involved in ushering in which he still participates. He was also on the Music Committee and became chair. For years, he was in charge of Temple’s annual Blood Drive.

In addition, Harry has been a member of the JCC Board for five or six years and is president of the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Board. Both he and Doris serve on the LOVE Board. Doris belongs to book clubs at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library and the JCC. Under the guidance of Marge Bresel, Doris participates in a group that makes quilts that are donated to the Blumkin Home. “It’s rewarding and a worthwhile effort,” she said. For fun, Doris plays Mah Jongg “now that I’m retired.” Both she and Harry play bridge. For their 50th wedding anniversary, they took their children and grandchildren on a Caribbean cruise. They believe in “making the effort to get along with others, compromising when necessary, and not sitting in judgment.” They “look forward to doing simple things together and most of all, being as close as you can be to family.”

Long Term Care: How should I finance it? by BOB NELSON, CLU, FSS Vice President, Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Inc. I have been asked many times why not self-insure my long term care (LTC) risk and let a life insurance policy replace my assets at my death. The theory is that perhaps one will never incur long term care costs, even though the odds are high that you will…they are not 100%. The theory continues that death is 100% certain thus life insurance will result in a bonus to your heirs or replace assets used to pay for a LTC claim. Let’s get the facts out in the open. The LTC premium for a woman age 60 in good health is approximately $3,900 annually (a benefit of $6000/month payable for 5 years, a 90 day waiting period and a 5% cost of living rider).Let’s assume there is no claim, and in 25 years, death occurs, and you have wasted 25 times the annual cost of $3,900 or a total of $97,500. On the other hand, should a claim happen at age 80, your LTC policy would pay $15,919/month for up to 5 years for a total of almost a million dollars ($15,919 x 12 x 5 = $955,186). Are you willing to take out a life insurance policy for $1,000,000 to cover the potential risk? If you did, even in a preferred rate, at age 60 that policy would cost approximately $12,000 annually. Now, here are the ‘not so obvious’ facts. Some persons incur a LTC claim that exhausts most of their assets and ultimately qualify for Medicaid. At that point, Medicaid will tell you that you can only keep a minimal burial policy (in most states under $10,000). Thus if you had bought a sizeable life insurance policy you would need to cancel it just when you needed it most. It is possible you could exhaust your life savings and have no life insurance when you die. Long Term Care Insurance is not only less expensive, it provides greater peace of mind…throughout your lifetime.

“Live among friends” at Remington Heights

by MARY GROSSERODE “The people here are so friendly and nice.” “The fact that both independent living and assisted living are available here for my parents”. “My son picked this for me”. These are some of the many reasons people have chosen to live at Remington Heights Retirement Living Community located at 126th and Dodge Street. I recently assumed the position of Director of Marketing and Sales in this community. One of my first objectives was to meet the residents and find out why they chose Remington Heights as their new home. With my office located near the main dining room, I am fortunate to meet many of our residents, their families and guests. They have all been so friendly and welcoming to me. I would agree with the first comment above. The people here are friendly. It is not just the residents either. The staff is incredible. They are so accommodating and so responsive to the needs of our residents and their families. Family involvement is what I have noticed. I see the son who comes to visit his mother every day; the daughter who stops by on her way home from work, sometimes joining her dad for dinner, and the cousins who eat breakfast together. Remington Heights really seems like one big family. The fact that we offer both independent and assisted living means that when health needs increase and more services are needed, the staff works to meet the increasing needs and concerns. It is all about keeping our resident as independent as possible and maintaining their dignity. Besides being a beautiful community located in a great part of Omaha, the services we offer our residents are outstanding. As we get older our religion tends to become more important to us, and this is respected at Remington Heights. We celebrate religious diversity. For our residents of Jewish faith, the customs, traditions and holidays are honored here. Volunteers from our area synagogues visit. “Shabbat Comes to You” is offered by Temple Israel. For residents who practice Catholic religion, Mass is offered on Sunday. Religious services also are offered for residents of Protestant faith. In addition to religious services, we strive to satisfy our residents’ other interests by providing special outings to performances at the Jewish Community Center, a night out for dinner, movies, and weekly shopping trips. A varied exercise program is offered including Wii Fit and Tai Chi. A wide variety of social activities include professional entertainment, “Happy Hour” and so much more. Physicians also come to the community, providing health care services on a regular basis. Remington Heights offers our residents a choice of services and amenities. I would love to meet you and show you around. Please call me at 402.493.5807. Let me show you why so many readers have chosen Remington Heights as their new home.

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A precious memento is lost and recovered, a new friend is found

The book appears no worse for the wear, its orange paper cloth cover only worn a bit. The pages are clean and the font is clear. He was the only Jew in his unit, Mogil said. Due to a good deal of anti-Semitism, he was naturally wary around his comrades. While he wasn’t afraid, he said he did not mix too much with the other Marines. But there were two young men, both Southern Baptists, who took it upon themselves to look after Mogil. They pledged that they would protect him if anyone looked the wrong way at him. When asked why he took such care to keep the little book with him, Mogil -- a matter-of-fact former building contractor -- paused. “Well, for comfort,” he said. “It was for luck.” After the war, Mogil returned to Omaha and married his childhood sweetheart, Etta. After a brief stay there, they moved west, eventually living for several years in California, then in Hawaii and now in the Seattle area. They never returned to the Midwest. Mogil and his wife believe that the book was lost when they moved from Nebraska in 1948. Wil Beach and his family live in the small community of Harlan, Iowa, about an hour away from Omaha, where they attend Temple Israel. Beach, who will start seventh grade in the fall, is already beginning his studies toward his Bar Teddy Mogil displays the old JWB siddur he used as a soldier in Mitzvah next year. World War II, lost when he moved from Omaha in 1948. Earlier this spring, he was at the annual book fair with his father at the temple, where his eye fell upon the tiny orange book. He saw the imprint on the cover and the handwritten inscription inside. He called for his father, “Dad, we have to find the man this book belongs to.” He picked it up, he said, because “it looked really cool. It was small and old.” When asked if he could read the Hebrew, he said well, no -- not enough vowels. The boy, who just turned 12 on May 9, paid $15 of his own money for the book. It is money that he makes from mowing the lawn. Beach’s father, Ron, said his son was not a collector of books. He is a busy middle schooler with many interests. He has an older sister, Dru, and a younger Wil Beach, an Iowa high school student and brother, Jack. There are three dogs, a member of Temple Israel, found Mogil's sid- hamster and a cat at home. He has been dur at a Temple Book Sale. wrestling since he was six. He plans on II in the South Pacific. The tiny book was running cross country next year in sevwritten in both Hebrew and English. It enth grade. He likes to fish and hunt. “Video games, texting and hanging out had both daily prayers and those for High Holy Days. Inside the cover, Mogil had with his friends consumes much of his written: Nov. 5, 1942; Pvt. Teddy Mogil, time,” his father said. Ron Beach said that USMC, Headquarter Squadron, 2nd his son may have been drawn to the book because of his friends, Donald and Pearle Marine Wing. The book was given to him by the New Norgaard. Donald Norgaard, 84, was in the Army York-based Jewish Welfare Board on the day in Des Moines, Iowa, when Mogil infantry. He was wounded and captured took the oath to serve his country. From during WWII, but escaped via help from there he moved with his unit to San the French underground, then captured Diego and Camp Kearny, now NAS again. The Norgaards, who attend many Miramar, before shipping out to the games and events in Harlan, have become South Pacific. like surrogate grandparents to the family, He was trained to be an aircraft electri- Ron Beach said. cian. “But there were no airplanes for us Like many families, war followed the quite yet,” he laughed. There were some Mogils for many years. The couple was soon after, but by then Mogil had been introduced after a fashion by Etta Mogil’s assigned to the infantry. The book became brother, Sol Marcus, who was Mogil’s part of his uniform, he said. He carried it, best friend. Mogil said that he fell in love carefully wrapped, in the left breast pock- with Etta the day they met. It wasn’t as et of his uniform “so it wouldn’t get wet.” quick for her. She was miffed that the two Continued on page 14 But it did anyway, he remembered.

by MARY L. GRADY, EDITOR Reprinted with permission of the Mercer Island Reporter, Mercer Island, WA It was an ordinary afternoon a couple of weeks ago when the phone rang in an Island Square apartment. A young boy’s voice asked the man who answered if he was Ted Mogil from Omaha. Mogil, 85, puzzled by the young voice, said yes, and then listened as the boy turned from the phone and said excitedly, “Dad, Dad, this is him!” Wil Beach, 12, had found something that belonged to Mogil, something he had last held in his hands more than 60 years ago. It was a tiny prayer book that he carried with him daily when he was in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 13

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

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A precious memento

Continued from page 13 the book to Mercer Island. boys were late picking her up that And Mogil wrote back with photos of evening from school. Yet Sol Marcus died himself from the war and of his family. fighting in Italy in 1948. Etta Mogil’s Mogil hopes to attend Beach’s Bar other brother, Nate, was in WWII, as Mitzvah next May. Beach is planning a were Ted Mogil’s brothers, Charlie and Mitzvah project which will involve WWII Earl. veterans or concentration camp survivors The Mogils’ eldest son, Barry, served in in some way. Vietnam during the long and bloody Tet Like many veterans, Mogil did not Offensive in South Vietnam in 1968. The speak of his time in the service, his son Mogils moved to Mercer Scott Mogil said. Yet the Island, WA, three years book did come up once. ago. They live in Island “My father mentioned Square. Etta Mogil has the book many years ago Parkinson’s and has daily in passing when we were help from Mila, a caregivtalking about what, if er, who is originally from anything, he brought Russia. back from the war,” Their son, Scott Mogil, Scott Mogil said. “Most and his family also live on of his gear was lost in the Island. Another son the ocean as he was lives in Portland, Ore., boarding a ship for and one in California. home. He was climbing They have seven granda rope ladder from a children and two greattroop transport to the grandsons. A fourth son ship when a Marine died six years ago. They above him accidentally are happy here. They kicked him in the head. enjoy the leafy view from His duffel bag fell into their living room window, the water. Yet the prayer and Mogil is pleased that book was tucked away in he can walk everywhere. his uniform pocket, Finding Mogil and where he had always returning the book Pvt. Teddy Mogil, United States kept it during his tour.” seemed a bit unlikely after Marine Corps, Second Marine Wing. Ron Beach said that the Beach and his dad found dozens of Ted book fair is held every year at the temple. Mogils on the Internet. But the first call At the end of each fair, the books are boxed they made was the right one. up and stored to sell the next year, he His father, who overheard the conversa- explained. “Who knows how many years tion, noted that there was disbelief on the book had been put out and then stored both sides. First, from Mogil who was at Temple Israel before Wil found it there?” very surprised, and then his son, who was Mercer Island is an island community shocked that they had found the right of 22,000 just east across Lake person on the very first try. Beach mailed Washington from Seattle, WA.

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June 26, 2009

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

Page 15

How to retire, happily

by AMY KLEIN SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (JTA) -- Although most working stiffs imagine retired life to be heaven, “A life of incessant recreation and indolence is enough to drive any business entity like you or me mad after 3.5 years. And after you go mad you get old. And nobody who is old enjoys his retirement,” columnist Stanley Bing wrote in the June 23, 2006 issue of Forbes magazine. “No, in order to make your ostensibly golden years work for you, you have to pursue a strategic plan as rigorous as any you implement when your hair was as full and bushy as your ambitions.” While much literature in America focuses on the financial aspects of retirement, all the seniors interviewed for this article -- seemingly happy and well adjusted -- had secrets of their own to share for how to transition successfully to the next stage of life. 1. PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE WELL “Prior to your retirement, five years before the actual date, you should travel to places that might be your future retirement home,” says Earl Sharfman, who retired with his wife, Barbara, to Scottsdale, AZ. “Before you buy you should rent and live in that community you’re planning to retire to. Living there for a while, you have the freedom to get up and move, and you have the advantage of living in the community that’s going to meet your future needs.” The Sharfmans had intended to move to Florida, staying on the East Coast to be near their children. But after their daughter, Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman, moved to Arizona, they followed. “I couldn’t imagine living in Florida now,” Barbara says. 2. KEEP BUSY On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, 94year-old Cera Gordon goes to aerobics. On Tuesday she has mah-jongg, and on Thursdays and Saturdays she goes dancing. “I’m always the oldest person wherever I go,” she says. Lorraine and Ira Kurtze are rather busy in Las Vegas, where they moved three-and-a-half years ago. There are the live shows -- they get free tickets -- dance clubs and an endless stream of visitors from the East Coast. “I don’t know how I did it when I was working,” Lorraine says. “Here I get up, I sit outside and have my coffee on the golf course [which is her backyard], go to the gym and then go out. I think the clue is to go places and meet people.” The Kurtzes also travel often, visiting their son in California and daughter in New York. “Everyone teases us we need a camper, not a house,” Lorraine says. 3. TAKE ANOTHER JOB “The goal now is to be able to stop climbing the ladder and start making a difference, to trade money for

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meaning, to have the latitude to work on things that matter most,” Marc Freedman writes in [the book] Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life (Public Affairs, 2008). That’s what Palm Springs snowbird Rabbi Yaacov Rone does. “I may be retired in the sense that I don’t go into work, but I do things that are very rewarding,” he says. The Conservative rabbi, who worked as a congregational rabbi for 27 years and then was involved in organizational work, volunteers with State of Israel Bonds, the New York Board of Rabbis’ chaplaincy division, the Jewish National Fund and other projects -- about 20 hours a week. “Truthfully, to me retired means not having a 9-to-5 job or a fixed schedule,” Rone says. “It doesn’t mean sitting around and playing golf. It means being very active and giving back to the community.” 4. VOLUNTEER “Volunteering is a way to transition to retirement,” says Linda Zweig, coordinator of volunteer services at Jewish Family Service of the Desert, in Palm Desert, CA. Zweig oversees 70 volunteers, healthy seniors aged 60 to 70. Her volunteers visit the elderly, lead Shabbat for them and build relationships. “These are retired people who volunteer along with their mah-jongg and their golf,” she says. The relationships benefit both the volunteer and the visited. “It’s for someone who wants to give back,” Zweig says. “It’s not for everyone.” 5. PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE “I couldn’t stand being alone,” says Marge Gordon, whose husband died suddenly 11 years ago. “I had to put myself out there and be active and make friends.” Gordon, a Midwesterner, lives in Sun City in Palm Desert, but as a Hadassah chair she gets out a lot, including traveling often to visit her family in Northern California, Florida and China. “People never know where to find me -- I could be in China or in Florida,” she kids. She knows many seniors who “climb in their shell,” but it doesn’t make them happy. “I have one good friend,” Gordon says, “if I don’t drag her by the hair, she stays in all day.” 6. DON’T COUNT ON YOUR CHILDREN FOR HAPPINESS “People miss their families,” says Helene Pine, the family life education coordinator at Jewish Family Services of the Desert in Palm Desert, a Chicagoan who came to the desert after living in Los Angeles for 32 years. She lectures to retirees at Sun City about how to adjust to the change of retirement. “They have this fantasy that they would see their children and grandchildren more if they were near them,

but our children and grandchildren are busy with their own lives,” Pine says. Her advice is to surround yourself with friends. “Being with people,” Pine says, “is the most important ingredient in anything.” 7. BE WITH YOUR PARTNER “You want to know the secret to a happy marriage?” Jean Palestine asks in a loud mock whisper. “I have two words for you: Ignore him.” She’s kidding -- sort of. Palestine has been happily married to Arnie for 59 years. The real secret to their happiness is mutual respect. “Jean knows everything and everyone,” says Arnie, 86. “Look at his art, he’s so talented,” says Jean, 80, gesturing to the watercolors, oil paintings and sketches that fill up every wall of their two-bedroom condo -- even a hand-painted mural outside. “We don’t take pictures of our kids,” she adds. “We love our kids, but I’d rather look at my husband’s artwork.” 8. FIND NEW LOVE Marge Gordon says she refuses to be part of the “casserole brigade” -- the gaggle of older women who bombard senior bachelors. But she has a friend in Palm Desert who went on JDate shortly after her husband died. “She met a rabbi from Portland and they became an item,” Gordon says. The rabbi boyfriend was killed in a car accident, and the friend “went right back on JDate again.” 9. TAKE ON NEW CHALLENGES “As continued engagement and purpose serve as a fitness program for the body and the brain, life expectancy likewise continues to climb,” Freedman writes in “Encore.” That’s why Pine, the therapist from Palm Springs, likes to take on a new challenge every year. “I decided at the age of 50 I was going to learn something new every year,” she says. When she turned 50, she learned how to swim. Over the years she has learned computers, knitting, crocheting and, last year, they started round dancing. “I like adding new energy into my life,” Pine says. 10. STAY HEALTHY AND FIT “To practice good health, you have to start way back,” says Earl Sharfman, a former U.S. Navy man who has the handshake and posture to prove it. “As we change we should change the manner in which we eat -- the food we eat and the amount we eat.” Exercise is key, of course, and it’s never too late to begin keeping in shape. Sharfman coaches high school wrestling in Scottsdale. “The dinosaurs didn’t survive because they didn’t adapt,” he says. “We must learn to adapt because we go through various phases in life. As we adapt, retire successfully -- physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Page 16 Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Figures lie and liars figure, but health care is a legitimate debate It’s easy to make figures fit the facts -- and facts fit the figures of an agenda. A little sloppy research, some help from viewpoints in your (left or right) corner, and glossing over opposing points of view can usually make the case for nearly anything a politican is trying to promote. Case in point is the “seven million” figure of Muslim population in the United States. See the piece below by Eric Fingerhut for more explanation, but suffice it to say that the number is false. The real figure is less than a third of what’s been touted. Here’s another number that’s been bandied about in the media: 45.7 million uninsured Americans. But how was that figure calcuated? That number comes from the United States Census Bureau, announced in August of 2008. The report noted that the number was down from 47 million in 2007. And the number of uninsured children was down as well. Good, but not enough. And the Kaiser Commision elaborates, “Most of the 45 million uninsured are in working families and do not have access to employer-sponsored insurance. More than eight in 10 of the uninsured are in low- or moderate-income families. Most low- and moderate-income uninsured adults are not eligible for Medicaid.” But, a closer look at the number reveals some additional facts: of the 45.7 million figure, nine to 11 million are “undocumented” people living in the U.S. They’re either those who entered the country illegally, or others, who perhaps overstayed tourist or student visas, and are not eligible for government assistance (SCHIP, Medicaid or Medicare, for those over the age of 65). So the “real” number is closer to about 35 million uninsured Americans. Here’s more: According to a 2003 study by the Blue Cross/Blue Sheild Association, “America’s uninsured population is a diverse group: More than 14 million uninsured Americans are already eligible for health insurance

through Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)” -- which was expanded by the Congress this year to include young adults through the age of 26. So now 35 million becomes 21 million -still too many, but do we have to throw out the baby with the bath water by eliminating private health insurance to cover this group? The BC/BS report continues: “More than 13 million uninsured adults and families have incomes of $50,000 or more, and many have access to affordable healthcare coverage. Approximately 5.7 million uninsured adults are ‘short-term uninsured,’ perhaps between jobs or recent college graduates.” Affordable health insurance is available for healthy young adults. In Illinois, a good plan costs less than $170 a month. New York, for example, created “Healthy New York” with a pool of private health insurance carriers; premiums range from $200 to $250 a month. However the BC/BS study added, “Fiftyfour percent of low-wage workers in firms with fewer than 10 workers do not have coverage.” Even conservative pundit Ben Stein insisted on cable news last week that America’s indigent population should be covered by some sort of health insurance. But how? And what kind? And at what cost? That’s not only where these figures come into play, but in the end result: the price tag. Even the proponents of a national health care plan admit the cost could be higher than the suggested $1.6 trillion. And spiraling expenses of such a plan could lead to rationing, especially for the elderly and the chronically ill. So, for what it’s

worth: here are some suggestions to throw into the current debate: • Unhook the link to employer-sponsored health insurance. Instead, let employers give the same portion of the premium they would pay to each employee to purchase their own; • Employees would be taxed on the additional income, so allow everyone who buys their own health insurance to take a tax deduction (so the deduction goes to the individual, not the corporation); • Enroll those 14 million or so eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP; • Cap judicial rewards at a reasonable amount in order to lower physician and hospital medical malpractice premiums; and • Urge insurance companies to create more healthy incentives to lower premiums, besides “no smoking” -- from proof of losing weight and lowering blood pressure to exercising. The U.S. Congress, who are supposed to represent the people who elected them, should not ban private health insurance. Even Great Britain allows private health insurance companies to operate: it creates a competitive choice. So now: a zie gezunt -- to your health!

NEWS ANALYSIS by ERIC FINGERHUT

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Jewish leaders thought it had been debunked years ago, but in President Obama’s Cairo speech last week, there it was again -- the claim that seven million Muslims live in the United States. Where did it come from? A White House spokesman told JTA that the “White House relied on public accounts and statements by officials from the prior administration that place the number of American Muslims at around seven million.” For instance, Karen Hughes, then undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, used the figure twice, first with college students in Saudi Arabia in 2005 and the next year at a U.S.-Arab Economic Forum. The seven million figure also has been cited frequently in recent years by major media organizations, including Newsweek and ABC. The problem is that there appears to be hardly any basis in fact for the seven million figure. “We were surprised that the president used an inflated figure for the U.S. Muslim population when several academic studies, including one commissioned by AJC, have shown the numbers to be much lower,” said American Jewish Committee spokesman Kenneth Bandler. Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham Foxman also was puzzled by the

The best and most recent estimate comes from a 2007 Pew Research Center nationwide survey of 1,050 Muslims. Using that data along with information from the census bureau, the group estimated that the total population of Muslims in the United States was 2.35 million. While the seven million figure is widely reported in the media and often disseminated by Muslim advocacy organizations, the AJC report in 2001 to which Bandler referred found the figure to be grossly overestimated, and a more recent and extensive independent survey showed the number of Muslims in the United States to be about a third of seven million. The best and most recent estimate comes from a 2007 Pew Research Center nationwide survey of 1,050 Muslims. Using that data along with information from the census bureau, the group estimated that the total population of Muslims in the United States was 2.35 million. Six years earlier, the AJC report by survey research expert Tom Smith of the University of Chicago had estimated the Muslim population at nearly 1.9 million. The report used a

Jewish Press Board Andy Ruback, Vice President; Michael Sigmond, Secretary; Michael Siegel, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Immediate Past-chairman; Daphne Pollak Alperson, Marc Brodkey; Eric Dunning; Jason Epstein; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Bette Kozlen; Jamie Meyerson; Jim Simon; Dorothy Spizman. The role of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to involve Jews in meeting Jewish communal needs locally, nationally and in Israel. Agencies of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service/Jewish Senior Services, and the Jewish Press . Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment. Editorial The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org; send ads (in .TIF or .PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org.

Where did that seven million figure come from? White House explanation. “That’s good,” he said, but “not good enough. I don’t believe that they would use Karen Hughes as a reliable source on any other subject, so why use her on this?”

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variety of surveys from 1998 to 2001. Smith says the seven million figure seems to come from a survey of mosques released in 2001 that was sponsored by the Council for American-Islamic Relations. The study found that 1,629 Muslims were associated with each mosque surveyed, which led to a total of nearly two million Muslims who had membership in a mosque. But the survey, said Smith, didn’t adjust those figures to account for the varying sizes of mosques -- even the researchers who performed the survey admitted that smaller mosques were likely undercounted. That number also was more than twice as high as the findings from another survey of mosques seven years earlier. The researchers then claimed that there were another 2 to 2.5 Muslims who aren’t affiliated with a mosque for every mosque-goer to get an estimate of six million to seven million, an assertion Smith called “untenable.” Most recent surveys of the U.S. Jewish population placed it at five million to six million. A different 2008 Pew survey found that 1.7 percent of the U.S. adult population of approximately 230 million, which comes to around 3.9 million, was Jewish, almost three times as large as the 0.6 percent of American adults -or 1.38 million -- who were found to be Muslim. This was originally written for the JTA blog Capital J (http:// blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/06/12/1005850/where-did-that-7million-figure-come-from).

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June 26, 2009

The root of the conflict and why it matters

If the advantages of peace are so evident, we must ask ourselves why peace remains so remote, even as our hand remains outstretched to peace. Why has this conflict continued for more than sixty years? In order to bring an end to the conflict, we must give an honest and forthright answer to the question: What is the root of the conflict? Prime Minister Netanyahu exposed the Emperor(s). President Obama’s vision of two states living side by side in peace and security is no different from President Clinton’s vision, which was also President Bush’s vision. President Clinton tried the incremental approach and feted the Palestinian leadership even as Arafat talked and conducted terrorism against Israel at the same time. President Bush was the first president to declare support for a Palestinian State and provided arms and training for a Palestinian security force, but refused to meet Arafat and kept Abu Mazen at arms length as the Palestinians talked and conducted terrorism against Israel at the same time. President Obama immediately squeezed Israel for concessions and went back to feting Abu Mazen -- of whom, Washington Post columnist Jackson Diehl wrote: “Abbas rejects the notion that he should make any comparable concession - such as recognizing Israel as a Jewish state... Instead, he says, he will remain passive. ‘I will wait for Hamas to accept international commitments. I will wait for Israel to freeze settlements... Until then, in the West Bank we have a good reality ... the people are living a normal life.’ In the Obama administration, so far, it’s easy being Palestinian.” So Abu Mazen is in no hurry. Why? Because even if the state includes Gaza, even if it is allowed to make treaties and even if it is allowed to arm itself (none of which is likely or prudent) it should occur to someone, somewhere that a divided rump state wedged in between Jordan and Israel simply does not meet Palestinian aspirations. Palestinian aspirations as currently expressed by both Fatah and Hamas include all of the territory that is Israel and all of the territory that is Jordan as well. An Israeli-Palestinian-only negotiation is doomed, as Netanyahu explained, The simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland. Continued on page 19

Page 17

Don’t fear ‘God’, ‘Torah’ and ‘Judaism’

BEHIND THE HE ADLINES by JOEL ALPERSON

BEHIND THE H EADLINES by SHOSHANA BRYEN

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

OMAHA (JTA) -- “Fear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” No, it’s not a typo. The Shema, which starts “Hear O Israel,” is the central credo of the Jewish people. It states that there is only one God -- and as a result, only one set of divinely authored ethics and imperatives. According to the Torah, the Jews were given the daunting task of bringing God-based universal ethics to the world. However, given the number of Jews who are uncomfortable with such a mandate and with religious imperatives in general, I now worry that our prayer could read “Fear O Israel.” I have this worry because a great number of nonOrthodox Jews -- I am not Orthodox -- are afraid to mention the core concepts of our remarkable religion. We fear that by talking too much or even about any Judaism, even among ourselves, we’ll sound too Christian, too much like our religious oppressors of centuries past, or like Orthodox Jews. Examples? I’ve collected the mission statements of the largest 17 Jewish federations in North America, and not one mentions “God,” “Torah” or “Judaism.” Nor do the mission statements of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, Hillel, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Wexner Heritage Foundation, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Hadassah and the Jewish National Fund. Of all the organizations I looked into, only United Jewish Communities mentions but one of the three words, Torah, in its mission statement. Some surely will be quick to say that the above organizations were not created to convey religious concepts. That is precisely my point: How can we say these organizations are Jewish and at the same time don’t need to mention God, Torah or Judaism? They are not afraid to use other religious terms -many of them mention “tzedakah” (charity), “klal yisroel” (Jewish peoplehood) and “tikkun olam” (repair the world). Why are those words appropriate and not the others I’ve mentioned? Many Jewish organizations apparently feel the need to embrace terms that are universal in nature and avoid terms that are more particularistic. Tzedakah, tikkun olam and klal yisroel are considered universal and inclusive terms. But God? What about those Jews who don’t believe in God, or have their doubts? Wouldn’t they be excluded when God is mentioned in a mission statement?

Torah? Authored by whom? God, man or a combination of the two? And what about those who don’t consider themselves to be Torah-observant? Judaism? Whose Judaism? Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Humanistic or something else? The more our terms suggest that we’re not all the same, the more we shy away from using them. Yet the more we shy away from God, Torah and Judaism, the more we distance ourselves from the foundational elements of our religion and of our people. Consider, therefore, how much meaning we sacrifice to give the impression that we’re inclusive. I realize that simply adding these words to rarely referenced mission statements is unlikely to significantly better the Jewish world all by itself. As they are currently used, the mission statements are not only guidelines for addressing our Jewish challenges. Perhaps more important, they offer insights into our collective Jewish psyches. We must be the only people on the planet who believe we can transmit a message to future generations without saying specifically what that message is. Is it any wonder that most Jews cannot articulate Jewish purpose beyond some catch phrases or beyond merely expressing a desire that we survive as a people? It cannot be coincidental that as generations of Jews become further and further removed from God-talk, they also give less and less tzedakah. We should no longer confuse generic feel-good terms with knowing specifically what the Torah, however we choose to interpret it, asks of us. The great Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote that “Man is a messenger who forgot the message.” This particularly applies to we Jews: Too many have become messengers who fear their message. The sooner we overcome that fear, the sooner we can talk more about the brilliant and profound life Judaism offers us. As we talk about, teach and increasingly live that life, more of the Jews we wish would join us will actually do so. They, too, have a need. They want purpose in their lives that money alone cannot fulfill. They want a sense of community that country club memberships won’t satisfy. In short, they want richness in their lives that Judaism and Jewish community can provide in endless amounts. But make no mistake. We cannot effectively distinguish ourselves from all the other enticing options from which Jews can choose unless we speak to our discomfort-inducing distinctions. As we do this, our communities will become more compelling and more meaningful to more Jews. Ironically, rather than divisive, it is this approach that will make us more inclusive. Omahan Joel Alperson is a past national campaign chair for United Jewish Communities. His views do not necessarily represent those of the UJC.

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Page 18

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Candlelighting Friday, June 26, 8:44 p.m. Friday, July 3, 8:43 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 323 S. 132 St. Omaha, NE 68154

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

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

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

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B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.

Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi. FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by Jordana Kurtzman in honor of Issac’s birthday; “Guard Your Tongue”, “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:53 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Reading the Rambam, 9:45 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:45 p.m. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the class, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Community Sheva Brachot in honor of Rabbi Jonathan and Miriam Gross, 7 p.m. FRIDAY, July 3: Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush sponsored by Linda and Bruce Potash in commemoration of the yahrzeit of Corky Potash; “Guard Your Tongue”, “The Great Midrash” and “Advanced Parshah Study for Kids” (ages 10 and up) one hour prior to Mincha, 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 9:52 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Reading the Rambam, 9:45 a.m.; Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha, 5:45 p.m. TUESDAY: Rabbi Mizrahi’s Weekly Class, 7:45 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Board of Commissioner’s Meeting, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Fast of 17 of Tammuz begins, 4:12 a.m.; Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Fast ends, 9:40 p.m.

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Beth Schlossberg. FRIDAY: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m. D’var Torah given by Stan Edelstein; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:55 p.m. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. USY/KADIMA: On Sunday, June 28, noon-2:30 p.m., join us at a pool party at Papio Bay Aquatic Park, 815 E. Halleck St. in Papillion. Cost: $4. RSVP by June 26 to Robert Mosenkis in the office or at youthdir@bethelomaha.org. BESTT CHAVERIM: Gaga and pool party at the JCC on Sunday, June 28, 3-5:30 p.m. No charge to attend; RSVP by June 26 to Robert in the office. COLLEGE STUDENTS’ POOL PARTY: Reconnect with old friends and make new ones on Thursday, July 2, 7-9 p.m. All college students in the Jewish community are invited to a pool party at the Cambridge Villas’ pool, 166th & Davenport Plz. No charge to attend; RSVP by June 30 to Robert in the office. FRIDAY, July 3: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m. D’var Torah given by Toby Schonfeld; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:55 p.m. POOL PARTY FOR 20s & 30s: Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m., all Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s are invited to a pool party at Cambridge Villas pool, 166th & Davenport Plaza. Cost is $10 per person. To RSVP, send a check -made payable to Beth El -- to Beth El, 14506 California St. Omaha NE 68154. Open to the entire community. SHABBAT ON THE GREEN: A special outdoor Shabbat celebration is planned for Friday, July 10, 5:45 p.m., beginning with a picnic on the synagogue’s back lawn; outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat services will be held at 6:45 p.m. (See full article on page 3.) YOUNG FAMILIES’ SHABBATON: Aug. 7-9 at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center in Nebraska City, open to all families in the Jewish community with children ages eight and younger. To register or for information, contact Margie in the office. SISTERHOOD HONEY SALE: Don’t miss this ‘sweet’ way to send Rosh Hashanah greetings to friends and family. Send festively-wrapped bottles of honey for $7.50 each; $7.25 for 15 or more. Order deadline is Friday, Aug. 17. To order, contact the office, programming @bethel-omaha.org, or contact Wendy Berenson at Mun ch765@aol.com, or 253.2028.

CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Service, 7 a.m.; The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 10 a.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad. com to receive a guest pass. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; Kiddush lunch follows; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Camp Gan Israel, 9 am.-3 p.m. through Friday, July 3. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9:15 a.m. THURSDAY: Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m.; The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts,

ages 7-9, 10 a.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad. com to receive a guest pass. FRIDAY, July 3: Service, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m. MiniMensch title will be awarded; Kiddush lunch follows; join Rabbi Katzman from 12-1 p.m. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Parsha, Prophets, and Prayer, 9:15 a.m. THURSDAY: Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m.; The Parsha Club for Level I beginners, ages 5-6; and Level II intermediates and experts, ages 7-9, 10 a.m. Please contact Shevi@ochabad. com to receive a guest pass. All events and programs are open to the entire community.

CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Peaceful Shabbat Service, 7:45 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel, with oneg following hosted by Lisa Woodward Zinn and Lori Schwartz. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. THURSDAY: Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. FRIDAY, July 3: Snacks, 6 p.m. hosted by Maureen and Dale Lobb; Early Shabbat Service, 6:15 p.m. led by Rabbi Emanuel. SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m.; Torah Study, 10:30 a.m. all led by Rabbi Emanuel. THURSDAY: HHD Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 p.m. If you have not sung with the choir and are interested, please contact Elaine Monnier. The Holocaust Commemoration held at the State Capitol is being shown on Channel 5 Mondays at noon and Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS, 7 p.m. Intro to Hebrew, led by Rabbi Emanuel beginning July 7. The Lincoln Jewish Community School is currently seeking additional Judaic and Hebrew teachers for the 2009-10 school year for fifth through seventh grades on Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 9:30 a.m.-noon. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact Andrea Halpern at: halperns@ine braska.com or call 402.217.2631

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

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME FRIDAY: Shabbat comes to the Blumkin Home, led by members of Beth Israel, 2:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg and assisted by Zachary Bram.

SATURDAY, July 4: Services, 9 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.

TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Eric Linder, Rabbinic Intern Nicole Luna and guest soloist Tami Field; Summer Speaker Series: “Report from Blooms Organic” from Brent Bloom. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. WRJ Book Sorting, Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m. and Tuesday, June 30, 10 a.m. Pitch in with book sorting and the book sale. Questions? Contact Wendy Goldberg, at Temple or Linda Sadofsky, 398.1595. THURSDAY: CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at South entrance. FRIDAY, July 3: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Linder, Rabbinic Intern Luna and guest soloist Tami Field; Summer Speaker Series: “WRJ Caring Community” with Lisa Epstein, Judy Josephson, Bonnie Pfrenger, and Sherrie Saag.. SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. THURSDAY: CSA delivery for shareholders, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at South entrance. Summer Speaker Series, “My Life of Social Justice and Community Service” with Debbie Finnicum on Friday, July 10, 6 p.m. followed by a BBQ on the Temple lawn. $10 per family, $5 for individual. RSVP to the office or mkube@templeisraelomaha.com by Wednesday, July 8.

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

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

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

Pulverente MONUMENT CO.

June 26, 2009

DEATHS ELI JABENIS Eli Jabenis died June 20 at the age of 89. A graveside service was held June 22 at Beth El Cemetery. Eli and his wife, Pearl, who preceded him in death, operated Travelware Luggage for more than 60 years. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Maxine and Allen Passer, and Judy and Steve Epstein; daughter, Nancy Kagan; grandchildren, Brent and Elsa Passer, Sheri and Greg Dietrich, Mark Passer, Derek Passer, Kimberly and Marc Kahn, Kathy Kagan, Andrew Epstein, Laurie Epstein, and David Epstein; six greatgrandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law, Mace and Elaine Jabenis and Lawrence and Sandie Jabenis. Memorials to Beth El Synagogue. SALLY VENGER Sally Venger died at the age of 101. Services were held June 24 at Beth El Cemetery. She helped to start the first preschool at Beth El when the synagogue began meeting at the old JCC on 20th and Dodge. A tireless worker for the Jewish Federation’s annual campaign, she served as president of the Young Energetic Seniors, volunteered in the ticket office of the Omaha Community Playhouse and also was a docent at the Joslyn Art Museum. Even in her later years, she took on new challenges, studying at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, for example, to become a broker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Abe Venger, and son-in-law, Bennett Hornstein. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Hornstein; daughter and son-in-law, Enid and Stephen Wenner; grandchildren, Jill and Joe Goldstein, Beth and Michael Karotkin, Joe and Erin Hornstein, Michelle Wenner, and Dan and Chris Wenner; four great-grandchildren. Memorials to the Bennett Hornstein Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.

Lust for leadership

SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Korah When we think of the French Revolution and the American war of independence from Britain, we are inclined to think that both of these worked out historically for the good. One does not forget that revolution included the loss of many lives, but we think of the rebels as heroes and not as demagogues. Our reading of this Sidra, Korah, is different. He was thinking not of improving the leadership, but simply feeding his personal lust for power. He gathered to his support a substantial number of thugs who were not interested in the quality of leadership, not in the purpose to which they wanted to direct the Israelites’ march through the wilderness. Thus, they constituted a “gang” rather than a thoughtful and idealistic group of leaders. Moses and Aaron were appalled. It had never occurred to them that there was any kind of personal benefit in being the leaders of this painfully difficult assembly of Israelites, trying to establish themselves as some kind of polity after escaping Egyptian slavery. Korah, on the other hand, kept thinking of how grand it would be to be remembered as President Korah or General Korah. It becomes perfectly clear that purpose and idealism, rather than personal aggrandizement, mark a revolution for historic progress. Korah was not a revolutionary; he was simply a personal and selfish rebel.

The root of the conflict

Continued from page 2 If Mousavi comes to power by forcing and winning a new election, he may be ready for a deal with the West on the nuclear issue. He also is likely to be less virulently anti-Israel than Ahmadinejad, and to provide less support for Hezbollah and Hamas. Some Israeli analysts fear that this will end up being only half a revolution: Mousavi would come to power, show a more human face of Shiite Islam to the rest of the world, win international plaudits, and defuse criticism and scrutiny of Iran while maintaining the same anti-Israel and nuclear policies as the previous government. Under a cloak of respectability, this Iran could be even more dangerous than Ahmadinejad’s, analysts fear. Several leading Israeli Iran experts see the showdown in Iran as largely a family quarrel between members of the same conservative, clerical elite. They argue that there is not a great deal of difference between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei and the only slightly less conservative Mousavi, who is backed by Ayatollah Ali Rafsanjani. Indeed, the protesters seem to be using Mousavi as a rallying figure because they have no genuine reformist of stature to back. By the same token Mousavi, who seeks the presidency to make minor reforms, is happy to use Iranians who want much more than he is offering to build his power base. The big question for Iran, Israel and the Middle East is whether Mousavi is riding a tiger that at some point may usher in a new more democratic era in Iran, and with it a more malleable and stable Middle East. Here the role of the armed forces could be crucial. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard surely will remain loyal to the Ahmadinejad-Khamenei regime, but what of the rest of the army? If there is to be a real revolution, army units would have to join the popular protest in relatively large numbers. Although this does not seem likely now, Israeli analysts are not ruling it out. They point out that despite Iran’s unprecedented oil revenues over the past few years, the economy is in tatters because of heavy spending on exporting the Iranian revolution rather than on bettering the lives of the Iranian people. Most analysts agree that Israel should not interfere or give any semblance of interfering in Iran, as to do so almost certainly would be counterproductive.

Continued from page 17 In 1947, when the United Nations proposed the partition plan of a Jewish state and an Arab state, the entire Arab world rejected the resolution. The Jewish community, by contrast, welcomed it by dancing and rejoicing. The Arabs rejected any Jewish state, in any borders. The Arab states (minus Egypt and Jordan) have remained stuck in 1947, encouraging the Palestinians to do likewise -- miring them in poverty, radicalism and despair and making them easy prey for the vultures who feed on them while they kill Jews. It is time for the Arab world (led by Egypt and Jordan) to enter the 21st Century -- or at least the last half of the 20th -- and accept Israel as the legitimate expression of Jewish nationalism. When the Palestinians can’t hide behind recalcitrant but uninvolved Arab states, they will at last find themselves under pressure to accept the legitimacy of Israel as well. Only then will it be possible to end the conflict -which is why it matters. Shoshana Bryen is the National Security Director for JINSA, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs in Washington, D.C. Read more at www.jinsa.org.

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Iran turmoil to benefit Israel

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

Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

CORRECTION The back page article about the mortgage burning celebration at Chabad in last week’s Press erroneously listed Jerry Rosen as “the late Jerry Rosen.” To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of Rosen’s death is an exaggeration. He is alive and well and living in Phoenix. The Jewish Press regrets the error.

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

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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE

June 26, 2009

Did you hear the one about the bubbe telling a joke ...

by ALEX WEISLER NEW YORK (JTA) -- Like the summer action flick Snakes on a Plane, director Sam Hoffman’s Jewish humor website is up front about what it offers: old Jews telling jokes. From February through the end of April, OldJewsTellingJokes.com offered just that. Each Tuesday and Thursday, a new video was posted of an over-60 Jew raucously recounting his or her favorite jokes. The site quietly has become a hit. The series’ Facebook page lists nearly 2,000 followers, and the site has logged nearly two million video plays. A new season is set to premiere next month, and First Run Films recently optioned the Web series for a forthcoming release on home video -- hopefully by the fall, producer Eric Spiegelman says. The OldJewsTellingJokes homepage may be spare, but the simple interface is effective enough for the site’s needs. Every video starts off with a snippet of “Dave Tarras’ B flat Bulgars,” a jaunty klezmer romp from noted Yiddish musician Henry Sapoznik. Each joke gets a simple title -- “Chicken” or “Broccoli,” for instance -- and Hoffman writes a bit of backstory beneath each would-be Rodney Dangerfield or Fyvush Finkel. The biographies are as tongue in cheek as the site’s jokes. “When we were growing up in the seventies, Bert had a groovy moustache that made him look a little like Gomez from the Addams family,” Hoffman writes for one man. “Notorious amongst her friends as an inveterate collector, she also plays a mean kazoo” is the descriptor given to one woman.

To cast the series in summer 2008, But San Francisco resident Adam Hoffman’s father, Barney, e-mailed 15 to Gomolin, 24, says he stumbled on the site 20 friends who fit three requirements: a different way. over 60, Jewish, capable of telling one “It was my non-Jewish ex-girlfriend,” hell of a joke. he said with a laugh. “She had an abiding Those who answered the call -- mostly love of Jewish culture.” men, and two women -- met at a vacant Six months later that relationship may storefront in Highland Park, NJ, where be over, but Gomolin, a policy associate Hoffman was waiting with a professional in the office of San Francisco Mayor film crew, sandwiches and the guarantee of a free DVD for each par ticipant, according to one of the joke tellers, Neil Lawner. Lawner, an assistant professor of orthodontics at New York University’s School of Dentistry, has three jokes posted on the Cast of the OldJewsTellingJokes.com first season following a summer 2008 Courtesy of Eric Spiegelman website. He filming session in Highland Park, N.J. says the site’s appeal may stem from a for- Gavin Newsom, still checks the website gotten “Catskill Mountains vintage” frequently. brand of humor. A young urban professional “not phe“It describes really a little bit of a lost nomenally connected” to his Judaism, the generation of joke-telling Jewish guys,” site is a way Gomolin can achieve some he said. “That standup comedy, joke- “commonality ... that je ne sais quoi.” telling Jewish guy is a little bit passé. You “I’m not a pious guy, but I do have a don’t see that much anymore.” very strong cultural feeling,” he said. “It’s In the months since its launch, in your bones.” OldJewsTellingJokes has become a hit in Last spring, Spiegelman wrote an the Jewish blogosphere, frequently pop- appeal on the site asking frequent visitors ping up on Jewcy, Jewlicious, Jewssip and to write their own Jewish jokes and interother sites. weave them with family stories. The site’s

founders hope to craft a book from users’ submissions, he said in the post. Suzanne Leichtling says she was inspired to submit “The Frugal Traveller” -- a story about her father -- when a cousin e-mailed her about the site. For Leichtling, a special education teacher from Cocoa Beach, FL, the site succeeds when it goes beyond “just jokes.” “They were not really connected to anything having to do with the families,” she said of the stand-alone joke videos. “[The new project] is like a cultural archive, a place for people to reminisce and then update their reminiscences to fit with the now.” Though Spiegelman says a few dozen stories have been received, just three have been posted on the site. Gomolin’s story -- “Special Food” -recounts the time his grandfather Isadore Pollack, hungry for a late-night snack, mistook the family dog’s diet chow for his wife’s mandlen. His grandfather’s death a year ago has brought the site’s purpose into even sharper focus for Gomolin. “For the first time, I’m forgetting Zayde a little bit,” he said. “He’s not as clear in my head as he used to be.” It’s this, the fluidity of memory, that makes preserving a collective Jewish cultural consciousness all the more important, he adds. “My father’s side of the family is Holocaust survivors, and there’s this movement to chronicle these stories before they’re lost forever,” Gomolin said. “I don’t know if this is something that rises to that level of phenomenal importance, but let’s write these stories down and let’s share them.”