Vol. LXXXVII No. 43 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 87 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
1 Tammuz, 5768
July 4, 2008
“Bring sandbags, not tallit bags”
Important information for Holocaust survivors:
by ANDREA JACOBS IJN Staff Writer, Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO The floods that have devastated portions of Iowa arrived at the IJN’s dry doorstep on June 13. An e-mail sent by Jody Braverman, an Iowa City resident and former Denverite, began with a captivating question: “When does the meteor hit?” “Three years ago,” the e-mail continued, “our home got hit by lightening, which fried many electrical components despite the whole-house surge protector. “Two years ago, just as we finished the second seder meal with 23 friends and family, the tornado hit. “Earlier this year, we awoke in the early morning darkness to the rumbles of the southern Illinois earthquake. “And now we’re struggling with floodwaters.”
One-time German government payment available for former ghetto laborers
In 2003, Braverman and his wife Janie moved to Iowa City with their combined family of four. They had no idea that plagues of potentially Biblical proportions would follow. On Friday the 13th, the situation for the college town’s 60,000 residents was a fluctuating swirl of rising water, flood bulletins, road closures, curfews, sandbagging and evacuations. The 100-year flood plain -- the geographical marker of the worst flood in a 100-year period --had already been surpassed, and officials feared the 500-year flood plain would soon be breached. “At this point, it’s either an attitude of ‘we can handle it, let’s wait and see’ or ‘sandbag and evacuate,’” Braverman said last month from his real estate development office as new bulletins poured in over local TV stations and the Internet. Braverman shared the latest update from the Army Corps of Engineers, which stated: “The current water level of the Coralville Reservoir is 715.9 feet, 3.9 feet over the spillway. “Possible maximum flow expected during this flood event in the Iowa City area is 44,000 cubic square feet, was expected late June 16. This correlates to an additional four-and-a-half to The Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa, is one of 16 submerged buildings at the Iowa five feet of water. Credit: Nicole Esposito Continued on page 2 City Campus.
by JEWISH PRESS staff In September 2007, the German government announced the creation of a new Ghetto Work Fund that offers a one-time payment of 2000 Euros (approximately $3000 USD) to Holocaust survivors who worked in German-controlled ghettos. It is estimated that there are 60,000 Holocaust survivors who may be eligible for these payments, many of whom live in the United States. According to an article on the Hartford, CT, Jewish Federation website, “The “German Ghetto Work Payment Program” is a $140 million fund created by the German government. One of the first new German reparations programs in recent years, it was established as a symbolic goodwill gesture to help Jewish workers who performed ‘voluntary’ labor in Jewish ghettos in order to survive. Jobs such as snow shoveling, food production and service, road repair, menial factory and agricultural work and house cleaning were often exchanged for bare necessities of clothing, shelter, medicine and food,” wrote Harriet J. Dobin. An application must be made for the one-time payment using a specific German government form. Attorneys from Kutak Rock LLP, an Omaha law firm, in conjunction with Beit Tzedek Legal Services, a national non-profit organization, have been donating their time to assist Holocaust survivors in Omaha and other cities in completing the applications. Holocaust survivors who believe they are eligible for the payment may call Robert Cohen of Kutak Rock at 402.231.8738 to set up an appointment. No fees will be charged for the firm’s services to assist survivors in applying for the reparations payment. For more information about this program locally, please contact Beth Dotan at the Institute for Holocaust Education 402.334.6575.
Sderot and Israelis missing-in-action galvanize U.S. Jews by BEN HARRIS NEW YORK (JTA) -- Gabrielle Flaum always has been involved Jewishly, from attending a Jewish summer camp to participating in social action programs. But the New Jersey teenager's summer trip to Israel in 2006 with a Reform youth group elevated that involvement to a new level. Three days after the group arrived, Hezbollah began firing Katyusha rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon. A friend of Flaum’s Israeli counselor was among the first Israelis killed in the war, and later the counselor left the group when his IDF reserve unit was mobilized. Flaum was so moved by the experience that upon her arrival back home in Millburn, she started SOS: Save our Soldiers, a teen advocacy group dedicated to securing the release of Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit, the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped in the summer of 2006. Twenty to 30 Jewish teens, including some who had never connected to Israel, now gather at the Flaum home for SOS meetings once or twice a month. The group successfully lobbied the New Jersey state Legislature to adopt a resolution last year calling on the United
Inside Opinion Page see page 8
Dorit and Ben Genet, left, with Sderot resident Natan Galkowicz, whose daughter was killed in 2005 by a Kassam missile, stand beneath a banner in Hollywood, Fla., expressing soliCredit: Onefamilyfund.org darity with the people of the besieged southern Israeli town. Nations to help free the soldiers -- the first such resolution adopted in the United States. And it also had the idea to place empty chairs on synagogue pulpits during the High Holidays, an act of soli-
darity that was widely adopted across the country. I knew that I needed to do something,” Flaum, 17, told JTA. “For the families of the soldiers, I really understood. I came
This Week: Beth El honors its volunteers: Page 7 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
Kansas Gay couple wed in San Francisco: Page 3
to really love this counselor and he had a really large impact on my life. It could have been any one of them.” Along with the plight of Israelis suffering from Arab rocket fire, in particular those in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, the cause of Israel’s missing soldiers has galvanized American Jewry like few Israel-related issues have in recent years. From the $360 million raised in 2006 to help Israel’s North after a month of rocket attacks to the 150,000 signatures on a petition to the secretary-general of the United Nations calling for the release of the MIAs, to the dozen MIA-related groups started on the popular social networking Web site Facebook, the causes of the MIAs and the Israeli communities under Arab fire have prompted American Jewry to close ranks. “We, too, in Omaha, have experienced these emotions and the urgency firsthand. Last February, 22 participants of the Kripke Campaign Leadership Mission met the father of Gilad Shalit, who spoke openly about the pain of his son’s captivity,” added Jan Goldstein, executive director of Omaha’s Jewish Federation. Continued on page 2
Coming This Month: Health & Wellness on July 18 Antique quilt brings back memories: Page 4
After ceasefire, questions about Shalit’s release: Page 5
Page 2
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 4, 2008
“Bring sandbags, not tallit bags” PREPARE TO BE...
Continued from page 1 “The maximum flow experience [in the severe] flood of 1993 was 28,200 cubic square feet.” “The question,” said Braverman, “is whether the water is going to go up two feet or five feet. Will it spread by feet, or city blocks?” Braverman, a member of Agudas Achim, situated on the banks of the imperiled Ralston Creek, said volunteers placed barricades around the synagogue throughout the afternoon. The nearly 200-family merged congregation was scheduled to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah at Shabbat services later that evening. Asked whether he thought anyone would brave the road and highway closures that effectively cut Iowa City in half, Braverman grinned over the phone. “Oh hell yeah!” he said. “But instead of bring your own tallis bag, it’s bring your own sandbag.” By June 16, 5,000 residents had been evacuated from Iowa City. High water rendered 40-year-old businesses inoperable. Sixteen buildings on the University of Iowa campus flooded. Fortunately, however, the Iowa River crested earlier and lower than expected. A sense of cautious relief returned to the city -- with an emphasis on “cautious.” Agudas Achim “is right by Ralston Creek,” Rabbi Jeff Portman told the IJN. “As the Iowa River starts going back to its banks, we still might get flooded. The water has to go somewhere.” He estimated that two or three families belonging to Agudas Achim were forced to evacuate, while others moved in with friends or sought shelter at the Red Cross. Portman, who has headed Agudas Achim for 34 years, said the current synagogue was damaged in the 1993 flood. The Jewish congregation formed in Iowa City in the late 1890s. Portman has been in touch with Temple Judah in Cedar Rapids, the city that suffered widespread flooding last month. “I think they are fine, although I haven’t heard from them in a few days,” he said. According to Amy Barnam, however, the daughter of Betty and Jack Kozlen, “A number of Jewish businesses were affected by the flood.” Among them were a home store, a law firm, a paper company, jewelry and loan company, a bank, and and an art store. The river crested
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higher than expected, so the owners were able to get some items out of their basement. But it was to no avail. Instead of some water in the basement, the stores flooded with more than eight feet of water and most did not have flood insurance,” Barnam added. Temple Judah has offered volunteers to help others in the community. “The synagogue is far enough away and is fine,” Barnam added. “It was the older neighborhoods that were hardest hit and one young congregant lost his home -- and his entire savings.” According to news reports, synagogues in Dubuque, Mason City and Waterloo sustained minimal damage. Like the two Berlins before 1989, Iowa City is divided into east and west. The Iowa River created the original demarcation. Floodwater has established yet another boundary. “There are all kinds of challenges getting from one place to another,” Portman said. “The cleanup effort will be huge.” Last week, three dozen volunteers placed sandbags around Agudas Achim, which is in the eastern section of Iowa City. “People came from all over,” Portman said. Members of Nechama: Jewish Response to Disaster, a group based in the Twin Cities, also showed up to assist with the sandbagging. Hillel at the University of Iowa is preparing Jewish students to jump into action mode when they return to the campus in August. “Some of our students have lost their homes,” wrote Executive Director Gerald Sorokin in a mass e-mail sent to Hillel members. “All of them have friends and professors whose lives have been affected by acts beyond anyone’s control. “We will seize this opportunity to build new tzedek projects, teach students about community leadership and help our neighbors recover.” On June 20, Agudas Achim hosted another Bar Mitzvah at the synagogue along Ralston Creek. “We planned to go ahead with it,” Rabbi Portman said. “Unless we’re totally flooded.” The Reform rabbi believes natural disasters like the Iowa floods “are part of the fabric of life. “Religion kicks in when we all help each other,” he said. “People helped us. We helped them. It brings out our community spirit -- and the best in all of us.” Press Editor Carol Katzman contributed to this story.
CLIP & SAVE
Sderot, MIAs galvanize U.S. Jews
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, JULY 4 Independence Day, JCC & Federation offices closed
C L I P & S A V E
C L I P & S A V E
SUNDAY, JULY 6 Reading the Rambam Class, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El MONDAY, JULY 7 JSS Senior Luncheon, 9:30 a.m. TUESDAY, JULY 8 BBYO Night, 6 p.m. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 Sisterhood Open Board Meeting, 10 a.m. at Beth Israel Day of Dance Lunch, 11:30 a.m. Intro to Midrash, noon at Kripke Library Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Beth Israel NJHS & Kripke Library present Book Signing, Doorway to Freedom: The Story of David Kaufmann, 7 p.m. THURSDAY, JULY 10 Women of the Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel JCC Camp Overnight, 4 p.m. Visions & 39 Forever Baseball game, 5:30 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium All events held at the JCC unless otherwise indicated. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the accuracy of events. To keep calendar accurate or for questions, call Marlene Hert at 334-6437. FOR A COMPLETE LISTING, VISIT THE FEDERATION’S WEBSITE: www.JewishOmaha.org (click on calendar)
This Space For Rent Call Robyn Belgrade 334-6559
C L I P & S A V E
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Continued from page 1 Last summer, Goldstein and Alan Potash ADL/CRC Director, went to Sderot to talk with residents about what they have endured. “It makes you keenly aware that we as American Jews cannot stop doing whatever we can to help. And it was not difficult when two years ago, our Omaha Jewish community was asked to give additional funds for the Israel Emergency Campaign -more than $1.4 million, which certainly helped Israelis in Sderot and the Gaza perimeter region,” she explained. The One Family Fund, a nonprofit organization that sends money to Israeli victims of terrorism, has found that the issues resonate with supporters. In the Miami area, the group placed mock Kassam rockets on some 150 homes with signs expressing solidarity with the people of Sderot. One South Florida home had as many as 100 rockets arrayed on its property with a 25foot sign that read, “Sderot We are With You.” “I grew up on the phrase ‘Never again,’ as many people did,” said Mimi Jankovits, the director of One Family Fund’s Southeastern Region, which hatched the idea of the Kassam reproductions. “And I feel like once again we’re at that point where Jewish people are being put into danger, they’re living in fear, because they’re Jewish and because they’re living in a free, democratic Jewish state.” One Family Fund has raised $1 million for Sderot since December, compared to $3.7 million raised for general terror relief in the past fiscal year. That support, officials say, was motivated in part by the stories of those who had seen the plight of Sderot residents firsthand. Steve Gutow, the executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, says the issues of Sderot and Israel’s captive soldiers resonate with people. “They’re focused; they’re human. They’re the kind of issues that motivate people’s hearts and minds,” Gutow said. “People tend to focus on individual experiences that in some way relate to their own lives. When you talk about war and peace, that's way out there, beyond the ken. But when you’re talking about an MIA, people say that could be my son, that could be my brother.”
Some organizations also use the Sderot issue to advance political agendas. The Zionist Organization of America, which sponsored a citywide Purim party in Sderot and distributed 5,000 food parcels, regularly releases statements citing the rocket fire there as evidence of Israel’s misbegotten hope to negotiate with its enemies. “This demonstrates that there should be no further concessions and rewards to the P.A., and no further uprooting of thousands of Jews from their homes, as is being planned on an even grander scale by the current Olmert government,” ZOA President Morton Klein said in a November news release echoing Israeli officials’ criticism of the Gaza withdrawal. Jewish Voice for Peace, a liberal group based in San Francisco that describes the attacks on Sderot as a violation of international law, points to Sderot as evidence of the need for an entirely different political agenda. “Starving 1.5 million Gazans will not bring security, justice or peace to Israelis, Palestinians or Jews anywhere,” the group said in a recent ad in The Nation. The group called both for the release of Shalit and Palestinian “political prisoners” and “administrative detainees” held by Israel on security grounds without trial. The breadth and nature of the Jewish community’s response to Sderot and the MIA issue has prompted some comparisons to the Soviet Jewry movement, the last Jewish cause to ignite the passions of a broad swath of American Jews. Nancy Kisslin Flaum, Gabrielle’s mother and a veteran of that movement, says she is heartened to see teens today standing up for their beliefs. “As a Jewish educator, and I’m a therapist, what I’ve loved about everything over the last year and a half working with the kids” is that “this issue has been an issue that almost everybody can wrap their arms around and jump on board,” Nancy Flaum said. “It’s been a long time since the Soviet Jewry movement,” she went on. “To see teens have a voice and make a difference -- that’s why doors opened so fast. People paid attention.”
July 4, 2008
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 3
Kansas gay couple wed in San Francisco by BETH LIPOFF Staff Writer, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle Nine years ago, Dave Greenbaum and Mike Silverman formally declared their commitment to each other in a Jewish ceremony at Temple Israel in Omaha. On June 17, the two men formally married in San Francisco, joining hundreds of same-sex couples taking advantage of California’s new decision to allow gay marriage. “We made a promise and had it written in our ketubah that we would seek any legal recognition of our union when it became available, and this is the first time it’s been available to us,” said Silverman in a phone interview. The couple, who live together in Lawrence, KS, first heard about the change in California law about a month ago while watching the news. Silverman immediately booked California-bound airline tickets. Greenbaum said. “We’ve been waiting nine years for it, and we weren’t going to wait a moment longer.” Although the ceremony itself had to be cut and dried, due to the deluge of samesex couples looking to take advantage of the opportunity to get married, Silverman and Greenbaum decided to add a few of their own touches to the day. The two planned to wear University of Kansas T-shirts -- Silverman in a basketball-championship number and Greenbaum in a KU Hillel shirt that spells out “Kansas” in Hebrew letters. “Anyone who comes up to me tomorrow and knows it spells Kansas will get the first interview,” Greenbaum said. They also planned to celebrate the moment by saying the Shehechiyanu prayer as soon as the ceremony conclud-
ed. No family or friends joined them this time, but everyone celebrated at their Jewish ceremony in 1999. Response from friends and colleagues this time around has also been positive. “All of our various friends and colleagues at work-- they’re all excited for us that the opportunity has come up. It’s been a nice outpouring of support,” Silverman said. When they decided to have a Jewish ceremony to celebrate their couplehood back in 1999, Greenbaum and Silverman did some trailblazing. “We didn’t know of any other (gay) couples that had a ketubah. We had written it Dave Greenbaum and former Omahan Mike Silverman comfrom scratch, based on tradi- plete the paperwork for their marriage license in California. tional legal t e x t , ” Greenbaum said. They had some difficulty finding a scribe to write out the ketubah in Hebrew, but eventually found one in Canada, so they could “make a pubLeft: At their June 1999 ceremony at Silverman, who died a year ago. lic statement Temple Israel, Mike SIlverman, left, Right: Dave and Mike show their to the community that and Dave Greenbaum walk with California marriage license we will be Mike’s grandmother, Lorraine
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seen as a couple in Judaism,” Greenbaum said. The Central Conference of American Rabbis of the Reform movement has officially supported giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in civil marriage since 1996. “Rabbi Azriel was a true leader in supporting two Jews that wanted to commit their lives to each other in a religious context,” Greenbaum wrote to the Jewish Press in a follow-up e-mail. At the time, the Press did not have a policy on commitment ceremonies. It was at the request of Susie and Jim Silverman, Mike’s parents, that the Press board of directors created a new policy and its guidelines, used just last year for the first time, when former Omahan Danny Cohn submitted the announcement of his commitment ceremony to Andrew Miller. “Nine years later, Mike and I are still together and recommitted ourselves to each other. Temple Israel is stronger than ever and continues to embrace diverse backgrounds,” Greenbaum added. “Of course, he called us the minute he found out and was absolutely thrilled for us. While Mike and I have done the work in creating Shalom Bayit, it was Rabbi Azriel who built the foundation of our commitment to each other.” The Conservative movement has permitted same-sex commitment ceremonies since 2006. In addition to giving Silverman and Greenbaum’s union legal recognition in California (but not in Kansas, Missouri, or Nebraska whose constitutions have amendments forbidding it), their civil ceremony served to open up options for their future. Continued on page 10
Page 4
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 4, 2008
Antique quilt brings back memories for Lincoln Jews by CAROL KATZMAN have brought the fabric with her from top at the 1914 Nebraska State Fair and Editor of the Jewish Press Europe or she may have used leftover was encouraged to exhibit her quilt at the Celebrating nearly 100 years of the pieces from her work.” Neiden family in Nebraska, several memIn 1909, a young Bayla Schuchman left bers of the family finally saw the antique Gorodish in Russia with her father, Israel, quilt created by Bertha Neiden in the two sisters, Esther and Goldie, and early part of last century. The family presented the quilt, made of 10,222 pieces and 32 years after Bertha’s death, to the International Quilt Study Center and Museum on the campus of the University of NebraskaLincoln. Bertha Neiden designed and constructed the quilt top sometime between 1909 and 1914. She worked as a seamstress at the Miller and Paine Department Store where she made custom clothing for men and women. Left: Members of the Neiden family: Sylvia (Neiden) Jacobs, left, of Columbus, NE, and Pinkie (Neiden) She also made dresses for ladies Hansen, of O’Neill, presented the nearly 100-year-old quilt made by Bertha Neiden, right photo, shown by hand in Lincoln, occasionally in this 1914 photo, to Carolyn Ducey, second from right, Curator of Collections for the International Quilt visiting for several days at a time Study Center and Museum. Bertha’s son, Max Neiden, right, of Lincoln, was also on hand for the museum’s opening exhibit. to accomplish the task. According to her granddaughter, Esther’s husband Izzy. After a short stay 1915 Panama-Pacific International Pinkie Neiden Hansen of O’Neill, NE, in Montreal, they moved to Lincoln, NE, Exposition in San Francisco. The start of who was on hand at the exhibit’s open- where some cousins had already estab- World War I however thwarted her plans ing, “She never used a pattern and called lished themselves. and she was unable to attend. Bayla -the fabric European broadcloth. She may Bayla won a purple ribbon for the quilt now known as Bertha, married Louis
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ORGANIZATIONS YOUNG ENERGETIC SENIORS Join us on Monday at the JCC with musical entertainment by Jerry and Betty Legue playing a variety of music of the 20s, 30s and 40s. Lunch is served at noon for $7 per person and the program will begin at 12:30 p.m. Join us for Bingo with Miles Remer at 10 a.m. Call Teresa at 330.4272 for transportation. For information, call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.
Florence Hauss at 571.4583. Make check payable to Visions. Reminder: Visions Board meeting is Friday, July 11, 9:30 a.m., at the JCC.
LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Lomir Redn Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. If you have any Yiddish books to donate, please call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638.
BETH ISRAEL SISTERHOOD Beth Israel Synagogue's Sisterhood will hold a board meeting on Wednesday, July 9, 10 a.m. All Sisterhood members are encouraged to attend. A light breakfast will be served. The primary focus of the meeting will be to determine programming for the upcoming year and to hold officer elections. Babysitting is available by reservation. To make a babysitting reservation or for more information about the meeting, please call the office at 556.6288.
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Neiden on Aug. 1, 1919. She later wanted to give the quilt top to Eleanor Roosevelt as a gift, but it was not accepted. In a thank you note from Washington, she was told that due to the Depression there was a strict policy of “no gifts.” Bertha and Louis Neiden lived at 26th and Randolph Streets in Lincoln and raised their three children, Eddie, Max and Sylvia there. To raise extra money for her household during World War II, Bertha kept a “seamstress” sign in the front window of the family home. In 1951, she traveled alone to Atlanta to visit her first grandchild, Ivan. While she was away, Antelope Creek flooded and the quilt was water damaged. Judged to be museum quality, Neiden’s quilt does need some restoration work, said her granddaughter, and will only be displayed to family members visiting the museum or when this particular pattern or type of quilt is being studied by experts in the field. Also touring the opening exhibit -“Quilts in Common” -- were 20 men and women of the Women’s Lunch group from Tifereth Israel and the South Street Temple. Art from several other museums, including paintings, pottery, and more, complimented the quilts.
VISIONS Reminder: Visions and 39 Forever will attend their Annual Baseball Outing at Rosenblatt on Thursday, July 10, 6 p.m., with dinner on your own at the Stadium View Club. The game (Royals vs. Nashville Sounds) begins at 7:05 p.m. The cost is $6 per person. Send reservations to Harry Alloy, 11317 Harney Plaza Circle, Omaha, NE 68154 by July 5. If you have any questions call, Judy Katskee at 493.8875 or Harry Alloy at 697.8709. Luncheon meeting is Friday, July 18, 12:30 p.m., at Caniglia’s Venice Inn. Cost is $11. Cantor Gaston Bogomolni joins us as our special musical guest. Send reservations to Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard St., Omaha, NE 68114 by July 11. For information, call Harry Alloy at 697.8709. For transportation, call
JEWISH SENIOR SERVICES Take a musical journey to Mexico with Mariachi Luna & Sol on Thursday, July 17, 1:30 p.m. at the JCC. There is no admission fee. For Information, call Maggie Conti at 334-6521.
B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Breadbreakers will meet Wednesday, July 9, 11:45 a.m.-1:15.p.m, at Regency Lodge for its annual awards lunch. Meet the new B’nai B’rith Youth Organization Director Anne Muskin; she’ll be joined by outgoing BBYO director Rachel Blum. Anne, a native Omahan, was formerly adviser to Ediar BBG and a college intern at the Jewish Press. The program is free and open to everyone. An optional buffet lunch is $13 and beverage service only is $3.
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Naomi and Michal Gaca announce the April 19 birth of their daughter, Annika Hazel, (Levana Mikayla), named for her aunt, the late Lori Ann Sweet and her great grandmother, the late Mabel Katskee. Grandparents are Sindie and Jerry Katskee, and Kashia Karlsson of Aurora,
CO, and Mitchel Gaca of Szczurowa, Poland. Great-grandparents are Lt. Col. Irvin J. Harris USAF Ret., of San Diego, CA and the late Martha Harris, the late Mabel and David Katskee, Krystina Dawidowicz of Aurora, CO and the late Bodan Davidowicz.
JEWISH PRESS OFFICE CLOSED FOR JULY 4TH The Jewish Press will be closed Friday, July 4, for Independence Day. Photos from the Passover issue and Salute to Seniors issue may be picked up during regular business hours. Questions? Call 402.334.6448
July 4, 2008
After cease-fire, questions about Shalit’s being left out by ROY EITAN JERUSALEM (JTA) – The HamasIsrael cease-fire’s fiercest critics are those some expected to be its greatest beneficiaries: the parents of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Having pursued a largely low-key campaign for the liberation of their son since he was abducted by Hamas-led gunmen two years ago, Noam and Aviva Shalit have reacted furiously to the exclusion of their son from the Egyptian-brokered Gaza truce.
to free Shalit, though what this would constitute remains unclear. Noam Shalit has argued that Rafah could provide a conduit for Hamas to spirit out his son to a location where he will never be found. “We all remember what happened with Ron Arad, how he was handed from one group to another and eventually disappeared,” Noam Shalit said in one interview, referring to the Israeli airman who bailed out of a plane over Lebanon in 1986, was captured and then disappeared. Israeli intelligence believes Arad was captured by Lebanese Shiite militiamen and later transferred to Iran, where many suspect he was killed. When they announced they were filing their court petition, the Shalits found surprise support from Tammy Arad, the normally reclusive wife of the missing Israeli air force navigator. “Captivity is a terminal disease. The chances of retrieval are in your hands,” Tammy Arad wrote in an open letter to the court. “Do not take away Gilad’s hopes of returning to his family. Do not Aviva and Noam Shalit are furious that the take away Aviva’s and Noam’s hopes of Gaza cease-fire agreement excludes the reuniting with Gilad, of holding him in return of their kidnapped son. their arms again.” Credit: The Israel Project Israel’s high court denied the Shalits’ On June 22, the Shalits filed a petition petition. Israeli defense officials are with Israel’s High Court of Justice doubtful about whether Hamas would demanding that one of the key compo- want Gilad Shalit to be anywhere other nents of the cease-fire -- the easing of than Gaza. Taking him out through the Palestinian movement across the Gaza Egyptian Sinai would risk a clash between border -- be blocked until Israel commits the Palestinians and Cairo. to retrieving their son. Dov Weisglass, an adviser to former And in a slew of media interviews, the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who is now couple accused Israeli Prime Minister helping the Shalits, said another concern Ehud Olmert of potentially having is that, with Israel’s military and economdestroyed any chance of getting the 21- ic pressure on Gaza eased, Hamas will year-old hostage back soon -- or even have less of an incentive to make a prisever. Enlisting Gilad in absentia, they oner swap. published a recent handwritten letter in “Due to the siege and the closure, which he wrenchingly begs to be freed. Hamas sought Egypt’s help in achieving Their criticism has roiled the Israeli a ‘calm,’ and its leaders undoubtedly public and fueled public debate about the understood that in exchange for the efficacy of Israel’s cease-fire with Hamas. ‘calm,’ they would have to soften their The public’s outrage may seem surpris- demands for prisoners,” Weisglass wrote ing given the Olmert government’s in Yediot Acharonot. “But no. Israel did repeated assurances that Shalit is integral not demand this. Israel, for some reason, consented for the matter of the kidto the truce, which began June 20. “The ‘calming agreement’ is, for the napped soldier to be discussed after the time being, the best means of creating a removal of the siege and closure.” “Now, when the Gazans can breathe framework and an umbrella to propel forward a process of discussion, under the easy, Hamas will no longer have a reason auspices of Egypt, which we hope will to hurry and renew negotiations, and cerculminate with the return of Gilad tainly no reason to end it with any conShalit,” Amos Gilad, the Defense cession on their part,” Weisglass added. Ministry negotiator representing the state “An Israeli hostage is not a bad thing: He is a pretext for a great many interviews, at the High Court, told Israel Radio. Yet Hamas has said otherwise, denying talks, trips around the world. In the end, any direct linkage between the suspen- Israel will also pay dearly for him. What could be bad about this? Why rush?” sion of hostilities and Shalit. Jerusalem officialdom also sees the “We separated Shalit and the truce,” said Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader in strategy of keeping Shalit in captivity as a Gaza and deposed Palestinian prime min- Hamas bid to safeguard its leaders against ister. “The Israelis and their leaders have Israeli assassination attempts. In the past, so far undermined reaching a prisoner Hamas has hinted it would execute Shalit exchange because they are not accommo- in retaliation for a major Israeli strike. Israeli officials insist that pursuing dating the Palestinian demands.” Hamas wants Israel to free hundreds of Shalit’s release in the atmosphere of a jailed Palestinian terrorists in exchange Gaza truce is the best option, given the for Shalit. Israel has balked at some of the dearth of alternatives. A rescue raid is unlikely to succeed, names on Hamas’ list, arguing that returning mass murderers to the West given past experience with other captive Bank or the Gaza Strip would be disas- soldiers and Israeli intelligence assesstrous for the embattled, relatively moder- ments that Shalit is being held in a booby-trapped underground bunker and ate Palestinian Authority. In recent days Israeli officials have hint- watched by an elite team of Hamas guned they could relax their criteria. Israel men ready to kill him and themselves. Gilad, the Defense Ministry official, hopes for similar flexibility from Hamas, said the best chance lies with Egyptian though it has shown no signs of that. The ace up Israel’s sleeve is Rafah, the mediation. “The Egyptians promised to main terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border, muster all their resources to open conwhich was shut by Cairo after Hamas tacts” on Shalit’s return, Gilad said. seized control of Gaza a year ago. Israeli “Compared to other options, this is the officials say Rafah will not reopen unless best one at the moment. Actually, it’s the there is “significant progress” in efforts only one that exists.”
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July 4, 2008
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The New York City Parks Public Art Program presents an exhibition of Jun Kaneko sculptures on the Park Avenue Malls from June through November, 2008. Three of the artist’s largest sculptures, each entitled HEAD, will be installed in the landscaped medians at 52nd, 53rd, and 54th streets in Manhattan. Kaneko joins previously exhibited artists Keith Haring (1985), Fernando Botero (1993), Jean Dubuffet, Robert Indiana and Tom Otterness (2003), Bernar Venet (2004), and Deborah Butterfield (2005). Japanese born Kaneko is an internationally renowned artist based in Omaha since 1986. His artwork appears in numerous international and national solo and group exhibitions annually, and is included in more than seventy museum collections. He has more than 30 public art commissions in the United States and Japan and is the recipient of national, state and organization fellowships. Kaneko holds honorary doctorates from the Royal College of Art in London, the University of Nebraska and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Known for his commitment, energy and focus, Kaneko works fluently in diverse media and fields in the arts. In 2003, Opera Omaha commissioned him to design a new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which premiered in March of 2006 and will continue to tour America and Canada through 2012. In 2000, the artist and his wife, Ree Schonlau Kaneko, formed a non-profit scholarly organization dedicated to the research and nurturing of creativity in the arts, sciences and humanities, scheduled to open in the spring of 2012. For more information see www.thekaneko.org.
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This Canadian kosher cookbook author’s latest book to “eat your way to good health” begins with “Things You Want to Know.” She covers an array of topics in brief, readable, chatty form, like “stop vegging out on your sofa and start vegging out in your refrigerator”, Get Smart shopping, carbs, fiber and more smarts to Glycemic Index explained, equipment to nutritional analysis. Red tabs mark the dozen sections, which include Appetizers & Starters to Desserts & Beverages and a Passover Pleasures chapter. Scattered through the 600 recipes are foods for other days and holidays: mini veggie, cauliflower and other latkes, Apples ‘N Honey Cake, Farfels, Kugels-Kichel & Kashas, Mandel Bread, Challah, Cholent, Brisket, Borsch and Tzimmes, chocolate and more Hamentaschen and even Quick Crab Salad (wait a minute, this is a kosher cookbook -- well, she substitutes imitation crab!), Strudel and a few faux and a couple of mocks. The index is especially helpful. The recipes have numerical instructions with Chef’s Secrets giving tips and variations. Keep this mixture on hand to add a flavor boost to almost any dish for any occasion, like your Fourth of July barbeques! MONTREAL-STYLE STEAK SPICE 1 Tbsp coarse salt (e.g., sea salt or kosher salt) 2 tsp coarsely ground pepper 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp ground coriander or dried cilantro leaves 2 tsp dried dillweed 2 tsp Hungarian paprika 1 tsp cayenne pepper pinch of sugar Combine all ingredients in a spice bottle or small jar, cover, and shake well to combine. Store, sealed, in a cool dark place. When needed, rub the mixture on both sides of the meat, chicken or fish up to one hour before cooking. Yield: About 1/4 cup. Recipe can be doubled, and it will keep for months. Lois Friedman can be reached at ReadItAndEat@ yahoo.com.
A feature documentary film that takes the audience on an epic journey through seven countries and into the violent whirlwind of ideological fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe, The Rape of Europa opened June 27 at the AMC Oakview Plaza 24. This film was shown during the Kripke Library Film Festival earlier this year. For 12 long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history. Fighting back, heroic young museum officials and art historians from America and across Europe mounted a miraculous campaign to rescue and return the millions of art works displaced by the war. Today, more than 60 years later, the legacy of this tragic history continues to play out as families of looted collectors recover major works of art, conservators repair battle damage, and nations fight over the fate of ill-gotten spoils of war. Additional information about the movie is available at: www.rapeofeuropa.com; the book is available at the Kripke Library.
IN THE NEWS The American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, recently announced that 16 students from Nebraska will be recipients of a Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship. Among them is Zane Fried, a 2007 graduate of Westside High School, who attends the University of Southern California. He is the son of Lindy Wilson and Jim Fried. The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life events are the major source of these scholarship funds. While nothing can compensate for the hardships of cancer, the American Cancer Society’s Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship Program gives young people a head start when beginning this important time in their lives. The American Cancer Society created the scholarship program in 2002 and has since awarded 466 students nearly $1,419,227. For more information about childhood cancers or if you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1.800.ACS.2345 or visit the Web site at www.cancer. org. Talia Tene, a senior at Westside High School, has won Best in Show for the Young Artists Exhibition at the annual Summer Arts Festival. The $125 prize was awarded on June 28 and her “Charcoal Eye” drawing, based on a photo of her grandmother, was on display at the Adam Whitney Gallery in Countryside Village. Talia is the daughter of Gadi and Mindy Tene. Omaha-Council Bluffs Walk to Cure Diabetes will be held on Saturday, Aug. 9, 9-11 a.m. at the Lewis & Clark Landing/Heartland of America Park Jeff Gordman, President & CEO of Gordmans, is this year’s Corporate Chairman; Gordmans is the presenting sponsor for the event. More than 5,000 walkers representing local corporations, families, schools, and other organizations are expected to participate. The chapter’s goal is to raise $1.1 million to support diabetes research. The Walk to Cure Diabetes is the fastest growing fund raising event in the history of JDRF. Funds are raised through corporate sponsorships, the formation of corporate, family and school walk teams and the sales of paper sneakers in retail stores. JDRF Walks are held in more than 200 cities worldwide. To find out more about how you or your company can participate in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, call 402.397.CURE (2873) or e-mail omaha@jdrf.org. To register for the Walk, visit www.jdrf.org/walk. Bike MS takes place July 12 and 13 in Omaha, organized by the Nebraska Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The chapter’s goal is to raise $225,000 -- funds raised will fund programs and services for people with MS and their families in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Registration is easy; sign up online at bikenen.nationalmssociety.org or call 402.572.3190. Donate online at: bikenen.nationalmssociety.org.
July 4, 2008
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
Festive champagne brunch draws congregants to Beth El’s annual meeting Each year, Beth El presents three awards to conby JILL BELMONT gregants who have shown exemplary dedication to Beth El Publicity Coordinator the synagogue: recognized this year were Toby The morning of June 22 was filled with celebration Schonfeld, recipient of the Earl Siegel Award, given at Beth El, as the synagogue held its annual meeting to an outstanding board member; Mikhail Ginsburg, during a special champagne brunch. During the who received the Selwyn Roffman Award for relievent, new and returning board members were welgious growth; and Caryn Rifkin, who received the comed, out-going board members were applauded President’s Award, given to a non-board member for and awards were presented to a handful of dedicated exceptional volunteerism to the synagogue. congregants. During his comments to the annual meeting attenAmong the highlights of the morning was a videodees, Rabbi Mordechai Levin spoke of his gratitude scrapbook with photos of Beth El’s programs during to those who help make Beth El a vital and vibrant the past two years and presentations by outgoing congregation. “I am deeply appreciative of the president Sally Zipursky and incoming president Left: out-going president Sally Zipursky is thanked for her two years of efforts of so many people who devote themselves to Steve Pitlor. In his remarks, Pitlor expressed enthusiasm about service by her successor, Steve Pitlor; right: Pitlor is congratulated by the well-being of Beth El,” Rabbi Levin said. “We are truly grateful to the executive committee, the leading the synagogue during the next few years, say- Rabbi Mordechai Levin. ing, “I have great optimism about the direction in which Fellman, BESTT board chairman; Jeffrey Kirshenbaum, board of trustees and all of our committee members for Beth El is moving, and am excited about bringing some Bruce Kutler, Linda Saltzman and Jan Wayne, new their past and continuing service and commitment. new and fresh faces into leadership positions who I hope board members; Sharon Brodkey, Jon Jabenis, Ed Without these dedicated individuals, we would not be Schneider, Alan Shulewitz, Shane Kotok, Mark Kelln, able to lead this congregation in a meaningful way.” will take us to the next level.” He added, “We also thank all of our volunteers, who Rabbi Mordechai Levin presided over the formal Gabe Meyer and Amy Nachman, returning members. Outgoing board members thanked for their service selflessly give of themselves for the benefit of our coninstallation of officers and board members: in addition to Pitlor, those installed included Toby Schonfeld, Eric include Gloria Kaslow, Mike Levine, Stanley Mitchell, gregation, and our outstanding and dedicated staff, Phillips and Norman Sheldon, vice presidents; Allan Gary Rifkin, Hyman Sukiennik, Holly Weill, Audrey whose devotion and diligence are manifest in every aspect of their work.” Noddle, treasurer; Michael Sigmond, secretary; Beverly Wiener, and Harold Zabin.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 4, 2008
Mother Nature strikes again If the tornado at the Little Sioux Boy Scout camp wasn’t enough, the Heartland was hit again late Friday afternoon, just before rush hour. The storm, building from the Northwest, came careening into Douglas County with winds of between 80 and 90 mph. It was enough to explode windows out of cars and buildings, send towering trees toppling into homes and power lines and, saddest of all, kill two teens in Council Bluffs. Doing nothing more harmless than waiting in their car for friends, a huge tree branch slammed into the front seat of their car, killing the two boys instantly. Though neighbors tried valiantly to lift the tree off the car (while a frightened 15-year-old girl was pinned in the back seat), it was to no avail. The branch, nearly two-feet in diameter, was too heavy to lift. None of Omaha’s synagogues lost power, though all three lost trees, some uprooted and lying perilously close to the buildings at Temple Israel and Beth El Synagogue. While the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and the north end of the Jewish Community Center had power, the JCC’s Fitness Center and Child Development Center didn’t get power until Monday night. Back at the Blumkin Home, parts of the newly constructed fence on the Home’s north side were damaged and some water was winddriven into the building, but as Mike Silverman, the Home’s executive director, said, “It’s pretty slight and we’re all fine.” Despite the tree damage and some homes in the Jewish community still without electricity, most people in this resilient community are grateful it wasn’t worse. After the four deaths and numerous injuries at the Boy Scout Camp, Omahans are counting their blessings. What’s
a few downed limbs and the loss of some frozen food when compared to the deaths of two teens who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. As Omahans clean up from this unusual storm, neighbors to the east face a bigger task. The Guaranty Bank and Trust, for example, in Cedar Rapids, was one of many businesses severely damaged when the Cedar River roared over its banks last month. Owned by Debbi Josephson’s father, Harold Becker and her brother, Robert, the bank is one of the “luckier” businesses in Iowa, according to Josephson, because it can continue to do business at its branch locations. Some of its customers, however, will face a more daunting challenge as they discover the important papers they stored in the bank’s safety-deposit boxes have been damaged by the cascading wall of water that flooded the bank’s basement and first floor. Down river, where the Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers converge at St. Charles, MO, residents are still waiting to see if the levees will hold. In St. Louis, the Mississippi is lapping once again at the steps of the Arch, that grand gateway to the West. In 1993, the area was closed due to flooding, when the Mississippi rose out of its banks like a petulant child throwing a tantrum. This year, St. Louis just might escape, but other towns along the rivers, from Omaha south to Kansas City, and east through Iowa, then south again to St. Charles haven’t been so lucky. Only Davenport, IA,
seems to have been spared major devastation. Why? Because when the city’s leaders revitalized the river front, they ruled against placing residential or commercial properties there. When the Mississippi flooded this year, only parks and ball fields were flooded. As we unfurl our American flags this weekend to celebrate the founding of this glorious nation, let’s all remember to be thankful for the kindness of our neighbors (and the Omaha Public Power District employees who worked 36-hour shifts to restore power!). Mother Nature may have unleashed her wrath yet again, but she didn’t win this round.
minister Tony Blair advanced the discussion by speaking of the enemy as “a religious ideology, a strain within the world-wide religion of Islam.” Soon after, Bush himself used the terms “Islamic radicalism,” “militant Jihadism,” and “Islamo-fascism.” But these words prompted much criticism and he backtracked. By mid-2007, Bush had reverted to speaking about “the great struggle against extremism that is now playing out across the broader Middle East.” That is where things now stand, with U.S. government agencies being advised to refer to the enemy with such nebulous terms as “death cult”, “cult-like”, “sectarian cult” and “violent cultists.”
through blood, steel, and atomic bombs, offers one model for victory, the Cold War, with its deterrence, complexity, and nearlypeaceful collapse, offers quite another. Victory against Islamism, presumably, will draw on both these legacies and mix them into a novel brew of conventional war, counterterrorism, counterpropaganda, and many other strategies. At one end, the war effort led to the overthrow of the Taliban government in Afghanistan; at the other, it requires repelling the lawful Islamists who work legitimately within the educational, religious, media, legal, and political arenas. The second goal involves helping Muslims who oppose Islamist goals and wish to offer an alternative to Islamism’s depravities by reconciling Islam with the best of modern ways. But such Muslims are weak, being but fractured individuals who have only just begun the hard work of researching, communicating, organizing, funding, and mobilizing. To do all this more quickly and effectively, these moderates need non-Muslim encouragement and sponsorship. However unimpressive they may be at present, moderates, with Western support, alone hold the potential to modernize Islam, and thereby to terminate the threat of Islamism. In the final analysis, Islamism presents two main challenges to Westerners: To speak frankly and to aim for victory. Neither comes naturally to the modern person, who tends to prefer political correctness and conflict resolution, or even appeasement. But once these hurdles are overcome, the Islamist enemy’s objective weakness in terms of arsenal, economy, and resources means it can readily be defeated. Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, is Taube/Diller distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Read mroe at: www.Daniel-Pipes.org. © 2008 by Daniel Pipes. All rights reserved.
If you cannot name your enemy, how can you defeat it? Just as a physician must identify a disease before curing a patient, so a strategist must identify the foe before winning a war. Yet Westerners have proven reluctant to identify the opponent in the conflict the U.S. government variously (and euphemistically) calls the “global war on terror”, the “long war”, the “global struggle against violent extremism”, or even the “global struggle for security and progress.” This timidity translates into an inability to define war goals. Two high-level U.S. statements from late 2001 typify the vague and ineffective declarations issued by Western governments. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld defined victory as establishing “an environment where we can in fact fulfill and live [our] freedoms.” In contrast, George W. Bush announced a narrower goal, “the defeat of the global terror network” -- whatever that undefined network might be. “Defeating terrorism” has, indeed, remained the basic war goal. By implication, terrorists are the enemy and counterterrorism is the main response. But observers have increasingly concluded that terrorism is just a tactic, not an enemy. Bush effectively admitted this much in mid2004, acknowledging that “We actually misnamed the war on terror.” Instead, he called the war a “struggle against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies and who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of the free world.” A year later, in the aftermath of the 7/7 London transport bombings, British prime
However unimpressive they may be at present, moderates, with Western support, alone hold the potential to modernize Islam, and thereby to terminate the threat of Islamism. In fact, that enemy has a precise and concise name: Islamism, a radical utopian version of Islam. Islamists, adherents of this well funded, widespread, totalitarian ideology, are attempting to create a global Islamic order that fully applies the Islamic law (Shari’a). Thus defined, the needed response becomes clear. It is two-fold: vanquish Islamism and help Muslims develop an alternative form of Islam. Not coincidentally, this approach roughly parallels what the allied powers accomplished vis-à-vis the two prior radical utopian movements, fascism and communism. First comes the burden of defeating an ideological enemy. As in 1945 and 1991, the goal must be to marginalize and weaken a coherent and aggressive ideological movement, so that it no longer attracts followers nor poses a world-shaking threat. World War II, won
Jewish Press Board Michael Sigmond, Vice President; Stan Mitchell, Secretary; Michael Siegel, Treasurer; Howard K. Marcus, Immediate Past-chairman; Andie Gordman; Michael Kaufman; Betty Kozlen; Susan Lehr; Jamie Meyerson; George Quittner; Andy Ruback; Jim Simon; Nancy Skid; and 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.
The enemy has a name
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July 4, 2008
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 9
Calamity or possibility? Verdict out on what Israel-Hamas truce means
BEHIND THE HEADLINES by LESLIE SUSSER JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli strategic thinkers are deeply divided over the implications of the truce between Israel and the Gaza-based Hamas fundamentalists. But whatever their perspective, most agree that it could have a profound impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. There are several schools of thought: • Dovish optimists hope the truce, or “tahadiyeh,” will create a new atmosphere in which genuine peacemaking with all Palestinian factions -- moderates and fundamentalists alike -- is possible. • Pessimistic doves and ... a cease-fire with most hawks are critical of Hamas is far more what they see as a strengthening of the Palestinian radi- realistic than a fullcals at the expense of the fledged peace deal moderates. They fear this with Fatah ... could make a future peace deal much more difficult, if not impossible, to attain. • Centrists argue that because the conflict cannot be resolved, contained, long-term cease-fires with Hamas are far more realistic than pipedreams of peace with the moderates. The differences stem largely from the way the different schools see Hamas. Some see the organization as unshakeably wedded to the radical cause led by Iran. Others believe it can be coopted onto the side of the regional moderates against Iran. And others hold that even if it cannot be won over, it is a more authentic representative of the Palestinians than the more moderate Fatah and therefore must be part of any viable negotiating process. The optimists maintain that once goods start flowing freely into Gaza and the economy picks up, the Palestinian-Israel equation will change dramatically. The thinking is that when Palestinians in Gaza see that life can be very different, they won’t want to go back to struggle and hardship, and will press Hamas to extend the tahadiyeh indefinitely. In this scenario, Israel could be the beneficiary of a relatively long truce. As for Hamas, if it stops attacking Israel, it could gain international recognition and finally have something to lose. The combination of popular pressure and Hamas’ growing role on the international stage could lead the organization to inch its way toward a long-term accommodation with Israel. Moreover, some of the optimists see in Hamas’ acceptance of a truce with Israel an attempt by the radical organization to subtly distance itself from Iran.
Ran Edelist, a dovish commentator on strategic affairs, sees the six-month truce that went into effect June 19 as part of a wider move by Israel to remove Hamas, Syria and Lebanon from the Iranian orbit. This, rather than any hypothetical Israeli military strike against Iranian nuclear installations, “is the big and genuine move against the Iranian threat,” he says. But others on the left -- the pessimists -- see serious dangers in the truce itself. Matti Steinberg, a Hebrew University expert on Palestinian affairs, says that unless Israel neutralizes the deleterious effects of the truce, it will lead to the collapse of the moderate Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank within six months. Steinberg, a former top adviser to the Shin Bet security service, argues that the truce strengthens the radicals and weakens the moderates because it suggests to Palestinians that the Gaza model of rocketing Israeli civilians is viable, whereas the West Bank model of negotiations with Israel is going nowhere. This, he says, will soon be accentuated by the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, presumably in exchange for the abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, for which Hamas will claim credit. Hamas, he says, “will use the truce to strengthen its political position on the West Bank, to renew negotiations with Fatah on its terms and to infiltrate the PLO where it will set a new ideological tone. In short, it will hijack the Palestinian movement and drag Israel into a terrible one-state reality.” In other words, unless Israel takes steps to reverse the process, Hamas will use the truce to seize control of the Palestinian movement, peace between Israel and the Palestinians will become impossible, and Israel will find itself losing international legitimacy as it rules over an increasingly turbulent Palestinian population demanding equal rights in a single state comprised of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, in which it will soon become the majority. Nevertheless, Steinberg is in favor of the truce, partly because rejecting it would have led to tension with Egypt, which brokered the deal and wants quiet in Gaza to prevent unrest spreading among its own radicals. But more important, he says, Israel could turn the truce to its advantage, neutralizing Hamas gains by accelerating genuine peacemaking with the moderates and enabling them to deliver statehood. Steinberg believes this can be accomplished, beyond what has been possible with Mahmoud Abbas, with a major Israeli initiative. It would involve concessions on land and Jerusalem in return for Palestinian concessions on refugees and reviving the 2002 Arab peace plan, which talks of normalization of Israel’s ties with all the Arab states after it returns to its pre-1967 Six-Day War borders.
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The critique of the truce from the right is less nuanced. Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu sees it as a major strategic blunder: It shows that terror pays, weakens Israeli deterrence and gives Hamas the time it needs to build up its military power for the next round. “Israel,” Netanyahu told Israel Radio, “got absolutely nothing in return, not even Gilad Shalit.” The fourth school, the so-called centrists, takes a totally different tack. Its members -- including former Mossad Chief Ephraim Halevy, Tel Aviv University’s Shaul Mishal and former Southern Command chief Doron Almog -- argue that Israel should forget about trying to isolate Hamas and try to turn the truce into a long-term cease-fire. The thinking is that Fatah is a declining force without the power to stand behind any agreements it might reach, whereas Hamas does. Moreover, every time Israel has attempted to “engineer Palestinian society” -- that is, create or strengthen forces more amenable to it -- it has failed. This school argues that a cease-fire with Hamas is far more realistic than a full-fledged peace deal with Fatah precisely because it does not require making huge “end-of-conflict” concessions on both sides. Most Hamas spokesmen reject the idea of accommodation with Israel and openly describe the tahadiyeh as a tactical move to gain time to prepare for an inevitable future showdown. But there are some different voices. “Everyone on your side is saying that the truce is an opportunity for Hamas to narrow the military gap, but it’s actually an historic opportunity for Israel and for all the sides involved to live in peace and build a future for the coming generations,” Hamas official Salah alBardawil told Ha’aretz recently. Anyway you cut it, the truce, if it holds, seems much more than a tactical respite. Still, it remains to be seen whether it will lead to a radicalization of Palestinian life that makes peace impossible, or to a new pragmatism that makes for peace or long-term accommodation.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: Congratulations to Rabbi Azriel on his “change of heart” decision to now perform interfaith marriages. The hope is that this will encourage other rabbis to also change their current, totally non productive, policy--and welcome the non-Jewish partner initially. Marlon Somberg Scottsdale, AZ
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 4, 2008
Candlelighting Friday, July 4, 8:41 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
Beyt Shalom An Affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation 3012 S. 119 St. P.O. Box 390352 Omaha, NE 68139 660.2395 www.beytshalomomaha.org
Chabad House An Affiliate of 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
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE Services conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Gastón Bogomolni. Friday: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6 p.m. SATURDAY: Morning services, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush follows service; Minha/Ma’ariv, 8:55 p.m. Sitter Service is available during Friday night and Saturday morning services, on a drop-in basis, at no charge. WEEKDAY SERVICES: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.; weekdays, 7 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Bible Study Discussion Group resumes July 13. MEN’S CLUB SOFTBALL: Sunday, 10 a.m. (following morning minyan) at the JCC ball fields. Everyone 13 and up is welcome to participate. You don’t have to be a Men’s Club member to play. Interested? Contact Scott Simon, 616.4089 or simonsz@ cox.net.
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:30 a.m-2 p.m. Services conducted by Rabbi Jonathan Gross. FRIDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Synagogue office is closed; Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m. free babysitting, 9:30 a.m.; Children’s Classes, 9:45 a.m. with Torah Parade; Kiddush is sponsored by Jordana Kurtzman in
honor of Isaac’s 7th birthday; “Guard Your Tongue” and “Advanced Analysis of Midrash Rabbah” begins one hour before Mincha; Mincha, 8:45 p.m.; Seuda Shlishit is sponsored by Jim, Susan and Josh Polack in honor of Max’s 11th birthday; Havdalah, 9:51 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; “Reading the Rambam” with Rabbi Oxman, 9:45 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday: Sisterhood Open Board Meeting, 10 a.m. Light breakfast will be served and babysitting will be available; Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Rabbi’s weekly class is on break for the month of July.
BEYT SHALOM FRIDAY: Shabbat in the Home.
CHABAD HOUSE Services conducted by Rabbi Mendel Katzman. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. FRIDAY: Services, 7 a.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Youth Minyan, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; “Heading Somewhere” studying the book of Numbers, 9:30 a.m.; Parsha study, 10 a.m. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Camp Mini Gan Izzy, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Kabbalistic Insights for Women, 12:15 p.m.;
Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY: Camp Mini Gan Izzy, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; W.O.W. Prayer, Prophets, and Prayer, 9 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Camp Mini Gan Izzy, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Kabbalah Circle, 7 p.m. THURSDAY: Camp Mini Gan Izzy, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m.; Parsha for Kids, 3:15 p.m. FRIDAY, July 11: Camp Mini Gan Izzy, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. All events and programs are open to the community.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: Temple Office is closed; Snacks, 6 p.m.; Early Family 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. TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Retreat, 6:30-9 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS, 7 p.m. Introduction to Hebrew, a four-week session led by Rabbi Emanuel. Contact the Temple office at 435.8004 or stemple@neb.rr. com to register.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Alan Shulewitz.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m., led by Cantor Wendy Shermet; D’var Torah: Cantor Shermet -- “Independence Day.” SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m.; Shabbat Service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE: Available Wednesday evenings during Family School hours, Friday evenings service except when there is a Tot Shabbat, Saturday mornings when there is a B’nai mitzvah, and Sunday mornings during Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation appreciated. Young children, including infants, are welcome.
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. Contact the office to arrange for a minyan. 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 meets at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Call Yale Gotsdiner, 423.7066.
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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Kansas gay couple wed Continued from apge 3 The state of Israel does not currently recognize gay marriages from other parts of the world. “We’re hoping that since Israel might someday recognize it, should we ever make aliyah,” Greenbaum said. “Because we are not legally married in the United States, that would make aliyah more difficult. After tomorrow, we’ll be seen as a couple.” They don’t have immediate plans to make any sort of move, but they like the security the marriage provides, in case they choose to make aliyah in the future. “I think it’s always in the back of your mind. That’s the purpose
of the state of Israel -- to always make sure there’s a place for Jews in the world,” Silverman said. They hope that even though Kansas (or Nebraska) will not recognize their union legally, others will respect it. “God forbid if I were ill and in the hospital, and Mike wanted to visit me, and only family was allowed, we’d hope a doctor would allow me to see my loving companion so that he could take care of me,” Greenbaum said. For now, they’re just enjoying the opportunity. After being interviewed by ABC News for “Nightline” and local news in Kansas City, the couple married on June 17 at 9:05 a.m. -- just under two weeks after their nine-year anniversary. Jewish Press Editor Carol Katzman contributed to this article.
At left: the ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract, belonging to Dave Greenbaum and Mike Silverman.
Chabad asks cooks, artists, writers and more to help on new cookbook by ESTIE KATZMAN There’s a cookbook in the making in the Heartland and you could be a part of it! It’s not just any cookbook -this one is going to be sold in major bookstores through out the country! The Storybook Cookbook: A Holiday Treasure for the Jewish Family (a working title) will be a goto, interactive cookbook that will focus on 11 Jewish holidays with hundreds of delicious recipes, dozens of attractive food photographs, and beautifully written and illustrated corresponding Jewish stories not often told. Whether it’s creating in the kitchen or sharing stories around the table, The Storybook Cookbook will invite families to cook together, read together and celebrate the joy of each Jewish holiday. A steering committee, which already includes Kelly Kirk, Bob
Goldberg, Andi Greenberg, Joanie Jacobson, Shani Katzman, Pam Kutler, Marty Tichauer, and Annette van de Kamp-Wright, has begun the process and signed a contract with the publisher. Now the group is ready to put together the individual teams that can make it happen. If you love to cook, write, or draw -- administrate, organize or take charge -- or if you’d just like to be part of a fabulous and fun venture, join them. Here’s what’s needed: recipes, recipe tasters, iIllustrators, food photographers, graphic artists and designers, section editors, Judaic story writers, marketers, and fundraisers. To participate, or for more information, please contact Kelly Kirk at kkirk@cox.net or 680.4153 or me at estie@ochabad.com or 330.1800.
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July 4, 2008
Abracadabra
Fried named honorary biker
60 Years Experience With Jewish Lettering and Memorials
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Hukkat We have learned not to expect Abracadabra in the Torah. The Torah is not like some other ancient codes of law and practice, were “Holy Men” are able to do miraculous things, including bring the dead back to life. The Torah has nothing of this kind. And yet, and yet, here is our Sidra with a formula for getting magical powder to do magical things. Hence we have this red heifer (para adumah) which was to be totally red; it could not have even one white hair or black hair or anything else to bar it from being completely red. It was then to be slaughtered, its body burned and from the ashes there was to be derived a potion of magical dust -- to do, as I have said -- magical things. Like many others, I am not happy with this bypass in Torah. But happy or not, here we have it, this red heifer whose ashes produced magical effects for the future. We shall have to forgive the Holy Text for this adventure into what should have been forbidden territory. When all the world about them was full of magic and devices to fool Nature, it was simply too hard to resist joining, in some small way, with all others with whom Israel came in contact. This is not ancient Israelite contact for the first time, not the last, with the intellectual atmosphere (or should I sat the “unintelligent” atmosphere) that surrounded them. I repeat: we shall have to forgive our ancient ancestors for embarking on a tangent, but after this intellectual mishap, we are happy to find the Torah back in reality. The red heifer was not commonly found. Abracadabra (or avra kehdabra in Hebrew, meaning: “I will do as I speak”) is not for us. One can see the temptation to use a little magic now and then, since there are so many difficulties and attacks -- physical and intellectual -- in our people’s history. So be it. We are back to reality and the red heifer is only a memory of a short religious detour.
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Jerry Hoberman, left, and Ron Brodkey, right, presented a certificate of the first-ever honoraray membership into the Jewish Motorcycle Association to Sam Fried. The JMA raised money for Fried’s Heartland Holocaust Education Fund on its annual Ride to Remember prior to Memorial Weekend in May.
DEATH ESTELLE WINTROUB HARRIS Former Omahan Estelle Wintroub Harris died in Los Angeles on June 26 after a long illness; she was 72. Services were held there on July 1. She was preceded in death by her sister, Lois Bernstien. She is survived by her husband, Leonard Harris of Los Angeles; son, Charles Harris of Dallas; and brother and sister-in-law, Leon and Sally Wintroub. Memorials to charity of choice.
UNVEILING A stone setting for the gravesite of Julius Misle will take place on Sunday, July 13, 11 a.m., at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Lincoln.
New Jerusalem landmark dedicated
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, along with Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz, left, Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, and Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lipolianski, inaugurated the new light railway bridge, ‘The Chords Bridge’ at the western entrance of Jerusalem. The $70 million landmark project will allow the railway to go above roads that enter the city and enable the light railway, the future main-line railway and the bus station to form one integrated transport hub. Calatrava has already designed a similar award-winning smaller bridge in Israel on the same principle -- a pedestrian-only bridge in Credit: ISRANET Petach Tikva, also due to be completed in about two year’s time.
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