Vol. LXXXVI No. 42 Omaha, NE
Celebrating 86 Years of Service to Nebraska and Western Iowa
20 Tamuz, 5767 July 6, 2007
Summit exposes key Nebraska Jewish Historical Society preserving and persevering for 25 years differences between Silvia Roffman. From that by SUZANNE SINGER “kitchen cabinet” in 1982, the The 25th anniversary of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Nebraska Jewish Historical Society (NJHS) was founded, Society will be celebrated with and the rest is history! the opening of its new exhibit The 25 years of the Historical “There WAS Film in the Society will be chronicled in a Camera!”, along with a provideo produced by Ben gram and dessert reception on Nachman and Ozzie Nogg. Sunday, Aug. 5, 2 p.m., at the The Mary Fellman Award will Jewish Community Cen-ter. In be presented to the Riekes famfact, the JCC was where the first ily, whose generous gift enabled seed of this Society was planted. NJHS to create the Henry and The 1929 film Disraeli, starDorothy Riekes Museum housring Oscar winner George Arliss ing an historic representation of as the British prime minister the B’nai Jacob Adas Yeshuron who acquired the rights to the synagogue, known as the Suez Canal, was shown at the “Kapulier Shul.” Midge JCC theater. After viewing this Bowers, president; Renee historical drama, Mary Fellman Corcoran, executive director; started chatting about the film and Pollak, NJHS historian as with Oliver Pollak, a law stuwell as co-founder, will also be a dent and UNO professor of hispart of the program. Joanie tory. She then began telling him about a fascinating oral history Oliver Pollak and Mary Fellman celebrate the fifth Bernstein will serve as master of she was reading about the Jews anniversary of the Nebraska Jewish Historical ceremonies. The exhibit, “There WAS of Philadelphia. Society in 1987. Film in the Camera!” features As Pollak recalls, “She got excited and said she knew a lot about the Jews in over 500 photos taken by Gary Gerelick at community Omaha, and since I was a professor, I must know about events from B’nai B’rith banquets to synagogue and researching history. Why can’t we do something like that JCC activities. This treasure trove of faces of the Omaha Jewish community was discovered after Gerelick’s death here?” Then Pollak continued, “The next thing I knew, last year. His cousin, Michael Staenberg, will speak Mary was off and running with the idea.” She soon had about him and the exhibition of his photos, which were the first of many meetings around her dining room table edited by Bob Belgrade. with Pollak, Lois Friedman, Betty Lazer, Joie Simon and Continued on page 2
Israel and its neighbors by LESLIE SUSSER JERUSALEM (JTA)-- How to turn the disaster of the radical Hamas’ capture of Gaza into a political opportunity was the main focus of this week’s four-way summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King Abdullah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert all expressed hope for a renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace process now that Abbas has set up a moderate, Fatah-led government without Hamas. The subtext was clear: A vibrant Israeli-Palestinian peace process could help stop the radical, Iranian-backed power that Hamas represents -- and which all four leaders fear -- from spreading. But although they agreed on the general direction and even on some of the specifics, there were major differences on a number of key issues. Mubarak, for example, spoke of the urgent need for Fatah and Hamas to reconcile. The Palestinians, he said, needed to speak with a single, united voice. But a new Fatah-Hamas deal is precisely what Olmert does not want to see.
Omaha college student reflects on a different kind of mission to Israel by DAVID PHILLIPS For the Israeli government, the problematic war against Islamic extremism has been compared to ‘cutting the grass’ while ignoring the greater problem of the ‘roots’ underneath. However, Israeli lawyer and mother of two Nitsana Darshan-Leitner has found a unique method of using non violent means to fight back against even the most savage terrorist groups. Her organization, Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center), works with help from the Israeli Mossad to track down the finances of terrorists and their state sponsors to sue the banks they work with. Her organization has met with shocking success, proving to courts that Iran, Syria, and organizations like Hamas, have been holding hundreds of Banners on an observation deck are just 200 feet from the border of Gaza Photo by David Phillips millions of dollars in European and between the Israeli town of Sederot and Gaza. As proof of her hard work, Middle Eastern terrorist American bank accounts used to directly finance terror organizations are now virtually incapable of banking in attacks against Jews. On behalf of the injured and murdered victims of ter- America and Europe. Her legal work and successes have rorist attacks, Shurat HaDin offers to cover all the legal helped hundreds of terror victims fight for due justice fees involved in suing terrorists with the ultimate goal of and crippled terror organizations without shedding a freezing accounts worth hundreds of millions of dollars drop of blood. Shurat Hadin coordinates a yearly action-packed misand giving the money to their victims. Her work against banks that hold terrorist funds like the Arab Bank and sion trip called ‘The Ultimate Mission to Israel’ to raise the French bank Credit Lyonnaise has provoked a virtu- money for their expensive legal actions. I had the honor al domino effect of international bank compliance and of participating in support Shurat HaDin and enjoyed its widespread voluntary refusals to transfer or hold the unprecedented access to the Israeli military. Continued on page 6 blood money of organizations that finance terror.
Inside Opinion Page see page 12
This Week: Educator’s mission to Israel returns: Page 7 See Front Page Stories & More at: www.jewishomaha.org, click on ‘Jewish Press’
The Jewish boys of summer: Page 4
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at Sharm el-Sheik summit on June 24. Credit: GPO/BPH IMAGES He fears the return of Hamas would undermine any chance for a genuine Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. And he is worried that Abbas may be pressured into striking a new deal with the radicals. More significant, whereas Mubarak, Abdullah and Abbas all want to see accelerated talks on a final IsraeliPalestinian peace deal, Olmert has his doubts. He sees the split between Gaza and the West Bank as making the conflict easier to manage but more difficult to resolve. Olmert favors a more careful, step-by-step approach that gradually would create conditions for a final settlement rather than making a gigantic leap toward a peace accord that would likely fail. In the summit’s concluding news conference, Mubarak, Abdullah and Abbas all urged quick movement toward a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, side by side, at peace. Abbas proposed setting a clear timetable for negotiations and insisted that all the core issues, including borders, refugees, Jerusalem and water, were soluble. The new Palestinian government under former finance minister Salam Fayyad and the international community’s lifting of its economic boycott on the Palestinians created genuine opportunities for peace, Abbas said. Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, added that the establishment of a Palestinian state was now the most urgent issue on Abbas’ agenda. Many Israeli analysts, however, doubt whether Israel and the Palestinians are yet in a position to cut a final Continued on page 2
Coming Next Week: Health & Wellness -- July 13 Local author pens locale fiction: Page 9
“A light unto the nation”: Page 11
R if k a’ s Em b r o ide r y
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
Summit exposes differences Continued from page 1 on getting this shelf agreement. peace deal. They argue that Olmert would not be able In the meantime, Olmert intends to go ahead with to satisfy Palestinian demands on borders, refugees and confidence-building measures. At the summit he did Jerusalem, and Abbas will be hard pressed to keep a lid what no Israeli prime minister has done before in such on terror in the West Bank where he is in control, let strong terms: He delivered an impassioned recognition alone in Gaza, where he is not. of Palestinian suffering. Olmert, therefore, seems to favor a slower, interim “We are not indifferent to your suffering, and we are approach to take steps to improve the quality of life on ready to take steps to bring it to an end,” he declared. the West Bank, create a model Palestinian polity and Olmert went on to announce that he intends to release then build toward a final-status agreement. 250 Fatah prisoners as a goodwill gesture. But the Palestinians want final-status talks to start now. The Israeli leader is also considering a number of steps Nimmer Hamad, one of Abbas’ top advisers, told Israel to improve the quality of Palestinian life in the West Radio that it was time Bank. These include Olmert recognized Abbas releasing more than $500 as a genuine peace partner. million in Palestinian tax Hamad said Abbas money in installments, on would disarm all militia the condition that none groups, including Fatah’s of it reaches terrorists; own Al-Aksa battalions, to easing movement by liftcreate conditions for peace ing roadblocks, although talks. If there is no “politthe Israeli army and Shin ical horizon,” he warned, Bet warn this could invite extremism will grow. a new wave of suicide Israeli Foreign Minister bombings; and renewing Tzipi Livni and U.S. economic and trade ties. Secretary of State Olmert said he Condoleezza Rice are intended to meet Abbas sympathetic to that posi- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, Jordan’s King Abdullah, at least once every two tion. They agree that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and Palestinian President weeks to take the new Israel and the Palestinians Mahmoud Abbas pose for phototographers prior to the Sharm El process forward. should negotiate a final- Sheikh Summit at the Red Sea Sinai resort in Egypt on June 25, “We will work with status agreement even if it 2007. The summit gathered the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, Israel this government which cannot be implemented and the Palestinian territories together to discuss the rHamas- recognizes Israel, accepts Credit: OMAR RASHIDI/PPO/BPH IMAGES previous agreements and Fatah split in Gaza. for some time. American and Israeli diplomats call it a “shelf agree- rejects violence” to “create political opportunities and a ment” ready to be taken down and implemented as soon better life,” he said. conditions allow. Such an agreement would be a strong Olmert’s policy toward the Hamas regime in Gaza will incentive for Palestinians to get their act together, they say. be the opposite. While Israel will allow the flow of Olmert, however, is adamantly opposed to cutting humanitarian aid into Gaza, it will do all it can to isolate such a deal. He argues that a deferred agreement would the Hamas government. only invite pressure on Israel to make further concesAlready this seems to be having an effect. On the first sions so it can be implemented. anniversary of his abduction, the captors of Gilad Shalit Given the readiness on the Arab side to go for a final released an audio tape in which the kidnapped Israeli soldier peace deal, and the fact that a true political horizon for urges the government to do a deal to secure his release. the Palestinians would be the best way to strengthen Pundits see the release of the tape, the first sign of life Abbas and the moderate cause, the international com- from Shalit since his capture, as evidence that Hamas, munity may press for it. ignored even by some Arab countries, is seeking ways to If as expected, the diplomatic Quartet of the United get back into the game. States, the European Union, Russia and the United Now, as Olmert and Abbas make progress, the quesNations appoints outgoing British Prime Minister Tony tion is: Will Hamas be ready to actually effect Shalit’s Blair as its special Middle East envoy, he may well focus release to alleviate its growing isolation?
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, JULY 6 Visions Board Meeting, 9:30 a.m. SATURDAY, JULY 7 Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15 a.m. at Temple Israel SUNDAY, JULY 8 The Living Torah, 9:30 a.m. at Chabad House C Class with Rabbi Nadel, 9:45 a.m. at Beth Israel L Bible Study Group, 10 a.m. at Beth El I MONDAY, JULY 9 P JSS Nurse, 8 a.m. Camp Talent Show Rehearsals, 8 a.m. & Aquatics MOD Meeting, 9:30 a.m. at JCC NCJW Book Club, 7 p.m. S Looking at Ecclesiastes, 7:30 p.m. at Kripke Library A TUESDAY, JULY 10 V E Camp Talent Show Rehearsals, 8 a.m. WOW Tehillim & More, 9 a.m. at Chabad Senior Card Players, 11:30 a.m. ADL/CRC Executive Committee Meeting, noon Eye on Israel, noon at Kripke Library BBYO Night, 6 p.m. Parshah Roundup, 7 p.m. at Chabad House
B’nai Israel now on Historic Register C L I P &
A celebration reception was held at B’nai Israel in Council Bluffs last month featuring Mayor Tom Hanafan. B’nai Israel members and friends were in attendance. Members of the Board of Directors were introduced. as were State Senator Michael Gronstal and State Representative Doug Struyk.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 Camp Talent Show Rehearsals, 8 a.m. “Day of Dance- Sleeping Beauty,” 9 a.m. “Day of Dance-Art Project,” 9 a.m. “Day of Dance” Lunch, 11:30 a.m. Kabbalah Circle, 7 p.m. at Chabad House
C THURSDAY, JULY 12 L Camp Talent Show Rehearsals, 8 a.m. I RBJH Project Construction Meeting, 9 a.m. P Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m. at Beth Israel JFS Programming Committee Mtg, 10:30 a.m. & Federation Campaign Leadership Meeting, noon Yiddish Group, 1 p.m. Visions Baseball Game & “39 Forever,” 6 p.m. S at Rosenblatt Stadium A Advanced Parshah Study, 7:30 p.m. at Beth Israel V Online with Eye on Israel, 8 p.m. E 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)
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Photos from top left counterclockwise: Howard Silber, left. Rabbi Mendel Katzman, Harold Siporin, and Mark Eveloff; Harold Bernstein, left, Dr. Sol Kutler, and David Bear; Stephanie Seldin Howard, left, and Ted Seldin; Mark Eveloff, left, and Mayor Tom Hanafan.
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Nebraska Jewish Historical Society Continued from page 1 From Mary’s dining room table, to a shelf at the JCC, to a closet in the building and various other small, temporary locations, the NJHS is now housed in its own comfortable space in the JCC which includes the Belzer Family Gallery and the Carl Frohm Archival Center. Besides Corcoran, the staff includes Dottie Rosenblum and Kathy Weiner. Among their many responsibilities, they oversee the collection of letters, journals, documents, identified photos, business and organization records and other objects illustrating Jewish life in Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. New
items are always being received--from people locally as well as those from all over the United States who have ties with the area. In addition, Ben Nachman does oral history interviews with members of the community. From the five gathered around Mary’s table, the Historical Society now has a membership of over 600. A newsletter, L’Dor V’Dor (from generation to generation), is published twice a year and journals are published periodically. Much has happened in 25 years. The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society invites the community to join in the celebration.
July 6, 2007
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Missing the e-boat: Jewish charities seemingly slow to adapt to Web requires a significant donor by JACOB BERKMAN base. NEW YORK (JTA) -- This “There just aren’t that is how easy online philanmany Jews” Tobin said. He thropy can be: Yosef Eliezrie added that the Jewish comreceived a call last week from munity is small yet wealthy, the Chabad so its nonprofits likely will emissary in Sderot seeking survive on large donations help for the citizens of the from a handful of donors. embattled lower-class town. Synagogues may be the Eliezrie, the son of a Los Jewish institutions that see Angeles-area Chabad rabbi, the greatest benefit from was lying in a hospital bed at online giving, Tobin said, the Children’s Hospital of because they tend to survive Orange County, Calif., on several large gifts supplerecovering from an infection mented by a larger number caused by leukemia. Still, by of smaller gifts each year. Monday Eliezrie, 21, had But not yet. launched a Web site describEvans, whose firm boasts a ing the situation in the Gaza large clientele of Jewish nonborder town that has been targeted by Palestinian rock- Magen David Adom ambulances are seen lined up and waiting in Sderot as profits of all sizes, says he has Hamas continued to bombard the town with Kassam rockets fired from essentially found an Internet et fire and providing users with the opportunity Gaza, May 19, 2007. While Chabad is seizing on the growth in e-philan- wasteland in the synagogue to make online donations. thropy to help Sderot, other Jewish charities have been slow to do the same world. “We have been watchCredit: Brian Hendler/JTA ing this and following this for He predicted that by the for their causes. end of this week the site, helpsderot.com, for federation services. Most of that quite some time,” Evans said, “and we would attract 500,000 to one million money came from post-Hurricane are very concerned about the slow pace users through e-mail promotions, as well Katrina efforts, Swartz said, calling the synagogues are taking.” as plugs on chabad.org and 850 other disaster relief drive a “launching point for using e-philanthropy in a serious way.” individual Chabad-related sites. Some Jewish charities are faring well It’s the same strategy that the Chasidic movement employed last yea when it col- online. JNF, which claims to be the first Jewish by MELISSA APTER lected about $750,000 for Hurricane WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Stav Cohen, Katrina relief. While Chabad has tapped nonprofit to raise $1 million through the into perhaps the fastest growing sector in Internet in one year, brought in nearly 21, has lived in the southern Israeli town the philanthropic world, many sectors of $2.5 million in online gifts in 2006. That of Sderot her whole life. Not long ago the Jewish world have been slow to catch was about 6 percent of its total intake. her house was struck by a Kassam rocket. And already JNF has raised $2.75 million Cohen’s family survived the attack, but on to the Internet era. “Some Jewish organizations have been online since its fiscal year started in living within range of the Palestinian more successful than others,” said Gary September, according to Linda Wenger, rockets fired from the nearby HamasTobin, the president of the Institute for the organization’s director of marketing dominated Gaza Strip has taken its toll. On a recent vacation in Switzerland her Jewish an Community Research, which and communications. The American Jewish World Service three-year-old brother kept asking his parstudies Jewish philanthropy. “But you don’t see many who are very successful saw its online donations and number of ents, “Where is the safe room?” He coulddonors double from 2005 to 2006, n’t believe it when he was informed that other than the Jewish National Fund.” The point was hammered home by a according to Riva Silverman, its director rockets would not be falling on his head. “There is a whole generation growing report in the June 14 issue of the of development. No one has actually polled Jewish up that does not know that rocket attacks Chronicle of Philanthropy based on a survey of the online fundraising efforts of th groups to see how many of them have suc- are not normal,” Cohen recently told JTA. cessfully tapped the e-philanthropy world. Cohen was one of three Sderot resicountry’s 400 largest charities. Among the 187 charities that respond- But observers of the philanthropic scene, dents who toured the United States this ed and said they accepted online dona- including Robert Evans, the managing month addressing Jewish groups and tions, the publication found that online director of the Philadelphia-based EHL American political leaders about life in gifts grew by about 37 percent in 2006. Consulting Group, which helps nonprofits the face of Palestinian rocket fire. Their tour was co-sponsored by Israel’s Of those, 85 charities saw an increase devise fundraising strategies, say JNF and Foreign Ministry and the Conference of above 50 percent. But only four Jewish AJWS are exceptions to the rule. These observers said that while Jewish Presidents of Major American Jewish charities appeared on the list, and one, the American Jewish Joint Distribution groups could use the Internet to attract Organizations. new donors and maintain relationships Since May, Sderot has been bombarded Committee, saw a 78 percent decrease. The community’s largest philanthropic with current givers, Jewish nonprofits will daily by Kassam rockets painted yellow network, the United Jewish likely never have the same success in terms for the Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, black Communities, raises about $3 billion of gross online donations as the Unite for Islamic Jihad and green for Hamas. annually through various revenue Way, $240 million last year; the American Cohen was joined on the speaking tour streams. But UJC, which is made up of Red Cross, $496.2 million; or th American by Aharon Polat, 43, a social worker who local federations, collected just $9.2 mil- Cancer Society, $58 million. That’s works with young trauma victims and lion via the Internet in 2006, according because online gifts are generally less than lives in nearby Kibbutz Carmi with his to Barry Swartz, its senio vice president $250, meaning a real financial windfall wife and two sons, and Michal Kakoon,
Some synagogues are reluctant to pay credit-card fees, Evans said, while others simply are not technologically equipped. The Jewish federation system is in the early stages of a massive reorganizing that will implement a new operational strategy aimed at stemming a declining donor base and a shrinking pool of donations. Utilizing online giving opportunities will play a central role in that plan, the UJC’s Swartz said. In Omaha, donors have been able to make contributions online to various projects, ranging from the Jewish federation’s annual campaign to the “New Beginning” campaign waged by the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Last summer saw an increase in online donations because of the Israel Emergency Campaign. “We are trying to see what activities present the best mix to help donors feel the most connected and engaged with us,” he said. “We have seen a huge growth in e-philanthropy in the political arena and in other nonprofits. We have seen how those have been able to change, and we want to make sure we are at the cutting edge.”
Sderot residents come to D.C. to describe life under rocket fire 35, a science teacher in Sderot, where she has lived for 15 years with her husband and two daughters. They were among several groups of Sderot residents touring the United States. This week, a group of Russian children from the town will spend a month near Boston, at a ChabadLubavitch camp and a math camp, before touring the East Coast and staging performances for other children. The plays will be performed in Russian with simultaneous English translation. Polat was relocated to the kibbutz with his family as part of the 2005 evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza. “There are children who will not come out from under the table, who hide in the bathroom, refuse to come out of the bathroom” because they are so afraid of the rocket attacks, he said.
Aharon Polat, one of three Sderot residents on a U.S. tour, speaks at a news conference in Washington. Credit: Jennifer Weisbord
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
The Jewish boys of summer by JUDIE JACOBSON Connecticut Jewish Ledger With the 2007 baseball season in full swing, we thought it was a good time to take a look at some of the Jewish boys of summer who are running around Major League diamonds this year. Full name: Kevin Edmund Youkilis Born: March 15, 1979 Birthplace: Cincinnati, OH Team: Boston Red Sox Position: 1st base Number: 20 Bats: Right Throws: Right Average: .332 Experience: 3 years As May turned into June, there weren’t too many bats hotter than the one wielded by Kevin Youkilis -- at one point the bearded first baseman was swinging at a 23-game winning streak and a batting average of .426. As the Ledger went to press, Youkilis was registering .332 and his errorless streak at first base sat at 116 games. A couple of seasons back, Youkilis and teammate Gabe Kapler disappointed many Jewish fans when they opted to play a game on Yom Kippur against the team's arch rival, the New York Yankees. “It was a family decision,” Youkilis explained to the on-line magazine for Jewish teens, JVibe. “In fact, I didn’t play, but I did suit up in the dugout to support my team. In my mind, there was nothing wrong with that.” Youkilis, whose sensational fielding in a 2006 game led comedian Denis Leary, an avid Red Sox fan, to unleash an anti-Mel Gibson tirade, does not regret the decision. “Make decisions that are right for you,” he told JVibe teens. “In the end, it is you who has to live by your decisions.” Full name: Gabriel Stefan Kapler Born: August 31, 1975 Birthplace: Hollywood, CA Team: Boston Red Sox Position: Right field Number: 44 After nine major-league seasons, Gabe Kapler announced his retirement as an outfielder in December 2006 to become a manager in the team's minor league system.
“I know this is hard to comprehend, given the state of baseball and the escalation of salaries,” Kapler told ESPN.com. “But as crazy as it sounds, my concern is making an impact on the lives of young men. This just feels right -- to have a chance to be a role model, to lead and to teach. Those are things I’m very passionate about.” A member of the Red Sox 2004 championship team, Kapler hit .270 with 64 homers in 850 career games with Detroit, Texas, Colorado and Boston. Full name: Bradley David Ausmus Born: April 14, 1969 Birthplace: New Haven, CT Team: Houston Astros Position: Catcher Number: 11 Bats: Right Throws: Right Average: .273 Experience: 14 years Connecticut's own Brad Ausmus -aka The Bossmus -- has an Ivy League education courtesy of Dartmouth, and a catcher's mitt full of Major League talent. He made his debut in July 1993 with the San Diego Padres and was traded to the Houston Astros in 1997, to the Detroit Tigers in 2000, then back to the Astros in 2001. Ausmus was a recipient of the National League Gold Glove in 2001, 2002 and 2006. Full name: Jason Scott Marquis Born: Aug. 21, 1978 Birthplace: Manhasset, NY Team: Chicago Cubs Position: Starting Pitcher Number: 21 Bats: Left Throws: Right Record: 5 - 3 Experience: 7 years Jason Marquis made his debut in June 2000 with the Atlanta Braves. He has pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals since he was traded to the team in December 2003.
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Full name: Shawn David Green Born: Nov. 10, 1972 Birthplace: Des Plaines, IL Team: New York Mets Position: Right field Number: 20 Bats: Left Throws: Left Average: .292 Experience: 14 years Shawn Green experienced a first in his Major League career in late May/early June, when he spent 15-days on the disabled list, thanks to a broken right foot. Green, who began his major league career in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays and spent time with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, was traded to the Mets at the end of the 2006 season. A two-time All-Star who once hit four home runs in a single game, Green earned the respect of fans and teammates alike when, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he sat out a game in the midst of a pennant race in 2001. A few years later, he would once again miss a game in observance of Yom Kippur, though he did play the evening before on Kol Nidre night.
Full name: Ryan Joseph Braun Born: Nov. 17, 1983 Birthplace: Mission Hills, CA Team: Milwaukee Brewers Position: Third base Number: 21 Bats: Right Throws: Right Average: .305 Experience: 0 years A graduate of the University of Miami, Ryan Braun was the fifth overall selection in the 2005 amateur baseball draft. A strong hitter, he made his debut with the Brewers on May 25. Full name: John William Grabow Born: Nov. 4, 1978 Birthplace: Arcadia, CA Team: Pittsburgh Pirates Position: Relief pitcher Number: 34 Bats: Left Throws: Left Record: 1-1 Experience: 4 years John Grabow began his third full Major League season with 15 days on the disabled list in April. In addition to his 1-1 record this season, he has one save and an ERA of 6.27.
Ecological research in Israel linked worldwide In the center of Israel’s Yair forest rises a 80 meter high micrometeorological tower used to measure exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy between the forest’s terrestrial ecosystem and the atmosphere. TThe research, led by Professor Dan Yakir of the Weizmann Institute of Science, is in collaboration with several researchers from other Israeli universities and has been underway for the past six years. The ecological research is automatically fed into the NASA COÇ FLUXNET global network consisting of about 400 similar towers around the world operating to automatically collect and transmit such data as local vegetation, soil, meteorology and the all important amount of carbon dioxide in the immediate environment being absorbed by the forest. Credit: Isranet
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July 6, 2007
Miracle victory kicks off pro baseball in Israel by MARTIN ABRAMOWITZ Miracle capitalized on seven walks, two errors, a couple PETACH TIKVAH, Israel (JTA)-- In an atmosphere of hits and sacrifice flies to build its lead. that was both ceremonial and heimesh, pro baseball Petach Tikvah’s run came on a towering home run by made its debut in Israel. third baseman Ryan Crotin. Fully aware of the historic The visiting Modi'in Miracle defeated the Petach blast, the crowd rose to its feet. Tikvah Pioneers, 9-1, in the opening game of the Israel The league opener culminated a two-year dream of Baseball League’s inaugural season. Larry Baras, a Boston-based 50-something entrepreneur An unexpectedly large and mostly English-speaking in his 50s. Baras not only put in much effort but also crowd of 3,112 more than filled the temporary bleach- capital. The league’s commissioner is Dan Kurtzer, forers and plastic lawn chairs surrounding a beautiful and mer U.S. ambassador to Israel and Egypt. well-lit field in the Yarkon sports complex. Players from In addition to Modi’in and Petach Tikvah, the IBL is the league's six teams and dignitaries were on the field fielding teams in Bet Shemesh, Tel Aviv and Netanya. for the opening ceremonies, which included the singing The six teams are sharing fields in Kibbutz Gezer and of “Hatikvah,” before the game began as scheduled at 6 Tel Aviv, in addition to the veritable “field of dreams” p.m. The kosher barbecue stand was mobbed, and maintained in Petach Tikvah on a site called “The youngsters hawked programs, T-shirts and water. Players Baptist Village.” whose teams were not on the field ambled throughout The IBL roster of 120 players includes 77 Americans, the complex happily signing autographs for fresh-faced 15 Dominicans, 13 Israelis, nine Canadians, six kids and plenty of middleAustralians, two Colombians aged fans. It was a scene and a native of Japan. reminiscent of an Generally the American playAmerican minor league ers represent a mix with colgame and a country fair, lege and professional experibut with a heavy press and ence. The Israelis are prodtelevision presence ucts of a highly developed In a concession to conamateur league, The Israel cerns about the attention Association of Baseball, and span of Israeli fans, the the rest have some profesgame was seven innings sional experience. instead of the typical nine. The players were recruited Even with a break for a by Dan Duquette, former „fifth-inning stretch‰ general manager of the and “Take Me Out to the Boston Red Sox. The IBL Ballgame,” the game was estimates that approximately completed in a crisp two Runner from the Modi’in Miracle dives safely into base in his 40 percent of the players are hours, 12 minutes. team's 9-1 victory over Petach Tikvah in Israel Baseball League Jewish. Credit:Efrat Sa'a Players and fans mingled opener June 25. Along with Shamsky and happily for a half-hour after the last out was recorded. Holtzman, other former Major Leaguers managing are No one seemed to mind that the game, featuring two Ron Blomberg and Steve Hertz. Ami Baran and Shaun former Major Leaguers as managers -- Art Shamsky for Smith, experienced coaches from Israel and Australia, Modi'in and Ken Holtzman for Petach Tikvah -- wasn’t complete the managerial roster. exactly a classic. The IBL will field a 45-game schedule, with the chamThe tone was set in the first inning when a botched pionship to be determined in a one-game playoff Aug. pitcher-to-short-to-first double play put two runners on 19 between the teams with the two best records. base for Modi'in. They scored on a lined triple into Will Israelis take to America's pastime, a game without right-center by Eladio Rodriguez, who also doubled. a clock and the constant action of other sports. It‚s a Petach Tikvah right-hander Abel Moreno was wild and long season, and too early too know, but Opening Day was yanked with one out in the third trailing 7-0. The was a promising start.
BERT’S EYE VIEW by BERT LEWIS I’m thinking it’s been a long time since I wrote one of those “now I’ve heard or seen everything” columns, so let me share some mishagoss I read about recently. It has to do with bottled drinking water, and how many of us buy and use it. There’s nothing new about the subject; Americans have been buying it for some time now, especially in cities where the stuff that comes out of the faucet isn’t a taste thrill. I’m guessing that athletes are mostly responsible for starting the trend of carrying around bottles wherever they go, giving the impression of staving off dehydration maybe. Or, in certain areas where there are many who run or walk for excercise, that water bottle is a familiar appendage to a pocket or belt. Whatever the reason, and whether a person has a five-gallon jug delivered to the house or carries a pint bottle, we buy it in great quantities. We probably didn’t realize that in 2005, Americans drank more than 7.5 billion gallons of bottled water, which was 11% more than the year before! Did you know that much of it isn’t just plain clean water, that some of it is “enhanced” with nutrients, herbs and detoxifying substances? What? Do you believe this? Wait, there’s more. Now it isn’t just what’s in the bottles, it’s sometimes the bottles! During the shopping frenzy produced by the recent gift giving holidays, I read about some well known restaurants and night clubs where they serve “signature” bottles ... designed just for the business. Very exclusive, no? I even saw pictures of bottles decorated with sparkly jewel-like crystals, created
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Plain clean water -- in bottles to look like something a designer added to the decor of a lovely room. Yes, I’m still talking about water bottles. All of this tends to remind me of a delicious old yiddish expression, which translates to mean: “You have to be nuts!” Well, maybe that’s an over statement, but while good tasting, clean water is a necessity, certainly that water needn’t come out of a jeweled bottle. In fact, if you can find anybody who can remember when the pump in the backyard was replaced by that wonderful indoor faucet, you might hear about being thrilled by water! On an average, we Americans each drink some 26 gallons of bottled water annually. My statistics say the only thing we drink more of is carbonated soft drinks. (There is, however, a growing trend to remove those drinks from our schools, so maybe that will change. Do you know why health experts want soft drinks less available to our kids? Because of the weight problem many have.) So what’s the bottom line here? Water is good for us. We need to drink it. It’s nice to have it handy when we’re thirsty, even if we’re in the car or running down the street. Do we need to have it in a fancy bottle or decorator container? I don’t think so, but of course that’s only my opinion. During our months in the valley of the sun, we buy water by the gallon and drink only that which comes from the jug. How come? The stuff that comes out of the tap tastes awful, that’s why. And furthermore, everyone I know does the same thing, for the same reason. If you can turn on a faucet and fill a glass with pleasant tasting water, you don’t have to worry about those bottles. But in any case, I have it on good authority the plain plastic or glass bottles contain water that’s just as good as that stuff in the jeweled decorator bottles. So what’s the last word? L’chiam! Bert Lewis can be reached at BertLewis39@aol.com.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
A different kind of mission to Israel Christopher A. Stanosheck, D.D.S. 9202 West Dodge Road Suite 201 Omaha, NE 68114 402.884.1607 www.thesmiledesignstudio.com
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Continued from page 1 Based out of a Jerusalem hotel, for seven days straight, we awoke at the break of dawn and traveled around the country hearing speeches from military commanders, government spokesmen, a Supreme Court justice, and some of the most famous war heroes Israel has to offer. Each day, the group gained new insight into the struggles Israel faces both on the battlefield and in fighting its ethical/moral dilemmas. The mission really struck home when I stood on the border of Lebanon, staring back at the watchful eye of
let their journalists tell the truth. What became abundantly clear to all of us on the trip is that our community and country can give so much back to Israel in appreciation for its unwavering support of Judaism. This summer, I am working as an intern for the AntiDefamation League and Jewish Federation Community Relations Committee. My task is to research and design a touch screen kiosk in the Jewish Community Center
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The author, second from right, and Christina, another mission participant, meet Israeli infantry troops on the border with Lebanon. Hezbollah military positions, while a 22-year-old Israeli friend of mine -- Mike -- pointed out where his infantry platoon had fought last summer in the villages below. Other adventures on the mission included… • A discussion with a former undercover Palestinian agent and his handler who worked with the Israeli security services to infiltrate the Palestinian terror networks; • A visit to Israel’s Palmachim airbase to view robot spy planes, attack helicopters, and learn how Israel defends itself from the air; • Briefing by an Arab-Israeli Knesset Member about the tough racial and ethnic tensions facing his constituents in Israeli occupied territories; and • A visit to a military court near the West Bank and access to a courtroom where Hamas terrorists were being tried for their crimes. As the only democracy in the Middle East, there is nothing better for Israel than for Americans to ask educated questions about its actions and motives. As Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev proudly told us, the Israeli media views itself as having a duty to publicly expose faults in their government. Shurat HaDin’s mission trip surprisingly did little to hide the many voices of opinion in Israel. Regev joked that, “One can ask 50 Israelis what they think of their government and hear 50 different answers. Ask the same question to Syrians or Palestinians about their government, you’ll hear the same 50 answers that all echo the leadership’s positions.” We should be aware that Israel’s international reputation has been tarnished by the media not necessarily because its policies are worse than those of its neighbors, but because its Arab neighbors in the Middle East rarely
Israeli Merkava tank and flag waits at the tank base Latrun near Jerusalem. that will serve as a vehicle for people of all ages and backgrounds to be educated and updated on Israel. The project, called ‘Virtual Israel’, is the first of its kind and will provide easy and fun access to lessons, facts, movies, and other subjects regarding Israel. By creating an interactive source of up-to-date information on Israel, we can begin to increase public knowledge and awareness about Palestinian agent (left) fed intelligence to the Jewish peo- the Israeli government and his Israeli ple and their Shin Beth handler (right). Both are retired and the Palestinian agent has had homeland. In the war two family members murdered because against terror of his work. and religious extremism, education is one of the most powerful weapons the Western world possesses. By ensuring that Jewish communities feel more comfortable talking about the world, we can destroy hotbeds of extremism and in their place plant new seeds of understanding that will help make our planet a more peaceful place to live. David Aryeh Phillips, an Anti-Defamation League CRC Intern in the Omaha office, is a junior at George Washington University, majoring in International Affairs and Religion. He is the son of Dr. Eric and Julie Phillips.
Connections continue for Omaha Family Mission kids by LISA LIEB Federation Communications Director A mission to Israel is all about connections, and Family Mission participants connected with Israel in many special ways. The group spent time with children from Ma’ayanot, the school that twins with Friedel Jewish Academy, and with kids from the Bet Elzarki Children’s Home that Omaha Federation dollars help to support. The group connected with the Educator’s Mission at Sachna Springs and for Shabbat dinner. Connections to the past included a powerful look at the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, and a look at the different ways people have fought for Israel’s survival (including a visit to a hidden bullet factory that operated right under the nose of the enemy!). And one of the most special connections of all was when the group saw some Israeli soldiers protecting the Jewish homeland. The soldiers were given gift bags put together by the group, and three soldiers even hitched a ride on the mission bus.
Ethan Potash chats with his Ma'aynot pen pals.
Photos from top left: Johnny Baker and Bet Elzarki boy; Alyssa Kirshenbaum, Madison Baron and Rachel Sullivan meet the girls of Bet Elzarki.
JCC Maccabi Game grls: Gal Chen, left, and Lehi Sela, right, join Avery Lehr and Brenna Robinson.
July 6, 2007
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 7
Educators’ mission to Israel provides teacher training ... and so much more by MARY SUE GROSSMAN Tiberias, traveling through the Jordan Administrator, Center for Jewish Education Valley to arrive in Jerusalem on Friday At a Center for Jewish Education’s afternoon. Shabbat was welcomed at the school directors meeting last summer, Western Wall followed by Shabbat dinner discussion turned to teacher training with the Federation Family Mission. options for the coming year. Dr. Guy “I became complete in my Jewish idenMatalon, the agency’s executive director, tity as I experienced the celebration of commented “Wouldn’t it be great to take Shabbat at the Kotel, said Jill Idelman. “I a group of teachers to Israel next sum- was able to leave some very sad feelings mer?” Everyone looked at one another, and old baggage at that wall, but more “Well, could we?”-importantly I was able to take away a new With that simple exchange, planning found spirit.” Idelman, a secod grade for a teachers’ mission to Israel was teacher at Temple Israel, added, “The launched with untold phone calls, emails, change in my spirit is a story that I must meetings, and grant requests all centered share with each student who passes my on how to make such a trip happen. Last month, the idea became a reality when 21 educators from Beth El, Beyt Shalom, the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center, the Lincoln Community Religious School, and Temple Israel departed on the seven-day Educators’ Mission to Israel. Mission participants included Elyce Azriel, Lori Bennett, Toby Fellman, Jeff Ferber, Amy Filler-Katz, Mission participants explore the resource room at the Sue Gann, Dora Goldstrom, Jewish Agency in Jerusalem. Tracy Gordon, Carole Greenberg, Mary way, in hopes that everyone who hears Sue Grossman, Amanda Gustafson, Jill my story will also make that trip across Idelman, Natasha Kraft, Deborah the ocean to find their way home.” Kronick, Dr. Guy Matalon, Ann Noodell, Other activities centered in Jerusalem Christine Olsen, Rita Paskowitz, Eve included tours of the Old City, a trek Randone, Jennifer Rosenblatt, Judy through the Kotel Rabbinic tunnel, a Rubin, Patsy Wallace, and Maya visit to the Davidson Center and the Wertheimer. Southern Wall excavation, shopping on “The goals of the mission were to cre- Ben Yehuda Street, a trip to Yad Vashem ate awareness of Israel as a key compo- including a tour of the very powerful nent of Jewish education, provide an “Women in the Holocaust” exhibit, and opportunity for study of Jewish history a seminar and visit to the teacher and Judaism, connect the educators of resource center at the Jewish Agency our community to the Jewish people offices. Perhaps the favorite stop in through exploration of Jewish history in Jerusalem, however, was at a toy store Israel, and to introduce our educators to where numerous puzzles, books, and Israeli culture and the complexity of games were purchased to be used in reliJewish life in the Middle East,” stated gious school classrooms. Matalon. “In looking back on the experiA day trip from Jerusalem included a ence and reading the feedback from the drive through the Dead Sea basin, a tour teachers, I am confident that each of the of Masada, floating in the Dead Sea, and goals were not only met but definitely of course a stop at the Ahava factory. The exceeded.” changes in the Dead Sea Basin were quite The mission started in Acco, in stunning, highlighted with the huge sink Omaha’s Partnership area, the Western holes that have occurred. On the return Galilee. The highlight in the north was in to Jerusalem, camel rides gave particithe Arab village of Sheikh Danun. The pants some great photo ops! group watched dancing by a group of vilThe final day of the mission was spent lage children and then tried to learn in Tel Aviv with an emotional farewell some steps. Afterwards, everyone was dinner before heading to the airport. treated to dinner in the garden of Ahmad “My reconnection with Israel and seeSamanya, director of the community cen- ing the first time visitors from our group ter who visited Omaha last year. Many experiencing that holy place was such a participants considered the meal the best highlight for me,” said Maya of the entire trip! Wertheimer. From Acco, the group visited Tzfat and Continued on page 8
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The Omaha Educators’ Mission arrives in Jerusalem: front row, Tracy Gordon, left, Guy Matalon, Eve Randone, Rita Paskowitz, Mary Sue Grossman, Natasha Kraft, Sue Gann; back row: Jeff Ferber, Carole Greenberg, Amy Filler-Katz, Ann Noodell, Maya Wertheimer, Judy Rubin, Dora Goldstrom, Lori Bennett, Elyce Azriel, Jill Idelman, Toby Fellman, Jennifer Rosenblatt, Deborah Kronick, Christine Olsen, Amanda Gustafson, and Patsy Wallace.
Teachers become the students in the school at Masada.
My Sunday School tree by RITA PASKOWITZ As a child... I pictured Israel as a desert... With only one tree The one paid for... With the coins... I religiously brought to Sunday School... Every week... Until Leaf by leaf Its bare branches... Were green and full Ready to provide... Fruit and shade... For the children... In Eretz Yisroel. As a teenager... I pictured Israel as a movie... With Paul Newman and Sal Mineo Who would hide.,. From the bullets of enemies Ancient and modern Safe behind my tree.
As an adult... I could not picture Israel Unsure of its place in my life... And unsure of my place... In its unsure borders. And yet... When At last I visited the country... That gained independence... In the year of my birth I think I saw my Sunday School tree... Standing alone... Not far from the Dead Sea. It sheltered no one. It fed no one. It offered no one safety. It just stood there... In inhospitable soil... Surviving. It was worth every penny... Nickel... Dime... And quarter I spent.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
Educators’ mission
Who likes short shorts?
Continued from page 7 “Everyone I talked to and asked questions of had one intimate and personal thing to say either about the trip itself or a particular site. That made my day.” Sue Gann, a teacher in the Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center at the JCC, added, “I’ve walked where heroes
by CHERYL LERNER Administrative Assistant for Center for Jewish Education We like short shorts -- film shorts, that is. The Center for Jewish Education will present, “Summer Shorts” on Sunday, July 15, 7 p.m. in the Jewish Community Center Theatre, featuring four award winning Jewish film shorts. The program is free and open to the public. The Art of Farewell (seven minutes. Australia, English), was the winner of best screenplay at Tropfest Film Festival in Sydney, Australia. The film opens with an elderly man who walks into a tattoo shop with an ominous request. West Bank Story (21 minutes, USA. English) was the 2006 Academy Award Winner for Best Short and the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. A musical comedy set in the fast-paced, fast-food world of competing falafel stands on the West Bank, features “David”, an Israeli soldier, who falls in love with the beautiful Palestinian cashier, Fatima, despite the animosity between their families’ dueling restaurants. Can the couple’s love withstand a 2000 year old conflict and their families’ desire to control the future of the chic pea in the Middle East? The Tribe (18 minutes. USA. English) is narrated by Peter Coyote. What can the most successful doll on the planet show us about being Jewish today? The Tribe weaves together archival footage, graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on a ride through the complex history of
helped to bring together two of the largest Jewish populations in our state. Being able to share this experience with the Omaha Jewish educators was a privilege and I hope that we can continue to nurture our newfound friendships!” In summing up the experience, Natasha Kraft, an educator at Temple Israel said “I am Jewish; I always knew I was Jewish. I’ve always felt something deep inside about my Jewish identity, but this trip pulled out whatever it was inside that was tugging at me and made a spark. Something inside me that woke up. I am Jewish … and hear me roar!” Members of the Omaha Educators' Mission Jill Idelman, left, and Carole Does it get any Greenberg had a chance encounter at Sachna Springs with Family better than that? Mission participants, including Louri Sullivan. Funding for the of the Bible have walked. I thought of 2007 Educators’ Mission to Israel was my Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Waught, provided in part by the Shirley and a lot when I was in Israel. How she Leonard Goldstein Supporting breathed life into the stories of the Bible Foundation, the Herbert Goldsten and planted the seed of faith inside my soul. To be where these stories came to life and experience with all five senses, was so inspiring … Israel has breathed life into me.” Tracy Gordon from Lincoln was one of the many first time visitors to Israel. “I was overcome by a sense of Beth El’s contingent, pictured with Damon Rose, director of Partnership deep apprecia- 2000 in the Western Galilee, included Eve Randone, Maya Wertheimer, tion for Israeli Judy Rubin and Deborah Kronick. Rubin, Beth El education director life and the need presents Rose with a check representing the tzedakah that was collectfor American ed during the past year by Beth El’s Talmud Torah students, and noted Jews to do all that “students and staff overwhelmingly voted to donate all of the they can to sup- tzedakah to benefit our Partnership area in the Western Galilee.” The port this won- money will be used to assist those areas most affected by the 2006 war. derful country. Trust, the Milton and Corinne I know Israel will be more of a focus for Livingston Foundation, the Murray and us in our upcoming curriculum - and not Sharee Newman Supporting Foundation, just covering the surface material -- but a the Special Donor Advised Fund of the more in-depth look at the history, the Jewish Federation Foundation, Beth El, people, the food, the lifestyle, the lan- Beyt Shalom, the Pennie Z. Davis Child guage. She added that “this experience Development Center, and Temple Israel.
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JTA NEWS BRIEFS • A film about the 2005 evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza has won one of two top prizes at Berlin's annual Jewish Film Festival. Nicola Galliner, director of the 13-year-old festival, named 5 Days by director Yoav Shamir the “best Israeli film of 2007.” The award carries a prize of 3,000 Euro, or about $4,000. The public’s favorite film was The Galilee Eskimos, a tragic-comedy about a kibbutz on the brink of bankruptcy by Israeli director Jonathan Paz. • An estimated 20,000 Israelis rallied to demand that outgoing President Moshe Katsav be prosecuted for serious sexual misconduct. Saturday night’s rally in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square was called to protest a plea bargain offered to Katsav in which the president will confess to sexually harassing and molesting female staff and be spared graver charges and possible prison time.
both the Barbie doll and the Jewish people- from Biblical times to present day. By tracing Barbie’s history, the film sheds light on what it means to be an American Jew in the 21st Century. 180 Degrees to Jerusalem (24 minutes. Israel. Hebrew and English) opens with everything going great for the director: He inherited the benefits of two generations of New York Jews who turned their backs on their religious past and re-defined themselves in America. But when his Israeli pal, Shimon, walks into the trendy Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles one day and walks out newly religious, with a one-way ticket back to a yeshiva in Jerusalem, the director’s world is turned upside down. Following Shimon to Israel, he moves through different religious and spiritual communities investigating and wondering whether everyone, not just Madonna and Shimon, has lost his mind. Dr. Guy Matalon and Dr. William Blizek will lead a short discussion following the screening. Dr. Matalon is executive director of the CJE and Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Dr. Blizek is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at UNO, and founding editor of The Journal of Religion and Film. Film aficionados can look forward to the Sixth Annual Jewish Film Festival, featuring the best in new full length Jewish films. Be watching for, “Cool Nights, Hot Films” in the late fall. For more information on these programs, please contact Gary Katz at the Kripke Jewish Federation Library, 334.6462.
Recipes, memories to be shared at Beth El Rosh Hodesh meeting by JILL BELMONT Beth El Publicity Coordinator The women of Beth El will welcome the month of Av by sharing favorite family recipes at a Women’s Rosh Hodesh Group meeting planned for Monday, July 16, 7 p.m., at the home of Pam Friedlander, 1376 So. 137 Ave. The gettogether, “Family Recipes to Share and Memories to Bring,” will be co-hosted by Cheryl Kricsfeld. Friedlander has asked attendees to email or mail her recipes which will be compiled into a booklet and distributed during the meeting; she also encouraged everyone interested to bring samples of their favorite dishes for all to enjoy. To RSVP for the meeting, contact Friedlander at 334.8773, or pfriedla@ cox.net.
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July 6, 2007
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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Opportunity Omaha and Yachad attend joint activity by DENA RENNARD do. It is incredibly eye-opening to work one on one Federation Intern with those who are different from us; it allows us to “Opportunity Omaha,� It’s More Than Just a Job become more accepting and aware of how similar we all joined the Yachad program this past weekend on a truly are. delightful outing. Yachad is sponsored by Jewish Family Overall, the program was a hit. Yachad participants Service and provides social, cultural, and religious pro- seemed to enjoy playing with the college students. grams to people with develMany smiles and high fives opmental disabilities. Partiwere exchanged throughout cipants from both programs the afternoon. These physiinteracted through bowling, cal exchanges helped stuputt-putting, and bumper dents to realize just how cars at the Amazing Pizza much fun the Yachad participants were having. Machine recently. Murow agreed that the College students paired program was a hit, and up with Yachad participants Bernstein commented that allowing everyone to have it would “be beneficial to do great experiences with an it again!� individual quite different Adviser Duane Pieper was from themselves. very appreciative to have Daniel Murow commentyoung students volunteered that “It was hard to coming with the Yachad organimunicate at times with the zation and also thought that person I worked with, but I got a lot out of the experi- Jewish college students joined members of Yachad for an the event was a hit. He hopes to see more young ence and he seemed to be outing last month. having a great time.� Sean Bernstein’s experience, community members getting involved in service opporthough just as positive, was quite different. He said, “I tunities! “Opportunity Omaha� will be participating in anothbonded a lot with the person I worked with. I really er service project with City Sprouts on July 8 and 15. enjoyed it, everyone was very cool.� The program allowed students the opportunity to Please call me at 334.6429 or e-mail drennard@jewwork with developmentally challenged individuals, ishomaha.org for more information about upcoming something that not many people have had the chance to events.
Local author pens locale fiction
BOOK REVIEW by OLIVER B. POLLAK Writing about a book by a friend entails risk and reverence. While Timothy Schaffert’s Devils in the Sugar Shop (Denver: Unbridled Books, $14.95) uses the words schmattes, zaftig, feh, and kvetch, it is not a book with a Jewish base. There are few novels with an Omaha setting. Omaha’s civil rights movement appears in the Education of an American Wasp (1971) in which Lois Stalvey depicted African Americans Ernie Chambers and surgeon Claude Organ, and UNO English professor Carl Jonas produced The Sputnik Rapist (1973) set in “River City.� Tim’s Omaha geography is built around the Old Market. Jackson Street Booksellers and the Blue Barn Theatre have been renamed Mermaids Singing, Used & Rare and Rubberneck Theatre. Omaha readers will be familiar with Mr. Toad, Nouvelle Eve, French Cafe, M’s, Ted & Wally’s ice-cream, Upstream, Nicola’s, Bemis Art Center, the peripatetic Old Market rose seller, the Orpheum, and the La Buvette gustatory social scene. How will these watering holes resonate with nonOmahans?
Going further afield the Dundee Theater, 49er, Happy Hollow Boulevard, Satellite Motel, Dillards, I80, and Aurora in Hamilton County make it into the story. Shaffert’s story is more than geography and locale. Perceptions of Omaha as a puritanical city are dispelled by tupperware-like parties to sell sexual apparatus to women to heighten their pleasure. Wife swapping is the subject of an investigative journalist. Two extended vignettes stand out. Troy, a married reporter, thinking he is sending a torrid email to his lover creates domestic havoc when he missends it to his teenage daughter Peyton. Troy’s spouse, Ashley a frustrated writer of erotic novels for women, toils with her son Lee coming out of the closet. Nebraska soil is cinematically fertile as Schafferts references to film include Alex Payne’s Election. And who remembers that Rosemary’s Baby has Omaha connections. Schaffert suggests that Nebraska is possibly the most landlocked place on earth; Kearney is 1733 miles from Boston and San Francisco. This is Shaffert’s third novel and I look forward to future efforts. Oliver B. Pollak author, historian, and attorney, can be reached at obpi@aol.com.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The latest installation at the Durham Western Heritage Museum offers good old-fashioned family fun for all! The museum’s new exhibit, Cowboy Up!, will be on display through Sunday, July 26, in the Velde Gallery. Besides being available for museum visitors, the exhibit will also be used throughout the summer for educational day camps and workshops for children. For more information on the Durham Western Heritage Museum and its exhibits, please visit our Web site at www.dwhm.org. Cox Communications Music and Movies, a new series presented by Omaha Performing Arts and Turner Classic Movies, is the first series to be launched in the outdoor courtyard at the Holland Performing Arts Center. The series, which is free and open to the public, begins Friday, July 13, and will feature a performance by a local musical group followed by a classic film provided by Turner Classic Movies.
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Doors open at 7:30 p.m. The music begins at 7:45 p.m., and the film begins at 8:45 p.m. Grass seating will be limited, but blankets and chairs are encouraged. Guckenheimer, the official food service provider for the Holland Center, will have picnic baskets, priced $18 and up, available for pre-order online at www.omahaperformingarts.org/music. Picnic baskets, individually priced sandwiches and snack items, and bar service will also be available for purchase during the event. Only food purchased at the Holland Performing Arts Center is permitted. In case of inclement weather, the events will be moved indoors. The calendar is as follows: Friday, July 13 Music: Extra Space Jazz Movies: North by Northwest; Friday, August 3 Music: Satchel Grande and Movie: West Side Story; Friday, August 31 Music: Camille DeVore Quartet and Movie: The Wizard of Oz. For more information about the Cox Communications Music and Movies, contact Ticket Omaha at 402.345.0606, 866.434.TKTS (8587), or visit www.omahaperformingarts.org/movies.
DEADLINE NOTICE Please send all articles, photos and ads to the Press by Thursdays, 9 a.m., for all regular issues. Early deadlines will be announced in advance. Questions? Call 334.6448. Photos used in the March 30 Passover issue and earlier special issues must be picked up at the Press office; any remaining photos will be turned over to the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society.
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Page 10
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
ORGANIZATIONS WALK-IN, DROP-IN For those members going out to lunch to the Fox and Hound on Thursday, please meet at the JCC at 10:45 a.m. Come watch the Academy Award Winning movie, The Queen, featuring Oscar winner Helen Mirren starting at 12:30 p.m., in the Blumkin Home auditorium. Popcorn will be served. For information call Maggie Conti at 334.6521.
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LOMIR REDN YIDDISH Come to the Yiddish meeting at the JCC on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. If you have any Yiddish books you would like to donate, please call Anne Skolkin at 343.1638. VISIONS Reminder: For those members going to the Omaha Royals Baseball Game on Thursday, July 12, please meet for dinner at 6 p.m. in the Stadium View Club. The next luncheon meeting is Friday, July 20, 12:30 p.m., at Caniglia’s Venice Inn. The cost is $10 per person. Special guest is Alan Potash ADL/CRC Director. Send reservations to Tootie Simon, 8725 Izard St., Omaha, NE 68114 by July 13. For Questions, call Harry Alloy at 697.8709. For transportation. call Betty Kolnick at 553.4748. Join Visions at Lauritzen Gardens Botanical Center on Monday, July 30 (gather at the Gardens at 9:45 a.m.; the Tram will leave at 10 a.m.) Lunch follows at Lucky's Restaurant (1001 Pacific). Cost is $20 and includes lunch, tax, tip and gardens admission (if you have a current membership to the Lauritzen Gardens, bring your card, and your cost is $13 per person). A narrated tram tour will take us to unique outdoor garden areas of Nebraska to view wild flowers, summer perennials, the Rose Garden, Sanpu Gate -- Omaha’s beautiful new Japanese gate, the entry to the future Japanese Garden now under construction, and Kenefick Park, for a closeup of the two largest locomotives every built by Union Pacific. Send reservations to Sissy Silber, 311 Oakridge Ct., Bellevue, NE 68005 by July 25. For questions, call Doris Alloy at 697.8709 and rides call Betty Kolnick at 553.4748. Brownville Concert Series presents “The Great American Songbook with Tom Michael and Beckie Menzie” on Sunday, Aug. 12 in historic Brownville Nebraska; dinner following at Jack and Mary’s. The cost of $35 includes coach, admission, dinner, tax and tips. Depart from the JCC at noon (be at the JCC by 11:45 a.m.) and return approximately at 7 p.m. Send reservation to Rose Pitlor, 827 Dillon Drive, Omaha, NE 68132 by July 26. For questions, call Ethel Goldston at 393.7358; for rides call Betty Kolnick at 553.4748. Make all checks payable to Visions. B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS Bill Ramsey and Betty Dineen Shrier will speak at Breadbreakers on Wednesday, July 11, noon, at Regency Lodge, according to Gary Javitch, chairman. Ramsey and Shrier will discuss their upcoming book about David Kaufmann, a Nebraska merchant who saved hundreds from the Holocaust and brought them to Nebraska. All men and women in the community are
Summertime fun
Photos from top: Campers at Chabad’s Gan Israel learn how to make treats from Rocheyl Katzman, one of the instructors at the twoweek day camp. which ends this Friday. Preschooler Lauren Kirk enjoys “cleaning up” the leftovers. Photos by Annette Vandekamp
invited to attend. Cost is $12 for a complete lunch and $3 for beverage service only. JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL Jewish Women International will have a board meeting on Monday, July 9, 9:30 a.m., at the Village Inn at 7837 Dodge St. We will set up the calendar for events of the year. If you need further information, call Frieda Krizelman 391.0661.
MARRIAGES ROITSTEIN/BERNTEIN Carrie Roitstein and Steve Bernstein of Chicago, IL were married on May 27 at Beth El Synagogue. Rabbi Mordechai Levin performed the ceremony. The bride, daughter of Debbie and Lloyd Roitstein, graduated from University of Illinois with a B.S. and earned her Doctor of Optometry from Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, IL. She works as a Optometrist with Lieberman and Associates. Her atttendants were Michelle Sonsino, Jen Shenfield, Lisa Loftis, Richelle Fields, Rochelle Guindon, Jenifer Hebert, and Shimul Shah. Her grandparents are Ann Roitstein and the late Morris Roitstein, and the late Blair and DeLorous Smith. The groom, son of Linda and Arnold Bernstein of North Port, NY, earned a B.A. from University of New York at Buffalo. He is Vice President/Central Region for Sony Pictures Television. His attendants were his brother, Mike Bernstein, Steve Roitstein, Jon Korngold, Seth Shenfeld, Todd Aronauer, Glenn Aronauer, Mark Aronauer. His grandparents are the late Jeanne and Alan Bernstein, and the late Beatrice and William Masin, and the late Max Aronauer. Following a wedding trip to Greece and Italy, the couple returned to their home in Chicago.
IN THE NEWS Sarah Anne Alloy McGuan, daughter of Roxanne and Terry McGuan, a graduate of Lockport Township High School, will be attending and playing tennis for the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater is fall. During Sarah’s four years on the Varsity tennis team she played number one singles and number one doubles, competing at State in Illinois and ranking in Northern Illinois. Sarah, is the granddaughter of Bette and Sam Alloy.
Progress obvious in Home’s construction
With the basement walls poured and steel framing in place, construction workers are nearly ready to start building the outside walls of the Special Care Unit at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. To donate to the Home’s New Beginning, contact Mike Silverman, executive director of JSS/RBJH, at 334.6512 or respond to the telethon on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 10-11.
July 6, 2007
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 11
A light unto the nation LETTER FROM N EW YORK by VICTOR WISHNA The Maccabees’ legendary oil may have burned for eight days and nights, but at the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., the low-wattage bulb in the ner tamid has lasted more than a century, ever since the building was first electrified in the1880s. Built nearly 250 years ago, Touro -- the oldest synagogue in the United States and the only one remaining from preRevolutionary times -- is famous for its longevity, architectural elegance, and status as a symbol of American civil liberty. Any mention of the synagogue (for example, this one) must include a reference to the 1790 letter from George Washington assuring Touro’s congregants and all “Children of the Stock of Abraham” that “happily the Government of the United States…gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” Yet for most people, Touro is a tour stop, a footnote in American Jewish history, or at best a chapter heading. Even Rabbi Mordechai Eskovitz, who had always included Touro (and Washington’s letter) in the history classes he taught, “presumed it was just a museum,” he says, “not a functioning synagogue.” That is, until he heard they were hiring. “I thought, ‘what a great opportunity to relive Jewish history,’” says the rabbi, who has lead the congregation here for the last 11 years. Congregation Jeshuat Israel, whose forebears built the shul, claims a membership roll of about 130 families. Services are conducted in the Orthodox Sephardic style -- men pray from benches arranged 360-degrees around the reading platform while the women’s gallery is located atop the 12 iconic columns representing Israel’s twelve tribes -- but the synagogue does not affiliate with any major movement. “There’s no way to classify us because we change from day to day,” Rabbi Eskovitz says. “One day, everybody’s wearing black hats, the next everyone is wearing little kipot srugot (knitted kipot), and the next day Chasidim are sitting next to liberal Jews.” The synagogue receives about 30,000 visitors a year for its weekday tours, but on the first Shabbat morning of the summer season, about 30 have come to daven. The assembly is a mix of local families, officers from the Newport Naval Station, and observant visitors, including a couple staying at the nearby kosher bedand-breakfast Eskovitz helped establish. Even on this relatively quiet Shabbat morning, there is no way not to be transported back in history. Set back from Touro Street on one of Newport’s high-
est points, the classical Georgian-style building is angled to face east toward Jerusalem. In 1759, Rev. Isaac Touro, a hazzan born in Holland, commissioned Peter Harrison, considered America’s first professional architect, who, according to records, never submitted a bill, calling the effort “a labor of love” (for everything else, presumably, Touro needed a building fund). The early days were some of the glory days for Touro, Rabbi Eskovitz explains later, as “incredible people” -- not just President Washington -- passed through Touro on their way to impacting the rest of the country. The prominent Colonialera minister Ezra Stiles studied Hebrew with the rabbis here, and later, as president of Yale College, made learning the
allow him to enter a building with only one exit). In his time here, Rabbi Eskovitz has played host to numerous “Jewish dignitaries,” from Steven Spielberg to Senator Joe Lieberman, a frequent guest. “To this day, there is still a rubbing of shoulders between Touro and people with great influence,” he says. This fall begins a yearlong observance of the 350th anniversary of the Jewish community in Newport -- the second Jewish community in North America, arriving (historians believe) from Curaçao, four years after another boatload of Jewish families had docked at New Amsterdam in 1654. It was the Jews of Rhode Island, however, who immediately flourished in the freedom of the New World, having chosen Roger Williams’s colony because it was founded as a haven of religious toler-
Left: the 1790 letter from congregational leader Moses Sexias to President George Washington welcoming him to Newport and thanking him for the government’s support, and Washington’s response to the Touro congregation assuring them of the government’s tolerance, are on display at the historic Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI., below. ance more than a century before the American Revolution. (In noble Newport, where tourists flock to the restored summer mansions of the Vanderbilts and the Astors for a little gilt-by-association and where many prominent New York and Boston families still maintain lavish cliffside homes, it can be easy to forget that spirit of equality.) To celebrate and enlighten, Rabbi Eskovitz is planning programs and recruiting a roster of prominent people language a requirement for all students. who have had “a strong impact on During his tenure, Yale’s valedictory American life through their Jewish perspeeches were delivered in Hebrew and sona.” The wish list includes Spielberg, the Hebrew inscription he added to the who visited Touro while in Newport to school’s seal (“Urim” and “Tumim”) film Amistad and came back with his chilremains to this day. dren for a three-hour session with the In the 20th century, Presidents rabbi. Eisenhower and Kennedy visited, sitting Eskovitz also hopes to lure Robert in the pew of honor where Washington Kraft, the noted philanthropist and once sat, and Clinton almost did (at the owner of the New England Patriots. You last moment, the secret service would not could say Kraft owes them one. The con-
gregation offered up a misheberach blessing for the Patriots the year they won their first Super Bowl. “We do special blessings for many occasions, and that happened to be one of them,” the rabbi says, noting the synagogue also gave a “one-time” misheberach for the Boston Red Sox in 2004 before the team went on to win its first World Series in 86 years -- the blessing, perhaps, that broke the Curse of the Bambino. Indeed, as the only Jewish site designated a National Historic Shrine by the National Park Service, Touro attracts plenty of people who see it as a place where “their prayers can be answered,” says Rabbi Eskovitz, who adds that many have contacted him after a visit to thank him for a wish that came true. “I’m very happy for them,” he says, “though this may have more to do with the power of positive thinking.” But the rabbi is most touched by the random visitors who walk into the synagogue -- the only religious site named named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as “the most beautiful house of worship in America” -- and rediscover their own connection to Judaism. He says that numerous Jewish adults with no religious education or background have visited and then requested a bar mitzvah ceremony. “And we oblige everyone,” he says. “It’s part of our responsibility as an international synagogue. We want to get attention -- we want to maintain our past, but also chart our future as well.” From his office window, he watches as people arrive after hours and, unable to get into to see the building, nonetheless kiss the mezuzah he commissioned for the property’s large stone gateway. He is encouraged that a growing number of Jewish people are building or buying summer homes near the synagogue, and he is also raising money to build a new mikveh to replace the one that functioned here until 50 years ago. The sanctuary, meanwhile, reopened a year ago after a complete restoration. On the newly polished candelabra and candlesticks, all original, one can now read the names of those who donated them as far back as the late 1700s. In a glass display next to the Ark stands a 500-year-old Torah scroll brought over from Europe by some of the early members. And also among the “artifacts” uncovered by the crew was the original light bulb from the ner tamid, which, when replaced in its socket, glowed once again -- a fitting symbol in a building that has always been a symbol. “We were once the leaders in [American] Jewish history,” Rabbi Eskovitz says. “Why can’t we do it again?” Victor Wishna lives and writes in New York City. He can be reached at LetterFromNY@juno.com.
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Page 12
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
On guard while traveling By now everyone has heard about the car bomb found outside a nightclub in Piccadilly, London’s West End, another suspicious vehicle on Cockspur Street, and the suicide car crash into Glasgow’s passenger terminal. The loss of life would have been in the hundreds had an ambulance driver not spotted the smoke coming from that first car. That of course triggered the widespread search around London, as authorities know Al Qeada and their copycats tend to throw one-two punches in their terrorist attacks. As Americans travel abroad and send their teens on supervised trips, it’s best to be on guard. Keep a watchful eye for packages left unattended, for erratic drivers, for anyone running away from a crowd, and for anything else that looks out of the ordinary (just what is “ordinary” these days we no longer know). Although no one -- and no place -- seems safe and free from these seemingly random attacks on innocent people, we should not allow anarchists to dictate how we go about our daily lives. There are other threats while traveling, too, and not from terrorists, but from the teams of pickpockets and thieves that seem to roam every capital and seaside resort in the world. So how do you protect yourself (and your teen)? Before you leave on vacation (or send your teen on a supervised trip), do the following: • Make triplicate copies of passports, birth certificates, driver’s licenses and the front and back of all credit cards. • Leave a copy with your spouse, sibling or parent, and another copy with someone else you trust. • Take a copy, along with two extra passport photos if you’re going outside the United
States -- you’ll need a passport for Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands now, and store separately from the originals. • If traveling with a relative (or friend), exchange copies of documents -- and consider having authorized use of one another’s credit cards. • Print information about U.S. embassies in the cities you’ll be visiting and just keep that in your luggage. • Keep originals in a safe place on your person (in a document holder under your shirt or in a fanny pack which you should never remove). • Keep extra cash -- dollars, euros or shekels -- hidden in your luggage in case your wallet is stolen. • Rent a cell phone that works in the country you’ll be visiting. • And leave a copy of your itinerary, including addresses of hotels or homes where you’ll be staying, overseas phone numbers and other contact information, with friends or relatives back home. If your documents are stolen, you’ll already have copies of everything you need (and passport photos) to get a three-month temporary passport from the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate. You can also use your overseas phone to call credit card companies to report them as stolen. Some companies, like American Express, for example, will FedEx you a new card within 24 hours. Embassy personnel also can help you arrange for transfers of funds through Western Union.
No one wants to be violated by having personal information, cash or their identity stolen, but steps can be taken in advance to ensure that no permanent damage is done and that your trip (or your teen’s) can still proceed safely and confidently. Enjoy travelling, have fun and don’t worry. Just travel safely -- and smartly -- this summer and always!
Jewish Press Committee Bobbi Leibowitz, Vice-Chairman; Stan Mitchell, Secretary; Scott Meyerson, Treasurer; Michael Siegel, Finance Chairman; Joanie Jacobson, Immediate Past-chairman; David Herzog; Susan Lehr; Jamie Meyerson; George Quittner; Melissa Schop; Michael Sigmond; 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. Centers of Excellence of the Federation are: Community Relations, Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Senior Services. The Jewish Press is a constitutional committee of the Jewish Federation. Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Committee, the Jewish Federation of Omaha 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.
In Nitzan, with the evacuees from Gaza
JOURNAL ENTRY FROM ISRAEL by TEDDY WEINBERGER I recently spent a Shabbat in Nitzan to help celebrate the bar mitzvah of Yehonatan Golan. The Golans, cousins of my wife Sarah, used to live in Neveh Dekalim in the Gaza Strip. In retrospect, the mood for the Shabbat was already set with the invitation that we received. According to the invitation, Yehonatan’s bar mitzvah would be taking place “in the central synagogue of Neveh Dekalim” (this was followed by an acronym, often used for the Temple, signifying: “May it speedily be rebuilt and established in our days, Amen”). Further down on the invitation was written: “In the event that we have not yet returned to our home by then, services will take place in our temporary residence in Nitzan.” Even though I am someone who is not convinced that the evacuation from Gaza was a mistake, a visit to Nitzan filled me with sadness. As we drove to the Golan’s home, we saw a sign welcoming us to Neveh Dekalim -the very sign that was in the Gaza settlement. And the same name plaque that stood before the Golans’ home in Gush Katif (literally, “harvest bloc,” the term used for the constellation of Jewish settlements in Gaza), now stands before the Golans’ temporary home. A total of about 500 families from Gush Katif (mostly from Neveh Dekalim) live in prefabricated houses (called caravillas) in Nitzan, which is located between Ashdod and Ashkelon within a few miles of the Mediterranean Sea. There is a definite lack of permanence to the community in Nitzan.
Behind or alongside each caravilla, is a shipping container filled with the family’s belongings that could not fit into the temporary home (most families left homes that were more than double the 1,000 square feet of the caravilla). While some families tend to the lawn that surrounds their home, others do not, and in the public spaces weeds abound. Construction for permanent housing for the evacuees has begun in Nitzan, but it is proceeding very slowly.
How sad and silly a world that requires the uprooting of people and the destruction of their homes just to move them a half-hour ride up the road. Though the disengagement occurred in the summer of 2005, and though Israel fought a war in the summer of 2006 and is currently undergoing more than the usual amount of political turmoil, the evacuation is still a sore that has not healed in Nitzan. In his drasha during Friday night services, for example, Rabbi Yigal Kaminetsky, formerly Chief Rabbi of Gush Katif and now the state rabbi in Nitzan, had occasion to compare the expulsion from Gaza with what sometimes happens after someone dies -- in both cases we do not know what we have until we have lost it. I asked Chavi Golan if she really thought that a return to Gaza was a possibility. She said that this is not as unlikely as it might sound. She pointed out that the continued shelling of Israeli towns from Gaza may mean that Israel decides to send in its forces and conquer the area (and events of mid-May did nothing to make this scenario seem less likely).
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But she noted that logistically, military control of Gaza can only be maintained by the presence of Jewish towns in the area. Chavi acknowledged that if it suddenly was possible to return to Gaza there would be people who would not do so; they would say: “Once is enough.” Chavi, however, would return without hesitation; she says: “I miss the feeling of living in a place that is a bulwark for the security of the State of Israel. Going about my daily life in Neveh Dekalim, I had this basic feeling that where I was living had ultimate importance. I don’t have that now and I miss it.” A trip to Nitzan shows how difficult life has been for many of the thousands whose homes were destroyed in the evacuation from Gaza. It’s true that the settlers refused to plan for life after the evacuation until it actually occurred, and it’s true that staying together has been the #1 priority for most Neveh Dekalim residents even at the expense of employment. But it’s extremely difficult not to sympathize with the plight of the evacuees after spending some time with them. I could not help but think: How sad and silly a world that requires the uprooting of people and the destruction of their homes just to move them a half-hour ride up the road. How terrible that the State of Israel concluded that this was a necessary step for its own security. I only pray that 30 years from now it will be clear to all that the sacrifice that was forced upon the people of Gush Katif was necessary and vital. Right now this is not clear, making a trip to Nitzan all the more poignant. Teddy Weinberger made aliyah 11 years ago with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Ross, and their five children. He works in the Education Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel and can be reached at weinross@netvision.net.il.
Editorial The Jewish Press is a Constitutional Committee 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. Letters to the Editor Guidelines The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1-402-334-5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org.. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be singlespaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events. News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.” The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions, but should be printed as soon as possible to ensure timeliness. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer, but the name can be withheld at the writer’s request. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf. Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For more information, contact Carol Katzman, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450. Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly on Friday for $33 per calendar year U.S.; $40 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422. Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or e-mail to: jpress@jewishomaha. org.
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Does Tony Blair bring baggage or assets to his new role? BEHIND THE HEADLINES by RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Tony Blair brings a lot to his new job as a peace envoy: His hands-on experience as British prime minister in dealing with Middle East issues, the confidence President Bush places in him as a loyal supporter of the Iraq war, a long-held view that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is vital to stabilizing the region. The question in this case is whether “a lot” constitutes usefulexperience or debilitating baggage. Israeli and Palestinian leaders are welcoming, if a little wary of Blair, whose new role was announced June 27 by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Blair will be the envoy of the Quartet, the diplomatic grouping of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union. “Blair comes with baggage on the Arab side of having done Iraq,” said Stephen Cohen, a scholar with the Israel Policy Forum, referring to Blair’s lockstep involvement with Bush in pursuing the war, now seen as a destabilizing debacle. “He needs Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan -- and Syria for that matter -- if he’s going to succeed,” Cohen said. All those countries, he added, are profoundly unhappy with the outcome of the Iraq war. “On the Israeli side,” Cohen continued, “he comes with the baggage of someone who has supported the idea of linkage” of the Israeli-Palestinian problem to reforming the Middle East, “and Israel is afraid of linkage.” Blair has consistently linked Israeli-
Palestinian peace to broader Middle East stability, something that officials in Jerusalem resent because of the burden it places on them. Blair’s sponsorship of a 2003 conference in London on advancing Palestinian statehood was a nadir in the relationship. The British leader did not giv advance notice of the conference, which included a number of Arab states, and Israel refused to allow the Palestinian delegation to attend. That’s water under the bridge, according to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who endorsed the new appoint-
believed to see a Blair appointment as dangerous. Bush until now has been unquestionably pro-Israel, but he also trusts Blair implicitly. The worry is that Blair could nudge Bush into pressuring Israel into making security concessions to allow greater freedom of movemen for the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority leadership also has welcomed Blair’s appointment, partly for the same reasons as Olmert. Both Olmert and P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas are weak because of military debacles -- Olmert because of Israel’s failure to crush Hezbollah in last summer’s Lebanon war, Abbas because of the Hamas victory against forces loyal to Abbas’ F a t a h Party earlier this month in the Gaza Strip. Both are looking for a dramatic Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair way out of the politigive a joint news conference in Jerusalem on Sept. 9, 2006. Credit: Pool/BPH Images/JTA cal wilderness. ment when he met with President Bush Blair’s mandate will be to build institulast week. Miri Eisin, Olmert’s spokes- tions and economic capacity among the woman, has said that Israel is “very sup- Palestinians. American officials say he will portive of Prime Minister Blair and of his have a mission of bringing a “civil sociecontinuing involvement in the Middle ty” to a polity descending into interEast and the peace process.” necine warfare and will not deal with Still, some of Olmert’s advisers are final-status issues.
Seeking Israeli “peace patsies”
NEWS ANALYSIS by DR. AARON LERNER “Moderate” Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas wants Israel to release Palestinian murders. “Moderate” Abbas doesn’t just want Israel to free those who engaged in terror against the Jewish State before Oslo. He wants Israel to free such murderers as “moderate” Marwan Barghoutti, who between peace confabs with Israeli leftists during the heydays of Oslo managed to find the time to direct the murder of Israelis. In point of fact, the “moderate” Palestinians don’t draw any line when it comes to the release of terrorists. As far as they are concerned, a Palestinian who murders an Israeli a minute ago should also be released. And a Palestinian who murders an Israeli next week should also get a free pass. Contrast this attitude with Jordan’s. Seventeen years ago four Jordanians were captured after killing two Israeli soldiers. They have been serving life sentences in Israeli prisons ever since. Seventeen years ago --that’s ages before Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan. But the Hashemite royal family isn’t asking for Israel to free these murderers. They asked Israel to transfer the four murderers to Jordanian prison to make it easier for their families to visit them. What a contrast. The Palestinian “moderates” consider anyone who murders an Israeli to be a hero. They are worthy of emulation and freeing them is a priority. The Jordanians have no qualms applying Israeli prison sentences to Jordanian citizens -- even a life sentence on a Jordanian who was a minor at the time of the crime. The attitude of the Palestinians towards the punishment of terrorists is a litmus test of their seriousness. As long as they cannot draw the line on violence against Israel and accept the incarceration of those who engage in terror, they aren’t looking for Israeli “peace partners.” They are looking for Israeli “peace patsies.” Dr. Lerner is Director of IMRA, Independent Media Review & Analysis, and can be reached at: imra@netvision.net.il.
That was also the mission of his predecessor, James Wolfensohn, who quit the World Bank to take the job in 2005. He departed in despair a littl more than a year later. Although nominally answerable to the entire Quartet, Wolfensohn took hi orders from Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state. That left him subject to the machinations of Elliott Abrams, the deputy national security adviser who is the Bush administration’s last word on Israel issues, and who has resisted any concessions to the Palestinians. Wolfensohn found littl backing from Bush for pressing Israel to open up transit points into the Gaza Strip. Blair might be able to bypass the Bush administration hierarchy, however, and take his case directly to the president. “The question is, has Blair reached a meeting of the minds with the U.S on the scope of his authority?” said David Makovksy, an analyst with th Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Blair may have won over Abbas, but he has a credibility problem in the Palestinian street, said Samar Assad, who directs the Palestine Center, a Washington-based think tank. Notwithstanding Blair’s lip service to Palestinian statehood, the Blair government joined Bush in isolating the Palestinian Authority while Hamas ruled it and not pressing Israel to make good on freedom of movement agreements, Assad said. “He’s got a lot to prove,” Assad said. Cohen, the IPF analyst, said Blair’s performance is ultimately less important than that of his Israeli and Palestinian interlocutors. “The problem is not the baggage, but if they’re willing to travel,” Cohen said. “If they were willing to travel, he could carry the baggage.”
Are Israel’s black African priorities backwards?
FOCUS ON ISSUES by DAVID BEDEIN Rescue operations conducted by the government of Israel to bring more than 16,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel represented one of the few times in history that a Black African community willingly and enthusiastically moved to a majority-white Western country. From the point of view of Ethiopian Jewry, the had come home to Zion. Having visited Ethiopian Jews during their trek from Ethiopia during Operation Moses in 1984, this reporter heard numerous stories from Ethiopian Jews about their own prophetic lore. Passed down from one generation to the next was a tradition that Ethiopian Jews would be repatriate to Zion when the last emperor of the Solomonic dynasty would fall. And when Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia, was overthrown in 1974, that wa one of the signs that Ethiopian Jews would indeed come home. Although Israeli Jews of Ethiopian origin now number more than 100,000, there were some Ethiopian Jews who were left behind. They are the 15,700 Ethiopian Jews from a group known as the Falash Mura, the remnants of Ethiopian Jews who had been forcibly converted over the course of previous generations. After intense pressure, the Israeli government made a decision on Feb. 16, 2003, that anyone who can trace maternal descent to Jews of Ethiopia would be allowed to return to Israel under the Law of Return. The Israeli government then launched Operation Promise to raise funds to bring this last community of Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
With expectations raised, these 15,700 Ethiopian Falash Mura have moved their residence into three temporary compounds in the Gondar region of Ethiopia, awaiting their repatriation to Zion. However, the Israeli government will only allow 300 Falash Mura per month to arrive in Israel. No one in the Israel government will give an explanation as to why such a low quota exists. Meanwhile, although the Israeli government is supposed to be providing “Immigration Eligibility Forms” for the Falash Mura, no Israeli government representative has visited the three compounds where the Falash Mura have been lingering since the decision to bring them to Israel. No Israeli government official will give an explanation for this policy. However, the Israeli government is making every effort to absorb at least 5,000 Muslim Sudanese refugees from Darfur, who are leaving transit camps where they had been living in temporary accommodations in Egypt. The Israeli collective farms known as kibbutzim are absorbing the Darfur refugees and giving them work in exchange for room and board. How an unpaid Muslim population will integrate into Israeli society is a question that no one in Israel is prepared to deal with. Now the Jewish State prepares to welcome African non-Jews, who are strangers to Israel, while it turns its back on African Jews who perceive Israel as their home. To learn more about the plight of remaining Ethiopian Jewry, check out the web site of “The Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry” at www.SSEJ.org.
... the Jewish State prepares to welcome African non-Jews, who are strangers to Israel, while it turns its back on African Jews who perceive Israel as their home.
David Bedein is Bureau Chief of the Israel Resource News Agency, and President of the Center for Near East Policy Research. He can be reached at: media@actcom.co.il.
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Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
Candlelighting Friday, July 6, 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
Rose Blumkin Jewish Home 333 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
Tree of Life Center 2925 Prairie Road Lincoln, NE 68506 613.7443 email: treeoflife.rabbimichael @yahoo.com
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Allan Handleman, 334.6451, or Terri Greenwood, 334.6559.
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE FRIDAY: Services followed by Oneg, 7:30 p.m.
Circle, Omaha NE 68144. For more information, contact Gloria Goodman at 333.3351.
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
BETH ISRAEL 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 is sponsored by Beth El; D’var Torah by Andrew Greenberg; Mincha/ 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. W E E K D AY S E R V I C E S : Sundays, 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; weekdays 6:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY: Bible Discussion Group, 10 a.m. WOMEN’S ROSH HODESH GROUP: Monday, July 16, 7 p.m. at the home of Pam Friedlander, 1376 So. 137 Ave. Theme: “Family Recipes to Share and the Memories They Bring.” RSVP to Friedlander at pfriedla@cox.net or 334.8773. BARBECUE & BARCHU: On Friday, July 27, 5:30 p.m., enjoy Shabbat for all ages at Zorinsky Lake. Meet at Shelter #2 (off of 156th St., south of West Center Road). Dinner is planned for 6:15 p.m.; services, 6:45 p.m. Cost: $8.50 for adults; $4 for children five-12; no charge for children younger than five. RSVP by Monday, July 23 to Margie Gutnik in the office, or at programming@bethel-omaha.org. Note: Shabbat services will also be held at 8:30 p.m. at the synagogue. HAZAK INSTALLATION: Annual installation ceremony and champagne brunch will be held Sunday, July 29, 11 a.m. at the synagogue. Featured speakers will be nutritionists Ruth and Irwin Goldenberg, who will offer healthy eating tips. Cost: $11. To RSVP, send a check to Natalie Rubin, 2004 South 138th Avenue
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: 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 David and Sandy Gross, Amy Gross, Nina Gross, and Laura, Avi, Joe, Atara, Ike, Jake and Judah Greenbaum in honor of Rabbi Jonathan and Sara Gross’s anniversary; Mincha, 8:30 p.m. followed by Suedat Shlishit and Gemara class; Havdalah, 9:51 p.m. SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; “Reading the Rambam” with Rabbi Nadel, 9:45 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEEKDAYS: Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY: Women of the Torah class, 9:30 a.m.; Advanced Parsha Study, 7:30 p.m.
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: Service, 7 a.m.; Camp Gan Israel Day Camp, Kiddie Camp, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel Day Camp, Older Division, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Camp Gan Israel, Pioneers, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. SATURDAY: Maamar class, 9 a.m.; Service, 9:30 a.m.; Kiddush luncheon follows the service. SUNDAY: Service, 8:30 a.m.; Living Torah, 9:30 a.m., 20minute video broadcast. WEEKDAYS: Services, 7 a.m. MONDAY: Maamar Kabbalis-
A move toward peaceful understanding among faiths in Israel At the initiative of the two Israel Chief Rabbis, an interfaith conference was opened last week at the Chief Rabbinate in Jerusalem to discuss how the different faiths can cooperate with each other to further dialogue and understanding in the city which is so special to so many people. The meeting was attended by senior representatives of many streams of the Jewish, Christian, Moslem, Druze, Samaritan and Bedouin communi-
ties. The leaders realize that they can have a significant influence with their followers to encourage
tic Insights for Women, 12:15 p.m.; Halacha, 7 p.m. TUESDAY: W.O.W. Prayer Circle Tehillim & More, 9 a.m.; Parshah Roundup: Weekly Torah Portion Class, 7 p.m. Kabbalah WEDNESDAY: Circle, 7 p.m.; A Peek Through the Lens of Kabbalah, 8 p.m. THURSDAY: Jewish Thought, 12:45 p.m. All events and programs are open to the entire community. For information or to register call the office or visit the website.
CONGREGATION B’NAI JESHURUN Services conducted by Rabbi Ilan Emanuel. FRIDAY: 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. TUESDAYS: Beginner Hebrew: A Crash Course, led by Rabbi Emanuel on Tuesdays, July 10, 17, 24, 31 and August, 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 7 p.m. THURSDAY: Saratoga School Food Distribution Program, 5 p.m. at Saratoga Elementary School; Board of Trustees meeting, 7 p.m.; Choir Rehersal, 7 p.m. ADULT EDUCATION TUESDAYS: Beginner Hebrew: A Crash Course, led by Rabbi Emanuel on Tuesdays, July 10, 17, 24, 31 and August, 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 7 p.m. For more information, call the synagogue office.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE FRIDAY: Services, 7:30 p.m.
ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m. led by Andy Greenberg.
TEMPLE ISRAEL FRIDAY: Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. Rabbi Eric Linder and Tami
Field will lead the service. D’var Torah: Sarah Bleicher, “A Jewish Journey to Israel and Back.” SATURDAY: Sparks Beneath the Surface, 9:15-10:15 a.m.; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. SITTER SERVICE: Available each Friday evening service except when there is a Tot Shabbat, Saturday mornings when there is a bar or bat mitzvah, and Sunday mornings when there is Religious School. Advance reservations and a $5 donation are appreciated. Sorry, no facilities for infants.
NEIGHBORHOOD MINYAN FRIDAY: Minyan, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Services, 9 a.m.
TIFERETH ISRAEL Services conducted by Nancy Coren, Lay Leader. Office hours are Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. MONDAY and THURSDAY, Minyan, 9 a.m. Please contact the office if you want to make arrangements for a Minyan at another time. FRIDAY: Light Nosh, 6:15 p.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat Services, 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY: Weekly Parashah class, 8:30 a.m.; Morning service, 9:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group meets at the Knolls, 12:30 p.m. Call Yale Gotsdiner at 423.7066.
TREE OF LIFE CENTER Services conducted by Rabbi Michael Weisser. FRIDAYS: Sabbath Experience, 7:30 p.m. Havdalah: SATURDAYS: Rites of Separation, 6:30 p.m.; Drumming Meditation follows until 8 p.m.; Social Time until 10 p.m. MONDAYS: Sitting/Silent Meditation, 6 p.m.; Teachings/ Discussion, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAYS: Sitting/ Silent Meditation, 6 p.m.; 8 Weeks to Mindfulness Class, 7:30 p.m.
Friday night live Lola Reinglas, left, joined Nancy Rips and Andy Greenberg who con-
ducted a travelling “Shabbat Double Feature” on a recent Friday night. They went first to the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and then to Remington Heights retirement center. They lit candles, made Kiddush, presented Divrei Torah and sang Shabbat songs to residents.
To Submit B’nai Mitzvah Announcements mutual respect of one another’s beliefs without compromising their own beliefs. Copyright: ISRANET
Photos used in the March 30 Passover issue and earlier special issues must be picked up at the Press office; any remaining photos will be turned over to the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society this week. Questions? Call 402.334.6448.
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. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. You 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.
July 6, 2007
Your rights and responsibilities
SPARKS FROM THE WORD by RABBI MYER S. KRIPKE Parashat Pinhas It may be somewhat surprising to the reader who learns for the first time that there is a “covenant of peace” with Pinhas, who has just elected himself judge, jury and executioner for an Israelite man and a Midianite woman, who, in a blatant, in-your-face disregard of the moral stance of the people, pursued their own pleasure against the public’s right to moral stability. Let us pursue the right, if there is a right, to spontaneous punishment, including death, to lawbreakers intent on their own ecstacy. In our own American situation, nothing less than an emergency, we are urged to be on high alert for terrorism. Do we call the police or the FBI? Should we offer the terrorist a seat and a cup of tea while we await the arrival of law enforcement, or should we act? Shall we not be proactive and strike out for freedom? Will we ever have such an opportunity again? Pinhas, who apparently was readily armed even though he functioned as a priest, asked no questions and took no depositions. He simply executed the man and woman whose conduct enraged him. We must ask ourselves to what extent we may use our own rage as sufficient reason to “take the law into our own hands.” A case in point might be what is commonly called “road rage.” What rights do we have against the uncommonly stupid actions of that other guy? In short, we are faced many times every day with the problem of fitting ourselves into the usual legal situations of citizens who must obey the law even when we are unhappy with it. Can society be stable if everyone, or even a substantial oart of our society, allows the practice of Pinhas to prevail? Editor’s note: this column originally appeared in the June 26, 2002, issue of the Jewish Press.
JTA NEWS BRIEFS • According to the Jewish calendar, Monday was the first anniversary of the July 12 abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas in a cross-border raid, which triggered the 34-day conflict. Israelis held tours of the north of the country and visited military cemeteries to honor the memory of the 118 servicemen -- and one servicewoman -- who died during the fighting, as well as 44 civilians killed by Hezbollah rocket barrages. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose recent political comeback was largely due to Israelis’desire for a more experienced military leadership in the wake of the war, addressed an evening memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jerusalem. • Israel announced it cracked a Hamas ring that was building a Jerusalem power base. Eleven Palestinians from East Jerusalem are in custody on suspicion of raising money for Hamas terrorism and to enlist the support of Israeli Arabs, the Shin Bet announced Monday. The suspects -- 10 of whom have Israeli identity cards - are accused of trying to establish virtual Hamas control of the Temple Mount by bankrolling renovations around two major Muslim shrines there. That was a direct threat to the prestige of Jordan, an Israeli ally that formally oversees the administration of the Temple Mount’s mosques. It was not immediately clear how the detainees would plead to the charges. Hamas declined comment. Israel has stepped up its scrutiny on suspected Hamas activities in Jerusalem since the radical Islamist group swept Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006. • Police are stepping up patrols in a British suburb following a number of anti-Semitic incidents. Jewish families in Manchester walking to and from the synagogue in the town of Hale Barns have been harassed by youths shouting racist abuse from their vehicles, according to the police. “A 17-year-old boy has already been charged with four counts of racially aggravated public order offenses,” Superintendent John Graves of Greater Manchester Police’s Trafford division said. Police have been conducting high-visibility patrols, including having mounted officers and members of the police’s Anti-Social Behavior Unit patrol.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
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DEATHS
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RABBI STEPHAN F. BARACK Rabbi Stephan Barack, former rabbi of Temple Israel from 1987-88, died June 5 in Honolulu at the age of 64. Services were held there on June 10. A graduate of Washington University and Hebrew Union College, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from HUC and served as the spiritual leader of Temple Bet Shalom in Honolulu. He is survived by his wife, Renee Barack; daughters, Jennifer and Deborah; brother, Dr. Bruce Barack; and a sister, Cheryl Gouger. Memorials to Temple Bet Shalom, 322 Anapalau St., Honolulu, HI 96825. LEON SUMMER Leon Summer died June 24 at the age of 82. Services were held June 25 at Temple Israel Cemetery. Preceded in death by his brother, Sol Summer Survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia Summer; daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy and Bill Ferer of Englewood, NJ, and Joan and Ben Rischall of Minneapolis; son, Barry Summer; grandchildren, Reuben Rischall, Aaron Rischall, Emily Rischall, and Robert Ferer; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Charles and Cynthia Schneider, and sister-in-law, Anita Summer. Memorials to the National Kidney Foundation, American Cancer Society, or the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home.
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR
Established heavy construction company has an immediate opening for an experienced Equipment Operator for concrete street paving projects. Must have broad operating experience including trimmers, placers, and pavers. Must be reliable and have valid drivers license and a vehicle to get to job sites. Ideal candidate will be looking for a long-term employment opportunity. Position will require relocation to the Lincoln area. Benefits are as follows: Group Health and Dental Insurance X Profit Sharing Plan Group Disability and Life Insurance X 401(k) Savings Plan Paid Vacation X Subsistence when traveling Salary is commensurate with experience. Send resume or apply in person at
TCW Construction Inc., 141 “M” St., Lincoln, NE 68508 EOE/AA.
FLORYNE BROOKSTEIN POTASH Floryne Brookstein Potash died at the age of 79. Services were held July 1 at Mount Sinai Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard; and grandson, David. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Mike Gerver; son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Linda Potash; daughter, Nancy Potash; son, Dan Potash; five grandchildren; and her brother and sister-in-law, Marvin and Lynn Brookstein. Memorials to Friedel Jewish Academy, 335 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE, 68154.
To Submit Announcements: 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. Forms are available through Omaha and Lincoln synagogues, by contacting The Jewish Press at 402.334.6448, or by e-mailing the Editor at: ckatzman@jewishomaha.org. You 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.
OWN YOUR own business: Loomix feed supplements is seeking feed dealers. Motivated individuals with cattle knowledge & community ties. Flexible hours & great income opportunity. Contact Ashley @ 800-870-0356 or email afarnam@loomix.com to find out if there is a dealership opportunity in your area. PART-TIME, HOME-BASED Internet business. Earn $500-$1,000/month or more. Flexible hours. Training provided. No investment required. Free details. www.K348.com. ADVANCED FULL time farm position on central Nebraska corn operation. Pivot and farm machinery experience needed. Work history with references required. Competitive pay package and housing available with signing bonus. Non-smoking environment. Could work into a foreman/management position for right individual. Call 308-529-0180 or 537-3545, leave message if no answer. FOREMAN TO lead utility field crews. Outdoor physical work, many entry-level positions, paid training. $17/hr., plus weekly performance bonuses after promotion, living allowance when traveling, company truck and good benefits. Must have strong leadership skills, good driving history and be able to travel for short and extended periods in Nebraska and nearby states. E-mail resume to Recruiter3@osmose.com or fax 1-985871-0605, www.OsmoseUtilities.com. EOE, M/F/D/V. LINEMAN OR a lineman apprentice. Preferred qualifications: Associate degree from accredited line school, four years distribution line experience, or any combination. Contact City of Gothenburg office, 308-537-3668, or bclymer@cityofgothenburg.org. EOE. WANTED: SALESMAN to sell compact diesel tractors, convertible zero turn mowers, more wholesale, retail, travel, experience necessary. Salary, commission, expenses, combination. 1-800-284-7066, Scott-Hourigan Co.- details. HEAVY EQUIPMENT Operator training. Nationally certified, 4 week 200 hour program, job placement assistance, 1-308-874-9989, Heavy Equipment Training Academy. EXPERIENCED FOREMAN for earth moving company needed immediately. Responsibilities include managing job sites, employees, etc. Room for advancement. Excellent wage/benefits, pickup provided. Call 800-421-7698. EOE. GET CRANE trained! Crane/Heavy equipment training. Placement assistance, financial assistance. $12-30/hr. starting pay. Oklahoma College of Construction, www.Heavy9.com, use code “NECNH” or call 1-866-994-8585. MECHANICS: UP to $20,000 bonus. Keep the Army National Guard rolling. Fix Humvees, Strykers, etc. Expand your skills through career training. Be a soldier. 1-800GO-GUARD.com/mechanic. ACT NOW! Sign-on bonus, 36-45cpm/$1,000 + weekly, $0 lease/$1.20pm, CDL-A + 3 months OTR. 800-635-8669. DRIVER OTR for small Nebraska carrier, 75 mph classic condos, reefers, insurance program, requires CDL-A, 2 years experience, good driving record. Lanny, 800-8105432. DRIVER: KNIGHT Transportation “America’s Elite Fleet” limited availability!! Regional runs available, 2,500 + miles, ‘05-’07 Volvo. KC paid orientation. Benefits, pay increases. Anna/Miranda, 888-562-7783, www.knighttrans.com. Class-A CDL/4 months OTR. Owner Ops: 800-437-5907. DRIVERS: WE are looking for you!! Excellent compensation package! Terminals in Grand Island, NE and Rensselaer, IN. Dedicated flatbed carrier for Chief Industries. Class A-CDL/1 year OTR experience required. GICC, 877-367-4422, www.gicc.chiefind.com . OTR DRIVER wanted. Two years driving experience. Southeast and west coast. Home weekly. New equipment available. Refrigerated experience necessary. $500 sign on bonus. Contact Darwin, 800-869-0407.
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
July 6, 2007
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